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riley matthews: girl meets world

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[It's been nearly a month since she's been here. For Riley Matthews that's a long time, especially to be without her parents and friends. The whole ordeal was scary at first-- it was still scary-- but she'd done her best to gather up the courage she did have. Without Maya it was hard because she was afraid to take more chances, but that's why she continuously decided to think about how Maya did instead. It helped a little, and it's the only reason she dared to venture out earlier in the month.

Now, however, it's that same courage that spurs her to decide to speak on the locket. She's not good with public speaking, she knows that. There's a reason that Maya laughed at her the entire time they did morning announcements at school. But maybe that was behind her. Maybe. So it's that hope that has her open the locket for the first time since she's been here. It's that hope that lets her give a small, timid smile and a wave as it comes on. And, well....]

Yellow! I'm Smelly Cashews. [--Wait a minute, she winces. Usually, she'd just plunge on and try her best to continue whatever she rehearsed. But introducing herself as Smelly Cashews was probably a terrible idea. Could she delete that? Nevermind, it wasn't important.]

...Sorry. I'm not very good at this. I'm Riley Matthews, from Greenwich Village, New York. I know that doesn't matter much at all to anyone, but it's important to me. You see, aside from visiting my grandparents in Philadelphia sometimes... I've never left New York before. And while New York is big and there's millions of people living there, it's nothing like here. We have subways, and skyscrapers, and everyone has cellphones with selfie-sticks.

Well, I guess everyone kind of has cellphones here, too.

What I'm trying to say is, this isn't anything like that. Even the scary places of town seem a lot less scary then things that happen around here. [Though, of course, she's not allowed to go to the really bad sections of town. But she. Doesn't say that.] That's why I decided to leave the castle earlier and travel. I like safety, I do, it's nice-- but it doesn't sound like you can really be safe anywhere here, right? And its not-- I don't think I could sit somewhere safe anyway. Not if I knew something bad was happening. I'd want to help, even a little.

Sometimes, it doesn't feel like I can. I'd barely turned thirteen before getting here and I definitely don't know magic or first aid. The only thing I'm good at is helping people... And I'm not sure how that can apply here. I know it can, making people happy is important-- But there's not a lot I can do compared to all of that. So-- I'd like to learn. If there's anyone who knows a way to do that, I'd like to talk to them. Or find someone.

But if it's okay, I'd also like to ask everyone what they do around here. To help. Or do something you feel is right. There seems like there could be a lot of answers to this, and I'd like to know.

It's okay if you don't have any answers for any of these things, if you want we can just talk. I like meeting people. This seemed like a good way to do it.

---Thanks for listening.

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Nice to meet you, Smelly. I'm Leo.

[ He's not saying that to be mean, judging from the way he grins in amusement. ]

You aren't the only person here from New York. I mean, if you want to get technical, I'm from Texas, but New York's close enough. [ It's where he went to camp after all. ] And yeah, this place is a lot different. If you want a slice of home, you have to go to the Station. It's the only place any of our stuff works right.

[ Welcome to Lameville, population: everyone. ]

I can't help much with, uh... teaching you stuff, unless you want to learn to work a forge, [ he continues with a shrug, ] but there are a lot of people around Caer Glaem who can. Gwenllian can probably help you out with weapons - which, by the way, you should definitely get one, even it's just like a knife of something. It'll go a long way, trust me. But anyway, you just need to figure out what you want to learn and ask around. Someone will be able to help.

As for me... [ He lets out a deep breath, contemplating that. This is usually where he'd call himself the Repair Boy, like Piper always did, but there isn't a whole lot to repair anymore, unless you count entire structures like the gates of Cothromach and the White Citadel. ]

I'm a blacksmith, [ Leo decides, nodding to himself, ] and architect, I guess. I've been making weapons since before I even got here, and I helped design and build the White Citadel. I've been studying with the dwarves, too, to learn how they do magic in forging. When I've got some extra time, I've been trying to add to this shrine I built for one of the gods here.

[ She smiles sheepishly at the response, because she should have expected that. She did expect it. And she wants to interject, but instead she listens. She'd heard of the Station, but somehow it just seemed like it would make her feel a lot more lonely than she already did. Besides, what use is a cellphone when you could only use it in one place? ...Well, unless there was a way to get the pictures off of it.

Her mouth definitely opens and closes when he suggests getting a weapon, her eyes as wide as saucers. Even now, it's not thought that crosses her mind, and with someone voicing it she's even less comfortable about it than she already was. Nope. That didn't sound like a good idea at all.

But she waits until he's done to speak, which is a feat. ]

I have a friend from Texas. He helped give birth to a horse.[ A beat. ]Have you done something like that, too? Do all Texans no how to

[ It's a legitimate question, or to her it is. And it's easier to be silly than ace the scary questions. ]

But that's really impressive. There can't be a lot of people your each that all. I can't even build a house out or cards without it falling down. You must have been here a while now to manage to make a whole Citadel.

[ Still doesn't know what she wants to do, but it can't be any of that. She thinks. ]

That would be a no, [ he says, eyebrows raised. ] I grew up in Houston, not on a farm. Crappy apartment building and all.

See, the secret to building a good house of cards that doesn't fall down... [ He leans in, lowering his voice to a stage whisper. This is obviously important information that cannot get out to the wrong people! ] ...is to glue the cards down while you go. [ His voice returns to normal. ] But that's a secret!

[ Leo shrugs. ] It's been almost two years, but the citadel only took, like, a few months. We had a lot of help.

Oh. So you're not a country boy. And you never were around a ranch? [ Important questions of the day: How much of Lucas' life is abnormal to other Texans.

But, oh, wait she definitely leans forward to listen and her eyes remain the same, saucer-wide size. Everything she's hearing is important and secretive and what if someone tries to get it out of her? ] ...Isn't that cheating?

[ Two years is a long time, though, and the excitement kind of dies down a little. ] It sounds like it if you could build it that fast. I wouldn't think they could build it as fast as stuff in New York with how old everything is.

Nope. City boy, through and through. Unless you count Wilderness School, which I definitely don't.

[ Because it's not really in the wilderness. They just like to say it is because of that whole "Where the children are the animals" crap they've got going on. Look, just because the police get tired of dealing with some kids doesn't mean they're all bad. ]

It's only cheating if you get caught, [ Leo explains sagely. ] The trick is to not get caught.

Yeah, it's kind of weird sometimes, but they also use magic here to help things along. Like, you know, to do some of the heavy lifting or whatever. It's not how I do things on the regular, but I guess it helps.

Wilderness School? Was it like going to school in a cabin in the woods? That sounds like the start to a bad horror movie.

[ And she definitely doesn't like horror movies. ]

Oh. No. I couldn't cheat, they'd know if I did.

[ The moment you're too brutally honest for that kind of thing. ]

I never thought about using magic to build things. You'd think magic would be used for more extravagant things-- like fancy dresses or ending world hunger. Helping to build things sounds really... simple.

No, it was just a school for juvenile delinquents. They wanted it to sound like they were actually teaching us something, I guess, [ he says dryly. ] Didn't teach me anything but how to run faster when some jock is on my tail. Though it was in the middle of Nowhere, Nevada.

[ He shrugs. It's not something he thinks about much anymore. ]

Only if you gave it away. It takes practice to succeed, young padawan. Perhaps someday, get there, you will.

[ Alright, Leo's going to drop the Yoda act there. ]

Nah, magic can be used for just about anything as long as you know how. And it's not as easy as it sounds, trust me, [ he assures her, serious despite the smile on his face. ] There's a lot that goes into it. It's just another way of engineering something, with different tools. Honestly, I'd think the fancy dresses would be easier.

Don't be so sure. That means a lot to a fellow New Yorker.

[Steve smiles at her, a bit forced, because she's thirteen and this is no place for her. But he should know by now that that doesn't stop either court.]

My name's Steve, and I'm a soldier. So maybe I can help the next time you want to go out exploring.

[She just has to call him up on the "kind of" cellphone. Which reminds him.]

What's a selfie stick?

This is starting to sound more like an assembly of New Yorkers than medieval land.

[ It's said lightly. She's accepted the idea, if not got used to, that she was in a place she should be at all. And she's trying really hard not to be afraid of it, so it had to be something. ]

Really? I mean. I wouldn't want to bother you. You've probably got a lot of things and people to help here.

[ Oh. Someone that doesn't know a selfie stick? That's weird. ]

It's this stick people put their phones on so they can take pictures of themselves easier, in different places. They're everywhere now.

It's not a bother. It's what I'm here for.

[It's why he has the shield, coming to the defense of those who can't defend themselves. It's the one thing he's sure of.]

Is it that important to take pictures of yourself everywhere you go?

Do you mean that's what you decided to do here?

[ Since she's sure he wasn't brought here specifically to help random people, let alone kids, on a locket network. If this was a war, they'd want soldiers, right? Which is why it's hard for her to digest her position. ]

If you want to captivate the moment, it is. The whole word 'selfie' was coined because people liked to take pictures of themselves in the bathroom or anywhere else they were. Especially with friends or in new clothes.

Yeah, I guess you could say that.

[His smile warms.]

Ah. See, that's the problem. I'm way behind on my clothes shopping.

Heehee, Smelly Cashews... [Sorry, Aisling can't resist having a bit of a laugh at that. But she does look a bit more sympathetic after she's gotten that out of her system.]

There's nothing wrong with making people happy, though.

Heeeey now. [ Not that she's too bothered by it. Since she's done that enough by now. And Maya laughed at her all over the radio waves, but her smile kind of falters as she brushes her hair back. ]

I don't think there is, either. But... I don't know how much it'll be helpful to everyone in the long run. And that's what I wanna do.

Well...if there's something else you want to do, you could ask someone to teach you something new. Right?

That's what I was thinking. I just have to figure out... What that is, now. There seems to be a whole wide world of options, even more than home.

Hey, Manhattan. I'm from Manhattan. [ totally something to bond over yep. and it makes her feel a little homesick for a second, but really just a second. ] Not Greenwich, though. I grew up a little further uptown. [ in the rich part of the borough, yeah, but she kind of hates that, so she's not mentioning it, nope ]

But, um. You sound just like me when I got here. And that was two years ago, so I can tell you- You'll find a place. I promise. It's going to be confusing and you're going to try some stuff that won't be exactly right, but you'll figure it out. [ and that's not even her using her seer-vision okok ] It can get overwhelming, but it's not all bad. You'll meet some amazing people, and learn how to do amazing things.

Really? There seems to be a lot of us. [ She pauses at that statement and makes a bit of a face. ] I wasn't allowed to go that far without my mom or dad until recently. It took a long time to get a subway pass. [ Which is why all this freedom is both exhilarating and terrifying. ]

[ Riley folds her hands before her and listens, really listens. There's a whole lot of things she's not sure of. Finding a place is one of them. She was already confused and overwhelmed, but she was used to that by now. And she wasn't sure she'd be the person able to learn amazing things. Not because she didn't want to, she did, but right now it all seemed beyond her.

And it's why she has to ask the one simple question that comes barreling out: ]

Then... Can I ask if it gets easier? 'Cause right now it just seems like it'll get scarier.

Easier is- Well. [ hm ] We are here because of a war, and no matter how far you travel out from the mainland, it tends to follow you in some way. --Not in a it will find you looming doom way, but even the most secluded parts of the world are effected by it. And it does get scary. But it does get a little easier too, once you learn your way around, both literally and figuratively.

You don't have to fight. [ that's the important part! ] You should learn how to protect yourself, of course, with magic or some kind of weapon, but you don't need to take part in the fight against the other court, not directly.

New York has grown so much?

[Yes that's going to be her first question. Gentle, because the girl is probably embarrassed enough as it is. Making proclamations to near total strangers in a strange place is nerve wracking enough.]

Are you doing well with such a change to this place?

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