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tamingthemuseTitle: Missing Persons Report
Fandom: Firefly
Prompt: Malevolence
Warnings:
Rating: G (so far)
Word Count: 671
Summary: The crew is making new friends and taking new jobs.
Day cycle started with the near imperceptible brightening of the lights, not that Mal needed it. He’d slept fitfully the night before, haunted by Norton’s story, wondering about what Simon had remembered, and worrying about River.
She’d been so much better since Miranda. She still talked in circles that made him dizzy to follow, though follow he did. She still had some bad spells of memories overwhelming her. She still taunted Jayne, no matter how many times they all told her not to poke the bear. She was still a Reader, saying the most insightful things at the most inconvenient times. Though that last could just be a side effect of being a teenage girl.
She was taking a huge step forward, growing up for the first time since the Academy got her in their clutches. And Mal couldn’t help but worry that having Norton on board and trying to carry out this job was going to send her back to the screaming naked girl in a box, tossed around by a current she couldn’t control.
All that led to a restless night and at bad headache the next morning. And knowing he’d have to explain to Norton just exactly how far gone his son probably was wasn’t helping stop the ache. So he skipped the galley and breakfast, and headed straight to the infirmary and a couple of relievers.
River was sitting on the exam bed, swinging her legs and waiting with a cup of water. “Don’t see why you don’t keep some in your quarters,” she complained. “Boots clanging on steel makes it worse.”
“We in the middle of a conversation I don’t know about, little girl? I ain’t in no mood for your tangly talk today.”
“Get this over with. We’ll all feel better.”
Mal swallowed his pills and looked more closely at River. Her fair skin did little to disguise the dark circles under her eyes. “Didn’t sleep well, River?”, he asked.
“None of us did. Well, maybe Kaylee and Simon, but I try not to look.”
“I can’t be knowing these things!” Mal protested. Pleased to see River looking a little more cheerful, he pressed for more details.
“Jayne cleaned his guns and sharpened his knives. Figures this will be a bad fight. Inara prayed for the little lost and stolen children. Norton worried about whether we’ll help him. Zoe worried that she’s lost her heart for the job without Wash and is going to get someone killed. You worried about everyone, and I worried about me.”
“And Kaylee and Simon slept like babies.”
“Eventually, yes.”
“Why must you be putting these images in my head?” But River wasn’t paying any attention to him. Her eyes were fixed on the infirmary door. With a sigh, Mal resigned himself to having a very difficult conversation before the relievers kicked in properly.
Sure enough, Norton hesitantly stuck his head in the room only a heartbeat later. “Captain, when did you want to talk… Oh, Miss Tam. I didn’t see you there.”
He surely saw her now though. He stared at her like she was his oasis in the desert. Mal’d noticed Norton’s reaction before and was starting to get right annoyed. He’d get this job done and get the man off his boat. ‘Course, that meant getting this conversation over with.
“Come on in, Norton. I asked River to join us. She’ll be able to explain better than anyone what’s been done to your boy.”
“You see me, whole and safe. Only see skin deep – no scars, no damage,” River started without preamble. “Damage is all inside. Pretty package on the outside, innocent and harmless. But inside. Tore things away, stuffed other things in. Filled up with malevolence and purpose, evil puppet on a string.” Her voice broke a little, and Mal gently patted her shoulder while he parsed through her words.
She wiped away a tear and looked up at Mal. “Isaac is far closer to finished than I was. May not be possible to save him.”
Fandom: Firefly
Prompt: Malevolence
Warnings:
Rating: G (so far)
Word Count: 671
Summary: The crew is making new friends and taking new jobs.
Day cycle started with the near imperceptible brightening of the lights, not that Mal needed it. He’d slept fitfully the night before, haunted by Norton’s story, wondering about what Simon had remembered, and worrying about River.
She’d been so much better since Miranda. She still talked in circles that made him dizzy to follow, though follow he did. She still had some bad spells of memories overwhelming her. She still taunted Jayne, no matter how many times they all told her not to poke the bear. She was still a Reader, saying the most insightful things at the most inconvenient times. Though that last could just be a side effect of being a teenage girl.
She was taking a huge step forward, growing up for the first time since the Academy got her in their clutches. And Mal couldn’t help but worry that having Norton on board and trying to carry out this job was going to send her back to the screaming naked girl in a box, tossed around by a current she couldn’t control.
All that led to a restless night and at bad headache the next morning. And knowing he’d have to explain to Norton just exactly how far gone his son probably was wasn’t helping stop the ache. So he skipped the galley and breakfast, and headed straight to the infirmary and a couple of relievers.
River was sitting on the exam bed, swinging her legs and waiting with a cup of water. “Don’t see why you don’t keep some in your quarters,” she complained. “Boots clanging on steel makes it worse.”
“We in the middle of a conversation I don’t know about, little girl? I ain’t in no mood for your tangly talk today.”
“Get this over with. We’ll all feel better.”
Mal swallowed his pills and looked more closely at River. Her fair skin did little to disguise the dark circles under her eyes. “Didn’t sleep well, River?”, he asked.
“None of us did. Well, maybe Kaylee and Simon, but I try not to look.”
“I can’t be knowing these things!” Mal protested. Pleased to see River looking a little more cheerful, he pressed for more details.
“Jayne cleaned his guns and sharpened his knives. Figures this will be a bad fight. Inara prayed for the little lost and stolen children. Norton worried about whether we’ll help him. Zoe worried that she’s lost her heart for the job without Wash and is going to get someone killed. You worried about everyone, and I worried about me.”
“And Kaylee and Simon slept like babies.”
“Eventually, yes.”
“Why must you be putting these images in my head?” But River wasn’t paying any attention to him. Her eyes were fixed on the infirmary door. With a sigh, Mal resigned himself to having a very difficult conversation before the relievers kicked in properly.
Sure enough, Norton hesitantly stuck his head in the room only a heartbeat later. “Captain, when did you want to talk… Oh, Miss Tam. I didn’t see you there.”
He surely saw her now though. He stared at her like she was his oasis in the desert. Mal’d noticed Norton’s reaction before and was starting to get right annoyed. He’d get this job done and get the man off his boat. ‘Course, that meant getting this conversation over with.
“Come on in, Norton. I asked River to join us. She’ll be able to explain better than anyone what’s been done to your boy.”
“You see me, whole and safe. Only see skin deep – no scars, no damage,” River started without preamble. “Damage is all inside. Pretty package on the outside, innocent and harmless. But inside. Tore things away, stuffed other things in. Filled up with malevolence and purpose, evil puppet on a string.” Her voice broke a little, and Mal gently patted her shoulder while he parsed through her words.
She wiped away a tear and looked up at Mal. “Isaac is far closer to finished than I was. May not be possible to save him.”
