The following day, very little happens, except for Vorreedi mentioning that Yenaro has been arrested (by the civil police, for theft, on charges from a ghem-lord Miles has never heard of, as opposed to by Cetagandan security for treason).
Also, Ivan gets bored - with all the bodyguards Vorreedi now requires for them after the incident at the bioestheties exhibition, the possible spontaneity of going out with his ghem girlfriends is much reduced.
But the next day they get to attend the Singing Open of the Great Gates.
And oh, is there ever singing.
Generated:
Post last updated:
singing open the great gates
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Is there ever.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
After half an hour of breathtaking music, the ghem choir moves to their next station. The haut-lady bubbles - great masses of them, hundreds - go in a separate direction from the delegation including the offworlders. There is a buffet, and then float-cars from there to the other side of the Garden.
And then there is more music and more food and more being trundled around, with no contact from the smooth little ba Linyabel has been sending to fetch him. However, there is a different ba, blonde-haired, who may be spotted talking in a low voice to Ivan.
Ivan follows it.
And then there is more music and more food and more being trundled around, with no contact from the smooth little ba Linyabel has been sending to fetch him. However, there is a different ba, blonde-haired, who may be spotted talking in a low voice to Ivan.
Ivan follows it.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
What.
Miles follows the both of them, as fast as he can manage, heedless of Vorreedi's looming supervision - the man has been counting his blinks all damn day, but right now Miles has larger concerns. Because as much as his secret fears might tell him that haut Linyabel is scouting Ivan as a possible replacement Barrayaran escape route, his rational mind is sure of the much more terrifying prospect that this new ba is not working for or with the Star Creche and Ivan is about to be kidnapped and/or assassinated by someone on Kety's side of the gameboard.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
While the gardens here are not designed to be mazes, they do a creditable job of it, and Ivan has a head start and longer legs.
When Miles catches up, Ivan is with an unbubbled haut-chair, its back to Miles, and Ivan is looking at its occupant confused and fascinated and suspicious and enamored in equal measure. The ba is gone already.
A white-robed arm lifts to spray something in Ivan's face, and when Ivan collapses prone across the lady's lap, the bubble snaps back up and zooms away.
When Miles catches up, Ivan is with an unbubbled haut-chair, its back to Miles, and Ivan is looking at its occupant confused and fascinated and suspicious and enamored in equal measure. The ba is gone already.
A white-robed arm lifts to spray something in Ivan's face, and when Ivan collapses prone across the lady's lap, the bubble snaps back up and zooms away.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles bolts after it - futilely; the bubbles aren't all that fast in absolute terms, but they can still bob along faster than he can run. He loses sight of it halfway through the shrubbery, and emerges shortly afterward onto one of the Celestial Garden's main walkways, where half a dozen visually identical white haut-bubbles are floating unhurriedly along the white-jade-paved path.
With a breathless growl, he turns and—stops just short of bouncing off Vorreedi.
"Vorkosigan, what the hell is going on? And where is Vorpatril?"
"I'm just about to go check on that right now," he says, trying without success to sidle out from under Vorreedi's hand on his shoulder. "Sir."
"Cetagandan Security had better know. I'll light up their lives if—"
"I don't think Security can help us on this one," Miles cuts in. "I think I need to talk to a ba servitor. Immediately."
Vorreedi frowns in puzzlement, and as a side effect loosens his grip on Miles, who promptly ducks past him back into the shrubbery. A red-uniformed guard in the black-white-red Imperial face paint is just visible in the distance, approaching them at a fast walk - not nearly bloody fast enough, in Miles's opinion; five minutes earlier he would have been a help, but now he is just one more obstacle. Miles ducks past him too, only hearing half of his "My lords, the pavilion is this way" speech; the guard falters slightly, and then seems to decide that Miles is headed in the right direction and stays to listen to Vorreedi's explanation that they have mislaid Lord Vorpatril and would appreciate his prompt return.
He encounters no ba on his way back to the latest refreshments pavilion, but once inside it, he spots an old bald one right away. Good; that's his favourite variety right now.
"Excuse me, Ba," he addresses it politely. "I must communicate immediately with the haut Lisbet Serise. It's an emergency."
The ba appears slightly puzzled, but leads him a short distance into an otherwise unoccupied service area, where it speaks into its wrist-com briefly. The result of this exchange is a surprised ba yielding its wrist-com to Miles and stepping out of earshot.
With a breathless growl, he turns and—stops just short of bouncing off Vorreedi.
"Vorkosigan, what the hell is going on? And where is Vorpatril?"
"I'm just about to go check on that right now," he says, trying without success to sidle out from under Vorreedi's hand on his shoulder. "Sir."
"Cetagandan Security had better know. I'll light up their lives if—"
"I don't think Security can help us on this one," Miles cuts in. "I think I need to talk to a ba servitor. Immediately."
Vorreedi frowns in puzzlement, and as a side effect loosens his grip on Miles, who promptly ducks past him back into the shrubbery. A red-uniformed guard in the black-white-red Imperial face paint is just visible in the distance, approaching them at a fast walk - not nearly bloody fast enough, in Miles's opinion; five minutes earlier he would have been a help, but now he is just one more obstacle. Miles ducks past him too, only hearing half of his "My lords, the pavilion is this way" speech; the guard falters slightly, and then seems to decide that Miles is headed in the right direction and stays to listen to Vorreedi's explanation that they have mislaid Lord Vorpatril and would appreciate his prompt return.
He encounters no ba on his way back to the latest refreshments pavilion, but once inside it, he spots an old bald one right away. Good; that's his favourite variety right now.
"Excuse me, Ba," he addresses it politely. "I must communicate immediately with the haut Lisbet Serise. It's an emergency."
The ba appears slightly puzzled, but leads him a short distance into an otherwise unoccupied service area, where it speaks into its wrist-com briefly. The result of this exchange is a surprised ba yielding its wrist-com to Miles and stepping out of earshot.
Lisbet Serise
exerce-imperia
"Lord Vorkosigan?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"My cousin Ivan was just knocked out and hauled away in an unidentified haut-bubble," says Miles. "I assume this was not your doing."
Lisbet Serise
exerce-imperia
"Indeed not... but I believe I can remedy it without much trouble," she says. "I will send a servitor for you shortly. Make whatever excuses to your people you deem appropriate. I doubt you will have multiple chances to escape them today."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"...Quite," says Miles. He hands the ba back its comlink and returns to the pavilion, where Vorreedi awaits.
"Miles! There you are. What is going on?"
"Ivan... left with a lady," Miles simplifies. "If you'll allow me, sir, I believe I can retrieve him as discreetly as possible." And if Vorreedi won't allow him, he's damn well going anyway. Miles elects not to mention as much. "Trust my competence, if nothing else," he adds as the silence stretches.
"Discreet, eh? You've made some interesting friends here, Lord Vorkosigan. I'd like to hear a lot more about them."
"Soon, I hope," says Miles.
"Mm... very well. But be prompt."
"I'll do my best, sir," he promises falsely, and scurries out the open side of the pavilion before Vorreedi can change his mind.
"Miles! There you are. What is going on?"
"Ivan... left with a lady," Miles simplifies. "If you'll allow me, sir, I believe I can retrieve him as discreetly as possible." And if Vorreedi won't allow him, he's damn well going anyway. Miles elects not to mention as much. "Trust my competence, if nothing else," he adds as the silence stretches.
"Discreet, eh? You've made some interesting friends here, Lord Vorkosigan. I'd like to hear a lot more about them."
"Soon, I hope," says Miles.
"Mm... very well. But be prompt."
"I'll do my best, sir," he promises falsely, and scurries out the open side of the pavilion before Vorreedi can change his mind.
A float-car, driven by the usual little bald ba, approaches the paviliion. When it sees Miles, it swings closer and halts; the door opens. There is a bubble and an empty seat.
"Sir," says a red-clad guard, intent on making a nuisance of himself. "Galactic guests may not wander the Celestial Garden unaccompanied -"
"I require this man's attendance," says Linyabel's voice sharply from her bubble.
The guard doesn't look happy about it, but - nods.
"Sir," says a red-clad guard, intent on making a nuisance of himself. "Galactic guests may not wander the Celestial Garden unaccompanied -"
"I require this man's attendance," says Linyabel's voice sharply from her bubble.
The guard doesn't look happy about it, but - nods.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles detects a smirk from the little bald ba as he climbs aboard.
The float-car is off as soon as he's aboard.
"Nadina didn't come back with her gene bank," Linyabel murmurs. "But her bubble did. The person in it was being watched but not closely enough, apparently."
"Nadina didn't come back with her gene bank," Linyabel murmurs. "But her bubble did. The person in it was being watched but not closely enough, apparently."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles keeps his mouth shut on his first few responses, all more profane than practical; after a few seconds he manages, "Haut Vio, do we still presume? The hell's she want with Ivan?"
"Vio is a reasonable guess, yes, and I have no idea what she imagined she'd do with your cousin."
They find, as they approach their destination, five bubbles herding - four surrounding, one on top of - a sixth. The force-fields make unpleasant noises when they jostle. The ba drives the float car in after them, the door shuts behind the lot.
They find, as they approach their destination, five bubbles herding - four surrounding, one on top of - a sixth. The force-fields make unpleasant noises when they jostle. The ba drives the float car in after them, the door shuts behind the lot.
Lisbet Serise
exerce-imperia
Standing in the Star Creche loading bay, on the inlaid stone floor that is the room's only concession to haut aesthetics, is Lisbet Serise in flowing white robes and out of her haut-chair. She looks calm and unruffled.
The five haut-herders retreat away from their prisoner, settle to the floor, and disembubble to reveal five consorts, haut Pel among them. The sixth bubble stays where it is, force-screen still stubbornly engaged.
"I suggest that you surrender now," says Lisbet. "Currently, you have a chance at mercy."
The five haut-herders retreat away from their prisoner, settle to the floor, and disembubble to reveal five consorts, haut Pel among them. The sixth bubble stays where it is, force-screen still stubbornly engaged.
"I suggest that you surrender now," says Lisbet. "Currently, you have a chance at mercy."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles disembarks from the float-car and circles the assembled consorts to stand closer to Lisbet; he gets the sense that the bubble is facing her, and if and when it opens, he would rather be looking at the occupant(s) than at the back of a float-chair.
Lisbet Serise
exerce-imperia
The haut Lisbet waits for a few more seconds, then pulls a pen-like object engraved with the red screaming-bird seal from her sleeve. When she points it at the recalcitrant bubble, the force-screen winks out and the float-chair within drops like a large expensive rock. Lisbet tucks the override control back in her sleeve and steps forward.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Vio is in there, and with Ivan in her arms, supported awkwardly in one arm while the other holds a knife to his throat.
"Move against me," she hisses, "and your Barrayaran servitor dies."
Linyabel, debubbled but still in her silently floating chair, exits the float-car, out of sight of Vio. She makes a gesture at Miles that could be interpreted as, perhaps, stall, and makes for a door.
"Move against me," she hisses, "and your Barrayaran servitor dies."
Linyabel, debubbled but still in her silently floating chair, exits the float-car, out of sight of Vio. She makes a gesture at Miles that could be interpreted as, perhaps, stall, and makes for a door.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles, half in obedience to this directive and half out of conveniently genuine indignation, squawks.
"Ivan? For heaven's sake! Ivan's not the man you want!"
"Ivan? For heaven's sake! Ivan's not the man you want!"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linyabel gets out of the room without alerting Vio.
"What?" asks Vio darkly.
"What?" asks Vio darkly.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Agh!" he exclaims, pacing agitatedly next to Lisbet. "What did you think? That because he's taller, and, and cuter, he had to be running the damn show? It's the haut way, isn't it? You bloody Cetagandan nincompoops, I'm the brains of this outfit! I've been onto you from Day One! But no, of course it had to be Ivan. Nobody ever takes me seriously!" He throws up his hands. "So you went and kidnapped the wrong man - you just blew your cover for the sake of grabbing the expendable one!"
Vio seems transfixed, nearly as paralyzed as the Vorpatril in her arms. Her erstwhile sheepdogs nearly as much so.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Great, now where the hell is Linyabel? Miles keeps going.
"It's been like this since we were little kids, y'know? Whenever the two of us were together, they'd always talk to him first, like I was some kind of idiot alien who needed an interpreter. And I! Am! Sick of it!"
"It's been like this since we were little kids, y'know? Whenever the two of us were together, they'd always talk to him first, like I was some kind of idiot alien who needed an interpreter. And I! Am! Sick of it!"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
And at this climactic juncture, Linyabel reappears and stuns Vio neatly. The knife twitches spasmodically in her hand.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles bolts forward to catch Ivan as he slumps out of the unconscious haut-woman's lap, caught by the nimbus of the stun. The alarming red line along Ivan's neck proves to be just a surface cut; Miles presses his handkerchief to it and asks of whoever might be listening, "Stun on top of whatever drug-mist she knocked him out with - is he in medical danger?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I think not," opines the haut Pel, getting up from her chair to examine the contents of Vio's sleeves. She wafts fumes from the bulb of mist to her face to check by way of the smell, then says, "Ah - no, he's in no danger. It will wear off harmlessly. He'll be very sick when he wakes up, though."
"I'll get him some synergine," volunteers Linyabel, and she floats away again.
"I'll get him some synergine," volunteers Linyabel, and she floats away again.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles takes a few deep breaths and turns to Lisbet.
"Right. Now what?"
"Right. Now what?"
Lisbet Serise
exerce-imperia
"Now... we consider our response," she says, staring meditatively down at the unconscious Vio. "And question haut Vio. But you need not be involved in that part."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"No," he agrees. "I should be—"
He blinks, and stares at haut Vio's stolen float-chair as though seeing it for the first time.
"—I should be infiltrating Kety's ship," he breathes. "Oh yes. It's perfect. Listen - would I be right in saying that the Celestial Lady keys these float-chairs to their operators? Could you key them to anyone?"
He blinks, and stares at haut Vio's stolen float-chair as though seeing it for the first time.
"—I should be infiltrating Kety's ship," he breathes. "Oh yes. It's perfect. Listen - would I be right in saying that the Celestial Lady keys these float-chairs to their operators? Could you key them to anyone?"
Lisbet Serise
exerce-imperia
"To any haut-woman," says Lisbet. "What - you propose to sneak aboard as Vio's prisoner, letting some other person play the part of Vio?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Yes. That is exactly what I propose."
Lisbet Serise
exerce-imperia
Lisbet smiles.
"I like it."
"I like it."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linyabel reappears, synergine-loaded hypospray in hand.
Lisbet Serise
exerce-imperia
"I believe this mission will require an unusual degree of practicality," says Lisbet. "Haut Linyabel, how do you feel about impersonating Vio to smuggle Lord Vorkosigan aboard Kety's ship in this bubble?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I suppose the bubble could obscure my voice, and - well, ideally, I'd have acting experience and have ever met her before, but we're probably short on both resources, aren't we. I'm willing."
Lisbet Serise
exerce-imperia
"I would do a better job at the impersonation, but I am reluctant to deliver myself to Kety; he would have too many potential uses for me. You lack strategic importance, and your temperament is suitable even if your experience is not. You'll do." She turns to Miles. "I suggest you contact your party and make soothing noises to keep them from coming after you while we arrange this."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Certainly, if someone will lead me to a comconsole."
Someone leads him to a comconsole. He provides Ambassador Vorob'yev with the first plausible lie that pops into his head - oh, Ivan's getting a tour of the Star Creche, he suffered an attack of cousinly competitiveness, they'll be returning to the party as soon as they can get away without insulting their hostess, which shouldn't be all that long but Miles suggests that no one hold their breath. He promises quite sincerely to restrain Ivan from attempting to Ivan any haut-women, and follows his escort back to the freight bay.
Someone leads him to a comconsole. He provides Ambassador Vorob'yev with the first plausible lie that pops into his head - oh, Ivan's getting a tour of the Star Creche, he suffered an attack of cousinly competitiveness, they'll be returning to the party as soon as they can get away without insulting their hostess, which shouldn't be all that long but Miles suggests that no one hold their breath. He promises quite sincerely to restrain Ivan from attempting to Ivan any haut-women, and follows his escort back to the freight bay.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
Ivan, thoroughly unconscious (though breathing evenly) on the floor of the freight bay, is in no condition to Ivan anybody at all.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linyabel collects Vio's belongings in case she'll need to account for any of them to Kety or his other helpers.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"My people will remain soothed for at least the next hour," Miles reports to Lisbet. "If Ivan wakes up, I'm sure you won't have any trouble keeping him under control. If - something goes wrong - I suggest you go directly to ghem-colonel Benin, to your Emperor, or both. My professional analysis of the situation is that Governor Kety's repeatedly demonstrated ability to diddle what everyone fondly believed were diddle-proof systems says in no uncertain terms that he has highly placed security connections, and allowing that person or people to get within rescuing distance could prove disastrous."
Lisbet Serise
exerce-imperia
"Your logic is very convincing and your advice is noted," says Lisbet. "Good luck to you both." She stands back from the reconfigured float-chair.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linyabel assumes Vio's place in it, faint apprehension on her face but unhesitating.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles climbs onto the armrest and allows himself a moment of deep regret that he is going into combat in dress blacks and riding boots, without so much as a stunner to his name - they're bound to pass through a security scanner or two that would recognize an energy weapon's power pack even behind a haut-bubble force-screen. Whatever little goodies Linyabel took from Vio will have to suffice.
"How many doses of that drug-mist was she carrying?" he murmurs. "And do you know how to work it? Point and squirt and hope the target breathes...?"
"How many doses of that drug-mist was she carrying?" he murmurs. "And do you know how to work it? Point and squirt and hope the target breathes...?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linya sloshes the substance around in its bulb and listens. "Two more doses, maybe. I imagine it does need to be inhaled -?" She looks at Pel, who nods. "We should go slip into Kety's delegation right away, unless there are more things I need to know?" She looks at Lisbet.
Lisbet Serise
exerce-imperia
"You could wait for us to question haut Vio, but there isn't time. Go."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linyabel nods and puts the screen up, and fiddles with the controls to distort her voice as much as possible.
"I can set it to block relatively soft sound," she murmurs to Miles, "but don't assume I have done unless I say so and definitely don't be loud."
And off she goes to sidle up to Kety's delegation.
"I can set it to block relatively soft sound," she murmurs to Miles, "but don't assume I have done unless I say so and definitely don't be loud."
And off she goes to sidle up to Kety's delegation.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Understood," he murmurs back.
When they reach haut Kety, Miles stares moodily through the force-screen at the Sigma Cetan governor's artificially grey-touched hair.
When they reach haut Kety, Miles stares moodily through the force-screen at the Sigma Cetan governor's artificially grey-touched hair.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Kety gestures Vio's bubble with its human contraband into his own vehicle. "You're late," he remarks. "Complications?"
"Nothing insoluble," says Linyabel, imitating the accent of Vio's age-cohort as best she can and trusting the bubble to handle the rest.
"I'm sure, my love," says Kety, and Linyabel makes a face. "Keep your force-screen up till we're aboard."
"Yes," agrees Linyabel.
She gets on, she fiddles with the controls. "This will do until he talks to me again - I think it is probably safe to assume that Nadina would rather we prioritize the Key over her personal safety, but obviously plans allowing the safe retrieval of both would be the best."
"Nothing insoluble," says Linyabel, imitating the accent of Vio's age-cohort as best she can and trusting the bubble to handle the rest.
"I'm sure, my love," says Kety, and Linyabel makes a face. "Keep your force-screen up till we're aboard."
"Yes," agrees Linyabel.
She gets on, she fiddles with the controls. "This will do until he talks to me again - I think it is probably safe to assume that Nadina would rather we prioritize the Key over her personal safety, but obviously plans allowing the safe retrieval of both would be the best."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
(Miles makes a face, too, at that endearment.)
"The Key will be in a cipher lab, but that's a what, not a where," he murmurs once Linyabel engages the soundproofing. "Nadina might know where Kety set up the lab, if he's tried to get her to give up information about the Key, and brought her to it in the process. Of course, that leaves the question of where he put Nadina... the brig's probably too public. Maybe a cabin? Close to his personal quarters, to keep her under his eye...? I'm just guessing here."
"The Key will be in a cipher lab, but that's a what, not a where," he murmurs once Linyabel engages the soundproofing. "Nadina might know where Kety set up the lab, if he's tried to get her to give up information about the Key, and brought her to it in the process. Of course, that leaves the question of where he put Nadina... the brig's probably too public. Maybe a cabin? Close to his personal quarters, to keep her under his eye...? I'm just guessing here."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Somewhere private, so when he staged whatever scene he has in mind involving her and your cousin it wouldn't leave a motive trail to him."
Kety looks over his shoulder; Linyabel puts one finger over Miles's lips and fiddles with the chair controls. "Is he waking up yet?" Kety asks.
"Not yet," replies Linyabel.
"I want to question him, before. I must know how much they know."
"There is time."
"Barely." That seemed to be that; she adjusts her controls again and takes her hand from his mouth.
Kety looks over his shoulder; Linyabel puts one finger over Miles's lips and fiddles with the chair controls. "Is he waking up yet?" Kety asks.
"Not yet," replies Linyabel.
"I want to question him, before. I must know how much they know."
"There is time."
"Barely." That seemed to be that; she adjusts her controls again and takes her hand from his mouth.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Her gesture is very successful at getting Miles to sit still and shut up. It takes him a few seconds after she removes her hand to re-engage his brain.
"I can't imagine he's planning to stage the scene with Ivan and Nadina on board his own ship," he murmurs. "Nor the Celestial Garden again. Something planetside, I'd bet, but not there. Let's start with Nadina; you can keep a widget most anywhere, but keeping a person requires facilities. Fewer places to look."
"I can't imagine he's planning to stage the scene with Ivan and Nadina on board his own ship," he murmurs. "Nor the Celestial Garden again. Something planetside, I'd bet, but not there. Let's start with Nadina; you can keep a widget most anywhere, but keeping a person requires facilities. Fewer places to look."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"And she may know something useful," agrees Linyabel.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Yeah, exactly. Use the one to narrow down the other."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Assuming she's all right. If Lord Vorpatril was intended to be usable in the staging while recently drugged she might not be in particularly good condition."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Well... we'll see."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linyabel nods.
The vehicle arrives where it's going; the shuttle loads up; the ensuing shuffle of people and things distracts the governor sufficiently that he doesn't try to talk to "Vio" again. Ghem-General Chilian doesn't try to speak to "his wife" either, perhaps not knowing that she's there in Nadina's bubble; Linyabel pilots the chair through the crowd according to Kety's gestures without having to speak again. The shuttle goes up.
When the shuttle is docked at the ship, Kety leads them to a corridor of suites. One cabin door down the hall has a single liveried guard, standing at attention as soon as he sees Kety, standing outside its door. Kety goes into another room, though.
"Possibly Nadina," murmurs Linyabel.
The vehicle arrives where it's going; the shuttle loads up; the ensuing shuffle of people and things distracts the governor sufficiently that he doesn't try to talk to "Vio" again. Ghem-General Chilian doesn't try to speak to "his wife" either, perhaps not knowing that she's there in Nadina's bubble; Linyabel pilots the chair through the crowd according to Kety's gestures without having to speak again. The shuttle goes up.
When the shuttle is docked at the ship, Kety leads them to a corridor of suites. One cabin door down the hall has a single liveried guard, standing at attention as soon as he sees Kety, standing outside its door. Kety goes into another room, though.
"Possibly Nadina," murmurs Linyabel.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Damn unlikely to be anything else," Miles murmurs back.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
The governor leads Linyabel into an unused cabin. When he opens his mouth to speak, she again touches Miles's lips and dials up the permitted sound permeability of her bubble.
"Can you keep him under control chemically, or must we have some guards?" Kety asks.
"Chemically," replies Linyabel. "I will need," she invents, "synergine and fast-penta. Including a patch to check for induced allergies, as I doubt you want him dead here."
"Clarium?" asks Kety.
...Linyabel doesn't know that one. She glances at Miles.
"Can you keep him under control chemically, or must we have some guards?" Kety asks.
"Chemically," replies Linyabel. "I will need," she invents, "synergine and fast-penta. Including a patch to check for induced allergies, as I doubt you want him dead here."
"Clarium?" asks Kety.
...Linyabel doesn't know that one. She glances at Miles.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles nods. It's a standard military interrogation tranquilizer, which of course Linyabel has no reason to know, but Kety seems to think Vio would.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"That, too," Linyabel agrees.
"No chance of his waking up before I get back, is there?" Kety asks.
"No. I dosed him very thoroughly."
"Hm. Please be more discreet, my love. We don't want excessive chemical residues left on autopsy. Though with lucky, there will not be enough left to autopsy."
"Of course," Linyabel agrees, making the face again when he calls her his love.
"Good."
"I'll await you," she adds coolly.
"Let me help you lay him out. It must be crowded in there."
"I'm using him for a footrest," she says, rolling her eyes but letting none of the exasperation into her voice. "I'm so comfortable - please let me enjoy my chair a little longer," eyeroll, "my love. It has been so long."
Kety is amused. "Soon enough, you shall have more privileges than the Empress ever had. And all the outworlders at your feet you may desire."
He nods at the bubble, and strides off.
Control panel rejigger. Hand down in lap again. "Thank you."
"No chance of his waking up before I get back, is there?" Kety asks.
"No. I dosed him very thoroughly."
"Hm. Please be more discreet, my love. We don't want excessive chemical residues left on autopsy. Though with lucky, there will not be enough left to autopsy."
"Of course," Linyabel agrees, making the face again when he calls her his love.
"Good."
"I'll await you," she adds coolly.
"Let me help you lay him out. It must be crowded in there."
"I'm using him for a footrest," she says, rolling her eyes but letting none of the exasperation into her voice. "I'm so comfortable - please let me enjoy my chair a little longer," eyeroll, "my love. It has been so long."
Kety is amused. "Soon enough, you shall have more privileges than the Empress ever had. And all the outworlders at your feet you may desire."
He nods at the bubble, and strides off.
Control panel rejigger. Hand down in lap again. "Thank you."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"—Er? Oh," he says, catching up. "For clarium. Yeah. It's a tranquilizer."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Good to know. Mist the guard, finesse the door, get Nadina?" she says. "He'll probably take longer to yell that I'm not who he's expecting if you're hidden and give me more chance to get in with the drug."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Maybe we should've misted Kety," sighs Miles. "No, Kety probably has better reaction time than his goons. If he ducked we'd be screwed."
He climbs around back of the float-chair, clinging for dear life to the high graceful arch of its back while his boots find minimal-to-nonexistent traction on the base.
He climbs around back of the float-chair, clinging for dear life to the high graceful arch of its back while his boots find minimal-to-nonexistent traction on the base.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linyabel floats out of the empty cabin, and checks that the corridor is empty. She approaches the guard. "Servitor," she says, with all the hauteur she possesses.
"Haut." He nods respectfully, and when he's about to inhale to continue his utterance, she flicks her bubble off quick as a wink and sprays him in the face. Down he goes; the chair rocks. She seizes the guard's hand and presses it to the palm-lock without further ado.
And there's Nadina, sitting on a couch. Her arms and legs are free, if short several bolts of fancy cloth (she isn't nude, just - reduced, somewhat). She is attached to the floor only by her hair, and by the end of it at that, leaving her meters of room to move about. Linyabel eases the guard quietly to the floor and floats forward. "Haut Nadina, are you injured?" she asks, shucking a couple of layers of white mourning to transfer over for the sake of Nadina's dignity. She also offers over Vio's knife. "You're going to have to cut it."
"Haut." He nods respectfully, and when he's about to inhale to continue his utterance, she flicks her bubble off quick as a wink and sprays him in the face. Down he goes; the chair rocks. She seizes the guard's hand and presses it to the palm-lock without further ado.
And there's Nadina, sitting on a couch. Her arms and legs are free, if short several bolts of fancy cloth (she isn't nude, just - reduced, somewhat). She is attached to the floor only by her hair, and by the end of it at that, leaving her meters of room to move about. Linyabel eases the guard quietly to the floor and floats forward. "Haut Nadina, are you injured?" she asks, shucking a couple of layers of white mourning to transfer over for the sake of Nadina's dignity. She also offers over Vio's knife. "You're going to have to cut it."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles makes a quick inspection of the premises, then starts searching the guard's pockets for anything useful. Such as this vibra-knife, excellent, in case haut Nadina wants a finer cut than the mere sharp edge supplied by haut Vio. He returns to the two ladies with this prize.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I," says Nadina, atremble.
"We are under time pressure. Unless there's a key in this room?"
"Vio had it -"
"I took her belongings but none of them are a key. I can make the cut if you can't. And then we need to get the Great Key - do you know where he keeps it?"
"Yes, it's -" Nadina has the ordinary blade; Linyabel snatches the vibra-knife out of Mile's hand rather than risk Nadina refusing to give hers up, and slices off the end of Nadina's hair from the trap while she's distracted midsentence. "Oh -" Nadina tears up, but speaks on. "I - I can direct you."
"We are under time pressure. Unless there's a key in this room?"
"Vio had it -"
"I took her belongings but none of them are a key. I can make the cut if you can't. And then we need to get the Great Key - do you know where he keeps it?"
"Yes, it's -" Nadina has the ordinary blade; Linyabel snatches the vibra-knife out of Mile's hand rather than risk Nadina refusing to give hers up, and slices off the end of Nadina's hair from the trap while she's distracted midsentence. "Oh -" Nadina tears up, but speaks on. "I - I can direct you."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles takes the opportunity to grab the guard's stunner, now that they are on their way out. He's a little dubious about loading three people onto that poor float-chair, but it's not like they have a better option. Up onto the back he goes.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linyabel gives the vibra-knife back to Miles, and boards the chair again. Nadina sits sort of across her lap, leaning awkwardly so that Linyabel can see to pilot. When Miles is clinging to the back again, there being no longer any room on the armrests, Linyabel brings up the bubble once more in sound suppression mode, and the chair lurches out the door. It makes a discontented whirring noise at the overload.
"Down this way, turn here," says Nadina. They pass a servitor, who bows, gets out of the way, and doesn't look over his shoulder at them when they've passed. Nadina has the end of her hair in her lap and she is looking disconsolately at the cut ends.
"Did Kety get you to say anything he ought not to know?" Linyabel asks her.
"No," says Nadina.
"Down this way, turn here," says Nadina. They pass a servitor, who bows, gets out of the way, and doesn't look over his shoulder at them when they've passed. Nadina has the end of her hair in her lap and she is looking disconsolately at the cut ends.
"Did Kety get you to say anything he ought not to know?" Linyabel asks her.
"No," says Nadina.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"...He didn't just use fast-penta?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"It doesn't work on haut-women," explains Linyabel.
They go down a deck, down another corridor. And come to a door.
"This is it," says Nadina.
"Do people go in and out? If I knock will someone open the door?" Linyabel asks.
"Knocking may - you're pretending to be Vio?"
"Yes."
"Then - yes, try it, say you've brought me along to retry, maybe."
Linyabel checks for observers, spies none, and drops the bubble only long enough to rap on the door, then pulls it up again. "Shh -"
A pale man in Kety's livery who looks like he hasn't slept in a week opens the door, scans the bubble with some device for scanning bubbles, and says, "Yes, haut Vio?"
"I have brought the haut Nadina, to try again," says Linyabel.
"I don't think we're going to need her," says the man, "but you can talk to the general."
And just like that, they're in. Linyabel suppresses outgoing sound yet again.
The cipher lab is full of empty caffeinated beverages and commercial painkillers and assorted electronic equipment. Besides the man who let them in, there is another in the same uniform, and leaning over his shoulder, the general.
It's not Chilian; it's a younger man, wearing the Imperial Security uniform, though not in inspection-ready condition; they've all been shorting themselves on sleep, it would seem.
"All right," says the tech that the General is supervising, "start over with branch seven thousand, three hundred and six. Only seven hundred more to go, and we'll have it, I swear."
Linyabel's attention, however, is on a pile of eight Great Keys, or possibly mostly decoy Great Keys.
"Nadina. Which one is it?"
"I'm not sure," flitters Nadina.
"And it could be none of them," Linyabel mutters, "or we could seize them all and sort it out later."
They go down a deck, down another corridor. And come to a door.
"This is it," says Nadina.
"Do people go in and out? If I knock will someone open the door?" Linyabel asks.
"Knocking may - you're pretending to be Vio?"
"Yes."
"Then - yes, try it, say you've brought me along to retry, maybe."
Linyabel checks for observers, spies none, and drops the bubble only long enough to rap on the door, then pulls it up again. "Shh -"
A pale man in Kety's livery who looks like he hasn't slept in a week opens the door, scans the bubble with some device for scanning bubbles, and says, "Yes, haut Vio?"
"I have brought the haut Nadina, to try again," says Linyabel.
"I don't think we're going to need her," says the man, "but you can talk to the general."
And just like that, they're in. Linyabel suppresses outgoing sound yet again.
The cipher lab is full of empty caffeinated beverages and commercial painkillers and assorted electronic equipment. Besides the man who let them in, there is another in the same uniform, and leaning over his shoulder, the general.
It's not Chilian; it's a younger man, wearing the Imperial Security uniform, though not in inspection-ready condition; they've all been shorting themselves on sleep, it would seem.
"All right," says the tech that the General is supervising, "start over with branch seven thousand, three hundred and six. Only seven hundred more to go, and we'll have it, I swear."
Linyabel's attention, however, is on a pile of eight Great Keys, or possibly mostly decoy Great Keys.
"Nadina. Which one is it?"
"I'm not sure," flitters Nadina.
"And it could be none of them," Linyabel mutters, "or we could seize them all and sort it out later."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"No..." murmurs Miles. "I mean, yes, of course we grab them all, but - listen to that tech, they're still trying to get into the thing. Which means it can't be any of the ones in the pile. They'll have it somewhere in this room, hooked up to whatever they're using to try to crack it. I guess Lura couldn't get its hands on a copy of the opener seal."
He calculates. That guard's stunner is a weapon of strict last resort; fire it in here and alarms are bound to go off, alerting Kety and making any subsequent escape into a very tricky prospect indeed. But they have one officer and two techs to deal with: three enemies, and only one dose of knockout mist. And hell, Miles recognizes that officer. Ghem-General Naru, third-in-command among the Celestial Garden's Imperial security. No bloody wonder Kety's been able to make their security arrangements dance to his tune.
He calculates. That guard's stunner is a weapon of strict last resort; fire it in here and alarms are bound to go off, alerting Kety and making any subsequent escape into a very tricky prospect indeed. But they have one officer and two techs to deal with: three enemies, and only one dose of knockout mist. And hell, Miles recognizes that officer. Ghem-General Naru, third-in-command among the Celestial Garden's Imperial security. No bloody wonder Kety's been able to make their security arrangements dance to his tune.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I have an opener seal," Linyabel says.
"Yes, Vio," says ghem-General Naru. "What is it now?" he asks cotemptuously.
"Shh," says Linyabel, and she allows sound, and says in tones of great offense, "Mind how you speak to me, sir."
Naru grimaces. "Being back in your bubble makes you proud again, I see. Enjoy it while it lasts. We'll have all of those damned bitches pried out of their little fortresses after this. Their days of being cloaked by the Emperor's blindness and stupidity are numbered, I assure you, haut Vio."
Linyabel closes the sound output, judging it safe to spend a minute or two being taken aback.
"Yes, Vio," says ghem-General Naru. "What is it now?" he asks cotemptuously.
"Shh," says Linyabel, and she allows sound, and says in tones of great offense, "Mind how you speak to me, sir."
Naru grimaces. "Being back in your bubble makes you proud again, I see. Enjoy it while it lasts. We'll have all of those damned bitches pried out of their little fortresses after this. Their days of being cloaked by the Emperor's blindness and stupidity are numbered, I assure you, haut Vio."
Linyabel closes the sound output, judging it safe to spend a minute or two being taken aback.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"For God's sake keep that opener seal out of sight," says Miles. "They'd kill you for it in a hot second... do you think you can get ghem-General Naru there with the last dose of sleepy-juice? If you take him out I can see about the other two - try to threaten them into a nice quiet surrender, because if I fire a stunner in this room all hell will break loose."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I can try," Linyabel mutters. She readies the bulb, drops her force screen, lurches towards the General (who is still waiting for her reply to his denouncement), and - falls short when he startles back and yells a warning rather than staying put and breathing in.
Nadina makes for the heap of keys and scoops them all up.
Nadina makes for the heap of keys and scoops them all up.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Oh fuck," says Miles.
He leaps free of the float-chair, drops both techs with a stunner blast each, and grazes Naru with the third shot, slowing him down considerably. No time to hit him again - Miles follows the tangle of cables from the tech's comconsole until he finds the Great Key, pinned under the glare of a com light-beam, in a box shoved behind some other equipment. He snatches it away and dashes back to the float-chair to hand it to Linyabel, then turns and fires again at the groaning, lumbering Naru. The second shot downs him just fine.
He leaps free of the float-chair, drops both techs with a stunner blast each, and grazes Naru with the third shot, slowing him down considerably. No time to hit him again - Miles follows the tangle of cables from the tech's comconsole until he finds the Great Key, pinned under the glare of a com light-beam, in a box shoved behind some other equipment. He snatches it away and dashes back to the float-chair to hand it to Linyabel, then turns and fires again at the groaning, lumbering Naru. The second shot downs him just fine.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linyabel takes the real Key, Nadina sits on her again with the fake Keys. "Get on, let's go -"
The door hisses open, and it wasn't her opening it.
The door hisses open, and it wasn't her opening it.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles fires his stunner at whoever is coming through and hops back onto his rearward perch. "I'm on! Force-screen up!"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Down goes a trooper; up goes the screen, protecting them all from massed stunner fire; but the door is rather blocked by more personnel, leaving them trapped.
Governor Kety strolls through the door, and palm-locks it. "Well, well," he says, almost serenely. "What have we here?"
Governor Kety strolls through the door, and palm-locks it. "Well, well," he says, almost serenely. "What have we here?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles growls under his breath. They have everything, he and Linyabel - the Key, Nadina - everything except an escape route. And Kety needs some way to extract them all from this bubble... but they know he has such a way, because he managed it with Nadina. There's no way the float-chair's puny comlink can reach all the way to the Star Creche from here. If only they could—get a signal out—
"Ah-ha," he mutters, craning around the back of the chair to address Linyabel's ear. "Listen - could you download the Great Key onto this chair? I just had a crazy brilliant idea."
"Ah-ha," he mutters, craning around the back of the chair to address Linyabel's ear. "Listen - could you download the Great Key onto this chair? I just had a crazy brilliant idea."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"...yes," says Linyabel, producing the key-opener ring and opening up the real Key in her hand. "The chair's comlink can't reach all the way planetside to get it back to the Star Creche, though."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Doesn't have to. We'll send it as a distress signal - there's a booster on the orbital transfer station, right next to this ship; I know the codes. Patch it through that, maximum emergency override, and it goes to every ship and station currently in the Eta Ceta star system. No damn good to any of them, of course, without the gene bank to go with it - but it'll get back to the Star Creche for sure. And I'd like to see Kety try to keep a lid on his little plot after that. Can you do it? And keep him out of the bubble long enough for all the information to get through?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I don't know how he cracks the bubbles - Nadina? -"
"It'll take a while," Nadina says. "Half an hour last time, I assume they've changed the codes or he'd be through already."
"But - yes, I think this qualifies as an emergency -" Linyabel starts fussing with her various devices and the controls of the chair. "There. It's started."
"It'll take a while," Nadina says. "Half an hour last time, I assume they've changed the codes or he'd be through already."
"But - yes, I think this qualifies as an emergency -" Linyabel starts fussing with her various devices and the controls of the chair. "There. It's started."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles rattles off the codes for the distress booster.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linyabel applies them, and some more besides - "Lisbet gave me an Imperial override, thank you Lisbet - there."
Kety, meanwhile, is apparently ready to wait his half-hour to crack the bubble open again, but:
"Haut-governor," comes a nervous subordinate's voice. "We are experiencing a peculiar communication over emergency channels. An enormous data dump is being speed-loaded onto our systems. Some kind of coded gibberish, but it has exceeded the memory capacity of the receiver and is spilling over into other systems like a virus. It's marked with an Imperial override. The initial signal appears to be originating from our ship. Is this... something you intend?"
It is not something Kety intends. He swears. "No. Get ghem-General Naru and his people awake! We have to get this force-screen down now!"
There follow creative medical attempts to revive the stunned techs and general.
Kety, meanwhile, is apparently ready to wait his half-hour to crack the bubble open again, but:
"Haut-governor," comes a nervous subordinate's voice. "We are experiencing a peculiar communication over emergency channels. An enormous data dump is being speed-loaded onto our systems. Some kind of coded gibberish, but it has exceeded the memory capacity of the receiver and is spilling over into other systems like a virus. It's marked with an Imperial override. The initial signal appears to be originating from our ship. Is this... something you intend?"
It is not something Kety intends. He swears. "No. Get ghem-General Naru and his people awake! We have to get this force-screen down now!"
There follow creative medical attempts to revive the stunned techs and general.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles clings to the back of the float-chair and cackles wildly.
Unfortunately for him, the back of the float-chair is not really designed for this sort of thing. Caution and determination have kept him in place so far; now, just as his laughter begins to calm, he slips. His cramped fingers are too slow to catch him. The force-screen makes a sound like a dropped wasp's nest when he hits it - a crackling thump and a rising angry buzz. And everywhere he touches the surface is one continuous painful shock until he breaks contact. He yelps and tries to climb back up onto the chair, but only manages to roll underneath it, his feet kicking the power pack at the back while his hands flail for purchase on the footrest and his head bumps the undercarriage in his efforts to keep his face off the buzzing force-screen.
Unfortunately for him, the back of the float-chair is not really designed for this sort of thing. Caution and determination have kept him in place so far; now, just as his laughter begins to calm, he slips. His cramped fingers are too slow to catch him. The force-screen makes a sound like a dropped wasp's nest when he hits it - a crackling thump and a rising angry buzz. And everywhere he touches the surface is one continuous painful shock until he breaks contact. He yelps and tries to climb back up onto the chair, but only manages to roll underneath it, his feet kicking the power pack at the back while his hands flail for purchase on the footrest and his head bumps the undercarriage in his efforts to keep his face off the buzzing force-screen.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Nadina," says Linyabel, trying to reach under the chair. "Help -"
Eventually, between the two of them, Linyabel manages to pick him up and - hold him, without having to lose all three of them the bubble's protection. She can't really put him down; there's nowhere to put him. He's sort of tucked under her arm.
Eventually, between the two of them, Linyabel manages to pick him up and - hold him, without having to lose all three of them the bubble's protection. She can't really put him down; there's nowhere to put him. He's sort of tucked under her arm.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Hopefully she won't mind if he just sort of groans a bit and then clings to her.
It is around this time that a spot on the door begins to glow.
It is around this time that a spot on the door begins to glow.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linyabel doesn't mind.
The door bursts inward in a spray of molten plastic and metal, and in comes ghem-Colonel Benin, and a thoroughly armed squad behind him.
Kety's people spontaneously decide in favor of surrender.
Vorreedi steps in behind Benin. Ivan is there, too, shifting anxiously.
"Good evening, haut Kety," says Benin, bowing cordially. "By the personal order of Emperor Fletchir Giaja, it is my duty to arrest you and ghem-General Naru both upon the serious charge of treason to the Empire. And," he adds, smiling, "complicity in the murder of the Imperial Servitor the Ba Lura."
Linyabel relaxes considerably, though not enough to drop Miles, and she doesn't take down the force screen until the arrests are all complete. Then she takes it down to let Nadina out and rearrange Miles more comfortably on the chair's arm, her own arm around him to steady him there.
The door bursts inward in a spray of molten plastic and metal, and in comes ghem-Colonel Benin, and a thoroughly armed squad behind him.
Kety's people spontaneously decide in favor of surrender.
Vorreedi steps in behind Benin. Ivan is there, too, shifting anxiously.
"Good evening, haut Kety," says Benin, bowing cordially. "By the personal order of Emperor Fletchir Giaja, it is my duty to arrest you and ghem-General Naru both upon the serious charge of treason to the Empire. And," he adds, smiling, "complicity in the murder of the Imperial Servitor the Ba Lura."
Linyabel relaxes considerably, though not enough to drop Miles, and she doesn't take down the force screen until the arrests are all complete. Then she takes it down to let Nadina out and rearrange Miles more comfortably on the chair's arm, her own arm around him to steady him there.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles decides that he is totally willing to keep leaning on Linyabel until such time as she tells him to get lost or somebody picks him up and hauls him bodily away.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
Of all the things Ivan could be having a reaction to, the sight of Miles perched on the arm of a haut-lady's float-chair with her arm around him appears to be the most pressing, but he doesn't formulate an immediate verbal comment.
Kety growls, "Congratulations, Lord Vorpatril. I hope you may be fortunate enough to survive your victory."
"Huh?" says Ivan.
The arrestees are marched away before anyone elaborates.
"Miles," says Ivan, sighing, "are you all right?"
Kety growls, "Congratulations, Lord Vorpatril. I hope you may be fortunate enough to survive your victory."
"Huh?" says Ivan.
The arrestees are marched away before anyone elaborates.
"Miles," says Ivan, sighing, "are you all right?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Wurgh," says Miles, then clears his throat and tries again. "F-fell onto the inside of the force-screen. The ladies hauled me off it. I'll be fine. I'm not entirely looking forward to the next time I have to walk, but luckily there's this float-chair..."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
Ivan looks quizzically at Linyabel.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linyabel raises an eloquent eyebrow at Ivan, and transfers Miles to her lap, pointedly.
Vorreedi looks Miles up and down. "It might be more convenient if you'd been injured by an attacker. Vorob'yev is going to need all the ammunition he can get. You have created the most extraordinary public incident of his career, I suspect."
Vorreedi looks Miles up and down. "It might be more convenient if you'd been injured by an attacker. Vorob'yev is going to need all the ammunition he can get. You have created the most extraordinary public incident of his career, I suspect."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Fat chance of it staying public," Miles mutters, leaning dizzily on Linyabel. He resists the urge to burrow. Just sitting in a haut-lady's lap is probably quite enough of an etiquette breach, without also having the temerity to cuddle her...
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
Nadina, meanwhile, is being supplied with another float-chair and more supplementation to her outfit and ghem-lady attendants. Linyabel gets a ghem-lady attendant too.
"I explained everything," Ivan tells Miles, "as best I could, um, under the circumstances."
"I admit," Vorreedi says, "I am still... assimilating it."
"I explained everything," Ivan tells Miles, "as best I could, um, under the circumstances."
"I admit," Vorreedi says, "I am still... assimilating it."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Right. Miles sighs.
"What, uh, happened after I left the Star Creche?" he asks Ivan.
"What, uh, happened after I left the Star Creche?" he asks Ivan.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"I woke up and you were gone. I think that was the worst moment of my life. Knowing you'd gone haring off on some insane self-appointed mission without backup."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"But Ivan," he murmurs, "you were my backup."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"Your favorite kind, knocked out cold on the floor, unable to inject sense into the proceedings, so you could take off to get killed or worse when everybody would have blamed me. The last thing Aunt Cordelia said to me before we left was 'And try to keep him out of trouble, Ivan.'" He parodies the Betan accent and everything. "Anyway, as soon as I figured out what the hell was going on, I got away from the haut-ladies - they're just like my mother, Miles, several times over, ugh - anyway, and Lisbet very emphatically suggested I talk to ghem-Colonel Benin, and he seemed like he had his head screwed on straight -" Benin drifts over to listen in. "And God be praised he actually listened to me. Made sense of my - gabble."
"I was, of course," says Benin, "following the very unusual activities around the Star Creche today. My own investigations had already led me to suspect something was going on involving one or more of the haut-governors, so I had orbital squads on alert."
"Squads," snorts Ivan. "There's three Imperial battle cruisers surrounding this ship, right now."
"I was, of course," says Benin, "following the very unusual activities around the Star Creche today. My own investigations had already led me to suspect something was going on involving one or more of the haut-governors, so I had orbital squads on alert."
"Squads," snorts Ivan. "There's three Imperial battle cruisers surrounding this ship, right now."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Sounds about right. Ghem-General Chilian's a dupe," he addresses Benin, "but you might want to ask him a few pointed questions about his wife the haut Vio."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"He has already been detained," says Benin.
(Linyabel, meanwhile, has quietly halted the scream into everywhere of the contents of the Great Key and turned it over to Nadina, with its accessory.)
"One thing that Lord Vorpatril has not yet explained to my satisfaction, Lieutenant Vorkosigan," says Vorreedi grimly, "is why you concealed the initial incident involving an object of such enormous importance -"
(Linyabel, meanwhile, has quietly halted the scream into everywhere of the contents of the Great Key and turned it over to Nadina, with its accessory.)
"One thing that Lord Vorpatril has not yet explained to my satisfaction, Lieutenant Vorkosigan," says Vorreedi grimly, "is why you concealed the initial incident involving an object of such enormous importance -"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Kety was trying to frame Barrayar, sir. Until I could achieve independent corroborative evidence that—"
"From your own side," Vorreedi presses.
Miles sighs.
"In fact, sir, I did not at first recognize the Great Key for what it was. But once the haut Lisbet contacted me via Linyabel, events slid very rapidly from apparently trivial to extremely delicate. By the time I realized the full depth and complexity of the haut-governor's plot, it was too late."
"Too late for what?" asks Vorreedi, rather pointedly.
Miles shakes his head. "You would have taken the investigation away from me, you know you would have, sir. Everyone in the wormhole nexus thinks I'm a cripple who's been given a cushy nepotistic sinecure as a courier. That I might be competent for more is something I - have never been given a chance to publicly prove."
The higher-ups on his own side know, of course, at least those of sufficient height - Illyan, Gregor, Miles's father Aral. It's the Cetagandans who are unaware of just exactly who played an instrumental role in foiling their attempted invasion of Vervain a year or two ago.
And it's the Cetagandans whom Miles happened to need to impress this time around. Not that that was his sole motive.
"So... you wanted to be a hero?" clarifies ghem-Colonel Benin.
"So badly you didn't even care for which side?" says Vorreedi unhappily.
"I have done the Cetagandan Empire a nice little favour," Miles concedes, directing an unsteady but courteous bow to Benin. "But only in the course of rescuing Barrayar from the wrong end of Governor Kety's cruel ambitions. It was all of a piece."
"From your own side," Vorreedi presses.
Miles sighs.
"In fact, sir, I did not at first recognize the Great Key for what it was. But once the haut Lisbet contacted me via Linyabel, events slid very rapidly from apparently trivial to extremely delicate. By the time I realized the full depth and complexity of the haut-governor's plot, it was too late."
"Too late for what?" asks Vorreedi, rather pointedly.
Miles shakes his head. "You would have taken the investigation away from me, you know you would have, sir. Everyone in the wormhole nexus thinks I'm a cripple who's been given a cushy nepotistic sinecure as a courier. That I might be competent for more is something I - have never been given a chance to publicly prove."
The higher-ups on his own side know, of course, at least those of sufficient height - Illyan, Gregor, Miles's father Aral. It's the Cetagandans who are unaware of just exactly who played an instrumental role in foiling their attempted invasion of Vervain a year or two ago.
And it's the Cetagandans whom Miles happened to need to impress this time around. Not that that was his sole motive.
"So... you wanted to be a hero?" clarifies ghem-Colonel Benin.
"So badly you didn't even care for which side?" says Vorreedi unhappily.
"I have done the Cetagandan Empire a nice little favour," Miles concedes, directing an unsteady but courteous bow to Benin. "But only in the course of rescuing Barrayar from the wrong end of Governor Kety's cruel ambitions. It was all of a piece."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"Where would you be if we hadn't come along, though?" asks Ivan.
(Linyabel, meanwhile, murmurs to her ghem-attendant that, no, she does not need the Barrayaran removed from her person, is the ghem-attendant even paying attention?)
(Linyabel, meanwhile, murmurs to her ghem-attendant that, no, she does not need the Barrayaran removed from her person, is the ghem-attendant even paying attention?)
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles grins.
"Ivan, we won before you boarded this ship. Kety was just thrashing a little on the way down. I suppose if you'd taken another hour he could've cut the bubble and killed us or something," he concedes, "probably starting with me, but he still wouldn't have gotten away and the Star Creche still would've recovered the Key."
"Ivan, we won before you boarded this ship. Kety was just thrashing a little on the way down. I suppose if you'd taken another hour he could've cut the bubble and killed us or something," he concedes, "probably starting with me, but he still wouldn't have gotten away and the Star Creche still would've recovered the Key."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"Why don't you sign up for Cetagandan Imperial Security, then, coz," says Ivan. "Maybe ghem-Colonel Benin would promote you. Maybe they'll load you up with a whole grab bag of prizes."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linyabel raises an eyebrow at Ivan. She doesn't think she approves very much of him.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Ivan," Miles says pointedly. "Don't be an ass." He flashes a grin. "I'm too short for Cetagandan Security, obviously. If I was freelancing for anyone, it was the Star Creche."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"For which," Linyabel puts in, "the Star Creche is thoroughly thankful."
Benin deflates slightly. "Hm. In any case, Lord Vorkosigan - my Celestial master the Emperor haut Fletchir Giaja requests you attend upon him in my company. Now."
Benin deflates slightly. "Hm. In any case, Lord Vorkosigan - my Celestial master the Emperor haut Fletchir Giaja requests you attend upon him in my company. Now."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"...Certainly," sighs Miles. He glances conflictedly at Ivan and Vorreedi, unsure whether he wants them along, or wants them in the next solar system. Ivan especially.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"...the haut Linyabel and your friends may accompany you," Benin says. He adds, to Vorreedi and Ivan - assuming Linyabel is full up on protocol, "With the understanding that they may not speak unless invited to do so."
Vorreedi nods understanding. Ivan attempts to look extremely bland.
Vorreedi nods understanding. Ivan attempts to look extremely bland.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
With that, Linyabel starts floating forward. They wind up near Nadina.
"Such a nice young man," Nadina murmurs about Benin, nodding at him. "So neatly turned-out, and he understands the proprieties. We'll have to see what we can do for him. Don't you agree?"
"Not me," says Linyabel. "Surely."
"You've acquitted yourself so well, though. Perhaps things could be different now."
"Not, I think, enough to suit me, even if enough to suit the haut. But by all means, get ghem-Colonel Benin a present."
And with that, they are on the Cetagandan security shuttle, accompanied by Benin himself.
"Such a nice young man," Nadina murmurs about Benin, nodding at him. "So neatly turned-out, and he understands the proprieties. We'll have to see what we can do for him. Don't you agree?"
"Not me," says Linyabel. "Surely."
"You've acquitted yourself so well, though. Perhaps things could be different now."
"Not, I think, enough to suit me, even if enough to suit the haut. But by all means, get ghem-Colonel Benin a present."
And with that, they are on the Cetagandan security shuttle, accompanied by Benin himself.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"By the way," says Miles, smiling with a hint of mischief, "congratulations on cracking your very tricky murder case, General Benin."
"...Colonel Benin," the ghem-colonel corrects, blinking in puzzlement.
"Time will tell," Miles says serenely.
"...Colonel Benin," the ghem-colonel corrects, blinking in puzzlement.
"Time will tell," Miles says serenely.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linyabel stays with them - and with Miles in her lap - until they have landed, and then she picks him up and puts him on his feet gently and goes with Nadina and Benin one way while ghem-guards - courteous, but mysteriously and politely void of any means for their guests to communicate with the outside - lead the Barrayarans elsewhere.
Elsewhere is an antechamber; following a prolonged wait, elsewhere becomes a chamber proper which Vorreedi claims not to recognize. It doesn't, apparently, see use in public or diplomatic ceremony. It has curiously deadened acoustics and, under cunningly but incompletely concealed panels, a pop-up comconsole and station chairs. They are obliged to stand for the time being, as none of the pop-up furnishings are currently popped up.
Yenaro, who looks much the worse for wear, is waiting there too. He is not pleased to see Miles and Ivan, and tries to pretend not to notice them.
Elsewhere is an antechamber; following a prolonged wait, elsewhere becomes a chamber proper which Vorreedi claims not to recognize. It doesn't, apparently, see use in public or diplomatic ceremony. It has curiously deadened acoustics and, under cunningly but incompletely concealed panels, a pop-up comconsole and station chairs. They are obliged to stand for the time being, as none of the pop-up furnishings are currently popped up.
Yenaro, who looks much the worse for wear, is waiting there too. He is not pleased to see Miles and Ivan, and tries to pretend not to notice them.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles, undeterred by Yenaro's displeasure, essays a cheerful wave.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Yenaro, pained, nods politely back.
Ghem-Colonel Benin enters the room, and dismisses the ghem-guards. Following him are Linyabel, Nadina, and Lisbet, in float-chairs but without force-screens, who arrange themselves on the side of the room. (Nadina's hair is tucked with its ends out of sight in her garments.)
Last, the emperor himself strides in, shedding more guards at the entrance. By Imperial standards, his outfit is casual, half a dozen layers of mourning white. Yenaro sways on his feet as though likely to faint. Even Benin is rigidly formal. A chair rises from the floor to greet the imperial presence, and down sits Emperor Fletchir Giaja. He beckons Benin; Benin dismisses even Yenaro's guard. The room contains one Emperor, three haut-ladies, three Barrayarans, and Yenaro.
"Lord Vorkosigan," says the Emperor.
Ghem-Colonel Benin enters the room, and dismisses the ghem-guards. Following him are Linyabel, Nadina, and Lisbet, in float-chairs but without force-screens, who arrange themselves on the side of the room. (Nadina's hair is tucked with its ends out of sight in her garments.)
Last, the emperor himself strides in, shedding more guards at the entrance. By Imperial standards, his outfit is casual, half a dozen layers of mourning white. Yenaro sways on his feet as though likely to faint. Even Benin is rigidly formal. A chair rises from the floor to greet the imperial presence, and down sits Emperor Fletchir Giaja. He beckons Benin; Benin dismisses even Yenaro's guard. The room contains one Emperor, three haut-ladies, three Barrayarans, and Yenaro.
"Lord Vorkosigan," says the Emperor.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles steps forward as unshakily as possible.
"Sir," he acknowledges.
The Imperial fuss is not all that intimidating to him; his parents raised Emperor Gregor Vorbarra, his foster brother in all but name, and his childhood memories insist that emperors are for playing hide-and-seek with. Which could be a deadly intuition to obey in this context. He tries very hard to keep salient facts in the forefront of his mind, like ruler of eight planets, and older than my father.
"I am still... unclear," the Cetagandan Emperor continues, "just what your place was in these recent events. And how you came by it."
"My place was to have been a sacrificial animal, and it was chosen for me by Governor Kety, sir. But I didn't play the part he tried to assign to me."
The Celestial Master frowns slightly. "Explain yourself."
Miles flicks a glance at the haut Lisbet.
"Sir," he acknowledges.
The Imperial fuss is not all that intimidating to him; his parents raised Emperor Gregor Vorbarra, his foster brother in all but name, and his childhood memories insist that emperors are for playing hide-and-seek with. Which could be a deadly intuition to obey in this context. He tries very hard to keep salient facts in the forefront of his mind, like ruler of eight planets, and older than my father.
"I am still... unclear," the Cetagandan Emperor continues, "just what your place was in these recent events. And how you came by it."
"My place was to have been a sacrificial animal, and it was chosen for me by Governor Kety, sir. But I didn't play the part he tried to assign to me."
The Celestial Master frowns slightly. "Explain yourself."
Miles flicks a glance at the haut Lisbet.
Lisbet Serise
exerce-imperia
She nods.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
A complete explanation, then.
He takes a deep breath and starts at the beginning.
Vorreedi manages to damp his reaction down to a clenched jaw when Miles gets to the part about Ba Lura carrying the false Great Key on its ill-fated incursion.
From there he goes on to the funeral rotunda, to his realization that to exculpate Barrayar he must produce the true Key, that the ba's murder implied something seriously whiffy going on at the highest levels of Celestial Garden security, that Benin must have been a sacrificial appointee - Benin confirms with a nod that Naru did indeed personally assign him to the case. Miles goes on to praise Benin's ability to pick up his hints and run with them, and picks up the haut-thread of the narrative again with a commendation of Lisbet Serise's ability to read her people and general level-headedness.
"I'm sure Lura was primed with all sorts of lies, but haut Lisbet didn't buy a word of them. She acted throughout for the good of the haut - for all of us - never once for her personal aggrandizement," he says. "I'd say your late August Mother chose her Handmaiden well."
"That is hardly for you to judge, Barrayaran," says the haut Fletchir Giaja in tones so dry Miles can't tell amusement from genuine danger.
"Excuse me," he says boldly, "but I didn't exactly volunteer for this mission. I was suckered into it. My judgements have brought us all here, one way or another."
The Imperial eyebrows drift upward in surprise.
He takes a deep breath and starts at the beginning.
Vorreedi manages to damp his reaction down to a clenched jaw when Miles gets to the part about Ba Lura carrying the false Great Key on its ill-fated incursion.
From there he goes on to the funeral rotunda, to his realization that to exculpate Barrayar he must produce the true Key, that the ba's murder implied something seriously whiffy going on at the highest levels of Celestial Garden security, that Benin must have been a sacrificial appointee - Benin confirms with a nod that Naru did indeed personally assign him to the case. Miles goes on to praise Benin's ability to pick up his hints and run with them, and picks up the haut-thread of the narrative again with a commendation of Lisbet Serise's ability to read her people and general level-headedness.
"I'm sure Lura was primed with all sorts of lies, but haut Lisbet didn't buy a word of them. She acted throughout for the good of the haut - for all of us - never once for her personal aggrandizement," he says. "I'd say your late August Mother chose her Handmaiden well."
"That is hardly for you to judge, Barrayaran," says the haut Fletchir Giaja in tones so dry Miles can't tell amusement from genuine danger.
"Excuse me," he says boldly, "but I didn't exactly volunteer for this mission. I was suckered into it. My judgements have brought us all here, one way or another."
The Imperial eyebrows drift upward in surprise.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
Ivan almost laughs. And then doesn't. Nope, nothing to see here, blank face, no expression.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"And," the Emperor asks after a pause, "how did you come to be involved with Lord Yenaro?"
"Um," says Miles. "From my point of view, you mean? Right." And he proceeds to lay out the whole business as neutrally as possible, one two three - sorry, Ivan - from the microwaved leg braces to the zlati ale to the carpet incident. Vorreedi looks slightly sick when Miles describes that last. "In my opinion," Miles concludes, "Lord Yenaro was as much an intended victim as Ivan or I. The asterzine bomb proves it. There is no treason in the man."
Yenaro, when prompted, confirms Miles's story. Benin calls for a guard to escort the ghem-lord out.
There is an extended silence. Miles shifts uncomfortably.
"Does your medical condition require you to sit?" asks ghem-Colonel Benin, with a less-than-subtle glance at the haut Linyabel.
"I'll live," mutters Miles.
The Emperor makes a slight gesture, commanding immediate absolute silence from the Cetagandans in the room. Miles picks up this cue.
"That suffices for my appraisal of the concerns of the Empire. We must now turn to the concerns of haut. Ladies, you may keep your Barrayaran creature. Ghem-Colonel Benin. Will you kindly wait in the antechamber with Colonel Vorreedi and Lord Vorpatril until I call you."
"Sire," says Benin, and with a sharp salute turns to herd Ivan and Vorreedi out of the room.
Miles thinks of objecting, and then decides against it, on the grounds that no quantity of Barrayarans short of an army is going to make him any safer in Fletchir Giaja's presence than Fletchir Giaja decides he ought to be.
"Um," says Miles. "From my point of view, you mean? Right." And he proceeds to lay out the whole business as neutrally as possible, one two three - sorry, Ivan - from the microwaved leg braces to the zlati ale to the carpet incident. Vorreedi looks slightly sick when Miles describes that last. "In my opinion," Miles concludes, "Lord Yenaro was as much an intended victim as Ivan or I. The asterzine bomb proves it. There is no treason in the man."
Yenaro, when prompted, confirms Miles's story. Benin calls for a guard to escort the ghem-lord out.
There is an extended silence. Miles shifts uncomfortably.
"Does your medical condition require you to sit?" asks ghem-Colonel Benin, with a less-than-subtle glance at the haut Linyabel.
"I'll live," mutters Miles.
The Emperor makes a slight gesture, commanding immediate absolute silence from the Cetagandans in the room. Miles picks up this cue.
"That suffices for my appraisal of the concerns of the Empire. We must now turn to the concerns of haut. Ladies, you may keep your Barrayaran creature. Ghem-Colonel Benin. Will you kindly wait in the antechamber with Colonel Vorreedi and Lord Vorpatril until I call you."
"Sire," says Benin, and with a sharp salute turns to herd Ivan and Vorreedi out of the room.
Miles thinks of objecting, and then decides against it, on the grounds that no quantity of Barrayarans short of an army is going to make him any safer in Fletchir Giaja's presence than Fletchir Giaja decides he ought to be.
Lisbet Serise
exerce-imperia
The remaining Cetagandans undergo a remarkable transformation, from haut-blankness to a more expressive affect. The Emperor looks angry. Lisbet looks... slightly amused.
"Give the boy a chair, Fletchir," she says. "He fell onto the inside of a haut-bubble force-screen; if you make him stand up for much longer, he's going to fall over."
"As you wish," says the Emperor. He manipulates a control; a station chair rises from the floor next to Miles.
"Give the boy a chair, Fletchir," she says. "He fell onto the inside of a haut-bubble force-screen; if you make him stand up for much longer, he's going to fall over."
"As you wish," says the Emperor. He manipulates a control; a station chair rises from the floor next to Miles.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles collapses therein.
Lisbet Serise
exerce-imperia
"I am sure you all see now," says the haut Fletchir Giaja, "the wisdom of our ancestors in arranging that the haut and the Empire shall have only one interface. Me. Only one veto. Mine. Issues of the haut-genome must remain as insulated as possible from the political sphere, lest they fall into the hands of politicians who do not understand the goal of haut. That includes most of our gentle ghem-lords, as ghem-General Naru has perhaps proved to you, Nadina."
Nadina nods unhappily.
Lisbet shakes her head. "More to the point, look at Ilsum Kety. That is what I would call the true result of our ancestors' wisdom. The culmination of their high art. I am not yet sure where the solution lies, except that it certainly isn't with the late Celestial Lady's intended Imperial mitosis."
Fletchi regards Lisbet thoughtfully. She regards him right back, direct and calm. "Backups," she says firmly. "Backups, and perhaps an Imperial edict or two to encourage constellation crosses and genetic diversification. We need more experiments," is that a slight incline of her head towards Linyabel? "not less."
"Hm," says Fletchir. "And—Nadina—whatever possessed you to spill the contents of the Great Key across the entire Eta Ceta system? As a joke, it does not amuse."
Nadina nods unhappily.
Lisbet shakes her head. "More to the point, look at Ilsum Kety. That is what I would call the true result of our ancestors' wisdom. The culmination of their high art. I am not yet sure where the solution lies, except that it certainly isn't with the late Celestial Lady's intended Imperial mitosis."
Fletchi regards Lisbet thoughtfully. She regards him right back, direct and calm. "Backups," she says firmly. "Backups, and perhaps an Imperial edict or two to encourage constellation crosses and genetic diversification. We need more experiments," is that a slight incline of her head towards Linyabel? "not less."
"Hm," says Fletchir. "And—Nadina—whatever possessed you to spill the contents of the Great Key across the entire Eta Ceta system? As a joke, it does not amuse."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"My idea," interjects Miles from his chair. "And no joke, sir. As far as we knew, we might all have been about to die sometime in the next hour. It was my understanding that the highest priority was the recovery of the Great Key. The receivers got the Key but no lock - valueless gibberish, without the gene banks to go with it. One way or another, we assured you would be able to recover it, even after our deaths, regardless of any measures Kety might take. The upload was only canceled after Benin charged in and arrested everyone. Live or die, the job gets done—that's the best kind of strategy, in my opinion."
"Hm," Fletchir repeats. He glances at Nadina, then Linyabel. "Is this true?"
"Hm," Fletchir repeats. He glances at Nadina, then Linyabel. "Is this true?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Yes," Linyabel agrees.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles takes a breath.
"What will happen to - um, everyone? Naru, Kety, the other governors, Vio..."
"Naru will be executed," says the Emperor. "Haut Kety will... retire. Immediately. To a supervised estate. If he objects, suicide is also an option. The other governors will finish out their current appointments, after which they may find new ones hard to come by."
"What will happen to - um, everyone? Naru, Kety, the other governors, Vio..."
"Naru will be executed," says the Emperor. "Haut Kety will... retire. Immediately. To a supervised estate. If he objects, suicide is also an option. The other governors will finish out their current appointments, after which they may find new ones hard to come by."
Lisbet Serise
exerce-imperia
"And Vio," says Lisbet, "despite... certain other suggestions, will be permitted a painless suicide. Externally administered, if necessary, but I don't believe it will be."
"As for everyone," says the Emperor, with a faintly exasperated glance between Miles and Lisbet, "that is a problem on which I shall now retire and meditate."
He summons Benin to herd Miles away, which Benin does, reuniting him with Ivan and Vorreedi in the process. The three of them are taken to the Western Gate of the Celestial Garden, where a car from the Barrayaran Embassy awaits.
"As for everyone," says the Emperor, with a faintly exasperated glance between Miles and Lisbet, "that is a problem on which I shall now retire and meditate."
He summons Benin to herd Miles away, which Benin does, reuniting him with Ivan and Vorreedi in the process. The three of them are taken to the Western Gate of the Celestial Garden, where a car from the Barrayaran Embassy awaits.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
Benin addresses Vorreedi before the car carries them off.
"We cannot," he says, "control what goes into your official reports. But my Celestial Master... expects that none of what you have seen or heard will appear as social gossip."
"That, I think I can promise," Vorreedi says sincerely.
"May I have your words upon your names in the matter, please?" says Benin.
He can have Ivan's, sure as anything.
"We cannot," he says, "control what goes into your official reports. But my Celestial Master... expects that none of what you have seen or heard will appear as social gossip."
"That, I think I can promise," Vorreedi says sincerely.
"May I have your words upon your names in the matter, please?" says Benin.
He can have Ivan's, sure as anything.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
And Vorreedi's, and Miles's. And with this assurance, he permits them to depart. Miles guesses from the colour of the sky that it's maybe two hours till dawn.
Vorreedi waits until halfway through the ride to ask Miles coldly, "What did you think you were doing, Vorkosigan?"
"I stopped the Cetagandan Empire from breaking up into eight aggressively expanding units. I derailed plans for a war by some of them with Barrayar. I survived an assassination attempt, and helped catch three high-ranking traitors. Admittedly, they weren't our traitors, but still. Oh. And I solved a murder. What more d'you bloody want?"
Vorreedi looks like he is just barely restraining himself from throwing up his hands. "Are you a special agent or not?"
"Well," Miles says pleasantly, "if not... I sure succeeded like one, didn't I?"
Vorreedi waits until halfway through the ride to ask Miles coldly, "What did you think you were doing, Vorkosigan?"
"I stopped the Cetagandan Empire from breaking up into eight aggressively expanding units. I derailed plans for a war by some of them with Barrayar. I survived an assassination attempt, and helped catch three high-ranking traitors. Admittedly, they weren't our traitors, but still. Oh. And I solved a murder. What more d'you bloody want?"
Vorreedi looks like he is just barely restraining himself from throwing up his hands. "Are you a special agent or not?"
"Well," Miles says pleasantly, "if not... I sure succeeded like one, didn't I?"
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
Ivan groans.
When they're back in the embassy, and back in their suite - well, it's hardly a secret anymore, he was on her lap in front of everybody.
"So you weren't kidding about your friendly haut-lady."
When they're back in the embassy, and back in their suite - well, it's hardly a secret anymore, he was on her lap in front of everybody.
"So you weren't kidding about your friendly haut-lady."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I wasn't," Miles agrees. "And apparently she wasn't kidding either. But God only knows what Emperor Fletchir is going to decide. He was very keen on reasserting control of the interface between the haut and the... not."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"How friendly is she?" wonders Ivan.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Ivan."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"You were sitting in her lap! I wondered!" Ivan exclaims, holding up his hands defensively.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Not that it is your business in any way, but we haven't done anything friendlier than that. And now for God's sake I'm going to sleep." Miles stomps off to bed.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
Ivan leaves him be.
Well, for a while.
Then he shakes him by the shoulder.
Well, for a while.
Then he shakes him by the shoulder.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Urgh," says Miles, attempting to haul a blanket up over his head.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"Are you having post-mission sulks?" Shake shake. "Up you get, come on. You look great, very formal and ceremonial, force-screen bruising on forty percent of your surface area."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Shut the fuck up, Ivan," groans Miles. "What time is it? Why are you awake? Why are you here?"
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"Ghem-Colonel Benin is on his way here to pick you up. In an Imperial land cruiser, half a block long. The Cetagandans want you at the cremation ceremony an hour early, and no, I don't know if they're going to prep you for bonus cremation or a wedding."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles throws a pillow. It misses, an impressive feat at this range.
(Despite himself, his heart leaps.)
"Fine, I'm up, I'm up," he grumbles, shambling out of bed.
(Despite himself, his heart leaps.)
"Fine, I'm up, I'm up," he grumbles, shambling out of bed.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"Start depilating. I've brought your uniform and boots from the embassy laundry. Anyway, if the Cetagandans wanted to assassinate you they'd probably do something subtler."
Ivan also produces a coffee bulb.
Ivan also produces a coffee bulb.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Coffee, oh God, coffee. Miles will forgive Ivan everything in exchange for coffee. He gulps it down, grooms himself as best he can in his exhausted state, and lets Ivan hurry him into the appropriate uniform.
In the lobby, they find, not Benin, but Mia Maz, in funeral garb and keeping Vorob'yev company. She looks very chipper for the early hour. She will be, she says, accompanying Ambassador Vorob'yev. Who asked her to marry him the prior evening. She said yes, she reports cheerily. "Still. Lady Vorob'yev. How did your mother cope, Lord Vorkosigan?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"You mean, being an egalitarian Betan and all? No problem," breezes Miles. "She says egalitarians adjust to aristocracies just fine, as long as they get to be the aristocrats."
Maz expresses a hope to get to meet the aristocrat Countess Vorkosigan someday, and Vorob'yev appears. Benin, who has apparently been promoted overnight, is escorted in by embassy guards.
"May I ask," Vorob'yev says, "what this is all about, ghem-General?"
"My Celestial Master," says Benin, half-bowing, "requests the attendance of Lord Vorkosigan at this hour. Ah - we will return him to you."
"Your word upon it? It would be a major embarrassment for the embassy were he to be mislaid... again." There is a sternness in his tone, slightly undermined by the fact that he is stroking Maz's hand where she has rested it on his arm.
"My word upon it, Ambassador."
And he leads Miles out, to the enormous Imperial land-cruiser.
"May I ask," Vorob'yev says, "what this is all about, ghem-General?"
"My Celestial Master," says Benin, half-bowing, "requests the attendance of Lord Vorkosigan at this hour. Ah - we will return him to you."
"Your word upon it? It would be a major embarrassment for the embassy were he to be mislaid... again." There is a sternness in his tone, slightly undermined by the fact that he is stroking Maz's hand where she has rested it on his arm.
"My word upon it, Ambassador."
And he leads Miles out, to the enormous Imperial land-cruiser.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
It's not quite half a block long, but it's damned impressive all the same.
"May I ask what this is all about, ghem-General?" tries Miles.
"I am instructed that explanations must wait until you arrive at the Celestial Garden. It will take only a few minutes of your time. I first thought that you would like it, but upon mature reflection, I think that you will hate it. Either way, you deserve it."
From this Miles deduces that whatever it is, it probably isn't a wedding. "Take care your growing reputation for subtlety doesn't go to your head, ghem-General," he bites out. Benin smiles serenely.
On arrival, Miles is conducted to an Imperial audience chamber - a small one, more personal than last night's conference hall. The room boasts but a single seat, currently occupied by Fletchir Giaja's Imperial ass; it and the rest of the Emperor are clad in such a swaddle of elaborate white robes that two ba servants flank his seat, waiting to assist him when he needs to rise therefrom. A third servitor holds a small flat case. A few haut-bubbles float behind, anonymously white.
"You may approach my Celestial Master, Lord Vorkosigan," says Benin.
Miles approaches. Standing opposite the seated Emperor, he is almost exactly eye to eye. The third ba hands the case to its Emperor, who opens it.
"Do you know what this is, Lord Vorkosigan?" asks Fletchir Giaja.
Miles eyes the medallion of the Order of Merit, glittering in its velvet bed on its beautiful shimmering ribbon. "Yes, sir," he says. "It is a lead weight, suitable for sinking small enemies. Are you going to sew me into a silk sack with it, before you throw me overboard?"
The Emperor glances at Benin, who shrugs.
"Bend your neck, Lord Vorkosigan," says Fletchir. "Unaccustomed as you may be to doing so."
"I..." says Miles, but before he can formulate any coherent objections, the Emperor has slipped the ribbon over his head.
"I am given to understand by my keenest observers," says the Emperor with a sideways glance at a bubble, "that you have a passion for recognition. It is an understandable quality that puts me much in mind of our own ghem."
Miles bites his lip briefly, then ventures, "As far as recognition goes, sir, this is hardly something that I will be able to show around at home. More like, hide it in the bottom of the deepest drawer I own."
"Good," says the Emperor. "As long as you lay all the events that led to it alongside."
Aha. Miles sighs. "Yes, sir," he says, trying to keep the wistfulness from his tone. As bribes for his silence go, the Order of Merit is... certainly well-targeted.
The Emperor, much to Miles's surprise, smiles slightly. "You will accompany on my left hand," he says. "It's time to go. And... after the cremation ceremony, you are invited to remain, to receive a more voluntary reward. You may bring your cousin and your Ambassador."
Miles gulps. "Yes, sir," he says faintly, buoyed by wild hopes.
Those hopes carry him soaring through the Imperial parade, down into the funeral dell - an open bowl, its sides filled with haut and ghem mourners clad in white, its rim painted with the more varied shades of the galactic delegates. Above arcs the dome of the Celestial Garden's force-shield. A much smaller force-dome in the center holds the deceased Celestial Lady and her bier-gifts.
The eight planetary consorts and their Handmaiden lead the Imperial parade in their white bubbles, followed by the truncated array of ghem-governors - seven, count 'em - and finally the Emperor with his honour guard, headed by Benin in place of the traitorous Naru. Miles limps along behind, grateful for his House blacks concealing most of his many bruises, somewhat more conflicted about the Order of Merit hanging around his neck.
Down, down, down they go, to fetch up at last in a ring around the central bubble. A line of young ghem-girls circles the thing laying down a final offering of flowers; a chorus sings, the music catching at Miles's heart.
"May I ask what this is all about, ghem-General?" tries Miles.
"I am instructed that explanations must wait until you arrive at the Celestial Garden. It will take only a few minutes of your time. I first thought that you would like it, but upon mature reflection, I think that you will hate it. Either way, you deserve it."
From this Miles deduces that whatever it is, it probably isn't a wedding. "Take care your growing reputation for subtlety doesn't go to your head, ghem-General," he bites out. Benin smiles serenely.
On arrival, Miles is conducted to an Imperial audience chamber - a small one, more personal than last night's conference hall. The room boasts but a single seat, currently occupied by Fletchir Giaja's Imperial ass; it and the rest of the Emperor are clad in such a swaddle of elaborate white robes that two ba servants flank his seat, waiting to assist him when he needs to rise therefrom. A third servitor holds a small flat case. A few haut-bubbles float behind, anonymously white.
"You may approach my Celestial Master, Lord Vorkosigan," says Benin.
Miles approaches. Standing opposite the seated Emperor, he is almost exactly eye to eye. The third ba hands the case to its Emperor, who opens it.
"Do you know what this is, Lord Vorkosigan?" asks Fletchir Giaja.
Miles eyes the medallion of the Order of Merit, glittering in its velvet bed on its beautiful shimmering ribbon. "Yes, sir," he says. "It is a lead weight, suitable for sinking small enemies. Are you going to sew me into a silk sack with it, before you throw me overboard?"
The Emperor glances at Benin, who shrugs.
"Bend your neck, Lord Vorkosigan," says Fletchir. "Unaccustomed as you may be to doing so."
"I..." says Miles, but before he can formulate any coherent objections, the Emperor has slipped the ribbon over his head.
"I am given to understand by my keenest observers," says the Emperor with a sideways glance at a bubble, "that you have a passion for recognition. It is an understandable quality that puts me much in mind of our own ghem."
Miles bites his lip briefly, then ventures, "As far as recognition goes, sir, this is hardly something that I will be able to show around at home. More like, hide it in the bottom of the deepest drawer I own."
"Good," says the Emperor. "As long as you lay all the events that led to it alongside."
Aha. Miles sighs. "Yes, sir," he says, trying to keep the wistfulness from his tone. As bribes for his silence go, the Order of Merit is... certainly well-targeted.
The Emperor, much to Miles's surprise, smiles slightly. "You will accompany on my left hand," he says. "It's time to go. And... after the cremation ceremony, you are invited to remain, to receive a more voluntary reward. You may bring your cousin and your Ambassador."
Miles gulps. "Yes, sir," he says faintly, buoyed by wild hopes.
Those hopes carry him soaring through the Imperial parade, down into the funeral dell - an open bowl, its sides filled with haut and ghem mourners clad in white, its rim painted with the more varied shades of the galactic delegates. Above arcs the dome of the Celestial Garden's force-shield. A much smaller force-dome in the center holds the deceased Celestial Lady and her bier-gifts.
The eight planetary consorts and their Handmaiden lead the Imperial parade in their white bubbles, followed by the truncated array of ghem-governors - seven, count 'em - and finally the Emperor with his honour guard, headed by Benin in place of the traitorous Naru. Miles limps along behind, grateful for his House blacks concealing most of his many bruises, somewhat more conflicted about the Order of Merit hanging around his neck.
Down, down, down they go, to fetch up at last in a ring around the central bubble. A line of young ghem-girls circles the thing laying down a final offering of flowers; a chorus sings, the music catching at Miles's heart.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
Ivan, from his assigned position, looks completely blank except for slightly dancing eyes.
Lisbet Serise
exerce-imperia
One of the nine haut-bubbles from the parade approaches the Emperor, accompanied by a familiar short little ba carrying a tray. Lisbet's voice emerges from the bubble, in measured ceremonial phrases denoting the return of the Celestial Lady's regalia to their source. Ba and bubble drift away—
—and back again in the next minute, for an exchange of further ceremonial phrases. The ba picks up the tray as delicately as it set it down. A stir of interest travels through the haut audience, particularly among members of the Serise constellation. And Lisbet Serise takes possession of the Star Creche again as Cetaganda's next Empress.
The Emperor lifts a hand, signaling Imperial engineers at their station. Inside the central bubble, a dull orange glow takes hold, brightening through red and yellow to a blue-white rendered only barely unsearing by the muting film of the force-shield. The objects inside blur into a brief whirl at that point, then dissolve entirely into molecular plasma. It only takes ten minutes from first to last. Then a wide circle opens in the force-dome above, and a much smaller hole opens in the bier-bubble to match it, and a roaring column of white fire vents into the blue sky. The upper dome closes again, and the inner bubble fades, leaving behind no trace whatsoever of the celestial corpse or any of her accompanying gifts.
Emperor Fletchir removes his white outer robes, and replaces them with a more colourful set brought by a ba servitor. The Imperial parade winds its way out of the bowl in reverse, led by the Emperor with Miles once again at his side. A large open float-car awaits them at the top; the parade, minus Miles, boards it.
Out of mourning, the haut Lisbet's bubble is a deep, rich shade of indigo, cycling down to something darker and bluer with glacial slowness. She pauses next to Miles. "Ghem-General Benin will return you to your delegation. I will see you again shortly, for a purpose you have correctly guessed."
—and back again in the next minute, for an exchange of further ceremonial phrases. The ba picks up the tray as delicately as it set it down. A stir of interest travels through the haut audience, particularly among members of the Serise constellation. And Lisbet Serise takes possession of the Star Creche again as Cetaganda's next Empress.
The Emperor lifts a hand, signaling Imperial engineers at their station. Inside the central bubble, a dull orange glow takes hold, brightening through red and yellow to a blue-white rendered only barely unsearing by the muting film of the force-shield. The objects inside blur into a brief whirl at that point, then dissolve entirely into molecular plasma. It only takes ten minutes from first to last. Then a wide circle opens in the force-dome above, and a much smaller hole opens in the bier-bubble to match it, and a roaring column of white fire vents into the blue sky. The upper dome closes again, and the inner bubble fades, leaving behind no trace whatsoever of the celestial corpse or any of her accompanying gifts.
Emperor Fletchir removes his white outer robes, and replaces them with a more colourful set brought by a ba servitor. The Imperial parade winds its way out of the bowl in reverse, led by the Emperor with Miles once again at his side. A large open float-car awaits them at the top; the parade, minus Miles, boards it.
Out of mourning, the haut Lisbet's bubble is a deep, rich shade of indigo, cycling down to something darker and bluer with glacial slowness. She pauses next to Miles. "Ghem-General Benin will return you to your delegation. I will see you again shortly, for a purpose you have correctly guessed."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles... bubbles his way back to Vorob'yev and Vorreedi and Ivan and Maz. Benin seems about to say something to him, and then desists, which is just as well. Miles strongly doubts he could concentrate well enough to emit coherent speech.
It is therefore up to Benin to explain to the delegation, "Lord Vorkosigan is invited to a small ceremony with my Celestial Master and his new Celestial Lady. You may attend, Lord Vorpatril, Lord Vorob'yev, Miss Maz. It should not take up very much of your time. Refreshments will be provided beforehand."
Vorreedi looks like he may explode at any moment, but contents himself with one long stare at the medal on Miles's chest. Miles, soaring, ignores him.
It is therefore up to Benin to explain to the delegation, "Lord Vorkosigan is invited to a small ceremony with my Celestial Master and his new Celestial Lady. You may attend, Lord Vorpatril, Lord Vorob'yev, Miss Maz. It should not take up very much of your time. Refreshments will be provided beforehand."
Vorreedi looks like he may explode at any moment, but contents himself with one long stare at the medal on Miles's chest. Miles, soaring, ignores him.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"Is this actually happening?" asks Ivan faintly.
It is, indeed, actually happening. Vorob'yev and Ivan and Maz and Miles-the-gravitationally-unaffected go and have their supplied refreshments, and -
What color did Linyabel say her bubble usually was?
Robin's egg blue fading to turquoise on a four-second cycle?
There's one of those in this pretty little ceremonial hall.
It is, indeed, actually happening. Vorob'yev and Ivan and Maz and Miles-the-gravitationally-unaffected go and have their supplied refreshments, and -
What color did Linyabel say her bubble usually was?
Robin's egg blue fading to turquoise on a four-second cycle?
There's one of those in this pretty little ceremonial hall.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles beams at it.
Lisbet Serise
exerce-imperia
Also present are Emperor Fletchir Giaja in light post-mourning robes of grey embroidered with blue, Empress Lisbet Serise in her indigo bubble shading slowly up towards a medium-bright violet, and several more bubbles - eight of them, in fact - in the same assorted colours that entered the Emperor's float-car. Guests may assume that these contain the consorts. They arrange themselves in a semicircle around the perimeter of the round little hall while Emperor and Empress respectively step and float forward into the center. A ba steps up between them, arranges a small tray on a slender stand, and departs the hall; the tray holds a pair of exquisite little covered dishes, palm-sized and round, with golden bases and silver domes both ornately engraved.
The Empress disengages her force-screen and beckons to Miles. She has somehow found the time to change into a whole new set of robes, dark blue and deep indigo and pale violet in echo of her bubble's gradual gradient.
The Empress disengages her force-screen and beckons to Miles. She has somehow found the time to change into a whole new set of robes, dark blue and deep indigo and pale violet in echo of her bubble's gradual gradient.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
The bubble that must be Linyabel floats up to their imperial majesties.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles floats up to stand beside her, on the basis of symmetry and Lisbet's subtle directing gestures. He is not literally hovering, but he certainly feels like it.
Lisbet Serise
exerce-imperia
Now the Empress is facing Miles, and the Emperor facing Linyabel, in a little square in the centre of the circle.
Lisbet picks up one of the small covered dishes.
"I offer you the haut Linyabel Miriat," she says to Miles, "flower of the Star Creche, who goes willingly to your side. Do you accept this honour?"
She uncovers the dish and holds it out, revealing - a small spherical candy, consisting of a translucent iridescent shell over something tiny and flower-shaped within.
Lisbet picks up one of the small covered dishes.
"I offer you the haut Linyabel Miriat," she says to Miles, "flower of the Star Creche, who goes willingly to your side. Do you accept this honour?"
She uncovers the dish and holds it out, revealing - a small spherical candy, consisting of a translucent iridescent shell over something tiny and flower-shaped within.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Yes, milady," Miles says dizzily. He picks up the candy, since that seems like the thing to do.
Lisbet Serise
exerce-imperia
Lisbet smiles and puts down her dish. The Emperor picks up his.
"And although he is not mine to give," Fletchir says to Linyabel with a hint of a wry smile, "I offer you Lieutenant Lord Miles Naismith Vorkosigan, whose honourable service has distinguished him in the eyes of the haut. Do you accept this honour?"
He holds out the identical dish, uncovered to reveal its identical candy.
"And although he is not mine to give," Fletchir says to Linyabel with a hint of a wry smile, "I offer you Lieutenant Lord Miles Naismith Vorkosigan, whose honourable service has distinguished him in the eyes of the haut. Do you accept this honour?"
He holds out the identical dish, uncovered to reveal its identical candy.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Yes, sire," says Linyabel, dispensing with the bubble and taking her candy too. She attempts to catch Miles's eye, and lifts her candy slowly to her lips.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles catches on quick. He eats his candy in a respectable attempt at unison with Linyabel.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
When the candy is eaten up, Linyabel takes hold of Miles's nearest hand.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles manages not to make any undignified squeaking sounds, but he does grin quite irrepressibly.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linyabel gets up out of her float chair.
"There," she says with audible satisfaction.
Maz is quietly melting in a corner over having gotten to witness a real haut-wife award ceremony.
The other people in the room with Vor in their names are various flavors of incipient screaming.
"There," she says with audible satisfaction.
Maz is quietly melting in a corner over having gotten to witness a real haut-wife award ceremony.
The other people in the room with Vor in their names are various flavors of incipient screaming.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles will just be grinning adoringly at his wife. While holding her hand. Grinning and handholding. Those are both things that he is doing.
Lisbet Serise
exerce-imperia
Empress Lisbet actually laughs out loud before re-engaging her bubble and floating away. Emperor Fletchir follows, with a hint of a smile cast back at the newlyweds. The consort-bubbles fall in line behind them.
Ghem-General Benin steps forward from a doorway to guide the galactics to the South Gate of the Celestial Garden, where a car is waiting to return the Barrayarans - plus new addition - to their embassy. Maz is welcome to travel with them or stay to catch the tail end of the funeral banquet.
Ghem-General Benin steps forward from a doorway to guide the galactics to the South Gate of the Celestial Garden, where a car is waiting to return the Barrayarans - plus new addition - to their embassy. Maz is welcome to travel with them or stay to catch the tail end of the funeral banquet.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Maz accompanies them.
And Lady Vorkosigan strolls sedately, humming a little under her breath.
And Lady Vorkosigan strolls sedately, humming a little under her breath.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"So... hello," says Ivan.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"We have met," Linyabel points out to him.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"...Congratulations?" he tries.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Thank you."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
She's humming. She's happy. Happily married. To Miles.
Why yes, he's going to be like this the whole way back. Possibly all the way to Barrayar.
Why yes, he's going to be like this the whole way back. Possibly all the way to Barrayar.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"My things are already packed," Linyabel mentions. "If there's a strict cargo allowance I can tell the servitors which containers to abandon."
(Maz and Vorob'yev are having a soft but animated conversation in which she is excited and fascinated and he is glad that Vorkosigan...s... are imminently no longer his problem.)
(Maz and Vorob'yev are having a soft but animated conversation in which she is excited and fascinated and he is glad that Vorkosigan...s... are imminently no longer his problem.)
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Not a strict one per se. As long as we can fit it all in the courier ship - ballpark mass and volume for me and I'll tell you if you need to drop anything."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I went ahead and assumed I couldn't have the grand piano," she says wryly. "Everything else fits into thirty boxes yea big -" She gestures; the shape isn't tiny but not too big for one person to haul, "and one a bit longer for the keyboard, only one box exceeding thirty pounds. It's mostly clothes, and I don't really care about those, I assume they have clothes on Barrayar."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"We do have clothes on Barrayar," Miles affirms. "And pianos, actually. Well, multiple pianos on the planet, one specifically at Vorkosigan House. Your stuff should fit on the ship just fine."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Okay, good." Deprived of float-chair comlink, she plucks her pen from her necklace and scribes off a quick message to the ba who are handling her things. "That should be all delivered to the embassy later within the hour. Do your various fellow embassy-dwellers want to have heavily veiled interrogations about me or do they make those faces all the time?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"They might want to," says Miles, and lets the sentence end there.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linyabel giggles.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles beams.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Should I expect interrogations with some level of veiling, or not, at any point in the future? I would like to know what to expect."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles rubs his face and attempts seriousness.
"All right... when we get home, I'll probably want to introduce you to Mother right off. She can get settled in while I report to my boss - have I told you about my boss? Simon Illyan, chief of ImpSec, perfect memory, deadly grasp of sarcasm. He can have all the information out of me he cares to ask for. Probably he'll want to talk to you or something, I don't know. And then I imagine as soon as he's pretty sure you're not secretly some kind of ticking bio-bomb or sleeper agent or something, you'll get to talk to Gregor. Who I'm sure will like you. My advice for dealing with both of them is - don't be afraid to tell the truth. Advice which does not apply to the Barrayaran public at large. Illyan will store everything you say in that brain of his, so be careful not to tell him anything you really don't want him to know, but your best defense against his suspicions is not being whatever he suspects you of. And Gregor... is Gregor. By the time we make planetfall he'll probably have come up with ten different ways to steer whatever trouble your arrival stirs up to an agreeable conclusion. It's important to be honest with Gregor."
He bites his tongue on an admission that this is not the first time he's gone adventuring out in the wide wide galaxy and come back with strays. That will have to wait until Illyan clears her to know about Admiral Naismith. God, what a tangle that will be... he hopes he can wring that clearance out of them soon.
"All right... when we get home, I'll probably want to introduce you to Mother right off. She can get settled in while I report to my boss - have I told you about my boss? Simon Illyan, chief of ImpSec, perfect memory, deadly grasp of sarcasm. He can have all the information out of me he cares to ask for. Probably he'll want to talk to you or something, I don't know. And then I imagine as soon as he's pretty sure you're not secretly some kind of ticking bio-bomb or sleeper agent or something, you'll get to talk to Gregor. Who I'm sure will like you. My advice for dealing with both of them is - don't be afraid to tell the truth. Advice which does not apply to the Barrayaran public at large. Illyan will store everything you say in that brain of his, so be careful not to tell him anything you really don't want him to know, but your best defense against his suspicions is not being whatever he suspects you of. And Gregor... is Gregor. By the time we make planetfall he'll probably have come up with ten different ways to steer whatever trouble your arrival stirs up to an agreeable conclusion. It's important to be honest with Gregor."
He bites his tongue on an admission that this is not the first time he's gone adventuring out in the wide wide galaxy and come back with strays. That will have to wait until Illyan clears her to know about Admiral Naismith. God, what a tangle that will be... he hopes he can wring that clearance out of them soon.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linyabel woggles her pen in a way that causes the "screen" it projects to appear totally white, although she's obviously still able to see something in it and seems like she's taking notes.
"I'm not a sleeper agent, a biological Trojan horse, or anything else more complicated than being - Cetagandan, haut, myself," says Linyabel, shrugging gracefully. "But if those characteristics turn out to be more of a disaster than you anticipate - I will not complain much about being shuffled off to somewhere else. I believe I will have to rely on your judgment about how much disaster is too much disaster, as you know the situation on Barrayar infinitely better than I do. What is your advice for interacting with the general public? - And you didn't list your father."
"I'm not a sleeper agent, a biological Trojan horse, or anything else more complicated than being - Cetagandan, haut, myself," says Linyabel, shrugging gracefully. "But if those characteristics turn out to be more of a disaster than you anticipate - I will not complain much about being shuffled off to somewhere else. I believe I will have to rely on your judgment about how much disaster is too much disaster, as you know the situation on Barrayar infinitely better than I do. What is your advice for interacting with the general public? - And you didn't list your father."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"My father... is slightly more complicated," sighs Miles. "We can talk about him later." Perhaps when they are actually alone together.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Okay."
They arrive at the embassy. Linyabel's luggage, all clearly marked with numbers on the boxes, also arrives and is disgorged from its car by a ba servitor who bows in what might be a vaguely affectionate manner to Linyabel before departing; she bids it goodbye by name and then opens the long box to make sure her keyboard is intact, which it is.
She does a lot of notetaking on her blank white pen projection.
They arrive at the embassy. Linyabel's luggage, all clearly marked with numbers on the boxes, also arrives and is disgorged from its car by a ba servitor who bows in what might be a vaguely affectionate manner to Linyabel before departing; she bids it goodbye by name and then opens the long box to make sure her keyboard is intact, which it is.
She does a lot of notetaking on her blank white pen projection.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
The lieutenants are not already packed.
While packing is going on - that is, as soon as it's possible to tear Miles out of the presence of his new wife to get him to put objects into luggage - Ivan mutters: "What are you going to do with her?"
While packing is going on - that is, as soon as it's possible to tear Miles out of the presence of his new wife to get him to put objects into luggage - Ivan mutters: "What are you going to do with her?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Well, I did promise I'd take her up in my lightflyer around Vorkosigan Surleau," Miles says brightly.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"Right, great, you can probably sink a whole afternoon into that. Then what? What are you going to tell Illyan? Or the Count your father? Or Gregor?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I am going to tell all three of those people that I got married, Ivan. And since my wife seems very happy with me, I plan to stay that way... do you suppose we should have a second ceremony on Barrayar? I'll ask her what she thinks," he decides. "I wouldn't want anyone to think I wasn't serious about it, just because all I did was eat some candy and hold her hand. Ought to give my proper oaths."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"And then everyone will get the message that you're very serious about marrying your friendly but not that friendly haut-lady, that sounds great. Can haut even still have children with regular people?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I'm pretty sure they can, Ivan. I'm pretty sure that's actually the point of haut-wives, at least if you ask a haut-woman."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"With ghem. Ghem haven't been regular for generations."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Regular enough," he shrugs.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"Okay. So then you have a little half-haut Lord Aral No Middle Name Because She Doesn't Even Properly Have Parents? That will go over well."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I'm hoping to give people a while to get used to it before we actually start producing children, admittedly in no small part because fatherhood is a terrifying prospect. But if you think I'm going to let any of that stop me, in the long run, I really don't know what to tell you."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"I don't think you're going to let it stop you. I was hoping you had more of a plan."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I plan to improvise, of course. It's gotten me this far, hasn't it?"
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"I recall spending a lot of time passed out on the floor of the bloody Star Creche while you improvised," mutters Ivan, but he drops it.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Great. Then Miles can finish packing in peace and go find his wife. (His wife!)
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
She's sitting in the lobby, gesturing with her pen, while Maz - perhaps feeling more equal to the task than her fiancé - is making small talk with her. The current topic is what they have each respectively heard about Barrayar; Linyabel sounds like she's working more off of books and speculation than anything, though Maz has been talking to Vorob'yev.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"All packed!" he says brightly, depositing his two luggage cases in the pile.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"When do we leave?" asks Linyabel. "And how long is our route from here to Barrayar?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"We leave soon. Like, as soon as Ivan's packed, pretty much," he says. "The trip's a couple of weeks, maybe a little less if they sent a fast courier."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
She nods. "Do you think I should learn some of the languages spoken on Barrayar? Russian or Greek or French? After I'm more familiarized with the English dialect, anyway."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"It's not necessary, but it could be handy," he says. "On the other hand, sometimes speaking a language somebody doesn't expect you to just lets you hear all the nasty things they say when they don't expect you to understand..." He shrugs.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I'd rather know what they're saying than not, if they'll say it either way," she remarks. "Besides, languages are a good thing to switch to if I need a break from technical activities, especially since I won't have my music group anymore. Which first, of the three?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Smallest speaking population is Greek - that's the one I learned first," he says. "Russian and French are about tied overall, but you get more Russian-speakers near the capital."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linyabel nods and makes an invisible note of this. One may presume that's what she's doing, anyway.
"Haut Linyabel was asking me about whether there are any established protocols for how she's supposed to address assorted Vor she's likely to meet," Maz says conversationally. "Unfortunately, I'm not sure there's any precedent for it, and if there were I'm not versed enough in Barrayaran customs to enlighten her."
"Haut Linyabel was asking me about whether there are any established protocols for how she's supposed to address assorted Vor she's likely to meet," Maz says conversationally. "Unfortunately, I'm not sure there's any precedent for it, and if there were I'm not versed enough in Barrayaran customs to enlighten her."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"This I can explain!" says Miles cheerily. "Do you want the rundown?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Yes, please."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"The sort of minimum courtesy for anyone with a Vor in front of their name is just 'last name, Vor included'," he begins. "So Vorreedi, Vorpatril, Vorkosigan - never Mister or Monsieur for the men, but the women get Mademoiselle Vorsomebody, or Madame if married. Formally speaking, a Count is Count Vorsoandso, his wife is Countess Vorsoandso, his direct heir is Lord Vorsoandso, and all his siblings and his heir's siblings and his heir's children - but not the children of his siblings or the children of his heir's siblings - are Lord or Lady Firstname as appropriate. With me so far?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Yes, but my question wasn't so much about what the titles are as whether any of this changes when I'm related to them."
"For obvious reasons, this interests me too," laughs Maz.
"For obvious reasons, this interests me too," laughs Maz.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
With a brief smile for Maz, Miles says, "I'm getting there. I can't really explain how things change without making sure you understand what they're changing from," he says. "So by default, you would address my father as Count Vorkosigan. Being married to his son, you can also get away with the less formal but still somewhat arm's-length Count Aral. My mother, who is Betan and still doesn't really buy into all this Vorfoolishness, will invite you to call her Cordelia, which as a friend-or-relative you may freely do. If Father tells you to call him Aral, then likewise. Except in formal legal settings like a District Court or the Council of Counts, where it's always appropriate to use the most formal title."
He takes a breath and keeps going.
"And if there was exactly one each of every Lord Vorsoandso, that could be the end of it, but in fact there's also 'courtesy titles' - Ivan is an example - people for whom some ancestor impressed an Emperor and was rewarded with the privilege of calling himself Lord Vorlastname and his wife Lady Vorlastname, which is then passed on to his eldest son, and so on and so forth, a little bit like a teeny tiny miniature Countship. Their siblings and non-heir children get to be non-heritable Lords and Ladies Firstname too, and because you can now potentially have two distinct Lords or Ladies Vorsamelastname in the same conversation, any Lord Vorsomebody can be addressed as a Lord Firstname for disambiguation purposes. So if the Vorpatril heir started hanging out with Ivan a lot, they'd be Lord Ivan and Lord I-forget-the-damn-kid's-name - you get the idea, though, I hope - but it would be weirder to address me as Lord Miles, because the Vorkosigans family tree has been pretty aggressively pruned and I'm the only Lord Vorkosigan around. Does that answer your question or should I babble some more?"
He takes a breath and keeps going.
"And if there was exactly one each of every Lord Vorsoandso, that could be the end of it, but in fact there's also 'courtesy titles' - Ivan is an example - people for whom some ancestor impressed an Emperor and was rewarded with the privilege of calling himself Lord Vorlastname and his wife Lady Vorlastname, which is then passed on to his eldest son, and so on and so forth, a little bit like a teeny tiny miniature Countship. Their siblings and non-heir children get to be non-heritable Lords and Ladies Firstname too, and because you can now potentially have two distinct Lords or Ladies Vorsamelastname in the same conversation, any Lord Vorsomebody can be addressed as a Lord Firstname for disambiguation purposes. So if the Vorpatril heir started hanging out with Ivan a lot, they'd be Lord Ivan and Lord I-forget-the-damn-kid's-name - you get the idea, though, I hope - but it would be weirder to address me as Lord Miles, because the Vorkosigans family tree has been pretty aggressively pruned and I'm the only Lord Vorkosigan around. Does that answer your question or should I babble some more?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"That's most of it; what about the Emperor?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"A somewhat more difficult question. 'Sir' is a safe bet. 'Gregor' if and only if invited. Avoid 'sire' at least at first - it's reserved for Barrayaran Imperial subjects, of which you can technically be said to be one, but it denotes an oath relationship and you haven't taken any. Avoid Your Adjectiveness-type addresses, too - Barrayar doesn't use 'em. See, Barrayaran formal address for Gregor is 'sire' the way Barrayaran formal address for one's own Count or his heir is 'my lord', but we spent six hundred years having lots of Counts and only one Emperor - there was never a reason to have a tradition for how to talk to the Emperor when you're not his subject. And we've only had eighty years to deal with the new situation, so nothing's really stuck yet. You can also get away with addressing him as appropriate for Count Vorbarra, which he also is, if you see him in his House uniform - black and silver as opposed to the Imperial red and blue. 'Emperor Gregor' by analogy to Lord or Count Firstname has sort of been tried now and then and hasn't caught on hugely, but it's technically acceptable if you get tired of sir-ing him all the time but still aren't on friendly terms."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Understood." (Pen wobble.) "And I assume I call you Miles now."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Yes," he agrees, beaming.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"You could call me Linya, if you like," she offers, after a pause. "I've always liked the concept of nicknames, but it's sort of - not done."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Linya," he repeats. "I would be delighted to call you Linya."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linya giggles again.
Maz is quietly having some kind of protocolgasm over on the other sofa.
Maz is quietly having some kind of protocolgasm over on the other sofa.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles is... fairly oblivious to Maz, at this point. (He made her laugh! Again! That's a thing he can do! And he can call her Linya!)
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
Ivan and an embassy staffperson thump down the stairs with his luggage. "Time to go?" he asks.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles blinks. "Right. Yes," he says. "That. Let's get all our stuff hauled to the shuttleport."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
Stuff gets loaded into a vehicle. The vehicle gets driven to the shuttleport. Stuff gets removed from the vehicle and loaded onto the shuttle.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Some joker, or possibly well-intentioned individual, or maybe just somebody concerned about available berths, has assigned Miles and Linya to the same cabin. This will be obvious to Miles before it is to Linya; she is staring down various people who are gaping at her rather than investigating their room assignments at the moment.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
...Miles... takes a deep breath and resolves not to be weird.
"Our, er, cabin is this way."
"Our, er, cabin is this way."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Okay," says Linya evenly. "How does this work, should I take the most important boxes with us and the rest are locked up in a cargo hold or will they be accessible regardless?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"They'll be accessible, but less conveniently. Anything you expect to be opening up regularly should come with us to the cabin, but probably you'll have to tuck at least half your stuff away in storage, and it won't be much of a hassle if you misfile something and need to go get it halfway through the trip."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Okay." Linya pulls out about a third of her boxes and puts them on a separate luggage cart and follows Miles to their cabin.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles hauls both his luggage cases along.
It's... a cabin. It contains sufficient storage space for all their things, and a disposal unit for miscellaneous garbage, and a small but reasonably comfortable bathroom/sanitary facility, and a bed.
It's... a cabin. It contains sufficient storage space for all their things, and a disposal unit for miscellaneous garbage, and a small but reasonably comfortable bathroom/sanitary facility, and a bed.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linya puts down her stuff, and investigates how she's holding up to all this travel in the mirror (hair up in a relatively simple coil contained in a bejeweled cage-for-hair-coils, various layers of shades of green with some yellow and black accents) and then sits on the edge of the bed and resumes pen-ing. "Now I wonder if this ship has a decent library; if so I can get started on Russian."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I don't know what you consider decent, but it has a library," says Miles.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Well, in this case, decency means 'contains introductory Russian material." She switches her pen's mode; is is now in full color again. She starts looking. "Here we go... yes, excellent."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Oh good."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Mm-hm." She peers at the bed. "I have never tried to sleep in a bed with another person before. I don't think I toss and turn, but I have no way of knowing - you aren't, I hope, fragile enough that it's a safety concern?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Um... I also haven't tried to sleep in a bed with another person before," Miles confesses. "You could certainly break my bones if you tried - I have no idea if you're likely to do it in your sleep by accident."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I'm not going to try, I'm just wondering what constitutes reasonable precautions. I probably need a lot less sleep than you do, so if necessary I suppose there could be shifts, but that seems inconvenient."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Yes, it does, doesn't it? Um. I really don't know," he says. "I suspect 'try it and see what happens' is the best information-gathering method we're going to come up with. I at least don't think you're going to break anything that can't be fixed."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Okay."
Pen-woggle pen-woggle.
"Monogamy is customary on Barrayar, isn't it?" she asks.
Pen-woggle pen-woggle.
"Monogamy is customary on Barrayar, isn't it?" she asks.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"...Yes," he says.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Okay. That will be fine, then."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Are you okay?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Um? Yes," he says. "Fine. I'm fine."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Okay." Woggle woggle. "Do you want a pen? I'm going to see about making a consumer version and they probably shouldn't be exact copies of mine."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Ooh. Yes," he says.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Any requests for what you want it to do?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Well, I don't know, what does yours do?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Comconsole functions, it can patch into most standard networks, that's how I'm accessing the library now. It's DNA locked, the consumer version probably won't do that, there are shortcuts I could take locking it to myself because I borrowed from the way the chairs only react to specific haut-ladies. It can pick up sound, but not project it - there wasn't a good way to get any reasonable acoustic quality without making it bulkier. It can take pictures as well as display them, though. It can do flat midair screens like this, or three-dimensional projections, although I don't have any way for it to project around corners so if I cover up both of its ends," she demonstrates, the projection winks out, "it's no good - that makes the three-d option less useful than it otherwise might be. It'll draw freehand, or recognize a library of gestures - alphabets and software shortcuts. It's got okay data capacity on its own, but its charger and external storage unit is where I keep anything I don't expect to need in the next week or so - again, didn't want it too bulky. And the white projection you've seen is another feature the consumer version probably won't have because most people aren't tetrachromats, but I find it a useful privacy screen."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"...Tetrachromat?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I can see more colors than you can. The white screen looks the equivalent of greyscale to me. It's only been standard for haut designed within the last couple of decades - anyone my own age could still read over my shoulder, but if it was only people older than me, they wouldn't be able to."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Weird," he says. "But - in a good way."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I tend not to watch a lot of holos because everything in them looks sort of - flat and unreal and sad," she says. "I mean, the pen takes pictures in all colors, but most media isn't designed for it. I suppose if I weren't a tetrachromat everything would look like that all the time and I just wouldn't know the difference."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"'All' meaning all the ones you see - I assume there's still more that you can't?" he says. "You should make my pen take tetrachromat pictures too, even if I can't tell the difference."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"In theory there could be pentachromats, but as far as I know none have been made, so - all the colors that anyone can see. And sure, I can make the cameras the same - are you thinking you'll be taking pictures of things to show me?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I'm thinking that if I did, I'd want them not to look flat and unreal and sad," he says.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"That makes sense."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I think," she says, tucking her pen away, "that I need lunch."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Then let's get lunch!"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
After some looking, they locate the ship galley, which Linya inspects with considerable curiosity but makes no disparaging remarks about.
She collects for herself about twice as much food as Miles does.
She collects for herself about twice as much food as Miles does.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
...Well all right then.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Om nom nom. She makes a very subtle face at the first bite but doesn't complain or make more faces as she continues her meal.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles decides not to ask any questions whose answers he won't like, such as for example 'how's the food?'.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
Ivan has apparently also had the idea of lunch. He sits next to Miles rather than alone or with total strangers.
"So how's life, Lady Vorkosigan?" he inquires.
"So how's life, Lady Vorkosigan?" he inquires.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Can't complain," she says, responding seamlessly to her new form of address. "I'm going to learn Russian and design a consumer version of my," she taps her pen, "gadget. If that doesn't take two weeks I'll think of something else."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"...Is it likely not to take two weeks?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"That probably depends on whether you talk to me in Russian."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Well, I won't swear I'm the best conversational partner you could ask far - in Russian, anyway - but I can if you'd like."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"That'll help, then. I mean, I don't claim I'll step onto Barrayar with a native-level vocabulary, but I should be able to hold basic conversations."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"Two-week language learning. What else can you do?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linya raises an eyebrow at Ivan, but answers. "See more colors than you can," she starts off. "By galactic standards I'm a good programmer, software designer, and electrical engineer, and a reasonably good pianist, singer, and human geneticist. But that's about it."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"By galactic standards, implying - not by haut standards?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Oh, no, I'm not good at anything by haut standards. I'm eighteen. Even if I did one thing for twenty hours a day I wouldn't be good at it by haut standards."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Haut standards seem - excessive, in that case," Miles observes.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Not really excessive, just - relative. I might have disparaging opinions about how most of the other haut choose to use their potential, but insofar as they apply it - well, practice effects still exist. I haven't had time to become an actually good, to narrow to a specific example, singer. For one thing, I never practiced enough and it was all improvisational."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Improvisational?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I didn't want to spend twenty hours a day practicing," she explains. "So I joined an improv music group that would consider people my age. There was nothing to practice beyond general facility with the instrument, there was no repertoire, and the only drawback was that sometimes I'd have to put down a book in the middle to provide music on no notice, because while to get a proper choir or band you'd need to work out a set list ahead of time, all improv needs is a place to put the instruments and a general sense of the mood of whatever poorly-planned event was going on. We sort of meandered around cuing each other whenever we had something we wanted to try. I play the piano in particular because that meant I didn't have to try to dance."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Aha. Hence the grand piano you couldn't take with you."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Yes. I was four, I went to a second piano lesson after I had my first, and I found a keyboard in my apartment. When I'd kept at it for ten lessons the grand appeared."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"...is that how things usually work, with the haut?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"That would be a little overgeneral. The ba who looked after the constellation dormitory I lived in tried to anticipate our needs without cluttering the spaces beyond manageability when they were making purchases for us, so it would have been unusual to have to actually say 'I want a grand piano' and equally unusual to find one in the living room without appreciating it, but, again, I'm eighteen. If for whatever reason I were still on Eta Ceta when I reached various other ages I would have had the opportunity to make different arrangements."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I see."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"It occurs to me that I have no idea what other people imagine haut day-to-day life as being like."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"Oh, you know, contemplate the mysteries of the universe, break to drink rosewater and eat meringue, set aside the afternoon for internal political jockeying and telling the ghem to conquer something, go to bed."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"...That is inaccurate as a description but very charming as a parody. Except for the rosewater and meringue bit. Haut actually eat a lot; some of the earliest gains to be made in genetic engineering involved removing the biological expectation that food scarcity was always just around the corner."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I was wondering," admits Miles.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Oh." She looks at her plate. "Yes. It's not a huge difference, I think, but it's there."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"Not just hungry, mutant hungry," mutters Ivan.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I am literally the exact opposite of a mutant."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Common Barrayaran usage disagrees," sighs Miles. "Nevertheless: Ivan, shut up."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"...I was aware of the Barrayaran prejudice against mutants. I was not aware that this was accompanied with complete ignorance of what mutants actually are."
She doesn't sound pleased.
She doesn't sound pleased.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"'Mutants on purpose are mutants still', is I believe the phrase," says Miles, baring his teeth at Ivan. "Hell, most of the really bad ones won't even let go of their problem with me when they learn it's not a genetic defect."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"So you can probably give me a guess, then, about how bad it's going to be?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"It's more complicated with you, because you're haut - you get prejudice about 'mutants' coming one way and prejudice about Cetagandans going the other. The fact that you're stunningly beautiful is mostly going to help, I imagine. A higher proportion of snide remarks to people trying to beat you up in alleys. But... I still recommend not visiting any alleys without a bodyguard. I'm sorry - you said you looked me up, I thought you knew."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"It makes some semblance sense that people would mistake you for someone with a real, random, harmful mutation. I'm - I'm an art project, no part of me happened randomly, anyone who knew what the word mutant meant wouldn't be able to assume I was one. I knew being Cetagandan was going to be an issue because of lingering feelings about the war, I just didn't expect a - double dose."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"The Barrayaran problem with mutants is... complicated. It's half about - defects and peculiarities," he gestures at himself, "and half about unusual genetics," he gestures at Linyabel. "And during the Time of Isolation there wasn't a way to tell the difference - something in the genes was just the assumed explanation for any defect, it's not like they let the visible ones stick around and breed to see what happened - so when we emerged into the bright new world of the wormhole nexus, human nature being what it is, of course certain people decided genetic engineering was just... mutants on purpose. Deliberately tainted, as opposed to accidentally. Maybe it wouldn't have gone that way if it hadn't been Cetaganda that invaded us, I don't know, but here we are."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Here we are. All right," she sighs. "Bodyguard. That will be new, the bubbles obviated the need..."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I wouldn't personally have an objection to you reinventing yourself a bubble and bubbling around in it, although I imagine the Cetas might fuss."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I could probably do it, but it would take a while, and - I went and got used to the idea of leaving it."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Okay."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Do you suppose it will be easy on Barrayar to find a bodyguard who's interested in making a sincere attempt to protect a Cetagandan," eyeroll, "mutant on purpose?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Look no further than the Vorkosigan armsmen," says Miles, with inexplicable sadness.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"...Are you okay?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
He sighs. "Yes. Sorry. I - my childhood bodyguard died a few years ago."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Oh. I'm sorry."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
Ivan politely refrains from mentioning that Miles was Obviously Pining after said bodyguard's daughter who has since vanished into the broader galaxy.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Thank you, Ivan.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I'm familiar with the general concept of armsmen but not with what sort of person decides to be one or why the oaths involved are so thoroughly trusted," Linya says. "If I'm going to be depending on them for bodyguarding it seems that would be good to understand better."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"The entire Barrayaran social and political system is oath-based. Oaths... just are," says Miles. "Maybe Mother would be able to explain it better; she had to figure it out from an outside perspective too."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"It's sounding like I'm going to be learning rather a lot from her."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Yes, I think you will."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linya finishes her food fairly quickly; apparently she didn't feel inclined to linger over the ship food. "Well, off to teach myself the rudiments of Russian and compose a message to that fellow on Escobar who has some of my software," she says, and she waves a little to Miles and peripherally to Ivan and goes back to the suite.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"Gotten any friendlier now that you've eaten candy together?" wonders Ivan.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Ivan."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"It's a reasonable question! I don't think you've thought this through!"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"What, exactly, do you think I haven't thought through here...?"
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"It's a genetic thing, for them, right? Usually she'd be marrying some guy who already had a few wives and nobody could call her neglectful for never touching him? For all you know you've consigned yourself to a life of celibacy. If she's thinking about it at all she's thinking about how to turn - somatic cells into usable gametes or whatever it is they do to make extremely clinical little Cetagandans."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"A life of celibacy as opposed to the rich and varied sex life I had before, eh?" he snaps, and gets up from the table to stomp off back to his room.
...It's possible he doesn't think that through very well either.
...It's possible he doesn't think that through very well either.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Here is Linya! She has the drawing function of her pen up and is painting in midair what could very well be the internals of a pen.
"Hi," she says, when Miles comes in.
"Hi," she says, when Miles comes in.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"...Hi," says Miles. He manages a smile, even.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"What do you usually do on long trips?" she asks, annotating some internal pen widget.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Argue with Ivan?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"What about?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"...Um."
He blushes.
He blushes.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"You don't have to tell me, I guess. Tell me something, though, we have gotten married and most of what I know is in your public file."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Ivan thinks I'm going to be, um... disappointed in the area of marital relations," mutters Miles. "Which I'm not - I mean - disappointed isn't the word - I wasn't going to assume, just because you married me - it's not like I actually have any others to be proverbially forsaking, it all works out the same in practical terms - "
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
She puts her pen away - and then she interrupts him by scooping him up off the floor and bringing him up to a level where she can place a gentle little kiss on his lips.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles makes an extremely undignified squeaking sound.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linya puts him back down.
"You're very cute," she says.
"You're very cute," she says.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Thank you," he says, mainly on automatic. His brain is still crackling with fireworks of delight.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"You're very cute, I actually like you, I don't know about doing much about it right now while we have really only barely met and you still have force screen bruises all over you but - what were you going to do if this hadn't come up in conversation?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Um... wait indefinitely for you to either bring it up or - not," he says.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Okay... so - no promises on scheduling. I didn't have any love-poems back home to give me an idea of how, in practice, I will want things to go. But it is not out of the question, and in full generality you are allowed to talk to me. Okay?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"...Okay," says Miles. "Uh, as regards how-in-practice-you-will-want-things-to-
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"...Not really, since the first thing I am sure of is that I don't want to figure it out with someone I don't know at all. But out of academic curiosity - how does that interact with the monogamy custom?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Well... on Beta Colony it's perfectly normal for a monogamous couple to go to an LPST for, er, couples therapy, so to speak. Individually or jointly. If they're both fine with it. On Barrayar not so much, but people on Barrayar who would object don't need to hear about it."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Ah. To be clear, when I asked whether monogamy was customary on Barrayar this was mostly an oblique way of inquiring after your expectations."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"My expectations... are a more complicated question," he says. "I mean - if we get married the Barrayaran way, I give my personal oath to be your husband and no one else's - 'spouse and helpmeet, forsaking all others' is the exact phrasing - also 'for as long as we both shall live', but that doesn't rule out divorce as an option, we'd just have to show up in Father's court and ask, not that I'm advocating this, you understand, I just think it's fair to give you all the relevant information - anyway, but that just governs my expectations of me; my expectations of you are mostly... not."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Why are your expectations of me - not? Do the vows not match, or do you just think I won't take them seriously?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"No, they match word for word, except for the part where you insert your full name sans any titles. But, look, you're not Barrayaran. You don't have to take them seriously, and I won't make you take them seriously. If for some reason you wanted to get married all over again the Barrayaran way, with the groat circle and the witnesses and Seconds, and then ignore the literal meaning of the vows and go have, I don't know, ten mistresses and five boyfriends on the side - I'm not saying this would be my ideal married life, but I wouldn't try to stop you. I wouldn't consider it a, a breach of honour, I wouldn't go crying to Father for a divorce. Although adultery does technically provide a legal basis."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"...Noted, I guess. I may not be Barrayaran - but as a matter of personal policy I try not to lie outside of extreme circumstances. You aren't proposing to wedge me into any extreme circumstances. I'm not saying that if I make oaths it will hold up against unanticipable pressures on me long after the fact, but if I make them at all it will be because I mean them at that time. Which, in the case of - what is a groat? - in the case of the Barrayaran marriage ceremony would include strongly expecting not to want a passel of extramarital affairs."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"A groat is a hulled whole grain of any of various types; they're a staple Barrayaran food, and for some reason at weddings we dye them pretty colours and pour them in circles on the ground for the people marrying each other to stand in."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I wonder if that's where Lisbet got the circle idea. Our wedding was not quite standard."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Huh. I wouldn't be surprised. Lisbet seemed - not quite standard, herself."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I have very high hopes for how things will be with her as Empress. But I don't think she'll get things done fast enough to suit me - impatience is my besetting flaw - so I still wanted to leave."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I... tentatively share your high hopes."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"At any rate, if she finds Cetaganda much the worse for lack of Linyabels, she can let my designer make me a half-dozen sisters."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Who will all subsequently grow up and demand to be dispensed to outworld husbands?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Plausible outworld husbands don't show up every day, and Lisbet will have a while before they grow up to arrange matters more to their liking."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"True, I suppose."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Honestly, if you hadn't been right there offering a viable route off-planet she probably could have tempted me to stay rather than, say, making a second essay at the Betan Embassy or stowing away to Illyrica. No one would try to drive the Empress's favored errand girl out of her constellation to be awarded to some arbitrary ghem-lord. But you were there."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I was there," he agrees. "And now we're here."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Yes."
On impulse, she scoops him up again, in a careful hug, and sits down on the bed with him in her lap again. (He's so scoopable!)
On impulse, she scoops him up again, in a careful hug, and sits down on the bed with him in her lap again. (He's so scoopable!)
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Eeeee," says Miles, snuggling into her lap. "Hello."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"It is is more or less constantly tempting to scoop you up," she informs him.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Well - I'm glad you mostly refrain in public," he says. "But feel free to give in to the temptation in private."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Understood." Snuggle. "I gather Lord Vorpatril would be obnoxious about it."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Ivan is frequently obnoxious."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"What's it like, having an approximately conventional family?" she wonders.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Um... approximately conventional, I suppose. Very approximately. I'd hardly describe my parents as conventional people."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Well, yes, but you have them, at all," says Linya. "I am asking from the standpoint of - not."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Yeah... I've been defining myself my whole life by how I stand out, though," he says. "I don't know how to explain the parts of my life that are normal to someone for whom they aren't."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I met my designer once," says Linya. "I was - eleven, almost twelve. She was on Eta Ceta for a speed chess tournament."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"What was that like?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"We got along, actually. She told me some things about how I was put together that I hadn't found in my general files yet. She wanted to know how her experiment had turned out and I told her it worked perfectly but people around me didn't seem thrilled with the knock-on effects."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"What, in fact, was the experiment...?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"She was trying to edit out akrasia."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"...And the knock-on effects...?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"The impatience is, I think, related, and the general disinclination to sit around being ornamental when there are so many opportunities in the galaxy."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Seems perfectly understandable to me."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"See, this is why I'm here with you instead of there."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Snuggle!
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Snuggle?
Snuggle!
Snuggle!
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I have read a lot of books, and in most of them people have parents, but - probably for plot reasons - the relationships rarely seem to work out particularly well."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Ah. Right. Well... I don't know. Maybe this is another thing you're better off asking my mother about."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I'm accumulating quite a list."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Yeah."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linya kisses the top of his head, and puts him off of her lap, and stands up again to resume drawing in midair her pen-related proposal for the fellow on Escobar.
"Is the light from the pen going to bother you when you go to bed? I only sleep four hours a night, and considering the relationship between the time zone we're coming from and ship time I'll certainly be up later than you."
"Is the light from the pen going to bother you when you go to bed? I only sleep four hours a night, and considering the relationship between the time zone we're coming from and ship time I'll certainly be up later than you."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"No, it'll be fine," he says.
He doesn't go to bed right away - spends some time idling around on the cabin's comconsole first - but he definitely goes to bed before Linyabel. And gets to sleep without a problem.
He doesn't go to bed right away - spends some time idling around on the cabin's comconsole first - but he definitely goes to bed before Linyabel. And gets to sleep without a problem.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
When he wakes up, he will find her still asleep, having changed into a dark blue nightdress and put her hair in a simple single braid that trails off the edge of the bed. Also, she has his head tucked under hers and her arm over his middle and she is mumbling in assorted languages, mostly English. Recognizable words include: "Key. Flower. Aerosolize. Periwinkle."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
...
Miles decides that no power in the universe could get him to exit this cozy situation prematurely. He snuggles up and closes his eyes.
Miles decides that no power in the universe could get him to exit this cozy situation prematurely. He snuggles up and closes his eyes.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Veracity. Thimble. один. Star."
And with that she yawns, and stretches, and resettles her arm around him. "Good morning. I didn't squish you or anything, did I?"
And with that she yawns, and stretches, and resettles her arm around him. "Good morning. I didn't squish you or anything, did I?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I remain one hundred percent unsquished!" he reports happily.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Good." She nuzzles the top of his head, then yawns again and sits up.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles sighs. Cozily, though.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linya rummages in one of the boxes and comes up with an outfit, and ducks into the lav to change into it; she comes out in burgundy and white layered under a long elaborate shawl of what might be pink, though the material of the top layer is so thin and netted that it's hard to identify for certain. She can apparently do her hair herself, at least in a handful of styles including "two braids folded into loops and bunched together with ribbon".
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
While she's in there, Miles cozies a little while longer and then gets up and picks out an outfit of his own - plain and boring, because there's no point whatsoever in trying to outshine his wife and the effort required to so much as approach keeping up is daunting enough to reserve for special occasions. So when she emerges, he has a stack of clothes in his arms.
"You look beautiful," he says. "Not that you ever haven't."
"You look beautiful," he says. "Not that you ever haven't."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Thank you. I used to just let other people coordinate my clothes for me, but at least I can remember what they did and coast on that for a while. Do you want me to wait for you before I go to breakfast?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"You can if you want. I'll just be a few minutes in the shower," he says, and kisses her hand since in order to kiss any part of her face he'd need a stepstool, and disappears into the lav to shower and change and perform personal grooming rituals.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
She waits, learning how to describe colors in Russian to pass the intervening minutes.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles pops out of the lav again about four minutes later, dressed and depilated and slightly damp, and hugs his wife. (His wife!)
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
She scoops him up and twirls him around and kisses his forehead and then puts him down again. And then off to breakfast. Perhaps mercifully, it doesn't look like Ivan's up yet.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles spends the entirety of breakfast playing the part of a helium balloon. Being scooped up and twirled around and kissed will apparently do that.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linya eats a considerable quantity of breakfast, about which she makes neither face nor comment, and then back to their room they go. She rummages around in her boxes for earbuds, with which to listen to the ship's library's audio content of Russian.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles hugs her again. Because he can.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Awww. Hug. Hug is compatible with listening to Russian.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
It is, isn't it?
Then she can have hugs with her Russian.
Then she can have hugs with her Russian.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Eventually they are one-armed on her end, as she starts taking notes on what she's hearing - she's apparently already assigned gestures to Barrayaran Cyrillic and learned to write them reasonably quickly. She will be perfectly content to stay approximately like this for a couple of hours if Miles doesn't have anything better to do than watch her scribble in the air about conjugation and pronouns.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
As much as he enjoys cuddling his wife, Miles is not a naturally indolent person.
He experiments to find a configuration where he can both use the comconsole and snuggle Linya. Then he starts composing his written report to Illyan.
He experiments to find a configuration where he can both use the comconsole and snuggle Linya. Then he starts composing his written report to Illyan.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Am I allowed to see that?" she wonders, after glancing to see what he's up to.
She asks it in reasonably-accented Russian.
She asks it in reasonably-accented Russian.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Technically no," he says, also in reasonably-accented Barrayaran Russian; then continues in English, "But you were there for most of it and you know the rest, I'm not risking a meaningful security leak by writing it in front of you."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
She looks up the translation for 'technically', guessing how to spell it on the first try, then also continues in English. "Should I pretend you didn't write it in front of me regardless?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Um... I wouldn't volunteer it, but if Illyan guesses, better to admit it than lie."
He begins putting actual substance in his report - a surprisingly bare recitation of facts, getting in all the relevant details but omitting editorial commentary. Once or twice he looks something up from notes he made at the time, but for the most part his memory suffices. The report does not, indeed, contain anything Linya doesn't already know.
He begins putting actual substance in his report - a surprisingly bare recitation of facts, getting in all the relevant details but omitting editorial commentary. Once or twice he looks something up from notes he made at the time, but for the most part his memory suffices. The report does not, indeed, contain anything Linya doesn't already know.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Okay," she says, switching to Russian again.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Snuggle snuggle write write.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Snuggle snuggle study study.
Linya is now reading a simple children's book in Barrayaran Russian. Every now and then her pen circles a word and a translation pops up for her and her earbuds murmur.
Linya is now reading a simple children's book in Barrayaran Russian. Every now and then her pen circles a word and a translation pops up for her and her earbuds murmur.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Write write snuggle snuggle.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
She finishes her book. She finds some music with lyrics in the target language and the earbuds burble it as she clips her pen back to its necklace collar. She glances thoughtfully at the long box with the keyboard in it.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
This glance draws Miles's attention.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I think I'm going to get out the keyboard, but if it'd bother you while you're writing your report I can have it send the sound to the earbuds."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"It won't bother me," he assures her. "It might distract me, but I have two whole weeks to finish this in, I don't need to get it all done by tomorrow."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"All right."
She unsnuggles (with a kiss to the top of his head) and unboxes her keyboard, which, when turned on, hovers. She takes out the earbuds, rejiggers the keyboard settings until it's playing the song she likes from the beginning, and then - improvises, on top of that.
And sings along, harmonizing with the lyrics.
She unsnuggles (with a kiss to the top of his head) and unboxes her keyboard, which, when turned on, hovers. She takes out the earbuds, rejiggers the keyboard settings until it's playing the song she likes from the beginning, and then - improvises, on top of that.
And sings along, harmonizing with the lyrics.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles is thoroughly distracted.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
She smiles at him between verses.
She falls silent when the song ends of its own accord.
"I can carry on for a bit if you like."
She falls silent when the song ends of its own accord.
"I can carry on for a bit if you like."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"That... would be nice."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
She plays, changing keys on whim, adding flourishes, generally sticking to waltz time but making liberal use of what would be represented as fermatas and gracenotes. While improvising with no template underneath she doesn't sing with words, just croons over what she's doing with the instrument, with flawless pitch.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles is a rapt audience.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Well, if he's going to gaze at her like that she'll just carry on for a while. She draws to a silence after about an hour.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles vents a happy sigh and abandons his seat to go hug her.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Hug!
"It's prettier when there's a whole group, but - that's what it sounds like when I do that."
"It's prettier when there's a whole group, but - that's what it sounds like when I do that."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I like how it sounds when you do that."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Good."
Snuggle.
Snuggle.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Snuggle!
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I think it may be lunchtime," she observes after there has been some snuggle.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"All right," he says agreeably.
To lunch!
To lunch!
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
Ivan is already eating lunch, or possibly a very late breakfast.
"How's it going?" he inquires.
"How's it going?" he inquires.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Just fine," says Miles.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
(Linya giggles faintly and obtains food.)
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
Ivan peers at Miles's face and looks really curious, but he isn't quite curious enough to ask about what he wants to know in the presence of a lady.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles obtains food. And sits next to Linya. And... scintillates.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"You look, uh, well."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Oh, do I? Maybe it's because I'm happily married."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
Ivan blinks, attempting to decipher secret coded messages in this utterance.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linya looks amused by this exchange. She tucks in to her lunch.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles beams and eats his food.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"So, how's Russian going?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Do you speak it? You tell me," Linya replies, in Russian of limited idiomatic fluency but technically acceptable grammar.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"...I'm going to assume that means you have retained more over the past day and a half than I can remember from when I was supposed to learn it as a kid."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles giggles.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
Ivan appears to be trying to figure out whether the two of them have had sex by psychic powers.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
This is either completely lost on Linya or just too vulgar for her to acknowledge.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles is no help. He just keeps looking really pleased with himself. And madly in love with his wife.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
By the time Linya has finished lunch Ivan is no closer to figuring this out. However, when she finishes eating, she gets up and kisses Miles on the top of the head before she departs -
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
- which causes Ivan to startle in his chair, as though he has just witnessed someone turn into a frog or a piece of furniture deliver stirring oratory.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"...What?" says Miles, somewhat crossly.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"If I answer that are you going to bite my head off?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"That depends. Is the answer 'I knew you were married but I never in my wildest dreams imagined she might kiss you'?"
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"...Not exactly."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Spill, then. I promise no decapitation will ensue."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"It keeps being bizarre that she acts like a person and not a - a - rosewater-drinking elf."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
...Miles snorts.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"It is! Haut-ladies look like they ought to be standing very still on top of shrines watching people lay gifts at their feet and occasionally striking people with lightning, and she keeps - coming with you to the cafeteria and eating more than I do and having facial expressions. Is that why they kicked her out?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"She's unusual but not that unusual. Hell, their empress laughed like a normal person right in front of you, don't you remember?"
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"I was pretty distracted by vividly imagining Uncle Aral taking me to task for letting you go on excessive adventures when Aunt Cordelia expressly told me to keep you out of trouble."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Snort. "I'm sure it won't be that bad."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"Oh, I agree, I think I will probably get off a lot easier than you will for this one."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I averted one or more wars, isn't that going to count for something?"
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"It counts for the Order of Merit and a haut-wife. I don't know what to expect from Barrayaran people-who-determine-what-things-count-
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"It had better at least count for letting me keep the haut-wife."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"What if it doesn't, coz?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
He sighs.
"In the competition between my planet and my wife... whoever is determined to make me choose will come out the losing side, I think."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"Hell of a thing."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Yeah. But I'm going to hope it doesn't come to that. It shouldn't come to that."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"And if it looks like it's going to you'll improvise, I imagine."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Naturally."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"Am I likely to be dragged into it?" sighs Ivan.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I have no idea."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"You could warn a fellow, you know, it'd make me a little less resentful about it."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I will give you all the warning I possess to give, Ivan."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"That's more or less the problem."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
He sighs.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"Right, well, I'm off to try to find something decent to read, maybe work on my report."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Have fun."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"I will at least attempt not to have any disasters. Fun's debatable, there's no girls who aren't married to you, or anything to do, around here." Pause. "Speaking of the girl who is married to you and things to do - and you did promise not to decapitate me -"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Yes, Ivan?"
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"How not-standing-very-still-on-a-shrine does she get?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"None of your business."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"I don't mean anything by it. You know that, right?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Define 'mean anything by it'."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"I'm not asking because I have decided to explore my voyeuristic streak or anything, I am very curious about what haut-ladies are like when they are not standing very still on shrines receiving presents, and - I am genuinely kind of concerned for you in the long run, like I said before you snapped at me, before."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I think I-in-the-long-run will be fine. I-in-the-present am also fine. My wife is... really kind of adorable, in addition to beautiful and brilliant."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"There's - adorable and then there's -" Ivan shakes his head.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"And then there's...?"
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"There's girls who smile and they're completely elsewhere and there's ones who smile and mean it, and I can tell most of the time, with regular girls, and I have no idea about the standing-very-still-on-shrines kind."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Linya means it."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"And you know that she's not just a clever actress using you to abscond from her planet or worse because?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles sighs.
"Because she just - makes more sense this way. There's not much extra she's gaining by being adorable at me instead of, oh, asking for a ticket to Beta Colony on the next commercial jumpship. If she's running some kind of political long con, then I may as well hand in my silver eyes because I have been thoroughly fooled."
"Because she just - makes more sense this way. There's not much extra she's gaining by being adorable at me instead of, oh, asking for a ticket to Beta Colony on the next commercial jumpship. If she's running some kind of political long con, then I may as well hand in my silver eyes because I have been thoroughly fooled."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"Okay."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Now Miles will go back to his room.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Here is Linya, writing in white. "Hi."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Hi." Oh look, it's his wife.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Am I reading too much into things, or does your cousin act strange around me?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"He... acts moderately strange," Miles admits. "I think he's worried for me. Well, he sort of admitted he's worried for me. He's just worried for me in a very Ivan way."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"...What does he think I'm going to do?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I, er, think he's more worried about what you're not going to do. And also that you might be - that you might have some unexplained ulterior motive for being cute with me. Which I don't believe, for the record."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Good, if you believed that it would probably be awkward. 'Hi, Miles.' 'Hi, Linya, sent any interesting intelligence home to your celestial master today?'"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
...He giggles.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I wonder if it would be better all told if I looked for Barrayaran people to work with on the pen thing rather than going with the Escobaran fellow just because I have this extremely tenuous connection already. Would that look meaningfully less suspicious? Does Barrayar have reasonably sophisticated electrical engineering and allied industries?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Um... I'm not sure what your standards are. We're up to galactic par, mostly, in some places. I think - if you found someone to work with on Barrayar, it would probably reflect well on you."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I'll sit on the message to Escobar, then, I may as well look into it. I built this one by myself in a workshop intended to let us make cunning electrical sculptures, I'm sure I can teach someone who knows the rudiments how to make more of them with cheaper materials."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I'm sure you can too."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"What do you think of the form factor? I was making it a priority to have it come off as plausible jewelry on casual inspection, but I'm not sure if that's a positive or a neutral for the general case."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I think... if I have the option for mine, I'd like it to really look like an old-fashioned pen, if possible. I'm not sure of the size of the market for that aesthetic in the wormhole nexus at large."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"For the projection to work right there does need to be something clear on each end. I suppose I could possibly make it look like a pen cap on the nib side," Linya muses, shuffling her screen around and switching back to full color to write this down.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Why not a, a glass nib?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"It has to - well, it's easiest to make it work if it's a hemisphere. I suppose I might be able to figure out enough optics to get it to behave in a nib shape." Note note.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"It would be fun."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Quite possibly. Let's see if this ship library has anything I haven't read in the relevant problems of making light go through oddly-shaped things." She goes and browses through the available texts, humming.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
He sits down and gazes adoringly at her for a little bit.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Occasionally she catches his eye and grins.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Eventually Linya concludes that the ship library does not have what she would need to make progress on the glass nib problem.
So instead she kisses Miles.
So instead she kisses Miles.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
...Eee!
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Eee indeed!
(If Miles is capable of complex thought he might notice that she kisses like someone with only theoretical knowledge of the practice, but Linya vaguely suspects that he might take long enough to have this power of discernment for her to catch up on the learning curve.)
(If Miles is capable of complex thought he might notice that she kisses like someone with only theoretical knowledge of the practice, but Linya vaguely suspects that he might take long enough to have this power of discernment for her to catch up on the learning curve.)
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
He already pretty much knows that she has only theoretical knowledge of the practice. He doesn't really consider it a detriment. She's kissing him. It's lovely. The end.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Mmmmmkiss.
And then that seems like enough kiss for the time being. Although she does decide that his hair requires petting.
And then that seems like enough kiss for the time being. Although she does decide that his hair requires petting.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles hugs her and leans into her and makes contented humming noises of the sort one might make if one were discovering the joys of hairpets.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Awwwwwwwwwww.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
It's so cuddlesome!
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"You are so cute."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I am very glad you think so!"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linya kisses his ruffled hair and goes back to Russian for the time being.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles spends a few moments Being Very Delighted and then sets up to start working on his report again.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Several days pass in this fashion, with Linya learning Russian (and producing more and more of her idle conversation therein) and brainstorming pen-related ideas and occasionally fiddling around with her keyboard and voice, Miles finishing up his report while cuddling her, and the pair of them invariably waking up snuggled together. It's all terribly cute.
One morning she wakes up snuggled up to him and, uncharacteristically, when she kisses him good morning, does not then proceed to let him go and get up to start her day. She doesn't seem to have any immediate plans to get up at all.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
...Well! That sure is a development. Miles is Pleased.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
She was hoping he would be Pleased! (The fact that he is so relentlessly Pleased is itself rather Pleasing.)
Kisses. Snuggly, horizontal kisses.
Kisses. Snuggly, horizontal kisses.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
That is rapidly becoming one of Miles's very favourite kinds of kisses!
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
She can see the appeal, too. Snuggly horizontal kisses: best thing?
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
They rank very highly in the Best Thing competition!
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
She is also sort of curiously petting him.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Well. That's... also a development.
Miles decides that the proper response is: more snuggles.
Miles decides that the proper response is: more snuggles.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
It is! It is a proper response. Linya thinks everything is in good order.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Snuggles!
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
And yet eventually Linya's stomach growls.
"Probably time to get up and dressed and breakfast," she says, sighing a little.
"Probably time to get up and dressed and breakfast," she says, sighing a little.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Yes. Those things," he agrees.
But first: kiss!
Okay, now wakefulness and hygiene and food.
But first: kiss!
Okay, now wakefulness and hygiene and food.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Kiss!
She unties her braid and rummages in her boxes for a hair accessory while it slowly slides unraveled behind her back.
She unties her braid and rummages in her boxes for a hair accessory while it slowly slides unraveled behind her back.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
...Miles observes that while he has gotten pretty cavalier about hugs and kisses, he still seems to treat Linya's hair like some kind of divine artifact which mortal hands dare not touch.
He decides this is a bit silly.
He asks, "Can I pet your hair?"
He decides this is a bit silly.
He asks, "Can I pet your hair?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Sure."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
He reaches out and runs his fingertips down the unraveling braid.
...!!!
...!!!
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
She glances over her shoulder.
"You have the most amazing look on your face," she murmurs.
"You have the most amazing look on your face," she murmurs.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Yes, I imagine I do," he says, blinking and coming out of it a little.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Did you you know you were the first person to see me out of my bubble who wasn't themselves haut or ba? And you had about the same look on your face then."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I did not know that. But yes, I imagine I would have."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"It's - flattering isn't quite the right word. Something in that neighborhood, though."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"In what ways is flattering not the right word...? Not that I'm arguing, you understand, I'm just curious about what you mean."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I suppose it's also flattering, but - it isn't that I don't know that I am very pretty and my hair is soft. Of course I am very pretty and my hair is soft. And you look at me like that and the of course - goes away."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Is that a good thing?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Yes."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Oh good!"
He pets her hair again. This time he's much more grinny about it, but there's still an element of That Look.
He pets her hair again. This time he's much more grinny about it, but there's still an element of That Look.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
She quite happily lets him play with her hair, and her gaze lingers on his face for a moment before she goes back to hunting down her hair accessory.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Petpetpetpetpetpetpet.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I'm going to need to re-braid that," she remarks, when she locates the set of combs she was looking for.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Does that mean I have to stop touching it?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Unless you want to braid it for me, yes."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I could braid it for you! I probably couldn't braid it for you particularly well, but that's what practice is for, right?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Sure. I don't do it myself particularly well either, I can't see what I'm doing without more mirrors than we have here and it's hard to reach."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Okay."
In that case: he gets to braid her hair! Which means he gets to touch her hair. He is a happy Miles. The happiest.
In that case: he gets to braid her hair! Which means he gets to touch her hair. He is a happy Miles. The happiest.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linya arranges for all of her hair to be within easy reach, and gives him instructions, but today all she needs is a simple three-strand braid containing all of her hair, so it's not that hard. When he is done she ties off the end and attaches it to her head with the combs.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
And Miles hugs her. That's an important step too.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
It is! Hug.
"I am ravenous," she remarks, and she picks out an outfit and goes and puts it on and comes out of the lav again in record time. But she will wait for him before she goes to get breakfast.
"I am ravenous," she remarks, and she picks out an outfit and goes and puts it on and comes out of the lav again in record time. But she will wait for him before she goes to get breakfast.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles also gets dressed Very Very Fast! And then they can go to breakfast together.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Om nom nom breakfast. Even mediocre ship breakfast contains, say, calories.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
Ivan shows up around the same time and doesn't make any pointed faces or oblique remarks, just bids them good morning and sits with them.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Good morning," Miles says happily.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
...Ivan is, when he discovers that Miles had not yet reached the ceiling of his possible chipperness, sort of tempted to make faces or remarks, but he doesn't do much of the first thing or any of the second. He just says, "I miss groats, do you miss groats?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I do not miss groats," Miles admits.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I'm going to have to try them just to find out what's to miss or not miss," remarks Linya.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Well, I won't stop you."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"Groats are nice! You know, comfort food."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Does one typically eat them plain?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Maple syrup is a favoured accompaniment," says Miles.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I had maple sugar in something once - someone was doing culinary experiments with exotic ingredients. It was nice."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Maple sugar is an exotic ingredient? I didn't actually know that," says Miles. "We produce it in my family's District; it's hardly exotic to me."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Exotic on Eta Ceta, anyway. Not impossible to get, but scarcely a staple. Like - pomegranate, which I've also had only once."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I don't think I've had pomegranate even that many times," Miles says thoughtfully. "Is it any good?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Not enough that I asked the kitchens to bring in more. It's all right, I'd eat it again if it were around."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
He nods.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Besides groats and maple, any interesting planetary cuisine I have to look forward to?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Maple mead," he suggests. "Uh - meat that comes from animals instead of vats; Mother still won't eat any, which is a good indication that it's especially weird. I think a lot of our common traditional dishes ultimately derive from pre-colonization Earth foods, but I haven't made an extensive study of which ones are and aren't still mutually recognizable with their various galactic counterparts..."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Huh, animal meat. I'm not entirely sure I'd be able to work up the nerve to try that myself. Maybe if I were really hungry and it was very appetizingly presented."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"Vat protein's just not the same," opines Ivan. "It's all made by people who've never had the real thing."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Yes, I've found it's often only possible to tell the difference because the real thing is tastier," says Miles. "I mean, in cases more subtle than 'whole roast pig'. But if you'd rather avoid it regardless, Mother's example makes it clear you won't have all that much trouble."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Is there vat meat around and it simply hasn't caught on, or is it unavailable altogether?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Mm, more the former. It's caught on in some places, but it's still not all that much cheaper except in a few areas and the taste difference is, as Ivan mentions, noticeable."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Are you sure animal meat is better, and not just what you're used to?"
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"I sure think so."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"It's certainly different. I don't know, maybe some people prefer vat. I'm not one of them."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"I wonder if there's anyone in a position to give both a fair trial? Who doesn't go in finding the one kind grotesque or the other too unfamiliar."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"In theory I should be such a person, actually," says Miles. "Thanks to Mother, I've had vat protein - just not as often as the other kind... do you suppose that's disqualifying?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Not necessarily, and you're probably the best example ready to hand regardless. Interesting."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Predictably by this point, Linya finishes eating first, kisses Miles on the head, and absconds.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
Ivan doesn't make any leading remarks at all! Wow!
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles gazes adoringly after his wife. To no one's surprise.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
The trip goes on. (Linya, perfect genetic paragon that she is, does not suffer from one bit of jump-sickness, but no one has figured out how to engineer jump-pilot potential; she does not have it.) The prolonged morning kisses are a continuing thing; she starts eating midnight snacks so she doesn't wake up distractingly peckish. She lets her husband braid her hair every morning - she'd let him rebraid it for sleeping in before she went to bed too if only he didn't go to sleep four hours before her. The midpoint of the trip appears without fanfare.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles, much to his own surprise, is starting to get used to braiding Linya's hair every morning. It's still an amazing near-religious experience, but it's not so totally all-consuming anymore.
So he has attention left over to do things like kiss the back of her neck. (Why? Because it's there and he can.)
So he has attention left over to do things like kiss the back of her neck. (Why? Because it's there and he can.)
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linya...
makes a sound. It is sort of like a squeaky gasp bordering on a whimper.
makes a sound. It is sort of like a squeaky gasp bordering on a whimper.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"...Was that a good sound?" inquires Miles, pausing in his braiding.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Yes that was a good sound."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Oh, good! In that case, should I do that again?"
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Yes I think so."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
So he does that again.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
And there is a repeat of the sound. And a little squirm.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Ooh.
Further experimentation may be required.
Further experimentation may be required.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linya is not going to complain one bit about the abandoned braid or prolonged experimentation with causing her to make pleased noises!
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
In that case - it's likely to turn into prolonged experimentation with causing her to make pleased noises.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linya approves.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles approves of Linya approving! He approves of it so much.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Does Linya get to do experiments, too?
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Yes. Absolutely. Miles is very enthusiastic about science this morning.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Science! Yay! Miles! Yay! Linya is tremendously happy. (But next time maybe he should finish braiding her hair first, because it kind of gets everywhere when it's loose.)
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles is tremendously happy too. (And he doesn't quite entirely object to Linya's hair getting everywhere. Linya's hair is lovely and soft. Occasionally inconvenient, but still lovely and soft.)
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
The rest of Linya is also pretty lovely and soft.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
So Miles is discovering.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Eeeeeeeee.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Eeeeeee!
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
How convenient that Linya ate something at two in the shiptime morning before going to bed. Otherwise they might have to break for breakfast or something.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
They do not, in fact, break for breakfast.
Miles sort of loses track of time after a while. He is having too much fun to care about petty details like number of hours elapsed.
But his capacity for science is not infinite, and eventually he starts to doze off during a cuddly lull in the proceedings.
Miles sort of loses track of time after a while. He is having too much fun to care about petty details like number of hours elapsed.
But his capacity for science is not infinite, and eventually he starts to doze off during a cuddly lull in the proceedings.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Awwwww. Dozy husband.
Linya kisses his forehead and tucks him in and makes herself presentable. She doesn't braid her hair, just rolls it slightly and lets it otherwise hang down in a sheet. And she nips out for food.
She is back after not too long, quietly in case Miles is still napping.
Linya kisses his forehead and tucks him in and makes herself presentable. She doesn't braid her hair, just rolls it slightly and lets it otherwise hang down in a sheet. And she nips out for food.
She is back after not too long, quietly in case Miles is still napping.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles is still napping.
Miles continues to still be napping for a good hour or so.
Eventually, though, he blinks awake and peers at her.
Miles continues to still be napping for a good hour or so.
Eventually, though, he blinks awake and peers at her.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Hi," says Linya, from where she's reading an optics textbook in Russian - apparently if the ship's library doesn't have optics she hasn't read, at least it has optics she hasn't read in Russian. "I am afraid that your cousin may tease you the next time you see him. He asked why you weren't at lunch with me and I said you were asleep and then he burst out laughing."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
...Miles giggles.
"I'll live," he says. "But now that you mention it, I'm hungry."
And he yawns his way out of bed and shuffles off to the lav to take a shower, then dresses himself somewhat haphazardly and goes in search of food.
"I'll live," he says. "But now that you mention it, I'm hungry."
And he yawns his way out of bed and shuffles off to the lav to take a shower, then dresses himself somewhat haphazardly and goes in search of food.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Linya catches him for a quick kiss on his way out but does not otherwise impede him.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Food!
He is feeling much more energetic when he comes back. Hugs for Linya!
He is feeling much more energetic when he comes back. Hugs for Linya!
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Yay, hugs! She scoops him up; it is irresistible.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Scoopful hugs! He's very scoopable, it's true. Mmm. Cuddlesome.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"You fell asleep before I could inform you - in a complete sentence, anyway - that this morning was lovely," she says in mock reprimand, snuggling him.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"This morning was very lovely," Miles agrees. "Possibly the loveliest of all mornings."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"So far, I hope you mean."
Did she just wink? She may have just winked.
Did she just wink? She may have just winked.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Future mornings do not appear on the scale," he informs her, grinning, "because they haven't happened yet and are therefore difficult to rate."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Aha."
Snuggle.
Snuggle.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Snugglesnug.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
Their mealtimes have gotten all out of sync; Linya winds up going to dinner solo.
When Miles eventually goes -
When Miles eventually goes -
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
- Ivan is there.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles sits with him, naturally. He's still feeling rather unduly buoyant, and is not especially concerned about possible teasing.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"Sleep well?" asks Ivan chirpily.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"Yes, thank you," says Miles sunnily.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"Pleasant dreams? Very restful?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles starts laughing.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
So does Ivan.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
...Yep, now he's giggling helplessly.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
That's not going to get Ivan to stop!
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"How—" he manages between giggles, "how obvious was it? I mean, I was asleep at the time... all Linya said was she ran into you at lunch and said I was sleeping and you started laughing."
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
"That's - basically it," snickers Ivan. "But, uh, she was smiling. And I've had a little practice figuring out how to read her face like it is a face and not an idol made of solid gold or something, so - yeah. Good for you, coz."
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Miles beams.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
Ivan starts chuckling again.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
Well, that's just going to set Miles off.
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
Whoops!
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
He can't help it, he's just so giggly!
Ivan Xav Vorpatril
middlingalong
Eventually Ivan manages to eat his dinner without aspirating any of it and pats Miles on the shoulder and goes back to his cabin.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
And Miles manages to finish his dinner now that there is no one to giggle with, and goes back to his own cabin still grinning irrepressibly.
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"What's so funny?" asks Linya when he comes in.
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
"I'm not entirely sure. I ran into Ivan and it wasn't so much a case of him teasing me as of the both of us giggling like idiots for the entire meal."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"What, why?"
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
thisvorlunatic
He shrugs helplessly. "No logical reason I can think of."
Linyabel Miriat ⍟ "Linya"
isthisart
"Huh."