fandomhigh | The Library; Wednesday [ 12/19 ]

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The Library; Wednesday [ 12/19 ]

Adah honestly couldn't remember the last time she'd actually listened to a record, but, for some reason, since the moment she woke up and started limping around to get ready to head down to the library for her usual neglecting of library aide tasks, she couldn't get songs out of her head.

Actually, scratch that. It wasn't songs; that was plural. It was the same damn song, over and over and over, and she didn't even ever remember hearing a song like this before in her life, but there it was, dictating the pace of her limp and a slight swaying of her head as she opened the library and put a few of the books. She thought she was lightly humming this mystery song (All I ever want-ted. All I ever need-ded) as she was shelving Darwin in the religion section again (Words like violence) when she realized that the voice she was hearing singing the songs (Break the silence) ...was that of her own.

"They can only do harm."

...Okay, maybe it was time to sit down. Because Adah Price certainly did not sing, but there it was, and even if she tried to stop, the song in her head wasn't going anywhere.

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River had kisses that always made Adah feel like she didn't exactly need those mind reading powers that River had to know what she was thinking. She grinned lightly, straining her neck to return the kiss and thinking that working those into the lyrics would be a little more difficult, she was afraid. Despite her efforts proving otherwise, she never did think of herself as much the poet, and, unbidden, trails of the song's actual lines were filtering through her head, despite the fact that Adah was pretty sure she didn't even know them. When the dog bites, when the bee sings. When I'm feeling saaaad.

"I simply remember my favourite things..."

There was another kiss, and then River sat back, her legs crossed. She took a bite of her share of the apple.

"Did you ever lose your religion? Ever had it in the first place?"

As River settled back, Adah deflated slightly, if only because now, when there was hope for a new song to take it's place, the religion one had firmly weaseled it's way back in. Still, though, River had a valid and interesting question and, as the song continued on in her head, she considered it, and then slowly shook her head.

Probably. At one point, before she could see, before she could open her eyes and view her place in it and decided that it wasn't for her.

"People cling to different ones, and same ones that are opposites." Another bite of the apple. "I attempted to fix the Bible once, but it proved undoable. Turned to paper." She smiled. "I don't need symbols like that." She stretched out one leg and let the tip of her toe nudge Adah's arm, giving her a look that contained all those things River liked to do with Adah in more private places than libraries. "Other things make more sense."

Adah watched quietly, carefully, as River moved, likening the other girl to a bit like a squid, octopus, or whatever, herself, in the way she moved, the smooth and flawless extension of leg as she spread over the desk, over taking the books and notebooks, like the spreading of tentacles over a seabed. Her eyes drifted to where toe met arm, followed the length of the watery appendage back up toward River and that look, and felt a slight disruption of the her spinal chord, a little shifter striking it.

Almost anything made more sense, but yes, she understood what River meant. Give her something tangible, something real. That could be her religion.

And her eyes drifted away for a moment; she'd wished the thought of that for her religions exam. Damn. That would have been good.

"Would have," River agreed.

The conversation she had had with Kerrigan the other day returned to her mind. Only half a year left. Then again, in another perspective that was a long stretch of time, filled with uncountable moments like this. "Precious memories," she mumbled to herself, then said: "Will you stay for Christmas?"

Adah gave River a small, apologetic smile. She wouldn't be staying, no. Spending this Christmas alone would probably be one of the worst things for Orleanna right now. The daughter she'd left behind was the only daughter she'd have left, so Adah planned on returning to Bethlehem after her finals, and would probably stay the week.

River had assumed that to be the case, so there was hardy any disappointment in her eyes. In fact, she had been prepared. She pulled a small box (http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8055945) wrapped in aluminium foil from her bag and pushed it towards Adah, smiling a little.

Tilting her head at the box, Adah considered it a moment before looking back toward River. She hadn't gotten her anything.

...Yet, anyway.

There was still time, should Adah want to, and even if she didn't River wouldn't be upset. She had enjoyed chosing a gift for Adah, though. "Not the plague this time."

With a wry grin, Adah wondered, at first playfully, if she should open it elsewhere, then. Just to be safe. But the truth of the matter, as her hand drifted over to the box and shifted it, pushing at its base at the corners as if straightening it, watching it, was that she wanted to wait. Until she was alone, because, then, she wouldn't have to worry about first reactions, because mentioning Christmas had slipped her into a bit of a darker mood, settling into the realization that it was going to be a very different Christmas in the Price household this year, even more somber and depraved than Christmas in Africa. She didn't want that tainting her reaction when she opened it.

When and where she opened it was Adah's choice. River took another bite of her apple. "My goal for Christmas is to get Kerrigan to dance again." She and Roy had managed on Thanksgiving after all.

An interesting goal. Adah's head tilted thoughtfully, taking into idle consideration River's faint obsession with getting people to dance, with a brief detour down the line of whether or not she managed getting anyone dancing the way she got Adah to, and then back on track with thinking that, well, just so long as the Lieutenant didn't have a headache. She pressed her lips together thoughtfully; was having a goal to accomplish, like a New Year's Resolution on shorter notice, something tradition of the holiday in River's time? She tried to think if there was any goal she ever bothered with this time of year. She didn't come up with anything, except the usual one to be a nuisance to everyone else if she found the time.

There was a giggle. "Not that particular kind of dancing," she clarified. "Not with Kerrigan." Or anyone else except Adah right now. "Not a tradition," she continued in reply to Adah's other question. "Just think that Kerrigan needs it even if she doesn't know. Might not be much time for it later." She shook her head, then looked straight at Adah. "I should never stop dancing." The memories of her future self had taught her that.

Adah's single encounter with the Lieutenant had been brief, yes, but it left Adah, slightly smirking, thinking that River was right. On either account, for whatever method of dancing, really.

And as for the rest of it? That last part? Adah gave a slight nod. Especially, she added, perhaps taking on her own meaning to the comment, when you actually can.

"So many ways of dancing. Everyone have to find their own." Then there was a glittering in River's eyes and a smile. "Could stop by for dancing before you go," she suggested, tilting her head.

Adah let out a breath of a laugh, a slight snort. Certainly no lack of subtly there. And, despite herself, despite her desire to remain utterly nonchalant and jaded about the topic at hand, she was blushing. At first, just a little, but it increasingly grew deeper the more she became aware it was there. Biting her lip, she ducked her head, and it felt like perhaps the blush was meeting a pinacle as her hair fell forward over her face.

She'd probably be leaving Saturday. She might wait until Sunday, depending on whether or not the aides were to keep hours if they wanted during the break. Either way, though, River would know where to find her.

"Why be subtle?" River asked, not expecting an answer. But yes, she knew where to find Adah, and she would stop by before Adah left.

Adah blushing was adorable, and that was now, in this moment, not in the future. River reached out a hand and gently lifted a strand of her hair away from her face.

It was a good thing that River hadn't expected an answer because Adah, despite an effort to think of one, didn't actually have one. Not that she'd find suitable or that would stand up to evaluation very well, and she realized that the blushing was entirely from the fact that it had never really been all about the dancing before; the dancing seemed to occur as an aftereffect of something else. Lips still pressed together, she lifted her eyes toward River as the other girl brushed back her hair.

"In combination or by itself. Still good. Still important." Still a good memory. River met Adah's gaze, then slowly leaned forward to give her a soft and gentle kiss.

Still good. Still important. Adah repeated that in her head as she wondered why it left her, the Unflappable, so shy and blushing and overwhelmed with little tingly thoughts. Of course she knew, the Word that She Refused to Acknowledge, but she tried not to think about it. Her eyes dropped a moment as River leaned in, and then they slowly closed, and she leaned up to lightly (guiltily, although she tried to ignore it) kiss her back.

But words weren't always necessary, especially not for River. She looked into Adah's eyes, smiling as if they shared an important secret.

[Bedtime!]

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