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.)

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She strains against it, looks anywhere but at him.

"They dig," and her focus shifts to the ground, face kept still just to be contrary while she tries to yank her hands back. At this angle, Stefan might be able to notice the neat little scars. One dimpled dot in the middle of her forehead; a group on each temple, though there are more on the left; a couple near her eyes. They dug deep.

River will let him know the who and the where once she can get to her tablet.

Stefan drops her hands, curious and concerned, wanting answers he's not sure he deserves or should have. He's not her brother, not someone who should be making another close connection and putting them in danger by proxy. River knows so much about him - too much, and maybe that's what drives him to know more about her. Give and take in equal amounts. But, he also wants to understand her better, to give the girl someone who gets it without question more than he already does, who can hopefully help her more once he's got more pieces to the puzzle that's still incomplete in his head.

Hands returned, she pulls her tablet out of a pocket on her dress. The movement is a jerk of irritation and the little capture of her and Simon clatters to the floor. River leaves it for now and starts hitting buttons. When she shoves the tablet at Stefan with the map hovering above it, the tiny dot marking the Academy as hers is blinking out in Wilde.

"Made it echo."

If he wants to know so badly, fine. He can find out for himself, the same way as most new people in Taxon did.

Stefan takes the tablet from her, squinting at the map and eying the dot like some sort of beacon indicating long lost buried treasure. That's not what he'll find there, but maybe... answers. Something that will help shed some light on the mystery of River and make him able to help her more. He wants to help her, and it's been a long time since Stefan's wanted to genuinely go out of his way to help someone so disconnected from the things he was involved in. Elena was tied to him, as was Vicki and Caroline, but River? Had nothing to do with the mess in Mystic Falls, yet... He wanted to help.

In a way, it made him feel more like that boy River had glimpsed while their minds were linked than anything else had in a very long time.

"Thank you," he says. "Whatever happened? I'm sorry."

River ignores him, opts to curl up and slide down to lay on the cold, dark metal of Serenity. Not Veritas, not the estate on Osiris, not a torn hospital-issue mattress underground.

Overall, it's much more comfortable and her eyes start to droop.

"Next time," she informs him with a belated sniffle and wipe at her nose, "ask permission."

"Okay," Stefan says, setting the tablet down and scooting over to her. Yet, despite being told to ask permission for one thing, he doesn't for another, picking the girl up by her arms just enough to guide her head into his lap as he settles back against the bulkhead. Her necklace is retrieved from his right and placed into her hand.

She doesn't object or fight it, just draws her knees up a little higher and fists her hand around the locket.

Then she reaches for the capture with her free hand and hugs it to her chest.

"Made it," River offers as her eyes close, sleepy conspiratorial and friendly, demeanor fluctuating like so many ripples on the waters surface. "Thought it was a carrot but it was a root."

梦见: [ location: serenity | accidental visual ]

i try to sleep, they're wide awake, they won't let me alone;

i try to sleep, they're wide awake, they won't let me alone;

i try to sleep, they're wide awake, they won't let me alone;

i try to sleep, they're wide awake, they won't let me alone;

i try to sleep, they're wide awake, they won't let me alone;

i try to sleep, they're wide awake, they won't let me alone;

i try to sleep, they're wide awake, they won't let me alone;