[02] Second job

[captain_tightpants]

{Action - Open to housemates and neighbors}
-- location: 848 Goldberg Street
-- time: Backdated to Mother's Day, late morning

[Climbing out the window to escape the drones in the house has become a regular thing for Mal and he's now reaping what he's sowed by repairing the gutter, half dangling off the edge of the roof. His tailbone remembers that fall well.

He's hoping no one saw it when it happened yesterday but there are just so many neighbors around. Fat chance.]


{Action - Open to all}
-- location: Olney's Tavern
-- time: Backdated to Mother's Day, evening

[Now the real work begins. Mal's serving up drinks at the tavern, and to be truthful, he rather enjoys his job. The only downside is the strange people he sometimes has to be friendly with.]

Howdy. What can I get for you?

Comments

[companioning]

Of course I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?

[She swallows and then carefully climbs up onto one of the bar stools and soothes her skirt around her legs.]

So... [This was a little awkward.]

[captain_tightpants]

Well, you know. This place can be a little gratin' on the morale.

When we first got here, I--... my first and only thought was keepin' you safe. [He "corrects" himself and gets busy polishing the bar with a rag.] Keepin' my crew safe.

Just makin' sure you ain't wantin' for anything. Well, 'sides wantin' to go home. I ain't real capable of that yet.

[companioning]

[Honestly Inara's really not sure what to think of Mal or his most particular behavior. Sure, he had on occasion been pleasant to her, but this? Was just down right strange. But she was not about to complain.

She smiles at him as she rests her hands on the bar.]

Well I'd be lying if I said this place wasn't at all disconcerting... But it could be worse. We could all be beating each other for no good reason. [She's teasing him, she only hopes he gets that.]

[captain_tightpants]

Hey, [he pretends to give her a stern look though he can't wipe away the smirk] we established that that was nobody's fault but the egghead scientist what didn't wrangle his creepifyin' slime properly.

[He seems to get a little more serious now.] 'Sides. I coulda handled things a bit different. We was both put on by a lot of stress an'... things coulda gone better.

[No, Mal did not just apologize. You're hearing things.]

[companioning]

[Inara ducks her head a little, almost as if she's suddenly fascinated by her hands. This is a whole different side of Mal, one she hasn't had the oppurtunity to witness often.

Slowly she looks up again.]

I believe we both could have handled things differently. [She smiles softly.] I... I shouldn't have avoided you for so long. That wasn't fair to you, I'm sorry.