Blue Sun Room FICTION - GENERAL

Even Roses Have Thorns, Chapter Eleven

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Kaylee faces her ongoing quarrel with Simon. This chapter is rated G. This chapter is not entirely to my satisfaction, so I apologise for that.

CATEGORY: FICTION    TIMES READ: 3063    RATING: 9.0 (G)    SERIES: FIREFLY

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Even Roses Have Thorns

Chapter Eleven: Spemque metumque inter dubiis (hover between hope and fear)

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Inara moved purposefully toward the engine room, her strides perhaps a little too long for such a non-urgent task, but in truth, even she was tiring of Kaylee’s funk. When Inara arrived, Kaylee was still at the task that Mal had given her. Inara knocked. Kaylee, startled, whacked her knuckles off the engine. “Ow! Come in, ‘Nara.” She put her hand to her mouth.

“Well, Mei-mei, I have good news.”

“’Nara?”

“I’ve spoken to River, and she tells me that Simon got the earrings for her to give her for her first menses, which apparently started last night.”

“Oh. Oh!” Kaylee was shocked. “Ya mean, she’s never, ya know, before?”

“Apparently not. It’s not uncommon in girls as underweight as River had been.”

Kaylee had heard of this, in hindsight. There were a few rumours of girls with eating disorders back home, but she’d never known of anyone for sure, though she had over heard some teenagers teaching one of their friends to throw up at the harvest fair one year.

Half to herself she spoke, “She’s nearly eighteen though, ‘Nara.”

“Yes. I would think that Simon is very relieved.”

“Oh – Simon. Did he, you know, River?”

“I’m not certain that I understand the question. River seems fine and I’m sure the facts of life and womanhood were not so hard to understand for someone as bright as her.”

“Simon prolly didn’t even need ta explain.”

“Possibly.” Inara paused to collect herself. “Darling, you know I love you, don’t you?”

“Yeah.” Kaylee looked puzzled.

“Well, I say this with love. I think you should consider your recent worries about Simon’s slights – I think that you will discover you’ve been assigning motives to him that he simply does not have. As I said this morning, I don’t think it would ever occur to Simon to give something to River to hur

Comments
Wednesday, 27 December 2006 00:33
Thanks to all who have read and commented. I hope you enjoy chapter 11 too - it's not perfect, but it gets me where I'm going, and thus I'm prepared to live with it.
Wednesday, 27 December 2006 00:56
Uh...has Simon started hitting the bottle pretty hard when no one was looking?

If not, now he's just being an ass. Kaylee actually tried for once. Great. Just when they might get away with having an adult conversation, Simon decides his pride is wounded and he has to be mean (at least, I assume that's what it is...maybe River's crazy is catching).

Can we just default to Jayne holding a gun on them until they act their ages?
Wednesday, 27 December 2006 01:25
Like I said, it's not perfect... the tone is obviously coming across wrong.

It should make more sense after I write chapter 12.

Sorry :(
Wednesday, 27 December 2006 01:50
Don't be sorry. I'm just slow. For me, it's more like watching something on TV where the hero and heroine are so close to making out...so close...almost...JUST KISS, GODDAMIT...ah, crap, fate intervened and I have to tune in next week.

Honestly, it's that the suspense is killing me here, and watching Simon thwart me again (for whatever reason) is maddening.
Wednesday, 27 December 2006 02:23
lovin this story line, cant wait for the next one
Wednesday, 27 December 2006 06:20
Hah. Ok, I liked this chapter. Very funny. Simon trying to be sarcastic. I do hope Kaylee sees it for what it is and doesn't get all pissed off again.

I think the conversation went pretty well. He's still calling her bao bei. He wouldn't do that if he truly wanted to break up with her. . . :)
WASH4EVA
Wednesday, 27 December 2006 10:14
I like this set very much. I can't wait for another chapter!
Wednesday, 27 December 2006 16:57
I too liked this chapter. I think that if Simon were in a situation like this, then he would be slightly sarcastic. However, if he really and truly wants Kaylee back he's going to have to dial it down a bit, or she'll go running, because she doesn't always understand his snarkiness.

Very interesting dynamic though, I admit.
Friday, 29 December 2006 07:11
Hoo boy...Simon was on fire there with his frustration-fuelled caustic wit and sarcasm! Definitely was starting to flinch back in sympathy for Kaylee...even if I think Simon's got something resembling a right to express his feelings about Kaylee being all paranoid and preemptively trying to sabotage their relationship;)

And I definitely gotta give you props for how you handled the Inara/Kaylee scene. Would have been mighty interesting to see how Morena and Jewel would have played something like this had the series been allowed to continue...

BEB

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