OOC: Memory #3 (Hearing/Touch)
[This memory is from the episode "Objects in Space". During the moments of silence, River is speaking to the other crewmembers. With mod permission, Will is going to learn his real name, Simon.]
As with his second memory, Will's sight had been veiled, but he could feel and hear things. Currently, he was standing and could feel cold metal beneath his bare feet.
"I only hurt people because they keep getting in the way of me finding you," an unfamiliar, rough male voice was saying. "Tell her."
"What am I, your advocate?" Will demanded.
"You are, staring now."
"He's really very- gentle. And fuzzy. We're becoming fast friends," said Will, his voice layered with sarcasm. Then, his sister's laugh suddenly sounded- except she wasn't nearby. It sounded as though she were communicating over a loudspeaker.
"You folks are all insane," said the man.
"Well, my sister's a ship," said Will, leaning back against something and feeling himself grin. "We had a complicated childhood."
"Does anybody care that I have a finely-crafted gun pointed at this boy's head?" the man demanded angrily, and Will felt himself tense.
"I care," his sister replied.
"Then you gonna come out and stop me from doin' what I don't want to? You gonna be smart here, River?" However, there was no response. "...River?" Again, more silence. "...Serenity?"
The silence lasted for several agonizing minutes as Will and whoever had him at gunpoint strained their ears, listening for her voice. When she didn't speak again, Will heard the man sit down and begin to press buttons, flip switches.
"Let me think here... These older models have locators at all?"
"Won't help," said Will.
"You know, with the exception of one deadly and unpredictable midget, this girl the smallest cargo I've ever had to transport... yet by far the most troublesome. Does that seem right to you?" The man was getting nervous, desperate. Will could tell by the tone of his voice.
"What did he do?" Will asked curiously.
"Who?"
"The midget."
"Arson," said the man distractedly. "Little man loved fire." There was another uncomfortable, tense silence as the man continued to fiddle with what Will presumed were some kind of controls, trying to get in contact with River again- when all of a sudden, she spoke once more.
"You're not welcome here anymore, Early." Her tone was reproaching, angry.
"Do you think I'm gonna leave here empty-handed?" the man- Early- asked.
"I know it," said River.
"Yeah, well, you know me real well."
"Wish I didn't," said River, now sounding sad. "You like to hurt folk."
"It's part of the job," said Early casually.
"It's why you TOOK the job," River replied. "Power. Control. Pain. Your mother knew. Sadness in her when she waved goodbye. She's relieved. Saw darkness in you. You're not well."
"You'll be wanting to shut up now," Early told her, his voice deceptively calm.
"Big golden retriever sitting on the lawn," said River. "Never took to you. Smelling you. The neighbor's pet. You did things to him. Cleaned up after. Shined and polished. Everything in here gleams."
"... Well I'll be a son of a whore," said Early, dumbfounded. "You're not in my gorram mind- you're on my gorram ship!" River began to laugh.
"It's very interesting! All these buttons."
"Okay! We're not touching those, okay?" said Early, now speaking fast and calmly. "How'd the hell did she get on my ship?"
"Put the gun away," said River flatly.
"Okay. I'm putting it away," said Early.
"Mmm, noooo, he's not," Will spoke up.
"I'm putting it away because we're all reasonable people. Don't wanna be doing anything rash, fiddling with any dials."
"You're not right, Early," said River. "You're not righteous. You've got issues."
"No. Or yes. I could have that. You might have me figured out then," Early blathered. "Good job. I'm not 100 percent."
"You talk too much," said River, sounding bored.
"I'm flawed in that way. I sometimes go on. It's been said-"
"It's okay, Early," River interrupted. "I'm going with you."
"...River, what're you-" said Will, rising, but he couldn't continue. His mouth fell open as he listened, horrified, to his sister speaking.
"Don't belong," said River, now sad. "Dangerous, like you. Can't be controlled. Can't be trusted. Everyone could just... go on without me and not have to worry. People could be what they wanted to be... could be with the people they wanted. Could live simple. No secrets."
"...No," said Will softly, shaking his head, his heart sinking.
"I'll be fine. I'll be your bounty, Jubal Early. And I'll just fade away."
"Well," said Early, now sounding a great deal more cheerful. "Finally, something goes according to-" Will suddenly lunged at the other man, tackling him, slamming him up against a hard metal wall before they tumbled to the floor, tussling.
"Simon?" River cried, before there was the crack of a gun, and she screamed. Will- Simon- felt the pain of a bullet in his leg. River screamed, and Simon fell backward, hands on his left thigh, feeling warm blood course over his fingers and pain and his sister wanting to give herself up to this man-
-and the memory faded.
As with his second memory, Will's sight had been veiled, but he could feel and hear things. Currently, he was standing and could feel cold metal beneath his bare feet.
"I only hurt people because they keep getting in the way of me finding you," an unfamiliar, rough male voice was saying. "Tell her."
"What am I, your advocate?" Will demanded.
"You are, staring now."
"He's really very- gentle. And fuzzy. We're becoming fast friends," said Will, his voice layered with sarcasm. Then, his sister's laugh suddenly sounded- except she wasn't nearby. It sounded as though she were communicating over a loudspeaker.
"You folks are all insane," said the man.
"Well, my sister's a ship," said Will, leaning back against something and feeling himself grin. "We had a complicated childhood."
"Does anybody care that I have a finely-crafted gun pointed at this boy's head?" the man demanded angrily, and Will felt himself tense.
"I care," his sister replied.
"Then you gonna come out and stop me from doin' what I don't want to? You gonna be smart here, River?" However, there was no response. "...River?" Again, more silence. "...Serenity?"
The silence lasted for several agonizing minutes as Will and whoever had him at gunpoint strained their ears, listening for her voice. When she didn't speak again, Will heard the man sit down and begin to press buttons, flip switches.
"Let me think here... These older models have locators at all?"
"Won't help," said Will.
"You know, with the exception of one deadly and unpredictable midget, this girl the smallest cargo I've ever had to transport... yet by far the most troublesome. Does that seem right to you?" The man was getting nervous, desperate. Will could tell by the tone of his voice.
"What did he do?" Will asked curiously.
"Who?"
"The midget."
"Arson," said the man distractedly. "Little man loved fire." There was another uncomfortable, tense silence as the man continued to fiddle with what Will presumed were some kind of controls, trying to get in contact with River again- when all of a sudden, she spoke once more.
"You're not welcome here anymore, Early." Her tone was reproaching, angry.
"Do you think I'm gonna leave here empty-handed?" the man- Early- asked.
"I know it," said River.
"Yeah, well, you know me real well."
"Wish I didn't," said River, now sounding sad. "You like to hurt folk."
"It's part of the job," said Early casually.
"It's why you TOOK the job," River replied. "Power. Control. Pain. Your mother knew. Sadness in her when she waved goodbye. She's relieved. Saw darkness in you. You're not well."
"You'll be wanting to shut up now," Early told her, his voice deceptively calm.
"Big golden retriever sitting on the lawn," said River. "Never took to you. Smelling you. The neighbor's pet. You did things to him. Cleaned up after. Shined and polished. Everything in here gleams."
"... Well I'll be a son of a whore," said Early, dumbfounded. "You're not in my gorram mind- you're on my gorram ship!" River began to laugh.
"It's very interesting! All these buttons."
"Okay! We're not touching those, okay?" said Early, now speaking fast and calmly. "How'd the hell did she get on my ship?"
"Put the gun away," said River flatly.
"Okay. I'm putting it away," said Early.
"Mmm, noooo, he's not," Will spoke up.
"I'm putting it away because we're all reasonable people. Don't wanna be doing anything rash, fiddling with any dials."
"You're not right, Early," said River. "You're not righteous. You've got issues."
"No. Or yes. I could have that. You might have me figured out then," Early blathered. "Good job. I'm not 100 percent."
"You talk too much," said River, sounding bored.
"I'm flawed in that way. I sometimes go on. It's been said-"
"It's okay, Early," River interrupted. "I'm going with you."
"...River, what're you-" said Will, rising, but he couldn't continue. His mouth fell open as he listened, horrified, to his sister speaking.
"Don't belong," said River, now sad. "Dangerous, like you. Can't be controlled. Can't be trusted. Everyone could just... go on without me and not have to worry. People could be what they wanted to be... could be with the people they wanted. Could live simple. No secrets."
"...No," said Will softly, shaking his head, his heart sinking.
"I'll be fine. I'll be your bounty, Jubal Early. And I'll just fade away."
"Well," said Early, now sounding a great deal more cheerful. "Finally, something goes according to-" Will suddenly lunged at the other man, tackling him, slamming him up against a hard metal wall before they tumbled to the floor, tussling.
"Simon?" River cried, before there was the crack of a gun, and she screamed. Will- Simon- felt the pain of a bullet in his leg. River screamed, and Simon fell backward, hands on his left thigh, feeling warm blood course over his fingers and pain and his sister wanting to give herself up to this man-
-and the memory faded.