river_meimei | (no subject)

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in milliways honest

(no subject)

The rafters have a few advantages.

They're comfortable, for one thing! (If you're River Tam.) And interesting. And sometimes you find candy. And they provide a fun change of perspective.

And sometimes they're a good way to find people.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"He's a doofus."

This is at least partly affectionate, though.

...Also exasperated. But that's not wholly at Puck.

"Build a lattice in the quasi-legal framework."

She groans.

"Oh, God. Doofus is too kind."

River is a kind soul!

Um.

"Can't talk. It's an oppositional course."

"Yeah, we -- Havelock and I were getting that sense."

"Exactly."

"He's bound some way, right? Did he manage to tell you how?"

"Got a deal. Reciprocal obligation is in the foundations -- keeps the walls up."

She frowns. "What's Puck getting out of it?"

"He's okay."

Beat.

"You are. Too. Services rendered are the chronological roadmap."

"Pick a card, the house falls down."

River's fingers shift against the air in small, irregular motions, and her body is held a little too tightly with effort. Communicating clearly is hard, and she's never completely sure if she's managing.

"So he's doing something in exchange for not getting hurt."

A chronological roadmap--

"And there's a time limit?"

River's chin moves up slightly at the first comment -- and, after an uncertain pause, tentatively sideways at the second.

"Call it the results."

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite follow that."

She sounds sincerely apologetic. This obviously isn't easy for River, and Nita gets the sense that asking for clarification makes it harder. But she's got to understand this as clearly as she can.

River breathes in, and tries again.

(If she's frustrated, it's not by Nita. And it's a frustration she's very used to.)

"It's a variable. Time's not relevant."

She replays the last few lines of the conversation.

"--Oh! You mean Puck's released when he finishes whatever he's doing for the other party?"

River's eyes had skidded away, midway through that sentence; they return at the end, and she hesitates for a second. (Getting her bearings, perhaps.)

Then she nods firmly.

Nita gives her a quick, triumphant smile before sobering.

"Did he manage to tell you what exactly he's doing? What the task is?"

River hesitates again, and for longer.

Communication with River is an uncertain science in all sorts of ways, and that's even more true of her conversation with Puck than of this one with Nita.

"Time to go to ground," she says, half a question.

She frowns. "A diversion?"

River starts to shake her head, pauses, and then finishes the gesture.

Only secondarily! So mostly no.

"Okay." Hmm. "Can you explain what you meant a little more?"

"I don't know."

Her shoulders are tight with frustration; her gaze jerks sideways, to the doorknob and the soundproofed door beyond. She presses stiff fingers to her thigh, skating them over the slightly crumpled fabric of her skirt.

"The words hid. And I can't see what they're underneath."

"Okay," gently. "That's okay. If you can't get at it, that's fine. Do you want to move on?"

River's face tightens a little more.

"It's not relevant."

. . . Nita isn't sure if that's a yes or a no, but asking seems liable to upset River further.

Damned if you do . . .

"Can I ask about the other party?"

She's pretty certain it's the vampire, but it can't hurt to check.

"You don't remember," River says softly.

So that's a yes.