01 ⚓ Video ⚓ Strangers, who are you? Where do you sail from?

[hearrrtofgold]

[For half a second the feed catches the corridor outside of the mess hall, showing a blurred image of the walls before focusing on a new face. It's a rather handsome youngish male face, framed by brunet hair, adorned with a soul patch, beard, and moustache, and dominated by a prominent nose as well as brown eyes and lips pulled into a thoughtful frown.]

That is officially the weirdest way I've ever been sprung from custody.

Hi. Duke Crocker, token new guy, here to do - you know, all the typical crap. [Graduate an inmate, save his hometown and his best friends, possibly start an underground trade system, that sort of thing. No big deal.] Two things, before I go any further: first, mess hall and kitchen's this way on level one, right? I'm starving, and that hospital food isn't fit for an animal. Not even a spotted hyena would touch it.

Second, what the hell is the date? Is it still December, or is it June? Apparently it's been a really long time since I've seen a calendar. Someone should really do something about that.

Comments

[hearrrtofgold]

[All right, this is all getting a little proverbial. Duke holds River's eyes - big eyes, sad eyes - as she speaks, his brow furrowing. But most of her words making an odd sort of sense.

The idea of people giving other people Troubles, abilities or whatever they're classified as, makes something in the core of him go hard and heavy, as if he's swallowed a stone.

But that's not important now. This girl is strange and seems lost and for whatever reason she's comfortable sharing with him. So he holds out his hand for her, nodding in greeting.]

Your name's River? I like that.

[enchangement]

[ She takes his hand with both of her own, turning it palm up before wrapping around it. ]

Joy cuts through like an anchor in still water, a rapid descent different from the noise of the bombarding distracted horde. A reunion.

She never liked her name before, it never fit.

[hearrrtofgold]

[He didn't expect her to take his hand in hers but now that she has, Duke wraps his fingers around hers and holds her grip, gentle but solid.]

But you like it now, huh?

[enchangement]

It fosters a sense of belonging, having a name with meaning that ties into others of meaning. Not a very solid foundation, but she is dead after all.

[ She squeezes his hand. ]

You wanted coffee.

[hearrrtofgold]

[He squeezes her hand back.] You don't feel very dead.

I did. You can tell all kinds of things about people, can't you?

[enchangement]

Reanimated somehow. Magic? Nanites. She isn't sure. The medics probably can't tell her.

[ River gives a little smile. ]

Psychic.

[hearrrtofgold]

They probably couldn't.

[That smile makes him smile, a little bit.]

Then I am never taking you on in a game of cards.

[enchangement]

[ River slowly extracts her hands, taking a step back. ]

Never played. Might have to teach me.

She wants to know everything - about the Troubles and the boat and life as a pirate on Earth. But the anchor has nearly reached it's destination.

[hearrrtofgold]

That could be arranged.

[She's allowed her space so Duke slips his hand back into his coat pocket, hooking his thumb outside it, and tilts his head thoughtfully.]

And where is that anchor headed exactly?

[enchangement]

Good.

[ She claps once, twirling in a circle, balancing on the balls of her bare feet. ]

It's a surprise! She won't ruin it. A good anchor though. Necessary. Happy.

[hearrrtofgold]

Can you tell how things are going to happen, too?

[enchangement]

A short span, from today to today, sometimes tomorrow, once beyond that but just the once.

[hearrrtofgold]

Do you just get bits and pieces?

And do you want coffee too?

[enchangement]

Waves that crash against the shore of knowledge and the rocks erode against the tide.

[ She gets more than bits and pieces but sometimes it's difficult to parse. Sometimes all she can do is react. ]

Never had it.

[hearrrtofgold]

You get too much?

[Most of what she says makes a metaphorical sort of sense to Duke, but now and then she loses him.]

Then we should fix that.

[enchangement]

[ An adult thing. Not the sort that Simon would ever approve of, given her deteriorating state.

She wants it. She wants to try coffee. ]

Okay.