taxonomites | [holo] if you tell me where you're going i'll tell you where you're bound

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[holo] if you tell me where you're going i'll tell you where you're bound

Simon is dragged into Taxon mid-eyebrow raise. "Yes, of course, captain." There's no mistaking the sarcasm in his tone. "And would you like me to--"

He breaks off, looking around. It only takes a moment for his expression to shift from barely contained irritation and impatience to worry. "River?"

That worry is slowly ratcheting up into panic. "Mei mei, answer me."

When no answer is forthcoming, Simon sags just a little, his face going grey. They can't have captured them. There had to have been a warning of some kind; it's not as if the Alliance can simply... take them, without anyone realizing. He has to push away the thoughts of what they did to River, the havoc they wreaked on her mind; if anyone could do it, it would be the Alliance. But he can't have failed her again.

"Tiānsà de èmó," he mutters, panic hardening into anger and resolve. If the gŏushĭ bùrú Alliance is behind this, he'll find a way to get her out, again. He'll do anything to keep River safe.

Glancing around, he sees the tablet, and slips it in his pocket before heading down the steps and towards the door.

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"Inara," Simon repeats, slowly. It's not as if he doesn't trust his sister's instincts, but... Inara? The situation must be complicated in some way he can't see yet.

He's going to kill the captain. Or at least, sneak in another sucker punch and lecture.

"Who, River?"

River pulls back and looks at him. The situation is complicated in ways he probably won't see even when he meets Adira.

"Inara," again, urgent because a) duh she just said this, and b) Simon won't kill the captain if Adira beats him to it. Adira in a Companion suit and this whole thing makes River twitch.

Simon looks right back, puzzled and not a bit worried. A month and a half without her medicine. She's-- well, if River is allowed out of his sight for the next month or so, she should consider herself witnessing a miracle.

"Inara will hurt me." Have patience with him, little sister, Simon's not as fast on the uptake as you. And, you know. He's half convinced this is crazy ramblings.

River is strangely okay with the idea of sticking close to Simon for the next month. Or two months, or year. The Academy is here, and with that she's just dandy lacking miracles and keeping her brother.

She picks up on the complete and bothersome lack of worry and suspicion, oh brother dear, and more than anything is rutting frustrating.

"Yes!"

And she's pulling him, not at all playful, to move. It's time to move, to run and hide so they can live to bicker another day and the rooms in the Sanctuary are as good as any. He can hatch all the meds he wants, she won't even whine when time comes to take them, but right now they have to get safe.

Like he'd even let her go again willingly. And best not to share the news about the Academy just yet; save it for when he can get properly intoxicated and go smash things.

He's the slow child, forgive him.

"River, I don't think--"

But then she's tugging him along, and Simon follows, easily enough; he can contact Inara later, try and find out what exactly set River off. It's easier to just follow, for now.

River thinks she knows a rifle that could help with that, but she's not at all sure they could stop glaring at each other like wolves trying to assert their dominance long enough to get to the intoxication part. Boys are dumb.

She rolls her eyes, hard, at the 'I don't think.' Because no, Simon, you don't. At least not right now.

"The insides gone and there's... We have to fortify a base of operations."

And River keeps pulling him along behind her, looking sideways at doors and turning around corners until she finds one she thinks is appropriate. This might take a while.

Simon does not yet know about this rifle. Once the news is broken to him, he will, of course, wish Kaylee and her new beau well, and retain only the politest interactions. He'll also quietly wish horrifically painful boils in private places on the man. (Sorry, Dean; it's nothing personal.) And yes, boys are dumb. Which is why River is never allowed to have one of her own.

"Shhh, shhh, mei mei." He's trying to comfort her, already wondering if he can beg, borrow, or steal a sedative so she can get obviously well-needed sleep while he slips away to rifle through the drawers in Serenity's med-bay. "All right, we can fortify."

It's a good thing where River is concerned, Simon has unlimited patience.

That initial meeting will be priceless and painful. Somewhere in the back of her mind, River is dreading it simply for the kick it will deliver to Simon's chest, but that's not something she can worry about right now.

Speaking of things she's not, she is certainly not in a mood that can be easily placated. Almost guilty that she wanted Simon here so badly that he came, (and this is so much further from where he should be) and almost frantic with the need to keep him safe, to stay together, now that he is here.

"Here," she says, sighs, and opens a door at seeming random. "Get sticks. We need sticks so she won't know we're here."

Kaylee is a grown woman, just as he's a grown man. They made no promises to each other, and she's free to see anyone she likes. That doesn't mean when Simon finds out, he won't be taken aback.

"Okay, all right." This is mostly humoring River, but all the same, Simon's aware that her gift makes this something more than the influence of a month and a half-- and someone is going to catch his anger about that, later-- without her medicine. "Where do we find these sticks?"

That's the part she's dreading somewhere, way in the back behind the panic and the crazy.

But then he's asking her and she doesn't know. Where do we find these sticks? It echos around in her head for a moment while she bites her lip and thinks, eyes darting all over the room as she presses her back against the door once it's closed behind them and then she sees it. Wood. Made into things and but it's there and some part of her knows that it won't help, that this is delusion and splinters are useless, but River is moving toward it all anyway and saying, "Here it's here all of it is FAKE," before she lashes out.

Her feet are bare, but she's kicking in the door of a low cabinet with a shriek anyway. They're lost in the woods, in the candy house, everything smells sweet and when the witch finds them she has to make sure she won't devour him, and sticks are what she needs.

He'll survive.

Simon's content to let her find the sticks until she kicks out with her feet-- they're bare, and of course in addition to letting her go without medicine shoes have fallen by the wayside, as well-- at the cabinet. He springs for her, pulling her back and onto the floor, in his lap.

He ignores her frantic struggle and the way she's jostling him, concentrating on holding her still and close. "River. Mei mei! Shhh, stop." Holding her tighter, when her struggles become slightly weaker he adds a slightly rocking motion. "Shhh, shhh."

She will not go quietly into that good lap.

River is thrashing and straining, mewling like a cat dumped in a full bathtub and kicking the air. Doing what she can to get up and break things, "I have to, Simon. She's out there, she's there and everything she sees is fire. Everything is--" Nothing she does would hurt him at all, though there's a thought that bubbles up from the bottom (move just so, jab back, knock him out) concerning it that terrifies her.

Eventually, though, she sags back against him, still muttering, "Waves, it comes in waves and when she screams the walls of Jericho could fall," through tears and rocking her head back against his chest. Still straining, still anything but still, but she's resigned now.

Simon's prepared for her to accidentally hurt him; the lack of, say, elbows to the face is comforting, however.

He strokes her hair, still rocking River gently, whispering comforting nonsense until she's somewhat quieter.

"I'll keep us safe. I promise you."

There isn't even an accidental elbow in his ribs. All her efforts involve pushing arms out and torso back. It doesn't do much good, but that matters less by the time she's settled and slumped against him, arms and legs and back slack even though her muscles are still tensing with anxiety.

"Bù néng," and River whimpers it more than says it. She doesn't want to sit here and tear down his promises like tissue paper, but it's already said and she just shakes and tries to turn her head so her face is against his shirt. Just like the ones she made, but better.

River isn't sure why she's crying at this point. Shame or relief or guilt or gladness or fear, or all of it chewed up and spit in her face. Maybe it's just the pain in her foot as bruises blossom on heel and arch and toe. Whichever it is, she's going to curl up there and wait for it to pass.

Edited 2009-07-25 09:31 (UTC)

"Yes, I can. I will." He holds her tighter, one hand clasped to the back of River's head like he can force her to believe it through simple force of will. "We'll stay here until it's safe, River."

The crying makes Simon ache, makes him need to shut his eyes for a moment and just breathe-- this is what he's done, leaving her alone-- before he just tightens his grip again, kissing the top of her head.

"I'm here now."

One day, he can have it clarified for him for the sake of easing his sister-crushing guilt, that getting taken by aliens doesn't mean he left her.

That day is not today.

Minutes pass, and at this point River's mumblings can probably be counted as her just saying words even for the common themes. Ants, fire, destruction, empty, fakefakefake... But she clings and the minutes pass and eventually it all dries up and Simon has a pile of River in his lap. Not exactly calm, but she's still and that's something.

And after that day, he will continue to feel guilty regardless. Sorry, River. Your brother is a big dummy.

That River pile is just fine. Simon rocks her a little, sighing. Whatever has happened, it's not good. And despite the obviously urgent need for medicine, he can't (won't) leave her alone like this. Serenity and Inara can wait a bit longer.

He is. Ginormous dummy, in fact. She will have to remind him of this multiple times and in many different languages.

There are another few minutes of stillness, of blessed quiet after what can most kindly be called screeching, and River twitches and tenses through them well enough before choking out another, "duì bu qǐ," as she tries to rearrange herself into less of a pile and more of a sister. A girl that sits and is sorry for being a pile of unhelpful and crazy.

Because obviously what these two need more of between them right now is guilt and apologies.

Oh, joy. Onto the castigation portions of tonight's show.

"Dummy." Simon whispers it softly, still stroking River's back and rocking her gently, sighing a little as the uncooperative bundle of limbs is less bathed cat and more little sister again. "I'll always take care of you."

Oh, obviously.

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[holo] if you tell me where you're going i'll tell you where you're bound

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