River snippets
10/1/04 00:44![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
schmericaThe first three ficlets, for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
moonwhip, molly36 and callmesandy, respectively. All three requested something with River.
When River was five, her nurse braided her hair in two long plaits and put on her tiny black shoes and helped her into her best dress, white and fluffy and soft. It was a dress for dancing in. River stood on the stage with all the other girls and danced and danced and danced.
There was music then, piano and violins in the orchestra pit. There's no music now, just the sounds of Serenity and the sounds of her crew and passengers. River has no dancing slippers, so she is barefoot as she dances alone in the cargo hold.
No partners, they've all gone, so she smiles and bows at no one as she goes through the steps. No music, but Serenity has a music of her own, the music of home, and River closes her eyes and listens as she dances.
Around the crate, around the stairs, no bumping. She knows where everything is. There's no danger here. Serenity would never hurt her.
Simon is watching, she knows without looking; watching up from the walkway. She can feel his happiness as he watches her. She doesn't make Simon happy often enough.
River opens her eyes and stops and looks up to him where he stands, directly above her. "What are you waiting for?" she calls, teasingly. She gathers her skirt in one hand.
Simon is leaning forward, his arms resting on the railings. He shakes his head. "You know I don't--"
River uses her lips and tongue to make a vulgar sound. She grins as Simon raises his eyebrow.
"Play with me, brother," River says, and Simon sighs pointedly and comes down the stairs.
River curtseys with affected elegance, and says, "May I have this dance, good sir?" Simon bows and kisses her hand. He places one hand on her waist and she places one hand on his shoulder and they place their other hands together, and River grins up at him as they dance in a small circles around the floor.
*****
The baby was born in the peak of the summer -- a miserable season in Osiris, the air muggy and thick and stifling each day. Mother had been practically immobile for weeks, complaining of the weather, framing her fat stomach possessively with one hand as she fanned away all the countless insects that came with the heat each year.
Mother and Father left in the middle of the night, so Simon did not find out until he woke up, and only Nurse was there for breakfast.
She burbled along as she got his fruit. "And soon you'll be a brother, Simon! Arne't you excited?"
Simon just scowled at his glass of juice.
He spent the day playing in the gardens and reading in the library, and after dinner, Father came back to bring him to the hospital.
It was the first time Simon had ever seen it close up, though he'd already decided to become a surgeon one day. The building was the most impressive one he could imagine -- huge and white, sparkling and glorious. He looked at everything, filled with awe, as Father led him to Mother's room.
Mother was in a bed, lying down, something bundled in her arms. Father stopped in the doorframe and pushed Simon forward.
"Meet your sister, Simon," Mother said, and Simon stood up straight to peer over to the tiny face in the blankets she held. "Her name is River."
The baby was tiny -- practically nothing. Simon reached forward and touched its fist gently with one finger. The baby stirred slightly at his touch.
Simon glanced at Mother and Father, and back at the baby. They were very large, and very busy, he thought, and the baby was so small and defenseless and dependent. It wasn't fair, really. The baby would need him. It was a scary thought.
The baby stirred again, opening its mouth to yawn softly, and Simon stroked its hand again.
*****
There was a bird native to Sihnon -- Inara didn't know its proper name, but when she was small it was always referred to a crooning bird. It was a small bird, quick and light, with an exceptionally beautiful song; Inara had never heard its like, not on dozens of planets. There were folktales about it in the countryside. It was an underdog, a hero, full of wisdom and cunning.
Inara often found herself thinking of the bird when she spent time with River. Part of it must surely have been her frame, her small bones and fine feature, her quick and subtle movements. But there must be more, Inara thought; there always was.
"So much and so little," River said gravely, sitting on the shuttle's couch in her stretchy shorts and oversized shirt. "Never stopping -- always move. No home, no love. Break off from the web before you're stuck."
Inara had genuine affection for River, but her speeches were so often disconcerting. She poured herself a cup of tea to cover up her slight fluster. "The others will be out most of the day, I'm afraid," she said smoothly. Topaz was a fairly backwater planet with no halfway suitable clients to be found; it had left her free to volunteer for caretaking duty for the mission. "I suppose we'll have to entertain ourselves." She smiled at River, but the girl's attention was all focused elsewhere.
River stood up slowly and began to walk around the shuttle. She had been in it several times before without taking much notice of the surroundings, but now she was touching some things, scowling at others, as if she were judging everything, discovering it, or changing it.
Inara frowned and moved to stand by River, where she had stopped to peer intently into a mirror.
"You have lovely hair," said Inara, reaching out one hand. "Would you like me to brush it?"
"No!" River said fiercely, catching her eyes in the reflection. She shook her head. More quietly, eyes locked with Inara's, she said, "Not everything has to be smooth."
To that, Inara could have no response.
moonwhip, molly36 and callmesandy, respectively. All three requested something with River.When River was five, her nurse braided her hair in two long plaits and put on her tiny black shoes and helped her into her best dress, white and fluffy and soft. It was a dress for dancing in. River stood on the stage with all the other girls and danced and danced and danced.
There was music then, piano and violins in the orchestra pit. There's no music now, just the sounds of Serenity and the sounds of her crew and passengers. River has no dancing slippers, so she is barefoot as she dances alone in the cargo hold.
No partners, they've all gone, so she smiles and bows at no one as she goes through the steps. No music, but Serenity has a music of her own, the music of home, and River closes her eyes and listens as she dances.
Around the crate, around the stairs, no bumping. She knows where everything is. There's no danger here. Serenity would never hurt her.
Simon is watching, she knows without looking; watching up from the walkway. She can feel his happiness as he watches her. She doesn't make Simon happy often enough.
River opens her eyes and stops and looks up to him where he stands, directly above her. "What are you waiting for?" she calls, teasingly. She gathers her skirt in one hand.
Simon is leaning forward, his arms resting on the railings. He shakes his head. "You know I don't--"
River uses her lips and tongue to make a vulgar sound. She grins as Simon raises his eyebrow.
"Play with me, brother," River says, and Simon sighs pointedly and comes down the stairs.
River curtseys with affected elegance, and says, "May I have this dance, good sir?" Simon bows and kisses her hand. He places one hand on her waist and she places one hand on his shoulder and they place their other hands together, and River grins up at him as they dance in a small circles around the floor.
*****
The baby was born in the peak of the summer -- a miserable season in Osiris, the air muggy and thick and stifling each day. Mother had been practically immobile for weeks, complaining of the weather, framing her fat stomach possessively with one hand as she fanned away all the countless insects that came with the heat each year.
Mother and Father left in the middle of the night, so Simon did not find out until he woke up, and only Nurse was there for breakfast.
She burbled along as she got his fruit. "And soon you'll be a brother, Simon! Arne't you excited?"
Simon just scowled at his glass of juice.
He spent the day playing in the gardens and reading in the library, and after dinner, Father came back to bring him to the hospital.
It was the first time Simon had ever seen it close up, though he'd already decided to become a surgeon one day. The building was the most impressive one he could imagine -- huge and white, sparkling and glorious. He looked at everything, filled with awe, as Father led him to Mother's room.
Mother was in a bed, lying down, something bundled in her arms. Father stopped in the doorframe and pushed Simon forward.
"Meet your sister, Simon," Mother said, and Simon stood up straight to peer over to the tiny face in the blankets she held. "Her name is River."
The baby was tiny -- practically nothing. Simon reached forward and touched its fist gently with one finger. The baby stirred slightly at his touch.
Simon glanced at Mother and Father, and back at the baby. They were very large, and very busy, he thought, and the baby was so small and defenseless and dependent. It wasn't fair, really. The baby would need him. It was a scary thought.
The baby stirred again, opening its mouth to yawn softly, and Simon stroked its hand again.
*****
There was a bird native to Sihnon -- Inara didn't know its proper name, but when she was small it was always referred to a crooning bird. It was a small bird, quick and light, with an exceptionally beautiful song; Inara had never heard its like, not on dozens of planets. There were folktales about it in the countryside. It was an underdog, a hero, full of wisdom and cunning.
Inara often found herself thinking of the bird when she spent time with River. Part of it must surely have been her frame, her small bones and fine feature, her quick and subtle movements. But there must be more, Inara thought; there always was.
"So much and so little," River said gravely, sitting on the shuttle's couch in her stretchy shorts and oversized shirt. "Never stopping -- always move. No home, no love. Break off from the web before you're stuck."
Inara had genuine affection for River, but her speeches were so often disconcerting. She poured herself a cup of tea to cover up her slight fluster. "The others will be out most of the day, I'm afraid," she said smoothly. Topaz was a fairly backwater planet with no halfway suitable clients to be found; it had left her free to volunteer for caretaking duty for the mission. "I suppose we'll have to entertain ourselves." She smiled at River, but the girl's attention was all focused elsewhere.
River stood up slowly and began to walk around the shuttle. She had been in it several times before without taking much notice of the surroundings, but now she was touching some things, scowling at others, as if she were judging everything, discovering it, or changing it.
Inara frowned and moved to stand by River, where she had stopped to peer intently into a mirror.
"You have lovely hair," said Inara, reaching out one hand. "Would you like me to brush it?"
"No!" River said fiercely, catching her eyes in the reflection. She shook her head. More quietly, eyes locked with Inara's, she said, "Not everything has to be smooth."
To that, Inara could have no response.