Dagger of the Mind, chapter 12 (final chapter)
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Wash and Zoe – the bittersweet beginning...
CATEGORY: FICTION TIMES READ: 2481 RATING: 10.0 (PG13) SERIES: FIREFLY
Author's Note: And finally, we come to the end of DOTM and the beginning of Wash and Zoe together. It's been an amazing experience – developing, writing and sending this story out into the world. A huge thank you to those who have been interested enough to ponder on and correspond with me about the themes and issues raised in DOTM, and my dark but (I think) defensible take on the characters. I'll be keeping my proud parent's eye on the story, so feel free to place a review and/or send me a message if there is anything you want to discuss, or just to let me know what you did or didn't like. See you all in the Black! Ella
Blessed are you, whose worthiness gives scope / Being had, to triumph, being lack'd, to hope.
– Shakespeare's Sonnet 52
It didn't take long for Mal to get around to that conversation with Zoe. He gave them both a few weeks to get more or less back on their feet, before he came calling at her bunk. Zoe knew unpleasantness was forthcoming, but she composed her face as usual and waited for him to have his say.
"You know I frown on shipboard romances?"
Zoe's impassive expression didn't change. "Don't know what you mean, sir."
Damn, she was good! "I mean," said Mal, a bit tetchy, "I frown on shipboard romances. They complicate matters, distract people from their proper duties. Then when it don't work out, just creates discord among the crew. And I just want to recall this fact to your mind, as it seems you've taken to looking at Wash in an amorous-type fashion of late."
Captain or not, this was going too far. Telling, no, ordering her, and abou
I'm not entirely sold that Wash's tension with the Captain is actual dislike and distrust over learning that the captain was forced to do something so horrible. There's times that Wash jokes around with Mal that are fairly relaxed, considering, and even times Wash tries to give Mal helpful and well-meaning advice, which I don't think Wash would offer if Mal just completely disgusted him. Wash is as close to a male friend as Mal has on Serenity. Most of the tension with Wash comes up with Zoe's loyalty towards Mal, which to me implies the standard fallback explanation of jealousy more than anything else.
But all that aside, this is believable AND possible. And the part about Mal inspiring loyalty, and bringing Zoe into a violent lifestyle that Wash hates, that IS true.
-first, I know most people think Wash and Mal get along fine, but I respectfully disagree. I think series Wash fundamentally does not like Mal, sees him as callous and dictatorial and violent and selfish. I think that is specifically why Zoe's loyalty to Mal creates the tension with Wash. He's not jealous, but he sees a totally different man than Zoe sees, and doesn't understand why his wife is so loyal to that man. But if we speak of the Mal in DOTM, if that Mal were a different sort of person, DOTM Wash wouldn't dislike him so strongly just because of the Serenity Valley incident.
- Wash is deflecting blame for the POW shooting off from Zoe and onto Mal, because of course he loves Zoe and Mal is the only other guilty party available. So some of Wash's anger is just transferrence.
- This story is set 4 years before the series starts. Wash has only known Mal and Zoe for 8 months. That gives time for the whole relationship and dynamic to change during the next 4 years, to the point where we see them at the start of the series.
But I still think series Wash does not, on balance, like series Mal, and I'm not so sure it isn't mutual.
I think there's definitely ways that Mal behaves that Wash finds harsh and unnecessary, where Wash disagrees with Mal's ethical choices. I mean, we see that in the show, in OOG and War Stories in particular, and there's a couple other examples nibbling at the back of my memory but I'm not getting a good read on them. So as I see it, your story is an extension of this, taken to a believable and logic place.
It's that there is a specific and very valid basis of dislike for Mal on Wash's part that I'm not so certain of. That there's something unforgivable, and that dislike and distrust is constantly felt. Wash actually expresses admiration for Mal's strength of character in War Stories, and wants to save Mal because he sees Mal as something good and inspirational. Similarly, even though there was all this interplay between Mal and Wash over Zoe's condition in OOG, Wash reacts again with admiration when Mal announces he's staying behind with Serenity. Also, Wash willingly donates blood to keep Mal alive.
I enjoyed your story and little visit to the verse. Thanks for writing!
I really, really hope you write more.
Flourish. Exits. Bumps into ellagreggs. Exits again.
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