The Photo Hut - Friday Morning

[flamesburned]

So Liz had gone and truly messed everything up, she was going home shortly but she was finishing up a few things at the Photo Hut instead of going to class. She knew she should go and apologise to Summer about everything but the idea of facing Summer right now … she was too embarrassed and ashamed.

She knew she was being a coward but seeing Summer would just drive home the mess she had made of everything, after all of her warnings and she wished she could just talk to Prompto but that was impossible and she couldn’t tell him what had happened in a voice message.

Everything was packed and she was ready to head home and all she had to do was put Rain in her carrier to take back to the portal but she was finishing up some last minute admin work that she didn’t get to yesterday.

[expecting one but the Photo Hut is open til Liz leaves!]

Comments

[hasaknightjob]

Marc had had his chance to be there for Steven the night before and he knew, now, Steven was okay enough that Marc could have the body to himself for a little bit to have a private conversation.

Specifically a conversation that was feeling just a little overdue.

"Liz," Marc said, when he got to the Photo Hut and saw her.

[flamesburned]

Liz paled when she saw Marc and before she could do anything she blurted out, "I'm so, so sorry,"

It was going to be the first of many apologies.

[hasaknightjob]

"It's funny," Marc said. "Been sending a lot of texts this week and somehow I haven't seen any from you. Not about anything but that photoshoot we were supposed to have."

One that hadn't happened, for obvious reasons.

[flamesburned]

Liz wasn't sure if Marc had been present during the conversation yesterday, "um...things kind of ...I screwed up yesterday in a big way," she sighed, "did Steven tell you what happened?" she bit her lip.

[hasaknightjob]

"I got the full download," Marc said. "I also heard on radio days ago you were telling Summer you had feelings for Steven and I thought to myself well that's got to be wrong because I remember you and me having a conversation about how that wasn't where things were going."

[flamesburned]

Liz bit her lip, unable to meet his gaze, "I ... I fell in love with him and I ... I didn't think things through, I was warned that I was going to fast, I ...I ... I'm sorry," she said quietly.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc sighed. He wasn't mad, just frustrated. "If you looped me in I could have helped. I freaking tried to by keeping him away from radio."

[flamesburned]

“I … I didn’t think,” that part was obvious Liz, “I just …I don’t know what do do anymore, about anything I love Prompto and I do love Steven, I do care about him … I … I made such a mess of everything, especially after everything I said I wouldn’t … you must hate me,” she could feel tears start to build up in her eyes and she blinked them back furiously.

[hasaknightjob]

"Are you really gonna make me bust out 'I'm not mad, I'm disappointed' here?" Marc asked.

[flamesburned]

The tears started flowing, “I wouldn’t have blamed you,” she said softly, “I’m a terrible person, I would deserve it,”

[hasaknightjob]

For a brief moment Marc regretted telling Steven to give him and Liz some privacy because Steven was much better at handling upset people than Marc was. But Marc still wanted a candid conversation with her so tagging out wasn't an option.

On the plus side, such as it a was, Marc did have more experience than Steven did with messes like this. "You screwed things up in a relationship. It sucks. You'll live. Everyone will. Trust me, I know."

[flamesburned]

“I …” Liz took a deep breath, wiping the tears from her eyes, “I never meant for anything like this to happen..I just …I don’t know how to fix this,”

[hasaknightjob]

"Yeah you're looking at the wrong guy if you want any advice with that," Marc said. He leaned against the counter since he might as well be comfortable. "You're kinda doing my usual. Only unlike me you're planning on coming back."

It occurred to Marc it'd been since yesterday that he knew the latest there, so he asked, "You're still planning on coming back, right? Because if you're not tell me now so I can handle what that's going to do to Steven."

[flamesburned]

“I am … I … it might be a couple of weeks though,” Liz said softly, “I made a huge mess of things here and I need time to process them, I know I’m being a coward and I could just face them here and now but I’m …I know that will only make things worse,” she said softly. “I’m not making good decisions right now,”

[hasaknightjob]

"Sometimes getting away to clear your head is the best way to handle it," Marc said. Granted, Marc's advice should always be taken with the caveat that if you didn't include the "coming back" part the difference between getting away to clear your head and running away so you didn't have to deal with your problems could be a very fine line.

"Anyway a few weeks or whatever is fine," Marc said. "I just need a heads up if this is a one way ticket."

[flamesburned]

Liz nodded, "they'll try to get me to stay," she said softly, "they know what I'm like when I get this way ...but I know I can't stay there either, I ... I need to try and make Fandom work," she paused, "I think just a couple of weeks away will help, I..I'll let you know when I do come back," she assured him.

[hasaknightjob]

"Thanks." Marc shifted in place because now he had things he might need to confess to. "I told him to be honest with you. I don't know if it helped anything but I let him know you could handle being given the truth. Least you always did coming from me."

[flamesburned]

Liz hesitated and then nodded, "I ... I ...it did, I ... people have been honest with me ... brutally honest and I've been ignoring them and Steven ... it made me realise just how much of a screw up I've been lately,"

[hasaknightjob]

Marc gave her face a searching look. "Okay so not for nothing but are you okay? No bullshit, Liz. You're reminding me of me at the bottom of a bottle here."

[flamesburned]

“I …” Liz had been about to say that she was fine but she couldn’t get the words out, “no …” she finally admitted, “I … I don’t know what’s wrong with me, why I keep making the decisions that I do …”

[hasaknightjob]

"Been having any blackouts lately?" Marc asked. Hey, he had to check.

[flamesburned]

"No..." Liz wasn't entirely sure but she didn't think she had lost any time during this, "I mean ... I don't think so,"

[hasaknightjob]

"Hearing voices?" Again, couldn't hurt to check.

[flamesburned]

"No, nothing like that," Liz hesitated, "well ...I don't know if this counts, I get attached to ideas and thoughts and they get louder until I react?" she didn't know how much sense she was making.

[hasaknightjob]

"But feelings, not an actual voice?" Marc said, to confirm he was hearing her right.