jacksonian: (gun-wielding (neutral))
Mark Pierre Vorkosigan / "Peter Kane" ([personal profile] jacksonian) wrote in [community profile] barrayar2016-01-22 09:49 pm

I am junking up this beautiful community with this junk

All the other starters are so beautiful but instead I'm coming in and ruining everything with this useless post with this sad sack
Comment to this post and I will write you something
vorbarra: (ether-bunny63)

[personal profile] vorbarra 2016-01-26 12:55 am (UTC)(link)
Because I was young and stupid enough to believe them. It was unfounded.

[There's just enough self-directed sourness there to show that he really does castigate himself over that.]
vorbarra: (ether-bunny55)

[personal profile] vorbarra 2016-01-26 05:07 am (UTC)(link)
[The funny thing about truly stable trust is that Gregor doesn't feel at all threatened about having it questioned by an outside source. Plus, he's giving him an uncommonly free pass to ask questions, given the circumstances. It's a unique situation so he's getting unique dispensation on prying.

He swallows a bite of food before responding.]
You don't know how stable something is until you've tested the foundation. We survived that, ergo, I feel sure of our future survival.
vorbarra: (baobabble14)

[personal profile] vorbarra 2016-01-26 02:48 pm (UTC)(link)
[Gregor straightens up, putting his fork down and settling his hands, eyes alert.]

Go on.
vorbarra: (ether-bunny28)

[personal profile] vorbarra 2016-01-26 03:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah. A worthy payment.

[Slowly, a wide smile overtakes Gregor's face. It has the certain color of satisfied pleasure to it.]

I so rarely get to make orders like that, you know. Unequivocally good ones. I'll enjoy it.
vorbarra: (palaeopirates01)

[personal profile] vorbarra 2016-01-26 03:22 pm (UTC)(link)
It's a little academic, seeing as I'm not sure I'll remember any of this when I next have the opportunity, but if you're all right with intent and hypotheticals-- yes.

[Gregor is young enough here to still find exerting his authority a bit dizzying, both in the scary and exhilarating sense, admittedly.]

You said yourself it's a trade, isn't it? Though you realize, after this is agreed, the table's wiped clean. We can only make new debts from here, ad infinitum.
vorbarra: (ether-bunny56)

[personal profile] vorbarra 2016-01-26 03:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[That anger would probably alarm him a bit if Gregor thought he had any chance of acting on it. No, more accurately, trying to act on it. Trust is springing up all on its own.]

No, no, that's not what I mean at all. I've no argument. What I mean is...

[His voice softens.] From here, we'll have to go forward.
vorbarra: (ether-bunny55)

[personal profile] vorbarra 2016-01-26 03:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Am I?

[Gregor lets that sit in silence for a few long seconds, humor wiped from his expression, softly inviting him to consider just what it is Gregor is getting, in scope.

But, so as not to press him too hard, he eventually adds,]
As for investment of troops, I'd just put Miles on it. Well, I'd have Simon put Miles on it. He'd be thrilled. Over the moon, in fact, to do something for you. Win-win-win.
vorbarra: (ether-bunny32)

[personal profile] vorbarra 2016-01-26 03:59 pm (UTC)(link)
You didn't think he made up Admiral Naismith for your benefit, did you? [Gregor asks dryly.] It's a real fleet. About five thousand personnel.

You should hash it out with him-- he'd love to plan the whole thing out with your input, I'm sure, as a mental exercise.

[Can you be a go-between for brothers? Gregor really does wonder if this is how Cordelia feels at all times.]
vorbarra: (ether-bunny54)

[personal profile] vorbarra 2016-01-26 04:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Quite.

[Gregor watches him for a moment, but breaks the possible tension of that by diverting himself to drink his tea, and go back to his food.]

Does that resolve the matter for you, then?
vorbarra: (baobabble14)

[personal profile] vorbarra 2016-01-26 05:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[He judges what sort of response is due here, and thinks of the relief he'd felt when he'd presented his lies for perusal... He seems to feel better with some push-back, kindness being inherently untrustworthy.

Very well, Gregor has no issue treating him with the easy sarcasm he does all his other extended family contemporaries.]


Really? [he says mildly, with another sip of tea.] After last night?

[He'd talked him into swearing himself. Gregor is not much interested in hard negotiating with him after that, not if he can help it.]
vorbarra: (ether-bunny30)

[personal profile] vorbarra 2016-01-26 05:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah. Yes. I should explain to you about all that, since I'm attempting honesty with you now. I was doing a lot more maneuvering than you could see. [Which Gregor apparently has no problem explaining to him in retrospect.]

First of all, my other ability here, the oaths one, disallows oaths made insincerely. It'd never have worked if you hadn't meant it; I felt it take, so I knew you did, and furthermore if you developed some duplicitous motive later you'd be barred from hurting any of us anyway.

As for the matter of giving you a blank check, I'm not sure this will make sense to a Jacksonian, but the fact of the matter is that I owe all the Imperium the very same. My life is not my own. [He'd sounded cavalier until this point, but now his voice drops, quiet and heavy under the weight.] It has never been my own. I needs must balance what you're owed with what I owe everyone else, so there is some limit to what I'd give you-- quite a lot of limit. But if it's within my power, yes, you personally were owed something.

[A beat.]

And if you'd like all the calculations, I admit I am predisposed to think you must be more than just an assassin, if given the opportunity. By genetic code alone, whatever relation you want to claim or disclaim. I hardly thought I was getting nothing out of the deal.
vorbarra: (ether-bunny13)

[personal profile] vorbarra 2016-01-26 09:14 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm not all that dumb, [he says dryly.] But if you're so worried about it, then decide not to. What it comes down to is that I've decided to give you a chance. Until you've given me a reason otherwise, I'm going to trust you.

[Plus, Gregor has to admit there is a strong sense of let's see what happens behind this. Give this poor clone a chance to be something other than a clone, and what will he do? Gregor has no more idea than he does, but he's very interested in finding out.

Internally, he scratches lightly at the shut door, barely enough to count as a polite knock. If he opens it just a bit, he'll be able to feel all that patience and curiosity and, yes, developing trust.]


You can feel it for yourself if you like.

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