[036] hee hee ha ha ho ho

[notafuckingnut]

[Hello Barge! There is a more subdued than usual Richie greeting you all with a quiet, self-conscious smile, although he never quite looks at the screen.]

Um. Hi. So...I guess I'm here for a couple days? Like a field trip or something. Scared straight kinda thing I guess. I dunno.

Anyway. Hi. This is a pretty cool place you got here, aside from the whole prison thing.

[A/N: for the next few days, Richie is AFFECTED, in this case meaning Seth was marginalised. As a result, Richie's spent quite a bit of time in and out of various facilities, and consequently is fairly institutionalized. He doesn't quite get morals really, but he does what he's told with little complaint; basically he's an overgrown puppy who's stopped biting because he doesn't like getting swatted by the newspaper after, not so much because he's learned it's wrong to.]

Comments

Re: SPAM.

[notafuckingnut]

[oh, hello Claire? You wanted to encounter a Gecko along the way, didn't you? Of course you did. Regardless, there's one in the hallway now. He gives her an unassuming smile, as if there is nothing amiss in this situation at all.]

SPAM.

[some_kinda_hero]

[Despite forgiving him recently, she still freezes. Coming back to her senses, and uncertain if he's affected or not, Claire just nods at him.]

Re: SPAM.

[notafuckingnut]

Um. Hi.

[he seems uncertain, like he's not sure if saying hello is okay or not. But unlike usual there's no sign that he actually recognises her; he's being polite, but he knows by the normal rules he probably shouldn't be talking to her.]

[some_kinda_hero]

[She politely dips her head, smile small.] Hi. You're, uh, new here, right?

[Please be affected, please be affected. She's not ready to talk to him yet.]

[notafuckingnut]

Uh, yeah. I'm just visiting.

[fingers to mouth, chewing the nail, the skin. Something.]

I think it's just a scared straight kind of thing.

What about you?

HELLO ICON, lol

[some_kinda_hero]

I live here. [She looks him over, fast, and then steps forward. Hand out in greeting.] My name's Claire.

Heh

[notafuckingnut]

[he looks her over too, maybe a little too lingering, but he seems to catch himself, and up snap the eyes with a guilty look. Face.]

I'm Richie.

[he hesitates for a moment, then shakes her hand, pulling back about as soon as he can extricate himself to tuck the arm under the one connected to the fingers he's still chewing on.]

What'd you do?

Re: Heh

[some_kinda_hero]

[Interesting.]

I'm a Warden here, I came by choice.

[She crosses her arms and ask:] What'd you do?

Re: Heh

[notafuckingnut]

Nothing.

...I mean. That's why I'm here. I think. So I won't do anything.

Sounds like something Ratched would come up with.

[he pulls a face; it isn't really her name, but it's appropriate enough.]

I only ever got caught watching girls anyway. I never touched 'em or anything.

[there's a kind of earnestness there, a desperate admission that couldn't be anything but honesty. They put him in the system early on in this version, he never got the chance to go any further. If she watches and listens she can probably notice the teeth grinding; he's nervous.]

[some_kinda_hero]

Right. Scared straight, like you said.

[She nods, watching him for a moment. It's weird, seeing him like this.]

Do I make you nervous or something, Richie?

[notafuckingnut]

What? No, I just...

I'm not supposed to be wandering around by myself. It makes them nervous. Especially if there's girls.

[some_kinda_hero]

[Surprise, surprise.]

Who's them?

[notafuckingnut]

The nurses and shit. They usually keep an orderly around just in case.

[a finger twitch and some more chewing.]

[some_kinda_hero]

[She tries to subtly take a step backwards.]

But no babysitter now, right?

[notafuckingnut]

No.

I mean, I don't do anything. I'm good. I'm not like the troublemakers. I've been Upstairs, I don't want to go there again if I can help it. Or get the cocktail. I haven't done anything bad since the last time they had to up my dose.

[some_kinda_hero]

[Most of these terms are lost on her, but Claire doesn't ask for not wanting to know.]

Right. Well, I'm sure you won't be here long anyway. And if you're being allowed to explore alone, then they must think you're doing well enough.

This place you came from...was it a hospital, then?

[Because it sounds like a psych ward.]

[notafuckingnut]

I guess...

[he doesn't seem so sure. But then again he hasn't been on his own in...ever. So he doesn't quite see what the appeal would be.]

Yeah. Osawatomie. It's a state run place.

[some_kinda_hero]

I've never heard of it.

[Shrugs, trying for small talk with him is so weird.]

So, what are you going to do then? I'm not keeping you am I?

[notafuckingnut]

It's in Kansas.

[because that helps]

Uh no. You're not keeping me from anything. I'm not...actually sure what I'm supposed to be doing here. Experiencing or something. I dunno.

[some_kinda_hero]

Oh. I've only been to Texas, New York, and California.

Yeah, you're standing in for someone. I still have no idea what's going on or why, sorry. You talk to anyone else yet?

[notafuckingnut]

A few people. One didn't think this was much of a prison, and I think one was a therapist.

Who am I standing in for?

[some_kinda_hero]

Before I answer that, have you read the journal in your room, yet? Because my answer might be too crazy for you to believe and that could help.

[notafuckingnut]

...I poked through it a little. I started, but...

[An uncomfortable shrug; he doesn't really like the guy he read about.]

[some_kinda_hero]

[She shrugs herself and cants her head to the side, once.] That's who you're here for or replacing or whatever.

[Now she wonders if he saw anything about her.]

[notafuckingnut]

[a moment or so of contemplation, then:]

He's not very nice, is he.