joss100 Challenge Ficlet: Cemetery
So, I've decided, for my own amusement, to unofficially do the joss100 Challenge. I picked Jayne Cobb as a character, and chose Big Damn Prompt Table #1. I'm going to try to finish one prompt a day for the next 100 days. I figured this is as good a writing exercise as any.
Title: Departed
Author: cornfields
Rating: PG
Character(s): Jayne, River
Prompt: Cemetery
Word Count: 782
Spoilers: Slight spoiler for Serenity, if you squint real hard.
Author's Note: This is unbeta'd, so I can't vouch for its non-suckiness. Also, I'm pretty sure my tenses are allllll screwed up.
Even this late in winter, the grass is immaculately manicured and green. The headstones are in neat rows as far as the eye can see, sparkling in the afternoon sun and adorned with fresh flowers. Ever-blooming cherry trees line the fine gravel walkways, filling the painfully cold air with the promise of spring and rebirth. Jayne found it almost obscene; figures that Moonbrain's daddy would be buried and forgotten in such a place.
His hands itch for the reassuring heft of Vera, but one can't go hauling around a firearm like that in the open, not on a Core planet. He feels naked, defenseless, and the looming presence of the headstones begins to make him feel a might tetchy. He chews nervously on the end of his cigar and attempts to concentrate on the gentle pressure of Linda nestled in his side holster, and Betty tucked securely in his boot.
Moonbrain stands in front of a particularly large headstone a ways off to his left, head bowed and hands folded into the sleeves of her coat. The dark tumble of her hair obscures her face, so he can't tell if she's shedding any tears for the hun dan what sold her off to the Alliance. She just stands there, as if lost in prayer, unmoving, for an indeterminate amount of time.
He was attempting to stomp life back into the blocks of ice that used to be his feet, when he senses movement. He quits grumbling to himself and watches as she at last tilts her head back, unfolds her hands, and reaches out to dust away snow that nestled itself in the lettering carved into the face of the headstone. Her fingers are blue with the cold as she presses the palm of her hand flat against its surface. Her gaze is clear, blank, staring at the place where her flesh met stone.
There is nothing of grief (or even relief) in her expression, not that Jayne's any good at reading people. Makes him wonder why she bothered risking them all to come to this place, why Mal ultimately agreed to it. Captain was getting downright softhearted when it came to Crazy, and Jayne wasn't sure it set well with him. Especially since it usually put him in the line of fire.
Without warning, her lips begin to move. Words spill from them as steadily as the tears that soon begin to fall down her cheeks. He strains to hear, but the wind carries each word away. Just as he's beginning to think he's gonna have to call the Doc and his never-ending supply of needles, she removes her hand from the headstone and spits on her daddy's grave.
It was an unexpected display of hatred, one that sends a chill spearing through his middle. He reaches up and takes the cigar from his mouth. "You about done here, girl?" he calls gruffly, unnerved.
River blinks with surprise; it's as if she'd forgotten his presence. When she turns her gaze to him, her expression betrays nothing but calm. "She is," she says with a slight nod.
They make their way out of the dead land slowly, not speaking. Just outside of the cemetery gate, she pauses and puts her hand on his arm. He stops in his tracks, and looks down at her hand in surprise before meeting her unfathomable gaze.
"Thank you," she says quietly.
"For what?" he grumbles, extricating himself from her grip.
"For the goodbye," she replies with all earnestness. "For letting the girl pick up her pieces."
He begins walking back towards the ship, hunches his shoulders against the wind. "Yeah, well, weren't my idea." he throws over his shoulder.
"She thanks you all the same," River calls, lengthening her stride to catch up.
"She can thank me by shuttin' her gorram trap and gettin' us the hell off this go se planet in one piece." he grinds out between clenched teeth.
She dances ahead of him, a grin as wide as the day is long stretched over her face. "Anything for her merc," she says in sing-song; it's as if she hadn't just spit on her own daddy's grave.
He scowls at her. "Feng le girl."
She simply laughs at him, throwing a mischievous glance over her shoulder, and picks up her speed until she's sprinting toward Serenity.
He curses and contemplates chasing after her, but decides it's not worth the effort. They're in sight of the ship, and she looks mighty pretty from behind. He's better able to watch and admire the way she moves from his current position. If Moonbrain falls and breaks her leg, he tells himself, well, that's her own gorram fault.
==
Chinese:
Hun dan - bastard
Go se - shit, crap
Feng le - crazy
Title: Departed
Author: cornfields
Rating: PG
Character(s): Jayne, River
Prompt: Cemetery
Word Count: 782
Spoilers: Slight spoiler for Serenity, if you squint real hard.
Author's Note: This is unbeta'd, so I can't vouch for its non-suckiness. Also, I'm pretty sure my tenses are allllll screwed up.
Even this late in winter, the grass is immaculately manicured and green. The headstones are in neat rows as far as the eye can see, sparkling in the afternoon sun and adorned with fresh flowers. Ever-blooming cherry trees line the fine gravel walkways, filling the painfully cold air with the promise of spring and rebirth. Jayne found it almost obscene; figures that Moonbrain's daddy would be buried and forgotten in such a place.
His hands itch for the reassuring heft of Vera, but one can't go hauling around a firearm like that in the open, not on a Core planet. He feels naked, defenseless, and the looming presence of the headstones begins to make him feel a might tetchy. He chews nervously on the end of his cigar and attempts to concentrate on the gentle pressure of Linda nestled in his side holster, and Betty tucked securely in his boot.
Moonbrain stands in front of a particularly large headstone a ways off to his left, head bowed and hands folded into the sleeves of her coat. The dark tumble of her hair obscures her face, so he can't tell if she's shedding any tears for the hun dan what sold her off to the Alliance. She just stands there, as if lost in prayer, unmoving, for an indeterminate amount of time.
He was attempting to stomp life back into the blocks of ice that used to be his feet, when he senses movement. He quits grumbling to himself and watches as she at last tilts her head back, unfolds her hands, and reaches out to dust away snow that nestled itself in the lettering carved into the face of the headstone. Her fingers are blue with the cold as she presses the palm of her hand flat against its surface. Her gaze is clear, blank, staring at the place where her flesh met stone.
There is nothing of grief (or even relief) in her expression, not that Jayne's any good at reading people. Makes him wonder why she bothered risking them all to come to this place, why Mal ultimately agreed to it. Captain was getting downright softhearted when it came to Crazy, and Jayne wasn't sure it set well with him. Especially since it usually put him in the line of fire.
Without warning, her lips begin to move. Words spill from them as steadily as the tears that soon begin to fall down her cheeks. He strains to hear, but the wind carries each word away. Just as he's beginning to think he's gonna have to call the Doc and his never-ending supply of needles, she removes her hand from the headstone and spits on her daddy's grave.
It was an unexpected display of hatred, one that sends a chill spearing through his middle. He reaches up and takes the cigar from his mouth. "You about done here, girl?" he calls gruffly, unnerved.
River blinks with surprise; it's as if she'd forgotten his presence. When she turns her gaze to him, her expression betrays nothing but calm. "She is," she says with a slight nod.
They make their way out of the dead land slowly, not speaking. Just outside of the cemetery gate, she pauses and puts her hand on his arm. He stops in his tracks, and looks down at her hand in surprise before meeting her unfathomable gaze.
"Thank you," she says quietly.
"For what?" he grumbles, extricating himself from her grip.
"For the goodbye," she replies with all earnestness. "For letting the girl pick up her pieces."
He begins walking back towards the ship, hunches his shoulders against the wind. "Yeah, well, weren't my idea." he throws over his shoulder.
"She thanks you all the same," River calls, lengthening her stride to catch up.
"She can thank me by shuttin' her gorram trap and gettin' us the hell off this go se planet in one piece." he grinds out between clenched teeth.
She dances ahead of him, a grin as wide as the day is long stretched over her face. "Anything for her merc," she says in sing-song; it's as if she hadn't just spit on her own daddy's grave.
He scowls at her. "Feng le girl."
She simply laughs at him, throwing a mischievous glance over her shoulder, and picks up her speed until she's sprinting toward Serenity.
He curses and contemplates chasing after her, but decides it's not worth the effort. They're in sight of the ship, and she looks mighty pretty from behind. He's better able to watch and admire the way she moves from his current position. If Moonbrain falls and breaks her leg, he tells himself, well, that's her own gorram fault.
==
Chinese:
Hun dan - bastard
Go se - shit, crap
Feng le - crazy