Fic: First Impressions (Firefly)
Cross-posted with ff_friday, for the Jayne challenge. My very first Firefly fic, and my first challenge response. Ever.
Title: First Impressions
Author: Ivy
Fandom: Firefly
Rating: G
Disclaimer: They ain't mine.
The bar in front of Jayne was a little worn. He picked at a splinter with his fingernail and wondered if it was the best idea to lean on it. Well, he figured if he never moved, he’d be fine.
Jayne couldn’t remember if he was sitting on a stool or a chair. Funny, he couldn’t feel it, whatever it was. Probably wasn’t worth it to check. He clumsily waved his hand at the bartender and more yellow liquid hit his glass. He had no idea what it was - couldn’t really taste it anymore.
He slugged it back and winced as it burned. Gorram planet. Gorram police. He finally had a good haul, and what happens at the first port? Police search it and find the goods. Routine inspection, my ass. Gorram partner must have sold him out. No way they’d’a found the compartment under the pilot’s chair otherwise. Well, it did kinda squeak when you sat down, but no gorram bob is smart enough to check a squeak.
It’d taken most of his cash and his entire haul to pay off the port inspector. And his ship! Jayne burbled into his glass. Without a ship, a man ain’t nothin’, no how. He didn’t have enough for a rooming house, so he’d settled here to make the world pleasantly fuzzy until the bartender threw him out.
Jayne thunked his glass down and waved again. The bartender didn’t even raise an eyebrow. Jayne’d given him all his cash up front, so he figured he was good for another few hours. What time was it?
He heard two people settle next to him and turned his head to check them out. Then waited for his vision to catch up. Brown coat. Jayne snorted. That’s just sad. War’s been over for years and some poor fools couldn’t let it go. And next to him…whoa. Gorram Amazon princess, had to be. But Amazons were supposed to hack off one of their breasts. Jayne checked. Both still there. Shiny.
The world tilted a little and Jayne found his cheek on the bar. He wondered for a moment what a hangover would be like with splinters in his face.
The pair started talking. Something about having a job to pull. The Amazon was making a case for hiring a merc - something about no backup last time and being shot by patience. That don’t make no sense.
But if they needed a gun, he might be able to get off this gorram dustball. And maybe he could muscle a new ship. The brown coat didn’t look that tough. Jayne spoke up, “You’re in luck.” Well, he tried anyway. It came out as more of a grunt. The pair ignored him and kept talking.
Through his haze he heard the Amazon call the brown coat sir. Right. Military type. Likes formality. Jayne decided to stand up and make his proposition. He heaved himself off the bar and found himself looking up at the ceiling. No matter. He didn’t need to stand. He was impressive even on the floor. He tried his proposal again and came out with a more authoritarian grunt. At least the two were looking at him now. That must be a good thing. Jayne grunted again.
The woman clapped the man on the shoulder and said, “I’ll see you back on Serenity,” as she headed for the door. She looked a little bemused. The brown coat turned back to his drink as the bartender came around the bar to remove the deadweight.
As Jayne dimly felt himself being hauled out to the dirty street he thought to himself. Serenity. I’ll have to remember that.
Read on AO3.
Title: First Impressions
Author: Ivy
Fandom: Firefly
Rating: G
Disclaimer: They ain't mine.
The bar in front of Jayne was a little worn. He picked at a splinter with his fingernail and wondered if it was the best idea to lean on it. Well, he figured if he never moved, he’d be fine.
Jayne couldn’t remember if he was sitting on a stool or a chair. Funny, he couldn’t feel it, whatever it was. Probably wasn’t worth it to check. He clumsily waved his hand at the bartender and more yellow liquid hit his glass. He had no idea what it was - couldn’t really taste it anymore.
He slugged it back and winced as it burned. Gorram planet. Gorram police. He finally had a good haul, and what happens at the first port? Police search it and find the goods. Routine inspection, my ass. Gorram partner must have sold him out. No way they’d’a found the compartment under the pilot’s chair otherwise. Well, it did kinda squeak when you sat down, but no gorram bob is smart enough to check a squeak.
It’d taken most of his cash and his entire haul to pay off the port inspector. And his ship! Jayne burbled into his glass. Without a ship, a man ain’t nothin’, no how. He didn’t have enough for a rooming house, so he’d settled here to make the world pleasantly fuzzy until the bartender threw him out.
Jayne thunked his glass down and waved again. The bartender didn’t even raise an eyebrow. Jayne’d given him all his cash up front, so he figured he was good for another few hours. What time was it?
He heard two people settle next to him and turned his head to check them out. Then waited for his vision to catch up. Brown coat. Jayne snorted. That’s just sad. War’s been over for years and some poor fools couldn’t let it go. And next to him…whoa. Gorram Amazon princess, had to be. But Amazons were supposed to hack off one of their breasts. Jayne checked. Both still there. Shiny.
The world tilted a little and Jayne found his cheek on the bar. He wondered for a moment what a hangover would be like with splinters in his face.
The pair started talking. Something about having a job to pull. The Amazon was making a case for hiring a merc - something about no backup last time and being shot by patience. That don’t make no sense.
But if they needed a gun, he might be able to get off this gorram dustball. And maybe he could muscle a new ship. The brown coat didn’t look that tough. Jayne spoke up, “You’re in luck.” Well, he tried anyway. It came out as more of a grunt. The pair ignored him and kept talking.
Through his haze he heard the Amazon call the brown coat sir. Right. Military type. Likes formality. Jayne decided to stand up and make his proposition. He heaved himself off the bar and found himself looking up at the ceiling. No matter. He didn’t need to stand. He was impressive even on the floor. He tried his proposal again and came out with a more authoritarian grunt. At least the two were looking at him now. That must be a good thing. Jayne grunted again.
The woman clapped the man on the shoulder and said, “I’ll see you back on Serenity,” as she headed for the door. She looked a little bemused. The brown coat turned back to his drink as the bartender came around the bar to remove the deadweight.
As Jayne dimly felt himself being hauled out to the dirty street he thought to himself. Serenity. I’ll have to remember that.
Read on AO3.