Room 202.

[fengmei]

Here is River Tam.

Where?

Hanging upside down on what probably was a pipeline across the ceiling, letting her hair dangle, and swinging slowly back and forth.

The Book of Dangers intrigues her.

She's chosen, however,

-- it's the Pax --

not to make any edits just yet.

Comments

[ushouldcwhatic]

Johnny happened to glanced up and notice hair dangling down. And then he spied the young woman hanging upside down.

"How's the view?" He wryly replied, a bit envious that he couldn't do that as easily as he used to.

[fengmei]

River gives him a glance.

And then hums a bar of the theme from Wheel of Fortune.

"It's very good."

[ushouldcwhatic]

Johnny quirked his eyebrows at that when he recognized the tune. Ok, that was... unsettling. Place your bets, gents, place your bets.

"Must be, good advantage point. Can see everything from up there."

[fengmei]

"The roof for outside. Vents for sounds. Here for figuring out whose footfalls are whose."

She swings a little, and then pulls her legs upward to hang wrapped around the bar rather like a sloth, or a panda.

"I'm River."

[ushouldcwhatic]

"Makes sense," He agreed, and still was envious of the gymnastics. Used to like to climb trees himself.

"I'm John."

[fengmei]

"John. Used to be the second most common name on Earth-that-Was," River recalls, "after Mohammad."

[ushouldcwhatic]

"It was. Parents picked it. Was? You mean, like here?"

[fengmei]

"Not here. In my 'verse. Here wasn't the same. Followed a different path."

River tilts her head.

"You'd make a better Mohammad. Prophet. Nobody named John saw the outcome."

[ushouldcwhatic]

Johnny eyed her some at that. It sounded like something Rev. Purdy has said to him. At least the prophet part. Not the Mohammad name though.

"I don't believe in God," he automatically replied.

He then asked, "...you get visions too?"

[fengmei]

"No. Hearings."

River grins, almost impishly.

"Can't see them."

[ushouldcwhatic]

Johnny nodded with some understanding at that.

"Lucky," he murmered with a grin. "Think it might be easier at times if I didn't."

[fengmei]

"They never shut up." River giggles, again, because he's more sympathetic right now than most people have been ever.

And then, impulsively, she snatches his hand.

Show you, see?

[ushouldcwhatic]

Freaky psi people got to stick together, don'tcha know?

And Johnny impulsively found himself latching onto her free hand, completely the circuit. Then the surroundings shifted, his visions merging with her hearing as his Dead Zone connected with the source for her abilities.

Loud was putting it mildly.
And mental IMAX theater anyone? All they needed was some popcorn and drinks.

[fengmei]

THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON EVERYONE ELSE'S BRAIN.

Other people's memories just seem to be floating, to River. The different images confuse her, and amaze her, all at once, and she's blinking, head tilted.

Shapes. Pictures. Other minds have images.

"Your son is pretty," River whispers, tactfully.

But her whisper's still pretty loud, conditions in consideration.

[ushouldcwhatic]

There was a bit of pain threatening to flare in his head. A headache, or a warning of something. Johnny winced some. He was used to images, but this was like somebody turned the volume in his head to 11. (Yes, Johnny liked This is Spinal Tap.)

"Thanks," he whispered back, as images and lives, and voices are all around them. He tried to release his hand from her wrist, hoping she would do the same. "Glad your brother's here helping you," he added.

[fengmei]

She mimics the motion exactly, smiling. "He was late. Waited a few days before he found me."

Now someday River is going to be humming Spinal Tap songs, and won't know where she's gained them from.

"I should introduce you."