Name of Muse: Jayne Cobb
Fandom/Type of Muse: Firefly/Serenity/Canon
Link to muse profile page: http://heroof-canton.livejournal.com/profile
Mun name, nickname or handle: MJ
Best way to get a message to the mun: e-mail
Do you use AIM or any other IM? Yes, AIM. E-mail for handle.
One hundred words about the muse that everyone should know:
"Ain't logical. Cuttin' on his own face, rapin' and murdering - Hell, I'll kill a man in a fair fight... or if I think he's gonna start a fair fight, or if he bothers me, or if there's a woman, or if I'm gettin' paid - mostly only when I'm gettin' paid. But these Reavers... last ten years they show up like the bogeyman from stories. Eating people alive? Where's that get fun?"
"Shepherd Book said they was men who just reached the edge of space, saw a vasty nothingness, and went bibbledy over it."
"Oh, hell, i've been to the edge. Just looked like... more space."
Prompt only, or available to roleplay? Available for limited RP.
Posting tag: Jayne Cobb (Firefly)
Link to memories or tag page showing RotM posts: http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=heroof_canton&keyword=%28ROTM+prompts%29&filter=all

Jayne is well on his way to being back to his awesome self! Thank you lollobrigida for the new header/layout!

If you could somehow create the perfect drug, with no side effects and no cost, free to anyone who wanted it, what would it be? What would it do? How long would the effects last, and would it be addictive?

Firstly, let's figure out somethin' here. I'm gonna be makin' this drug, an' it's gonna be perfect, right? Completely perfect? Like, I ain't gotta worry 'bout nothin' with it perfect? And it can be addictive if'n I want it to be, and everybody's gonna love it?

And I'm not gonna charge for it?

Are you outta your mind? 'Course I'm gonna charge for it! I'm gonna charge core-prices for that drug, and pettle it out to them doctors and companions and whatever that think they know everythin' about everythin', an' take their money so they can take my drug. What'll I charge? 100 platinum a pinch? 200? If it's the perfect drug with no side effects, them wealthy core-bred'll buy it easy.

No cost to me, that's a 100% profit, if I'm doin' my math right.

I'll be a rich man. Better'n rich.

And I'll make it addictive. Ridiculously addictive. They'll be cravin' it the moment it ain't in their bloodstream. They'll be knockin' on my door, beggin' me to give 'em a little more of the drug. That's what we call 'repeat business'.

Pity I ain't a schooled man. That mighta been a good idea if I know anythin' about chemistry.

Muse: Jayne Cobb
Fandom: Firefly / Serenity
Word Count: 202

"Did you know that it takes less than a pound of pressure to break flesh?" Mal says over a couple of whatever distilled stuff Kaylee made one night. He's gone all nostalgic and go se, an' Jayne ain't sure what to do with him when he's like that.

"We're fragile creatures," Mal finishes the sentiment with a pull from his drink.

"Who toldja that?" Jayne asks, "Sounds like a pile to me. Ain't fragile, I can take a punch that's got more'n a few pounds behind it an' I don't break. Well, don't break too bad, anyway."

"'Nara told me."

"She learn that in whore school or somethin'?"

The way Mal's lookin' at him, might as well be a gun 'tween his eyes. "Don't be callin' 'Nara a whore, now. Woman works for honest money, ain't nothin' wrong with that."

"Ain't nothin' wrong 'th what we do, neither," Jayne replies, "An' it don't involve us spreadin' for nobody but the whores we pay for---"

Quick as a flash, Mal's got Jayne's collar in his fists and he's glarin' down at him like he's gonna pummel more'n just one or five. Ain't a look Jayne gets often from Mal (actually, uh, it sorta is, but that ain't the point), an' Jayne don't like it.

"I was jus' sayin'!"

"You. Don't. Call. 'Nara. That. We clear on that?"

"Geez, Mal, don't gotta go all Crazy-girl on me. I get it. You're sweet on 'Nara an' takin' it out on me cause you can't pay for her."

Mal releases Jayne's collar and takes a few steps back. At first, Jayne's a bit terrified that Mal'll pull a gun on him, but instead the man goes for his drink, instead.

"Don't wanna pay for her. Woman don't need to be paid, she just..."

"Oh, Mal, don't be startin' that. You start that, an' you're gonna go soft and then I'm gonna get tempted to leave and then I'm gonna have to fight you and that'll mean me breakin' poor little Kaylee's heart when I bash your skull in an' we don't need nonea that." Jayne smirks a bit. "You know I can punch harder'n a pound."

Mal is silent for a long moment, then breaks into laughter. The moment is diffused. Good. Jayne can't stand none of that talk. Man talk, 'bout breakin' bones and stealin', that's stuff he can stand. Might even like it.

Don't take the nostalgic look offa Mal's face, though.

Muse: Jayne Cobb
Fandom: Firefly / Serenity
Word Count: 422

"Money wasn't good enough."

"And what if it was?"

"Well, that'll be a very interesting day."


"What are you waiting for?" There was no denyin' the snap to Mal's voice, not that Jayne could really blame him. He figured that if he had a sawed-off shotgun barrel pointed 'tween his eyes by his own crew he'd be pretty steamed his own self.

"Feds ain't here yet, cap'n," Zoe replied, her own voice ice in comparison, "I reckon that's who he's waitin' for."

"Ain't no talkin', you got it?" Jayne snapped, "Warrant don't say nothin' 'bout you bein' alive, so you give me a reason to shoot, I'm gonna."

"Oh, yeah?" Mal demanded, attempting to move to his feet but finding that the headwound Jayne had given him and the fact that his hands were tied behind his back made it more than a little difficult to do so. In the end, the browncoat dropped back to his knees, glaring with all of the anger and amusement that Jayne imagined was in the man.

"Yeah." Jayne's lips were pursed, his face contorted, trying to stay with emotionlessness but not succeedin' even one little bit. That was one thing about himself he couldn't change---y'know, besides everythin' else---he couldn't hide emotion. Wore it all on his rather manly and muscular sleeve.

"Then just shoot me, Jayne," Mal said, "Time's come, right? That interestin' time we knew was gonna happen one day. Shoot me." He was on his feet now, and Jayne felt resolve slip, slip, stay still, slip.

"I ain't messin' with you, Mal. I'm gonna shoot, you take another step. Feds don't want you, they want River 'n the Doc, and I'm gonna give 'em up, and yer gonna let me."

"Like hell I ain't," Mal spat, "And if you' need that ruttin' money so much, you better shoot me now, cause I swear, I'm gonna find you. Gonna kill you for touchin' my crew."

Jayne shook his head, "They're only your crew 'til they find somethin' better."

"Mebee," Mal replied, "'Til that day, they're my crew. You were part of 'em, Jayne. You were one of us, and I trusted ya. Day's changed, though, it appears."

Slip, stay, slip, slip, slip...

"What're you waitin' for?" Mal shouted, and Jayne felt himself jump, but not fire. His eyes were wide. Terror. Fear. Terror.

What was he waiting for? Why couldn't he fire?

Day was changin', but Jayne had no idea into what.

Muse: Jayne Cobb
Fandom: Firefly / Serenity
Word Count: 396, not including dialogue from 1.01, "Serenity"

I never thought I'd say this, but...I miss 'em.

River and Simon. The crew I lost when I sold 'em out.

Pair of 'em. Got captured on Ariel, I keep sayin'. Not sure if Mal believes me, but he don't say nothin' if he does. I'm guessin' I shouldn't care. Got my job, got my bunk, got my money. Ruttin' pair of 'em outta my life.

Kaylee cried. Cried for days and days, and I'm thinkin' losin' that doctor broke her little heart. I shouldn't care 'bout that, but I do. Zoe says all sharp an' such that I'm a failure, leavin' 'em and runnin'. I wonder what they'd say if they knew it was me that brought 'em in.

Maybe I don't wanna know.

Look I got from Mal when I said I was leavin' wasn't the look of a surprised man. He just crossed his arms and said somethin' like "Good", then pointed to the door. He knows, but he can't prove it. Don't know about the pile of money, and maybe the guilt on my face was just real-lookin' enough to make him wonder.

Got a place, just off-core, blew a lot of money on guns and whores. Got real fond of Gracie, she was small and lithe, with real long, pretty brown hair. She liked to dance, too.

Ain't cause I miss River. Ain't cause I'd want her. Just like Gracie, is all.

Got a neighbor, his youngest likes workin' on engines. Pretty sweet, for a girl. Got a big ol' smile and I keep thinkin' I oughta buy her strawberries or somethin', even though I heard she was allergic.

Ain't cause I miss Kaylee. Just sayin'.

Don't got a boss man no more. S'all right, weren't no fun workin' under a man who knew what you done anyway. Used to think he trusted me. Kind of wish he didn't, cause losin' it wouldn'ta been so bad.

Muse: Jayne Cobb
Fandom: Firefly / Serenity
Word Count: 325

"You stink."

Jayne curled his head over to look at the ladder near his door from where he lay in bed. River hung there, looking rather cross, indeed.

"Wha?" It seemed like the most logical response.

"You stink of sex."

Well, yeah. They'd just landed on Serocore, had some of the cheapest whorehouses this side of the core. 'Course he wasn't gonna smell like anythin' but sex.

"Ain't none of yours," Jayne replied, propping his head back up on his arms and relaxing on the bed.

River dropped silently down on the floor and stalked over to his bed, glaring.

"You smell better with gunpowder and angry and stinking is bad."

Ruttin' girl didn't make no sense, not ever.

"Why d'you care?" Jayne snorted, rather loudly, "S'boy whores in that house, why don't you get some jink from that brother of yours and leave me out of it."

A sneer, "I don't want to touch you when you stink."

"I don't wanna touch you ever, what's your point?"

"You're a dummy."

"So?"

"That is why you make a bad husband."

Blink.

"What?!" Jayne leapt up in bed, glancing over his shoulder, but the girl was gone.

Muse: Jayne Cobb
Fandom: Serenity/Firefly
Word Count: 196

It’s dark.

Inara says that Shinon is the most beautiful place out there, like an ocean of light or some such go se, but right now, it’s just an ocean of black with the occasional speckle of light from a house or somethin’.

You don’t see why everyone’s so impressed by this stupid core planet, anyhow. Ain’t nothin’ here you ain’t seen elsewhere. Kaylee’s been buggin’ Mal to come down here, let her see where ‘Nara grew up, see this ocean of light. Stupid girl thinks she’s found salvation or somethin’ in this place.

Stabbing your knife into a nearby stack of apples---ruttin’ core people got piles of the fruit jus’ sittin’ around, goin’ bad, like there ain’t people on rim planets just dyin’ for a bite of some of that red fruit---and you gaze out ‘cross Shinon City. Rest of the crew’s sleepin’, well, ‘cept Mal, he don’t sleep on Core planets. Not you, ‘course. You’re still up, tryin’ to wrap your head around why the Core is supposed to be so impressive.

“Still up?”

Ain’t easy to mistake them real calculated and smooth tones o’ Serenity’s resident companion. She’s all wrapped up in some golden red silk slip thing, lookin’ like a slice of heaven in all the dark o’ the world.

You don’t say that, ‘course. You bite into your apple and try not to give her more than a sideways glance. “Obviously.” Words are a little gruffer than normal, mostly cause you’ve been sittin’ up on the rooftop to the companion house for a good couplea hours now, talkin’ to nobody an’ eatin’ apples.

The words slip off her back like water, and she moves to kneel next to you, all that fluid smoothness that ain’t ‘xactly normal but entirely to beautiful. She picks an apple out of the pile and runs her dark fingernails over the shiny surface.

“I never did ask why you like apples so much,” she says, “Every time we land on a core planet, you always purchase them.”

“Don’t got ‘em nowheres on the rim planets,” you say, chomping noisily on your own apple, “Ain’t exactly a delicacy or nothin’, but if you ain’t had it in a while, always tastes hella good when you do.”

This is where you, naturally, toss a leer in her direction and a nasty smirk. You’re implyin’ things, an’ she don’t like it when she’s been implied about. Part of a plan, you see, to get her to go away, leave you on the roof alone, and quit stealin’ your apples.

Ruttin’ woman, though, she just stares back at you with a calm, unimpressed look. “Well, it’s completely understandable, of course. I found it difficult to cope with the changes in food when I first started traveling on Serenity, the fruit is a welcome treat.” She bites delicately into the flesh of the apple, and you refuse to stare at her mouth as she chews.

Silence for a moment, and you look back out over the city, “Ain’t an ocean of light or nothin’,” you say.

“You sound almost disappointed.”

“Not like I care, jus’ sayin’. Gonna be disappointin’ Kaylee, when she wakes up to see it an’ all.” You do care, of course. But you’ll be damned if you’re going to tell Inara that.

Then that sun rises. S’like a waterfall of white ‘cross the whole world. Thing starts out pinkish in tinge, then goes all light and sun. S’like you’re bathin’ in it.

Somethin’ to be impressed about, that’s for sure.

“Think Kaylee will like it?” she asks, her voice a bit too knowin’ for your likin’.

You shrug, “Guess so.”

After all, you do.

Muse: Jayne Cobb
Fandom: Firefly / Serenity
Word Count: 654

The moral of the story is that we don’t always win.

It doesn't happen, not always. Ain't always a winner in these situations, now, is there? Got a man lookin' for glory, man lookin' for money, and someone followin' a long-dead dream or whatever. Somebody's liken to get hurt in the end.

I didn't win. Not even when I thought it was easy. Turn in the kid, get the money. Win. Man turns on me last minute, next thing I know I'm runnin' down a corridor followin' crazy-girl, and hopin' she knows the way out 'fore somebody with blue hands comes and gets me.

So we get out, right? Win. No, not so easy. Next thing I know, I got a bruise on my head bigger'n hailstones on Beylix, and Mal's tellin' me I'm about to be space junk for betrayin' everybody. Not everybody. Him. Weren't him I ratted on, wouldn't rat on Mal. Ain't got a reason in the world to. No, that ain't true, I got a million reasons to. But I wouldn't. Still, he's sayin' that River an' Simon is crew, and I gotta respect that. Ain't happenin' that way to me.

I say somethin', I ain't sure what. I get saved.

S'that mean I won?

Somehow it don't feel like I did.

Muse: Jayne Cobb
Fandom: Firefly / Serenity
Word Count: 208

"Little Kaylee?"

"Hey, Jayne, when'd you get down here?"

"Jus' waitin' for that Preacher man to leave you be sos I could get a word on ya."

"Book? Oh, he ain't so bad, Jayne. Neither's Simon."

"Who?"

"The doctor that saved me. One you said I wished was a gynecologist?"

"Oh. Him. … You knows I was kiddin' 'bout that, right?"

"I know, Jayne. I ain't beat up on it."

"Well, good. So, uh, Mal says your heart was stopped in there, while you was out. You remember that, t'all?"

"Don't remember nothin' after fallin' down in the cargo bay."

"Oh."

"Why you askin'?"

"Just…wonderin' if'n you saw nothin'."

"You mean while I was out? Gosh, Jayne, you oughta be talkin' to Book 'bout that. He says he was declared dead twice a'fore."

"While bein' a preacher?"

"Guess he weren't always a preacher."

"Yeah, well, I don't need no preacher tellin' me what you see when you go. I already got m'self a decent idea."

"Do ya?"

"Yep."

"How?"

"Well, uh…Well, it was 'bout six years ago, I'm thinkin'. Had m'self one too many shots of somethin'…I ain't sure what it was, just that someone purty was carryin' the tray with 'em on it. Anyway, got into a row with some Browncoat---I'll hit a man if'n he bothers me, don't matter 'bout that damn war. Man fought good though, fought dirty. I turned ta grab me Jessica an' next thing I know he was hittin' me on the head with somethin'. I blacked out."

"Just blacked out?"

"Well, later on I wake up an' get told I was dead for jus' over five minutes, whatever that means. All I remember is runnin' down this old glen back on Beylix, right near where my Mother's house was. There's this stone tunnel there, ain't more'n seven feet high, built all into this hill. I was runnin' down that tunnel, then I heard someone tellin' me to come back."

"Didja recognize the voice?"

"I dunno, sounded a bit like my brother, Mattie. Don't make no sense, though, seein' as all I got was carted to the local hospital by mule."

"Maybe that's what your heaven's like, Jayne."

"Naw, I don't think so."

"Why not? It's your Mother's farm, you heard your family. Sounds like home to me."

"Yeah, well, you didn't see nothin', though, Kaylee. What's that supposed to mean heaven's like for you?"

"I---"

"S'why I don't believe it. 'Less you're seein' tunnels of spun gold an' all that, ya ain't seein' your heaven."

"That…that was almost sweet, Jayne."

"Yeah, yeah. Get to sleep, gotta git you fixin' Serenity so we can drop off by my favorite whorehouse on the way to Grenit Falls."

"Thanks, Jayne."

"Take care, Lil' Kaylee."

Muse: Jayne Cobb
Fandom: Firefly / Serenity
Word Count: 460

Kaylee keeps a box of strawberries hidden underneath a grate in the engine room.

She don’t think I know that it’s there, but I do. I seen her crawling down to get ‘em, sneakin’ one in between cleanin’ up the engines on Serenity. Way she bites down on them red fruits just ain’t natural, man. S’like she’s found God or Satan, or some sorta sexual bliss ain’t found by no man afore. Watchin’ her eat ‘em ain’t exactly the most unsensual thing, neither, though I ain’t, you know, I ain’t plannin’ on messin’ with Kaylee, I’m just sayin’.

Just ta make m’self sure I don’t go off an’ mess with her when she’s eatin’ them strawberries like they’re makin’ her orgasm or some such, I always take the time to clear my throat, sos she knows I’m there. ‘Course, that purty little O-face a hers goes away, and she drops that grate right quick, turnin’ ‘round, lookin’ awful guilty.

"Hey, Jayne," she says, "I didn’t think nobody was down here."

"Cap’n wanted me ta make sure you was doin’ what he said with the rotator whatever go se I weren’t really payin’ no attention to," I reply pretty easily (though, gorram it if my voice ain’t a bit lower’n I was hopin’ for, and all sorta scratchy too. Shouldn’t be like that, not when a man’s just cleared his throat an’ all).

"Right, the rotator coil rewire," she beams a guilty grin and steps backwards towards the engine. She’s still got that bit of fruit ‘hind her back, and I’m a right bit tempted to tell her just to go on and eat it. Sexist ruttin’ thing, just watchin’ her eat that fruit---but tellin’ her to eat it means I’m tellin’ her I saw the box. That would mean it weren’t a dirty little secret, her hidin’ them strawberries from the crew and stealin’ a juicy bite once in a while.

Who am I to ruin’ a naughty little thing like that?

Muse: Jayne Cobb
Fandom: Firefly/Serenity
Word Count: 333

I ain't dead, just insanely busy. Got a promotion, dealing with mucho grande OOC B.S. that I know everyone is extremely excited to hear about.

Anyway, I'm back, I promise ta give you s'more ficlets and RP goodness from the fun that is Jayne!

"It doesn't puzzle you?" the voice is said from an upside down crazy girl hanging from a bar in the cargo bay.

Jayne, naturally, all but leaps out of his skin at the intrusion from his gun-cleaning-and-oiling project that's taken up all of the area around him on the cargo bay floor.

"What the ruttin' hell're you doin' up there?" he snaps at her, lowering the half-rebuilt pistol that he had pointed at her temple, "Don't that hun dan brother a' yourn keep you under lock an' key when it's gettin' too late?"

"When he's waking for a long time, he sleeps big, deep dreams." All the grace of a gymnast, she spins and drops onto her feet right in front of his guns. Jayne half-expects the typical hands-above-heads finishing move.

"Right, whatever." Back to the task at hand. Guns. Cleaning. Oiling will take another three hours, and that would keep him from thinkin' a bit too much like he seems to be doin' a lot of lately.

Her head tilts to the side, dark hair a curtain falling about her shoulders, "It doesn't puzzle you?"

The gun is slammed back down and a very-irritated-thank-you-very-much expression is planted on his face, "Feng lei kid standin' an' talkin' to me 'thout no reason? No, that don't puzzle me. It irritates the livin' hell outta me. That what you want to hear?"

A look that was most probably amusement is tossed in Jayne's direction. Oooh, he ruttin' hates that look when she goes off an' gets it. Means she's thinkin' she's smarter'n him, and it doesn't matter if it's true or not. It's frusteratin' as all hell.

Exasperation. "What, then?"

"You clean and clean, only to dirty them more," she says, in a calm, cool manner, "Everyone does. Make a bed, only to lie in it later. Clean a dish, only to dirty it. Oil a gun, only to reoil it."

"Won't work if'n it ain't cleaned," Jayne explains, "Get a bit of grit in there, backfirin'll cut yer head clean off. I ain't even mentionin' if it rusts up, you're likin' to blow up your hands 'thout even tryin'."

"It works best," she says, "If they aren't used at all."

Oh, right. Of course. Jayne's heard this speech from Simon more than once---the guns are bad, they do nothing but put bullets into people, blah blah, woof woof.

"It's better," he snaps, "If you get your crazy-ass outta my way."

"Okay."

That was easy. Too easy. Jayne's head raises, and she's, of course, still standing there. Still puzzling over him like he's some piece of a puzzle. He can't decide whether or not that's better or worse than lookin' at him like he's stupider than her. Worse, most likely. He knows he's dumber than her, but he doesn't like the idea of bein' a part of her puzzle.

"Ain't you gone yet?" he snorts, going back to his scrubbing, "Got better things ta do than babysit your feng lei ass. I got guns ta clean. Them guns that save yer life more'n once."

"Why bother? They'll just get dirty later."

"Don't matter none."

She nods, then turns, a graceful spin of an insane ballerina, "I've got better things to do than babysit your hun dan ass," she sings out, "I've got fists and hands to clean. These hands that save your life more'n once."

He looks back up at her as she leaves and can't help the furrow that appears in his brow. Crazy girl dancing her way to the infirmary. She didn't make no sense anyway. She never did. There's not a doubt in Jayne's mind that she's off to clean her hands like they were some prized weapons or some go se. He didn't get it. Why did she bother? They'd just get dirty later.

Muse: Jayne Cobb
Fandom: Firefly / Serenity
Word Count: 638

Don't forget your Firefly and Serenity muses this year at the Tammy Awards! Fox screwed us over, don't you do it too!

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SHOW THE CREW SOME RUTTIN' LOVE!

Shamlessly brought to you for the Firefly muses by one of the Firefly muses (that would be me, I started it). Fantastic banner by only_fell, who deserves all the awards one can get for awesomeness!

She ain't like she used to be.

It ain't like you can tell, jus' off the bat or nothin'. Been a good long while since I gave up on it bein' like that. I stopped tryin' ta figure her like she was Kaylee or some backwater girl, easy to read, easy to figure when she's hurtin', when she's achin'. Girl starts tremblin' her bottom lip, you know it's time to wrap your arms 'round her, tell her there ain't nothin' wrong that you can't make right for her. Even if it ain't true, it's the sort of thing makes a woman feel better. I got sisters, I got lil' Kaylee I been takin' to lookin' over when the Doc ain't treatin' her right. I know what you do when it ain't goin' like they want.

But Zoe...Zoe's this mystery woman---hell, she ain't even a woman, most days, she's as tough as any man and can drink me an' Mal both under the table 'thout a second thought. Got a mean pistol aim an' she's the kind of crew you can rely on to watch yer back. That's Zoe. Way she's been long as I known her.

( 'Course, when she was with Wash, Zoe weren't like that at all.  )

Muse: Jayne Cobb
Fandom: Firefly / Serenity
Word Count: 810

Mindless pimpage:

Just so y'all know, the writer/mun for heroof_canton's birthday is on Monday, the 31st of July. Drop 'em a note! *bounce*

Location: Cargo bay, Inara's shuttle
Time: Late night, the day after this
Tag: Inara

The fear of being caught sneaking over to Inara's shuttle from his bunk only really made it that much better. Now, not only did Inara actually want him (Jayne was fairly shocked his own self about that), but she was somethin' he wasn't supposed to have. Now, Jayne didn't know how Mal'd react to them doin' what they were doin', but the way Jayne was thinkin', they didn't turn out quite so good. And nothing in the whole ruttin' world was more arousin' than the five words: "You are not supposed to."

His fingers rapped gently on the door to Inara's shuttle.

"It's me," he said quietly.

What makes you the angriest?

"Are you angry, Mr. Cobb? Does this situation I have put you in, does it anger you?"

Your wrists twist against the binds, and all you can see is red. Blinding, uncontrollable anger, the kind that burns so hard that it hurts just to know you're full of so much hate. The long, burning cuts along your arms and torso pale in comparison to the penetrating anger that pulsates just below your temple---it's more than a bit of a wonder to you that your skin hasn't broken, you can barely withstand your hate, and your skin is more fragile than your will.

"You are all alone now, Mr. Cobb. No one will save you."

You wish you could believe he was lying, but things...they went so badly from the start, so drastically out of your favor, that you can't think he'd have any reason to lie. Nothing went your way. Not the hoop-ball game (though, the smile River gave you when you lifted her up to toss the ball through the hoop was a highlight that's been sticking with you throughout all of this), not the sudden lurch in the ship, not Kaylee's screams as someone started blasting their way through the hull doors---

"Captain Reynolds, yes, he was a good fighter. But he, like you, did not finish job. Broke trust. That means he would die, too."

You didn't see the men take Mal away. Happened some point after the ship force-docked and blasted its way into Serenity's cargo bay. Not enough ammo or time to prepare, but you, all of you, fended them off for a while. They were militia, prepared, and angry. Oh, they knew how to be angry. Someone with a stun-gun got you, paralyzed you onto the floor. You heard the battle around you numbly, heard Mal shouting up a storm, screaming about hurting his ship, then hurting his crew---after a feminine voice howled up from her shuttle, you saw him shut off, a twisted and enraged piece of himself, all trying to save the one he cared about. Inara. What happened to Inara?

"The women have been given to my men, they know how to treat a woman right, yes?" the gravelly voice, as if it could read your mind, "Except the dark one, she fought too much, so I had her shot. Is okay, she would not scream as much as the others. The small one is worth pretty penny for Alliance. I sell her, I get money. She is no my concern, yes?"

River. Damn girl didn't know how to quit, neither. Shouldn't have cared as much as you did about her safety, but you could hear the pat-pat of her boots against the hull as she fought all on her own, tried to keep them down, then the sickening crackle of the stun-gun---she was alive, but down. They took down the weapon. Kaylee's screams drowned in your ears, and everything went slowly black. So slowly.

"Don't go to sleep, Mr. Cobb, we are far from finished yet. I want to see who you really are. Learn who you are. Will you show me?"

Your eyes, bloodshot and stinging, snap open. Pain floods you from head to toe. It's a kind of realization, this pain. You're awake. You're alive. Last man, far from standing.

"Wanna know what I am, Niska?"

A chuckle, from a calm, collected torturer, "Yes, Mr. Cobb. Do tell me."

"I'm angry."

Muse: Jayne Cobb
Fandom: Firefly / Serenity
Word Count: 576

Describe a chance encounter that changed your life.

When money exchanges hands, it changes everything.

Coin hit table, and Jayne's eyes went dark with pleasure. There's a job in it, there's money in it, there's something he can sink his teeth into.

"Ain't too hard," the man talking to him and his crew muttered, "Jus' find him, git the goods, git 'em back here 'fore we take off. You'll get your cut, get yourselves offa my moon."

"Ain't no problem there," his captain said, offering Jayne and his fellow crewmate a nasty smile, "What d'you want with them thieves? Jayne here ain't a fan of havin' to keep 'em alive if he don't gotta."

Jayne spat on the floor of the bar, "Live ones're usually complainin' bout how you shove 'em on a mule."

That, as expected, caused a chuckle from the rest of the crew. Good boys, all of 'em, give a good holler, and they'll be with ya. With ya til the day you cross 'em, which Jayne weren't plannin' on doin'. Too much good comin' out of this job ta try an' cross 'em.

"I want 'em dead," came the cold reply from the Man with the Money (he was some merchant, didn't need more of a name for Jayne to do his job).

"Got it," Jayne's captain said, smirking, "Won't be a thing, sir. He ain't just for the killin'. Jayne's the best tracker in the 'verse, right here."

A proud grin slid across Jayne's face.

+++

Hover tracks. Slider, needed a new converter. It was draggin' somethin', too, bumped up against six rocks, left 'em with dents.

"Tried ta cover 'em up," Jayne called out, "Used a reconstitutor on this here ground. Looks like they're pros at it, too."

An annoyed grunt was his reply, "Don't care how they did it, Jayne, jus' show us where ta point them guns."

Idiots. Couldn't respect the subtleties of trackin'. Took Jayne the better part of his life to get as good as he was at followin' people, and it was almost an art---not an art, art's borin', more like an instinct, a secondary way of seein', of smellin'. The asshats shoulda respected it.

"Found 'em," Jayne said with an annoyed snort, motioning down the way, "Parked in that valley, we can take 'em by surprise. Looks like they got their hull open."

Marco pulled out his gun, shooting Jayne a grin, "Let's git 'em, then." No thank you? Not even a gorram "decent job, Jayne"---aww, hell, weren't like he was a sly schoolboy lookin' for some sorta pat on the head or somethin'. Just a ruttin' piece of recognition... Didn't matter none. Job to be done. Sticking a cigar between his teeth, he pulled Rosalina out of her holster and moved behind Marco, towards the prey.

Two minutes flat, and they were at the ship, barrels in the faces of their prey. Grimy teeth shone through Marco's self-satisfied smirk, "You jus' stay put, Mister Burke's got a bounty out fer yer lyin' heads, an' don't be reachin' for that cannon, an' we'll be---"

"Reasonable?" Bounty #1 (didn't need more of a name than that to Jayne) said, "Cause, you've got all of the advantage here, friends, I'm thinkin' reasonable wouldn't be hurtin' none."

"Reason?" Marco laughed, "He wants to talk to us about 'reason' now?"

"Yeah," Jayne laughed around his cigar, "That's a joke."

"Do we look 'reasonable' to you?"

Bounty #1 was pathetically trying to save face, "Well, looks can be deceiving."

"Not as deceiving," Jayne said, moving the cigar from his teeth, "As a low-down dirty deceiver."

A look of amusement crossed Bounty #1's face, and that put somethin' angry into Jayne's belly. And he weren't always the brightest in the sky, but he knew patronization when he heard it.

"Well said. Wasn't that well said, Zoe?"

"Had a kind of poetry to it, Sir."

Jayne sneered, "Want I should shoot 'em now, Marco?"

Marco shook his head, "Wait 'til they tell us where they put the stuff."

The stuff. Right. Half their bounty went into that gorram stuff. "That's a good idea," Jayne said, smirking at the two bounties, "A good idea. Tell us where the stuff's at, so I can shoot ya."

The gorram bounty, though? Had a mouth on him. "Point of interest? Offering to shoot us might not be so much of an incentive as you'd think. Anyway, we've hidden it. You kill us, you'll never find it."

"Found you easy enough." Jayne spat back.

A look crossed the bounty's face. The look Jayne was hopin' out of Marco. Like he was impressed. "Yeah, you did, didn't you?" A pause, then a grin, "How much they payin' you?"

Muse: Jayne Cobb
Fandom: Firefly / Serenity
Word Count: 783