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[rathercommon]

[ On the screen is a magnificent tiger with golden eyes, regarding the camera with quite a bit of what looks to be amusement, if you're prone to anthropomorphizing animals. After a moment, that tiger speaks - and speaks with a very human voice, a light and girlish voice with a South London accent. And who else speaks like that? This is, of course, one Kitty Jones, living up to her name. ]

Hullo, all. Happy - slightly belated - Earth Day. I hadn't known about that holiday last year, so I didn't do a thing for it, but it's really a lovely thing, isn't it? So, a day, late, I'm doing a little charity drive, and I need all of you to participate. Proceeds going to the protection of the leaf-scaled sea snake, because no one ever bloody donates money to help species that aren't cute.

[ The leaf-scaled sea snake is also quite venomous. Y'know. Whatever. ]

So what this consists of is this. I want you to volunteer here, in this post, to answer questions from fans on rumblr. Give me a list of topics you're not willing to talk about, as well as how many questions you're willing to answer. Then your rumblr fans - or enemies, I suppose, maybe some of them will want to trap you in a lie or something - will bid on the opportunity to ask you questions. Whichever fan puts in the highest bid gets the right to ask the first question, then the second-highest bid gets second question, all down until you don't want to answer any more stupid questions. And then all the proceeds go to the sea snakes.

So who's in? Talk about yourself, help the environment. What's not to like?

[ That's all said very, very cheerfully. Then, in a flippant post-script, she adds: ]

Oh, yeah, I'm not dead, by the way.

[ Which is so nice! so kind! such a good way to announce that! a month and a half after she already came back from the dead! nice. ]


[ ooc: this post is just like what it says! You can comment here to have your character get asked dumb questions by rumblr fans. Please tell me the questions you want asked in notes in your comments!! Or I will be making up terrible questions. Fair warning.

edited to add: also if your character would bid to ask other characters shitty questions, feel free to threadjump their thread ]

Comments

[rathercommon]

Yeah. I mean - it could be.

[vorbarra]

[ He lets himself relax enough to manage a tiny smile. ]

I promise you Miles isn't all casual self-loathing. You'll see.

[rathercommon]

[ A little quietly: ]

I know. I do consider him a friend. I wouldn't if that were all I saw of him.

[vorbarra]

I wondered. He's far more delicate with everyone else than with himself, you know.

[rathercommon]

[ The snake flips her head up - a reptilian equivalent, perhaps, of a shrug. Her voice is really low, though, and unhappy. ]

I've noticed. It doesn't make it better at all. I'm always up for a fight. Watching someone destroy themselves in front of me, less so. Noble suicides haven't got any charm left for me.

[vorbarra]

It is a fight. And it's one we're winning. [ Solid, implacable. ]

It's my own damn empire that made him this way. If I can't help him claw his way to a life he never should've had, how can I do the same for the rest of Barrayar? I must have more endurance than that.

[rathercommon]

[ Quietly: ]

I avoided that level of responsibility.

[vorbarra]

[ His intensity eases off, Gregor catching himself. He shakes his head. ]

And that's fine. No one's asking you to be responsible for Miles. I'm happy enough to do that. Do you understand?

[rathercommon]

I guess.

[ A pause. ]

I mean it, though. I really can't watch another person I care for kill himself. I - don't want to be cowardly, and I know that's cowardly, but...

[vorbarra]

[ There it is. That's what's really bothering her, isn't it?

With strong assurance in his voice: ] It's not cowardly, but it's also not going to happen. Miles and I understand each other very well in this. We've already agreed to look after each other. There's nothing for you to worry about in that respect at all.

[rathercommon]

I guess. Just -

[ She goes for breeziness. Accomplishes it a bit. ]

I know very well how sensitive Miles is. Especially about whether or not he's wanted. So if it's a war between him feeling like his relationship with you is stable and special and us continuing to sleep together, you absolutely must tell me. The decision will be completely clear in that case. I'm sure you'll agree.

[vorbarra]

The solution to Miles being sensitive isn't to cater to his sensitivity, [ he points out with a touch of sharpness, no more patient with Kitty's underlying self-sabotage than with Miles's. ] That's not fair to us, and furthermore it doesn't solve anything. It wouldn't convince him the relationship was stable, if that was his fear.

If you want out of this, Kitty, all you have to do is say so. But neither of us are going to push you out the door.

[rathercommon]

I don't. Want out.

[ She's quiet a moment. ]

It's just - you two are very... [ Codependent sounds unfair, but... ] Tied up in one another. You're very unlikely to be happy if the other one isn't happy. You know?

[vorbarra]

Try to be less convinced that you're a source of unhappiness.

[rathercommon]

[ She forces a laugh. ]

Sure. But, I mean, realistically, though.

[vorbarra]

[ Dryly, ]

Yes. Realistically.

[rathercommon]

[ Don't give a non-answer to her non-answer! ]

Realistically, I'm not easy.

[vorbarra]

Because that's obviously my most defining criterion in selecting partners?

[rathercommon]

No. Which is why I'm with you. Miles might not feel the same. Lots of people don't.

[vorbarra]

Miles prefers difficult things, [ he stresses. ] He hates things that are too easy. He gets bored.

I'm sorry, Kitty. You're doomed to be stuck with two respectful, functioning men who feel fortunate to have you in their lives.

[rathercommon]

[ She lets out a breath. ...and can't let that pass by without comment. ]

Functioning might be something of a stretch.

[vorbarra]

Should I bring up Dorian for comparison on functioning?

[rathercommon]

[ Sneering: ]

You could bring Dorian up for comparison on man, too, while you're at it.

[vorbarra]

[ He laughs. ]

Right, right. So what's your complaint again?

[rathercommon]

Just that you're both a bit unhinged. In a really sweet way. But unhinged.

[ In another little bubble of self-awareness: ]

Not that I'm really always all that much better myself.