barrayarmods: (Default)
For Barrayar mods ([personal profile] barrayarmods) wrote in [community profile] forbarrayar2017-04-02 02:25 pm

[ april i log: if home is where the heart is ]

Who: Everyone
What: The sun finally comes out in proper spring, the labs are full of excitement, and Piotr prepares for real war. Your princess is in another castle.
When: April 1st - 18th
Where: the Barrayaran camp, the Cetagandan base, Riverfall Village
Warnings: TBD

Quick links:
Riverfall
Barrayar: Camp / Missions
Cetaganda: Base / Missions

TIMELINE
4/5 Eavesdropping Eta
4/6 Eavesdropping Sigma
4/8 Eavesdropping Mu
4/10 Mystery Plot
4/11 - 4/12 Resources: Weapons & Equipment


riverfall
The locals are celebrating the much-welcome coming of spring, and it is a warm one. Pleasant mountain breezes carry the far-off scent of the ocean, and bit by bit, the Barrayaran flora is beginning to bloom. Wildflowers spring up all over, adding a lively splash of color to the camp and village on the backdrop of Barrayar's rust-red native flora.

While the villagers aren't exactly hosting a festival, the entire village is pitching in to sow the spring crops, delayed by the cold freeze. But they lost a quarter of their population to the flu, and they're short on hands. So Barrayarans and outsiders alike come to the village to help, the villagers welcoming them into their homes for the night, as it's a half a day's hike between the camp and the village. While it isn't quite summer yet, the village children are already starting to splash around near the waterfall, inviting others by way of playfully splashing water on them as they pass by.

After the battle, however, the mood in the village turns to ash. With another dozen dead to bury, they've lost almost half their population in the last few months, only 48 of them left, and some of their homes were damaged or destroyed by plasma fire during the fight. Mercifully, their fields were untouched, but the village is littered with bodies, the site of a massacre. Barrayaran soldiers carry off their own dead as well as the Cetagandans, while the villagers burn death offerings beyond the fields.

barrayar
Morale is finally on the rise with the brightening weather, especially with their food stores replenished and the full recovery of the flu in the camp. Their numbers are down, but the Cetagandans' are even worse, and the tactical situation has changed. With half the Cetagandans' force either dead or out of commission, a window of opportunity presents itself. Piotr decides that need to recapture Vorkosigan Vashnoi -- if the city weren't occupied, then Micah's kidnapping by the Cetagandans could have been prevented. The base is an easy target right now with its defenses down -- until reinforcements arrive -- and the reconnaissance they'd done on the base's power generators a few months ago will finally be put to use. They may have a chance at using this to drive the occupying forces out of the city, too.

But they don't have a chance of successfully taking hold of the city without the rest of Piotr's army. About a month before the first outsiders arrived, the location of Piotr's previous camp was discovered by the Cetagandans, and the army split in two to return to fallback locations. The plan was always to rendezvous as soon as possible and reunite the army, and they need to rejoin forces now more than ever. Scouts are sent off into the mountains, looking to make contact with their comrades, and they're in luck -- the other half of Piotr's army, currently led by Major Rifkin, one of his missing general staff.

The last few months haven't been kind to the Barrayarans' supply of weapons and equipment. There's no way they could launch a successful assault on the base with their meager supplies, so Piotr sends several parties to make contact with the underground civilian resistance in Vorkosigan Vashnoi and stock up, then smuggle the weapons out of the city.

They're also low on weapons and equipment, which means Piotr is sending several parties back to Vorkosigan Vashnoi to stock up. Piotr and Ezar have contacts in the city, valuable allies who are part of the underground civilian resistance. They can provide the goods -- but one of the teams will be responsible for making sure the weapons are smuggled safely out of the city with the assistance of other members of the civilian resistance.

With Micah in Cetagandan hands, they are no doubt making progress on the Star Gate Project. Piotr, however, is convinced of Micah's sympathies, and their work could still be to their benefit -- or at least, to the outsiders'. And if nothing else, Micah would be the ideal candidate for sabotage should it come down to it. But for now, Piotr is interested in keeping Micah alive. Micah is a personal friend of Prince Xav's as well as a sympathizer, and their care was entrusted to Piotr, a matter of honor. So for now, his orders to his informants are merely to keep a close eye on Micah and their activities, even befriend them, but not to let slip their true sympathies to Barrayar. And now, with Sonia held captive, Piotr wants more than ever to make new informant contacts on the Cetagandans.

camp
Morale is on the rise, steady and surely. People are feeling good, enjoying the sun and warmth, a relief and a blessing after the weeks of cold and near-starvation. And so the soldiers do what Barrayarans always do when they're in good spirits: they drink. Evenings spent around bonfires playing cards or chest, drinking wine and mead, and they're a lot friendlier to the outsiders these days. Even the new ones have proven themselves with all the aid they gave during the epidemic, so if you're invited over for a drink and a game with the soldiers, don't be too surprised.

Of course, sometimes get taken a little too far, and some soldiers start up some drunken swordfight contests, which probably seemed like a great idea at the time. But you know what they say: it's all fun and games until somebody accidentally gets stabbed in the side. Piotr quickly shuts this down, and anyone involved, outsiders included, is likely to receive punishment, probably in the form of manual labor despite any hangover. The camp is down by over thirty men after last month, but on the (slightly morbid) bright side, at least this means that the outsiders finally get two tents to themselves, which is good considering the warming weather.

After the Princess's capture, however, the mood starts to shift back downhill. They're still not remotely ready to launch their attack on the Cetagandan base, let alone rescue Sonia. Both Piotr and Olivia are in vicious spirits; if you thought Piotr's previous demeanor was dour, he was a ray of frigging sunshine in comparison to now. Now he's furious, frustrated, and he has even less patience for time-wasting bullshit than usual.

missions
Overall, the outsiders' contributions to the spring planting on the village farm is helpful and greatly appreciated: they're able to fully sow their fields, and with the weather, they're hoping for a good summer harvest. However, no one should let Carolina around farming equipment ever again.

Hunting parties were sent out to stock up on food stores, with overall success. Some of the outsiders are proving themselves to be pretty competent hunters, much to the Barrayarans' appreciation.

Scouts were sent out to comb through the Dendarii Mountains for the other half of the army. With some help from the outsiders, William and Wash in particular, they're able to make contact with the other half of Piotr's army to coordinate and reunite their efforts.

Several parties were sent into Vorkosigan Vashnoi to make contact with the underground civilian resistance, which has a strong presence there, and smuggle weapons out of the city. There's a dangerous chase by Cetagandan patrols, but ultimately they're able to make it out of the city safetly and successfully return with the goods.

On the 10th, a Cetagandan patrol unexpectedly shows up in Riverfall when Sonia, Gavalas, and several others are there. A fight breaks out across the whole village, resulting in more than 30 casualties, including two Vorkosigan armsmen, and the Cetagandans successfully capture Sonia back to their base.

The unabridged mission results can be found here.

cetaganda
Zahal is furious at Piotr's successful biowarfare attack on his base, however accidental. It's devastated his ranks, and while they still outnumber the Barrayarans about forty to one, it's still a serious blow. The ghem-General decides that they need to force a forfeit, and they'll have to do it as quickly as possible, before Vorkosigan can strike them while they're down. The Cetagandan patrols double down and start swarming the mountains in search of the guerrilla camp.

The Star Gate Project is well underway with Micah on board, who is cooperating for the time being, though not happily. Most of their waking hours seem to be spent in the lab, though they're around the mess at mealtimes. They are certainly interested in the work -- it's totally unprecedented -- but their true sympathies lie with Barrayar, and they are entirely uncomfortable working for the Cetagandans. They're currently focusing their research efforts on possible power supplies and solving the problem of what, exactly, is getting people from the wormhole to the planet surface. To speed things along in the lab, the Cetagandans are asking for more help with their research -- anyone with any relevant knowledge is highly encouraged to step forward. And any informants for the Barrayarans are being instructed to keep an eye on Micah, too, as well as their progress on the project.

The Handmaiden of the Star Crèche is seen about the base, for certain definitions of seen -- she travels exclusive in an opaque luminescent force bubble, often escorted by one or two of her ba servitors. At the beginning of the month, Haut Sei announces the gene therapy trials they're conducting: if you're one of the exotics who lost genetically inherited powers, or were made human from some other type of being entirely, you are invited to participate in a new, experimental kind of gene therapy. Why participate? Well, they're aiming to restore any lost powers you might have had, although there's no guarantee of success, and such an experimental treatment does, of course, come with risks. But what's a little reward without risk?

base
The base feels unusually dreary in the wake of the epidemic, and with thousands of dead, it's impossible to have a service funeral for each of them individually. And so dozens of collective funerals are held, each of them solemn and steeped in ornate ceremony. The Cetagandans take their dead as seriously as anybody, and no nonsense will be permitted during the funerals. The base is only operating at half capacity, with only about 5,000 soldiers ready for active duty. Zahal has put in a request for reinforcements from Vorbarr Sultana, but that request has yet to be answered.

Haut Sei officially assumes her authority on base as Handmaiden of the Star Crèche, although Diya is, in name, still the head of the genetics project. Sei's ba entourage is most often seen in her company, but occasionally Ba Talim, one of her most faithful, may be seen on its own around the base, possibly on errand for its lady.

Diya is somewhat more present around the base now that the plague is over, but she still most frequently found in the labs or the gardens, and often in the company of Haut Sei, always in her force bubble, making Diya look strangely naked in comparison. The ghem around the base who have recovered are marking earnest attempts at brightening the morbid atmosphere that's settled over the base by decorating the barracks areas with fresh art -- literally freshly engineerd botanical creations, or sometimes hybrid biological-zoological creations…ah, Cetagandan art.

Princess Sonia is taken into custody on the 10th and housed in a cell. The Cetagandans offer her relative freedom to move about the base if she'll only give them her parole; she stubbornly and furiously refuses for the first several days, but the misery of being stuck in a cell by herself gets to her and she reluctantly agrees. Micah, the Cetagandans' other captive, though less strictly guarded, can most often be found in the labs and the mess. Although they're getting to know some of the exotics extrauniversals, they're still ill at ease here and not thrilled to be here. It isn't entirely clear, though, whether Micah's long hours in the labs are by their choice or at the Cetagandans' behest.

missions
The mess is shorthanded, and the exotics' help is much appreciated. A few of them even manage to impress the Cetagandan mess officer a little, who clearly takes the craft very seriously. (They all do.) A few of you, though…you can stick to dishwashing duty, thanks.

As is now established tradition among the exotics (because anything done twice on Barrayar is tradition, and they have done this way more than twice), several people go eavesdropping. On the 5th, Kurt and Pearl overhear Zahal receiving an Imperial writ to turn the entire Star Gate Project over to the Star Crèche. On the 6th, Jasper and Symmetra are caught listening in on a very personal conversation between Diya and Sei, and Diya's overambitious hopes for herself. On the 8th, Byerly and Lapis eavesdrop on a curious conversation between Ba Talim and Diya, hinting that the decision to cull Diya may have been somewhat personal after all.

In the labs, things go more or less alright, although things keep breaking or exploding. A plasma power pack explodes in the lab with Jasper and Whirl (which may or may not be Whirl's fault), though Jasper saves Micah from serious injury. In another stroke of spectacularly bad luck, one of the Necklin rods they've been using for testing falls and crashes down into one of the lab areas, and it's thanks to Natasha that Micah sustains anything more than minor injury.

On the 10th, a Cetagandan patrol unexpectedly shows up in Riverfall when Sonia, Gavalas, and several others are there. A fight breaks out across the whole village, resulting in more than 30 casualties, including two Vorkosigan armsmen, and the Cetagandans successfully capture Sonia back to their base.

The unabridged mission results can be found here.

Note: Negri, Diya and Gail are available for threading by request. Please hit up Madi (Negri & Diya) or Ammay (Gail) if you'd like some CR with the ghem-Lieutenant!
ghemsweetscent: (rose)

Amai ghem-Soren

[personal profile] ghemsweetscent 2017-04-04 08:20 pm (UTC)(link)
It's clear that Lady Diya has mixed feelings about the Handmaiden's presence on base, but Amai can't quite figure out why. Certainly there's...something between the two of them she doesn't understand – the haut can be so very obscure about themselves – and Diya is doubtless as anxious as Amai is to keep their illicit activities under wraps, but still. The Handmaiden, here on the Ninth Satrapy. It's a dream for precocious young Amai, who, despite her caste, aims to serve the Star Crèche as much as she can.

a. killer curiosity
Amai keeps managing to appear wherever the Haut Sei is, or at least as much as she can, an excuse to put herself in the Handmaiden's presence as much as possible. Or failing that, if she meanders across any stray ba, she tries to chat them up, gain a little more insight. She's curious about whatever it is between Diya and Sei, and she wants to know how she can best get herself in the Handmaiden's good graces. She has always idolized Diya, but if the haut wife is a sinking ship...well.

But with their two new guests on base – both the Betan scientist and the Barrayaran princess – Amai's curiosity spreads. The scientist shies away from conversation with her, and the princess is largely confined to a cell, and seems ill-fittingly dour. Perhaps Amai will strike up a conversation with the girl, but she hardly seems receptive to it. Amai is curious, at the very least, as to the extent of her genetic engineering.

So she's prying and needling around for information wherever she can get it, striking up innocuous-enough conversations with that charming little smile. Have some dirt to share with Amai? By all means, please dump it on her. Or feed her complete lies. She might not even know the difference.

b. rays of the rising sun
Amai spends many of her off-duty hours in the gardens working on a personal project. It's quite large, actually, climbing most of the way up the back wall, beyond the fountain. It's clearly a work in progress, the vinelike branches still spreading up the trellis, and so its overall shape is somewhat difficult to discern. But its individual parts are somewhat more coherent. The vines curl and spread in elaborate patterns, and flowers blooms along their lengths in groups, each a different color. On a closer look, they can be identified as asters -- but in colors no one's ever seen an aster before. The vines themselves are ridged with what looks like some kind of delicate fin that sways softly with the slightest breeze, a shimmering dark blue. They look more like koi fins than anything botanical, and with the groups of flowers set over them, it looks something like a night sky.

In the center is an elaborately crafted flower sculpture of the Star Crèche's screaming bird insignia in minute detail. And though it is rooted to the rest of the sculpture, it seems to move at times -- the slightest flutter of its wings.

Amai admires her own work for a long moment with a pleased smile, and then she opens the box she'd brought with her, a pristine tool set. She's dressed in robes meant for this exact purpose -- plainer, the fabric a little hardier, and her hair is pulled back in a relatively simple fan bun, but still a very Cetagandan look.

c. wildcard
vorrutyer: (attentive)

a+b

[personal profile] vorrutyer 2017-04-04 11:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Byerly steps in beside Amai. He's not in his fatigues today - he's wearing Cetagandan-style clothes appropriate to his station, the season, and the weather, with a harmonious scent overlaid on it. It's clumsy by Amai's standards, no doubt, but it's not a bad application of the fashion-arts Amai has taught him.

He's buttering her up. Oh, yes.

And, indeed, laying it on even thicker, when he sees that sculpture, he murmurs, "Good heavens." And he studies it silently a moment, appreciating it without the distraction of speech. Honestly...It really is remarkable. A lot of the time, he just doesn't get Cetagandan art, but this really is exquisite.
ghemsweetscent: (rose)

forgive me for shamelessly recycling that garden prompt

[personal profile] ghemsweetscent 2017-04-05 12:53 am (UTC)(link)

Ah, but he does clean up nicely, doesn't he? Amai will gladly take credit for that, at least as far as the clothes go, because really, he is quite handsome. She thinks he'd look better if he shaved, though. Still, she eyes him with appreciation and obvious appraisal as she rises to her feet, gracing him with a brilliant smile.

"It has been coming along, hasn't it?" she says proudly, looking over her creation with utter fondness. Come to think of it, hadn't this been where she and Byerly had first spoken? She gives him another once-over, and her smile tilts slightly.

"Very nice," she murmurs approvingly, her violet eyes bright. Oh, it's clumsy, yes, and rather dull in statement, but it's about what she expected. After all, you can't give a child a handful of crayons and ask him to paint a Monet. She'll have to show him some much more exciting combinations later, something that better suits him. "And what is that blend you're wearing?"
vorrutyer: (Backpfeifengesicht)

winks

[personal profile] vorrutyer 2017-04-05 01:03 am (UTC)(link)
He smiles right back at her, lifting his wrist to his nose. "The base is actually a plant called ripweed," he says. "A Barrayaran native plant that the master perfumers were kind enough to experiment with at my request. It's viciously thorny, and rather ugly, but it gives the sweetest smells." He smiles faintly, and lowers his head in a slight bow - clearly an invitation to her to think that over. Because that too is a compliment to her, a sign that he might be a rough and prickly native, but he can be cultivated into something pleasing to the Cetagandan palate by masters.

See? Subtle. Fucking subtle. He can do Cetagandan-style fucking subtlety.

"Blended with just a hint of chrysanthemum and cedar bark. If I may?" He holds out his sleeve, then, inviting her to take a deeper inhale.
ghemsweetscent: (vanilla)

[personal profile] ghemsweetscent 2017-04-05 01:13 am (UTC)(link)
Amai's eyebrows raise and she actually does look impressed. The framing of it all is clever enough, but that he had some custom blend mixed, presumably for just this occasion -- well, Amai's estimation of him deepens considerably, now. She smiles at him, eyes glittering, and then leans forward to breathe it in delicately. She hovers there a moment, letting it permeate, and then she straightens up, looking thoroughly pleased.

"I'm impressed," she says lightly, though quite sincerely. "I wouldn't have expected such inventiveness from a novice. You're a quick study, Byerly."
vorrutyer: (smug aka default)

[personal profile] vorrutyer 2017-04-05 01:16 am (UTC)(link)
"With a peerless teacher," he says, bowing to her deeply with all appropriate ceremony. Then he straightens up. Admittedly, the praise is a bit satisfying. It is always a balm for the soul, being good at what one does.

"But tell me, my dear Doctor," he says, "is anyone documenting this beauty of yours? In photographic form, perhaps?"
ghemsweetscent: (nutmeg)

[personal profile] ghemsweetscent 2017-04-05 01:40 am (UTC)(link)
Amai lets her gaze linger on him appreciatively for another moment before reaching into the folds of her robes and withdrawing a holocube.

"I've been keeping track of progress, naturally," she says, "but it's hardly the point. Mere photographs -- even holos -- would fail to convey the wholeness of this piece, limited to sight alone."
vorrutyer: (warmth)

[personal profile] vorrutyer 2017-04-05 04:25 pm (UTC)(link)
"Naturally. Although - I'll admit, I'd like to see this captured by someone else with an artist's eye. I suppose this might be quaint," he confesses to her, with an air of vague embarrassment. "I know that photography captures only a portion of it. Filters out the harmony of the whole. But I find something sublime in the art form, truthfully. There's something stunning about the way that beauty feeds off beauty - when someone with a camera uses their own aesthetics to find what's beautiful about what someone else has used their own aesthetic sense to create.

"Does that make sense?" He offers a small laugh. "Or is that amateurish?"
ghemsweetscent: (nutmeg)

[personal profile] ghemsweetscent 2017-04-05 04:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Amai raises her eyebrows, blinking. Oh, this one is full of surprises, isn't he? Her lips curve into a smile.

"Not at all," she says with a little laugh back, although in truth, she's conceited enough to prefer that people look at her art the way she did it, not someone else. But he raises an interesting point of art philosophy. "There is much to be said about the mediums used to capture art rather than build it." She smiles sidelong at him. "Do you have a particular interest in photography, Byerly? You sound rather passionate about it."
vorrutyer: (Default)

[personal profile] vorrutyer 2017-04-05 04:41 pm (UTC)(link)
"Ah," he sighs a little regretfully. "An interest, yes. But no eye. I've tried in the past, but...I have an ear for music, and an appreciation for aesthetics, but my eye is still something that is lacking. Though I've gained hope for its ability to be trained."

Diplomatically, he bows to Amai. Then he continues, mildly -

"Honestly, one of the best photographers I've ever met is on this base - though not a Cetagandan. Sonia Vorbarra is completely untrained, but she has a native appreciation for light and contrast like I've never seen. It's quite astonishing."
ghemsweetscent: (cinnamon)

[personal profile] ghemsweetscent 2017-04-05 05:07 pm (UTC)(link)
Amai's eyebrows twitch, her mouth twisting slightly at this sudden turn of conversation. She really preferred it when they were talking about her artistic merits. Still, she smiles. She does have some curiosities, even if they have nothing to do with art.

"The Princess, you mean? I had no idea."

Really, she hadn't though the Princess to be very special at all, aside from her obvious political status. Byerly's estimation of the Vor as a class gave her no reason to think much of her, although supposedly she is half-Betan. Perhaps she's had some kind of genetic modification, unlike other Barrayarans.
vorrutyer: (punchable eyebrow)

[personal profile] vorrutyer 2017-04-05 06:07 pm (UTC)(link)
"Just so," he answers. "Or, at least - that is my perception. I would be curious to know of your perception of her abilities, Doctor ghem-Soren. Just to see if I identified her skill correctly." A hesitation, though not a particularly emotional one. It is clear from his face, his manner, his focus, that his care is for the art rather than the creator of the art. No sentiment - only curiosity. "Do you think it would be possible to get her a camera?"
ghemsweetscent: (cardamom)

[personal profile] ghemsweetscent 2017-04-05 06:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Amai looks faintly surprised at the request, but intrigued. And, yes, a bit flattered that Byerly wants her to weigh her judgment on this.

"It'd have to be cleared with military side, but I don't see why not. Though I suppose someone will have to teach her to use one of ours." Fancy Cetagandan tech, after all. Even if the girl is half-Betan, she's been on Barrayar for a long time now.

"I'm no paticular expert in photography myself, but perhaps -- if she produces anything -- we could review her work together. Since you seem to know it already." She smiles coquettishly at him. "Do you know the Princess very well?"
vorrutyer: (wry)

[personal profile] vorrutyer 2017-04-06 01:36 pm (UTC)(link)
"Well enough," he answers easily, smiling back at her. Inwardly, he sighs a little bit of relief. Amai is a damned sight more likely to get Sonia a camera than Byerly is - and advocacy, coming from her, disguised as artistry, will raise fewer red flags than Byerly pleading on Sonia's behalf. Good. Not that there's any tactical advantage in Sonia taking photos, since it's not like she'll be permitted to capture militarily sensitive areas of the base. Simply - she'll go less mad if she has a camera in her hands. That's all.

"She's a sweet enough girl," he says, his tone just a bit arch and patronizing. "Quite vivacious and charming when she's not sulking - though I suppose she has reason to sulk, doesn't she?"
ghemsweetscent: (rose)

[personal profile] ghemsweetscent 2017-04-06 03:48 pm (UTC)(link)
"Mm." Amai hums thoughtful agreement, though no less patronizing than Byerly. "I suppose. I would have expected a young woman from a royal line to have a bit more decorum in enemy territory, particularly considering her status. And really, you might even call it a rescue -- I heard the girl hadn't bathed in weeks when they brought her in."

Amai doesn't quite make a face, but there is a little shudder of unmasked disgust at the thought. Ugh, unwashed barbarians. "And you'd said it yourself about the Vor class, that they're not so elevated at all. But...she is half-Betan, isn't she? I seem to recall hearing that one of the Vorbarras married a Betan woman."
vorrutyer: (punchable eyebrow)

[personal profile] vorrutyer 2017-04-06 03:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Byerly would be furious on Sonia's behalf if he didn't know how damnably true that rumor was. Honestly, his first shower after he'd arrived here had been nearly enough to make him into a theist. Of all the things he'd hated about the Barrayaran camp, his own odor had been first and foremost.

"Ah - in addition to everything else, you know your politics, Doctor ghem-Soren," he says, assaying a small bow at her. "Indeed she is - her father, Prince Xav, married a Betan and raised her there, rather than on Barrayar. So she is technically a royal, but a royal raised in all that Betan egalitarianism. So if you must blame anyone for that undecorousness, blame those absurd democrats."
ghemsweetscent: (vanilla)

[personal profile] ghemsweetscent 2017-04-06 04:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Amai lets out a little hm of a laugh, the corner of her mouth turned up. "I'm still astonished they manage to get anything done in their government. And now they're wasting resources on this war. I wonder whose decision that was."

But her look turns thoughtful on Byerly. "You say she was raised there. But was she born there? I mean, you didn't have uterine replicator technology here some twenty-odd years ago."
vorrutyer: (shocked! and! appalled!)

[personal profile] vorrutyer 2017-04-06 04:06 pm (UTC)(link)
He realizes with a tiny flare of panic that he doesn't know. Which...A Vor raised in this era, who would have been alive at the time of the Princess' birth, probably would know. But only probably, and hell, he can pretend he was only five or so when the Princess was born, right? Cetagandans, ageless and beautiful, have no ability to gauge how old Barrayarans are. Hell, he could probably convince a Cetagandan he was a particularly weathered seventeen-year-old without great difficulty.

"Good lord," he coughs, "I hope they used a uterine replicator. Could you imagine a Betan woman agreeing to a body-birth?" He gives a bit of a shudder as he tries to redirect her mind (which is agreeably scientific) to the logistics of it. "I mean, imagine that you fell madly in love with a Barrayaran prince. Don't laugh," he says, holding up a finger. "Would you ever agree to that?"
ghemsweetscent: (nutmeg)

[personal profile] ghemsweetscent 2017-04-06 06:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Amai laughs anyway, because what an absurd prospect, but she humors the idea nonetheless.

"Heavens, no. I'd sooner die than endure that torture. Having children shouldn't necessitate such a great risk to oneself." Her chuckles die off with a little ha. "But I suspected she might not be a body birth. She certainly doesn't look like the product of -- well, of leaving such things to chance, though you are clearly an exception."

She smiles radiantly at him, not bothering to mask her flattery. Why should she? It's not as though she needs him to get anywhere. "She must have had some gene cleaning, at least, if not...further selection."
vorrutyer: (god honestly what is this guy's face)

[personal profile] vorrutyer 2017-04-11 01:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Hah. Oh, if only you knew the sorts of time-bombs that lurked in my genes, dear Amai. You certainly wouldn't be twinkling at me like that. Though he's always wondered whether gene-cleaning would actually purge the Vorrutyer line of its curses of madness. Would a Betan scientist be able to pluck it out of some future children, the way they plucked out dwarfism and the cat's mouth and having too many fingers? Or would it hide from their gaze, the way that it always hid from the mothers whose job it was to slice out mutation from the family tree? Ah, well. He doesn't say anything to her - he just bows, an openly pleased smile on his face at her flattery.

"It seems terribly likely," Byerly agrees. Amai-the-scientist is not charmed and intrigued by barbarian savagery, he's learned; she doesn't have a fascination with the exoticism of an unmanipulated genome. She'll be far more positively inclined towards someone who is at their maximum potential. "She's an uncommonly beautiful girl, is she not? Come from a father who was decently handsome, but not particularly remarkable. She's clever, too. Still, it's a curious sort of experiment, isn't it? Can a particularly experienced and distinguished eye - " A bow to Amai - "Differentiate the remarkable-but-unrefined from those who were given gifts by their progenitors?"
ghemsweetscent: (rose)

[personal profile] ghemsweetscent 2017-04-11 09:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Amai's positive interest in Sonia is more akin to a child with a magnifying glass and a butterfly, with a few pins stuck in for good measure. Her interest in Byerly, while having nothing to do with his genes -- which are unremarkable as far as she's concerned, aside from his perfectly acceptable handsomeness -- is far more benign. She tilts her head in consideration, eyes slitted and thoughtful.

"Hm. It can be difficult with the naked eye alone, if the selection, or lack thereof, is subtle enough. After all, all we see on the surface is expression. That expression could come from any number of factors. A genetic sample, on the other hand...that would be quite easy." A sudden light sparks in Amai's eyes. "Which, come to think of it, we do have now. Strictly for record purposes, of course, but it may bear some examination."

She smiles sidelong at Byerly. A part of her very much would like to prove that the Princess was, in fact, the product of finer genetic selection. "Would you perhaps be interested in joining me in the lab sometime? Photography needn't be the only thing we appraise together."
vorrutyer: (punchable eyebrow)

[personal profile] vorrutyer 2017-04-16 04:03 pm (UTC)(link)
"I would be beyond honored," he says, his eyebrows lifting just a little. It's a bit theatrical, yes - but also there's a touch of honesty in it. Just how deep is Amai's curiosity? Just how exploitable is it? This could be...profitable indeed. And inside her lab -

Well. Inside her lab, there's probably not that much that's exploitable or sensitive. Amai is no fool, to let him get his hands on things he shouldn't have access to. Still. This is a step in the right direction. At Sonia's expense, yes, which makes him feel a touch of guilt - but for Sonia's benefit, as well.

"It would be a privilege to learn from you. Learn more from you."
ghemsweetscent: (rose)

[personal profile] ghemsweetscent 2017-04-19 05:18 pm (UTC)(link)
The blatant flattery doesn't bother Amai at all -- she basks in it, perfectly aware of it. She smiles at him, catlike.

"I would be pleased to teach you. I'm sure there is much to learn for both of us."

Her violet eyes are bright with interest, a hint of dangerous ambition. "Perhaps we should meet again, another night. I'll see to it that your princess gets her camera. It's a fairly trivial request, I think. It isn't as though she's allowed near any sensitive areas, and data can always be deleted."

Her smile broadens, sweetening, and she tilts her head at Byerly. "We can meet here again, if you like. I'll show you to the genetics wing. I think you'll find it fascinating. And we can have a look at that DNA sample together."