With the posting of Reparation, my count of Firefly/Serenity stories is up to 40.


Therefore, Where the Words Are (chronological archive) and Memories (stories by subject/content) have been updated.


Also realized that all three of my post-movie stories are from Inara's p.o.v. Huh.

I don't know what's been wrong with me lately, wanting to write but not being able to. I'm not even sure what led to this suddenly springing up in my head tonight. Let's hope it gets stuff going again.

M/I, standalone, post-BDM.

( 1,525 words )

This is the last round of Firefly/Serenity recommendations I made last November for crack_van. (I would have been quite remiss if I hadn't made some Mal/Inara recs!) Be sure to send/leave comments for the authors!

******


New Feelings by trisana_mcgraw PG

This story dates back to May 2003, a response to an early ff_friday Challenge--the subject being right and wrong. It's a lovely little "what if" moment, as Mal ponders some of the changes a certain event has brought to his life. Trisana has a delightful way with words; but her journal's inactive, and it seems she hasn't written anything in a long while, which is a pity.


Once in a while, the `verse decided to cut him some slack. He was glad this was one of those times, when he could momentarily forget about all the hardships of life out here in the black and focus instead on the diamonds in the rough.


******


Stay by Goldenthorn PG

Here's another older story. I love it because it's well-done "caper fic," with oodles of character interaction and thrilling heroics. Set post-series, Mal decides to take on a daring job for a big score, despite complications--mainly his emotional state after Inara's departure from Serenity. Kaylee and Jayne get to have some fun taking part in the heist, which of course fails to go entirely smooth.

(Although there's some irregular punctuation in the story that drives me crazy, it's still a good read.)


******


Lost and Found by queen_geek PG

Post-SERENITY ficlet, from ff_friday, on the theme of ghosts. The author does a masterful job of showing how the events of the film affect each crew member, by relating their pasts with this new unsettled present.


******


Absolution by dangermousie PG-13

This little story packs a different emotional wallop than the previous rec. Redemption has always been my favorite Mal/Inara theme, and here it's delivered with equal amounts of joy and sorrow.


Her hands tug at him, and she moans into his mouth and he is shaking because he feels as if he is in free fall, spinning out of control. He does not remember knowing all those dead are his fault. What did Zoe say? “A hero is the one who gets others killed.” He forgets that he is certainly a hero, a score times over.


******


Seven Days by jwynn PG-13

This last rec is a wonderfully evocative piece, brimming over with sensory descriptions. And for the author's first attempt at Firefly fiction, it's delightful. (Of course, that could be my M/I bias showing...) The tagline? "He wants to muss her." Yow.

Set post-SERENITY. (Scroll down the journal to read.)

She doesn’t fit in the rough and tumble confines of Serenity, so perfectly composed, perfectly presented with her smooth dress, smooth walk, smooth words. From the first moment she stepped aboard, she stuck out like the most beautiful polished thumb in the damn galaxy, and his hands just itched to muss her.

******

I wish I could say I had a writing update...hopefully the change in weather will get me in the mood!

Here's another round of recommendations I did last November for crack_van. I think we're past the point of spoiler warnings for the Big Damn Movie, yes?


Paid in Full by Bookworm10. (PG-13)


As far as I can tell, Bookworm10 wrote only three FIREFLY stories, which is a pity--I would have loved to read more by this author, who demonstrated a complete and brilliant understanding of the show and the characters. So this is really more of an author rec, and don't be concerned that I'm sending you to FF.NET.

"Paid in Full" reads like an exceptional episode, in which the crew of Serenity meets up with a captain who's more than a match for Mal, who must take on a job he doesn't want, in order to do right by his crew--and others. The story serves as a perfect stepping-stone between the end of the series and the time prior to SERENITY.


Mal burst into Simon's quarters, grabbed River by an arm and pulled her around to face him. He looked into vacant eyes.

And then he saw stars and bounced off the wall before slumping to the floor. He shook his head and looked up to see Simon glaring down at him. The doctor's fist was clenched and ready for another blow should the captain dare to stand up.

Mal put his hands up in surrender. "Stand down, Doctor. I was too rough, an' I apologize. I'm feelin' a mite frantic right now."

The sincerity in the captain's tone was unmistakable. Simon lowered his fist. "What's wrong?"

"Kaylee musta worked her magic. The other ship took off, but Kaylee and Jayne are still aboard."

Simon wrestled with the implications. "And . . . you blame River?"

Mal rubbed his jaw. "No. 'Course not. But she, she listens. I woulda thought she'd know this was gonna happen."

"That's crazy," Simon objected.

"Well, that's your sister," Mal retorted. "Look, I just need to talk to her. Can I get up now, or are you feeling a need to create demand for your surgical prowess?"

"Uh . . . of course. Just, you know, don't get grabby."

And be sure to try Bookworm's other stories,
Cat and Mouse, and An Earful. "Cat and Mouse" tackles the time just after "Objects in Space," with equally serious and whimsical moments, while "An Earful" is a chilling coda to "War Stories."


******


Inevitable Decline by budclare (PG)


I heart budclare. She's snarky, occasionally evil, and has a gift for saying a lot with very few words. This was written for the 90th ff_friday, 100 to 1000 words about gravity. It's the perfect drabble: 100 words, features my OTP, and it never fails to make me laugh.


******



Broken Toys by sharelle (PG)

I had put together a list of potential recs a few weeks before I was scheduled to start, and had a good idea what I wanted to to include, but then I stumbled across a new story that blew me away. It features what had become really familiar ground very quickly last October--SERENITY aftermath fic--but with wonderful style. The first-person Mal voice works very well, and the whole "what's going to happen to Zoe?" plot is meaningful and sweet without being overly angsty. The imagery applied to the theme of what's broken and what's not gives the whole story a very real feeling.


It was sort of like that these days, flying this beautiful heap of rough-edged metal for the first time – full-time – in a long while. It was shaky and unfamiliar and awkward, but there was enough muscle memory to guide me through. You never really forget. Even if it had been years since I'd had to pilot my own ship.

There is a noticeable difference, of course, from the way it was before: not as smooth, not as responsive, not as much maneuverability resulting from my touch. Not that anyone mentions it directly to me. We're all trying our best here. Though sometimes it's as if Serenity herself is just putting up with me, but only temporarily. As though she's biding her time and keeping her patience until her real master comes back.

You're not doing too bad, Captain Reynolds, but let me know when Wash's behind the wheel again.

I wonder sometimes how she'd take it if she knew. Besides Zoë, Serenity had been the other lady in Wash's life. I wonder sometimes if maybe she did know; if she knew before the rest of us did; if she'd felt him go. She'd been the one to stay with him, after all, when none of us could. Maybe, in her awkward handling, Serenity was still working out her own grief.


******



Good Vibrations by liquidize (NC-17)


Why read this? Because Kaylee had the best "Oh-my-God-did-she-really-just-say-that??" line in the whole Big Damn Movie. Because Liq is one of the two most...devoted Simon/Kaylee fans I know. Because it's naughty and hot and sneakily funny. No real spoilers for the movie, as such, since this technically takes place between it and the series. In the journal-entry version there are some warnings, just in case some people find it a bit ewwwie, although the title should clue you in...


******


Picnic by azuremonkey (PG-13)


I like this story because not everything would be gloom and doom after the events of the movie, even with the crew dynamic so drastically altered. It's a great ensemble piece, with all the voices perfectly done. The author's own description: "Jayne’s getting some and Mal’s having none of it."


He didn’t think it was Inara. She’d never service the crew. And if she did – which she didn’t, but if she did – it would be in her shuttle. She would never go into Jayne’s quarters. Not that it mattered. She’d never service the crew.

“You whoring with Jayne?”

“Come in, Mal. Make yourself welcome. Am I what?”

Her cheeks were flushed. He wondered what she’d been thinking of when he stormed in.

“Jayne. And you.”

“Why, yes, yes, as a matter of fact, we are. Right here on the rug. Sometimes twice if he begs nicely. Did you want details?”


******

Enjoy! Be sure to leave comments for the authors!

I apologize for the hiatus. Sometimes winter is not my most productive season.

Anyway...ta-daa! Here's a new chapter from "Risk."

For those just joining us:

Explanation, notes and disclaimers in Part 1.

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

A reminder: Most of this story was originally written several years ago. Today's chapter recently underwent a heavy revision, although the last few pages are much as I first wrote them.

Previously, in Part 5, Mal was trying to keep out of everyone's way, but it's hard to hide from a psychic.

( Meanwhile, Inara knows what needs to be done... )

Last November I did the Firefly Recs over at crack_van. I'm going to repost them here in case anyone missed them.

My goal was to provide a mix of stories based on the series, from authors not previously recced there, whose work may not be familiar to old or new fans; plus a selection of more recent fic based on the movie SERENITY.

Here are the first few; they're all stories I liked very much.

******

Bad Business by Annie M. (R)


It's a crying shame that Annie (known as TrekGirl in ST:VOYAGER fandom) didn't write more FIREFLY stories. But this one's a doozy. She takes the recurring theme of Serenity's crew in dire straits with limited job options, and gives it a kick with the introduction of some intriguing original characters. There's great character interaction, thrilling heroics, scary moments, and one hell of a twist to answer one of the series' mysteries (beating the movie to the punch by almost two years).

They sat in silence for several minutes and Zoe watched patrons enter and leave the grimy but well stocked saloon while Mal brooded over his drink.

Zoe eventually broke the silence between them. "We need to find a job, sir."

Without looking up Mal spat, "I'm well aware of that fact, Zoe."

"We can't find one sitting here drinking, sir," she replied coolly.

Mal brought his head up and looked directly at his first mate. He noticed that contrary to her remark, she wasn't drinking, didn't even have a glass before her. Instead she sat watching him, her elbows leaning on the table, face calm, dark brown eyes reflecting no hint of accusation. Mal took a deep breath.

"Zoe, maybe you hadn't noticed but it seems to me all employment opportunities on this here planet just crawled up that heng, edu nuren's hou bian."


******


Poke (or A Short Spoilerific Serenity Fic) by opportunemoment. (PG)

SERENITY the movie has prompted a huge outpouring of fanfic, some written before the film's "official" premiere, thanks to all the pre-screenings held by Universal. You've got your coping fics, the moving-on stories, 'shipping...and little gems like this one, which brings the funny. No great surprise, really, when one of Joss's dictums is "...'make it dark, make it grim, make it tough,' but then, for the love of God, tell a joke."

The crew moves on, all right, much to Mal's dismay.


******


Big Damn Heroes and
Everyday Hero by Kate Coyne. (Both PG)

Written in 2003, these two stories serve as follow-ups to the episodes "War Stories" and "Objects in Space." The author calls them conversations on the nature of courage, but they're far more than that. They give marvelous insight into three different characters: Wash, Mal and Kaylee, but especially Wash, and how each deals with the harsh realities of their life in the black--and more importantly, how they see each other.


The captain’s eyes narrowed as he came the few steps up from the passageway to the bridge to loom over Wash, "Is there something you know, that I don't?"

"Hell, dan nang, Cap. I can fly the boat for instance, which having seen you try, I 'm pretty sure I know something there that you don't. . . . And I know this nice little cabaret where you can see geese juggled and get warm plum wine with no cover . . . . Also, I know where the sweet spot on Zoe's . . . well, let's just say there's some things I know that you don't."

"Je shr shuh muh lan dong shi? As you can see, I am not finding this as amusing as you are. In fact, I'm armed and I'm getting seriously annoyed. So–o-o, let's circle back to where we were before you tried to distract me with your low cunning and amazing lack of self preservation in talking about Zoe's sweet anything--Is there something about Kaylee you know, that I don't?"

##########

He looked at her seriously. “The truth is, meimei, on any given day any one of us might get killed, or get someone else killed. That doesn’t mean we don’t need you. It doesn’t even mean you are a coward. I’ve been giving this a lot of thought in the dogwatches. I’ve come to the conclusion that there are different kinds of courage. Mal and Zoe and even Jayne have one kind. But you and I, we have our kind too, a smaller kind, maybe, an everyday kind. But Serenity needs both kinds to survive, as a ship and as a home.”

Sadly, she shook her head. “I don’t get your meaning, Wash. I’m the onliest person on the boat that can’t hold her end up when push comes to shove. Every other person on the boat can suck it up when it’s a case of ‘have to’. Just not me.”

“Oh, and I suppose that wasn’t you under the cargo deck bypassing the pressure catch on that booby trap the Reavers left? That must have been some other mechanic, risking getting blown to Kingdom Come. You know, kiddo, Mal got Book, Simon and especially Jayne out of the way, he never gave thought you wouldn’t be able to do the needful. I was nearly a quivering nancy-boy myself, you just got under there and did what needed doing.”


******


Beautiful Destruction by alianora. (PG)

Amidst all the post-SERENITY fic, there are some stories which are actually missing scenes. This tense little moment focuses on Jayne and Zoe, making not-so-idle conversation as they wait behind the blast doors for the end of everything. The characterizations and voices are spot-on, giving the piece a perfect you-are-there feeling.


They sat and watched the non moving door for a moment.

“I can’t hear nothing,” he finally said.

“Doors are too thick.”

“I can’t help but wonder, you know?”

“Yeah.” She swallowed, the sound audible in the odd silence. “Thought you didn’t like her.”

“I got nothing ‘gainst her, ‘cept some bruises and a tendency to knock me unconscious.”

“Sounds like plenty.”


******

More recs coming soon!

News from Whedonesque: Titan Books will publish an official Firefly Companion Book!

I'm so excited!

(Sorry to be MIA, yet again...turns out I've been dealing with bronchitis all month, but I got some good prescriptions and am just starting to feel better...)


The computer might be going in for another--something tomorrow, and then we'll be out of town for a few days. It remains to be seen if I can post to LJ via Michelle's laptop.

So...

Once again, NORAD Tracks Santa! A little something for the kid in everyone. As always, the team at NEADS, right here in Rome, will be involved in charting Santa's path on Christmas Eve/Morning, and answering phone calls from children. Go Team Griffiss! And Yea! for the Canadian forces also monitoring the satellite images. This year there are added special features, and the advanced radar systems will be able to ID not only Rudolph, but the rest of Santa's team as well.

******

My traditional Christmas message, borrowed from Emerson, Lake and Palmer's "I Believe in Father Christmas":


"I wish you a hopeful Christmas,
I wish you a brave New Year,
All anguish, pain and sadness,
Leave your heart and let your road be clear."

******

Reading a post from last year, I see I was feeling "meh" about the holiday season then as well. How odd. But I'm feeling a little cheerier than I was this morning.

(And I'll probably read All Is Bright before I go to bed, because that never fails to cheer me up.

Once again I apologize for the delay is posting any fiction lately...or much else, for that matter. I'll try to do better before it gets too close to Christmas.

A smallish chapter will have to suffice this evening. Previously labeled 5 (a)

When we last left our crew, Mal had fled from Zoe's scrutiny, Inara was gathering her courage, and Wash and Kaylee had a little heart-to-heart about what might be troubling their captain.

I have to acknowledge taraljc's part in the creation of this scene, lo these many years ago; for she gave me a random line of dialogue to build it around.

( Mal can run, but can he hide? )

I apologize for the lack of posts/story stuff/etc. Our computer was in the shop for several days, and I've had a nasty cold. I need a couple of more days to get caught up. I hope. We know how December can get...

Some of you may have seen that I was doing the November Recs over at crack_van. Just for the heck of it I may repost the links over here.

In the meantime, check this out: Serenity Handpuppet Theater, which is the funniest thing since Serenity in 2000 Words.

Holy cow--seven new friends all of a sudden! Alas, no fic with which to celebrate...but that's being seen to...


Here's the scoop:

If you're new to Firefly fandom, most if not all the stories posted here will contain spoilers for the series.

What you'll find here: Gen. Most stories are all-ages, aside from some Firefly-speak cussin' and generally low-key descriptions of violence. Any stories with adult content are so marked, and are all het. YMMV on the angst levels; I've been known to make people cry.

The usual disclaimers: The stories posted in this journal are works of fanfiction, written for the enjoyment of fans. No infringement is intended on the rights of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, or 20th Century Fox TV. All stories herein (c) to HawkMoth. (The terrifying space monkeys made me do it.) No other archiving, please.

Browse around, leave some comments, enjoy!

When a show gets cancelled before its time, one of the first questions is "But what would have happened next??" And as we know with Firefly, there were so many plot threads that needed tying up--and although we've seen some of that with the movie, all those stories Joss had left to tell should have played put over the course of several episodes. At the time, we could only guess, and sometimes not necessarily accurately, what might have been, without knowing the correct sequence of aired storylines (not until the DVDs came out).

Among the flurry of post-"Objects in Space" fanfic, today's recommendations really stand out. In the author's words, it was "a sweeps-like story arc," four wonderful, long, plotty stories with excellent character portrayals. As a professionally published writer, Shanna employed a straight-forward, direct approach to the 'verse, in stories filled with equal amounts of action and angst as the crew faces pirates, the inevitabilty of Inara's departure, betrayal, corrupt lawmen and more. But there's humor, too, as some of the crew scheme against Mal when they bring a new...passenger on board.

Set aside a few hours to savor these:


Space Pirates


Cat and Mouse Games


Recurring Nightmares


A Time to Heal

So I realized something as I was drifting off to sleep last night...

It was three years ago this week that I caved gave in and admitted that I was so totally screwed in love with Firefly that I wanted to write fanfic (this after vowing "Never again!" when I fell out of love with Voyager). Even though I was an old hand at the game, I was very trepidatious, because 1. I hadn't felt the same about Buffy or Angel and 2. Firefly was just so...unique that I was afraid I wouldn't do it justice.

For the record, "Out of Gas" had sealed my love, and "Ariel" was what really done me in.


Things Not Smooth was the result.


(No, I didn't finish the gun story yet. I am also behind in my recs. Getting caught up before the holiday is going to be a bitch.)

Remember this?

Mal lets his coat drop to the floor, and before he reaches the bed his shirt has followed. He sits heavily next to where Inara's legs are drawn up under the covers, pulling his gun out of the holster.

Hot metal. Smoke and death. Sometimes Inara thinks those scents are burned into his skin, even when she can't smell them on him.

But now they surround him, and her. Mal's face is still empty and the glitter in his eyes is far from cold. He raises the gun, and Inara steels herself not flinch as he rests the barrel lightly across her face, the end resting against her temple.

Finally got back in the mood for it. Should be done and posted by the weekend.

I don't know where/when the genre of "improv" fanfic started, but it was a big thing for early Firefly fandom. Today's rec is by Nicole Clevenger (a/k/a shyday), a Zoe story set after the events of "War Stories." It's a beautifully detailed contrast of the every-day ordinary life on Serenity with constant risks and dangers that life entails.

Dish Duty

Another public service for fanfic writers, brought to you by the Firefly Division of
DangerMom's Handy Dandy Guide to Grammar.

*An extremely helpful tip: If you're having a mellow evening, chilling out with a glass of wine before you write up an entry, proof the damn thing twice. And then again for good measure.*

Which, of course, is a good rule when you're stone cold sober, too.

Onwards.

( Today's FYI: Names. )

Another one for ff_friday, as well!

Ninety-seventh Challenge: Ink.

Spoilers, movie, you know the drill.

( The ink hasn't had time to fade. )

There are only a few fan authors that can make me say "Damn! I wish I'd written that!" and maystone is one of them. She comes up with brilliant, stunning plots, and always displays a deep love and much respect for the characters. On this grey November day, I'm reccing two of her stories that bring the funny.

Matinee in which our crew goes to the movies. Hilarity (and snark) ensue.

and

Last Night at Sally Ann's. Mal and company wait at a possibly disreputable bar, hoping to meet up with a client, and instead meet up with a rival crew. Drinking, dancing, flirting and fighting--what more could you ask for?

We'll probably never know how much backstory we might have gotten for each Firfely character...there were little tantalizing hints dropped here and there throughout the series' mournfully short run, but we never got anything really--meaty.

Which, of course, is the fuel that fires a thousand fanfics.

Today's rec is by scrunchy, a look at the life that led Wash to Serenity. Within a very typical flashback frame, she gives us a terrfic history, solid details, and well-drawn supporting characters.

Check out this cover illo first, then read.

Home Again. (Rated NC-17)

Be forewarned--if you haven't pre-ordered the Firefly soundtrack, and may be looking for it locally, the Wal-Mart here had only one copy available. One. I was there early when the vendors were still unpacking the new releases and got it right out of the box.

I like the movie soundtrack, but I looooooooovvvve this so much more!