River/Kaylee (Firefly)
Oct. 15th, 2004 05:34 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
skripka.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
ship_manifestoTitle: Broken Girls
Author:skripka
Spoilers: the entire series; none for the movie
Email: skripka @ livejournal.com
Personal Website: skripka.compromisingpositions.net
So.
River and Kaylee.
I suppose I can't get away with just saying that they're just really, really cute together?
No?
Oh well.
What follows is my attempt to explain my Firefly girlslash OTP. I'm skripka, and generally I'm a boyslash writer. I don't stray much from Firefly, my OneTrueShow, either. Joss' space western sucked me in and demanded that I be in fandom. And here I am, two years later, still obsessing over a cancelled cult show.
Also, I'm an angst addict, so my take on this whole 'ship thing may be a bit dark. Please feel free to try and point out happy things in the comments.
***
What can one say about River?
Bright, genius girl-child. Privileged. Too smart for her own good, apparently, but had a brother who loved her beyond anything imaginable. Despite the occasional brattiness, apparently. A dancer.
There was nothing that didn't come as naturally to her as breathing does to us.
River went off to school, looking for the best program, the most challenging. Found it at a government-sponsored academy. Fell for the pitch, went, and was somehow betrayed. Experimented on, along with at least some of her classmates. She wrote letters to the one person who would understand, the one person who would do anything to help.
Lucky, too. To have a brother who had enough money to buy a rescue for her.
We first see River screaming. It doesn't matter—either of the premieres, Serenity or The Train Job—the first words out of River's mouth are screams. We can see that she's not right. We can see how her brother cares about her and protects her. Later on, we see the Blue Hand Men, and we get glimpses of what happened to her in school.
Fractured. Her perceptions of everything turned into a kaleidoscope. River is trying to make sense, trying to make others see her sense. No idea how much has been done to her, or how much further they wanted to take her.
She's damaged. But she's getting better.
***
Kaylee. Kaylee is the bright star. The smiling face. Smart, but not schooled. Courageous, but not brave. The tomboy who loves strawberries, hot cheese, and frilly, silly dresses.
Get your prairie harpy off my boat.
Kaylee's not broken at the beginning of the series. She's still playing Robin Hood. Rob from the rich. Sell to the less rich. Probably, she pictures herself as Will Scarlet, or in her more romantic mode, Maid Marian. With considerably less virtue. Sex is easy for her. Love, even easier. She adores pretty boys and engines. Maybe it's the other way around. Does it really matter?
She likes games. Playing. She's the crew's anchor to joy. Is it any wonder everyone is attracted to her? She gets mad, of course. And moody. It doesn't always take a lot, either, but she can forgive nearly as quickly. Mercurial genius with grease and dirt on her face, dreaming of other lives.
Kaylee fixes things. Ships, people. That's her job, and she loves it.
She's not brave--she's gotten scared badly. Too close to death, to violence, too many times.
Her bubble's been shattered, and she doesn't know how to fix it.
***
It starts out simply enough. A glance in the infirmary. Two injured girls, one admiring the other.
She's a real beauty, ain't she?
The fact is that River has problems forming relationships. During the series, she spends most of her time with her brother. Gradually, however, Kaylee penetrates her sphere. I'm sure Kaylee started out simply as shy hellos and smiles. By the time War Stories comes along, they're fast friends, chasing each other around the ship, playing games to pass the time.
It's a small ship. If you don't like your crewmates, it's going to get uncomfortable.
Kaylee likes fixing things. Preferably before they get bad.
And it's nice to have a friend who's near your age, who wants to spend time with you... what can go wrong?
***
What happens? What changes?
When does life become topsy-turvy?
Sometimes a thing gets broke, can't be fixed.
It is, of course, River's fault.
The Tams put Serenity in danger. There is little doubt of that. There's debate on whether or not the skills they bring to the party outweigh the risks, but that's beyond the scope of this essay.
River's been experimented on, turned into something...different. Her brother tries fixing her the only way he knows how, with medicine, but it's all experimentation. She's erratic, nothing works for long. River's hidden away. The only constant in her life is Serenity's crew.
And in War Stories, she does what she has to to protect what she has.
Kaylee's trapped, scared. She can't shoot her gun, she can barely hide. River comes out of nowhere, takes the gun from her, and shoots the attackers.
River terrifies her friend in the process. Three quick shots, and Kaylee and the ship are safe, but neither of them know what to make of River's skill.
River's capture in Ariel leads to Jubel Early's hijack in Objects in Space. Kaylee is threatened, scared beyond anything in her life from before.
It's not River's fault, but somehow it is.
This time, River fixes things. Saves the ship again, but reassures Kaylee first. Makes Kaylee a part of the rescue. Brings her back into the crew.
Repairs the friendship.
***
And that's where the series ends.
Everything's going to be okay...I'm right here.
The problem (and joy) of 'shipping in such a short lived series is how little canon there is to work with.
There isn't much to interpret, but there is so much more leeway. Less "jossing," if you must put it that way.
(Who knows where the movie will take us, but again, beyond the scope of this essay etc....)
The joy (and sometimes problem) of Firefly is that it's possible to find a reason to 'ship anyone. When the actors are so attractive and like each other so much, the chemistry between any two of them is palpable.
Kaylee's enjoyment of sex is canon. As is River's interest in it. River is close to two people on Serenity, her brother and Kaylee.
And though there are arguments for 'shipping either of them with pretty much anybody else, the main reason I have to ship them together is that it's the most normal relationship for River to have.
Jayne/River—too dangerous, Mal/River—too crazy, Simon/River—well, there's a reason it's called Crazy Space Incest. Not that I have problems reading these pairings per se, I'm just happier imagining River with Kaylee.
Plus, they're really, really cute together. :)
***
General Fandom Resources:
I see no one (I think) has listed these yet, but I find I look at these sites the most when I'm writing or doing fannish activities.
http://firefly.shriftweb.org/index.shtml for episode transcripts
http://still-flying.net/, for screencaps
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
central_cortex for nitpicky info and even more transcripts (a work-in-progress. tynantblue0162 has been eaten by Weiss Kreuz, and will be back shortly)
Fic Recs:
The biggest problem with a lot of River/Kaylee, besides the lack of writers, is that much of it is attached to Mal/Simon fics, or Simon/Jayne fics, or pretty much name-the-pairing—frankly, it's cute as an adjunct pairing, but sometimes you just want River/Kaylee, you know?
Like This bydirty_diana.
Rock and a Hard Place: River, Simon, Kaylee by Dirty Diana
Yes, I had to rec two of Dirty Diana's fics. There really aren't a lot of us who write R/K, and she does it so well. Also, I begged her to write the first one. :) If these two whet your appetite, read the rest of her fic. It's all good.
Burn by Jane St. Clair. (3jane)
Just discovered this a few weeks ago. Oh my. Beautiful thing. *hugs it*
Meanwhile, Down the Corridor... bysffan.
This piece is a bit lighter, with at least one laugh-out-loud moment.
Something Old and Something New byemungere
Eleanor K. is one of my favorite writers in this fandom. Again, the lonely R/K fic that seems obligatory for pretty much every slash writer.
One Right Thing by Jane, the Frog on the Wall.
This one is good, but hard to describe. Still. You should read it. (Why else would I have recced it?)
And despite the tackiness: Pieces by yours truly.
The problem with being one of two writers who have written multiple R/K fics (although I have nowhere near the quantity that DD has) is that it's nearly impossible to avoid self-recs. This one's my favorite. Can you say angst-whore?
***
So.
I hope this has been readable. Possibly even helpful. All sorts of comments and clarifications are welcome. Criticisms, too, because Joss knows I have trouble getting my mind and mouth and fingers to work together.
Author:skripka
Spoilers: the entire series; none for the movie
Email: skripka @ livejournal.com
Personal Website: skripka.compromisingpositions.net
So.
River and Kaylee.
I suppose I can't get away with just saying that they're just really, really cute together?
No?
Oh well.
What follows is my attempt to explain my Firefly girlslash OTP. I'm skripka, and generally I'm a boyslash writer. I don't stray much from Firefly, my OneTrueShow, either. Joss' space western sucked me in and demanded that I be in fandom. And here I am, two years later, still obsessing over a cancelled cult show.
Also, I'm an angst addict, so my take on this whole 'ship thing may be a bit dark. Please feel free to try and point out happy things in the comments.
***
What can one say about River?
Bright, genius girl-child. Privileged. Too smart for her own good, apparently, but had a brother who loved her beyond anything imaginable. Despite the occasional brattiness, apparently. A dancer.
There was nothing that didn't come as naturally to her as breathing does to us.
Simon: Serenity
River went off to school, looking for the best program, the most challenging. Found it at a government-sponsored academy. Fell for the pitch, went, and was somehow betrayed. Experimented on, along with at least some of her classmates. She wrote letters to the one person who would understand, the one person who would do anything to help.
Lucky, too. To have a brother who had enough money to buy a rescue for her.
We first see River screaming. It doesn't matter—either of the premieres, Serenity or The Train Job—the first words out of River's mouth are screams. We can see that she's not right. We can see how her brother cares about her and protects her. Later on, we see the Blue Hand Men, and we get glimpses of what happened to her in school.
Fractured. Her perceptions of everything turned into a kaleidoscope. River is trying to make sense, trying to make others see her sense. No idea how much has been done to her, or how much further they wanted to take her.
She's damaged. But she's getting better.
***
Kaylee. Kaylee is the bright star. The smiling face. Smart, but not schooled. Courageous, but not brave. The tomboy who loves strawberries, hot cheese, and frilly, silly dresses.
Get your prairie harpy off my boat.
Mal: Out of Gas
Kaylee's not broken at the beginning of the series. She's still playing Robin Hood. Rob from the rich. Sell to the less rich. Probably, she pictures herself as Will Scarlet, or in her more romantic mode, Maid Marian. With considerably less virtue. Sex is easy for her. Love, even easier. She adores pretty boys and engines. Maybe it's the other way around. Does it really matter?
She likes games. Playing. She's the crew's anchor to joy. Is it any wonder everyone is attracted to her? She gets mad, of course. And moody. It doesn't always take a lot, either, but she can forgive nearly as quickly. Mercurial genius with grease and dirt on her face, dreaming of other lives.
Kaylee fixes things. Ships, people. That's her job, and she loves it.
She's not brave--she's gotten scared badly. Too close to death, to violence, too many times.
Her bubble's been shattered, and she doesn't know how to fix it.
***
It starts out simply enough. A glance in the infirmary. Two injured girls, one admiring the other.
She's a real beauty, ain't she?
Kaylee: Serenity
The fact is that River has problems forming relationships. During the series, she spends most of her time with her brother. Gradually, however, Kaylee penetrates her sphere. I'm sure Kaylee started out simply as shy hellos and smiles. By the time War Stories comes along, they're fast friends, chasing each other around the ship, playing games to pass the time.
It's a small ship. If you don't like your crewmates, it's going to get uncomfortable.
Kaylee likes fixing things. Preferably before they get bad.
And it's nice to have a friend who's near your age, who wants to spend time with you... what can go wrong?
***
What happens? What changes?
When does life become topsy-turvy?
Sometimes a thing gets broke, can't be fixed.
Kaylee: Out of Gas
It is, of course, River's fault.
The Tams put Serenity in danger. There is little doubt of that. There's debate on whether or not the skills they bring to the party outweigh the risks, but that's beyond the scope of this essay.
River's been experimented on, turned into something...different. Her brother tries fixing her the only way he knows how, with medicine, but it's all experimentation. She's erratic, nothing works for long. River's hidden away. The only constant in her life is Serenity's crew.
And in War Stories, she does what she has to to protect what she has.
Kaylee's trapped, scared. She can't shoot her gun, she can barely hide. River comes out of nowhere, takes the gun from her, and shoots the attackers.
River terrifies her friend in the process. Three quick shots, and Kaylee and the ship are safe, but neither of them know what to make of River's skill.
River's capture in Ariel leads to Jubel Early's hijack in Objects in Space. Kaylee is threatened, scared beyond anything in her life from before.
It's not River's fault, but somehow it is.
This time, River fixes things. Saves the ship again, but reassures Kaylee first. Makes Kaylee a part of the rescue. Brings her back into the crew.
Repairs the friendship.
***
And that's where the series ends.
Everything's going to be okay...I'm right here.
River: Objects in Space
The problem (and joy) of 'shipping in such a short lived series is how little canon there is to work with.
There isn't much to interpret, but there is so much more leeway. Less "jossing," if you must put it that way.
(Who knows where the movie will take us, but again, beyond the scope of this essay etc....)
The joy (and sometimes problem) of Firefly is that it's possible to find a reason to 'ship anyone. When the actors are so attractive and like each other so much, the chemistry between any two of them is palpable.
Kaylee's enjoyment of sex is canon. As is River's interest in it. River is close to two people on Serenity, her brother and Kaylee.
And though there are arguments for 'shipping either of them with pretty much anybody else, the main reason I have to ship them together is that it's the most normal relationship for River to have.
Jayne/River—too dangerous, Mal/River—too crazy, Simon/River—well, there's a reason it's called Crazy Space Incest. Not that I have problems reading these pairings per se, I'm just happier imagining River with Kaylee.
Plus, they're really, really cute together. :)
***
General Fandom Resources:
I see no one (I think) has listed these yet, but I find I look at these sites the most when I'm writing or doing fannish activities.
http://firefly.shriftweb.org/index.shtml for episode transcripts
http://still-flying.net/, for screencaps
central_cortex for nitpicky info and even more transcripts (a work-in-progress. tynantblue0162 has been eaten by Weiss Kreuz, and will be back shortly) Fic Recs:
The biggest problem with a lot of River/Kaylee, besides the lack of writers, is that much of it is attached to Mal/Simon fics, or Simon/Jayne fics, or pretty much name-the-pairing—frankly, it's cute as an adjunct pairing, but sometimes you just want River/Kaylee, you know?
Like This by
dirty_diana. Rock and a Hard Place: River, Simon, Kaylee by Dirty Diana
Yes, I had to rec two of Dirty Diana's fics. There really aren't a lot of us who write R/K, and she does it so well. Also, I begged her to write the first one. :) If these two whet your appetite, read the rest of her fic. It's all good.
Burn by Jane St. Clair. (
3jane)Just discovered this a few weeks ago. Oh my. Beautiful thing. *hugs it*
Meanwhile, Down the Corridor... by
sffan.This piece is a bit lighter, with at least one laugh-out-loud moment.
Something Old and Something New by
emungereEleanor K. is one of my favorite writers in this fandom. Again, the lonely R/K fic that seems obligatory for pretty much every slash writer.
One Right Thing by Jane, the Frog on the Wall.
This one is good, but hard to describe. Still. You should read it. (Why else would I have recced it?)
And despite the tackiness: Pieces by yours truly.
The problem with being one of two writers who have written multiple R/K fics (although I have nowhere near the quantity that DD has) is that it's nearly impossible to avoid self-recs. This one's my favorite. Can you say angst-whore?
***
So.
I hope this has been readable. Possibly even helpful. All sorts of comments and clarifications are welcome. Criticisms, too, because Joss knows I have trouble getting my mind and mouth and fingers to work together.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-10-15 02:58 pm (UTC)(thanks for the rec, btw)
no subject
Date: 2004-10-15 09:04 pm (UTC)Mmmm. cute.
(not a problem)
no subject
Date: 2004-10-15 03:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-15 09:13 pm (UTC)Thanks!
no subject
Date: 2004-10-15 03:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-15 09:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-15 03:42 pm (UTC)Works for me.
Despite feeling you had got to the heart of the pairing I read on. Great summary of the two characters and their interactions.
I think that you're right that it is the most normal relationship that River could have. It makes sense on all sorts of other levels too. Good pairing.
no subject
Date: 2004-10-15 09:12 pm (UTC)Thanks for the comments!
no subject
Date: 2004-10-15 03:59 pm (UTC)I love River as a character and while my personal OTP puts Kaylee elsewhere, I can see the appeal of Kaylee/River.
Hrmmm.... No! *runs away from threesome bunny*
Thanks for the recs. :)
no subject
Date: 2004-10-15 09:05 pm (UTC)and the threesome bunny is your friend!
no subject
Date: 2004-10-15 04:47 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2004-10-15 09:10 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2004-10-19 12:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-22 08:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-19 09:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-22 08:28 pm (UTC)(icon-duel!)
no subject
Date: 2004-10-21 05:24 pm (UTC)Fabulous job.
no subject
Date: 2004-10-22 08:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-26 07:05 am (UTC)Actually, upon deeper reflection (brought on by your essay--it seriously never occurred to me before), that I perceive a bit of Willow/Tara dynamic to River/Kaylee. Maybe Joss *was* going there. :)
no subject
Date: 2004-12-18 01:09 am (UTC)I see huge merit and plausibility in this pairing, and I'm glad I let this community be my first stop in the fandom after finishing watching the series last night.
Can't wait to explore the links you've provided!
no subject
Date: 2005-05-17 05:10 am (UTC)Kaylee/River is my only favorite River pairing, and one of my two favorite Kaylee pairings. I usually like River gen, because she needs so much healing IMHO before she gets into a sexual relationship. But with Kaylee, I can see it being a healing thing.