big_damn_hero

That ain’t much of a hard question to answer, all things considered...I think I’d like to go back, like most folk, and see Earth-That-Was in all her glory. That’d be right shiny in my book. Still, that’s awful broad...Earth-That-Was had herself a whole lotta history ‘fore we done went and used her all up.

Now I ain’t all full of fancy learnin’ like the good doctor or Inara, and I’m even less full of historical-type learnin’, but I know a few stories about her in her prime...legends and the like. Think I’d like to see Earth in her prime...that last great hurrah ‘fore we had to kick her to the curb. And I mean the days before the all-hailed exodus...I mean them days when vehicles burned oil and space was still a great, unexplored frontier.

The days when the stars meant somethin’, tiny and bright up in the sky. Days when a ship on water or a vehicle on some vast dirt road...hell, maybe even a horse galloping along some untrod path was freedom. Back then, the world was smaller...and I think sometimes freedom meant more for it. Man never looked past his own horizon to find adventure...never needed soil wasn’t on his own rock to feel that unfettered joy comes from answerin’ to no man but his own self.

I think I’d like to see if that’s even possible...when the world was big and frightsome to them not ready for its size. When the ‘verse weren’t a territory, but damn near a religion.

Then again...I guess ain’t much changed in that way, has it? ‘Verse may be smaller, and might be a rock or a spaceship you call home ‘stead of a house...but that vast wide black out there? It’s still a big ruttin’ space...and there’s still men and women that look to it for freedom.

In its own way...I guess the ‘verse is still her own religion.

Muse: Malcolm Reynolds
Fandom: Firefly/Serenity
Words: 332

Marriage ain’t too different from most things in life...ain’t particularly complicated at all. Everything’s simple in the start ‘till some fong luh hwoon dahn comes along and twists everything all up and makes a mess of it.

You love someone or you don’t. Real simple...there ain’t no in between place. Love ‘em a little, they’re a friend. Love ‘em a lot, they’re family. Trust ‘em or don’t, could be an ally or an enemy. But love...real love, the kind that takes you off yer feet and has you dancin’ on a cloud or some other fuzzified nonsense, has no in between.

You love someone? You either want to spend your life with ‘em or you don’t. Again...ain’t no in between. You got an in between, then maybe you ain’t got love. After that, it’s only a matter of a man havin’ guts enough to ask the question could break him up into a million bits if his girl says no. Shucks, I even heard of girls doin’ the asking, and you know what? That’s just shiny. As a rule, most womenfolk got one up on us big dumb male types, anyhow...least when it comes to how ya feel.

That’s another thing, too...feelings. Women do seem to have the market cornered on ‘em...always wantin’ to talk about ‘em, express ‘em, get right techy if a man don’t wanna do the same.

Some men don’t need a lot of words to let a woman know she’s wanted, though. Sometimes it just takes a handful...hell, sometimes takes only two t’ get a point across.

Two words...not four. ‘Cause if a man ain’t yet after marriage, there’s still some things he needs to know if he don’t yet.

And regardless of which words get said or who gets asked what, or even who does the askin’...whether it’s ‘yes’ or ‘I don’t know’...at the end of the day, whichever you take...

...it’s still a good answer.

Muse: Malcolm Reynolds
Fandom: Firefly/Serenity
Words: 333

( Mal had beaten his breast and gave voice to his grief more oft than not during the war when losing a comrade or a battle. )

Muse: Malcolm Reynolds
Fandom: Firefly/Serenity
Words: 459

Now I know...right off the bat, I know. Y’all probably think you got the answer ‘fore I even give it, and a few years back? I’d have told ya you were right without a speck of hesitation or a single scrap of an argument, or anything resemblin’ one.

All right, yes...I’ll fess up to what we all know in our hearts t’ be true. The Alliance has been, and always will be, one of the biggest thorns a man could ever fear to have in his side. They a bane to my existence, and one hell of a gorram ruttin’ nuisance.

But...well, since I met the little missus? They’ve had some company in the number one spot on my list of Folk I’d Like To Kill, dong ma?

Yolanda...Saffron...Bridget...whatever name she gives ya, she’s trouble on two legs, and one of these days? I’m hopin’ she marries herself a man carryin’ some manner of nonlethal, but fair bothersome disease of passion, if you catch my meaning.

Now I know y’all probably might think there’s a bit of wounded pride talkin’ there...and y’all would be right. It’s a little more ‘n just bein’ made to look a fool. I been made to look a fool plenty of times...fair more ‘n I care to admit out loud, so I ain’t going to. But never did bein’ made a fool put my life in danger, and when I get took? It’s me that gets took, not my gorram crew. Out here in the black, crew’s closest a fella can get to family, and when that girl went and humped up my ship and nearly killed us all?

I don’t take kindly to that.

Nor do I take kindly to gettin’ left buck naked on some godforsaken moon. Even if I did near see it coming.

I been shot up and stabbed and all manner of injured...but when you wound a man’s pride...well, that’s when you done crossed the line.

Muse: Captain Malcolm Reynolds
Fandom: Firefly/Serenity
Words: 336

He went to the training house because she was in danger. He went because the Alliance had sent their fool to try and get at Mal’s weakest spot by going after Inara. Hell, wasn’t much of a secret that where Inara Serra was concerned, Mal had a bit of a fuzzy spot in his head and his heart, one he couldn’t give name or nature to.

But that wasn’t his most desperate hour.

After finding comfort in Nahndi’s arms for a night, then losing her come the dawn, Mal thought he’d hit a low...then along comes Inara saying she was going to leave, that she should’ve done it long before...it hit him hard, and it hurt something fierce, a fact he’d never admit to another living soul.

But he’d seen darker times.

“Ready to get off this heap...back to civilized life?”

She finally stood before him, a pale ray of moonlight rather than her usual gaudy flash of crimson and gold...but no less beautiful, no less radiant. Still and unsure, she met his gaze and clenched her hands, and admitted to being human by confessing that her heart didn’t lie in the cool, pristine cradle of civilization as she’d always professed. Wasn’t the first time she’d done it, either...but the last time, there wasn’t any danger of losing her.

“I...uh...I don’t know.”

Now there was...and he couldn’t let that happen.

So he bit the bullet, gathered his courage...and smiled.

“Good answer.”

Muse: Malcolm Reynolds
Fandom: Firefly/Serenity
Words: 255

[locked from everyone]

I’ve thought about it...more ‘n once. What it’d be like to be in her world...be *with* her.

Near as I can see it, only chance I ever have is of goin’ through channels and havin’ her the way she seems to want...the way everyone else has. Not ‘servicing’ me...but me buying a moment of happiness, payin’ like any other gorram man that’s put his hands on her. I got a little put away, for emergencies and such.

I’ve thought about paying to stop the dreams I have, every ruttin’ night...dreams filled with heat and tinged in red, feeling her nails in my skin and her breath sharin’ mine. Tasting her, losin’ myself in her, feeling the world crumble away around us and rebuilt in the foggy, silken haze of passion.

I’ve thought about payin’ Inara’s fee for one night in her arms because you can’t put a price on a single moment of that kind of bliss.

But then I realize you can’t put a price on it ‘cause it’s worth more than money...more ‘n life.

And that’s when I put my coin back in my pocket and go back to whatever I was doin’ to begin with.

[/locked]

Muse: Malcolm Reynolds
Fandom: Firefly/Serenity
Words: 202

“You are drunk as a skunk.”

“You gorram right I am, and you, *sir*, are humped, so stand still and take it like a man.”

Mal burst out laughing, shaking his head as the young private, much to the delight of Zoe, Morris, Doc Sutton, and the rest of his unit, proceeded to hang a chintzy strand of prayer beads around his neck.

“Sergeant Malcolm Reynolds, you are hereby awar...awarded the Meritorious Conduct...Award for...meritorious...conduct.” the private boomed, finishing his confirmation with a resounding belch just before falling flat on his face.

“That is the *last* gorram time anybody in this unit gives him whiskey, dong ma?” Mal deadpanned, rolling his eyes.

A mocking chorus of applause and laughter rose up, along with a few obligatory ‘yes, sirs’, followed immediately by a chorus of “Speech! Speech!” led by old Doc Sutton himself.

“Now you hesh up, Jake Sutton!” Mal growled without much real conviction. Still, in spite of himself, Mal rose to his feet in the middle of the small Independent-run bar and cleared his throat dramatically.

“First! I’d like to thank Private Nash here for lettin’ that bun tyen-shung duh ee-dway-ro Purplebelly sneak up on him so’s I could save his hide and win me this prestigious honor.” Mal began with a grin, laughing as Nash, who had hauled himself up off the floor, applauded drunkenly. “Second, I’d like to thank ol’ Doc Sutton for patchin’ up that knife wound of mine. Had a hellish time of it, I know, and had to move about all kinds of my innards, but it kept me alive to be here today so’s I could stand here to make y’all look bad with my new bit of shiny.”

“Amen to that, sir.” Zoe agreed with a grin.

Mal nodded, his grin softening and growing a bit warmer with sincerity. “Right...and thirdly, and I do say this with all seriousness, horsin’ about all aside...I gotta give a toast and a cheer to the finest buncha Browncoats a man could ever get the privilege of servin’ with.”

Mal watched his troops smile and move to stand...probably to raise their glasses when an officer came barreling through the door with a cry of “Purplebellies!” just before falling dead to the ground.

And as they answered the orders of their lieutenant, following Mal’s lead straight out the door to make a beeline back to base camp, he couldn’t help but smile as he thought about the day those ruttin’ sons of whores in the Alliance realized they were all but humped...because if he had his way? The boots they’d be licking would be those of his own gorram unit.

Muse: Malcolm Reynolds
Fandom: Firefly/Serenity
Words: 450

You ask anybody that’s known me more ‘n a moment or two and they can tell you easy what sticks in my craw above all else. Then again...most folks that just met me could tell you just as easy. Well...now that you mention it, all you really gotta do is *look* at me to tell...

Ain’t no big secret I got a beef with the Alliance. If ire was fuel, I could thank the government, ‘cause I’d never need to spend a dime to keep Serenity flyin’, not for all the rest of my born days. Now that may seem a mite petty and superficial, but that there’s just the tiniest branch on the tippy top of the tree.

The Alliance? They’re a symbol...for everyone and everything that thinks a man ain’t fit to make his own way in the world. It’s the end all and be all of lookin’ down on folks without cause, and that’s the one thing in all the ‘verse that gets my goat. I look down on a man, it’s ‘cause I’ll do that he won’t, and things he’d do that I’d never even entertain as actual thoughts. Things that matter, like workin’ for my daily bread and dealing fair with folks. Like knowin’ when a job ain’t worth the pay, or when there’s cause to take me on a stray...even if that stray puts me in the crosshairs of the whole gorram ‘verse.

And in some particular cases, it’s also been known to include the extent of a man’s personal hygiene.

But I will never put on false airs, dealin’ man to man. I’ll never see someone as less ‘n me unless he sees the rest of mankind as less ‘n him.

And the only time I’ll ever tell a man what to do, where to go, or how to think is when I’m payin’ his salary or watchin’ his back in the field of battle.

And even if Hell opened up ‘neath our feet in that battlefield? I’d never try to make of him something that he just plain ain’t.

Muse: Malcolm Reynolds
Fandom: Firefly/Serenity
Words: 351

Howdy! Been meanin’ to haul myself over here for a proper introduction and all...’specially since Inara’d be a mite put out if I didn’t and she kicks me enough under the dinner table already for my sass, so I figured now’s as good a time as any to pop my head in.

Name’s Reynolds, Malcolm Reynolds...mostly, though, I’m just Mal. I skipper SERENITY...she’s a Firefly-class ship, and she’s flightworthy, not much on sparkle and polish? But a beauty in her own right. She’s a transport ship most times, we move cargo for a fee...and at times, we have been known to move our cargo kinda sneaky-like. I mean, some of it bein’ illegal and all, it just seems like the thing to do. I been at this business for nigh on six years, ever since the end of the war...the Unification War, that is. I was a sergeant in my unit...fought for the Independents. Browncoat and proud of it, to those of you Alliance-friendly folk that might see fit to try and poke fun at me...I poke back. And hard. Y’all can consider that a warnin’.

At any rate, I’ve had my plate pretty full in the past couple years...took on an Alliance fugitive, got near killed by a crazy assassin, and exposed a government coverup of Reavers. Yup...me and mine been powerful busy. Y’all might be on speakin’ terms with some of my crew...my right-hook man, Jayne Cobb, then there’s the fugitive I done mentioned, River Tam. She’s a mite on the crazy side, but we don’t hold it against her. Much. And I think I also seen mention of my renter, Miss Inara Serra. Makes her home and business in one of my shuttles...fellas, with enough credits, she too can be yours for the evening...

...and now if y’all will excuse me? I’m gonna high-tail it on outta here ‘fore she can catch up to me.

I ain’t too forthcomin’ with confessing to it, but once upon a time I was a God-fearin’ man. I read my Bible, I paid my respects when I passed a church...but then I realized there’s bigger fish to fry in this world...a lot more ‘n some high and mighty God to be afraid of.

That there’s what the Alliance took from me that makes me such a gorram nuisance...my faith an’ my fear. Way I see it? Them right there’s the basics of religion...faith in somethin’ bigger ‘n you, and fear of hellfire. Now I don’t deny that a seat in a real pretty church with some nice stained glass windows and an organ ain’t gonna inspire a hopeful notion or two ‘bout a Heaven and a great plan...but these days, about all I could do in a place like that is take advantage of the quiet and catch me a nap in a pew.

I been through the hellfire and I surrendered my faith to Serenity Valley.

If there’s a God and he wants worshippin’? Let him get it from Shepherd Book...but he best remember to speak softly in a graveyard. It’s a sin to wake the dead.

Muse: Malcolm Reynolds
Fandom: Firefly/Serenity
Words: 205