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crack_van2006-02-13 09:04 am
eibii.livejournal.com) wrote in crack_van2006-02-13 09:04 am
Where Circles Begin, by Livia Penn (R)
Fandom: FIREFLY
Pairing: Wash/Zoe/Mal
Author on LJ:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
liviapenn
Author Website: Livia's Library
Why this must be read:
Livia's first venture into Firefly is a stunner - Wash/Zoe/Mal is one of those threesomes that made me cringe a little at the thought, in the beginning - Wash and Zoe's marriage is just one of those things that sticks in your head like peanut butter sweet, lingering, and earthy, yay!, and the concept of even one half of the pair seeking out a third party, is a hard sell to many a fan indeed. ("They're just so Wash/Zoe, you know?") Livia may have done the seemingly-impossible, and made it work startlingly well. Nothing so abrupt and carefree as a "hey, let's screw!" jaunt, rather, it comes about as something slow, thoughtful, mutual and meaningful.
The story takes sweet little moments in-between a long and stressful series of months around the 'backstage', after the events of War Stories and continuing on to The Message, from Zoe's perspective. Character voices are dead-on, Wash, Zoe, and Mal get some beautiful moments, funny and sad, both apart, and together (the "square inch" exchange, in particular, sticks in my mind as so potently in-character, I still laugh on the re-reading). There's generally a whole lot of Big Damn Love Plus One, heavy post-war introspection, sweetness, and the offering of comfort - you don't just leave somebody behind, you carry 'em - to be read and cherished.
-----------------
Seemed like things would get better after that, though Zoe didn't know why exactly she'd expected them to. Boundless optimism wasn't exactly her watchword. But it wasn't more than a few days after they lifted off that things went sour again, and worse than ever. Wash was sullen, snappish. Wouldn't talk to Zoe and used the sharp side of his tongue to tear strips off everyone else. Sat around fingering the healing cut on his lip, snapping glances at Zoe and the Captain with all the same old trouble in his eyes.
"Zoe," Mal said one night, after Wash had stumbled off to bed, refusing Zoe's help again, not meeting her eyes. Zoe didn't like it.
"I can't figure it, Captain," she said quietly, sitting down on the steps that led down into the hold. She rested her elbows on her knees, staring out at the emptiness, and after a few moments she heard Mal settle down behind her, just a step or two above.
"There's men that feel, there's men that mislike it, when a woman sees them weak," he said. "When their woman sees them like that."
"Not Wash," Zoe said. "He's not that kind of man. Besides. He knows what I see when I see him, and it's nothing but strong."
"Can't argue that," Mal said, which Zoe didn't quite know how to take. Was Mal saying he thought Wash was strong? Or just saying that sure enough, Zoe saw things in that light, whether it was true or not?
"Wash ain't weak," she said. Her voice was cool, but she was fighting the tremble of her lips. Mal could probably tell.
"Could be he's got a little gunshy," Mal offered. "And I ain't sayin' he's a coward," he added as she sat up straight. "Just, sometimes the shadow of the thing's worse than the thing itself. You know it."
Zoe knew it. Nobody was too scared going into their first battle. Nervous, maybe, sure. But not terrified. Nobody shot themselves in the arm or the leg to keep from going into that first engagement with the enemy; before you'd known battle you were just a virgin, full of piss and vinegar. Not even smart enough to know to be scared.
Afterward, though. That waiting time between battles when there was nothing to do but sit and think about what you'd seen, what you'd done, what you'd have to do again. That was when you got your breakdowns, your men going AWOL, your battlefield dementia, and it was nothing but the shadow of the thing.
"Could be," Zoe said. "I don't know. Whatever it is, he'll get over it."
----------------------
Where Circles Begin
Pairing: Wash/Zoe/Mal
Author on LJ:
liviapennAuthor Website: Livia's Library
Why this must be read:
Livia's first venture into Firefly is a stunner - Wash/Zoe/Mal is one of those threesomes that made me cringe a little at the thought, in the beginning - Wash and Zoe's marriage is just one of those things that sticks in your head like peanut butter sweet, lingering, and earthy, yay!, and the concept of even one half of the pair seeking out a third party, is a hard sell to many a fan indeed. ("They're just so Wash/Zoe, you know?") Livia may have done the seemingly-impossible, and made it work startlingly well. Nothing so abrupt and carefree as a "hey, let's screw!" jaunt, rather, it comes about as something slow, thoughtful, mutual and meaningful.
The story takes sweet little moments in-between a long and stressful series of months around the 'backstage', after the events of War Stories and continuing on to The Message, from Zoe's perspective. Character voices are dead-on, Wash, Zoe, and Mal get some beautiful moments, funny and sad, both apart, and together (the "square inch" exchange, in particular, sticks in my mind as so potently in-character, I still laugh on the re-reading). There's generally a whole lot of Big Damn Love Plus One, heavy post-war introspection, sweetness, and the offering of comfort - you don't just leave somebody behind, you carry 'em - to be read and cherished.
-----------------
Seemed like things would get better after that, though Zoe didn't know why exactly she'd expected them to. Boundless optimism wasn't exactly her watchword. But it wasn't more than a few days after they lifted off that things went sour again, and worse than ever. Wash was sullen, snappish. Wouldn't talk to Zoe and used the sharp side of his tongue to tear strips off everyone else. Sat around fingering the healing cut on his lip, snapping glances at Zoe and the Captain with all the same old trouble in his eyes.
"Zoe," Mal said one night, after Wash had stumbled off to bed, refusing Zoe's help again, not meeting her eyes. Zoe didn't like it.
"I can't figure it, Captain," she said quietly, sitting down on the steps that led down into the hold. She rested her elbows on her knees, staring out at the emptiness, and after a few moments she heard Mal settle down behind her, just a step or two above.
"There's men that feel, there's men that mislike it, when a woman sees them weak," he said. "When their woman sees them like that."
"Not Wash," Zoe said. "He's not that kind of man. Besides. He knows what I see when I see him, and it's nothing but strong."
"Can't argue that," Mal said, which Zoe didn't quite know how to take. Was Mal saying he thought Wash was strong? Or just saying that sure enough, Zoe saw things in that light, whether it was true or not?
"Wash ain't weak," she said. Her voice was cool, but she was fighting the tremble of her lips. Mal could probably tell.
"Could be he's got a little gunshy," Mal offered. "And I ain't sayin' he's a coward," he added as she sat up straight. "Just, sometimes the shadow of the thing's worse than the thing itself. You know it."
Zoe knew it. Nobody was too scared going into their first battle. Nervous, maybe, sure. But not terrified. Nobody shot themselves in the arm or the leg to keep from going into that first engagement with the enemy; before you'd known battle you were just a virgin, full of piss and vinegar. Not even smart enough to know to be scared.
Afterward, though. That waiting time between battles when there was nothing to do but sit and think about what you'd seen, what you'd done, what you'd have to do again. That was when you got your breakdowns, your men going AWOL, your battlefield dementia, and it was nothing but the shadow of the thing.
"Could be," Zoe said. "I don't know. Whatever it is, he'll get over it."
----------------------
Where Circles Begin