driftfleet | The Heart is a Lonely Huntress

Don't say that.

[Her words at Cory are sharp and biting, with a fair bit of restrained anger.]

You don't know what we've went through. Don't tell her what she knows- Your job here is to listen and tell her how you feel about her.

[And if he doesn't say the right thing, she'll really show what she's like when she's mad.]

[ She flinches at not just Cory's words, but Nightingale's. More than a little clumsily she tries to take another step away, her heart race picking up. ]

I... [ Her voice breaks slightly, cracking. ] Only have te--eleven memories. I think a few more. None of them... I remember you and Maya most. Auggie and Mom... [ She has in two memories, maybe? She remembers Christmas a little and she did get a few more memories coming here, but...] That's what we were trying to get, before here. And I was the only one there, from home.

[There's biting words going on all around. He thought he was trying to reassure her. He just lowers his arms calmly and nods.]

Well... I'm here. I'm listening.

[And listen he does, to what Riley has to say. It feels even more heartbreaking to hear his daughter sounding so lost and so confused.]

Riley, Riley... Take a breath. It's okay.

[Now he's trying to be soothing at least, while he struggles to accept this world. This world where Riley really does seem to have lost so much of their memories. This is something that nothing in his life has prepared him for...]

[Nightingale will step back again to let the two talk... She does feel bad for causing this kind of distress, but it's better to be discovered this way than by Cory taking a steel book to the head.]

[ But what if we wanted Magpie to throw books at people's head. Just like old times.

It is distressing, though, and an un-Riley-- or even Lark-like fashion she's shaking slightly. Her mouth feels dry and cottony, and she really just wanted to play pretend forever. She doesn't want to say anything at all and she wordlessly opens her mouth a minute. Nothing comes out, and she shakes her head. Tries again to no avail. It's almost suffocating as her fingers curl tightly ]

It's not. [ Her voice cracks into a squeak. ] I might not remember if we're here...

[There's probably tears welling up in his eyes, just from seeing her like this. But now he steps closer, and he'll try to place his hands on her shoulders if she'll let him, if it looks like it will help her to calm down.]

There's always a way, Riley. I promise. I don't know if I really understand a lot of this, but... I'm here.

[He shakes his head and gives a strained smile as he tries to reassure her.]

I'm here and I'm going to do everything I can to help you with this. There has to be a hope now of - of getting your memories back. Riley, we're in space now. The possibilities really are endless. And if there's one thing I know about Riley Matthews, is that this is the kind of thing she loves to believe.

...

It might not be impossible. I have met a few people who specialize in soul bullshit.

[ Well, she doesn't back away. So that's a start! She still seems to be shaking somewhat, if not as much, but she can't really bring herself to look at either of them. Why wasn't she stronger or more brave? Or more Riley? Her insides tightened as she tries to find her voice again. Because Lark wants to believe-- She's been trying really hard, that people were good and things can be happy. But sometimes it's hard to believe that about herself. Or knowing that Hawk and Magpie died and she couldn't help. Or Nightingale, how everyone has and that's not something you can fix. ]

I know. [ It's said in a breath. Because she knows that of Riley. She remembers wanting to make Maya happy, of wanting to fix things, of uniting the class and her family. She knows these things and even Lark spent a lot of time making pictures for everyone, insisting on loving everyone. But belief wasn't something she'd worked up to fully yet-- At least, not this Lark. Because it's hard when you're afraid of dying and seeing people you love die and she's not sure she can believe it won't happen. ] But even if we could-- we really could-- that... doesn't... really change things, does it?

Hey... language. [He whispers briefly to Nightingale, but then he's back to focusing solely on Riley as she speaks.]

What do you mean, Riley? What... wouldn't be changed?

I'll say what I want.

... It might. I was there when people first completed their mirrors. If someone as fucking stupid as the Queen could manage to figure out how to bring back a world from memories, maybe we could, too.

[ IT'S NOT LIKE SHE HASN'T HEARD NIGHTINGALE SAY WORSE. Wait, that might be a one way ticket to dad not letting her see her again--no he wouldn't do that right??? ]

I know... We can get back memories, I already had some... But that wouldn't change everything that happened, either.

[IT'S STILL PRETTY SHOCKING FOR CORY Not even Maya has this bad language ~~Clearly that has nothing to do with the Disney channel~~

Mirrors, queens... Whatever happened sounds very unreal and definitely out of Cory's depth. But he focuses on the one anchor of reality here, Riley.]

I'm not sure what you mean by that. But whatever happened... We'll still be able to move forward. And we'll still be able to find our way back home. I just know it.

[would you believe i was taught to curse by a pokemon trainer]

... You can't change what happened. But you can keep moving forward. If anyone can, it's you. You've been encouraging me since you first woke up there, remember?

You can go back to where you're from. Even if you can't, you can find a new place- Home isn't a place, home is where the people who make you happy are. If nothing else, you can come to my world once I've restored it- and I definitely will.

[ PLEASE DON'T TELL HIM ABOUT YOUR OLD PAST-TIME. At least she is looking a little less anxious, but it doesn't go fully away. Not if it was destroyed, she wants to say, but then Nightingale says that and she barrels on.]

Actually, I remember a lot of crying and hiding and Falcon Punch punching herself out of existence. [ THAT WASN'T ENCOURAGING AT ALL, TBH. ]

But if the world was destroyed our family is there. We can't... No other place would be the same without them...

[He smiles fondly towards Nightinggale as she speaks. That sounds exactly like the Riley he knows; things are starting to fall into place.

But now Riley's words leave him more confused than anything else.

What is a falcon punch, he hopes it wasn't spiked.

Well, that last part is distressing, but Cory raises a finger as he makes his point.]

"If". It might not have really happened. And where's the proof?

[He motions to himself.]

Bam! Instant family.

...I'm right here with you, Riley. And I know we'll find the rest of our family and our world. What can't we do when we have each other?

Edited 2015-08-15 06:22 (UTC)

Cecilia told us. That's good enough for me, for proof.

... But he's right. You'll find them. And you'll have to come see Delwight eventually, anyway, okay?

[ She looks a little uncomfortable at the idea it might not be real. Since it meant everyone got hurt for nothing and. She doesn't want that so she nods along with what Nightingale says and returns somewhat to staring at a wall in the ceiling. There's an edge of what if they don't? building up, but it's still just as easily abated by people's words.

Because Lark, and Riley, both always wants to believe in what people say and the good in the world. In all the worlds now, maybe. So she has to swallow, but she offers a smile even if it's not as full as it usually is-- Even if she's still partly worried that maybe Lark won't be good enough. She doesn't remember, after all. ]

Yeah, okay. There's... A lot of us here. And a lot of places. If everyone works together, there has to be away. I want to see Delwight, I want to see everything.

Edited 2015-08-15 06:59 (UTC)

[Cory really isn't sure what he's getting himself into, or how to approach these past experiences of Riley's. He simply can't believe in the idea that everything was truly 'destroyed'. But he won't press the matter at least, and he'll focus on the core of this: Riley herself. On believing in her, no matter how much or how little she remembers. It helps that, right now, even her angry friend seems to be on the same level as him in reassuring her.

...And he does know it might not go over well if he asks what the heck a Delwight is, so he'll just move right along there.]

That's my girl. [He says proudly.] It's like... history. There are so many possibilities, so many roads that can be taken. But if we work together, I know that we can work out the best possible way.

[Then he says more softly, as he moves in to hug Riley.]

I promise you, Riley.

'Like history'...?

[That was so cheesy and weird it takes her completely by surprise.]

... I can't say 'best', but now that we're here, we have nothing but time, right? We can take our time and figure things out.

The Heart is a Lonely Huntress

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