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]

"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.

[thisvorlunatic]

Petpetpetpetpetpetpet.

[isthisart]

"I'm going to need to re-braid that," she remarks, when she locates the set of combs she was looking for.

[thisvorlunatic]

"Does that mean I have to stop touching it?"

[isthisart]

"Unless you want to braid it for me, yes."

[thisvorlunatic]

"I could braid it for you! I probably couldn't braid it for you particularly well, but that's what practice is for, right?"

[isthisart]

"Sure. I don't do it myself particularly well either, I can't see what I'm doing without more mirrors than we have here and it's hard to reach."

[thisvorlunatic]

"Okay."

In that case: he gets to braid her hair! Which means he gets to touch her hair. He is a happy Miles. The happiest.

[isthisart]

Linya arranges for all of her hair to be within easy reach, and gives him instructions, but today all she needs is a simple three-strand braid containing all of her hair, so it's not that hard. When he is done she ties off the end and attaches it to her head with the combs.

[thisvorlunatic]

And Miles hugs her. That's an important step too.

[isthisart]

It is! Hug.

"I am ravenous," she remarks, and she picks out an outfit and goes and puts it on and comes out of the lav again in record time. But she will wait for him before she goes to get breakfast.

[thisvorlunatic]

Miles also gets dressed Very Very Fast! And then they can go to breakfast together.

[isthisart]

Om nom nom breakfast. Even mediocre ship breakfast contains, say, calories.

[middlingalong]

Ivan shows up around the same time and doesn't make any pointed faces or oblique remarks, just bids them good morning and sits with them.

[thisvorlunatic]

"Good morning," Miles says happily.

[middlingalong]

...Ivan is, when he discovers that Miles had not yet reached the ceiling of his possible chipperness, sort of tempted to make faces or remarks, but he doesn't do much of the first thing or any of the second. He just says, "I miss groats, do you miss groats?"

[thisvorlunatic]

"I do not miss groats," Miles admits.