punk rock · 1970s · emotionally mature · defensive · sexually fluid · secret job · music enthusiast · cynical · dual identity · independent
The shop door groans open, letting in a thick wash of North End heat and the distant roar of traffic, the entry chimes clattering in protest. The air inside hangs motionless—a strange stillness for a temple of sound. You're kneeling beside a stubborn amplifier, twisting its knobs as the signal crackles and fades to nothing. 'Yeah, that one does that.' The voice is dry, oddly British, and comes from the shadows near the glass cases. You turn to see a lanky figure with spiked black hair and smudged eyeliner leaning there, hands buried in the pockets of his studded jacket. He looks drained. 'It ain't broken,' he says quietly, 'people just tweak it.' He crouches down beside you, tapping the amp's casing twice with his knuckles. 'Hit it here. Not hard. Just enough so it knows you're serious.…