Mal-Jayne-Kaylee, New Year's Presents at Crowley's.

[badinlatin]

It's pretty easy to find Kaylee and Jayne New Year's morning, for Mal.

What's harder is to try and act nonchalant while walking into the spacious kitchen of Crowley's flat carrying multiple bags of presents.

Comments

[gonna_live]

Ain't it just.

Kaylee is leaning against a counter, nursing a cup of coffee that may or may not have creme de menthe in it.

When Mal shows up, there is immediately an oooooooo look that ensues.

[badinlatin]

Mal sticks his tongue out at Kaylee before waving both her and Jayne to the closest edge of the kitchen table.

"Suppose I might have somethin' for the both o' you, then."

[gonna_live]

Kaylee is there like white on rice.

Mal's present is in the pantry, with the cereal.

[badinlatin]

Mal's not one to make long speeches.

Uh huh.

"I want you to know, I worked long and damn hard on this." He affects a haughty air, nose pointed skyward. "You better like it."

[gonna_live]

"I'm gonna wear it everywhere. I already told you that, didn't I?"

There is peering at the bags.

[badinlatin]

"Shi a."

Enough stalling. With a quick look to Jayne to pre-emptively attempt to guage his reaction, Mal pulls out with a woomch a hat and matching scarf - both yellow and orange, though the hat is very simplistic and obviously done on a hat loom.

Yes, folks, there are no earflaps. There is a poofball though!

[gonna_live]

There is a squeal.

Yes, an actual squeal.

[badinlatin]

"Oh god," Mal cackles at the reaction, practically throwing them at Kaylee. "Don't fall over, now."

Shooting a look to Jayne, "And if you're still speakin' to me after I made a pale comparison o' your fine headpiece for 'er, I have something for you too."

[swinging-cod.livejournal.com]

Jayne shuffles.

There is shuffling.

"Yeah, well, if your thing's good enough, I might have somethin' for you, too."

[badinlatin]

"Wo dong."

A direct, very upright handing-over of a plain wooden box. Cigar-shaped, naturally.

"Got 'em from a friend o' mine on Santo; good stuff. Oh -- "

Mal pulls another much smaller box from one pocket. Along one side of the playing card deck is scrawled 'Exploding Snap'.

"The idea is not to make the cards explode, but I suppose it might be fun playin' it the other way 'round."

[swinging-cod.livejournal.com]

Jayne's face lights up in a way that most people don't get to see, as he takes the cigars.

"Xiexie, Mal."

He takes the deck of cards a little dubiously. "How do they explode?"

[badinlatin]

"I'm...not quite sure, actually. You know Tonks, at the bar? You'd have to ask her, they're from her world."

[swinging-cod.livejournal.com]

"Oh, hey, Tonks." Jayne leers.

"She's all right. For a pregnant chick."

[badinlatin]

"Yeah okay," Mal laughs back, "I'll pass that on to Bernard for ya."

[swinging-cod.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, you do that, and I'll say goodbye to beer and fresh fruit, and you'll say hello to my bad side."

[badinlatin]

Mal raises his palms up toward Jayne in a mocking apologetic tone.

"Never crossed my mind."

[swinging-cod.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, well. Now I know that."

He turns and picks up...something squashy.

It's a sweater, knitted by his ma.

One arm is longer than the others.

Don't. Say. Anything.

[badinlatin]

Three-armed sweater. Holy fuckin' hell. Can't laugh can't laugh.

"Thank -- thank you very much, Jayne." Mal reaches to take it from Jayne's hands, looking it over and immediately finding something to sincerely comment on. "This stitch looks fair hard, really - your mother do this then?"

[swinging-cod.livejournal.com]

"Damn right, she did." He looks a trifle shy about it. "Told 'er Zoe and Wash was havin' a baby, and she up and made presents for the whole crew. Baby an' all."

[badinlatin]

"That's fantastic, Jayne," Mal nods, smiling brightly at him. "'S much appreciated, really. Send your ma m'best, huh?"

[swinging-cod.livejournal.com]

"I surely will."

He opens the cigar box again, taking two out.

"Now, how's about you and I sample some of this fine tobacco product?"

[badinlatin]

Mal takes one of the cigars from Jayne's hand with a smirk.

"Sounds about right I think. Then we can work out those exploding cards, maybe. As long as I don't go to pieces with 'em and all."

[swinging-cod.livejournal.com]

Jayne smirks.

"Ain't that the fun part?"

And the two of them walk towards a nearby table, contemplating the possible location of a cigar-lighter and Crowley's secret stash of wine.