[video]

[ihearcrickets]

[River is a seventeen-year-old girl who looks exactly like this. The cuts on her arm and forehead are relatively recent, though they've been cleaned up. But there are older scars and marks if you look close enough. She's wearing the same dress, and still isn't wearing any shoes.

She turns on the video, and frowns at the device in her hands. It's clear from the background that she's on the ship again, sitting on the floor.] Dedicated source box. Filtered information from the Cortex...only what they want you to see. But it’s broken. Bits and pieces stuck inside that don’t belong.

[Then, she looks directly into the camera.] We don’t belong. We’re lost...lost in the woods.

((ooc: River won't really be able to read thoughts through the communicator, but let me know if there's any significant body language or physical features she might draw conclusions from. She may or may not actually comment on it.))

Comments

[video]

[waspromisedcake]

[What happens when you take a woman with no social skills who has a hard time understanding things when people don't speak plainly and have her talk to someone who makes no sense? HILARITY, obviously.]

What are you saying?

[video]

[ihearcrickets]

[LOL. River just gives her this look.]

[video]

[waspromisedcake]

[Beyond the pretty basic happy face and sad face, Chell can't recognize what most facial expressions are supposed to represent. It comes from not seeing another human since she was eight until now.]

I don't know what that means.

[video]

[ihearcrickets]

[River considers that, and looks at Chell carefully.]

You're not familiar.

[Whether she means Chell's strangeness isn't familiar to her or her strangeness isn't familiar to Chell is up for interpretation. Both are probably applicable.]

[voice- resident crazy says hi to new crazy]

[outer_npcs]

Broken where it shouldn't. It is salvation.

It will rise and bring it back.

[video - :|]

[ihearcrickets]

[River is staring at the camera intently, mysterious voice. Trying to piece together what you might look like.]

You're playing hide and seek with me.

[voice >|]

[outer_npcs]

Eyes are not needed for sight.

[fine, be that way]

[ihearcrickets]

[River presses her fingers to the screen.] I can see you.

[hi_there_aliens]

River, what are you doing back on the ship?

[ihearcrickets]

[she smiles at Daniel] Shhh. I'm listening for secrets.

[ video ]

[how_i_tease]

You don't look so good, kid.

[video]

[ihearcrickets]

"Good" is a relative term.

[video]

[how_i_tease]

Well, at least you're chipper enough to debate semantics.

audio;

[lehnsherr]

[The sight's all too familiar to him, even now, almost two decades later. And it's why, despite leaving the feed on audio, it's still obvious that he's concerned. And angry. Though the latter is directed elsewhere.]

Then it means we pick a direction and keep moving until we find a way out.

[video]

[ihearcrickets]

[River simply laughs, shaking her head.] You're drawing the wrong conclusions...you shouldn't be concerned for me.

[video]

[lehnsherr]

Because you're stronger than you seem.

[It's not a question; he can tell. And he may just be making a few too many comparisons at the same time.]

And what conclusion should I be drawing instead?

[eternaliyah]

[Israel's body language is all genuine concern, though at least her cuts look like they've gotten some treatment. Also, depending on her range, she might actually be able to sense him anyway, since he's a cypher for some 7 million people all crushed down into and filtered through one.]

We are lost. But we've been lost before, and we can find our way again. Okay?

[ihearcrickets]

[It's a good thing he's not too close, or she would be terribly overwhelmed. She's giving him a wary look as it is.]

It's getting very crowded.

[eternaliyah]

[He's a tiny country, but he's still a country, yeah. /o\ He smiles a tiny bit, ruefully.]

Sorry about that. At least we aren't in the woods alone?

[truth_is_cold]

We don't belong in the ship. Or here.

[It's more of question than a statement, Rhade's trying to interpret what she means. He's also wondering how she got those injuries. She doesn't seem frightened, though. Not as he understands most untrained young people would be.

But then again, she might not be all there enough to be frightened. He can see other people are offering her assistance.]

[ihearcrickets]

[His mistake is assuming she's untrained.]

We don't belong anywhere.

[truth_is_cold]

[He's trying not to assume anything quite yet. But she speaks either like she has some sort of clairvoyance or has lost her mind with the crash.

For once, he's actually hoping that it's the former.]

Why don't we belong anywhere?

[He misses his family and his ship very much. That's increasingly ominous.]

[video]

[radars]

I'd tell you not to be afraid, but a little fear might be healthy. No one knows anything about this situation.

[video]

[ihearcrickets]

[River gives him a small smile.] I'm not afraid.

[she pauses] No power in the 'Verse can stop me.

[video]

[radars]

Really.

[ Doesn't believe her. ]