The Beach, Monday morning

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River had missed the sea. The sound of moving water, the chill of it against her skin contrasting with the warm air, watching it carry grains of sand from the beach and back up again. The repetition of moving waves always changing, ceaselessly pushing and pulling objects into new positions. She'd swam for a while, and when her body had got used to the temperature of the water the air had felt chilly. Now she stood on the beach again, wrapped in a large towel. Wiping her wet hair out of her face she drew lines in the sand, trying to describe the movements of waves. As the water washed over, only a tiny ridge of grains were left of what she'd drawn seconds ago. She smiled to herself, adding steps, feeling like she was dancing with the sea.

[Open.]

Comments

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

Charlie was walking along the beach, trying to find a good place to practice. She wasn't ready to start any fires yet, or try to control them without someone there to watch and make sure they didn't get out of control, but knowing where there wasn't any stray grass, or where the sandbar was widest, would definitely help.

She waved to the girl she didn't know as she got closer. "Hi. Are you one of the new kids?"

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Old kid," River replied, smiling at the girl. "Been away. I'm River." She watched the girl with curiosity, the image of fire clear in her mind. "Water and fire. Good combination."

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

"Charlie, hi." She stopped for a second, unnerved, then wondered if River had talked to Dean or Isabel or Peter, and guessed who she was. "Yeah. And the sand too." She felt a little embarrassed about the last week, and shook her head. "So were you home for this last session? I just got here in May."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Yes, I went home. Got back today." Noticing the uneasiness, River smiled. "Won't tell anyone."

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

"Can you...?" Charlie paused, then carefully thought at River, Are you reading my mind? Yes, or no, please.

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River nodded slowly, then tilted her head, waiting for Charlie's reaction.

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

About a hundred things she didn't want to think about flashed through Charlie's mind at top speed, but her thoughts finally settled down on a mix of curiosity and relief. More people like me. She rolled her eyes at herself, and said, "That's kind of cool. Can you, um, send your thoughts to people, too?"

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"This is a good place to be if you're different," River said quietly, then shook her head in reply to Charlie's question.

"Start a fire?"

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

"It is," Charlie agreed, then frowned a little. "I could, but it really wouldn't be safe." She looked out at the waves, grateful for the hugeness of the ocean. Maybe if she went out on a boat, she wouldn't be scared... "I could maybe make the surface of the water steam, but I don't want to attract too much attention, or have it get out of control."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River nodded and smiled a little. She could certainly relate to those feelings. "Some things you just have to learn to control. Make a part of yourself. More dangerous if you don't." She thought about losing control and beating up a group of friends trying to help.

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

Poor Peter. They had the same problem, that way. "Exactly." Charlie sat down on the sand next to River, and kicked off her sandals, digging in her toes. "It's still scary, though." And somewhere in the back of her head, she could hear the memory of John Rainbird's voice cajoling her to do it, and the immediate urge to deny him. Do it for yourself, Charlie. Not them. Show 'em the flash before they give you the cash. She shook her head. "But everyone here is really cool, and wants to help."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Yes, so it's a good place. You like swimming?" River had picked up a stick and was drawing a pattern around them on the sand.

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

"Uh-hunh. I haven't been this summer, just yet." Charlie picked up a shell, brushing the sand off of it. "I need to get a better swimsuit, really. Where did you go, when you went home for the first session?"

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Buffy would know where to go shopping," River said, as she always refered any shopping-related issues to her roommate. "And home is a spaceship called Serenity." She smiled at Charlie.

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

"Ooooooo. Cool!" Charlie smiled and started to scoop sand with the shell. "Are you from the same place as Gavin and Luke? Or Anders? Or somewhere different?"

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River didn't know Gavin, but she knew she wasn't from the same place as Luke or Anders. "Different. Another solar system, 500 years into your future."

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

"Wild." Charlie let the grains of sand fall through her fingers, some of the so fine they immediately blew away. "Are you here because of the, um, telepathy? Or was it something else?"

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River smiled. "I wanted to go to a proper school. Be a teenager. Nothing to do with mindreading." Or any of her other abilities.

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

Charlie guessed that 'normal' might be in short supply on a spaceship. "That makes sense." She sighed, closing her eyes and enjoying the breeze off the ocean, enjoying the smell and the coolness. "And this place is pretty great."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"It is," River agreed, content to just watch the sea for a moment, her eyes half closed.

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

Robin had Pink's version of Me and Bobby McGee stuck in his head, not that he minded. Of course the only words he could remember were;

Freedom's just another word for, nothing left to lose...

He didn't know if he neccesarily agreed with it, but he loved to hear Pink sing it.

Songs about freedom seemed rather appropriate to him on the beach. somehow.

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River looked at the frog walking past her on the beach. This was Fandom. A frog singing in his head shouldn't surprise her.

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

"Oh, hello." Robin greeted the girl. "Are you one of the new students?"

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Am one of the old students," she explained. "Just returned."

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

"Oh! Then welcome back. How long have you been away? I've only been here a few months, and I don't think I've met you yet."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"First summer term," River said, frowning. "I don't think I've met you either." She had a feeling she would remember a frog.

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

"That explains it." Robin nodded. "Well, I'm Robin. Pleased to meet you." He stuck out a flipper.

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River shook the flipper. "I'm River."

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

"Oooh, pretty name." he smiled (it was largely in the body language.) "Are you glad to be back?"

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Yes," River said. "This is a good place."

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

"I like it so far." he bounced. "Everyone's been real nice. Once they got over the shock anyway." He even sort of considered Bel's attempt to teach him to smoke as being nice.

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Everyone's a frog where you're from?" River asked. "Does humans seem strange to you?"

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

"Oh no, humans are all over the place back home." Robin said. "My Earth's just the same as most. Just, some frogs are fuzzy and can talk. Among other things."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Among other things?" River replied, looking amused.

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

"I can do pretty much anything a human could do. If, they were my size. But my uncle can tapdance and ride a bike, and I can play the banjo."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Tapdance?"

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

"Yeah I took a few lessons but it just wasn't my thing. But Uncle Kermit says that the more you can do, the better your chances in show business."