oh, he’s insufferable, but he makes her smile and that’s worse.

“get out. i have to get ready.”

nico turns to face her vanity, pencil lifted to the corner of one eye. several vases of flowers near obscure her vision; still, she gifts marty a second glance in the mirror's reflection.

‘ changed? nah. never. ’ mara’s managed to land somewhere between a compliment and a dare, because that question in particular has followed marty room to room, place to place like a bad smell for years. ‘ i was already operating at a pretty high standard. this is a carefully curated personality, can’t go throwing that away for somethin as simple as time passing. ’