02 || River Tam || Day 55

[enchangement]

The air tastes strange. [ River knows the video is on but she's not looking at it, allowing instead for the broadcast to show the hallway of house seventeen in the waning afternoon light.

An arm reaches out and a door swings open to a bedroom. Bed rumpled and several books scattered around but otherwise empty.

They took him and she doesn't know when. They took a note, the whole song is wrong now.

[ River sounds exhausted. ]

The air tastes strange. All the notes should be careful and keep themselves in tune.

Comments

[enchangement]

[ River hisses under her breath. ]

Empty nothing, not even a body to bury.

[undomesticated]

But that's a good thing, right? No body means he might be alive.

[enchangement]

No.

There is no might. The future was witnessed.

[undomesticated]

The future was what?

[Maybe this girl wasn't dealing with a full deck, a possibility that just made Riley feel even worse for her.]

[enchangement]

Observed by those native to the events. They knew he dies, suspend your useless disbelief long enough to comprehend.

[undomesticated]

Wait, who knew? Are you talking about the people who brought us here? Did they do something to him?

[enchangement]

No, not them. Charles, Erik, Raven. They knew. He had died.

[undomesticated]

I think I'm a little lost here. Are you saying these people saw him die?

[enchangement]

That's a tight circle tightrope walker you're dancing on. They saw. His future, their past, his present cut short.

[undomesticated]

[Riley hadn't been let in on the fact that people were taken from different times and timelines, thinking that everyone she'd met here was from the same time (and world) as her.]

I'm sorry, but I don't really understand what you mean. You sound... upset. Do you need someone around or something?

[enchangement]

Too many already, too many and none of the right ones!

Should've let him stay. Should've...

[undomesticated]

Is there someone I can get for you?

[She didn't want to leave her alone the way she was.]

[enchangement]

No. They're on their way.

[undomesticated]

Okay. Do you want me to stay on the line with you until they get there? Maybe you can tell me a little about yourself. My name's Riley.

[enchangement]

No, but you'll feel better if the lines stay open.

[ River sighs. ]

River this is Riley, Riley, meet River. Hello, Riley. How are you today?

Things have been better, but things have been worse.

[undomesticated]

[That was true.]

I'm fine, River. Still trying to get the hang of this place, but I think that might be a little harder than I'd first thought.

[Velociraptors and sabretooth tigers and possible angels and disappearing people who were dead. Nope, consider her completely out of her area of expertise.]

Things can always get worse or better. I hope they get better for you after today.

[enchangement]

Sharon. Talk to Sharon. Or Charles.

[ That'll give her new and old perspective, right? A balance. ]

Can get. Have been. Difference.

Maybe. Maybe not.

[undomesticated]

Sharon and Charles. Right.

[She might have to keep an eye out for these people who could hopefully put some of this into perspective for her.]

Can I vote for maybe? Push it a little further into the positive.

[enchangement]

Can put it to a vote but this mind isn't a democracy.

[undomesticated]

No, but you'd make it a win if you were the one who voted yes as well.

[enchangement]

It's mathematical but not basic addition.

[undomesticated]

Sure it is. If you say yes and you're the one in control of yourself, then it's an automatic win.

[enchangement]

There's a chink in the armor, a flaw in the thinking. Can you find the assumption before it bites your fingers?

Control is fought for, and she's tired today.

[undomesticated]

Then maybe you should take a bit of a rest. That might help you see things a bit differently.

[enchangement]

[ River sighs again. ]

Stop. An effort, gallant brightly shining, was made.