(Untitled)

[a_fell]

It's early autumn on Persephone, and around Southdown Abbey's somewhat remote landing strip, the trees are starting their slow transformation from green to vivid reds and golds. It's still warm, on the whole, but there's the slight suggestion of an edge to the breeze. Andronicus Crowley is wearing a scarf, Prior Fell isn't

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[bad_in_latin]

Inara's shuttle hatch grates. Mal thought that'd give him away first, but if it didn't, his boots hitting cargo bay floor with a solid thunk announced himself pretty clearly.

"Wèi Crowley, Tianshi."

[aj_crawley]

"Well, if it isn't the groom himself."

Crowley saunters over to say hi. Okay, maybe a bit more than saunters. Maybe there's a bit of a swagger in there. Tiny bit.

"How'd the wedding go?"

[bad_in_latin]

Mal laughs, holding up the simple gold band around his left ring finger.

"Better even than expected. Suppose I have you to thank for that?"

[aj_crawley]

Smug.

"I'm guessing that means Lilly pulled it off?"

[bad_in_latin]

"She did. Pulled it off through maximum embarrassment to my own person involvin' incriminatin' photographs, so she considered it a success her own self."

From the way Mal's grinning on the memory, it doesn't look like he cared much.

"How've you been? Anything interesting going on?"

[aj_crawley]

"Er... sort of?" he hazards.

Possibly looking a mite shifty, here.

[bad_in_latin]

Mal's humor drops to a sort of flat wariness.

"'Sort of' in my experience usually leads to a major 'of'. What's up?"

[aj_crawley]

"There're some... other guests hanging around the abbey, I figure maybe I should tell you about."

Stalling, whut?

[bad_in_latin]

"Anyone I should know their names of first?"

Not that Mal doesn't have a sinking feeling he can already guess.

[aj_crawley]

"I don't know if anyone ever told you that I'm involved in Gabriel Tam's plans to run for election..."

[bad_in_latin]

Mal appears to be sucking a piece of food out from between his front teeth.

Or? Could be one of the many Captain Reynolds' Faces of Annoyance (TM).

"That was neglected in my latest memo."

[aj_crawley]

"I'm... yes, well."

Steamrolling on ahead, now.

"Gabriel Tam and his wife are staying at the abbey, too, kind of. A bit."

[bad_in_latin]

"Kind of, a bit. Their kneecaps are here? Toes? Being in a place seems to me a binary state, yes?"

[aj_crawley]

>:[

" - Alright, yes. They're here. I warned them you guys were coming... maybe five minutes before I left to meet you."

[bad_in_latin]

A small, yet very evident grimace.

"At least we're on the same level of surprise? Kind of. A bit."

"Thank you again for helpin' Lilly with the thing."

[aj_crawley]

"Well, as I think you know, it's kind of impossible to say no to her."