001 // you are the moon

[diomedea]

Who: River Tam and YOU
Broadcast: Fleet-wide!
Action: SS First Breath
When: After the shuffle!

[River is eating her dessert and thinking to herself. And then, suddenly, she smiles.]

Little planet, your moon is here. Calling to the home star, zero one zero one, she is safe. He is a small planet but he has so much gravity, he pulls her, safe, safe, sleep now shh.

[And then she looks into the camera with a smile.]

She can dance here, it's safe, far away from the watchful eyes, the sterile hands that grasp and pull. They drag her under, but not anymore. Can't cross the verse, the veil, the plane, like a curtain between the players.

She is safe here, little albatross. She can fly now.

[And then she tilts her head a little and laughs happily.]

Hello!

Comments

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[diomedea]

You missed her so much. I missed you too.

[She smiles, fiddling with her communicator.

She giggles.]

Lab rat.

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[pompous_today]

[Simon's smile softens a little bit.]

We're lab rats of sorts, yes... apparently we've been brought here to provide entertainment to the unseen masses.

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[diomedea]

See but unseen. On the screens. They watch.

[She tilts her head a little.]

Watching, waiting, for what? For small kisses and cries and...

...up and up. I will look after you. You need that.

video

[pompous_today]

Yes... and they apparently give us gifts if they enjoy what they see. Reality competition at its finest.

[He smiles.]

Well, then I am glad you are here to provide that service.

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[diomedea]

Her Simon will be fine.

[She smiles softly.]

I will come to see you. She can dance in your orbit.

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[pompous_today]

As long as she is here, he will be.

Does she need a ship name, or can she find his orbit on her own?

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[diomedea]

Names are inadequate. She will find him.

[And she laughs softly.]

They can lace their fingers together and she will tell him that they are safe here, Simon. The catchers cannot find them, can't cross into the verse. It's like a shelf of books.

Maybe he will be happier here.

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[pompous_today]

[He smiles.]

He is happy as long as she's with him.

I do not doubt that we are safe from the Alliance here, but I am not sure being an unwilling television star is much better.

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[diomedea]

[She smiles a bit.]

The watchers aren't the worry. The can only see. They don't push in the pins under the nails.

[And she makes a soft noise, worried.]

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[pompous_today]

That is true enough. I dislike living under constant surveillance, but the audience most likely does not want us to get hurt.

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[diomedea]

[That does help a little. She seems to calm down for the moment.]

Not directly. But they laugh, they laugh and they cry.

[She seems to consider it for a moment.]

She's going to go and visit.

video -> action?

[pompous_today]

He'll wait for her, and they can talk more.

[Simon thus awaited his sister in the Bloodsport's hold, hoping she could figure out how to fly the shuttles well enough.]

ACTION!

[diomedea]

[River knows how to fly, silly.

And she creeps up behind him, silently, and covers his eyes with her hands.]

You have to guess.

[pompous_today]

[Simon should have guessed she was going to sneak up on him- even on the rare occasions she wore her boots rather than going barefoot, she had a knack for it- but he was still surprised.]

Let me guess... a gifted, talented young woman who's also a scarily-silent bratty little sister?

[diomedea]

She's the moon.

[She said it softly, and then twirled around him, laughing softly.]

See, she dances, back in orbit! Hello, sir.

[pompous_today]

[Simon gathered River into his arms when she was done twirling and held her close, sucking in and letting out a deep breath. She was here, and real, and solid.]

He wishes both of them were back in their proper star system, but he's still glad she's here. I would have been lost without you.

[diomedea]

[River smiles and wraps her arms around him, laughing softly because of the happiness that wells in her heart.]

She doesn't know what to do without you.

[And then she tries to sort her thoughts into some sort of order. She buries her face in his chest.]

Everything will be okay. We have each other.

[pompous_today]

[Simon closes his eyes, running his fingers through her hair.]

Always. If nothing else, he will always have her, and she will always have him. [And he suddenly wonders-] ...Which ship did you end up being assigned to?

[diomedea]

Irrelevant and unnecessary.

[His question, that is.]

I'll be here.

[pompous_today]

I am sure we will be able to find room for you somewhere. [Because he should have figured she'd want to stay nearby as much as she could.] Are you going to go and visit the other ships, too? There are a lot of interesting people here.

[diomedea]

Hmm.

[She nods, and then presses a soft kiss to his cheek, touching his face with her hands.

Simon, her dear Simon. She always loved him more than she loved their parents, and she deeply and terribly regretted that he gave up everything for her, as much as she was infinitely grateful that he saved her.]

I will go see, look in the little houses, eyes in the portholes.

[pompous_today]

[Simon smiled at that, brushing her hair behind her ears.]

I would tell you to stay out of trouble, but I am not sure it's possible for either of us to do that. So just... call me if you need me, okay? I think it will do you good to explore this place.

[diomedea]

I will never be too far. You worry too much.

[She smiled softly, using the tone she reserved for when Simon was being exasperating.]

She can't blame you for it. But she will be safe.

[pompous_today]

[Simon recognized that tone, and gave her a poke on the nose.]

I would rather worry too much than too little. And you keep me real, anyway.