[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

telepathy!

[vorbarra]

Would you mind if I took telepathy lessons from Spock? It would necessitate telling him everything, and last I heard Jim was still in the dark.

[dendarii]

By all means. Please do.

... Though. Er. Jim isn't as in the dark as he was before.

[vorbarra]

Oh? What made you decide to do that?

[ Not contesting his right to tell Jim anything he wants, notably. ]

[dendarii]

[ A pause, lit by faint embarrassment. ]

He projected a memory of a monster he'd encountered on some frigid alien planet. So I got my revenge. By showing him my little mutiny at Kyril Island.

[ Which just doesn't make sense without context. ]

[vorbarra]

[ Gregor, of course, gets this problem immediately. ]

Ah. So it wasn't deliberate. How'd that go?

[ Faint, mixed sympathy, exasperation, and curiosity filters over. ]

[dendarii]

[ All par for the course, really. Miles knows it was a dumb move but ... ]

Not terribly. He was irritated, of course, but we worked it out. He knows I'm Lord Vorkosigan but not that you're the emperor.

[vorbarra]

[ So many dumb moves with telepathy lately, Miles, really.

A moment of consideration before he answers. ] If I'm going to be telling Spock, you have leave to tell him whatever you wish about me. I'm glad it didn't damage things between you irreparably.

[dendarii]

[ Sometimes Miles just has runs of bad moves, okay. ]

Ah ... I'll keep it in mind. Tell me if he does find out, yes? I don't think we can tell one and not the other.

[vorbarra]

Probably wise. I will.

By the way, what are their ranks? I can't believe you of all people didn't think to report that.

[ Just some friendly ribbing here. ]

[dendarii]

[ A mental laugh in return. He'd completely forgotten. ]

Commander Spock, Lieutenant Kirk.

[vorbarra]

Thank you. I'll let you know how it goes.

[ Gregor mostly wants to know ranks so he can default to formality when he pleases. ]

[dendarii]

Have fun. Spock certainly is an interesting sort.

[vorbarra]

He seems to think I have my hands full with you as a mental partner.

[ Open amusement now. ]

[dendarii]

He's not wrong.

[vorbarra]

I told him I liked it, actually, and that I always know how to turn down the volume.

[dendarii]

[ Pleased warmth comes across; that was definitely the right answer. ]

Which you are welcome to do, of course.

[vorbarra]

[ A ruffle of affection right back, equally warm. ]

I didn't mean it like that, with closing the link. I meant... I know you would if I asked. It's not nearly so intrusive, knowing that.

[dendarii]

That too, then. I do try not to be overwhelming.

[ Sometimes. Mostly. ]

[vorbarra]

It's usually fine. I know you've been holding yourself back for me sometimes. I wish you didn't have to for my sake, but I'm... I'm grateful.

[ It's much easier to bring this up now than in the heat of the moment, since whenever Gregor needs that delicacy of touch, that light stepping around a subject, he's not quite of the right mind for speaking to his. But a whole swath of real gratitude pierces through him as he transmits this. ]

[dendarii]

[ Miles basks in that gratitude for a moment, greedily taking it in. ]

It seems a basic courtesy to me. I don't mind.

[ Nevermind he doesn't extend it to anyone else. Ever. ]

[vorbarra]

[ Gregor is perfectly aware that he gets preferential treatment from Miles. But since it's just because he's him and not because he's Emperor (at least not exclusively), it goes over with him much better. He secretly, selfishly enjoys it, just a little bit. ]

All the same, I know you're not in the habit of it with anyone else and I wanted to remember to tell you that I appreciate it.

[dendarii]

You make it sound like I bowl everyone else over.

[ Because he does. ]

[vorbarra]

You do.

[ No mercy. ]

[dendarii]

[ Eh. Miles never asks for any. If anything, he seems quite proud of his forceful personality. ]

Then they should get out of the way, shouldn't they?

[vorbarra]

[ A spark of intense amusement, Gregor laughing softly wherever he is. He'd always known Miles's take-on-the-universe attitude was deliberate; he hadn't expected him to be anything less than proud. ]

You'd think. Woe betide our enemies.