maskormenace | (no subject)

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[ The video is blurry at first before eventually focusing in on a gentleman in suspenders and what can only be described as some kind of cowboy coat. Leather duster? Whatever. Despite the apparent old-fashioned getup, Mal looks relieved when he gets the comm to work. Feels relieved, in fact. ]

… Well. Least the comm tech’s familiar. Can’t say as I tend to send many messages out all public-like, but this seems t’be a special occasion.

[ And he is desperately grateful for that familiarity. He adjusts his suspenders a moment before putting on a neutral smile. ]

Evenin’. The name’s Malcolm Reynolds. Uh - Firefly captain. And since that likely don’t ring no bells, that’d be my spaceship. I’m guessin’ that ain’t something anyone’s seen hair nor hide of here, but I’d surely appreciate anyone who might have a thought to it. Don’t hardly seem fair for this so-called righteous governin’ force to go takin’ our property. Anyone else get stuck with that particular hand? Or any chance of there bein’ a chance it’s been stowed away somewhere hard t’find?

Because I surely get tetchy all land bound an’ all. Don’t hardly do me no favors to keep me out of the sky.

[ All neutral still - since, y’know, the government has to be listening in on this too. Wouldn’t do to advertise a break-in right up front. Just a good citizen wanting to not go crazy in a new world…

While he figures out how the hell to drop off the grid as fast as possible.

After a few choice conversations, he adds the following message: ]

Anyone know a good bar to get drunk in?

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... Can't be stranger'n some random kid givin' me my life story. Alright, try it.

Okay.

[She thinks for a few minutes, and then...]

Turn off your camera and do something - anything, it doesn't matter. When you turn it back on, I'll tell you what you did.

Right. Sure. Somethin' you wouldn't know from your stories.

[ He switches off the comm for a moment - has to pause for a moment, because what is this day - and goes to pour himself a drink. Takes a swig of it. Sets the glass back down. And then turns back to the comm. ]

Done.

[A few moments go by, and Max rewinds.]

You poured yourself a drink - I can't say I blame you. Then you set it down.

[ Mal jolts a bit. Damn, that is weird. Even with the warning. ]

Y'asked me? An' then rewound it?

Yep. That's how it works. I can't really predict things - well, most things. I have to find out, and then I rewound and told you.

[She giggles a little.] The look on your face when I asked you to tell me what you did was pretty priceless, though.

Edited (what is HTML) 2015-11-14 21:42 (UTC)

[ You mean this face? It was definitely this face. ]

It was? How come?

[That's the one, yep.]

Because it's the same one you're giving me right now. [Another laugh.] Plus you swore a few times in Mandarin, I think. I couldn't really tell if you thought it was funny, or if you were just annoyed.

[ Well that does sound like him. Proves she's not just guessing and lying. He takes another long swig of his drink. (In exactly the same way he had after swearing in that alternate timeline.) ]

You're givin' me a headache, kid.

[To be fair to Mal, he'd taken it rather well, but Max can't help but giggle again.]

Sorry. I guess I do that.

Yeah? You told other folks 'round here 'bout your party trick?

Just a little. Most people don't know the details of it.

[Enough to know she has it, not enough to know what she's really capable of.]

It's mostly Chloe that got that reaction, though.

["Or did you just rewind because I tried to steal the cozy chair? Shit, I'm confused," comes to mind.]

[ His expression softens immediately. ]

She know anythin' in the end?

She knew everything. It's because of her that I started investigating Rachel Amber in the first place. She helped me learn to control my powers.

I mean at the end, kid. Y'said you had to let her die, right?

... Yeah. She's the one who first brought it up.

["Max, this is the only way." It still hurts to remember those words.]

At least, the one at the time the twister hit did. The Chloe I ended up letting die did so without ever seeing me or knowing anything about what happened to Rachel in the end. [And she is never going to stop feeling guilt over that.]

But I still have the butterfly photo I took that day, the one that changed everything.

[Which she shows him, clearly occupying a place of honor in her scrapbook.]

Edited 2015-11-14 22:35 (UTC)

[ He leans in a little closer to the comm to see properly. ]

Leaves you all alone, don't it?

[No, Mal, don't make her have feelings. You're going to get the wibble face.

... Too late.]

Yes. It does.

[ He's good at that, okay. Real good at it. ]

How you holdin' up?

Honestly? I'm keeping as busy as I can and trying not to think about it.

[She still has the photo, she could go back - but she won't. She's already made that choice. Plus, she swiped the camera Chloe gave her in the previous timeline, not that Joyce had minded; she'd all but pressed the camera into Max's hands herself.]

An' here I am ruinin' it for you.

How old're you, kid?

[Max manages a laugh, shaky and teary, as she brushes her hair out of her face. A black, spiked bracelet - Chloe's - half-hides the glowing script on her left wrist (the reason she'd moved it there to begin with).]

I'm 18.

[She's not exactly having a hard time seeing the "holy shit, you're a kid" angle, here.]

... Jesus. Hell of a thing to be shoulderin' at that age. Oughta be out an' about makin' less horrifyin' mistakes.

If it makes you feel better, I did plenty of stupid shit with my powers before I wised up a little.

Yeah? Like what?