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]

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

[noseymaddie.livejournal.com]

Maddie nodded. "I'll show you where the shower is and then find something for you to wear. It might not be pretty, but it'll be clean. And, give you a chance to find what you want."

Maddie started down the hallway toward Slytherin since she knew where that was and where the bathroom was. "I know how things work when people arrive the other way, but I don't know about the popcorn-butter covered thing. You might have a room already, maybe." She turned to look over her shoulder and smiled what she hope was encouragement. Maddie does try to be friendly. "Once you're clean, we'll see what we can find out."

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

River followed at a sedate pace, placing each foot deliberately. stone floors were unfamiliar terrain, nothing like the iron, sheet, and grating that passed for floors on Serenity. And there was no sense of movement, no constant forward motion. To walk was disorienting, but not unpleasant.

"I'll need to find Simon, he worries," she offered, returning Maddie's smile.

[noseymaddie.livejournal.com]

"I haven't met anyone by that name, but I've hardly met everybody." Maddie still hoped for Jonathan to show up, so she could understand wanting someone familiar. "Once you're cleaned up, we'll see what we can find," she promised again. She is an investigative reporter, she finds things. It's her job.

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

"You like to find people," River acknowledged. Some of the people here she couldn't quite tell, but Maddie she could read like a book. A good book.
"And to investigate. I'll be thankful for your help."

[noseymaddie.livejournal.com]

"Something of an occupational hazard," Maddie mumbles. So far, here, her investigations have been stalled out and she's rather frustrated with that. But, then, she's never tried to investigate a private detective, much less several of them.

Maybe she should try to find one of the others that was mentioned.

But, that was for later.

"Are you hungry? I could show you were to get something to eat after we've seen you clean."

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

"Not really, but I'll follow you," she answered. Maddie was full of turmoil, yes, but she was kind of quiet person with a disheveled, but not unpleasant mind. And the surface of her was not any kind of quid-pro-quo kindness. River liked her.

[noseymaddie.livejournal.com]

They arrived at the bathroom near Maddie's room, which is the only one Maddie had bothered to find yet.

"Here's the bath. I've got some clothes you could borrow until yours are clean or show up again or whatever. My room's right there," she points to a door three down across the hall. I did say near. "And, there's towels in there." She waves River into the bathroom before heading to her room. She was sure River would be too small for any of her clothes, but something was better than nothing.

And it wasn't like Maddie was huge, she just tended to wear baggy clothes.