Fic: Drabbles #26-27 (Firefly, River/Mal)
Weekly drabble365days drabbles post.
Title: All Alight
Rating: PG
Words: 371
Summary: In which Mal tries to pay River a compliment.
All Alight
She's a hard woman to compliment, and Mal's thinking that'd be so even if he were the kind of man used to handing them out. Can't tell her she looks pretty in whatever dress she's wearing that day, cause she'll just give him that look and tell him he thinks she looks pretty in anything she wears, or nothing at all, come to that. If he tells her some bit of flying she did was particularly inspired, she just looks blank and says she knows, like she's wondering why in hell he's stating the obvious.
So he might've known this one wasn't like to go so well either.
“You look awful pretty in the moonlight,” he offers, leaning back against Serenity's hull and taking another sip of Kaylee's home engine brew. “Makes your skin...you know, glow.”
“Prettier than I look in sunlight?” she asks, giving it serious consideration if the lines on her forehead are any indication. “Or artificial lighting? And just these moons in particular, or would any of the hundreds in our system do?”
Another drink is definitely in order here, then maybe he can blame this on being too drunk to know better. “I, um...these ones seem 'ticularly nice, I suppose,” he flounders, before noticing the smirk on her face, and the way her eyes are laughing at him. “Ain't nice to make fun of a man when he's trying to say somethin' sweet about you, you know.”
She laughs, resting her head against his shoulder. “Already know you think I'm pretty, Mal. You don't need to say so.”
Leaning his head back and staring up at the silvery blue brightness of the moons, he tries to remember all the astronomy he ever knew. “Maybe it ain't that you're prettier in moonlight,” he says eventually. “More like you are moonlight, way you take what everybody 'round you has and reflect it back all soft and mysterious-like.”
“Do things glow when I reflect them back?” she asks after a moment.
“They do, at least for me, darlin'.”
She gives a happy little sigh, and squeezes his hand tight. “That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me.”
***
Title: River Tam's Ruminations, Week 1
Rating: PG
Words: 343
Summary: In which River's recorded thoughts are highly interesting.
Notes: First time I've written River (or anyone else, really) in first person...it was an odd experience.
River Tam's Ruminations, Week 1
Day 1:
Simon says I should keep a journal, to help set my thoughts and memories in order, as though words on the page are any more secure and certain than those in my head.
Day 2:
I've asked the others what to write. Inara said only I could answer that question, a singularly unhelpful response. Jayne failed to understand the concept of writing for non-document forging purposes. Mal said I should be useful and make a list of necessary repairs and spare parts.
Day 3:
Kaylee says a journal is meant for hopes and wishes, for discussing (1) the attraction level of any males in the vicinity and (2) recording their potential as mates.
Simon - Kaylee says he doesn't count.
Jayne - Low (due to incompatible personality and innate thuggishness), None (same).
Mal - High (very pretty handsome pretty, smells good), Lots (very good caretaker (as seen w/ regards to Serenity), excellent potential as lover, in the physical sense).
Day 4:
My friend Cecilia, back on Osiris, had a journal. I peeked once, even though I knew I shouldn't, because the words called to me. She'd written 'Ms Cecilia Tam' over and over. Maybe she was in love with Simon.
Day 5:
Maybe she was in love with me.
Day 6:
River Reynolds is a very foolish sounding name. It makes me giggle, and now Simon is watching, wondering if I have a secret. Not his secret to know, though.
Mal's watching too. I always know when he watches, even when I'm not watching.
He watches for an increasing amount of time, lately. He's very curious - wants to know what I'm writing. Can't stand anything on his ship being secret and outside his control.
Day 7:
Just because I've left this behind in the bridge on purpose doesn't mean you can read it, Mal.
(Yes, I was aware you would. No, that doesn't make it right.)
I left the previously mentioned list of needed repairs in your bunk. It was very long.
PS, Malcolm Tam is not a terrible name.
~
Full table is here.
Title: All Alight
Rating: PG
Words: 371
Summary: In which Mal tries to pay River a compliment.
All Alight
She's a hard woman to compliment, and Mal's thinking that'd be so even if he were the kind of man used to handing them out. Can't tell her she looks pretty in whatever dress she's wearing that day, cause she'll just give him that look and tell him he thinks she looks pretty in anything she wears, or nothing at all, come to that. If he tells her some bit of flying she did was particularly inspired, she just looks blank and says she knows, like she's wondering why in hell he's stating the obvious.
So he might've known this one wasn't like to go so well either.
“You look awful pretty in the moonlight,” he offers, leaning back against Serenity's hull and taking another sip of Kaylee's home engine brew. “Makes your skin...you know, glow.”
“Prettier than I look in sunlight?” she asks, giving it serious consideration if the lines on her forehead are any indication. “Or artificial lighting? And just these moons in particular, or would any of the hundreds in our system do?”
Another drink is definitely in order here, then maybe he can blame this on being too drunk to know better. “I, um...these ones seem 'ticularly nice, I suppose,” he flounders, before noticing the smirk on her face, and the way her eyes are laughing at him. “Ain't nice to make fun of a man when he's trying to say somethin' sweet about you, you know.”
She laughs, resting her head against his shoulder. “Already know you think I'm pretty, Mal. You don't need to say so.”
Leaning his head back and staring up at the silvery blue brightness of the moons, he tries to remember all the astronomy he ever knew. “Maybe it ain't that you're prettier in moonlight,” he says eventually. “More like you are moonlight, way you take what everybody 'round you has and reflect it back all soft and mysterious-like.”
“Do things glow when I reflect them back?” she asks after a moment.
“They do, at least for me, darlin'.”
She gives a happy little sigh, and squeezes his hand tight. “That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me.”
***
Title: River Tam's Ruminations, Week 1
Rating: PG
Words: 343
Summary: In which River's recorded thoughts are highly interesting.
Notes: First time I've written River (or anyone else, really) in first person...it was an odd experience.
River Tam's Ruminations, Week 1
Day 1:
Simon says I should keep a journal, to help set my thoughts and memories in order, as though words on the page are any more secure and certain than those in my head.
Day 2:
I've asked the others what to write. Inara said only I could answer that question, a singularly unhelpful response. Jayne failed to understand the concept of writing for non-document forging purposes. Mal said I should be useful and make a list of necessary repairs and spare parts.
Day 3:
Kaylee says a journal is meant for hopes and wishes, for discussing (1) the attraction level of any males in the vicinity and (2) recording their potential as mates.
Simon - Kaylee says he doesn't count.
Jayne - Low (due to incompatible personality and innate thuggishness), None (same).
Mal - High (very pretty handsome pretty, smells good), Lots (very good caretaker (as seen w/ regards to Serenity), excellent potential as lover, in the physical sense).
Day 4:
My friend Cecilia, back on Osiris, had a journal. I peeked once, even though I knew I shouldn't, because the words called to me. She'd written 'Ms Cecilia Tam' over and over. Maybe she was in love with Simon.
Day 5:
Maybe she was in love with me.
Day 6:
River Reynolds is a very foolish sounding name. It makes me giggle, and now Simon is watching, wondering if I have a secret. Not his secret to know, though.
Mal's watching too. I always know when he watches, even when I'm not watching.
He watches for an increasing amount of time, lately. He's very curious - wants to know what I'm writing. Can't stand anything on his ship being secret and outside his control.
Day 7:
Just because I've left this behind in the bridge on purpose doesn't mean you can read it, Mal.
(Yes, I was aware you would. No, that doesn't make it right.)
I left the previously mentioned list of needed repairs in your bunk. It was very long.
PS, Malcolm Tam is not a terrible name.
~
Full table is here.