a fanfic comment / challenge by NewOldBrownCoat

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

a fanfic comment / challenge

POSTED BY: NEWOLDBROWNCOAT
UPDATED: Sunday, March 4, 2007 09:38
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VIEWED: 2759
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Saturday, March 3, 2007 3:55 PM

While writing my last piece ( A Swarm of Fireflies , a shameless plug.)I had a situation where Mal said humorous things to Inara, and she laughed. And it occurred to me, that we seldom see her laugh, or hear of it.

I wonder why? Are we uncomfortable with humor and sexuality together? Is she just so often and so much angry at Mal, that she never sees anything funny? Too much crisis in her life, being out in the Black and not in the Core? Just her natural character, she's too serious a person to laugh? Some other reason?

So c'mon fanficcers-- why?
And a two word challenge-- Inara laughs...

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Saturday, March 3, 2007 4:36 PM

DONCOAT

I doubt whether Inara's clientele would be too pleased if she burst out laughing in the middle of the act. Perhaps her training includes techniques to suppress the sense of humor, at least on the job.

We've seen her laughing during some of the "family" scenes, as when Book is telling funny stories about the abbey.

But most people take sex pretty seriously. Woody Allen had a great line on that subject, describing a particular episode of sex as "the most fun I've had without laughing".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm pointin' right at it!

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Saturday, March 3, 2007 4:51 PM

KAYLEEGIRL

I've been wondering about Inara myself lately. Of all the BDH, I think we know the least about her history. Book's a mystery, but we've had a lot of clues about what that mystery could be. Inara? Not so many clues. I'm really intrigued about why she left home to become a companion and why she left the Companion House when she had such a bright future there. What happened?

Maybe she'll laugh more in the time after the BDM, since she's thinking about just going with the flow for awhile.

I like your challenge. I'll see what I can come up with for my next fanfic!

If I'm gonna dream, I'm gonna dream big.

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Saturday, March 3, 2007 5:22 PM

BLUEEYEDBRIGADIER

I honestly hold out it's the company she is keeping at the moment we see her. I mean, let's look at her interactions with the crew:

1) Mal --> Usually with Mal, she's fighting the urge to either jump his bones or beat him senseless for his lack of tact. Really can’t think of any moment where Mal has said something that causes Inara to laugh…except for plans for jobs

;

2) Zoë --> Not a whole lot of Zoë/Inara moments that I can recall. Probably more of a female solidarity/respect kind of thing, keeping the male BDHs in line than true friendship. I would lay good money on Zoë and Inara becoming closer post-BDM, from bonding over the events in the film and Inara making partial use of her counselling skills;

3) Wash --> Oh...I get the feeling that besides Kaylee, Wash is the major source for any moment of mirth Inara has while living on Serenity. Plus, I think due to Wash's role as pilot and chief contact on the ship when she's off on jobs, she's developed a minor bond with Wash...or at least I get that vibe from their short conversation when she returns to the nest after appointment in the pilot episode;

4) Kaylee --> Probably smiles and laughs with Kaylee when they're hanging out in Inara's shuttle cuz of Kaylee's optimist outlook and refreshing naive thoughts. Kaylee strikes me as someone who would draw Inara out if she (Kaylee) thought Inara was having a bad day for some reason;

5) Jayne --> Jayne's a walking wall of crude most days, so unless he's getting karmic payback, I think she's generally all

when it comes to Jayne. If the crew is her chosen family, then Jayne’s the cruder older brother who likes to tease his “sisters” mercilessly but do anything to protect them from harm (‘least post-BDM, I think);

6) Book --> Well…pretty sure Inara was laughing with the rest of the crew (except for Wash) after Book told a funny story about his time at Southdown Abbey in the start of Out of Gas, and I think Book’s probably one of more accepting people on the crew when it comes to her job. But it’s hard to fathom Inara and Book having a good gut-busting laugh at something, if only we only got peaks at their interpersonal dynamic;

7) Simon --> Simon and Inara are probably the closest in actual personality and character due to their similar backgrounds and behavioural patterns. Certainly could see them sharing a quiet drink one night when neither of them could sleep, causing them to reminisce about life back on Sihnon and Osiris. And Inara probably gets a chuckle out of Simon’s continued attempts to woo Kaylee...but theirs is probably more of a passive emotional relationship mostly;

8) River --> Now here’s the tough analysis, I think. Don’t recall much interaction between River and Inara during the series, and River was restrained in the kitchen storeroom when Inara returned to Serenity in the BDM. Inara probably views River like another sister, and feels for the younger woman when she has an episode, but I think she finds River’s personality to be more confusing and off-putting to share a chuckle with her most times.

But yeah....I think Inara just needs someone(s) to help her let go of some of her emotional restraint

' border='0' alt='Sweet Charity' />

Come bid on my delectable derriere at the Sweet Charity auction! Buy me for a good cause;D

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Saturday, March 3, 2007 6:07 PM

HEWHOKICKSALOT

It takes all kinds to make the world go ‘round. Unfortunately, some are pedaling in the wrong direction...

Let me respond with an equally shameless plug. In my screenplay attempt, I included a scene where Inara laughs, and not in contempt or disdain. Now, I'm not going to reveal who makes her laugh. You'll just have to read and find out for yourself.

"Oh, I'm goin' to the special hell..."

Rob O.

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Sunday, March 4, 2007 8:13 AM

MAL4PREZ

My take is that what we saw of Inara in our sadly few episodes was just a fake. The real Inara was a long term story arc that wouldn't have been revealed until after the River/Reaver bit we got in the movie, and the real Inara would have laughed.

We got two glimpses of the real Inara: when she cried in HoG, and when she was doing her "I'm OK, I'm comfy" thing after kissing Mal in OMR. There are also little bits when she's bickering with Mal - you see a real person coming out, showing annoyance. But for the most part she was all this created person - this smooth, suave Companion.

Yet another reason to be bitter - we never got to see the real her come out, which would have let Morena show her acting chops. (Just look at what she did the few times Inara showed real emotion...) In fact, I didn't like her character at all at first. She was so plastic and not fun. But I think she would have become more likeable eventually, when she got to be something other than Miss Sexy Perfect Woman.

My .02

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I'm the president. I don't need to listen.

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Sunday, March 4, 2007 9:38 AM

HEWHOKICKSALOT

It takes all kinds to make the world go ‘round. Unfortunately, some are pedaling in the wrong direction...

Mal4Prez, you hit the nail on the head. There's the mask Inara wears the majority of the time, due to years of Companion training and discipline. Then there's the Inara we see behind closed doors, usually when she's alone.

By the way, she did get a good laugh at Book's "monastic humor." That one just came to mind.

Rob O.

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