( closed )

[whatdidisay]

Who: ivan vorpatril & elizabeth dewitt
When: afternoon of dec. 9th, after this
Where: the library
What: ivan has a solution for elizabeth's tea problem
Warnings: none, probably


With no luck on the search for Miles and still no response on his MID, Ivan figures it's best to leave the details of 'what the fuck do we do now' to Bel and Gregor. They're both competent, smart people who don't need him to get involved in the formation of any plan, just the carrying out of it. They'll call him if they need him, or won't even do him the duty of asking him if he wants to be involved before dragging him in anyway. It'll happen and Ivan won't have a choice - might as well enjoy his small window of freedom while he can. Which is why Ivan spends the morning after his conversation with Elizabeth rummaging around the kitchen. He finds what he's looking for in a cupboard that's filled with God knows what - a thermos. Slightly dinged but still capable of keeping liquid warm, even in this cold. Or so he hopes.

Taking his prize, Ivan bundles himself up further - thermals, work uniform, undress greens over those, and his dress green jacket over it, because Gregor has their spare and Miles took his. And he didn't get it back, now that the door to Miles' office is locked. Which okay, is a little extreme for Miles in his foulest moods, but getting a captain to unlock it is probably Gregor's job. Anyway, once he's attempting to be a little bit warmer than before, he sets off for the library, flourishing the thermos at the lump of blankets at the desk that Ivan assumes is Elizabeth.

"One thermos, as ordered."

Despite the cold and the question of what the hell Miles has gotten himself into hanging over them, his voice is rich and warm; grin wide. He likes spending time with Elizabeth -- she's beautiful, obviously, but charming in a way that makes Ivan wonder if she knows exactly how charming she is. Smart, too. Well, Ivan muses to himself, that doesn't say much when he's thinking it. Still, spending time with her is nice, and he could use the company.

Comments

[whatdidisay]

"I'm a dream come true, what can I say?" Ivan jokes, not particularly serious with the claim. He did ask for this, and the ridiculousness of how they must look makes him laugh, low and rich. But he follows her direction over to her desk, only stumbling over his feet or her feet once or twice. Ivan is smooth, alright, he's got this.

Not caring about books doesn't mean he can't ask questions about them. "So, what's on your reading list for today?" They're important to her, and he's been coached in this. Ivan only slightly wishes it wasn't books, though, if only so he could at least have something to offer in the conversation itself.

[tearmeanewone]

Elizabeth laughs, squeezing Ivan's wrists in appreciation for his hyperbole. He did have that 'Prince Charming' quality to him, Elizabeth can't deny that-- it's how charming he actually is that gives Elizabeth tiny pause. Is she going too far, kissing him on the cheek and resting her head against his chest and hauling him around the library?

Maybe... Elizabeth reaches through the blanket and pulls the book into their little two-person cocoon. "A Christmas Carol-- it seemed the right thing, given how cold it's been." She pauses, bites her lip. "...Ivan, you don't... want anything from me aside from my company, do you?"

[whatdidisay]

A what carol? Ivan frowns, opening his mouth to ask "What's Christmas?" before he can stop himself. It's not something he's heard before, alright.

As for that -- that's a loaded question if he's ever heard one. Ivan's silent for a moment or two, trying to think of the best way to handle this. Because he does want something from her -- a date, for starters -- possibly more kissing! But those involve her company, so he's not really sure how to approach the question at all. His face screws up in honest confusion, as he mulls over the words. "No? I mean -- anything I could want from you can't be taken. It has to be given, or else it's, you know." He makes a gesture, which is rather difficult when she's right there in his arms. "Not the same."

Somehow he doesn't think that's the right answer, and he sighs, shoulders slumping slightly. "And I wouldn't want it, if it meant not having your company at all."

Please help him, Elizabeth, he's thinking on a completely different track than the one you're asking about.

[tearmeanewone]

The silence gives Elizabeth her cue to turn around and look at Ivan's face. She's looking at his eyes, listening to how he breathes, watching to see if he swallows. Experienced liars would know better, but most average people couldn't lie with a straight face. While she watches Ivan's confusion, her own expression looks mildly guarded, though there's something deeper in her eyes. Memories of pain, memories of being used for her position and power. She can't begin to tell Ivan all of it, it would require telling him the rest of everything and that would just make things more complicated than either of them wanted, probably.

She doesn't quite cotton on to the thought that she and Ivan are thinking of different things until he's done talking. Then she looks a little flummoxed and her cheeks go a little pink. "I, uh, wasn't talking about that, but uh... the fact that you thought I was is answer enough so--" she laughs, awkwardly, her tension gone for the moment. Yes, Ivan probably wanted exactly what Elizabeth thought he did, and that's fine. That's great.

"Forget I mentioned it--" She turns around and starts dragging Ivan towards the door. "Christmas is a holiday where I come from. People get together with their families and/or friends, and exchange gifts and sing songs together and have a gigantic meal. It's about being with people you love-- and the story I'm reading is about a man who has no one to be with because he's turned away from all of that."

[whatdidisay]

He sees it in her eyes, files it away in his mind without connecting it to the question she asked. He could, if he tried, but Ivan hasn't made it to twenty-five by putting details together; that he leaves for his cousins who are required to by their jobs. He doesn't envy them. But what he would have is the chance to make the echoes of pain vanish, at least for a little while. That's not too much to want, is it?

But the blush and her recovery puts him more at ease -- apparently she's fine with what he might want, and the uncertain confusion fades into a grin. Right, okay, he didn't screw this one up and is still free to go. "Mention what?" he asks, in confirmation that he'll do exactly that. Something he has practice at, don't worry.

Letting her drag him around isn't a problem, and he willingly goes where she leads. "Oh. Huh, that's almost like Winterfair -- children get gifts, there's bonfires at midnight -- the new year starts right after, and there's celebrations leading up to the day itself." Christmas sounds like an odd name for a celebration of the end of the year, but alright, he'll allow it.

[tearmeanewone]

"Yes! That sounds about right! Though usually the end of the year comes a week later where I'm from." She smiles as she leads them out of the library and locks the door after them with her thumb.

"Though I haven't seen a Christmas bonfire, that sounds like it would be a lot of fun."

[whatdidisay]

"Really?" He asks, curiously, still following her without question. "Why's that? I guess it's not as confusing as ours -- the fiscal year begins with" the shape of his mouth starts to say a name before he thinks better of it. "The Emperor's birthday. It's shortly before Miles', actually. Feels weird not doing anything for it here, there's a ball and dinner back home that he sits through reluctantly every year."

Ivan's never envied Gregor, but he especially doesn't envy him that particular duty. "Miles once convinced Gregor to skip out on a good hour of it once when we were kids -- he was older than us and more politically inclined, and I was dragged along for the ride like usual. No one noticed. Sure, Illyan gave us all his best ImpSec lecture after, but I'm pretty sure Uncle Aral would have laughed if he was allowed to."

The story would be a lot more impressive with the knowledge that Miles convinced the Emperor of Barrayar to skip out on his own birthday celebrations and that the Lord Regent of Barrayar had thought it was hilarious. Details.

[tearmeanewone]

"I suppose it wasn't so important you were there if nobody noticed you were gone for over an hour," Elizabeth grins, shuffling them back towards her room. Yes, it would be a far more impressive story if Elizabeth knew everybody's part, but she's imagining a group of kids sneaking out of a church service. "What did you get up to?"

[whatdidisay]

"Oh," Ivan says with a grin, "it was. I suspect Uncle Aral covered for us, once he realized where we'd gone off to and that we'd gone off together. He's got an odd sense of humor for a man with his political and military clout." The fact that he has a sense of humor at all, honestly.

"Nothing much. Just wandered into a side room -- the one filled with all the gold coins once the Counts had been through and presented them. We stole more than our fill of hors d'oeuvres -- stuffed 'em under our tunics -- and feasted away from adult eyes. At least for a little while." And also thrown them at each other, and watched Miles attempt to make a grandiose speech while Ivan laughed and Gregor watched with silent amusement.

It's hard to open a door for someone when you're wrapped around them and with a blanket around your shoulders, but Ivan attempts it once they've gotten to their destination.

[tearmeanewone]

Elizabeth imagines the scene-- small Ivan, Miles, and Greg sneaking as only young boys can sneak under a tablecloth or something, their shirts bulging with something staining the inside-- and smiles. She can almost put herself in that image, and she wishes it had been that way. Mischief, relatives or siblings around her age, harmless 'adventure'...

"It sounds like a really nice memory," Elizabeth says with a wistful smile, shuffling into her room after Ivan opens the door for her. She has no roommates, so she just walks right in without any announcement. "Alright, which bed are we posting up in?"

[whatdidisay]

"Whichever's the most comfortable." Sharing a bed! With Elizabeth! Sure, not like maybe some of the more imaginative situations Ivan could come up with, but he's going to take what he can get and run with it. He lets her lead the way, however -- too much of him being directing and taking control would probably leave her taking off in the opposite direction, which is the last thing he wants. Holding hands as a romantic adventure, heh. He's not even sure he's ever been that innocent in the matters of love and romance, considering he ran full tilt towards it as soon as he was aware it was a possibility.

As for the memory -- Ivan smiles fondly. "Yeah. Miles might drive me crazy, and everyone else around him half insane, but he does make a good source of stories." He just can't quit his cousin no matter how much abuse gets thrown at him because of their association, from Miles or other parties that he inevitably meets by being related to the little git.

[tearmeanewone]

"Coin-toss it is." Elizabeth shuffles them over to the one in the corner, because she hasn't slept in that one in a while.

"I'm starting to get that impression-- he just can't stop making story-fodder, can he? Can't stop getting into trouble either."

Elizabeth ducks out from under Ivan's arms and rolls onto the bed, indicating he should follow because now she's cold again. Cuddling! She's done this before, this is easy and delightful.

I LIED.

[whatdidisay]

Ivan follows quickly, wrapping the blankets around them both, as well as draping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her in close. He remembers too late that he should probably take off his shoes, and has to abandon the warmth of the blankets to pull off his jackboots.

Returning, her comment gets a snort of laughter. "No, no he can't." Right. Enough about his troubling cousin. Focus on the things he does have -- a very pretty, very intelligent woman willing to catch him up on Earthly traditions he's missed.

"So, about this Christmas and the man who doesn't appreciate it?" He's interested, in a way. Partly because it means something to her, and therefore should mean something to him, but also because, well. It's interesting. A holiday he didn't know existed -- maybe they could take something of it back to Barrayar with them, when this was all over.

WHY YOU LIE TO ME AMMAY ;A;

[tearmeanewone]

Elizabeth is thrilled that Ivan is interested in the story-- and also thrilled about making herself comfortable and warm against Ivan's chest. She takes a few moments while Ivan is grousing about Miles and his ability to find trouble wherever he goes to laugh and tuck her head against Ivan's shoulder.

"It's actually a ghost story, truth be told. The main character-- well," Elizabeth taps the book on Ivan's chest. "Should I just read it to you? I'm no Charles Dickens, he tells the story better than I would." All told, it's a pretty thin volume-- maybe about 100 pages.

B/C I'M A CRUEL, CRUEL WOMAN OR SOMETHING

[whatdidisay]

"A ghost story?" He asks, eyebrows raising in further interest. She could have just led with that and he'd be interested -- too many nights spent up in the mountains with Miles and Elena coming up with their own about all the guerrillas who'd died fighting Cetas. Blown to bits or short down by lightflyers. The more gruesome the death and the terrifying the ghost, the better.

Pulling her in just a little bit more, Ivan grins down at her. "Sure. Although you're a fair bit easier on the eyes than he was, I'm sure." Oh yeah, he's still going to pull out the flirtation and the flattery whenever possible.

*GASP* I AM SO BETRAYED

[tearmeanewone]

"Flattery will always get you read to where I'm concerned, Ivan." She giggles, trying to ignore the fact that her cheeks are a little pink again, and curls her legs up for warmth.

"Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it: and Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail.

"Mind! I don't mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a door-nail. I might have been inclined, myself, to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade. But the wisdom of our ancestors is in the simile; and my unhallowed hands shall not disturb it, or the Country's done for. You will therefore permit me to repeat, emphatically, that Marley was as dead as a door-nail.

"Scrooge knew he was dead? Of course he did. How could it be otherwise? Scrooge and he were partners for I don't know how many years. Scrooge was his sole executor, his sole administrator, his sole assign, his sole residuary legatee, his sole friend and sole mourner. And even Scrooge was not so dreadfully cut up by the sad event, but that he was an excellent man of business on the very day of the funeral, and solemnised it with an undoubted bargain.

The mention of Marley's funeral brings me back to the point I started from. There is no doubt that Marley was dead. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate..."

Elizabeth reads with ease, as though she's read the text dozens of times and is perfectly comfortable relaying the printed words as though she were actually conversing with Ivan.

I'M SORRY THAT YOU HAD TO DISCOVER THIS NOW

[whatdidisay]

He's almost tempted to sleep, the sound of her voice at an even pace far more relaxing than he previously considered. But he pays attention, even if his eyes drift close and his breathing evens out. There's a huff of laughter when Scrooge chalks up the various ways his body could be making him see a ghost -- somehow it just strikes him as something his cousin would do if ever faced with anyone who might be a ghost.

The family drama with younger Scrooge and the image of his baby sister before her death makes his mind wander, thinking of Uncle Aral and whatever duty he felt he had towards Ivan -- the only child of his cousin, who in turn was the only other survivor of the massacre beyond Aral himself. But his uncle had never turned so miserly, as terrifying as he was to Ivan. He'd been kind, come to think of it, and had never made either Ivan or his mother -- as far as he could tell -- feel unwelcome in hims home or his life.

But it's the overview of the breaking of a betrothal that gets Ivan to stir from more than listening. "I thought betrothal when you're younger meant you didn't have to love each other." Arranged marriages had fallen out of favor with the Vor by his generation, although not completely. But his mother's marriage to his father had certainly been arraigned. And Uncle Aral with his first wife. Both by his great uncle, although Ivan thinks that perhaps he'd gotten it more right on the second attempt with his parents than the first.

Feel free to shush him and continue reading, Elizabeth, it's not important.

[tearmeanewone]

"But they do love each other-- yes, arranged marriages happened, but when this was published the idea that couples should be in love was becoming more and more popular. It's not at all strange that Belle and Ebeneezer are in love and so they became engaged.

"...you also have to remember that the life expectancy here was about forty years old, so you marry young for love or you don't marry at all," Elizabeth said with a wince.

[whatdidisay]

"Forty years?" He asks, slightly incredulous -- Barrayar might not be up to Beta Colony's one hundred and thirty, but even then that seems a bit excessive. "Right, marry young, arranged marriages but in love."

Seems simple enough.

"Continue, please." Ivan's coming to enjoy listening to the sound of her voice. Well, he already did, but this is slightly different than just having a conversation.

[tearmeanewone]

Elizabeth grins and pats his chest encouragingly. "You've got it. Alright, ah... Where was I? Oh, right, be happy in the life you've chosen, they parted--

""Spirit!" said Scrooge, "show me no more! Conduct me home. Why do you delight to torture me?"

"One shadow more!" exclaimed the Ghost.

"No more!" cried Scrooge! "No more, I don't wish to see it! Show me no more!"

But the relentless Ghost pinioned him in both his arms, and forced him to observe what happened next....'

[whatdidisay]

Ivan falls silent again, eyes drifting closed -- it's possible to think he's fallen asleep, except that occasionally he'll crack an eye open to watch Elizabeth or adjust his arm around her shoulders.

He tenses, however, when Tiny Tim is brought up. It's not like Miles at all, Ivan knows that, but at the same time he can't help but substitute his tiny cousin for the kid in his mind's eye. And had his limbs supported by an iron frame; Ivan's helped Miles with his braces before he got the synthetic substitutes often enough he can picture the whole contraption in his mind's eye.

And when it's mentioned that he won't live past a year -- his arm tightens around Elizabeth, eyes open and expression dark. "What?"

[tearmeanewone]

Elizabeth pauses, a little startled by how dark Ivan sounds, but she repeats the line anyway-- maybe he didn't quite understand it.

"'If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, none other of my race,' returned the Ghost, 'will find him here'," she repeats. "Tiny Tim's health has never been good, and the fact that his father doesn't make a lot of money means that he can't provide doctors or medicine for him."

[whatdidisay]

"Oh," he says, comforted at first because Miles had the best, of course he did, his father was Lord Regent of Barrayar. And people die all the time for not having money and access to medical care on Barrayar, although he's certain that's changing -- has been changing since the time he was born.

It's not perfect, but Gregor's trying.

"That's still-- it's just not right," he finishes lamely, although the conviction in his voice is true. Fixing it isn't his job. It's in the hands of far more capable people, of course, but he can still voice his dissatisfaction with it all. Fictional or not. "Continue, sorry."

He'll try harder not to interrupt next time, he swears.

[tearmeanewone]

"No, it's not," Elizabeth agrees. She saw Finkton, she saw people living in poverty because their employer refused to pay them enough to have a better life. She saw what happened when those people were given means to push back, too... "People are entitled to life. Whether or not you're rich shouldn't dictate if you live or die. It creates a culture of people who believe the poor are less than human and deserve to struggle or be in pain for not having money."

She smiles faintly, trying to brighten the mood a little. "Just wait until the end, though. Alright, where was I... Right-- '"--will find him here. What then? If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population."

Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit, and was overcome with penitence and grief...'"

[whatdidisay]

He can see a bit of his aunt in the morality of the story, of what Elizabeth is saying. And, by extension -- the rest of his family; as Barrayaran as they are it's impossible not to see where her morals and that of Uncle Aral's coincide, and therefore bleed into the individuals they surround themselves with. Even Ivan, in his own way, although he keeps himself away from the politicking his entire family does as best as he can.

Ivan smiles all through the scene with Scrooge's nephew -- including the parts where he appreciates the amount of detail given to the niece by marriage and her sisters. Because, well, he's Ivan. His arm tightens around Elizabeth, however, as he settles more comfortably in the bed and against her, eyes flickering shut again. This is nice.

There's no need to say much until the Spirit of Christmas Future shows up, and Ivan can see where this is a ghost story more than the previous appearance of Scrooge's partner. He winces at the images of Scrooge dead, with no one to burn a death offering for him -- a Barrayaran tradition, to be sure, but the idea was there. He doesn't say anything until it resolves itself, and then he can't help but burst out at the revelation that the spirit became his bedpost "Wait, it was just a dream?"