[IC] [Mask or Menace] Contact Post

[dendarii]

"This is Miles. Leave a message and I'll respond to you at my earliest convenience."

The line has gone silent; any messages sent to this name only return an error.

Comments

[keep_nothing]

I know, love ... [ She moves up the bed at that point, careful not to spill her wine of the bottle and she scoots, sitting up against the headboard next to him. ]

There is someone who love you, though. Remember how I said there were at least two people who wanted you that way?

[dendarii]

[ Miles frowns faintly at that. ]

Yes, but you wouldn't tell me.

[keep_nothing]

And I still won't. This is something you have to figure out yourself. The clues are all there.

[dendarii]

[ Miles fwumps back on the bed then, beyond annoyed. ]

What good does that do me?

[keep_nothing]

So you'd snub it just because it wasn't presented to you on a platter? I thought you liked a good mystery and chase.

[dendarii]

I do when I have a direction. At least tell me what gender they identify as.

[keep_nothing]

[ She frowns lightly, ] Why does that matter?

[dendarii]

Because it's the least specific hint you can give me, and I demand at least one.

[keep_nothing]

[ She rolls her eyes. ]

It's someone you've gotten to know well here, much more than you ever could have—hypothetically—known them back in Barrayar.

[dendarii]

[ Now he's thinking, really thinking about it ... ]

Platonic love doesn't count.

[keep_nothing]

Not talking platonically. I know for a fact they love you more deeply than that.

[dendarii]

But the only ones I'm especially close to are ones that are from Barrayar. And I know for a fact you are not flirting with me, Mother.

[keep_nothing]

[ She grins. And then waggles her eyebrows at him in teasing. ] No offense, love, but you are actually quite dense when it comes to certain matters.

[dendarii]

Mother, please.

[keep_nothing]

I'm speaking quite seriously.

[dendarii]

While making flirtatious faces in my general direction.

[ He shakes his head a little bit. ]

I can't possibly be that dense.

[keep_nothing]

[ She laughs lightly. ]

No, love, I love you, but I'm not in love with you.

[dendarii]

I'm glad we've clarified that.

[ But who does that really leave? Gregor? No, impossible. ]

[keep_nothing]

[ So about that being dense thing ... She sips her wine as she watches him puzzle it out. ]

[dendarii]

[ He just sighs a bit, his mind still looping around the obvious solution. It can't be Gregor. ]

[keep_nothing]

[ She'd been keeping their link mostly closed ever since she had felt Miles' coupling with Jim, not wanting to intrude on their privacy even with how damn loud Miles was broadcasting it, and she doesn't re-open it now. But she can feel his mind skipping over something, like a broken record circling over and over some point it can't get past. She takes some pity (or is it sadistic glee?) in changing the subject on him. ]

But back to Jim for the moment, was there anything you didn't like? Knowing that as well as what you do like is important to know.

[dendarii]

[ Urgh. He's not sure he likes this topic either. ]

I ... er, I enjoyed most of it, I think. Moreso when I was focused on him and not him being male? Does that make sense?

[keep_nothing]

[ She considers that phrasing quite seriously for a moment, sipping her wine slowly, the humor dropping from her expression and replaced by thoughtfulness. ]

And what about the acts where his masculinity is ... rather forefront? [ See, Miles, she can be delicate about this. ]

[dendarii]

[ Look, he's trying to be at least a little delicate here. ]

A bit distracting, honestly. ... Though, it is a terribly practical tool to have on hand.

[keep_nothing]

[ Don't say it, Cordelia, don't say it— ]

Or in hand?