The Fourth Sin--Friday--OPEN (at least in theory)

[jarodpretends.livejournal.com]

After spending the morning unsuccessfully chasing Parker's bunny all over the Sin in a way that was not at all a euphemism for anything , Jarod pulled on his jacket, along with a pair of gloves, hat, and scarf and went outside to shovel the sidewalk in front of the Sin, in case of customers. The physical exertion and brisk weather helped him clear his head, in the hopes he would be able to sleep that night.

As he worked, a small brown bunny hopped her way across the lobby towards the kitchen.

Comments

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker walked up to the Sin, bundled up as tightly as possible, and grinned when she saw Jarod. "I see they have you slaving away. Tell Becky to buy a snowblower."

[jarodpretends.livejournal.com]

He grinned back and pondered making a snowball. "I may suggest the idea to Becky, but I'm not going to tell her anything. She shot at GOB the other day."

"So, out for a walk?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Your employer is, I'll say it again, nuts>. And I came by to see if you were making progress on the bunnynappers." And maybe, possibly, to reassure herself that he was okay. The attack on Rory had her more rattled than she wanted to admit. "I got the latest demand. And I damn well refuse to pay up."

[jarodpretends.livejournal.com]

"She's..." Jarod had no defense. She'd shot a hole in the wall. "Er, no, I'm sorry, Parker," he said, sheepishly, "Something else came up."

Jarod laid the shovel against the wall of the building and opened the door for her. "Want to come in? There's tea or coffee or hot chocolate, and I'll see what I can do while you thaw out."

"Out of curiosity, what was the last demand?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Yes, that would be great. Cocoa. I have to stop by the store for supplies, I don't think I'll want to go anywhere--" except maybe hunting vampires "-- this weekend."

She grimaced, looked away, then mumbled, "Spend a night here."

[jarodpretends.livejournal.com]

Jarod glanced back at the sky, and the steady snowfall, still a bit awed by it. "Yeah, probably not."

"I'm sorry?" He stopped in place and turned back to stare at Parker. What was Marty thinking of with that demand? It didn't make any sense. "Why?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"To embarass me! Just like every other damn demand has been to embarass me!" Parker's voice rose and took on a slightly manic edge. "You have to have some clue by now! I mean, I already know they're in my ACJ class, and they've at least talked to me enough to know how much I'd hate the clothes thing! You're supposed to be a genius, Jarod! What the hell? Come on!"

[jarodpretends.livejournal.com]

Jarod suddenly had a raging case of guilt, which wasn't at all how these things usually worked. "Come inside, have your cocoa, and we'll figure it out. A note isn't really that much to go on, you know."

[serra-inara.livejournal.com]

Inara comes downstairs and spots the bunny making its way across the floor. Thinking that Becky and Miho probably won't be too happy to find rabbit leavings around the brothel, she picks it up and takes it back into the kitchen, then sits down and makes herself a cup of tea.

[serra-inara.livejournal.com]

The bunny is happily nosing around the kitchen floor as Inara gets out the tea leaves for a pot of oolong. It's been a miserable couple of days in Fandom as far as the weather is concerned, and a hot tea will go a long way to making her feel less like an icicle.

Hearing a snuffling sound, she finds Esme drinking out of M's water bowl. "Shouldn't you be avoiding that since it smells of cat?"

Shaking her head, she goes to the fridge to pull out a lettuce leaf for the bunny. "Try this instead."

Beneath the sound of the boiling kettle, Esme's munches can be heard.

[jarodpretends.livejournal.com]

He smiled when he saw Inara making tea. "Good afternoon. Inara, this is my friend Parker. Parker, this is Inara Serra. She lives here as well."

He didn't hear or see the bunny.

[serra-inara.livejournal.com]

Inara smiled at the young woman. Yep. Brown hair, assessing gaze. "Hello, Parker. I'm pleased to meet you at last - I keep hearing Jarod mention you."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker nodded to Inara, relieved that she wasn't as crazy-looking or almost-trashy as Becky, or as scary as Miho. "Hello, Miss Serra. It's a pleasure to meet you." She smiled wryly. "I don't think Jarod's mentioned you before,so I'm somewhat surprised he's mentioned me." She shot him a smirk.

[serra-inara.livejournal.com]

"Oh, Inara will be fine, thank you." She catches the smirk the young woman gives Jarod, and can't help a brief deepening of her smile. "I'm just making some tea now. Oolong if you'd like it. Otherwise we have other kinds."

As she moves about the kitchen, getting spare cups down, she adds, "I'd be surprised if Jarod was talking about me. We talk a little when I come in or go out, and sometimes on Sundays when he cooks breakfast for the girls, but..." She shrugs. "I'm not one of the more forceful personalities in this house."

[jarodpretends.livejournal.com]

Jarod very manfully resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at her. "So, any plans for the weekend, Inara?"

[serra-inara.livejournal.com]

"I was going to dinner with Tonks tonight, but she called this afternoon to say that it's touch and go. They've had a recall of all...Oreos? Or-ors?" She shrugged.

"What about you and Miss Parker? Will you be doing anything?"

[jarodpretends.livejournal.com]

Jarod shrugged as well, but wondered why Tonks was part of a cookie recall. "I don't know what Parker has planned, but I'm probably going to spend the night shoveling the sidewalk in case some nut job decides not to stay in."

Kitchen - after the fight

[serra-inara.livejournal.com]

Inara poured out a spare cup of tea in case Jarod came back. She figured the young man would probably want something after that fight.

Re: Kitchen - after the fight

[jarodpretends.livejournal.com]

Jarod walked back into the kitchen, head low. "I'm sorry you had to be here for that, Inara."

Re: Kitchen - after the fight

[serra-inara.livejournal.com]

"I'm sorry it had to happen." Inara pushes the mug towards him. "Tea?"

Re: Kitchen - after the fight

[jarodpretends.livejournal.com]

"Thanks." He took it gratefully and held it between his hands as he leaned against the counter, but didn't sip.

Re: Kitchen - after the fight

[serra-inara.livejournal.com]

"Sorry about that," she said. "I found Esme out in the lobby and figured that she'd be better off in the kitchen instead of nosing about."

Re: Kitchen - after the fight

[jarodpretends.livejournal.com]

"No, you were right to do that," Jarod said, shaking his head. "It's not your fault. M let Esme out of her box and I've been chasing her all over the building all morning. She needed to be found."

Re: Kitchen - after the fight

[serra-inara.livejournal.com]

"But not found by Parker?" Inara winces a little. "If you don't mind my asking, why did you have the bunny in the first place?"

Re: Kitchen - after the fight

[jarodpretends.livejournal.com]

He chuckled ruefully. "Well, no, that wasn't part of the plan. I was keeping her. One of her friends at school was playing a joke, and I ended up helping him and offering to keep Esme safe until it played out."