mcllrats

[mcllrats]

3rdmixtape​:

open / @shrikestart​​ location: ​the mall fountain

smoking wasn’t something he was particularly fond of, despite how common it was and the minimal restrictions around it, but stressful times called for special measures. it didn’t seem all that bad to pick up the habit again compared to everything else going on. it was something to help, and he figured there were much worse ways to cope than indulging in nicotine and tuning everything else out for a bit with some white noise while he had the chance. although the fountain was no majestic waterfall, it was again, something.

something that ruined mathew’s plans when he fumbled removing the lighter from his coat pocket and ended up practically tossing it into the water. “yeah, that seems about right,” he muttered to himself, a mix of annoyed and amused. “wonderful.” shaking his head, he turned to simply leave before he caught the eye of someone nearby who’d probably seen the whole thing. “… i don’t suppose you have a lighter? mine was out of batteries anyway, so it all worked out in the end,” he attempted to joke to cover up his annoyance.

MK didn’t have the same distaste for smoking that Mathew did. Of course she would argue that her whole life was a stressful time; kids to look after, bills to pay, house to run, menial job to work, suburban dream to waste away. A cigarette every couple of hours - maybe a few more when they weren’t coming out of her paycheque - was all that kept her sane some times. However, that wasn’t the case as she came across her friend this time, her packet safely stowed away rather than fumbling around to light her own. Still, she could help him out. The lighter was snuggly tucked away in her other.

“Mat, we gotta stop meeting like this,” She teased lightly, or at least she was trying to be light. She wasn’t sure that she was so successful. “Course I have one,” She followed a moment later as though it should have been the obvious answer, truthfully it was the obvious answer, before she tossed over the gift. She crossed the few paces still between them, sitting once she’d reached the fountain and crossing her legs for good measure. “You want to talk about it?” She asked, even if that wasn’t usually her prefer method of dealing. She licked her lips, an eyebrow cocked up as she continued with another suggestion. “Or we could just smoke our brains out?” Now that was far more her style.

[mcllrats]

ofkingsnqueens​:

open starter ( @shrikestart​ ) location: summer carnival 

thalia was stubborn and goal oriented at most. she had lost froggie a while back, too obsessed over winning that goddamn giant frog plush, that she had spent pretty much all the change in her wallet. but she had been so close this last time, that giving up didn’t feel like an option. the tent owner stood there, judging her with a hand on their hip as she thought of something to do. “i’ll be right back,” thalia said in a tone that clearly meant business, then ran off until she found somebody she knew– even if vaguely. “can i borrow a dollar?” she smiled up at them. “or… maybe two– maybe five? preferably in singles?” the doe eyes always worked, so she had to try. “please?”

Usually dressed in leather jackets, her lips painted dark red as a cigarette hung out from them, MK wasn’t exactly the type of person that one might expect to enjoy the summer carnival. But she did. In fact, enjoyed was a bit of an understatement. Honestly, it was often the highlight of her whole year. The fair games brought out her competitive side, the rides allowed her minimal adrenaline but more than she got on any other day in Shrike Heights, and the cotton candy tasted damn good. The sticky sugar from her first bite was still lacing her lips when Thalia ran towards her. “Five?!” She exclaimed, eyes widening. “I didn’t even give my girls five!” She pursed her lips, clearly contemplating if she should help out. It wasn’t as if she was swimming in cash - she’d dipped into the Bills pot just to give the girls a little extra. But Thalia did look pretty excited. “Two,” She compromised with a sigh, her hand reaching into her pocket.

[mcllrats]

saltair-rusteddoor​:

August laughed, but there was no humor. There was just the emptiness of her own broken relationship with her parents. She wanted to scream at this woman, release all the pressure on her shoulders by making her mad. “Is it worth it?” She looked at her. “Is it worth to do all of this for a bunch of children that will never appreciate it?” That wasn’t true. She’d appreciate it if her parents tried. Maybe. August wouldn’t know, they had never done so. It was always coldness, and distant glares, and disappointment. So whenever she met someone like MK, there was only… Emptiness and anger. “Why not just do something illegal and get a bunch of money, if you care so much?”

A hardened glare took over MK’s features, as if August’s words had curled around her very being and made the blood within her boil. “Yes,” She all but spat out, eyes narrowing, “Because I did not raise a pair of ungrateful monsters.” Sure Charlene and Rebecca misbehaved, more so in the last six months than ever before but that was understandable, and like any other children had their petulant moments. However, her girls were good. And she would have nobody, especially some kid at the mall, tell her different. “Apparently the same can’t be said for your parents.” She let out a sharp breath, shaking her head like the other would never understand. “Because I’d like them to have a mom around, not one stuck in jail for stupid decisions.” 

[mcllrats]

retrocuts​:

Diego leaned back against his own car and sighed, “This place seems to be doing wonders for everyone, but us.” He commented dryly as his gaze fell on the building. Just looking at the place seemed to drain whatever energy he had prior to arriving here. But he supposed that’s how they were all starting to feel at this point as things only continued to get worse and worse with no real end in sight. 

He fell silent for an extended moment, debating if he really wanted to answer her question simply because it felt more personal than he preferred to get. “I don’t know.” He finally admitted with another tired sigh. It was an honest answer, he had no idea why he was still in town. “I guess, for me, it’s a mix of not knowing where else to go and being too stubborn to leave at this point.” Less honesty this time. Stubbornness wasn’t what held him back, it was the few connections he had here. Ultimately he knew that if he left this town, he wasn’t likely to strike up any new friendships wherever he went, and while he’d say he preferred it that way, it wasn’t necessarily the truth. “I feel a little obligated to stick around now too. Just, you know, with things going to shit.” He muttered, not caring to elaborate further on that reason. God forbid he actually admit to feeling any responsibility for the kids he worked with. “What about you?” He asked simply to get the focus off of himself.

They were grown adults working at the local mall of a dead-end town, MK wasn’t sure that even without the murders that her job would have been considered an ideal. However, she couldn’t deny that the seemingly-becoming frequent attacks did put even more of a dampener on the early morning shifts. “Surprise, surprise,” She muttered before taking another drag. Who cared how some grocery store worker felt when you spent thousands - maybe more - on building up the place?

She let out her own deep breath, nodding without  even meaning to. After all, she wasn’t sure that she understood why she was still here either. Perhaps it was a small comfort to know that she wasn’t in her boat alone, or that Diego was at least in a similar one even if they both rowed alone. “Sounds a little sadistic,” She quipped, a humourless chuckle escaping between her lips before she could stop it, “To yourself.” To stick around to watch the horror movie come to life. She tilted her head to the side, taking a moment to consider her own reasons. Were they much better? “My ex...my husband is here. And even if we all did move, it would mean uprooting the girls from everything they’d ever known.” It was a lie, at least partially. Her real reason was fear. Fear that getting out was an impossible dream, that it could only ever end badly and then what would she have to cling onto? She was afraid that maybe this town wasn’t the problem. Maybe she was. Years of convincing herself that if she got out then she would be happy, only to discover that getting out wouldn’t allow her to run from herself. 

[mcllrats]

ofbrokenwings​:

delaney didn’t need her job at the mall. it wasn’t something she advertised, given the circumstances. what kind of person chose to stay at a place where employees were some sadistic person’s target practice? laney couldn’t even explain it to herself. “i know,” she replied, defeated. maybe it would’ve been a better choice to dive into painting full time – she made a whole lot more money at it. “i just –– i like my job. i don’t want to be run out of something i actually enjoy because someone…a few someones want to play god.”

MK wished for the days that the operation of her everyday life didn’t depend on a paycheque from the grocery store. Some days, if she were honest just even with herself most days, she longs for that freedom. She had thought that she’d spent those days well only to realise she hadn’t. She had thought that she had savoured them, but there had been an expiry date she hadn’t realised before it was too late. She didn’t want it to be too late for Delaney. “You like your job? Well that’s a first,” She said with a laugh, as if she were teasing. Maybe she was. Except it was true for MK. “I get it. A little defiance never hurt anybody you know.” Unless it did in this particular case.

[mcllrats]

retrocuts​:

“Something like that, put this hellhole on the map for some reason.” Why anyone would want to come here in the first place was beyond him. He never had any love for this place, forced to move out here as a teenager with the promise that small town living would magically fix whatever caused his family to act like three strangers. Spoiler alert, it didn’t, which of course only fueled his disliking of this shitty little town. He planned on leaving it all behind and going who knew where when he was younger, but something, or rather someone ultimately made him want to stick around. Though, he supposed that wasn’t really the case anymore and if asked, he wouldn’t be able to come up with an explanation for why he remained in a place he hated, outside of the previously mentioned obligation he now felt.

Diego let out a heavy sigh, “Just sucking it up doesn’t sound ideal, all things considered, but I don’t really know what we’re supposed to do at this point.” He admitted in tired defeat. As much as he wished he had some sort of answer or fix to their problem, he didn’t. He didn’t think any of them did. “It’s not like all of us can just leave our jobs here and go find new ones elsewhere in town.” So what were they left to do? Wait around for the authorities to do something? Seeing a fucking unicorn seemed more likely than that. Just hope they got to make it home in one piece after their shifts? That wasn’t really working out for a lot of them at this point, was it? He dragged a tired hand down his face, “This town’s a fucking shitshow.”

MK could still remember the day her father had announced their new start. First of all she’d asked where?? because she’d certainly never heard of Shrike Heights before he started talking about moving them away from the only place she could still feel her mother’s presence. Then she’d started her kicking and screaming. Literally, it was when her outright rebellion had really began. So yes, she wasn’t quite sure why anybody would want their nowhere-full-of-nobodies town on the map either. But apparently the investors did, hence the mall that wouldn’t close no matter how many attacks they were struck with. It would have almost been a marvel has it legit not been their lives.

“No other choice,” She repeated Diego’s sentiment, a singular nod of her head driving the point home. They truly didn’t have any, at least she didn’t. She could quit her job, sure. But then what about her bills? And food? And general living? What would happen when her barely-there-already-sucked-dry savings ran out no doubt mere weeks after the ink on her notice was dry. “Beauty of the mall, right? They wiped out all our other employment opportunities.” She almost laughed, it was as though they were truly as trapped as she’d always felt. “Why are we still here?” It sounded like a rhetorical question, but she hadn’t known her answer for a while. “In this town a mean? It’s not like there’s a lot going for us. I mean, we needed a mall to be even a spec on anybody’s radar apparently.”

[mcllrats]

cassierivers​:

She could understand not wanting crime. Lately, those books were the least sold ones. Cassie tried to think of possible books to fill the woman’s wanting, but there were just too many in the store. “Maybe a fantasy book, then? Or some of our classics? Though some of them might be quite romantic…” She tried to think a little more. She could see her reading maybe some of the more fantastic romances, but she couldn’t really pinpoint anything. “Could you give me any specific of what you like? What was the last book you enjoyed?”

Fantasy? That she hadn’t considered. She’d always considered herself a little bit more gritty. The classics, that she’d have been more open to...but as Cassie had pointed out there was the romance element that she was so currently keen on. MK’s eyes roamed over the shelves, as if something would jump out at her and answer the question for her...it didn’t. She was still stuck. “I don’t know...The Colour Purple was pretty good.” Was that the last thing that she’d read that hadn’t fit in those parameters? 

[mcllrats]

ofbrokenwings​:

laney was surprised at the force behind mk’s voice. it vaguely reminded her of an actor in a movie screaming for the other to go on without them. her head snapped to the other before shaking her head gently. “no worries,” laney said, unable to really blame the other. she would’ve been more concerned if someone begged her to stay, given the state of things. “it’s not a real big deal though. i mean –––––– potential murder not withstanding. just seems better to try to find a new job before…”

MK nodded, still trying to recover from her outburst. She was not somebody who was embarrassed easily, but practically screaming at a girl in the mall would surely make anybody a little red in the face. Thankfully she wasn’t literally blushing, she thought that might be more embarrassing than the actual screaming, but it still took her a moment to compose herself again. “It is,” She still insisted, although softer this time, “If you don’t...” Her trailing off was not the same, she was not thinking of the murders or the similar assaults. She was thinking of all the times she could have left, should have left, and didn’t. “A new job is just better.”

[mcllrats]

ofbrokenwings​:

“i mean, can you really blame me?” laney asked, her shoulders lifting in a shrug. “but it doesn’t seem like it matters how many applications i put in, no one is calling me back. it’s –– frustrating.”

“You have to keep trying!” It came out harsher than MK had intended, almost sounding as though she was demanding something of Laney. And in a way she was. She was demanding that she not give up, that she keep going when the older woman didn’t. She was demanding that Laney not look at herself in the mirror ten years from now and see all the regrets that MK did. “Sorry,” She apologised, an unusual occurrence but on that felt warranted, and shook her head slightly, “I just don’t want you to give up. It would be a shame.”

[mcllrats]

severcdhead​:

location: julio’s @shrikestart​ !​

they’re closing up for the night, his coworker having gone out with the trash while adam collects empty glasses onto a plastic tray. last time he checked, he was alone in the room, but with the door still unlocked for reasons mostly related to forgetfulness, it was about time someone entered the bar. he’s facing away from the door, too busy vibing with nick cave’s from her to eternity to even notice, dangerously comfortable as he hums along to cabin fever!, playing a role of the perfect victim. after wiping a table, he picks up the tray, turning around to catch a glimpse of the figure. “fuck- christ!” heart stops, sinks into his stomach, chills running down the spine, the plastic circle that once carried a whole collection of glasses ungracefully slipping out of his grasp. a loud, shattering noise bores into his head, and in just a matter of seconds, he’s gone from looking like a terrified twat, to looking like a terrified twat surrounded by bits and pieces of broken glass. how incredibly eventful. but in all honesty, he’s more upset about the jumpscare than anything else. “the hell’s wrong with you, man- why would ya’ creep up on me like that? jesus. don’t do that shit. not fuckin’ cool.” 

MK didn’t have the best relationship with her sisters, probably due to the fact that they had been daddy’s perfect princesses and she’d always managed to break the mould they’d so carefully created, but it had deteriorated so much in the last six months that they’d only been able to meet in public places. She didn’t know why they thought it would help, she’d never been above making a scene before, but when Nancy had called earlier that week and asked to meet up she’d begrudgingly accepted. And then she’d insisted on Julio’s just because she knew her younger sister would hate it. That’s what made it worse really, that she had been the one to suggest the bar and then she’d forgot all about it. Taking the stairs two at time, even then she’d known that she was too late. She knew exactly when Julio’s closed, and she knew Nancy well enough to know that she wouldn’t have waited around for hours after they were supposed to meet. Still, she tried. She really had thought that Adam would have heard her, but then again she’d opened the door and shut the door almost nervously - as if there was still a small chance she would be faced with wrath. She wasn’t in long, turning around to survey the room despite knowing that it was only the two of them in the bar, before the bartender noticed her. She practically jumped around to face him at the sound of shattering glass. “Dude I thought you heard me!” She defended. She deflated when the adrenaline of the scare wore of. “I was just...I was meant to meet somebody,” She muttered, hand raking back curls before she realised that she should probably help. She rubbed her lips together as she took a step forward. “Where’s your brush?” 

[mcllrats]

finalgrrrrl​:

driving into work that day in her beat up impala she was to the say the least angry, kenzi was so full of rage she could spit. if you took one look at the girl you could see almost see the emotion pour off of her every fiber as she gripped the streering wheel so tight her knuckles had turned white or her normal make wad done extra heavy; she looked like she was ready for a fight. the news of the death of charlie davis hit the town kenzi honestly could feel herself hitting a goddamn breaking point, she didn’t know the other that well but had seen her around a few times enough to be pissed that’s for sure. pulling into the parking lot and turning off her car she sighs for a moment and hits the wheel before stepping out, un happy somehow bosses keep getting away with calling them into work death after death.  kenzi swore up and down that this fucked town’s greed was going to get people killed and it did, she did feel good about it as she started her walk into the store. eyes always checking for a masked preator or a sign that could be left by one of the monsters terroizing them. stalling as she caught sight of a blonde older woman she gave a nod in return, pulling her leather jacket closer to skin. “don’t be so sure” she muttered bitterly, thinking about cleaning blood from her store only to have to work it the very next hour. “mangers around here are very much…heartless.” she sniped flipping up her sunglasses.  

MK was no stranger to Kenzi, and she was definitely well acquainted with an angry Kenzi. In fact, now that she thought about it she wasn’t sure when the last time she had a civil conversation with the girl - now turned woman she supposed. Was it within the last decade? Surely not. In turn, MK usually greeted her with the same rage. One that slowly simmered before it boiled over the top of the pot. And today of all days, MK could understand the anger. She was angry too; at what happened the night before, at the fact that they were still expected to show up and get along as if it hadn’t, when she considered that due to this total lack of reaction it would no doubt happen again. The cycle was vicious and when she looked there seemed to be no end.

Still, that didn’t mean it was a day to get along. In fact they were probably more likely to clash than ever.

“Kenzi.” It came out like a sneer, as if she’d been hoping for anybody else. In truth she had, without even thinking about it. Why exactly had they both ended up working at this mall? Who had she upset in a past life? Or maybe it was this one. “Don’t worry, I’m sure nobody would miss you if you decided to just jump in the car and go home.” MK certainly wouldn’t, even if their time together was likely to be limited to this parking lot meet up.

[mcllrats]

saltair-rusteddoor​:

August nodded. “I guess I don’t.” She took a long puff of the cigarette, thinking about her own mother. Would she ever do this for her? Would she ever, under any circumstance, sacrifice herself for her daughter. And it made her angry that this woman would. She took another puff. “But there are easier way to get your hand on my money if you need it so desperately.” She shrugged. “It’s just a day. Why does it matter in the grand scheme of things?” She didn’t know why she was set on annoying this woman. She just had developed an absolute hatred, disgust even, for people who had what she didn’t. What she wanted. 

There were days, many of them, that MK questioned whether she was a good mother. Did good mothers regret events that directly led to their children? Did they split up their families on impulse? Did they lose their temper as often as she did or struggle to complete tasks that seemed so simple to other people? Maybe they did, maybe they didn’t. She wasn’t sure. However, she did know that she loved her girls and ultimately would do anything for them. A shitty shift at the local grocery store was the bare minimum she could do for them, provide for them. She raised an eyebrow, wondering if August was suggesting what she suspected she was. “I’m not desperate enough to get caught up in anything illegal.” Yet. While not the best place to work, extra hours were enough to get them by. “A new pair of shoes,” She said simply in way of an answer. Her eyes catching the other woman’s. The little extra money she made that day would cover the cost of the sneakers that Charlene had spent the last couple of weeks begging for. She was trying not to let this girl get under her skin, but that had never been the easiest of tasks. She supposed it was fair, if she hadn’t had these responsibilities she wouldn’t have understood them either, and yet the flippancy still annoyed her. 

[mcllrats]

retrocuts​:

Exhausted was the best word to describe how Diego felt standing there in the mall parking lot. And it wasn’t the normal exhaustion that he grew accustom to, it was the heavy type of exhaustion that you felt down to your bones. Despite having his own run-in with one of the masked freaks a few weeks back, he found himself spending more and more time at the mall he hated so much. It’d be damn near impossible to ever hear him admit it, but he felt somewhat obligated to do so. The other High Scores employees annoyed the hell out of him on a regular basis, but at the end of the day they were all just bunch of kids that didn’t deserve whatever cruel nightmare this place wanted to spit out next. So yeah, he might’ve felt like he had to be the responsible adult and begrudgingly look out for them as things continued to go downhill. 

The sound of the other’s voiced pulled him from his thoughts. “Wishful thinking.” That’s all it really was. The way he saw it, things would continue like they had been for the last month for who knew how long. It was apparent no one cared enough to do anything useful given the rise in both bodies and people that seemed hellbent on killing off the employees here. “God forbid this place loses a day or two of profits, even after another person was murdered here.” His tone more bitter than exhausted this time around. Every time he thought this town couldn’t get worse, something came along to prove him wrong. “I highly doubt anything’s going to close this place down at this point.”

Exhaustion, MK had come to learn, was part of growing up. She found herself permanently tired: of this life, of this town, of this shit. And yet Diego embodied that more than anybody else she could think of in that moment as her eyes trailed across his face. She remembered the reports from a few weeks before, although they seemed to pale in comparison to the horror of the night previous, and was quick to realise why the older man was perhaps worse for wear that morning. If her own thoughts had spiralled at the thought of her daughter nearly - and even that was a stretch - being involved she could only imagine what it was like when you’d come face to face with the very same people. Or whatever those freaks were, because surely people couldn’t terrorise them like this.

She silently nodded in reluctant agreement, leaning further back into the metal of her car door as she let his words sink in. It didn’t matter, they didn’t matter. The money that had been sunk into the mall and in turn the money it continue to rake in despite the growing amount of tragedy, that mattered. She wasn’t sure how she’d convinced herself any different. She wasn’t usually such an optimistic person. “It’s meant to revitalise the town, right?” Except she didn’t sound so sure. In fact she wasn’t sure there was going to be any town left to revitalise at the end of all this. Should there be an end. She let out a deep sigh, finally resigning to her fate. “Guess that means we have to just suck it up, huh?”

[mcllrats]

cassierivers​:

closed: @mcllrats​

location: a new chapter 

Cassie was still struggling with coming to terms with what happened most recently. She had been there. She wasn’t hurt, and neither was anyone she cared about, but they could have. Shivers went down her spine whenever she thought about it. Instead of beating herself over it, though, she decided to, instead, keep herself quiet and work. She was separating some books for Kacey, currently (with whom she was with that night), when she heart the noise of steps. She jumped in fear, but tried to play it off as looking up at the person. “Hello! How can I help you?”

Reading was not MK’s number one pastime. It wasn’t that she didn’t like reading, she did, it was just that it required time that she didn’t usually have and concentration that she usually couldn’t give in the time she did have. However, now that some of her weekends were freed up there was the occasional Friday or Saturday night in which she could lose herself in a good book, a record playing in the background and a glass of whiskey half drunk before it was forgotten on the side table as she was enthralled. And apparently it was high time she got some new reading material, which of course lead her right to A New Chapter. “Uh..hi.” She wasn’t sure that she’d ever been this friendly to a customer, but it was pretty obvious that her sudden - although surely employees should be used to customer just showing up as they fancied - appearance had frightened the girl. She rubbed her lips together, thinking of something the girl could help her with. “I was looking for a book.” Obviously. “Or books. But nothing too romantic." She didn’t exactly want to be reminded of her whole stalled love life while trying to escape its consequences. “Or crime.” Because surely all the recent attacks were giving everybody in Shrike Heights their fill of murder mystery.

[mcllrats]

saltair-rusteddoor​:

Augustine didn’t really know anyone that had been killed. If she did, maybe she could force some sort of empathy about what was going on. But what little friends she had (if any) were alive and well, and she was honestly just pissed she still had to go to work even though someone had died. She was sure after everything that the mall be closed for at least a week, yet there she was, hating every second of her day. So instead of actually heading to work, August was smoking in the parking lot, trying to think about an excuse not to go. She would probably just head inside after she finished her cigarette and get there late yet again. Being a good employee wasn’t her strong suit. 

Still somewhere else, she saw as a woman got out of her car and get a cigarette herself. She was gonna ignore her, just mentally taking note that she looked like she was somewhere else, until the woman addressed her. “Well, unfortunately, apparently we are fucking needed. Maybe they want us as bait or something.” She chuckled humorlessly. “Why do you care? If you don’t come in to work, they probably won’t notice. And if they call you, you can only pretend to not know you were supposed to come if you’re home.” She took a long puff off her cigarette. “I’m August, by the way.”

MK shouldn’t have been so shocked to realise that she wasn’t the only one that needed a moment more before walking throw the mall’s doors. Maybe the other woman had heard the same broadcast and had been reminded that something tragic had occurred not even twelve hours before while they were expected to just continue on as if it were any normal day. Or hell maybe she just needed an extra five minutes and a cigarette to remind herself that it was worth going in, any other day MK was much the same.

She did allow herself a small chuckle, her head tucked down and eyes focused on the tar behind her feet. She could appreciate a bit of dark humour, even if she herself hadn’t felt as if she was able to make that joke yet. Besides, maybe August was onto something. She shook her head, the breath of laughter escaping her this time nothing to do with humour - well, only if you considered the fact that she thought that naivety was hilarious. “Yeah, seems like a good idea when you don’t have two other mouths to feed and a mountain of bills to pay,” She answered, tossing her hair back and her head up, taking another drag. She exhaled before she returned the introduction, “MK.” 

[mcllrats]

3rdmixtape​:

mathew had been more forgiving of law enforcement at the beginning. after all, it was a shock to everyone that such horrible things could happen in a town like this, and he reasoned they had no idea how to handle it; that was giving them the grace they would figure it out, but as time went on, it seemed they weren’t very interested in doing so. he was quickly went from generally distrusting local authority, to finding them to be a complete and utter joke. mathew kept quiet whenever he heard the younger crowd bad-mouthing law enforcement but agreed wholeheartedly. he couldn’t imagine what they’d be saying today after what happened. just thinking about it made him legitimately angry, which was rare, and he hated the feeling.  “considering they didn’t care about anyone enough to close up last time, i doubt they’ll be sending you home,” he responded with a bit more bite than intended. mathew stopped to take a deep breath and reign in his tone— it wasn’t mk’s fault after all. “sorry. it’s just…” he waved a hand towards the mall. “everything, obviously.”

thankfully, mk was one of the very few he didn’t feel the need to sugarcoat his emotions with. there wasn’t a need to push down everything to play the strong friend and give hopeful words, because right now the last thing they probably needed was to focus more on about how shit everything was. not that disliked being supportive to his loved ones. but sometimes mathew needed to stop pretending and just feel whatever he was feeling without worrying about how he’d come across. “do you have another cigarette?” he asked before rubbing a hand over his face. “i don’t go in for about ten more minutes. how are you holding up?”

By nature MK was not an optimistic person. She didn’t give the same benefit of the doubt to the authorities as Mathew had seemingly been willing to, and she certainly didn’t believe any better in her boss despite any earlier contradiction she might have made. On the drive over she had considered that perhaps her manager would be cruel enough to send them out to mop the blood that was surely staining the floor outside their doors. She wouldn’t have been shocked. She was sure that they - the police, the investors, their bosses - all just wanted all this unfortunate business to go away before it started turning customers away from the mall’s open doors. No doubt they believed that their best solution was to simply ignore it until the problem solved itself, even if everybody else was aware that this was in fact the worst option they could have chosen. “You couldn’t let me dream?” She asked, the sarcasm lacing her voice as she threw her head back so that the end of her curls danced along the car’s roof. But that was only for a moment, shooting back up so that she could catch the man’s eye. “Wishful thinking I guess,” She shrugged, her voice taking on an unnaturally cheery tone when she continued on, “Besides if they closed this place down for the day wherever would the perfectly happy housewives of Shrike Heights get their weekly groceries and the Xanax that stops them realising how utterly grim their whole lives are?” It wasn’t that MK thought that her own little world was any better, just that she was willing to admit that it sucked. 

“What’s in it for me?” She asked somewhat teasingly, trying to lift the mood, as she raised an eyebrow. But clearly the answer didn’t matter all that much as she didn’t wait for one before tossing the packet over the short distance between them. “Need a light?” She asked before taking another puff of her own. She shrugged again, taking the cigarette from between her lips and immediately licking them. A nervous habit she’d always had. "I just feel sick,” She started, free hand running over her hair, “Charlene had been begging to go to that premier all week and, she didn’t - i know she didn’t - but I can’t help thinking what if she had? And then I just think...well I think of the parents who don’t live with that what if, you know?” 

[mcllrats]

camerontm​:

            ‘ i get it, rebecca, ’ gemma says. ‘ it’s because mk is wayyyy cooler. ’ heading toward the mini fridge under her work station, gemma was making a mental note to rub it in her co-workers face the next day that it was, in fact, a good work investment as she’d once called it.

               once the bottle is handed off to mk, hands brushing, a rush of remembrance hits gemma. the studio is silent. too silent. shit. she rushes over to speak into the microphone, saying that we’ll be back right after a word from their sponsors. a huge huff of relief finds her chest, after all, she’d be closing soon, along with the rest of the mall. an early night for once.

                call it jealousy or co-dependency, but at least mk wouldn’t be going home alone. seeing her with her rambunctious babes made gemma wonder if her apartment would be feeling extra spacious this evening. is there anyone she cares enough to invite over? hmm.

                despite being what she considers, pretty nice, gemma doesn’t know what to say next. every time she tries to think of something it is shallow, like it’s coming from one of her peers or the persona she puts on around them. something along the lines of congrats on being a mom and still looking like that but less creepy. god, does this mean she has mommy issues? for someone who still hadn’t admitted to liking women, gemma certainly spent a great deal of time appreciating their beauty.

                 instead of any of the million things on her mind, she winds up sounding more like a brat than she intended. ‘ that water should be a perfect thirty-three degrees, ’ gemma says proudly, like she’d put a lot of thought into it because she had.

It was because Mary-Kathleen was a mouthful, and she had long out grown Mary-Kate. Besides, she’d never quite felt like a Mary-Kathleen. It had always seemed to innocent, made for delicate girls who smiled politely and nodded when they knew they needed to. MK had never been that, always loud and synced with herself but seemingly never with anybody else. So yes, in short perhaps it was because MK was wayyyy cooler. She allowed herself to laugh quietly as Gemma reached for the water that she’d offered.

A mini fridge. Maybe she should have checked to see if the radio station was hiring before she’d desperately taken the job at the grocers. Up here by herself, listening to music and drinking chilled water - perfectly chilled water; it didn’t seem like such a bad deal. 

She’d have laughed if she’d have been able to hear Gemma’s jealous thoughts. Maybe even told the woman that her thirty second glimpse into her not so glamorous life was certainly not accurate. She had nothing to envy as far as MK was concerned. Her children, yes perhaps, but she had no idea that the older woman was more than used to feeling alone. More in the last six months than she had done before, and she hadn’t thought that was possible. Besides, the irony was that part of the mother of two wished for the freedom that allowed a young single woman to be dancing around an apartment to whatever song she liked. Even just for a moment to have no other care in the world. She wasn’t sure she’d ever had that feeling, being unburdened by whatever was weighing on her mind at that given time.

She watched as the younger woman rushed around, called back to work almost suddenly. “We’re distracting you,” She said, as if she’d been oblivious to the fact beforehand, after she took her first sip from the bottle. Now assured that it didn’t contain anything malicious, the scare had left her more careful than usual clearly, she handed off the drink to the smaller hands of her daughter which had been reaching for it. “Always have to have what I am,” She all but muttered, more than used to Rebecca’s habit of needing to insert herself into whatever situation her mother was in. Even something as simple as drinking water from a nice lady at the radio station.

She noticed Gemma’s look, but would never have guessed what exactly was behind it. She considered pity or disgust, an - almost - newly single mother she wasn’t stranger to either stare. So she knew this one was different, she just couldn’t quite place how.

This time she did let out a chuckle, a hearty one. Clearly she’d been amused by the fact, even if that wasn’t how it had been meant. “Well, it was perfect. Enjoyable.” Her eyes glanced over to the more half empty bottle held between her daughter’s two hands. “And apparently Becs thinks so too.”