008: [location: serenity] & [accidental visual]

[skyfrome]

Here is Mal, thankfully not smashing things in a rage this time around, but instead absorbed in a much more sedate activity. Said activity involves the kitchen table on board Serenity, and a frankly bizarre array of ingredients spread out across it, with a mixing jug in the middle. He appears to be doing something ungodly involving high protein

Comments

[visual]

[caringhand]

Penny's just still trying to figure out the darn tablets, but she's slowly getting the hang of it. When she spies Mal on the screen, though, she nearly drops the entire thing out of sheer surprise.

"Captain Hammer?" she asks, wrinkling her nose in shock. "I - what are you doing?"

[visual]

[skyfrome]

Oh boy. Mal's already had this mistaken identity routine with Billy, so it's with some mild exasperation that he replies.

"I can assure you that whoever this 'Captain Hammer' guy is, he's not me, and I don't intend to freeze and/or death ray you. Name's Malcolm Reynolds and I'm... makin' a beverage. Badly."

[visual]

[caringhand]

Penny squints at the screen for a moment, then seems to relax imperceptibly. "Right! Um, Billy told me about you, I think. Sorry, I'm Penny. And you shouldn't mind being mistaken for Captain Hammer.. he's our city' biggest hero."

She leans forward, as if trying to discern what's going on, what ingredients he's throwing into the drink. "I'd offer to help, but, um, I'm not sure what you're making." Or what any of the ingredients are.

[visual]

[skyfrome]

He softens a little, worried that he might've been a little more cantankerous than was strictly necessary. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Penny, and there's no call for apologies. Maybe I just got one of those faces. Billy-- that'd be the weird kid that likes to play dress-up, right?"

He casts a look at the impressive mess around him, before answering. "I'm not positive there's any amount of help could redeem this anyhow. It's called 'Mudder's Milk'-- s'posed to keep mud workers hale and hearty, and get 'em pleasantly inebriated at the same time."

[visual]

[caringhand]

"Dress up?" Penny echoes, lifting an eyebrow, before she shakes her head and dismisses it. What a weird place. "He's the, uh. Tall'ish. And kind of blond?" She waves her hand vaguely around her own head as if this is going to help Mal visualize it.

She almost says something about his accent then, too, but bites her lip and reminds herself that it's painfully impolite. "Here. I mean, there are other things to drink, aren't there?" Her eyebrows suddenly crook as she seems to realize that she is not exactly looking into a normal room. "Wait.. where are you?"

So many questions today, Penny. You'll have to excuse her, Mal: she's new.

[visual]

[skyfrome]

Mal nods his recognition at Penny's helpful gesturing. "Yeah, we've been acquainted." He would elaborate on how he thought Billy was weird as hell and possibly deluded, but he figures that would probably be inappropriate, considering Penny might be a good friend of his.

"Oh, there's plenty-- guess I was just tryin' for a taste of home. Not my home, 'cause thankfully I ain't from Canton-- but somebody's." The questions are not exactly unwelcome, and he's not unduly bothered by them, don't worry.

"I'm in the kitchen on board my ship." He answers, genially.

[visual]

[caringhand]

Penny is certainly less surprised about the ship thing than she could be. After seeing the HammerLair, the Hammercycle, and the Hamjet, there are few things that really surprise her when it comes to accessories.

"You have a kitchen. On a ship. Okay," she says, then shakes her head and laughs at herself. "Billy brought a laundromat, you brought a ship. I brought a book." A pause. "I'd offer to try the mudder's milk, but, like you said, it doesn't seem like it's going so well." Another pause, and she suddenly looks serious. "Have you been here long?"

[visual]

[skyfrome]

"You brought a book?" He looks a little scandalised on her behalf. "That don't seem fair-- unless it's an exceptional book."

He shrugs, glancing over the assorted debris on the table before him. "Well, you're welcome to come and try it if you got the inclination." Mal is pretty picky about who he lets on board the ship, but Penny seems nice enough. "A few months or so. How about you?"

[visual]

[caringhand]

Penny leans back from the screen, digging around for a moment before she holds up what looks like a paperback, pocket-sized edition of something. Calling it battered would be polite, and she tucks it away quickly enough. "I'm not complaining."

She seems to contemplate his offer for a moment, before shaking her head. "I appreciate the offer, but I'd probably get lost. Just been here a week or so, and besides, I wouldn't want to offend you by not liking it." Penny grins a little lopsidedly at him. "I'll let you get back to your, uh-" she lifts her eyebrows good-naturedly at him "-drink. I'll probably - maybe? - see you around, Malcolm?"

Well, at least she's meeting people. Important to do in a place like this, right?

[visual]

[skyfrome]

Mal would enquire as to what the book is, but figures perhaps it's one of those personal things best left alone.

"Oh, I don't offend easy-- but that's understandable." He nods, giving her a friendly half-smile. "Just a week, huh? Welcome, in that case. And sure, be seein' you, Penny-- just 'Mal' is fine."

Yes indeed, important to do, unless one particularly enjoys being a recluse.