Jayne!
Finished watching Firefly. Mal/Innara is super hot. And, um, those three episodes were just completely amazing, so I'm very happy, despite the unspeakable tragedy that is this series being cancelled. Waiting eagerly for movie.
Anyway, here's some Jayne. He's hard. I was sure I'd made him too sappy and nice, then I looked backand decided it balanced out, but you tell me.
In the town where Jayne was born, the men in the bar used to play a game. They would sit outside and throw petty change onto the road. The kids waiting nearby would run out into the dust and fight for it. The men would watch, impassively, like they would watch dogs fighting for meat.
Some kids got hurt easy and gave up. Some went home with broken arms. Some weren't quick enough when they saw a cart coming and got trampled and died in the street.
Jayne punched and kicked and slammed heads into the ground. And he never, never let go, not even when he passed out.
That was how he learned the value of money.
***
He was the second oldest of nine. There would have been twelve, but one was a stillbirth and two died of sickness before they hit puberty. His father lost a leg to gangrene when Jayne was ten. After that, he couldn't work anymore.
They had almost nothing in those days.
Once Jayne stole food from a half-dead beggar and brought it home for his youngest brother. He felt no guilt. He had already learned the most important rule of survival: never feel sorry for those worse off than you.
***
Simon made him uncomfortable. Jayne kind of liked him, in an awkward way, and disliked him for making him feel so stupid and... like a bad guy.
Maybe it was because he had managed to save his crazy sister and yet never had to kill anyone.
***
Jayne's older sister, not pretty enough to be a Companion or lucky enough to work in a brothel, whores herself in the town bar. Literally- for extra money, she'll do it on the bartop, with everybody watching. She has an arrangement with the owner.
Their parents didn't know until the winter Kasey got infected and she had to work overtime to pay for medicine. They took it well. At that time, they didn't have a choice. By the time things calmed down they accepted the truth of things with a bitter practicality.
Now, his mother knits her sweaters she knows she won't wear out of the house, and pretends not to notice that she is training some of the younger siblings.
Jayne respects her because she works twice as hard as him for less money, and because she chose shame instead of violence.
***
At this point, he can afford to kill a few less people. He doesn't need quite so much cash.
But he still can't stop.
He learned his lesson well. Sadly, if he was a good student, money was a bad teacher.
***
People can change, a little, under the right circumstances. For instance, it's amazing how nearly dying in open space can bring you back down to earth.
***
A more introspective man would wonder at what point the need to make money for him and his family turned into just greed. And he might wonder if someone who would sell out his own crewmates can ever permanently change.
Jayne is no big thinker. But sometimes he looks at Simon and River, feels a little sick, and hopes he'll shoot himself before he ever takes an offer like that again.
Anyway, here's some Jayne. He's hard. I was sure I'd made him too sappy and nice, then I looked backand decided it balanced out, but you tell me.
In the town where Jayne was born, the men in the bar used to play a game. They would sit outside and throw petty change onto the road. The kids waiting nearby would run out into the dust and fight for it. The men would watch, impassively, like they would watch dogs fighting for meat.
Some kids got hurt easy and gave up. Some went home with broken arms. Some weren't quick enough when they saw a cart coming and got trampled and died in the street.
Jayne punched and kicked and slammed heads into the ground. And he never, never let go, not even when he passed out.
That was how he learned the value of money.
***
He was the second oldest of nine. There would have been twelve, but one was a stillbirth and two died of sickness before they hit puberty. His father lost a leg to gangrene when Jayne was ten. After that, he couldn't work anymore.
They had almost nothing in those days.
Once Jayne stole food from a half-dead beggar and brought it home for his youngest brother. He felt no guilt. He had already learned the most important rule of survival: never feel sorry for those worse off than you.
***
Simon made him uncomfortable. Jayne kind of liked him, in an awkward way, and disliked him for making him feel so stupid and... like a bad guy.
Maybe it was because he had managed to save his crazy sister and yet never had to kill anyone.
***
Jayne's older sister, not pretty enough to be a Companion or lucky enough to work in a brothel, whores herself in the town bar. Literally- for extra money, she'll do it on the bartop, with everybody watching. She has an arrangement with the owner.
Their parents didn't know until the winter Kasey got infected and she had to work overtime to pay for medicine. They took it well. At that time, they didn't have a choice. By the time things calmed down they accepted the truth of things with a bitter practicality.
Now, his mother knits her sweaters she knows she won't wear out of the house, and pretends not to notice that she is training some of the younger siblings.
Jayne respects her because she works twice as hard as him for less money, and because she chose shame instead of violence.
***
At this point, he can afford to kill a few less people. He doesn't need quite so much cash.
But he still can't stop.
He learned his lesson well. Sadly, if he was a good student, money was a bad teacher.
***
People can change, a little, under the right circumstances. For instance, it's amazing how nearly dying in open space can bring you back down to earth.
***
A more introspective man would wonder at what point the need to make money for him and his family turned into just greed. And he might wonder if someone who would sell out his own crewmates can ever permanently change.
Jayne is no big thinker. But sometimes he looks at Simon and River, feels a little sick, and hopes he'll shoot himself before he ever takes an offer like that again.