003 ܀ video ܀ unfiltered

[learneditall]

[The girl staring at the crystal is silent for a moment. She's not actually staring at the crystal, of course, but rather sort of... through it at nothingness that happens to be in the proper direction. There's something very muddled and mildly afraid about the way she's holding her shoulders. It's clear she wants to speak, and also clear that her

Comments

AUDIO ||

[lightning_fists]

[ Because she's one of the few Tifa's met here and the first that she's heard from since the end of the battle. ] River?

[ Do you hear that bit of maternal concern? Good, because you're meant to. ]

AUDIO ||

[learneditall]

[Part of River knows that she's being distracted the way toddlers are distracted from broken bones with childish stories and Ice Planets. And part of her is sighing with something like relief.]

Safe. Everything there was... safe. Because she wouldn't let anything hurt us. Not while we were there. She's a strong old boat. It's... it's because they love her. Kaylee and Mal, they... there's not science for how they keep her in the sky. But they do.

AUDIO ||

[lightning_fists]

[ Boat, ok, that narrowed it down a lot. And pardon her while she pauses and listens a moment as it sounded like she was listening to the crystal in stereo for a second there. ] It's always nice to feel safe.

AUDIO ||

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...but it's just a ship.

[The voice is tired again, but it's a calmer exhaustion without the edge of hysteria to it anymore.]

We pretend it's the same without the people, but... it's just a ship.

AUDIO ||

[lightning_fists]

Are you sure about that? [ There was a voice linking up to what she was hearing from the crystal, Tifa is almost sure. So she'll just be following it back to the source one step at a time. Last thing they both need is a scared and freaked out River, yes? ] Because it doesn't sound like it's just a ship to you. And there's nothing wrong with that...

AUDIO ||

[learneditall]

[There's a pause of consideration.]

...it's like... the Shepherd's book.

AUDIO ||

[lightning_fists]

[ And that's when she sees it, a door that's left slightly ajar with only a sliver of space to see through. So let's be careful on this because there's no reason to assume it's River's. She can't have been the only one to step out of her own room. ]

I... I don't know the Shepard's Book.

AUDIO ||

[learneditall]

It's just paper. There's lots of words, lots of... silly contradictions in it. But he doesn't want you to fix them. He likes them, just the way they are. They mean something because he cares for them.

[There's a pause as River shifts, peeking out between the floor and the blanket because someone seems to be at the door.]

Like when a ship means more because someone wants it to be a home.

AUDIO || this is pretty much where she stops talking to the crystal and addresses the real thing

[lightning_fists]

[ She can't really see much, and it takes a moment before Tifa finds the courage to actually, push the door open enough so that she can peek her head in.

And lo and behold, one of the first things she sees is - ]

ACTION || can has hugs then? D:

[learneditall]

[--is probably not River, unless she happens to be looking at the bed in the corner. Not just the bed, but the glimmer of eyes peeking out from under the bed.

That said, it's a comfortable little room River's nested herself in, looking very distinctly like a cabin on the brig of a Firefly class starcraft. Sleek lines, minimal decoration, and a very obvious blanket fort protecting the under-the-bed space from the rest of the universe.]

ACTION || Of course! D:

[lightning_fists]

[ After a quick glance around, her eyes do go instantly to the bed, yes. Because Tifa recalls her mentioning something about seeing only blankets and the floor, so it would only make sense...

So watch as Tifa steps just inside and stays at the space beside the door. Won't approach unless River knows it's safe. Besides, it's hard to hug under a bed. ] And what do you care for, River?

ACTION || *reeeeeeeeeeeaches for momma bear*

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[A hesitant rustle from under the bed. After a brief moment, River peeks out properly--head on the floor, eyes locked on the intruder in her space, blanket snugly over her face below the nose.]

...home.

ACTION || *reeeeeeeeeeeaches back to baby bear*

[lightning_fists]

[ And since she can see Tifa and will, hopefully, register who exactly it is, she's just gonna slowly trek over to the bed and kneel down beside it. Looming a bit over River's head, but it's hard to loom when the other is pretty much stretched out on the ground. ] You'll go there soon enough, I promise.

ACTION || v-victoly? ;w;

[learneditall]

[It's clear River isn't spooked--in fact, she gives a calm sigh when Tifa moves closer. The blanket stays for the moment, more because it's comforting than it's protecting.]

...even if I've been bad...?

ACTION || f-fanfares ;w;

[lightning_fists]

[ And with what little hair of River's that visible, Tifa's just gonna reach out and... lightly stroke it. Maternal gesture, is go. Commence Mother Mode. ] If you didn't mean to, then it was just an accident. Accidents don't mean you're bad.

ACTION || ♥ ♥ ♥

[learneditall]

[Then perhaps Tifa won't mind if River squirms and shifts and grumpily flops her way in an awkward flail of limbs to creep out from under the bed a little more and rest her head on the other woman's lap. All of the worrying and the panicking and the being-dead-but-not-knowing-it is rather exhausting on a young girl.

A tired sigh as she settles.] People turn red.