( video )

[naismith]

[A man appears on the network of indeterminate age, extremely short-- under five feet tall, easily-- with a slight hunch to his posture and Germanic features. His eyes are sharply alive, bright with challenge. There's no hesitation as he speaks, in a gravelly kind of accent that sounds almost Russian, the words flowing quickly as he makes them up on the spot.

Right now, he desperately needs intel of all kinds, and eventually a spotter to watch him while he uses his seizure inducer. That fact he's assiduously ignoring. He'd checked his neurotransmitter levels this morning, and he has at least three days, even with all the stress of arrival. No, four days, probably. Five. Really, he can go a lot longer without one than the ImpSec medical staff had given him credit for. --Focus, Vorkosigan.]

So. I see you all have quite a neat set up here. Let's not waste time. Who can bring me up to speed, ex tempore? Surely we have more intelligence than "don't say its name" on our bogey man. Since confirmed facts are likely to be scarce, personal accounts would be acceptable.

I'm also taking proposals for getting miserably drunk at the bar, as is traditional in times of drawn out peril. I need someone to drag me home, y'see; alcohol has quite a soporific effect on my constitution. [And Ivan is unfortunately not here to do the dragging. Miles ignores the resulting pang that inspires in him.

Then he hesitates imperceptibly, the memory of his previous catastrophic failure to report his seizures clanging loudly through his brain. No. He can't ignore this, much as he'd like to. The only thing that scares Miles more than never going home is turning into a vegetable, mindless and drooling. He can at least do the preliminary investigation about options.]

Information about local medical facilities would be appreciated as well. They're not all-- er, at this level of technology, are they? [He looks dubious about anyone surviving on that level of medical care, but immediately recovers with a wide, convincing smile.] I'd just like to know preemptively for when I wake up with a skull splitting headache.

Comments

[naismith]

[He's sadly not immune to being addressed properly, and on such a tall woman, though he can't tell precisely how tall from the video. It's still delightful.]

Metal sector, [he says promptly.] That's kind of you, if opportunist. How about making it-- ah-- less happenstance, and meeting me there directly? I've received several wholehearted endorsements for an establishment called the Brazen Turtle.

[fearlessherosheart]

Well, I shall try there, then. Perhaps it will be interesting.

[naismith]

That is my hope. I'm not well suited to idleness. There tends to be drastic repercussions.

[fearlessherosheart]

Not am I. Though I did take up painting during one such period of idleness in my youth, and I find it keeps me from too many conflicts with the city-dwellers here.

[naismith]

Conflicts that would end to their detriment, I wager? [He smirks slightly, not finding it hard to picture this immensely tall woman coming out the better in a fight.]

Your painting is a public service.

[fearlessherosheart]

Well, I would not fight them unless they had assembled such numbers as to be interesting.

[naismith]

What such a number would that be, out of curiosity?

[fearlessherosheart]

[waves a hand vaguely]

Oh, several. You understand, after a handful, there is not much gained until one has to consider endurance.

[naismith]

Hmm. Just for future reference, you wouldn't happen to be looking for work, would you?

[He can't afford to hire her right now, obviously, but Miles likes to keep his options in mind.]

[fearlessherosheart]

It would depend as to the manner of work.

[naismith]

[He has no clue what kind of work it would be yet.]

Exciting, I promise you, [he says brightly.] Well suited to your talents. Just keep it in mind.

[fearlessherosheart]

I am willing to do that.

[It doesn't occur to Tazendra that Miles wouldn't know her talents.]

[naismith]

[Eh, he'll figure it out when the time comes. Wouldn't be first time.]

Perfect. Name, please?

[fearlessherosheart]

I am Tazendra, Lavode, Baroness of Daavya.

[naismith]

Truly? [Well, now his interest is piqued.] Does that make you Lady Daavya, or...?

[His instinct on proper titles probably isn't accurate here.]

[fearlessherosheart]

[Given that things are being translated, and that Tazendra herself is terrible at etiquette, it is close enough.]

It would seem so, though few here call me such. This is a very... very republican sort of place, for all that it is an Empire.

[naismith]

[He flashes a brief grin.]

It is, isn't it? I've noticed that myself. Not feeling very Imperial to me. Maybe that'll change when I meet with the Emperor.

[fearlessherosheart]

Perhaps. He holds audiences regularly, though I have not have cause to go myself.