Companion Papers by ncbrowncoat

Hmm. That language says to me that those aren't the conditions of her continued license with the guild, but the conditions of her rental agreement as recognized by the guild.

As far as I can tell, it's basically saying that the guild has the right to ask Inara to terminate her rental agreement with Serenity if they believe she or the crew hasn't acted within the terms of the agreement.

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Friday, April 3, 2009 6:16 PM

Look under Privileges, Terms and Agreements, that's where the Guild put in the all purpose termination clause that the Guild can use (with the services of a good lawyer of course.

It's just my opinion though and I'm not a lawyer.

Also, isn't the compensation agreement lucrative for Companions? The client pays to get on the Client Registry and then pays for an engagement, and if either the client or Companion cancel, the Companion is still paid.

I'd also like to see Inara's "pedigree", history and training records. It would be very interesting and supply a lot of answers about Inara's background.

http://fireflyfaninnc.livejournal.com/

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Friday, April 3, 2009 6:34 PM

I don't actually see anything there that outlines the conditions of her license, or violations that could cause it to be revoked. All I can see are the conditions and violations that would render Inara's/the guild's agreement with Serenity void.

However. When I was reading the shooting script for War Stories today, there was a scene cut that makes it explicit that companions aren't allowed to have sexual encounters outside the system established by the guild.

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Friday, April 3, 2009 7:12 PM

If the above-named Companion is at any time found to be in violation of any of the above-stated terms and conditions, all rights, privileges and agreements recognized in this document will be rendered null and void, resulting in possible censure of the above-named Companion, or revocation of the above-named Companion’s license

Usually if a professional contract is violated because of criminal activity, (in the US, a felony) the professional license is suspended. Hearings are conducted. If the holder of such a license is found guilty or pleads no contest, of such a crime, their professional license is revoked.

Think, teachers, doctors, attorneys…professional misconduct galore.

Thanks for posting this!

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Friday, April 3, 2009 7:27 PM

I know, but those terms aren't listed. The terms listed are a different part of the contract, and that part of the contract would not be included in another companion's contract unless they too were shipping out on Serenity... So those aren't the terms and conditions for companions in general.

Also, those terms don't include the yearly physical, or any of the other known requirements of companion behaviour and duties. My conclusion is those terms are specific to Serenity, and don't involve Inara's license.

The guild's pretty powerful... They might be able to get their favoured members cleared of felonies. >_>

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Friday, April 3, 2009 8:09 PM

If at any time it is determined that either the above-named Ship, its crew, or the above-named Companion are engaging in activities viewed by the Alliance or the Companions Guild as extra-, sub-, or illegal, all authorizations of this trust will be made null and void.

Inara can only contract as a Guild Companion (administered by the Alliance) because she has a license. She can't contract without one. If a violation of the Terms and Agreements of her license are violated because of criminal activity on or off Serenity she will lose her license and not be able to contract with Serenity or any other ship.

Companions aren’t above the law. For example, as a school administrator who works under a labor contract, if I commit a felony or I am engaged in criminal activity that violates a state or federal law and or Ed Code my credentials are revoked. I no longer have a license to contract (trust me on this) ANYWHERE. My contract becomes null and void as stated above.

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Saturday, April 4, 2009 12:11 AM

FLATTOP

Quote:
Originally posted by Platonist:
Companions aren’t above the law. For example, as a school administrator who works under a labor contract, if I commit a felony or I am engaged in criminal activity that violates a state or federal law and or Ed Code my credentials are revoked. I no longer have a license to contract (trust me on this) ANYWHERE. My contract becomes null and void as stated above.

I know they don't have licenses, but I sincerely wish the same applied to athletes. Get convicted of a felony, you can't play for any NCAA or higher level team.

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Saturday, April 4, 2009 2:57 AM

KEELHAULER

"Heard tell they used to keelhaul traitors back in the day" ~ Malcolm Reynolds

Hi,

Can someone post a hi-res pic of the papers? thanks!

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Saturday, April 4, 2009 4:44 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Platonist:
If at any time it is determined that either the above-named Ship, its crew, or the above-named Companion are engaging in activities viewed by the Alliance or the Companions Guild as extra-, sub-, or illegal, all authorizations of this trust will be made null and void.

Inara can only contract as a Guild Companion (administered by the Alliance) because she has a license. She can't contract without one. If a violation of the Terms and Agreements of her license are violated because of criminal activity on or off Serenity she will lose her license and not be able to contract with Serenity or any other ship.

Companions aren’t above the law. For example, as a school administrator who works under a labor contract, if I commit a felony or I am engaged in criminal activity that violates a state or federal law and or Ed Code my credentials are revoked. I no longer have a license to contract (trust me on this) ANYWHERE. My contract becomes null and void as stated above.

I agree. It's inevitable that Inara loses her Companion license. My question is, would she voluntarily "retire" in anticipation of losing her license and maybe hang on to some of her "investments".

http://fireflyfaninnc.livejournal.com/

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Saturday, April 4, 2009 6:07 AM

Well, agree to disagree then. That's just not how I read that at all.

I think it's too simple for Joss for Inara to get kicked out of the guild and so allow herself and Mal to be together. They still haven't even confronted the hurt that arises when Inara goes of to her clients, or when Mal sleeps with someone else.

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Saturday, April 4, 2009 6:34 AM

I'm not sure where Joss wanted to go with Inara's professional standing after Miranda, early retirement or resignation with a severance package? Hush money could be negotiated in both those scenarios to maintain the Guild's profitable relation with the Alliance and credibility with their clients. Maybe they will demand that she return to The Training House to finish her teaching contract under close scrutiny by Guild evaluators. And then, she decides that’s not exceptable and she resigns her position. Or maybe she goes back, finishes and agrees to resign and not renew her license.

I do know it wouldn't make much sense if she was able to return and renew her lease with Serenity and have full access to Guild clients to contract with via the cortex, like nothing happened.

The Guild has every right to question her activities and they are bound to uncover some truths. Inara always strikes me as being forth right in regards to her conduct when asked directly, so I don't think she would lie. And they did shun Nandi, which in itself points to how they conduct business. They can’t have little renegade Companions on the loose flashing their license like it’s a badge from God to do whatever they want. Their Companions service high ranking officials so the Guild would need to maintain control, as they send representatives out. And how do you maintain control, you issue, renew, or revoke licenses and so forth. And make name badges,always nice name badges, see Ariel:)

It's OK to disagree B. but can you be more specific?

Oh, I see, I was trying my best to keep Mal out of the equation because I really don't think he has anything to do with her standing other than to undermine it.

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Saturday, April 4, 2009 8:22 AM

You do have a point about the guild most likely finding out, and that returning to Serenity and conducting business as usual probably doesn't make sense.

I guess I've kind of gone to one extreme of suspecting the Guild is pure cackling baby-killing evil, to thinking they are a sisterhood that really is concerned about protecting their members above even money.

Like the black marks. Anyone who ever received a black mark would have to be someone with enough money and standing to even engage a companion. The guild puts themselves at risk by denying such clients, but they do anyway.

Maybe it WOULD be like the way athletes get treated when they're caught committing crimes. Clearly companions have enough fame and notoriety that they could be like celebrities in their own right. Maybe all that would happen to Inara is that she gets her license suspended for a year or so and the guild would keep the reasons for it hush-hush?

I just think that story-wise Inara's job should continue to be an issue of contention between her and Mal, because the issue is far from resolved. Both of them need to reach some sort of understanding, and Inara getting kicked out doesn't let that happen.

My disagreement is still mostly that those terms in her paper above are specific to her agreement with Serenity, and not the guild. I don't think we can argue that issue further, hence my agree to disagree.

I'll grant that the conditions under which her license might be revoked are likely similar ones, however. I imagine they might also include agreeing to yearly physicals and the line from the scene cut from War Stories about companions not being able to have a mutually consented sexual relationship with someone who isn't a client.

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Saturday, April 4, 2009 1:57 PM

The Guild is likely somewhere in between, a sisterhood that would protect it's members, but there also would be a line that couldn't be crossed.

Joss loves the gray area of life. Things and people are neither wholly good or bad but a combination of both.

Even if Inara lost her license or retired early she would face lots of decisions. Does she somehow have access to all that shiny money she's received as a Companion or is she destitue? Does she go live off of Serenity and open some sort of business (ie teaching the daughters of the newly rich manners, dance, deportment,etc or some such).

If she stays on Serenity what would she do? Would she help with the jobs? Would she persue a relationship with Mal with all of the consequences of that decision?

http://fireflyfaninnc.livejournal.com/

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Saturday, April 4, 2009 2:03 PM

It's a source of frustration for me, without the guild, what Inara could do and still be true to the feministic principles her character is held up by.

I see a lot of profession choices that people put Inara into as denying that she once was a woman who had sex with a lot of people. Teaching, cooking, seamstress, baby-sitter, River-sitter... Inara is a professional woman, she needs work of a business-like capacity. Agent Rouka said it best, she doesn't need to keep her professional choices pure and traditionally feminine to make up for past indiscretions.

That she went to the training house to teach after Nandi... Inara was never guilty about the things she did, and why did she have to be/ act like it?

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Monday, April 6, 2009 10:17 AM

WHOA! Wait a minute!

The mandated doctor visits aren't there. THEY AREN'T THERE.

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Monday, April 6, 2009 12:33 PM

Good catch, and yeah, that check up on Ariel shouldn't have lasted two or three days. A Pap smear, blood test, TB, immunizations, and mammogram can be done in 90 minutes, if you have an appointment;)

Guild Companions are required to have spent years in training at Guild-certified Houses and must maintain peak levels of mental, physical and spiritual health in order to maintain their membership.

Does she even meet these requirements?

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Monday, April 6, 2009 1:48 PM

I'm hopeful the Alliance has laws against discrimination in the workplace, being so forward thinking and all. Not a whole lot of point to being meddlesome every other way if you can't even get the civil rights thing down.

But who knows? She could be faking her appearance of health somehow for the guild. Or maybe even her companion papers, though I find that less likely.

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Monday, April 6, 2009 3:38 PM

Edited to add SPOILER INARA DISCUSSION

SPOILER

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You're right, I didn't catch the lack of physical requirement either.

From a female perspective most of the female physical process is waiting. The actual physical doesn't take much time and if you have your appointments lined up in advance it would take at most a day for the physcial itself, mammagram, blood tests etc.

Unless you are waiting for test results, three days is excessive and I'm sure Companions receive priority at a top clinic or hospital. Their time is money.

My improbable theory is that a jealous Companion or client poisoned Inara or introduced some disease that is chronic and controllable but only with top flight medical care.

Inara was sent out to the Border not only to introduce the elite to Companions but to get her out of the scandal but the Guild does does not know about her medical condition and expects her to return to Shinon at some point.

A scandal where Inara is the victim may be forgiven but not her current situation with the crew and Captain of Serenity.

http://fireflyfaninnc.livejournal.com/

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Monday, April 6, 2009 4:58 PM

Inara discussion, could be spoilers ahead

Spoilers

Spoilers

Spoilers

Spoilers

Agreed, I don't think anyone knows about her medical condition, except Simon, as implied in Better Days. She would be ruined and she probably needs top care, that's expensive, so she needs to maintain her work and credibility. Nandi didn't know.

Morena and Joss both said "dying" that seems to suggest it's degenerative with no cure, maybe it can be maintained with meds for a while, but not forever.

Doesn't it seem by the end of the movie, like she just doesn't care anymore? Like she's going to enjoy what little time she has left and die. Maybe she's tired of fighting it, and then Mal says like hell no, and they fight about it, just to fight about something, and he finally says, if I’m not giving up, you’re not giving up, cause Simon’s fixing this thing or else and so forth.

We need more of the verse, ASAP.

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Monday, April 6, 2009 5:19 PM

I agree we need lots more of the verse. Maybe if we could raise the $20 million Nathan Fillion talks about in this TV Guide article we could give it to Joss and he could start writing Serenity 2. .... http://www.tvguide.com/News/Castle-Nathan-Fillion-1004763.aspx#BLKcomm
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I don't see Inara giving up, but maybe letting her heart guide her for the first time in a long time.

But of course there still would be arguments with Mal, if they were together for 50 years they would still argue.

http://fireflyfaninnc.livejournal.com/

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Tuesday, April 7, 2009 4:50 AM

20 million dollars? That may be above my credit limit, I'll go check... on second thought...no one's paying back borrowed money anyway:)

And, Joss said he already wrote Serenity 2 and he’s not willing to give up any secrets because he needs them, so 20 million must be preproduction cashy money:)

The good news is that everyone is still asking about what’s going on with the sequel like in this interview. Nathan is getting more and more exposure. My elderly parents watch Castle and DVR it because they're like that (sometimes Dad falls asleep). When I told them it was the same actor as in Serenity, they asked about a sequel!

My only concern is that we may be looking at a reunion film because the actors are getting older; it's hard to hide crow’s feet and laugh lines even in Hollywood.

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Tuesday, April 7, 2009 5:34 AM

>_> And Mal, he knows too, doesn't he?

It's only been five years since the movie! They haven't aged THAT much. :)

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Thursday, July 9, 2009 1:16 PM