There were three things that should never be talked about at a meal: politics, religion, and money. They were just too controversial, and were a surefire way to get emotions to run high.
The mansion was their dream, a bubble where strange things like "controversy" and "crusades" didn't exist and reality was far away. They had nothing to worry about. It was hard to go to bed angry.
"Hey honey, uhh, weird question, but where do we get all the money to run this place?"
Marsh peered over her newspaper. "You've never wondered that before."
"I'm curious, is all. I don't even know what a financial literacy is, let alone have it."
'Hmm...'
Apple ate a donut, looking at her expectantly. It was slightly burnt, but Apple either didn't notice or didn't care.
"Well, it's hard to explain in simple terms. Do you know anything about finances?" A few confused blinks served as her response. "Well, we get money from a lot of sources. When Paintbrush stayed with us, we got some. Before that, I actually sold stocks at Walmart."
"You stalk Walmart?"
"No, dear. Stocks," Marsh clarified. "I owned one tiny sliver of everything in Walmart, so I got a tiny part of their profit. I sold it back to them before joining Inanimate Insanity. That left me with a pretty big check to buy things with."
She paused so Apple could nod.
"Remember when we went out to get some things when we first moved in here, like your art supplies? I got my money from that then. That's how we have ten thousand dollars in our safe. Do you see what I mean?"
"Yep. Wow, I didn't know you actually owned Walmart! That's amazing." She took a long sip out of her bendy straw.
Marsh giggled. "It was only a tiny, tiny fraction, but I lived well. They gave me discounts, so on top of my rewards card... I'll put it this way: not everyone can afford a time machine."
"You owned a bit of the store that has everything!" She gestured. "That's so cool!"
"I was so young then. People used to be pretty amazed. I built quite the fortune thanks to Walmart." She smiled nostalgically. "Being rich was nice, but not as nice as living modestly with loved ones."
"Awww!"
Marsh sipped some water, deep in thought for a moment. "We also get a bit from Bow's blog... But it's not much."
"Wow. It's amazing that you know so much about money. All I know is how to buy things and count stuff. Will our money ever run out?"
"No, it's..." 'That's... Wow. That's a good question, actually.' Marsh looked at her, surprised. She laughed awkwardly. "That's not a bad question. Obviously it might, but... by then, we'll just..."
Huh.
Why weren't the words coming to her?
"Get jobs, right?" Apple pressed. "So we could get more money."
A job.
It'd been a thought that'd filled her with joy. She'd dreamed of the day she'd become a bonafide Walmart employee, the best one ever. Then she would be promoted to Walmart manager, and one day she'd get enough money to found her own Walmart store and become a Walmart boss.
But now it made her eye twitch. All those people, for hours per day... away from home?
"Er... No. We won't get jobs. We'll, um..."
Marsh deliberated for a long time. Apple stared expectantly at her. A few moments later, she said, "Oh. Uhh... Are we going to sell stuff?"
She snapped her fingers. "Right! We'll sell stuff!"
"Oh. What about when we stop having stuff to sell?"
"...Antiques."
"What's an antique?"
"It's a really old thing. There are collectors who like them."
"Oh. You mean from around the mansion? Are we allowed to do that? They... aren't really ours."
Marsh went silent. It was true. They didn't technically own anything that they hadn't bought, so it wasn't right to sell it.
'Well, we didn't buy the mansion, but that's ours,' Marsh tried to rationalize. But soon, a thought came to her.
'Whose name is on the title deed for Purgatory Mansion, anyway?'
It was startling. Was it MePhone's? Steve Cobs'?
'Couldn't they evict us anytime if we didn't play their game when they wanted us to?'
"Marsh?"
Purgatory Mansion. It was a bubble away from reality, quite like a dream. Politics, religion... they were all outside of it, and unimportant.
The bubble's form wavered. Marsh grinned strangely.
'This dream... Is it really ours?'
"Marsh?" Apple repeated.
"You're right." A deep breath. "I guess someone could kick us out whenever he wanted. Haha..."
"Oh. Well, we could ask nicely to stay. It's not the end of the world."
"Excuse me for a moment." Marsh got out of her seat. Apple stared after her, confused. Marsh hurried away.
XXX
Of all the places Marsh could have gone, the corkboard of drawings in her bedroom didn't seem like a likely one. The garden, the stairs in front of the house, or even the roof seemed like better places to think.
But still, she found herself staring at that board, at that place.
If the garden represented the heart of their dream, to celebrate life, this wall was the brain. Each drawing represented a fact of life at the mansion.
Eating cookies. Christmas gifts. Walmart trips. A cozy love.
And, above all of that, a universal truce.
'It's all a dream... just a dream.'
Her hands tightened into fists.
'We... we built all this... On a false idea. We aren't free of that game. We weren't for a second.'
Marsh grabbed a scroll sitting up against the corkboard, and unfurled it. On it was a familiar drawing -- the most familiar drawing. It filled Marsh with dread to see those restive scribbles on the page.
'...We haven't escaped... That.'
The door opened. Marsh tensed.
She didn't have to turn around to tell that Apple was worried. That was just the air that surrounded them. There was no other possible feeling.
Apple came closer. "What're you looking at?"
Marsh couldn't tear her gaze from those scribbled black lines. Soon, the sound of Apple's measured steps filled their room.
When Apple snatched it away, Marsh stared at where it'd been for a while. "...You look at this whenever you feel sad, huh? But you don't have to be sad. Nothing happened yet."
'We never escaped it after all. We're still accessories to his game.'
Marsh's mind ran on overdrive, but she was on autopilot. She knew she had to say something.
She took a deep breath, but it sounded a little like a gasp for air. "Okay."
"Right! Just like you'll be. We can figure this out together! As a team." Apple hugged her.
Marshmallow grinned nervously.
What could they do? There was no perfect option. That was half the point. There was nothing they could do to preserve that.
Marsh gulped down the stone in her throat. "Mhm."
"Honey, please tell me what's wrong. What about this bothers you? I promise, we can figure this out. Just please talk to me..."
"I just need a m-minute."
"...Marsh, I'm worried..."
A moment passed before Marsh could reply. "It's just a lot to take in. I'll be fine."
Apple's hold tightened. Marsh hugged her back. It was a bit of a comfort; she couldn't lie. The tighter they hung on, the less it seemed like it was all going to come to an end.
Being held by an Apple who was clearly stressed out was perhaps one of the most disquieting experiences in Marsh's life. Apple never stressed. Marsh put those feelings back in the cold, metal box of her heart.
"Thanks for comforting me. Don't worry. I'm okay."
Whether Apple believed it or not, she didn't indicate. Instead, she sighed. "Can you just tell me what worries you most about this?"
What a good question. What did worry her the most? Having to go out into the real world? Still being trapped in the game after so long? The fact that no mansion access meant no Bow, no Dough, no garden?
Marsh sighed. "I thought we were free. But... we're not. Everything I've stood for ever since we got here has been a lie. Everything is still in the game."
"You're not worried about me being there for you?"
"N-not really."
"Good."
They sat there like that for what felt like an eternity, but must have in fact been only a few minutes. ('It can't have been much longer than that, right?')
"We could just let our friends stay here and get money from them," Apple suggested after a while. "Then we won't run out."
"I'm not sure we should bring finances into our friendships. It could strain them."
"Well, okay. Well, there's plenty of ways we can do this."
"How do you figure? I-I think our options are limited here... We can't stay here unless we get money... Town's too far away for us to get jobs and stay here... The only alternative is being thrust into the public eye. And, when I think of that life..." Marsh shuddered, a cold terror passing through her. "It isn't really living-"
"At all, I know. We'll think of a way," she repeated. "And I'll follow you no matter what."
The surge of affection that struck Marsh at that moment startled her in its potence.
"And I'm sure there are plenty of ways to solve to this that let us stay here at the mansion. We just have to think." Marsh opened her mouth to say something, but Apple shushed her. "If it scares you too much to think right now, that's fine! I'll think for you."
Marsh pulled out of the hug and took stock of Apple's expression: a reassuring, toothy grin. Marsh looked away for a moment to pull herself together.
'Losing her would be a mistake. Whatever else happens, I'm lucky to get this much.'
Marsh took charge despite the nerves that made her tense. "We have to figure this out. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to- um. Keep our lives simple like this."
"Forever," Apple assured. "We all love you! I'm in. Besides, best friends to the end, right?"
It was corny as all heck, of course, but it was reassuring, too, somehow.
"Realistically, we need to own this place to get away from the game for good," Marsh said. "That means either a deal with MePhone of some kind, or getting a lot of money. Not that I know the first place to start with any of that."
"We can find a way."
A small part of Marsh wondered if it was even possible. If only there was someone else knows the room to lend their opinion.
'It's strange how Bow and Dough haven't come to see what the ruckus is all about. Usually they're involved.'
Marsh suddenly had a thought.
"Alright. Apple, there's a way." Apple remained silent, gazing at her with full focus. It gave her the last bit of confidence she needed to suggest the solution. "...If we get onto the roof, hold hands, and jump..."
"What?!"
Marsh recoiled, but continued, "Bow got away from the game when she died. She and Dough like having tails and phasing through walls. Hardly anybody would notice. Paintbrush and the others could just come here to visit us. We'd be able to live without the game or finance."
"We can't do that!"
"I'm not saying we are. It's a permanent solution. I might even be able to hug Bow again, because I think she's really needed a hug for a long time."
"It wouldn't even work. MePhone would just recover us, remember? Besides, if he didn't... Marsh, you'd regret it! You know that!"
"I... um."
"You love life."
Marsh sighed. "It's all I can think of. We have our contingency plan."
"Never."
There was tense silence. Marsh felt hollow.
Marsh was far less confident than she'd been mere seconds ago. The first one to get resolve in her look was Apple, who stood up. "There's always a way, Marsh! It's a matter of what fears you can face."
"That's a simple way of looking at it." Sarcasm dropped Marsh's voice an octave.
Apple had a deer-caught-in-headlights look about her for a second. She thought for a moment before seeming to make a decision. "...So it comes to this... I'll be right back, Marsh. Close your eyes!"
"Huh?"
"I'm proving that simple works." Marsh did as she was told, then heard the sound of footsteps trailing away down the wood floor.
It was silent, almost deafeningly so. Bow wasn't typing away on her phone, and Apple obviously wasn't there to whisper sweet nothings or simple wisdoms. The rhythmic sound of Dough stumbling down the stairs like the poltergeist he was wasn't there like it usually was, either.
It was several minutes before Apple came back. She could hear fidgeting. Bow whispered sharply, "Are you SURE this is a good idea?!" Apple replied it was all she knew, and grabbed Marsh's hand.
"Y-you can open your eyes." Marsh did so. Apple was kneeling in front of her. The hand that wasn't holding Marsh's was holding a strawberry donut out to her.
There was a long, awkward silence. Apple just kept staring at her with a grinning, slightly-blushy expression. Bow was suddenly gone.
"...Uhh... This is a donut." No response for a little bit. "It's delicious, but I don't see how it solves our problems."
"O-oh!" Apple chuckled nervously. "Guess I forgot to explain. Just... gimme a sec, I'm no good at words..." Apple just sat there, expression strained for a moment. Then smiled. "Marshmallow, I think that no matter what we're gonna stay together."
"That's sweet," Marsh answered. 'Didn't she already say that?'
"Did'ja know I love you?"
Marsh blushed in spite of herself. "Y-yeah."
"And you know that I'd push myself to become some ultra-smart scientist if it made you happy, right? But you wouldn't ask me to do that because you love me for the definitionally-challenged idiot I am? Is that right?"
That got a grin out of Marsh. "Mhm."
Apple chuckled. Her blush grew more vivid. "Well, I still can't really put it into words, but you really taught me what love means. It was the one thing I was missing, and now I'm more... compete? No, complete! You complete me. And I've been thinkin' really hard for a really long time, and... I-I want to do the same for you."
She raised an eyebrow. "...It's nice that you care so much, but you already have. It's hard to imagine who I'd be right now if I didn't meet you."
"Wow, cool! Well, um... M-maybe there's even more we can do to complete each other other than loving each other? Agh, bad phrasing...But in, like, an... official sort of way? 'Till death do us part' and all that?"
'She's jumping at something. But what does she-'
The dots finally started to connect: the donut, the speech, the nerves, Bow warping out of the room to give them privacy. The use of her full name at the start of her "demonstration." The fact that a glance downwards proved Apple wasn't just kneeling, she was on one knee.
Apple blushed profusely, practically shoving the donut into her hands.
"Marry me, and I'll make sure you never feel alone again!"
Silence stretched between them. Marsh stared at Apple without truly seeing; Apple's eyes were clenched shut. Apple's hand trembled in hers.
Marsh's brain ran on overdrive. She never expected someone to ask her that question; how sweet yet stupid was Apple to suggest it? It made her heart pound.
'She actually just asked that.'
'What am I supposed to say?'
'Oh my God, yes!'
'We can't.'
Just one thought came over the rest:
'This is really bad timing.'
Apple must have mistaken her silence for indifference, because she mumbled, "O-okay, so, I mean, I might be way off the mark here, and you can totally say no... I-I just figure, it's guaranteed that we're together forever. Like, if I ever had to get a job at Walmart and you had a ring back here, you could look at it and remember that I'll be back at the end of each day. But anyway, that's fine..." Apple looked ruefully at the donut.
"Apple, I'm not saying no." Apple looked back at her. Marsh took a deep breath. "I-in fact, it's sweet. Your timing just sucks, for...for a lot of reasons. We're having money troubles, and weddings are expensive. We haven't even been together long enough. We don't even have a ring; we can't vow on a strawberry donut."
"O-oh." Apple frowned and looked away. "Sorry."
"You!" Marshmallow was in disbelief. "I love you, but... this really isn't the right time, so I'm going to have to say..." Marsh finally managed to meet her searching gaze. "No. For now, at least."
"Oh." Apple looked down, shoulders sagging. Marsh's heart ached, so she rested a hand on her shoulder.
"It's okay. I'm honored you asked. But I don't think we're ready for that right now."
"Yeah..." Apple looked down miserable for a moment before exclaiming, "Oh! Hang on! I completely forgot something!" Apple stopped kneeling. "We could use getting married to stay here."
'Huh?'
"Okay, gimme a minute... Imagine we had two weddings, one here and one at Hotel OJ. We'd marry first in secret, totally for free. Then we'd ask fans for the money to pay for the OJ wedding, keep it cheap, and save the rest for living here."
Marshmallow looked at her strangely. "...What? A fame grab? You think we should use our fame to stay out of the spotlight?"
"Totally. If we're having a wedding, then we can put on a real good show for fans and get money. And if everyone we know helps, we can do it and make money for everyone. Or I'm being dumber than usual because I'd like to marry you a lot." An uneasy chuckle. "I mean, we can put your Walmart card to good use, if nothing else. So maybe you could, uh, think about it?"
Marsh thought for a long time. 'That's actually a pretty good point... Umm. Gee, could that actually work? It's such a paradox. Using the game to get away from it for good...'
'Could I even make that jump? Marriage is making someone else part of you, and...' A tremor ran through Marsh at the thought of it, more apprehensive than excited.
"Umm... I'll think about it."
Apple sighed, relieved. "Okay, cool! I know you'll be smart about this, Marsh. Thanks."
Marsh was never a gambler. Even if she could muster the mental strength to go back into the game, she knew there was a big chance of failure. It could keep them from ever living in the mansion again. Or, they'd need to go play 'celebrity' for the cameras and get money like that indefinitely.
What a huge risk.
But...
Marsh hugged Apple so suddenly that both of them were taken by surprise. For once, Marsh was the one hugging too hard. Apple laughed lightly, squeezing her in return. Marsh listened to her heartbeat.
There weren't really any words, but apparently, there didn't have to be.
That, or they already knew the words. So many hours of learning together had its impact, after all.
XXX
It occurred to Marsh later that, if she died, she'd never be able to care for the plants. There was no chance of ever atoning for the crimes of the past. There was no way she could bring life to that dead mansion.
She watered the plants with a watering can, concentrating very intensely. Too little or too much could hurt them.
She had to stay alive to bring life to that long-dead mansion. That tender, lush life needed her hand to tend to it. And that meant fighting with every ounce of her being.
Hopefully the crueler, less certain part of life was kind to them, whatever lay ahead.