(Untitled)

[fengmei]

River had been curled up on a couch-cushion in 202, taking a nap.

And then she'd been dreaming.

Now, River picks up her head and shrieks.

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[edmuse]

"What? WHERE?"

That'd be an Ed, poking his head in, wide-eye. WHAT IS GOING ON YO?

[fengmei]

He said where, so he must've heard them too, right?

Shaking, River points directly forward, at ... a coatrack.

IT IS SO THREATENING.

[edmuse]

Ed looks at the coatrack!

And then he pokes the coats hanging on it!

"... what?"

[fengmei]

Sounding bewildered, "It's gone."

River blinks at where it was, and sees a coatrack.

And squints at Ed.

"Turned it into a coat. Good job."

[shengge]

Simon always keeps half an ear out for River, when he's anywhere nearby. He was, this time, and he comes running.

"Meimei?"

[fengmei]

"Simon --" Pointing shakily ahead at absolutely nothing, River jumps up and cautiously clings to him. "In their space. In their way. They're dying, they need help --"

[shengge]

He holds on to her, knowing what she needs is the stability.

"Who's dying, meimei?"

No dismissing anything she sees.

[fengmei]

"People in the rocks," she whispers. "Protectors didn't help them. Can't breathe in rocks forever."

[much_too_human]

Bradley looks in on her.

"Young miss?"

[fengmei]

River doesn't know him either, so she's pressing further against the back of the couch, eyes widened.

Friend and foe are all of the same, at this exact moment, and she knows that she can't know what's real and what's not.

[heroof_canton]

Jayne's head, which had been buried in a bowl of noodles, shot up, "Girl, you all right?"

He dropped the bowl, stepping towards her---not too close, as to have her punch him if she was all feng le.

[fengmei]

Tossing her head to the side, River's pointing forward, whispering harshly, "Watch out -- you're in the way, Jayne, it'll hurt them, they need us --"

The messages are almost more confusing at this point than even River can take, but they're there, and she can't take them.

[heroof_canton]

Jayne's head twisted around and, seeing nothing behind him, turned back to her.

"River-girl, yer jus' dreamin'," he said, his voice less caring and concerned and more confused and frustrated, "Ain't nothin' gonna hurt nobody." A pause, "In here, anyway. Yer safe, safe."

[fengmei]

River turns her head all the way to the side, craning to see what might be there and what might not.

"I think it's afraid of Glinda."

[talkback]

And, to join in on the rush of testosterone into the room, here comes one Chase, a female scream being a sure attractant to him. Because, no matter how much he might protest otherwise, the boy is a hero at heart.

"Screaming! I heard screaming! Who's screaming, why are they screaming, do I need to kill somebody?"

Yes, he has the switchblade in his right hand. In his left is a sharpened stake, because, well, Harth.

[fengmei]

River's head is behind her arm, and she's curled up, keeping one eye focused ahead in case she's also in their way, in case she's next, in case she's got to run too --

"No. It's okay, it's okay for you," she confirms, quietly. "Can't see you."

[talkback]

Chase, with the mental agility of a snail on ex-lax, scratches his head.

"Say what now?"

[fengmei]

"It doesn't matter."

River moves her hands from her face, looking around, once, twice.

"Okay now."