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

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

[Not reassured that crazy anthropologists aren't going to kill him just to study the past] You don't sound completely convinced.

[Sebastian, curious, assists Aloysius to raise a paw to touch River's hand]

[bytwo.livejournal.com]

[She is adorably pleased by this, and shakes his paw somewhat in awe, as if a touch just a tad too rough would cause him to fall to pieces.

As a result of her religious experience with the teddy bear, her response to Sebastian is lacking in depth.] It's okay.

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

[For his part, Sebastian is quite pleased at his bear being treated with such respect.] Have you met many bears before?

[bytwo.livejournal.com]

[So all is shiny, then! River brings herself to a more proper height so she can extend another hand to touch the bear's face with that same awe. Hopefully this is not too horribly impertinent.] This is my first.

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

[Neither Sebastian nor Aloysius seem to at all believe it is impertinent] I imagine he's very honoured. Aren't you, Aloysius?

[bytwo.livejournal.com]

[She looks to Aloysius expectantly, apparently really honestly and truly expecting him to respond.

Luckily for the three of them, he doesn't have to say anything in what we quaintly term 'reality' to think he's said anything.]

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

[fortunately, Sebastian consider this a rhetorical question] Aloysius is still in a bit of a sulk about not being allowed to eat the singing fish. But what's the point of having fish that sing, if you eat them?

[bytwo.livejournal.com]

Fish don't carry the proper vocal cords for traditional singing.

[But a stuffed bear can live! That is Logic.]

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

You should tell that to the fish.

[bytwo.livejournal.com]

[River is getting that doubtful face, here.]

You're not making sense.

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

[a sigh] I'd find you the fish, but they're all the way down at the lake, and I am meant to be asleep in bed. Mama is home to-night, so I can't leave to get one.

[bytwo.livejournal.com]

It's okay.

[She will just assume that you're either making it up or worryingly confused! Aloysius gets something of a sympathetic look for putting up with Sebastian's silliness.]