Is everything alright? [Elizabeth stands up and goes to him the moment he enters the library, looking worried-- this is the apparent side-effect of being involved with the Vorboys. If nothing is specified, something is definitely wrong.]
[She's wrapped in her blankets still, and the fact that Ivan is smiling seems to indicate her initial concerns about 'in person' discussions were unfounded. She exhales quietly and smiles.] Jumpy, I guess. What did you want to talk about?
Welcome to life around Miles Vorkosigan. God knows how his parents deal with it -- maybe they're just used to family members in constant danger, what with Uncle Aral's job and all.
( anyway, not important. and definitely not what he's here for. )
Less talked about and more asked. How'd you like to go on a date, Elizabeth?
( with him, obviously. ivan grins at her, leaning back in his chair. he can take a rejection if she tells him no, as he always does, but he thinks he's got a pretty decent shot at this. he'd kick himself if he never asked. there's nothing wrong with going on a few dates with someone here, away from his mother and the expectations of his caste. it means no one's going to be breathing down his neck and asking if he wants to get married, at the very least.
Okay! [Elizabeth scoots forward in her chair, looking very perky and excited. She loves doing things with people-- especially when they're introducing her to something new. She likes Ivan, spending time with him isn't some great hardship.]
( well that's an encouraging reaction if ivan's ever seen one. maybe he should double check to make sure she understands the concept of dating-- nah. nah. )
Great! ( and he is thrilled about it -- she's nice and attractive and he likes her. the last one is kind of weird, as mostly he's never really cared for how much he personally cares about them before dating them. liking someone made it better, but it was never a real requirement. ) Most people start with dinner, but the next time we come across a decent planet will be god knows when. And trying to set the mood while avoiding freezing to death isn't any better. ( he shrugs ) I'm sure I can think of something.
[What's to get? People go do things together, they have fun, they do it again later if they want to. Dating!]
[...though she doesn't have anything fancy to wear to a dinner date...] Oh, if we're going to have dinner, I have to find a dress. [Maybe some lipstick, too. Nail polish?] Or... not? I don't know, what do you usually do on your dates back home?
( but what about kissing as part of dating, elizabeth? )
Keep them away from my mother, mostly. ( ivan mutters, this time under his breath. his mother might start making overtures about commitment and marriage and like hell ivan wants any of that. it puts ideas into the heads of his dates and makes dating married women sound more and more appealing as time goes on. ) Dinner. Sometimes someone she or I will know throws a dance, and then there's the parties after that.
( shaking his head, he waves her concern away. )
You don't have to if you don't want to. Wear a dress, that is.
[Kissing? Ivan. She has never kissed anybody ever. Prepare yourself for Greenhorn Town, Population: Liz.]
...Yeah I suppose if he were here, I'd probably keep this away from my father too. [She winces, trying to imagine Booker allowing Elizabeth to go on a date with someone like Ivan-- someone way too handsome and suave for someone like her. All of the scenarios involve firearms of some sort.]
Dances? [Elizabeth visibly brightens at the word.] Big dances?
( he'll be a little shocked at first but then ready to lend his expert skills to the task of teaching her how. it's really the gentlemanly thing to do in a situation like that. )
I don't think I've ever upset someone's father before. Mind you, I think it's because no one ever made me meet their fathers. ( would they threaten him with a sword (traditional) or a nerve disruptor/plasma arc (for the progressive vor)? he doesn't know, and he doesn't really want to find out.
but her enthusiasm makes him smile. he's never seen anyone that excited about dancing. they all just consider it something they're obligated to do every so often. )
The biggest. Winterfair, the Emperor's birthday. M'mother's in charge of ( he flounders here for a second, about to say gregor before he catches himself ) the Emperor's social everything, as he's not married and doesn't have a mother of his own. ( well there's always aunt cordelia, but he's reasonably sure lady vorpatril wouldn't unleash cordelia on any poor unsuspecting visiting barrayaran without warning. ) So we always get invited.
( also: he's related to the emperor. that helps. )
[Always thinking of the gentlemanly thing to do, aren't you Ivan?]
Oh you wouldn't have a choice with mine. He'd be stuck to my side, I'm sure of it, if he were here. He wouldn't let me out of his sight. [Probably for reasons completely unrelated to Ivan, but nevertheless... Elizabeth can't see Booker taking too kindly to Ivan. ...or anyone, really.]
[But yes, dancing. She loves dancing, even if she hadn't gotten to do much at all before Rapture. Elizabeth puts her elbows on the desk and rests her head on her folded hands.] Oh, if it's for the Emperor, it must be so grand. Ballgowns and long gloves and lavish decorations... [It's probably nothing like the image Elizabeth is painting in her mind, but it's giving her a lot of pleasure to imagine anyway.] It must be a beautiful evening.
( he shudders theatrically at the idea of going on a date chaperoned by someone's father. thank god that's not a possibility here. ) Gonna steer clear of that, I think. No offense.
( just to be on the safe side if he does randomly show up. )
It is, although the Emperor himself views it more of an obligation than a fun time. ( sorry gregor. ) Everyone Vor gets drunk by the end of it -- that's traditional -- so it peters off into who can find the best place to vomit unnoticed come early morning. But the other parts of it are great.
None taken. [Yeah, if Booker randomly showed up, she'd be right with Ivan trying to keep her dating life away from the parental unit.]
[Elizabeth's expression goes a little tight and pained as her beautiful imaginings take a rather graphic turn. She'd almost forgotten how adept Ivan is at flinging conversations to the other end of the spectrum.] ...exciting...
It's still beautiful, really. And it's only the Vor lords who really get into it. ( he tries, desperately trying to make up for lost ground. and forgetting that he is, in fact, a vor lord. one of the highest, thanks to his paternal grandmother. ) And if we found a way, I'd like to dance with you here. ( hell, he might attempt to bribe gregor to be a stand in emperor if it came down to that. although he'd probably refuse. he grins, however, an idea springing into his head. ) Give me a bit, and I'll find some music -- we can do that for our date.
[Well, that's improvement-- at least this time Ivan didn't start digging himself deeper! Elizabeth actually feels some endearment from his attempt to rescue the situation, and she smiles with renewed enthusiasm.]
I would love that, truly. But... you'll have to be kind with me, I haven't danced with a partner in a very, very long time. [She says, grinning and resting her chin in her hands again.] I'll find a way to get a dress.
Twenty-five years of dance lessons and practical knowledge, at your service, if you need lessons. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll be fine. ( his return grin is just as bright as her's as he leans back in the chair. ) Well if you're dressing up, I suppose I should make sure that my dress uniform is clean.
( which might be more of a problem than anything else. but still. )
Oh, a man in uniform taking a lady on a date. [She grins, apparently pleased by the image. Though there's a blank space where her dress should be-- what kind of dress would she most like for a situation like this? What was appropriate?]
[Bah, she'd figure it out later. Ivan probably didn't care if she wore her dress uniform-- he wanted to spend time with her, right? That should be the main crux of the thing.]
You can start teaching me when I step on your perfectly uniformed toes, and save me from any further humiliation.
Of course. It's not my parade red-and-blues, but no one needs to run the risk of hitting anyone else with the swords.
( oh yeah, they still use swords. less these days than say, in the time of his grandfather. and no, he wouldn't care, but the image of elizabeth in a dress is one he'd very much like to see. if possible. )
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dec. 13th. text.
Yes, still just trying to keep warm in the library! What can I help you with?
~E
dec. 13th. text. ➞ action
( and so he does, ambling into the library with his hands in his pockets and a grin on his face. )
I should learn not to ask what people are up to anymore, the answer's always the same.
( staying warm. )
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[She's wrapped in her blankets still, and the fact that Ivan is smiling seems to indicate her initial concerns about 'in person' discussions were unfounded. She exhales quietly and smiles.] Jumpy, I guess. What did you want to talk about?
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( anyway, not important. and definitely not what he's here for. )
Less talked about and more asked. How'd you like to go on a date, Elizabeth?
( with him, obviously. ivan grins at her, leaning back in his chair. he can take a rejection if she tells him no, as he always does, but he thinks he's got a pretty decent shot at this. he'd kick himself if he never asked. there's nothing wrong with going on a few dates with someone here, away from his mother and the expectations of his caste. it means no one's going to be breathing down his neck and asking if he wants to get married, at the very least.
thank god for that. )
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What do you want to do?
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Great! ( and he is thrilled about it -- she's nice and attractive and he likes her. the last one is kind of weird, as mostly he's never really cared for how much he personally cares about them before dating them. liking someone made it better, but it was never a real requirement. ) Most people start with dinner, but the next time we come across a decent planet will be god knows when. And trying to set the mood while avoiding freezing to death isn't any better. ( he shrugs ) I'm sure I can think of something.
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[...though she doesn't have anything fancy to wear to a dinner date...] Oh, if we're going to have dinner, I have to find a dress. [Maybe some lipstick, too. Nail polish?] Or... not? I don't know, what do you usually do on your dates back home?
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Keep them away from my mother, mostly. ( ivan mutters, this time under his breath. his mother might start making overtures about commitment and marriage and like hell ivan wants any of that. it puts ideas into the heads of his dates and makes dating married women sound more and more appealing as time goes on. ) Dinner. Sometimes someone she or I will know throws a dance, and then there's the parties after that.
( shaking his head, he waves her concern away. )
You don't have to if you don't want to. Wear a dress, that is.
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...Yeah I suppose if he were here, I'd probably keep this away from my father too. [She winces, trying to imagine Booker allowing Elizabeth to go on a date with someone like Ivan-- someone way too handsome and suave for someone like her. All of the scenarios involve firearms of some sort.]
Dances? [Elizabeth visibly brightens at the word.] Big dances?
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I don't think I've ever upset someone's father before. Mind you, I think it's because no one ever made me meet their fathers. ( would they threaten him with a sword (traditional) or a nerve disruptor/plasma arc (for the progressive vor)? he doesn't know, and he doesn't really want to find out.
but her enthusiasm makes him smile. he's never seen anyone that excited about dancing. they all just consider it something they're obligated to do every so often. )
The biggest. Winterfair, the Emperor's birthday. M'mother's in charge of ( he flounders here for a second, about to say gregor before he catches himself ) the Emperor's social everything, as he's not married and doesn't have a mother of his own. ( well there's always aunt cordelia, but he's reasonably sure lady vorpatril wouldn't unleash cordelia on any poor unsuspecting visiting barrayaran without warning. ) So we always get invited.
( also: he's related to the emperor. that helps. )
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Oh you wouldn't have a choice with mine. He'd be stuck to my side, I'm sure of it, if he were here. He wouldn't let me out of his sight. [Probably for reasons completely unrelated to Ivan, but nevertheless... Elizabeth can't see Booker taking too kindly to Ivan. ...or anyone, really.]
[But yes, dancing. She loves dancing, even if she hadn't gotten to do much at all before Rapture. Elizabeth puts her elbows on the desk and rests her head on her folded hands.] Oh, if it's for the Emperor, it must be so grand. Ballgowns and long gloves and lavish decorations... [It's probably nothing like the image Elizabeth is painting in her mind, but it's giving her a lot of pleasure to imagine anyway.] It must be a beautiful evening.
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( he shudders theatrically at the idea of going on a date chaperoned by someone's father. thank god that's not a possibility here. ) Gonna steer clear of that, I think. No offense.
( just to be on the safe side if he does randomly show up. )
It is, although the Emperor himself views it more of an obligation than a fun time. ( sorry gregor. ) Everyone Vor gets drunk by the end of it -- that's traditional -- so it peters off into who can find the best place to vomit unnoticed come early morning. But the other parts of it are great.
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[Elizabeth's expression goes a little tight and pained as her beautiful imaginings take a rather graphic turn. She'd almost forgotten how adept Ivan is at flinging conversations to the other end of the spectrum.] ...exciting...
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It's still beautiful, really. And it's only the Vor lords who really get into it. ( he tries, desperately trying to make up for lost ground. and forgetting that he is, in fact, a vor lord. one of the highest, thanks to his paternal grandmother. ) And if we found a way, I'd like to dance with you here. ( hell, he might attempt to bribe gregor to be a stand in emperor if it came down to that. although he'd probably refuse. he grins, however, an idea springing into his head. ) Give me a bit, and I'll find some music -- we can do that for our date.
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I would love that, truly. But... you'll have to be kind with me, I haven't danced with a partner in a very, very long time. [She says, grinning and resting her chin in her hands again.] I'll find a way to get a dress.
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Twenty-five years of dance lessons and practical knowledge, at your service, if you need lessons. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll be fine. ( his return grin is just as bright as her's as he leans back in the chair. ) Well if you're dressing up, I suppose I should make sure that my dress uniform is clean.
( which might be more of a problem than anything else. but still. )
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[Bah, she'd figure it out later. Ivan probably didn't care if she wore her dress uniform-- he wanted to spend time with her, right? That should be the main crux of the thing.]
You can start teaching me when I step on your perfectly uniformed toes, and save me from any further humiliation.
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( oh yeah, they still use swords. less these days than say, in the time of his grandfather. and no, he wouldn't care, but the image of elizabeth in a dress is one he'd very much like to see. if possible. )
It's a deal. And a date, then.
( SCORE )