Sushi!Fic: Mis-Conceptions
Jun. 15th, 2006 12:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
browncoat2x2Sushi!Fic
Title: Mis-Conceptions
Author: by 2x2
Word Count: Approx. 2070
Rating: G
Pairing/Characters: Mal/Inara, and Sushi/Sashimi of course ;o>
Disclaimer: I do not own firefly, firefly owns me. Joss is Boss.
Author's Note: Sushi!Fic! Story takes place immediately after![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
isha_libran's story Knight in Shining--wait, is that a... This turned out a lot more serious and angsty than I intended. It was supposed to be just some humourous fluff at Mal's misunderstanding, but somehow turned into something a lot deeper. Even *I* am surprised by the way this played out.
Mal dashed up the stairs two at a time on his way to his and Inara’s shuttle, his heart pounding as he heard River's words run through his mind – Congratulations! She's pregnant! – over and over. He rushed through the hatch, breathless and found Inara staring into her fishbowl. She looked up as he came in, relief flooding her features.
“Mal, thank God you’re back!” she exclaimed, hurrying to him and pulling him into her embrace. He hugged her tightly before holding her out at arm’s length, his eyes running over her body, looking for any sign or obvious change.
“River said…” he stammered, his mouth opening and closing as he gulped. “Pregnant…?” Inara nodded and he felt something squeeze inside him.
“I was so worried. I even had Simon come, just to be safe,” she said and looked down. “It’s silly, I know, but I didn’t know what else to do. He said it’s only morning sickness.”
He had to catch up to her words, his mind still focused on the confirmation that he was going to be a father, the tight feeling gripping his heart and filling him with an emotion he couldn’t yet name, but one that felt both painful and light at the same time. He swallowed thickly. “That’s good. An’ it ain’t silly, Inara,” he said, tilting her chin up to meet her eyes. “I don’t care how small they may seem, but… any problems at all an’ I want you callin’ Simon, dong ma?”
She blinked, surprised by the depth of his concern. “I will, though, he hasn’t much experience really—”
He shook his head. “That don’t matter. He’s got more’n either of us.” He coughed. “So, uh…How long?”
“I have no idea, really. You’re right, I don’t have any experience with this kind of thing at all, Mal.”
He ran a hand over his hair and down to the back of his neck, slightly uncomfortable. “They didn’t teach ya none of this in your… schoolin’?” he asked, trying to be diplomatic about it. Surely they talked about this sort of thing?
“Well, no. I mean, we had the basics in biology, but, this isn’t exactly the kind of situation a Companion contemplates,” she said with a shake of her head and a sigh. She wondered sometimes just what it was Mal thought a Companion did.
“No, don’t suppose that’s so.” He sighed, a grin skittering its way around his mouth. He was gonna be a daddy. Hell, he and Inara we’re havin’ a baby! An’ that meant… “Conjure this is gonna change things,” he said, running a hand through his hair again. “’Mean findin’ safer work for certain, maybe settlin’ down.” He nodded to himself.
“What? That’s a little extreme, don’t you think?” she asked, surprised again at how serious Mal seemed to be taking this. She cared for Sashimi and Sushi a great deal, but they were only goldfish, after all.
“Inara, I ain’t takin’ any chances. I don’t want nothin’ happenin’ to you or the little one.”
She blinked again, confused. “I… I had no idea you’d grown that attached, Mal.”
He pulled her close, pressing his forehead to hers gently. “Ain’t nothin’ more important to me in the ‘verse, ‘Nara,” he promised. He slid his hands around to her belly, splaying his fingers over it as he stared at her, imagining the swell that would soon be there. ‘Wasn’t expectin’ this so soon, but… well, guess what I’m sayin’ is, I aim to be the best daddy I know how to be. That maybe ain’t much but—”
“Wait-- what?” Inara’s face went slack with shock as she suddenly realized they weren’t talking about the same thing at all. “What are you… You think… Mal,” she said, taking his hands and ducking her head to get a look at his face and catch his eyes. “I’m not pregnant.”
Mal’s brow furrowed, confused. “Huh? You ain’t?” She shook her head. “But I thought… River an' Kaylee said—” he stammered.
“Sashimi, Mal. Sashimi is pregnant,” she said, leading him over to the fishbowl.
“Sashimi? The…the gorram fish?!”
“Yes—”
“So, you ain’t—”
“No, I'm not. Mal, I’m a…. I was a Companion, Mal. I know how to prevent a pregnancy," she said, slightly exasperated.
He blinked, nodding slightly. Of course she did. How could he be so... “Right, right,” he said, surprised at the sudden stab of loss he felt. He shook his head, giving her a forced smile. “That’s good. Yeah... I mean… Good.” He looked at the fish again, swallowing. “That’s good.”
Inara stared at him, mouth opening in shock, staggered by the implications of what she was reading from his behaviour. “Mal?”
“So, you’re fine, an… I, uh… conjure I got cargo what needs loadin’, so… I’ll, uh--”
“Mal,” she tried again but he was moving to the hatch.
“’Got things need doin’, ‘Nara. I’ll be back later,” he said, and was gone, leaving Inara to stare after him, her world suddenly pitched off balance.
Mal wanted children?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Mal sat low in the pilot's chair, staring out into the black, glass in hand, and Zoe knew the instant she saw him that the joke had not gone over well. Whether he was drinking from relief or something else wasn't all that apparent, though the tense nature of his posture tended to influence her to suspect the latter.
She sat across from him in the copilot's seat, smiling slightly as she took in Wash's dinosaurs and oasis that still decorated the console in front of Mal. It always hurt to see anyone else sit that chair, but it had become easier for her. Ever since her trip with Inara to House Madrassa, and the time she'd spent in healing there, she'd started to be able to feel the good in life again, to come back.
It troubled her to see Mal sitting here alone when he should be with Inara, talking through this.
"We were plannin' on it, me an' Wash," she said softly after a long moment, knowing Mal would be able to follow her train of thought and understand. She saw him blink, but he gave no other outward sign of whether the information surprised him or not. Finally, he spoke.
"Ship ain't no place for raisin' 'em," he said gruffly, his eyes not leaving the empty blackness.
She chuckled, and that *did* bring his gaze to her. "'S what Wash used to say too," she explained, and she sighed inwardly as his eyes darted away from hers the way they always seemed to at any mention of her dead husband. "Took a lot of convincin' too. An' a lot of practice," she added with a fond grin that she was glad to see Mal couldn't help but echo. "'You know what I told him, sir?" she asked, and Mal shook his head, eyes drifting back over to her as her face became serious again. "I told him I weren't so afraid of losing something that I wouldn't try havin' it."
Mal stared at her, his mouth opening before he snapped it closed again, turning back to the console and draining his cup in one long drink. But Zoe knew what he'd almost asked. He wanted to know if she still felt that way.
"Even more so, now," she said softly, nodding. "You might think you got time, Mal," she said, using his name to drive home the importance of what she was saying. "But if you want children, you ought to start makin' 'em." She left the end of the thought unspoken, knowing there was no need to say more.
He swallowed, eyes tired. "'Truth of it is, 'hadn't ever thought on it 'fore today," he said quietly. He sighed. "It's got me all manner of twisted about," he admitted.
"'Inara know that?" she asked and the way he avoided her stare was more than enough answer for her to know the truth. "Sir, pardon me for sayin', but what in di yu are you doin' up here?" she asked, standing and reaching over to take the cup from his hand and set it on the console. "You need to be talkin' this over with your wife, Mal, not sittin' here starin' nothin' in the face."
Mal stared up at her, protesting as she tugged him on his feet. "Zoe, I don't even know my ownself what I'm feelin'—"
"Then go tell her that," she said and shoved him toward the hatch resolutely.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Inara sat in front of her fishbowl, eyes staring un-seeing through it, heart heavy and her mind in turmoil. She was upset with herself. Upset because she was too unsure to go after Mal, and because of the way she'd reacted with River and Kaylee.
She'd been truly furious with the two of them for letting Mal think she was pregnant and had uncharacteristically lashed out at them both, her words bringing Kaylee to tears in an instant, which only succeeded in making her feel even worse than she already had. River had then claimed responsibility, and said in a tearful voice that she hadn't been able to 'see what wasn't known' in her usual puzzling way. Inara had had no idea how to take that and just settled on banning her from observing Sushi and Sashimi for the week as punishment.
That had been several hours ago, and now she felt miserable. It hadn't helped that Simon had been strictly professional and cold when she'd spoken to him after, making his disapproval of her actions toward Kaylee and his sister plain.
In the end, she'd returned to her shuttle, heart aching for making Kaylee cry, confused, and wishing the whole topic of children had never been brought up in the first place.
She looked up as Mal walked into the shuttle finally, standing as he met her eyes awkwardly. She met him in the middle of the room, leaning into him gratefully as his arms came around her.
"I, uh… 'm sorry for runnin' off," he said, voice rough, the scent of Kaylee's engine wine distinct on his breath. She shook her head against his chest.
"No, I… I'm sorry I wasn't… more… I, I had no idea you wanted children, Mal," she stammered.
"'Don't rightly know if I do or don't, to tell the truth," he admitted and she pulled back to look up at him, surprised. He shrugged lightly. "When I thought that you were… well, weren't no question of it then, Inara," he said softly, touching her face gently. "An' I'll admit there's a part of me what kinda fancies the idea of a little you or me runnin' around. But there's a difference 'tween it just happening and actively tryin' for it."
"Mal, it's… it's never going to 'just happen'. My method of contraception is very effective. And even if I stop using it, Simon said it could take months for my body to be able to conceive, after so many years—"
"Hey, hey, hey… all I'm sayin' is it's somethin' we ought to think on some. Find out how we both feel about it."
She nodded, brow furrowing slightly and he shifted uneasily.
"So, uh… how do you?" he asked, hesitant. "Feel about it?" he continued in clarification, clearing his throat uncertainly.
Inara swallowed, dropping her gaze uncomfortably. "I… I don't know. To be honest Mal, I hadn't thought about it. I never expected to be in a position to have to consider it. There's so much to think about, so much that would change, and we've only just gotten to where we are now…" She lifted her eyes back to his entreatingly. "Maybe… maybe I'm selfish, Mal, but I don’t know that I want to give that up so soon."
He nodded, pulling her close again. "It ain't somethin' we have to figure on right this moment. We got time," he said, blinking as he realized his heart had already made the choice. In the back of his mind, Zoe's words ran over and over in his thoughts and though experience had oft taught him otherwise, he hoped he was right. "We got time."
Title: Mis-Conceptions
Author: by 2x2
Word Count: Approx. 2070
Rating: G
Pairing/Characters: Mal/Inara, and Sushi/Sashimi of course ;o>
Disclaimer: I do not own firefly, firefly owns me. Joss is Boss.
Author's Note: Sushi!Fic! Story takes place immediately after
isha_libran's story Knight in Shining--wait, is that a... This turned out a lot more serious and angsty than I intended. It was supposed to be just some humourous fluff at Mal's misunderstanding, but somehow turned into something a lot deeper. Even *I* am surprised by the way this played out.Mal dashed up the stairs two at a time on his way to his and Inara’s shuttle, his heart pounding as he heard River's words run through his mind – Congratulations! She's pregnant! – over and over. He rushed through the hatch, breathless and found Inara staring into her fishbowl. She looked up as he came in, relief flooding her features.
“Mal, thank God you’re back!” she exclaimed, hurrying to him and pulling him into her embrace. He hugged her tightly before holding her out at arm’s length, his eyes running over her body, looking for any sign or obvious change.
“River said…” he stammered, his mouth opening and closing as he gulped. “Pregnant…?” Inara nodded and he felt something squeeze inside him.
“I was so worried. I even had Simon come, just to be safe,” she said and looked down. “It’s silly, I know, but I didn’t know what else to do. He said it’s only morning sickness.”
He had to catch up to her words, his mind still focused on the confirmation that he was going to be a father, the tight feeling gripping his heart and filling him with an emotion he couldn’t yet name, but one that felt both painful and light at the same time. He swallowed thickly. “That’s good. An’ it ain’t silly, Inara,” he said, tilting her chin up to meet her eyes. “I don’t care how small they may seem, but… any problems at all an’ I want you callin’ Simon, dong ma?”
She blinked, surprised by the depth of his concern. “I will, though, he hasn’t much experience really—”
He shook his head. “That don’t matter. He’s got more’n either of us.” He coughed. “So, uh…How long?”
“I have no idea, really. You’re right, I don’t have any experience with this kind of thing at all, Mal.”
He ran a hand over his hair and down to the back of his neck, slightly uncomfortable. “They didn’t teach ya none of this in your… schoolin’?” he asked, trying to be diplomatic about it. Surely they talked about this sort of thing?
“Well, no. I mean, we had the basics in biology, but, this isn’t exactly the kind of situation a Companion contemplates,” she said with a shake of her head and a sigh. She wondered sometimes just what it was Mal thought a Companion did.
“No, don’t suppose that’s so.” He sighed, a grin skittering its way around his mouth. He was gonna be a daddy. Hell, he and Inara we’re havin’ a baby! An’ that meant… “Conjure this is gonna change things,” he said, running a hand through his hair again. “’Mean findin’ safer work for certain, maybe settlin’ down.” He nodded to himself.
“What? That’s a little extreme, don’t you think?” she asked, surprised again at how serious Mal seemed to be taking this. She cared for Sashimi and Sushi a great deal, but they were only goldfish, after all.
“Inara, I ain’t takin’ any chances. I don’t want nothin’ happenin’ to you or the little one.”
She blinked again, confused. “I… I had no idea you’d grown that attached, Mal.”
He pulled her close, pressing his forehead to hers gently. “Ain’t nothin’ more important to me in the ‘verse, ‘Nara,” he promised. He slid his hands around to her belly, splaying his fingers over it as he stared at her, imagining the swell that would soon be there. ‘Wasn’t expectin’ this so soon, but… well, guess what I’m sayin’ is, I aim to be the best daddy I know how to be. That maybe ain’t much but—”
“Wait-- what?” Inara’s face went slack with shock as she suddenly realized they weren’t talking about the same thing at all. “What are you… You think… Mal,” she said, taking his hands and ducking her head to get a look at his face and catch his eyes. “I’m not pregnant.”
Mal’s brow furrowed, confused. “Huh? You ain’t?” She shook her head. “But I thought… River an' Kaylee said—” he stammered.
“Sashimi, Mal. Sashimi is pregnant,” she said, leading him over to the fishbowl.
“Sashimi? The…the gorram fish?!”
“Yes—”
“So, you ain’t—”
“No, I'm not. Mal, I’m a…. I was a Companion, Mal. I know how to prevent a pregnancy," she said, slightly exasperated.
He blinked, nodding slightly. Of course she did. How could he be so... “Right, right,” he said, surprised at the sudden stab of loss he felt. He shook his head, giving her a forced smile. “That’s good. Yeah... I mean… Good.” He looked at the fish again, swallowing. “That’s good.”
Inara stared at him, mouth opening in shock, staggered by the implications of what she was reading from his behaviour. “Mal?”
“So, you’re fine, an… I, uh… conjure I got cargo what needs loadin’, so… I’ll, uh--”
“Mal,” she tried again but he was moving to the hatch.
“’Got things need doin’, ‘Nara. I’ll be back later,” he said, and was gone, leaving Inara to stare after him, her world suddenly pitched off balance.
Mal wanted children?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Mal sat low in the pilot's chair, staring out into the black, glass in hand, and Zoe knew the instant she saw him that the joke had not gone over well. Whether he was drinking from relief or something else wasn't all that apparent, though the tense nature of his posture tended to influence her to suspect the latter.
She sat across from him in the copilot's seat, smiling slightly as she took in Wash's dinosaurs and oasis that still decorated the console in front of Mal. It always hurt to see anyone else sit that chair, but it had become easier for her. Ever since her trip with Inara to House Madrassa, and the time she'd spent in healing there, she'd started to be able to feel the good in life again, to come back.
It troubled her to see Mal sitting here alone when he should be with Inara, talking through this.
"We were plannin' on it, me an' Wash," she said softly after a long moment, knowing Mal would be able to follow her train of thought and understand. She saw him blink, but he gave no other outward sign of whether the information surprised him or not. Finally, he spoke.
"Ship ain't no place for raisin' 'em," he said gruffly, his eyes not leaving the empty blackness.
She chuckled, and that *did* bring his gaze to her. "'S what Wash used to say too," she explained, and she sighed inwardly as his eyes darted away from hers the way they always seemed to at any mention of her dead husband. "Took a lot of convincin' too. An' a lot of practice," she added with a fond grin that she was glad to see Mal couldn't help but echo. "'You know what I told him, sir?" she asked, and Mal shook his head, eyes drifting back over to her as her face became serious again. "I told him I weren't so afraid of losing something that I wouldn't try havin' it."
Mal stared at her, his mouth opening before he snapped it closed again, turning back to the console and draining his cup in one long drink. But Zoe knew what he'd almost asked. He wanted to know if she still felt that way.
"Even more so, now," she said softly, nodding. "You might think you got time, Mal," she said, using his name to drive home the importance of what she was saying. "But if you want children, you ought to start makin' 'em." She left the end of the thought unspoken, knowing there was no need to say more.
He swallowed, eyes tired. "'Truth of it is, 'hadn't ever thought on it 'fore today," he said quietly. He sighed. "It's got me all manner of twisted about," he admitted.
"'Inara know that?" she asked and the way he avoided her stare was more than enough answer for her to know the truth. "Sir, pardon me for sayin', but what in di yu are you doin' up here?" she asked, standing and reaching over to take the cup from his hand and set it on the console. "You need to be talkin' this over with your wife, Mal, not sittin' here starin' nothin' in the face."
Mal stared up at her, protesting as she tugged him on his feet. "Zoe, I don't even know my ownself what I'm feelin'—"
"Then go tell her that," she said and shoved him toward the hatch resolutely.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Inara sat in front of her fishbowl, eyes staring un-seeing through it, heart heavy and her mind in turmoil. She was upset with herself. Upset because she was too unsure to go after Mal, and because of the way she'd reacted with River and Kaylee.
She'd been truly furious with the two of them for letting Mal think she was pregnant and had uncharacteristically lashed out at them both, her words bringing Kaylee to tears in an instant, which only succeeded in making her feel even worse than she already had. River had then claimed responsibility, and said in a tearful voice that she hadn't been able to 'see what wasn't known' in her usual puzzling way. Inara had had no idea how to take that and just settled on banning her from observing Sushi and Sashimi for the week as punishment.
That had been several hours ago, and now she felt miserable. It hadn't helped that Simon had been strictly professional and cold when she'd spoken to him after, making his disapproval of her actions toward Kaylee and his sister plain.
In the end, she'd returned to her shuttle, heart aching for making Kaylee cry, confused, and wishing the whole topic of children had never been brought up in the first place.
She looked up as Mal walked into the shuttle finally, standing as he met her eyes awkwardly. She met him in the middle of the room, leaning into him gratefully as his arms came around her.
"I, uh… 'm sorry for runnin' off," he said, voice rough, the scent of Kaylee's engine wine distinct on his breath. She shook her head against his chest.
"No, I… I'm sorry I wasn't… more… I, I had no idea you wanted children, Mal," she stammered.
"'Don't rightly know if I do or don't, to tell the truth," he admitted and she pulled back to look up at him, surprised. He shrugged lightly. "When I thought that you were… well, weren't no question of it then, Inara," he said softly, touching her face gently. "An' I'll admit there's a part of me what kinda fancies the idea of a little you or me runnin' around. But there's a difference 'tween it just happening and actively tryin' for it."
"Mal, it's… it's never going to 'just happen'. My method of contraception is very effective. And even if I stop using it, Simon said it could take months for my body to be able to conceive, after so many years—"
"Hey, hey, hey… all I'm sayin' is it's somethin' we ought to think on some. Find out how we both feel about it."
She nodded, brow furrowing slightly and he shifted uneasily.
"So, uh… how do you?" he asked, hesitant. "Feel about it?" he continued in clarification, clearing his throat uncertainly.
Inara swallowed, dropping her gaze uncomfortably. "I… I don't know. To be honest Mal, I hadn't thought about it. I never expected to be in a position to have to consider it. There's so much to think about, so much that would change, and we've only just gotten to where we are now…" She lifted her eyes back to his entreatingly. "Maybe… maybe I'm selfish, Mal, but I don’t know that I want to give that up so soon."
He nodded, pulling her close again. "It ain't somethin' we have to figure on right this moment. We got time," he said, blinking as he realized his heart had already made the choice. In the back of his mind, Zoe's words ran over and over in his thoughts and though experience had oft taught him otherwise, he hoped he was right. "We got time."
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-06-15 08:14 pm (UTC)The funny, and the intense, and how very real it all is and the perfect voices - you swing effortlessly from the laughs to the introspection and it's just seamless and so in character. Another great addition. Plus, we know how it turns out thanks to
no subject
Date: 2006-06-17 02:43 am (UTC)Thank-yOU!!
no subject
Date: 2006-06-15 08:19 pm (UTC)It was sooooooooooooooooo sweet and heartwrenching. When he put his hand on her tummy...Guh. Just guh.
Great Job!
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Date: 2006-06-17 02:44 am (UTC)And yeah... the hand on the tummy... *melt*
Thank-you!!!
no subject
Date: 2006-06-17 02:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-16 12:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-17 02:46 am (UTC)It does to me, and thank-you so much!!
Yeah, MalInarababy!fic is inevitable at some point... which is weird for me, cause normally I'm not into that.. like I said, this went to an unexpected place really... Mal took me a bit by surprise! But, gotta write what he tells me...!
thanks!
no subject
Date: 2006-06-16 02:04 am (UTC)I LOVE the idea that Inara FREAKED on Kaylee and River. It's nice - because we usually picture Inara as calm and completely collected. The freaking!out!Inara seems like such a normal, human reaction. I'd freak out on them too!!!
And the end... a little bit romantic, a lot hopeful. *squishes you*
no subject
Date: 2006-06-17 02:48 am (UTC)I'm glad you liked Inara freaking out, becuase.. yeah, I so totally saw her losing it over that...
and a nice ending for you too *G* Do I deliver or what? *G* *down ego, down*
Thanks so much!! I'm so pleased you liked it!
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Date: 2006-06-16 02:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-17 02:49 am (UTC)Thank-you!!! and !tears! wow!!!! *giddy* That makes me soooo happy! *G* Not that you're crying specifically *G* just that I made you FEEL that much!! Yay! thank-you!
no subject
Date: 2006-06-16 02:19 am (UTC)Oh nooooo- on this he has been wrong so many times before! I am worried now...even though Sushi fic is usually of the happy ending kind...still....
no subject
Date: 2006-06-16 04:11 am (UTC)There's no character death here but shootin's, stabbin's, blood everywhere, those are acceptable. :-)
Sorry to nose in. Just reading comments. I've got so many of TEH LISTS to make! Eek! but in a good way.
no subject
Date: 2006-06-17 02:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-17 04:31 am (UTC)I have a feeling that quillscribe's posts will expand the 'verse to even more angst, but you never know.
Her part two is coming.
no subject
Date: 2006-06-17 02:15 pm (UTC)I have no problem with the addition of some angst... I love the way this has taken off.. it's soooo awesome! with more and more authors contributing all the time, I love it!!
no subject
Date: 2006-06-17 02:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-16 08:12 am (UTC)The beginning is such a beautiful trainwreck moment. Very funny, but tense with knowing it's only getting worse and worse and waiting for him to be crushed when he finds out and... yeah. *sigh*
And Zoe!! That was such a wonderful moment, such an odd yet perfectly fitting direction for Zoe to take. She had the life she wanted - or almost - and had it ripped away, and she finds peace in turning her focus more and more onto the rest of the ship, using her own experience and wisdom to try and steer them.
*sniff* Makes me sad all over again that she and Wash never got around to those babies...
Aww, Inara has to play Mean!Mommy (cool contrast to Zoe's Nice!Mommy) with the wayward kids. Kaylee cries, River takes a page from Simon and tries to be noble and Simon gets all protectively pouty.. Hilarious and sad at the same time! It's not easy, parenting.
Which does a beautiful job of underlining their relief when they talk about time.
But yeah.. Mal and kids... that man was born to be a father. No wonder he feels almost at home with the false news, as if subconsciously he's been waiting for this as the next natural step, no matter how little it really fits into his life. *sigh* Poor confused man.
And Inara... I loooove it. These two people who parent everything that crosses their path, both sort of freaking out at the thought because they chose lives that run contrary to that instinct while still employing it, essentially. Companion and Captain. *G*
Squee!
no subject
Date: 2006-06-16 09:26 am (UTC)Such beautiful feedback, darlin'! *sniff* I want to print it out and hang it on my wall! You *so* amaze me with how much you can 'see' into my work, how you can pull so much out of it, things I never consciously realize are there, but subconsciously know is true... words that resonate with me so strongly and make me feel so much smarter than I really am. I know I say this all the time, but... I just love how you can put everything that is so mixed up in my head into such concise, *precise* sentences. I may be able to tap into the subconscious knowledge, but darlin', you *live* there.
Thank-you *so* much! I'm so happy you liked it, and found so many elements of it to be true...that you like Zoe in the place I see her in now (in this 'verse) , that you liked Inara's reactions, and Kaylee, River and Simon's too, that you agree that Mal was meant to be a father, in some capacity and that he would fall into the role naturally... and everything else. You reaffirm my choice to keep writing this fanfic stuff... because, while most people enjoy and understand basically what I'm doing, you always *get everything* I'm trying to get across... and that is the most flattering, inspiring, wonderful thing to me. So, Thank-You, again and again.
*hearts you*
no subject
Date: 2006-06-18 11:57 am (UTC)You...evil woman, you!
You took my 'sweet lil' River making an amusing joke' and turned it all angsty!!
*slaps forehead* What else could I have expected of the Mistress of Pain?
You introduced Aaaaangst into the Sushi!verse!!
Heh. That's terrific. =)
Because, yeah, Mal would make a great father--which really comes out in the way he handles Kaylee and River--and I think the role would really suit him.
And though they've gotten past all the Companion angst, there is still a lot of stuff they have to get through in relation to kids--chief of which is the looming question of whether they have to leave Serenity. That's gonna be one hard decision for Mal.
And then there's always the concern that they've just achieved some measure of peace, and do they really want to rock the boat (so to speak) by adding children to their lives? I wonder how it'll all turn out.
Oh, and I love your Mal-Zoe interaction. The understanding between them, which only comes from year and years of knowing each other--it really came through with the question he didn't ask, but which she answered anyway.
Looking forward to seeing how this all ends! *runs off to read the sequels*
no subject
Date: 2006-06-18 03:46 pm (UTC)bwhaahaaaa! Did you expect anything less???
Honestly, I was surprised when this fic took that turn... I did NOT start out to write that story... It was supposed to be all fluff and a funny joke and then... suddenly Mal was't thinkin' it was so funny, and there was emotion, and that squeezing feeling in his chest, and shock and surprise from Inara, and anger at kaylee and River! and... I was just kinda carried along for the ride!
I think the role would really suit him.
Yes... me too...
That's gonna be one hard decision for Mal.
Yes, it is.. but I think, in this 'verse anyway, he's definately moving closer to a place where he might just be able to do that...
do they really want to rock the boat
I know! they need *some* time to just enjoy each other... not that working on makin a baby wouldn't be enjoyable.. but they should just be having fun for a while first I think...
Oh, and I love your Mal-Zoe interaction. The understanding between them, which only comes from year and years of knowing each other--it really came through with the question he didn't ask, but which she answered anyway.
Aw, thanks!! I am discovering that Zoe is someone I like more and more and more everyday... I've always liked her.. but I'm really liking her the more I think about her and her relationships with everyone else.. so...yeah! Heeeeee Thanks, darlin'!!!