milliways_bar | (no subject)

(no subject)

" -- Sanvrik," says Kaylee, looking behind her. "You'd think Shepherd've just stopped in the bar, instead of drinkin' that gŏushĭ -- get somethin' doesn't taste like dirt -- oh."

She beams at Simon, who follows her in. "Speak of the devil, and all."

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He looks around, starting to smile.

"This place may have the most ... aggressive hospitality I've ever seen."

And Kaylee laughs. "That's...one way to put it. But it's kinda shiny, don't you think?"

Beat.

"And as long as we're here...might as well get somethin'."

"Something that doesn't taste like dirt, even."

He grins, and they stroll over to the bar.

Kaylee settles in on a barstool, swiveling a little. It's fun.

"Hey there...mudder's milk for me and the doctor, yeah?"

The bottles appear.

Kaylee looks so innocent.

Simon looks at her reproachfully.

"What did I do this time?"

Kaylee grins at him, completely unrepentant.

"Well, tastes better than dirt, yeah?"

"...Marginally."

"Worked for the Egyptians, you said." Kaylee still looks entirely too pleased with herself. "Well. If you don't want this...you go on and order somethin'."

"...Okay." He gives a small, just slightly wicked smile.

"Bar? Two mudslides, please."

Kaylee gives Simon her best oh no you DIDN'T look. It doesn't last very long. Mostly because she's snickering.

"So. This got all the vitamins and whatnot of a turkey dinner, like Jayne was sayin?"

"Nnnooo ... but it tastes good."

He reaches for one of the two glasses, and grins.

"Besides, if we want all the, ah, vitamins and whatnot, we could always order an actual turkey dinner."

Kaylee momentarily looks enchanted with this idea as she reaches for the other glass.

"Ain't a holiday, though. And...that's the special stuff, you know?" A slight smile.

"Yes. Even ... you know, back home. That wasn't something you had every day."

He looks a little pensive, for a moment.

Kaylee's smile fades as she sees his expression change -- but just for a moment.

"We could declare it Simon Day."

Yep. It's back.

And he chokes, a little.

"Declare it what?"

"Well...just tryin' to come up with a holiday." And, airily: "Suppose we could declare it Kaylee Day, if you really don't want it to be Simon Day..."

He looks thoughtful. "Kaylee Day. How does one celebrate Kaylee Day? Aside from the traditional turkey dinner?"

"Well..."

More swiveling on the barstool. It aids thought processes.

"Everybody gets all dressed up, and -- can't nobody be mean to anybody, all day. And at the end of the day there's a big party with dancin' and music and whatnot...and fireworks, too. And everything's all full of colors...and then Jayne's got to come out shoppin' with me. And then Wash comes along with his camera."

Just a bit wicked, yes.

"So. What about Simon Day?" And she takes a sip of her mudslide.

He takes a long drink of his own mudslide. "Simon Day. Well..."

He's starting to smile. That half-embarrassed reminiscent smile that makes him look about ten years old.

"There's, ah ... there's gifts. Everybody exchanges gifts. And none of this Santa Claus crap, no, everybody's got to know who the presents came from. And, ah ... children are traditionally allowed to stay up as late as they want the night before. And there's singing."

The smile that makes him look completely adorable, in other words.

"Yeah? What kind of singing? Everybody goin' to one place to do it together, or people just with whoever they're with that day, or...?"

This mudslide is pretty good.

Isn't it? Let's have another.

"Uh ... People with whoever they're with that day. Or, you know, some people arrange for choirs. If they can't sing."

Don't mind if I do.

"Kinda like you, on that statue? What was it -- the national anthem or somethin'?"

Simon facepalms, but he's giggling.

"Kind of like that, yes. But not the national anthem. And without the naked part. Or the being on the statue of Hippocrates part."

He drains his glass, and Bar quietly refills it.

"So not really like that at all."

"I'm heartbroken, Simon. Really." But she doesn't seem like it.

Either that, or she just decides to drown her sorrows.

Kind of a lot.

...so eventually...we've got Simon and Kaylee at the bar, with several drained glasses (and coconuts) strewn about, laughing about something that quite possibly neither of them can remember.

"...really?" He's laughing almost too hard to talk. "Both of them?"