A River Runs

[alianora]

So, as I am sitting here, bored and channel flipping, OMG ITS SERENITY! ON HBO!

so, because i am obsessive, of course i stopped and watched. It was right on the Leaf on the Wind scene, so naturally i yelled, "JOSS YOU BASTARD!"

and then, we get to River and the Reavers. And this odd little annoyance popped up again...

Why do so many fanfic writers insist on writing post-Serenity fic with River as the new gun hand? Why?

Every. Single. Fic. I swear.*

Yes, she can kick ass. Yes, she has shown, a whole two times, that she can wipe the floor when triggered by the right thing (the Oaty Bar, Simon getting shot), but..why does that mean her only purpose after Serenity is to kick ass?

This BOTHERS me, for reasons I cant fully explain. Mainly because..I dont think its something she is proud of, or likes to do. So, why would she put herself out there like that?

I wrote In the Wrong Hands while I was feeling this irritation, and instead of it coming out where River tells Mal off..which is what I wanted, it came out..odd and strange. But she hates it, as far as Im concerned.

So, enlighten me. Why is River always the new gunhand after Serenity? Why isnt she an artist, or a writer, or a theoretical phyisist? Why?

And what else would you like to see River do? What other job could she have that could be useful aboard Serenity, or bring in money somehow, or..something?



*hi, im exaggerating! some fics have her as the new pilot!

Comments

[fairandbright.livejournal.com]

Probably because before Serenity, she wasn't earning her keep aboard the ship. Even Mal decided it was a good idea to take her on a job to Read the situation and make her earn her keep. So yeah, I guess it's overdone, but if she's not a gun hand or pilot, how will she earn her keep? I suppose she could be a cook, but other than that, there's not much else needs doing on the ship. She could store cargo, but an itty bitty girl would take forever doing it. ;)

[aliaspiral.livejournal.com]

but see..thats what I want to know. how else CAN she earn her keep? She's a genius, so couldnt she play the stock market or pick lottery numbers or do anything else to bring in some money?

and it shouldnt have to do with what all can be done ON THE SHIP, so long as she is bringing in some money or supporting herself somehow.

[fairandbright.livejournal.com]

LOL, Mal would have her playing the Powerball so fast...

and it shouldnt have to do with what all can be done ON THE SHIP, so long as she is bringing in some money or supporting herself somehow.

This is true. I suppose I always looked at it as her having to stay on the ship, because Simon would stay with Kaylee and she wouldn't want to live anywhere else anyways. And Serenity travels all over the place, so it's not like they could drop her off for the day to work somewhere, then pick her up that night.

Basically the ship is their home and the way they make a living, so the running and upkeep of the ship is what comes first. No running ship, no jobs, no home.

[jynnantonnyx28.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean. There are so many things in the Rayne fandom that have become ... fanon I guess you could say. I suppose people want River to have a place on the boat - as in a job. And they're in need of a pilot - or a gun, and that way she can fight with Jayne :D:D

I've been wanting to write a fic with River not filling either of those roles for a while now ... just gotta find the time.

[aliaspiral.livejournal.com]

ooh, please do write that fic. because while yeah, its cool to have her go fighting with Jayne, characterization wise, I cant see it.

Limited scope

[libraryofalexa.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen an episode in a while, so i just boned up on the different characters from Wiki.
Part of the problem is that most TV writers don't know what to do with a psychic (see the useless character of Troi in ST:TNG). And because of that, the fans have a limited amount of source material to go on. She obviously isn't an insanely talented TK, or else she could be a cargomaster with just herself! So, to find out what River would like to do, we'd have to go through all of the episodes and the movie to find out what other things she's good at-- for instance, she may end up being a diviner which would make the crew rich in water.
Here's a thought--she could be cleaning crew. You never see things getting cleaned, but they've got to be :)
I'm rambling because it's 7 am on Sunday and I'm off to an all-day competition (lucky me)

Re: Limited scope

[aliaspiral.livejournal.com]

well, we know she likes to draw, read, dance..she's a genius, so its not just the psychic part that plays into things.

and for some reason, i adore the idea of her as Cleaning crew. HEE!

ooh, all day comp. Yay! ..or something. :) speaking of dancing, the school hallways are very long and echo-y, and i always am fighting the urge to stepdance through them.

ive done it a couple of times..but not while kids were there.

[thegranddewru.livejournal.com]

I hadn't really thought about that you know, but then I haven't really read that many post Serenity fics ...

It's funny though, what made me made was how right after the movie there were all these people saying, essentially, that is was good that Wash died because now River had a job, and I thought she's a freaking psychic, she doesn't need a job as pilot! (needless to say, that grated on me somethin' fierce.)

I really don't see River as the new gun, but I could see them taking her on jobs in that capacity, because who wouldn't want that? And that maybe she'd even want to do it, because she'd want to do what she could to keep them safe.

And maybe occasionally she'd have to kick someone's ass...

[thegranddewru.livejournal.com]

LOL "made me MAD" and the capacity I meant was as psychic... I'm just not good with the thinking in the morning... or spelling.

[aliaspiral.livejournal.com]

i think she would kick ass when required, but i dont see her going out of her way to do so. and as pilot...uun, there does need to be someone to fly, which is good, but.....

yeah. and there is no good reason Wash died. none.

[rinalin.livejournal.com]

*waves*

You know the BEST hangover food? McDonald's Sausage McMuffin.

I too agree, I don't think she'd want to be a "gun hand".

However, I think she might like fulfilling a role like that on Lilac (It was Lilac, wasn't it?). No violence involved, just the knowing of things. I think she'd want to feel useful to Mal and the others, and it's practical instinct for her. Plus...Simon hates it. So there's the little sister brat aspect.

*Snuggles River*

[aliaspiral.livejournal.com]

thats the difference though, i can see her going on jobs just to read things. but i dont see her wanting to go in kicking ass. that's Jayne's job.

and the little sister brat aspect should never be forgotten. :)

[rinalin.livejournal.com]

Nope, no. Not ever.

*snuggles you*

I finished Paul's part!

[aliaspiral.livejournal.com]

OMGSHARE! *grabby hands*

[lady-cleo2001.livejournal.com]

You're not the only one, River as new weapon annoys me so much. I think it's abouslty out of character, well, not abosuluty. But as you've noticed she needs justification to turn on the weapon, and she has no real reason to do that. She can defend herself, yes, but she's proably a lot like simon and would be loath to take violent action right away, as seen in the scene prior to River kicking ass with the reavers. She could've jumped into the action at anytime, but she only does after simon gets shot and she HAS too.

I think Pilot is an excellent way for her to go, tag along mind reader possible and to have in case of extreme or dire emergancies. She could proably also handle as engineers assistant, doctors assisntant, since book is gone she could replace hims as 'the wise one.'

Just everybody gets so excited about making her into buffy they don't stop to think that might not be a very River thing to do!

[aliaspiral.livejournal.com]

THANK YOU. it IS out of character as i see it. if she wanted to be violent, she WOULD be. but so far, we've seen her take up weapons or kick ass three times. TOTAL...in order to protect people, only twice. Im not counting Jayne's chest slash, because i dont think that counts..anyone could have done that. she just caught them all off guard.

Kaylee and the gun, "No power in the verse can stop me."
The Fruity Oaty Bar
Simon and the Reavers

and thats it!

[earthwhatwere.livejournal.com]

I think she likes flying Serenity, but the gun thing would probably happen because she does need to earn her keep.

However, I'd like for her to take over finding jobs and planning them, because really, the way Mal handled having his questionable captainy duties taken over by a slip of a girl would be all manner of funny.

"We have a job," River said.

"What? No. Since when? What I tell you about being on the Cortex all the time?" Mal lowered his cup of coffee to glare at River. The glare accomplished nothing.

"Don't fuss. We need to be on Verbenna in three days. Need to go plot the course."

River lift him at the table, alone with his mug of coffee.

"Well, yeah. You do that," Mal yelled up the stairs to her. "Come see me if there's problems."

Mal wonders when he lost control of everything.

[aikiariyen.livejournal.com]

I see these too. It bothers me with her as essentially a second Merc because she doesn't like her weaponability all the time.

I could see her as a pilot, but not permanently, like Wash was, but more perhaps a 'fill in' but then who does fly Serenity? I dislike OC pilots because people never seem to get it right. Maybe it's just because I miss Wash. I also can see Zoe scaring off potential pilots because they want to get rid of the dinosaurs.

I guess the capacity River best suits is that of the reader on jobs,a nd perhaps a touch of respectability? She could probably pull of an Inara if she was having a good day.

I guess to start I see River going on as she began in Serenity, with the added plus of if she needs to, she'll fight, but not before (unless triggered). Then perhaps her playing the SX through an agent of some kind. I don't think she'd be entirely comfortable doing it herself to begin with, as it would bring the Alliance's attention too much and whatever respite she'd had from them may not last. Inara again would be good for that, she'd have the startup cash and the repectability that the assumption would be she just had a good advisor. Also, a good way of having Inara self sufficient if she were to give up being a Companion (if she wanted to, if Mal ever gets his arse into gear).

[aikiariyen.livejournal.com]

This post gave me a plot bunny.


I'm working on it.

It's a post-BDM where River isn't pilot or muscle.