YES PLEASE. BLOCKBUSTER ELLIE?? 90’s?? SIGN ME UP. WHERE DO I PUT MY NAME??😖😖🙏
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a/n + cw; OMGG AN EMOJI ANON i haven't seen you guys in a hot minute, but YESSS BLOCKBUSTER ELLIE!! specifically x customer reader. it's a cute duo! and let me relay why from my very scrambled 3 am jot-down. was going to make this a blurb, but it better translates through something more structured. ++ SFW! kinda mean!reader tbh (but ellie likes that), very fluffy you might squeet, quickly written, awkwardness, ellie being a nerd. [first pic from amoaeIIie on pinterest]
Imagine Ellie, in her blockbuster getup, leaning her butt into the edge of the register counter, jamming to whatever is playing on her hand-me-down walkman; earsbuds in, eyes downcast, head bopping slowing - soundly unaware of you awaiting service on your over-due rental. "Hello?" your volume divides the soft ambiance of the store, but it isn't enough to rope Ellie's mindspace from the clouds. Calling out again, "Hell-looh?" you extend beyond the cash register and wave your hand - nothing, nada.
How the hell has this girl not gotten her ass fired yet?
After numerous roadblocks, a brazen last resort comes into play. You cut around the counter briefly to take things into your own hands (literally) because you have not the time, nor the patience, for her slacking off.
Beryl eyes drop sharply to the walkman in her pants pocket when a single earbud is spooled from her ear, assuming it fell - but to her surprise, it hung low from your finger, and a glance above that finger was your face. Risen of one brow, flat-lined of your lips; impatient.
And her entire focus blanks out when you begin to speak, curtly and satirically, "Hey, I know busting out your Dad's old walkman in public makes you feel cool and whatnot, but you're on the clock." handing the slim cord back over to a stunned girl, flushed behind the pop of her freckles. Maybe your tone of voice sent her higher into the clouds, past a coven of angels, because her lips part narrowly and remain still for a single second - save two or three. Or maybe it's 'cause you specified it as her 'Dad's' which was.. spot on.
And whatever excuse she had quickly cherry-picked for you, hesitated audibly in her throat before it split from it, "O-Oh, right, shit sorry - was about to end my shift n' thought the store was empty. My bad." scrambling to stuff the other earplug in her pocket and avert all attention to you. Very eagerly.
"Looks like you've got a late fee on this one.." her pitch pummeled deeper, and coarser as she concentrates on the clunky screen she hunches slightly to use. Scrunching the freckles of her face together, hogging the blue-lit screen. Poor girl probably forgot her glasses at home. "Annnd are you looking to rent the sequel?" she peeks her auburn head from the screen and holds up the cased movie, tracing her index over the plastic cleft, tapping twice. "To this - it has a second part."
There's no denying it: she is cute - and guilt rolls your guts around for being so snippy and sullen to her earlier. But based on her demeanor growing enthused the second she saw what movie you had in hand - she doesn't seem to care a hoot.
"Out of stock," replied you, indifferent-sounding - and strking; crossed arms, bent knee, stiffly-standing. Comparable to a millpond. "Guess I won't be the only person with late fees." you take a breath to jest, shaking loose strands of hair from your eyes.
"Haha," you're no world-class comedian; that joke wasn't all that funny, but the need to hurl any affirming noise at you, was necessary. Relenting to reflex. What can she say? Love at first sight! "Yeah, that seems like the agenda these days," Ellie sighs out, molding the plump of her lip under her teeth and reshapes it into a dorky smirk. Isn't she just a sweet chocolate-box of adorability?
"Hmm, bummer."
That hum and word trips into her ears, knocking some brain-cog, and an idea limns her features; they glow wide. "Actually - um, I've got a copy of the sequel at my place. Technically it's my Dad's, but.." her pitch fluctuates, mindlessly thumbing the case between two fiddly hands. "Maybe you can - if you want, not pressuring you or anything - come over?" she throws a pointed thumb backwards, motioning a potential future. "Watch it? If you weren't planning on watching it with somebody else."
Slick trick to seeing if you're single; of course you'd watch movies with your boyfriend - or girlfriend.
"Hmmm.." you hummed longer this time, and this time it admitted the mushrooming of an almost aggravating anticipation in her belly. Like you meant to torture her with 'hmms' and nothing but 'hmms' as your answer hung high in cloudy abeyance, until, "What's the name on your tag - ah, Ellie."
"Yeah?"
"Ellie," you confirm her name twice, and speak it to enthrall her full-scale attention. Made it sound fucking sugary sweet, through a swirly whisper and a twist of your head. "If you can give me a discount, or a full wipe on that late fee, then yes. It's a date."
Light panic ensues. "Date?" she croaks and laughs it off, "I mean - pshh, guess that's one way to put it." backtracking to her hunched, elbows-on-the-counter pose.
"You put it that way."
"Yeah, I just.. didn't wanna admit that." immediately, she uncurls her spine again, relaxing her muscles to somewhat peer at you. "Sure. No more fees." Rounded eyes lost - adamant on indirectly staring at you and the space below you, because Goddess forbid a stroke of idiocy flickers through her while gawking at you.
The store runs dead-quiet in the background of your conversation, leading you to one golden question. "Your shift over after this?"
Oh damn, her cheeks are pink. "Uh-huh," bet she's oblivious to that red-hot beam nearly bursting the seams to her face, too. Nasal lines fold as a severe smile tugs, shadowed by her bent thumb poking at it. "Takin' my car?"
And that's how you pick up girls at a video store in the 90s - the Ellie Williams way.
this isn't even the full idea
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movie night picks
summary: Ellie & Joel look for something to watch for movie night
warnings: light strong language from everyone’s favorite uncle
word count: 1210
preview:
Every Friday there would be boxes set out on a table in the church full of movies for the people of Jackson to borrow and bring back the following week. Almost everyone in town had a DVD player and if someone was missing one, there would always be someone else who was willing to share. Ellie and Joel were given one by Tommy when they moved in and now every Friday morning Ellie would drag Joel down to the church for first-pick of the new movie selection
You never knew when new stuff would be added because it's all found while on patrol. If Jimmy went on patrol on Sunday and brought back 4 new movies, you wouldn't know until Friday. So it was important to Ellie that she was one of the first in line.
She sat down the movie she and Joel watched last week, his choice of some old western film, and started looking for a new movie. The western film wasn't bad but since she was sick last week and couldn't do stable duty, it made her miss Shimmer.
Joel stood behind her with his arms crossed, as he usually would, and started up a conversation with one of the other exhausted Jackson parents who got pulled away from their bed that morning.
"She made us watch that Barbie movie two weeks ago," the woman started, "She was tired of it within the first fifteen minutes."
Ellie took a quick glance over her shoulder to see what the woman looked like, then dropped her head back down to the movie box she was currently digging through.
"That's kids for ya," Joel replied and Ellie could suddenly feel his eyes on her. "She decided to watch The Ring while I was out on patrol about a month ago and–"
"Oh!" She quickly turned around and held up a DVD to Joel to get him to shut up, "What about this one?"
Joel took the movie from her, read the title of it, then handed it back. "No."
She frowned, reexamining the cover. Curtis and Viper 2. The cover was two guys, one had a sword. The description was a little vague but it seemed like a dumb action film. Joel loved these.
"Why?"
"Because it's your movie night," he nodded towards the boxes as a way to tell her to pick something else.
"Okay,” she turned around to look at the options again, then spun once more to face Joel. “I pick this," she held the case up again.
"No you don't.”
"Why not?"
"You're too young for that."
She dropped her hands to her sides, still holding onto the movie. He did not just tell her some cheesy action film was too mature for her.
"What's in this that I haven't already seen?" She sat the movie down on the table and crossed her arms.
"I'll explain when you're older."
She's 15 how much older does she need to–
"Is it dirty?" She raised her eyebrows, turning around to judge the cover again.
"No, it's just…” he looked around the church like he was searching for an excuse. “You wouldn't like it."
She sighed, putting the movie back in the box. She was confident she would like the movie but, for whatever reason, Joel was against it and she had to respect that. She planned on hounding him about it later until he told her why he was against it, but for now she had to find something he wouldn’t immediately veto.
She dug around for a few more minutes before coming up with a larger DVD case. She studied the front of it then turned around for Joel to see.
"No." He didn't even give her a chance to fully lift it up to him.
"You can't say no to everything if it's my movie week."
"Do you even know what that is?" He pointed to the case and she flipped it around to look at it again.
It was some yellow square with holes in it. SpongeBob SquarePants was written across the front. 40 episodes, season 1…
"It's a cartoon," she shrugged. "It says PG."
"It's worse than The Ring."
She tilted her head and looked up at him, narrowing her eyes. "Is that your personal opinion?"
"Yes, it is." He nodded, taking the case from her. As he read over this nightmare choice, a grin appeared on his face. He looked up from the DVD and called for Tommy to come over from the other side of the church.
When Tommy walked up, Joel held the case out for him and immediately it was out of his hands and in Tommy’s.
"No fuckin' way we got Spongebob," he opened it to make sure all the discs were present then closed it again, examining the front and back covers. "How the hell did we get this?"
Joel shrugged, not that Tommy was paying any attention to him.
"You wanna come over and watch it?" Ellie offered, assuming if it was two vs one then she could get it. She’d figure out what it was about later.
Tommy looked between Joel and Ellie, handing the case over to her. "I'd love to," he smiled then turned towards Joel, his smile somehow getting bigger, "Just like old times."
Joel shook his head, stepping away from the movie table so Tommy and Ellie would follow and more people could get through.
"What do you mean?" Ellie asked, following Joel out of the church and onto the street.
"Sarah and I used to watch it all the time. We'd leave Joel at the kitchen table the second the show started–"
"He's never been mature," Joel interrupted, taking the case back from Ellie so she wouldn't have to hold it as they walked back to the house.
"He hated it but he knew how much we liked it. I think the tradition of eatin' on the floor in front of the TV started with that show."
"It started because you two would've rathered starve than miss a rerun."
"I regret nothin'." Tommy shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
About halfway down the street the three of them came to a stop.
"So.. movie night tonight?” Ellie looked between the two of them.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Tommy nodded once before turning to Joel. "Want me to bring somethin'?"
"I've got a short patrol in about two hours. I should be back in time to cook."
Tommy waved him off, "I can bring somethin'." He turned around to start walking back towards the church. "I'll see y'all tonight."
On the way back to the house, Ellie took the case from Joel again to become familiar with the yellow sponge that was about to occupy her week. "Are you okay with this?" She looked up at him, trying to get an idea of how he feels through facial expression.
He nodded, looking back down at her. "Yeah, of course. I haven't seen Tommy so excited in a long time and I think you'd like it," he stared down at the smiling yellow figure. "He's got a God-awful voice though."
She laughed, holding up the case to try to imagine what voice could come from such a strange looking creation.
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