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[ff-ambassador.livejournal.com]

Lunchtime. Thank goodness. Inara is starving, her stomach occasionally making embarrassing grumbling noises as she makes her way to an open seat at the bar.

She quickly dives in to her soup and sandwich, people-watching between bites, her favorite relaxing activity at Milliways. Come say hi!

[ooc: Mun is at work, so apologies for slow tags! Need a diversion before html breaks my brain :D]

Comments

[badinlatin]

Mal comes down to the bar today later than he normally gets a start on his day at home. Being in Milliways again is enough motivation to relax a bit; enjoy himself.

He's down today to his white shirt and slacks, still carrying that rather unique black lacquer cane of his, and he asks the bar for pomegranate juice.

He hasn't seen anybody watching him.

[ff-ambassador.livejournal.com]

Inara notices the older man as he approaches the bar, but doesn't give much thought to him. She takes another bite of her sandwich when she hears Mal's voice from down the bar.

She looks around, but doesn't see him. Hmm.

[badinlatin]

A fwip of black hair at Mal's periphery draws his attention.

And then, his breath.

So what if he's staring?

[ff-ambassador.livejournal.com]

Inara catches the man staring at her, and she stares back, an eyebrow raised.

"I'm sorry, can I help you with something?"

[badinlatin]

She doesn't recognize him. That's okay, in a way -- the only person that has right off was River, and she's got an advantage.

It bothers the old man more, here.

"Inara."

It's all he's figured out how to say, so far.

[ff-ambassador.livejournal.com]

There's something about this man that seems so familiar. And the voice...

"Yes," she replies slowly. "Have we met? I apologize if I'm forgetting."

[badinlatin]

Mal swallows, hand reaching forward to shake.

"Malcolm Reynolds. 'S nice to meet you."

[ff-ambassador.livejournal.com]

Inara bites back a gasp, even as her hand is rising to meet his. Mal's. Mal's?

Her brain is whirling, thinking how she just saw Mal this morning, laid up in bed. She checked on him not an hour ago.

"I...how?" That's about all you are going to get from her at the moment.

[badinlatin]

"I wish I knew, and that's the truth of it. I haven't been to Milliways in...Well. Let's just say that about everyone is having your reaction when they see me as I am now."

[awesome_lilly]

It is not just lunchtime for Inara!

Lilly makes her way, grumbling, down the stairs and then grumbles across the floor and over to the bar, where she sets a plastic bucket on top, grumpily, and orders a banana daiquiri and a basket of tiny raw shrimp.

She is not smiling.

[ff-ambassador.livejournal.com]

"Hey Lilly. Um, what do you have there?"

Inara eyes the bucket and the basket of shrimp curiously.

[awesome_lilly]

"Oh, hi 'nara."

Lilly looks over and smiles. Sort of.

"I forgot, you haven't had the pleasure of meeting my stepdaughter. Inara Serra, Raspberry Blodwen Squavelock Beret. Raspberry, yet another vertebrate."

[ff-ambassador.livejournal.com]

Inara gets up and looks in the bucket, then back at Lilly. Then back in the bucket. "She's..lovely, Lilly. Puck is a lucky father." She cocks an eyebrow at her.

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly just gives her a look.

"She's a freaking squid, Inara. And while Puck may consider himself lucky, I so do not. I mean. Squid."

[ff-ambassador.livejournal.com]

"Maybe she has feelings, Lilly. Maybe her waving her tentacles like that is her saying hello?" Inara feels slightly bad for teasing Lilly. Slightly.

[awesome_lilly]

As well she should. Lilly is a woman on the edge!

The edge of a calamari dinner, most likely.

"Oh, of course it is. And when she slops water out of her bucket onto my shoes, I'm sure what she's really saying is I love you."

[ff-ambassador.livejournal.com]

Inara laughs, then makes herself stop.

"I'm sorry, Lilly. How did this happen, anyway? I know Puck is a god of some kind, but surely this isn't completely normal."

She leans over and waves at the squid, just in case.

[alien-bartender.livejournal.com]

Normally I would've noticed the woman at the bar nearby as soon as she came in my orbit - she was one of those ladies who can turn all the heads in a room without trying.

Embarrassingly enough, I was preoccupied at the time because I was experimenting with my new bioluminescent translator. Specifically, I was quietly singing "Old MacDonald Had A Farm" to it and watching how it lit up.

[ff-ambassador.livejournal.com]

Inara sees the gentleman looking at her and smiles.

"I don't believe I've seen you here before."

[alien-bartender.livejournal.com]

"Huh?" At that one syllable, the translator in my hand flashed brightly and put on an incredible light show. (I later learned that the translator was displaying a pattern for 'inarticulate expression of confusion and surprise,' but at the time I had no idea what had made it react that way). "Oh. I've been around before, just not for a while." My last visit to the bar had been six weeks before.

[ff-ambassador.livejournal.com]

Inara nods. "My name is Inara. It's nice to meet you, mister..."

[alien-bartender.livejournal.com]

"Rick Schumann," I put the transparent globe down so I could offer a handshake (and so it would stop flashing whenever I said anything). "Call me Rick."

[ff-ambassador.livejournal.com]

"A pleasure, Rick." She shakes his hand and releases it with a smile. "How did you find yourself in Milliways?"

[alien-bartender.livejournal.com]

I shrugged. "I just kind of walked in here several months ago. Funny thing is, I was actually walking into my own bar at the time."

[ff-ambassador.livejournal.com]

"You own a bar? How ironic." Inara grins. "I can't imagine yours could be a stranger place than this, though."