Ooc: Plot!Log! 'How many greats would that be?'
Who: River bitsandfluids and Lorne happybeinggreen
When: Tonight
Where: Caritas
What: River randomly showing up, having her destiny read, finding out more than both of them had bargained for.
Why: Because we like to make the Jossverse into one big happy fandom and our brains work in funny ways.
River walked out of Serenity and into Caritas, watching as Mal flew the ship away again. She was glad they let her come back; she felt as though she hadn't gotten enough time before passing out during her last visit. She wanted to see Connor again, and meet Xander too, if possible. She also had a few questions for Lorne, whom she spotted behind the bar. "Can I have another one of those strawberry things?" River asked, as she seated herself near him.
Lorne gave her a warm smile. "Well, hey there, Honey, nice to see you around here again", he said, reaching underneath the bar and pulling one out, handing it to her, "Come to joyride Fluffy again?"
"I have the proper currency this time," River stated, shelling out the right amount on the table in exchange for the drink. It had been more than a hassle getting it, but River felt she owed it to him. "If I could? Is Connor here?" she wondered, not actually opening the drink. She was saving it for Kaylee.
"Aww, thanks, Honey, you know you can open up a tab and pay whenever you get it, I don't mind", replied the demon, putting it in the register, "Connor? Well, he's a bit zoned out after his umm... fangy experience"
"Fangy experience?" River asked, concerned. It didn't sound nice, whatever it was.
"Yeah, his pop's vampire demon jumped ship", Lorne tried to explain, "It's all very...errr.. strange"
River laughed, shaking her head. "Two by two is only one now. I understand. Where did the other one go?" She wondered if Connor would be any different without Angelus inside of him.
"Yeah, that's right", Lorne smiled, "Oh, he went back into Angel. Where he belongs, nice and snug under soul and key"
"Pulling apart and coming back together," River murmured, remembering her comment to Angel. "Will you read me?" she added, tilting her head slightly as she voiced the other reason she had visited again.
"Something like tha....", Lorne blinked then chuckled, "Um....I guess. Don't you have that whole prophecy-thing licked yourself, there? I mean, we wouldn't want to unearth something you didn't like"
Like what he found in Connor, for instance.
River shrugged, not knowing anything about a prophecy. "Need a mission. Want to know what I am. I'm not a gorram doll...won't break apart at something I don't like." She was already broken anyway, what more damage could be done?
Lorne blinked a few times, then sighed, picking up her emotions. "Oh, alright, but remember it's nothing you can take back"
"I have to sing a song, don't I?" River couldn't remember many songs that she would want to sing...most of the music she listened to was dancing music, and the only song lyrics she could remember off the top of her head were the Crunchy Oaty Bar commercial, which she was NOT going to sing, and the Hero of Canton, which was equally bad. Digging deeper in her memory she found a song that her mother had sung to her when she was little. "Take my love, take my land/Take me where I cannot stand/I don't care, I'm still free/You can't take the sky from me..." she sang tentatively.
Lorne leaned on the bar, listening to her sing, tilting his head to once side as her destiny unravelled in his minds eye. Yep, there was that thing he saw in Connor again. Ew. Then, he picked up something else. He blinked. Well.... that wasn't expected. ".....This is what I get for mocking Angel"
River's song trailed off as Lorne spoke, and she glanced at him. "Mocking Angel?" she asked, confused as to what the vampire would have to do with her future. She wondered what the look of disgust on his face was about, too.
"Yeah, when he found about Bobby, had a right giggle at his expense, this is the Power's way of going 'HAH!' at me, clearly", he said, then gave her a smile, "Mind if I keep that one to myself for a little while honey? There's some talking that needs to be done, I think, or maybe it doesn't. I'm really bad at sorting out things that concern me"
Bobby. River remembered the name from Angel's post...something about being a part of the family? And Lorne was involved, and people thought she was related to Fred, and Lorne and Fred were two by two...River's mind raced as it figured things out. "How many greats would that be?" she wondered out loud, more to herself than Lorne. She attempted to calculate it, but there were too many variables.
"...Okay, see, this is what I get for falling for a genius", he said then chuckled, "I haven't got a clue, mathematics makes my head spin"
River stopped trying to calculate and rolled over the bar instead, hugging Lorne tightly. How many greats there were didn't matter....she had a family. She and Simon had family that wouldn't turn them in to the Alliance on sight. Not that Serenity's crew wasn't family, but...this was different.
Lorne blinked in surprise, before smiling, hugging her back. "I take it you're not that bothered by being related to a demon, then", he chuckled softly.
"If I'm related to a demon, that means I'm part demon," River reasoned logically. "Besides, you're nicer than a lot of the humans I've met. You wouldn't make me go back...I suppose the empathic abilities aren't just because they took my amygdala away then," she murmured, not particularly wanting to think about her parents, or lack thereof.
"Thanks, Honey, I do try", said Lorne then considered, "Guess it does explain a whole lot. And to think, I was joking with Spike about the future children asking me where ninja puppets come from"
One thing still confused River, and that was her strength, grace, and flexibility. Where had all that come from? "If Fred isn't a slayer...maybe there was one further down the line." Lorne didn't look like he was made for fighting, even though she could tell he wasn't a stranger to it.
Lorne smiled. "Could be, I mean, my species are good at the whole fighting thing, I'm a bit of...err.. a runt", he coughed, "Pop was pretty good at it"
"Maybe...are you sure Fred is just a human?" River asked, frowning. She didn't think her abilities would still be that strong over so many generations if they had come from Lorne's species in general.
"Last time I checked", Lorne chuckled, "But you never know when that pesky Slayer thing'll show up. Add a twist of irony to it really"
River nodded; a demon slayer would be ironic. "You should meet Simon," she said suddenly, still hugging Lorne like she never wanted to let go. "He's a genius. I could never do some of the things he does."
Lorne chuckled softly, not making her let go. He was glad for it. The knowledge he'd have a real family. Nothing like what he ran away from years ago. "Yeah?", he chuckled, "Got that from Freddles, then"
"He's a doctor," River elaborated. She liked bragging about her brother, even when he wasn't around to be embarrassed about it. "He took me away from that place...he gave up everything for me. Father told him he wouldn't help...they ignored my letters. But Simon didn't. He figured it out...figured out my code. Got me out. Now he fixes people on Serenity and makes Jayne go to sleep when he's too annoying," she reminisced, smiling fondly.
"He sounds like he's got a good head on his shoulders, definitely from Fred's side", Lorne chuckled softly, "Well, I'm glad you have someone looking out for you in that big wide future"
"I think I like the past better," River decided. She wondered if she and Simon could just live in it, though Serenity needed Simon...not many other doctors would be willing to travel to the edges of space with a group of fugitives. "Nothing to run from here....even slept without nightmares." Of course, she hadn't slept by choice, but that would have hardly made a difference, normally. Maybe it had been Connor's strangely soothing presence.
"Yeah?", Lorne smiled, glancing around the room appreciatively, "Didn't think this place was that magical"
River laughed. "There's more magic here than there is out there. Vampires, demons, puppies, kittens, dragons, family, new friends...actual magic, too. I can feel the warding spell. The one against violence."
"Oh, that", Lorne smiled and nodded, "Well, Caritas is supposed to be a sanctuary, wouldn't be much of one if someone could come here causing all kinds of violence"
"Makes sense. Feels confining, but...makes sense," River replied, squirming a little bit. She didn't like that the spell made her feel like she was under lock and key.
"I had to pick between keeping people completely safe or chancing something happening", Lorne explained, picking up her anxiety, "It can be switched off with a word to the Furies, anyway"
"I understand. Better safe than sorry," River quipped, before glancing at one of the bottles behind the counter. She wished she hadn't. "You're not supposed to be here," she hissed, letting go of Lorne and tearing at the logo on the bottle, which had too much of a resemblance to the Blue Sun logo from the future for her liking. "Followed me, stop FOLLOWING ME, the little blue things hiding everywhere and they pull you in...." River smashed the bottle onto the counter, ignoring the pieces of glass that cut her skin and the liquid that ran everywhere.
Lorne blinked, then, with the calm of someone who was used to this sort of thing, carefully took her hand. "I promise nothing's going to hurt you here", he said gently, "Well, except for yourself, apparently. Come on, let's get that hand seen to"
River glanced up at Lorne, letting his calmness affect her and bring her back. "I broke your bottle," she mumbled, hoping she wouldn't have to pay him for it now.
"Aww, don't worry about that, Sweetness", he smiled, "Spike breaks them all the time. No biggie"
He pulled out a first aid box from under the bar, setting to tweezering out bits of broken glass.
"They cut into my brain. Little scissors, hands of blue taking out the bits one by one by one..." River looked down at her hand, thinking Simon wouldn't be happy about the mess.
Lorne frowned softly as he worked ."Sound like the Initiative", he muttered, pulling the last piece out, moving to bandage her hand.
"Wanted to make me a weapon...put me through test after test after gorram test....stripped away all the pieces...I requested a transfer, but they said no. Couldn't get out until Simon came and put me in a box..." River didn't know what the Initiative was, but if they were anything like the Alliance or Blue Sun she didn't want to know.
"That doesn't sound pleasant at all, honey", said Lorne gently, finishing dressing her wound, "I'm glad you got out, no one deserves that being done to them. There you go, good as new. Connor should be upstairs if you still want him". Oh, this was going to be a fun conversation with Fred later.
When: Tonight
Where: Caritas
What: River randomly showing up, having her destiny read, finding out more than both of them had bargained for.
Why: Because we like to make the Jossverse into one big happy fandom and our brains work in funny ways.
River walked out of Serenity and into Caritas, watching as Mal flew the ship away again. She was glad they let her come back; she felt as though she hadn't gotten enough time before passing out during her last visit. She wanted to see Connor again, and meet Xander too, if possible. She also had a few questions for Lorne, whom she spotted behind the bar. "Can I have another one of those strawberry things?" River asked, as she seated herself near him.
Lorne gave her a warm smile. "Well, hey there, Honey, nice to see you around here again", he said, reaching underneath the bar and pulling one out, handing it to her, "Come to joyride Fluffy again?"
"I have the proper currency this time," River stated, shelling out the right amount on the table in exchange for the drink. It had been more than a hassle getting it, but River felt she owed it to him. "If I could? Is Connor here?" she wondered, not actually opening the drink. She was saving it for Kaylee.
"Aww, thanks, Honey, you know you can open up a tab and pay whenever you get it, I don't mind", replied the demon, putting it in the register, "Connor? Well, he's a bit zoned out after his umm... fangy experience"
"Fangy experience?" River asked, concerned. It didn't sound nice, whatever it was.
"Yeah, his pop's vampire demon jumped ship", Lorne tried to explain, "It's all very...errr.. strange"
River laughed, shaking her head. "Two by two is only one now. I understand. Where did the other one go?" She wondered if Connor would be any different without Angelus inside of him.
"Yeah, that's right", Lorne smiled, "Oh, he went back into Angel. Where he belongs, nice and snug under soul and key"
"Pulling apart and coming back together," River murmured, remembering her comment to Angel. "Will you read me?" she added, tilting her head slightly as she voiced the other reason she had visited again.
"Something like tha....", Lorne blinked then chuckled, "Um....I guess. Don't you have that whole prophecy-thing licked yourself, there? I mean, we wouldn't want to unearth something you didn't like"
Like what he found in Connor, for instance.
River shrugged, not knowing anything about a prophecy. "Need a mission. Want to know what I am. I'm not a gorram doll...won't break apart at something I don't like." She was already broken anyway, what more damage could be done?
Lorne blinked a few times, then sighed, picking up her emotions. "Oh, alright, but remember it's nothing you can take back"
"I have to sing a song, don't I?" River couldn't remember many songs that she would want to sing...most of the music she listened to was dancing music, and the only song lyrics she could remember off the top of her head were the Crunchy Oaty Bar commercial, which she was NOT going to sing, and the Hero of Canton, which was equally bad. Digging deeper in her memory she found a song that her mother had sung to her when she was little. "Take my love, take my land/Take me where I cannot stand/I don't care, I'm still free/You can't take the sky from me..." she sang tentatively.
Lorne leaned on the bar, listening to her sing, tilting his head to once side as her destiny unravelled in his minds eye. Yep, there was that thing he saw in Connor again. Ew. Then, he picked up something else. He blinked. Well.... that wasn't expected. ".....This is what I get for mocking Angel"
River's song trailed off as Lorne spoke, and she glanced at him. "Mocking Angel?" she asked, confused as to what the vampire would have to do with her future. She wondered what the look of disgust on his face was about, too.
"Yeah, when he found about Bobby, had a right giggle at his expense, this is the Power's way of going 'HAH!' at me, clearly", he said, then gave her a smile, "Mind if I keep that one to myself for a little while honey? There's some talking that needs to be done, I think, or maybe it doesn't. I'm really bad at sorting out things that concern me"
Bobby. River remembered the name from Angel's post...something about being a part of the family? And Lorne was involved, and people thought she was related to Fred, and Lorne and Fred were two by two...River's mind raced as it figured things out. "How many greats would that be?" she wondered out loud, more to herself than Lorne. She attempted to calculate it, but there were too many variables.
"...Okay, see, this is what I get for falling for a genius", he said then chuckled, "I haven't got a clue, mathematics makes my head spin"
River stopped trying to calculate and rolled over the bar instead, hugging Lorne tightly. How many greats there were didn't matter....she had a family. She and Simon had family that wouldn't turn them in to the Alliance on sight. Not that Serenity's crew wasn't family, but...this was different.
Lorne blinked in surprise, before smiling, hugging her back. "I take it you're not that bothered by being related to a demon, then", he chuckled softly.
"If I'm related to a demon, that means I'm part demon," River reasoned logically. "Besides, you're nicer than a lot of the humans I've met. You wouldn't make me go back...I suppose the empathic abilities aren't just because they took my amygdala away then," she murmured, not particularly wanting to think about her parents, or lack thereof.
"Thanks, Honey, I do try", said Lorne then considered, "Guess it does explain a whole lot. And to think, I was joking with Spike about the future children asking me where ninja puppets come from"
One thing still confused River, and that was her strength, grace, and flexibility. Where had all that come from? "If Fred isn't a slayer...maybe there was one further down the line." Lorne didn't look like he was made for fighting, even though she could tell he wasn't a stranger to it.
Lorne smiled. "Could be, I mean, my species are good at the whole fighting thing, I'm a bit of...err.. a runt", he coughed, "Pop was pretty good at it"
"Maybe...are you sure Fred is just a human?" River asked, frowning. She didn't think her abilities would still be that strong over so many generations if they had come from Lorne's species in general.
"Last time I checked", Lorne chuckled, "But you never know when that pesky Slayer thing'll show up. Add a twist of irony to it really"
River nodded; a demon slayer would be ironic. "You should meet Simon," she said suddenly, still hugging Lorne like she never wanted to let go. "He's a genius. I could never do some of the things he does."
Lorne chuckled softly, not making her let go. He was glad for it. The knowledge he'd have a real family. Nothing like what he ran away from years ago. "Yeah?", he chuckled, "Got that from Freddles, then"
"He's a doctor," River elaborated. She liked bragging about her brother, even when he wasn't around to be embarrassed about it. "He took me away from that place...he gave up everything for me. Father told him he wouldn't help...they ignored my letters. But Simon didn't. He figured it out...figured out my code. Got me out. Now he fixes people on Serenity and makes Jayne go to sleep when he's too annoying," she reminisced, smiling fondly.
"He sounds like he's got a good head on his shoulders, definitely from Fred's side", Lorne chuckled softly, "Well, I'm glad you have someone looking out for you in that big wide future"
"I think I like the past better," River decided. She wondered if she and Simon could just live in it, though Serenity needed Simon...not many other doctors would be willing to travel to the edges of space with a group of fugitives. "Nothing to run from here....even slept without nightmares." Of course, she hadn't slept by choice, but that would have hardly made a difference, normally. Maybe it had been Connor's strangely soothing presence.
"Yeah?", Lorne smiled, glancing around the room appreciatively, "Didn't think this place was that magical"
River laughed. "There's more magic here than there is out there. Vampires, demons, puppies, kittens, dragons, family, new friends...actual magic, too. I can feel the warding spell. The one against violence."
"Oh, that", Lorne smiled and nodded, "Well, Caritas is supposed to be a sanctuary, wouldn't be much of one if someone could come here causing all kinds of violence"
"Makes sense. Feels confining, but...makes sense," River replied, squirming a little bit. She didn't like that the spell made her feel like she was under lock and key.
"I had to pick between keeping people completely safe or chancing something happening", Lorne explained, picking up her anxiety, "It can be switched off with a word to the Furies, anyway"
"I understand. Better safe than sorry," River quipped, before glancing at one of the bottles behind the counter. She wished she hadn't. "You're not supposed to be here," she hissed, letting go of Lorne and tearing at the logo on the bottle, which had too much of a resemblance to the Blue Sun logo from the future for her liking. "Followed me, stop FOLLOWING ME, the little blue things hiding everywhere and they pull you in...." River smashed the bottle onto the counter, ignoring the pieces of glass that cut her skin and the liquid that ran everywhere.
Lorne blinked, then, with the calm of someone who was used to this sort of thing, carefully took her hand. "I promise nothing's going to hurt you here", he said gently, "Well, except for yourself, apparently. Come on, let's get that hand seen to"
River glanced up at Lorne, letting his calmness affect her and bring her back. "I broke your bottle," she mumbled, hoping she wouldn't have to pay him for it now.
"Aww, don't worry about that, Sweetness", he smiled, "Spike breaks them all the time. No biggie"
He pulled out a first aid box from under the bar, setting to tweezering out bits of broken glass.
"They cut into my brain. Little scissors, hands of blue taking out the bits one by one by one..." River looked down at her hand, thinking Simon wouldn't be happy about the mess.
Lorne frowned softly as he worked ."Sound like the Initiative", he muttered, pulling the last piece out, moving to bandage her hand.
"Wanted to make me a weapon...put me through test after test after gorram test....stripped away all the pieces...I requested a transfer, but they said no. Couldn't get out until Simon came and put me in a box..." River didn't know what the Initiative was, but if they were anything like the Alliance or Blue Sun she didn't want to know.
"That doesn't sound pleasant at all, honey", said Lorne gently, finishing dressing her wound, "I'm glad you got out, no one deserves that being done to them. There you go, good as new. Connor should be upstairs if you still want him". Oh, this was going to be a fun conversation with Fred later.