China Doll
By: Havenward
Disclaimer: Not a stitch, jot, or title belongs to me. Which is fortunate for them, believe you me... Much thanks to my beta, Ariana Deralte; without her corrections and suggestions this story would be much the less.
Out on the Rim there aren't a lot of fine things. It is, after all, populated almost entirely by poor settlers living off the leavings of the Core, and those leavings are rarely pretty. But the reach of the Alliance is stretching, and with it rich folk and all their frippery. It starts showing up slowly, too slow to notice most of the time. Not until real silverware is displayed next to the tin and steel at the cutlery shops do you notice, or when the tailor stops displaying wools and cotton and leather and starts showing exotic things like silks and muslins and cashmere.
Even then, the changes and shifts in the culture of the lower classes wasn't something Inara tended to perceive. She was surrounded by fine things and amenities on her shuttle, and especially with her clients, and the other passengers on Serenity weren't the sort to bother with them. So she was surprised, upon opening the cardboard box and lifted away carefully placed tissue paper, to find a small china doll.
"River, this is beautiful..." Inara looked at the girl, who was having a relatively cogent day – barring that she was sitting in the nearby chair upside down, with her legs hooked over the chairs back and her feet dangling, her hair spilling to the floor around the chairs legs. "Why...?"
"It reminded me of you," River said simply. "Pretty petals like a rose, shining eyes always smiling."
Inara looked to the doll again. There was some likeness. It's long black hair was done up in twists- a thing she often did when going to meet some of her more prestigious clients- and the clothes were extraordinary, made of real silks and velvets. The porcelain was flawless and smooth, thinly and delicately crafted with a masterful touch, forming a fine little nose and dainty fingers. But the eyes were the wrong color, set with bright, sparkling sapphires when her own were brown.
"Must keep it in its box, to keep it safe," River continued without a pause. "Its fragile you know, not really real. One bump could shatter it into a thousand tiny tears." River twisted and slid gracefully off of her chair, coming to rest on the floor beside Inara with her head on the older woman's lap. "Hallow inside where the smile can't touch. Nothin' can touch, no one can reach. Even though you want him to, you won't let him. Too hard. Too scared. Hope he tries, but you'll still go. Playing a doll is simpler. Not complicated. But it'll be harder that way..."
River stopped, her mouth open as though she might continue but the words had gotten lost. She seemed to realize she'd said a little too much, that the Companion's smile had faded from her lips. It was replaced by the sort of look she had when she and the captain had been arguing. When she had been close to saying something true instead of keeping secrets. The sort of look she had when he was gone and she thought no one saw.
River stood, looking apologetic. Backing toward the door, she shrugged a little. "It reminded me of you."