Captain Mal Reynolds (mykindastupid) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2023-11-12 10:37:00 |
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Entry tags: | !log, !open, ~~2023 november, ~~~malcolm reynolds (mykindastupid) |
Who: Malcolm Reynolds & OPEN
What: He walks alone
When: Sunday 11/12
Where: Here abouts
Warning: Mopey space cowboy
Status: Incomplete
Captain Malcolm Reynolds had seen better times. Seen worse for sure. This didn't even make it into the top ten of worse times for him, but it sure weren't a favorite of his. Misplaced in time on Earth that Was, he'd found River. Was nice to have a friendly, if not entirely sane face from home. Weren't River's fault her brain pan'd been mucked with. She did the best she could with what she had. Mal acknowledged and respected that. Lots of sane folk didn't act near as together as River did. Made him proud of her. She seemed to be thriving in this place which made him happy for her as well. She missed her brother something fierce, though, and Mal knew he couldn't live up to Simon's lack. He did what he could by her as best he could. He owed the doc that much.
Mal was used to flying alone, even surrounded by a crew. He walked his path convinced he needed no one. All he needed was his ship and the black. Least that was what he'd convinced himself of, what he went out of his way to make people believe. Some knew better, and knew even better not to speak of it. Because the truth was he weren't alone, and needed folk in his life more than most. One person taught him that. One woman: Inara.
But that never went the course. It never even got on the path. Mal's heart got stung some with that. He took it as another lesson on why he don't get close. And then he came here and another gal picked up where Inara left off. Jen'd been sweet in a way Mal weren't used to. She came out of nowhere and helped herself into the part of Mal that went squishy. He hadn't seen her coming, but he hadn't tried to keep her out neither. Not once he got to know her some. Jen had grounded him into this place, made him welcome. Comfortable.
Then, once he got used to the idea of her, Jen got gone. Mal was alone again. Barring River. But that girl was crew. Family. Weren't the same as what Jen could've been. This time he couldn't even blame himself for not acting on what was right in front of him like with Inara. Mal had no one to blame for the hurt in his heart and that made him cranky. More than usual. He'd retreated into Serenity and let no one or nothing on board for more than a job. Except River. There weren't any way to keep her out so he didn't even try. But he avoided town like...
...miranda...
No matter how dead inside Mal wanted to feel, no matter how much he wanted to avoid the reminders of what he'd lost, he needed supplies. There were folk and businesses what would deliver whatever he ordered, but Mal never backed away from things he had to face. A town without Jen in it wasn't something he wanted to acknowledge existed, but he'd face it. Mal never backed down. Not even when there was no winning.
...the valley of serenity...
So there he was in his brown coat walking the streets of Madison, a familiar grim look on his face, trying to convince himself it was better this way.