Outside dorms, Thursday moring after 1st period.

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River had only one class today and it was in the morning. After that she had returned to her room and dragged a rather reluctant tentacled monster down the stairs, having decided that Berthold needed to get out more. The monster hadn't quite seemed to agree and had struggled at first, but after the first stair he had resigned to his fate and just clung to his blanket.

Now Berthold lay on the ground next to River, almost completely hidden under his blanket, chewing on a T-shirt that he had somehow found on the way down the stairs. River lay on her back, arms outstretched to the sides and staring up at the sky, humming happily to herself.

[Open. Talk to River and/or Berthold]

Comments

[rose-bad-wolf.livejournal.com]

Rose checked her notes for the class this afternoon and spotted River, "Hello, River."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Hello, Rose." River stretched a hand up in the air and waved, but didn't otherwise move. "Have you met Berthold?"

[rose-bad-wolf.livejournal.com]

"That looks life fun," she said, smiling fondly and suppressed the urge to lay down and while the day away. She nodded to the blanket instead. "What've you got there?"

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"That's Berthold," River said. "And you can join me if you want."

A tentacle hesitantly reached out from under the blanket.

[rose-bad-wolf.livejournal.com]

Rose blinked at the tentacle then shrugged it off, she'd seen stranger. Instead she focused on River's offer. She shouldn't, she really shouldn't. She was a teacher after all...

Rose resisted the idea for all of 10 seconds.

"Oh, what the hell," she said then gamely joined River on the lawn. She tilted her head to the sky and let out a sigh before turning to River and the mysterious tentacle, "So, who's this little fellow?"

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Berthold," River repeated. "Tentacled monster, lives under Buffy's bed. He's shy, hence the blanket."

A few more tentacles carefully extended from under the blanket. "He also likes eating," River added.

[rose-bad-wolf.livejournal.com]

"Berthold," repeated Rose then petted the tentacles, "I like your name, sorry I don't have food with me."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

Berthold attempted to tug at Rose's shirt.

"He likes eating clothes," River informed her, then slapped the tentacle. "No, Bertie! Tentacles off!"

[rose-bad-wolf.livejournal.com]

"Cheeky thing," Rose chuckled as she reclaimed the ends of her shirt. She rummaged through her pocket then took out a hanky, "Here, I think this is better both for my dignity and your stomach."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

Berthold snagged the handkerchief and it disappeared quickly under the blanket. There was a satisfied burp.

[rose-bad-wolf.livejournal.com]

Rose's eyebrows lifted up, she looked at River, "Fast eater, isn't he? Must be hell on the clothes for you and..." she trailed off then grimaced, not remembering the name of River's roommate, "I want to say... Bunny?"

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Buffy," River corrected her quickly, trying to purge the image of Buffy wearing huge bunny-ears from her mind. "We try to make him behave."

[rose-bad-wolf.livejournal.com]

"Buffy," Rose repeated, "And she's okay with Berthold bein' y'know--" she gestured to the tentacles, "--not exactly your typical pet?"

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

Berthold snorted.

"Buffy is a Slayer," River replied, as if that explained everything.

[rose-bad-wolf.livejournal.com]

Rose processed this and still had nothing.

"Is that an alien?"

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River shook her head. "Chosen to slay vampires and demons." She wasn't completely sure about all of it herself.

[death-of-hope.livejournal.com]

Anemone was on her way to grab some tea from Perk before class when she spotted River outside. "River! Enjoying the sunshine?"

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"I am," River said, not moving. Berthold wiggled a tentacle curiously.

[death-of-hope.livejournal.com]

Was that a...? Anemone tilted her head curiously. "Did your sushi gain sentience? I think I just saw a tentacle wave at me."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

Sushi? Berthold quickly hid all his tentacles under the blanket.

River looked up. "Please don't scare him. Makes him start comfort eating and I don't want to go shopping for new clothes."

[death-of-hope.livejournal.com]

Abandoning her bookbag, Anemone sat on the grass a few feet away from the blanket. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare anyone, you just startled me. I'm Anemone. Who are you?"

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

A tentative tentacle stretched out from under the blanket, accompanied by a sniffle.

[death-of-hope.livejournal.com]

She tentatively moved a hand closer to the sad little tentacle. "Is it okay if I pet him? He's not allergic to people or anything?"

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River shook her head and smiled. "Just shy. Food is a certain way to win his heart."

[death-of-hope.livejournal.com]

"As long as I'm not the food. I eat sweets, but I don't think I'd taste sweet." Anemone held out her fingers in case the funny little tentacle-y thing wanted to investigate them. "How are your classes going? I already miss flight."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River chuckled. "He loves ice cream. And clothes." Berthold poked Anemone's hand. "Miss the class too, but Anakin repaired my spaceship."

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

During a break from his classes, Robin went strolling outside the dorms, humming a song.

If I could save time, in a bottle,
The first thing that I'd like to do,
Is to save every day, till eternity passes away,
Just to spend them with you.

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

Suddenly a tentacle lashed out towards the wee frog.

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

Ack! Robin hadn't noticed the blanket, so the tentacle jumping out was enough to startle him into jumping out of the way. "Er, hello."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

With a sudden movement River reached out an arm and grabbed the tentacle. "Berthold. Behave." She looked at Robin. "I'm sorry."

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

"That's okay, he just startled me is all." Okay having things suddenly grab at him was slightly scary, but he got over that quickly. "Hi River, hi Berthold."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

Berthold sniffled, but kept his tentacles away from Robin.

"Hello," River said. "You seem to like dancing." She was judging from the party the previous weekend.

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

"I do." he nodded. "I don't know how good I am at it, but I do enjoy it."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

There was something about his eyes that unnerved River, but the frog had a good heard. She nodded. "Enjoyment is the most important part."

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

his eyes were unnerving? she hadn't seen Cookie Monster's apparently

"Do you like to dance?" Silly question, of course she did, she set up that party didn't she.

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

His eyes are extruding from his head! Poor crazy girl has issues.

She laughed. "Yes, silly question." She didn't mind though, it was well meant.

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

Did Robin know she could do that? Well he did now, and he wasn't really bothered.

"What else do you like to do?"

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River looked uneasy, as if the question was complicated. "Spaceships. Like flying."

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

"Oh have you been up in space? Cool!" Robin had greatly enjoyed Anakin's flight workshop.

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Lived on a space ship," River replied with a small smile.

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

Aaaaand River just became one of the coolest people in Fandom High. "Woooooow."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River let out a giggle in reply.

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

"So, are you from another planet? Or really far in the future?"

Joss describes final River fight in Serenity "A girl from an Edward Gory drawing defeats an entire Romero army"

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Different solar system, 500 years into the future," River replied, then added: "Sentinent frogs are rare." She had a feeling she should explain her uneasiness.

Hee!

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

"I guess we are back home too." Robin said. "A lot of people are surprised to see us at first, but they seem to get over it."

wait'll the sentient bear, dog, whatever, and possibly pig show up

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Dancing helps?"

Oh noes!

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

"It doesn't hurt. A lot of it is just spending time with us and getting to know us. Also singing."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"You sing?" River raised an eyebrow.

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

"Uh huh. And I act, and I play the banjo. I'd like to learn how to play other instruments sometime, but it's tricky finding some the right size for me."