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

[thisvorlunatic]

As much as he enjoys cuddling his wife, Miles is not a naturally indolent person.

He experiments to find a configuration where he can both use the comconsole and snuggle Linya. Then he starts composing his written report to Illyan.

[isthisart]

"Am I allowed to see that?" she wonders, after glancing to see what he's up to.

She asks it in reasonably-accented Russian.

[thisvorlunatic]

"Technically no," he says, also in reasonably-accented Barrayaran Russian; then continues in English, "But you were there for most of it and you know the rest, I'm not risking a meaningful security leak by writing it in front of you."

[isthisart]

She looks up the translation for 'technically', guessing how to spell it on the first try, then also continues in English. "Should I pretend you didn't write it in front of me regardless?"

[thisvorlunatic]

"Um... I wouldn't volunteer it, but if Illyan guesses, better to admit it than lie."

He begins putting actual substance in his report - a surprisingly bare recitation of facts, getting in all the relevant details but omitting editorial commentary. Once or twice he looks something up from notes he made at the time, but for the most part his memory suffices. The report does not, indeed, contain anything Linya doesn't already know.

[isthisart]

"Okay," she says, switching to Russian again.

[thisvorlunatic]

Snuggle snuggle write write.

[isthisart]

Snuggle snuggle study study.

Linya is now reading a simple children's book in Barrayaran Russian. Every now and then her pen circles a word and a translation pops up for her and her earbuds murmur.

[thisvorlunatic]

Write write snuggle snuggle.

[isthisart]

She finishes her book. She finds some music with lyrics in the target language and the earbuds burble it as she clips her pen back to its necklace collar. She glances thoughtfully at the long box with the keyboard in it.

[thisvorlunatic]

This glance draws Miles's attention.

[isthisart]

"I think I'm going to get out the keyboard, but if it'd bother you while you're writing your report I can have it send the sound to the earbuds."

[thisvorlunatic]

"It won't bother me," he assures her. "It might distract me, but I have two whole weeks to finish this in, I don't need to get it all done by tomorrow."

[isthisart]

"All right."

She unsnuggles (with a kiss to the top of his head) and unboxes her keyboard, which, when turned on, hovers. She takes out the earbuds, rejiggers the keyboard settings until it's playing the song she likes from the beginning, and then - improvises, on top of that.

And sings along, harmonizing with the lyrics.

[thisvorlunatic]

Miles is thoroughly distracted.

[isthisart]

She smiles at him between verses.

She falls silent when the song ends of its own accord.

"I can carry on for a bit if you like."

[thisvorlunatic]

"That... would be nice."

[isthisart]

She plays, changing keys on whim, adding flourishes, generally sticking to waltz time but making liberal use of what would be represented as fermatas and gracenotes. While improvising with no template underneath she doesn't sing with words, just croons over what she's doing with the instrument, with flawless pitch.

[thisvorlunatic]

Miles is a rapt audience.

[isthisart]

Well, if he's going to gaze at her like that she'll just carry on for a while. She draws to a silence after about an hour.

[thisvorlunatic]

Miles vents a happy sigh and abandons his seat to go hug her.

[isthisart]

Hug!

"It's prettier when there's a whole group, but - that's what it sounds like when I do that."

[thisvorlunatic]

"I like how it sounds when you do that."

[isthisart]

"Good."

Snuggle.

[thisvorlunatic]

Snuggle!