Mal's out by the lake. Practically lives out there, now, it's summer and the air is warm. She likes being outdoors somewhere ungutted by fire or war.

So she has her back to a tree, humming under her breath and flipping a strand of grass in her fingers. The cat is hunting moths somewhere nearby, but she's content to watch the flickering stars.

Orion's been spending more time cooped up in the bar, now that it's winter. And he's really, really not happy about it. He's taken to bothering patrons, chasing their shoelaces about and hunting small scraps of paper.

So when he takes off from the room, one day, Mal's obliged to chase after him and make sure he doesn't get up to any mischief.

So far, Orion's winning the race.

So, it's another day in the bar. And even if Mal's just a little confused that Sands doesn't seem to be anywhere, she doesn't show it.

Just takes her coffee upstairs, curls up on the unmade bed, and stairs into space while the cat purrs at her ankles.

Sands-

Gone home. Back in a day or so. Watch the cat for me?

-Mal

Because LJis being a whore and not letting me upload my photos on my mun journal, I will upload them here and then link them from silverpenlight!

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Mal wakes up on her own, as it turns out, three hours later and curled on Parker's bed next to Sands. She wakes slowly and not entirely happily, cursing under her breath and stretching abused muscles.

Glances over at Sands, frowns, and lightly shakes his shoulder.

"Wake up."

It's morning.

Mal's in a bed.

Mal's in a bed with someone else.







Mal's in a bed with Sands.

"...morning."

Mal's spent time in her room already, very determinedly not crying, but there's a point when she just can't do it alone anymore. So she wanders down the hall, before stopping at a familiar door.

Hesitates, then knocks.

The door opens to outside. The landscape is hilly, and covered in mud and a few stunted trees, although there's a forest in the distance. Ruined buildings in various states of collapse are all around Shalla and Mal, casting weak shadows. Behind them is the half-wrecked Duchess Inn, and Mal sticks her head in the door.

"Polly? I'm going for a walk. Stay here."

Closes the door, and offers a lopsided, not-quite-right grin.

"Welcome to Borogravia."

Ramon -

I'm calling in the debt. I saved your life, now it's time for you to repay that. Sands is in trouble, and he's gone. I really don't know where. Dworkin took him and Santino Salvatore after they'd been fighting, but only Salvatore came back. I'm asking for you to do everything and anything to help me find him and bring him back to the bar.

When this is over, it'll have been paid in full. Let me know when we can talk.

-Mal

Mal's feeling vaguely insomniac. She's been lying awake for a couple hours now, thinking over anything she can think of. Can't seem to get to sleep.

And it's cold.

And Sands has the bed.

Bugger.

Just because. I'm interested to see what I'll get.


(x-posted to silverpenlight

Because it's been a while since this one went by, it's the return of ask Mal anything/tell me something I don't know about her. Because it's fun.

Her room is about the same as usual - window half open, pillowcase covering the bathroom mirror, a half-empty and carefully stoppered bottle of antiseptic peeking out from beneath the couch.