The Unpopping of River Tam

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

River found herself in the not unfamiliar state of being utterly disoriented.

This is not logical; there is not enough butter on Serenity to bathe in.
And yet, to spite the illogical bend of the situation, here she was, covered in butter. Did they even have butter?

And, surrounded by popcorn.
There is not enough popcorn on Serenity to fill a room.
This was a highly illogical situation. A distressing one.

"Simon?" she called out, tentatively. She didn't expect an answer. That... was far more distressing than the popcorn.
Don't be irrational, she thought. It was sound advice.
"Simon?!" She called again, louder. Of course, no answer, but she was allowed to be irrational once in a while. But only for a few seconds. If Simon wasn't here, he was obviously elsewhere, so elsewhere she would go. She stepped out of the popcorn room, and dripped down the unfamiliar hallway.

Comments

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

"I dance on the ripples," she replied. "To the shore and back again. I remember everything, even the made-up parts."

She paused then, quiet.
"A is a good name. The beginning."

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

"Earth-that-was?" She gasped, mystified. "It was used up."

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"Kusuriyuri says I must be mindful of ripples," he said soberly. "And I am beginning to be things. Before, I was... made to be."

[jezzthespoon.livejournal.com]

He shrugged. "This one isn't."

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

"Starting fresh. It's good." Her hands were still busy with the cats, but she was smiling at A.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"This, it, it's a good place for that." A smiled back nervously, rubbing his throat. "If I wasn't here, I wouldn't be anywhere."

[noseymaddie.livejournal.com]

"Oh, well." Maddie looked the girl up and down. "I could show you where a shower is, at least. I'm not sure where to find clothes, though. I'm sure it'll help a little to get cleaned up, won't it?"

Realizing that disoriented might be helped by an introduction, Maddie held out her hand. "I'm Maddie. I'm still finding my way here myself, but I'll help as much as I can."

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

Kusuriyuri frowned slightly. "I am not an ambassador. I am a simple medicine peddler," he replies softly.

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

She mulled that over for a while. It occurred to her just how far from home she must be, and she began to feel uneasy again.

"Is... Is Simon here?"

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

Apothecary. The one A mentioned, there could be no other.
"Kusuriyuri," she said. She sounded almost defiant, but not impolite. A was not afraid of him, so there was no reason she should fear him at all.

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

River reached out her own hand, taking Maddie's and shaking it bravely. "River. A shower would be ideal."

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

She cocked her head to the side, and her eyes seemed to flicker "inside" for a moment. After a time, here eyes widened, and she made a small 'o' with her mouth.
"This is a good place, then."

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"I have a garden here," he said, regaining his composure. "And a greenhouse. And a mangosteen grove. And there are Einstein and Schrodinger," he gestured at the cats, both purring loudly, "and Bernoulli."

And that wasn't counting his friends who were human, or could pass for it.

[papayagami.livejournal.com]

"Showers, I think it would depend on where you go. Do you remember which house you were in? As for clothes, I think we could ask a house elf."

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

She hummed, the thought of a garden, of a grove, and a greenhouse... wonderful things. Beautiful things she missed out in the black.
"Will you show me?"

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

"I remember being on Serenity, then being covered in butter. Maddie knows where a shower is, all I need are clothes."

She paused a moment.
"I'm River."

[jezzthespoon.livejournal.com]

"I don't know any Simon, but that doesn't mean there isn't one."

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"Ohhhh..." A's eyes widened, and he smiled broadly. "Oh, oh yes, I, I, I will show you the flowers, and the fruits and vegetables, and the herbs for cooking and for medicine, and the mangosteen grove where it will be warm always."

A always loved showing off his horticultural progress, but this was the first time a pretty girl had asked to see.

[papayagami.livejournal.com]

"I...." oh wait, not everyone has shinigami eyes, silly Soichiro. "I'm Soichiro. House elf then." He flagged down a random house elf. "Could River have some clean clothes please?" He stepped aside so River could specify if necessary.

"I've never heard of Serenity."

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

"Always warm?" a grin pulled across her face. "Sounds like magic. Are the fruits and vegetables good to eat?"

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

"Mid-bulk Transport. Standard Radion Accelerator core. Class code 03-K64--Firefly. It's a starship," she specified. "Home that moves. Home where Simon and Kaylee are." She stared at the house elf, and shrugged. "Surprise me."

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"It is magic. It is magic that the grove is here at all. And oh, oh yes, the fruits and vegetables are good, I never, oh, before I had my garden I never knew how good they are when they are freshly grown. Even most of the flowers I grow can be used for food. And I am learning to cook with what I grow."

He thought for a moment and, then, shyly, "The Charentais melons have just become ripe. I haven't tried them yet. Maybe you would like to taste them with me."

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

"I've never had a Charentais melon," she said. She couldn't even imagine what one tasted like. "I'd love to."

[papayagami.livejournal.com]

"After my time, then. Very after my time. We aren't capable of commercial space travel yet."

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

This information was quite disconcerting. She'd gone back in time? And Jezz had said this was Earth-that-was, or like it...
She stared off blankly for a while, unsure how to answer.