(no subject)

[river_meimei]

Once again, River heads straight from the front door to the hallway that leads to the Security office. It's a long while before she reappears. There was a tension to her body, a faint troubled frown on her face, a stressed and wary watchfulness in her gaze; all of that is still there, undiminished.

She heads for the far wall of the bar, where she climbs rapidly from bench to table to booth back and settles into the rafters.

Comments

[river_meimei]

Beat.

"Fine," she says, just barely loud enough to hear.

It's only half a lie.

[e_delmar]

Ennis nods; whether he believes her or not doesn't matter. His neck starts to ache, and he turns it to the side to crack it.

"Well, I'm thinkin two things. You could come down here, or I could come up there. I'm thinkin I know which's a better bet."

[river_meimei]

River considers it.

The mental image gets what's very nearly a smile, for an instant, and a shadow of her usual impishness that lingers for longer.

[e_delmar]

Ennis moves, as if to stand.

"Well, a'right, then. But watch out, if I fall."

[river_meimei]

"I forgot my net," she warns him.

[e_delmar]

"Best move fast, then."

[river_meimei]

River eyes him.

And then she does.

In this case, uncoiling and dropping from the rafter to land with a surprisingly quiet thump of boots on the tabletop below, in one smooth motion.

[e_delmar]

He's surprised, a bit, but he did invite her to do so, after all, so he blinks and pulls back just a little, but he looks up at her with a light smile.

"Much easier to talk like this."

[river_meimei]

River's eyes silde around the room; it's a moment before she rises slowly from her crouch, and steps with elaborate care onto the bench, and then the floor. She moves as if the surfaces might shift beneath her, or as if what her feet touch isn't the same as what her eyes see.

When she's safely standing on the ground, she glances at him.

[e_delmar]

He looks up at her, blinking, trying to see ... something. What, even he's not sure.

[river_meimei]

River blinks at him, looking faintly confused.

Given that this is River, there are any number of possible reasons for that.

[e_delmar]

Well, now they're both confused. Ennis begs off first, his eyes darting down to the floor as he picks up his glass to take a sip.

"Drink? Cigarette?"

[river_meimei]

"I have tea," River says absently, and then focuses on her right hand with rather more confusion.

She doesn't have tea, for the record.

(She did. On the ship. A few hours ago.)

[e_delmar]

Ennis raises an eyebrow. As pointed out, he don't see no tea. He looks at her hand, and sees nothing there, either, and furrows the aforementioned brows.

"You okay, miss?"

[ooc: so so sorry for totally passing out on you last night.]

[river_meimei]

River's head jerks over, a little too quickly.

"I'm fine," she says, irritated and impatient.

And maybe not quite fine, but not wanting to discuss the matter either.

[OOC: No worries at all. :)]

[e_delmar]

Ennis nods, silently, and stands, walking towards the bar. When he returns, he has a mug of hot chocolate, and he sets it down on the table near her.

[river_meimei]

River's eyes follow him -- mostly, anyway -- and when he returns she watches his hands set the mug on the table and lift away.

A moment.

And then her face relaxes genuinely, at least somewhat, into a tiny rueful smile.