InsaneJournal

Riley's never really had nice things, not that she'd ever complain. Growing up working class, sometimes barely making do, has fostered in her a sense of independence, a need to get out on her own and a strong sense of family. Born to hard working parents and as the younger sibling, she always had a beacon of strength in her life, a clear path made for her. There were two things Riley always maintained; her Roman Catholic faith and her pride in her Irish heritage. In her family, it was impossible not to; it was part of life, like the air you breathed and the food you ate. Impossible to ignore or deny, not that she had any intentions of doing so. When all you have is family, you stick fast to that, come hell, high water or worse.

Watching her parents bouts of temper, their ins and outs with each other, there were many times when Riley felt the only one she truly had was her brother. When times were hard - and really, when weren't they? - he would be her primary caregiver. The bond between the two is nigh unbreakable and though she sees less of him now than she did in her youth, Riley still looks forward to seeing Cameron when she does. She feels that she gets the side of him no one sees, that the pair of them are a team if nothing else. A united front, so to speak. Even though she hardly approves of some of the paths he's taken, she still stands behind him in everything, at least against anyone else; she'll argue to his face, no problem.

While her brother got into trouble, she kept her nose relatively clean. One of them had to. It wasn't that she wanted to show Cam up, oh no. She just figured her parents didn't need more stress and her brother would need someone to turn to when things got rough, someone who wasn't going to give him hell. She could be that rock. Sure, the simple life was a bit boring and she couldn't be an absolute angel but Riley managed well enough.

When her brother left home, she was inclined to follow suit. As much as she loved her parents, it wasn't the same without him there and she soon moved out instead of going to college like they might have liked, taking up a waitressing position to make her own ends meet. She still visits them from time to time and sees them at church on Sundays but Riley enjoys her newfound freedom too much to ever consider going back.

Riley is serious. Sometimes too serious. She's constantly being told to lighten up, to which her typical response is something relatively caustic, possibly insulting one's manhood depending on the recipient. She can let loose but it's rare and mostly only when she's comfortable. At home, with her brother maybe, but rarely elsewhere. The few boyfriends she's had - the one's Cam didn't chase off within a few seconds of their arrival - have been shortlived at best; no one wants to date someone with the maturity of a woman twice her age. Deep down though, she's insecure. Never sure if she's stepping the right way or saying the right thing. She worries about her family, her life, where things are going.

She has an excellent work ethic just like her parents and no problem picking up extra shifts, even if it means being used as a workhorse at times, being called first because they know she'll say yes. Still, Riley enjoys her job, knows a few of the regulars and has been working there long enough to be thought of as a mainstay of the place in an occupation that's high on turnover and low on tips. Occasionally, she has friends come around knowing that she'll be there, but it's not often and suitors even less so.

Outside of work, she keeps to herself. Typically, the girl can be found in her apartment reading or something equally dull. Riley's not much for the nightlife, not unless she's being dragged out by someone else. Besides, it's not as if she feels terribly safe out there; this isn't Mr. Rogers' neighborhood after all, and she's not a big girl.

Fairly average in appearance, Riley is 5'7" with long wavy blond hair that she often pulls back into a messy ponytail and pale eyes. She has almost cherubic features; a heart shaped face and wide eyes with cheeks that flush brightly when she's upset or embarrassed, making her look even more comical. Riley tends to dress fairly casually and in light colors, very rarely dressing up save for church or if she has a date. Which, as mentioned, is so very incredibly rarely.