A Day at the Races pt-1

originally written purely for laughs; so i'm not sure where it can be read.
i'll post the other two chapters a little down the line. hope it's worth a chuckle.

all firefly fan fiction is based on characters and situations created by joss whedon and tim minear - all copyright is owned by them (well, and some corps.)


A Day at the Races Pt 1

Twelve horses moving at pace will raise a helluva noise – and the horses being watched by Malcolm Reynolds were being raced to their limits.

He turned away for a moment from the dusty track, past the crowds of spectators; the sun dancing off their sashes, brooches, pins and medals, finery, and let his eyes roam the sweep of the green plains beyond the fences. Could grass have ‘weft?’ he wondered, same as carpet?
He admired the graceful slope up to the mansion house, gleaming white aways off and real palatial. His nostrils inhaled the early morning aroma of lawn, dew, tree and animal.
“Fragrant.” He said.

“Yes,” agreed the woman coming up beside him, “it’s been quite some time since any of us could use that word.”

“Saving yourself surely.” Captain Reynolds flashed a quick smile.

Inara nodded, flattered and infuriated. “Thank you Mal, charming as sometimes.”

Mal grinned more wickedly this time but now Inara was gazing across the broad field and over at the horses. “A man could get used to this…” She murmured.
“Really?” Reynolds feigned ignorance – and poorly. “Seems a load to manage, what with the horses, the racing, the big house on the hill, upkeep alone must cost a great deal of coin…”
“Mm-hm.”
“Still, I won’t pretend to be churlish when it comes to restful chances for my crew. I’m glad of ‘em.”
“I’m sure they are too.” Was that a twinkle in the Serra eyes? “I thought River would explode when she got to cartwheel on real grass.”

Mal looked at Inara, meeting those dark eyes with his own – but swift.
“Yeah, aint she just the strangest mix of girl parts though?”
Inara’s eyebrow arched as she said, “I thought she was just a child to you Mal?” and Reynold’s hand flashed up a warning sign.
“Now don’t be misinterpreting me. I just meant the child and the adult all blended awry.”

Doctor Simon Tam had been strolling up to the pair and overheard the last. “Blended awry Captain? That’s a real, that’s an interesting way of describing the Alliance treatment of my sister.”
Mal shrugged that off. “And she would be whereabouts now?”
Simon smiled. “River is with Zoe, watching the race. I’m on my way to them actually.”
“Oh really?” Mal pretended not to hear Inara’s open sigh -Merciful Buddha, how she hated these testosterone tossing competitions. “And Kaylee?”
“What?”
Simon was momentarily discomfited. “I don’t – I mean I guess maybe she’s..?”

“Stables.” All three answered with the same breath – and this time the laughter was genuine.

“If you’ll excuse me,” Inara motioned with a sway of her head.
“Oh. Oh of course.” Damn if Simon didn’t near click his heel together at the woman. Mal kept his tongue in his mouth for once, smiled at Inara till her lithe form was some distance walked. Then he pounced. “Nice boots.” He gestured with his eyes.
Simon was, point of fact, clad in a long pair of slick black knee breaches; Perfect for a stroll round the homestead. “You pack them on an off chance?”
The Doctor was lost for words.

“MOVE YER BLEEDIN ARSE!”
River Tam’s angry yelp rose clear of the subdued stalls around her. Subdued for an instant only before there was an irate chorus of angry shushes and tuts. River answered with a poke of the tongue.
Zoe kept quiet – but her grip on the Tam girl was iron, pulling her down back into her seat. She gazed calmly at the fine horses making their fifth turn on the track and the red in the way of her eyes cleared quickly.

It came back.

A small eager featured man was pushing his way between them. One hand flicking at the slicked thin hair on his fist shaped head, the other proffering a hat in some sort of greeting.
“I knew yer fer a lady the minute I clapped my peepers on yer!” Badger was actually beaming.

As Zoe recoiled, River Tam turned, her face wore a broad theatrical dame’s displeasure.
“Smelt yer comin’ aways off Badger. Now yer ‘ere. Aint that grand.” Her cockney accent was equally stagey.
Badger was still beaming but he found his attempt to scuttle forward blocked by the wall of Zoe’s hand.
“Speak your piece, Badger. You got business here with us?”
Now it was Badger’s turn to be theatrical; a flick of the hat and the hands seeming to test the breeze, the eyes darting about anywhere’s but at the women looking at him, then. “Business and pleasure surely Ladies. Well business IS a pleasure I should say… and you can take that gorram look off your face.”

Zoe had got through to him finally, but then her eyes could burn through a vault - or so her husband often clamed.
Badger did his best to look fierce under the onslaught.
“My business might just mean a nice little earning opportunity for you tykes. Where’s Reynolds? ”


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End of pt 1
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Yes.

Curious about who owns the estate and what time period this is, there's a few suggestions thrown out there but no confirmation.

Uh oh, Badger. River is neither a Galatea or an Elisa, but you might make her wish she was stone.

Bytemite wrote:Yes.

Curious about who owns the estate and what time period this is, there's a few suggestions thrown out there but no confirmation.

Uh oh, Badger. River is neither a Galatea or an Elisa, but you might make her wish she was stone.

LOL! good one.

As for time period; sometime around Trash/Ariel (apparently) when the crew have some coin for a change.
That's according to my fic-guide; i haven't re-read the story to check.
It's strictly silliness anyway - except for a bit with Inara and a maths/philosophy guy (i think it's this story).
In my head-canon, Inara was shrewd enough to have been a licensed Muse and mostly to scientists and such.

Oh, I like this. I'm looking forward to your posting of the next chapters.

Is the horse race on a track with spectators in stands or is it some kind of cross-country race? The mansion on the hill makes me think of a point-to-point (cross country race) I was once hired to play music for...I don't know if the horses and riders made more than one circuit, but they ran all over the place, jumping fences and ditches and tearing up and down hills and such. The spectators were all dressed up with studied rustic elegance.

Also your "licensed Muse to scientists...maths/philosophy guy" comments amused me I can just see it, must be some improvement on the Atherton Wing type of clients.

ebfiddler987 wrote:Oh, I like this. I'm looking forward to your posting of the next chapters.

Is the horse race on a track with spectators in stands or is it some kind of cross-country race? The mansion on the hill makes me think of a point-to-point (cross country race) I was once hired to play music for...I don't know if the horses and riders made more than one circuit, but they ran all over the place, jumping fences and ditches and tearing up and down hills and such. The spectators were all dressed up with studied rustic elegance.

LOL! and what a glamorous and uncontrolled sounding occasion!

the way i see it here in the fic (such as it is), it's a genteel presentation; browncoat, dirt born, agricultural rim world life as a museum piece, a decoration. the races probably a mix of track and country events, the emphasis being display.
saying that though, i probably fudge* it coz i don't remember races actually figuring much in the story (and no rodeo) - which is why i want to read Byte's.

the lack of detail is a flaw but this was just some fun (hence the chronological vagueness - koff! - continuity issues) after the usual lonnnngg & description heavy bleakathon plotpourri of my norm.

Also your "licensed Muse to scientists...maths/philosophy guy" must be some improvement on the Atherton Wing type of clients.

i hope so! leastways i don't remember any shindig-style shenanigans.

and thanks indeed for the kindly comments.

Love the idea of Inara as a muse. She's actually very smart and educated going by her stats in the RP.

I am now viewing this estate as more like a southern plantation now. Go figure.

>lonnnngg & description heavy bleakathon plotpourri

Haha. I hear that. Eidolon is kind of a monster. It'll be fun when that's done to play around with some of these much shorter and easy concept and comedy ideas I have for writing.