alianora: Sakurai Sho from Arashi, hand over one eye (FIREFLY: River's Dead)
alianora ([personal profile] alianora) wrote2006-09-09 11:08 pm

A River Runs

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!

[identity profile] lady-cleo2001.livejournal.com 2006-09-10 05:42 pm (UTC)(link)
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!

[identity profile] aliaspiral.livejournal.com 2006-09-10 07:19 pm (UTC)(link)
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!