[ it's a surprisingly little voice for a usually outgoing and energetic person, but it's also almost three-thirty in the morning, and there are soft, lyrical hoots from DAT BABY, so Rise clearly doesn't have the gumption to do this without moral Hoothoot support. ]

H-hey, Heather, it's me.

Um...

[ a pause, accompanied by a shaky breath. Can you picture Rise squeezing her eyes shut, because that is what she's doing. ]

I'm really sorry. I know what it's like, having stuff that you really can't talk about, and it's not about trust, I don't even know why I-- I mean--

Just-- please, d-don't close me out, okay?