Simon/Inara (Firefly)
Dec. 4th, 2004 04:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
inalasahl posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
ship_manifestoDear, If You Love Me, Hold Me Most Your Friend
Author: by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
inalasahl
Spoilers: May contain information from all DVD episodes, transcripts, shooting scripts and the unfilmed episode, "Dead or Alive." No movie spoilers contained herein. Because I'm unspoiled myself, I'd appreciate it if people didn't mention movie spoilers in the comments.
Personal Website: Troublesome Little Nook
Author's Notes: Thanks go tollaras, skripka and kernelm for read-throughs and suggestions. I apologize for the lateness of this essay.
Both Simon's and Inara's characters have been previously described in this community (see Simon/Jayne, Simon/Mal, Inara/Kaylee, Simon/River, Simon/Kaylee, and Inara/Mal) so I'll be brief. I don't want to skip this step entirely simply because I think that what parts of an individual are emphasized can highlight some of the reasons why a pairing works for a person.
Inara Serra
Inara Serra is a companion, which is similar to an old-school Japanese geisha. While she does indeed supply sex for money, she also supplies ritual, class, conversation, music, and well, companionship. For mysterious undisclosed reasons, she left her cushy position living in-community on a core (upscale) planet as the heir presumptive to the current companion house mother. Now she works as a traveling companion operating out of a smuggling ship's shuttle on the edge of explored space. We know that before coming to Serenity she supported the Alliance, a one-world government, during the civil war against the independent "browncoats" who favored self-rule for each planet. That fact puts her at philosophical odds not only with at least three key members of the crew (Mal, Zoe and Kaylee), but also with the entire premise of the show.
Simon Tam
Simon Tam is a core-raised doctor whose intelligence places him in the top three percent. His youthfulness and flashbacks that portray his parents as ambitious social-climbers suggest that he went through school at an accelerated pace. He has given up a successful and lucrative career in order to rescue his sister from mysterious medical experiments in which her brain was repeatedly lobotomized. Because the experiments were seemingly conducted by the Alliance government, as well as the Blue Sun corporation, a monolithic company (which show creator Joss Whedon has described as the hypothetical result of a merger between Microsoft and Coca-Cola), the rescue has made Simon and his sister fugitives pursued by some very nasty folks with very long reaches. As a consequence, he has pretty much been forced to accept a position on a grungy smuggling ship out in the middle of nowhere. It is presumed that Simon also supported the Alliance in the war (flashbacks show he and his sister playing "war" as children and casting themselves as Alliance soldiers).
Canonically, there is no evidence that Simon and Inara are currently interested in one another romantically, nor do I believe they are. In fact, canonically Inara has much UST for Mal, the bitter and angsty captain of Serenity. Simon, meanwhile, has been pursued rather enthusiastically by coquettish Kaylee. In my opinion, his lukewarm reciprocation (going on a date with her in "The Message," followed by almost kissing her in "Objects in Space") is due to a combination of gratitude, politeness and as he says on their date, a result of limited options.
Instead canon presents us with two people who have a lot in common and a quickly developing friendship. From the very first episode (by DVD order), Inara sets herself up as Simon's champion. While both Wash and Book object to the idea of murder, Inara is the only one to object to even abandoning River and Simon. It is also in "Serenity" that a pattern of Inara and Simon acting as each other's confidantes is established.
SIMON: I... I'm sorry. For my part in what happened. See... I've never... I mean, I don't know how to --
INARA: You're lost in the woods. We all are. Even the captain. The only difference is, he likes it that way.
In "Bushwhacked" the very blocking emphasizes their status as civilians, at a distance from the rest of the crew. While River is off by herself, and everyone else plays a ball game in the cargo bay, Simon and Inara, unnoticed, occupy the catwalk above together. Again, they open up more with each other. It's the only time we see Simon talk about River's condition when he's not trying to explain some bizarre behavior on her part. It's also noteworthy that their conversation ends with Inara's reflective, "Well, we're all running from something, I suppose." She clearly is.
In "Out of Gas," Simon and Inara share another "civilian" moment. While the rest of the crew buzzes around trying to fix a problem, the two of them share a heart-to-heart moment about their fears and worries: things the two of them never admit to anyone else. And then they hold hands. In the traditional version, anyway; I have a shipper version here.
SIMON: I always thought the name Serenity had a vaguely funereal sound to it.
INARA: I love this ship. I have from the first moment I saw it.
SIMON: I just don't want to die on it.
INARA: I don't want to die at all.
SIMON: Suffocation's not exactly the most dignified way to go. The human body will involuntarily —
INARA: Please, I don't really require a clinical description right now.
SIMON: I'm sorry. I just, uh... (beat) It was my birthday.
I sincerely believe that had the show continued on past 15 episodes, Simon and Inara would have had a romantic/sexual relationship in canon. It is said that good friends make the best lovers. There's enough foreshadowing that I think it could have been Joss's plan. Even if it were not, I suspect he would have come around to the idea anyway, because the characters work so well together.
"Heart of Gold" on the surface appears to be all about Mal/Inara, but it's yet another case of Simon and Inara being thrust together, whilst the others go off and do crew-type things (in this case, play with guns and/or whores). Inara even kisses him on the cheek, which to me is proof-positive of how few barriers are between them and how comfortable they are with each other. I certainly can't see her kissing Mal or Jayne on the cheek in a similar fashion.
There's a wonderful shooting script line of Simon's in "Jaynestown" that was sadly cut from the actual airing of the show.
Inara walks toward them, heading for the stairs up to the shuttle catwalk. She's dressed with stunning elegance.
KAYLEE: Hey there, 'Nara. Heading off for some glamorous romance?
Simon turns, momentarily stunned by her elegance.
INARA: (a little laugh) Let's hope so.
SIMON: You look... very.. very..
Even the unfilmed episode, "Dead or Alive," thrusts Inara and Simon together. The two of them work side-by-side in a triage situation (again, the rest of the crew are off doing their own thing). Afterward, Simon is warmly complementary:
SIMON: If you want to know amazing ... you should've seen Inara. Stepping in with no training. Never flinching.
I've been a fan of the show since the first episode aired, but I didn't really start shipping Simon/Inara until after the run of the series. Not only was I able to watch my tapes in the correct order (and thus focus more on developing characterizations that in the out-of-order airing had seemed rather random and unfathomable), I also began to write fanfic (which necessitated pondering what would have happened to the characters had the series continued). I never quite felt comfortable with the mainstream pairings of Mal/Inara and Simon/Kaylee, and once the idea of Simon/Inara crossed my mind, I never looked back.
Unless Joss Whedon was planning to radically alter the MO he established on both Buffy and Angel, Mal/Inara was destined to be a darkly beautiful and poetic, but ultimately doomed, couple. One of them going to hell or dying was probably a best-case scenario. Even had they ever both been willing to confess their feelings at the same time, Mal's disdain and disrespect for Inara's profession presented a major obstacle. Even in the often idealized world of fanfic, Inara gives up her job in the vast majority of happy-ending Mal/Inara fics. Being a companion seems to be such a large part of her self-image that I can't really see her doing that and being happy for any length of time. Additionally, the very idea of her giving up her career to be with a man smacks of an anti-feminist statement that I'm uncomfortable with. At![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
writercon this summer, Jane Espenson said that "Shindig" was about showing that Inara and Mal occupy similar in-between spaces. Mal doesn't truly fit into the criminal world represented by Badger, nor does Inara "fit" with the world that Atherton represents. Simon, also, is caught between two worlds, yet there's no question that he's comfortable and familiar with her chosen career.
I love Kaylee ... except when she gets within 10 feet of Simon. She becomes needy, selfish and quick-to-anger. "Objects in Space" is an excellent example of the first two. Simon is reeling from finding out that he and River may have to leave their newfound home and strike out as fugitives on their own, but all Kaylee cares about is whether or not Simon will miss her when he leaves. She often seems impatient with the parts of his personality (such as his sense of propriety) that make Simon, well, Simon. Kaylee has way more chemistry, in my opinion, with Inara and River (and I so wouldn't have been stunned by a "gay-now"-type revelation), and Simon seems only reluctantly interested in her.
But the heart of this relationship isn't about Inara's relationship with Mal or Simon's with Kaylee, it's about the fact that Simon and Inara bring out the best in each other, that they are comfortable enough with each other to open up to one another, to be vulnerable. They get each other. They are true friends, and it's from such friendships that the strongest love grows. My favorite shippy moment changes often, but currently it's that huge, gigantic, unrestrained smile that breaks out over Simon's face when he sees Inara approaching at the beginning of "Bushwhacked." It's the first time we see a real smile from Simon (save for a very brief moment in "Serenity" when he's describing River as a child to the crew), and to me it speaks volumes.
Simon and Inara don't just have similar backgrounds, they have similar values and interests (for example, both are familiar with the tourist attractions of Ariel). Simon accepts Inara's profession. Inara accepts Simon's sister (and is mature enough to understand that there are times when Simon will have to put River first). When I think of Simon/Inara, I find myself returning to that wonderful phrase popularized by L.M. Montgomery: kindred spirits. If that's something that appeals to you, this is a place to find it.
General Firefly Resources:
Big Damn Movie Countdown
countdown to the premiere of Serenity
Can't Take the Sky
the most popular screencap site
Compromising Positions
fanfic, artwork and screencaps by a small consortium of fans; some areas are still under construction
Consequence Free Firefly Dictionary
definitions for and comments on the Chinese used in the episodes
Firefly Wiki
shooting scripts and more
Firefly's Glow
the largest fic archive
Still_Flying
large Yahoo discussion group
Whoa. Good Myth
transcripts and more
LJ Resources:
Central Cortex
a resource site (still in-progress)
Crack Van
a multi-fandom recs community, link leads to the Firefly section
Firefly Fanfic
a place to post fic
Firefly Fridays
a drabble challenge community
Firefly Icon Contest
the original Firefly-dedicated icon challenge community
Firefly Icons
a place to post icons for the use of others
Rutting Town Hall
a Firefly shipper community
Simon/Inara Resources:
Civilized Rules —LJ
a Simon/Inara group, I just started it; go post
Civilized Rules —Resources
links to every Simon/Inara fic I am aware of (and I'm always looking for more)
There aren't a whole lot of Simon/Inara fics out there, but if you read just one Simon/Inara fic, make it Planetfall by Dirty Diana. A must-read, it ably shows off the attractions of the pairing. Of my own fics, I recommend Rescue and Return.
If you have a favorite story that's not on the list, rec it in the comments!
Author: by
inalasahlSpoilers: May contain information from all DVD episodes, transcripts, shooting scripts and the unfilmed episode, "Dead or Alive." No movie spoilers contained herein. Because I'm unspoiled myself, I'd appreciate it if people didn't mention movie spoilers in the comments.
Personal Website: Troublesome Little Nook
Author's Notes: Thanks go to
llaras, skripka and kernelm for read-throughs and suggestions. I apologize for the lateness of this essay.Both Simon's and Inara's characters have been previously described in this community (see Simon/Jayne, Simon/Mal, Inara/Kaylee, Simon/River, Simon/Kaylee, and Inara/Mal) so I'll be brief. I don't want to skip this step entirely simply because I think that what parts of an individual are emphasized can highlight some of the reasons why a pairing works for a person.
Inara Serra
Inara Serra is a companion, which is similar to an old-school Japanese geisha. While she does indeed supply sex for money, she also supplies ritual, class, conversation, music, and well, companionship. For mysterious undisclosed reasons, she left her cushy position living in-community on a core (upscale) planet as the heir presumptive to the current companion house mother. Now she works as a traveling companion operating out of a smuggling ship's shuttle on the edge of explored space. We know that before coming to Serenity she supported the Alliance, a one-world government, during the civil war against the independent "browncoats" who favored self-rule for each planet. That fact puts her at philosophical odds not only with at least three key members of the crew (Mal, Zoe and Kaylee), but also with the entire premise of the show.
Simon Tam
Simon Tam is a core-raised doctor whose intelligence places him in the top three percent. His youthfulness and flashbacks that portray his parents as ambitious social-climbers suggest that he went through school at an accelerated pace. He has given up a successful and lucrative career in order to rescue his sister from mysterious medical experiments in which her brain was repeatedly lobotomized. Because the experiments were seemingly conducted by the Alliance government, as well as the Blue Sun corporation, a monolithic company (which show creator Joss Whedon has described as the hypothetical result of a merger between Microsoft and Coca-Cola), the rescue has made Simon and his sister fugitives pursued by some very nasty folks with very long reaches. As a consequence, he has pretty much been forced to accept a position on a grungy smuggling ship out in the middle of nowhere. It is presumed that Simon also supported the Alliance in the war (flashbacks show he and his sister playing "war" as children and casting themselves as Alliance soldiers).
Canonically, there is no evidence that Simon and Inara are currently interested in one another romantically, nor do I believe they are. In fact, canonically Inara has much UST for Mal, the bitter and angsty captain of Serenity. Simon, meanwhile, has been pursued rather enthusiastically by coquettish Kaylee. In my opinion, his lukewarm reciprocation (going on a date with her in "The Message," followed by almost kissing her in "Objects in Space") is due to a combination of gratitude, politeness and as he says on their date, a result of limited options.
Instead canon presents us with two people who have a lot in common and a quickly developing friendship. From the very first episode (by DVD order), Inara sets herself up as Simon's champion. While both Wash and Book object to the idea of murder, Inara is the only one to object to even abandoning River and Simon. It is also in "Serenity" that a pattern of Inara and Simon acting as each other's confidantes is established.
SIMON: I... I'm sorry. For my part in what happened. See... I've never... I mean, I don't know how to --
INARA: You're lost in the woods. We all are. Even the captain. The only difference is, he likes it that way.
In "Bushwhacked" the very blocking emphasizes their status as civilians, at a distance from the rest of the crew. While River is off by herself, and everyone else plays a ball game in the cargo bay, Simon and Inara, unnoticed, occupy the catwalk above together. Again, they open up more with each other. It's the only time we see Simon talk about River's condition when he's not trying to explain some bizarre behavior on her part. It's also noteworthy that their conversation ends with Inara's reflective, "Well, we're all running from something, I suppose." She clearly is.
In "Out of Gas," Simon and Inara share another "civilian" moment. While the rest of the crew buzzes around trying to fix a problem, the two of them share a heart-to-heart moment about their fears and worries: things the two of them never admit to anyone else. And then they hold hands. In the traditional version, anyway; I have a shipper version here.
SIMON: I always thought the name Serenity had a vaguely funereal sound to it.
INARA: I love this ship. I have from the first moment I saw it.
SIMON: I just don't want to die on it.
INARA: I don't want to die at all.
SIMON: Suffocation's not exactly the most dignified way to go. The human body will involuntarily —
INARA: Please, I don't really require a clinical description right now.
SIMON: I'm sorry. I just, uh... (beat) It was my birthday.
I sincerely believe that had the show continued on past 15 episodes, Simon and Inara would have had a romantic/sexual relationship in canon. It is said that good friends make the best lovers. There's enough foreshadowing that I think it could have been Joss's plan. Even if it were not, I suspect he would have come around to the idea anyway, because the characters work so well together.
"Heart of Gold" on the surface appears to be all about Mal/Inara, but it's yet another case of Simon and Inara being thrust together, whilst the others go off and do crew-type things (in this case, play with guns and/or whores). Inara even kisses him on the cheek, which to me is proof-positive of how few barriers are between them and how comfortable they are with each other. I certainly can't see her kissing Mal or Jayne on the cheek in a similar fashion.
There's a wonderful shooting script line of Simon's in "Jaynestown" that was sadly cut from the actual airing of the show.
Inara walks toward them, heading for the stairs up to the shuttle catwalk. She's dressed with stunning elegance.
KAYLEE: Hey there, 'Nara. Heading off for some glamorous romance?
Simon turns, momentarily stunned by her elegance.
INARA: (a little laugh) Let's hope so.
SIMON: You look... very.. very..
Even the unfilmed episode, "Dead or Alive," thrusts Inara and Simon together. The two of them work side-by-side in a triage situation (again, the rest of the crew are off doing their own thing). Afterward, Simon is warmly complementary:
SIMON: If you want to know amazing ... you should've seen Inara. Stepping in with no training. Never flinching.
I've been a fan of the show since the first episode aired, but I didn't really start shipping Simon/Inara until after the run of the series. Not only was I able to watch my tapes in the correct order (and thus focus more on developing characterizations that in the out-of-order airing had seemed rather random and unfathomable), I also began to write fanfic (which necessitated pondering what would have happened to the characters had the series continued). I never quite felt comfortable with the mainstream pairings of Mal/Inara and Simon/Kaylee, and once the idea of Simon/Inara crossed my mind, I never looked back.
Unless Joss Whedon was planning to radically alter the MO he established on both Buffy and Angel, Mal/Inara was destined to be a darkly beautiful and poetic, but ultimately doomed, couple. One of them going to hell or dying was probably a best-case scenario. Even had they ever both been willing to confess their feelings at the same time, Mal's disdain and disrespect for Inara's profession presented a major obstacle. Even in the often idealized world of fanfic, Inara gives up her job in the vast majority of happy-ending Mal/Inara fics. Being a companion seems to be such a large part of her self-image that I can't really see her doing that and being happy for any length of time. Additionally, the very idea of her giving up her career to be with a man smacks of an anti-feminist statement that I'm uncomfortable with. At
writercon this summer, Jane Espenson said that "Shindig" was about showing that Inara and Mal occupy similar in-between spaces. Mal doesn't truly fit into the criminal world represented by Badger, nor does Inara "fit" with the world that Atherton represents. Simon, also, is caught between two worlds, yet there's no question that he's comfortable and familiar with her chosen career.I love Kaylee ... except when she gets within 10 feet of Simon. She becomes needy, selfish and quick-to-anger. "Objects in Space" is an excellent example of the first two. Simon is reeling from finding out that he and River may have to leave their newfound home and strike out as fugitives on their own, but all Kaylee cares about is whether or not Simon will miss her when he leaves. She often seems impatient with the parts of his personality (such as his sense of propriety) that make Simon, well, Simon. Kaylee has way more chemistry, in my opinion, with Inara and River (and I so wouldn't have been stunned by a "gay-now"-type revelation), and Simon seems only reluctantly interested in her.
But the heart of this relationship isn't about Inara's relationship with Mal or Simon's with Kaylee, it's about the fact that Simon and Inara bring out the best in each other, that they are comfortable enough with each other to open up to one another, to be vulnerable. They get each other. They are true friends, and it's from such friendships that the strongest love grows. My favorite shippy moment changes often, but currently it's that huge, gigantic, unrestrained smile that breaks out over Simon's face when he sees Inara approaching at the beginning of "Bushwhacked." It's the first time we see a real smile from Simon (save for a very brief moment in "Serenity" when he's describing River as a child to the crew), and to me it speaks volumes.
Simon and Inara don't just have similar backgrounds, they have similar values and interests (for example, both are familiar with the tourist attractions of Ariel). Simon accepts Inara's profession. Inara accepts Simon's sister (and is mature enough to understand that there are times when Simon will have to put River first). When I think of Simon/Inara, I find myself returning to that wonderful phrase popularized by L.M. Montgomery: kindred spirits. If that's something that appeals to you, this is a place to find it.
General Firefly Resources:
Big Damn Movie Countdown
countdown to the premiere of Serenity
Can't Take the Sky
the most popular screencap site
Compromising Positions
fanfic, artwork and screencaps by a small consortium of fans; some areas are still under construction
Consequence Free Firefly Dictionary
definitions for and comments on the Chinese used in the episodes
Firefly Wiki
shooting scripts and more
Firefly's Glow
the largest fic archive
Still_Flying
large Yahoo discussion group
Whoa. Good Myth
transcripts and more
LJ Resources:
Central Cortex
a resource site (still in-progress)
Crack Van
a multi-fandom recs community, link leads to the Firefly section
Firefly Fanfic
a place to post fic
Firefly Fridays
a drabble challenge community
Firefly Icon Contest
the original Firefly-dedicated icon challenge community
Firefly Icons
a place to post icons for the use of others
Rutting Town Hall
a Firefly shipper community
Simon/Inara Resources:
Civilized Rules —LJ
a Simon/Inara group, I just started it; go post
Civilized Rules —Resources
links to every Simon/Inara fic I am aware of (and I'm always looking for more)
There aren't a whole lot of Simon/Inara fics out there, but if you read just one Simon/Inara fic, make it Planetfall by Dirty Diana. A must-read, it ably shows off the attractions of the pairing. Of my own fics, I recommend Rescue and Return.
If you have a favorite story that's not on the list, rec it in the comments!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-12-04 06:57 pm (UTC)Will have to go check out some of those scenes...oh, the TORTURE of watching my Firefly DVDs...;)
no subject
Date: 2004-12-04 07:11 pm (UTC)I'm glad you found it interesting.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-04 08:03 pm (UTC)...
I've been saying this since watching my first episode. You just did it with more grace :D
A truely wonderful essay. Though my main Firefly 'ship is the CSI, I've been interested in Simon/Inara ever since reading Planetfall and you've done an expert job in showing us how they could work. I've got to remember to re-watch Bushwacked for this smile you mentioned :)
no subject
Date: 2004-12-05 05:51 pm (UTC)Ah, "Planetfall," the best Christmas present a Simon/Inara shipper could ever get. One can never go wrong rewatching Firefly. :)
no subject
Date: 2004-12-05 07:29 pm (UTC)I don't know if I should appologize for
no subject
Date: 2004-12-06 05:58 am (UTC)No hard feelings, I found his comments more illogical than anything else.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-06 01:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-04 08:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-05 05:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-04 10:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-06 02:36 am (UTC)I've never thought of them as a ship.
Heh, I get that a lot.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-05 12:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-06 02:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-06 02:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-27 02:56 am (UTC)I do like seeing Kaylee and Simon together, tho, just because she's so damn cute she has to get what she wants.
(Also apologies for being a bit late. *cough*)
no subject
Date: 2006-07-03 06:12 pm (UTC)Yeah, the two of them don't really bring out the best in each other.
I do like seeing Kaylee and Simon together, tho, just because she's so damn cute she has to get what she wants.
I like seeing her happy, too.
(Also apologies for being a bit late. *cough*)
Yay, late comments! Late comments are fun.
no subject
Date: 2007-02-01 11:04 am (UTC)Illustrates a lot of what you said about how much they have in common, with a wistful theme of "in another life..." running through it.
no subject
Date: 2007-04-24 05:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-24 04:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-24 05:23 pm (UTC)