Work Text:
During another day of work, Joy decided to take a peek at the plethora of memories that now filled the waters of Riley’s Sense of Self. Even after everything, she still liked to take looks back on the orbs which captured moments in her girl’s life.
In addition, she thought about how different she felt these past couple years compared to the first eleven. How moving to San Francisco rocked Riley (and Joy) to her core.
For Riley, the new change in location was not an easy transition. While she knew what emotions were, she didn’t know they were autonomous in her own mind. She simply believed that looking back on her old life brought tears to her eyes. Moments that were initially happy became sad to reflect on. Then she got the “brilliant” idea to run away back to Minnesota. As she nearly committed to the act, any feelings completely vanished. Until the realization of leaving her parents behind became too sad to make a reality. To her surprise and relief, her mom and dad weren’t mad at her when she expressed her feelings and admitted to feeling like outsiders too.
It was at that moment Riley, and her emotions, discovered that feeling one way or another didn’t have to be your final decision. There was nothing wrong with having mixed feelings.
For Joy, things were, well, an even bigger deal. Sadness had a mystique to her that Joy couldn’t quite grasp. Joy did try her best to make things work, but it seemed very much like clockwork. She felt that Riley had to be happy (it was her shtick to her parents). Fear, Disgust and Anger had positions that Joy understood, but not Sadness. Their journey through Long-Term Memory, Abstract Thought, Imagination Land, Dream Productions and, most frighteningly, the Mind Dump was very eye-opening to Joy. It was there she realized that Sadness truly had her place; being sad didn’t push people away as Joy believed, but rather showed that you can have bad spots and people will help you.
Their next big adventure was the hockey camp struggle. Puberty hit and the new emotions arrived.
Behind Joy, Anxiety arrived. The two of them looked out at the memories for the Sense of Self.
Joy couldn’t help but find Anxiety as a kindred spirit. The orange emotion was just as neurotic and misunderstanding. Joy was glad to help her get a proper grasp of her new responsibilities.
To Riley, this was unlike anything she felt before. She wanted to keep her friends close, but at the same time wanted to impress Val; on top of becoming a big league hockey player. It almost felt like she was changing herself fundamentally, was becoming someone even she didn’t like. Bree and Grace didn’t understand what was up with her. Riley knew what it was like to be afraid, but not like this. Shaken to core once again, she accidentally hurt Grace! For the first time ever, she had a panic attack.
Once again, Joy had to take another journey: the vaults, a Sar-Chasm, Imagination Land (renovated by Anxiety into having mind workers making hypotheticals). This time, she learned that you don’t have to hide away the bad things that happened to you. They, in addition to the good, are what really make you your true self.
Riley was happy to be who she would proudly state to the world. While still young and having time to really cement her preferred self, for now, she’s glad to know where she stands in life.
All the while, the emotions, both old and new, could truly work together, ready to face any future challenges.
Joy looked at Anxiety. A smile crossed her face. The two of them really drank in their recent trials.
Meanwhile, Riley was enjoying herself at school. Nothing was gonna bring her down again…