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[isawallflower]

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, CHEERYCHERRY. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 019.46.820.17 *** CHEERYCHERRY has joined 019.46.820.17 <CHEERYCHERRY> It's Riley! <CHEERYCHERRY> Please leave a message! <CHEERYCHERRY> Please be someone with their priorities sorted out properly!

main: CheeryCherry
anonymous: panthera, aed
retired: gflynn (anon)

Comments

Happy Nattenmas!

[unholey]

[Throughout the month of December, Fugo has slowly been placing a number of items underneath the Hill House Nattenfest tree. They are all neatly and precisely wrapped with paper featuring ugly sweaters (of course). He also fries up a large batch of struffoli and bakes some mustaccioli for the house. If you get a gift, you get a carefully-packaged portion of struffoli and mustaccioli.

If Riley doesn't join them for the celebrations, Fugo asks Giorno to deliver her gift for him. She receives several bottles of nail polish, matched to the color bows that he’s seen her wear, as well as a matching hat and pair of gloves. The hat and gloves are turquoise, to match her eyes; the gloves were made to accommodate her finger-talons and have tightening straps around the wrists. The idea is that she won’t have any fear of losing the hat or the gloves, even when flying at high speeds at high altitudes.]

secret santa

[protectorofkouka]

[Before December 26 Riley will find a package by her door. Inside is a nice tea set with a cherry blossom design as well as a few blends of calming tea.]

Merry Christmas. I hope the gift is to your liking,
Soo Won

[gothicgambit]

[Celestia Ludenberg has never done a single thing halfway in her entire life. So Riley, with as strange and rocky as their relationship is, gets an almost too-large-to-easily-lift package right in the center of her doorstep Christmas morning.

Wrapped with the utmost attention and care is an entire tea set, all fine white porcelain with cherry blossoms painted in pink blooms across each delicate teacup, plate, and saucer. The material so thin you can see light through them. It's a compliment, since only someone like Riley would handle these with the care they need to last. It comes with a teeny set of silver spoons for stirring, of course.

A middle-sized pouch of loose-leaf tea is inside, labelled 'Cheery Cherry Special Order Mix' described as a dessert tea, meant to be paired with light confections and baked goods, ordered from a certain cafe that a friendly harpy has so recently inherited.

Riley's little kitten gets his own gift, of course, wrapped and packed inside Riley's so he can have his own chance to tear in, if he desires. It's a little white satin collar with an attached gentlemanly bow tie. No ruffles, since it's obvious enough that he would tear those to pieces. It comes with a complimentary harness that resembles a waistcoat, and a very dapper toy mouse with a monocle and felt top hat.]

Riley,
I admit I don't know your exact taste when it comes to tea, but I believe this will be to your liking.
Celestia

holiday gift.

[sweartoyou]

[Delivered to Riley's apartment via Mukuro is a gift bag without a tag to note who the sender is, but the something fuzzy inside probably makes it unnecessary even if Mukuro decided to keep the information to herself. For her gift, Rachel has taken a plush dolphin toy and heavily modified it to not only be more shark-like, but to sport a pair of ears resembling a cat's. Stitched in are silvery tabby markings and light pink gills.]

MERR CRISIS

[endlesspastability]

[A small package will be left for Riley! Inside is a bunch of candy, a bright orange sticky hand, and a book called How To Carve A Jack-O-Lantern.

There's a festive card as well;

"RILEY

HappY Nattenwhatever and Merry Crismas!! I saw the book on a discount shelf and had to get it. I read through it so now we both know for next time =)

SONIC]

a nattensfest letter to you

[figlia_morbida]

[Riley actually attends the Nattensfest at the Hill House, which Trish isn't expecting. However, she is prepared! Before Riley leaves, Trish will hand her a gift wrapped in frankly awful looking wrapping paper, which contains a box tied shut with red string that also fixes a card in place. The card itself has two sides, one adorned with a design of various cats, and the other side normally blank but now adorned with neat, tightly written cursive from La Befana, which to the Italians of the peninsula is a familiar holiday figure. The message inside is otherwise written in English, although that doesn't quite matter in Ryslig. Though, if one day they all go home and take everything with them, Trish wants Riley to be able to read it.

As with others before, the card has a unique message. For Riley, it reads:

Hey, Riley. We'll be seeing a lot of each other at Nai'a, hm?

It'll be a good experience, I promise. Se il cielo cade, cattureremo le allodole. That means "don't worry so much" in Italian. (Actually, it's "if the sky falls, we shall catch larks" but the sentiment is sort of the same.)

Buon Natale e felice anno nuovo.

Inside, Riley will find a soft velvet red ribbon for her hair, along with several bottles of glittery red lip gloss. To go with the ribbons Giorno has gifted her with in the past, you know? All glitz and glitter for a sparkling new star.]

nattensfest 2021.

[digiorno]

[from giorno, riley receives a genuinely batshit outfit the color of fire. she also receives a locket bracelet. on the inside is the ordinary space for a picture, left to riley to fill out, but on the inside lid is an engraving:]

You're not alone. Don't forget.

[also, ribbons in every damn color. yes, he gave that gift last year, but she's been wearing them out. a big tin of struffoli AND cinnamon chocolate petit fours.]

nattensfest 2021.

[gitanes]

[there is a gift with riley's name on it, but no sender. it contains a very intricate music box.]

Nattensmas!

[softspokenlandlord]

[Riley receives a gift from Ryou for Nattensfest that's wrapped...well, not the neatest, but he's clearly tried.

When she opens the present, she'll find...art! Specifically, it's a pressed flower arrangement in a picture frame. The flowers are orange and yellow, in a fanned out flame-like arrangement. It's simple, but clearly took some time to do right. Ryou didn't buy it, he made it, as he'd done with several of his gifts.

There's a note taped to the back.]

This represents the phoenix, a supernatural creature that is reborn from the ashes of its own demise.

We might not have the happiest life here, but I sincerely hope that each time you rise, you know that you become stronger and more splendid Riley. I hope that this expresses how much I appreciate your kindness to me when I

kind of broke into your house. Sorry about that. I will make it up to you.

Happy Nattensfest!

-Ryou Bakura

<harmonia>

[digiorno]

what do i do when someone who hates me gets me a really nice present

what does that mean

<CheeryCherry>

[isawallflower]

Okay let me preface this with before last Christmas, the only person to give me a gift that wasn’t a gift card or money was Cairo so I’m probably the worst possible person you could have asked.

That aside
Who the hell hates YOU and what did you get?

<boomstick69>, one week after the doppleganger event ends

[deadbydawn]

[It takes almost an entire week for Ash to stew in his guilt enough to get off his ass and actually do something about it. The doppelganger problem had finally been dealt with, what with Elias having to step in and clean up Ash's problems for him.

But he hasn't been able to put Riley's messages out of his mind--not since seeing them on the network. What would his father say? Something along the lines of how he's not his son, or how he's disappointed in how he keeps making these stupid mistakes. He doesn't need that right now. What would his sister, Cheryl, say? She'd probably punch him in the shoulder and tell him to own up to his mistakes.

She could always talk Ash into being less of an asshole. Her opinion mattered to him even more than his girlfriend's.

He lets out a low sigh, flipping open the laptop to type out a message. As much as he hates the idea of it...well, writing it out is certainly easier than telling someone "sorry" to their face.]

hey

i know this is probably not the username you want to see right now but i just want to say

im sorry that you died and your friends got killed because of my stupid mistake

i didnt know it would go bad like this

[It takes almost an insurmountable amount of effort to even type out these four little sentences. He knows it's not enough, but he sends it. He knows Riley will likely have more to say.

He waits.]

<CheeryCherry>

[isawallflower]

[ Riley almost doesn't want to answer it.

The scope of her life that the doppelganger screwed up, even putting aside killing her, isn't yet clear. Every time she thinks it is, another disgusting little realization squirms out of the woodwork. Another shattered relationship. She doesn't even know if she knows, and she doesn't want to look at his apology.

But at the same time, she wants to be angry. ]

It took you a week to even say sorry.
Do you have any idea how many people this hurt?

[ Is he ignorant? Delusional? Or just heartless? ]

<hemlock> | four days into the doppelganger event

[unholey]

[Giorno is dead. Giorno is dead. Giorno is dead.]

[This knowledge cuts deep. But Fugo can't let himself be gutted by it, so he does not let himself grieve. He does not even give himself a moment to breathe, because the moment he stops is the moment he will collapse in on himself. Instead, Fugo does what he does best. He organizes. He makes a list of tasks that need to be done, of places and people that need to be kept safe because it would kill Giorno all over again if they were hurt. Steve and Riley are at the top of that list.]

Riley, this is Fugo. I need to speak with you, as soon as you can manage it. I have my laptop and will watch for your reply.

In the meantime: if you see someone who looks like Giorno, please be careful. That isn't him. I'll explain further once I hear from you.

<CheeryCherry>

[isawallflower]

[ Well, well, well. What does she have here?

The unfamiliar username is mitigated immediately, and with it comes some juicy information. With what she just did today and the context surrounding this, the doppelganger can make a fairly educated guess at what's happened. The impassioned boy with the storm of anger, felled by his own double? How...satisfying. She wonders if he fought back. She wonders if he was disgustingly righteous until the end. She hopes it was slow. Painful. ]

What do you mean?
Why wouldn't it be him?
I mean I assume he has a double but how do you know for sure it wouldn't be him?

[ Fugo's always a little too collected and calculating for her liking. She thinks...she's going to play with him a little. Act the part of the frantic, potentially ignorant friend, drag out the agony of breaking the news. ]

<Luona>, few days after the doppelganger event ends

[softspokenlandlord]

Hello, Riley. It's Ryou.

I just wanted to apologize for what my other self said to you, he wasn't a good person and you were right to block him from harassing you further. He was using my regular online handle, and so I just wanted to let you know that if you would like to continue blocking that name, that is understandable.

If you would prefer not to correspond with me at all, please let me or Atem know. I would understand completely. We can't know if this kind of thing will happen again or not.

Thank you for your time, and sorry for the trouble.

<CheeryCherry>

[isawallflower]

[ Riley doesn't recognize the handle and at first just doesn't want to deal with it. She's too tired, too despondent picking up the pieces of her life in the wake of her doppelganger. But she glances at it. Sees the name.

She has memories from that other her. She's sure... Ryou's also feeling that way, right about now.

She unblocks his normal handle. ]

Hi, Ryou.
I'm not going to cut off contact with you because of something that person said.
The doubles were not us. It'd be stupid to try and act like they were and hold something he did against you.
How are you holding up?
I understand if you don't want to talk about it. I don't particularly want to either, but I didn't just want to not ask.

<saturnschild>

[marcato]

[The following message comes late at night.]

When I finally make my move, Riley, how do you think I'll kill you?

<CheeryCherry>

[isawallflower]

[ After a long day, Riley checks her laptop. She stares at the message with red-rimmed eyes. And she doesn't even think before replying. ]

Cold and uncaring like the disgusting coward you are

march 20, the vernal equinox

[devilsproof]

[As the voices from the network begin to ease, slow, soften, there is a point on the clock during which a package is placed outside of Riley's door. It's wrapped in brown paper, and underneath that, in layers and layers of tissue paper, red and yellow and orange. The bottom-most layer is black.]

[Inside are two things: a folded note on cardstock and a square parcel. The note is in careful cursive and reads,]

Riley,

The vernal equinox is today. This is the day when old witches rise from the underworld to find the sun again, when light and dark exist in equal measure, when new witches are born.

I don't know what kind of witch you'll be. A Witch of Certainty, of Truth, or of Justice. You are the only one who can learn that. But you are growing. Feel yourself growing. Don't forget what you're capable of becoming.

Let this remind you, if you ever need reminding.

Yours,
the Golden Witch

[The box contains an impeccably tailored and very unusual outfit. It will fit Riley like a glove, like an extension of her skin. Although the fabric looks fine as silk, it's flexible and durable, with no wide sleeves or skirts to catch the wind. It will be easy to fly in. The colors complement, but will not distract from, the brilliant orange of her feathers. The hat, of course, has a bow on it.]

[This is the Witch that Beatrice has seen Riley to be. As yet unnamed, but powerful, unstoppable, and breathtaking. All of this is said without words. It lives in every stitch.]

[isawallflower]

[ At the start of this, Riley thought she could do it. She thought, whatever nonsense this month can't be worse than the last one. Or the last. Or the last. The network, connected to everyone's thoughts? Okay. She can do this. She reads like everything on it anyway. This will be fine.

This has not been fine.

This has been so far from fine.

By the vernal equinox, she's frayed at the edges and worn thin. She's thinking in songs to keep from spilling herself everywhere, everything she tries so hard to squeeze down bursting out like a jack-in-the-box. All that she is right now is that, the desperation to be controlled. Even if the words engraved on her Nattenfest necklace weren't forgotten—funny, that, since she wears it often, after deducing who it was from, the handwriting, it's the handwriting she most recognized, but never confirmed, just quietly hoped—

Even if. She's hardly able to even think about her upcoming birthday. Be strong, & wait for spring means nothing to her right now, especially when she doesn't feel particularly strong at all.

She's called out of every work environment, with special apology to the orphanage. It feels like she's shirking her duties, something that probably showed up along with all her other stray scraps of self-loathing, but truly, it's all she could do. How could she show her face to anyone right now, especially all those kids? Not when it feels like she's going to snap like a rubber band, twisted up so many times it's lost its shape.

So it's very late when she actually stumbles out of her apartment. Most of the day she spent trying to kill all her thoughts, too exhausted to rise—but now she wants to fly. She needs to fly. She'll just slip down the hallway, head up to the roof, and maybe all that will broadcast out are thoughts of the sky, and how free it feels. Maybe that's acceptable, maybe that is something she's allowed to—

She almost trips over the package. Not addressed, on the outside, but just sitting there. Usually careful claws snag on the paper as she retrieves it, and that's what leads her to open it in what almost feels like a fugue state, not asking Cairo (talk to me, talk to me, no it's too much right now everything is too much) if she was expecting something.

And it's in that fugue state that she reads the note. That its words wrap around her addled mind and soothe it.

That her shaking hands open the box, and she drinks in her gift.

A Witch.




The knock at Beatrice's door isn't frantic. Isn't panicked. But it is, somewhat, urgent. Riley stands there in the very outfit she's been given, dress train mixed with feathers, hat not quite on right, bow a little uneven but there, waiting, waiting, thoughts buzzing a wistful and childish request: See me. ]

The Day before Atem's Penalty game; < mystic >

[missleadingquestions]

[Maya uses a serious business username for a serious business message. She needs Riley to see it, needs her to know, needs her to be warned. Riley doesn't like things with the Fog. Riley likes Atem, Riley is a friend of Mukuro's.

She doesn't need to see.]

March 24. No TV, no network after 8pm. There will be a message from fog followers at that time. Don't watch it.

[It's clear, it's concise, it's serious; perhaps even the first proof at all to Riley that Maya can be serious. At least, in this version of Ryslig.]

<CheeryCherry>

[isawallflower]

[ It takes a second for Riley to recognize this handle. She's seen Maya use it before, but only once, so it's...surprising. And so formal.

It's not until after any birthday events that she gets back to her laptop to see it, anyway. When it's late. ]

Maya? What are you doing?
What's going on?

gift drop off

[alexandercityborn]

[On Riley's birthday, she'll be resolutely handed a well wrapped parcel by Aaron, even if he doesn't stop for her to open on his way out of Poundmates with several dogs in tow for the first round of walkies. It's in neat, cream paper printed with day lilies, and tied up with metallic thread. Inside, there is a small metal ornament in the shape of a cat, aquamarines set into the eyes, and a box of high quality chocolates. The card's message is simple: Wszystkiego najlepszego, Riley. ]

[isawallflower]

[ Riley only briefly drops by Poundmates, as she's got most work off today, but Aaron happens to catch her. She looks down to examine it and looks back up, and he's gone! But next time she sees him, she'll thank him.

A small little gift. How cute. ]

it birth

[missleadingquestions]

[as promised, a gift shows up for Riley's birthday. There are strawberry chocolate daifuku— hand made, not bought from the konbini (though definitely using ingredients sourced from there) wrapped up in orange paper, along with a very fancy looking drink bottle, but as the note taped to it expresses, there is no alcohol content in the cocktail. It's still a very special one, mixed up with a few days worth of shelf life, in honor of Riley (and made to look as bright and orange creamsicle-y as it tastes.) Along with that, there's a little book of hand-drawn coupons.

They say things like "free for One Day Off Without Asking" and "I need Space!!" and other effectively non-verbal hints that Riley can just pass to Maya on any day, all decorated with little orange birds and pink flowers.

Lastly, there's a card;

Happy birthday Riley!!

Use these whenever you need to send a message without sending a message. No hard feelings, no questions asked ; )
Have a good day!!

-Maya ☆ ]

[isawallflower]

[ Strawberry. Her favorite...!

Really, what touches her is the coupon book. A nonverbal way to communicate her discomfort... If only Mana gave her this, instead of spontaneous combustion. She treasures it. And, the drink bottle, specifically with the note on it. Did she remember? Riley's insistence on no alcohol at the family dinner she hosted at Nai'a Nights, a year ago? Or is it from things she's gleaned, attentive as she is?

The message from yesterday is still on her mind. But with little things like this... She can certainly try and do as Maya said. Just enjoy the day. ]

action, night of march 24th

[riproduzione]

[ Abbacchio doesn't know her, she might be one of Giorno's friends. Not that that matters much right now, because right now she seems restless? Anxious, maybe? Not that he can blame her — they all know why they're here. He's been keeping to himself; he's not here to socialise after all, but it feels… Like he should at least do something. He thinks that Bucciarati would if he were here.

He's not exactly quiet in his approach, doesn't want to alarm her when she already looks easy to startle, and he knows he's sometimes intimidating even without meaning to be — his face isn't hardened by makeup right now, at least. That might help. He clears his throat to announce his presence. ]

Hey — I don't mean to bother you, I'm going to be making some coffee if you'd like some? Or I can get you something else?

[isawallflower]

[ Riley, in turn, doesn't know Abbacchio, but she recalls Giorno's description. A man who'd been on the outskirts of the Nattenfest celebrations, one she's glimpsed looking dour and cranky. He's the guy who hates Giorno. Who got killed, because of something Giorno did. Who Giorno can't figure out, who left him a present.

It's honestly been shocking even seeing him here, but the kids have kept her thoroughly distracted to do nothing more than dimly note well that's fucking weird.

Abbacchio approaching her, therefore, when she's catching her breath during a quiet moment, is when it all crystalizes in her head, actively, how strange it is that this man is here, that he is talking to her. The surprise shows in her face, and in the excruciating three seconds of pause before she finds her voice again. ]

Ohh, uh— no, I'm not allowed to have coffee anymore, I think I'd explode. [ Her feathers twitch as even with those three seconds, she's sure that's not the best response she could've given. She's so frazzled, it doesn't even feel like that much to worry about. ]

I mean. You don't have to get me anything, uh...sir.

< r.gardner >

[sweartoyou]

Hi, Riley! I don't know how you're finding your targets right now, but...I was wondering if you'd want to help test something that would make that sort of hunting easier for people. Only...it's being put together by one of my Fog follower friends. I don't know if that would bother you.

<CheeryCherry>

[isawallflower]

[ Ah... ]

Is it something for the Fog? Or something that's done to help the Fog? Because I don't want anything to do with her.

<fenrir>

[dead_eyed_wolf]

[well. there are really stupid things happening online right now but the important thing is that Mukuro's been made aware Riley is awake again.

the scream would have alerted her also, but this way she knows it's not serious.]

welcome back riley
are you hungry
do you need anything

<CheeryCherry>

[isawallflower]

[ after she's done making a fool of herself online, she... Ah... ]

Hi, Mukuro.
Sorry I was asleep for another two and a half months.

You don't have to hunt for me, though. I think some of my own would do me some good.

<melancholyman>

[riproduzione]

just so you know, i was thrown off of a roof because of you

<CheeryCherry>

[isawallflower]

[ this sure is a message to receive on the first of the month ]

Excuse me???

<harmonia>, late september

[digiorno]

[Apropos of nothing:]

so when are YOU going to be a snake?

<CheeryCherry>

[isawallflower]

please tell me you meant to send this to fugo or trish or someone else

action, 10/8, hewwo fwend

[ikutachi]

[ Today is a day of easy assignments. It's kind of them, honestly. It took the better part of the morning to heal her injuries - implants and reinforcements and skin grafts that she'll never know the amount of, but being able to walk without her bones hurting as much is wonderful. She's a person again. Even so, the order was to take it easy.

So today's assignments are all house inspections. The influx of travellers from other worlds has made Felfri's situation worse. Those plague rats in the caves are the biggest problems, obviously, but who's to say there aren't lesser evils? Enemies wearing the masks of friends? Knowing where they are would be helpful. And if someone's a friend, they couldn't turn away a simple inspection, right?

The face that greets her when she shuts the GPS off almost doesn't feel like her own. Composed, but too pale; the circles under her eyes don't match, one just a few shades darker than the other. Poke? Ow. Bruise forming. Yamada left a mark. Unfortunate. Mmm... Can't have one of the E+L peacekeepers looking injured. It lets community members ask questions, and we can't be encouraging that sort of thing.

- Wait, no, that sounds weird. Does it? -Think about it later. Her feet have brought her to the address to inspect. It should be easy. Just make sure there's nothing strange inside. No fog apologists or attempted subterfuge. The knock is polite and unthreatening. ]

Wil- [ No, the other honorifics, please. :) ] ...Miss Williams? Are you in?

[isawallflower]

[ It's a day of exhaustion. Riley went later into last night than she'd intended checking with some of the neutral encampments, dipping out after work to talk with Giorno, slip him some extra money for the refugees and scoot out of there. It's actually surprisingly easy to figure out how to speak in code, or...little bits of code, you know?

Riley wonders if this is why Giorno was so vague and ominous when she first met him. Her life of slipping from one mask to another was born of a pretty typical life—or, at least a life that any teenager could have, with the right circumstances and poor upbringing. Giorno's was...downright scary. Downright horrible. Downright impossible to replicate, from his childhood to his superpowers to the mob.

She's getting a little better at it the more she goes...but it's still only been a few days. A few days, and she works nights, and sometimes afternoons, and it's really tiring keeping up an appearance like this. It's not like she's forgotten it's just...been awhile. She's able to be more open. More herself. She's forgotten some of her vital coping mechanisms.

That's the state Riley finds herself in, having slept in late and just dragged herself to life minutes before a light knock sounds through the entrance to her government-assigned living quarters.

It's not Giorno, it's not Steve, or Cairo, or Trish, or anyone else who she could comfortably receive a visit from. No, it's a voice she sort of recognizes—but mostly it's a set of alarm bells ringing in her ears. ]

One- one moment, please!

[ She can lock her door. It's fine. Quietly, she does so, with the deadbolt, before opening the door just a crack. Just a small, small crack. ]

Hello?

Nattensfest

[recuttal]

[It's an extremely small package, wrapped in a soft pink cloth. Inside it is a bright blue hair ribbon, and an accompanying hair clip; the decoration is carved out of some sort of blue stone, in the shape of a bird feather, and can be worn with or without the ribbon!]

[isawallflower]

[ Ah, the tradition of more hair ribbons... Riley loves them all, and the hair clip is a new surprise.

Hinata in return receives some gingersnap cookies—Riley's holiday special—and a nice clock with an alarm setting; she knows slimes sometimes have memory or focus problems, after all. ]