RYSLIG; ic inbox

[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

1/2

[isawallflower]

[ Getting signed up for the Secret Santa was a pain. In the end, Riley relented, and she realized along the way she's got...one guaranteed gift from someone.

It's a weird feeling, because that's usually how the year goes, she gets something for Cairo and Cairo gives her something in return. Despite this lonely season, that's one little burst of joy. It's been that way since the fourth grade, except... Except for this year. Both still got the other something, but it was hollow. An attempt to pretend they hadn't been estranged (to pretend Riley hadn't been pulling away, until she could figure out how to hide something so horrible, from her best friend—) and that the world was still normal.

So, this is a do-over. But. It's weird. It'll be a courtesy gift, just like the stock gift cards from her parents (or money in her account without a word, without a smile), just like the sparse postcards from her brother. There's nothing real in it. Nothing real in any of this. She'd really rather take herself out of the equation to begin with and just...watch everyone else play at it, at a real holiday.



All this to say, receiving all this is not what Riley is expecting at all. First, that someone she's met here—someone who she keeps inconveniencing, keeps putting in uncomfortable situations—decided separate from the stupid gift exchange to shop for her. Hasn't he other people to, people he- he said he lived there, that implies he's living with people who've been here, maybe even...people he knows, loved ones. Second, that he had the chance to do the bare minimum here, and instead...

For a good five minutes, Riley goes into a full panic. That's probably not the right way to respond to an unexpected gift, but it sure is how she handles this! A little ranting to her cat, a little pacing, but after that? She's out the door immediately, trying not to curse under her breath. ]

Unbelievable, completely— absolutely unbelievable—