river_meimei | (no subject)

(no subject)

There's a certain district on Beaumonde where nobody from Serenity much wants to go any more. There are a lot of bad memories there. There's also a lot of notoriety, if you happen to be River Tam, and potentially a lot of people with scars and grudges.

However, Beaumonde's a whole world. There's more to it than one dive bar.

Half a planet away, in a different city, there's a pedestrian market of the sort frequented by both tourists and locals. It's full of color, in paint and flowers and bright draping fabrics. It's also missing most of the neon, and most of the general air of seediness. No good for handovers of illegal goods -- but plenty good for a girls' day out.

River and Kaylee have a mission.

And the mission is: fun.

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"If they swish."

Because, you know, River doesn't have enough of that kind of clothing already.

She swallows.

And grins. "...what, like leather pants with fringe?"

River considers that seriously.

Yeah, the narration is wincing too.

And then gives Kaylee a very dubious look. Patiently, "Leather chafes." Duh, Kaylee!

"'S why you wear pants under it."

Beat.

"Long as you're doin' work, I mean."

Kaylee probably means what you think she means.

River makes a face at this prospect.

Interpret that as you will.

"Anyway." Now she's grinning. "You okay for cold-weather things? Or do you want a couple more layers for good measure?"

"Yes," River declares.

Beat.

Beeeaaat.

Oh, right. "It's preparation for the planetary shift," she adds, which is apparently meant as clarification.

Not very helpful clarification, based on the look Kaylee's giving her.

"Please?"

Kaylee's expression relaxes. "Shi a. You want to let's finish off the dimensions first?"

"No loose ends," River agrees, relaxing back into cheer herself, and plucks up one.

mmm, cinnamony space-time continuum.

Kaylee polishes off two more. "Think I'm done -- maybe that makes me two-dimensional."

River reaches out, with great deliberation, and pokes Kaylee in the arm. With two fingers, for verification.

Decisively: "Nope."

"Oh, well, that's good to know." She grins. "You ready, slowpoke?"

River sticks out her tongue at Kaylee.

And then pops the last doughnut in her mouth. "Have been," she says, inaccurately and also slightly indistinctly.

"You're still eatin'," she points out as she hops off the table. "How was I to know?"

"I am."

With that helpful explanation, River uncoils to her feet.

"Oh," Kaylee says, as though that clears everything up, and picks up River's flowering plant. "Come on. You need some layers, at the least. Let's go pick you out somethin' pretty."

Oh, like River's going to say no to that.

She beams at Kaylee, quick and bright, and heads out into the marketplace.

Kaylee will probably need to correct her direction a time or three on the way to the clothes shops. But she's aiming more or less in the right direction, at least.

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