(no subject)

[ninjasinspace.livejournal.com]

River is in the Cooper farm's living room, lying flat on her belly in a patch of sunlight. It's unclear whether she's catnapping or simply has her eyes shut to make listening easier, but either way she's quite botherable.

Comments

[slayer_fray]

Oh hey it's Lucy!

- Or maybe not, Mel decides. Is that- hey, is that River?

So Mel's in the doorway, trying to decide if 'oh hey, are you an alternate version of someone I once knew?' is an appropriate opening line.

Loo doesn't care. Loo's crawling into the room excitedly. There's sunlight!

[ninjasinspace.livejournal.com]

"The etiquette," River says, eyes still shut, "is ill-defined."

This may be something of a giveaway.

[slayer_fray]

"Yeah," Mel confirms. "Still a weird opener. How's it going?"

[ninjasinspace.livejournal.com]

"It's not quantifiable."

Her eyes flicker open, and peer at Loo.

[slayer_fray]

Loo has a carved flying bison in her hand, and when she reaches the sunlight, she sits down to hit the floor with it.

A second later she offers it to River.

"Right," Mel agrees, and drops onto the couch to watch. "I'm Mel, by the way."

Y'know, just in case.

[ninjasinspace.livejournal.com]

"No evidence to the contrary," she agrees, and watches the bison intently for signs of unexpected flight.


The narration would like us all to sit back for a moment, and just marvel at that pure conversational genius. River would sparkle at a dinner party.

[slayer_fray]

That's OK. Mel can sit back and watch.

Loo, however, is adamant River take the bison. Take it, take it! She presses it forward.

[shockinglycute.livejournal.com]

...unfamiliar human.

But it's not moving around, so maybe that means it's safe?

This requires investigation, in any case.

There is a little yellow thing padding closer and sniffing.

[ninjasinspace.livejournal.com]

Her eyelides flutter, once, then snap open, her eyes darting about the room for the source of the snuffling.

Oh look, strangely cute yellow-jagged-thing.

[shockinglycute.livejournal.com]

"PIKA!"

IT'S BEEN SPOTTED!

...

OK, nothing's happening. Yet. No need to flee.

"...pikaaaa?"

[ninjasinspace.livejournal.com]

"It's okay," she says, somewhat blankly.

"Yellow isn't well-chosen camouflage."

[shockinglycute.livejournal.com]

Well, if she says so.

Though she could be lying.

So it ambles to just out of catching range.

"Pikachu?" Camouflage? What's that? It flicks an ear.

[ninjasinspace.livejournal.com]

"It's hiding," she instructs him solemnly. "Try leaves and berries."

[has-its-poetry.livejournal.com]

So here's the thing.

Sometimes Stranger takes a step and it goes a lot further than she thought it would.

Like, for example.

"...oof."

River, you have been tripped over by someone who may in fact be legitimately crazier than you are. Be impressed! Not that Stranger looks particularly impressive, sprawled as she is across the carpet with her butt kind of sticking up into the air.

[ninjasinspace.livejournal.com]

AWRK.

River's eyes snap open within an instant as she lets out a startled shriek, rolling out of the way and flopping a bit like a landed fish.

[has-its-poetry.livejournal.com]

Flail.

Flop.

Flail some more.

"...gnrfl?" asks Stranger, intelligently.

Then, sitting up: "How did a house get here?"

Because of course, when Stranger walks it is the world that moves around her.

[ninjasinspace.livejournal.com]

"It's not," she says low, "It was, you- it was," she insists with a smidge of desperation, stumbling to her feet, fingers grasping at the patch of sunlight for balance and catching nothing.

[has-its-poetry.livejournal.com]

Confused: "But it... wasn't here! There were flowers. And then I tripped over you."

Speculatively: "Are you a sorceress?"

[ninjasinspace.livejournal.com]

"You're not- It was- Not-" She whirls around to face Stranger, fists clenched at her sides. "Playing fair. No ruttin' room."

[godofshiny.livejournal.com]

In the reflection of the window pane, Mort watches the girl. Another of these strangers, with ties to Fate and Destiny. As weird as this job sometimes gets, at least he's meeting interesting people.

He doesn't sy anything yet, merely studies her, trying to figure out what to say, or if he should say.

[ninjasinspace.livejournal.com]

"Peek-a-boo," she says, eyelids flickering up.

Maybe she knows he's there.

Maybe not.

It's difficult to tell.

[godofshiny.livejournal.com]

"And hello to you as well." Comes Morts dry voice, from inside the reflection.

[ninjasinspace.livejournal.com]

She turns her head to the wall. "Mirror, mirror..?" she asks, almost hesitant.

[godofshiny.livejournal.com]

"Or, as this case may be, window, window. But I can do mirrors as well." He inclines his head to her, his dark eyes gleaming. "Mortimer Arthur, god of Prophecy, at your service."

[ninjasinspace.livejournal.com]

"Looking for the fairest."

(Not really.)

(But that's how the story goes, isn't it?)