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ajremixAlso note: this isn't an actual series. As of right now I'm probably not going to continue this as I just wanted to get the idea out of my head |D
Title: Faith on the Drift: Unknown and All Alone
Fandom: Firefly/American Gods
Rating: PG, more or less
Word Count: 997
Characters: Mal
Summary: Serenity is hard pressed for work, Mal drinks and someone looks to hire him. Cookies for whoever guesses who the man is supposed to be.
He remembered how it used to be way back when, though it really wasn’t all that back when when it was back when. Or something. He’s a little fuzzy on the details and that’s how he wanted it. Kinda funny, drinking to forget so he can remember. Mal didn’t like having to resort to bullying-type jobs, but he liked going hungry and drifting even less. Part of the reason why he’s drinking, really. He’ll regret it later when he’s got a lot less money than he’d like, but that’s for later. Something to look forward to. The fact that being almost not-broke is something to look forward to just went to show something. What that something was was another thing he didn’t want to think about, so he drank.
Everyone was off doing their own thing. Zoe tried convincing him she was capable of going off to get them work but Mal could tell how she acted now, a lot like how she acted right after the war. She tended to scare people off more than she got them jobs so Mal was apt to bring just Jayne for the less legal prospects. But there were no jobs here for them which left Kaylee and River getting supplies with Jayne for the heavy lifting. Simon was off getting foodstuff which left Zoe to mind the ship while Mal got drunk. Inara was hobnobbing with one of her old friends. She said her friend was a generous sort and if she returned with far more treats than she could handle on her own Mal and his crew were welcome to share. Mal didn’t like charity. Free he liked well enough, but not charity. But he wouldn’t begrudge some niceties for the others, either.
She’s too good a woman to be putting up with all… this on their account. He drank to that thought.
“You should slow down.” Someone said from around the elbow region. “Of all the ways to destroy yourself there’s more thorough and cheaper ways than drinking to oblivion.”
“No,” Mal corrected with a wandering finger, “not oblivion. Just… not here-ness.”
“My mistake.” The someone- man, from the blurry looks of it –sat down by Mal. First time some stranger sat next to him since people started connecting him with the captain that stood toe-to-toe with the government. His long brown hair was pulled back at the nape of his neck and he was smiling under a short, neatly trimmed beard. He had a benevolent look around the eyes. Mal wasn’t sure if he liked him. “It’s been a while.”
“I’m sure it has.”
“You lost me some time back, if you recall.”
“I recall that I didn’t.” He slurred back. “Losin’ some’n implies hav’n it in the first place. You,” here Mal miscalculated and ended up poking the stranger in the shoulder, “I don’t know.”
“You know me.” He didn’t seem to mind the contact and still smiled his gentle smile. “You lost me during the war.”
Mal snorted. “I lost lotsa things’na war.”
“Well, you found me again.” The smile took on a sheepish edge. “Sort of.”
“Good fer you.”
“Better for you.” He eyed Mal as he signaled the barkeep for another drink. The stranger slid a hand out to intercept the drink before Mal could drop a finger on it. “Hold on a moment.”
“Hey…”
“I was saying better for you because you need me.”
“What I need is that drink ya’ve got in yer hand there.”
“No, you need me for a job.” He eyed the captain, but made no move to relinquish the tankard. “Should I return this will you hear me out?”
“Deal.” There was no telling how much of what he’d hear would stick, but the stranger gave it back all the same and Mal took a long pull. He frowned at the taste. What the…?
“As I was saying,” he went on as Mal puzzled out his drink, “I have a job for you. It will require my being on your ship if that’s not a problem.”
“No, no. No probl’m.” He still frowned and took a more experimental drink.
“Good. I have a long ways to travel and many things to do, but I can pay for my way.” He watched Mal intently and if Mal watched back, he would’ve seen an amused smile. “You’re just the kind of man I can depend on for this.”
“Yeah?” That gorram barkeep gave him a mug full of water! Mal glared blearily at the man who took no notice. “Ask other folk’n they’ll say you don’t want in with the likes’a us on ‘count what we’ve done.”
“And therein lies the difference. I’d like in with the likes of you on account of what it is you’ve done. After all, in a way what I’m trying to do is very similar. Just with less clashing with the government.” He paused. “Hopefully. Less so this time, anyway. Even if I already knew what was coming to me, it still hurt like a bitch.”
“Oh yes. The gov’ment likes to get their hurt on.” Mal slid his drink away. He better not be paying for that last one. “When d’ya wanna come aboard?”
“Now, if I may.” He signaled over the barkeep. “As part of my down payment and a show of good faith in your abilities, how about I take care of the tab?”
Pfft. Mal won’t say no to that. “All means. Be my guest. Which you are anyway, but still. Go ahead.”
He patted Mal’s arm. “Go back to your ship, captain. I’ll be there soon and I’m sure your crew is just as capable of making me feel at home as you.”
He nodded numbly. “Yeah. I’m just… I’ll… g’on ‘head. Let’m know…” he stumbled a little and waved the strange man off.
Though, really, in the end it meant little enough to Mal how the money was coming in, so long as it came in.
Title: Faith on the Drift: Unknown and All Alone
Fandom: Firefly/American Gods
Rating: PG, more or less
Word Count: 997
Characters: Mal
Summary: Serenity is hard pressed for work, Mal drinks and someone looks to hire him. Cookies for whoever guesses who the man is supposed to be.
He remembered how it used to be way back when, though it really wasn’t all that back when when it was back when. Or something. He’s a little fuzzy on the details and that’s how he wanted it. Kinda funny, drinking to forget so he can remember. Mal didn’t like having to resort to bullying-type jobs, but he liked going hungry and drifting even less. Part of the reason why he’s drinking, really. He’ll regret it later when he’s got a lot less money than he’d like, but that’s for later. Something to look forward to. The fact that being almost not-broke is something to look forward to just went to show something. What that something was was another thing he didn’t want to think about, so he drank.
Everyone was off doing their own thing. Zoe tried convincing him she was capable of going off to get them work but Mal could tell how she acted now, a lot like how she acted right after the war. She tended to scare people off more than she got them jobs so Mal was apt to bring just Jayne for the less legal prospects. But there were no jobs here for them which left Kaylee and River getting supplies with Jayne for the heavy lifting. Simon was off getting foodstuff which left Zoe to mind the ship while Mal got drunk. Inara was hobnobbing with one of her old friends. She said her friend was a generous sort and if she returned with far more treats than she could handle on her own Mal and his crew were welcome to share. Mal didn’t like charity. Free he liked well enough, but not charity. But he wouldn’t begrudge some niceties for the others, either.
She’s too good a woman to be putting up with all… this on their account. He drank to that thought.
“You should slow down.” Someone said from around the elbow region. “Of all the ways to destroy yourself there’s more thorough and cheaper ways than drinking to oblivion.”
“No,” Mal corrected with a wandering finger, “not oblivion. Just… not here-ness.”
“My mistake.” The someone- man, from the blurry looks of it –sat down by Mal. First time some stranger sat next to him since people started connecting him with the captain that stood toe-to-toe with the government. His long brown hair was pulled back at the nape of his neck and he was smiling under a short, neatly trimmed beard. He had a benevolent look around the eyes. Mal wasn’t sure if he liked him. “It’s been a while.”
“I’m sure it has.”
“You lost me some time back, if you recall.”
“I recall that I didn’t.” He slurred back. “Losin’ some’n implies hav’n it in the first place. You,” here Mal miscalculated and ended up poking the stranger in the shoulder, “I don’t know.”
“You know me.” He didn’t seem to mind the contact and still smiled his gentle smile. “You lost me during the war.”
Mal snorted. “I lost lotsa things’na war.”
“Well, you found me again.” The smile took on a sheepish edge. “Sort of.”
“Good fer you.”
“Better for you.” He eyed Mal as he signaled the barkeep for another drink. The stranger slid a hand out to intercept the drink before Mal could drop a finger on it. “Hold on a moment.”
“Hey…”
“I was saying better for you because you need me.”
“What I need is that drink ya’ve got in yer hand there.”
“No, you need me for a job.” He eyed the captain, but made no move to relinquish the tankard. “Should I return this will you hear me out?”
“Deal.” There was no telling how much of what he’d hear would stick, but the stranger gave it back all the same and Mal took a long pull. He frowned at the taste. What the…?
“As I was saying,” he went on as Mal puzzled out his drink, “I have a job for you. It will require my being on your ship if that’s not a problem.”
“No, no. No probl’m.” He still frowned and took a more experimental drink.
“Good. I have a long ways to travel and many things to do, but I can pay for my way.” He watched Mal intently and if Mal watched back, he would’ve seen an amused smile. “You’re just the kind of man I can depend on for this.”
“Yeah?” That gorram barkeep gave him a mug full of water! Mal glared blearily at the man who took no notice. “Ask other folk’n they’ll say you don’t want in with the likes’a us on ‘count what we’ve done.”
“And therein lies the difference. I’d like in with the likes of you on account of what it is you’ve done. After all, in a way what I’m trying to do is very similar. Just with less clashing with the government.” He paused. “Hopefully. Less so this time, anyway. Even if I already knew what was coming to me, it still hurt like a bitch.”
“Oh yes. The gov’ment likes to get their hurt on.” Mal slid his drink away. He better not be paying for that last one. “When d’ya wanna come aboard?”
“Now, if I may.” He signaled over the barkeep. “As part of my down payment and a show of good faith in your abilities, how about I take care of the tab?”
Pfft. Mal won’t say no to that. “All means. Be my guest. Which you are anyway, but still. Go ahead.”
He patted Mal’s arm. “Go back to your ship, captain. I’ll be there soon and I’m sure your crew is just as capable of making me feel at home as you.”
He nodded numbly. “Yeah. I’m just… I’ll… g’on ‘head. Let’m know…” he stumbled a little and waved the strange man off.
Though, really, in the end it meant little enough to Mal how the money was coming in, so long as it came in.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-16 09:43 pm (UTC)