Origami Bonding.

[badinlatin]

Mal's been babysitting, and he has to say he thinks he is getting pretty good at it.

Especially since Bernard is usually merciful and changes the diapers when he's awake enough to hear about that particular necessity.

For right now, though, he's sitting in the dining room at the low table in the lounge area with an array of colored paper that looks like so much refracted light -- chosen for a reason.

Mal's making a present.

Comments

[ff-ambassador.livejournal.com]

Inara pokes her head in and smiles at the look of concentration on Mal's face. She speaks quietly so as not to startle him.

"Hey, baobei. What are you working on?"

[badinlatin]

Not looking up: "A mobile for Anthony. Did I leave my string somewhere on the other table?"

One of the papers he was working with has now sprouted wings.

[ff-ambassador.livejournal.com]

Inara walks over to the table and roots around, finally coming up with a small ball of string. She brings it to Mal and watches him working the paper.

"That looks beautiful so far. Anthony will love it."

[badinlatin]

There are several animals already folded into existence scattered around the table -- a couple frogs, mostly cranes.

"Don't know how to do more animals than that, though. Think a baby'll mind?"

[ff-ambassador.livejournal.com]

She smiles at him. "I think he'll be focusing more on the colors and there are plenty of those." She touches a nearby frog gently. "And I think he's a very lucky boy."

[badinlatin]

Be lucky if he gets his ma back.

Mal shrugs, motioning at a chair next to him. "Makes me feel like I'm doin' somethin', at any rate. Useful."

[ff-ambassador.livejournal.com]

Inara takes the chair, studying his face.

"You did all you could. She'll be fine."

I hope.

[badinlatin]

"...Sure."

[ff-ambassador.livejournal.com]

"She's a big girl, and she's been in battles before." Inara hesitates, then says, "I know things are different now, but I have to think that she will only fight the harder to protect herself and the baby."

[prydeful]

"Are you looking for wallpaper samples? Cause I think Serenity would look nicest in the bright blue."

Kate is, as always, helpful.

[badinlatin]

Mal rolls his eyes gamefully. "Makin' a thing for Anthony. You any good at origami?"

[prydeful]

"I can make a mean frog. And a crane. Few other things, but those are the two I'm best at."

[badinlatin]

Mal digs out a small box from under his chair, holding up into Kate's view.

A small menagerie of amphibians and birds.

"Join the club. Have a seat."

[prydeful]

"Shiny. I take it this is more than a fire hazard?"

[badinlatin]

"A mobile. You think Anthony's too old for one? Figured I could rig up something pretty enough to hold his attention."

If he is too old for one, Mal will hold onto it for when Dora gets back.

[prydeful]

"I don't know. I don't know that much about babies beyond how to keep 'em alive and mostly entertained till their parents get back. But I bet if you stick glitter on it that he'll pay at least some attention."

[badinlatin]

A suddenly worried glance.

"I don't have any."

[steelartisan]

Piotr pauses in the doorway, smiling a little at the colored paper.

He approves of art at pretty much any time, for any purpose, really. (And this scene, too, is a picture -- the captain, his clothing scuffed and worn, the coat draped over his chair an emblem of a war long done, bent over the bright scattered squares of paper.)

He came here to put some bananas and noodles from Milliways in the cupboards, but he'll wait a minute, and see how absorbed Mal is.

[badinlatin]

Not too absorbed.

"You bring me anything?"

[steelartisan]

Piotr lifts his small bag of packages to examine them. Possibly it's at least somewhat for show, since he only bought them half an hour ago.

"Instant noodles in beef, onion chicken, eel, and spring vegetable. Though some of the vegetables drawn on this label are not ready till summer," he adds as an aside.

It's relevant information, if you're Piotr.

"Or there are bananas."

That last is with half a smile. Because it does not take much thought to know which one Mal is likely to prefer.

(He's smiling; he's looking worn and tired around the edges, too, if you look closely. But then that's nothing precisely new, for Piotr or for anyone on this ship these days.)

[badinlatin]

Perking up considerably, Mal holds out his latest creation -- a planetside-sky blue origami frog.

"Trade for one o' those last. I won't even call you Petey."

[steelartisan]

In other times, Piotr might have laughed. Even now he grins.

"It is fair."

Three strides take him to the lounge area, to settle in another chair (only slightly too small for his bulk) and break a banana from the bunch he's carrying. He holds it out to Mal, accepting the tiny frog in turn. "See what a capitalist I have become, taking trade for what belongs to all. I suppose this is the black market. But it is a pretty frog."

"And you, tovarisch," he adds, "have been talking to Katya or Logan."

[badinlatin]

"Black market bananas. Wonder if there's a profit in it at all."

No droppings? "But xiexie. And yes, I finally met Logan. Didn't even see the claws."

[steelartisan]

Piotr examines the frog approvingly, and only partly because it's something to do, before setting it carefully down in front of him.

"Da?"

[badinlatin]

"Shi a. Nice enough, if a bit..."

Hand wavering.

"...interrogation-y."