Admiral Lord Aral Vorkosigan (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
use_everything) wrote2016-02-02 11:06 am
use_everything) wrote2016-02-02 11:06 am
[IC Inbox]
"Messages will be returned in order of priority."
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[Text] [Audio] [Video]
[He turns attention to just under the chin, just enough nails for a proper scritching.]
Ah, what's the phrase Cordelia uses... "There's a first time for everything?"
Ah, what's the phrase Cordelia uses... "There's a first time for everything?"
Mmmmm.
[ Her whiskers twitch in approval of these scratches. And she sighs: ]
Yeah. I guess even you Barrayarans could get lucky. Though it really doesn't sound like it's happened much in your lives.
[ Her whiskers twitch in approval of these scratches. And she sighs: ]
Yeah. I guess even you Barrayarans could get lucky. Though it really doesn't sound like it's happened much in your lives.
A cultural curse, I assure you. Gregor is no exception, he merely covers smoothly. We've evolved to utilize spite and stubborn refusal to roll over in its stead.
[ A reluctant little giggle. This is a serious conversation, damn it, don't make her laugh. ]
You know, my people have rather done the same. I think that Londoners and Barrayarans would get along rather nicely.
You know, my people have rather done the same. I think that Londoners and Barrayarans would get along rather nicely.
Quite likely. Though I'm not sure whose plans for progressive advancement it would botch more.
[He gives it a moment of consideration, humor ebbing just a little.] Do you miss it much?
[He gives it a moment of consideration, humor ebbing just a little.] Do you miss it much?
London?
[ She pauses a moment in honest consideration. ANd she gives Aral, strangely enough, more of an honest answer than she's given anyone. ]
I don't miss being afraid. I don't miss watching my country crumble further and further every day. I don't miss...hiding, or miss the loneliness, or the violence...But sometimes I miss the streets I used to know.
[ A pause. ]
Do you miss Barrayar?
[ She pauses a moment in honest consideration. ANd she gives Aral, strangely enough, more of an honest answer than she's given anyone. ]
I don't miss being afraid. I don't miss watching my country crumble further and further every day. I don't miss...hiding, or miss the loneliness, or the violence...But sometimes I miss the streets I used to know.
[ A pause. ]
Do you miss Barrayar?
[ It's less a matter a trust and more a complex history that she hasn't tried to explain to anyone from home, much less people she's met here. The last time she tried to get rid of the asshole AI, she had gotten a friend killed in the process.
But that's nothing here nor there and she keeps her complicated mess behind her, out of sight. That's a burden no one but herself needs to deal with.
Dryly, ] Glad you trust me that far. I have experience with kids his age even if they haven't been as energetic.
But that's nothing here nor there and she keeps her complicated mess behind her, out of sight. That's a burden no one but herself needs to deal with.
Dryly, ] Glad you trust me that far. I have experience with kids his age even if they haven't been as energetic.
Well back then, they could use the promise of money to earn their "trust" so I'm not sure if that counts for too much. Not to mention it didn't sound like this much thought or...I guess, emotion went into it. Like a business transaction.
[Spoken like someone that has no idea about the concept of money other than what he's experienced here. He takes another sip of coffee. You may have yourself a new regular, Aral.]
What kind of circumstances would warrant that? I can't imagine people just wake up one day and decide that.
[Angling towards who he's really asking about...]
[Spoken like someone that has no idea about the concept of money other than what he's experienced here. He takes another sip of coffee. You may have yourself a new regular, Aral.]
What kind of circumstances would warrant that? I can't imagine people just wake up one day and decide that.
[Angling towards who he's really asking about...]
[There's a wry sort of humor in return.]
He could hardly move at all most of his life thus far. I always assumed it would even out.
[Of course, they'd both met 'adult' Miles.]
He could hardly move at all most of his life thus far. I always assumed it would even out.
[Of course, they'd both met 'adult' Miles.]
[ She snorts. ]
Yeah, too bad he just keeps cranking it up. At least I have a better way to keep tabs on him now.
Yeah, too bad he just keeps cranking it up. At least I have a better way to keep tabs on him now.
I'd have appreciated precognosis rather than telepathy in his case, but it's serviceable.
[ She sighs. ]
I can imagine. How bad is he when he's older?
I can imagine. How bad is he when he's older?
Ah... that you know as much about that as I do. Cordelia has mentioned some things that has made me wonder if it simply keeps rocketing upwards.
I have... similar witholdings about the whole of it. But my District, I do. The hills and lakes of it, the people.
I meant over the link. I don't need to know more about his future than he does.
Hm. [He opens his hand, acknowledging the error.] The volume is the same, the content subdued.
At least I can't get headaches. [ It's a light grumble and she lets out a small sigh. ] I'm still not sure what I want to do about this whole link business, but I appreciate you explaining it better.
Yeah.
[ She gives a little sigh. ]
London...I love it. I don't like it, though, at all. I actually quite hate it, truth be told. But I love it, too.
[ She gives a little sigh. ]
London...I love it. I don't like it, though, at all. I actually quite hate it, truth be told. But I love it, too.
The links are wholly new and... role quite undefined. Though, though it pleases me to think you would be the first female armsman Barrayar has seen. [The first one knowingly sworn, like stories of women dressing as men to join the wars, there were the occasional tale of a lady so taken with patriotism to her lord, skirts were discarded and hair was shorn.]
... Though, I would implore you, knowing what it means now, as well as I can present it. If you decide to remove it, do it while he is still young.
... Though, I would implore you, knowing what it means now, as well as I can present it. If you decide to remove it, do it while he is still young.
[ That causes her to completely freeze. That was the opposite of what she'd been planning. ]
You're joking, right? I can't talk to him seriously about this while he's a kid.
You're joking, right? I can't talk to him seriously about this while he's a kid.
Stone serious. As a child, when he returns to an adult, he will have innumerable reasons to rationalize why you, an able bodied and capable armsman, would leave his service. There is his age, not understanding his seriousness, Gregor also being young and quite overwhelmed with other links...
But when he is an able and capable lord, and you are an able and capable armsman, that changes the field significantly.
But when he is an able and capable lord, and you are an able and capable armsman, that changes the field significantly.
That conflict where you wish to shake every man, woman and child until sense rattles into their skulls and the very air chokes you. But there's no where else you belong or is so needed.
So you're saying I have an indeterminate amount of time to make this decision. And what if I wait? It sounds like I only need Gregor's permission to take care of the oath part.
You could do that.
[At the very clear challenge, Aral's expression darkens, his tone clearly laced with what he thinks about that particular idea.]
[At the very clear challenge, Aral's expression darkens, his tone clearly laced with what he thinks about that particular idea.]
[ Her back straightens immediately under that gaze.
Dryly, ] Then I guess my original plan of waiting won't work. I thought it'd be a good idea to keep the link at least until he aged up given how much trouble he's getting into.
Dryly, ] Then I guess my original plan of waiting won't work. I thought it'd be a good idea to keep the link at least until he aged up given how much trouble he's getting into.
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