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?

[godmakemeastone]

[She breaks into a smile, because Simon is home. She looks around the lobby.]

Fancy sofas, thick carpet. Too fancy. Like our boat better.

[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?

[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.]

[Action]

[godmakemeastone]

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

Captain. Thought of you and conjured you up.

[godmakemeastone]

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

Don't know you.

[pompous_today]

Sofas... I know exactly where you are. Wait there.

[And in short order she will hear his running footsteps approaching. When Simon reaches the lobby, he pauses some distance from her, watching her, hardly darling to believe it, even though it seems real thus far.]

[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.]

[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?

[godmakemeastone]

[When he pauses, she rolls her eyes and shakes her head as if to say "Idiot brother." Then she tiptoes gracefully to him and wraps her arms around his waist, her ear over his heart.]

Simon.

Re: [Action]

[godmakemeastone]

[A solemn nod for a solemn Captain.]

Can't find Serenity.

[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]

Chell.

[She tries the name out, and likes the way it feels on her tongue. She gives Chell a smile.]

It's a gift sometimes, not remembering.

[pompous_today]

[And there it is. She's real, he can feel her, she's living and breathing and reacting to him in her typical River way, and before Simon can stop himself, words have failed him and he's crying softly into her hair, gently stroking it with one arm as he holds her close with the other.

Up close, it's evident that Simon hasn't been keeping his usual meticulous care of himself- he is not sloppy by any means, but his clothes are just a bit off, his hair rather untidy, his jaw covered by unshaven stubble.]

[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?

[godmakemeastone]

Shhh...

[She doesn't know why he's crying, can't feel him in her head like usual. But she can take care of him now, like he always takes care of her. She rubs his back and murmurs softly to him. She leans back and takes in his appearance, touches his jaw and hair.]

Shhh Simon, I'm here now.

Re: [action]

[godmakemeastone]

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

I can't hear them.

[Action]

[iaimtomisbehave]

We're far away from Serenity, I'm afraid.

[delincuente]

Yeah? I sorta gathered that.

[She rests the magazine on her chest to sit up a bit more.]

I'm guessing you just got here.

Re: [Action]

[godmakemeastone]

Captain never abandons his ship.

[godmakemeastone]

Here?

[Her brow furrows, but she ultimately shakes her head.]

I need to find Serenity.

[pompous_today]

You are...

[Simon sniffles and swallows, every touch and word from her feeling like it dispells some of the weight resting on his shoulders, until he is finally able to look her in the eyes.]

I've missed you so, so much. [He knows she can feel that, unaware of her loss as of yet, but he knows she likes to hear him say it aloud.] The last time she was here... she did not remember him. He was a stranger to her.