(no subject)

[river_meimei]

It's been a long, happy day. There are presents in the corner of River's bedroom, and there's extra birthday cake in the kitchen cupboard, and she visited two new homes on two new worlds, today, and everything was all right.

Now, River's curled up in her room, back against her bunk, head tipped back and fingers wrapped around her knees, and she's just smiling at the ceiling.

Comments

[silver_flecks]

"How many candles?"

[river_meimei]

"Four. Perfect square."

Beat.

She glances over, sidelong, her head still resting against the blanket. Seriously, "It's not a cube. We'll call it multiplied."

[silver_flecks]

"Little girl. I didn't," earnestly, "go to school. No times tables. You can't eat off of them."

[river_meimei]

River stiffens.

"Did," she whispers, eyes closing.

"She remembers."

She almost hasn't remembered, all day. It's been a day full of sugar and sunshine and starlight in the black, and she's almost--

Almost.

[silver_flecks]

"Shh. Shh. Shh."

She pauses, and runs her tongue over her teeth. "It tastes like it should be bigger in your mouth. Shh. It should."

There's no movement, really, but she's sitting next to River and there's a hand on her temple.

"Brought you a present. From her. And from me. From both of us."

[river_meimei]

River breathes in, and out, and tips her head into Del's hand. Just a little.

Her eyes are damp, when she opens them, but she's not really crying.

And she's interested. Wary -- Del is Del, with all that means -- but interested.

[silver_flecks]

"Good. Good. It's--"

She stops, and looks confused, and smiles, and presses a kiss to River's forehead.

"For you. It's for you. Because you're you." And it's whispered, "I always loved to dance," like a secret, one finger at her lips (don't tell anyone) as the other hand presses a small, round object into River's palm.

"She would want you to have it. She wants. She will want. It doesn't work in human tongues. I'm sorry. But it's yours. And it's hers. And for a little bit, I carried it, so it's mine too. But mostly now it's yours."

[river_meimei]

River holds the object in the palm of her cupped hands, and looks at it.

It's a ring of some pale wood, hand-carved and sanded smooth. There's a smoother spot where a string or chain might have rubbed.

She's seen this ring before: on a string of rawhide around Susannah Dean's neck, its twin hanging from Eddie Dean's. Seen it on Susannah's finger (though it would never really fit) and seen it lying abandoned on a table, on the wooden floor turned green-rice field or turned cracked canyon dirt, rawhide loop snapped (though it was always around her neck).

Her fingers curl around the ring, slowly, and she looks up at Del.

[silver_flecks]

"She is mine. And I was hers. It's both ways. You know? We don't always mention that. But it is. Does. Everyway. In the end, there is no end."

She's looking at the ring, and she's smiling.

"And you're mine. And I'm yours. And she and thee shared it here," tapping River's forehead, "and here," tapping above her heart.

"So. For her. For you. And for me. Happy birthday, River."

[river_meimei]

"Turn the key," River whispers, watching Del's eyes.

They're silver, both of them, painfully (painlessly) bright.

"Inherit the methodology. It's reciprocal."

[silver_flecks]

"She understands," is the solemn response, "and she comprehends. Endless. No beginning or ending. It's all simultaneous." And Del just smiles.

[river_meimei]

"I don't."

It's not an objection, and it doesn't bother her; it's just an idle comment.

River doesn't comprehend. Because she's human, and she sees too much already, and if she comprehended the truth of being Endless her brain would burn out in an instant's impossible brilliance. But maybe she understands more than most.

She looks down at her hands, at the ring hidden by her fingers.

Very softly, "I miss them."

[silver_flecks]

"Didn't say you," she points out, "you're human. Your pronoun is the wrong person. Said she. Humans have beginnings and endings. Kinda. You're lucky that way."

She nods, a little. "I know."

And there's nothing more than that.

[river_meimei]

And the ending is Del's older sister.

And that's something, anyway.

River's shoulders lift and fall in a soft sigh, and she lifts her eyes to Del. And, after a minute, she smiles little, small and sad.

"Okay."

Beat.

"Thank you."

She swallows, and tries another smile. This one is slightly more successful.

"You can have a piece of cake."

[silver_flecks]

"Thank you."

She looks down, and looks up, and the thing is--

she smiles, and it's bright, but it's not blinding, and she looks content.

"My hair's like yours. S'funny. I have another gift for you. I do. If you want. It's just words. But. They're for you."

[river_meimei]

River looks at her.

And -- this smile's real, real and tiny and a little bit shy.

"Okay."

[silver_flecks]

"I think you'll be there, when it was." To herself, and then she ducks her head, a little, and furrows her brow, and hands River a paper.

I'm sorry it hurts.

And thank you.

"For you," she says again, and smiles, and then she's gone.

[river_meimei]

The words are barely visible on the paper: they shift, bluepurplewhitegraywhite, more texture than color.

But they are visible. And they don't change.

Startled, River lifts her eyes to Del.

(She's so bright, and then she's)

She's gone.

All that's left is a willowgreen ring, and a note, and the lingering feel of cool fingers against River's temple, and a faint sunny smell of new-mown grass and sea-spray.