milliways_bar | (no subject)

(no subject)

Mal is physically feeling better since the last time he was in the bar.

Mentally, not so much.

But at least he has his ~~present for Kaylee~~ knitting to work on.

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Now that the knitting has been placed down, he gets a glare for his troubles.

"Christmas present." Aeryn muttered. "Stupid human tradition." Best not to ask why she's bothering with such a stupid human tradition, she may not have an answer.

The glare does not perturb Mal in the slightest, and he holds up his loom to show her.

"Same as me. You should really try these things; they're a lot easier."

Thankfully, he may get a lot of them.

"What is it?" There's slight interest in her voice. Aeryn leaned over to see better.

"'S a hat loom. They make knittin' in circles real easy, but you can do flat things with 'em too."

Mal's a quick study, and holds up a scarf he finished making last night.

"'M makin' a hat to go with it."

The fact that the hat will be bright orange and yellow to match said scarf is probably obvious.

Not to Aeryn. In case you hadn't noticed, she doesn't lend much to colour. The sweater she's knitting is a tasteful black.

"Is it some kind of curse? All soldiers must knit?" She asked quite seriously.

Mal laughs.

"Don't think they taught us that in Basic. Nah, I got a pair o' needles for my birthday from Raven, 'n it...gives me somethin' to do, I suppose."

Aeryn nodded.

"I understand. I'm learning to fly the sims, to stave off the boredom."

Simswhatwherehuh?

Mal's slightly more articulate when he asks out loud, "The bar's got simulators here now?"

"Flight simulators." Aeryn explained. "For something called x-wings. Not as advanced as my Prowler, but different."

Mal gives a short shrug. "Ain't got X-Wings in my 'verse neither. Might have to check 'em out I suppose. My flyin' ain't what it used to be."

Considering he was never very good in the first place, practice might be a good thing.

"You aren't a pilot. You're a leader." Aeryn pointed out quietly.

"When you can fly one thing, everything else is easy." Easy wasn't exactly the right word, more easier.

Mal's mouth twitches a smile at Aeryn's matter-of-fact statement. Indeed.

"I don't know about that, miss. Maybe landcraft, but not in my experience has knowin' one boat affected my complete loss of understanding on another."

"Don't become a pilot." Aeryn suggested with grim humor.

A grin. "Weren't plannin' on it. Wash'd kill me with his crutch, really."

"Wash? Your pilot?" She enquired, quietly.

"Is he any good?"

Mal looks straight at Aeryn.

"Best I'm ever hopin' to meet."

"Flying is in the blood. You can't fight it." It was perhaps cryptic of her to say so, but she could be strange like that.

Regret flitted across her face. It was quite possible she never thought she'd stop. Just a monen or so. Then you can fly again.

"No you can't."

"Once, Wash told me that he could...listen to 'er. My ship, I mean. I can fly 'er, but I can't hear whatever he hears."

"With me, it's more like feeling. Instinct."

Beat.

"I was never trained to fly in atmosphere. Is he?"

Mal nods.

"Don't think he likes it much, but he knows how to for sure - my ship's a land-to-space and back, so he's got to be able to handle 'er both ways."

"I land my Prowler on planets, but that only takes a quart of an arn. No heavy flying involved."

She tilted her head.

"What is she called?" She was referring to the ship and not some invented crew member.

"Serenity. Firefly-class."

Aeryn nodded, none of it meaning anything to her.

"I was aboard a Leviathan class. Moya, she was called. She produced an offspring, named Talyn."

Blink.

Blinkblink.

"Your ship...had a baby?"

"Yes." She caught sight of his expression.

"It's not that uncommon for a Leviathan to give birth. It was a shock, him being part gunship, but..." She trailed off, stopping the babble before it could get too far ahead.