Who: Inara Serra escort & Simon Tam yishengtam What: Chance Encounter When: Sometime in October Where: Outside St. Joseph's Hospital Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Possible allusions to Inara's profession. Status: Closed/Abandoned Partner Thread
~*~
Hospitals were a necessary evil in life. Inara had been going to St. Joseph's for follow-ups with an oncologist since her last bout with cancer. They were monitoring her hormone levels while checking for potential recurrence. She was still in remission according to all their tests, but she couldn't find it in herself to get her hopes up for a long life. All she knew was she felt blessed to still be alive to continue on her path. There were so many things left for her to do in this life it seemed unreasonable to think she'd lose her chance at enlightenment to disease.
Everyone with cancer likely felt the same way.
Inara knew she was hardly special in thinking it was unfair for her to be struggling for her life while others only had to worry about keeping up with the latest fashion trends. Fairness was not something the Buddha accepted as a reality. Life was simply life. There were no fair or unfair instances. Every experience could be made more based on how a person took that experience and chose to react to it. Inara knew better than to think her life should be easy. Challenges were what made a person stronger.
She would rather be strong than untried in her life.
Leaving the hospital through the main lobby her attention was caught by a man who looked shockingly familiar to her -'I don't want to die at all.'- though she knew him only from her dreams. Inara approached him slowly, hoping he would look different the closer she got to him. Who knew how he would react if he did not have Dreams in this place? Orange County was made up of all sorts of people. Not all of them were Dreamers. Inara knew as much from Valarnet as well as from talking to clients.
"Hello, I'm sorry. You just look so familiar. Have we met?"
~*~
Today was a slow day so far at the hospital, something that Simon was actually glad for. He was actually hoping to get out on time today and maybe have River come over for dinner. Since the dreams had started he could tell that they greatly upset his sister. Only he was behind her in his own set of dreams so he had yet to experience the horrors that she had described.
He had just picked up some charts from the nurses station when a beautiful young woman approached him. The question wasn't really an unusual one, but the doctor tilted his head slightly just the same. His mind went through recent events he had attended and places he had been, wondering if he had actually seen her before.
"I don't believe so?" He said, the statement sounding more like a question causing him to smile slightly. "Then again I tend to have a terrible memory sometimes"
~*~ "My mistake," Inara answered smoothly, lips curving into a smile, "I would say you have one of those faces which looks so familiar, but it's not true. You are quite striking."
She could play the game with him if nothing else. There were many who lived in the OC who had not received Dreams. Some got them later on while others never seemed to from her experience. Those who frequented Valarnet tended to be the ones who got their Dreams eventually. She didn't want to upset him with discussion of how she'd seen him in her own Dreams -the kind which were not dreams at all- when he was simply a man enjoying his day. Inara would never want to cause disharmony in the life of another.
Inara wanted only to seek enlightenment throughout her own journey in life. She enjoyed peace. Her faith helped her to understand almost any person's situation or point of view. People came from all walks of life to meet a woman such as herself. Men and women, both young and old, had reached out to her to engage her services. Some wanted to have her for a night while others wished to establish a long term arrangement. Inara sought to learn and grow from every experience with every unique soul she encountered.
"Are you terribly busy? I would greatly enjoy speaking with you if you've the time. Perhaps I can learn why you seem so familiar to me."
~*~
Simon always felt awkward when he was served compliments such as the one the woman gave him. Especially when it came to the female gender. He just never knew how to answer. And even now he could hear his sister in his head, calling him her favorite insult. “I think I’m the one who should be saying that.” He replied after a moment, smiling politely. Mentally he was hitting himself for sounding like an idiot.
“I was actually just about to take a much needed lunch break.” He said as he checked his watch. “Would you care to join me? There’s a lovely cafe right around the corner that I’ve become particularly fond of.”
~*~
"You are too kind."
Inara gave a traditional palms together greeting bow to show her appreciation. Respect was something never to be taken for granted; it was a simple thing to offer to another to express how one recognized the value of the lives of others. She did all she could on her own journey towards enlightenment to walk with careful footsteps. Everyone faltered from time to time, but Inara did make certain she stumbled more than she fell completely. It was the best one could ask of themselves.
No one was perfect.
Gesturing with her hand for him to precede her, she offered, "Please lead the way. I have time. My day is always flexible to a familiar face, especially one with eyes as kind as yours."
Kindness was an innate gift. Inara could see it was one this man possessed. She wondered if he was truly the man from her Dreams or if he were merely a very convincing lookalike. Either was possible in Orange County. It didn't matter to her. She knew she'd benefit from sharing his company regardless.
~*~
With a smile Simon lead the young woman to the front lobby doors, holding them open for her as they exited the hospital. This was unusual for him, having lunch with a complete stranger that he met barely five minutes ago. But he seemed drawn to her for some reason. As if there were something about her he couldn’t quite place. Maybe she was correct after all. Maybe they had met somewhere at some time.
“I’m Simon,” He offered once he realized he had never actually properly introduced himself to her as they walked down the sidewalk to the small cafe. He didn’t want to completely forget his manners in this surprise meeting. As they reached their destination, the doctor held open the door once again and even pulled her chair out for her once they reached their table. Habits that had been ingrained into him as a small child that he would probably never stop doing. “Have you been in Orange County long?”
~*~
Chivalry was far from dead in Inara's life. She looked forward to her adventures with her clients in part because their treatment of her gave her a deeper understanding of what they wanted from her as a companion. Those who used the manners of a long forgotten time were typically looking for nothing more than someone to keep them from being alone. They were the ones who gave the most. It was easy for her to get them to open up about themselves, share their lives, embrace the moment they were sharing together.
Men with manners tended to be very mindful.
"Inara Serra," she inclined her head once again in greeting as she took the seat offered her, "I have been in residence a few months only. Seeking a new place for a new chance at enlightenment. I wish to gain all I can from life. Experience new things. Open my world to new people and different cultures. Orange County is a lovely place to do that. Yourself, Simon? Are you a native or did you migrate here in search of something else yourself?"