1) The evening after they left the Shepherd in Haven, Kaylee found herself alone in the kitchen. She leaned against the counter and studied the storage lockers slotted along the wall. Her eye settled on Shepherd's compartment and she sighed.
River startled her with a sweet offer to assist with that meal's preparation and though Kaylee was heartened, she felt doubly reassured when Simon materialized from River's shadow to loan another pair of hands.
She wasn't so lonely after that.
2) This dry spell had to end. They hadn't settled or found a decent job in two months and Mal was getting awful tired of Jayne using the snap of his protein sticks to annoy Simon over the table. This crew needed a real meal and Jayne mightn't make half so much noise if his face was full of real food.
3) It was almost night as they settled round the crackling charm of the open fire, Serenity nestled against the cliff at their backs. Wash had insisted to hunt for a change ("For the adventure!") and the planet's reputation for delectable wild life was irresistible with Zoë and her shotgun at his side. The crew was for the most part not in favour, but the notion tickled the Captain's fancy, so he gave them his blessing. Zoë and Wash returned to camp two hours later with seven rabbits, two large birds and some kind of serpent. It was another hour before someone relented to clean them (Bless Kaylee's initiative and Jayne's higher priority of hunger) and it was dark by the time the meat was finally being passed round the circle. Inara had mysteriously produced her own salad from no-one-knew-where.
4) "One on the side, three out back," Zoë took one of the rice crackers from the tin she passed to the Shepherd. Book poured a few of the crackers into his palm as he glanced around the plaza to assess Zoë's observation.
"I say we do it," Jayne muttered, "Ne'er mind Bors an' his men, won't be here in time." He grabbed a fistful when Book offered him the tin.
"We do that and we risk them raising the alarm if more of 'em see us. Turn their three into twenty and the Captain's still in there." Zoë nodded at the watchtower, dirty and rusted, but at the perfect observational vantage on the plaza's high left.
"I'm confident I can occupy their attention long enough for the two of you to do your business." Book straightened the lapel of his Shepherd's robes and rested his bible against his chest. He smiled benignly at his companions and Jayne snickered, cocked his sawn-off in anticipation.
"I understand this is a tense moment, but if you have the chance, could you pick up more of those crackers?" Wash's voice crackled through their comm pieces. "Simon's looking round the ship now, but we're pretty confident River and Kaylee took the last case to one o' River's nooks - "
Zoë cleared her throat. "Not now, Husband."
5) Inara bowed in her seat by the table's head. "We were honoured to receive your invitation, Senator."
Senator Imil basked in her charm. "Inara, you are disarming, as always. No, the honour is mine, to receive Captain Reynolds and your fine crew after resolving the troubles on my estate." The Senator raised his glass to Mal at the other end of the table. "To new friends!"
Mal laughed awkwardly and tried not to notice Kaylee slapping Jayne's hand away from one of the steaming platters. Wash bounced in his seat, his wife the picture of poise beside him as River murmured something hushed in her ear and Simon was too busy frowning at Jayne to notice. Book squeezed River's hand with a smile, bringing her attention back to their host as Mal cleared his throat and tried for his most genuine smile. He raised his glass. "To friends!"
"Friends!" the crew chorused and clear note of crystal clinked over their feast.
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timeasmymeasure
Firefly: 5 Meals They Shared
Date: 2007-06-19 02:54 pm (UTC)River startled her with a sweet offer to assist with that meal's preparation and though Kaylee was heartened, she felt doubly reassured when Simon materialized from River's shadow to loan another pair of hands.
She wasn't so lonely after that.
2) This dry spell had to end. They hadn't settled or found a decent job in two months and Mal was getting awful tired of Jayne using the snap of his protein sticks to annoy Simon over the table. This crew needed a real meal and Jayne mightn't make half so much noise if his face was full of real food.
3) It was almost night as they settled round the crackling charm of the open fire, Serenity nestled against the cliff at their backs. Wash had insisted to hunt for a change ("For the adventure!") and the planet's reputation for delectable wild life was irresistible with Zoë and her shotgun at his side. The crew was for the most part not in favour, but the notion tickled the Captain's fancy, so he gave them his blessing. Zoë and Wash returned to camp two hours later with seven rabbits, two large birds and some kind of serpent. It was another hour before someone relented to clean them (Bless Kaylee's initiative and Jayne's higher priority of hunger) and it was dark by the time the meat was finally being passed round the circle. Inara had mysteriously produced her own salad from no-one-knew-where.
4) "One on the side, three out back," Zoë took one of the rice crackers from the tin she passed to the Shepherd. Book poured a few of the crackers into his palm as he glanced around the plaza to assess Zoë's observation.
"I say we do it," Jayne muttered, "Ne'er mind Bors an' his men, won't be here in time." He grabbed a fistful when Book offered him the tin.
"We do that and we risk them raising the alarm if more of 'em see us. Turn their three into twenty and the Captain's still in there." Zoë nodded at the watchtower, dirty and rusted, but at the perfect observational vantage on the plaza's high left.
"I'm confident I can occupy their attention long enough for the two of you to do your business." Book straightened the lapel of his Shepherd's robes and rested his bible against his chest. He smiled benignly at his companions and Jayne snickered, cocked his sawn-off in anticipation.
"I understand this is a tense moment, but if you have the chance, could you pick up more of those crackers?" Wash's voice crackled through their comm pieces. "Simon's looking round the ship now, but we're pretty confident River and Kaylee took the last case to one o' River's nooks - "
Zoë cleared her throat. "Not now, Husband."
5) Inara bowed in her seat by the table's head. "We were honoured to receive your invitation, Senator."
Senator Imil basked in her charm. "Inara, you are disarming, as always. No, the honour is mine, to receive Captain Reynolds and your fine crew after resolving the troubles on my estate." The Senator raised his glass to Mal at the other end of the table. "To new friends!"
Mal laughed awkwardly and tried not to notice Kaylee slapping Jayne's hand away from one of the steaming platters. Wash bounced in his seat, his wife the picture of poise beside him as River murmured something hushed in her ear and Simon was too busy frowning at Jayne to notice. Book squeezed River's hand with a smile, bringing her attention back to their host as Mal cleared his throat and tried for his most genuine smile. He raised his glass. "To friends!"
"Friends!" the crew chorused and clear note of crystal clinked over their feast.