Fourth floor common room, late Sunday morning

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

It had been a while since he'd done the open brunch thing and with things finally feeling like they were getting back to something resembling normal for him, it felt like a good time to do it again.

So here Dean was in the kitchen of the common room, dividing his attention from the food cooking and the book Karal had given him to read. Who said he couldn't multitask?

Comments

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

Not that Inara had been going up and down the halls, trying to find someone who looked like they might respond to the name Evey, but the Common Room was her next stop.

It was possible she was a little bit concerned, yes. Plus, it smelled like there was food here.

"Evey?"

Hey, it was worth a shot.

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

"Yes?" Evey glanced up at the sound of her name, looking around.

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

Inara tried to give Evey a covert, if professional assessment. Pretty, but not in a flashy way. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Inara, a friend of Karal's."

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

"Oh, hello," Evey said, smiling slightly at her. He really had been gushing, hadn't he? "It's nice to meet you."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"Did you get the chance to meet Trenor yesterday?" She asked, remembering how Karal had told her about his date in the stables.

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

Evey nodded, her smile widening a little. "I'd never seen a horse up close before. I'm from the city, and this world's future. Not much call for them. He was very sweet, Trenor was."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"He's a shameless beggar for treats," she smiled her pleasure at Evey's reaction. "I've yet to ride him, though Karal loves it. How far in this world's future, if you don't mind my asking?"

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

"Twenty years," she said. "I won't even be born until 2010. Are you from this time? Or this world, for that matter."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

She shook her head. "No on both counts, I'm afraid, though there are many stories about Earth-that-was on my home planet of Shinon." Another headshake. "The reality has turned out to be surprisingly different."

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

Now, that was an interesting turn of phrase. Evey just hoped Inara didn't mean what she thought she meant. "Earth-that-was?"

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"Where the humans in the galaxy originally came from, about three hundred years earlier," she explained. "Before terraforming."

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

"You're from space, then, like Jaina and Luke?" she wondered slowly.

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"Not from the same galaxy, I don't think, no," she frowned, "though I'm not positive. But yes, I am from a different planet and accustomed to space travel. In a vague sense. I assume you aren't, yet?"

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

She shook her head, looking almost bashful about that. "Our technology's a little, tiny bit better than what's present now, but space travel hasn't been a priority in my time."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"Maybe that comes later," she said, not sure of her history on this point. "What are your time's priorities?"

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

"Rebuilding. We just changed our system of government, after having dispensed with the former regime last year. We're not strong enough to try to put people in space yet, and won't be for awhile," Evey replied, offering a little half-smile.

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"That sounds very chaotic. How do you cope with living under all the upheaval?"

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

"Well. I'm one of the ones helping to fix it," she replied, shrugging shyly. "So the upheaval's really just my day-to-day routine at home. Fandom's so quiet by comparison."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"You're...well, that must keep you busy," Inara was beginning to see what had drawn Karal to Evey, at least. "As for the quiet...well, allow me to say that it's not always like this. I assume you've been properly warned?"

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

She nodded. "I did turn into someone not-me a few weeks ago. And I've seen how magic works. And been warned that sometimes things are louder and more dangerous. It makes me feel more at home."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"Yes, I heard about that," she wasn't sure whether to ask Evey who she'd been turned into. "About turning into other people, not the magic and danger, of course. "Now you sound a bit like Gavin. He's not sure what to do with all the quiet, either. I, on the other hand, find this much less quiet than my home already."

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

"You're lucky," Evey said lightly, smiling at her. "What's your home like, then?"

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"Quiet, peaceful, predictible, organized, calm," she counted off on her fingers. "All in all, a bit dull, but I'm just coming to that realization. The Alliance--well. They mean well, except for when they don't."

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

Evey's brow quirked up at that. "What sort of alliance is it?"

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"An alliance of planets, under a central government that is supposed to govern in the best interests of every member planet," she explained. "It works about as well as you'd expect."