014 [Location: Jack's Cabin][Visual][Locked to Inara and Jack]

[valaunbound]

Vala is dumping her things in Jack's cabin. He doesn't know about this yet, he's out blowing things up. It'll be a nice surprise for him! She'd spend more time putting her own personal stamp on the place, but she has an agenda, that can come later if he'll still have her after what she's about to do. An agenda that she hopes won't be necessary, but she's pretty much resigned to the fact that it will be.

She opens up the tablet and 'accidentally' cc's Jack in on the private message to Adria Inara, making sure the background image is not ambiguous in any way. It's definitely his cabin. Also he knows that the message doesn't match with her feelings towards Inara. Two reasons to bring him running.

"I think we should talk Inara. We didn't really get chance to talk at the time, and I'd rather get some closure on this whole nasty affair. I mean obviously, if you don't mind that is. Perhaps we could meet somewhere, start over? I'd like to be friends."

Comments

[valaunbound]

"Oh. I hadn't really considered that..." Vala pauses to feign quick thinking. "Umm, there's the Taxon Hotel, in Central. They'll have a coffee lounge I presume."

[hearts-of-gold.livejournal.com]

Inara's smile warms and she nods. "That sounds like a very good idea. Were you thinking now or sometime soon?"

Yes, getting along, getting out. All of it sounds like just the thing. And she's not a fan of coffee, but presumably a good coffee lounge would have tea as well.

[valaunbound]

"Good," Vala smiles only a little fakely, but it could be attributed to a certain amount of hesitance with the whole situation.

"I have a few loose ends to tie up here," quite literally, "so I'll see you there in about an hour?"

[hearts-of-gold.livejournal.com]

"All right," Inara says with genuine enthusiasm, nodding. "I'll see you then."

An hour would give her just enough time to make herself a bit more presentable, and to go over all the things that she would want to say. Things like, I'm really very sorry that I likely harmed you, and I'm not certain that I ACTUALLY want to know, but do you think that you could explain to me exactly what I did so that I know precisely what I'm feeling guilty for? Only somewhat less hostile. There had to be a way to make that properly contrite.

[valaunbound]

Vala can't quite work out if it's Adria putting on a good act, or if this is more of a 'possession' deal, and she can suppress her own personality to allow Inara's to come through. For a moment, she observes her curiously, trying to see past the smile. Either way though, Adria's in there. And Adria has the answers she needs.

One thing she did learn about Adria, during her own incarceration, was that she has no shield here in Taxon. And that was the key, that was what made this easy.

"Definitely." Vala closes her tablet after offering yet another forced smile, then exhales as soon as she's off screen, running her hands through her hair. Stage one complete.