milliways_bar | (no subject)

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Anthy is cradling a mug of hot chocolate between her hands, and slowly unwrapping some green tea candies; it's a lazy afternoon -- her day off -- and she's enjoying the cold pale sunlight, so different from Houou's.

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River blinks at her tone.

More tentatively, "Lenses."

"I don't wear them anymore," says Anthy, matching her tentative tone.

"Part of the camera."

Beat.

"Not yours."

"Oh." Vaguely.

Anthy is distracted by her tea.

River follows her gaze, just in case there's something unusually interesting about the tea.

In River's world, you never know.

. . . the only interesting thing about it is that it was hot chocolate all along.

But that's the narrator's fault. Anthy doesn't even notice.

She tucks her toes against the back of the booth, and straightens her shoulders.

It might have been tea for a moment.

For River, anyway.

River tilts her head, regarding Anthy with the mild lingering confusion which is often a result of their conversations, and then offers her the bowl of paradoxes with a small smile.

Oh, good save.

"Thank you."

Anthy selects one, dips it in her hot chocolate, and has a small bite. From all appearances, they go well together.

Hazily aware that this doesn't quite constitute a conversation, she adds, "How is Simon?"

"He's on honeymoon."

In... the ship.

So, like every other day.

But with more silly smiles at Kaylee.

"Oh? Where?"

Anthy is too cool to read your narration.

That's okay; the narrative's there as a concession to coherence.

"Dream gave them passage papers. Otherwise they stay with Serenity."

"Oh."

Back to vague. Luckily, Anthy is not especially bothered by not knowing what the hell she is talking about.

She offers River another piece of candy. "It's from Houou. A souvenir."

River accepts it, with a suddenly brighter smile at Anthy's words.

She unwraps it -- the foil crinkles noisily -- and crunches happily.

River, it seems, is fond of green tea candy.

Who isn't?

Companionable silence reigns, as it is wont to do.

It's broken, half-heartedly. "I," says Anthy, happily, "did not have work today."

River's interested.

And still crunching away, so it's not quite silence.

. . . That's all she's got.

River's weird. Sucking them lasts longer and is easier on the teeth.

But is less noisy.

After long enough that a normal person would think the subject had been dropped, "It's a vacation."

"Yes, it is." Anthy is used to elastic time.

She glances at her teacup, and then, suddenly intent, at River.

"Do you miss it?"

River blinks at her.

Questioning. Miss what?

Anthy is still contemplating her teacup.

River looks suddenly more tired.

Not dramatically; as you'd look after dealing with an annoyance that crops up on a daily basis.

"It's hot chocolate," she says quietly.

Anthy blinks at her over the top of the mug as she lifts it.

Puzzled: "Yes?"

"Would you like some?"

River smiles a little. Crooked, and faintly tired, and fond; it's a lot like some of Simon's smiles.

"Okay."

After a moment of consideration, she pushes the mug over, turning it so the untouched rim is facing River.

In absent explanation, "They say if you put your lips where someone else has put them, it's an indirect kiss."

"Also, there are germs."

"I don't have a cold."

She sips from the untouched spot anyway.

And smiles a little more. Now with added chocolate smears at the corners of her mouth.