006 [Visual] No Torches & Pitchforks.

[valaunbound]

Vala knows she has to say something regarding recent events, but apologies aren't quite sitting right with her. If she apologises for Qetesh's actions, then she's accepting the responsibility for them aswell, and as she's struggling with the guilt enough as it is. She stares at the closed tablet for a while, contemplating how or even what to say, if anything at all. When she switches the tablet to visual mode, she's clearly masking any emotion and delivering the abortion of an apology/explanation with as much detachment and denial as she can manage. It ends up coming across as cold and defensive.

"Just to make it quite clear, that delightfully pleasant evil bitch that many of you had the pleasure of a few days ago, wasn't me. So if you were thinking of attempting any kind of revenge for her actions, I'm not the woman you're looking for. Thank you...

Uh... over and out."

Comments

[fudgingkillyou.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm-- [ Dean starts in irritation. Except, oop, that cry sounded painful. Dean pauses.]

Y'alright? [He sounds sort of grudging.]

[valaunbound]

Yes, completely. [she shifts stiffly her voice straining, trying to get her shoulder comfortable, unsuccessfully.]

If you need me to get anything off a high shelf, just yell. [yes she is smirking, thank Taxon for voice only transmissions - except you can hear it in her voice]

[fudgingkillyou.livejournal.com]

Oh, shut up. [Dean grumbles.] You're just like the rest of 'em. Here I am, being a nice guy and not blaming you for anything, and you're makin' fun of me? I see how it is.

[valaunbound]

If Vala was still dubious as to Inara being Adria on some bizarre identity crisis, then that question and the caution has completely disspelled all her concerns. It's still strange though, in an odd way - comforting.

"Much." She replies cautiously but with the front of a smile. "A little battle weary perhaps, but it'll pass."

[aesthetic_mojo]

"Hopefully if it happens again, people will have the sense to work together and not go running about higldy pigldy." She shook her head. This why she never worked with anyone else. Too many ways for things to go hopelessly wrong. "Hopefully, it won't happen again at all."

"Is that what they say?" She shrugged. "Mine was plush, pampered, and as boring as watching paint dry. It was always out of my control as well. A gilded cage that makes this place look like a slum."

[valaunbound]

You're right. [more subdued as a guilt pang hits, which triggers the whole guilt of Qetesh again, and she'd distracted herself from it for a while. Vala is NOT good with this whole deal with your emotions thing, and she seems to be rollercoastering between extremes at the moment - yay for being slightly unhinged?] I'll shut up then.

[fudgingkillyou.livejournal.com]

[Man, Dean was joking. Though he's usually not too big on backtracking and apologizing, he figures if he were in her position, he'd be feeling the same way. So, with a sigh, he speaks up.]

Hey. Listen. I get it, I do. You weren't you, you were some freaky-deaky alien. Trust me, I know how much it sucks to be possessed. Don't worry 'bout it, alright?

I'm fine, anyway. I got somebody to heal me.

[valaunbound]

"Higgledy piggledy..." Vala tilts her head to question the phrase, half imagining pigs running about? Earth sayings are confusing sometimes, so confusing the over emphasised tilt makes her shoulder twang with pain. She rubs at it distractedly.

"I'd imagine watching paint dry would be rather tedious," she can sympathise with the out of control, but the gilded pampered part, she could only dream. It doesn't make sense to her at all that boring and pampered could go hand-in-hand. Vala, you're far more clueless than you seem.

[valaunbound]

Right, 'course you know. Yes, entirely not my fault.

[Vala's having difficulty responding to all this understanding, it's too foreign to her. She's only just started getting used to Daniel and the rest of SG-1 actually caring - and then she got plonked here at Taxon and almost complete strangers are willing to give her a break, it would seem. Even ones who she's injured and are now dealing with being transformed into a child.]

That's good then, I'm pleased someone healed you. [it was said awkwardly, and then a pause] You've been possessed?

[hearts-of-gold.livejournal.com]

Inara, reassured by her almost-smile, nods. "Good, good. It...all of that...I imagine it was very disorienting..."

She's making herself tea, clearly preferring going through the motions of doing it herself rather than having the replicator hatches make her pre-made tea, and hesitates before she goes on. "What, ah...I don't mean to pry and you don't need to elaborate if you'd rather not talk about it, but what exactly...happened?"

[aesthetic_mojo]

"You should try it, just to see. Pick a pretty color." She chuckled. As if color could make any difference at all. "The worst part is feeling nothing you do or say makes any difference. That the moment you walk out of a room, everyone forgets you were even there." That got no laugh, only a soft sigh.

[visual]

[islegendary.livejournal.com]

Being laid up with an injuries makes Jack incredibly bored, it leaves him more likely to comment, "Delightfully pleasant? You did not just say that."

[fudgingkillyou.livejournal.com]

[Dean can hate like nobody's business, but he understands when it comes to things like this. There's a weird set of exception rules in his mind, and this falls under it.]

Not me, but my brother's been possessed. [Dean says casually.] Demon got him, and he almost killed me. It's also what I do for a living, saving people from being possessed. So yeah. I know what it's like.

[valaunbound]

"I'm sure I did." Vala frowns at Jack on her screen, confused for a second before she catches up. It's like watching the light get turned on in her head.

"Ah right yes, I'm with you now," she nods in concession with an accompanying 'I get it' smile. "I believe I was being facetious, injecting humour into an otherwise humourless situation."

[valaunbound]

Vala takes a deep breath at the question, here we go... "No, no, it's fine. Okaaaay..." she starts, wondering just where she should start. "Well the Goa'uld are a race of megalomaniacal violent creatures, not unlike Earth snakes, who just happen to think of themselves as Gods. Given their natural state, they need to take hosts, of which I had the misfortune of being one for a while."

Quite how long a while is, she leaves out after Charlotte's reaction. Vala continues however, the explanation rattled off with an ill-fitting light hearted manner. "Anyway, to cut a very long story short, despite her removal and subsequent death, it would appear she can still respond to curtain calls."

[islegendary.livejournal.com]

"Okay...." Jack leans his head back in thought. He makes a gesture with pinched fingers, "The humour. We're going to have to work on that before I'm pleasantly stabbed. Again."

[valaunbound]

Your brother's here, isn't he? [Vala asks after mulling that over, an unseen quizzical eyebrow raised at her thought process]

[valaunbound]

"I see your point." She screws up her face, cringing at quite how bad that actually sounds when he puts it like that.

"There's a distinct lack of re-runs for research purposes showing in Taxon in my defence, you'd be surprised what you can pick up from Roseanne and Cheers."

[valaunbound]

"Oh I've never had that problem, I get the distinct impression most people wish they could forget me." Might want to work on the empathy there Vala, it's not very well honed.

"Never, worked that one out, really. I'm with you on not being listened to though, some people wouldn't recognise a valid contribution if it jumped up and smacked them in the face forcibly."

[islegendary.livejournal.com]

"Do ya?" comes out more sarcastic than originally planned but oh well.

Jack makes a face at the mention of those shows, "Okay. We need to work on that too. How about The Simpsons? One of those replicator hatches spat out the entire collection." Beware your next words, or you shall be doomed to watch it with him.

[valaunbound]

"Absolutely!" Vala nods emphatically, defending herself indignantly. The energetic nod misjudged as much as his point, and sending a shot of pain through her shoulder which makes her wince.

"Is that the crime family one? I don't remember that being very funny, it was more depressing. Still, whatever enables your boat to not sink, I suppose."

[islegendary.livejournal.com]

It's worse than he thought. His face meets palm shortly there after, "No. The Simpsons. You know... Homer. 'Do'h!' Mister Burns...?" He takes his hand away from his face, "Any of that ringing a bell?"

[valaunbound]

"Oh...!" That's right Vala, not 'The Sopranos', close though. Well, in a not close at all way.

"The yellow people that are drawn? Isn't that for children?"

[islegendary.livejournal.com]

"It's. not. for. children." Maybe a little defensive.

This is a dire situation, clearly, Jack has to do something about it, "Okay! You need to sit down at watch it. With me. Now. The fate of the universe may rest on this."

[valaunbound]

"Really...?" Nothing but sheer skepticism in her expression. But secretly she quite likes the idea. She's never watched TV with company before.

"Okay, if you insist, I have nothing better to do with my time while I'm stuck as an invalid."