(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.

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[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.