Prompt 049: RIme of the Ancient Mariner

[redrikki.livejournal.com]

Title: Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Author: Redrikki
Rating: PG
Word Count: 100
Prompt: 049, Firefly: Poetry
Characters: River, Wash
Disclaimer: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and any quotes and allusions to it belong to the ghost of Samuel Taylor Coleridge.



Serenity hung among the stars, trapped like a fly in the amber of the Verse. The golden glow of her engine was gone. Their firefly was dead. River gazed sadly down at Her as Wash steered them up and away.

“As idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean.”

“What?” Wash was distracted, tense with worry for hurt wife and rapidly dwindling home.

River looked into the vastness of space. Somewhere out there ghost-ships and slime monsters were waiting to find Her. “Don’t worry,” she told Wash with a reassuring smile. “It’s love that makes the South wind blow.”

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Hi,
thought this was a nicely realised snippet from the series. The Rime of the ancient Mariner has always seemed one that space travellers would know, and it seems especially appropriate to Joss Whedon's dystopian view of the future in Firefly. The last line also links in nicely to Mal's lines to River at the end of the BDM.

Nice one,
Ray (kerkevik@planet-save.com)

[redrikki.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you liked it. I thought the Rime of the Ancient Mariner was especially appropriate to the fandom on account of all of the references to it in the BDM. It's just so firefly, you know?

[thedothatgirl.livejournal.com]

This was great - I felt you'd captured River's voice well. I can just visualize this scene.

[redrikki.livejournal.com]

Thanks. River's voice can be tricky to get.

[firefly124.livejournal.com]

That sounds so very like River, and the "Rime" fits this scene so well.

[redrikki.livejournal.com]

Thanks for saying.

[ubiquirk.livejournal.com]

Very nice use of the poem mixed into the show - like she knows she's the albatross before Mal does.

[redrikki.livejournal.com]

Thanks. River totally is the albatross.

[divadea.livejournal.com]

Lovely!

[redrikki.livejournal.com]

Thanks.