TRANSCRIPT (SPEAKING WITH LUCY)
Lucy and Regina enter the bedroom.
L: "Do you mind pulling your sleeve up a bit?"
Regina attempts to roll her sleeve up, only for the knitwear to bunch up around the wound. Instead, she wrestles her arm out of the sleeve, letting the sweater rest, cattywampus, around her neck.
L: "Goodness... How in the world did that happen?"
R: "Oh, I did it."
L: "What...? Why? What happened?"
R: "I just have a habit of scratching myself there. It's not a big deal."
They enter the bathroom.
L: "Any specific reason?"
R : "You know. Nerves. Bad feelings. That sort of thing."
L: "Poor thing... Could you sit on the edge of the bathtub there?"
Regina does as asked and, annoyed by the way her sweater hangs off her body, tugs it off over her head. It leaves her hair frizzy.
R: "Shit."
L: "It's okay, I'll help you set it later."
R: "Beth did it."
L: "And Beth is a very nice girl, I'm sure she won't mind if I set it for you again."
Regina nods as Lucy takes care of her.
R: "I dunno what's wrong with me."
L: "What do you mean?" Regina nods at her arm. "Oh, sweetie, there's nothing with having nerves... We all have nervous habits. We could file your nails, if you want, that would make it harder for you to scratch it open."
R: "That would be nice."
Lucy finishes on Regina's arm and obtains a nail file.
R: "I've never let Beth do my nails before or anything."
L: "This might feel a bit weird, then. If you want me to use nail clippers instead, you just say so." She files. "You're doing great."
R: "Thank you. Are you going to do anything nice to them?"
L: "Would you like that, sweetie?"
R: "Maybe. I dunno."
L: "Would you like to have a look at my nail polish?" Lucy brings Regina her bag of nail polish. "I own mostly muted tones, if you'd like to go for something more subtle. But I do have some brighter colors in here! And a lot of black. What can I say, it's just my color."
Regina pulls out a green.
R: "I like this."
L: "Mhmm, that is a pretty shade. You want me to help you put it on?"
R: "Yes."
Lucy begins to paint Regina's nails.
L: "This color suits you."
R: "You think so?"
L: "Mhmm. It goes well with your eyes and hair color."
R: "Like a forest, yes."
L: "Exactly! You know, I used to live in this town called Timberland Falls. It always confused me, since we didn't have any waterfalls, and we also didn't have any woods around. I love the woods."
R: "That doesn't sound like a very pleasant place; there can be no life where there is no wild."
L: "Well, I never went back there after I left. I like it here a lot better, it's so lively and colorful. In Timberland Falls, all houses and streets look alike."
R: "Does your brother still live there?"
L: "Yeah, he does."
R: "His children were very rowdy at Thanksgiving."
L: "Yessssss. But they're just kids, and they get so excited easily... Oh, I hope they mellow out a bit before their fangs come in."
R: "I hope Todd and Sloane don't have children."
L: "What do you mean?"
R: "I don't like children. They're very loud and sticky."
L: "Does Todd?"
R: "Yes. He's actually quite favorable towards your brother's children."
L: "Are you worried you might not like their kids, if they decide to have any?"
R: "Yes."
L: "How would you deal with that?"
R: "I don't know."
L: "...Are you worried about what Todd might think?"
R: "I'm worried about a lot of things. Namely that I don't think he'd be a good father."
L: "Why's that?"
R: "You've seen ours."
L: "I have. But you're not your parents, sweetheart."
R: "Yet their parents are much the same, in many regards."
L: "That's the cycle of abuse for you. But that doesn't mean Todd has to continue it."
R: "He's a reckless and violent person. He can't even be trusted with an animal. You know, he's asked Sloane for permission to autopsy her."
L: "Oh yes, I've heard. After she dies. She said no. So he won't. [...] Regina, Dear, has he been reckless and violent towards another human being lately?"
R: "Certainly reckless, yes, though I suppose all violence is saved for carcasses."
L: "Mhmm. You know, I used to be a bit of a bad egg."
R: "What?"
L: "Yeah. I had this really bad problem where I would lie all the time. Even about things I didn't NEED to lie about, just to get attention. I'd torment Randy with stories about things being out to get him all the time until he was crying, and my parents yelled at me for it. But they yelled at me usually for literally any reason anyway, and they never cared about much else I did, so what's the difference? I was so mean to everyone, I was always looking for a fight, both verbal and physical, even with my best friend at the time. I'd constantly hoped that horrible things would happen to everyone around me. Even me! I was the town menace, I tell you."
R: "That sounds a lot like I used to be, actually."
L: "And I had a kid anyway. And I know Sloane has been... Going through a rough phase, and some of that might be my fault, I'm sure, but I never hurt her, I never laid a finger on her with the intent to harm her. I raised her with all the love and support my parents never gave me, because I never wanted to be like them with my own."
R: "I suppose. I still think it's a bad idea for him. I have no interest in being an aunt."
L: "Do you think Todd might hurt his children? Do you think he's capable of that? Why don't you want to be an aunt?"
R: "If they're Sloane's, then they might be specimens to him."
L: "Mhmm, you worry he couldn't form a genuine connection with them?"
R: "I suppose."
L: "Well, he doesn't see Sloane as something to experiment on. That's comforting, right?"
R: "Yes. I suppose. It doesn't matter. I should go back to my house.
L: "Regina, there's no need to run. You're safe here. I'm not saying it doesn't matter, I'm just trying to offer you comfort. Now, why don't you want to be an aunt?"
R: "... Everything in our family is evil, Mrs. Spencer. Todd and myself included."
L: "You're not evil... What makes you say that?" Regina tries to scratch her arm, but the filed nails don't do much. Besides, it's all bandaged anyway. "Would you like a hair tie?"
R: "Oh, no, I wouldn't want to ruin the curls anymore. Beth is already going to be sad."
L: "For your fingers, to mess with so you don't have to scratch."
R: "Oh... Okay, yeah." Lucy hands her a hair tie. She begins playing with it. "I like the nail polish."
L: "You do? That's wonderful. You can borrow it, if you like."
R: "I wouldn't put it on nice. I'm not very good with delicate things."
L: "That's okay. It doesn't have to be nice."
R: "I've never had makeup or anything before."
L: "That's okay, too. You can learn, if you want. Sloane didn't wear makeup until a few days ago, too."
R: "I think it's too late for that, especially with the moving and stuff."
L: "It's never too late to learn anything. The time's just not right sometimes. Maybe you just have to wait until after."
R: "Mrs. Spencer, the reason Sloane can start wearing makeup now is the same reason Beth did when she was, like, thirteen. They have parents who can show them how to do it. Besides, I'll be on my own. I won't have the money to throw at something I don't know how to do."
L: "I can show you."
R: "We're not going to be living on the same street within a few months, ma'am."
L: "So? Doesn't mean you can't enjoy it now, for however long you're here."
R: "I'm moving into my apartment in April."
L: "Then you can enjoy it until then." Regina frowns. "...I'm sorry, honey. I didn't mean that you'll stop enjoying things afterwards." She pets her hair. "If you do ever want to learn anything, or do anything, then our door is always open to you."
R: "You don't know that."
L: "What part?"
R: "The door. There's evil brewing."
L: "Oh, Honey. Our door will always be open to you, both of you, no matter what happens. As far as I'm concerned, you're my kids, too. No matter what happens, I'll never turn you away." Regina sniffles a bit. Lucy embraces her. "I love you. You can always come here."
R: "Why couldn't I have been born a few houses down? Or not at all?"
L: "Oh, Sweetheart... Breathe, honey..." Regina hiccups, tears finally slipping out. "It's okay, let it out, I'm here."
Regina cries until Lucy runs a hand through her hair.
R: "My hair..."
L: "I'll fix it for you in a moment, honey." Regina stops crying. "You're doing great. You're a very brave girl."
R: "I don't think anyone's ever called me brave before."
L: "You are. You go through so much and you try so hard to keep a brave face during it. You're brave."
R: "Thanks..."
Lucy holds Regina tight, placing a kiss on Regina's head. She stares at Lucy, prepared to cry again.
R: "What if something awful happens and you don't want me and Todd around ever again?"
L: "Oh, sweetheart, what could you possibly do for that to happen?"
R: "I dunno. One of us does something awful. Todd and Sloane break up. Some sort of accident. I dunno."
L: "I can't imagine any of those things changing anything. If one od you does something awful, I'd want to talk to you, I'm sure you didn't have bad intentions. If Todd and Sloane break up, they'll both need comfort. And Regina, if there's an accident, I'll be more worried about both your health than being upset with you."
R: "What if Sloane hates us?"
L: "I'm not Sloane, and Sloane isn't me. I'll talk to Sloane, I'll listen to the why and I'll do what I can to support her, but I care about you too, so you need the same treatment."
R: "But we aren't your children. It's fundamentally different."
L: "It doesn't have to be. I have a lot of love and care to spend. I basically helped raise Harvey and the twins, as far as I'm concerned, they're as much my kids as Sloane is, even if they're not literally my children."
R: "You met us when he was sixteen and I was seventeen."
L: "So? I still care about you. That doesn't change just because I met you when you were older."
R: "You didn't raise us or anything."
L: "That still doesn't change anything. You're wonderful kids, I can see that, I care about you, and you make very fine adults."
R: "Nearly every statement you just made is false."
L: "It's not as I see it. I do really believe you're both wonderful kids. And I think you'll grow up to be something great."
R: "It's already too late for that, in my case at least. I'm sure Todd will do some great science at school, but-"
L: "It's never too late for anyone. What do you want to be?"
R: "I'm going to start trade school to become an electrician in June."
L: "Ah, that's good."
R: "Thank you?"
L: "You'll do great. You want to be an electrician?"
R: "I suppose, yes."
L: "Is there anything else you want to be able to do?"
R: "I don't know. I just looked through a catalog for the nearest trade school at a job fair and picked the one I thought was most tolerable."
L: "It will serve you well as a money maker, but work isn't everything, is it? What else do you see yourself doing?"
R: "I dunno. What I normally do. Watching Star Trek."
L: "And with the money you'll make, you'll get to buy a lot of new merch you couldn't previously afford!"
R: "I won't have the space, I think."
L: "Maybe you'll move somewhere bigger one day."
R: "I want to always live with Beth, though, and she has far more things than me."
L: "I didn't say you had to move somewhere bigger alone, honey. You buy your apartment, and you work hard, and eventually you can move somewhere bigger to accommodate the space."
R: "Can you do my hair, please?"
L: "Of course." Lucy fixes her hair.
R: "Thank you. I need help getting my sweater on back over my hair."
L: "No big deal." She helps.
R: "Thank you, Mrs. Spencer."
L: "Anytime, honey. Do you need anything else?"
R: "Hurts still."
L: "Here. What else?"
R: "I don't know. Probably a lot."
L: "That's okay, you just tell me when you know."
R: "Okay... Can I have that nail polish?"
L: "Sure!"
R: "Oh. I don't have pockets. Damn Beth's wardrobe."
L: "You can just take it home with you whenever you leave."
R: "Thanks, mom-- ma'am."
L: "Anytime, sweetheart."
They exit the room.
