0001;

[godmakemeastone]

It's quiet here.

[She closes her eyes where she stands in the castle lobby, raises her arms out to the side, and tilts her head, listening.]

No noise. Can only hear my own thoughts.

[She opens her eyes and walks toward someone in the lobby, eyes narrowed as she tries to hear their thoughts. When she can't, she gives a bright smile to the passerby, then pirouettes gracefully a few times, before she breaks into joyous laughter. The laughter lasts only a moment, and her face clouds as she realizes something.]

Can't hear my crew. There, not here. Peace, but no Serenity. Need to find my crew.

Comments

[pompous_today]

[Simon stares at the words appearing across the pages of his journal, not really sure how to feel about this. He'd been so afraid of River appearing again, so afraid the same thing would happen as last time, that she wouldn't remember him. He'd all but given up hope of seeing her again- given up hope for almost everything, in fact.

And yet... he couldn't leave her.]

She'll find a journal somewhere nearby. Maybe familiar voices will come from it.

[godmakemeastone]

[A tic of her head, ears alert. Simon. She's lost in relief for a moment that she can't fully understand his instructions. Her brow furrows in concentration, then she glances around. Her eyes light up when she spots the open journal, and scoops it up as if it were Simon himself.]

Simon?

[pompous_today]

[There's another long pause before he dares reply, wanting to be calm for her. She remembered him. She knew who he was, and he'd suddenly found his purpose again, a spark suddenly re-igniting the will to move on and hope that had been burning so low.]

Always. Can you tell me where you are?

[Action]

[iaimtomisbehave]

[He'd know that pirouette anywhere, but the laugh seals it for him. He approaches her slowly, still not entirely convinced that she's real.]

River?

[Action]

[godmakemeastone]

[A smile and a little skip step as she comes closer and salutes.]

Captain. Thought of you and conjured you up.

[Action]

[iaimtomisbehave]

[As usual, Mal has no idea what she means, but he's learned enough to just go with it.]

You just get here, little one?

[silentrunning]

[Chell recognizes you, but you won't recognize her... Her face lights up and she waves emphatically.]

Hey.

[She says by way of a greeting.]

[godmakemeastone]

[River mimics the stranger perfectly and returns the wave.]

Don't know you.

[silentrunning]

[Chell nods.]

I know you... You don't remember... probably... but you've been here before. My name's Chell. It's nice to see you again, even if you don't know me yet.

[Only in Paradisa can something like this happen, she thinks.]

[forsometimenow]

[Jennifer smiles when she hears a familiar voice coming from the journal. It's going to be hard, she knows- another River who doesn't recognize her, who thinks she's a completely different person- but she's happy to see the girl again nonetheless. Both happy to have a friend back, and happy for Simon, to have his precious sister here, a sister who knows him.

When she speaks, her voice will be very familiar to River, just a little deeper.]

Hello again, River. I know you'll recognize my voice, but I'm not Kaylee- just someone who looks and sounds a lot like her. I'm friends with your brother. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you.

[godmakemeastone]

Kaylee. But not.

[But her mind connects the voice to Kaylee, and she can't disconnect it right now, not sure if she even wants to]

Who are you?

[action]

[delincuente]

[On one of the lobby couches is a girl sprawled out with a fashion magazine in one hand, and a large coffee in the other. She sluggishly raises an eyebrow as River passes by, and watches her with curiosity for a few moments. A little familiar, from past stays, though she never talked to her. Her behavior is both endearing and concerning.]

Hey, you okay over there?

Re: [action]

[godmakemeastone]

[River turns at the sound, tilts her head at the girl.]

I can't hear them.

[originalcopy]

River?

[Ok, so they hadn't been particularly close... she kind of creeped him out, but they had come to an understanding. Almost friendly even.]

[godmakemeastone]

River.

[It's a confirmation, nothing more. She looks curiously at the person in front of her, eyes alight.]

[Action]

[lightbranded]

River?

[Will pauses as he sees the girl dancing around the Lobby. And then the boy laughs.]

How marvelous it is to see you again!

[Action]

[godmakemeastone]

[His laugh is a pleasant sound, so River smiles, though she has no idea who he is.]

You know me?

Voice

[honeytoes]

Have we met before?

Voice

[godmakemeastone]

Can't see you, don't know your voice.

[action]

[threeweeksago]

[Ellie had only been passing through the lobby, but can't help but pause and watch the older girl dancing and laughing. One of her eyebrows raise as she suddenly stops, and Ellie's sense of curiosity drives her forward to approach River.]

Hey. You okay?

[godmakemeastone]

[A trace of the smile is still on River's lips when she turns to the young girl, but River's expression is more lost than it was before.]

The voices aren't there anymore. In my head.

[voice forever]

[snowpointvictor]

Are you a new arrival too?

[Zoey decides not to ask the girl anything about the 'voices'.]

And what do you mean by 'crew' miss? Friends, family?

[godmakemeastone]

Crew is family on Serenity. They are mine.

[well_assembled]

River!

[The tone of excitement, even relief was thick in her voice. The girl had almost become like a little sister the last time she'd been here. But she knew better than to allow her enthusiasm to remain unchecked. Too many times people came back and left without word and bearing no memories of their previous time.]

Should I say welcome, or welcome back?

[godmakemeastone]

[She's a beautiful woman, and the flicker of hope in her eyes makes River almost pained to have to disappoint her.]

Don't know you, if that's what you mean.