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fan_eluneTitle: 20 Things You Didn't Know About Inara Serra
Author: fan_elune
Rating: PG13, I suppose
Characters: mostly Inara, mentions of others
Spoilers/Timeline: Firefly and Serenity
Disclaimer: Joss is Boss. Just having fun.
Author's Note: This was written for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
melnotmeli's "20 Things..." challenge.
Twenty Things You Didn't Know About Inara Serra
1. Inara was six when her father died. She cried so much that she thought she was going to shrivel up and die, too.
2. Inara only stopped crying when a cricket landed on her shoulder, because she was convinced that it was her father's reincarnation.
3. Her mother would not suffer such nonsense, and stamped on the bug to end it. Inara has forgiven her by now, but the child she was at the time hated her mother for it.
4. Her mother never forgave her, though, for being first in her father's affections, and Inara has long since managed to make her peace with that knowledge. She does not hate her mother anymore; she pities her.
5. Inara isn't sure she would remember her father's face if it weren't for the few captures she has of him, and a cloud of sadness always suffuses her lungs when she reflects on it.
6. Inara met her first Companion when she was eight. She remembers being awed, and humbled, and the way the woman managed to make her feel as if she were the most treasured, important thing in the world, just with the way she looked at her. It reminded her of her father.
7. Inara's first kiss was sweet and innocent. She was eleven, Tomas was ten. She liked to tease him about the year she had on him; he liked to tease her about how good she smelled. They were experts at annoying each other; soon they became experts at stealing kisses from each other.
8. Tomas was the son of the cook, and often had a bit of flour on him. When Inara's mother realised what was going on she fired the cook and forbade her daughter from seeing Tomas again. He isn't good enough for you, she said, but her eyes belied it. What they said was, you're not good enough for love.
9. Inara enrolled at the Academy when she was twelve. Her mother was relieved to see her go, and Inara did not miss her. She missed Tomas, though.
10. It is since Tomas that Inara likes a bit of dirt on her men; it makes them more real. Atherton Wing never stood a chance, and she likes Serenity's cosy mess better than all the floating chandeliers of the world.
11. Inara fell in love once before. It went badly.
12. Inara believes that her soul still resides in Sihnon, and always will, no matter where her heart may dwell.
13. Inara is proud of her trade. She believes in it. Perhaps that is why Mal's insults always hurt so much, even now that she knows them for what they are. All the more now that she knows then for what they are.
14. Inara loves every single person aboard Serenity. Even Jayne.
15. Sometimes she lays awake during the sleeping shift, and listens to Serenity fly.
16. These days she often finds herself looking at Simon and Kaylee, and a surge of longing twists something in her chest. She isn't as certain as she once was that it is something she should try to repress, or control.
17. Deep down she knows that Mal only has one true love, and that she will never come close. She's not sure why she isn't jealous of Serenity.
18. Inara and River kissed, once. She was watching over River when the girl suddenly panicked, and Inara embraced her and whispered soothing words, stroked her hair and sang a lullaby. River angled her head so that their lips were a breath apart, and sighed. It was only a brush of lips on lips, but Inara will never forget it. She wonders, sometimes, whether River has.
19. The next day, she had trouble looking Mal in the eye.
20. Inara knows she will have to leave again, eventually. She also knows that this time, she won't be able to convince herself that it is a good thing.
Author: fan_elune
Rating: PG13, I suppose
Characters: mostly Inara, mentions of others
Spoilers/Timeline: Firefly and Serenity
Disclaimer: Joss is Boss. Just having fun.
Author's Note: This was written for
melnotmeli's "20 Things..." challenge. Twenty Things You Didn't Know About Inara Serra
1. Inara was six when her father died. She cried so much that she thought she was going to shrivel up and die, too.
2. Inara only stopped crying when a cricket landed on her shoulder, because she was convinced that it was her father's reincarnation.
3. Her mother would not suffer such nonsense, and stamped on the bug to end it. Inara has forgiven her by now, but the child she was at the time hated her mother for it.
4. Her mother never forgave her, though, for being first in her father's affections, and Inara has long since managed to make her peace with that knowledge. She does not hate her mother anymore; she pities her.
5. Inara isn't sure she would remember her father's face if it weren't for the few captures she has of him, and a cloud of sadness always suffuses her lungs when she reflects on it.
6. Inara met her first Companion when she was eight. She remembers being awed, and humbled, and the way the woman managed to make her feel as if she were the most treasured, important thing in the world, just with the way she looked at her. It reminded her of her father.
7. Inara's first kiss was sweet and innocent. She was eleven, Tomas was ten. She liked to tease him about the year she had on him; he liked to tease her about how good she smelled. They were experts at annoying each other; soon they became experts at stealing kisses from each other.
8. Tomas was the son of the cook, and often had a bit of flour on him. When Inara's mother realised what was going on she fired the cook and forbade her daughter from seeing Tomas again. He isn't good enough for you, she said, but her eyes belied it. What they said was, you're not good enough for love.
9. Inara enrolled at the Academy when she was twelve. Her mother was relieved to see her go, and Inara did not miss her. She missed Tomas, though.
10. It is since Tomas that Inara likes a bit of dirt on her men; it makes them more real. Atherton Wing never stood a chance, and she likes Serenity's cosy mess better than all the floating chandeliers of the world.
11. Inara fell in love once before. It went badly.
12. Inara believes that her soul still resides in Sihnon, and always will, no matter where her heart may dwell.
13. Inara is proud of her trade. She believes in it. Perhaps that is why Mal's insults always hurt so much, even now that she knows them for what they are. All the more now that she knows then for what they are.
14. Inara loves every single person aboard Serenity. Even Jayne.
15. Sometimes she lays awake during the sleeping shift, and listens to Serenity fly.
16. These days she often finds herself looking at Simon and Kaylee, and a surge of longing twists something in her chest. She isn't as certain as she once was that it is something she should try to repress, or control.
17. Deep down she knows that Mal only has one true love, and that she will never come close. She's not sure why she isn't jealous of Serenity.
18. Inara and River kissed, once. She was watching over River when the girl suddenly panicked, and Inara embraced her and whispered soothing words, stroked her hair and sang a lullaby. River angled her head so that their lips were a breath apart, and sighed. It was only a brush of lips on lips, but Inara will never forget it. She wonders, sometimes, whether River has.
19. The next day, she had trouble looking Mal in the eye.
20. Inara knows she will have to leave again, eventually. She also knows that this time, she won't be able to convince herself that it is a good thing.
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no subject
Date: 2006-01-13 09:41 am (UTC)My favorite, I think, was number 14. =)
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Date: 2006-01-14 04:46 am (UTC)Well, Jayne grows on you. Even on her. ;)
Thanks a lot for your feedback. :)
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Date: 2006-01-13 10:36 am (UTC)This was simply gorgeous, thank you. For some reason, 19 made me squee a little, LOL.
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Date: 2006-01-14 04:48 am (UTC)Thanks a lot, hun. You know your opinion means a lot to me.
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Date: 2006-01-14 12:23 pm (UTC)And yeah, that probably has something to do with it, hee.
*snogs*
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Date: 2006-01-14 02:47 pm (UTC)Thanks again!
*snogs back*
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Date: 2006-01-13 10:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-14 04:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-13 10:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-14 04:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-13 10:48 am (UTC)I really liked the stuff about her childhood and Tomas, and #18 is ver-y in-ter-est-ing... #13, though, is something we already know--Inara is proud of her trade. Perhaps if you had explored more what she thinks Mal's insults really are?
All in all, a very fine job. Well done!
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Date: 2006-01-14 05:06 am (UTC)Thanks a lot for all that! I had to give her a first crush, and Tomas just popped up. 18... I'm not rightly sure where that came from, apart from the fact that since I am fascinated by Mal/Inara and Mal/River, Inara/River sort of made sense in that respect.
You have a good point about 13, I should've shifted the focus on it. Dammit. (This is why I should've asked around for a beta. I'm a bad, bad person.)
Thanks again for the comments, both positive and constructive!
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Date: 2006-01-14 08:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-13 11:19 am (UTC)(Also, your new LJ layout is so hottttttttttttt!)
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Date: 2006-01-14 05:13 am (UTC)Heh. Yes, those boys are rather good on the eye, aren't they. Incidentally, I want to tackle your icon.
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Date: 2006-01-13 11:31 am (UTC)11 - very interesting.
20 - *sniffs*
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Date: 2006-01-14 05:18 am (UTC)11 - I thought so, too. ;)
20 - I'm afraid so, yes. I don't believe in Mal and Inara being happy together, and she's not the type of person who'll fool herself about it.
Thanks for taking the time to comment! (And your icon is simply gorgeous.)
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Date: 2006-01-13 01:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-14 05:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-13 01:20 pm (UTC)Inventive, gorgeous, revealing little details like that make me really enjoy your writing. You show her as very different to the rest of the crew (except for River and Simon) because of her "Core" beliefs: her religious beliefs, how she feels about the Companions. And even the line, it is since Tomas that Inara likes a bit of dirt on her men -- that sort of "slumming it" attitude only comes from somebody who was brought up in material privilege.
I loved how you subtly compared her to River -- also driven to an Academy by a parent who didn't love her.
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Date: 2006-01-14 05:29 am (UTC)The cricket thing - I really wanted to show her religious beliefs, precisely, because the show never really lingers all that much on Buddhism(s), and I think it's a central part of her character.
It was the first time I really tried my hand at a Core character, apart from quick strolls inside Simon's mind, and I truly enjoyed myself. Inara is, in everything, elegant. And all of her, hmm, Core-ness, I want to say, is truly made that interesting by the contrast with Rim or Border people. Especially Mal, obviously. ...I love this show. I want more of this show. Pretty please?
You might want to thank my subconscious for that one. Quite unintentional, but a very good point! Makes the kiss even more pointy, too. (I often realise afterwards some of the things I write. I love my subconscious very much. ;) )
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Date: 2006-01-13 09:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-14 05:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-14 04:57 am (UTC)10 makes a lot of sense.
13 and 17 are sad, but true.
14, just lovely :) (I'm sure Inara cares about Jayne, more than she lets on)
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Date: 2006-01-14 05:33 am (UTC)10 - I love this about her.
13 and 17 - yeah, I don't believe in a happy ever-after for Mal and her. I don't think it could work, no matter how much feeling there is between the two of them, how much love. Perhaps because there is too much love? Either way. They're doomed. And Mal's true love always will be Serenity (which is why I actually like to see him paired with River).
14 - of course she does. Jayne grows on people, even her. ;) It's the thrilling heroics.
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Date: 2006-01-16 07:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-17 06:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-27 05:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-31 02:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-13 02:19 pm (UTC)I don't think I will ever get tired to read your stuff :)
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Date: 2006-02-14 10:53 am (UTC)And there shall always be flaws in my writing. Otherwise there would be no room to improve, and how fun would that be?
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Date: 2006-05-11 01:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-12 04:10 am (UTC)