How do we tell the difference? [Open]

[in_the_latin]

Characters: Mal and anyone on Serenity
Content: According to Mal's latest journal post, there's two of him running around. But which one is which?
Setting: Lower deck of Serenity, on the way to Mal's cabin
Time: After Low Key's interrogation and his journal post
Warnings: Hijinks! Mistaken identity!

Comments

[windsofdaytime]

This was strange.

Kaoru wasn't entirely sure what to do about it, though. The answer was probably "nothing". In fact, she was probably going to get penalized just for not destroying the ship and everyone on it when they'd found out about that robot -- tch, she hadn't even known about that robot. (Of course she hadn't. She'd run off what, a year and a half ago now, and had busied herself with seeing the world and mocking the field agents' incompetence ever since.) Plus for helping apprehend Wang (useless idiot who was probably going to die anyway). Maybe even for that ball of concentrated power of destruction she'd hurled at the robot's pieces while no one was looking, if they had their ways of finding out about that. (Also useless.) There was probably a last straw with regards to helping these people.

But this was interesting, and she hadn't technically gotten any orders.

Her dilated eyes focused on something. Now, either that was the captain or the impostor. If it were the former, she could speak to him, find out what he knew, and salvage something from this. If it were the latter, she could find out exactly how much trouble she was in and hopefully not die.

...When had she started caring whether she died or not?

She shook her head and walked up behind him.

[in_the_latin]

Mal heard the footsteps and turned around. Huh, it was Kaoru again. What was she doing out here?

"Something the matter?" he asked. There was a tense edge to his voice; while he wasn't angry at her, the entire mess with Lyesmith had put him ill at ease.

[windsofdaytime]

Kaoru looked up, and her face resumed its usual lack of expression.

"Is there?" She turned the question back on him.

[in_the_latin]

"Just the usual," he said. "Nothing you don't all ready know about."

[windsofdaytime]

"Hm." She surveyed the area. "You looked like you were looking for something."

[in_the_latin]

Mal shook his head.

"Just something I left in my quarters," he said. "It's nothing you need to worry about."

[windsofdaytime]

Kaoru shrugged. "All right. I don't care." Absentmindedly, she started to play with the blue crystal pendant around her neck. "This is an inconvenient mess."

[in_the_latin]

"...you know, for once, I'm with you," he said. "This is one hell of a mess we've found ourselves in, ain't it?"

[windsofdaytime]

Nod. "This ship is attracted to disasters, though. It isn't cursed, is it?" A pause. "I read about curses when we went to Antrim. It seemed relevant."

[in_the_latin]

Mal rolled his eyes, and said, "There's no curse on this ship, y'hear? We've had a few nasty jobs, I'll admit, but there's no spooky business going on here."

[windsofdaytime]

Kaoru blinked and tilted her head. "How do you know whether or not the ship is cursed?"

[in_the_latin]

"Because-"

Mal stopped midsentence and, properly stumped for a few seconds, tried to think of a way to explain it that was better than "because I said so".

"Because things would be a hell of a lot worse if it were," he said. "Besides, curses aren't as common as you seem to think, especially when there's other explanations."

[windsofdaytime]

She frowned. "I don't know how common curses are. I just thought it was a possibility."

[in_the_latin]

"Some possibilities are more likely than others," he said. "Don't forget that, all right? Now, if you'll s'cuse me, I've got some business to take care of."

[windsofdaytime]

"I won't."

She stepped out of the way and raised her eyebrow. Wherever he was going, this was going to be interesting. Better than doing nothing, anyway.

[in_the_latin]

When Mal started to walk away, he assumed that Kaoru would go off to do, well, whatever Kaoru did. Instead, she was right at his heels, like some kind of lost puppy. Or, in her case, a hellhound.

He stopped, and asked, "Something the matter?"