𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅

𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒂 𝒔𝒖𝒏𝒂𝒚 written by 𝐤𝐚𝐭𝐞

[nisafm]

(  yasemin yazici, cis female, she/her, muse j  )  oh snap ! is that NISA SUNAY ? they work over at high volume where some of the other employees have labeled them as THE AFFLUENT. that’s probably because they can be a bit ( magnetic ) but also pretty ( selfish ). they’re 22 and they’ve been living in woodstock for ONE MONTH. it must be their shift because i totally hear BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN blasting from the record store. @volumeupdates​

hiiii besties 😌 as u can find in the chat i’m kate (she/her), 23, and from est!! my dms are always open to plot and chat but i am very slow <3

LINKS: current connections / pinterest / app (beware. tis not good)

ok so basically all the thoughts i have for nisa can be found HERE!! it’s a google doc that has all of my ramblings. i am morally opposed to proofreading so if it doesn’t make any sense thems the breaks baby! i really don’t blame u if u don’t feel like reading all of that nonsense so i’ll hit u with a quick summary that gives u the quickest snapshot of her!!

she is the messy, underachieving party girl from a filthy rich family. she is the princess and the black sheep of her family, constantly getting herself into shit but they always fix it for her <3 she’s tried half as hard as others and gotten twice as much most of her life. her douchebag fiance was cheating on her with her bestie. she found out and because of that and everything else in her life…. [snapped vc] that’s when she snapped. she packed her bags and skipped town because she is a big believer in avoiding her problems ❤️ it’s all very stereotypical rich kid rp character but like that’s half the fun or whatever!! anyway now she’s in woodstock and hanging on by a thread but she’s sexy and fun 😌

i do have some connection ideas on the doc but i’ll copy and paste them here so u don’t have to go looking for them!!

honestly just let me start shit.. if there is anything nisa can get herself into that fucks stuff up for everyone else... let me do that. i love drama and i WILL play the villain <3

i’m begging someone (or multiple someones) to hate her snobby ass.. i want them to bicker and butt heads because nisa can’t admit she has any flaws but also for her to try to win them over bc she craves validation <3

ok so please know this is not me calling anyone here ugly this is just nisa being a bitch but i want to apply this to a connection SO BAD it makes me literally cry laughing every time i think about it

her woodstock tour guide <3 i feel like kennedy has her hands full with showing her how to be an actual functioning human being, so someone else can be the person who shows her the ins and outs of the new town :) they adventure together

i don’t know how REALISTIC this is from like… a logistical sense i’m still catching up on the plot drops but i think it would be FUNNY if someone was suspicious that nisa had something to do with jerry’s disappearance. she hasn’t been working at high volume very long so it’s like this new bitch shows up and suddenly jerry’s gone? coincidence? i think not

i know friends :) is a boring connection but ngl bitch needs some friends…

i’ll be thinking of more and i’m open to basically anything so yeah

[nisafm]

SLOANE.

          “eh, who cares? it’s all propaganda anyway.” her mothers would likely be horrified at how little sloane pays attention to news, but it’s not something that’ll change anytime soon. a laugh bursts out of her at nisa’s plan. “‘course i’m okay with cheating. besides, that’s way better than anything i got. all i could come up with was just deliberately sabotaging wes’s team, and i didn’t even have any details ironed out. it’s not like doing anything to his teammate will affect their performance.” she rolls her eyes, mostly to herself. for a few moments, they walk in a comfortable, synchronized silence. “still feels surreal that the boat just sank like that. not that i felt great about any of it, but–” she lets out a low whistle. “what a way to end with a bang.” sloane had imagined about fifty different worst case scenarios, and still, none of that even compared to the reality.

         nisa’s smile only grows as sloane laughs at her plan. “right? it’s so annoying that wes has to get all the credit when they do well. jackson doesn’t do shit.” after a beat, she tacks on, “he’s cute though.” the comment is made partially because it’s honest, nisa does think wes’s friend is cute, but more so because she wants to hear sloane’s reaction to it. she’s looking for a way to confirm that she had been right to dismiss him as so not her type. after a few moments of silence, a laugh bubbles out of nisa at the way sloane decides to describe the boat, the hand that’s not wrapped around sloane’s arm immediately lifting to cover her mouth in an attempt to muffle it. “yeah, i guess i’m still untangling if i think we have really good luck or really bad luck. like, of course the boat we’re all on blows up. but at least the guy who died wasn’t any of us.”

[nisafm]

CHASE.

If he thought was she said before was surprising, it doesn’t even come close to right now. He remembers Nisa being brazen and outspoken when they had first met, so maybe he shouldn’t be surprised. Except, once again, to his detriment, it shows that he’s caught off guard. It’s mere seconds and he realizes that it’s actually amusing. This whole thing keeps getting more and more amusing by the minute, knowing she’s more than ready to shoot back at whatever he says. Caught off guard or not, Chase isn’t giving her the satisfaction. Though it’s probably obvious to both sides right now that they remember way more of that night than they’re both letting on. “Must’ve been unmemorable if you gotta jog my memory, Nisa.” He tilts his head, too, mimicking her and keeps his tone neutral with just a hint of taunting in it. “Just once. You expect me to believe that?” He scoffs, a shadow of a smile curving up his lips as he shakes his head. He’s not surprised it had been with Eric of all people. “No, I don’t really want to stick around and clean.” He hates the night shift. “You say ‘we’ as if you’re going to help out.” But he’s already going to the cash register to lock it as he says that.

         all that poking, and chase still hasn’t budged. in fact, he only doubles down on not remembering her. it doesn’t matter that his face has shown his hand twice now, who cares if she knows that’s bullshit if he isn’t going to admit it himself? chase seems to have found a rhythm within their conversation, his words laced with a trace of a taunt. he might be amused, but now nisa’s bored. rather than respond, she flips him off. he challenges her again, and she shrugs, “believe whatever you want.” he might not buy it, but nisa’s not budging from her lie. it’s not like he has any way to fact check her. “it’s still the truth either way.” though, he doesn’t seem too concerned with fact checking, and a self-satisfied smile tugs at her lips as he heads for the register. “yeah, no, i wasn’t gonna help. y’know, maybe if you learned how to ask nicely,” nisa says as she turns off the stereo, “i’d be more willing to help you out.” she removes the cd and returns it to its case. “but until then, i’ll have to live with being a bad influence.” which certainly won’t bother her as long as it has her leaving work early.

[nisafm]

SLOANE.​

          her lips press together in a thin line. it’s a kind assessment of her personality, but she’s starting to think she scares easier than she expected. sloane’s head swivels left, then right, and left again before she judges the street safe enough to be crossed. “it was a tough decision.” she chuckles, squeezing nisa’s arm gently. “agonized for days. people were protesting, storming the gates.” they step back onto the sidewalk, continuing down the street towards home. “but it’ll take more than a near death experience to get rid of me.” there are still the reasons she can’t confess, of course— the ones that will change the way nisa sees her. she’s not willing to screw that up right now. “losing to wes’s team for the third week in a row might do it though.”

         nisa grins against sloane’s shoulder at the picture she paints. “y’know i really should start paying more attention to the news. had i know, i totally would’ve joined the protesters. i bet i could make a mean sign.” what’s it even take to make a good sign for a protest? nice handwriting, eye catching colors, and a slogan? she can handle that. “oh, don't worry about losing again. i’m devising a plan make sure we kick his ass next week as we speak. i hope you’re okay with cheating, because currently, my plan is to get the questions in advance. if flirting with bartenders is the sacrifice i have to make to keep my roommate, so be it.” not that it would be much of a sacrifice, considering that’s how nisa gets nearly half of her drinks, but that’s beside the point.

[nisafm]

WESLEY.

        wes mirrors nisa’s grin. with the majority of his new coworkers either disliking him or vice versa, there seems to be an easiness with nisa. she reminds him of the type of people he came across in chicago and the bantering is a nice change of pace, especially since she’s prone to playing along. “i would never assume your preferred position.” he raises his arms in playful defense. when the bartender slides him his drink he’s quick to grab the glass and take a sip, then cranes his head to observe his partner for a moment. his partner is more of a placeholder than anything. given his obsession with absorbing any information he can find several of topics, regardless of his interest level, wesley is more than capable of handling trivia night on his own. but, having someone else at his table is good for moral support. wes diverts his gaze back to the other. “he’s just here to find a cute girl. if you think he cares about trivia, you would be making an erroneous assumption.” he raises his brows. “know of any?”

         there’s something delightfully familiar about wes. though given what her social circle back home looked like, maybe that should be a red flag. but in nisa’s defense, wes seems to occupy a middle ground between new york and woodstock. while perhaps he had a college experience she would recognize, he’s still back in woodstock, not working on wall street. it’s nice — nisa’s realized through their limited interactions — to have someone that seems to know which planet she’s come from. “other than me?” she shakes her head, “sorry.” then, she reconsiders. “i mean, sloane, obviously. but he’s so not her type that it almost feels stupid to even mention her.” sloane? with a guy someone like wes would be friends with? maybe when hell freezes over. “but hey,” she nudges him, “aren’t you the local? shouldn’t you already know all the cute girls in town? unless you’re willing to admit how much better my judgment is, how much more expansive my knowledge is, i don’t really see why i should be doing your searching.”

[nisafm]

status: closed for @sloanefm​ location: the mean streets of woodstock

         there’s a chill in the woodstock air, but nisa doesn’t even feel it; warmed by the drinks she’d had at trivia and sloane’s company. her arm is looped through sloane’s, and her head’s resting on her shoulder as they walk home. the two have slipped into a casual closeness with an ease that’s surprised nisa, given how difficult most of her other relationships in woodstock have proven to be. “i know you’re not the type to scare easily,” nisa says as they come to a stop at a crosswalk, waiting on the minimal small town traffic for their turn to jaywalk. “but still, i’m really happy you didn’t decide to skip town after the whole boat explosion thing.”

[nisafm]

TRIP.

status : closed for @nisafm​ setting : high volume, slow part of an afternoon shift ( free them )

     ❝ HEY, WHAT’S THE FIRST THING you do when you walk into a party? ❞ the question, while random, doesn’t come out of thin air. as trip pops himself up onto the counter beside nisa, he sets a small stack of j-14 issues to his left and shakes out the one he has flipped open in his hand. after checking to make sure nisa is at least somewhat paying attention, he continues, ❝ do you, a, find your best buds ASAP ; b, say hi to everyone you know - slash - introduce yourself to anyone you haven’t met ; or c, scope out all the cute boys ? ❞ the last option is said with an air of dramatics, complete with a flip of his hair and a heavy emphasis on cute boys ( squee !! )

         nisa doen’t have to ask where the question comes from (though the stack of magazines he’s toting would answer it if she did), nodding at him once to show she’s listening for options. he continues, and while he’s distracted by his task of reading them out, nisa pushes away from the counter, happy to take the opportunity to switch out violent femmes for mariah. “b,” she responds as she spins back around, a grin on her lips. “and lemme guess, judging by your tone, you’re scoping out the cute boys?” she shakes her head in mock disapproval. “slut.”

[nisafm]

JAMIE.

@nisafm​ // freddy’s diner

jamie munches absentmindedly on one of his fries, the knots turning in his stomach completely unrelated to his appetite. he and nisa have made themselves comfortable on the same side of a booth, his arm slung casually around her like those couples he’s always hated seeing in public. but now that he’s on the other side of it, jamie doesn’t give a fuck if they annoy their fellow diners. he’s always done what he wants, and what he wants is to be close to nisa. actually, he wants even more than that with nisa.

“oh, did i tell you about last night? marty and i stole a boat,” he chuckles. “temporarily borrowed, really.” 

         jamie had surprised nisa when he slid into the booth next to her. admittedly, she hadn’t thought him to be the type to be so casually — and sweetly — affectionate. it’s a pleasant surprise.

nisa shakes her head, no, he didn’t tell her about last night. she steals a fry off of his plate, buying herself a few seconds to decide how to react. even though jamie’s lighthearted tone suggests he’s not concerned, nisa can’t help but worry. and she honestly can’t tell if it’s just because she cares about him more now or because his behaviors getting more reckless. she swallows. “is the boat still borrowed, or did you guys return it?”

[nisafm]

BLAIR.

– BLAIR FURROWS HER BROW. she doesn’t mean to, she doesn’t intend to give ANYTHING away in this conversation, but she can’t help herself. “ well, ” she exhales, “ i think people only ask for less than they want because they’re afraid they can’t have more. and i know for a fact that you could. ” she doesn’t mean herself, it barely crosses her mind – she still hasn’t figured out what she has to really offer anyone, but she does know that someone like nisa could have so much more than the smallest amount, that if it’s made someone as used up as blair even THINK about trying, then there must be people out there, better people, who would do much more than that. after all, she gets it – she’s a flight risk that most people wouldn’t be willing to bank on. she can’t really blame nisa for her choice. 

because that’s what it was – a choice. anyone who knows jamie well enough to know about his mother must also know that he and blair have a bond that transcends blood. and escalating things with him, that was an unspoken decision, a line even blair wouldn’t have any intentions to cross. 

“ you’re so … well, you know what i think of you, ” she says, teeth digging into her lower lip. the words infuriating, irritating, annoying, and every other shade have already been used. “ and it was obvious from the start, how different we are. which is probably why everything you’re saying sounds fucking ridiculous to me, ” she adds sharply. and it’s true. blair wants passion that burns, and life’s too short to spend time wondering and worrying over when it’ll be snuffed out. still, for a girl that keeps going on about wanting something ‘solid,’ blair will never get the logic surrounding jamie singh as bachelor number one. again, not like she has any room to talk. but that’s the whole point, and the part that hurts the most : she doesn’t think she and jamie are all that different.

tongue traces the line of her teeth as she shakes her head, a look of disappointment. then she shrugs. “ but before you get on your high horse, i’ll remind you that you never even asked me what i might want. ” gaze lingers on nisa’s face and she hesitates, like she’s not sure if she should say more. she’s said too much as it is. her gaze softens, cheeks dark red, and she turns slightly to go – but her mouth is always one step ahead of her, “ which is fine. because i don’t want you. at least … clearly not how you want to be wanted. and either way, he’s … actually really into you. so, maybe don’t give up on him just yet. not that easily. ” 

         nisa doesn’t respond, frustrated with the way blair seems to be missing her point. a relationship is something that’s built by two people, she’ll ask for more as things get more serious. she doesn’t need someone to be perfect, or to promise her the world, she just wants someone that’s willing to try and figure things out with her. 

“obvious to who?” nisa snaps, suddenly annoyed with how dismissive blair’s being, like she has never seriously considered her. but then again, maybe she hasn’t. maybe blair’s never turned their conversations over in her mind, searching for meaning within nisa’s words. maybe blair hasn’t searched for parts of her to hold onto: the pictures on her walls, the trinkets on her dresser, the color of her duvet. maybe their conversation at battle of the bands hadn’t left blair with the same sense of belonging. woodstock is blair’s home, she shouldn’t need nisa for that. and clearly, blair hasn’t studied nisa closely enough to realize that while they might look different, and they might want different things, inside, they’re more alike than not. “blair, from the start, you were the only person here i thought had any chance of understanding me without me having to explain myself.” she stops then, swallowing around the lump that’s formed in her throat. it’s a good thing she’s never had a problem talking about herself. 

blair turns and nisa takes a step towards her, reaching out to grab her wrist to stop her from leaving. it’s not fair, nisa knows this, but she’s not ready to let blair leave on those answers. it’s who she is: infuriating, unable to leave things alone; she has to pick them apart. “maybe that’s why i haven’t asked, because i know you won’t give me a straight answer. i mean, which is it? could i have more if i just asked for it, or am i not worth your time?” at least, that’s what nisa hears in blair’s words. “and why would you tell me all that if you don’t want me?” she assumes she doesn’t have to specify what she’s referring to. though, as she runs through it again, nisa shifts her focus away from their conversation to what came after. instead of the secrets shared and how blair had looked at her, she remembers the way blair kissed her, the words she left her with. her heart drops to her stomach. maybe blair’s a better actress than nisa’s given her credit for. “what, did you just want to fuck me again?” her brow furrows the second the words leave her lips. she shakes her head. “actually,” she lets go of blair’s wrist and takes a step back. “don't answer that.” her gaze drops, too scared to see any kind of confirmation cross blair’s expression. maybe this is the kind of trouble she should avoid. 

shaking her head, nisa turns to go back inside. “just forget it.” she doesn’t want a relationship where she has to fight for everything, and she didn’t need blair’s confirmation to know jamie’s into her. he told her himself. 

[nisafm]

CHASE.

Chase blinks, caught off guard by the comment and it shows. Neither of them has dared to bring up how they first met till right now, and he had no way of knowing if Nisa remembered or not, till right now. “When have you ever seen me drunk?” he challenges, eyes taunting, just wanting to recover from reacting to her comment the way she probably wanted. If it annoys her, it’s also an added bonus. There’s a pause at her suggestion. It’s intriguing, surely, he’s not in the mood to clean up, but he also doesn’t want it to be the problem of whoever is opening tomorrow (unless it’s Blair, then he’ll gladly do it). He puts the magazine away, turning back to look at her. Here she is again proving to him she’s a menace of a coworker. “You’re a bad influence.” It comes out casually, because he is considering her suggestion. “Just how many times have you done that before?”

         for a second, nisa doesn’t know if chase’s expression is from shock she brought it up, or because he genuinely doesn’t remember her. but when he corrects his features, he settles on something challenging, not confused. which she takes as confirmation he wasn’t drunk enough — nor was she forgettable enough — for his question to be a genuine one. “maybe a different angle would jog your memory.” her head tilts in exaggerated consideration. “should i get on my knees?” he doesn’t shoot her suggestion down immediately, though, there’s a beat when she thinks he’s just coming up with the best way to scold her for her work habits. she’s pleasantly surprised that isn’t the case. “just once.” it’s a lie, but she figures she has to strike a balance between convincing him they won’t get in trouble and not giving him enough ammunition to snitch. “eric and i cut out a little early one shift,” she adds for good measure. she’s still figuring out her new coworkers, but it doesn’t take much to see how close eric and chase are; attaching herself to him should keep her safe. “but we can stick around and clean. if you really want to.”

[nisafm]

MARTY.

🎸

“huh.” marty exhales at the unexpected piece of information nisa has given them, eyebrow quirked up. “no offence but now that you say that, i’m not all that surprised.” they were trying really hard to chuck away any preconceived notions they had of nisa, either because they had no reason to exist or because nisa had proved them wrong. “what did you go to college for?” it’s a question that escapes them with genuine curiosity. marty takes a sip of their drink. they’re rarely curious about other people’s lives, let alone their dating lives, but this has her attention feel undivided. “just because he doesn’t seem like the dating type, it doesn’t mean he’s not capable of it. in his own way, i guess.” their own words surprise them, in a way. there’s always a possibility. things change, that much marty is strangely aware of but would never actually think about for more than a second, especially if the attention is not on someone else’s life. “i don’t know what he did to make you not be so sure anymore but if it makes it any better, i don’t think jamie would do something with you unless he wanted to.” at least, marty never really worried about that in her friendship with jamie ( then again, it’s dating she and nisa are talking about ). she lets out a chuckle, eyebrows raising as she wears a feigned expression of shock and offence. “what, you don’t think it makes us charming?” marty clutches imaginary pearls, all the while trying to hide their amusement. “breakin’ my heart, sunay. never thought you’d be able to do it.”

         nisa’s brow furrows. “okay, well, some offense taken.” maybe if marty waited until she knew what school nisa had needed nepotism to get into, she would be more forgiving, but it’s not like anyone in this town would be able to go to an ivy on their own merits. she’s heard them fumble their way through deciding what to do about jerry; nisa probably needed less nepotism than they would have. still, she attempts to let the implication that she’s dumb roll off her back. her tone isn’t even annoyed when she answers, maybe too surprised by marty even asking the question to hold on to any animosity. “english. and then i minored in music.”

nisa’s quiet as marty explains. and her words do soothe some of nisa’s worries; everything they’ve said aligns with nisa’s view of jamie. maybe he isn’t playing her. but she’ll wait until she hears it from him to make any decisions. “yeah, that does make it a little better.” then again, if jamie’s way of dating always includes fucking other people, she might have to look for someone whose methods align better with hers. it’s a thought she pushes to the back of her mind; she’s content with where things are with them now. or, where they were a day ago. a grin tugs at nisa’s lips. “no, i don’t,” she replies, holding firm even with the mock offense marty takes. “it’s like there’s something in the water here. which doesn’t bode well for the sculpted, greek statue-esque guy, either. but that’s probably fine.” she shrugs. “i prefer a bottle blonde.”

[nisafm]

TRIP.

     ❝ YOU SURE ? ‘CUZ IT KINDA sounds like you’re taking it as an insult anyway. ❞ arms fold over chest, head tilted to mirror her own. he wants so badly to disregard everything she’s saying and leave it at that, but even more frustrating than her condescension is the validity of her words. in truth, this isn’t the first time he’s had this conversation with someone. it was a different time then, with a different band and spoken in a different way, but the message was still the same : you’re too harsh. you expect too much. you need to be nicer. he’d thought it silly then, of course. believed it little more than excuses made by people too unwilling to put in the necessary work to grow. but considering all the growth he’s witnessed runaway yesterday accomplish, nisa’s thoughts aren’t as easily brushed aside. after a long moment, trip sighs and allows his arms to drop back to his sides. his gaze flicks away almost self - consciously, wandering around the room and looking at anything but her. ❝ alright, alright, ❞ he relents, desperate to get her to just stop talking. ❝ i don’t want you guys to get demoralized or whatever, so … i’ll try. ❞ with that, his eyes slowly shift back to her, a single brow rising to ask if her highness deems that acceptable.

         “no,” nisa corrects, “i don’t care about the criticism. this issue i have is that you never have anything good to say. even when it’s earned.” nisa’s eyes stay trained on trip as his own bounce almost uncertainly around the room. it’s unlike trip, who believes himself infallible and usually, doubles down when she pushes back. though trip might not tell her much, he’s still an open book; his face says everything he refuses to. today, nisa’s hit a nerve. she remembers the last time his expression betrayed him: when he was insisting he hates his former bandmates. while she immediately knew he was full of shit, she has no idea how the rest of the band actually feels, and she doesn’t have to think too hard to come up with a few things he could do to make them hate him. 

not that she can dwell on it too long, his eyes shift back to her and she’s trying to figure out if trip will seriously try, or if he’s just saying that to placate her. the unfortunate conclusion she comes to is that she’ll have to wait and see how he acts next practice. holding his gaze for a moment, nisa nods her approval. “thank you.” she reaches a hand out and gives his arm a soft squeeze. there’s a slim chance he’ll know what it is: silent reassurance that no matter what she’s just said, they’re good. she does it anyway. turning away then, nisa reaches for her case. “will you give me a ride home?”

[bnbgs]

nevertheless ep5 — oh bit na & nam kyu hyun

[jcmiesingh]

@nisafm

[nisafm]

christian.

location: high volume break room

@volumeupdates​​ 

christian popped wordlessly into the break room, but not silently. his boots clomped against the scuffed tile, and the couch gave a low flomp as he threw himself on it, then rustled as christian wriggled around trying to get comfortable. “there’s something in here,” he finally said, bravely stuffing a hand in the cushions to see what it was.

         nisa doesn’t have to look up from her task of painting her nails to know it’s christian that’s joined her in the break room; the sound of his boots a dead giveaway. she lets out a disgruntled noise as he shifts, his adjusting jostles the couch and makes her hand slip, half her ring finger’s cuticle bright red. she abandons the task when he speaks. “and if i put a pea under your mattress, would you be able to sleep, princess?” she moves closer to him as he digs in the cushions, careful not to touch anything. “is it anything good?”

[nisafm]

maxine.

@volumeupdates​. 𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍:  hospital,  a  few  days  after  the  hoedown  throwdown.

     IF  THERE’S  TWO  THINGS  MAXINE  SINCLAIR  has  learned  in  life  it’s  this:  life  is  such  a  fragile  thing,  and  people  are  meant  to  leave,  one  way  or  another.  being  here  revives  memories  max  has  done  her  best  to  tuck  away  and  though  they’re  all  telling  her  kem  will  be  fine  she  also  remembers  a  time  after  her  dad’s  death  when  they’d  told  her  she’d  be  fine.  she’s  not  so  convinced  she  ever  was  after  that.

     right  now,  max  is  staring  down  a  vending  machine,  knowing  full  well  she  has  no  more  cash  on  her  and  she’s  not  really  feeling  yet  another  kit  kat  bar  anyway.  in  fact,  the  mere  thought  of  it  makes  her  wanna  double  over,  but  both  trip  and  kem  have  been  adamant  about  her  trying  to  eat  something.  the  least  she  can  do  is  pretend.  

     sure  she  could  go  home,  trust  that  kem  is  in  good  hands,  there’s  not  much  she  can  do  here  anyway,  but  between  the  bench  in  the  hospital  lobby  and  the  immediate  proximity  to  kem  should  he  need  anything  max  feels  better  staying  —  this  despite  the  dried  blood  on  her  boots  and  her  greasy  hair.  

     max  decides  to  turn  on  her  heel,  headed  back  to  her  designated  bench  that  they’ve  told  her  to  leave  a  hundred  times  after  visitation  hours,  when  she  walks  straight  into  someone  without  so  much  as  glancing  at  them.  «  watch  it,  »  she  exclaims,  agitated,  out  of  character.

         nisa isn’t there for kem. it’s not that she doesn’t care what happens to him — of course she doesn’t want to see any of her coworkers stabbed — but they’ve never been close, and she isn’t going to hang around the hospital and worry over him like they were. no, she’s there for christian, who left his jacket at her apartment. she’d considered keeping it, she’s always coveted it anyway, but he called asking after it, and the walkman tucked in it’s pocket.

it doesn’t take her long to find him, and soon enough she’s on her way out. sure, she could be paying more attention to where she’s going, but the same could be said about max. only one of them calls the other on it, it’s not who you’d think. nisa’s brow furrows and her nose scrunches, taken aback by max’s tone. max might have a good reason to be upset, that doesn’t mean nisa’s going to let her take it out on her. “shit, who knew all it’d take is someone getting stabbed to turn you into a bitch.” her words are harsh, but her tone isn’t; nisa might even be proud if the attitude was directed towards literally anyone else.

[nisafm]

chase.

Maybe if he lets out a sigh that’s long enough he can evaporate or something. Her answer doesn’t surprise him or faze him in the slightest. He would’ve been surprised if she decided to be cooperative! Ever since he got hired, Nisa has proved to him that she’s a headache. It’s not like she tried to prove him wrong. It has him think back of certain past choices - no, mistakes - for only a few seconds, but they’re long enough for the male that he has to stop himself. He walks towards her and reaches to snatch the magazine from her. “You know who else is here for that? You. I’m not cleaning this entire place by myself, or else we’ll be staying here all night.” He doesn’t want that and he bets she feels the same way.

         when chase doesn’t immediately reply, nisa assumes he’d rather clean himself than deal with her, and her eyes falls back to the magazine on the counter. as he snatches it away, her gaze snaps up to him, unable to decide if she’s more annoyed or amused. “y’know, you’re way nicer when you’re drunk,” she nonchalantly comments, half-hoping to get some kind of reaction out of him at the reminder of how they first met. her eyes roll at his threat, even if it did take that long to clean, no one could force them to stick around. “so why don’t we just skip cleaning and head out early? then, it’ll be neither of our problem. leave it for whoever’s opening tomorrow.” it’s a tactic that’s worked on a few of her other coworkers, but she doubts chase will bite; he doesn’t seem like the slacker type.

[nisafm]

marty.

🎸

marty can’t help the full chuckle that escapes them, head shaking in amusement. “oh, definitely. top three material, at the least. the only way you wouldn’t win would be because of some nepotism goin’ on, mark my words.” if, months ago, anyone would have told marty they would have been at a cowboy party, talking to nisa and actually laughing genuinely at anything the other does, she wouldn’t have believed them. at most, she would ask what kind of weed they’d been smoking and ask for some of it. but now, experiencing something marty never thought she would be, there’s no regret in the interaction. there’s a beat between the moment marty hears nisa’s question and when they actually give her an answer. and what sort of answer can marty actually give her about jamie? it’s not like her and jamie talk about shit like that ( and whenever they do talk about more serious stuff, it’s within a bubble that is meant to be short-lived ). “i mean. i don’t really… know? we sorta dated but not really? it was high school and neither of us really knew shit about what we were doing.” marty speaks, words laced with amusement and a soft tone of recollection. “and he was with reyna for a bit, pretty sure they were dating so he is capable of doing it. but we… well, we don’t really talk about… these things, though. everything okay?”

         nisa shakes her head. “oh, no, that would definitely be a reason why i would win. nepotism’s always worked in my favor. it got me into college and everything.” there’s a beat before marty answers, and nisa briefly wonders if asking was a mistake, but then they speak. it’s clear she’s making an effort to help, nisa appreciates it. even if marty doesn’t really answer nisa’s question: she already knows about jamie’s relationships with marty and reyna, she’s more interested in dating outside of exclusivity. still, the fact that they’re all marty has to bring up suggests nisa’s right: he doesn’t date. she lets out a laugh as they finish, she doesn’t know if she should be surprised that best friends don’t talk about their relationships, or if she was stupid for thinking they would; god forbid anyone in this town communication an emotion. “i don’t know,” nisa answers honestly. “we’ve gone on a couple of dates, and that was enough for me to think things were, like, good. because i didn’t think jamie dated, so the fact that he asked me out at all actually meant something. but now i don’t know.” taking a sip of her drink, nisa shrugs. “you guys are all so fucking difficult.” despite her words, there’s no heat in her tone.