𝓡𝓲𝓵𝓮𝔂 𝓦𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓪𝓶𝓼 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
isawallflower) wrote2020-09-28 10:35 pm
isawallflower) wrote2020-09-28 10:35 pm
Entry tags:
so you wanna visit a youth correctional facility | Post-Curtains R2 CMO
The moment Riley walks through one of those magic doors at the liminal Denny's, she knows there's no going back. ...Well, there was no going back the moment she slide a knife into another girl's stomach - two other girls, how lovely - but she was far in denial, to acknowledge any of that.
It's a strange whirlwind of a few weeks. With a few...helpful ways of framing her request, Riley was able to convince the Leading Player to help her. To give Chess, Farrah, and Clark back their lives. For a favor, she'd said, and Riley just knows she's going to pay for that, one day— but it's' not now, and it's something she would have to give, not them. The whole town's a flurry of activity, as dead people don't typically show up out of nowhere and missing criminals don't emerge from the back of a police station. Still, it's hard to charge someone with any degree of murder when the victims are alive and well (and confused; Riley doesn't know what if anything the Leading Player told them, but she doubts she'll be able to compare notes)— so things go a little...strangely.
First of all, Riley's folks hadn't expected her to appear out of nowhere, so the proceedings are a bit...delayed. (It hurts to learn that they'd already packed up or...donated most all her things, but she doesn't find herself too surprised.) For a few weeks, she's shunted around from center to center around the state, until her sentencing (and charges—assault? but they have not a single scratch—) can be finalized. It's normal procedure, apparently. Not many kids there are permanent staples, and...none of the places are very nice, honestly. Those days are the loneliest. A few times, she has a roommate for a night or two, but—
Well. Riley knew she talked in her sleep, but apparently now she screams, too. The other girls...are less than enthused, so. She's always moved to her own room, eventually. She doesn't stay in the facilities for long, and she's not allowed visitors, beyond the lawyer she's eventually provided.
Second of all, the instant she can talk to said lawyer, Riley confesses very clearly. She pleads guilty, agrees to a bargain. Yes, she stabbed two girls. Three, if you count Kate, which is...probably the most concrete charge against her. No, she doesn't understand how the people she'd seen dead (killed) are alive again. (Which isn't a lie; she doesn't pretend to understand Narrator powers.) No, she doesn't know exactly who kidnapped her, or how to get back to where she was. She tries her best to avoid outright lying and simply settles on being unable to identify the location, that she never spoke to the man who abducted her, that there were times she was drugged. If you count the nanites as "drugs" it's not technically a lie.
The whole thing takes some time to sort out. It's three weeks before everything can be cleanly settled and Riley can receive her placement— a juvenile detention center (Youth Correctional Facility, she'll insist on using) just outside of New York City. It's...not a bad place. Her lawyer (who Riley highly suspects her parents, who haven't visited her once, had nothing to do with) got her to a better facility than she could picture.
Her own little room, almost the same size as the dressing rooms they'd been trapped in. A desk, built into the wall. A bed that could honestly be a lot worse, considering the places she'd been in just weeks before. The facility emphasizes learning, so...in some way, she's still going to get to finish school. Daily recreation, including outdoors, unless it's raining. ...Riley still stares out the window when it does; she misses just standing under the rain. And she finds herself placed with an actual therapist, some actual medical professionals.
By the time the whirlwind settles? It's just a few days before her eighteenth birthday.
Three and a half years, with probation. Required psychological evaluation and monitoring. Current sentence and progress to be re-evaluated every three months, unless drastic intervention is needed.
Riley reminds herself this could be much worse. For Mattie, it probably was. So, she sucks it up. And she waits, for visits from her real family.
[ SO!
Assume after the Opera House, you haven't seen Riley for a few weeks, unless you've found a way around that, cough cough MEPHISTO. She's allowed two visits per week, up to three people per visit. They will be non-contact visits at first (the basic conjugal visits, a little room with plexiglass between you), but she's very quickly allowed contact visits! You'll need to preregister visits, but you can do that up to day of, as long as it's before visiting hours. Everyone has to be pre-approved to visit, though, under the pretense that it would be beneficial for her to see them. Please assume you've gone through this song and dance, we've (I've) researched enough about New York law. A guardian can help speed this process. Again, cough cough MEPHISTO.
She's also allowed phone calls, though!! She can call up to 21 minutes, and then there's a cooldown period. All calls are monitored. She usually tries to set these up beforehand.
Last but not least! No letters or gifts (besides prepackaged, store bought snacks) allowed in visits. BUT you can mail her things!
The following are not allowed in the mail:
- Food, baking and/or cooking ingredients
- Any kind of drugs
- Can-type containers with metal parts
- Metal, ceramic, or glass containers
- Aerosol type containers
- Guns, just- any guns
- WEAPONS AT ALL HONESTLY
......AND THAT'S ALL, thanks for reading the tl;dr or at least this bottom part. ]
It's a strange whirlwind of a few weeks. With a few...helpful ways of framing her request, Riley was able to convince the Leading Player to help her. To give Chess, Farrah, and Clark back their lives. For a favor, she'd said, and Riley just knows she's going to pay for that, one day— but it's' not now, and it's something she would have to give, not them. The whole town's a flurry of activity, as dead people don't typically show up out of nowhere and missing criminals don't emerge from the back of a police station. Still, it's hard to charge someone with any degree of murder when the victims are alive and well (and confused; Riley doesn't know what if anything the Leading Player told them, but she doubts she'll be able to compare notes)— so things go a little...strangely.
First of all, Riley's folks hadn't expected her to appear out of nowhere, so the proceedings are a bit...delayed. (It hurts to learn that they'd already packed up or...donated most all her things, but she doesn't find herself too surprised.) For a few weeks, she's shunted around from center to center around the state, until her sentencing (and charges—assault? but they have not a single scratch—) can be finalized. It's normal procedure, apparently. Not many kids there are permanent staples, and...none of the places are very nice, honestly. Those days are the loneliest. A few times, she has a roommate for a night or two, but—
Well. Riley knew she talked in her sleep, but apparently now she screams, too. The other girls...are less than enthused, so. She's always moved to her own room, eventually. She doesn't stay in the facilities for long, and she's not allowed visitors, beyond the lawyer she's eventually provided.
Second of all, the instant she can talk to said lawyer, Riley confesses very clearly. She pleads guilty, agrees to a bargain. Yes, she stabbed two girls. Three, if you count Kate, which is...probably the most concrete charge against her. No, she doesn't understand how the people she'd seen dead (killed) are alive again. (Which isn't a lie; she doesn't pretend to understand Narrator powers.) No, she doesn't know exactly who kidnapped her, or how to get back to where she was. She tries her best to avoid outright lying and simply settles on being unable to identify the location, that she never spoke to the man who abducted her, that there were times she was drugged. If you count the nanites as "drugs" it's not technically a lie.
The whole thing takes some time to sort out. It's three weeks before everything can be cleanly settled and Riley can receive her placement— a juvenile detention center (Youth Correctional Facility, she'll insist on using) just outside of New York City. It's...not a bad place. Her lawyer (who Riley highly suspects her parents, who haven't visited her once, had nothing to do with) got her to a better facility than she could picture.
Her own little room, almost the same size as the dressing rooms they'd been trapped in. A desk, built into the wall. A bed that could honestly be a lot worse, considering the places she'd been in just weeks before. The facility emphasizes learning, so...in some way, she's still going to get to finish school. Daily recreation, including outdoors, unless it's raining. ...Riley still stares out the window when it does; she misses just standing under the rain. And she finds herself placed with an actual therapist, some actual medical professionals.
By the time the whirlwind settles? It's just a few days before her eighteenth birthday.
Three and a half years, with probation. Required psychological evaluation and monitoring. Current sentence and progress to be re-evaluated every three months, unless drastic intervention is needed.
Riley reminds herself this could be much worse. For Mattie, it probably was. So, she sucks it up. And she waits, for visits from her real family.
[ SO!
Assume after the Opera House, you haven't seen Riley for a few weeks, unless you've found a way around that, cough cough MEPHISTO. She's allowed two visits per week, up to three people per visit. They will be non-contact visits at first (the basic conjugal visits, a little room with plexiglass between you), but she's very quickly allowed contact visits! You'll need to preregister visits, but you can do that up to day of, as long as it's before visiting hours. Everyone has to be pre-approved to visit, though, under the pretense that it would be beneficial for her to see them. Please assume you've gone through this song and dance, we've (I've) researched enough about New York law. A guardian can help speed this process. Again, cough cough MEPHISTO.
She's also allowed phone calls, though!! She can call up to 21 minutes, and then there's a cooldown period. All calls are monitored. She usually tries to set these up beforehand.
Last but not least! No letters or gifts (besides prepackaged, store bought snacks) allowed in visits. BUT you can mail her things!
The following are not allowed in the mail:
- Food, baking and/or cooking ingredients
- Any kind of drugs
- Can-type containers with metal parts
- Metal, ceramic, or glass containers
- Aerosol type containers
- Guns, just- any guns
- WEAPONS AT ALL HONESTLY
......AND THAT'S ALL, thanks for reading the tl;dr or at least this bottom part. ]
no subject
Her letters are a little hard to read— she has old timey penmanship. But they include candid photos of her new life, doodles of Tad Cooper, and clippings of announcements and reviews for her show. Letters had been the only way she had to communicate with her family, a lifetime ago—- so Anna’s well versed in them, and she writes so many that it may be slightly absurd. But Anna doesn’t want Riley to feel forgotten, or alone, so she keeps writing— even if half of it is unreadable, and sometimes, if she’s not paying attention, pages are literally written in German.
Eventually, though, it’s Anna’s turn to claim one of the prized visiting spots. As someone goes to let Riley know her aunt’s there for a visit, Anna sits in the visiting room and pouts at the loss of her crown, which they made her remove for the visit. The pouts quickly gone when she sees Riley enter the room though, and she beams.]
Meph was right—- it is nicer than the Tower in here!
no subject
Apparently, it's write a lot of letters when you're in a secure detention facility.
The first letter she got was one of Anne's. As she settled into her new home for the next few years, she couldn't believe it—a letter, already? It's not like she can write back. But, during one of her visits with Mephisto, she tells him to thank Anne for her...even if she doesn't speak German.
All Riley's clothing is provided by the facility, so she may look a little weird, in an orange polo and and khakis. No hair ties, either, so she's been getting used to having her hair down, all the time. ...It's a work-in-progress.
The moment Riley sees Anne, despite knowing she's here, her face lights up. It's remarkable, the difference Anne might spot the moment their eyes lock; though it's not like time locked in the Opera House, Riley carries herself...cautiously. She doesn't want to do anything that could jeopardize any good impressions she's made. Her case manager says she's making some progress. They're working with an on-site psychiatrist. She's starting to get help. It doesn't halt the feeling that any misstep could send her spiraling, any wrong move could ruin her chances to keep seeing her family.
So, she's careful. She makes herself small when interacting with the other Residents, she focuses on the programs to help her pass time or...try and find coping mechanisms, just. Any coping mechanisms.
But, upon seeing Anne, there's a quick transformation. A bright bit of sunlight, as she rushes over, eager and greedy. The girl's got a small glimpse at family, what family should be, and if she thought she was lonely before? It can't compare to now, actually knowing what she's been missing.
It doesn't matter how many times she's seen someone; this is always how Riley reacts to a visit. Probably, one of the other adults has mentioned something about it before. ]
What? [ Breathless, confused, but her brilliant smile doesn't wane. Riley's not quite used to sweeping hugs, but she's going to dive into one, if she can, and she's going to savor it. ] No- no, he was just saying that, come on!
[ The visitor's room is nice though—especially considering the non-contact room, sparse. This is...more like a strange mix of an middle school classroom and a conference room. Riley's one of the older Residents; she barely squeaked by the cut-off to even go to a juvenile facility, so that's to be expected. The facility's visitor's room, therefore, is more skewed to the middle-of-the-road teens.
It's a small miracle that she's here, instead of...someplace much worse, so Riley doesn't mind, how everything looks a bit like childhood. It's not like she had a great one, after all. ]
no subject
Despite her small figure, and the way she previously shied away from public displays of affection, sweeping is one way to describe the way Anna of Cleves has learned to hug someone. She’s learned the art of dramatic embraces, as if it’s simultaneously the first and last time she’s ever seen someone, and like everything she does, there’s a sort of dance to it. She hums happily, swaying just so as she holds Riley close to her, then— remembering Mephisto’s worried clucking, releases the poor girl before they both get in trouble.
Anne appears much the same as Riley will remember her from the Opera House— she’s always been reliable and solid with her honest and bright disposition. But there is an air of freedom to her that had been lacking during their early days together—- back before Anne remembered that she doesn’t need his love. It’s probably easier for Riley to tell, since she had missed much of that new, lighter Anne, with the whole being dead thing. As she draws away from Riley, Anne scans the girl up and down, her mind racing with the reports handed back to her with each visit.
Riley trying to be careful reminds her of a young woman in a foreign country, who must be very careful, or lose everything, including her head. Anne wants more than anything to give Riley a safe place to let go, just the tiniest bit.]
No! It’s much better than it seems, from outside.
[And for Anne, who has never experienced modern childhood, it comes off as even more impressive. A conference room? Coolest shit ever. Plus—- ]
And! He told me they don’t even execute anyone here! [... She says it so cheerfully, but with the accent laid on thick. She’s found she can get away with saying more ridiculous things, that way.]
no subject
Must be something to do with stage magic, Riley thinks, but then she puts that out of her mind, because some things aren't worth the ensuing existential crisis. Again.
The point is, she gives a quick glance to the two-way mirror, where she knows someone's monitoring her visits, letting out a surprised bark of laughter; it's not that she's forgotten how Anne can be? It's just different in-person, compared to letters, and it's true, after the whole being dead thing, Riley had one day before countless weeks of separation.
It's enough to make the perfectionism in her flare up, before she swallows it down, consciously. ]
O-of course they don't execute anyone, Anne! [ Doesn't stop her stretched smile, though. ] That's, like...waaay out of line, they're trying to...help me here.
[ And, a small nervous laugh bubbles up, but she's not lying. It's...different, and difficult, some days. But. Riley likes knowing there's an end to all this, one day. And, she's starting to feel safe. ]
no subject
But she only manages to keep it straight for a handful of extremely intense and awkward seconds, before her shoulders start to tremble, and the laughter breaks free. She gives Riley another quick hug, brushing Riley's hair back as she draws away, trying to figure out what can be done with the girl's hair that wouldn't require hairties-- then bounces into one of the seats.]
Ja, Ja. If they start talking about--- [She looks around, then lowers her voice to a whisper.] --beheadings--- , you let me know!
How is the helping going? [Anne still isn't sure she understands exactly why Riley thought she had to come here, after everything-- but she respects the girl's decision, even with how puzzling modern-day mental health treatment is to her.
Like, what? Repressing all your feelings and praying several hours a day isn't good enough for them? PSH.]
I keep asking Mephisto, but sometimes I can't tell if what he's saying is a joke. [.... Is the fact that Anne's saying this a joke? It might be. Her brows raised very dramatically.]
no subject
Honestly, it reminds her a bit of Cairo, but not in like...that way. (Riley has to quash the different bubbly feeling in her stomach there; she's still getting used to that.) Just...that person who exudes charisma. Confidence. It's the kind of person Riley tried to be, oh-so-hard.
She's stuck in that moment for longer, as Anne's hand runs through her hair. Riley's a bit embarrassed at how much she'd like for someone to do her hair again. Thankfully, her case worker's talked to her about receiving simple scrunchies, at...some point, if she can keep up the good behavior. Apparently that's how some things work here, because
Ashley misread somethingthey like to encourage positive reinforcement...or something.With a shy little smile and a nod — yes, Anne, of course she'll tell you if they try to cut her head off — she settles into a chair next to Anne. ] Oh, it's going fine!
[ ...Like. She doesn't...really know how this is supposed to go, but- ]
They're, um...trying some things to...help with being anxious, keep me from...making mistakes again, and all that. [ As she talks, she looks away a little, that smile becoming a bit more stretched and nervous. Making mistakes is clear code for murder, but according to the law, she's never actually...killed anyone, so. That's a weird little paradox. ] And...getting me used to, you know...talking about it.
[ She needs some time there, quite clearly. A pause, one of her hands finds the ends of her hair and runs through it, something she's been doing a lot more lately since it's down. A new nervous habit. ]
...What did he say? Was he worried? I- I told him not to be worried, but- but I don't know if he believed me- don't let him start freaking out, okay?
no subject
It's probably for the best Riley's got people trained in this, on second thought. She hadn't exactly quelled Mary's murderous tendencies.
As for Mephisto, Anne just shakes her head like she's disappointed in him.]
Oh, don't even worry about that. I told you, let us adults worry for a change, ja? If Mephisto gets surly, I'll either make him go out with me for a night on the town, or threaten to take him backstage at my show again. [There-- the corner of her lips twitch in amusement, once more.]
He's the same as always. He's probably a little worried. But we're all a little worried. It's hard to be apart, after everything-- [Her voice drifts off, then she's back to self-assured Anne.]
All of us except me. Even if I was ever worried, I know you've got this.
no subject
Well, it's good one of us does.
[ There's a bit of that...false pep she'd sprinkle in everywhere, or at least a hollow façade of it. More like a soft, terrified little attempt at putting on a brave face.
Because she keeps telling herself, it could've been worse. It should've been worse. You know what you did, they still know what you did, wicked little deceiver, even wormed your way back into Cairo's good graces, you deserve so much worse, fucking murderous snake—
Riley's other hand curls in her lap, twitchy and rigid. She quickly shuts her eyes and starts focusing on her breathing, both sound and feel. Don't...just ignore it. Take a moment. Then push it away. You're still here. Still...
She doesn't say anything? But that hand reaches out to search for one of Anne's. ]
no subject
Poor choice of words. It's more than just me. [Anne's hand meets Riley's, almost the second she reaches out. There's no tightness or desperation to it-- she just simply slips her fingers through Riley's, patient (Anne of Cleves, being patient?) and gentle. Enough to let Riley know she's here.]
You have five adults rooting for you, and those are just the ones living in the penthouse. And so many young people, that I can't even count them!
no subject
...Sorry. I didn't- I don't... There's only an hour, so, I don't like to...waste time.
[ Even now, here, she softly, softly tells herself to keep smiling through it all. ]
no subject
It’s alright. A whole hour! The second best song in our show takes six minutes. That’s a lot of time!
no subject
[ The ghost of a smile flits to her face, but she's still small, brittle, glancing up but only fleetingly. ]
...I wish I could see your show. Do...you think it'll still be on, by um...?
[ ...Ugh, that's another bad line of thought. ]
no subject
no subject
[ thank fucking god riley was never into homestuck
Sigyn visits, but Loki's never come with. She heard something about the other woman needing to get her strength up, but- well, Riley worries about asking about it. She doesn't want to pry. ]
pretend this is from anna
Worst case, I have to repeat the story of this visit to her.
its ok youre so valid
...Do...you think she'll be okay?
[ She only met Loki briefly. But...she liked her. A kind woman, who Sigyn loves. ]
Re: its ok youre so valid
no subject
[ ...Kind of amazing that they have that, after everything.
Riley lets her shoulders start to relax, or...she tries to, at least. ]
...I got your letters. Thank you for sending them.
no subject
You’re welcome! I’ll keep writing them, if you like them. The mail moves so fast now, I get excited! When I wanted to speak with my family before, I had to either send the message with someone traveling abroad, or allow it months to get there. [Oh, right. The watching. Try not to be too weird, Anne.] Because—- rural, ja? [She winks, but still looks a little wistful. Even with her new family, it’s easy to get homesick sometimes. German princesses were raised with strong senses of duty towards family— and as she had never successfully created her own (during her first lifetime), her ties to home through her siblings had always been powerful. Letters had been her salvation in a place far away. Writing them to and for Riley, it feels meaningful.]
no subject
Adjusting... Hm. Riley supposes she's doing a lot of that too. ] So...you're really settling in well, aren't you? Getting used to... [ She gestures around, gently. ] Just all this.
I'm glad. I- um... I know a lot of this is new for you...and Da- um. Mephisto.
[ Soft, silly embarrassment... She's going to get used to it, eventually. But, not yet. ]
no subject
There's so much to see, and do! Stephen helps, sometimes. [She won't dwell on that sometimes too much-- his pain isn't hers to tell, and Anna forgave him easily, even with all of her talk of Seventeen years. It's good to have someone with a sense of modern society about them-- and even better to have someone with a sense of obeying the law about them.] And Christine, when she's in town-- Santana is sometimes helpful too, though it's hard to tell when she's playing a trick, and when it's truth. [Not that she's bothered by that. Anna loves to laugh. It's one of the greatest delights of her new life, and she does it now.]
We have fun. I love having people around me, all the time. Being alone was good for me, ja? It made me who I am. [There's a little, affectionate nudge underneath the table. She knows Riley's time away is doing something similar, teaching her to be resourceful and smart, in the right ways.] But now. Life.
no subject
A whole group of people. Hers. For real this time.
It's what, with Anna's small nudge, sparks a more embarrassed smile. Riley chuckles in response, though it's nervous. ] Self-reflection... Yeah, I get it.
[ With a small tilt of her head: ] It's...kind of the same thing every day here...so, tell me about it. Life. I know, you already do, but— Hearing someone talk is so different from reading letters.
no subject
When everything got-- you know-- well, my show's here now. So are my other Queens-- so there's a lot of practicing to do, a lot of prep work for our show. It's... a lot like things were back there-- [Where? Oh, there, the opera house--] -- but we get along in the end, even if there's a lot of teasing and sometimes frustration at each other. The girls are all very curious about my new friends, but I've kept them at bay so far. [... Or, at least, none of the other queens followed her here? Yet?]
And then, the penthouse is full of life too! TV is so exciting! There is this show--- Riley, there is this show. [Anna taps Riley's hand excitedly.] The couples! They get 90 whole days! And none of them dress up like Robin Hood!
no subject
With a bewildered laugh: ] Are you— You are not watching trashy reality TV, are you? Ohhh, no...! [ But, she does sound amused. ] I thought at least Stephen would steer you a little better!
[ There’s a familiar fondness... She’d nag Cairo about her taste in television too. It feels normal. ]
no subject
I miss the drama of court, sometimes. This fills it.
no subject
She wonders, how the rest of them look at Stephen, but that would require too much conversation about the Opera House to ask. It's something she's just going to have to sit with. ]
If there's anything that would be a good stand-in, a bunch of childish, bickering men and women in an exploitative farce certainly would. [ At the moment, however, a little slice of normalcy is welcome, and normalcy, for Riley, is looking down on reality TV. ]
no subject
She records a recitation of one of the Percy Jackson books first (thankfully thinking to spare Riley the Shakespeare), and then at her suggestion, begrudgingly moves on to the Divergent series, sending her a few chapters every week or so (or more likely, nagging someone to upload them onto Riley's player). The recordings aren't absolutely perfect quality yet, but Christine puts a lot of her passion into them, knowing Riley can't yet attend any of her plays.
It's only been a day since she sent another few files, but Christine is still happily skipping into the visitor's room. She's eager to hear what Riley thinks of her presents, and even more excited just to finally give her a hug.
Hopefully Riley can break the distance between them before Christine does something as foolish as yodelling to announce her presence and scaring half the guards.]
no subject
It's a little nerve-wracking, since she doesn't know if it's technically breaking the rules or not...but then, her fallen angel father pays her frequent visits with his supernatural abilities, so.
Reality's a little skewed, from how Riley originally perceived it, so she rolls with it.
Anyway! She's got a Standard Visit Uniform, which is deceptively like normal clothing: an orange polo, plain khakis, non descript sneakers. No bows or anything like that, which probably looks a bit wrong. But Riley's face still lights up when she sees Christine, rushing over to relish in a hug. ]
Christine! [ Likely, she's called Christine a few times, but it's much different seeing a person. Feeling them, drinking in the sensation of physical contact. ] It's so, so good to see you.
no subject
She's thrilled when Riley rushes over, quickly narrowing the distance between them, and Christine opens her arms wide. The hug is long and tight and Christine rocks back and forth on her feet a little in a weird half-dance in her excitement before finally breaking away.]
It's good to see you too! How are you doing? You have to tell me everything!
[She says, as if Riley has a very interesting life in a detention centre.]
no subject
W-well. There's not really much to say, you know? I get up, I have some classes, have some chores... Um, we get to make things, some days, though. I've been getting really into crochet, lately?
[ Her voice pitches slightly higher the more she talks, because there really isn't much to say. The most interesting parts of her time here are when she meets with her case worker and assigned therapist, and— well, she doesn't really feel comfortable talking about that. Especially not during visitation hours. ]
no subject
Even the little Riley can say is interesting to her, though. She brightens as Riley mentions something art-related, eager to soothe her nerves.]
Oh, that sounds so cute! I love little crochet plush toys. Never been able to make one myself, though! What are you working on now? Have you finished any projects yet?
no subject
Not really projects, not yet? I'm just...trying to make different things. You know, figure out words, animals... I want them to look good enough, when I can finally start making them for people, you know?
no subject
Still! That's really really cool! What things are you figuring out right now? I have some crochet things I bought, if you want me to show you, so maybe you can figure out how they work?
[She's not going to ask if Riley will make her something. That would be rude.]
no subject
But... a place like this. Locked away from others. A place where she’s unable to create more trouble for herself, and where others can’t reach her. She can’t help but feel a little envy over it. That’s why she’d chosen to work in an empty Denny’s, wasn’t it? It always felt like there were eyes on her there too, despite the overwhelming isolation of it all. And despite the emptiness most of the time, sometimes it wasn’t empty—- sometimes, like the night where Riley showed up for the first time, it was full of life.
She and Riley just get each other, despite the odds. They’re both cheerleaders. They both aim for perfection, paralyzed in fear of what may happen if they step out of line. Both followed in their best friends’ shadow, and loved her for her power. And both of them had lived (well. mostly.) through an incredibly traumatic event involving murder and an opera house. Heather’s got a lot of time on her hands at Denny’s, so she’s written Riley countless letters in bubbly handwriting— trying to keep from the deep stuff, since she’s sure they screen the letters. And they’ve talked on the phone a few times, running out of time each time. Heather feels herself growing closer to this other cheerleader, even if she was a murderer-not-murderer.
So she shows up, for Riley, despite how much she hates this place. Hopefully she can breathe a little life into this place. She sits in the waiting room very stiffly, trying not to sweat like she’s the one under observation here. She’s failing. But when she sees Riley, her body leaps out of her seat, and if she’s honest, her heart leaps too, giving an excited little wave of her hand.
Oh my gawd, all her friends are killers! ]
no subject
And she puts those thoughts to rest.
The point is, she hadn't expected one of the others, from the other group entirely, to take an interest in her. Riley wonders...just when it'll run out. When the letters will stop, the phone calls. When she's going to have to really explain, you know what kind of person I am, right?
But so far, Heather hasn't shied away. How strange. How amazing. How...exhilarating?
It's exhilarating. When she learns Heather's scheduled for a visit. When she actually sees her. Riley manages a small, lopsided smile, returning the wave. Butterflies in her stomach, at a visit in juvie? It's almost funny, what her life's become. ]
Hi, Heather. [ Easy! Smooth! Nice starter! ] You weren't waiting long?