hasaknightjob: Marc casual (Marc casual)
Steven Grant / Marc Spector ([personal profile] hasaknightjob) wrote in [community profile] fandomtownies2024-06-04 03:17 am

Midnight Manor Boarding House, Tuesday Daytime

Marc's office was still there. Which was worth noting because he could make it go somewhere. But, yanno, fine. If he had to be in charge of the place might as well have somewhere to be in charge from. Somewhere that didn't involve inviting people into the private residence. (Which was entirely a concern for privacy and not for Watts and Steven's cat who still got skittish around strangers sometimes. Just so that was clear.)

Today Marc was at his desk and using his phone to try to look up information on buying and installing outdoor speakers. Midnight could do a lot of things but creating something electronic that allowed for playing music either on the roof or out by the grill was apparently not on that list.

Getting this done was on Marc's list because... it was getting warmer out and the residents would probably make use of such a thing.

What? That wasn't not a reason.

All of which meant Marc was in his office, regretting the choices in life that led him to try to navigate his way through far too many pop-ups on websites that sold outdoor speakers, and thinking a tiny bit fondly of the days when his annoyances came in the form of people trying to shoot him.

Out front the chalkboard sign had the usual note about rooms available for rent, along with one underneath it which said Come on in, office is to your right. Don't mind Marc, he has other facial expressions, we promise.

[open]
afraid_of_marshmallows: Nathalie Emmanuel in 4 Weddings and a Funeral (Brow Furrowed - [Citation Needed])

[personal profile] afraid_of_marshmallows 2024-06-04 05:38 pm (UTC)(link)
The only way Arden would talk to Marc about her love life was if she had suddenly turned evil and was trying to torture him in a way that was actually effective. Physical trauma? HA! Proceeding to give him the minutia of it down to, 'and then he said, so then I was like...'

"But..." Arden said. "But once I start paying in earnest, that's gonna be most of my income anyway. So the more I put down now, the longer it is before I have to start to worry."
afraid_of_marshmallows: Nathalie Emmanuel as Evie in The Invitation (Surprised - Sloooowly Processing)

[personal profile] afraid_of_marshmallows 2024-06-04 06:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Arden didn't touch the check, leaving it on the desk between them. "But...but...I don't wanna leave Midnight, Marc. I love it here."

And that's what happened when you didn't pay what you owed. You had to leave. That's why she was here.

"I don't know where I'd go. And I'm happy here."
afraid_of_marshmallows: Nathalie Emmanuel (Confused - What's Happening Here?)

[personal profile] afraid_of_marshmallows 2024-06-04 06:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Now Arden was just very confused. "How is it not the issue? We're literally talking about rent."

Definitionally, money was very much the issue!
afraid_of_marshmallows: Nathalie Emmanuel in 4 Weddings and a Funeral (Looking - Sus Sideeye)

[personal profile] afraid_of_marshmallows 2024-06-04 06:26 pm (UTC)(link)
"And instead I'd have to--?" Of course Arden was looking for the hidden cost. The narrative wasn't even going to apologize for it because if anyone understood suspicion based on past trauma it was Marc Spector.
afraid_of_marshmallows: Nathalie Emmanuel from Army of Thieves (Sad - Dropped Eyes)

[personal profile] afraid_of_marshmallows 2024-06-04 06:35 pm (UTC)(link)
"It's always an option," Arden said quietly.
afraid_of_marshmallows: Nathalie Emmanuel in 4 Weddings and a Funeral (Sad - Tear Tracks)

[personal profile] afraid_of_marshmallows 2024-06-04 06:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Arden looked at him, a little helpless, tears welling up in her eyes. "I--I don't--you can't--that's not how--"

Marc, you didn't understand. The world worked very clearly and along very specific principles. And that didn't fit into any of those principles. So either you were wrong, or the whole world was wrong, and the world being wrong opened up new avenues for old wounds to hurt, so clearly it must be you.

"But I owe..."
afraid_of_marshmallows: Nathalie Emmanuel as Evie in The Invitation (Exercise - Nature Run)

[personal profile] afraid_of_marshmallows 2024-06-04 07:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Marc was clearly going to be unreasonable about this. Fine. She'd just take it up with Steven.

Wait.

No, Steven was going to somehow be less reasonable about this than Marc was. Watts? Hmm, a possibility, but doubtful.

"I've gotta think about this," Arden said, snatching the check off his desk. "I've gotta--" maybe cry some "--go. Think. I can't--I gotta go."

And then she fled. But still better than talking about feelings or relationships!