Increscunt Animi by Proxii Bleu
(Note: Sorry for the delay! I've been working, and also putting the finishing touches on my next big fic! Don't worry there won't be a sucky ending like in 'Fragile'.)
II
"Zoe?"
"Yeah?" Mal stood in the small kitchen that was attached to the mess, and stared down at Hairball who was greedily chewing on a piece of imitation bacon. The small kitten had only been on board for a few days, yet already he had earned an enemy - Mal. It wasn't personal, the captain did't have anything against cats, but in his experience they usually were demonic furballs that clawed anything in their path.
He had the scars to prove it.
"Why is there a cat in the kitchen?"
"Huh?" Zoe came into the room, spied the kitten, and melted into a babbling, emotional mess. She was only two-and-a-half months pregnant, but the hormones coursing through her veins caused her to either turn into a man's worst nightmare, or the exact opposite such as the imposter who was now cooing at the kitten, and wearing Zoe's face.
Mal could just kill Wash.
"Awww Mal, how can you hate something so cute?"
"Easy, I look at it, say I hate it, and out the airlock it goes."
"MAL!"
"Fine, I'll dump it off at a nice pet shop on Beechwater when we get there. Zoe, stop cuddling it!" Zoe shot Mal a poisonous look, and set the kitten down.
"You are an evil man sir."
"Why thank you Zoe." Mal watched his first officer walk off into the mess where Wash greeted her with open arms, and a string of nonsense directed at her midsection. Letting out a heavy sigh, her turned to look at the kitten who was hacking up a wad of fur in the corner.
"I know, it makes me sick too." Pouring himself a cup of coffee, he started helping himself to breakfast when Kaylee came wandering into the room. Simon had cleared her to start eating regular food, but in small amounts. Mal smiled as she slowly walked into the room, and carefully took out a plate.
"Hey Lil' Kaylee, how you feelin'?"
"Fine captain, but it still hurts to laugh. Hey Hairball, here kitty, kitty, kitty." Hairball tumbled over to Kaylee who scooped him up, and fed him a tuny bit of egg. Mal almost dropped his mug.
"Wait, no it does NOT have a name. I forbid anyone on this ship to get attached to-"
"Hairball."
"Hair - no I am not..." Mal struggled to finsih his train of thought. "It is a cat, and it goes. Kay Winnit Lee Frye..." Kaylee had already whipped out her best set of puppy-dog eyes, a definite threat to the majority of Mal's resolve, but he refused to back down.
"No. I said no, it goes on Beechwater, so you can pout all you want Hairball is finished."
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Kaylee didn't have a chance as River snatched her pet out of the mechanic's hands, and ran as fast as she could away from Mal. Taking refuge behind Book who had just risen she glared malevolently at the captain who was now wondering if he should get some aspirin to go with his coffee.
"What is it with you people when I give orders? I say no cat, everyone decides its Mutiny Monday. Am I missing something here?" Kaylee raised her hand.
"Yes Miss. Frye?"
"It's River's brithday present from Simon."
"Aww, he gave her a kitten. It still goes." Mal just blinked as a biscuit bounced off the side of his head. Everyone at the table however was looking at the ceiling, their plates, and the floor. No one was going to take the blame, although given it's trajectory-
"Wash, consider yourself on night rounds for the rest of the week."
"It wasn't me."
"Was too." Jayne who had been standing out in the hall sauntered in, and poured himself a cup of coffee. Picking up the biscuit off the floor he sniffed it, and took a bite. "Still tastes like ya." Mal and Zoe exchanged looks before returning to the matter at hand.
"Look I don't care if Book's God came down out of the sky, and put the damn thing in her hands it still goes. End of discussion." River started crying, Kaylee pouted, and Simon who had finally made his way to the mess with Inara stood wondering what was going on.
"What happened to River?"
"Mal decided to get rid of the kitten."
"Figures, the man's a son of a bitch anyhow." Zoe dropped her cup of coffee, Inara gasped, Kaylee just gaped, while Simon himself stalked into the kitchen, helped himself to the food, and vanished back into the hall. Wash was still trying to form a sentence when Jayne broke the silence.
"Bout time he found his manhood."
"Not manhood," said River softly. "Troubled waters that wash over his mind, and darken his soul." Her brown eyes rested on Kaylee. "All because of the Siren who sings a song, that never crosses her lips, or the purity of her heart." Mal who had caught the tail-end of things frowned at River who scooped up Hairball, and headed for the cargo bay.
"River, you okay?"
"I'm fine Mal, my tummy is troubling."
"Then have some breakfast." River shook her head slowly.
"I said my tummy was troubling, not scavenging." With that she left, leaving the rest of the crew looking at Mal for an explanation.
"I guess she wasn't hungry." Looking around Mal noticed the spilled cups, Zoe's broken mug, and the shocked expressions of the rest of the crew.
"Did I miss something?"
***
Later that afternoon, Mal sat in Inara's shuttle playing cards with her, and making idle chitchat. Normally the two were at each other's throats with stinging barbs, and underhanded insults, but they still made time for a civilized game of poker. As usual the Companion was winning, yet Mal had managed to tuck a few games under his belt. The game was a way for them to socialize without actually having to do so, as well as trade gossip. Mainly information concerning his crew.
For some reason when someone needed to bare their soul, they either came to Inara, or Book. Nine times out of ten, it was the former. Mal put his hand on the table, four queens. Inara smiled graciously, and revealed four jacks. This time the round went to the captain.
"You're playing better tonight. Have you been practicing?"
"Nope, just doing what comes natural, same as you." Inara smiled, her face taut as she ignored his little remark.
"Well all things are instinct Mal, a pig rolls in mud because that is what nature designed it to do. Wouldn't you agree?"
"For a Companion you're very good at sarcasm." Inara beamed at the captain, and shuffled the cards.
"Only because I have an excellent teacher." The two sat in silence for a few minutes as the Companion dealt out the cards, Mal biding his time before-
"You might as well ask Mal." Caught off guard he fumbled the slips of stiff paper in his hand.
"Huh?" Inara just stared at him, her dark eyes boring into his own as she waited for him to speak. The Companion was no fool, she knew the main reason why Mal came to her shuttle to play poker every Monday afternoon, and why during that time he went out of his way to be civil. It was his way of trying to be suave, without his usual charm that was as smooth as trimming a bonsai tree with a machete.
"Hmmm?" Mal gathered himself, and shuffled his hand. Two aces, a five, a two, and a seven.
"Well seein' as how you want me to be blunt, do you know what's bothering the boy?"
"Wash or Simon?"
"Simon, I already know what's wrong with Wash."
"I wouldn't know," said Inara quietly as she drew a card. "Lately he's been distant, withdrawn. Last Friday he didn't join me for dinner, only River and Book came."
"Was he tired?"
"I don't think that's it Mal, even when absolutely fatigued Simon always attends dinner. I have entertained him at times for only a few minutes before he employed the use of my bed." Mal choked on his coffee.
"What?"
"Mind the gutter Mal, he sleeps in my bed, nothing more. Remember our agreement? I do not service your crew. Besides Simon isn't the type I'd indulge."
"Why? The fact that he has no money?"
"No, because he is my friend, and I cherish such relationships. You should try it sometime captain, although I think you already have one such person."
"Oh really? Who?" Inara just smiled, and shuffled her cards.
"Maybe next Monday Mal, for now I need to rest, I have an appointment on Beechwater."
"Wouldn't lying down defeat the purpose of restin'?" The Companion smled thinly, and retreated into the confines of her shuttle.
"No more than you trying to avoid the mud Malcolm."
(Note: Sorry for the delay! I've been working, and also putting the finishing touches on my next big fic! Don't worry there won't be a sucky ending like in 'Fragile'.)
II
"Zoe?"
"Yeah?" Mal stood in the small kitchen that was attached to the mess, and stared down at Hairball who was greedily chewing on a piece of imitation bacon. The small kitten had only been on board for a few days, yet already he had earned an enemy - Mal. It wasn't personal, the captain did't have anything against cats, but in his experience they usually were demonic furballs that clawed anything in their path.
He had the scars to prove it.
"Why is there a cat in the kitchen?"
"Huh?" Zoe came into the room, spied the kitten, and melted into a babbling, emotional mess. She was only two-and-a-half months pregnant, but the hormones coursing through her veins caused her to either turn into a man's worst nightmare, or the exact opposite such as the imposter who was now cooing at the kitten, and wearing Zoe's face.
Mal could just kill Wash.
"Awww Mal, how can you hate something so cute?"
"Easy, I look at it, say I hate it, and out the airlock it goes."
"MAL!"
"Fine, I'll dump it off at a nice pet shop on Beechwater when we get there. Zoe, stop cuddling it!" Zoe shot Mal a poisonous look, and set the kitten down.
"You are an evil man sir."
"Why thank you Zoe." Mal watched his first officer walk off into the mess where Wash greeted her with open arms, and a string of nonsense directed at her midsection. Letting out a heavy sigh, her turned to look at the kitten who was hacking up a wad of fur in the corner.
"I know, it makes me sick too." Pouring himself a cup of coffee, he started helping himself to breakfast when Kaylee came wandering into the room. Simon had cleared her to start eating regular food, but in small amounts. Mal smiled as she slowly walked into the room, and carefully took out a plate.
"Hey Lil' Kaylee, how you feelin'?"
"Fine captain, but it still hurts to laugh. Hey Hairball, here kitty, kitty, kitty." Hairball tumbled over to Kaylee who scooped him up, and fed him a tuny bit of egg. Mal almost dropped his mug.
"Wait, no it does NOT have a name. I forbid anyone on this ship to get attached to-"
"Hairball."
"Hair - no I am not..." Mal struggled to finsih his train of thought. "It is a cat, and it goes. Kay Winnit Lee Frye..." Kaylee had already whipped out her best set of puppy-dog eyes, a definite threat to the majority of Mal's resolve, but he refused to back down.
"No. I said no, it goes on Beechwater, so you can pout all you want Hairball is finished."
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Kaylee didn't have a chance as River snatched her pet out of the mechanic's hands, and ran as fast as she could away from Mal. Taking refuge behind Book who had just risen she glared malevolently at the captain who was now wondering if he should get some aspirin to go with his coffee.
"What is it with you people when I give orders? I say no cat, everyone decides its Mutiny Monday. Am I missing something here?" Kaylee raised her hand.
"Yes Miss. Frye?"
"It's River's brithday present from Simon."
"Aww, he gave her a kitten. It still goes." Mal just blinked as a biscuit bounced off the side of his head. Everyone at the table however was looking at the ceiling, their plates, and the floor. No one was going to take the blame, although given it's trajectory-
"Wash, consider yourself on night rounds for the rest of the week."
"It wasn't me."
"Was too." Jayne who had been standing out in the hall sauntered in, and poured himself a cup of coffee. Picking up the biscuit off the floor he sniffed it, and took a bite. "Still tastes like ya." Mal and Zoe exchanged looks before returning to the matter at hand.
"Look I don't care if Book's God came down out of the sky, and put the damn thing in her hands it still goes. End of discussion." River started crying, Kaylee pouted, and Simon who had finally made his way to the mess with Inara stood wondering what was going on.
"What happened to River?"
"Mal decided to get rid of the kitten."
"Figures, the man's a son of a bitch anyhow." Zoe dropped her cup of coffee, Inara gasped, Kaylee just gaped, while Simon himself stalked into the kitchen, helped himself to the food, and vanished back into the hall. Wash was still trying to form a sentence when Jayne broke the silence.
"Bout time he found his manhood."
"Not manhood," said River softly. "Troubled waters that wash over his mind, and darken his soul." Her brown eyes rested on Kaylee. "All because of the Siren who sings a song, that never crosses her lips, or the purity of her heart." Mal who had caught the tail-end of things frowned at River who scooped up Hairball, and headed for the cargo bay.
"River, you okay?"
"I'm fine Mal, my tummy is troubling."
"Then have some breakfast." River shook her head slowly.
"I said my tummy was troubling, not scavenging." With that she left, leaving the rest of the crew looking at Mal for an explanation.
"I guess she wasn't hungry." Looking around Mal noticed the spilled cups, Zoe's broken mug, and the shocked expressions of the rest of the crew.
"Did I miss something?"
***
Later that afternoon, Mal sat in Inara's shuttle playing cards with her, and making idle chitchat. Normally the two were at each other's throats with stinging barbs, and underhanded insults, but they still made time for a civilized game of poker. As usual the Companion was winning, yet Mal had managed to tuck a few games under his belt. The game was a way for them to socialize without actually having to do so, as well as trade gossip. Mainly information concerning his crew.
For some reason when someone needed to bare their soul, they either came to Inara, or Book. Nine times out of ten, it was the former. Mal put his hand on the table, four queens. Inara smiled graciously, and revealed four jacks. This time the round went to the captain.
"You're playing better tonight. Have you been practicing?"
"Nope, just doing what comes natural, same as you." Inara smiled, her face taut as she ignored his little remark.
"Well all things are instinct Mal, a pig rolls in mud because that is what nature designed it to do. Wouldn't you agree?"
"For a Companion you're very good at sarcasm." Inara beamed at the captain, and shuffled the cards.
"Only because I have an excellent teacher." The two sat in silence for a few minutes as the Companion dealt out the cards, Mal biding his time before-
"You might as well ask Mal." Caught off guard he fumbled the slips of stiff paper in his hand.
"Huh?" Inara just stared at him, her dark eyes boring into his own as she waited for him to speak. The Companion was no fool, she knew the main reason why Mal came to her shuttle to play poker every Monday afternoon, and why during that time he went out of his way to be civil. It was his way of trying to be suave, without his usual charm that was as smooth as trimming a bonsai tree with a machete.
"Hmmm?" Mal gathered himself, and shuffled his hand. Two aces, a five, a two, and a seven.
"Well seein' as how you want me to be blunt, do you know what's bothering the boy?"
"Wash or Simon?"
"Simon, I already know what's wrong with Wash."
"I wouldn't know," said Inara quietly as she drew a card. "Lately he's been distant, withdrawn. Last Friday he didn't join me for dinner, only River and Book came."
"Was he tired?"
"I don't think that's it Mal, even when absolutely fatigued Simon always attends dinner. I have entertained him at times for only a few minutes before he employed the use of my bed." Mal choked on his coffee.
"What?"
"Mind the gutter Mal, he sleeps in my bed, nothing more. Remember our agreement? I do not service your crew. Besides Simon isn't the type I'd indulge."
"Why? The fact that he has no money?"
"No, because he is my friend, and I cherish such relationships. You should try it sometime captain, although I think you already have one such person."
"Oh really? Who?" Inara just smiled, and shuffled her cards.
"Maybe next Monday Mal, for now I need to rest, I have an appointment on Beechwater."
"Wouldn't lying down defeat the purpose of restin'?" The Companion smled thinly, and retreated into the confines of her shuttle.
"No more than you trying to avoid the mud Malcolm."