damned_institute | Day 20, Nightshift: F1-F10 Block Corridor

Nightshift always seemed to come far too quickly for Inara's tastes. She regretted not having the chance to talk more with Mal and the others and could only hope that they had some inkling of what they would be facing. Truth be told, the Companion wasn't entirely certain that she truly knew the extent of the horrors that took place during Nightshift.

As the Head Doctor made his mocking announcement, the dark-haired woman busied her with gathering together the most essential of supplies. A flashlight and some spare batteries would be obvious and further inspection revealed little that could be of substantial use to her. Inara would hardly want to be over-burdened if she had to run from anything this time. She'd been fortunate during her last encounter to have Lust around, but, until she could re-group with Mal and the others, she was alone and would have to make due. Of course, there had been no official decree from the Captain declaring a meeting; Inara simply assumed that they would try to find one another for safety's sake.

Besides, though it was somewhat difficult to admit, she was worried about him.

Flashlight in hand, Inara flipped the switch and made her way cautiously out into the hallway, careful to check both directions before stepping fully out of the room.

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Kaylee leaned into Inara, resting her head on the Companion's shoulder. It always felt more comfortable this way. Maybe...Inara and the Captain would make up whatever stupid little argument they had, and after they got out of all this she would wave the Companion House and tell them that she was staying on Serenity. The mechanic didn't want to even think about a world without her friend/surrogate older sister in it. River was a nice girl and fun to talk to...but Kaylee felt so much closer to Inara.

Speaking of River--

Kaylee looked at the newcomer with narrowed eyes. It was, after all, only a few days after the Jubal Early incident in her time, and the mechanic was still a little jumpy when it came to strange men looking for River.

"What do you want with River?" she asked, suspicious.

Zoe didn't say anything to this man, just looked at him cautiously. Last night there had been some man who had seemed to want to comfort River, and now this one was looking for her. Zoe didn't want to automatically assume his intentions were less than noble, but it was natural for her to assume those types of things. Either way, Kaylee asked the important question, now it all depended on how he answered it and if Zoe could believe him.

As far as first meetings went, this actually was among the better. There was a clear lack of threats and attacks, which was always a good sign.

However, it appeared he had run into people who knew River. There was no way to be sure that River wasn't among them, but none of them seemed like the girl who had written on the bulletin board.

Best to handle things in order, looking at the dark haired woman who had asked him first. "I am Jack Doughter, but most people call me Fox." They were protective of River, and he planned on giving River his codename, the name he was more comfortable with, so he should give it to her friends, also. He was calm and confident, he wasn't by the scrutiny and suspicion.

Next he looked to the younger woman who was giving him a look that clearly stated she thought he was suspicious. "River asked me to find her." And perhaps he should elaborate on that a bit.

"River and I," he wanted to tell them without stating it outright, "Have been through similar experiences," Fox had never met anyone else who had been turned into a 'weapon'. Snake had been created to be a soldier, as had his sibling, Liquid, but it wasn't quite the same. "Since you seem to know her, you probably know what I'm talking about." If she would tell strangers she couldn't see on a bulletin board, people who knew her personally would almost certainly know. "But I'm afraid that until I find River and see how she's doing, I'm not going to say much more than that."

He was honestly concerned about this girl who called herself a sword. Fox had been a soldier for years before he'd been experimented on, and if a young girl had gone through it, she might not be able to cope as easily. Now that he was finished he glanced towards the woman who had remained quiet, meeting her gaze for a moment.

No doubt about it, that one was a soldier. After holding her gaze for a moment, not long enough to be challenging, but long enough to show that he knew what he was doing, and hopefully convince her he wasn't out to hurt anyone, he looked back to the other two, more talkative women.

As uneasy as Inara was with strangers coming to look for River, she could find no flaw in the man's presentation and introduction. River seemed to have made a good deal of connections already here, and the story was all the more believable if he was telling the truth about having gone through something similar. She was, however, honestly baffled that the girl would've given her life story to a man she didn't know. Again, River Tam was an unpredictable force, and her eyes saw things that other people didn't.

Inara snaked her arm around Kaylee's shoulder, seeming more comforting than protective. The girl had been through quite a bit, most notably that incident with the bounty hunter, Early, before coming here, and it was understandable that she'd be nervous or even wary.

This Jack Doughter, Fox as he seemed to prefer to be called, seemed genuine, though Inara had to admit that it was difficult to truly pick up any hint of emotion to betray a false motive. The look that he sent Zoe, however...

"I suppose one should not ask a name without being willing to give one in return," she began evenly, still gently holding onto Kaylee. "I'm Inara Serra. We've not run into River yet tonight, though I'd at least be personally willing to accompany you if you'd like to find her."

Inara cast a veiled glance at Zoe, hoping she'd understand her meaning. Genuine though the stranger might be, it would still be best if someone went with him in case he did find River, and his intentions were less than noble.

'Fox,' huh?

Kaylee looked evenly at him, still a mite wary...but a bit more understanding. Similar experiences? He seemed a little too old (and a little too mentally stable) to have been a 'student' at that awful Academy that the Alliance sent River to...but he could have been a prototype. Or the Alliance could have used him in other ways.

"I'm Kaylee," she said after Inara had introduced herself. "I'll go, too. River's probably with Simon, and I'd like to find him."

Zoe didn't offer her name. Though she found herself inclined to believe the man that didn't mean she was willing to show it.

"We should keep moving," she said and then turned to walk down the hallway. Made no sense to stick to one spot and even if finding River was important Zoe really wanted to find Mal. There was no telling what sort of trouble the man could get himself into when he was alone. At least River wasn't in the habit of doing stupid things (crazy things, sure, but not stupid), where as Zoe couldn't say the same for the Capitan.

Of course, that was one of the reasons Zoe felt so loyal to him. Stupid heroics where awfully endearing at times.

"That's a good idea, my friend is waiting at the end of the hall." Having back-up was always a good idea, and Fox walked down the hallway as well, moving a little quickly to make sure that he got there ahead of the woman who hadn't given her name, just in case.

"His name's Hans Davis," Fox really hoped he'd gotten that name correct. He'd feel very foolish if he'd mistaken the fake name of his closest, and only, friend.

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Day 20, Nightshift: F1-F10 Block Corridor

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