(no subject)

[flybywash]

Wash steps out of Milliways into Serenity's front corridor, Faith close behind him, and slides the door shut with a firm click once they're through. After a slow count to five, he turns around and opens it again.

It no longer leads to the bar. Instead, Serenity's bridge splays in front of them, the full expanse of open space glittering through its broad windows. Like the rest of the ship, it isn't going to be winning any beauty contests any time soon -- but hey, it ain't how it looks, it's how it runs, right? So Wash just blithely ducks under the exposed wires swinging from the ceiling and leans over the controls, clearing aside a few plastic dinosaurs (and, inexplicably, one stuffed toy goose) to check the readouts.

Then he turns back to Faith and spreads an arm to indicate the windscreen, grinning. "Well. Welcome aboard, Faith."

Comments

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

Zoe grins and elbows him lightly in the ribcage. "No turning old and bitter while I still have to live with you, mister."

Then, as a thought occurs to her, "Any chance there'd be fireflies out by the lake some night? Weather seems good for it, but...do you get bugs at the nd of the universe?"

[faithful-slayer.livejournal.com]

Faith grins. "There might be, at that...but if not, I promise, one day I'll take you someplace where there are."

[flybywash]

"Shiny. I like this plan even more than I already liked it."

He dusts off his hands. "So...cargo bay?"

[faithful-slayer.livejournal.com]

Faith grins, nodding. "Cargo bay works for me."

[flybywash]

Giving the engine casing one last affectionate pat, Wash leads them out, back through the kitchen, and down the flight of stairs in the front hallway.

It quickly opens on a crisscrossing network of catwalks and more ladders arcing over the biggest room on the ship. A couple of things can be picked out among the multitude of boxes: a weight bench, a metal cylinder hanging from the ceiling by a chain....

Oh, yeah, and a metal Slinky on the stairs a short distance below.

....It's River's. We swear.

[faithful-slayer.livejournal.com]

Faith stares at the Slinky, then turns to Wash, smirking.

"Those things survived this long, or did you get that at the bar?"

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

"Wait, you know what that is, Faith? I was about to ask if it was some kind of part that got mislaid."

Zoe leans down and scoops it up, then glances at Wash with a dubious look. An explain this now please sort of look.

[flybywash]

"It's, uh -- "

Wash takes it from her, sheepishly, and sets it in an arc between his palms, nudging it back and forth in that hand-to-hand juggling sort of move.

"The Bar gave it to me a couple nights ago. Don't know why, must've thought I was bored. It's called a Slinky, it's a toy from Earth-That-Was -- here, look...."

And he sets it on the stairs near their feet and gives it another little nudge.

Sliiink-sliiink-sliiink.

There are a lot of stairs above the cargo bay.

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

Zoe...does not look impressed.

"Bar doesn't think I've got enough to put up with tripping over dinosaurs in the morning?"

[faithful-slayer.livejournal.com]

Faith snickers.

"Bar probably thought Wash was responsible enough to pick up his toys. Silly of her, really."

[flybywash]

The Slinky finally tumbles to rest at the bottom of the steps.

"...So I guess this is a bad time to mention the other dinosaurs?" Wash asks brightly.

Five seconds later, his brain pipes up with, Yes, Wash. Yes, I believe it is.

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

Zoe watches the Slinky reach the bottom of it's downward course, and then glances at Wash.

"Honey, if there's one thing you don't need any more of, it's dinosaurs."

[faithful-slayer.livejournal.com]

Faith doesn't watch the Slinky.

She stares at Wash, eyebrows raised.

"What other dinosaurs?"

[flybywash]

"The live baby talking ones that showed up in the bar the other day?"

He's looking way too hopeful for his own good.

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

...

"The what?"

That's funny. Doesn't seem like you should be able to hear the rumbling of approaching thunderclouds deep in space.

[faithful-slayer.livejournal.com]

There are no words.

There is only 'WTF'.

[flybywash]

"Um."

He's grinning with the overbright mania of a man who knows he's so, so very humped.

"They're just herbivores, sweetie. And they're small. Very, very small. Like, um -- " He demonstrates with his hands. "The pterodactyl's only this big."

A long beat.

"........Please?"

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

"...Please, what?"

Zoe's arms are folded.

He had better not be about to ask what she thinks he's about to ask.

[faithful-slayer.livejournal.com]

Faith is backing away.

Slowly.

She may not have finished high school, but she's not STUPID or anything.

[flybywash]

"Look, if anything happened, I'd take it right straight back to the bar with no argument, it could just be for a couple of months, everybody says animal companionship's supposed to be good for you anyway -- come on, Zoe, a real dinosaur -- "

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

...


.....

"...You want to bring one of those things on the ship?!"

[faithful-slayer.livejournal.com]

Mayday. Mayday. Danger Will Robinson.

Faith continues to back away.

[flybywash]

"Why not? We've got space for it! I'm not kidding: this big." Wash holds out his hands again. "It wouldn't get in anybody's way or -- "

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

Zoe is staring at Wash roughly the same way she would if he suggested it might be fun to invite a crew of Reavers over for dinner.

This goes on interrupted for several seconds.

Then, with the suddenness of a woman who had Had An Idea, she brightens.

"So, tell me...have you asked the captain what he thinks about the prospect of having live dinosaurs loose on his boat?"

[faithful-slayer.livejournal.com]

Faith stops backing away.

And grins.

Oh, she likes Zoe.