Inara. Making men (and women) sweaty since 2002.

Leaving? or running away?

Chapter 13 of my current story "What Begins with an Apple" gives River's assessment of Inara's tendency to leave, albeit in such metaphorical language that no one (except Bytemite, who has preternatural knowledge of symbolism ) seems to have understood it! I've also written a follow-up scene for that for my next story.

I think Inara has a tendency to avoid rather than confront, and this is partly due to her training (a Companion does not challenge her client's belief system; she keeps her opinions to herself when with a client) and partly her natural tendency. Mal learned long ago that he couldn't avoid confrontations, and has gone to the other extreme of seeking them out. Put them together and it's another source for the tension between them. It's another way in which the relationship between the two of them differs so entirely from her relationships with clients: Mal demands that she confront him, and provokes her to confront him. She does so, and in so doing, she's broken out of her Companion mode and is dealing with him as Inara the person.

Hmm. Interesting take. Potentially viable explanation.

I don't actually see Inara as all that avoidant myself, except when it comes to heartbreak. But that might be just me and how I see her.

i think of it as deflection in an almost martial arts (deeply in-trained) way, but maybe it's defensive avoidance, LOL!

eb: you make a good point about Inara having to be herself in confronting Mal;
but i also think that Mal's constant and provoking need for that from her, well, it's probably quite draining to such a private person.

I wonder... Sometimes it seems like Inara really gets a kick out of letting herself go. Her fights with Mal are actually kinda... Fun for her sometimes. And when she gets included in the crime and gets to be a bad girl? You can hear the glee.

Perhaps you're right in that she's not at a point where she can sustain that for long. But I also think that Nandi and Inara may be more alike that the initial glance would let on.

Bytemite wrote:I wonder... Sometimes it seems like Inara really gets a kick out of letting herself go. Her fights with Mal are actually kinda... Fun for her sometimes. And when she gets included in the crime and gets to be a bad girl? You can hear the glee.

oh i agree! i don't see the two views as incompatible. and Inara's primary reason for leaving is surely because she loves Mal (And is beginning to feel tied to the crew as a family), one of the reasons for which must be because she gets to have the freedom of being herself, no Guild (or self) imposed restrictions, no client expectations to meet and the honest fun of a good snarky argument, wild adventures, watching a good brawl and one upping Yo/Saff... now that was glee!
And yes, Inara's love of crime, Becky and i were giggling about that recently.

but all the same; being herself on demand - fatiguing, i can well believe.

Not just confronting Saffron, although she was having a BLAST there, but also in The Message. She goes all "I can help you find a fence for the Lassiter! Do you want me to help? Please? I'm ever so helpful!"

I don't know if she let her involvement go to her head with Saffron, or if some part of her WANTS to self-sacrifice her profession and the graceful companion role and is having fun with it, or of Mal's being a bad influence/she's crushing on him hard/she's trying to impress him.

Well, if it's always her angry self on demand, then yeah. I guess really the problem here is that when Inara is angry it's the only time Mal knows for sure she's being real and that she's not influencing or seducing him, so he tries to make sure she's almost always angry with him. And that WOULD be exhausting.

Yeah, I see what you're talking about with how being angry on demand might get fatiguing -- but remember, she likes to make *him* angry, too. She likes to put him on the defensive; she likes to pop his little bubbles of "I'm a tough guy" and "I'm a criminal mastermind" etc. She gets a kick out of those fights and seeing the Real Mal, too, when she provokes him.

Oh yeah. You know she loves it when she gets to turn the table around. Like when she had the upper hand in that little verbal skirmish in the galley in Heart of Gold and scored the point.

so... reading on the fics and the talks post-BDM.

Inara; would she stay on Serenity with Mal or would they just keep dancing?
would she leave again? and should she - or is Mal changed by events post-Miranda?
given that your answers (in fic) may have been given some while ago - has your personal view changed at all since?

i should add - in case i missed something in the reeds - more questions:
The Training Moon in the BDM; does this mean Inara has 'gone back' to the Guild? Post Op, Byte has detailed some of the damage but how does this change Inara position - does it even?

i always saw that moon going Independent under Sheydra, taking on the girls from H.O.G. (or some of them) and later Lenore and, on occasion, River - and Inara, ever welcome, but not without some scarring so to speak. The past is a friction.

wytchcroft wrote:Inara; would she stay on Serenity with Mal or would they just keep dancing?
would she leave again? and should she - or is Mal changed by events post-Miranda?
given that your answers (in fic) may have been given some while ago - has your personal view changed at all since?

She would stay on Serenity, and they would not keep dancing. (see my fic, Adventures in Sitting) That's my view, but it has more to do with my finding the whole "will they, won't they" thing tiresome. I mean, it's fine for a while (it did very well for the 14 episodes and movie), but it's not something that ought to be stretched out forever. (I watch Castle, because Nathan's in it, and my main problem with that show was that they prevented the main characters from getting together for a year and a half too long, by means of an extraordinary series of Improbable Events. I willingly suspend disbelief when I watch TV and movies, but this was just beyond my tolerance.) I know it's standard practice for TV shows to throw monkey wrenches into the characters' love lives, but in real life, if someone wishy-washed and couldn't decide if they were going to have a relationship or not, sitting on the fence for years -- well, it just doesn't sound like the relationship would have any chance of being healthy. So in my fic, I had them start a relationship in very short order. Because the question I'm interested in exploring in my fic is not "will they or won't they?", it's "how do they go about building a real and lasting relationship from this beginning?"

I think that both Inara and Mal were affected by the Miranda events. It will take a while for the changes to evolve -- they'll not be happening overnight -- and both Mal and Inara have a LOT of compromising to do before they can achieve a stable relationship. In the beginning their relationship will be very fragile and very volatile. But they shouldn't be running away; that's a rather immature way of dealing with problems, and one thing that needs to happen is for them both to *grow up* a little in their way of handling relationships.

Just my take on it, in a brief and oversimplified way. For the more complete answer...well, there's this big bulky elephant of my fic sitting here in my living room.

Good answer.

In fact it was your fic prompted me when you mentioned looking back and the strangeness.
Some of my character views have changed... shading, a little, i think. i would approach things a little differently now.

With Inara and Mal, i had them (somewhat childishly) using circumstances (sometimes even good ones!) to hide behind. Neither wanting to step first after "I don't know". Mal never would much like having to walk on egg shells (good behaviour) and Inara has a short fuse so... despite the tacit sense of agreement they.. hide some. Inara dealing with Lenore and Sheydra, Mal going to make some amends at Haven and other things.
Kaylee and especially River having to learn about the reality of separated parents (in effect. i never was much for Captain Daddy stuff). But eventually hiding is just that - i figured a season at most.
Also a chance to tie-up some previous threads, Sheydra, Nandi and Saffron at al. without having to mention them directly in relation to M/I too much.
i know what you mean about the whole "will they - won't they" fatigue thing... but i also understand the potential Moonlighting (x-Files) issue. Firefly was about more than just two people though i guess, that might take the strain a bit.

I think in retrospect i should have tethered them more openly and that given the precariousness of the Verse they (as characters) would want that. My only in-character concerns would be Zoe pregnant, Kaylee and Simon new couple*, River as pseudo-daughter - that's plenty of domestic for now (i can hear Mal saying). I really laughed at the poor undeaf Captain in your fic - but he's just bloody-minded enough to get through that for the purely hornery of it.
maybe...

i have to say; reading fics by all the posters here, i'm aware just rich a M/I relationship can be and what it can add to the stories. I got that wrong. Just dumb shippy-nerves i guess.

But would you change any of their interactions in retrospect, re; your fics?

*or not? they never got together for long in my fics either. i'm more of a miserable git than i realised, LOL!

I think there can still be dancing AND getting together if the relationship is volatile enough. And this one definitely is.

I go back and forth at whether painful fights would be more fun from a dramatic standpoint, or whether they can be content but play fight, with some of the sting taken out (and even occasionally more serious fights thrown in).

What I do think is that there won't ever be a time when they aren't just a bit dysfunctional. But that doesn't mean it's not workable. Whether they stay together all depends on how much effort they think is worth it and whether they really want to find anyone else they feel as strongly about, or if they would want to live a lie with someone else.

Inara has many options. She could stay and stay a companion, she could go to a training house while he visits now and then, she could find a different just as empowering job (maybe in politics?), or she could decide she just wants to join in on all the crew's capers and makes a role for herself there.

Mal doesn't have so many options.

If I could change anything, I'd try to tone done some of the repetitive poetic/romantic description. It's REALLY overdone. Makes Mal sounds flowery, and a little pathetic, he should have other things on his mind.

EB: I do think that by the end of the movie, canonically Inara's decided to take some tentative steps reaching out to Mal. She's just seen that he WILL take care of her and go to her rescue, and how Mal copes with loss, so maybe she's thinking then that Mal could handle her illness after all. Before, after Nandi when she left, she didn't think Mal could handle it.

Bytemite wrote:

Inara has many options. She could stay and stay a companion, she could go to a training house while he visits now and then, she could find a different just as empowering job (maybe in politics?), or she could decide she just wants to join in on all the crew's capers and makes a role for herself there.

Mal doesn't have so many options.

This.

Though i think Mal's options, fewer yes, are potentially of big import.
i always enjoyed letting the options play out to some extent, in fics, there's a lot there to explore (a LOT more than i managed to attempt).
i just should have had them talk about that more, or once even (well, i think they did once). LOL.

Eventually though it just became obvious noise and then - i had to cut to the chase or stop scribbling.
i think a little distance at times could be very useful/beneficial to M/I both. But it can also play to their weakest natures.

oh, wait; Mal 'copes with loss'. i see this as a way bigger issue than just Nandi (i expect you do too) it sort of hinges the door to what Mal will be like post-BDM. In the movie actually he handles it... not well. But there's a lot of IMO about it. The shooting of the injured Alliance guy on Haven - i ended up making a big deal of that.
Dunno if i was right, but it was interesting to have Mal realise and reassess his actions.
Wrath, not always what he cracks it up to be.

Even the calmer Mal (and crew) mostly deal by avoidance still, Book, Wash - not mentioned overly. No/one likes wounds much on Serenity.

Mal might have more options than we know, actually, since I think there might be a lot of backstory we don't know about his folks and where they came from maybe even before the ranch. But if it's anything like I think it might be, even though there may be options, if Mal's family was from the core and rich and they had more land somewhere, that's not anything Mal would choose. He wouldn't want to have to deal with upper class politics. Though as a what-if fic, that could potentially be very interesting.

I thought of another possibility for Inara, post movie, this is something 2x2 explored a bit, but Inara could leave Serenity to help set up a ranch as a refuge for the crew, maybe with an orchard or something. As a departure from 2x2's idea, Inara could become a professional bestselling writer while she's homesteading, giving the core exciting tales and dramas and romances from the Rim worlds. I mean, all the time in the 19th century, when someone was a traveler, they could make oodles of money writing stories about cultures and experiences they encountered.

Bytemite wrote:Mal might have more options than we know, actually, since I think there might be a lot of backstory we don't know about his folks and where they came from maybe even before the ranch. But if it's anything like I think it might be, even though there may be options, if Mal's family was from the core and rich and they had more land somewhere, that's not anything Mal would choose. He wouldn't want to have to deal with upper class politics. Though as a what-if fic, that could potentially be very interesting.

I thought of another possibility for Inara, post movie, this is something 2x2 explored a bit, but Inara could leave Serenity to help set up a ranch as a refuge for the crew, maybe with an orchard or something. As a departure from 2x2's idea, Inara could become a professional bestselling writer while she's homesteading, giving the core exciting tales and dramas and romances from the Rim worlds. I mean, all the time in the 19th century, when someone was a traveler, they could make oodles of money writing stories about cultures and experiences they encountered.

All possible i guess but... secret moneys... i'm not so comfortable with the notion, just awkward to utilise in the writing. And changes my view of Mal, head down, let's just get through the job and stay in the air for another day, maybe too much. A good writer could have me believe it though i'm sure. Makes a life of crime a little whimsical though.

Inara now; homesteading... again - maybe... time-scale is all i guess, as covered in the Mal/Kids etc discussions.
Not sure i can see her ranch settling too soon, a large part of her does enjoy her work and being on the boat amongst the crew.
Again, a decent fic would probably have me handwaving if needs be - and 2x2 is someone i like to read - and have done a fair bit.

The notion of a refuge (or base) though - that i love; many fic/head-canon possibilities there.

Mostly it would be interesting because Inara would probably be the one having to give him advice on the politics.

But it's not all that likely to even get to that point. Mal would probably more just go "nope" and leave. Plus if his family was upper class, there's the possibility that another part of the family has been eyeing the inheritance and whatever reason prompts Mal to go to the estate and find out is a trap so they can off him.

Although AUs are also an interesting potential. I was reading one where Inara was sold into slavery instead of becoming a companion, and escaped and became a thief. Some things I disagreed with in that story, but the premise was interesting.

>a large part of her does enjoy her work and being on the boat amongst the crew.

Yeah, in order for any homesteading to happen Inara would have to feel like it's necessary to stop companioning, possibly because it's become dangerous and she's too far out for the guild to help her. Zoe might have an interest in helping out though.

Bytemite wrote:

Although AUs are also an interesting potential. I was reading one where Inara was sold into slavery instead of becoming a companion, and escaped and became a thief. Some things I disagreed with in that story, but the premise was interesting.

without seeing the story, gotta say; that fits more with Nandi or Saffron to my way of thinking.

>a large part of her does enjoy her work and being on the boat amongst the crew.

Yeah, in order for any homesteading to happen Inara would have to feel like it's necessary to stop companioning, possibly because it's become dangerous and she's too far out for the guild to help her. Zoe might have an interest in helping out though.

agreed. time and external circumstances, all important. zoe is the wild card i guess since we're likely to see more of decisions from her in the comics, re; the kid.

Yeah, we still don't know what Zoe and Inara are going to do, aside from Zoe is going to have a baby.

Bytemite wrote:Mal might have more options than we know, actually, since I think there might be a lot of backstory we don't know about his folks... from the core and rich and they had more land somewhere, that's not anything Mal would choose. He wouldn't want to have to deal with upper class politics. Though as a what-if fic, that could potentially be very interesting.

I was reading one where Inara was sold into slavery instead of becoming a companion, and escaped and became a thief. Some things I disagreed with in that story, but the premise was interesting.

wait - woah - what now?? Mal is Bruce Wayne and Inara is Catwoman?!?!?!

ok. i'm done

Well, more like Mal was Zorro/Robin Hood and Inara was Catwoman. They were both thieves. Shindig was rewritten as a story about the two of them competing to take some elaborately jeweled rock, Inara was at the party as a cover but Atherton put his hands on her anyway and Mal took offense. Little too much Rayne in that story, and an early on traumatic scene for Inara that I didn't like, but not a bad story or premise otherwise.

But... Mal as law enforcement or a vigilante, huh? Hmm. Independents win or at least are recognized by the Alliance, Mal becomes like a sheriff or something under the Independents jurisdiction?

Bytemite wrote:

But... Mal as law enforcement or a vigilante, huh? Hmm. Independents win or at least are recognized by the Alliance, Mal becomes like a sheriff or something under the Independents jurisdiction?

Not something i feel in my bones, no.
That said, a lot of the wild figures of the Old West did end up working as law come the railroads etc. And not just Pat Garrett. Mal does like a certain correctness; his attitude to the gun play in the pilot ep is not so totally removed from Hackman in Unforgiven.

And i can sort of see Mal in his twilight years on some veranda, sitting back with a well earned mint julip.
If i squint some.

I dunno, Mal seems like he was kind of a straight arrow before his life turned to the suck. He might have had his mischievous streak, but he was law abiding. It wasn't until he lost his faith in his religion, his cause, and himself that he decided that it didn't matter if he was a thief because his god had forsaken him and he was goin' to hell anyway.

If that hadn't happened to him, he'd be less dark and still law abiding, I think. Not impossible. Or maybe he'd still be a little bitter because he feels like the Independents compromised and split up the verse and have become just as corrupt. I imagine Mal would dislike the semi-official slave trade, and occasionally aid escapes when the opportunity presented itself, so he might still do crime, but noble crime.

Though there'd have to be a reason I suppose why Mal wouldn't go back to whatever it was he was planning for his life before the war, be it cattle ranching, teaching english literature, or preaching. Maybe Shadow was destroyed anyway in this scenario.

I imagine Mal would still meet up with the same people, just a slightly different spin on the whole thing.

And i can sort of see Mal in his twilight years on some veranda, sitting back with a well earned mint julip.

My head canon is Mal's already thinking about this, thinks he's getting too old and creaky. You ever read Take The Sky by Jose Molina? In that one Mal imagines leaving Serenity if their notoriety becomes too much for him to manage, and imagines he'd end up old and alone in some old cabin somewhere, waiting for Inara to come to him but she never does.

Bytemite wrote:I dunno, Mal seems like he was kind of a straight arrow before his life turned to the suck. He might have had his mischievous streak, but he was law abiding. It wasn't until he lost his faith in his religion, his cause, and himself that he decided that it didn't matter if he was a thief because his god had forsaken him and he was goin' to hell anyway.

oh but i agree with you about that. completely. but would he ever be that Mal from before-times again?
No, i think he'll be a better man than 'dark Mal' - but he'll carry his past all the same.

And i can sort of see Mal in his twilight years on some veranda, sitting back with a well earned mint julip.

My head canon is Mal's already thinking about this, thinks he's getting too old and creaky. You ever read Take The Sky by Jose Molina? In that one Mal imagines leaving Serenity if their notoriety becomes too much for him to manage, and imagines he'd end up old and alone in some old cabin somewhere, waiting for Inara to come to him but she never does.

yeah, i remember thinking about Saffron's cabin home we see in OMR.