Fic: Snarge

[leven_kemal]

Rating: PG15
Characters: Mostly Wash, with Zoe, Kaylee & Mal
Pairing: Wash/Zoe
Warnings: Snarge & non-explicit het sex. Not at the same time, 'cuz that's too kinky, even for Wash.
Time-line: Series; during and right after Train Job.
Word count: ~5400
Disclaimer: You know and I know Joss owns these characters.

Summary: Snarge - the mess that's left

Comments

GLORIOUS TECHY WASH!!!

[sarahetc]

Oh, this is the best way to start the day! To wake up to Washfic! And find it's tech-heavy missing scene with all the metaphors and engine parts and confrontations! Yow, it's so good!!! And I'm so happy!

I really should've been taking notes for commentary as I went along, because I found so much to like, so much that was just right.

Seemed bare moments later when the smooth rising whine of the pods abruptly staggered, cut into by a deep, wrenching, grinding noise which stopped almost as soon as it started. A wrong, wrong noise, one Wash had heard before, but when exactly didn't come immediately.

I'm trying to hear that noise. It's so stimulating to turn around to try to visualize the bridge as that happens, what it would sound like from there, how Wash and Kaylee would react.

“We need to get gone, Wash. Do your job, do it quick.” She turned briskly away and strode off, heading for the ramp. He gaped after her, appalled.

Perfect. I have no doubt that that's what actually happened.

Safely on the other side of the exosphere,

Re: GLORIOUS TECHY WASH!!!

[leven_kemal]

Yay! I'm so happy you enjoyed it. I really respect your opinion on all things written, so I'm tickled this worked for you. Thanks for letting me know some of the specific instances!

Mal shoving Crow into the engine was so shocking to me the first time I saw it. I mean, I laughed because it was so over the top, but at the same time my spine prickled, 'cuz it was so coldly murderous. And while I knew, canonically, that Serenity was up and flying away soon after, I just couldn't see that event not having some kind of impact on the ship and her crew, especially Wash, trying to wrap his head around it. The series never addressed it, which gave me the opportunity to fiddle with it myself. And the tech is just plain *fun*. :D

[inkvoices]

I really enjoyed this story :o)

It's great (and, naturally, disgusting) to read about the consequences of Crow being shoved into the jet engine. The techno talk makes it sound like an actual, serious problem rather more than just saying 'dead bits in the engine is bad' would and the morality of it alongside the practical problem makes things even more realistic - in that consequences are complicated :o) I love Wash's chracterisation and insights in this story, his explanation of comparing the Serenity to a garbage disposal is great, including the fact it comes from a direction Mal doesn't expect. I love the fact that Wash starts with the practical problem and then keeps pushing Mal, going through all the problems caused by the decision, that he lies to Kaylee and then tells Mal about the lie...

This was brilliant and I now have to make time to read more of your fic :o)

By the by, did you make the word 'snarge' up, or is that an actual term? Because it sounds appropriately yucked. *grins*

[leven_kemal]

Yep, snarge is a real term. I ran across it while researching bird strikes, and what happens when "stuff" goes through a jet engine, and decided it needed to be the title of this piece. :)

Thanks for letting me know you found the characterizations and the layering of the consequences effective. That means I managed to get the story to work!

[bao_bai_tony]

In the military we called it "terminal stupidity" but I have heard the term "snarge" for the remains. I got to see a 2LT sucked through an F15 intake while taking pictures of the running engine with his new Nikon at MacDill AFB in Tampa

What a horrible noise and smell. Of course it did eliminate a stupid officer so it wasn't a total loss. It did mess up the engine though. Took us all of 4 hours to replace it.

[leven_kemal]

Whoa Nelly! I wish I could have picked your brain while I was writing this. I did talk to a friend who is a pilot, and while she's dealt with birds striking her craft, she's never had one impact an engine. And she'd never seen (or smelt) the results of a person/engine intersection! Yow...

[bao_bai_tony]

Well if you ever need a consult on weapons, tactics or military stuff drop me a line. I'd be happy to help.

[leven_kemal]

I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for letting me know you did.

[sugar_fey]

Ooooh...

This fic was simultaneously wonderful and painful to read. Poor Wash. You manage to 'get' him every time you write- how do you DO that? *bows before your greatness*

Your portrayal of the Mal/Wash/Zoe axis is perfect. A lot of writers have Wash's 'jealousy' of Mal as just that, jealousy over Zoe's loyalties. This has so much more- of course Wash would object to playing a part in what is a very cold blooded murder indeed. And I've always wondered just how brutal Zoe could be if she was pushed far enough- we've seen her go along with Mal's brutality, so I wonder where she would draw the line, or how brutal she could be on her own. I suspect that if she was pushed far enough (I'm thinking a personal vendetta of some kind, maybe from the war) she would be extremely dangerous.

This was a great way to wake up. Washfic? Angsty Wash/Zoe that (sort of) resolves itself? Tech talk? Oh yeah!

[leven_kemal]

How do I manage to get Wash..? *Leven slides a glance over the dinos on his desk, the Legos on his shelf, the kites on his walls, his miniature model sailing ships...* Well, I do identify a little. :D But I'm very happy you think that I'm managing a convincing portrayal of such a great character.

Whenever I wonder how brutal Zoe could be, I think about a scene which they shot, but edited out of the pilot episode, where she's talking to Simon, and she basically tells him that if Mal tells her to kill him, she will, no problem. And it really wasn't at all personal. Now, if it *were* personal. whoa!

Thanks very much for reading and letting me know you liked this.

[sugar_fey]

Oh yeah, I know that scene. Zoe would have killed Simon without a second thought if Mal had asked her to. Makes me wonder what she actually thinks of killing people. If it were personal, I think the actual death would be a long time in coming...

I want to write a fic where Zoe thinks Mal goes too far and she draws the line, but I can never think of what that would be since she seems to go along with a lot. It would probably be something to do with Wash, or maybe Kaylee since Kaylee seems to be like the crewmembers' younger sister.

[buffyangellvr23]

I got one…read Leaves on the Wind, see how she reacts to the Operative coming around again. And the whole thrown in prison thing. You do not get between Zoe and Emma.