"Tah de ma! Stupid, frustrating, so gorram- ugh!" Inara muttered, storming into the kitchen, her dark hair flowing behind her. Even enraged, the companion had a sort of bizarre natural grace.
"Who? Captain I've-gotta-new-wife?" Inara jumped at the sound of Dinah's voice. Dinah was fiddling with the outdated coffee synthesizer, trying to pry the top open.
"I apologize, I wasn't aware anyone was here. I was just- you see- I was going to- Shi. Its Mal," Inara admitted reluctantly. Dinah's fingers just managed to pry the top up a little.
"I guessed as much. Tsao gao!" Dinah shouted, as the contraption closed on her fingers with a pinch. Dinah turned from the stupid machine to face the woman
"So you aren't for the new Mrs. Reynolds?" Inara asked distastefully, sitting at the table.
"Shi. She's just so-"
"Tchen wa?"
"Inara! Language!" Dinah said, surprised at the companion's swear. "I was gonna say she's got a sort of vibe. Innocent submissive little woman. Its just seems kind of...strange," Dinah said, sliding into the seat across from Inara. Dinah had met companions before; they were almost always uptight bitches who thought sleeping with the elite gave them some kind of class. But, Inara wasn't like that, at least not with Dinah. She was kind of...nice, a down to earth kind of person.
"A vibe? Yes, she does have one, doesn't she?" Inara contemplated, sliding off into her inner thoughts. Dinah drummed her fingers lightly on the table for a few minutes, unsure what to do as she was left in silence
"So, does she have a name?"
"Who?" Inara asked absently.
"Mrs. Reynolds?" Dinah saw Inara wince at that.
"Mal didn't agree to the marriage."
"So, now its not the stupid frustrating captain's fault?"
"yes! No! Its just- he's so stupid! You don't just go off-"
"Dancing and drinking with strange girls?" Dinah stated obviously. Inara glared at her. Dinah threw her hands in her air, in surrender. "Okay. No more interrupting."
"Never mind. I just don't understand how carelessly he could be! Married! And why would she marry him? I just- I just don't understand it," Inara said, suddenly becoming cool and collected again. She folded her hands in her lap, just like a companion. Poised and calm.
"were you having trouble with the coffee?" Inara politely asked.
"oh, you mean the demon coffee machine from hell? Nah, you just need to be a genius to open it. Or evil."
"what?" Inara asked, smiling at dinah's strange answer.
"well, its from hell. So someone evil could open it and I just realize I am making just as much sense as river right now," Dinah admitted.
"its a tricky machine," Inara said looking signfagntly better
"What were we talkin' about?" Dinah asked, confused by the turn of the conversation. From coffeemakers to Mal to his wife who was? "Her name!"
"Is Saffron," the newlywed said standing in the door jam.
"Oh," Dinah said. "Ni hao, Saffron. this is Inara...and i'm...Dinah." normally, Dinah wouldn't have been this well behaved, talking and introducing herself to people but, space traveling had always made her kind of loopy. And something told her that no amount of companion training would keep Inara civil. So Dinah was on her best behaviour.
"What do you want?"
"I was going to make my husband dinner. You won't mind, would you?" Saffron asked. She seemed more lively than before; she was actually making eye contact with people.
"um, sure. It ain't my kitchen. I think the coffee systhesizer's broke though," Dinah said, as Saffron searched the kitchen for food. The settlers had been generous and the cabinets were now full of fresh non-packaged food.
"Excuse me, but, what do you think Mal would enjoy the best?" Saffron whispered.
"uhhhh-" Dinah stuttered looking to Inara for help. She barely knew the man, let alone what he would like. Inara was expressionless. Well not expressionless. Inara looked slightly angry then, she gone in a swirl of silk robes, leaving Dinah with Saffron.
"-Food. I guess he'd like some food," Dinah said acting as if the companion hadn't just made a dramatic exit.
"Is she upset? Is it me?" Saffron meekly asked.
"Who, Inara? Oh she's fine!" Dinah lied. She totally isn't attracted to your husband, Dinah thought. "I think its more of a feminist issue. You know, using girls as a bartering system doesn't exactly appeal to us women."
"Well, I am lucky to have your captain as my husband," Saffron said, meekly as she set about preparing food. She was pulling out turnips, garlic and corn oil from the cabinets.
"So you like him?"
"As a wife should," saffron said, blushingly delicately.
"Huh."
"Are you married?" Saffron asked patiently.
"I was. But, we weren't gonna last. I've been divorced for almost two years now." saffron looked at Dinah, agog.
"you should have at least pushed through it. Marriage isn't trivial. Its work," Saffron softly stated, slicing the turnips into perfect medallions. Dinah gave a strained smile, her knuckles cracking as she clenched her hand. her respect for Saffron was starting to dwindle.
"You don't know anything about me. Or my ex. Or my life."
"I'm just sayin', the lord made marriage a sacrament. Marriage is a relationship-"
"Ain't that the truth?" Dinah said, cooling down a little.
"Its a relationship. The wife pleases the husband, serves him as God commands."
"Whoa! I am jewish! And that's definitely ain't in my book. And no woman is order by no god to serve no gorram man!" Dinah began before stopping herself. She could feel the anger rising up in her. Saffron was looking at her, eyes wide and naive. Pathetic, really.
"Look, Saffron, first off: forced marriage is never good. Second: if you're gonna be a wife, especially mal's wife, you're going to need a backbone. Third: don't be extra critical on strangers if you wanna survive. Fourth: if you're gonna make turnips, you never cook them in corn oil. That's like the stupidest thing in the 'verse. You wanna make them soft not fried. Boil them," Dinah hissed before leaving in a huff. Cooking turnips in oil, what a gorram idiot.
FIREFLY***FIREFLY***FIRELFY***FIRELFY***FIREFLY***FIREFLY***FIRELFY***
"Ain't she sweet?" Kaylee asked as gears clinked as the mechanic fiddled with them. Dinah was surprised the rusty machine even worked, and was even more surprised at how well it ran.
"She doesn't know anything about turnips, thinks ill of her entire gender, and follows the 'will of god'. Stupid christian supremacy moon that raised her," Dinah muttered, peering under the engine Kaylee had managed to manuever under.
"Which ya going on about? Wou de ma! We gonna need a new compressor soon," Kaylee said, sitting up with a 100 watt smile on her face.
"How do you do that?" Dinah asked.
"What?"
"Be so annoyingly optimistic."
"Well, I just sorta am," Kaylee replied. Dinah smiled.
"It ain't really annoyin', is it? cause i can be sad."
"nah, its kind of endearing. Oh, Kaylee, you got a little-" Dinah said motioning to a splotch of grease on kaylee's cheek. She quickly rubbed at it but, it stayed there.
"Gone?" Kaylee asked as she rubbed her sleeve against her cheek.
"not really."
"Now?"
"Yeah...that's not going away anytime soon," Dinah admitted as the grease stain actually grew.
"Aw, it'll be fine. No one really complains about me bein' greasy. I probably should go get clean, though," Kaylee said heading toward the bathroom with a final smile. Dinah laughed a little. She liked Kaylee. And Inara. And Simon and River. And when Jayne wasn't especially crude. Hell, she liked everyone on the boat. Course there was Saffron but, Dinah could deal with her. It was strange how at ease Dinah felt around the crew. She had been traveling solo for two years now, jumping from core planet to outer rim moons, trying to find some sort of order in her life. with a sense of satisfaction, she walked towards the infirmary.
"You have to marry me. I'm in the family way. Make an honest woman out of me. Simon!" River's voice dragged Dinah out of her thoughts. Nearing the infirmary, Dinah saw River with a pillow tucked under her shirt. Simon was pleading with her while Shepherd stood off to the side, seeming both troubled and amused.
"No, mei-mei. We can't get married; we're related and it wouldn't be appropriate. River, just-"
"You don't love me. You don't think I am good enough. I see," River said sadly, holding her 'pregnant' belly.
"No! Its just- I love you, River. I just don't, can't and won't marry you."
"But, Simon! We're on the boat and they're all pairing up! Its two by two!"
"River, you can't marry your brother. Its incest and it is greatly frowned upon by most societies," Shepherd said slowly.
"What's going on?" Dinah asked, very befuddled. She heard somethings but, it didn't make sense.
"I need something blue!" River said bouncing up to Dinah, joy clearly expressed on her face.
"We're trying to- its complicated- I wouldn't-," Simon spewed.
"River wishes to get married," Sheperd explained.
"Shi," Simon said.
"to you?" Dinah asked, looking at the young doctor.
"Yes," Simon admitted, being to blush.
"Oh, bao bei, you can't marry your brother," Dinah said to River.
"You can't stop our love," she said very calmly looking up at her brother with adoration.
"Okay... I'm not questioning that. You and your brother love each other a lot. I can see that but, just because you love someone doesn't mean you should marry them. There are certain kinds of love."
"But, the captain was married and he's got a wife. now they are together; they look after each other.."
"Look, River, you and your brother have a familial love, not a romantic or sexual love. Hopefully. Marriage is always between unrelated people because then you get-"
"Inbreeding. The branches cross over and family tree won't grow much farther. It'll die out," River said, comprehension dawning in her eyes.
"Yes! Exactly! Inbreeding! and we don't want that to happen. do you kind of understand what i am trying to say?" Dinah asked, hoping she didn't muck the situation any further. although that would be kind of hard to do.
"Didn't I make those points earlier?" Simon asked Shepherd.
"I have a pillow under my shirt," River said tugging the cushion out. "I'm sorry but, I must reject your offer. i hope we can still be friends," River very sincerely stated handing the pillow to Simon. Her confused brother stood there, mouth hanging open in wonder.
"Well done," the shepherd commended.
" Xei-xei. She's got the mind of a child," Dinah said as Simon went into the infirmary. the sheperd nodded wisely, i agreement.
"How do you like Saffron?" Shepherd asked.
"Don't get me started on her. We ain't exactly on the best terms."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah. I can't really say I adore a woman who can't stand up for herself."
"you mustn't blame her. She's lived a very sheltered life."
"I know. Its just- does she have a vibe? Do you get a vibe off her?" Dinah asked.
"A vibe? What do you mean?" the sheperd asked.
"Aww. Nevermind. Its probably nothing. I might have been kind of mean to her earlier though. I geuss she doesn't mean any harm."
"Maybe you should apologize to her. Forgiveness is one of the most powerful weapons in the 'verse."
"You preaching to a Jewish girl, Shepherd?" Dinah asked teasingly. "And i thought the greatest weapon was faith."
"Of course. right next to knowlegde and mercy," the Shepperd joked.
"And Vera! i'll tell you! worth twenty give-away wives. can't believe i even offered- that gorram ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng!" Jayne grumbled stomping through, toting a very large gun. Dinah tried to suppress a grin. when jayne wasn't crude or offensive, he could be pretty gorram comical.
"Say, Shepherd, have you ever had turnips cooked in oil?"
FIREFLY***FIREFLY***FIRELFY***FIRELFY***FIREFLY***FIREFLY***FIRELFY***
Mrs. Reynolds "Saffron" POV
Mrs. Reynolds had one chance. There was one empty shuttle and if she didn't want to be electrocuted, she had to get off soon. It was about time the captain had tried to take advantage of her. She had begun to fear that he might have been sly. She heard footsteps climbing along the metal walkway. Go se. it was Dinah. But, Mrs. Reynolds didn't have any qualms about taking her out.
"Hey, Saffron. I just wanna apolo-" she didn't finish that sentence. Mrs. Reynolds swung a punch at her but Dinah quickly ducked. She went to hit her again but, the stupid bitch grabbed her hands. Quickly, Mrs. Reynolds headbutted her opponent. Dinah stumbled back in confusion. Mrs. Reynolds grabbed Dinah's head and smashed it into the railing. Dinah was out and Mrs. Reynolds would soon be gone.
FIREFLY***FIREFLY***FIRELFY***FIRELFY***FIREFLY***FIREFLY***FIRELFY***
Dinah POV
"Ow! What happened? Ow! Why does my head hurt?" Dinah demanded as Simon peered over her, touching her forehead gently. It still hurt. She slapped his hand away. "I said 'ow', doc! Ain't ya supposed to make it better?"
"She seems alright. Dinah, Saffron knocked you out," Simon diagnosed. "You just got a bump on her head." he touched it again.
"Buyao darao wo! Stop touching it!" Dinah said, standing up. "I'm gonna get a cold pack."
"That's a good idea," Simon said getting up to let her pass by.
Dinah grumbled as she went into the kitchen. Finding the fridg,e she pulled a bag of frozen fruit out. It wasn't vegetables; it was fruit, whole pieces of apples, oranges and berries. Bizarre woman-giving settlers. Hearing some commotion, Dinah headed back to the cock pit. everyone was corwed in the small space, mumbling about the ship. Leaning over someone's shoulder, she saw a mass of elecro-magnetic energy on the radar. That was the kind of thing you didn't want to see on a screen in space.
"Please tell me that ain't a net," Dinah begged, trying to stop her throbbing skull.
"I don't get it," Jayne stated. Dinah resisted the urge to hit him in the back of the head. No, they had bigger problems then that.