The Misfortune - His Mrs. Janisch, Part 6

[gilliebeans]

Title:  His Mrs. Janisch, Part 6
Author:  gilliebeans 
Words:  5300
Rating:  PG
Summary:  Preseries; Inara returns to Serenity after being swept up into an investigation surrounding a corrupt client.
Author's Notes:  I would never have finished this without the unbelievable patience of browncoat_2x2 .  Astonishing, the kind forbearance she's shown me.  And the suggestion

Comments

[wytchcroft]

helluva chapter - i love how you've built a really intriguing story but all the time underneath is the character pulse, so that when Inara returns to Serenity and Firefly, we're not just glad FOR her but WITH her.

And of course you have our BDH's perspectives down cold - and yes, total justice to Inara.

Oh - wouldn't Mal know the Chinese for Dumbass though?

Congrats on a fine piece - which i will now gleefully re-read :)))

[gilliebeans]

Thank you so much - I must say am in awe of your speedy noticing of my post! Do you have one of those nifty neck implants, networked with all of lj?

I'm so glad you liked it, I was trying to show something I really admire about Inara, but not to make it an explain-y essay, not to make up "this is why she is so awesome like this."

Being a dumbass in English is an even more appalling level of dumbassery: homegrown dumbass, even a toddler could make the call.

you... networked with all of lj?

[wytchcroft]

i'm like Mr Universe only, y'know, not so much with the creepy. LOL!

//I was trying to show something I really admire about Inara, but not to make it an explain-y essay, //

i think that's one of the best reasons to write fan-fic, and it certainly works for you! :))

Re: you... networked with all of lj?

[gilliebeans]

Of course, Mr. Universe!

Thank you for your lovely words. I have a few half-written drafts, and since I am in the sentence a day pact with 2x2, I hope to have something else to post before too long.

[browncoat_2x2]

I can't believe wytchcroft beat me to the comments, and I was *right here* when you posted!!! Sneaky!

What can I say, darlin'? There is so much that is beautiful in this part! From the beginning with Seneca and Mal's conversation, and her not so subtle warning, right up to the very last changes you made, making the ending just perfect!

I'm sad too that it's over (or is it?) but it has been a wonderful journey, and I've enjoyed every step of the way. You have a perfect grasp of preseries Mal and Inara and I can fully believe this as their backstory leading up to the series, it fits so seamlessly.

I wish I could compile everything I've had to say about this fic along the way - I feel like this comment is inadequate, it doesn't do your fic justice - but you know how much I love it, and it has been my pleasure and honour following along as you wrote it, so thank you for that! And thank you for one of my favourite series! I know I'll be re-reading the whole thing again in the near future, and many times to come after that :o)

Yay you :o)

[gilliebeans]

Thank you, thank you so much. You are some kind of fandom saint, keeping me company while I fuss over this sentence, that word - I can't imagine having done this without you.

As for more, they'll be landing in Persephone soon, picking up their infamous passengers, but who knows what might happen in between? It would have to be something good, for Mal to still earn that sweet warm smile Inara gives him right before getting introduced to the Shepherd.

He is a dumbass.

Again, thank you so much!

I can't believe wytchcroft beat me to the comments

[wytchcroft]

i'm a wytch on wheels! m'wha ha ha!

[agent_rouka]

This was like drinking hot chocolate. The excitement of it being THERE, for one, and then this up and down of emotions, the constant panic and relief for Mal, the sadness and giddiness for Inara (Seneca? Waaaay cool.) and then that perfect, warm, melting moment at the end. *thud*

I hadn't read that it would be the last major chapter, but I knew it when I saw you bring up Persephone. AAAAAH, things are winding up! It's both sad and exciting. This is such an amazing series, just perfect through-put and a wonderful portrayal of Mal, Inara, Kaylee.. all of them. It really creates such a rich background for the beginning of the series. Whee!

Thank you SO much for working so diligently on this and posting it as a Christmas present! :D

[gilliebeans]

Well thank you so much! I figured Mal would be pretty much awash with conflicting emotions, his inclinations changing from moment to moment. But as in love and spun about as he is, he's still Mal, still very mentally tough, still finding a way to deal. And Inara, even though she can recognize it objectively, she's idealizing him a little bit here, more so because his vigilant distance-keeping makes her feel safe, uninvaded (for a change).

I'm glad you like Seneca. I wanted Inara to have some true friends outside of Serenity and within the Guild in particular. Seneca's a transmogrification of someone I went to school with, a brilliant legal mind who chose another career path because everyone in the family was a very accomplished lawyer and he needed something else, something of his own.

And thank you for your compliments about the series! I'm now ready to wrap it up, at least for the time being. It feels funny, but not as sad as before.

[elizalavelle]

I've just caught up on this story today. Wow! I love how you've written for all of the characters and made sure they had distinct roles in the story despite not being the main focus. You are a talented writer :)

[gilliebeans]

Thank you, that's very kind. It's been so long getting this last chapter out, I was worried that there were things I'd let fall by the wayside. Plot threads, that's one thing - but I'd hate to think I gave the characters short shrift.

[aliasse]

I was SO excited to see this posted; and as usual read it with total absorption, as though I was watching the show.

This explains so well Mal's constant in-your-throat fear that Inara will go. And leaves Inara as much a mystery as ever.

You've always been so good at imagining outside of the world that Joss gave us, bringing in things from the real world that always make me think: 'Oh, that's our world; but look, hey, that completely fits and complements Joss's world'.

I'd love to have Mal and Seneca meet after the BDH - he's hurt Inara so much by then - and I sense that Seneca would be the one to make Mal really feel it!

I wonder, from the point of view of the mechanics of writing this, did you always know where it was going? Or did you work it out as you went along?

I'm really looking forward to reading this again, now that I know that it's finished. And I know you'll be writing another fic again before too long!

[gilliebeans]

Thank you so much! I enjoy your stories so much, time after time, that it's gratifying to hear you like mine too

[aliasse]

Mal and Seneca meeting again ... :) I truly do sometimes get confused between my fics and the fics of the other authors that I read, to the extent that I think that things that have happened in theirs have happened in mine, and vice versa, because they're all mixed up in the Verse that I have in my mind.

I've been giving a lot of thought to what Mal will find when he gets to Sihnon (spoiler or what?) and I've got a lot worked out. But there's still plenty of room for OCs...:)

warm feelings toward each other that Mal can kick to the curb in the interest of offending the Shepherd I love the way you've illuminated that one moment, the first we see of them! It makes me think why DOES he do it, when he fears her leaving so much? Can he really just not help himself?

[gilliebeans]

My take on his bastardry is this: he's waiting for her to get back, dwelling on the implications of her "full docket," unable to quite manage being elsewhere when she comes floating down the stairs, but mad at himself for it