Ice Cream Social
Friday, January 8, 2010
The crew takes a look at one of the simpler pleasures in life.
Post-series, Pre-Serenity,and Better Days/Those Left Behind.
CATEGORY: FICTION TIMES READ: 3853 RATING: 10.0 (PG) SERIES: FIREFLY
For Bytemite, and also thanks to my brother, without whom this sugary event would not have been possible. (All blame--and the bill--goes to them).
Post-series, Pre-Serenity,and Better Days/Those Left Behind.
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ICE CREAM SOCIAL
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“Why do they call it Tropical Banana-Mango Fantasy?”
Wash enjoyed the proprietary silence that came attached to his rhetorical question. Looking around, he continued on into it: “I mean, Tropical Banana-Mango ? Least of all Fantasy .”
He was warming up, placing his commas like a philosopher. “Could they add another word to the ridiculous length of that title? And how is ice cream supposed to be so many things—sure it is a complex interaction of sugars and dairy, fruit in my case, frozen with the most modern technology a crappy Rim world like this could supply. But wherein lies that mysterious quality?”
“Close the sermon please,” murmured Book, craning his neck to see the nearby stalls.
“Yeah, some of us’s waitin’ on ice cream.” Jayne was hunched over on a crate, watching the line hungrily, waiting to take over any of the crew’s designated spots in line. Possibly before they were finished with their place-tokens, if it were a less auspicious day than it had so far been. Newest letter from his ma, though, reminded him that politeness was an auspicate itself.
But Wash wasn’t about to spare them his epiphany. “No, no, I get the point. Fantasy means it’s whatever you make it. “And,” he said, gazing lovingly on the neon-loud ice cream, “I make this a very good day.”
Jayne decided to rain in: “Kinda clashes with yer shirt, don’ it?”
Mal agreed. “What doesn’t?”
***
Zoe returned, and Wash glanced at his wife’s ice cream.
As first mate, she had to set an example for the crew. And she had done it, as always, in fine understated style, asking the sweets-hop (disgruntled) for the something extra below the coun
Fun! But I am hiding from the bill. Dine and dash, in honour of the crew's esteemed profession. SOMEONE had to steal some gorram icecream here!
...This tastes odd. *clonk*
from Kaylee. The cherry on the top of this great, funny piece.
Guess what--it didn't go right. Your dairy heist. Did someone dope your stolen ice cream?
It does bring up an interesting point about exactly how much attention Mal was paying...as pure grain alcohol is basically edible gasoline...perhaps the man just never had vanilla before.
NewOldBrownCoat: Cherry on top, haha. Thanks. I wondered what she would say (lovingly of course) about her mean old big brother.
The perfect thing is, in regards to Mal, is that the way his crew is able to trick him reveals a number of actually somewhat sad truths. He likely hasn't ever had vanilla, as you said, he's too distracted watching over them to notice anything wrong with his ice cream (and as such to enjoy it), and that he didn't even want any, he's too far gone to enjoy it anyway.
But apart from that, funny, and maybe this will teach him to try to loosen up a little when his crew just wants to have fun.
I don't remember seeing anyone include all the crew and manage to both capture and differentiate their different voices so well for a while. Also, their interactions. I just love Zoe not caring if she knocks Mal's head - thinking, in fact, that it will do him good. And Book telling Wash to wind it up. There's lots more...I think I'm going to go and read it again!
Glad to see I made someone else laugh with Mal and Simon's "vanilla" choices. So similar, so different, and each has a lot to learn.
Mal too far gone to care(and not liking the fancy-schnmancy anyway), Simon hoping against hope that this intricate flavor exists somewhere outside his former life. Would it be too much to ask? Apparently, yes. Hilariously.
Aliasse, I'm honored you want to read it again. The situation was just on the plausible side of absurd (like juggling geese) and so it came together quite naturally.
Wash and Book, Zoe and Mal are also some of my favorite parts: I wanted to see what happened, canonically, when the tables were turned quite a lot.
Platonist: Good. I could try writing more with all the crew, this is my first venture into that. I think that's one of the best parts of the show--they just can't help getting in each others' hair.
It was amusing, her trying to figure out how to eat her ice cream with dignity (perhaps she was trying not to be Wash with Tropical Banana Mango Fantasy the second, what with her... skills?), don't get me wrong. But even her dress kept her from joining in the crew's fun and interacting in any appreciable way, and then really only with Mal. I mean, we never ever found out what flavour she got, like she had none, like she's almost a non-character in their lives.
Though I'm a little disappointed in Book getting Lichee, that's kind of a non-flavour too, but I can see the reasoning there.
But then again, probably an ice-cream store really isn't Inara's environment, and unlike Simon, she just keeps that awkwardness to herself.
Bytemite: Yes, Inara's (and Book's) seperateness was intentional--the fact that she and Book are involved, but not as intimately, in the entire situation mirrors their positions as quasi-crew.
Mal is Inara's link to the crew, Kaylee being occupied in something Inara would not interfere with--and it's fraught with Margaritaville.
The hi-larious mystique of a Companion lies in not knowing what hypothetical flavor she would get. Points for noticing.
Inara and Mal are alike in that way--neither care what flavor they have, with an extra scoop of hypocritical implications for Inara. Ice cream was never the real issue.
Book, Simon, Inara and possibly Zoe are the ones faced with looking ridiculous enjoying ice cream, for various reasons(don't exactly mix with submachineguns, stern shepards and fancypantsness). And they how they handle the situation show varying levels of success.
Inara was trying to avoid being a work of art that way, yes.
Four days--that's dedication, Aliasse, you didn't have to spend that long! If you're that bored, Albatross 2 is up, should keep you busy. :)
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