(no subject)

[badinlatin]

[OOM: Inara leaves Serenity. If you want a clue as to Mal's mental state for the next few weeks, this is the OOM for you.]

Captain Reynolds is in the bar. By in the bar, I mean that he's walking up to the bar, ordering a bottle of Johnny Walker Black and finding a back booth.

Approach with caution.

Comments

[sai_delgado]

On her way toward the bar, Susan notices Mal in his booth and waves to him.

[badinlatin]

Tamade.

Mal waves back. If you look alright, she won't come over.

[sai_delgado]

It's a hopeful thought, mayhap-- except that Susan does come over, as soon as she gets hot chocolate.

She's smiling, and clearly pleased to see her friend.

"Wei,, Mal," she says.

[badinlatin]

"Wèi." Mal attempts to look at Susan while not being acutely aware of the liquor in front of him.

"How are you?"

[sai_delgado]

"Still a bit chilled," she says ruefully, settling into a chair nearby and looking back at him.

"And thee?"

[badinlatin]

"S'pose the 'chilled' adjective works for me too."

Mal rolls his glass in his hands. "Bad day."

[gonna_live]

Kaylee wanders in, coveralls lightly speckled with paint.

And she sees Mal.

She hesitates for an instant, and then approaches.

"Hey, captain."

[badinlatin]

Mal pushes the bottle swiftly to a darker corner of the table.

"Hey, lil' one."

[gonna_live]

"How're you doin'?"

Her hands rest on the edge of the table.

Inara's gone, and Kaylee's unhappy...but chances are Mal's even more so.

[badinlatin]

Chances are good of that, yes.

"Fine." Flat tone.

[gonna_live]

Her shoulders drop a little as she sighs.

"You want company?"

[badinlatin]

"Could I stop you if I didn't?"

Mal pours himself a drink.

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

Zoe...does not exactly approach with caution.

When you've seen Mal at Serenity Valley, Mal in a booth with a bottle of whiskey is not so intimidating.

Not that that means she's exactly glad to see it.

"Don't guess there's much point in my pointin' out that a hangover tomorrow ain't gonna help any, is there?"

[badinlatin]

"No."

Mal picks up the bottle and pours himself another drink.

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

"Alright, then."

Zoe sets her own glass down on the table and sits without an invitation. She's got no plans for heaving drinking, herself, but she can at least keep him company for a bit.

[badinlatin]

Mal fills Zoe's glass. He's polite when he's brooding.

"She left."

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

Zoe sips her drink calmly.

"She had to."

[badinlatin]

"I know." Mal exhales. Very slowly. "If I know anythin', I know that."

"She doesn't understand. And I can't make her understand." More liquor. "I...hell, I don't think I understand it myself."

[mnt_raph]

*Raph isn't exactly stealthy about the fact that he's keeping an eye on the surly lookin' guy in the corner with the bottle of Johnny. He knows the guy keeps a gun and is fast on the draw.*

[badinlatin]

And Mal, for all intents and purposes, could give one good gorram that someone is watching him. He hasn't even noticed yet.

[locks_it_up]

She plops down across from him.

There are things about Mal that remind her of Roland. Not a whole lot. But a few. Maybe that's why she's sitting across from him.

She's not going to ask if he's alright.

She pours a drink for him, and a half-shot for herself. Of course, she's got a small bottle of vanilla vodka instead of Johnny, but hey.

[badinlatin]

Mal lifts his glass in acknowledgement and downs its contents.

"Somethin' I can help you with?"

[locks_it_up]

"Could be asking you the same thing."

He's one of hers, damn it. She's a little bit protective.

[badinlatin]

A vague thought passes through Mal's head of something she could help him with.

While it amuses, he dismisses it. After a minute.

"Nothin' comes to mind."

[locks_it_up]

"You sure? Look like you've been having a rough day."

She rolls the half-shot in her hands, idly, then downs it.

Mmm. Vanilla.