Calligraphy, RSC style.*

[bad_in_latin]

Mal's walking into the bar at the end o' the 'verse just now, and by the looks of things, he has a Plan.

Not as good as a Way, but he tries.

Mandarin Calligraphy, for Sale, Trade, or Because I Feel Like It

At least he's to the point.

[*Rogue Spaceship Captain. Ask Lilly Kane

Comments

[fabledcinders]

Cindy reads the sign. "Huh," thoughtfully. "What're you looking to trade for?"

[bad_in_latin]

"Nothing in particular," Mal explains, grimacing far more at an unyielding ink stick than at the woman who spoke to him. "Just some folk feel pressed to give somethin' back. I'll take a beer, or nothin'. Depends on how difficult, how many colors the request is, etc..."

It looks like there are a fair amount of colors to choose from as well, if the foot-long box of ink sticks and pots is any indication.

[fabledcinders]

"I'd rather give something,too. " She considers the inks, looking both curious and impressed. "Beer's easy enough.
Think you could add the Mandarin symbols for my name to a sketch already made, or would you rather work with plain paper?" It's whimsy that has her asking; she knows about doing 'because I feel like it.'

[bad_in_latin]

"I can add 'em to a sketch you've already got, sure. You're the one wantin' the thing." Mal's amiable like that.

"Heineken, please?"

[lissla_lissar]

A while back Lissar was described to Mal, and when she pauses by his sign it's with an interested and vaguely confused expression.

She kinda-sorta recognizes the calligraphy from the one Ironhide got her.

[bad_in_latin]

It may have been awhile, but it's kind of hard to forget a description quite like Lissar's. Once Mal notices someone has stopped near him, he looks up.

"...Oh tamade," is the first thing that comes out of his mouth.

He can't remember her name.

[lissla_lissar]

"Excuse me?" she says, dancing back a step in a manner better suited to a startled deer.

[bad_in_latin]

"Sorry, miss -- was a big talkin' robot once told me your name, but I'm completely at a loss."

For tact as well as memory, apparently.

[ggollymissmolly]

There is a small pre-teen with a purple bunnyhat peering at his work. The oversized milkshake in her hands matches her hat for colour, but with more sparkles.

(Sparkles are good!)

"I don't have any money. Well, not enough. But the writing is pretty!"

[bad_in_latin]

"Who says you need coin, miss? What's your name?"

Mal's easy when it comes to girls. And compliments.

[ggollymissmolly]

"I don't have anything else I could trade either."

She sips her milkshake thoughtfully. (It has a swirly glittery purple straw, naturally.)

"I'm Princess Powerful. But you can call me Molly, I guess."

[bad_in_latin]

"I'll call you whatever I'm supposed to call you. Princess."

Don't ask him to bow, though.

"Don't matter none -- what would you want me to write out?"

[shinigami_rem]

Rem in her humanish form loomed near. Her skirts rustling as she moved.

"My Kanji is very bad," she said, "Could you teach me any of that?"

[bad_in_latin]

"This?" Mal points to his current project, a string of characters reading roughly [THIS DOCK IS OFF LIMITS TO CIVILIANS]. "Kanji is what you call it? Hunh."

[shinigami_rem]

"Well," began Rem, having been a god of death for a number of centuries," It was imported from China to Japan. It is known as Kanji there, and as I am a Shinigami..."

Yeah, she didn't want to explain all of that.

"There are four alphabets that I use when in Japan," she continued to explain, "Kanji, romaji, hiragana, and katakana, I am bad at just about all of them."

Rem laughed.

[bad_in_latin]

"I only have the two, English and Mandarin. And as far as teachin' any of it to you goes, I could probably teach you your name and that's about it. Sorry."