good myth, au prompt, gen
Title: Good Myth
Author: budclare
Prompt: AU
Pairing: Gen (Crew)
Rating: PG
Warnings: Insanity ahead.
Summary: Gods and their hijinx.
Mal didn't much like authority figures. Gods don't, as a rule. Oh, they're fond enough of authority, but only so long as they're the ones being obeyed. Don't much like taking orders themselves. They may accept another god as their lord and master out of necessity, but they don't like it. It rankles them some.
Mal, though, he didn't accept it, no matter the necessity of it. Didn't matter that there was only one of him, and a whole legion of Titans. Didn't matter how powerful the Titans were, nor how many weapons they had.
Mal gathered together anyone he could find who'd stand with him, them as he called family. They fought hard. Cheated a little. Got lucky more than a few times. In spite of overwhelming odds, they won, somehow. Fate must've been on their side, a fact which surprised Mal more than anyone, though he hid it well; he honestly hadn't expected to win, but no one but him needed to know that.
Mal was in charge now, but he didn't know what was supposed to come next. He had to fake it. He acted as if he had a plan, and folks seemed to buy it.
*
Inara would have never hated him so much if she hadn't first loved him deeply. The memory of their former happiness made the betrayals cut deeper. They'd begun fighting incessantly long before he'd ever been unfaithful, but that brought her no comfort, nor bought him any leniency. He'd given up on their marriage, and she could never forgive him for that.
She no longer recognized herself. She had let him turn her into the goddess of vengeful wives. She hated what she'd become, but that only fueled her anger more.
Some days, she thought that perhaps she had gone mad.
*
Simon had accumulated many roles, but he considered himself to be first and foremost a healer. He was also called the god of truth, because rumor had it that he was incapable of lying. The truth was that he just wasn't very good at it, so generally refrained from it to spare himself the embarrassment and inevitable teasing.
He and his sister were near inseparable, the sun and moon. She was more than capable of taking care of herself, and yet he still felt the urge to kill anything that threatened her. She laughed at him for it, if kindly.
*
River was as fast and nimble as a deer, as strong as a bear, and as fierce as a mother defending her young. She delighted in the racing of her heart as she hunted, and she loved her prey even as she took its life.
She was goddess of the moon and also--because madness was believed to be caused by the moon--the patroness of the insane. It made perfect sense, as far as she was concerned. Her brother had dominion over physical health, and she over the health of the mind. Two halves of a whole, as always.
*
Jayne loved weapons. Didn't matter what kind of weapon it was. He had names for his favorites. He spent a lot of time cleaning them and polishing them. The rest of his time he spent starting wars or watching battles or, preferably, both. Some sports weren't too bad, so long as the players got roughed up a fair bit. And Jayne liked to eat and have sex, sometimes even at the same time.
He knew that the others rolled their eyes at him for not being interested in music and dancing and all that other nonsense, but he didn't care.
*
Zoe was a warrior, too, with armor and arms so ever-present that many people believed she'd been born with them, but a warrior was not all that she was. She had countless talents and skills, and as such held dominion over many arts. She was renowned above all for her great wisdom, winning her battles with cleverness as much as strength.
She was Mal's most trusted ally, unwavering in her faithfulness. If ever a time came when Mal faced his own downfall, if all his other allies and friends had fled, even then she would be by his side.
*
Kaylee knew that there were unpleasant things in the world, but she usually tried not to notice them. She figured that so long as she kept a smile on her face and the proper cheerful outlook, life could be pretty wonderful. Especially with so many eligible young men around...and they were all eligible, when it came right down to it.
Admittedly it was easy to have a wonderful life if you happened to be the goddess of love and beauty; she felt a bit bad for all the poor souls who didn't have it as easy as she did.
*
Wash had landed himself the title of herald of the gods because he could fly as quick as thought, as gracefully as a leaf carried by the wind. He was known for having a way with words, often needing to talk his way out of trouble. Sometimes he devised clever entertainments for his fellow gods.
He was the patron of travelers both living and dead, of roads and boundaries. The living returned home to their loved ones under his auspices, while the dead followed him to the underworld, leaving their loved ones to grieve. Good news and bad travel alike.
*
Book could be either the calm sea or a terrible earthquake, depending on the circumstances. He was capable of kindness and mercilessness in equal measure; for friends he offered a safe harbor, for enemies a watery grave.
A placid surface often hid dark and cold and tumultuous depths, and he held secrets aplenty. Countless sailors had taken their sins with them to the sandy floor of the sea, never to be known to any but Book, and he told no one the secrets he'd gleaned. He hid away things that were meant to be lost, protecting what shouldn't be found.
*
The home of the gods was nearly alive itself. It gave protection and solace to those who dwelled there, as any living thing would do for those it loved. It whispered to them as they slept, in a voice so subtle that even immortal ears could not consciously hear it.
Mal spoke to it sometimes when he thought no one was near. Caressed a pillar or a doorway as he passed through, as if it could feel his touch and be comforted by it. His love had imbued the place with something much like life, a drop at a time.
Author: budclare
Prompt: AU
Pairing: Gen (Crew)
Rating: PG
Warnings: Insanity ahead.
Summary: Gods and their hijinx.
Mal didn't much like authority figures. Gods don't, as a rule. Oh, they're fond enough of authority, but only so long as they're the ones being obeyed. Don't much like taking orders themselves. They may accept another god as their lord and master out of necessity, but they don't like it. It rankles them some.
Mal, though, he didn't accept it, no matter the necessity of it. Didn't matter that there was only one of him, and a whole legion of Titans. Didn't matter how powerful the Titans were, nor how many weapons they had.
Mal gathered together anyone he could find who'd stand with him, them as he called family. They fought hard. Cheated a little. Got lucky more than a few times. In spite of overwhelming odds, they won, somehow. Fate must've been on their side, a fact which surprised Mal more than anyone, though he hid it well; he honestly hadn't expected to win, but no one but him needed to know that.
Mal was in charge now, but he didn't know what was supposed to come next. He had to fake it. He acted as if he had a plan, and folks seemed to buy it.
*
Inara would have never hated him so much if she hadn't first loved him deeply. The memory of their former happiness made the betrayals cut deeper. They'd begun fighting incessantly long before he'd ever been unfaithful, but that brought her no comfort, nor bought him any leniency. He'd given up on their marriage, and she could never forgive him for that.
She no longer recognized herself. She had let him turn her into the goddess of vengeful wives. She hated what she'd become, but that only fueled her anger more.
Some days, she thought that perhaps she had gone mad.
*
Simon had accumulated many roles, but he considered himself to be first and foremost a healer. He was also called the god of truth, because rumor had it that he was incapable of lying. The truth was that he just wasn't very good at it, so generally refrained from it to spare himself the embarrassment and inevitable teasing.
He and his sister were near inseparable, the sun and moon. She was more than capable of taking care of herself, and yet he still felt the urge to kill anything that threatened her. She laughed at him for it, if kindly.
*
River was as fast and nimble as a deer, as strong as a bear, and as fierce as a mother defending her young. She delighted in the racing of her heart as she hunted, and she loved her prey even as she took its life.
She was goddess of the moon and also--because madness was believed to be caused by the moon--the patroness of the insane. It made perfect sense, as far as she was concerned. Her brother had dominion over physical health, and she over the health of the mind. Two halves of a whole, as always.
*
Jayne loved weapons. Didn't matter what kind of weapon it was. He had names for his favorites. He spent a lot of time cleaning them and polishing them. The rest of his time he spent starting wars or watching battles or, preferably, both. Some sports weren't too bad, so long as the players got roughed up a fair bit. And Jayne liked to eat and have sex, sometimes even at the same time.
He knew that the others rolled their eyes at him for not being interested in music and dancing and all that other nonsense, but he didn't care.
*
Zoe was a warrior, too, with armor and arms so ever-present that many people believed she'd been born with them, but a warrior was not all that she was. She had countless talents and skills, and as such held dominion over many arts. She was renowned above all for her great wisdom, winning her battles with cleverness as much as strength.
She was Mal's most trusted ally, unwavering in her faithfulness. If ever a time came when Mal faced his own downfall, if all his other allies and friends had fled, even then she would be by his side.
*
Kaylee knew that there were unpleasant things in the world, but she usually tried not to notice them. She figured that so long as she kept a smile on her face and the proper cheerful outlook, life could be pretty wonderful. Especially with so many eligible young men around...and they were all eligible, when it came right down to it.
Admittedly it was easy to have a wonderful life if you happened to be the goddess of love and beauty; she felt a bit bad for all the poor souls who didn't have it as easy as she did.
*
Wash had landed himself the title of herald of the gods because he could fly as quick as thought, as gracefully as a leaf carried by the wind. He was known for having a way with words, often needing to talk his way out of trouble. Sometimes he devised clever entertainments for his fellow gods.
He was the patron of travelers both living and dead, of roads and boundaries. The living returned home to their loved ones under his auspices, while the dead followed him to the underworld, leaving their loved ones to grieve. Good news and bad travel alike.
*
Book could be either the calm sea or a terrible earthquake, depending on the circumstances. He was capable of kindness and mercilessness in equal measure; for friends he offered a safe harbor, for enemies a watery grave.
A placid surface often hid dark and cold and tumultuous depths, and he held secrets aplenty. Countless sailors had taken their sins with them to the sandy floor of the sea, never to be known to any but Book, and he told no one the secrets he'd gleaned. He hid away things that were meant to be lost, protecting what shouldn't be found.
*
The home of the gods was nearly alive itself. It gave protection and solace to those who dwelled there, as any living thing would do for those it loved. It whispered to them as they slept, in a voice so subtle that even immortal ears could not consciously hear it.
Mal spoke to it sometimes when he thought no one was near. Caressed a pillar or a doorway as he passed through, as if it could feel his touch and be comforted by it. His love had imbued the place with something much like life, a drop at a time.