isawallflower | RYSLIG; ic inbox

[Yeah. Yeah, she does. It's not often people are smaller than Trish, but then, she hangs out with a bunch of teenage boys her age and older. She was never going to win that battle.

Riley isn't a lightweight, though, and Trish isn't the strongest, but she only puffs her cheeks a little to haul the harpy up.

And speaking of harpies, oh god, Riley is looking at Trish in a particularly bird-like way. Trish tips her own head back almost on reflex.

Oh, she is ABSOLUTELY going to give Giorno a piece of her mind. How is it he can mention her to multiple people, and he can't bother to tell her about them! What the hell! As if she's anyone important, psht. Sigh...but it's not Riley's fault.

Trish waves a hand briefly, as if hearing her own name is a stinky affair. Begone with it.]

Trish Una, yes.

[She puts that same hand on her hip.]

But I'm not the one you're looking for, so it doesn't do you much good to run into me, does it?

[Unless Riley came specifically to get pillow whumped.]

What were you needing from Giorno?

[ To be honest, Riley doesn't exactly...mean to do the Neck Thing, it just happens. So many things just happen now, because she's been a bird (or at least turning into one) since last December.

While yes, Trish isn't the person she was looking for, she's still...a little amazed. She caught sight of some people with Giorno at that prom, but...she didn't really socialize much there? She hates dances. Hates proms. She had a specific job to do, so she could use it as an excuse to stay right at that table and not move, even though Cairo dressed her up all nice and pretty.

Giorno rarely really talks about home. So, a little piece of it...no, a big piece of it, it's amazing to see. The girl he'd asked about, after their alternate lives. ]

Um. [ ...Right. Right, what was she— ] I just- I wanted to...check in on him. We... He was really kind of...not doing well? Last time? ...Neither of us were, but— I mean, if you're here too, then...I guess he's probably doing a little better now.

[See, that's the bastard thing about being a monster! Oh, Trish doesn't look forward to that at all. If she turns into something that broadcasts that easily, ooooh. She'll be mad.

She doesn't hold the neck thing against Riley in any case, but she is going to frown at the sudden intrigue. God, what does Giorno tell people about her? He claimed it was decidedly benign, but she doesn't believe that anymore. No that she ever did, but especially not now.

That being said, Trish can't help the way her face tinges a faint pink, because Riley is being very deep and emotional at her and she's not prepared for it?

Time to use her terminally dry approach.]

Oh, um...Don't worry, he's as smug as ever.

[That gif of the person petting the other with a broom goes here. There, there.]

If you want to wait for him here, I don't mind. I'll just [she reaches to pick up her poor abused fashion mag] go about my business.

[And like, not menace the house guest with the furnishings.]

[ No one is ever, really, prepared for the things Riley does. This time it's just through a rare show of incredible emotional honesty. Giorno has something to do with that. She doesn't like to hold back how much she likes Giorno. It feels...important, that he has some of his people here, after everything.

But, she's not about to push on that, since Trish seems a little avoidant. Despite hearing a bit about her, seeing her briefly in that dream world... It's not the same. She knows that much with Mukuro, it's— it's not the same. She doesn't actually know this girl. ]

Right, uh, yeah. [ She takes to giving Trish her space and straightening out her skirt and hair. Even though she's gotten used to her feathery ponytail, it's still not really easy to keep up and neat a lot of the time? ] Do, uhm- do you know when he'll be back...?

[ After she's made the trip here, leaving would be silly. But now she's gone and embarrassed herself, so. ]

[Perhaps even Riley doesn't expect half the things Riley does. And maybe it feels weird to hear Riley say unabashedly kind things about Giorno because Trish also thinks them, and has had kind things said about her in turn, wildly unprompted in her opinion.

After so much of the opposite, maybe it's just...weird to think that people are thinking of her at all.

It's funny, Giorno never mentioned the dream world either. That would go towards explaining a lot.

Trish watches Riley back off, which is nice because it means at least this new person can read the room, though now the room is having second thoughts.

She glances behind her, making sure she's not about to sit on empty air so she can fall back onto the couch with an audible whumph, waving a hand towards the empty space next to her. It's an unreasonably big couch, okay?]

Not a clue. But you can wait for him here in the meantime. Like I said, I don't mind.

[Trish gives Riley a wry smile.]

Especially if you're this much of a pushover.

[Rude?]

[ And just like that, the feathers on Riley's neck slowly rise for a moment. She forces them back down once she realizes what they're doing. ]

Wha- I am not a pushover.

[ Says the pushover. ]

Right. That's why I knocked you to the ground so easily.

[Trish says flatly, from her comfy spot on the couch.

She's just met Riley, but that doesn't mean anything, because Trish has bullied everyone she's ever met. First impressions matter!

Conveniently she's ignoring how she screamed bloody murder when she thought Riley was dangerous and attacking her. That never happened, shush.]

Do you see how convinced I am?

[ A little more forcefully, Riley tries: ]

I’m relearning my balance, it’s hard with only one wing!

[ That’s not a lie! But the amount of surprise she was experiencing definitely contributed. Maybe she should just be glad she’s gone back to freeze in the fight or flight scenario. ]

[Fight or flight, stab or run, same thing.

Trish raises an eyebrow, tapping her magazine on her lap.]

That's why I'm offering you a seat, you know.

[An invitation, because Trish is finding very quickly if she's going to learn anything worthwhile about the people in this frankly huge social circle, it's got to be by her own hand.]

Unless you like standing there looking like a feathery Leaning Tower of Pisa.

I'm not— [ ...Wait, is that what's happening?

Oh no. She's just as deflective as Giorno! (Thinks Riley, the hypocrite.) Riley physically stops herself from pouting as she takes a cautious seat. ]

...It's not that bad, is it? [ Riley tries not to sound too self conscious as she folds her wing against her. ]

[Honestly, these three are so deflective a game of hot potato would become a deadly spud ricochet because the momentum would never slow down until someone died from it, probably.

Trish watches Riley settle, clearly not totally comfortable for whatever reason. Which is preposterous, because Trish is a harmless human.

What's she going to do against a monster besides verbally prod them?]

No, but it did inspire you to sit down. [ :p ] I'm not sure if it's possible to get you to relax, though.

[Riley seems so squirrely, so far...]

[ Unfortunately, that only serves to push her away more. Some of her feathers raise slightly. ]

Giorno mentioned you before, you know, but he never said you have such a...quick tongue. [ She breathes out through her nose. ] ...I shouldn't be so surprised. If you're one of his friends, I guess, it makes sense.

[It's Trish's turn to bristle. If only Riley knew how much the two friends talked before Ryslig! The amount may astonish her.

Trish is simultaneously intrigued she's flustering this girl so much, however. She didn't think it would be this easy. She's not even being that scathing!]

You're going to find that's common with him. He'll tell you anything but the parts that matter.

[For what it's worth, Trish isn't insulted. Yet. Mildly perturbed, mostly because having people with mismatched impressions of her beyond her control is very annoying. Especially when they're disappointed!]

What did he tell you, actually? I would share myself, but he never mentioned you to me.

[ A light, high hum accompanies a sort of...forced smile, as she runs an idle hand over her wing. Almost like she's making sure it's still there. ]

No surprises there. He's like...Fort Knox, some days. [ Takes one to know one. Sometimes, it means they can understand each other really well. Other times...

Riley lets out a sigh. ]

He didn't tell me much of anything, honestly. But...he wanted to know if I'd seen you, in a...there was a thing, an alternate universe thing. He saw you there and...he wanted to know if I'd seen you here. He said you were a friend and... [ She puts herself back there, by the lake. That day was...uncomfortable, for a lot of reasons. Ultimately it was good, but it means the early parts of that conversation are a little fuzzy. After a moment, she continues, as she remembers. ] ...He looked really thoughtful. Like...he wasn't sure if he was happy you weren't stuck here too, or...not.

Edited (ew that formatting looked ugly) 2021-08-12 06:57 (UTC)

[Scusa?

God forget this ancient magazine. Trish practically tosses it to fall somewhere on the floor behind the couch, her attention solely on Riley now.

Because you know fucking what? That explains so much about his reaction to her when she first arrived. Clearly, he was over the moon over a cool friend Trish he hallucinated and forgot the actual Trish isn't someone for him to pine after. At least, that's what "alternate universe thing" sounds like to her.

Also, she's not even going to address the Fort Knox thing, which she did not parse well even if she got the gist like, implicitly.

Riley, she's Italian.]

I'm not surprised, because he can never make up his damn mind unless his decision is wholly insane.

[This is a corollary that has yet to be proven wrong!!!]

At least he didn't give either of us any false impressions. We're free to judge each other fairly.

[She's assuming she'll land on the foe side of the scale. If so, fine, she's winning. She nailed that pillow attack.]

[ A fun fact about Riley, she's horribly self-centric sometimes—she has no idea what pop culture references a person gets or doesn't because of that.

For a moment, she actually laughs a little. It's nervous and short, but it's still a laugh. That sounds like Giorno. She loves him, really.

But again, she hesitates. She wishes they could just skip the judging. It's like she's back in high school all over again. In the parts she didn't like. ]

Hmm, well. Yeah. At least there's that.

[ She can feel herself clamming up. As ever, Riley is a wallflower. ]

[Listen, pelting people with references they don't understand and leaving them in a whirlwind of confusion is a power move.

At least with Trish paying attention, she can see Riley all but doubling back, like an animal that's heard a loud noise or encountered a particularly bad smell. Honestly, her statement was more "there will be no preconceived notions", but considering her diction and general vibe...

She tucks her legs to herself, moving so she's resting with her side pressed to the couch, facing Riley's way. You know, because that's less intimidating.]

Then why don't we start over? I'm Trish. And not any Trish you've ever heard of before.

[She gestures to Riley.]

And you're Riley, right?

[She actually...does want a gentle reminder, because she was half awake and armed with a pillow when Riley was bullied into introducing herself.]

[ That's...a better sign, isn't it? It's not really one she's expecting, judging by the slight bird-like tilt of her head, but it's one she'll take all the same. As ever, she pushes the stress into a little box and puts on her smile like it's a new hairbow. ]

Mmhm! Riley. Uh, Williams.

[ Now Trish is staring right at her... No, no anxiety! Put it away, back in the box! ]

[Watching Riley is like watching clouds on the horizon, ever-shifting and always moving. Is it exhausting to be you, Riley?

Trish notes the smile is back, at least, but for how long she's not sure. She might blink and it'll be gone.]

Riley Williams.

[Trish repeats. Not because it's weird, of course, but more that the name has a familiar shape to it.]

Are you American, Riley?

[ Being Riley is an incredibly exhausting existence. Honestly, it's a miracle she does it. ]

Yeah, I am. [ Neither of them know but it's funny; Giorno's first impression had been largely the same, painfully American. ] And, I assume...are you Italian?

[Riley is an existence sustained entirely on momentum! Don't stop moving Riley!

Trish is mildly proud of herself for nailing Riley's American-ness also. Her taste in actors and music means she's at least somewhat familiar with American sounding names and concepts assuming they aren't too culture-specific.

As for Riley's question:]

Yeah, I am.

[Other than knowing Giorno, she wonders what gave it away. Probably not her name. It's not nearly on the nose as Giorno Giovanna or Pannacotta Fugo.

Anyways, Riley seems less twitchy, so maybe this is a good conversation topic? And Trish has to admit she's genuinely curious.]

Where in America are you from?

[ What it comes down to is these answers are just facts. There's nothing about how she feels, what she's interested in, what kind of person she is... It's easy. Instead of having to rake herself over the coals wondering how to respond or react, she can simply answer.

So, answer Riley does, evenly and easily. ]

New York. Not the city, but I've been there several times. It was just a train ride away.

[New York, but not New York. Interesting places to be regardless, to someone who has never ventured out of Italy.

Riley continues to appear relaxed with this...and yet, Trish is still watching, picking this interaction apart because it's the little things people do that matter when there isn't much else to go on. Nothing about Riley to directly dissect, and therefore safe to discuss indeed...]

Hm. Does it stop being something special after the fifth visit or so?

[Since New York City is pretty famous and all!]

I mean— there's a lot of things to do there, so...not really. I don't, like... [ Riley half-shrugs, and her remaining wing shifts with her shoulder. ] I always have a purpose for going, if there's a play or...a place or something. My friend took me, to try and relax.

[ She hesitates, for a moment. It'd been awhile since she'd been to New York City, even before Ryslig, because it was linked with Cairo. It's hard to say that it could never stop being special, because of that. Even when it hadn't felt that way in the moment because she was too focused or too stressed to see beyond herself, in retrospect...

Almost abruptly: ]

And, um- Italy, where in Italy are you from?

[Oh, that's fair. When good memories are attached...she supposes it only makes sense that more visits only make the heart fonder, just as living in a place from a young age simply makes it home.]

You almost make it sound like your friend was unsuccessful.

[Trish says offhandedly. Apparently Riley was always on the cusp of vibrating out of her own skin, despite valiant efforts!

As for that question, Trish wonders if naming her hometown will spark recognition. Probably not. But she brushes past her comment anyway, stating:]

I'm from Ischia, Campania. Specifically Lacco Ameno. We have a tufo rock outcropping that's shaped like a giant mushroom, and thermal spas because Ischia itself is a volcanic island. Kind of like...Hawaii?

[You know, the America state that's all islands. How the heck did America get territory so far away from the mainland, anyway?!]

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!

oh my god trish is slightly taller than her then. LOL

when i headcanon a height it's always Small

GOOD

no subject

no subject

no subject

shes rude sorry Riley

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject