mfirefly10 | 7 Days of Inara Serra, day 1

Click on the banner to go to the main comm for the 'We Love The Women That Fandom Hates' week-long event.

For those of you who do not already know, I 'claimed' Inara Serra for this event and will endeavor to post something Inara-related once a day for the next 7 days. As this whole event is meant to celebrate the women included, I ask that you keep any and all negativity out of the comments for these entries. Inara is awesome (as are all of the women people will be celebrating) and deserves nothing but love. I thought I'd kick things off with a little bit of meta that allows me to fangirl Inara.

The Top 10 Reasons I Love Inara Serra

10. She’s beautiful. Yes, this one is shallow but Morena Baccarin is stunning and the costume department was very good to her on this show.

9. Inara is well-versed in weaponry, something I adore in my female characters. She can wield a sword, fire an arrow, and light a flash-bomb but the weapon Inara tends to use the most is her ‘wiles’. Inara’s training was extensive and she knows how to charm just about anyone she comes into contact with, a skill that comes in handy when her friends get into trouble. As they so often do.

8. I love that Inara keeps her feelings guarded, yet you can see how deeply she cares for the people around her. Inara is the consummate professional but it’s clear that she gives a little piece of herself over to her clients in order to become what they need her to be. Inara knows she can’t get too close to the people on Serenity because Companions aren’t meant to have ties they can’t break, yet she can’t help but connect with them. Inara hides behind rituals and masks but you can see those moments when her emotions get the best of her and it just breaks your heart.

7. I love Inara’s strength. I love that she stands up for what (and sometimes who) she believes in and doesn’t back down from a challenge. I love that she protects the people she cares about, sometimes from their own selves. I love that while she would prefer to avoid confrontation, Inara knows how to handle one when it occurs. I love that people often underestimate her strength because she doesn’t look physically powerful and she knows how to use that to her advantage. And I love that Inara is willing to fight but she also knows when it’s time to cut and run and does just that.

6. Though Serenity has a preacher, Inara is the person the crew goes to whenever they need advice or they just want someone to talk to. Inara listens to their fears and confessions and tells them what she knows they need to hear, even if it isn’t always what they want to hear. I love that about her.

5. Humor. Inara has a fantastic sense of humor and you can’t go a single episode without it making an appearance. Whether she’s teasing Simon, rolling her eyes at Mal, or trading smirks with Kaylee, Inara knows how to find the funny. And I love her laugh.

4. I love that Inara accepts people just as they are. She doesn’t ask them to change or expect them to meet her standards in order to fit into her life. Instead, she finds a way to fit into theirs, whether it’s for a client or any member of Serenity’s crew.

3. I love Inara’s compassion. Inara is a very empathetic person. She may have no idea of the things that haunt those around her, but she sees their pain and wants nothing more than to ease it, if only for a moment. I think it’s clear that Inara’s compassion is one of the things that makes her such a fantastic Companion.

2. Snark. Like so many of my favorite characters, Inara has it in spades and can go toe-to-toe with just about anyone in that area. LOVE THAT!

1. And finally, I love that Inara is the heart of the crew. She cares for every single person on that ship from the moment she meets them and it only grows the more she gets to know them (and yes, I do believe this includes Jayne, though Inara would never admit to that :D) Although her training taught her to keep people at a distance, I think Inara lets down her walls ever-so-slightly when it comes to these people who have become her family.