The Perk, Tuesday morning

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

Simon had remembered the Perk from his previous visits. River had recommended the apple cake, and he ordered one, and a cup of tea to go with it, and found himself a table by the window. No sign of his sister, and the worry he felt for her mingled with a little uneasiness about what he had left behind on Serenity. Despite this he had slept surprisingly well - perhaps sea air really helped? He sipped the tea, watching the street outside.

[very open]

Comments

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

So Ray'd been checking out the old part of town. Which took him like half an hour. That was just not right. He had no problem with walking, but it was just. Weird. He pushed open the door to the Perk while kinda shaking his head. Coffee might soothe his, um, delicate sensibilities.

He made a distracted kinda notice of the other guy there, but ignored him as he headed for the counter. "I'll have a, uh, coffee and a bag of-- Yeah, that."

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

Simon looked up at the newcomer and nodded in his direction. Then he cleared his throat. "Good morning." This was a small town, at politeness was usually the custom.

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

Wait, was somebody talking to him? He snagged the bag of M&Ms off the counter along with the coffee and half-turned distractedly. "Um, morning." Weird, weirder...

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

Well, clearly not what this guy expected, Simon noted. "I'm new here," he said as an explanation. "Looking for my sister. I didn't mean to disturb you."

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"Right." Which was why the guy was still talking. Ray was just about ready to head for his own table and just forget about this whole conversation, except, huh, there was a way the guy had said 'looking for' that sounded mighty familiar. "Sister. Gotcha."

Hey, it was early, that warranted for conversation.

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"You don't happen to have seen her lately?" He was going to talk to the school of course, but he couldn't help asking. "River Tam. Short girl, long brown hair." He could have said uncombed but he didn't.

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

Yeah. That woulda been the tone of voice. "I'm a little, uh, new here, myself," Ray replied, pacing a couple of steps towards his new table. And then he came to a stop again. "When's the last time you saw your sister?"

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"A few months ago, according to Fandom time. Less where I'm from." He paused. "She was a student here. Have a seat if you like." The man was acting a little oddly, but it was better than no company at all.

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

Ha! The brass could kiss his ass; his instincts were still golden. Ray made a good show of not actually showing the triumph, if he did say so himself (which he didn't, at least not out loud). "You should file a missing person's at the, um, proper authorities," he said, after having moved a coupla steps closer to ensure he was properly coplike.

Sure, he didn't start until Friday, but the community and all that kinda crap. Besides, he needed somewhere to park his coffee. It was kinda burning.

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"I will." Simon sipped his tea. "And I'll talk to the school. She is a little unpredictable at times."

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

He dumped his cup on the table and pulled open the bag. Just had to talk to this guy for a couple of minutes, get his own table afterwards, start of the job. "She have any history of pulling runners?" Ray asked, while he dropped a couple of the M&M's in the coffee.

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"She's..." Simon paused. "No. She might get distracted, but she wouldn't just disappear. Not without telling me." At least so he hoped.

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"Right." He stirred his coffee and kinda reflected on the fact he was questioning the guy and hadn't even identified himself yet. Okay, strike against you, there, Ray. "Ray Kowalski," he offered, spouting the name off kinda fast, "Fandom PD." Yeah, still didn't have that oomph. "Did she act in any way that was, um, unusual at the time of your last meeting?"

He should probably tell the guy just to file the damn paperwork before he got to it, but he really missed the job.

[sith_happened]

Anakin was a man who wanted to stay alive long enough to see his new child, and that was why he ordered his caffeinated coffee well away from where Rory would see it.

He sipped it before noticing a vaguely familiar face sitting in the shop. Sithspit. Was that River's brother?

"Simon?" he tried.

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

Simon looked up and was unable to hold back a tiny smile of relief when he recognised River's teacher. "Professor Skywalker," he said. "It's good to see you. I..." He paused. "I'm looking for River."

[sith_happened]

All of the worst case scenarios that had spun in Anakin's mind since his fight with Kerrigan came racing back. "She left at the end of August," he said carefully.

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"She said she would," Simon replied. "And that she would return to Serenity shortly after. She never did." He spoke quietly, holding back the worrying. She wasn't here.

[sith_happened]

That kind of confirmed Anakin's worst fears.

He stared down into his coffee mug as if he'd find an answer there.

"I don't think she went back to her home dimension," he finally offered.

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"Then where...?" Judging by Anakin's expression something wasn't right.

[sith_happened]

"Did you meet Kerrigan when you were here?" Anakin asked.

Force, but he hated delivering bad news.

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"I did," he confirmed. "One of River's teachers."

[sith_happened]

"River was with her the last time I saw her," Anakin hedged.

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"And where is she? Can I talk to her?" Simon got the feeling Anakin was avoiding something here.

[sith_happened]

Anakin finally sucked it up and told him. "Probably not," he said. "Kerrigan had knocked her out and was taking her away."

Oh look. No eye contact.

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

Simon stared at him. "Why?!" Kerrigan hadn't come across as the easygoing type, but River had trusted her, and he knew River's abilities.