Mal/River Drabbles
Title: Lucid One Day
Author: spooky_xphile
Rating: PG-13
Character: Mal/River, mention of Kaylee, Inara
Prompt: #12: Today
Word Count: 105
Today she is lucid, smiling, playing childish games with Kaylee as her ever present companion. They chase each other through the halls of the ship, always avoiding the one place she should be concerned with. She knows the captain and the companion have been grappling for some time. She had told him shortly afterward (more like the next day) that she was okay with it but she just wanted to make sure he always returned to her. He promised her that he would, that he always would. Even now, when he left the shuttle and caught her in his arms, her lucid mind believed him.
Title: Crazy the Next
Author: spooky_xphile
Rating: PG-13
Character: Mal/River, mention of Jayne, Kaylee, Inara
Prompt: #13: Tomorrow
Word Count: 103
Tomorrow she will throw fits, paint dangerous things, and mutter things that even Jayne grows concerned about. Kaylee knows to stay away as Simon tries to patch her up but Mal knows that it is not possible. He had not damaged her but he felt her knowing him and Inara did not help her fragile, mental state. The young girl had been casual about the whole situation but Mal had a gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach that it was not a good idea. But he continued anyway. Despite River’s fit, he would continue on with his ways no matter what.
Title: Solitary Man
Author: spooky_xphile
Rating: PG
Character: River, Mal
Prompt: #85: Odd
Word Count: 101
When River Tam initially met Malcolm Reynolds, she thought him odd. She had believed that a leader such as he should be loud, mighty, and constantly yelling. Yet, as she lived among him and his people, she quickly realized a leader did not have to be loud and constantly yelling to be mighty. Captain Reynolds was a quiet man, a solitary man with a strength that was hidden and was required to be built in a short period of time. He was no longer the young boy called Malcolm but the older hardened man of Mal, short and not always sweet.
Title: The Lump
Author: spooky_xphile
Rating: PG
Character: Mal/River
Prompt: #28: Round
Word Count: 133
River inspected herself in the mirror every which way. No matter what she did, the bulging lump in her abdomen area would not go away. She had anticipated this but she thought it would go away in a matter of time. Of course it would; she had several months to go still.
She heard a sound and quickly pulled her dress down. Mal descended the stairs and knew what she had been doing. He gave her a crinkly smile and moved to her. The only thing she liked so far about being so round was the way. Mal would ran his hand over the lump affectionately as he told her a story of his childhood. It was a side of him that he rarely showed but she was glad she could see it.
Title: Sky Creatures
Author: spooky_xphile
Rating: PG
Character: Mal, River
Prompt: #26: Clouds
Word Count: 110
“A rabbit is in the sky?”
Mal turned and followed the young girl’s gaze. The clouds had taken shapes and he assumed she was trying to guess what they were. He had not seen anything of interest in the past minute. “If you say so.”
The next thing he knew, there was a hand under his chin and another trying to direct his sight. “See?” The girl said impatiently. “It’s a rabbit.”
Mal twisted his head until he could make out the form of some kind of an animal. “Yeah, it’s a beagle.” He saw her roll her eyes in annoyance, “Or it could be a genius girl I know.”
Title: Such a Tease
Author: spooky_xphile
Rating: R
Character: Mal/River
Prompt: #54: Hearing
Word Count: 114
She loves to tease him. She figured this out after a few times of being safe with him. She was starting to get bored and she greatly disliked that. A mix of things were needed to add excitement for her.
She would tease him as they lay in bed together. First would be grunts followed closely by moans. Sometimes, there would be a mix of both. His voice would break as he tried to gain composure but she would break it before it went anywhere. He would pant and say her name in such a way she would immediately get excited. Oh yes, she would love to tease him just so she could hear.
Title: Graceful
Author: spooky_xphile
Rating: R
Character: Mal/River
Prompt: #55: Sight
Word Count: 109
He loved to watch her dance when she thought no one was looking. She was so graceful and moved in such a way that he believed they were completely opposite in every way. Separate, they were disjointed but together, they were a lithe being led by River. He let her because they were sure to move as one with her in the lead. They would be immaculate and beautiful and every definition of the word perfection. He tried once to lead in her style but he found it uncomfortable. He felt as uncomfortable as when he had to pleasure himself with only his memory of her to guide him.
Title: Before
Author: spooky_xphile
Rating: PG
Character: Mal,River, mention of Simon
Prompt: #39: Letter
Word Count: 124
He had checked on her once more as she was locked up in the storage room. He had wanted to leave immediately but something in him told him to stay. The flimsy paper was held with care between two fingers. He had only read it once and did not want to read the words again. She had written them before they were left at Beaumont, before the events at the Maidenhead, before she could regret what she had said. She had spoken like they were never to see each other again and in a way, they all believed it. She and the doctor were going to fend for themselves and hopefully not get caught. Now, all he wanted was for her to wake up.
Title: Anew
Author: spooky_xphile
Rating: PG
Character: River
Prompt: #77: Paper
Word Count: 103
Among her things that Simon had brought with him was a notebook she had once. Other she knew would write electronically but she liked the essence of the paper when she would graze her hand against it. Old pages of trivial writing of young River littered the first few pages-she had begun using it before she was whisked off to the Academy. She supposed Simon wanted to show her what life was like before bad men started prodding and tinkering with her brain. Young River was intelligent but naïve. Old River was scarred. So she ripped out the pages and begun anew.
Author: spooky_xphile
Rating: PG-13
Character: Mal/River, mention of Kaylee, Inara
Prompt: #12: Today
Word Count: 105
Today she is lucid, smiling, playing childish games with Kaylee as her ever present companion. They chase each other through the halls of the ship, always avoiding the one place she should be concerned with. She knows the captain and the companion have been grappling for some time. She had told him shortly afterward (more like the next day) that she was okay with it but she just wanted to make sure he always returned to her. He promised her that he would, that he always would. Even now, when he left the shuttle and caught her in his arms, her lucid mind believed him.
Title: Crazy the Next
Author: spooky_xphile
Rating: PG-13
Character: Mal/River, mention of Jayne, Kaylee, Inara
Prompt: #13: Tomorrow
Word Count: 103
Tomorrow she will throw fits, paint dangerous things, and mutter things that even Jayne grows concerned about. Kaylee knows to stay away as Simon tries to patch her up but Mal knows that it is not possible. He had not damaged her but he felt her knowing him and Inara did not help her fragile, mental state. The young girl had been casual about the whole situation but Mal had a gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach that it was not a good idea. But he continued anyway. Despite River’s fit, he would continue on with his ways no matter what.
Title: Solitary Man
Author: spooky_xphile
Rating: PG
Character: River, Mal
Prompt: #85: Odd
Word Count: 101
When River Tam initially met Malcolm Reynolds, she thought him odd. She had believed that a leader such as he should be loud, mighty, and constantly yelling. Yet, as she lived among him and his people, she quickly realized a leader did not have to be loud and constantly yelling to be mighty. Captain Reynolds was a quiet man, a solitary man with a strength that was hidden and was required to be built in a short period of time. He was no longer the young boy called Malcolm but the older hardened man of Mal, short and not always sweet.
Title: The Lump
Author: spooky_xphile
Rating: PG
Character: Mal/River
Prompt: #28: Round
Word Count: 133
River inspected herself in the mirror every which way. No matter what she did, the bulging lump in her abdomen area would not go away. She had anticipated this but she thought it would go away in a matter of time. Of course it would; she had several months to go still.
She heard a sound and quickly pulled her dress down. Mal descended the stairs and knew what she had been doing. He gave her a crinkly smile and moved to her. The only thing she liked so far about being so round was the way. Mal would ran his hand over the lump affectionately as he told her a story of his childhood. It was a side of him that he rarely showed but she was glad she could see it.
Title: Sky Creatures
Author: spooky_xphile
Rating: PG
Character: Mal, River
Prompt: #26: Clouds
Word Count: 110
“A rabbit is in the sky?”
Mal turned and followed the young girl’s gaze. The clouds had taken shapes and he assumed she was trying to guess what they were. He had not seen anything of interest in the past minute. “If you say so.”
The next thing he knew, there was a hand under his chin and another trying to direct his sight. “See?” The girl said impatiently. “It’s a rabbit.”
Mal twisted his head until he could make out the form of some kind of an animal. “Yeah, it’s a beagle.” He saw her roll her eyes in annoyance, “Or it could be a genius girl I know.”
Title: Such a Tease
Author: spooky_xphile
Rating: R
Character: Mal/River
Prompt: #54: Hearing
Word Count: 114
She loves to tease him. She figured this out after a few times of being safe with him. She was starting to get bored and she greatly disliked that. A mix of things were needed to add excitement for her.
She would tease him as they lay in bed together. First would be grunts followed closely by moans. Sometimes, there would be a mix of both. His voice would break as he tried to gain composure but she would break it before it went anywhere. He would pant and say her name in such a way she would immediately get excited. Oh yes, she would love to tease him just so she could hear.
Title: Graceful
Author: spooky_xphile
Rating: R
Character: Mal/River
Prompt: #55: Sight
Word Count: 109
He loved to watch her dance when she thought no one was looking. She was so graceful and moved in such a way that he believed they were completely opposite in every way. Separate, they were disjointed but together, they were a lithe being led by River. He let her because they were sure to move as one with her in the lead. They would be immaculate and beautiful and every definition of the word perfection. He tried once to lead in her style but he found it uncomfortable. He felt as uncomfortable as when he had to pleasure himself with only his memory of her to guide him.
Title: Before
Author: spooky_xphile
Rating: PG
Character: Mal,River, mention of Simon
Prompt: #39: Letter
Word Count: 124
He had checked on her once more as she was locked up in the storage room. He had wanted to leave immediately but something in him told him to stay. The flimsy paper was held with care between two fingers. He had only read it once and did not want to read the words again. She had written them before they were left at Beaumont, before the events at the Maidenhead, before she could regret what she had said. She had spoken like they were never to see each other again and in a way, they all believed it. She and the doctor were going to fend for themselves and hopefully not get caught. Now, all he wanted was for her to wake up.
Title: Anew
Author: spooky_xphile
Rating: PG
Character: River
Prompt: #77: Paper
Word Count: 103
Among her things that Simon had brought with him was a notebook she had once. Other she knew would write electronically but she liked the essence of the paper when she would graze her hand against it. Old pages of trivial writing of young River littered the first few pages-she had begun using it before she was whisked off to the Academy. She supposed Simon wanted to show her what life was like before bad men started prodding and tinkering with her brain. Young River was intelligent but naïve. Old River was scarred. So she ripped out the pages and begun anew.