#mcberry rp

Mason: Mason looked over his shoulder as Rachel emerged from Puck's van; she was brushing herself off and he knew the tilt of her shoulders meant she was displeased--the van was kinda gross, he couldn't blame her--but he wasn't about to let anything ruin his beach day. He pulled two bottles of Mke's Harder from the Booze Cooler and met her just as she stepped onto the beach. "Hey," he said, grinning broadly at her. "I'm glad you came! Are you thirsty?" he asked, offering her one of the bottles as they walked further down the beach to where he and Madison had set up the umbrellas and blankets.

Rachel eyed the bottles skeptically, but the drive over had been just this shy of nightmarish. Traffic was a mess, thanks to Lollapalooza, but public transit was even worse, so she'd braved the van and the flirty exchanges between nearly everyone else in it. Something didn't feel right, but Rachel wasn't going to let this wind up like the last party. "Yes, please," she said, and accepted the bottle from Mason. "You know, I have to give you credit. This probably wasn't an entirely terrible idea. I barely get a chance to get out here."

Mason: "Aw, shucks, you flatterer," Mason said, popping the caps from their bottles as he spoke. "I'm actually really excited so many people could come. I feel like everybody's been super stressed lately and there is nothing more fun or more summery than a day at the beach," he said, taking a sip of his drink. Madison was already in the water, trying to convince Roderick to get in above his knees, and Kurt was talking to Puck and Cooper near the car. The others were not yet anywhere to be seen. "How've you been? How's Chicago going?"

Rachel: "Really well!" Rachel replied brightly. "Rehearsal hours are long, especially for myself and Madison, which I'm sure she's told you about already. My only real concern is that I'm still putting in forty hours a week at the cafe, so I haven't had nearly as much time to do ... well, this." She laughed softly as she took a drink, then glanced up to Mason. "You look like you're doing pretty well. Have you talked to Elliott? Is he coming?" She hid her face behind the bottle with another sip, trying to ignore the way her heart beat harder in something akin to betrayal.

Mason: "I don't know," Mason said, pausing just a beat too long. "He didn't answer the text. I don't know." Mason took a drink and swallowed it, the burn somehow hurting less than the twist in his gut. After a second, he added, "Thanks for asking, though, Rach." Mason smiled a little and bumped her gently. "Really. And--I really am glad you had time to come. I've--" I missed you. Was that weird to say? Probably. But it was true. "It's been a while since we got to hang out." He settled on instead, then flashed her an innocent smile.. "Madison says it's going to be an amazing show. I can't wait to come out and see it."

Rachel: It was odd how natural things seemed between them. Especially considering they'd been carefully avoiding each other for the past month, since the messy breakup and the disastrous open mic night that followed. "I'd like to see you there," she said. "I mean, obviously you'll come to see Madison. She's amazing." Rachel's eyes drifted to where Mason's sister was splashing in the water, and she lingered maybe a little too long before turning back to Mason. "I mean - you knew that. You've been performing with her since you were toddlers."

Mason: Mason shrugged one shoulder. "I'd come for you too. You're..." Mason took a drink, then added, carefully level, "my friend, right?" He glanced at her and smiled a little bit, hopeful and wary all at once. "She is amazing, though. I'm glad other people are starting to figure it out." He knew they weren't entirely talking about Madison's acting skills anymore, but he wasn't about to make it explicit unless she did.

Rachel: "Well, she's letting people see it now," Rachel said with a shrug of her own. She didn't actually know how closed-off Madison had been, but she'd seen the other girl bloom a little brighter -- just a little -- as they started getting to know each other a little better. "I think we can be friends," she continued. She knew that Madison wanted them to be, but more than that, she actually missed Mason, too. For herself. And she was pretty sure that they could be friends without having sex. It wasn't like she had much choice when Mason's mark was for someone else.

Mason: "I think so too," Mason agreed, smiling a little wider. "Because I still care about you, Rach, a lot, and I want you to be happy. All this messy crap doesn't change that." Mason took a drink then raised his glass at the group that passed them, heading for the water. He should join them, be social, but this felt more important. Besides, they had hours. "You're right, though. She's a tough nut to crack, sometimes, even for me. I'm really glad you two have been getting along so well. It means a lot to Madison, too, even if she doesn't say so."

Rachel: Rachel pursed her lips slightly, considering all the time that she and Madison had spent together. She /knew/ that Madison had a mark, even if she didn't admit it -- but that was part and parcel of her being that aforementioned tough nut. "Has she said anything?" Rachel asked cautiously.

Mason: "About...?" Mason took another sip of his drink, not being the one to put voice to the truth they both knew. He wasn't sure if Madison would even want him talking about her to Rachel, or at least not about her mark, but...he was friends with Rachel. He wouldn't betray any twin secrets, but Madison wanted them to get along, didn't she? This could only help. "She wants us to get along. And she's scared of what it could mean. She really likes you, though, Rach. She doesn't--she hasn't always been able to make friends easily, you know? Let alone--let alone anything else. So it's really important to her, your friendship. You. And it's important to me, too, because I just want her to be happy, too. She deserves it." Mason glanced down at Rachel and smiled a little. "You both do."

Rachel: The 'anything else' beyond friendship -- or in addition to it -- gave Rachel at least part of the answer to the question she'd barely asked. There was more there than what Madison was saying, probably the same "more" that Rachel had felt, herself. "Thank you," she said. "I'm not going to pressure her, or anything. I know I can come on really strong -- I know I did with you, when I thought ..." She drifted off, but regained her momentum quickly. "But I don't want to scare her. And if it's supposed to happen, then it will, right?" It was such a different mentality than the one she'd employed with Mason, but maybe she'd known that he wasn't meant to be her soulmate, even then. She'd clung to the idea of him out of desperation, even when who she'd been looking for had been right beside him the whole time. "But you know how that is, right? With Elliott?" She offered a small smile and nudged his elbow playfully; maybe this didn't have to hurt so much and they could joke about these things after all.

Mason: "You? Come on strong?" Mason teased, grinning wider. "Never." He chuckled and shook his head, stilling further when she mentioned Elliott. "I--yeah. I mean, I believe that. I want to. I--I guess we'll see." It wasn't especially awkward to discuss Elliott with Rachel, at least no more awkward than discussing Elliott with anyone was. Kurt had never texted him back the night before, so he'd avoided having to talk about it with anyone--even Madison hadn't pressed lately, for which he was grateful. "It'll all work out. One way or another."

Rachel: "It has to," Rachel replied optimistically, followed by a half shrug. "Our skin wouldn't lie to us and tell us that these people were important if they weren't." She took another drink, considering the small crowd gathering by the campsite. 'I missed you' rested on the tip of her tongue, unsaid as she started walking towards their friends. "C'mon. I don't know about you, but I want to get some sun."

Mason: "It has to," Mason agreed, casting one last look at the parking lot before he followed her gaze. Elliott would show up or he wouldn't, and either one would just...have to be fine. "Yeah. Yeah! Sun, definitely." Mason said, catching up with her. "Today's gonna be a good day, right, Rach?" he asked quietly, not looking at her. He still trusted her, and he still admired the way she believed things so intensely--maybe if she decided the day would be good, it would be. It had to be.