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

[video]

[tryingitall]

[Still struggling to understand exactly what she's getting at, but clearly someone important has gone missing.] I don't know who's vanished on you, I'm afraid, and if it's a quirk of this place, I doubt I'd be useful. I'm told I was here before, vanished, and returned. But I don't remember it.

[video]

[enchangement]

Three negatives and not a single note of self-structured faith. What can you do? What can be done?

[video]

[tryingitall]

We can hang on to the ones who've stayed.

[video]

[enchangement]

All the little half-moon circles impressed upon their skin won't protect them from the thieves.

[video]

[tryingitall]

I suppose not.

If my sympathy is worth anything, you have it. [Being left behind, whether by people who meant to go or people who have been forcibly taken, is miserable.]

[video]

[enchangement]

What do you think it's worth? A quiet chime, a calming voice, a calming gaze.

Don't know your name or your title.

[tryingitall]

My name is Balthazar. I haven't been here long, and I don't actually have a title. Do you?

[enchangement]

Yes, the Page to the Knight.

Hello Balthazar. Have you misplaced your Babylonia?

[tryingitall]

[He breaks into a smile, appreciating the reference.] I left it some time ago, actually. This place is as good as any, to me.

[enchangement]

Must have seen a lot of cages.

[tryingitall]

I suppose I have. Or at least one very big one, before here.

[enchangement]

Why did they cage a former king?

[tryingitall]

Oh! I was never a king. Only a soldier. I share the name with a king, though. I hope that's not disappointing.

[enchangement]

You are doing us a service, sir, distracting and calm and level and...

Presence but lacking in such.

Disappointment is on the menu. She was enlisted, once. There are lots of fighters here, lots of soldiers.

[tryingitall]

I left the life, if that makes it any better. Tried to, anyway. It does tend to follow one around.

[enchangement]

More like chases at full speed and burning all in between.

[tryingitall]

...yes, that. I'm sorry you've had the same experience.

[He means it, too.]

[enchangement]

Such is the way of powers that be.

[tryingitall]

Unfortunately. Yes.

Well. I wish you better luck from here on out.

[enchangement]

Luck granted is luck reciprocated.

Thank you for it, for this, for conversation Balthazar.

[tryingitall]

You're welcome, my dear. Thank you, as well.

[enchangement]

An accidental gift?

[tryingitall]

Sympathy. A little understanding means a great deal.

[enchangement]

The kindness of a common memory and a common plight, a common flight. [ She sighs. ]

[tryingitall]

It'll do.

Perhaps we'll speak again soon.