riveir - Tumblr blog

[riveir]

i am still here !! i’ve just been a little busier with my semester ramping up so i’m not reblogging memes & all that as often, and i haven’t had drafts to do in a while either, but i haven’t ditched i promise :)

[riveir]

edenslegacies   :

❝ i get the sense that you do nothing without sincerity. ❞

it was a refreshing change to speak with someone who seemed to have such a warm demeanor and a genuine authenticity. many of the Ton rarely spoke their true feelings or their true thoughts for fear of how they might be perceived for one small mistake could set off litanies of gossip that one could never recover from. 

she always prepared herself to converse nothing aside from the weather, the latest fashions at the modiste, and whether one enjoyed promenading at hyde park since such topics were usually the only ones that seemed to matter but this conversation was far more invigorating than small talk. 

❝ i can only hope that i share your same virtue of sincerity for i find that sometimes i must be anyone other than myself. ❞

if her assessment was true           ( which, objectively, it was ), it was simply because river felt some compulsion to make up for all the insincerity that was so normalized in the majority of their society. he was probably a bit inordinately frustrated — at least comparatively so — at all the theatrics and facades that so many people seemed to feel compelled to put on. for someone who craved honesty and sincerity and for people to just be up front with him ... to say it could all feel a bit overwhelming was likely an understatement.

“i cannot speak for anyone else,”           river began, casting a brief glance sideways at their crowd of present company. “but i can assure that yourself is the only person you need be as far as i am concerned.” he smiled a bit, warmly, in a way he hoped was reassuring. “i like to think we would all be a bit happier with one another if there were no pressures to do any pretending.”

[riveir]

edenslegacies   :

❝ less to see and less to hear. ❞

it’s a quiet agreement that falls from her lips but an agreement nonetheless which is rare for the young woman. she prefers merely to listen and to keep her own counsel for few others have ever been able to understand the person that she has become. 

❝ people expect less of those who keep to the shadows. and i find the daylight to be exhausting. ❞

in the sunlight, one’s fears were far too visible to the eye. 

while river certainly shared her evident preference for the anonymity and general peace afforded by the nighttime hours,           he wouldn’t say he had such a strong aversion to the opposite. it was just more circumstantial, he supposed. if he had some time alone, to get out and enjoy the air and the light without scrutinizing company ( as much of the company he typically held reliably was ) was actually quite pleasant, and could often serve as a needed reprieve from ... well, just about everything. “it can be,” river conceded, not one to be contrarian when he had the opportunity instead to provide some honest validation to the other’s perspective. “in the wrong company, i suppose. or ... maybe in too strong heat.” he tried the tiniest of smiles in attempt to bolster the intended subtle moment of levity.

[riveir]

dangeress   :

           ❛ 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐓, if ever to discover the root of a problem, attempt to take a look at the full painting, instead of one section. My connections are integral part, you see. I happen to also be friends with a number of lovely women that frequent certain dens of iniquity you may or may not be familiar with –– I am far from one to judge. in any case, they also, provide very valuable information. ❜ She gave a sly smirk, lifting her fan so that it could be seen as simple FLIRTATION by any onlookers, the pale pink feathers shielding Daphne well. ❛ I would be more than honored to receive your help! I always welcome different opinions, when they are helpful. The number of times a sister of mine has offered me nothing but negativity when blocked on a ‘case’ would alarm you if I were to mention it. ❜

❛ Well, you see –– I have it some GREAT AUTHORITY that the queen’s chambermaid has overheard –– ❜ at this, Daphne’s voice dipped, lowering, ❛ ––of the queen’s attempts to find Lady Whistledown. I say attempts of course, because they haven’t been the least successful, from what I hear. If I, however, were to find out the identity of the mysterious Whistledown, and were to thus receive the blessing henceforth of the Queen as a SLEUTH… well I suppose you can imagine what that mean for me, Mr. Barkley. ❜

"dens of iniquity?”           river’s brows raised with amused incredulity, exhaling a short chuckle at the implication. “unfortunately, i cannot help you there,” he concluded with emphatic definitiveness, though even if he could have been, his disarming smile would have betrayed it           and he knew better than to be admitting to anything of the sort in public, anyways. “but i will most happily offer my opinions in hopes that they may be helpful,” he compromised, though perhaps more to humor her than to at all boast his own skills at intel gathering; to say they were considerably lacking would even be a bit of an understatement, though that was quite largely just for a simple lack of trying. 

“well, i can imagine it would mean quite a great deal,”           river noted, nodded his head knowingly. “and i should say that with all of the information you already have, you may be well on your way.” of course, the queen quite likely had mechanisms well beyond the reach of anyone else at her disposal to accomplish such a task. but it was quite evident that daphne was more than sharp and shrewd enough all on her own to stand a fighting chance at beating her to the punch. she had, after all, made quite a bit of progress considering the relatively short amount of time she’d actually spent thus far on her crusade. “i feel quite secure vesting my faith in you.”

[riveir]

triguilt   :

          Hope couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up in her chest, and she pressed a swift kiss to his cheek. “I think that’s one thing that you and I can definitely agree on. You couldn’t be a jerk to anyone if you tried, River Barkley.” It was certainly in his DNA, judging by the way his family was, but he broke the cycle when it came to that sort of thing. She couldn’t imagine him even pretending to act that way. That sort of moral integrity was rare, both in the real world and even in her own family. Hope herself struggled with it from time to time, even though she tried to be better, challenged herself by giving herself mental points for doing the right thing. Even though morality didn’t exactly work that way, but it was how a younger her coped with some of the less than positive things that her family was known for. “But I’m still grateful that you agreed. I half-considered going to the stoner pit and seeing who was willing to agree, but I think that might have gone over in the worst possible way,” she said with a half-grin. In truth, she couldn’t imagine anyone other than River filling the position of “fake boyfriend”, not simply because he was a nice guy, but because he actually felt compatible with her in a way that most other men didn’t. It wasn’t about him being nice or good, but rather the fact that he seemed to see her in a way that others couldn’t be bothered to do. “You’re a good man. It has nothing to do with your family or your wealth, and everything to do with who you are here,” she murmured, pressing her hand flat against his chest, right over his heart.

perhaps his dna itself was the very thing that made him want to be so different           from those who had given it to him. river had spent many years seeing his parents’ selfishness, their shallowness, their vanity, their frivolity, their concern for things like what their neighbors thought of their living room and lack thereof for things like how withdrawn their son could sometimes be. it wasn’t that he didn’t love his parents, because he absolutely did, even if it may not have been as simple or straightforward or unconditional love as other families might have shared. but river did fall squarely in the camp of those children who saw their parents’ mistakes and shortcomings and not only learned from them, but actively worked to be quite the opposite. he was glad           relieved, even, that he seemed to have managed to establish himself as a basically good person, or perhaps just a decent person. that would still be more than could be said for roland or poppy barkley on occasions. and he could trust hope’s affirmations more than he felt he could trust those that might have come from anyone else. one of the things he’d come to know about her quite quickly was that she was quite reliably honest. she didn’t seem to have a penchant for sugarcoating or empty compliments, and that made everything she said mean much more. between the kiss to his cheek and her increasingly kind testaments to his character, river was growing increasingly sheepish, gaze ducked and his cheeks tinging pink and a shy little smile creasing his dimples. he met her eyes when her hand came to rest over his heart, a seriousness in his expression, gaze deep with sincere gratitude. “i’d say if anyone knows anything about character, it’s you.” his head dipped forward just slightly, brows raising the slightest bit, both as if to punctuate his words and provide emphasis to prove just how wholeheartedly he meant that. “i’m really lucky you didn’t go to the stoner pit first,” river began, smile lifting once again to crack the little joke. “because it meant that i got to know you, and ... i’m really glad that i did.” he hesitated a moment, eyes briefly dropping to the hand over his chest before he looked back up at her. “there’s not a lot of people like you in the world. hardly any, in my experience. ... and i mean that in the best of ways.”

[riveir]

“ it’s really important to me that all of you know that your lives have value. that they’re important. that you’re important. ”

headcanon & au - based river barkley of netflix’s the politician.   featuring crossover verses & canon content.   by katie.   ©

[riveir]

edenslegacies   :

❝ there’s always something to do around new york, i’ll say that much at least. ❞

there had certainly never been a dull moment in her life and she’d always thought that she fit exceptionally well within the chaotic tapestry of the city given her own spontaneous and vivacious nature.

❝ that sounds like a dream. i mean, i’m a city girl at heart but even i have to admit that we don’t have the best beaches anywhere near here.  ❞

it’s an unabashed admittance followed by a sheepish smile as she tries to conjure up the image within her mind of the coast that he so eloquently describes. 

❝ i’ll have to get over to the west coast some day to see it for myself!  ❞

river’s intrigue about the opposite coast was one he largely kept to himself.           he knew that if his parents had any say about it ( which they certainly did ), there would be no straying from the path that would largely not take him out of california, at least not with any permanence. he’d tempted himself before by checking out websites for college on the east coast, particularly those in new york city, but he tried not to let any of his daydreams become too vivid.

“oh, sure, yeah,”           he nodded, maintaining a bright and easy smile, even if his enthusiasm for the coastal beaches of his hometown didn’t quite match hers. they were beautiful, of course, and he knew he was fortunate to live where he did, but he often wasn’t sure the benefits of his worlds outweighed the many ( albeit private ) detriments. “i like ‘em most towards sunset. there’s some really great views.” he shrugged, sort of dismissively, though his smile remained and was assuringly disarming. “but most people like to get out and swim and surf, and all that. and sunbathe.” it was california, after all.

[riveir]

lovelorns   :

             ‘  well  you  see  ,   i’m  entirely  capable  -  ’   and  it’s  not  that  betty  is  insecure  in  her  capabilities  ,   but  she’s  SMART  -  she  knows  that  a  one  woman  team  is  fine  ,   but  she  more  prefers  having  partners  .     ‘  i  need  a  partner  in  crime !  just  someone  who  can  stay  up  late  with  me  to  research  ,   write  things  up  ,   help  me  with  the  newspapers  -  ’   it  would  mean  breaking  into  her  mom’s  building  .   it  wouldn’t  be  the  first  time  .    ‘  like  i  said  ,   no one  would  know  besides  the  two  of  us  .   i  just  -  i  need  people  to  stop  looking  at  and  for  jughead  .   he  doesn’t  deserve  the  whole  town  hating  him  ,   not  when  the  majority  of  them  already  dislike  him  .  ’   she  needs  to  get  attention  off  of  him  so  she  can  get  in  .  

river wasn’t sure how he felt about functioning as a distraction,           particularly because he knew very well that his family would not take kindly to him receiving any sort of negative or scrutinizing attention from anyone in town. their reputations, both of the family and individually, were far too important. it all sounded a bit vague, both the expectations of him and the task itself, but he was also not ever very inclined to say no to anyone. “well, writing and researching doesn’t seem too surreptitious or incriminating,” he concluded, broad shoulders rising and falling quickly in an easy little shrug. he didn’t get it too much thought, not wanting to seem hesitant. “i think i could more than handle that. especially if it would take some load off of you.”

[riveir]

edenslegacies   :

she doesn’t intend for her words to have such a poisonous undertone but there is no denying that they carry a sharpness regardless of her intention. she has far bigger fish to fry yet it’s difficult for her to fathom why, out of anyone in the student body, river feels the need to become chummy with payton. sure, tutoring was one thing but he’d never even seemed irritated or dismayed that he had to spend so much time with someone that she had loathed since she had been old enough to do long division. 

❝ its for your resume. its kind of irrelevant whether you’d do a good job or not since it’ll go on your resume either way. ❞ 

why did he care so much? he’s always been far more attached to the well-being of other people than she has and its this knowledge that compels her to chime in a few words of reassurance,

❝ you’ll do an amazing job. i know it. ❞ 

she doesn’t feel the need to list her reasons for offering such an affirmative statement. her certainty should be more than enough to put him at ease, shouldn’t it? she shrugs, far too much in her own thoughts to notice the change in her boyfriend’s demeanor, as she twirls a thin curl of blonde hair around her index finger. 

❝ you’re worrying way too much. i really don’t think it’s that deep, river. you run, you win and then you’re student body president. that’s all there is to it. ❞ 

river couldn’t, for the life of him,           understand why she was so unwilling to budge on this. he didn’t want to do it. why wasn’t that enough to shut the whole thing down? surely no one would want a class president whose heart wasn’t in the job. granted, given his nature, should he win river would undoubtedly perform his duties with empathy and genuine concern and all the things that would surely make up an ideal leader. but that would be because he’d ( yet again ) have been put in a position where he could either serve people well, or completely disappoint them. he’d been raised to never see the latter as an option.

“i don’t want to do it.”           there was an emphatic edge in his tone, a hint of frustration, though that was all by river’s standards; evidence of outward aggravation for him likely looked much closer to someone else coming off just barely and vaguely annoyed. besides, the look on his face was much more desperate and pleading than anything else, all but silently begging her to drop this strange crusade and just support him. “i’m happy with what i already do, and ... anyone who actually wants the job would automatically be a way better fit simply because they want it. i’d have no passion for it, for the job itself, at least. everyone has specific causes they care about, but that doesn’t necessarily make anyone a better candidate for leadership.”

[riveir]

vrake   :

 there’s something about river’s laugh that josie can’t help but appreciate.  it wasn’t often that they got to hang like this, so weightless for a precios evening.  they were both often so quiet and serene that fooling around like this was welcomed to ease their minds.  she wasn’t ignorant to the way this playful banter wasn’t exactly a part of river’s household and the feeling of knowing he felt comfortable enough around her to just play along warmed her chest with unmeasured joy.  “ you know it, so good to see you can tell an authority figure when you see it.”  she puffs out her chest, resting both hands in her waist in mock command.  “ besides, they’d look so cute, now i just want to see you wearing them.”

he appreciated her willingness to run with the joke.           it was rare that he got to flex his bantering muscles at all, and though the subject was a bit silly, he was glad josie was game for a little back-and-forth. they were both prone to putting themselves under pressure, enough to make it a bit difficult to release much of it. mutually finding a bit of a reprieve was something of a relief; ribbing each other over a pair of fluffy animal slippers was perhaps just the thing to provide enough levity to lighten their metaphorical loads for even just a few minutes. “i don’t know if they’ll even fit me,” river pointed out through a little chuckle, assessing the slippers with raised eyebrows. “i mean           i’m actually pretty sure they won’t.”

[riveir]

lovedtwice   :

        she  can  only  smile  in  agreement,  knowing  full   well  that  it  was  true.   the  season’s  incomparable  could  have  been  anybody,  but  everyone  in  the  ton  knew  that  daphne  would  be  a  strong  candidate.   francesca  could  only  hope  that  everyone  wouldn’t  think  she  was  such  a  disappointment  once  she  had  to  come  before  the  queen.   ❝  if  only  our  family’s  confidence  was  enough  to  help  us  find  a  good  match  in  london.  ❞

“it can’t possibly hurt, can it?”           the corners of his lips lifted just a bit more into a bit of a lighter smile, more suiting the levity in his tone. “i can imagine that families without such supports would be content to marry their children off to whoever made the first offer.” river meant it as a joke, of course, just an attempt to keep things light, but surely there was some unfortunate truth to that in some cases. “not that i think anyone should need to solely rely on ones family, of course,” he clarified, quickly, realizing how that may come off, despite good intentions. “individual merits and good character — that should be more than enough, as far as finding a good match.”

[riveir]

edenslegacies   :

❝ perhaps but i often wonder if those are skills i possess because of my own natural merit or because they are required in the eyes of society. ❞

did she have anything that was truly her own or were all her talents a mere product of the life that she had been raised for? no doubt she could ask her sister such a question and she would have a most salient answer but daphne had no desire to introspectively examine her life. she was the eldest daughter of the bridgerton family and she had a responsibility to secure a good marriage match for the sake of her family, her younger sisters and herself. 

❝ it is the world we live in. ❞

it would be improper for her to begin a tirade of all the frustrations with the Ton that has built up within her since the beginning of her first season. 

❝ you are fortunate that you were born a man. ❞

while many others in his position might not have been quite so willing to acknowledge their privilege,           river was quite acutely aware of it. perhaps it was because he had more to lose than others, ran a bigger risk of damaging his reputation and sullying his family name in a way far more serious than marrying unsuitably late or making a match that was not exactly ideal. he considered himself quite fortunate to have the educational opportunities he had, the social advantages he was afforded, and of course his own familial status. some might have gone on the defensive to be told they were fortunate to simply have been born a man, but river responded with a nod of acknowledgement and a more serious expression. “i know.” and he meant it. “though, for what it’s worth ... i do think there is merit in good character. more merit than most anything else. it’s one thing to be able to go through the motions given what’s expected, but it’s another thing to do so and come off with any sort of sincerity.” he cracked a tiny smile once again. “that says much more about a person than anything else, i think.”

[riveir]

“ it’s really important to me that all of you know that your lives have value. that they’re important. that you’re important. ”

headcanon & au - based river barkley of netflix’s the politician.   featuring crossover verses & canon content.   by katie.   ©

[riveir]

river found striking familiarity in the sentiment.           while he wouldn’t say he necessarily shunned the light of waking hours, preferring and seeking natural light to artificial and being a generally outdoorsy person more often than not, he found a peace at night that unfailingly eluded him before moonrise. the world felt less overwhelming when it was shrouded in darkness, save for the light of the stars. what that said about him, river wasn’t sure he wanted to think too hard about. “there’s less to see at night,” he offered knowingly with a tiny smile in understanding, confident she could pick up on the subtext. “i know how comforting that can be. maybe too well.”

❝ most people embrace daylight but i find that only at night am i ever truly myself anymore.❞

@riveir​ from helena // one-liner starter call ( accepting )

[riveir]

shoreabove   :

                 his words hit her like a truck. ( it’s not his fault, she reminds herself. he doesn’t know. he couldn’t know. in fact, most people who regularly come into contact with cathy don’t know. she doesn’t like talking about it, the way she spectacularly ruined her personal life. ) there’s a tension in her shoulders that doesn’t drop until she’s got a hand on the front door to her cafe, and after allowing him to step in first, she nods.

                 ❛trying to work, ❜she starts first, giving small things.❛ i don’t know if you know this, but i’m not the only broadway hopeful living in new york city. ❜it’s phrased as a joke, and cathy chuckles, hands smoothing down her jacket as she motions for him to take a seat at the bar. ❛in the meantime, i sew – repairs, costume design, commissions. things to keep me afloat. and, well, ❜she pauses, tugging an apron over her head,❛ this, too. the glamorous life of a working actress.❜

river felt a bit sheepish given the way she responded,           but he supposed it was better that way than to have made any assumptions in the first place, whether or not they would have been accurate aside. after all, as far as he knew, the stereotypical picture of the starving artist picking up odd jobs to make ends meet could have been just that. god forbid he’d assumed her life was in any way similar to that and it hadn’t been the case.

“well, the hope is that it’ll all be worth it someday, right?”           river offered, taking note of her indication and shifting into the open seat. “at least it’s something you’re passionate about,” he added, much more than he could say about what he did. “to work towards, and all, i mean. and in the meantime ... there’s certainly something to be said for keeping busy.”

[riveir]

edenslegacies   :

❝ yep!  i was born in albany but we moved to new york city when i was a toddler so i like to think i’m a new yorker born and bred. ❞

 anything and everything that had happened in her life of even the smallest degree of importance had happened in the city so it was as good a home as one could have as far as she was concerned. it was impossible to imagine living anywhere that was devoid of bustling city streets and towering skyscrapers. 

❝ is california like the movies? you know, with the big palm trees, the sandy beaches and that giant hollywood sign? ❞

“the city’s a great place,”           river offered, enthusiasm in both his tone and his smile completely sincere. he’d been just a few times, when his father had needed to make a trip on business and he’d offered an invitation to tag long. it had was quite different from santa barbara, big and busy in a way that felt almost completely opposite. “not that i’ve been many times, but i really liked it when i did.” he couldn’t help a chuckle at her image of california, out of fond amusement rather than anything more cynical or snarky. “yeah, all that’s there,” he confirmed with a nod of his head. “i live on the coast, though, so i’m relatively far removed from los angeles and the big city. more palm trees and sandy beaches than hollywood sign, i guess.” river gave a little grin at the reciprocation of her phrasing.

[riveir]

jesstanleys·:

EXTERIOR  SHOT.   THE  WORLD  IS  BORN  ANEW  INTO  SWATHES  OF  WHITE,   A  SNOW   -    BLED  PARODY  OF  DOMESTIC  BLISS   –   IT  IS  A  FRESH  EVENING  AND  YOU  ARE  CONTENT.

peace  is  too  malleable  in  jessica's  life   [   a  stain  of  soft  moments  upon  a  life  of  dreary  blankness   –   EXCITEMENT  MIGHT  KILL  HER   ].   excitement  hinted  at  a  life  outside  of  high  society,   the  regal  paint  of  their  shared  doom  stripped  away   ;   was  there  really  a  life  that  was  more  life  than  this?   the  girl  was  always  looking  outwards,   because  her  insides  were  too  delicate,    too  mangled.   if  there  was  more  to  life,   jessica  would  only  taste  it  in  brief  flashes   –   in  the  cold  snow  beneath  her  ungloved  fingertips  as  she  rolls  a  ball  through  this  holy  land.   her  dress  is  marred  with  snow,   ruinous  stains  that  will  drip  away  into  wetness   (   her  mother  will  scold  her  for  that  later,   she  can  already  hear  the  angry  hush  of  a  voice  that  must  be  tempered  and  constrained   ).   and  don't  even  get  her  mother  started  on  all  the  horrors  of  being  alone  with  a  boy.   it  would  bring  her  little  comfort  to  know  that,   truly,    there  was  no  need  to  worry.   jessica  looked  at  men  the  same  way  a  child  would  study  a  leaf   :     thoroughly  fascinated  in  the  most  absent  sense.

JESSICA:   oh,   give  them  some  credit   (   …   )   i'm  sure  they'll  dedicate  at  least  half  an  hour  of  conversation towards  how  we  acted. JESSICA   [   ignoring  the  mirror,    the  bared  soul,   a  frightening  ache   ]:   did  i  sit  up  straight  enough?   was  i  eating  my  food  too  quickly?   did  you  and  i  flirt  enough  over  cold  soup? JESSICA:   not  to  mention  the  fact  my  mother  has  started  a  second  feud  with  a  family  friend.   lots  to  talk  about.

RIVER,   THOUGH,   UNDERSTANDS  HER   (   perhaps  not  as  deeply  as  HE  COULD,   for  jessica  suffers  from  that  sinking  desperation  to  hide,   the  bone  -  deep  desire  to  escape  all  the  eyes  that  laid  upon  her   ).   there  is  something  soft  in  his  eyes  that  forgoes  judgement   –   he  would  make  a  good  husband.   a  better  one  to  a  different  girl,   one  that  could  love  him  in  all  the  ways  she  could  not   [   a  girl  made  of  summer  days  and  a  beating  heart,   a  girl  so  painfully  unlike  herself   ].   but  she  would  stand  beside  him.   and  perhaps,   sometimes,   that  was  enough.

JESSICA:   well,   obviously,   we  need  sticks  for  the  arms.   and  we  can  use  small  rocks  for  the  eyes. JESSICA   [   a  sigh  softer  than  the  snowdrops  that  land  against  her  skin,   arms  crossed  over  her  chest   ]:   but  if  we  use  rocks  for  the  nose  and  the  eyes,   it's  going  to  look  stupid.   AND  WE  CAN'T  HAVE  A  STUPID  LOOKING  SNOWMAN. JESSICA:   we  have  to  sneak  back  inside   (   …   )   it's  the  only  way.

there was perhaps more to river than jessica could suspect,           more to him that made them more of kindred spirits than to the extent they already were. although, the things that threatened to distinguish him, in the worst way possible, were not ones he tried to give much thought to, terrified about the conclusions he might draw. it had been instilled in him from a young age that his lot in life was to honor his family name, to be a man worthy of it, and to ensure it carries on to someone else who would be tasked with such things, too, in due time. should the current senior barkley have any say ( and if habits persisted, he absolutely would ), there was no room for any deviations from such standards, no allowances for diverging from such a clearly delineated path. for as much scrutiny and potential disapproval that jessica might receive for all the alone time she was spending with a boy, river was likely to get the opposite reception; his parents would undoubtedly see the groundwork for a potential courtship and begin trying to suss jessica out, in regards to suitability — more than they had been already, river was quite sure. not that he would want her to get roped into any obligations of matrimony with him. on paper, he might have been a societal ideal: he came from money, he had manners, he was the eldest ( and only ) son of a well-connected family, and he’d been well-educated. but that was just on paper, and there was quite a bit below his surface level that could surely negate all of that, parts of a troubled soul that seemed to only push him deeper into general despondency at a list of things that seemed to just be continually growing.

but none of those things were things to dwell on now,           not when they’d been able to steal a few moments of freedom and take advantage of them in such a youthfully and innocently joyous way, perhaps something of a last grasp at the adolescence they were growing out of all too quickly. or, at the very least, an opportunity to poke sufficient fun at their elders, even if jessica proved much better at it than he. her assessment of their likely exchanges inside the house were amusingly accurate, and he stalled in packing snow together to laugh lightly and give a fond shake of his head. “well, now i truly don’t feel so bad about sneaking off — you make it feel like i’m still there.”

as she wondered aloud about how best to decorate their final product,           he stepped back for a more comprehensive view, assessing each option before her final conclusion snapped him out of his quasi-reverie. despite the evidence of surprise in his expression, brows raised and lips parted just slightly as if he had just stopped short of offering a response, river knew she was right. he exhaled, turning back to the incomplete snowman, hands on his hips as he gave it another once over in consideration. “well ... we can’t have a stupid looking snowman,” he echoed after a moment or two of silent vacillation, in resignation to the fact that it was indeed their best option. he glanced hesitantly back towards the house, which provided many potential ports of entry, though not all would allow for the necessary subtlety. “we’ll have to go in a back way,” river concluded. “and we may have to be a bit unconventional about it if we’d really like to go undetected.”