singing open the great gates

[middlingalong]

The following day, very little happens, except for Vorreedi mentioning that Yenaro has been arrested (by the civil police, for theft, on charges from a ghem-lord Miles has never heard of, as opposed to by Cetagandan security for treason).

Also, Ivan gets bored - with all the bodyguards Vorreedi now requires for them after the incident at the bioestheties exhibition, the possible spontaneity of going out with his ghem girlfriends is much reduced.

But the next day they get to attend the Singing Open of the Great Gates.

And oh, is there ever singing.

Comments

[isthisart]

She was hoping he would be Pleased! (The fact that he is so relentlessly Pleased is itself rather Pleasing.)

Kisses. Snuggly, horizontal kisses.

[thisvorlunatic]

That is rapidly becoming one of Miles's very favourite kinds of kisses!

[isthisart]

She can see the appeal, too. Snuggly horizontal kisses: best thing?

[thisvorlunatic]

They rank very highly in the Best Thing competition!

[isthisart]

She is also sort of curiously petting him.

[thisvorlunatic]

Well. That's... also a development.

Miles decides that the proper response is: more snuggles.

[isthisart]

It is! It is a proper response. Linya thinks everything is in good order.

[thisvorlunatic]

Snuggles!

[isthisart]

And yet eventually Linya's stomach growls.

"Probably time to get up and dressed and breakfast," she says, sighing a little.

[thisvorlunatic]

"Yes. Those things," he agrees.

But first: kiss!

Okay, now wakefulness and hygiene and food.

[isthisart]

Kiss!

She unties her braid and rummages in her boxes for a hair accessory while it slowly slides unraveled behind her back.

[thisvorlunatic]

...Miles observes that while he has gotten pretty cavalier about hugs and kisses, he still seems to treat Linya's hair like some kind of divine artifact which mortal hands dare not touch.

He decides this is a bit silly.

He asks, "Can I pet your hair?"

[isthisart]

"Sure."

[thisvorlunatic]

He reaches out and runs his fingertips down the unraveling braid.



...!!!

[isthisart]

She glances over her shoulder.

"You have the most amazing look on your face," she murmurs.

[thisvorlunatic]

"Yes, I imagine I do," he says, blinking and coming out of it a little.

[isthisart]

"Did you you know you were the first person to see me out of my bubble who wasn't themselves haut or ba? And you had about the same look on your face then."

[thisvorlunatic]

"I did not know that. But yes, I imagine I would have."

[isthisart]

"It's - flattering isn't quite the right word. Something in that neighborhood, though."

[thisvorlunatic]

"In what ways is flattering not the right word...? Not that I'm arguing, you understand, I'm just curious about what you mean."

[isthisart]

"I suppose it's also flattering, but - it isn't that I don't know that I am very pretty and my hair is soft. Of course I am very pretty and my hair is soft. And you look at me like that and the of course - goes away."

[thisvorlunatic]

"Is that a good thing?"

[isthisart]

"Yes."

[thisvorlunatic]

"Oh good!"

He pets her hair again. This time he's much more grinny about it, but there's still an element of That Look.

[isthisart]

She quite happily lets him play with her hair, and her gaze lingers on his face for a moment before she goes back to hunting down her hair accessory.