BASIC INFO
Full name: Asher Ezekiel Goldstein
Nickname(s): Ash
Age: 46
Birthday: November 16, 1979
Hometown: Windsor Bay, OR
Zodiac big three: Scorpio Sun, Pisces Moon, Libra Rising
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Residence: Downtown
Occupation: Owner of Main Street Records
PERSONALITY
In a nutshell Asher is a sarcastic goofball who sometimes makes compulsive decisions without thinking the consequences through, which has been known to get him in trouble.
BIOGRAPHY
Asher Goldstein, the eldest child and only son of Isaac and Adah Goldstein, grew up under the weighty expectation of carrying on the family legacy. With three younger sisters and a lineage rooted in law, the pressure to follow in his father’s footsteps began before he even understood what that truly meant. Isaac, a respected attorney at Goldstein Law, had always envisioned Asher taking over the family business one day. Eager to earn his father's approval, Asher played along in his early years, pretending to share the same ambitions. As he entered his teenage years, it became glaringly obvious that he had little to no interest in the world of law. Instead, Asher found himself drawn to music and even taught himself how to play both the guitar and drums. He would lock himself away in his room and pour hours into perfecting his craft and falling more in love with the art.
At sixteen, Asher met his first serious girlfriend, and their whirlwind romance quickly consumed them both. By the time they were seventeen and in their junior year of high school, the two of them began to discuss marriage much to their parents dismay. Just a few weeks after graduating high school the freshly turned eighteen year olds fled to Portland to elope. Their parents were furious, even threatening to cut them off entirely, but the young couple pressed on, fueled by passion and naiveté. They had moved to Portland, rented an apartment, and took whatever jobs they could to pay rent and make ends meet. But adulthood proved harsher than they anticipated. They did their best to make things work and tried to stay together despite financial stress, clashing expectations, and emotional immaturity. After about six years of marriage, the couple called it quits and agreed to a divorce. Asher moved back to Windsor Bay with his tail tucked between his legs, afraid to face his parents. They came to an agreement where they allowed Asher to move in with them as he got on his feet, but only if he agreed to enroll in school and get a job. He settled for Windsor Bay Community College where he studied music. His father had been hoping now that he was older, he would have matured and "come to his senses" and choose to pursue law. However now that he was following his dreams and studying music, he was seen as a "disappointment" in his father's eyes and would become victim to the endless lectures about how he was "raised better than this".
He eventually moved out of his parent's basement and got a one bedroom apartment downtown while holding a full time job as a server at Genesis Steakhouse, where he would eventually be promoted to an assistant manager. His life was far from glamourous but he was standing on his own feet for what felt like the first time in his life, meaning life was good in his eyes.
By his late twenties, he came face to face with the most gorgeous woman he had ever laid eyes on. Emi Choi's parents had been looking for legal advice when they turned towards Goldstein Law. Asher's father was the one in particular that took on their case, sparking somewhat of a friendship between both sets of parents. The two began as friends, as she was in a relationship with someone else when they initially met. But the moment they were both single, Asher was sure to shoot his shot. Emi was confident, sharp, and full of light. She was everything that Asher hadn't realized he was missing from his life. Their connection was immediate and it didn't take long for him to fall completely in love with her. After several years together, the couple announced their engagement, and soon after they exchanged vows in an intimate ceremony surrounded by their loved ones.
The couple decided to hold off on having kids for the time being, as they wanted to spend time being selfish and enjoy life as the typical millennial dog parents. But as time went on and their friends began having children of their own, the question of kids began surfacing more and more. Asher loved the idea of building a family with Emi, but there was another dream tugging at him that he had secretly carried for years. Main Street Records had just gone up for sale. But for Asher, this wasn't just a business—it was a piece of his heart and soul. The record shop had been a cornerstone of his youth, as he could remember always browsing the shelves as he was just starting out his collection. And now he had the opportunity to keep it alive for the next generation of kids to enjoy the way he always did. He’d mentioned it once or twice to Emi, more as a fantasy than a plan. She knew how much music meant to him, but she had no idea how serious he was.
One day without even thinking twice about it, Asher took out a loan to buy the record shop. He didn’t tell Emi until after the ink had dried. What he saw as chasing a lifelong dream, she saw as a reckless betrayal of their shared future—especially with the topic of children so fresh between them. The fallout was immediate and the next thing he knew, Emi had filed for divorce. Once Asher caught wind of the fact she had moved to California, he quickly flew out at a last ditch effort as a way to win her back. He surprised her with flowers in hand and his heart on his sleeve. Their reunion was passionate and they spent an intense night together, falling back into something that almost felt like what they once had. However, Asher woke up alone in the bed the next morning. No note. No text message. Just an empty bed and the quiet understanding that this chapter was truly over. Little does Asher know, Emi conceived twins on the night of their hookup.
HEADCANONS
Throughout high school and college Asher has been in a handful of bands. Lonely October was by far the most popular and successful, if only on the campus of local colleges where they would play gigs around.
His first job was at Retro Rewind while in high school. Even though it's been years since he's worked there, he still visits the store regularly because he's a huge supporter of physical media in the streaming age.
