The time had come. Charlotte left John in charge of setting up the bar, giving him only the one request that he have a decent selection of beer, and did the work of dialing up the food. She knew she was going way over board. For all she knew no one might show up, even though she'd gotten a bit of a response to her invite. How could people
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There was no avoiding it. She had been living like a hermit for weeks, months really. And one of the only times she'd ventured out she'd nearly been killed. It wasn't a phenomenally confidence-stirring fact.
Still. There were people out there, a greater society, and she was at heart a social creature. It was difficult watching other people network and participate while she endlessly made herself tea and prayed.
Only shénshèng de gāowán did it have to be at John Everton's house? She rubbed her neck reflexively. He'd apologized in a very halfhearted way with no assurances that it wouldn't happen again, the entire becoming a monster of legend...thing. And nearly killing her. Was she insane to contemplate walking directly into his home? She already felt so stupid for it happening in the first place.
By the time she was running in mental circles about this she'd already dressed, prepared and was standing at the loading dock of the ship, ready to leave. She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, and then announced "I'm going out!" To whomever it concerned. Assuming that anyone was even still there and hadn't all already gone over themselves.
It wasn't far to John and Charlotte's apartment. By the time she arrived there were already quite a few people there...well. At the very least if something awful was going to happen there would be plenty of witnesses. She drew her embroidered shawl around her arms more firmly and ventured forth, going in to see what, and who, was there to be seen.
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But hey, that's not going to stop him from coming over to Inara and flashing her a grin, offering her a beer. No use in being shy.
"Hey. Good to see you."
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"Miss Serra. Thank you for coming. Charlie's around somewhere." He offered her a beer as a peace offering, before clapping Dean on the shoulder.
"Now, if you'll both excuse me." He dipped his head before fading back into the party.
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And then there was John. To her credit she didn't stop smiling, even if it went a bit frozen and her body language stiffened. "Hello," she said with polite neutrality, but waved off his beer since she already had the one Dean had given her in hand as an excuse.
She didn't really start breathing again until he walked away again and she looked back to Dean with a slightly sheepish smile. "It's good to see you too. You know...I'm sorry that I didn't get the chance to thank you properly for saving me. I was considering a fruit basket but it seemed just a bit underwhelming given the circumstances."
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"No problem. It's part of my job description," Dean shrugs it off, sipping his beer. "Tell you what. Have fun at this party tonight, drink a few bottles, go crazy, and I'll consider it a proper thanks, alright?"
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Relaxation sounded very good right now. For all her meditation and incense and focus she had been a giant knot of worry and tension since the attack. "I still reserve the right to send you a fruit basket, though. When you least expect it."
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"Alright, alright, I surrender. I'll be on the look out for rogue fruit baskets." Dean snorts.
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She also knew how to keep a drink in hand for quite some time to pace her drinking and not get intoxicated while still being sociable.
"At any rate, I won't make you mind me all night. Thank you again, though, for everything," she said with a brief, earnest squeeze of his arm. And really she did already owe him several times over, whether he accepted it or not, only the most major incident was saving her life.
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He'll give her a warm grin, though, when she thanks him. "If you get lonely, don't hesitate to call me over." He nudges her, and then heads off for the crowd, glancing over his shoulder to wave.
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Flashing her best, bright hostess smile, Charlotte walked up to Inara. "Welcome to the party. How have you been?"
Oh, yes, watch Charlotte put her foot rather firmly in her mouth. Such a shame when there was such good food around.
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She honestly had no idea how to react to Charlie. She hadn't seen the other woman on the network after John's vampiric rampage, hadn't seen her mention it. Did she know about it, even?
"How...have you been?" She asked carefully, frowning slightly.
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"Did you...did he..." she started and then sighed. Few of them were appropriate to a nice party and a lovely night, and Inara was nothing if not painstakingly drilled in social niceties. Obviously things were all right between them now though, weren't they? Or else she wouldn't be here.
Unless she was his mind-slave or thrall or something...vampires could do that, couldn't they?
...now she was just getting silly.
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She shrugged. She'd been unconscious for a long while, then Ianto had been looking out for her.
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And then she couldn't quite help her eyes moving to Charlotte's neck with a frown. "And since then he hasn't...you know...?"
She didn't quite realize how tightly she was holding her beer, but her knuckles were going just a touch white.
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She exhaled slowly, picking her words. "I don't know how many, people haven't come rushing forward to punch him in the nose. I do know that since he woke up at Buffy's, he's been the man I know. A good man, gentle, and honorable to a fault." Yes, he was a soldier of a sort, too, but that wasn't how he was with her.
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