“Kaylee!” Mal sauntered into the mess, late as usual to the meal that everyone else had already begun. His arms were wrapped around each other in their red sleeves for warmth but not so tightly that he looked, you know, cold. He glowered in a big-brotherly way at the girl. “You figure out why we're goin' on three days of chilly on my ship?”

Jayne sniggered a manly snigger down into his plate of protein chow. “ 'Cause that's what come after two days of chilly...” he sassed, loudly enough for the Captain to hear him but softly enough Mal could pretend to miss it. He grinned an evil little boy's grin as the spoon in his fist shoveled another mass of gruel into his face. The whole situation had a mighty entertainment to it.

His young mechanic had looked up with a start, an innocently guilty look on her smudged face, spoon halfway to her mouth. “ Oh! Cap'n... I...” she glanced quickly around at the rest of the crew for reassurance. “I haven't found a thing wrong with Serenity . She's sayin' nothin to me but that she's fit as a fiddle.” She continued to look to Mal for his judgment.

“The life support's fit, is it?” Mal asked, as he sat, hunched over, and pulled some food to him. She nodded a quick wide-eyed affirmation. He continued, “I mean... and just how do you all sit here in your shirt sleeves calmly eating?”

His second in command Zoe answered carefully, “Well, Captain, I'm not finding it especially uncomfortable myself, so I can't say I exactly know what you mean.” She looked at him levelly, and pleasantly.

Her full lips barely twitched as everyone else made “no, I'm fine, it's only a tiny bit cool to me” noises while her husband Wash piped cheerfully up with “Well, Honey, I am doing my best to keep you warm,” and pulled her close to him. She mockingly shoved him back to his place, and the smirk widened into a true smile.

Jayne pointed his spoon at Mal, still grinning just enough to not get himself into trouble. “Ya know, if yer gonna be a pussy about the cold, why doncha jus