ineedmymods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ineedmymods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
ineedmyfics2010-09-12 10:42 pm
ineedmymods) wrote in ineedmyfics2010-09-12 10:42 pm
Entry tags:
Costume Night
For ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ashavah
Fromauthor_by_night
Title: Costume Night
Fandom: Firefly
Rating: PG-13
Few amongst the crew really knew where Costume Night came from.
Kaylee, dressed as a pirate, said that Costume Night had been a night in October where children had carved pumpkins and devoted them to God. Wash, dressed as a dinosaur, said it all had to do with, of course, dinosaurs. Simon didn't think he was serious. Zoe, also dressed as a dinosaur, said that she had heard of a day called The Day of the Dead, where people had celebrated the dead and dressed up to ward off bad spirits. Jayne sat back in his chair with his beer, offering a vulgar explanation Simon didn't feel like listening to.
Even River was dressed up; in a rare lucid moment, she'd decided to wear a ballerina outfit. Inara had sewn one for her, something Simon was grateful for.
Simon had dressed up as an Egyptian Pharaoh. He hadn't wanted to dress up, initially, but Kaylee talked him into it, saying almost everyone else would.
Simon wasn't really sure why he'd dressed up. Was it to please River? Kaylee? Or was it that he missed doing something for pleasure's sake? It had been a long time, after all, since he had last really done something a little juvenile but still fun and worthwhile. He knew everyone thought he was stodgy, but even he knew how to have a good time. His ideas just generally did not involve guns, horses, or theft.
"Jayne, I really don't think Costume Night came out of women chaining themselves to Pumpkins," Zoe was saying.
"You never know."
Zoe shook her head.
"Actually," Simon began, "Costume Night comes from a few things. In some countries back on Earth That Was-"
"Here we go again, Professor Tam lecturing us on dotting the t's," Jayne remarked.
"Jayne," Kaylee warned. "Go on, Simon."
Simon cleared his throat. "Back on Earth That Was, the Celts had a Holiday called All-Hallow's-Eve."
"What the gorram hell is a Celt?" Jayne interrupted.
"They-"
Simon was interrupted by Mal, who was excitedly taking a pan out of the oven.
"The Pumpkin Pie's ready!"
Everyone eagerly grabbed a bite, and Simon realized that he had lost their interest.
Again.
This seemed to happen a lot; for whatever reason, the crew of Serenity wasn't all that interested in the origins of Costume Night. Or, quite frankly, anything else Simon had to offer.
Growing up, Simon had been used to friends who were very much intrigued by history. Everything had history, and no topic was disqualified for discussion; of course some friends were more interested than others, but for the most part, Simon always had someone who shared his interests in history and science and medicine. Or, at least, one of those things.
The crew was not really interested in any of those subjects. Zoe seemed moderately interested in physics, and Wash knew about it by virtue of flying a spaceship. But they didn't live their lives wondering how things came to be, and what things they were doing now would lead to something greater in the future. They were too busy trying to avoid getting shot.
"River," Simon whispered, "are you bored?"
"The little girl isn't here," River replied.
"That's not what I--"
"Here, River," Kaylee said as she returned to the table, handing the girl a piece of pie. "Are you sure you didn't want some, Simon?"
"I think I'm going to -- I'll be back," Simon finished quickly. "River, do you-"
"You heard her, Simon," Zoe interrupted as she too returned to the table. "The little girl isn't here. Take a hint."
Kaylee giggled, and Simon reluctantly left his sister in the kitchen. He hated being more than a foot away from her, but he knew Kaylee wouldn't let anything bad happen.
"Are you okay?"
Simon hadn't noticed Inara until he walked right into her Jane Austen era hat.
"Sorry," Simon said quickly.
Inara looked towards the dining room, where they could both hear laughter.
"It's not easy for you, is it?" She asked.
Simon didn't respond at first; as much as he liked Inara, he had never been one to share his feelings.
"I'm a Companion, Simon," Inara said quietly as she touched his shoulder.
Simon quickly withdrew. "I don't need... I'm not..."
Inara, to Simon's surprise, laughed in that special quiet way.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I wasn't offering you Companionship -- well, that kind of Companionship."
Simon went red. He always, always misunderstood women. It was probably why he hadn't kissed Kaylee yet.
"I only mean," Inara continued, "that I can read emotions fairly well. I see how awkward it can be for you in there."
The two friends walked a little further, towards the bridge, and leaned against it.
"It's not easy," Inara said. "Believe me, I know."
"I don't think they quite take me seriously," Simon told her. "I don't know how to talk to them."
"To who, exactly?" Inara asked.
"Well..."
"To Jayne, who thinks with everything but his head? To Mal, the most cynical, irrest-irrational man on this ship?"
Simon laughed, and wondered if Inara even knew he'd heard ‘irresistible' being uttered first.
"You can talk to Kaylee," Inara added. "She'd like that. As for the others... you don't have to talk logic and fact all the time, you know."
"Like I said," Simon said, "it's what I'm used to. I'm used to... fitting in."
"Are you really?"
"Why wouldn't--"
Inara put her hand up as if to hush him. "Look at River. Logic did not tell you that she was being used as a government science experiment. Logic told you such things only happen in tales. None of the people you're used to agreed."
Simon thought of his father, who had probably disowned him now. He thought of his friends, who'd scoffed just as much at his insistence that something was wrong. He thought of his most trusted teacher, who had said the Alliance was infallible.
Then he thought of the Captain and Zoe, who had tried to stop the Alliance to begin with. He thought of Kaylee, how she was often a little blunt but also often right. Even Jayne, as rude as he could be, had to be given credit for having points here and there.
"Simon!"
River was dancing out of the kitchen, holding an apple in her right hand.
"We're going to apple bob next," she said. "Come on already, I know Kaylee's growing impatient."
River did a dance back towards the kitchen, and Inara gently put a hand on Simon's shoulder.
"You don't have to fit in to belong, just as much as I am," she said quietly. "You're just as much crew as the rest of us. Now, how about them apples?"
ashavahFrom
author_by_nightTitle: Costume Night
Fandom: Firefly
Rating: PG-13
Few amongst the crew really knew where Costume Night came from.
Kaylee, dressed as a pirate, said that Costume Night had been a night in October where children had carved pumpkins and devoted them to God. Wash, dressed as a dinosaur, said it all had to do with, of course, dinosaurs. Simon didn't think he was serious. Zoe, also dressed as a dinosaur, said that she had heard of a day called The Day of the Dead, where people had celebrated the dead and dressed up to ward off bad spirits. Jayne sat back in his chair with his beer, offering a vulgar explanation Simon didn't feel like listening to.
Even River was dressed up; in a rare lucid moment, she'd decided to wear a ballerina outfit. Inara had sewn one for her, something Simon was grateful for.
Simon had dressed up as an Egyptian Pharaoh. He hadn't wanted to dress up, initially, but Kaylee talked him into it, saying almost everyone else would.
Simon wasn't really sure why he'd dressed up. Was it to please River? Kaylee? Or was it that he missed doing something for pleasure's sake? It had been a long time, after all, since he had last really done something a little juvenile but still fun and worthwhile. He knew everyone thought he was stodgy, but even he knew how to have a good time. His ideas just generally did not involve guns, horses, or theft.
"Jayne, I really don't think Costume Night came out of women chaining themselves to Pumpkins," Zoe was saying.
"You never know."
Zoe shook her head.
"Actually," Simon began, "Costume Night comes from a few things. In some countries back on Earth That Was-"
"Here we go again, Professor Tam lecturing us on dotting the t's," Jayne remarked.
"Jayne," Kaylee warned. "Go on, Simon."
Simon cleared his throat. "Back on Earth That Was, the Celts had a Holiday called All-Hallow's-Eve."
"What the gorram hell is a Celt?" Jayne interrupted.
"They-"
Simon was interrupted by Mal, who was excitedly taking a pan out of the oven.
"The Pumpkin Pie's ready!"
Everyone eagerly grabbed a bite, and Simon realized that he had lost their interest.
Again.
This seemed to happen a lot; for whatever reason, the crew of Serenity wasn't all that interested in the origins of Costume Night. Or, quite frankly, anything else Simon had to offer.
Growing up, Simon had been used to friends who were very much intrigued by history. Everything had history, and no topic was disqualified for discussion; of course some friends were more interested than others, but for the most part, Simon always had someone who shared his interests in history and science and medicine. Or, at least, one of those things.
The crew was not really interested in any of those subjects. Zoe seemed moderately interested in physics, and Wash knew about it by virtue of flying a spaceship. But they didn't live their lives wondering how things came to be, and what things they were doing now would lead to something greater in the future. They were too busy trying to avoid getting shot.
"River," Simon whispered, "are you bored?"
"The little girl isn't here," River replied.
"That's not what I--"
"Here, River," Kaylee said as she returned to the table, handing the girl a piece of pie. "Are you sure you didn't want some, Simon?"
"I think I'm going to -- I'll be back," Simon finished quickly. "River, do you-"
"You heard her, Simon," Zoe interrupted as she too returned to the table. "The little girl isn't here. Take a hint."
Kaylee giggled, and Simon reluctantly left his sister in the kitchen. He hated being more than a foot away from her, but he knew Kaylee wouldn't let anything bad happen.
"Are you okay?"
Simon hadn't noticed Inara until he walked right into her Jane Austen era hat.
"Sorry," Simon said quickly.
Inara looked towards the dining room, where they could both hear laughter.
"It's not easy for you, is it?" She asked.
Simon didn't respond at first; as much as he liked Inara, he had never been one to share his feelings.
"I'm a Companion, Simon," Inara said quietly as she touched his shoulder.
Simon quickly withdrew. "I don't need... I'm not..."
Inara, to Simon's surprise, laughed in that special quiet way.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I wasn't offering you Companionship -- well, that kind of Companionship."
Simon went red. He always, always misunderstood women. It was probably why he hadn't kissed Kaylee yet.
"I only mean," Inara continued, "that I can read emotions fairly well. I see how awkward it can be for you in there."
The two friends walked a little further, towards the bridge, and leaned against it.
"It's not easy," Inara said. "Believe me, I know."
"I don't think they quite take me seriously," Simon told her. "I don't know how to talk to them."
"To who, exactly?" Inara asked.
"Well..."
"To Jayne, who thinks with everything but his head? To Mal, the most cynical, irrest-irrational man on this ship?"
Simon laughed, and wondered if Inara even knew he'd heard ‘irresistible' being uttered first.
"You can talk to Kaylee," Inara added. "She'd like that. As for the others... you don't have to talk logic and fact all the time, you know."
"Like I said," Simon said, "it's what I'm used to. I'm used to... fitting in."
"Are you really?"
"Why wouldn't--"
Inara put her hand up as if to hush him. "Look at River. Logic did not tell you that she was being used as a government science experiment. Logic told you such things only happen in tales. None of the people you're used to agreed."
Simon thought of his father, who had probably disowned him now. He thought of his friends, who'd scoffed just as much at his insistence that something was wrong. He thought of his most trusted teacher, who had said the Alliance was infallible.
Then he thought of the Captain and Zoe, who had tried to stop the Alliance to begin with. He thought of Kaylee, how she was often a little blunt but also often right. Even Jayne, as rude as he could be, had to be given credit for having points here and there.
"Simon!"
River was dancing out of the kitchen, holding an apple in her right hand.
"We're going to apple bob next," she said. "Come on already, I know Kaylee's growing impatient."
River did a dance back towards the kitchen, and Inara gently put a hand on Simon's shoulder.
"You don't have to fit in to belong, just as much as I am," she said quietly. "You're just as much crew as the rest of us. Now, how about them apples?"
no subject
no subject
no subject
Thank you so much!
no subject
And you're welcome. Thank you for the chance to write a longer Firefly fanfic. :)
no subject
no subject
Thank you for writing with us!
no subject
You should watch Firefly. :P
no subject
no subject
I can kill you with my brainicon love. :) Can I snag it?no subject
no subject
"I'm sorry," she said. "I wasn't offering you Companionship -- well, that kind of Companionship."
Simon went red. He always, always misunderstood women. It was probably why he hadn't kissed Kaylee yet.
It's so adorable and so perfect. The whole thing is great. It's a sweet, sweet story. Thanks so much for sharing it!
no subject