Silence [open]

[almostluver.livejournal.com]

She'd been met by silence. Silence so loud that it hurt.

That's all there seemed to be.

It was eerie walking around Serenity and not running into Zöe or Wash, strange not seeing Simon in the infirmary, and it felt wrong not seeing Shepard Book studying his bible at the table. It was even strange not running into a leering Jayne.

Inara was finding that she missed them all. Missed the cheeriness that at most times could not only be found, but felt aboard Serenity.

That's part of the reason she found herself standing beside the ship, her hand resting lightly on the hull and staring up at it - her eyes wide and dark. Her fingers brush slowly against the cool metal and she shook her head. It wasn't right not having the whole crew there.

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[almostluver.livejournal.com]

Inara's smile instantly brightened. "Yes, that sounds like my Kaylee. She's one of the sweetest, most honest people I've ever known." It was nice that other people who'd already met her had formed the same basic opinion.

"Friends are always a good thing to make," she nodded. "Hopefully I'll be as lucky as you have been in that department."

[bonnypiperlad]

"She's nice," Jamie says, agreeably enough. He could see 'sweet', too. Honest? He doesn't think he's qualified enough to decide that based on one conversation, but he also didn't see anything that would cause him to really think otherwise.

"Och, I wouldn't think that ye would have any problems with making friends." He recalled seeing some people around her at the meet and greet - although he missed the incident with Cam as he was off nursing his wounded pride. "Ye seem verra kind." Not to mention if she smiles at everyone like that, he's likely not the only one to wind up being utterly charmed.

And if she wants to make friends, he'll happily oblige. He holds out his hand to shake and says, "Jamie McCrimmon."

[almostluver.livejournal.com]

"She is," Inara nodded again. And Kaylee was, more than one might think was humanly possible. But obviously it was, because there Kaylee was.

"That's most kind of you to say," Inara said, her smile widening. Though she wasn't so sure how long people would like her once they found out what part of her job as a companion entailed. "I only hope you're right."

She nodded her head as she reached out and took Jamie's hand within her own. "It's lovely to meet you Jamie, I'm Inara Serra."

[bonnypiperlad]

"It's verra nice to meet ye, Inara." Her hand was remarkably soft. Jamie felt himself getting flustered again, and shook the hand a bit more brusquely than he had intended. He wonders if he thinks it might be a bit rude, and he gives her a sheepish (and quiet), "Sorry."

He'll just be rubbing at the back of his head nervously now. Don't mind him.

After a moment, he recovers himself enough to asks curiously, "Ye don't know Dr. Sera...er, Luis, that is? Your last names sound somewhat alike."

[almostluver.livejournal.com]

Her expression never changed, not even when he started to get flustered. It wasn't the first time it had happened, and she doubted it would be the last. Though regardless how many times it had happened, Inara always reacted the same - she pretended she didn't notice.

"Why actually I've met him. I found him rather nice," Inara said nodding her head. "Curious isn't it? But surely there are others onboard who share a common last name and aren't related."

[bonnypiperlad]

Jamie is grateful for that pretense. So much easier to recover when you don't have someone pointing it out - as at least one person he knows would likely do.

"Mm. I suppose ye may have a point there. I can't say as I really thought about it before, though. I've not run into any other McCrimmons here." Or anyone, really, with a last name that might have caught his interest before.

"But, aye. Dr. Sera's not so bad. He was willing to forgive me for threating to punch him in the face during the zombie attack, so..." Jamie's still a bit bemused by that little chat, evidently.

[almostluver.livejournal.com]

"Well I suppose most wouldn't think about it, until they're presented with that situation," Inara shrugged, but it was true. Most lived in a bubble and tended not to look outside of it unless they really had to.

Her eyes widened a little, and she stared at him - trying to figure out if he were joking or not. He didn't seem to be, but... Zombies? "You were involved in a zombie attack?"

[bonnypiperlad]

There's a very earnest nod from Jamie, thoughts about similar last names set aside for now.

"Aye. It was before we found out that we were...an ark, I guess ye could say. We thought if we could take the bridge, we could figure out a way to go home. So there was a group that went to do that, and the rest of us went to the Vatican in the City. Something went wrong, and the zombies in quarantine got released."

He's very matter-of-fact about the situation. Much easier to be, now that it's in the past.

[almostluver.livejournal.com]

Inara by now was just staring at Jamie. Zombies? The Vatican City? Those added with the fact that they were apparently in a flying modern Noah's Ark... It was all a lot to take in.

"Really? And where are the Zombies now?"

[bonnypiperlad]

"Destroyed. They'll no bother us further." Jamie clearly believes this, judging by the look on his face. Still - there's something else there that he hasn't quite made up his mind on if he wants to tell or not.

He doesn't want to upset her, but it's not fair if she doesn't know. He fidgets a little as he tries to decide.

[almostluver.livejournal.com]

"Well that's a relief," Inara replied, though watching the hesitation in Jamie's expression, she couldn't help but wonder what he was hesitating over.

"What is it?" she asked finally, her tone soft as she continued to watch him.

[bonnypiperlad]

"It's..." He runs a hand through his hair, and says, "Normally, I wouldna want to be the bearer of bad news. But ye should know that the zombies infected some of the people still in the pods before they were destroyed."

He also knows from talking to Kaylee that not everyone from Serenity's crew is awake, and the look he gives Inara is a sympathetic one.

"There's a list of the crew that were lost. Ye...ye may want to check it."

[almostluver.livejournal.com]

Her face paled, and she stood there perfectly still. There was a possibilty that Zöe, Wash, Shepard Book and even Jayne had been infected by the zombies? Inara's eyes fluttered shut and she mouthed a quick prayer to Buddha - hoping that he had indeed kept her friends - those she considered her family safe.

Slowly her eyes opened and she managed to offer him a weak smile and a small nod. "Thank you, I'll have to do that..."

[bonnypiperlad]

Jamie rubs at his forehead, his expression clearly unhappy. "I...maybe I shouldna have said anything." He's feeling suddenly very small, indeed. He clears his throat, and tries to see if he can fix the situation.

"None of the names were anyone we knew. I think there's a good chance your friends won't be there." Jamie's not sure, of course, but maybe it might help. His pessimistic side rears its head again, though, and he's thinking it probably hasn't.

He takes a deep breath, mentally cursing himself for being a fool. "I've messed things up for ye. I'm sorry. I...I should go."

[almostluver.livejournal.com]

"No, it's alright," Inara assured him softly. "I'd much rather be told the truth about what's going on than be shielded from it." It was true though, not matter how painful truth might be, she'd much rather be told it - even though she herself didn't exactly do so in return.

"Please, it's really alright. I just needed a second to process what you told me. You don't have to leave, truly."

[bonnypiperlad]

Jamie isn't at all positive that it is all right. If he were in her place, he's pretty sure he'd wouldn't react quite the same way.

"If ye're sure..." he says, uncertainly. He's thinking, though, that talking about something else might not be a bad plan.

"So...why did ye decide to rent the shuttle? Why not save up and buy a ship of your own?" It's not his best attempt at changing the subject, but he's trying.

[almostluver.livejournal.com]

She didn't mind the change of subject at all. Thoughts of the possibility of her friends having been infected by zombies were not pleasant ones at all.

"For business," Inara explained, remainly slightly cryptic about her actual profession - though not because she was embarrassed by it, but rather he just hadn't asked.

"I could have, and I probably had enough to buy a ship of my own... But what would I need a whole ship for? It's much more practical to rent the shuttle and let someone else worry about the everyday runnings of the larger ship."

[bonnypiperlad]

"Oh, aye?" Jamie asks curiously. "What kind of a business is that, then? Do ye fly people back and forth who ask?"

He strokes his chin thoughtfully. "I suppose ye could do that with a ship too, but ye have a point. It's easier if there's someone else to run the main ship and ye can just deal with the shuttle."

[almostluver.livejournal.com]

"No, nothing like that," Inara chuckled. "I'm a Licensed Companion in my world and I use the shuttle to transport myself to my clients."

She nodded her head slightly, still smiling. "It is much easier, I assure you." Though sometimes, it was more difficult actually dealing with certain someones who ran Serenity than she'd like to admit, but that was beside the point.

[bonnypiperlad]

"A..." The look Jamie gives Inara is quite, quite confused. "Why would ye need a license? I mean, I'm a companion to the Doctor and I never needed a license. He just invited me to travel with him in the TARDIS."

Jamie's definition of 'companion' means something rather different than Inara's, apparently.

He scratches his head. "And why would ye have clients if ye were a companion anyway?"

[almostluver.livejournal.com]

"Oh dear," Inara murmured, trying to hid her amusement. "Um, Jamie, I don't think your idea of a Companion and what I do... Exactly match." She cleared her throat before offering him a soft smile.

"As a Companion I've been trained to offer comfort both physically and emotionally, to listen, to entertain, to soothe, and even to offer advice." She studied him for a moment before continuing on. "My profession can be compared to that of the Courtesans from the Renaissance times of The-Earth-That-Was."

[bonnypiperlad]

After Inara says that, Jamie is wondering what she means, so he listens to her description carefully. Even he can tell that there's some differences, just from the way she says things. The word 'training' is certainly a large one.

The word 'courtesan' doesn't immediately ring any bells, and there's a faint frown on his face even as he pretends he knows what she's talking about. "Oh, aye, that."

But how do you offer physical comfort? He figures there could be hugging, or maybe kissing. And then something clicks in his head and he gives Inara an incredulous look.

"Wait, what?"

[almostluver.livejournal.com]

"I assure you, that my profession doesn't merely entail what you might think. In my world Companions are well-educated and well-respected members of society," she said trying to make him understand.

She continued on, "The beauty, elegance, and skills of Companions have earned us the highest respect in social circles. There is no shame when one brings a Companion to a party, as in doing so proves that one has both money and the ability to impress the Companions Guild."

[bonnypiperlad]

"Ye mean ye are a..." He breaks off as she continues - although the look on his face speaks volumes as to where that sentence was going to end. It lingers until she's able to describe it in a little more detail.

Jamie purses his lips thoughtfully, considering what's been said. It's certainly more than simple prostitution - and the fact that it's apparently a respected profession does help steer him away from thinking of it as such.

Looking at Inara helps as well - she is certainly beautiful and elegant. He may not see her in quite the same light as before, but he thinks he might understand.

"Aye, well," he says finally. "I guess it is a different meaning of the word."

[almostluver.livejournal.com]

"A whore?" Inara offered, her voice oddly flat - the first time it's happened since she'd started talking to Jamie. "No, I am not a whore. As I have explained, I am licensed with the Guild, I pick my clients and sex is not the only service I offer, if anything it is a small part of a bigger package - whereas a whore takes whatever is offered to her and rarely if ever offers anything other than sex."

Her chin lifts a bit and she takes a deep breath, focusing on regaining the calm and composure. "I am sorry if you are offended by my profession, but I will not apologize for what I do."