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[martytsui]

𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐏

     ❝ DID I ? ❞ TRIP ASKS, BROW arching incredulously. he pretends to think back on it, pursing his lips into a thoughtful frown before ultimately shaking his head. ❝ i dunno, smarty. all i remember is you totally eating my dust. ❞ there’s a sparkle of mischief in his eyes, but he tries to keep his posture casual—— infuriatingly so, leaning against one of the structural posts of the barn with his hands tucked nice and snug in his pants pockets. ❝ but i guess if you’re hellbent on doing it again, we could always play pretend with one of the balloons. ❞

🎸

trip’s reaction is exactly what marty expects it to be and it’s a welcome thing, after everything that’s been blindsiding them the last couple of months. marty matches trip’s expression, grin on their lips. when he finally speaks, all they can do is shake their head and tsk tsk tsk at him — he’s right, of course, but to tell him that would be regrettable. “well, clearly,” she starts, “your memory is very shitty, trippy.” she nudges him, just enough to maybe tilt him out of balance. “we could. do you have a skirt somewhere in the back? we’re already using balloons, i am owed a mini skirt,” marty teases. 

[martytsui]

𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐑

STARTER FOR MARTY. ( @martytsui​ )

– “LOOK WHAT I GOT,” BLAIR GRINS WIDELY, brandishing a bottle of champagne that she nicked from behind the bar. “ use this wisely, ” she says, pressing it into marty’s hands, “ figured you could use it in case you’re still jumpy from the memories of your last wedding experience. keeping the cake in tact is actually part of my best woman duties. ” 

🎸

marty gives blair a look, a smirk betraying the amusement at her best friend’s words. “i always use things like this wisely, shapiro,” marty remarks, “who do you think i am?” she winks at blair before turning around on her heels to open the bottle with a ‘pop!’, trying to make it as inconspicuous as possible. “you don’t have to worry about that, best woman.” marty smirks before taking a sip. “i actually like the people getting married so i’d never ruin it for them. or maybe i’m just saying that to keep you on your toes.” marty shares the bottle with blair. “guess you’ll have to wait to find out.”

[martytsui]

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄: woodacre barn, wedding reception 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒: closed to @tripfm​

“you don’t happen to have a basketball somewhere, do you?” marty asks as they come up from behind trip, glass in hand, lips pressed together into a smile. marty doesn’t know if it’s the fact it’s a wedding or just her need to always give her mind something to think of that prompts her to say an idea that is definitely not going to happen. “feels like a good time for a rematch since you definitely cheated last time.”

[martytsui]

𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂

—

“ I’M NOT THINKING ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, ”   eric says innocently enough, the meaning of his words completely flying over his head. except NOW he is maybe thinking—how can it not, when she keeps talking about herself in the shower ?   it’s not like he can’t imagine what it’d look like… nope, he’s not doing this.   “ you’re cruel, you know that ? ”   he makes a face down at marty, before glancing around at the party to regain his own mental footing.   “ underselling ?  nah. i just tell it how it is. ”   and in his mind, he does. eric doesn’t imagine for one minute she’s actually going to split the money with him, so his eyes narrow playfully in their direction. but there’s no point fighting about it now, while the game is only just beginning. 

he’s waiting for her to make the play when marty makes that comment, and it’s enough for the playful expression on his face to dissipate, jaw going slack for a moment as he tries to consider what even to say to that. she’s had too much in his system to be a real comfort, and even if that wasn’t the case, standing behind a pong table probably isn’t the best place for a heart-to-heart. besides, the LAST thing eric wants to talk about right now is what’s been going on. he likes hanging out with the others from work, but these college parties transport him back to a time before he had to deal with gangs and murder and sinking boats. when he didn’t have to deal with anything… just the way he likes it. it’s cowardly to not comment on what marty’s talking about, but eric’s never tried to be brave before. why start now ? 

instead he just focuses on the game, and now his personal mission tonight :   pulling marty out of whatever funk the drinking clearly isn’t helping.   “ is it ?   my bad, ”   he chuckles, shrugging off whatever time it is now. time doesn’t exist during a party, not really.   “ you wanna see something cool ? ”   this time when eric goes to throw the ball, he gives a little spin before immediately dunking it in a cup.   “ hell yeah ! ”   his voice booms through the room, causing some people nearby to laugh.   “ alright, i can respect someone who knows how to party alone. i don’t know about you, but i’m looking to have a good night tonight.—how about whoever wins the most points between me and you wins the blunt i brought ? ”

🎸

marty huffs, amused at eric’s remark. “are you ever?” they comment, raised eyebrows and a look thrown his way — it’s a joke, mostly. if anything, marty’s jealous. even if eric had had a... weird ( yet completely expected ) reaction to marty bringing up what happened at the party, he seemed... better. or maybe he’s just as good at denial as she is. it’s his next words that have marty beam with pride and mischief in equal measure, though, and she keeps her eyes on him even as he looks around, lips pressed into a smirk. “i have been told that a few times, yes.” and it’s not just a playful line, spoken just because. marty’s pretty sure they’ve been called cruel before, with the same tone eric’s voice had, which is nothing short of an achievement. “i don’t know what i’ve done this time, though.” a lie, the look in their eyes making it obvious even they knew that. marty nods, shrugging their shoulders. “alright, i can respect that — are you like that with everything or just what you tell yourself about yourself?”

in that seemingly never ending moments between their words and eric’s reaction, or rather, lack of a reaction, there’s a tinge of regret at having let the bitterness be so obviously a part of all of it. marty’s tired, sure, and they can’t really remember the last time they had a good night sleep on their own, but it’s not the first time they’ve either avoided sleep or have been unable to get some. they’re usually better at keeping it in check, though. so marty’s thankful eric doesn’t really say anything. even if they doubt it would come to be an actual conversation, the middle of a party while trying to win twenty bucks at a beer pong match isn’t exactly ideal. and marty’s not exactly drunk or high enough for it. you wanna see something cool? marty shakes their head ever so slightly, lips pressed together in amusement as they shrug. “sure, why not.” and whatever marty thought eric might do, it’s not what he does — which is kinda cool. marty claps lightly, looking at eric. “okay, that was a good shot, not gonna lie.” 

they tilt their head in interest, eyes narrowing at eric’s proposition. “the blunt? just one?” marty teases, scoffing and head shaking as if in disappointment. “yeah, challenge accepted amateur.” the rest of the game blurs into a mix of good and bad shots, beer getting warmer by the cup and a few trick shots of their own. and when eric takes the ball to throw that last shot, marty smirks at the idea running through her head — and just like any other time that happens, marty doesn’t think it through, she just does. so she leans in to whisper in eric’s ear, eyes still on the remaining two cups. “this is it, green. the shot. if you miss, that blunt? all mine. and i’ve got two others of my own.” marty would actually share but he doesn’t need to know that, right? “so you’ll essentially be blunt-less the rest of the night, just watching me get high as a kite.” marty looks at eric for a second before leaning back, teasing grin on their lips. “so, y’know, no pressure. don’t want you gettin’ nervous.”

[martytsui]

𝐋𝐄𝐗

“Perfect.” It was one of the few rules she lived with as someone who had relatively fluid morals. Don’t let things bother you. Don’t get too worked up over what didn’t matter. If she did, her whole way of living would fall apart. “Harder to find than you think. Everyone’s starting to take the world too personally.” It wasn’t out to get you… was it? “I’ll keep it close.” Hand clutched towards her heart, but the lack of change in her expression showed that she wasn’t actually that sentimental about it. “Oh, absolutely, but you know, people like to think there’s all these rules in the world. And there’s really not. That’s what’s insanity. It’s all… made up.” Everything. Time. Convention. All made up. “Oh, a challenge then? I’ll take it. Third to die is good. That’s the middle of the movie, means I probably would be someone the audience got a little attached to.”

🎸

marty nods, a half-smile of amusement making its home on her lips. “i guess. though, kinda hard not to sometimes, when the world seems hellbent on being against you, right?” marty doesn’t really believe that’s their situation — all of their problems have nothing to do with the world, just a few people in it. they roll their eyes at lex’s reaction, though it’s nothing but playful, carefree. marty doesn’t really give a damn whether or not lex keeps it close but she appreciates the joke. “it really is all made up. problem is, some made up things are just taken more seriously. like, days of the week — we just gotta trust whoever started counting them kept track right and we’re not just living through a wednesday when it’s sunday. or, y’know, some unspoken rules.” specifics not really clear in marty’s mind. “they’re made up but it’s the end all be all.” marty shrugs; that’s a conversation for a high mind. “right. unless you’re, like, completely unlikable. at that point, the audience is just glad to see your bloody demise on the screen.”

[martytsui]

𝐌𝐀𝐗

𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐃  𝐅𝐎𝐑:  @martytsui. 𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍:  guppy  pond.

     THE  BOTTLES  OF  BEER  CLINK  against  each  other  as  max  puts  the  bag  with  them  down  on  the  ground.  the  early  summer  air  is  warm,  even  with  the  moon  shining  bright  in  the  otherwise  dark  night,  and  max  is  quick  to  wiggle  her  feet  out  of  her  shoes.  she  dips  her  toes  in,  then  a  foot,  then  she  sighs.  «  oh  yeah,  this  is  the  good  shit  right  here,  »  she  declares  towards  marty.  max  walks  back  up  to  the  other  and  grabs  a  bottle  of  beer.  «  i’m  glad  you  convinced  me  to  join  you  actually.  thank  you.  »  god  knows  she  needed  to  lower  her  shoulders  a  bit  —  for  everyone’s  sake.  maxine  hasn’t  felt  like  herself  in  a  long  time.

🎸

marty needs this. honestly, marty just needs anything that keeps their mind occupied, distracted, stimulated by too many things or dulled down by a couple of others. and if maxine can come along for either of those, then they might just be easier to achieve. “yeah, of course... fifth time is the charm?” marty remarks, a teasing smile thrown towards maxine as they sit down; with everything that’s happened, maybe they both need this, each other’s company. “that’s what they say, right?” they keep teasing, reaching for a bottle of beer and opening it. “i’m, like... eighty percent sure that’s what they say.” marty chuckles, winking at maxine as she walks back. “i could be wrong, though. it happens a lot, believe it or not.” 

[martytsui]

𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐀

     SERA SMILES SLIGHTLY, but that’s it. times like these are when she wonders if marty and her are ever going to get along. she knows how close they are to ethan, and the last thing she wants is to upset one of ethan’s closest friends. sera already starts to shake her head at the question, and there’s a small part of her wondering if marty genuinely wants to get under her skin. but sera’s laughing at marty’s question, and now she knows they have to be messing with her, right? “i could just like your company,” she suggests with a half shrug, and it’s not too far from the truth. 

🎸

marty can’t help the amused scoff that escapes them. it’s not like marty’s great company for everyone and sera, they believe, is one of those people that just can’t get behind it — which is fine, if not a bit funny. “right, of course you do,” marty nods, giving sera a shrug of their own. ethan does and sera does kind of remind marty of him so maybe there’s some truth to it, who knows. “unless we’re sharing a shift.” marty smirks, giving sera a knowing and playful look. “which we’re not, by the way, in case you were wondering. you don’t have to keep rearranging shit throughout the shift so it’s gonna be a good one.”

[martytsui]

𝐒𝐋𝐎𝐀𝐍𝐄

          “that’s very generous of you. i wouldn’t really blame you if you did though,” she says, and an easy laugh escapes her. “you need to pick better victims. all you’d get is–” she rummages around the pocket of her jacket. “an empty straw wrapper, two sticks of gum, and a temporary tattoo of a dinosaur.” she pulls each item out ceremoniously and lays them on the palm of her hand for marty to see. “actually, the tattoo’s pretty badass.” she returns them to her pocket.  truthfully, she tries to dedicate very little of her thoughts to the hoedown throwdown, though it’s debatable whether or not she’s found any success in it. after all, she’s still out here. “the ways of gang members will always intrigue me,” she states. if she was a more vulnerable person, something like disappointment would’ve shadowed her tone. things are better this way, anyhow. sloane shrugs her shoulders, not wanting to dwell on it for too long. “it was a bit short on the sleeves actually. so not a terribly hard loss.”

🎸

marty lets out a small short-lived chuckle but no less amused at sloane’s words — it’s genuine, they’re just missing some bit of energy to laugh for longer than a few seconds. “yeah, well,” marty starts, shrugging, “not really my style. besides, y’know, snitches get stitches and all.” marty waves her fingers dramatically, looking at sloane with a smirk. marty looks at the contents of sloane’s pocket on the palm of her hand and huffs, amused. “you should totally put that tattoo on. like somewhere visible. dino tattoos are all the rage right now.” marty really has no idea what they’re saying at that moment but that doesn’t stop them; when has it ever? “you say intriguing, i say stupid and annoying.” which is a big sugarcoated appreciation of what the gang’s done so far, said with no care about who might pass by and hear them. marty offers sloane a half-smile at her comment about the jacket before looking down at her camera, absentmindedly turning some dials. after a few heartbeats, marty sighs. “chase told me what happened, by the way. the whole... fireworks thing. we don’t have to talk about it, just figured you should know i know.” marty would like to if she were in sloane’s shoes, anyway.

[martytsui]

[martytsui]

𝐊𝐂

“   woah,  gee,  no.   ”  he  holds  hands  up  in  mock  surrender,  laughter  on  lips.  he’d  be  stupid  to  think  marty  was  stupid  for  anything,  he  knows  them  too  well.  he’s  not  naive,  in  that  way  at  least.  “   i  think  you’re  a  lot  nicer  than  i  am  for  it.  or,  kinder  at  least.   ”  nice  is  a  different  thing,  and  they’re  pretty  evenly  matched  in  terms  of  being  friendly.  kc,  though,  feels  more  likely  to  push  someone  off  a  door  into  hypothermic  waters.  it’s  not  something  he’s  ever  thought  about  himself  before.  the  joys  of  hypotheticals  with  friends.  “   yeah,  i  would  totally  just  watch  them  sink.  float?  would  they  float  or  sink?   ”  he  doesn’t  know,  he’s  never  actually  been  in  waters  teeming  with  dead  and  deader  bodies  just  hanging  around.  “   but  i  wouldn’t  whistle,  i’m  not  a  complete  asshole.   ”  he  follows  marty’s  lead,  and  there  is  a  lot  to  be  liked  about  the  place.  it’s  sort  of  like  the  way  high  volume  seems  special  amidst  everything  corporate  surrounding  them,  everything  unique  ripped  out  from  the  roots  while  the  record  store  stands  tall,  all  quirks  and  character.  some  things  should  be  left  alone.  change  is  good,  but  not  everything  needs  to.  “   i  would  steal  your  blanket  if  you  left  it  in  my  house  too,   ”  he  points  out,  unexpected  click  of  camera  shortly  following.  hums  his  consideration,  as  though  he  does  have  to  think  about  it.  “   i’ll  admit,  it’s  pretty  cool.   ”

🎸

all marty can do at kc’s reaction is let out a laugh matching his. marty keeps her eyes on kc, eyebrows slightly furrowing at the way he corrects his own words. nicer, kinder. “what’s the difference, exactly?” they question, equal parts amused and curious considering the context of the conversation. marty narrows her eyes in thought, lips parting — only to close a moment later when their mind gives it much more thought than she originally anticipated. “they’d sink, right? yeah. sink and... maybe float after?” every piece of that sentence is far from being something marty is sure of. they’ve never really thought about it and, honestly, can’t remember what exactly happened in the one movie that might give them an answer about it ( then again, it’s a movie ). “if you say so.” it’s a playful remark — marty doesn’t really think kc would be that asshole; it’s kc, even he knows whistling in that situation is bad bed side manners. “good to know, good to know. i’ll make a mental note to never bring a blanket over when it’s movie night again.” then, they let out an over-the-top gasp and marty’s jaw drops, dramatically so. eyes wide, they look at kc, as if they’ve just uncovered something jarring, to say the least. “wait a sec — are you in cahoots with the critters, medina, to steal my blankets? very disney princess-y of you, very crafty too,” marty teases, eyes now on the camera dials, tick after tick as they change the settings. “right? i knew you’d come around,” she remarks, even though she’d seen right through it. still, pride beams off of her. “feels nice. kinda like we’re here and... i dunno, the shitstorm’s out there, i guess.” which is a nice break, one marty intends to make the most out of. “anyway, what do you say? wanna give photography a try?”

[martytsui]

𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍

who: @martytsui​ where: ethan’s room 

to put it mildly, the chaos of everything lately was getting to ethan. as if the riverboat explosion and kem getting hurt weren’t enough, there was also their impending trial and the break-in at the store to stress out about. and ethan was stressed. despite maybe holding it in better than most people would expect, he was definitely feeling the horrors of the last few months. and he knew for a fact that marty was too - they were dealing with all of that and more, which ethan knew couldn’t be good for them. after their heart to heart on the riverboat, he wanted to check on them and make sure that they knew he was there for them if they needed it. that was how he found himself carrying junk food up to his bedroom, arms loaded down with sweets and chips and drinks. “put a cd on,” he instructed marty, nodding towards his boombox and cd collection in the corner as he began setting everything down on his bedside table. “and please try to get as few crumbs in here as possible. i just changed the sheets.” 

🎸

“right away, boss,” marty remarks, giving ethan a playful salute followed by an affectionate roll of their eyes. marty beelines towards ethan’s cd collection. “lets see what you have here...” they mumble, looking at cd after cd. two catch their attention and after a single moment of giving it some thought ( which is longer than marty’s been able to give anything any thought lately ), she picks up fleetwood mac’s cd and puts it inside the boombox. marty huffs at ethan’s words, head shaking. they press play, turning the volume up just slightly. enough to have some music in the background without letting it become their sole focus. they know they need this with ethan and they’re not about to miss out on it. “okay so,” marty starts as she makes her way towards the bed, looking at ethan with a smirk, “you changed the sheets and then thought, ‘hey let me invite marty over’?” they give him a look, eyebrows raised as if scolding him about knowing better. they get on the bed, legs crossed as they look over the snack selection. “sounds like bad planning, dude.” 

[martytsui]

[martytsui]

𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂

—

MARTY’S IN A BETTER MOOD THAN HE WOULD’VE EXPECTED FROM THEM. trip had told eric the two of them had broken up or whatever they called it, and generally marty doesn’t take kindly to eric’s presence whenever they’re together. so the humor in her eyes is a welcome surprise, smile growing wider as she throws his words back at him.   “ i think the better question is if YOU want me to think of you in the shower, ”   he counters, hands grasping each other behind his back.   “ but if this is you asking for permission to think of me, then you have my permission, ”   he nods. who was he to deny someone that pleasure ?   at marty’s question, eric can only shrug his shoulders.   “ because there’s no reason to ? ”   he doesn’t see why it’s a big deal, and if you really think about it, overselling yourself is just a form of lying. and if there’s one thing eric doesn’t see the point in, it’s lying. when it comes to him, what you see is what you get.

“ so what i’m hearing is if we win, i get ten bucks ? ”   it’d only be fair if she split her winnings with him, since he’s half of the team !   “ i still can’t believe they took your nerf gun. as if we don’t know they have real guns to use already, ”   eric snorts, mood momentarily souring at the thought of the break-in and the gang. but he’s not looking to ruin his solid high, and thankfully the pong game is an easy distraction, unable to focus on two things at once. he’s almost surprised marty compliments him on his skills—until they don’t, which makes him laugh.   “ no faith, ”   he shakes his head, heaving a fake sigh. she’ll be eating those words soon enough. watching the other team sink one in causes eric to make a fart noise with his mouth and flash them a thumbs down.   “ uh, i don’t know. an hour, maybe ?   i got here around nine. ”   what time is it, anyway ?   he should start wearing a watch.   “ you here alone ? ”

🎸

marty narrows her eyes at eric, pursing her lips. “i doubt it’s much better then but i’d leave the thinking to when you’re completely sober.” they could stop, just roll their eyes and move on from talking about thinking in the shower. but they don’t and, so far, it’s entertaining enough. marty lets a few moments pass before they tilt their head, amusement growing even more obvious in their expression — though, now it’s paired with mischief and a little bit of impatience, wanting to see eric’s reaction even before she says something. “i don’t usually think about people in the shower,” marty remarks, purposely making the beginning of her sentence sound as casual as she can, “and if i do, they’re already in there with me.” and, unexpectedly, there’s a moment where marty deflates a bit, a tightness to her chest just as her heart remembers one specific name — trip’s. then marty shrugs, eyes still on eric’s and gives him a smirk. “so you can do whatever you want, green.” there’s a huff towards his other words, nodding in both agreement and defeat. “y’know what,” marty starts, “fair enough. what about underselling? is that something you do?” marty has no idea what they’re on about, really. 

they nod, slowly. “sure, sure.” marty makes her words very obviously playful as if she’s planning on taking the whole monetary win — truth be told, they still haven’t decided if they even care about the twenty bucks. “yeah, well, getting that nerf gun stolen?” they start, trying to sound amused. trying. “it’s just par for the course, really, after everything that’s happened.” marty scoffs bitterly and, for a second, she just looks at the ball in her hand. it’s a short and very fleeting moment, though, but it’s enough to make her feel that tightness in her chest — the same feeling that she’s come to the party to drown out. they didn’t even feel that bitter comment coming so all they can think is that they’re not nearly drunk or high enough. soon, marty’s just shrugging her shoulders, same unfazed and tight smile reappearing on her lips. “but it’s whatever. i’ll have it back soon enough, anyway.” 

when eric repeats a comment towards her lack of faith in him, marty rolls her eyes. then their opponent’s ping pong ball lands in one of their cups, floating atop the beer, marty gives eric a look. “your turn, green.” marty picks the cup up, hands it to him. “it’s like midnight, dude. how fuckin’ high are you? and yeah. i like to crash parties by myself sometimes. i can just leave whenever i want to, don’t have to let anyone know about it and all that.” not that she doesn’t do that even when she does come with someone.

[martytsui]

𝐋𝐈𝐋𝐀𝐇

Lilah frowned. It was true, everything that had happened was quite literally the opposite of what she had expected when they came to Woodstock. She had hoped for a fun adventure, maybe to finally bond with her sister, to help her mom, and instead there were parties (well, party, singular) where people literally got stabbed.

“Not really, no.. I kind of thought… It would be like a fun adventure, you know?”

🎸

a fun adventure. marty scoffs at those words. it’s half-amused, half-bitter scoff, simply at the realisation that she is unable to tell lilah that it used to be an adventure and not find herself hoping for those simpler days. it’s a path better left unexplored, anyway. “i don’t know about fun,” marty starts, looking down at her feet, “but it is an adventure.” with a sigh, marty looks at lilah again. “just a very... fucked up one, y’know? i swear, though, not every party in town or, like, every party we go to ends like that.” it’s a weak attempt at a joke.

[martytsui]

𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂

“ YOU KNOW, you give me permission to think about you in the shower a lot, ”   he tells marty, leaning in a little closer so she’ll hear him without the rest of the party doing so.   “ if i didn’t know any better, i’d think YOU think of me in the shower. trying to even the score ? ”   eric elbows them lightly in the ribs, before leaning back. it’s funny to think about the last time he had been at a party with marty and marty alone, the two ended up sleeping together—an incident that felt like a million years ago, considering everything that’s happened since. not only does he know marty better now, but he managed to get back together with and lose sera again in that time. sometimes it’s funny how things work out, and the laugh that escapes him is purely because of that humor… and also because he’s more drunk than he perhaps realized.   “ i never oversell myself, ”   he says honestly. generally, eric likes to keep other people’s expectations of him low, so they won’t be annoyed when he doesn’t meet them. but he is really, really good at pong—almost like he has YEARS of experience. eric watches with mild interest as marty gets into position, a slow smile spreading on his lips at the ridiculous face she makes before throwing. but it pays off, and he gives a whoop of excitement when she gets it in the cup.   “ so, what did you bet these guys if we win, anyway ? ”   he asks as he watches his friends drink, knowing that marty had to bet something. probably money. if that’s the case, he’ll want in on the cash.   “ you have no faith in me, do you ? ”   he scoffs, grabbing the ball from the table and giving it a little bounce just for fun.   “ watch and learn. ”   true eric fashion would be for him to miraculously miss the cups, but if there’s one thing he’s good at, it’s drinking games ;   the ball lands right in the cup he was aiming for, and he immediately raises his fist in the air in victory.   “ that’s what i’m talking about ! ”

🎸

“right but i think you do know better, green.” marty rolls her eyes in nothing but amusement and feigned annoyance — what else kind of reaction is she supposed to have to eric’s words, with a couple of beers in her system and one of the three pre-rolled joints she’d brought with her? marty’s eyes meet eric’s, a smirk growing. “do you —” marty pokes his chest, eyes on his as they show nothing but mischief “— want me to think about you in the shower, is that it?” it’s just too fun to mess with eric this way, comments like that one effortlessly escaping her lips with ease and in a thoughtless way — even more so now that marty’s actively choosing to do any and everything to just avoid the thoughts any sort of stillness might bring. jamie had been right, in part — she’s not as strong as he might think her to be, though it is hard to stop caring, to stop feeling when you feel so much. thinking, though? that’s much, much easier to shut down. that’s what marty’s doing tonight and it would have been a better plan without a familiar face around. though, marty’s aware they’re the one that literally dragged eric along with her. his words cause marty to raise her eyebrow, inquisitive. “never? why not?” and she’s genuinely curious, at least partially so. 

when eric asks what she’s bet, marty looks at him. “twenty bucks or something.” marty shrugs. “jennifer’s buying me a nerf gun to replace the stolen one but i want to have a back-up. just in case something else happens.” you have no faith in me, do you? marty presses her lips into a tight line, trying not to smile, mockingly. instead of an answer, she shrugs, eyes lit up with enjoyment. they bite their bottom lip in anticipation, watching as eric prepares to shoot — and when he lands it, marty’s expression beams, lightly nudging eric’s arm. “okay, so you’re not a basket case at beer pong after all,” marty admits, giving him a smug look, “but it could just be a lucky first shot.” the other team plays and, like marty, the first frat boy lands his shot. in one go, marty downs the contents of the cup after raising it at her opponent. she then puts the cup to the side of the table, on a corner so they can stack the rest. when the other team prepares for their second shot, she looks at eric. “how long have you been at this party anyway?” 

[martytsui]

𝐋𝐄𝐗

“Perfect, keep that shield up. Honestly, as long as you’re not someone to get butthurt about every little thing it won’t be a problem.” Even in the short few months she’d been here, Lex had a feeling her and Marty would forge a friendship. “Oh? Well, thanks? A coveted Marty compliment.” Didn’t know whether it was or not, but she’d try and gas the other up a little. “No one, you know, that’s the insanity of everything. No one is going to stop you.” For better or worse… “Yeah. I know.” Even as she tried to distance herself from it, the truth was there. It was kind of screwed up. Kind of being an understatement. “I’ll report back as I make my way through each course, get ready for a set of reviews,” Lex laughed. “It’ll be the only way I make it out alive…” Poor choice of words, but too late. Hopefully Marty would get that she was kidding. 

🎸

marty lets out an amused huff at lex’s words. “yeah, you don’t have to worry ‘bout that.” truth be told, even if marty is, now more than ever, feeling exhausted, they still don’t believe they’ll hang on to ‘every little thing’ as lex had put it. “between the two of us, i’m sure there’s not gonna be any butthurting.” there’s been times when marty’s been wrong about a person and too stubborn to even think they might be different than what she thinks — lex comes off as someone that will be easy to just hang out with. and marty wants easy right now. a chuckle escapes them, shaking their head. “yeah, very coveted so hold onto it.” they wink, playfully. “why do you think it’s insanity? if there’s no one to stop you it just makes it easier for you, right?” between doing something without any obstacles or doing something after someone’s attempted to stop you, marty will take the former. most of the time. “do let me know if you’ve made any progress so far. i won’t tell you which ones i like, just to keep things interesting. and careful. if this was a horror movie, you’d be like... the third to die, or something,” marty jokes.

[martytsui]

𝐉𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐄

being at the arcade when it wasn’t for a birthday party or some sort of chaperoned outing with friends was weird for josie. but freeing. a lot of things had been like that lately. although she was terrified of the unknown, always growing up in fear and anxiety, josie tried to push those thoughts aside when it came to the weird feelings. she wanted to embrace them instead of run from them like she used to. she gives marty a warm smile. “i don’t know if i can beat that high score, it’s up in the thousands!” josie says with a laugh. she had never played before, even though it was one of the most innocuous and innocent games of the arcade. she took marty’s coins and nodded. “deal. i’ll see if i can beat him. any tips?” 

🎸

marty sighs loudly at josie’s words, making it far more dramatic than she needed it to. all the while, there’s a smirk on her lips as she leans against the machine. “well,” they start, giving josie a look, “with that attitude, you couldn’t even beat a ten year old with slippery, cheeto dust covered fingers,” marty remarks with a small chuckle. “act like you’re already on the leader board and you’ll get there in no time, you’ll see. positive thinking and all that crap, y’know?” which is something so funny to say when their own mind has been on the opposite side of what she tells josie to do. marty hums in thought at josie’s question. “avoid gettin’ cornered. not a pretty sight, very frustrating. might make you want to kick the machine.” they’re definitely not talking from a first-hand experience from that one time they decided to venture into this place all by themself. “okay, you get three chances. y’know, so you can warm up. fourth time, it’s for real. now, come on, kick some zombie ass, josie.”