Video | They don't make posters of my kinda life

[shipmaster]

[It is hard to tell if the person who appears on the network this afternoon is a particularly handsome woman or a strikingly beautiful man. Or what age they are. Or any nice, easy assumption, actually. They lean towards the screen, having watched the network for a few days, picked up what they could. A planetary war, tensions between imPorts, tenuous situations all around. For most people, it would be the time for serious discussions, strategic planning and getting the strongest intel they can.

Bel Thorne puts their chin on their palm, regards the camera a moment before cutting a sharp, curious smile.]

So, what does one do on Earth for fun? I'm taking suggestions.

Comments

[dendarii]

You're such a shit.

[ He props the ladder up next to Tex's guardhouse, then heads inside. ]

[shipmaster]

[Miles only fetches the most self satisfied smirk in return.

Following him in, Bel stops at the threshold, looking around. They give a low whistle.]

Looks new. Must have cost a small ship to buy.

[dendarii]

Not as much as one would think. We only paid for materials. Da designed it and the alchemists built it.

[ He opens the door to the basement and heads down to their wine cellar. ]

[shipmaster]

Miles. It's simply amazing how you can speak for five seconds and generate ten questions instantly.

[dendarii]

[ Miles' laugh floats up the stairs brightly. ]

Which question do you want to ask first, then?

[shipmaster]

Lets start with alchemists.

[dendarii]

[ Miles starts walking back up the stairs, having selected a suitable bottle for the two of them. ]

They can rearrange matter, basically. If I give them wood, they can make a wooden chair with a few diagrams or just their will. Supposedly it's a science where they're from.

[shipmaster]

[Bel is leaning on the far wall, across from the cellar stairs. They boggle.]

How the hell do you call THAT a science? [Even the idea of maneuvering that many molecules into a stable arrangem-]

.. Tell me someone's been in here with a Geiger counter.

[dendarii]

[ Miles laughs again. And climbs up on the counter to retrieve glasses. ]

Don't worry, we checked before we built a house like that. And I don't see how it's a science either, but do me a favor and try not to say as much to their faces...

[shipmaster]

Oh? Is that a hot button? [Stores that little kernel away for now~]

[dendarii]

Just so. Ed is the funniest.

[ Supplies acquired, Miles returns to the living room. Setting the bottle and glasses on the coffee table, then gesturing for Bel to sit. ]

[shipmaster]

[Bel drapes themselves into a chair across from him.]

Oh.. some of the real stuff, huh?

[dendarii]

Of course. We're on Earth, remember? Terran grapes and all.

[ Miles pours Bel a glass first. ]

[shipmaster]

[They take the glass, trying a small sip to savor it.]

Ah... it really does taste different than the synth stuff.

[dendarii]

Mm, just so. I'm used to Barrayaran alcohol, but ... this is different even from that.

[ He takes a long sip of his own glass. ]

[shipmaster]

Less potent, from all I've heard.

[dendarii]

Depends on what you get here. I've gotten extremely drunk on multiple occasions.

[ A beat. ]

Not that it takes much, admittedly.

[shipmaster]

[They consider. While they've never seen Miles drunk on the job, they can imagine, given his slight form.]

No, probably not.


...

How ARE you doing in this world, by the way? I mean, overall.

[dendarii]

[ Miles considers his glass for a moment at that. ]

I told you about Lucifer and Persephone. And the Russian kidnapping?

[shipmaster]

In brief.

[dendarii]

[ Miles nods a bit and takes another drink. ]

Then you've heard the worst bits. If you remove that, this place is actually a decent place to live.

[shipmaster]

You say that but that's broad. Decent like Beta? Like Barrayar? Like a halfway passable station?

[dendarii]

More like Beta than Barrayar. On multiple levels.

[shipmaster]

Well thank god for that.

[A beat, and a small lift of a glass in some ironic parody of a toast.]

No offense.

[dendarii]

None taken. There are certain things I like better on Beta Colony anyway.