river_meimei | (no subject)

(no subject)

The Tams' house at New Mayfair is slightly less tidy than usual -- necessarily, with a reluctant invalid occupying the sitting room full-time. But the cleaners still know their job, and appearances must be kept up. Which is why the upstairs hallway, like all the rooms except the one Gabriel is more or less living out of, is still ruthlessly and tastefully tidy.

There are, of course, doors in this house that even the cleaners and security force don't know about.

Magic will do that kind of thing.

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Silly Galadan. River does not knock. That's for people with better social skills.

The door's ajar; she leans enough to poke her head around the doorframe and peer into the room, instead.

Galadan stifles the beginnings of a smile.

"Gabriel? You are home at the moment, I presume?"

One of them needs to keep up appearances.

"I'm not quite sure where else I should be, as yet," he calls back, dryly.

Gabriel is sitting in his preferred armchair, reading over a series of documents that Mark Jiang had sent over earlier in the day. He looks up with a smile, one that grows rather more startled and pleased when he sees his daughter.

"... River."

"I'm visiting," River says earnestly, if unnecessarily.

Galadan steps into the doorway, sliding past River.

"And I appear to be serving primarily as transport."

He casts a quick look down at the girl.

"I do hope the trip was not overly unpleasant."

"We'll call you a pilot," River assures him.

"I can think of several transport companies that would give anything to have a skill such as yours," Gabriel informs Galadan.

"It's good to see you both-- come in, please."

He moves to set aside his files, clearly intending to get up.

"Really."

Galadan's voice is dry, if amused.

"If only I were not so invested in keeping myself from the public eye."

He eyes Gabriel narrowly.

"Don't strain yourself, Senator."

"Not allowed to be a moron," River informs her father pointedly, and slips into the room.

She eschews the sofa, and never looks at the hospital bed with its discreet just-in-case oxygen apparatus; where she settles is on the ottoman at her father's feet, her legs tidily folded beneath her.

"I do try not to be," Gabriel says to River-- a little dryly.

His gaze meets Galadan's, however, and he settles back into the chair with an exasperated sigh.

Galadan's expression gives away nothing.

He does not even indulge in a slightly self-satisfied tilt to his lips.

He does, however, settle on the sofa, attention split neatly between River, Gabriel, and the room at large.

"Your effort has certainly been well-noted."

River's face says -- affectionately -- what she thinks of Gabriel's consistent success on that score.

(But she's smiling. Just a little.)

"I'm sure it has."

Even more dryly than before, but there's no bite to it.

"Is there anything in particular that brings the two of you here today, or dare I presume that this is a casual visit?"

This time Galadan does smile, if only faintly.

"Rest assured I am capable of casual action, Gabriel."

Maybe.

"I came," River assures him earnestly, as if this were a very weighty matter indeed, "to say hi."

(Galadan gets a brief oh, please look.)

"Well, in that case..." Gabriel drawls, "hi."

"I hope you'll both stay to dinner. I know Regan would love to see you."

"Hi?"

Galadan's eyebrows go up.

"I see I shall have to practice my diction."

If he's to fit in, of course.

"I will be pleased to accept your invitation, should River choose to stay, as well."

He turns his gaze toward the girl for a brief moment, waiting.

"You have to behave," River informs her father, with her old teasing mock-sternness.

He heaves a put-upon sigh, rolls his eyes, and addresses Galadan.

"This is what I've come to in my old age, to be instructed on proper behavior by my own daughter."

To River, Gabriel adds,

"Trust me, băobèi, I can be the very model of restraint when I choose."

Suŏyŏu de dōu shìdàng, after all.

"Well--"

Galadan pauses, faint smile growing broad.

He gives River another sly, sideways glance.

"Should the instruction prove pertinent--"

"Wear it," River finishes brightly.

...And then looks confused.

She's not the only one. Gabriel looks back and forth between them.

"... shénme?"

Galadan, too, is frowning slightly.

"There is a metaphor about shoes, is there not?"

"Several," River adds helpfully, if still somewhat uncertainly.

"Perhaps one of you will see fit to enlighten me," he puts in.