[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

[dendarii]

Not here. Everyone seems to have something special going on here.

... And I really don't see many men my height either.

[jacksonian]

So what do you want me to say? Birth defects make me special? They're not all that uncommon where I come from. Toxicity in the atmosphere.

[dendarii]

Well. No. I'm the last person to insist on that.

[ But he is morbidly curious. Deeply so. ]

Teratogenic then? ... Are your bones affected as well?

[jacksonian]

[ Shit. He hasn't thought about what he's going to say here. On the one hand, his bones aren't all that breakable, which might become evident if he ever has to engage in any action, but on the other hand - how to explain the synthetics...? ]

That's another question. You owe me an answer on how being some feudal Lord or whatever is complex.

[dendarii]

[ Hoo boy. How to explain it to someone not born on Barrayar ... ]

It's more than just that. Yes, my people serve me, but I'm beholden to them as well. Utterly. There is no running away from being Vor.

[jacksonian]

[ God, is this really the crap he's going to have to spout? ]

You collect taxes from them?

[dendarii]

[ Just you wait, Lord Mark. ]

That's correct. Some portion of which go onto the Emperor. And it's a military caste, so most go into service at some point in our lives.

[jacksonian]

Uh huh. Then the fact that you want to stay with them doesn't seem all that complicated. Revenue for doing nothing.

[dendarii]

I've never once thought of it like that. Some Vor, maybe, but it doesn't capture the essence of being Vor. We serve.

[jacksonian]

The fact that you haven't thought of it like that doesn't mean it's not actually like that. People are very capable of lying to themselves.

[dendarii]

On the contrary, it's the truest thing about me.

[jacksonian]

Yeah. According to you. Who might be lying to yourself.

[dendarii]

I know myself better than you think, Mr. Kane.

... Were your bones harmed by your physical defect?

[jacksonian]

[ Okay. Well, this might make them underestimate him. ]

Yeah.

So why did you decide on that crap clone story?

[dendarii]

[ Dammit, he wants more detail than that. Save it for his next question maybe... ]

Because my appearance is too unusual otherwise. I'm extremely distinctive.

[jacksonian]

You're in a world where no one knows you.

[dendarii]

I'm in a world where anyone from home could show up. And it's proved its usefulness at least once already.

[ Which ... actually, he should say something about that. ]

I advise not using video around a man calling himself Lucifer.

[jacksonian]

[ Yeah. This. Which he still hasn't gotten the full story on. That...sounds a little worse than he'd expected, though. A little more dire. ]

Why not?

[dendarii]

Because if he mistakes you for me, he will make your life miserable. And if he figures out you're a different person ... he will make your life miserable in more creative ways.

[jacksonian]

[ He wants to laugh. Of course. Of course Vorkosigan has already made his life worse. Of course the clone is reaping the fruit of his bad decisions. Sure. ]

And what if he sees me on the street? What then? Go and contact him and tell him I have nothing to do with you.

[dendarii]

That would be unwise. I'd draw attention to you, to start with.

[jacksonian]

[ Panic starts to rise in him. ]

So I'm supposed to just wait for Lucifer to spot me on the street and torture me to death instead?

[dendarii]

No. God, no. I don't think he'd do that anyway - he's more about the chase. Call me and I'll stall him, at least. I can move quickly if I have to, and at last make him safe to you for a while.

[jacksonian]

Are you joking? You can't even protect yourself.

[dendarii]

I have certain safety precautions in place. And he's been quiet lately.