Trading Lives
I gotta say, I'm fairly content with my life. But as it's just for a day, ain't like it's expressin' discontent to want to see somethin' from another person's point of view. If I could trade places with someone for day, I'd choose Inara. Her life as a Companion is so glamourous. She's so graceful and kind and she wears the loveliest dresses and gets to meet and entertain the handsomest men and most beautiful women, all at her discretion.
Bein' a Companion is such a fancy occupation, an' respectable, and she's got position in Society ain't none of the rest of us ever gonna have. Simon and River might've, but with the Alliance after 'em, ain't nothin' they're like to see for a while. Shepherd might've had it at one time. When we took him to the Alliance medical facilities, they took him quick as could be when they saw his identicard, so I s'pose he must've been someone awful important once. Folk don't like preachers that much.
But Inara? She's got the backing of her whole guild behind her an' clients on most civilized worlds we go to. She gets to go to all the fancy parties an' dance and eat the best food. Just for one day, it'd be real nice to know what that feels like. I'd pick a day when we were in Ariel or another Core planet an' a client who'd take me to a real nice place for dinner an' dancin' so's I could wear the most elegant gown. I'd know how to fix him, or her, tea all proper like, an' later we'd make love among those pretty satin sheets. I'd be all soft an' perfumed in all the right places. No grease stains under my nails that don't come off no matter how hard you scrub. Heads would turn when we walked down the street because I was so beautiful.
An' then I'd go back to bein' me. Like I said, I like my life. I got folk I love an' my engine an' freedom. I ain't fancy, and I ain't beautiful, but Simon thinks I'm real pretty, an' Inara likes to spend time with me an' does my hair up all special sometimes. I've got River to play with an' my Captain an' the rest. I got the black. It's a real good life, an' I'm happy with it. But for just one day, it'd be nice to see what it's like to be beautiful an' respectable an' adored.
Bein' a Companion is such a fancy occupation, an' respectable, and she's got position in Society ain't none of the rest of us ever gonna have. Simon and River might've, but with the Alliance after 'em, ain't nothin' they're like to see for a while. Shepherd might've had it at one time. When we took him to the Alliance medical facilities, they took him quick as could be when they saw his identicard, so I s'pose he must've been someone awful important once. Folk don't like preachers that much.
But Inara? She's got the backing of her whole guild behind her an' clients on most civilized worlds we go to. She gets to go to all the fancy parties an' dance and eat the best food. Just for one day, it'd be real nice to know what that feels like. I'd pick a day when we were in Ariel or another Core planet an' a client who'd take me to a real nice place for dinner an' dancin' so's I could wear the most elegant gown. I'd know how to fix him, or her, tea all proper like, an' later we'd make love among those pretty satin sheets. I'd be all soft an' perfumed in all the right places. No grease stains under my nails that don't come off no matter how hard you scrub. Heads would turn when we walked down the street because I was so beautiful.
An' then I'd go back to bein' me. Like I said, I like my life. I got folk I love an' my engine an' freedom. I ain't fancy, and I ain't beautiful, but Simon thinks I'm real pretty, an' Inara likes to spend time with me an' does my hair up all special sometimes. I've got River to play with an' my Captain an' the rest. I got the black. It's a real good life, an' I'm happy with it. But for just one day, it'd be nice to see what it's like to be beautiful an' respectable an' adored.