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Post by River Tam on May 5, 2006 0:54:01 GMT -5
*She shook her head* Jayne doesn't return the attraction. Best to keep quiet. Feelings will disappear with time...
*That was true. All crushes died out if you didn't pay any mind to them. But that wasn't why River was avoiding taking her own advice.
It was because she simply feared that he did return the attraction. And that thought petrified her.*
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Post by Inara Serra on May 5, 2006 22:01:34 GMT -5
"Why are you so afraid?" Inara asked, tilting her head towards River. "I mean, besides the fact that Simon doesn't like him or that Mal would have a fit, not to mention-" She stopped talking when she realised that the reasons she was giving were not going to help the girl.
In fact, they would probably hurt her more than anything. Inara took a breath and started again.
"Are you afraid of finding out if he feels the same way about you? How has he been towards you recently?"
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Post by River Tam on May 5, 2006 22:10:44 GMT -5
*She glanced to Inara, frowning. Those were good enough reasons to be afraid, but they weren't hers. She could easily ignore her brother and his views, she had more then enough to say if he started something. As for Mal...he'd calm down with time.
She was afraid that he felt the same. The thought of a man being interested in her...in any way made her want to run. It was like a natural instinct. It had been that way since...
...The Academy.
She felt her heart skip a beat and she whimpered slightly, looking to the floor, shutting her eyes. Don't think about it...don't think about it. Of all the horrors she had experienced...that shouldn't have been her most feared one. But it was...it was the one she forced out of her mind as much as she could. She took in a slow breath, keeping her eyes shut*
I just am *It was not quite a lie...but it was not an answer either*
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Post by Inara Serra on May 8, 2006 0:23:34 GMT -5
Alarm crossed Inara's face at the way River was frowning and holding herself. The answer to Inara's question of what was scaring the girl about this was simple.
The Academy.
Those huh choo-shung tza-jiao duh tzang-huo had made the girl's life a hell in order to make her into a weapon for their own means. Inara had only seen the aftermath of what River had done to the Reavers on Mr. Universe's skyplex, but she knew in her heart that they had probably succeeded in doing so.
"Sweetheart," Inara said soothingly, trying to get River to calm down. "It's going to be okay. They can't get you anymore. And not here in any case. Mal and Simon, Wash and Jayne will protect you. Hell, even Zoe, Kaylee and myself would rather die than let anything happen to you. We all care about you. Never forget that."
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Post by River Tam on May 8, 2006 0:28:17 GMT -5
*She kept her eyes shut. Images were flashing back, things she had buried deep inside her. Her memories were returning, coming back to haunt her.
She jumped up, pushing herself away from the little table. She opened her eyes, which had begun to glisten with a few tears. She glanced to Inara. She heard her, ofcourse she heard her. She was grateful...and she knew what the woman said was true. But that didn't change the fact...she needed to retreat. All her training and every instinct in her body was telling her to do just that. To run.
She bolted for the door, her hand coming up to her face, shielding her eyes, so no one would see the few tears that had managed to escape. The tears that were rolling down her cheeks. She said nothing to Inara as she ran away. She got out of the shuttle as quick as she could, her face to the floor as she ran past someone, it didn't register who*
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Post by Malcolm Reynolds on May 8, 2006 0:33:18 GMT -5
*He hated Badger. Despiration had forced him to consider doing the deal with the man, but he should have seen it coming. Him pulling out. Now they were stuck until they found a job, and hopefully on Persephone. They needed money now.
Not to mention he had told Inara they'd be on Persephone for atleast two weeks...and he was pretty sure she had made 'arrangements'. He frowned at the thought, then shook his head, advancing towards her shuttle. He blinked, seeing the door open. Who was in with her? Kaylee?
But it was River who rushed past him. His heart sank as the girl ran past him, not even giving him a chance to stop her.* Albatross? *He called out to her...but she continued running.
His eyes shifted to the shuttle and he moved in through the door, not bothering to knock, glancing to Inara. He pointed over his shoulder* Uh...what was that about?
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Post by Inara Serra on May 8, 2006 0:47:13 GMT -5
Inara got up as River ran out of the shuttle. She was about to go after girl when she saw a familiar face come into her shuttle, without knocking as usual. It was Mal, and Inara felt her heart jump a bit when he came striding in.
Uh...what was that about?
"It's a private conversation," Inara said, cleaning up the remnants of the tea she and River had shared. "She was worried about some things and I was helping her as best I could. Although, I'm not sure it was enough."
Inara sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She looked at Mal again, at the strand of hair falling in his face and sighed again. "Did you have something to tell me? I notice that we're not on Persephone at the moment."
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Post by Malcolm Reynolds on May 8, 2006 0:52:47 GMT -5
Yes well...she was crying. *He shifted, looking to her* And that girl doesn't cry. Well...as much anymore. *He took in a breath,his eyes following her as she moved around the room.
And there it was. The sarcasim. He took in a breath, glancing to the floor* Your very observant, Nara. *He glanced back up to her* We've hit a little...speed bump. Will be there by mornin'
*He continued to watch her as she moved. Her hair was bouncing as she moved around the confinds of the shuttle, framing her face lovely. He tilted his head to the side, admiring her for a few more moments, before he snapped out of his daze.* You have a client lined up immediatly for arrival, or somethin'?
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Post by Inara Serra on May 11, 2006 23:19:54 GMT -5
You're very observant, Nara.
She decided to let that one go. They hadn't gotten into a fight in a while, and she wanted to keep it that way. She could feel his eyes on her as she walked around the room and honestly, it felt good. Mal was different than the other men she had ever interacted with. Most especially, she noted how different he was than her clients. While most saw only the whore she was, treating her like a trophy, as if they somehow won her. Mal saw her as the person she truly was; witty, delicate, but most of all, real. She was real to him, not some porcelin doll as the other men saw her.
We've hit a little...speed bump. Will be there by mornin'. You have a client lined up immediatly for arrival, or somethin'?
And there it was. That was Mal's basic invitation for a fight with her. "Actually, I don't. I hadn't had time to schedule an appointment with anyone." It was a half-truth. She hadn't really wanted to make an appointment with anyone. She was trying to focus a bit more on Mal these days and setting up more appointments with clients was not the way to go about it. She raised an eyebrow at him and added before she could think about it, "I'm about to go through the Cortex now though."
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Post by Malcolm Reynolds on May 11, 2006 23:26:00 GMT -5
*He felt a small amount of satisfaction. She hadnt set up an appointment, and as much as he hated admitting it, he was glad. He always hated watching her shuttle fly off to meet clients, usually turned his mood sour. It was even worse when she brought them to visit the ship...which was rare, but when it did happen, it took all of him not to beat them down the moment they set foot on his turf.
I'm about to go through the Cortex now though. He felt an immediate ping of jealousy, and his face fell without hesitation. He took in a breath*
I'm sure you'll have many eager clients *He glanced down to the floor of the shuttle, crossing his arms.*
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Post by Inara Serra on May 11, 2006 23:36:54 GMT -5
She couldn't mistake the bitterness in his voice as he spoke to her. She bit her lip and looked away. Why did she do it? Why did they do it to each other? The dance they were doing, had been doing for the past few months, was tiring. All they succeeded in doing was hurting each other.
"Actually, I lied, Mal," she said, looking back at him. "I thought I'd rest this time. I have enough money from an earlier time that I don't need to take on any clients this time." She couldn't get around from saying that remark about an older client, but it explained why she had enough money that she didn't need to make an appointment this time.
"Besides, it's been a long time since I did something for myself."
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Post by Malcolm Reynolds on May 11, 2006 23:42:35 GMT -5
*He glanced up, watching her for a moment. He tried to stop himself from smiling, mostly from relief, but he couldn't. It was a small smile, but definitly a grateful one.* Oh
Well...that's good *He didn't know what else to say. Part of him wanted to just simply say he was relieved...glad she wasn't taking on a client. But that would lead to questions, questions that he knew the answers to. But he wasn't ready to answer them*
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Post by Inara Serra on May 12, 2006 0:01:39 GMT -5
Inara smiled back at him. She was glad she had gotten him back into a good mood. If only for the time being.
She had to be careful with Mal. Sometimes he seemed like a total brute, not too far from being like Jayne. But he could be sensitive about a great many things.
"What kind of snag did we hit?" she inquired, trying to divert the subject away from herself and her clients. "Did Badger muck something up again?"
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Post by Malcolm Reynolds on May 12, 2006 0:12:08 GMT -5
Badger has decided to pass the job to someone else. So...we don't have a job at the moment. Plan is to land and pray that we manage to find one on planet side. Even if it is something quick...'nough to get this boat back in the air, that's all we need.
*He gave a slight shrug of the shoulders* Little albatross keeps mentionin' sheep...but I don't settle kindly with the idea of more herdin' goin' on in the Cargo bay. Money ain't worth the hassle...
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Post by Inara Serra on May 12, 2006 0:17:36 GMT -5
Inara nodded at Mal's summation of the current events. Badger always seemed to put them in binds. Inara had never met the man but once and she hadn't liked what she had seen. He was a shady little man, overcompensating for something and always looking for ways to piss Mal off.
She gave a small laugh at River's suggestion. "Doesn't she remember the time we herded the cows?" That had been an interesting experience for all involved. Mostly for Simon and River. They had been kidnapped and almost burned alive for being 'witches' by some disillusioned townspeople.
"I can't imagine what a hassle sheep would be," she added, still smiling at him.
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