Fic: Breaking the Record
Title: Breaking the Record
Fandom: Jossverse (Firefly)
Characters: Jayne, River
Word Count: 503
Prompt: a character makes a resolution of some sort at whedonland
(I keep trying to work through the death of Inara... even though we never got to see it on the show. The only clue we even have that she was sick is some Comic Con conversations, I think. Anyway, when I read that she was really spending her last days aboard Serenity, I found that incredibly heart breaking. She's died a thousand different ways in my head but I know Joss would have done it better.)
The knife spiraled through the air, landing squarely in the middle of the red circle. It was a perfect throw but Jayne wasn’t even paying attention to his latest attempt. He was too busy arguing with River. To this point, he’d been the only one talking but he was on a roll now and couldn’t be stopped even if anyone had tried.
“The thing of it is, Mal don’t rightly have a say in what we do on our time off. If I want to drink and smoke and spend time with all manner of woman, that’s my right. When I’m on board the ship, I do what he wants without a question. Well, that’s not true. I question him a lot. Man deserves to have someone tell him when he’s wrong. He is, often enough. Don’t matter that he’s the Captain.”
River recrossed her arms and began to whistle a tuneless song. As Jayne pulled out another knife, this one from his right boot, and threw it toward the target, she watched the trajectory, calculating the exact place on the wall it would land. As always, she was exactly right. Always right.
“And when was the last time I was paid. He says we’ll have a job soon but I don’t see him looking for work. All he does these days is sit in that chair and look out at the stars. Seems to me the man’s given up. I wouldn’t have given up. Not if I was him. Time to live a little. He’s just got to remember what life was like before…” but even he couldn’t say her name. With a shrug, Jayne pretended he hadn’t going brought her up but River could see the tiny spark of sadness in his eyes.
It was that sadness that finally broke her silence. “I don’t think you can make this one. Twenty-seven in a row? I think not.”
He leered at her, a new knife appearing in his hand like magic but she’d seen his hand move to his waistband. Nothing escaped her notice, not even Jayne pretending he didn’t care about anyone or anything. “You are insane, little girl. Of course I’m going to make it. Thirty-two in a row is a my best and I feel like breaking a few records.”
Fifteen minutes later, it was as if the conversation had never happened. Jayne was content to have broken his record by six perfect throws. Time for River to move on to the next crew member. There were a lot of broken hearts she needed to mend. They had all lost Inara, not just the Captain. It was going to take time but she had a lot of that to spare. For better or worse, she was going to help them all remember what they still had. Even if they’d lost to Inara to her destiny, they still had each other. It would have to be enough. By heaven above and the earth below, she would prove that to them.
Fandom: Jossverse (Firefly)
Characters: Jayne, River
Word Count: 503
Prompt: a character makes a resolution of some sort at whedonland
(I keep trying to work through the death of Inara... even though we never got to see it on the show. The only clue we even have that she was sick is some Comic Con conversations, I think. Anyway, when I read that she was really spending her last days aboard Serenity, I found that incredibly heart breaking. She's died a thousand different ways in my head but I know Joss would have done it better.)
The knife spiraled through the air, landing squarely in the middle of the red circle. It was a perfect throw but Jayne wasn’t even paying attention to his latest attempt. He was too busy arguing with River. To this point, he’d been the only one talking but he was on a roll now and couldn’t be stopped even if anyone had tried.
“The thing of it is, Mal don’t rightly have a say in what we do on our time off. If I want to drink and smoke and spend time with all manner of woman, that’s my right. When I’m on board the ship, I do what he wants without a question. Well, that’s not true. I question him a lot. Man deserves to have someone tell him when he’s wrong. He is, often enough. Don’t matter that he’s the Captain.”
River recrossed her arms and began to whistle a tuneless song. As Jayne pulled out another knife, this one from his right boot, and threw it toward the target, she watched the trajectory, calculating the exact place on the wall it would land. As always, she was exactly right. Always right.
“And when was the last time I was paid. He says we’ll have a job soon but I don’t see him looking for work. All he does these days is sit in that chair and look out at the stars. Seems to me the man’s given up. I wouldn’t have given up. Not if I was him. Time to live a little. He’s just got to remember what life was like before…” but even he couldn’t say her name. With a shrug, Jayne pretended he hadn’t going brought her up but River could see the tiny spark of sadness in his eyes.
It was that sadness that finally broke her silence. “I don’t think you can make this one. Twenty-seven in a row? I think not.”
He leered at her, a new knife appearing in his hand like magic but she’d seen his hand move to his waistband. Nothing escaped her notice, not even Jayne pretending he didn’t care about anyone or anything. “You are insane, little girl. Of course I’m going to make it. Thirty-two in a row is a my best and I feel like breaking a few records.”
Fifteen minutes later, it was as if the conversation had never happened. Jayne was content to have broken his record by six perfect throws. Time for River to move on to the next crew member. There were a lot of broken hearts she needed to mend. They had all lost Inara, not just the Captain. It was going to take time but she had a lot of that to spare. For better or worse, she was going to help them all remember what they still had. Even if they’d lost to Inara to her destiny, they still had each other. It would have to be enough. By heaven above and the earth below, she would prove that to them.