Chapter Three

Inara opens her eyes to soreness and a glance at the alarm clock. 2:30 PM.

"Oh, fuck me."

*That would be terribly impolite of me*, the voice in the back of her head responds.

"Eat my ass, Thy," she mumbles, not in the mood to deal with him, or just exist, really. The anger from her dream still wells deep within her, but she brushes it aside and sits up, stretching out her aching legs and core, before flopping facedown back onto her bed with a very dignified "UGHHHH," that ends up as more of a grumble, muffled by her plain grey bedspread. It's impersonal, as is the rest of her room- neat and organized, yes, but not hers. The only real sign that it's less than a model home is the drawing on the wall and the notebook and pen on her desk- and what's tossed haphazardly into a plastic bag and shoved to the back of her closet, but she and Thy are the only ones who know of that.

A bitter smile comes to Inara's lips.

It's not like anyone knows of her existence here anyways. Thymelicus? Well, she can't speak for him. He's more.. Sociable. Yes, that's the word for it. It's too much of a stretch to call him friendly, because while he's definitely one to wear a smile everywhere he goes, he's also just as likely to do so while dismembering someone.

*I'm bored*, he complains.

"You're always bored."

*You sleep too much.*

"You talk too much."

Bare feet follow the cold tile to the kitchen, a coffee mug clinking against the counter as she pulls it down. Inara hates coffee. The Keurig bubbles and clicks to life, and she finds herself sinking into one of the two chairs at the table, head resting against its cool wooden surface.

*You have to leave the house at some point.*

"No, I don't."

*Yes, you do. You have to eat.*

"Shut. The fuck. Up."

*And you say I talk too much*, the theatre demon responds indignantly.

"I'm going to set you on fire."

The hot chocolate burns her lips and tongue much like the threat to her companion, though he's unaware of this. If Inara cared enough, she'd wait to let it cool down, but it's less about that and more about getting enough energy into her body to keep her from crashing. Her stomach growls grumpily in protest at her standing and nearly walking out the door, and she stops long enough to scan the kitchen for something quick to eat, anxious to be inside for so long but knowing that she hasn't had any food since before her run this morning. After several moments of hesitation, she grabs a Nature Valley bar, somehow managing to open it without getting crumbs everywhere. Inara smirks, addressing Thy as she closes and locks the door behind her.

"On a scale from one to cereal bar, how much is our life falling apart?"

*I'd say cereal bar at this point.*

"Mm, you're not wrong," she replies around the taste of oats and honey, walking out of the building and past the park, in the direction of the library.