RHYS MCEVOY
Psychic
Posts: 45
Age:
22
Occupation:
Owner of Kitschy Kitschy Coo
Status:
Interested In
Partner:
Mandy Reid
Played by:
Ange
Last seen Oct 21, 2024 18:25:33 GMT
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Saga
May 31, 2023 18:29:19 GMT
Post by RHYS MCEVOY on May 31, 2023 18:29:19 GMT
The box shifted awkwardly against his chest as Rhys bumped the rear door of the car shut. He should’ve repacked it last night, shedding the tattered box and crumpled newspaper that had been all the packing the woman running the yard sale had left by the end of the afternoon, there hadn’t been time though. Rhys grumbled faintly under his breath, shifting its weight as he started towards the store – his eyes fixed on the door instead of tripping across the square the same way they always did now, as though he’d find either Mandy or one of her brothers heading in his direction if he did. School was just about over for the year, but there’d been one last exam to study for, the yard sale a momentary reprieve from the hours he’d put in slaving over the books.
He dipped his head, rubbing his jaw against one of his shoulders, then winced. At 6 this morning he’d been driving back to Whitmore, strung out on coffee, hating microeconomics more than he ever had done. There hadn’t been time to worry about shaving, the shower he’d taken rushed through. His dad had still been asleep when he’d left. Eyes gritty, he’d trailed into the exam room. They’d been just as bad when he’d emerged, blinking against the bright light, at midday, but it felt like a weight was lifted off of his shoulders. Unless he decided to come back in September for grad school, he was done at Whitmore. There was a little pang in his stomach at the thought as he drove back out of the gate. Technically he hadn’t even needed his degree to run the store, but in small ways it had helped, and it’d made his dad happy. In a couple of months he’d be right there in the crowd, beaming as his son crossed the stage. Rhys huffed out a breath. Maybe he would stay on, if he could get the funding for it, add another layer of reassurance for his dad that he wasn’t going to end up destitute, the store heading for foreclosure because he hadn’t learned something vital.
That wasn’t going to happen. Pride sent its heat up into his chest as Rhys backed into the door, nudging it open with his shoulders. Business had slowly been growing over the last couple of years, the events he’d started putting on – building on the ones his parents had started when they’d bought the place together – becoming more and more popular. If it carried on this way, and he stayed in school, he was gonna need more than a couple of part time employees to help him out. He’d cross that bridge when he came to it, first there was the grand unveiling – always his favourite part of the job. Turning as the door swung shut, he caught sight of Ethan behind the counter. He lifted his chin, a grin already creasing his face. ”Hey, sorry I’m late. I needed to grab some coffee when my exam wrapped – I didn’t think I was gonna stay awake to make it back here otherwise.” The box he carried, loaded with some kid’s childhood of Batman comic books and action figures, was set down on one of the tables they used for the figure painting sessions in the back. Rhys plucked the paper bag off of the top of it and held it up. ”I brought lunch at least. I figured maybe you wouldn’t have been able to go out and grab something.” That all depended on just how busy they’d ended up being on a weekday morning.
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ETHAN MACHADO
Vampire
Posts: 51
Age:
19
Occupation:
Whitmore College Sophomore
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Milton Greasley
Played by:
Emma
Athletes are superstitious, maybe that's why people think we're dumb.
Last seen Sept 10, 2024 22:06:09 GMT
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Saga
Feb 23, 2024 23:25:20 GMT
Post by ETHAN MACHADO on Feb 23, 2024 23:25:20 GMT
 Ethan had always known that he would end up moving away to go to college, he, his mom and his sister had stayed in the house they’d shared with his dad before he died until he and Maya had finished their senior year but when graduation rolled around they had made the decision to move as a family. He and Maya were both coming to the end of their freshman year at Whitmore and their mom was settled in a new job as well. Ethan had taken a job at the comic book store so he could help his family out and the truth was that he was enjoying it. He had always been a fan of comics and working there gave him the chance to see what new comics were coming out that he might like. It also gave him the chance to help others find new ones they hadn’t tried yet and he always liked hearing what they thought about them. Honestly it was a dream job as far as Ethan was concerned and he knew that he wanted to stay there as long as he could. He was able to work the shifts around school and football and it had helped him make a few new friends along the way as well. MG had become someone who was really important to him and if he was honest it was much better having something to do with his time when he wasn’t at school than sitting at home doing nothing. He had friends at Whitmore but living in Mystic Falls meant that he’d wanted the chance to get to know people there as well and some of his college friends didn’t understand his liking of comics so he knew that it was much better to keep the two separate as much as he could. That day he was fortunate that he’d had the morning free of classes because his boss, Rhys, had an exam. He had to go in for a couple of study sessions that afternoon but he still had some free time on his hands and Ethan knew that he wanted to make the most of it. He needed to grab something to eat but it had been so busy that morning that he hadn’t even had the chance to take a break let alone duck out for a few minutes to get something. Rhys wasn’t back yet but Ethan couldn’t really blame him, after exams it was good to have some time to distress sometimes. Ethan knew that he would be in the same position in a few years when he was under pressure with his final year exams and he knew that he wanted to do everything he could in order to make it as easy as possible for Rhys until he finished. Ethan had just finished serving the last customer when Rhys arrived and Ethan shook his head. “It’s no problem, I figured you probably needed a bit of time after your exam,” Ethan chuckled. “How did it go?” Honestly he had no idea how Rhys could do a course like that but he hoped it had gone well. “You’re a hero, it has been so busy here today I haven’t had chance to duck out,” he admitted. “What did you bring?”RHYS MCEVOY
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RHYS MCEVOY
Psychic
Posts: 45
Age:
22
Occupation:
Owner of Kitschy Kitschy Coo
Status:
Interested In
Partner:
Mandy Reid
Played by:
Ange
Last seen Oct 21, 2024 18:25:33 GMT
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Saga
Mar 21, 2024 20:48:09 GMT
Post by RHYS MCEVOY on Mar 21, 2024 20:48:09 GMT
Creating a hub for people in the community who might not have had one otherwise had always been a dream of his parents’. They’d met in the shop, two kids who hadn’t really fitted in with many other people. They’d fallen in love here and if his mom hadn’t ended up with the ticking timebomb in her head, they might’ve had long, happy lives here. Rhys was sure the business would’ve grown the same way with her in charge. His dad had told him often enough about how sweet she was, how she could get anybody smiling with just a few minutes of conversation. When she’d died it had been like a light had gone out of the place, out of his dad too. Now, Rhys figured he was putting it back and given how busy they’d been, he was doing a half decent job of it.
Now that school was out, he had plans. Rhys figured that when classes were over at the high school and at the new private school that seemed to have sprung up in town he could start putting on more events – with Ethan’s help of course. Day time and evening stuff for the kids and teenagers, late night stuff for the adults. Movie nights, gaming nights, and the trivia nights he’d hadn’t been able to put on in a while. Throw some wine, beer and snacks into the mix and people seemed happy to get together. It helped that he’d managed to build a core group of people who seemed to like coming back for them. Maybe he could get a list put together from previous events, start sending out invites to things once he’d worked out some sort of a schedule. If he was really lucky Mandy’s brothers would let her come while they stayed far away.
That could wait until after lunch and the unboxing though, he’d already put enough work on Ethan as it was. Thankfully it was the last time he’d have to – until his graduation ceremony. He imagined they’d end up back here for some sort of a celebration after. Rhys aimed a crooked grin at Ethan as he set things down. ”Because I’d need to scoop my brains back into my ears?” he joked. ”It was definitely needed, and your understanding’s appreciated. It started early and microeconomics isn’t exactly something you can be passionate enough about to get excited for.” It had been a necessary evil to get his degree though. Now that it was done, he could settle here and put school behind him.
”Well enough, I think,” Rhys admitted. ”As long as I get a pass I’ll be happy.” His grades were probably high enough to carry him through anyway. Just graduating mattered far more than the grades he’d achieved. ”Really?” His grin brightened as he dipped into the bag and offered Ethan one of the wax paper wrapped parcels. ”I guess it’s a good thing I’ve brought some new stock with me too. You keep this up and the shelves’ll be empty.” With comics it was all about the new, the classic, and he tried to keep the balance with that, turning up all that he could at garage and estate sales, along with the other kitschy things that caught his eye. ”Cheeseburgers and fries from the Diner. Milkshakes too. I figured you’d earned it.” And he definitely had. ”When’s school out for you?” Rhys asked. He unwrapped his own burger, taking a bite of it that reignited his hunger instantly.
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ETHAN MACHADO
Vampire
Posts: 51
Age:
19
Occupation:
Whitmore College Sophomore
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Milton Greasley
Played by:
Emma
Athletes are superstitious, maybe that's why people think we're dumb.
Last seen Sept 10, 2024 22:06:09 GMT
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Saga
Jul 29, 2024 23:09:47 GMT
Post by ETHAN MACHADO on Jul 29, 2024 23:09:47 GMT
It had never been the same for Ethan and his family after his dad died. A couple of years had passed since then and they were all doing much better than they were but they still felt his loss each and every day. Moving away was meant to be a fresh start for all of them and Ethan couldn’t deny that it was good not being surrounded by memories of what they’d lost at every turn but not a day went by when he didn’t think about his dad. Now his mum was the only parent he and Maya had left in their lives and it had brought the three of them that much closer together. Ethan knew that it had been difficult for his sister at first, her biological mom had never been in the picture but she had never been treated any differently. Ethan knew that as far as their parents were concerned Maya was theirs and the fact that she was his half-sister rather than a full blooded sibling had never bothered Ethan either. The two of them were born just a few months apart and they had always been so close that it honestly felt more like they were twins than anything. Ethan knew that he was lucky to have his mom and sister still and even though leaving his friends behind had been difficult when they moved away, he knew that the move to Mystic Falls was the right thing for all of them. Now he was attending Whitmore and doing his best to focus on football and keeping his grades up. He knew he had been fortunate to be offered a scholarship to the school but that meant that he had to put the work in to make sure he made the grades he needed to and that was something that Ethan had been doing his best to do. Since his mom was the only parent bringing money in, Ethan had known that he would need to get a job and working at the store was a lot better than he had ever hoped for. He felt like he was really in his element while he was in there and he couldn’t deny that he liked being able to use what he knew to help others find things they might like but hadn’t necessarily come across yet. Working there was something that he had come to enjoy and it made Ethan feel better to know that he could pay his own way and help his mom out with the bills. Having a good boss helped as well so Ethan really felt like he had lucked out. “Pretty much,” Ethan chuckled. “I hate exams so I normally find a bit of time to unwind afterwards helps,” he added. He was good under pressure, he had to be considering he played football, but exams were a completely different kind of pressure and that was something that took a lot of getting used to. Honestly, Ethan knew he would be glad once his exams were over and he was able to enjoy the summer. “I bet. Just thinking about it makes me feel bored, I don’t know how you managed it,” he grinned. There were probably classes like that with every course, though, so it was just one of those things. “I’m sure you did. How long until you find out?” he asked, not sure whether Rhys would get his results around the same time that Ethan would get his or whether he would get them any earlier. He was still new to the whole college thing and was trying to figure out how it all worked. “Really. Schools will be finishing soon so I think a lot of people are trying to get in here early before the best comics go,” he nodded. That was what it seemed like at least and Ethan was pretty sure it was a good thing. “Thank,” he said as he took the food that Rhys offered to him. Unwrapping it, Ethan’s eyes lit up as he saw the burger inside. “Exactly what I felt like today, you’re a mind reader,” he chuckled as he took a bit of his burger and ate a couple of his fries. “Not long now, I have a couple of study sessions this afternoon and they I just need to get through my exams. I can’t wait for the summer.”RHYS MCEVOY
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RHYS MCEVOY
Psychic
Posts: 45
Age:
22
Occupation:
Owner of Kitschy Kitschy Coo
Status:
Interested In
Partner:
Mandy Reid
Played by:
Ange
Last seen Oct 21, 2024 18:25:33 GMT
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Saga
Aug 1, 2024 17:05:11 GMT
Post by RHYS MCEVOY on Aug 1, 2024 17:05:11 GMT
It felt a little odd knowing that school was over, likely forever. Rhys knew his dad had wanted him to go, to get an education to fall back on in case things with the store didn’t work out. He’d had faith from the start, before he’d even been allowed to really take over the day to day running of the place. What his parents had started here was going to survive, and if he had his way, it was going to thrive. Maybe getting his business degree had been helpful in some of the more technical ways of running the place, but what this place really took was heart and like his mom, Rhys liked to think he had plenty of that. Of course, heart alone didn’t bring in the big bucks, but it kept customers coming back here week after week. Now that school was done he’d get to see that a little more. Slightly less early mornings spent watching kids press their noses to the window to take in the current Iron Man display on the way to school, quiet afternoons used to restock as much as possible before those same kids got out of school or adults swung by on their way home. All of it felt like a wide open opportunity now and it was no longer for just the couple of months he’d have had over the summer before.
Chuckling lightly, Rhys nodded at Ethan. While he hadn’t particularly wanted to go in the first place, he’d never hated school that much. ”You’re not wrong,” Rhys admitted. ”If it wasn’t my last I probably would’ve taken a little more time before I came back.” Not much more though, because this place had always been his place to unwind. It was like all the pressure from school, from the pall of grief that still hung over his dad and their home from time to time. It had been his place to get away from the weird stuff that had been happening since before he’d gone to Whitmore too. Rhys supposed he’d have time to try and figure all of that out now too, working out exactly what had happened with that locket on the day that Mandy had been snatched from her brothers’ store. Rhys’ grin tugged at the corners of his mouth and he clucked his tongue lightly. ”There might have bene a few classes I napped through. As long as it all works in the end, that’s all that matters. The results come out the same time as yours, then there’s just graduation.” And his dad beaming in the crowd, the space his mom would’ve taken up empty right beside him.
As a kid he’d already raced to the store after school, squeezing in visits before when he was old enough to cycle to school on his own. It had been exciting, especially when he hadn’t known exactly what was on the shelves (these days he put a lot of it there himself). ”Picking up stuff to read on vacations,” Rhys agreed. ”I’ll have to ask our suppliers to up our delivery. I’ve got a few garage sales lined up in the next couple of weeks, hopefully that’ll bring some stuff in.” There were plenty of vintage pieces that would always sell well in the store, especially to the real collectors. Rhys saw that his choice had been a good one as Ethan’s eyes lit up. He took a second bite of his burger, after hours in his exam, he was hungry too. ”Maybe I really am psychic,” he said proudly after he swallowed. ”Not long to go then.” His brows rose faintly as he reached for his milkshake. ”Have you got any plans for summer? If we stay busy, there’ll be some extra shifts going if you want them? I was thinking about putting some more events on too, and you know I can always do with a hand with those.” Luckily most of his staff were as in to all of this stuff as he was, it helped when he was looking for people volunteering for some extra hours.
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hope to see you in the discord! 
