I call it Vera.

Her panic was making him uneasy – the last thing he needed was to be shot because someone couldn’t stay calm.  When she closed her eyes, Max briefly considered going for the gun.  God, he wanted to, but he talked himself down instantly.  He was too far away; she’d get a round off before he could close the distance between them.  Besides, she might be willing to help him.  He hadn’t given her a reason to kill him, not yet.

But some people didn’t need a reason.

“Jus–” his voice cracked.  He tried clearing his throat, grimacing at how dry and sore it was.  Not much better.  “Jus’ nee’ s’ help.”

[    her gun is lowered. not much, it’s still out in case he decides to make a move, but it’s lowered, pointed at the ground. ]

“Girl, you are testin’ my patience.” The slow way in which Jayne spoke told all anyone’d need to know about how he was feeling at the moment. He didn’t have the time or energy to put up with Vera’s protesting, and this certainly wasn’t the way he was imagining celebrating a good, hard win for the crew. “I’m gon’ go find ya some clothes, an’ ya better still be here when I get back. Shiny?”

He didn’t leave room for an answer, just got up and left for the bunk. It didn’t take him long to find clothes, and before long he was back and still scowling like Mal’s usually doing.

[    she’s staring him down as he leaves. honestly, thinking about just leaving herself. where she’d go, the woman doesn’t know. instead she just grabs the hem of her shirt, pulling it up and over her head. the inside of it doesn’t stay clean for that long as she’s now wiping away any access blood that had gotten on her skin.

    jayne’s back now, and she eyes him, continuing to wipe the blood off her arms with the shirt. ]

“Yer stressin’ fer nothin. Bet I’ve hit my head harder’n this before. Probably had hangovers worse’n this. An’ there was that one time on Canton… Mudder’s Milk like a tonic. Had me out fer a day’n a half, I reckon.” Jayne reached out to pat Vera on the leg, “I’ll be fine here. Don’t go doin’ nothin’ stupid like callin’ Simon into my room while I’m out.”

[    she drags her hands across her face as he touches her leg. a yawn was made. god, was she tired. been up for a while. ]

He held his hands up, as if in defeat. “Alright. You stay on the ship’n be bored. Hell, I’d’a taken’ ya t’ see’f there were any good bars ‘round, even any place t’ buy a new gun, but seein’ as y’all wanna be unadvent’rous…”

   oh, no i’ll be adventurous,    jus’ not in a goram whorehouse,    jaynie. cause ya see, not everyone    got sex on their brain.

other rper: y’know i think they could maybe sorta be kinda cute toge-