(no subject)

[river_meimei]

There are points in the rafters where two beams cross. Some of those points intersect with vertical supports; others don't, providing a broader flat surface at the junction.

A laptop is balanced on one. Early 21st century model, sleek and advanced for its time; a knowledgeable eye, given a close look at the specs, might notice that a few components look suspiciously... well, alien. And that a simple laptop probably shouldn't be capable of quite so many things.

River is reading something on it.

She's a huddle inside her long brown coat; her face is pale and tear-splotched, with dark circles under her narrowed eyes, and hot slow tears spill down her cheeks. But she doesn't move, except to scroll down, and she doesn't look away.

Comments

[prydeful]

"Hurts," she manages, and it's a blessing, in a way, to feel the arms around her and to not at the same time.

And she never took well to blessings, and Kitty yanks away after a moment, still crying.








"Not today."

[river_meimei]

"I'm sorry," River sobs, and flinches not from her voice but from the puff of breath against her drawn-up knees, and cringes again at the way the flinch presses her against Del's arm and her own clothing.

"I'm sorry. Kitty."

[silver_flecks]

"River." Soft and the places where Del's hand touch, after a moment, don't hurt.

(You can StIlL FeEl, but it doesn't HuRt.)

"It's time to let go."

"BuT yOu WiLl," Delirium sings again to Kitty while sobbing herself from across the room.

[prydeful]

"Maybe." She's catching her breath and trying to make the tears stop.

"But not today." That's what matters. That. It's not today.

[river_meimei]

"She can't," River whispers, and doesn't mean herself.

[silver_flecks]

"I know."

Del doesn't pull her hand away, but the fingers do unwrap from River's so it's just palm to palm.

"And this is the last part. Walking away."

[river_meimei]

River's eyes are wide and blind with tears.

"Other worlds."

She can feel every featherweight of pressure -- of touch, of atmosphere. Her fingers spread; her palm lifts a hairsbreadth, but no more. Still touching, if barely.

[silver_flecks]

"You shared it with her. Now stop." Gentle and calm.

[river_meimei]

"I want to break the walls."

Her hand lifts. Just enough.

And

(the brush of skin against skin)

it's gone. She's only River again. She feels what she feels.





A moment later, her face is contorted, buried in Del's shoulder, and she's sobbing heartbrokenly.

[silver_flecks]

"So does she."

Soft and quiet and then she has both arms around River carefully, holding her close, and a soft kiss to dark hair.

Del doesn't try to quiet her.

[river_meimei]

River doesn't answer. Just cries, racking inelegant sobs that shake her thin frame, tears and snot smearing on Del's shoulder.

It's a long time before she quiets, and when she does it's exhaustion that brings it.

[silver_flecks]

Del never tells her, "It's okay," because it's not.

But she does hold her and rest her cheek on her hair and rock her a very little bit.

She doesn't notice the tears and snot.

They stay; she just doesn't notice them.

[river_meimei]

Del cheats.

But she doesn't lie.

She's not human.

River trembles faintly against the Endless's thin body, slumped and exhausted and with tears leaking slowly from her closed eyes.

She doesn't hold on. Not to Del. But she leans against her, and doesn't pull away.