dì​sì​; the red shoes.

[bytwo.livejournal.com]

[River is sprawled out on the ground - again, let's be honest, she's done this sort of thing before - with multi-coloured markers and a book of fairy tales stolen from the library on the Plane. On first glance she appears to be annotating it; on further inspection, it becomes clear that she's not so much annotating as editing, crossing out whole sections and writing new ones in the margins, pointing out fallacies, and occasionally drawing diagrams. She's fixing it, you see! Making it better. It may or may not be a very valuable edition.

You'll thank her later.]

Comments

[bytwo.livejournal.com]

[She keeps looking at him for a few more minutes, so that he can know how totally ridiculous he sounds right now, and then returns to marking things.


After a little while of this, she says, conversationally:] You're displaced.

[oliverplus]

[blinks, frowning at her, a bit startled] What do you mean?

[bytwo.livejournal.com]

[Enunciated clearly for him:] Not in your proper place.

[And underlines a word in pretty purple.]

[oliverplus]

[makes a face] Well, yeah, I don't think the Plane's anybody's proper place--except maybe those twins.

What's your name? [tries to catch her gaze, giving her a friendly smile. he finds her unnerving, but that's no reason to be rude] I'm Oliver.

[bytwo.livejournal.com]

[Yes, River does have that effect on people. But she smiles a little! Hi.]

River.

[Beat.]

It means elf-host. [She's helpful! And he's an elf. Apparently. River finds this amusing.]

[oliverplus]

[blinks] What, my name? [because River is...well, a river, right?]

[bytwo.livejournal.com]

[She looks a little confused, because... he didn't know that? Clearly he should have known that!] Yes.

[oliverplus]

Hah, nobody's told me that before! Thanks.

So what's with you and fairy tales, anyway? Do you just not like them?

[bytwo.livejournal.com]

I don't. Not like them.

[A little blankface. And then she offers him the book, because... obviously this will help him understand. At the very least, he can read her fascinating thoughts on 'Little Red Riding Hood'. (Predictably, she has problems with a wolf being able to successfully impersonate a human.)]

[oliverplus]

Meaning...you do like them?

[looks down at the book, frowning at her notes] Why do you think they need to be changed like this? I mean...it sorta takes the magic out of it, you know?

[bytwo.livejournal.com]

[He gets something of a blank stare.] Fits better. In context.

[Yes?]

[oliverplus]

Well...if you're looking for realism, I guess. [yeah, he's really not going to get it]

Hey River, where are you from?

[bytwo.livejournal.com]

[She gets mildly distracted by 'The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood', but that's okay! Because she can converse and correct at the same time.]

Osiris. It's in the core.

[oliverplus]

[curious] Core? Of what?

[bytwo.livejournal.com]

Planets.

[As far as she's concerned, that explains everything. So she goes back to writing. (Drawing, actually. It appears to be a duck.)]

[oliverplus]

[could this girl get any more confusing?] You're from a planet's core?

[and, in the hopes of not annoying her with personal questions that she clearly doesn't see much need to answer, he goes for something more immediate] Hey, that's a nice duck. Is it for the story?

[bytwo.livejournal.com]

[She just. Looks at him. A sort of 'duh, no' stare.] Mixing stories. Integrating into the royal bloodline the princess who wouldn't laugh.

[oliverplus]

Uh...yeah. All right. [frowns--what was it she said? Osiris? his knowledge of mythology isn't great, but just maybe...] You aren't talking about death, are you?

[bytwo.livejournal.com]

[-Awwww, bless his heart, he's trying.]

A planet. In the Core.

[Beat.]

Core planet.

[oliverplus]

[he really is!]

But...the core of what? Your universe?

[bytwo.livejournal.com]

Society.

[Somewhat reassuringly:] It's political.

[oliverplus]

Ohhh! [hooray, something that makes a little bit of sense for once!] So like, your capital? Or just...part of a "core" society?

What year is it there?

[bytwo.livejournal.com]

[Just. Going to handwave the date here. Future! Whee.

And then she grabs a blank sheet of paper and starts drawing a diagram for him.] Core planets - [Ariel, Osiris, etc.] - in the Alliance. Got the technology, protection. Meddlers. [And then to the planets on the edges of the systems.] Outer planets. Rural. Farmers, ranchers. [And other such things.] Dong ma?

[oliverplus]

Ah, I get it! [which is very exciting, considering how this conversation has been going] That's...well, it's sorta like the Empire where I'm...living. [makes a face; he almost said where he's from, but it's not home--not yet, and probably not ever really] There's the Empire, and then there's the Rim. I live near the Rim.

But what do you mean "meddlers"? Like...they're try to expand the core territory?

[bytwo.livejournal.com]

Meddling in people's business. People don't like a meddler.

[Yes, that was... supremely unhelpful. And then she glances at Oliver all sideways.] You're displaced. [Said in a matter-of-fact-tone, like she knew this already (she did) and didn't really need him to confirm it like that (she didn't).]