(Untitled)

[sai_delgado]

Curled up in the corner of the couch by the fireplace, there is a young woman in possession of hot chocolate. It's currently sitting on the low table nearby, as she's shaping and sewing a hat

Comments

[bad_in_latin]

Mal was going to see to Lilly - he needs to talk to her.

He only stops when he sees Susan in her usual couch. With her usual hat in progress, and with her usual hot chocolate.

Mal does feel all that usual at the moment.

"Wei, Susan."

[sai_delgado]

"Wei, Mal," she responds, stopping work on the hat.

"How-- how do'ee fare?"

[bad_in_latin]

Mal normally doesn't look this serious when he's talking to Susan.

A small shrug. "Walkin' 'n talkin' I suppose. Had a fun palaver wi' Kaylee."

He really doesn't mean any of this to sound biting. He's still collating data, as they say.

[sai_delgado]

Susan herself hasn't yet spoken to Kaylee. Or to Alain. Or to Lilly.

But Mal seems very serious, and Susan's smile fades into concern as she looks at him.

"Do'ee say so?" A pause. "Is-- is she all right?"

[the_antiangst]

Angel heads over, hot chocolate of his own in hand. "Long days and pleasant nights, Susan."

[sai_delgado]

"And may ye have twice the number, sai Angel," she tells him, with something a touch wry in her smile.

"How do'ee fare?"

[the_antiangst]

"Not too badly, on the whole. How about yourself? I haven't seen you around in a while."
A pause for thought, then: "Of course, that's partly because I wasn't here for a while..."

[sai_delgado]

"I'm all right," she starts -- but that's as far as she gets before he casually mentions being gone. Susan's head turns toward the front door before she can help herself.

(the peace of the clearing)

"Do'ee-- were ye -- where were ye?"

[flybywash]

The cushions bounce a little as Wash flops onto the other end of the couch; a clatter follows as he unceremoniously dumps his crutches on the floor.

"Hey, Susan," he says with a smile.

[sai_delgado]

"Wei, Wash," she says, with a soft, bright smile.

"How do'ee fare?" A flicker of a worried glance to the crutches.

[flybywash]

"Walking and talking. Well." He gives his right ankle a rueful kick with his left. "Hobbling and talking. Good enough. That and making sure Zoe's -- "

Wash stops, the smile widening. "Wait. Not continuing that sentence for a second -- has anyone told you the good news yet?"

[sai_delgado]

"Good news?" She brightens, looking very curious indeed.

It's been some time since she's heard good news, and it troubles her that she can't right now think when last it was --

(no peace here)

--but Susan pushes that away quickly. "Nay, I've not heard this yet, Wash-- say on, an'ye would?"

[b_hawkins]

Ben's appearance can be easy to miss, if you don't look for it. Only footsteps, really, herald his coming.

"Hey." He's smiling.

[sai_delgado]

"Long days and pleasant nights, Ben," she says, looking up from her work with an answering smile.

"I've not seen ye in quite some time -- how do'ee fare?"

[b_hawkins]

"Better'n usual. Job's done, fight fought 'n' all. You?"

[sai_delgado]

There's clear surprise at that.

"Yer-- it's done? Yer fight, yer -- the one ye stood against?"

"I'm-- I'm all right," she thinks to add.

[highking]

Peter heads over, smiling and bearing a cup of tea.

Also biscuits. Because they go with tea and hot chocolate.

"Hullo, Susan. Care for a biscuit?"

[sai_delgado]

She's not heard them called so, but they're hard to mistake.

"Long days and pleasant nights, Peter." Smiling, a little. "That's kind of ye-- aye, I would."

A beat. "How do'ee fare?"

[highking]

"Alright. A little worried about Lilly, as I've not seen or heard from her in a couple days," he says, then shrugs a little. "She tends to do that, though, so not too worried, and other than that I'm doing quite well. How are you?"

[sai_delgado]

This does not help at all, and Susan's own concern grows.

Carefully, she asks,

"Ye've not-- for days now?"