taxonomites | 梦见: [ location: serenity

River hasn't been sleeping, not well, not since Dawn, and when the tablet clicks on from its place amidst a haphazard pile of flowers to show Serenity's cargo bay.

Every few seconds she walks across the frame (step step heel turn step heel turn step turn step step step). She's holding her necklaces (one a cross, the other a locket of vervain) taut enough to dig in at the back of her neck but not hard enough to break, and if she'd hold still one might notice some impressive bags under her eyes.

It's been days. Multiples. She can see them stretching out in front of her nose, a snake of exponential progression winding into a giant coiled ball, growing and growing until mass present exceeds the limits of volume and everything breaks. Maybe that's how they'll get out, eventually. The city will be too full of snake-days and their husky skins to let the barriers stay in place...

River snorts an unamused little laugh as she turns back around. "That's not likely. Adjustments... It's thoroughly biodegradable husk."

A beat passes and she stops, heel on the ground and toes in the air ready to make another step. Any second now.

"Smells like a graveyard," is her only irritated observation before she's off again.

(Step step heel t urn step heel turn step turn step step step.)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Jesus, Mary 'n Joseph. The hell's the matter with you?" Jayne keeps a safe distance in between them as he asks, completely creeped out. What is he supposed to do in this situation? Kaylee's no where to be found, and he doesn't even know if River's got herself some friends here that he could contact. Even if he did know of anyone, his tablet's all the way down in his bunk and if he leaves her alone to go fetch it, he'll come back to her smearing her blood all over the walls or something, and he'll be the one who'll have to clean it all up.

"Just... take a gorram breath, girl." he tries, not really expecting her to listen. "Now, what is it? Yer hands are dirty? You can just go in the bathroom and wash 'em. All right? No call for raisin' a fuss."

Another shout, "Yěmánrén," and she sways where she stands, still rubbing fists against her dress and then squeezing them against her sides underneath her elbows. Even with her refusing to look directly at him, Jayne can see the circles under her eyes and how she blinks too much.

"They made her into a coffin-- Put rot inside and you don't even see it."

[ yěmánrén - barbarian ]

"If you're talkin' 'bout what they did to your brain, I know enough." He paused to scratch at the back of his head. "But if you're talkin' 'bout somethin' else, then no, s'pose I don't see it."

What did she expect him to do? Nod wisely and know exactly what her random nonsense meant?

"No," and she sways with the force of the word. It's about Serenity, about all of them buried here dying slow deaths. Fish in a pond with no oxygenation.

"We're fish," is her half-formed attempt to clarify.

"Fish," he repeats, and he honestly attempts to figure out what she means, but nothing comes to mind. He doesn't know what fish have to do with fertilizer or flinging daisies at him.

Finally he shakes his head, returning to his task. "Why'd I even bother askin'?"

There's a low, guttural half-scream of agitation before River launches herself forward in a not at all graceful, entirely fumbling move. Not to hit him, or hurt him.

Just push. Just make him be away.

"Go swim!"

She reels back, stumbles over her own feet, holds her sides to stay steady.

"Polymer bound shoes, it's why we're here. Swim with them!"

...in hindsight, it was probably a bad idea for anyone to introduce the Earth-that-was concept of the mafia to River and then explain the phrase 'sleep with the fishes.'

He's caught off guard the first time she pushes at him, not that her force can move him back anyway, but now he's on his guard. "Gorramit, you stay away from me, crazy girl!"

Though, to be honest, going for a swim doesn't seem like a bad idea, since it's pretty warm in the cargo bay.

"When's the last time you got your meds, huh? Cuz you're actin' loony enough for two."

River's hands immediately move up, heels of her palms press against her closed eyelids as she tries to think around the smell and the Jayne and the everything. Pools and fish and death and flowers.

She shakes her head 'no,' careful to not move forward, keeping her eyes covered. It is, apparently, easier to breathe when she cannot see.

"Arbitrary measurement of time based on a rate of dosage is inherently flawed." A beat passes, she rubs her eyes and her head slumps forward. The fight's all drained out of her, now, and she's left tired and covered in flower-smell. "Not yesterday. Twice."

Yeah, it's been a while.

The only thing he takes away from what she says is Not yesterday, leading him to believe she's behind on her meds. He's never really paid attention to when or how she got her meds, but it had to be labeled, right?

With a droop of his shoulders, he realizes it's up to him to tone down her crazy a bit.

"C'mon, let's go and get some meds in ya. Then you won't be all..." He pauses and waves a hand up and down at her form. "Like y'are now."

梦见: [ location: serenity | accidental visual ]

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