On Sunshine ((Closed RP, River/A

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

River had been thinking about spring and things, and had been in the middle of a thought about picnics when an owl from A arrived, inviting her to the garden. She scooped up Branch and Bloom to go with - no sense leaving them behind; Schrodinger and Einstein would probably be there - and made off for the garden.

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

A had what he hoped would be a very special picnic planned. He had a veritable feast with him, of all kinds of tempting morsels both savory and sweet, a little catnip-seasoned meatloaf for the kitties, a soft blanket laid out on the grassy patch under the pear tree...

...and two neatly-rolled joints, just as Kurama had taught him to make, from the lovingly tended plant in the medicinal section of his greenhouse.

He stood and waved when he saw River. "Are you ready for a picnic?"

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

River waved back, setting down the kittens so they could frolic over. "You read my mind," she laughed, coming to stand next to him. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I thought I was the only one who could do that."

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

"I think I read the day." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as Schrodinger bounded up to greet Branch and Bloom and Einstein regarded them lazily from his sleepy sprawl. "It is not very warm yet, but the sun is bright and there is a nice breeze, and lots of new life in the garden. A wonderful day to eat outside, and," he looked at her very seriously, "I have something you might like. You can say no."

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

Branch jumped around excitedly, followed by a more sedate Bloom, who twined around A's ankles in greeting. River laughed. "Say no? I doubt you'd offer me anything I wouldn't like."

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

"I hope you will like it. I did, very much, and I would like for you to feel that good." He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out one of the joints.

"This is cannabis. Kurama taught me how to smoke it. It makes you feel silly and relaxed. I brought some in case you would like to enjoy it on our picnic."

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

River took the joint an examined it closely. "It looks harmless enough, and if you liked it..." She smiled. "I'm sure I will too." She took his hand and moved to sit, pulling him down with her.

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

A was becoming a little less skittish about physical contact when it came to River, and he sat beside her and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"The food will taste even better if we eat it after we smoke," he told her. "But we will want something to drink while we are smoking, because it will make us cough. I brought catnip meatloaf for the cats, so they will be able to feel relaxed and silly as well."

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

She nodded, batting playfully at the cats, who were rolling around on the blanket. "It's like catnip for people, right? Simon has it for certain illnesses."

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

"Almost exactly like catnip for people. I have it for illnesses too, but this is more like using it as a tonic for your mind, to relax it sometimes so you don't get too tense." He pulled a large jug of limeade from the picnic hamper, and the kitty-meatloaf.

"Kusuri-uri had some too, so he thinks it is all right."

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

She covered a giggle. "Such a dignified person he is; I'll take that as gospel if he says it's all right."

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

"He knows all about herbs," A said with a nod, mashing the slice of kittyloaf into easily nibbled pieces with a fork and setting it down for the four now very alert cats. Then he held up the joint. "Are you ready to try it?"

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

"I was born ready," she said bravely, inclining her head. The cats began to eat with gusto, and Branch paused a moment to meow emphasis to River's statement.

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

Grinning, A lifted his wand and lit the joint with a murmured spell. "Like this," he told her and took a drag, holding it as long as he could before giving in to a coughing fit. After passing it to her, he hurriedly poured them each a cup of limeade and gulped half of his in one sip.

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

River took a careful hit, breathing in just a little bit slowly. Enough to make her cough, though and she immediately began to hack into her arm, holding the joint out to A.

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

A nudged the limeade toward River as he took the joint for another toke. This time he managed not to cough as much. "It helps to drink," he said, passing it back to her.

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

She nodded, still coughing, and drained her cup as well, coughing just a bit more after. "Agh, I'd hoped it would taste nice, like a hookah," she said, making a face. She took back the joint at stubbornly took another toke, holding it in and then exhaling in a cloud of smoke. She handed it back. "The food will be good to take the taste out of my mouth," she laughed.

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

"You will be very happy to have food when you feel the effects," he said before inhaling again. "You think it tastes bad?" he asked when he let out his breath, holding it back out to her. "It just tastes herbal to me."

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

"It's not something I'm used to." She took another good hit and tried to let it out slower this time, managing to not cough at all. "I'm starting to feel... light green. Or blue-green. Like water."

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

"Moving water in sunlight," A agreed. He took another hit, but a shallower one this time. He was feeling wonderfully blurry, and he could always have more later if he wanted.

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

"Mm, yeah, that's what it is. Someday, we should go swimming." She'd done it once, when she was very young, and had stayed under looking at the fish so long her mother had thought she'd drowned. The memory of the fish swimming in the bright blue water was one of her favorites. "In the ocean. With dolphins and whales."

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

"I've never seen the ocean," A said in a shocked tone. "I mean, I mean, I mean I've seen pictures and video, but I haven't seen it right. There's a big lake here, though."

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

"It's so beautiful. I bet you could hear the plants under the water singing. I could hear the dolphins... it was so rare, there were so few left... but they were always so happy." She leaned on A's shoulder, starting to feel heavy. "Isn't there a giant squid in the lake?"

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

"I've heard there is." River was so warm, and her hair smelled so nice. A wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. "People swim there anyway. Maybe it's friendly. Maybe it sings too."

[biblerewrite.livejournal.com]

"Maybe. I - woah." both her eyebrows shot straight up to her hairline. "Oh, wow. I think I can hear the sky." She snuggled closer to A, hugging him round the waist.

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

"The sky and the trees, the roses and the lavender..." Schrodinger bounded up to them and pounced into A's lap, then crossed into River's, mewing.

"...and the cats," he appended.