there was perhaps more to river than jessica could suspect, Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā 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 ā 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 heād 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, Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā not when theyād 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. āwell, now i truly donāt feel so bad about sneaking off ā you make it feel like iām still there.ā
as she wondered aloud about how best to decorate their final product, Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā 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. āwell ā¦ we canāt have a stupid looking snowman,ā 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. āweāll have to go in a back way,ā river concluded. āand we may have to be a bit unconventional about it if weād really like to go undetected.ā
EXTĀ Ā :Ā Ā Ā Ā THEIRĀ WORLDĀ ISĀ AĀ FROSTEDĀ DELIGHT,Ā Ā AĀ FAINTĀ LAYERĀ OFĀ ICINGĀ UPONĀ THEIRĀ CAKEĀ -Ā DOOMEDĀ LIVES,Ā Ā THEĀ SNOWĀ HEREĀ ASĀ CLIPPEDĀ ANDĀ TENDEDĀ TOĀ ASĀ THEĀ GRASSĀ ITSELFĀ Ā Ā Ā (Ā Ā Ā Ā PERHAPSĀ THAT'SĀ WHYĀ SHEĀ TOOKĀ SUCHĀ PLEASUREĀ INĀ DESTROYINGĀ ITĀ Ā Ā Ā ).Ā Ā Ā Ā THEĀ AFTERNOONĀ STILLĀ HOLDSĀ THEĀ COLDĀ TINGLEĀ OFĀ FRESHĀ MORNINGĀ AIR.
JESSICA:Ā Ā Ā asĀ happyĀ asĀ iĀ amĀ thatĀ iĀ canĀ soĀ artfullyĀ recreateĀ myĀ mother'sĀ machinations,Ā Ā i'llĀ haveĀ toĀ respectfullyĀ askĀ youĀ toĀ neverĀ sayĀ thatĀ againĀ Ā Ā Ā [Ā Ā Ā Ā ...Ā Ā Ā Ā ]Ā Ā Ā Ā especiallyĀ inĀ frontĀ ofĀ myĀ motherĀ Ā Ā Ā (Ā Ā Ā Ā andĀ anyĀ otherĀ companyĀ forĀ thatĀ matter,Ā Ā Ā youĀ knowĀ howĀ theseĀ peopleĀ canĀ gossipĀ Ā Ā Ā ).Ā Ā Ā I'MĀ AFRAIDĀ SHE'DĀ FINDĀ ITĀ TOOĀ JOYOUSĀ TOĀ SUPPOSEĀ THEREĀ AREĀ ANYĀ SIMILARITIESĀ BETWEENĀ USĀ Ā Ā Ā ---Ā Ā Ā Ā andĀ weĀ knowĀ thatĀ iĀ mustĀ escapeĀ myĀ mother'sĀ joyĀ inĀ anyĀ wayĀ possible.
AĀ CLOSEĀ UPĀ Ā :Ā Ā Ā jessica'sĀ handsĀ areĀ gloved,Ā Ā aĀ silkenĀ softnessĀ twistingĀ aroundĀ herĀ palmsĀ Ā Ā Ā (Ā Ā Ā Ā trulyĀ notĀ madeĀ forĀ thisĀ kindĀ ofĀ brutalĀ weatherĀ Ā Ā Ā ---Ā Ā Ā Ā glovesĀ meantĀ forĀ dinnerĀ partiesĀ andĀ generalĀ aesthetics,Ā Ā asĀ fashionĀ wasĀ littleĀ moreĀ thanĀ aĀ quickĀ lookĀ -Ā atĀ -Ā meĀ statementĀ asĀ youĀ enteredĀ aĀ roomĀ Ā Ā Ā ).Ā Ā Ā Ā AĀ PASSINGĀ THOUGHT,Ā Ā ALMOSTĀ LAUGHABLEĀ Ā Ā Ā ---Ā Ā Ā Ā motherĀ won'tĀ beĀ happy.Ā Ā they'llĀ beĀ absolutelyĀ ruinedĀ byĀ theĀ timeĀ sheĀ makesĀ anotherĀ appearanced,Ā Ā soakedĀ toĀ theĀ boneĀ throughĀ theĀ flimsyĀ material,Ā Ā andĀ jessicaĀ knowsĀ sheĀ shouldĀ careĀ moreĀ Ā Ā Ā [Ā Ā Ā justĀ asĀ sheĀ knowsĀ sheĀ doesn'tĀ care,Ā Ā notĀ truly,Ā Ā notĀ inĀ aĀ wayĀ thatĀ countsĀ Ā Ā Ā ---Ā Ā Ā Ā THISĀ ISĀ THEĀ MOSTĀ FUNĀ SHE'SĀ HADĀ SINCEĀ CHILDHOODĀ HADĀ BLOSSOMEDĀ UNTARNISHEDĀ AGAINSTĀ HERĀ TONGUEĀ Ā Ā Ā ].Ā Ā Ā Ā sheĀ wringsĀ themĀ together,Ā Ā knuckleĀ passingĀ acrossĀ knuckle,Ā Ā herĀ thumbĀ rubbingĀ uponĀ herĀ palm.Ā Ā selfĀ -Ā comfortĀ sprungĀ anew,Ā Ā aĀ gestureĀ thatĀ herĀ motherĀ hadĀ onceĀ enacted,Ā Ā aĀ gestureĀ thatĀ sheĀ knowĀ mimicsĀ withĀ maternalĀ intent.Ā Ā Ā AĀ MOTHERĀ CONSUMESĀ Ā :Ā Ā Ā Ā jessicaĀ wishesĀ herselfĀ toĀ beĀ eatenĀ alive,Ā Ā Ā theĀ vagueĀ gapingĀ mawĀ ofĀ aĀ motherlyĀ home,Ā Ā Ā hopingĀ thatĀ warmthĀ wouldĀ comeĀ toĀ herĀ again.Ā Ā HERĀ HANDSĀ AREĀ SOĀ COLD.
JESSICA:Ā Ā thatĀ soundsĀ likeĀ aĀ ratherĀ fetchingĀ plan.Ā Ā giveĀ meĀ yourĀ arm,Ā Ā soĀ itĀ looksĀ asĀ ifĀ we'reĀ merelyĀ outĀ onĀ aĀ strollĀ togetherĀ Ā Ā Ā [Ā Ā Ā Ā ...Ā Ā Ā ]Ā Ā Ā we'reĀ surelyĀ beingĀ watched.
THEĀ CAMERAĀ OFFERSĀ AĀ WIDEĀ SHOTĀ Ā :Ā Ā Ā Ā jessicaĀ asĀ viewedĀ fromĀ others,Ā Ā slippingĀ herĀ handĀ intoĀ theĀ nookĀ ofĀ theĀ gentleman'sĀ armĀ Ā Ā Ā (Ā Ā Ā Ā aĀ courtingĀ byĀ anyĀ otherĀ nameĀ Ā Ā Ā ---Ā Ā Ā Ā asĀ ifĀ jessicaĀ hadn'tĀ beenĀ utterlyĀ bewitchedĀ earlierĀ byĀ theĀ softĀ columnĀ ofĀ theĀ kitchen maid'sĀ throat,Ā Ā allĀ unscarredĀ paleĀ skinĀ laidĀ toĀ wasteĀ beneathĀ aĀ collarĀ Ā Ā Ā ).Ā Ā Ā Ā SHEĀ PRESSESĀ HERĀ CHEEKĀ AGAINSTĀ HISĀ SHOULDER,Ā Ā AĀ FONDĀ GESTUREĀ Ā Ā Ā ---Ā Ā Ā Ā oneĀ thatĀ herĀ motherĀ wouldĀ surelyĀ lectureĀ herĀ onĀ tonight.Ā Ā Ā theyĀ rushĀ together,Ā Ā armĀ inĀ arm,Ā Ā aĀ speedĀ thatĀ bordersĀ onĀ aĀ breathlessĀ runĀ asĀ theyĀ makeĀ theirĀ wayĀ towardsĀ theĀ backĀ ofĀ theĀ house.
