For dreampeddler.

[learnedguilt]

It hadn't worked.

It probably would have worked if the officials hadn't picked right then to take him out of jail, to reward him for 'succeeding in the program'. Try as he might, Russell isn't going to win any fair fights with an adult.

So now he's here in a psychiatric ward, without access to anything that might be used to hurt himself, and under near-constant watch.

He's not expecting visitors. Who would come by? His aunt? She doesn't care about him one bit. He doesn't even expect her to take him back after this.

So he has a look of blank confusion on his face when he enters the visitor's area, having been told about two minutes ago that someone was here to see him.

Comments

[dreampeddler]

In retrospect, he should have expected the kid would've attempted something this drastic. But actually hearing about it is another thing.

Raymond's driving towards the ward before he knows it. When he told Russel they should meet after the dream, no matter how throwaway or casual the offer might have sounded to the other, he did mean it.

...And now knowing what Russel almost did to himself, it really wouldn't have sat right with him if he didn't at least check up on him. Having a conscience stings.

It doesn't take too long for the people to bring Russel into the visitor's area. Raymond waves and smiles at him. "Hey, little buddy."

[learnedguilt]

Oh. It's Raymond.

That... makes sense, a little bit. He did say that they should meet, so he probably feels obligated to show up now.

Russell doesn't wave back, but he does at least approach into casual conversation distance.

"...Hi. You didn't have to come."

Because really, he didn't. Russell wouldn't have even thought anything of it.

[dreampeddler]

Now that Raymond could get a good look at him, Russell seems...tired. More so than usual, at least, though it's not like that was surprising.

He's not really surprised when the kid says he didn't expect him to come, either. He shrugs.

"'Course I did; that's what pals do."

Raymond knows better than to ask if he's fine, but he does ask this: "How've you been doing?"

[learnedguilt]

Are they friends? He guesses Raymond called them that a couple times, but... he's used to that not really meaning anything out of adults' mouths.

Russell looks towards the floor. "I guess things are okay? They feed me and everything. It's not like I could complain."

He gets more food here than he does at home. It's fine.

[dreampeddler]

To be fair, Raymond definitely didn't make a habit of fraternizing with dreamers to the point he'd call them his friends.

Russel's an exception because-- well, that's just what happens when you've been in enough life-threatening situations with someone, right? You warm up to them, even if only a little.

"That so? Though, I can't imagine the food here being that good. It's fine to be honest about this stuff, y'know!"

[learnedguilt]

"I'm being honest. It's better than I'm used to."

Which says less about where he is now and more about where he was.

[dreampeddler]

"...Right, I can believe that."

Okay, so maybe trying to make light of the situation isn't the best move he could've made, but Raymond was never good at...all this. It's weird enough for him to feel any kind of worry, so he pretends he doesn't.

"Oh yeah, I talked to Fairia and the others before coming here. They send their regards." At least this wasn't a lie. "They'll probably come down to see you as well, sometime."

[learnedguilt]

"...Why?"

It's an actual question.

"I can understand why you'd come, because you said you would, but they didn't promise me anything."

Some people consider promises important. That's a lot easier to understand and believe than any notion that someone would sincerely care about his wellbeing, especially people he's only known for a few days.