RoTM 1.83.1c -- Byron

The flower itself was a thing of rare and fragile beauty, tucked between a couple of pipes. It was bright pink, fading to red at the tips, like someone had taken it and dipped it lightly into a scarlet dye, scattering droplets of color in its wake. Kaylee's fingers brushed over a petal, half expecting it to disappear under her fingers or be made of silk, but soft as the petal was, it was also real.

A piece of paper hung from the stem, tied with a bit of ribbon the same color as the scarlet petal tips. She unrolled it, something fierce burning in her stomach and fluttering around like a pack of butterflies she'd heard tell about. Just four simple lines were scrawled there in a strong, but pretty, hand.

There be none of Beauty's daughters
With a magic like Thee;
And like music on the waters
Is thy sweet voice to me

That was it. ( No signature, no rest of the poem, but it weren't like there was more than one person on the ship who'd go around leaving notes like that.  )

OOC: River, Inara and Simon borrowed without permission of their muns and nothing in this fic should be considered at all binding on them. Unless any of them would like to pick it up and play along at any point. *g*