(Untitled)

[argyle_princess]

This is so not the library.

And if she has to have a recurring dream, does it have to be this one?

Still, she doesn't think she sees anyone she knows, so she steps carefully into the bar, and looks around.

Anyone who's not her drunken ex-boyfriend want to explain to Hannah that this place is real?

Comments

[river_meimei]

There's a girl sitting in a booth not too far away. Maybe Hannah's age, maybe a few years older; with her round face and large dark eyes, it's hard to tell exactly. She'd never fit in at Neptune, though -- her hair is tangled and hasn't been trimmed in quite a while, her feet are bare, and she apparently follows the 'grab things from a thrift store bin' school of fashion.

River is, however, neither drunk nor Hannah's ex-boyfriend. Also, she's watching Hannah right now, although it's entirely possible that she's actually looking at something in the air in front of her instead.

[argyle_princess]

Well, those are, as far as Hannah is concerned, two points in her favor.

Hannah turns, feeling that someone is watching her, and then relaxes a bit. The other girl doesn't look dangerous.

"Hey."

[river_meimei]

River's eyes shift just a bit too abruptly to focus on Hannah's face.

After a moment, she smiles a little. Probably in greeting.

[argyle_princess]

Hannah is a little concerned.

"You okay?"

[river_meimei]

There's a brief flicker of mulishness before River smiles again -- small, and crooked, and maybe a little inward-turned.

"I have ketchup," she informs Hannah seriously.

[argyle_princess]

Riiiiiiiiiiight.

"Good to know," says Hannah. "Do you not usually?"

[river_meimei]

River considers the question. "It's an unusual side dish."

If it helps, she does indeed have a small bowl of ketchup on the table by her, and a rather larger bowl of french fries. Some french fries are scattered across the tabletop, too.

[argyle_princess]

"As a side dish, yeah, I guess it is."

Pretty common condiment.

"It goes good with French fries, though."

[river_meimei]

River grins at her, sudden and cheerful.

"That's the current strategy."

[argyle_princess]

"In Belgium they eat their French fries with mayonaise," says Hannah, because she has no idea what else to say and because the idea has grossed her out ever since her family's European vacation when she was 12.

[river_meimei]

"Traditional on quadrants of Greenleaf and Londinium."

Beat.

River makes a face which says, eloquently, Eww.

[argyle_princess]

Hannah has no idea what the thing about quadrants of Londinium means, but she gets the Eww.

It's pretty universal.

She grins an agreement.

"I'm Hannah Griffith, by the way."

[river_meimei]

"Okay," says River cheerfully.

Pause.

She visibly remembers something, and adds, "River."

[argyle_princess]

"Nice to meet you, River."

She thinks.

Certainly interesting.

[river_meimei]

Now all that remains is to figure out which definition of interesting applies. (There are a surprising number of 'em.)

River glances at her bowl of french fries, brow furrowing in consideration. She picks out one carefully, as if it's something rather more fragile than deep-fried potato, and offers it to Hannah.

[argyle_princess]

Pretty much any definition you like of interesting could work for this meeting.

"Thanks," says Hannah, taking the French fry. "Can I have some of your ketchup to go with it?"