(no subject)

[river_meimei]

River's wearing her brown coat, as she does most days.

In one pocket: a wooden ring. An iron ankh. A black handkerchief.

She slips them between her fingers inside her pocket as she paces through the ship, watching her other hand slide along the bulkhead below a clustered length of wiring.

Comments

[river_meimei]

"Can't," River says.

And then looks away, face slackening in confusion; it's a moment before she looks back and says, head lifting slightly, "Gonna be all right."

[gonna_live]

"Shi a." Soft, as she cuts the quarters one more time. "Always is."

[river_meimei]

"I know it."

This is a lie.

But she manages a tiny, half-sad smile with it.

[gonna_live]

"Know somethin' else?"

There isn't visible effort behind her attempt to change the subject. Behind her smile, either.

"You still got a tangelo."

[river_meimei]

That makes her smile grow a little. Firm a little more.

To her hands, "With seeds."

[gonna_live]

"Always a pain tryin' to get 'em out." Kaylee shakes her head a little. "Tell you what -- folk who say spittin' is unladylike never had anything orange-shaped."

[river_meimei]

"It's a sphere. Approximated in the broader sense.

[gonna_live]

"Well, so're the seeds if you want to get technical," Kaylee points out reasonably.

[river_meimei]

River disagrees.

[gonna_live]

Kaylee will survive somehow.