Firefly fic: "Revelation, literally"
For the request of Tassosss.
Title: Revelation, literally.
Fandom: Firefly
Pairing: one-sided Simon/Inara
Prompt: epiphany through clothing.
Summary: Simon Tam, though he is smart, takes a while to realize this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He is very smart. Top of his school, head of his class, ace in every academic venture he has ventured into. Even though his sister River is by far smarter than he will ever be, Simon Tam is very smart.
Perhaps that is why he does not immediately realize it. But in the end he does. That is sufficient, is it not?
~~
He no longer thinks that Inara is beautiful. For those who inhabit the Core of civilization, physical perfection is too easily purchased and obtained for it to hold preeminence. And she is a Companion, a class who are in the top 10% of those who will buy that beauty or have it bought for them.
He knows that women of her profession are selected at the outset as much for their beauty as for their minds, but...
Inara is no longer just beautiful to him. To Simon Tam, she is lovely.
~~
Simon does not think Inara simply laughs. They have set down on Coast, a calm world whose most turbulent place is in their government, which is at times allied to the Union, and can just as quickly unally themselves - a mercurial feature that the Union tolerates, even encourages for reasons of It's own. Surprisingly, it is Inara who has family here, very distant relations, but relatives are relatives, and the unwritten laws of hospitality apply.
Simon and Jayne accompany her to her far-kin, the three of them dressed from head to toe - the clothing styles do not shift in shades of anything shorter than years; Simon finds he enjoys that: on his home, fashions changed far too quickly for him to appreciate - even River got a headache from it.
They all sit down inside, served infused tea while Inara talks with her far-cousins, seeing if they will lend a hand to the Captain's latest trading plan. Simon hears her laugh. Enjoys Inara's laughter.
It is not just laughter, not simply amusement. It is to his ears and his mind, music and pleasure.
~~
Simon does not think Inara is smart. Serenity makes landfall on Leavitt, the windy world that had birthed Kaylee. Here, men and women both wear saris - by decree, the clothing looks exactly like what you see in reconstructions of reprints of photographed books from Old Earth.
Simon wonders if the Old Earth sari was as difficult to put on as these are. River had shouted "I'm not coming out!" rather than let anyone see how she looked with a sari on. The fabric kept slipping down, riding up, as though it had a mind of its own; it required constant attention from its wearer. The actions are automatic for Kaylee, but requiring care and attention from everyone else. Jayne just tied his in knots, for which Kaylee glared at him.
"Good thing they save Fireflys here," Wash says. A vast field full of Firefly-class vessels, all maintained in tip-top shape.
As they of Serenity make their way to meet this man who can help them bring down Badger, Simon thinks as he watches Inara's careful, thought-through adjustments of her sari. Intelligence can be purchased. By parents wanting better children. By people wanting self-improvement. No, smarts is not sufficient turn-on.
Watching her, Simon knows that she is not smart. Inara is clever.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
the end
Title: Revelation, literally.
Fandom: Firefly
Pairing: one-sided Simon/Inara
Prompt: epiphany through clothing.
Summary: Simon Tam, though he is smart, takes a while to realize this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He is very smart. Top of his school, head of his class, ace in every academic venture he has ventured into. Even though his sister River is by far smarter than he will ever be, Simon Tam is very smart.
Perhaps that is why he does not immediately realize it. But in the end he does. That is sufficient, is it not?
~~
He no longer thinks that Inara is beautiful. For those who inhabit the Core of civilization, physical perfection is too easily purchased and obtained for it to hold preeminence. And she is a Companion, a class who are in the top 10% of those who will buy that beauty or have it bought for them.
He knows that women of her profession are selected at the outset as much for their beauty as for their minds, but...
Inara is no longer just beautiful to him. To Simon Tam, she is lovely.
~~
Simon does not think Inara simply laughs. They have set down on Coast, a calm world whose most turbulent place is in their government, which is at times allied to the Union, and can just as quickly unally themselves - a mercurial feature that the Union tolerates, even encourages for reasons of It's own. Surprisingly, it is Inara who has family here, very distant relations, but relatives are relatives, and the unwritten laws of hospitality apply.
Simon and Jayne accompany her to her far-kin, the three of them dressed from head to toe - the clothing styles do not shift in shades of anything shorter than years; Simon finds he enjoys that: on his home, fashions changed far too quickly for him to appreciate - even River got a headache from it.
They all sit down inside, served infused tea while Inara talks with her far-cousins, seeing if they will lend a hand to the Captain's latest trading plan. Simon hears her laugh. Enjoys Inara's laughter.
It is not just laughter, not simply amusement. It is to his ears and his mind, music and pleasure.
~~
Simon does not think Inara is smart. Serenity makes landfall on Leavitt, the windy world that had birthed Kaylee. Here, men and women both wear saris - by decree, the clothing looks exactly like what you see in reconstructions of reprints of photographed books from Old Earth.
Simon wonders if the Old Earth sari was as difficult to put on as these are. River had shouted "I'm not coming out!" rather than let anyone see how she looked with a sari on. The fabric kept slipping down, riding up, as though it had a mind of its own; it required constant attention from its wearer. The actions are automatic for Kaylee, but requiring care and attention from everyone else. Jayne just tied his in knots, for which Kaylee glared at him.
"Good thing they save Fireflys here," Wash says. A vast field full of Firefly-class vessels, all maintained in tip-top shape.
As they of Serenity make their way to meet this man who can help them bring down Badger, Simon thinks as he watches Inara's careful, thought-through adjustments of her sari. Intelligence can be purchased. By parents wanting better children. By people wanting self-improvement. No, smarts is not sufficient turn-on.
Watching her, Simon knows that she is not smart. Inara is clever.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
the end