What Lamp Through Yonder Window Waits
Nov. 18th, 2008 02:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
browncoat2x2Title: What Lamp Through Yonder Window Waits
by:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
browncoat_2x2
Spoilers: None, though probably set post BDM
Rating: PG
Word Count: approx 687
Notes: Drabbly thing written in a fit of boredom - yay for writing!
Forterimaru who prompted me with Lamp and Lace Curtains (I used lace, but not the curtains part, sorry!)
The lamp was easily 300 years old; Inara’s trained eye picked it out instantly as the only thing of real value in the entire shop. And yet, what drew her further into the store were the small bobbins wound with rough spun thread, resting atop the old credenza, and the delicate lacework that trailed from them, almost eight inches, beautiful and intricate. She passed the lamp and bent to look more closely at the weaving, running her finger over the tight needle work softly.
“Inara?” Mal’s voice called out from the front of the store impatiently.
Ignoring him, she lifted the lace up to the light, smiling at the pattern – the first she’d learned as a young girl - her fingers fluttering deftly in memory.
“Inar-a,” Mal called again and she fought the impulse to roll her eyes. She gathered up the bobbins gently, knowing the lamp would fetch them enough that her little indulgence would be trivial by comparison, and made her way back towards Mal.
He met her in the middle of the store. “Been waiting for you near on a quarter an hour,” he grumbled, eyeing the handful of frilly material she carried disapprovingly. “What’s that?” he asked, folding his arms across his chest. She arched one eyebrow at him impassively.
“Something I’m getting,” she replied, moving past him to where the lamp sat in the front display window.
“That so? Might have forgotten, Inara, but we’re here to earn some coin, not to spend it. Ain’t got nothin’ extra for useless trinkets,” he grouched.
“What do you think of this lamp?” she continued without acknowledging him. “I think it would go exceptionally well in your bunk, don’t you agree?”
Mal stared at her a suspiciously, eyes darting from her to the lamp and back again before he finally gave it a good look. “Huh?”
“For your bunk,” she said again, emphasizing the word in a conspiratorial way. Mal glanced over his shoulder at the clerk behind the counter and then turned back to Inara. “Shen-me? You want me to buy a lamp?”
Inara nodded. “Yes. This lamp.”
“This lamp,” Mal said, reaching for the tag, turning it in his fingers to read the small hand-written price, eyes widening incredulously.
“This lamp,” she reiterated.
“Inara, this lamp costs fifty platinum,” Mal hissed, staring at her like she was crazy.
Inara stared back. “You want to buy this lamp, Mal.”
“I ain’t payin’ fifty platinum for a gorram lamp, Inara,” he replied stubbornly. “You want them lacey things, fine, but that’s it! Now c’mon, let’s pay for them… whatever they are an’ get back to the ship,” he said, turning and stomping off to the counter.
Inara followed calmly, smiling genially at the clerk as she rang up her purchase while Mal fumed beside her.
“Don’t think I don’t know what you did back there,” he said as they walked back to the ship.
“Hmmm?” she questioned. “What did I do back there?”
“You pretended you wanted that lamp so’s I’d buy you them little bits of nothin’ instead. Well, I hope you like ‘em ‘cause it ain’t gonna work again,” he avowed.
Inara lost the fight to contain her grin. “Not exactly,” she said. “I really did want you to buy that lamp.”
Mal slowed slightly, frowning at her. “You know we can’t afford something like that – shouldn’t have even let you spend the coin you did…” He trailed off, eyeing her suspiciously. “Why?”
“Oh. Because it’s a three-hundred-year-old very rare piece from the Li Dynasty. I know a collector who will pay upwards of three hundred credits for it.” She shrugged, smiling at her handful of lace again. “That’s all.”
Mal stumbled, gaping at her in shock. “Tha’s a—,” he said, voice strangled as he did the math in his head. Three hundred credits times twenty-five platinum equaled… His breath left him, mouth working as he staggered backwards, turning back toward the store. “Tamade, which one was it?!” he said hoarsely, increasing his pace rapidly. “Inara? Inar-a!!!”
by:
browncoat_2x2Spoilers: None, though probably set post BDM
Rating: PG
Word Count: approx 687
Notes: Drabbly thing written in a fit of boredom - yay for writing!
For
terimaru who prompted me with Lamp and Lace Curtains (I used lace, but not the curtains part, sorry!)The lamp was easily 300 years old; Inara’s trained eye picked it out instantly as the only thing of real value in the entire shop. And yet, what drew her further into the store were the small bobbins wound with rough spun thread, resting atop the old credenza, and the delicate lacework that trailed from them, almost eight inches, beautiful and intricate. She passed the lamp and bent to look more closely at the weaving, running her finger over the tight needle work softly.
“Inara?” Mal’s voice called out from the front of the store impatiently.
Ignoring him, she lifted the lace up to the light, smiling at the pattern – the first she’d learned as a young girl - her fingers fluttering deftly in memory.
“Inar-a,” Mal called again and she fought the impulse to roll her eyes. She gathered up the bobbins gently, knowing the lamp would fetch them enough that her little indulgence would be trivial by comparison, and made her way back towards Mal.
He met her in the middle of the store. “Been waiting for you near on a quarter an hour,” he grumbled, eyeing the handful of frilly material she carried disapprovingly. “What’s that?” he asked, folding his arms across his chest. She arched one eyebrow at him impassively.
“Something I’m getting,” she replied, moving past him to where the lamp sat in the front display window.
“That so? Might have forgotten, Inara, but we’re here to earn some coin, not to spend it. Ain’t got nothin’ extra for useless trinkets,” he grouched.
“What do you think of this lamp?” she continued without acknowledging him. “I think it would go exceptionally well in your bunk, don’t you agree?”
Mal stared at her a suspiciously, eyes darting from her to the lamp and back again before he finally gave it a good look. “Huh?”
“For your bunk,” she said again, emphasizing the word in a conspiratorial way. Mal glanced over his shoulder at the clerk behind the counter and then turned back to Inara. “Shen-me? You want me to buy a lamp?”
Inara nodded. “Yes. This lamp.”
“This lamp,” Mal said, reaching for the tag, turning it in his fingers to read the small hand-written price, eyes widening incredulously.
“This lamp,” she reiterated.
“Inara, this lamp costs fifty platinum,” Mal hissed, staring at her like she was crazy.
Inara stared back. “You want to buy this lamp, Mal.”
“I ain’t payin’ fifty platinum for a gorram lamp, Inara,” he replied stubbornly. “You want them lacey things, fine, but that’s it! Now c’mon, let’s pay for them… whatever they are an’ get back to the ship,” he said, turning and stomping off to the counter.
Inara followed calmly, smiling genially at the clerk as she rang up her purchase while Mal fumed beside her.
“Don’t think I don’t know what you did back there,” he said as they walked back to the ship.
“Hmmm?” she questioned. “What did I do back there?”
“You pretended you wanted that lamp so’s I’d buy you them little bits of nothin’ instead. Well, I hope you like ‘em ‘cause it ain’t gonna work again,” he avowed.
Inara lost the fight to contain her grin. “Not exactly,” she said. “I really did want you to buy that lamp.”
Mal slowed slightly, frowning at her. “You know we can’t afford something like that – shouldn’t have even let you spend the coin you did…” He trailed off, eyeing her suspiciously. “Why?”
“Oh. Because it’s a three-hundred-year-old very rare piece from the Li Dynasty. I know a collector who will pay upwards of three hundred credits for it.” She shrugged, smiling at her handful of lace again. “That’s all.”
Mal stumbled, gaping at her in shock. “Tha’s a—,” he said, voice strangled as he did the math in his head. Three hundred credits times twenty-five platinum equaled… His breath left him, mouth working as he staggered backwards, turning back toward the store. “Tamade, which one was it?!” he said hoarsely, increasing his pace rapidly. “Inara? Inar-a!!!”
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-11-18 09:59 pm (UTC)*squee!* I love it so!! You're so good to amuse me during the Day of Training From HELL.
This is so cute. I'll be thinking of new prompts for tomorrow!
no subject
Date: 2008-11-20 05:54 pm (UTC)Glad you like it, darlin'. It was silly fun :o)
no subject
Date: 2008-11-19 02:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-20 05:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-19 05:03 am (UTC)I know! Mal's use of the word "we". That's it! Now I can go to bed.
no subject
Date: 2008-11-20 05:55 pm (UTC)Glad you figured it out :oD
And thanks!
no subject
Date: 2008-11-19 12:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-20 05:56 pm (UTC)So Cute *-*
Date: 2008-11-19 06:42 pm (UTC)Re: So Cute *-*
Date: 2008-11-20 05:56 pm (UTC)Thank you!
Love the icon ;o)
no subject
Date: 2008-11-20 02:50 am (UTC)you caught that firefly shop/browse/bazar thing real well, and those are some of my fave scenes in the series!:)
glad i caught up with this:)
no subject
Date: 2008-11-20 05:57 pm (UTC)Glad you caught up with this too ;o)
Thanks, darlin'!
no subject
Date: 2008-11-20 06:42 pm (UTC)while a red smile hides the blues
and every night's circus sees him flat on his ass
with his heart in his oversize shoes.
no subject
Date: 2008-11-20 10:32 pm (UTC)Puppies
Ice cream
Candy
Chocolate
Hugs
:o)
no subject
Date: 2008-11-20 11:00 pm (UTC)