I guess I shouldn't rant about Kaylee when I haven't been keeping up with your Kaylee fics - but I was going with what you said about her in this post. Your plans for for her in the future of your fic sound interesting!

Anyway, thanks for taking my opinionated ramblings so kindly! :)

Well...I have already dropped a big ole comment over at "Disoriented" but I will throw in my $0.02 cents here as well;)

I personally don't think that "Disoriented" has to be classified as an alternative universe story or that Mal and Simon are struggling with having same-aex attraction feelings for one another. Mal and Simon are in fun places respectively and I could totally see them gravitating toward each other, since Inara is buggering off to the Training House and Kaylee is still in emotional fluff mode.

Speaking of Simon/Kaylee long-term pairings...I generally have to agree with mal4prez. There has to be some serious evolution on the part of both characters if their relationship is to last longer than a few months or years. Kaylee is a strong woman...but admittedly a tad too emotionally-driven pre-BDM. I would like to think that Joss & co. would have really done a number of Kaylee's character had the series gone on longer. Something Willow-like in scope and arc, but without the world-ending in the penultimate season finale;)

BEB

Mal4Prez - I agree with you on the whole Kaylee issue. It is up to us writers to portray as being able to handle the emotional backlash of Simon being so distraught in this unwelcome and disorienting situation he's landed in.

I'm actually working on that now, in the third part to my Best Intentions trilogy - Unforeseen Consequences. Kaylee has gone toe to toe with quite a few people to not only defend Simon, but also stood up to Simon and reminded him he's not invincible and that's okay. It is different for me than how I normally betray them, but I really like it.

Thanks for the feedback. As always, it means a lot.

Hey - explore all you want! I actually see the charm in Mal/Simon as well, though it's *solidly* in the AU realm.

May I just argue something (Sorry, I'm argumentative lately - you're not my first victim this week LOL!)

Honestly, one of the reasons I can't get into all these S/K marriage love fest fics is the thing you explain here - I don't see it as mutually fulfilling. Given the way Kaylee is generally written in fanfic (emotional cream puff), Simon has no other choice but hide his own needs from her - but is that a good basis for any lasting relationship? One person faking it? I think that's the draw to Mal/Simon, the need for equality in a romance...

IMHO, Kaylee needs to step up and carry her fair share of the emotional load, or the S/K relationship will fail. A writer who portrays her as unable to do so, and yet has S/K be all lifelong loving, is writing a disney fairy tale and not the kind of human relationship that fits into Joss's complex `verse.

What I'd love to see is you branching out into a `verse where Kaylee CAN handle Simon's vulnerability. This assumption that Simon has to be The Man.... you know, I think that whole concept has no place in Joss's verse. (Which is why I love it so!) And I'm not convinced that the S/K relationship can't be just as satisfying and equal as what you imagine between Mal and Simon.

I guess it all depends on how we interpret Kaylee, but I won't go off on that tangent...

Oh don't worry, I won't desert ya! I enjoyed your moment of madness!

*Stern Face* Now, don't let it happen again!!!

Hee. Kidding.

xxxxxxx

TamSibling, I think once in a while you have to stray into uncharted territory, if nothing else just to get these things out of your head!

In a way, reading DISORIENTED, it can be seen as non-slash, just two men who are able to show emotion to each other. Who knows, in 500 years time, maybe men will actually have evolved!

I understand what you mean about Simon/Kaylee, but it is, after all, up to us the writers to decide how Kaylee would react in a situation like that.

That said, I thought it was brilliantly written as always, and I say ... brava!