(Untitled)

[river_meimei]

[After this.]

River's looking thoughtful. Intently so.

Mal's not on the bridge. Not in the kitchen, either. She keeps looking.

Comments

[bad_in_latin]

He's in the cargo bay. Well, above it.

When River enters through the archway leading from the kitchen corridor, he waves to her placidly, swinging his legs from his perch outside Shuttle One.

[river_meimei]

River's hand half-lifts in automatic response; she casts it a quick glance of what might be faint surprise, before her eyes return to Mal.

She heads over.

[bad_in_latin]

It takes River a minute or so to move up and claim a seat next to Mal. He always feels like it takes him forever to move up and down the stairs of the bay recently, heavy footfalls and the occasional pissed-off knee pain, but River always manages it just as easily as getting up out of bed in the morning.

"What are you up and about doin', little one?"

[river_meimei]

"I'm on a quest," she informs him seriously, tucking her legs underneath her.

"Found you. We'll call it the grail."

[bad_in_latin]

"Nice to hear I'm wanted," Mal jokes drily.

"Any reason in particular you were lookin' for me, or am I really as entertaining as I think I am?"

[river_meimei]

Decisively, "Yes."

Beat.

...Long beat.

River visibly remembers that she hasn't actually said the useful part aloud, and carries on. "I want to have some friends over." This is said with the seriousness of a child asking permission for a sleepover.

[bad_in_latin]

"Oh."

Oh.

"Do I like these friends?"

Mal pulls off the prudent questions, sometimes.

[river_meimei]

"Ennis. And Jack."

River lets Mal answer his own question. Although there's a certain unspoken implication that if he doesn't like them, there will be disapproval.

[bad_in_latin]

From more than just River, Mal imagines.

"Oh. Well then, that's fine. So long as they're not bringin' like, a herd o' cattle on with them. We frown upon that here."

[river_meimei]

"The doorframes are problematic," River informs him, as if stating the obvious. "We'll have to be content with dinosaurs."

Beat.

"Planetside?" That's hopeful.

[bad_in_latin]

This is where Mal raises an eyebrow just a little.

"Didn't reckon on them being too interested in planetside, except at Ma's. Anyplace in particular?"

[river_meimei]

"Outside," River says, after a moment's consideration.

It's quieter, and serious, and directed at the cargo bay's high ceiling.

"Let the world keep going. All the way out."

[bad_in_latin]

"Fine," Mal returns finally with a shrug. "Just so long as they ain't stayin' too long."

Not that Mal begrudges Kitty by any means whatsoever -- he's just starting to get the notion that he runs a boarding house, not a spaceship.

[river_meimei]

River looks down.

Low, "Promise."

[bad_in_latin]

Mal gets the idea sometimes that he has an innate capacity to swallow his foot even when he's not trying to do so.

"Sure everything's alright?"

[river_meimei]

River slants a glance at him.

"It's a vacation." Said as if that's an answer to his question. Maybe, to River, it is.