2020-12-10 - No Sides

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : So. Clayton showed up here to get patched up. How are you?

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : I'm fine, why?

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : Does Joe know you're fine? Because the multiple fractures and general fuckedupedness of Clayton would lead me to believe no.

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : (a bunch of dots)

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : I'm guessing you talked to Alexander

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : He showed up at my house for Bennie's help.

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : So. Let's try again: How are you?

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : She manage to get his hand fixed up? Probably want to set his nose, too

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : Yeah, he's going to be fine. Now will you actually answer the damn question. Seriously.

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : (no dots, just silence)

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : I mean, how do you think I am?

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : Pissed? Off the wagon? Hurt? Gunny I can guess a whole bunch of things based on a lot of experience. Do you need anything?

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : No. I'm sure you don't like me much right now, and that's your right. just leave Itzhak out of it. and I already told Joe not to pull this shit again.

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : I'm not pissed at you. Unless you tell me I should be. Joe however IS on my shit list and if I see him anytime soon it won't be good.

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : And unless Itz also took some cheap shots at Clayton when he was fucking unconscious on the floor, I have nothing against the schnozz.

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : He was angry. I'm not excusing what he did. He's.. we go back a long fucking way, Marshall

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : So he should know you don't need a fucking knight in shining armor.

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : That's not the point

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : He tied me to a fucking bed, Marshall. He was supposed to be my friend. you know where that's happened to me before? no, you fucking don't because I haven't.. fuck. Just fuck this shit.

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : He was trying to help. And I seem to remember we were both handcuffed to beds last year.

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : Look, who the fuck's side are you on?

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : And no, Marshall, that was fucking different and you know it

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : I don't know. And I fucking hate that there's sides here. It should be us vs. the shadows. Or us vs. whatever crew is screwing with you. Not us vs us.

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : But it was people trying to help, wasn't it?

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : Yeah, well, either we're friends still or we aren't. not very fucking complicated.

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : we are.

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : unless it means I'm against Clayton.

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : The hell is this, high school? I have to justify myself to you now?

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : Alexander's my goddamned best friend, so I'm not even sure what the hell you're trying to imply here

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : goddamit you literally asked me whose side I was on

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : which implied there were sides

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : It's a fucking figure of speech

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : it's a shitty onoe

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : are you clean? do you want to be?

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : So is your acting like Alexander showing up with a syringe of ketamine and dragging me off to an empty cabin in the forest was no big fucking deal

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : Yeah, I'm clean. Yeah, I wanted to be. no, I didn't want to be like this. and I've got a mess to sort out with prescription meds still.

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : It's not no big deal, but your a big boy and you can handle your shit with your bff

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : I told him he's a fucking moron and to run those plans by someone first next time. But didn't think it merited more?

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : I did. I broke his fucking fingers.

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : fair

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : I'm just, I hate that I'm not good enough for you. For Tom. But Rosencrantz is. so there's that, too. I needed you to know that.

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : Woah. Hold up on that. What?

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : Yeah, makes me feel dumb as shit to admit it, but

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : Rosencratz, no offense to him was a fucking warm body because I'm still screwed up in the head.

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : You said what you said

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : I did. I said I used him for a Tom stand-in.

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : Yeah

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : Like when I punched the shit out of you and got frisky.

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : Okay and got my ass beat

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : What? when?

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : In the woods. What do you mean when? It was only one time

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : Oh, that

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : but I had just sacrificed tom's ghost and no one gets that. Sometimes I think you get that.

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : Yeah, well. I just want to know why my boyfriend's good enough, and I'm suddenly dead to you. and get what? what him being gone means?

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : what don't you get? I didn't fuck itz. He's safe. You are not. Not because of you, because of me.

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : Now you've officially lost me

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : Or maybe I had one too many glasses of tequila

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : Don't fucking judge, it's all I've got right now

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : Don't judge? Have you not noticed the whiskey I've been swimming in since I got here?

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : Little hard to miss, Marshall

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : Do what you gotta do. Feel free to text if you need a hand. Yea well the percs were hard enough to kick.

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : Hey, do me a favour and don't spread this around, yeah? any of this?

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : yeah. I told Joe he's not welcome at the bar. That's not up for discussion right now.

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : But it stops with me. Clayton's like a kicked dog who thinks he deserved this.

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : I'm going to let you and Cavanaugh be adults and figure this one out. We've got Reyes and his goons to deal with, I don't have time to spend with infighting. so you think of a way I can help make this right, you let me know, yeah?

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : Agreed. okay.

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : And Alexander isn't blameless. and I've not forgiven him yet.

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : I'm not asking you to

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : Like you said, I'll let you be adults. If you can't get that sorted between the two of you, I don't blame either of you. But your both stuck with me.

(TXT to Easton) Ruiz : Yeah, we'll see. I've got to go, I need to make a dent in this fucking paperwork. I'll catch you around.

(TXT to Ruiz) Easton : holler if you need anything Gunny.