analogthis | open rp/inbox

( speaking of enigmas, nathan looks down at his burger like he isn't sure how to approach it. he's eaten burgers before, [he's not THAT out-of-touch], but he doesn't generally eat around other people, especially not something so chaotic. if he had rewind powers, he'd go back and order himself a steak. just as daunting, but easier to maneuver. )

Yeah? I think Vic'll come around, too.

( speaking of victoria, he checks his phone to see if her string of baffled babble over his new girlfriend has gotten any longer, and it has.

he squints down at the message for a second, then groans. )

Tonight's, like, this thing. A bonfire. It's off-campus. I totally fucking forgot about it... but we don't gotta go.

( after all, haven't they had enough excitement for one day? three coming outs and a hospital visitation? )

[Max has already started on her food. Completely cleanly. Probably because she knows her way around this place's burgers specifically. Also she's going about it slowly because she doesn't feel super hungry.

She waits until she's not chewing to speak.]

I know I can say no to things Nathan, it's fine. But do you want to go? And do you want me with you if you do? Because whether you want to or not does affect whether I want to or not.

[It could be fun? Huddling together in the cold by the fire, watching the people around them. But it could also be fun to just... Hole up with Nathan in one of their dorms and shut out the rest of the world for a while. They have had a really eventful day.]

And, we could always go and then just leave if either one of us gets sick of it.

( damn, she's eating like a pro. max is crazy for that. )

I don't know. They do shit all the time. I mean, all the time. Not like I'm missing anything by not going.

( be that as it may, there's also the potential for taking shots by the fire, showing off his girlfriend in her hot-ass dress, and sneaking off to makeout in the woods.

maybe max is right. they can just pull up for an hour or two, then ditch. )

Yeah? Then... yeah. We should go.

( and he bites into his burger without incident. fuck, it tastes so much better than diet smoothies, bland pudding, or whatever fad diet his mother insisted the whole family partake in. it's juicy, and crispy, and the tomato slices pop with flavor. fine, top-floor restaurants in north florida didn't have food this good. )

What the fuck...

[It's still wild to Max how often the VC gets themselves into shenanigans. Hardcore-level shenanigans too, not the silly parties Max very occasionally went to while she lived in Seattle.

She hopes Nathan knows it's unlikely that she'll want to go to every single one of those things. She's not really a party person... Despite having gotten high and drunk and losing her virginity over the past few weeks. Life is just hitting very fast and hard lately.

But she can do this. It might be fun. And... she kind of does want Nathan to kiss her in front of his friends just so they can see it's not some big dare or something Max is making him do or whatever. She no longer blames Nathan for what his earlier timeline self did, throwing her under the bus in front of Victoria like that, but the thought of it still hurts sometimes. Maybe she needs this a little for a bit of a self-confidence boost.]

Okay.

[She's about to ask him about buying the new pot for Lisa, if they have time to fit that in before the bonfire, when he suddenly has this euphoric experience from taking a bite of the burger, and her smile widens. She doesn't laugh, though she kind of wants to. But only because it's weirdly endearing.]

Good, huh? Where do you usually eat around here anyway?

( max is responsibly planning their evening, meanwhile nathan is having a moment from a rat movie. they are not the same. sorry, brooke. you can't paint max and nathan with the same brush. )

I eat whatever. Not like this, though.

( this is art!!!! please excuse him as he takes another bite. )

You know, you're lucky I'm not taking a photo of you right now, because I do kind of want to immortalize this moment forever.

[It's teasing and sappy but also very much the truth. His ~rat movie moment~ is adorable. She's gotta bring him back here more often.

God, what has he been eating, anyway?]

I thought rich gourmet food was supposed to taste better?

Max, you're cool and all, but I'd kill you if you took a photo of me holding a goddamn cheeseburger.

( a lamer phot couldn't exist. )

Gourmet shit tastes like... like spending $500 on lettuce grown on Japanese mountaintops. All they care about is aesthetics and bragging rights.

( he says in his $6,000 button-down. )

And my mom had thing. You know how it.

[A brief grin.] And that's why you'll notice I don't have my camera in my hands~

But geez, seriously? Why do I feel like rich people actually need lessons on how to better spend their money?

[...hopefully he doesn't take offense to that.]

What, like, a diet thing?

[Her mom isn't that way, but there are enough moms out there that are, unfortunately, so Max has had friends with them.]

Being rich makes you crazy.

( it's the only correlation he can think of as he takes in more of his burger. it's crazy that they just give these things out. they could charge hundreds. )

Yeah. A diet thing. Always wanted us to be thin, always putting us on the scale, didn't want us beside her in photos if we didn't look good. Calorie counting, amphetamines, all that stuff. Especially my sister.

( it's no surprise she fled halfway around the world to get away from it all.

he eats a fry. )

...But it's whatever.

[Jesus. He's always telling her these horror stories about his life with such an air of nonchalance that it's... off-putting. Not in a way that makes her uncomfortable to be around him or to listen to him, just in a way that pulls her heart strings, that makes her want to tell everyone how wrong they are about him. His life is shitty, actually. And god does it ever make her want to make him smile, and laugh, and enjoy things. She hopes at some point, maybe, she can help him feel loved. And worthy of that.

Gawd, she's such a sap. She's going to make herself tear up again. She quickly refocuses on her fries.]

Well... That just means I get to be the one to introduce you to some new experiences. Like delicious greasy spoon cheeseburgers.

[She leans in a little bit while Nathan is holding a fry, sticking out her own at an angle.]

And fry fights. Engarde, mister.

[Yes, like a sword fight. You heard her correctly.]

Greasy cheeseburgers are, like, a once in a lifetime thing. And here's my once. With you.

( his mother convulsing as they speak, he can feel it. she's only happy when he's thin, and he's happy when she's happy. this burger is going to tear his family apart.

the fry being thrust his way, as dorky as it is, gives him an excuse to set the burger down before he can fuck around and finish it. )

Max, come on. We're not kids. I'm not gonna fucking play swords with French fries.

( at least he looks amused. they've had a long day. jefferson is still waiting on the details of what max knows, and warren is probably out there sobbing somewhere. this 'battle' is the levity they need... he picks up a fry. )

Now what?

[Yeah, don't remind her about Warren, she's still gonna feel shitty about that later.]

I don't know. The last time I actually had a fry fight I was ten.

[She admits it with a laugh, but knocks her french fry into Nathan's anyway.]

I think... whoever makes the other one drop or break their fry first gets to eat both fries. Sounds fair, right?

This is stupid.

( he looks as if he's going to drop his fry, dismissing this whole thing as childish bullshit, but then he goes in for a strike and whacks her hand. he tries to, at least. there's a chance that max's experience have made her a dexterous goddess or something. )

Heh... We still getting your pot after this? Bet we could make it quick, if we wanna hit the party after.

( a trip to the pot plant store can't take but so long, he rations. )

[She does manage to pull her hand away in time but ends up dropping her fry anyway in surprise. So, you know, all yours Nathan is you're comfortable eating a french fry straight off the bare table?]

If you mean a pot for Lisa, yes. If you mean marijuana, no thanks. Been there, done that, and got the boyfriend to prove it.

[Good-natured joking only, of course. She leans back on the booth and finishes the rest of her tea.]

You almost ready, then?

( he contemplates, but takes a fry from her plate instead as compensation. )

Wild shit. I mean, it's sorta crazy how life goes. Like none of this ever would've happened if you'd just passed the joint to the next guy. We never would've... you know. Together.

( something, something, butterfly effect. nathan can trace most of his own life to similar major decisions. had he not stood up for jefferson as a stupid pre-teen, for example, there's a chance he wouldn't be doing his dirty work for him now.

he waves his hand in the air to get the waitress's attention, then asks for the check. the remainder of the burger is calling his name, but he knows he shouldn't. he's got food in the car. good, healthy, bland food. )

Yeah, babe. I'm ready. ( once they pay or whatever, he means. what's a normal tip look like? )

[You know what? Fair. He earned that fry.]

Yeah... [The sentence "Chloe thinks I threw us all into an alternate universe" is about to form when she remembers his freak out earlier. Right, maybe less Chloe talk.] That is a point in pot's favor.

[Speaking of Chloe, while Nathan handles the bill, Max gets out her phone to check on her friend's response to her informing her of her location.

chloe
seriously, on my own turf???
max I think that qualifies as cruel and unusual

NVM I've thought about it and I prefer the idea that you're somewhere I can easily meet you

max
honestly it was his suggestion and I was so relieved
I was half expecting to be dragged across town to a fancy reservation only type place
anyway we have to stop by the store to buy a new pot for my plant baby Nathan accidentally dropped
then I guess we're going to this bonfire party thing???

chloe
he dropped your baby.
max read that again for me.
wait where's the bonfire thing at?

max
he did but I drop things literally all the time
I'm not sure actually, I'll ask and get back to you
ttyl

She puts her phone back in her bag and stands up before pulling it on over her head.]

So where's the bonfire thing at, anyway?

( nathan's in the middle of leaving a $100 on the table when max stands. )

It's not far. Like a mile or two off campus. Victoria knows someone.

( which isn't vague intentionally, but he figures that's all he has to say. vic is powerful. she knows how to make connections. if she talked some local farmer into donating their barn to a bunch of rowdy high schoolers for party purposes, nathan's not going to be the one to question it. )

So, where now? Target?

( see? he knows normal retailers!! )

[Jesus, that's a big tip. No way is Max going to stop him from leaving it, though. Service workers deserve some outrageously big tips every once in a while.

And while Max isn't really worried about it being vague, she can only hope the same can be said of Chloe. She'll text her that vague later, though.

He does know a normal retailer!! She's so impressed. She shoots him a smile.]

Target's perfect. I'm sure we can be in and out pretty quickly.

( he knows normal stores because victoria loves normal stores. within reason, of course. she loves a good tarjayyy run, and she wants starbucks and chipotle on the days she can't be bothered with campus food. they're not so far gone as to visit a walmart, but they can imagine. they look at 'people of walmart' online and think of how much it must suck to have to spend $3 on a towel that should cost $50.

target is an acceptable median.

the towels here cost $30. )

Can you cook stuff?

( he's pushing the cart, which they probably wouldn't need for just one plant pot. he'd told vic that they were stopping, though, so now he's meant to bring more snacks and mixers. soda, and popcorn, and marshmallows they can melt in a fire. it wouldn't be a bonfire without them. )

[It makes sense that Nathan's been recruited for supply gathering (and purchasing). Feels a little weird that she's here though, with Nathan, helping him prepare for what is probably essentially a Vortex Club gathering, if not a huge blowout party like they're more infamous for.

Every once in a while she really does feel like she's thrown them all into an alternate universe with her powers. She's going to hang out with Nathan's friends. Wild.]

Some things. Easy stuff, I guess. Why, are we going to have to cook something tonight?

Nah, I doubt it... Can you make burgers, though?

( sorry, he's a fan now. )

Like, for us to eat sometime?

[He's cute. Gawd, this feels weirdly domestic now that they're doing it. Rolling a shopping cart in a store together. She's not sure what to do with the feeling. (Other than write about it in her journal the next chance she gets, of course.)]

I could probably manage that much, but I don't know where you expect me to do it, unless you've got a grill hidden in your dorm room somewhere.

[She's headed toward the home goods section first, since they probably won't want to waste time their once they've got food and junk in their cart.]

We got a place. I mean, we got lots of places.

( 'we' being the prescotts. they can't buy a town without grabbing a few properties for themselves. farmhouse aside, nathan's family has no shortage of arcadia bay real estate collecting dust in their name.

one's bound to have a stove.

when it comes to foliage, nathan doesn't really know what he's looking for as far as interior plant decorating, but he likes that there's lot of options. target is cool like that. )

You want one with patterns, or you want it plain?

[Right... The real estate development plan. Is she gonna feel gross standing in one of those houses playing house, though? The thought does make her a little uncomfortable. She'll have to sit with it for a while.]

I'm thinking patterns. Maybe they'll cheer her up?

[Like a Get Well balloon, essentially. For her plant. This is the girl you're dating, this is the choice you've made, Nathan.

Looking along the shelves, she finds a few that make her smile. One shaped like a turtle, one with painted mushrooms on it, and one that she laughs at because it reminds her way too much of the Kool-Aid man with its roundness and strange face. She points it out to Nathan.]

Please tell me I'm not the only one seeing the Kool-Aid man there.

( as he often does around max, nathan considers saying something, but he thinks better of it. censoring himself is easy. it comes naturally. if it's not an insult or a complaint, rarely does it make it past his lips. like most bullies, he finds it so easy to be an asshole, not to mention self-assuring. being mean keeps others away, and he's convinced himself that he likes that, likes to be an army of one.

even his best friends don't hear his true thoughts.

but now, with max, he thinks about letting one slip. )

...Oh, yeah! I see it, all right.

( you know, like the old commercial? and if she doesn't laugh, he'll be justified in never saying anything aloud ever again.

he picks up one shaped like an old, retro camera and grins. )

Too on the nose, you think?

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jumpcut to shopping, unless you think we need the drive over?

no, this works!

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