This Isn't Clerks -Open-

[Ashton Harper]

Working at a comic book store was probably the only thing Ash found that he'd enjoyed. He'd done the food scene, worked at a bakery for some lady who hadn't liked his creative style of cupcakes (despite how well they sold). He'd tried bartending like Alex, but wasn't thrilled over the way guys acted when they were drunk. Especially towards him just because he was awkward and not stupid. Oh and because the fake ID thing never worked on him, thank you human lie detector. So he'd settled on a less confrontational, less creative, more straightforward kind of job. Store clerk, where you ring people up for comic books and organize the shelves and displays. 

He fit in well with the crowd he often encountered, guys like him who just enjoyed geeking out when they could. Of course, there was the few customers that gave him a hard time, typically his twin, but it was never bad enough that he wanted to quit. The irony behind his job was when he got into discussions about the X-men and mutants in general with non-powered folk. They always thought it was so off the wall, how could anyone with an ability blend into society! There was no way. Meanwhile, standing right in front of them, was a mutant, who blended in with the norms better than anyone. 

Ashton was sorting one of the action figure displays, and by sorting, he really was just playing with them. Setting them up into fighting positions, arms and legs raised. There were even some sound effects thrown in a few times. When he heard the bell toll, he noted someone standing just outside the door. They were just underneath the entry bell that kept signaling that someone was entering, but they hadn't entered. They were just standing there. Ash shook his head and went back to his figures before the bell tolled again and again and again until he couldn't focus anymore.

"Are you waiting for someone? Did you want to come in and look around, or...?" Ash finally said, his tone easygoing and he hoped a little on the polite side. He had expected it to be his sister, but he knew that it wasn't. Alex was not so subtle with her annoyances.

[Matthew Rowland]

New comics were needed. While not having a particularly bad day, a pick-me-up of twenty-or-so pages of colored characters was his drug of choice today; he'd make sure to finish one of the books on his To Read list another time.

The bus ride hadn't been anything special. He made sure to bring his headphones, though. Going outside in Kalispell was always a chore. While it was no D.C., it still had its fair share of hustle and bustle. And random people liked to speak to him; it never failed. So, he purchased a pair of headphones a year or so back and made sure to always wear them when he went out. Over time, he bought a few more in different colors and styles to match his mood and attire. Today he was rocking a lime green pair. It didn't exactly match the black and gray hoodie or the dark blue denim he was wearing, but the green was present in his shoes here and there amidst the black. B+ for effort.

Matthew stepped off the bus and adjusted his headphones, making sure the end of the cord was snug in his pocket, and began his short walk to the comic book store. He made sure his power was off for the moment. This was another of the reasons why going out in Kalispell was a hassle: the noise. You would think that being Deaf would mean it wouldn't bother him. Try seeing the sound. Matthew had been pushing back his ability since he left campus, and while he could definitely go longer, he was ready to drop his guard. Luckily the bus stop wasn't too far from his destination and he arrived in no time.

After approaching the entrance, he felt his phone vibrate, so he stopped in the doorway. It was his mom! Usual daily check up with a random blurb of news about the family. Matthew smiled and responded, slipping the phone away afterwards and lowering his mental barrier blocking his ability.

That's when he saw it.

The wording was shifting, probably due to more than one person hearing it, but the general look of the sounds was clear: annoying. Random italics, bold, bright flashy colors, and almost unreadable.
'_Ding do^ng ding _d^o_ng' over and over and over again, and it seemed to rain down on him. He looked up to see the source of the sound and then quickly over to the store employee, who was seemingly upset. Something similar had happened to him before so he knew there must have been a door chime, and apparently stopping to reply to his mother in the doorway was not a good idea. 

Matthew stepped fully into the store, glancing to the door chime hoping the downpour of ding dongs would stop now. Once it had, he looked to the employee and mouthed 'Sorry!', performing the sign as well.