(no subject)

[badinlatin]

Mal has been at the kitchen table with inksticks, pots and enough brushes and paper to last him til 2522.

If anyone needs the salt or the good tea egg, they are both near the center of the table, to the right of the terra cotta mixing bowl and under the overturned brush holder.

What? It's the only table big enough.

Comments

[gonna_live]

Kaylee wanders in. It takes her a moment to spot the tea egg. When she does, she selects it, and turns to the stove. "You workin' on anything special?"

[badinlatin]

"Not terribly -- I did get some shiny new inksticks however, so I thought I'd play with mixin' 'em, see what came out," Mal replies to her question without really looking up.

"I left some water on low over on the stove -- " Holding out one of the mixing bowls, "Can you fill that?"

[gonna_live]

"Shi a." Kaylee turns around and takes the bowl. "What's comin' out?"

[badinlatin]

Mal holds out the dish he'd been staring into so that when Kaylee comes closer she can take a look.

"It's a sort o'...shiny green? I got this new kind o' stick that has quartz in it, makes the flakes go brighter."

[gonna_live]

"Not bad," she says, with approval, and turns back to the water, adding some, turning up the burner.

Kaylee has her back to Mal when she says, "You been okay lately?"

[badinlatin]

"Suppose that depends on what you mean by 'okay'."

Mal tests the thickness of the ink by dipping one brush into it and running the bristles along a piece of scrap paper. Still too watery.

[gonna_live]

Kaylee doesn't say anything for a moment.

"Moiraine came up, the other day. Wanted to talk about what went on out in the woods. Since she's got some kind of interest in us, and all. Seems like she thinks we might all be in some kind of trouble. But -- I ain't noticed nothin'."

She hasn't turned around.

[badinlatin]

"Moiraine and I spoke to a certain level too," Mal admits, which he hadn't been planning on.

"Nothin's wrong on my end."

[gonna_live]

Now she does turn around. Her eyes are wide, and a little wary.

"Good," she says, with clearly evident hesitation.

[badinlatin]

Mal tests his ink again -- just about right, a little thicker than calligraphic purists would appreciate, and Mal runs a few practice lines along his scrap paper.

He hasn't said anything. Not yet. He's either running his conversation with Moiraine over in his head to figure out what he feels comfortable mentioning, or he's concentrating on some intricate character on his page.

Considering his lines look vaguely like limp noodles, it's probably the former.

[gonna_live]

The water's nearing hot enough. Kaylee pours it over the egg.

Kaylee's not sure what to say, either. Mostly because she's not sure whether or not she should be unnerved that Moiraine went to Mal.

Or irritated, maybe.

[badinlatin]

"I wasn't there, Kaylee."

Looking up. Maybe he's waiting for the bowl of water. Maybe not.

"What should I know?"

[gonna_live]

"I don't trust her much." Very, very quiet. "I don't know -- she says she's out to protect us, but -- she's got a hell of a way of showin' it."

[river_meimei]

River is testing the walls.

What she's testing them for isn't precisely clear, and she might or might not answer if you asked her. But she's moving with slow care through the ship, running her fingers over bulkheads and windows and doorframes, feeling the shape and the texture as if each wall were new to her. Occasionally she directs a precise knock at one spot or another, tilts her head to listen to the echoes, and moves on.

Down the corridor, now, and into the kitchen.

[badinlatin]

Mal doesn't see River, but he hears her.

"Come to quiz me on my languages that I don't actually speak?" Mal asks; a nonsense question, not really referencing anything, but with River? It could. "Don't got a thesaurus today."

[river_meimei]

"You'll have to find a treasure chest."

River raps on the wall once, frowns in momentary irritation, and moves along the wall towards the corner table.

"Well traveled. Seven seas is a misnomer."

She glances at Mal for a moment. "I recommend the tertiary storage niche."

[badinlatin]

"I'm workin' on the treasure chest bit."

Mal looks up at River for a second, almost confused.

"Sit over here for a moment." Mal points to a chair at the table.

[river_meimei]

"Not today."

It's apparently to the first part, because after a long and disconcertingly sober look at Mal, River obeys.

[badinlatin]

Mal upturns his brush holder, and places his to rest so that ink doesn't drip over the table.

"You know anything of Moiraine and Kaylee's...interactions?"

[river_meimei]

"Doesn't like her," River says softly, watching him.

[badinlatin]

"That I managed to piece together."

Mal's debated for awhile, telling River this. Whether it was his to say anyway.

"You know why Moiraine has such an interest in the ship, yeah?"

[river_meimei]

River looks down, watching something on or inside the table that probably never existed.

There's a long moment's silence, before she says, "Made a promise."

A breath in, and out.

And then, lower, "Didn't ask it. Post an extra sentry." Even softer, like an admission: "It's me."

[badinlatin]

"Somethin' like that," Mal affirms. "Not like its your fault or nothin'. You just got a habit of finding folk who want to make sure you stay in one piece. Nothin' wrong with that."

Almost biting his lip, "It's just that I asked Moiraine to keep that promise up through myself, more 'n Kaylee or other folk on the ship, from here on out."

The intonation here is weak. Not very enthusiastic.

[river_meimei]

River looks at him sidelong.

And says nothing.

[badinlatin]

Mal sits his chin in the palm of his right hand.

"...I can fault her methods. Can't muster it for her intent."