toxic_corn: Summer Glau is pretty. (Default)
toxic_corn ([personal profile] toxic_corn) wrote2006-03-28 04:20 pm
Entry tags:

Firefly Fic: She's a Sticky-Fingered Filcher: Hat and Coat (PG-13)

Series: She's A Sticky-Fingered Filcher
Title: Hat and Coat (1/7)
Author: Toxic Corn
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Post Objects In Space
Summary: Mal was not distressed, just very concerned when he didn’t find his coat hanging in his closet.
Disclaimer: All the characters are belong to Joss.
Author's Note: This all came about after listening to the theme song of one of my favorite childhood tv shows, Where In the World is Carmen San Diego, then innocently telling a friend that it reminded me of River. And a fic was born. Thanks to Katsqueaks for the beta job, inspiration, and encouragement.


Serenity was still a few hours away from Persephone so there wasn’t a real reason Mal needed his coat. Kaylee kept his ship at a comfortable enough temperature that the Doc’s sis could run around barefoot so it wasn’t that it was cold. It’s just that the weight of his coat was comforting and he liked the way it swished with every move he made. Some folk might say that his coat was his security blanket. Well, some folk needed to be popped in the mouth.


Mal was not distressed, just very concerned when he didn’t find his coat hanging in his closet. He looked under his bed and all over his bunk in a completely not panicked way.


Think, Malcolm. Where do you know you had it last?


His mother’s reasonable voice made him pause in the middle of tearing up his bedding.


The mess! He and Zoe’d been going over the details of their next drop and he’d been wearing his coat.


Scrambling up the ladder, Mal was nearly to the mess when he heard something. Music. Really weird music.


She’ll take you for a ride on a slow boat to China, tell me where in the world is Carmen San Diego?


“What now?” Mal reluctantly abandoned his search and followed the music to the cargo bay. Where he found River, wearing his coat and a big, red fedora, twirling a giggling Kaylee while his crew looked on as if it were all completely normal.


“Someone mind tellin’ me what’s goin’ on?” Mal asked, not sounding as authoritative as he would’ve liked.


Kaylee beamed at him, mid-spin. “I’n’t this a shiny song, Cap’n? They’re just usin’ their voices! No instruments!”


Zoe, Inara, and Wash started to clap to the beat.


Bewildered, Mal turned to Simon. "Is it possible for that sister of yours to make my crew extra crazy?"


Simon smiled, his gaze never wavering from the dancers. “There’s a distinct possibility.”


“Don’t know what yer all gawpin’ at,” Jayne grumped from his perch at the bottom of the stairs. “Crazy Girl’s always spinnin’ around like a lunatic.”


Zoe raised an eyebrow at him. “You’ve been here the longest out of all of us, Jayne.”


Off of Mal’s curious look, Jayne started fiddling with one of the many zippers on his pants. “Aw, hell, I’m just waitin’ on them to clear out so’s I can work my weights is all.”


Wash shared a skeptical look with the others and said, “Yeah, keep telling yourself that. It’s not like all of us haven’t figured out your deep dark secret by now.”


“’Cept the Doc,” Mal said. “He don’t know.”


Simon tore his gaze from Kaylee and River. He looked at Jayne’s scowl and everyone else’s amusement. His brow furrowed. “What? What don’t I know?”


“Nothin’.”


“It’s not important.”


“You don’t need to know.”


“You don’t want to know.”


“Ain’t nothin’ to know, gorramit!”


The song ended and Kaylee ran to switch off her little radio she left on a crate. She grinned as everyone but Jayne applauded and she bounced over to poke Simon in the chest.


“You shoulda danced with us, silly,” Kaylee teased.


“Oh, I’m afraid River inherited all of the dancing aptitude in our family,” Simon said, looking embarrassed. “All I got was two left feet.”


“And doctorin’ skills,” she gently reminded him.


Simon smiled. “Those too.”


“Hey now, if it’s not too much trouble, could I get my coat back?” Mal called to River, who was still twirling away.


Mei-mei, give the captain his coat back,” Simon said in his best ‘brother knows best’ voice.


River stopped twirling and walked towards them in her dreamy, graceful fashion. She shrugged the coat off and folded it reverently over her arm.


“He was bored in his seclusion,” River said, running her fingers over a lapel. She sent Mal an accusatory look. “You never take him out dancing.”


Mal held a hand out. “Well, maybe I best leave that to you. But next time, ask first before taking, dong ma?”


River nodded and gave up the coat. “That is fair.”


Mal slid his coat on. He nodded at the big, red fedora still on River’s head. “And uh, where did you find that ridiculous hat?”


Just then, Book came out on the catwalk, a perplexed look on his face. “Excuse me, I hate to accuse anyone, but someone’s been rummaging through my things and-“ He stopped when he saw the others.


River took the hat off and sailed it up to Book as if it were a discus.


“Thank you,” Book murmured and exited hastily.


Mal blinked. “I knew the man had secrets, but I never woulda guessed one of ‘em to be a red fedora.” He patted his pocket affectionately and took a deep breath. “Better get back up to the bridge, Wash. We’ll be dockin’ at Persephone soon and these slightly illegal goods aren’t gonna unload themselves.” He sent a look everyone’s way and they all went scuttling about their jobs.


Following Wash up the stairs, Mal grinned as he felt his coat tails brushing the backs of his legs.



END


: Next > Vera

[identity profile] wylt.livejournal.com 2006-03-28 09:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, I *like* this one!

[identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com 2006-03-28 10:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you!

[identity profile] vasha-remy.livejournal.com 2006-03-28 10:31 pm (UTC)(link)
"Some folk might say that his coat was his security blanket. Well, some folk needed to be popped in the mouth." LMAO. Loved it. Hmmmmm, I wonder what Jaynes' secret is???:P

[identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com 2006-03-28 10:38 pm (UTC)(link)
He sees dead people!

... okay that was awful. sorry.

[identity profile] crazywriterchic.livejournal.com 2006-03-28 10:47 pm (UTC)(link)
cute, slightly rayney, dancing, and the image of Shepher Book in a red fadora. Yes, this is truly a happy piece. Loved the last line, btw.

[identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com 2006-03-28 10:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you so much. Now we can all speculate WHY Book has a fedora.

[identity profile] loves-bitch1301.livejournal.com 2006-03-28 11:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Poor embarrassed Jayne. Love the story. Who know the Shepard had such secrets. Speaking of which, waiting to see when Jayne's come to the surface.

[identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com 2006-03-29 02:43 am (UTC)(link)
Thanks. Jayne's so much fun when he's embarrassed.

[identity profile] literarylemming.livejournal.com 2006-03-29 01:00 am (UTC)(link)
HEE!! Okay, the image of River and Kaylee dancing to the "Carmen Sandiego" theme is just too adorable for words. And Jayne's staunch refusal that anything's going on -- HAH! Perfect!

Loved it!

[identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com 2006-03-29 02:45 am (UTC)(link)
Squee! Thank you!

[identity profile] neroli66.livejournal.com 2006-03-29 02:11 am (UTC)(link)
Awww...so cute! And I love that I am pretty sure I know who everyone is here:

Simon tore his gaze from Kaylee and River. He looked at Jayne’s scowl and everyone else’s amusement. His brow furrowed. “What? What don’t I know?”


“Nothin’.”


“It’s not important.”


“You don’t need to know.”


“You don’t want to know.”


“Ain’t nothin’ to know, gorramit!”


Might be wrong a few, but gorramit! I think I know! HEE! Love it!

[identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com 2006-03-29 02:46 am (UTC)(link)
lol I was wondering how well that bit would work and I'm glad it succeeded. Thank you.

[identity profile] neroli66.livejournal.com 2006-03-29 03:09 am (UTC)(link)
Yes, I think it worked beautifully, so beautifully in fact that it totally amde me forget to tell you how much I love Mal's thoughts on his coat...LOL

And why am I picturing that red fedora as looking like a pimp hat? *g*

[identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com 2006-03-29 03:13 am (UTC)(link)
If you click the Carmen Sandiego link I put in the author's note, you can see a picture of her and her hat and coat.

*blinks* Wow, it kind of is on the pimpy side.

[identity profile] neroli66.livejournal.com 2006-03-29 03:15 am (UTC)(link)
It's actually less pimpy looking then I was picturing it though, so all good...for me anyway...hopefully I didn't ruin your image of it though. LOL

[identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com 2006-03-29 03:19 am (UTC)(link)
No, it's cool, you didn't shatter my childhood. :P

[identity profile] neroli66.livejournal.com 2006-03-29 05:23 am (UTC)(link)
Oh good. ;-)

[identity profile] taramonk.livejournal.com 2006-03-29 02:37 am (UTC)(link)
Most definitely smiling now. And have the song stuck in my head. :P

Mal, it's conspiracy against the captain! You'd better investigate -- think Book will lend you his fedora?

[identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com 2006-03-29 02:48 am (UTC)(link)
The song's been in my head for weeks. Damn you and your catchy harmonies, Rockapella! I'm glad this made you smile. :)

[identity profile] karanina.livejournal.com 2006-03-29 10:49 am (UTC)(link)
I used to love that show! Mal's voice was very IC in this story. Loved the fact that only Simon hadn't noticed, and how everyone tried to brush him off... and the red hat? What on Earth-That-Was could Book have been doing in that?

[identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com 2006-03-29 10:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Maybe he was a roadie for the gazillionth incarnation of Rockapella? :P

Thank you for the kind words.

[identity profile] jynnantonnyx28.livejournal.com 2006-04-29 06:36 am (UTC)(link)
“I knew the man had secrets, but I never woulda guessed one of ‘em to be a red fedora.”
ROFL!

[identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com 2006-04-29 04:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Hey, if we're never going to know Book's backstory, it's about time we start making stuff up! XD

[identity profile] revdorothyl.livejournal.com 2009-12-09 12:13 am (UTC)(link)
What a fun fic! It's been years since I've thought of "Rockapella" and their wonderful performance of the Carmen Sandiego theme song, and if the song reminds you of River then I guess it's okay for me to say that the tall singer in the group that sang it reminds me of Jayne!

[identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com 2009-12-09 08:23 am (UTC)(link)
Oooh, I'm going to have to wiki them because I have no idea which guy you're talking about. XD

Rockapella

[identity profile] revdorothyl.livejournal.com 2009-12-09 11:55 pm (UTC)(link)
I think the one I remember as 'the tall guy' was the big, slightly goofy bass, Barry Carl (http://www.barrycarl.com/biography.htm) (I had to look up the history of the band on Wikipedia to figure that out, since none of the original members are left in Rockapella as it exists today).

Ah . . . good memories!

Re: Rockapella

[identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com 2009-12-10 08:06 am (UTC)(link)
He looks more like James Marsters' stunt double from Buffy than Jayne! Or maybe Ron Perlman.

Re: Rockapella

[identity profile] revdorothyl.livejournal.com 2009-12-10 05:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, I know. It was his 'vibe' and his deep voice, more than anything else (as well as the fact that he towered over all those shorter guys in the group -- must've been 6'4" at least, I think). Hadn't thought of that group or that show in years, so the memory gets kind of foggy! (It's not that I'm getting old, you understand!)