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]

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.

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

Kusuriyuri bowed slightly. "That is so. Kusuriyuri." He pauses a moment. "If you are well, is there something or some place you would desire to find?" He recalled the last person he'd met wanting to get the butter off of him.

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

"River," she said, returning the bow, "and I desire a shower."

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

Kusuriyuri turns. "This way, please." He waits for her to join him before saying, "The last I met here knew where his room was." He left the question to be implied. If she did not answer it, he would ask more directly.

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

"My room is on Serenity, with Simon," she answered, following. "This is not Serenity, therefor I don't believe I have a room."

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

Kusuriyuri frowned slightly. "There are empty rooms. Perhaps you would wish to have one, while you are here?"

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

"I could sleep on the floor..." she offered. It would be nothing new.

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

"If that is your desire," Kusuriyuri murmured. "If you change your mind, there will be empty rooms down the hall from the bathing room."

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

She nodded solemnly. Though, a bed would be much preferable to the floor in either case.

"You are A's friend," she said. Her initial discomfort around him was still there, but slowly fading. And, silence around him was much louder than actually talking.

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

Kusuriyuri allowed a small smile to curve his lips. "A is my deshi," he replied softly, a touch of pride in his voice. "My...friend," he settles on. The full implication of the word deshi is lost on most who hear it only as student or disciple. The relationship is one of mutual trust and respect. "You have met A?" he asks, though the answer is obvious.

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

Her smile matched his, and she nodded.
"I met him first."

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

"That is good, then." Kusuriyuri is curious if A will bring this girl up and how. She doesn't seem to be a bad sort for A to know. A little disoriented, which is normal for just arriving, but respectful enough. He leads her into the common room. "This place is called Ravenclaw. This is the common room. The bathing room is this way," he indicates the stairs with his hand before walking toward them.

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

"I know this place..." She twirled around, staring at the ceiling and touching all the chairs. "But I don't know how."

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

Kusuriyuri watches her, hiding a slight smile at her actions. "Perhaps, it may be that you were here before?"

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

"Seems highly improbable. I don't forget things." she bent over and peered at him, then following him to the hallway leading to the bathrooms.

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

"Saa," Kusuriyuri allows the comment to pass. From what he has been able to learn, those who were once popcorn are unlikely to truly recall their actions from their previous time in this place. An oddity he'd yet to fully understand.

He gestures to the door of the bathing room. "This is their baths," he says. Of a passing house elf, he politely requests robes for the girl for when she finishes bathing. "Should you need anything else, they can assist you, or you may find me," he offers. "My room is down this hall," he gestures, pointing directly at his door.