What we expect by ManiacNumberOne

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

What we expect

POSTED BY: MANIACNUMBERONE
UPDATED: Friday, July 1, 2005 06:51
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VIEWED: 1315
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Thursday, June 30, 2005 10:34 PM

Inara's not stupid. She knows that Mal has feelings for her. All she needs to do in order to get Mal to tell her how he feels, and ask her to be with him, is to give up being someone else's shiny bauble. Why won't she do it?

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Inara: Who's winning?
Simon: I can't really tell, they don't seem to be playing by any civilized rules that I know.
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Thursday, June 30, 2005 10:58 PM

JARED

Quote:
Originally posted by ManiacNumberOne:
All she needs to do in order to get Mal to tell her how he feels, and ask her to be with him, is to give up being someone else's shiny bauble. Why won't she do it?

Besides being too proud to be one giving up and in?

It's who/what she is and what she probably learned to be for most of her life. Also her only income and actually a respected and legal job. If you had a perfectly fine, enjoyable and well paying job that makes people respect you, would you give it up for a life on the streets going through trashcans? Especially when you're too rational to not think about the possibility that your time of bliss will be over sooner rather than later.

Unless I'm completely mistaken she is identifying herself with the companion far too much to just give it up for an emotion she was probably well taught to avoid or have a grip on. She's even willing to leave the ship she loves and those close to her to avoid her feelings getting in the way of being a good little companion.

http://festini.device-zero.de

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Thursday, June 30, 2005 11:56 PM

G1223

Quote:
Originally posted by Jared:
Besides being too proud to be one giving up and in?

It's who/what she is and what she probably learned to be for most of her life. Also her only income and actually a respected and legal job. If you had a perfectly fine, enjoyable and well paying job that makes people respect you, would you give it up for a life on the streets going through trashcans? Especially when you're too rational to not think about the possibility that your time of bliss will be over sooner rather than later.

Unless I'm completely mistaken she is identifying herself with the companion far too much to just give it up for an emotion she was probably well taught to avoid or have a grip on. She's even willing to leave the ship she loves and those close to her to avoid her feelings getting in the way of being a good little companion.

http://festini.device-zero.de

Well add in Mal "Post Trumatic Stress" Reynolds has this talent about hiding his.... feelings. And with the emtional problems means he likely has a temper. Yes he has it under control most of the times. But what is she going to do when he loses it... And he will sometime. Usually he can find something or someone who deserves it but what about when he loses it and has only Inara to blow up at. Yes he will shout. (That's expected) But sometimes that blow is not going to be a argument it's going to be physical and Mal has a few inches and pounds on her. As well as a few nasty tricks learned in combat. So holding her own might be a foregone conculsion. (Add in the shock of having to deal with maybe being blindsighted)

Basically She cares about him and wants to be sure before she drops her guard and Mal needs the same thing.

BY the way this is not to say that those who have been in combat are going to suffer PTS. Or that the effects are endangering to others but Mal has been swallowing a lot of his feelings for a while and that is going to eventually spill out. Hopefully with folks who can help him but no one can tell what is going to happen in the future.

TANSTAAFL

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Friday, July 1, 2005 5:38 AM

DIETCOKE

Quote:
Originally posted by Jared:
Quote:
Originally posted by ManiacNumberOne:
All she needs to do in order to get Mal to tell her how he feels, and ask her to be with him, is to give up being someone else's shiny bauble. Why won't she do it?

Besides being too proud to be one giving up and in?

It's who/what she is and what she probably learned to be for most of her life. Also her only income and actually a respected and legal job. If you had a perfectly fine, enjoyable and well paying job that makes people respect you, would you give it up for a life on the streets going through trashcans? Especially when you're too rational to not think about the possibility that your time of bliss will be over sooner rather than later.

Unless I'm completely mistaken she is identifying herself with the companion far too much to just give it up for an emotion she was probably well taught to avoid or have a grip on. She's even willing to leave the ship she loves and those close to her to avoid her feelings getting in the way of being a good little companion.

http://festini.device-zero.de]

I think you are on the money with that one.

NY/NJ Browncoats: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/firefly_nyc

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Friday, July 1, 2005 5:53 AM

BROWNCOAT1

May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.

Quote:
Originally posted by ManiacNumberOne:
Inara's not stupid. She knows that Mal has feelings for her. All she needs to do in order to get Mal to tell her how he feels, and ask her to be with him, is to give up being someone else's shiny bauble. Why won't she do it?

What we are dealing with is two very proud people, both not wanting to give up any advantage to the other by being the one to first admit their feelings.

Inara giving up her career would be very difficult. From what we gather the Companions train at the Academy for years. The training doctrine becomes part of who they are and how they perceive the 'verse. For Inara the problem is compounded by the fact that her calling provides her a certain social standing and priviledge. It grants her a very respectable amount of freedom that few seem to enjoy.

Mal does not confess his feelings for Inara, because some small noble part of him feels he is not worthy of her. He looks at her and thinks "What would a woman like that see in a smuggler like me?".

Mal & Inara are from two different worlds, so their ways of seeing & dealing with things are very different. This of course causes all the friction leading to their constant verbal battles. Of course, as we saw in the series, opposites attract. It seems that Mal & Inara belong together, but would it work out? Guess we will have to wait and see where Joss takes us.

__________________________________________

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

Richmond, VA & surrounding area Firefly Fans:

http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/richmondbrowncoats/

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Friday, July 1, 2005 6:51 AM

BATMARLOWE

Why should she give it up for Mal if Mal isn't also willing to at least ask her to stay? Also, being a Companion isn't looked upon as being "someone else's shiny bauble". There's also an X-factor here in while Inara is a full-fledged member-in-good-standing of the the Guild, she has chosen a life that seems to be different for a Companian. And while she doesn't appear to be exactly "on the run" she is trying to seperate herself from the "typical" life of a Companion. At least it comes across that way to me. Hasn't it been established that Inara was on the "fast track" to advancing in the heirarchy of the Guild? And yet she turned her back on that to operate in circles that appear to be unbecoming of a Companion. Why? Independence, would be my guess. But perhaps like Book, there is something in her past that we don't know about and she had chosen this more independent life for a reason. And falling for Mal is mucking that up.
But if Inara and Mal not getting together is a problem for both of them then Mal is partly to blame for it.

Since we're on the subject of Mal and Companians--in "The Train Job" they established the kind of respect a Companian commands and it seems to me that calling a Companian a "whore" to her face would be the equivalent of calling an ambassador a "professional liar" or something like that to his or face. Inara tells Mal after he does it the first time that it would be the last time. Well it wasn't. I just feel like Inara and some of the other characters (Book, Simon, Kaylee) for various reasons should register stronger reactions to Mal's calling her a whore whenever he does it. And Inara should be more outraged too. If being a Companian is supposed to be a position of respect and accomplishment in this culture (as we've been told by Joss and saw not only in "The Train Job" but in Inara's ability to have Atherton Wing blackballed by the Guild)then there should be more of a negative reaction among others when Mal calls her a whore. I know it's his ship and his crew but still it seems that calling a companion a "whore" is something that "just isn't done" in this culture. And while Mal is the kind of guy to think that being a Companion is typical of the kind of b.s. society creates, his saying so to her face should cause more of a stir, especially from Inara.

It's one of those little things that strikes me as inconsistent with what we've been told being a Companian means and it's always kind of nagged at me. Anybody else see it that way? Anyway, thanks for letting me get that off my chest.

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