Time to April 24th

[captainryan]

River’s reading on the sunseat in Ryan’s flat today, not unusual. The werewolf steps up silently behind her, also not unusual. She’s reading the same book as she was yesterday, slightly unusual, and staring at the exact same page. He can tell by the picture.

Very unusual.

“What’s so interesting about that plant?”

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[captainryan.livejournal.com]

That sobers him up nicely.

"I knew," he says quietly, the flatness returning to his tone. "Nothing else would explain a mortal chest wound healing over the way it did." He falls silent for a moment.

"It felt...good. Fantastic, really, with quite the energy boost."

And stuck tied to a chair most of the damn night with Sam trying to talk to him.

[hell_in_highheels]

She reaches up to touch his cheek again, drawing his eyes back to hers. "Love, I know you didn't want this, that it chose you and not the other way around. I don't want -- I'm afraid you'll despise me because I'm choosing this, and you never had a choice."

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

He shakes his head slightly, stubble rubbing against her palm.

"As long as you know what it is you're choosing, I have nothing to despise."

And if she decides later on that he didn't explain it clearly enough, he has only himself to blame.

[hell_in_highheels]

She tilts her head to one side, regarding him with eyes far older than her face. She speaks with great care, trying to assuage his fears, and perhaps her own.

"I think that what I am choosing -- is different from what you believe it is. Yes, the destination is the same, but the journey is far different. I've lived a life far stranger than most, and then, an afterlife, similarly unusual in depth and breadth. The unknown does not frighten me. Violence, savagery, even death does not frighten me."

Her voice grows quiet as she looks down at their clasped hands.

"Being alone? That frightens me."

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

He forgets how old she is sometimes.

"Not going anywhere." It's not the first time he's told her.

"Certainly not because you develop a taste for raw meat."

[hell_in_highheels]

She doesn't look up but he can smell her amusement, and something more. The barest hint of wonder and longing. "I didn't intend to upset you. May I at least explain to you why I wanted you to see the model?"

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

He purses his lips. "I can only assume you all only ever find my when I'm well fed. Whenever I run into a werewolf, they're always trying to eat me, not standing still and looking pretty."

He grumps because he cares.

"But go on."

[hell_in_highheels]

This time she does look up, one eyebrow raised. "So I'm not the first, then."

"Not pretty, Richard. You're magnificent. You..." She pauses, licking her lips, trying to find the right words again. "You crouched down, made yourself small for me and you were still eye to eye with me. And you were so happy to see me."

Her hand comes up, resting the back of her fingers against her cheek. "You washed the fear scent off my face. I nuzzled your chin, and you took my nose between your teeth, so gently."

River looks up into his face, searching his eyes. "I wanted you to see the model -- so you could -- share that with me, somehow."

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

"I never said otherwise." He doesn't like it when people he cares about put themselves in danger by going out to play with a werewolf.

He shifts his feet slightly, settling by bumping up against her and trying to wave it off by saying, "That was just...me being alpha."

[hell_in_highheels]

"Oh?" She knows the term from the books, but it's the first time she's heard him use it. "Tell me more?"

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

Experience with Deitmar has taught him he must be careful when explaining this sort of thing.

"You need to be okay. I worry."

[hell_in_highheels]

It takes her a moment to parse this simple statement.




She leans against him, her hands drifting back around his neck, pulling him gently down so that she can rest her cheek against his. "Don't worry, my love. Everything will be fine. You'll see."

Her hands stroke and caress his head and neck, trying to tell him with her hands everything her words can't.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

He doesn't buy that. Things are never that simple and if this doesn't cause any problems, something else will.

But that's life.

"Live and learn," he murmurs, bowing his head to her hands.

[hell_in_highheels]

"I have," she whispers, smiling as she kisses along his jawline. "And you continue to teach me. Every day."

never leave you. my heart. my love. my mate.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

"Likewise. He nuzzles her a bit, soothing himself.

"Now are you showing my your work or not?"

[hell_in_highheels]

She pulls back a bit, eyes wide. "I'm sorry, I thought you didn't -- yes. Yes, of course."

She crosses to the interface, and reaches up, flipping through the windows like they were pages in a book. "CAL, simulation fourteen please, transparency fifty percent with motion capture." She turns back to Richard, making eye contact with him before pronouncing carefully. "Activate."

There is a moment of light static in the air a few feet in front of him and then the ghostly image of the red 'wolf appears, looking much like it did in the image.

And then its chin drops to its chest and it sighs.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

"Just because I don't think it's realistic doesn't mean I don't want to see it. You've put time and effort into it; that makes it valid."

Despite that little speech, he is scowling just a hair as the image pops up. There's no scent, though, and the see-through image helps him relax a bit as well. Nothing but a light show.

He'd forgotten how tall they were.

[hell_in_highheels]

River crouches, taking a knee and resting one hand on the ground.

The image does the same before him. It's head raises and tilts just a bit, regarding him. The alert features melt into an open mouthed canine grin. She headshakes, her ears flopping, and then she blinks at him.

Know me?

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

He looks over at her, then back at the red 'wolf in front of him. It's a bit disconcerting.

"Not quite," he admits. He hasn't moved any closer to the display. As friendly as it's being, he still doesn't quite trust it to not start attacking him.

[hell_in_highheels]

The figure rises, and turns its back, pacing a small circle in the floor. Her mane is dark along her center line, fading to the light auburn and white at the tips. Her muzzle is also auburn, with a bit of white at her throat. Muscle shifts beneath the uniform greyish red hide, and he can see the stiffness of the model where the feet meet the ground.

It rounds back to face him, and then returns to the alert, close-mouthed, prick eared default, falling still.

"It should be about 85% accurate? Based on the -- research." He doesn't care about the details, she knows. "What do you think?"

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

He likes it a little better now that it's standing still again. It's still not her. It's just an image.

"It's a werewolf," he says mildly, circling around it to come stand next to her. "I've never seen a red one, but I suppose it makes sense given your," he tugs a lock, "hair."

[hell_in_highheels]

"Yes, I was surprised too." She smiles softly at his touch, but there's a hint of vague disappointment in her scent.

"I'd seen only greys and blacks in the Scottish pack. But again, this is only a simulation. It could be something completely different in reality."

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

He frowns slightly at her scent.

"Either way, it's still not you, love. I can't pretend a simple light show is anything more than that."

He didn't mean it to be personal.

[hell_in_highheels]

"Oh I know." She turns back to the interface, ending the simulation and shuffling it back down into the file. "No scent," she says, half to herself. "I should have realised, it's just like showing you the two dimensional display."

She cuts a glance at him, smiling again, the joy-anticipation returning. "I guess you'll just have to wait to see me for yourself."

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

He smiles at her, slightly, the worry about his decision making a comeback.

He gives her a reassuring bump, though it's probably more for himself.