Video 愛 un: companioning

[companioning]

[The feed flickers a few times as Inara pokes at her phone a few times. Finally it steadies and Inara shakes her head.]

Bàoqiàn. I'm sorry, I'm still attempting to get use to these communication devices.

[She settles back and offers a charming smile before briefly dipping her head.]

Nín hǎo? For those of you I've failed to meet, I'm Inara Serra and still relatively new here. [She draws in a deep breath before continuing on.] Now I know that there are a great deal of you came from Earth, and while I find that truly fascinating and would love to hear some of your stories concerning it, I'm interested in knowing just where everyone else comes from.

I ask because though my ancestors come from Earth, though, no one has lived on Earth for centuries. I was born and raised on a planet called Sihnon. I trained there as well but before coming here, I'd spent a good year traveling between the different planets and various moons of our system.

[She takes a small sip of her tea before giving a brief nod of her head. She might have borrowed a teapot and some cups.]

I can't offer much, but I've only just made a fresh pot of tea and I'd be willing to share it with anyone who wouldn't mind telling me about where they come from.


((OOC: hover over Chinese for translations))

Comments

[impavid]

[ A few days. That makes a lot of sense, both her curiosity and her surprise now. ]

Just over five months, going on six.

[ He takes a test sip of his drink, to give himself a moment to consider what else he'd say. ]

Where I'm from, most folk live on earth -- but I was part of a... scientific expedition, you know. To explore a little.

[companioning]

[Her expression falters for just a moment. She didn't know what she'd been expecting to here, but five months wasn't what she'd been expecting to hear.]

That... That is quite a long time.

[She draws in a breath and then exhales slowly before taking a sip of her tea.]

A little? And what did you find on your explorations?

[impavid]

Oh, you know. Made a few friends, made a few enemies. Found a nice place to live.

[ So, you know, all the important things. ]

Guess it helped prepare me for all this, in a way. Meeting lots of new people from a whole bunch of places, some familiar and some not.

[companioning]

I guess it would.

[She smiles slightly.]

I admit, I'm finding I am not truly prepared for a place like this.

[impavid]

Well, luckily for you lots of us are friendly! So, you get stuck you just ask someone else for help. After all, we're all on the same side here -- all of us are learning.

[ So it's fine to ask questions! Best way to learn, after all. He flicks a reassuring smile, takes another sip of his tea. ]

And if you keep making everyone tea I'm sure people will be lining up to help you.

[ It's good bribery. ]

[companioning]

[She nods slowly.]

I suppose I am very lucky and that others don't seem to mind helping out.

[She might have to ask others to help her keep an eye on River. She wishes she could do it all on her own, but she knows how River can be.]

Oh, I don't know that I have enough tea to share with everyone.

[She laughs but... Hopefully there is more tea to be found.]

Do you have any advice for someone so new here?