James
Legacy Name: Psychologist

It was only ten minutes or so later that James heard footsteps climbing the stairs to his porch and a gentle knocking soon followed, so quiet that one might think the visitor didn't want to be heard. But, whether lucky for him or unlucky for her, James had been forewarned of his company and since that time, he had been waiting, albeit impatiently, near his front door for his guest to arrive. He wanted to open the door, rush her inside and forego the subdued pleasantries and overall awkwardness but such a thing would make him seem far too eager.
No.
He would have to wait.

Another knock came just as James' hand was hovering above the doorknob though still, it felt too soon. Outside the door, he could hear shoes shuffling around uncomfortably and a woman clear her throat before, once again, she knocked.
This time would be it.

James gingerly opened the door and met the woman's eyes though, he was, admittedly, in shock by his view. A pale woman with snow colored skin and haunting gray eyes stared back - but it wasn't her face that had shocked him. Spilling over her shoulders and trailing down her back were long strands of rich, black wavy strands that framed her face just so in a way that made her nearly unrecognizable. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that she was still wearing her oversized white cotton scrub top shirt and her baggy black pants, he might not have recognized her at all. "Come in." He offered, clearing the doorway for her to step inside - though she hesitated momentarily. She didn't say a word but instead, stared so intensely at him that he wanted to look away but couldn't. Her gaze did not falter as she stepped inside so, rather than waiting for the staring match to pass, he looked outside to where a pastel pink BMW, enlaid with a glossy glitter clear coat, sat parked outside his twisted and worn black ironrod gate.

"THANKSIES FOR BABYSITTING!~" An eyesore of a woman waved, with her bright blue and green frilly dress being caught by the wind while her heavy silver braided locks bounced with every step she took. "PRINCEY-PIE? GUESS WHAT?!"

Though James had no intention of playing her guessing game.

"NICKI-BEAR IS BACK! I'M GOING TO SEE HIM - I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO! SHOULD WE SEE A MOVIE OR-"

James gave her a pleasant wave mid-sentence before slamming the door, ending the sickly sweet conversation before it had a chance to really start. After all, it wasn't her she was worried about. Back outside, there was the slam of a car door and the roar of an engine, signaling to James that she had just left and now, the two of them were alone.

As he spun on his heel to face the woman, James realized that her eyes had not left him, nor had the intensity of her gaze that only made James smile more. "Well hello, Rene!~ Good to see you!" He rang in his best sing-song voice though, he could tell, the woman was already doubting his sincerity.
"Hello, Dr. Howell." She said stiffly as her eyes drifted around the room, inspecting it deliberately. It took everything in James' power to not flinch upon hearing his work name, especially from her lips - but he held his smile strong.
"Come." He commanded, leading her into the living room where the fireplace roared with both heat and light, a sense of comfort in the dark and dreary dwelling. James stopped in front of an armchair and motioned for her to sit, which she did before he asked her:
"Would you like some tea, Rene?"
She nodded, her hands folded so ladylike in her lap and James was happy to oblige.

Minutes later, he re-emerged from the kitchen to see that Rene had left her seat in the armchair and was now to the right of the fireplace where his built-in bookshelves, stained dark to match the rest of his home, were packed full of fascinating reads.
She didn't seem particularly alarmed to see James, despite how quietly he walked up to her but rather, without turning, she spoke.
"You're well-read, doctor."

It wasn't a question, more like a statement, to which James wasn't sure how to reply at first. But, quick on his feet, he agreed.
"Oh yes. But of co-"
"And you write, too." Yet again, another statement.
This time, James had turned his head to the side curiously. "Oh?"
Her long, thin pale pointer finger reached out to touch one of the books spines, where, in bright gold lettering, the name 'Dr. James Howell' could be seen glistening up at them.
"Ah, yes." He said, attempting to pass her a cup but Rene was leaned forward, looking at them even closer. "A good doctor is both a reader and a writer, you see."
Rene turned on her heel abruptly, stopping short of knocking the tea out of his hand. "And you are the Good Doctor, aren't you Dr. Howell?" She grasped the cup firmly and took it from James who was still smiling wryly as Rene scurried off back to her armchair with her tea in hand.

Months ago, she had looked so different. Her face had looked much more gaunt and starved though now, there was some color to her cheeks and the bones in her face were far less pronounced, though still soft and feminine. Her frame looked as though she had gained a healthy amount of weight, given that her shoulder bones no longer jutted out in a macabre way that made her look like an animated corpse. Fingernails that had been chewed to oblivion previously were now beginning to grow out and had been painted a deep black matte - though James had to wonder whose doing it had been. On one hand, he had never known Rene to paint her nails or to be interested in the more feminine activities of other women - but, on the other, they were painted black, a color Alicia wouldn't have stood for.
But the biggest change, by a landslide, was her hair. Where before, her head had been shaved down to near nothing and had been caked in heavy scars from her time in the asylum, heavy black locks had grown in and cascaded down from her head and onto her shoulders and chest.

It wasn't until he heard Rene's voice that he realized he had been staring. But worst of all, he had been caught.
"It's a wig." She said plainly, taking a small sip of her tea. "Alicia has a lot of them but she said I could have one of her old ones - though I had to dye it. She wasn't happy about it."
Realization struck him once he understood what she had said. His face only slightly faltered. "Oh? Really?"
"She said hair takes a long time to grow and it may be years before mine grows back completely."
James had always found himself interested when Rene spoke, hanging on her every word as though she could reveal all of life's secrets but today, particularly, it was difficult to focus on what she was saying. Because as she spoke, James was caught up in his own thoughts. Something was wrong but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Then, it hit him.

"You're still wearing your clothes from..." He paused, trying to find a delicate way to say such ugly words. "the facility." James finished, in the same sort of 'statement-like' way she had observed his bookshelf.
Rene looked down her own clothes and blinked a few times, looking back up at James with a half-hearted shrug. "Oh, I guess I am." She took another long drink of her tea. "Alicia tried to give me some of hers but..." Rene crinkled her nose in disgust. "They weren't to my taste."
Without warning, James sat down his cup and disappeared into another room before popping his head back in, to a shocked Rene, only to say:
"Be right back~"

Even as James fished around in his closet, he could feel his cheeks burning ever so slightly and the weight in his stomach grow as though he had swallowed lead. He tried, repeatedly, to remind himself that she was no longer his patient and they were simply two friends sharing gifts but, for some reason, that did nothing to cure the hefty guilt he held in his gut.

Finally, James had returned, box in hand which he promptly thrusted into Rene's, her eyes widening in both shock and curiosity."What's...this?" Her voice had a slight note of concern in it, panic, perhaps? He couldn't be sure. But James just smiled and encouraged her to open it.

As she did, her eyebrows went from raised, to furrowed, to only a single lifted and then, happiness.
Inside the box, as Rene pulled away the tissue paper, was a long black dress that captivated Rene's fullest attention. It was long with a ruffled, high neck-line and sleeves that buttoned down at the wrists as well as sophisticated lace decorating its front and back. Parts of the arms were see-through, nothing but lace covering them and the length of it reached her calves as she stretched it out over her body. On top sat an unassuming black ribbon that Rene simply looked at and held out for James, as if asking a silent question.

"For your hair, of course." He gave her an encouraging smile. "It's lovely down, of course. I just think it might look nicer up."