maskormenacelogs | Sept. catch-all

Kareen stood in front of the dairy section, biting her bottom lip and glancing over labels and prices. She was terrible at this to be sure. Keeping track of expenses was not something she had ever needed to do herself. Even just shopping for groceries of all things was considered something beneath her after marrying the prince. How would she have known that privileged would someday come back to bite her in the wallet? Things had gotten rather tight at the end of last month, and with her baking classes beginning she might manage to balance things but...

Her thoughts were abruptly drawn away from the milk when a man came to a stop next to her, also on a quest for milk. He walked with a cane, but that could mean anything. No, what really made her step back was his face, so very, very familiar. Painfully familiar in an eerie way.

Unable to help herself Kareen found herself staring, almost afraid to move.

He set his basket on the floor and pulled a half gallon carton in his hand, peering it over for its expiration date and nutritional information, then put it back. He repeated this a few more times with different variants until he well and truly caught onto the unmoving person to his right.

Hermann looked her over with a sort of scrutinizing expression, searching, but she wasn't staring at his cane at least. No, but she was staring at him.

"..Can I help you?" Forgive his edge of irritation.

His voice, blessedly different from what she was used to hearing coming out of that mouth, broke her from the spell. Blinking, she shook her head minutely.

"Apologies, sir. You just look a great deal like... someone I know." But even beyond that, there was something about him. Something even beyond just having the same face as Miles. Where had she seen him before?

Oh. It was one of those things again. Hermann breathed an aggrieved sigh and turned his attention back to the milk in his hand.

"Yes, yes, Miles Vorkosigan," he said flippantly. If he had a free hand, he may have waved it. "...Or Peter, Mark, whatever his name was. Vastly more sociable creatures. Odd pair, unfortunate circumstances as far as our resemblance is concerned."

Well, he seemed knowledgeable of them so that meant he wasn't new. Perhaps she had seen him around town before, or else...

"I believe I have seen you on the communicators before as well but I cannot recall when, exactly." Which, granted, was a very busy network and one she did not often use herself.

She hesitated just a moment then attempted an introduction; strange, as she usually had a go-between to introduce her to others. "I am Kareen Vorbarra. I hope you will forgive me my interest."

Hermann thought back, attempting to recall what post she may be referencing.

"My engagement perhaps." Or had he posted a public video after that? ..No, he didn't believe so.

"In any case, Vorbarra, you said? Any relation to Gregor?"

"Oh, yes. That." Her clipped tone is hardly the kind of congratulatory endorsement one might usually offer in regards to impending nuptials but she's a little wary of relationships that deviate from the norm. The norm being 100 percent heteromantic on Barrayar.

She could see it now. The camera had mostly been focused on Newton at the time and she recognized him quite well, but the voice she had heard was most definitely this man's even if she hadn't gotten the best view of his face. Now she's a little glad she hadn't at the time or she would have fled immediately at the sight of him.

Well, now she was stuck in the social contract known as a conversation. Lovely. She could keep up, pulling all her social graces to the fore; easily done considering all the practice she'd had before even coming to this universe. "I am Gregor's mother."

He spared her a glance, frowned at the milk, then finally placed it in his basket.

"Rather astounding how more of you seem to keep cropping up." A light tone, though tinged with jealousy. He hasn't seen his own family in several years. Though of course, he could do without seeing his father for awhile longer. Still, he was even starting to miss him a bit, however wrong the man's views were.

None of them were likely to be at his wedding. And that wasn't a realization he needed to have just then. Hermann turned back toward Kareen.

"I'm not greatly familiar with Gregor, but he seems to have done well." What with being Emperor and having loyal subjects, and then there was Miles.

"There are a rather lot of us, yes," Kareen admitted, hardly willing to deny that. Several Vorkosigans, and then even several others not of the Vor class but from their world had managed to trickle into existence here. She wondered how it compared to the peoples of other worlds brought here; how many of them came from the same world to this place at any given time, and did they always know one another? Kareen certainly didn't know a great deal of them but that went without saying.

Having unknowingly brought about Hermann's emotional distress, Kareen carried on as normal. "Yes, indeed. He's grown into a fine young man. I couldn't be happier knowing I left him in good hands."

There was a story there. Likely not one he cared to hear honestly, so Hermann simply nodded. Of course, that left him in a bit of a lurch in terms of conversation.

"Well er, it was nice meeting you Mrs. Vorbarra. I believe my order of salmon should be ready to pick up."

It probably wasn't, but he simply wasn't made for small talk.

"Oh. Of course. I shan't keep you away from your order..." But before he quite turned away she spoke up again. "Wait! I did not catch your name."

Perhaps she didn't deserve to hear it, but she had offered her own. It seemed only fitting she know who he was in case they ran into one another again.

Hermann turned back, looking fairly appalled with himself. Too distracted by her relations and the absence of his own to make an introduction in turn.

"M-my apologies, Mrs. Vorbarra. Do pardon my dreadful lapse in manners. I'm Dr. Hermann Gottlieb. Physicist, not the medical sort."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Not at all, Doctor. I did start off by being quite rude myself." She gave him a short nod of her head. "It was... a pleasure meeting you."

Shifting on her feet, Kareen glanced back at the selection of milk then back again at the man turning from her and had a sudden thought. "Actually, before you leave, might I ask you one more question? Though it will certainly sound rather foolish."

Pausing, Hermann tempered down his irritation and half-turned toward her again. Surely he could endure one more query, particularly since he hadn't introduced himself properly the first time.

"Of course, Mrs. Vorbarra," he said, working to keep the impatience from his voice. "How can I be of assistance?"

"It really is rather foolish but..." She licked her lips, strangely nervous, but then pressed on in a breathless rush. "You see, I am attempting to take up baking and it's all rather new to me, learning things and making my own decisions and such but I haven't any practice in much of anything beyond hostessing and so I find myself at a loss and so I ask you..."

She pressed a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes, taking a calming breath. When she continued, she spoke much slower and at a steady pace. "What I mean to ask is, what is some sort of dessert or pastry that you fancy? Just... to give me an idea of something new to try to make once I start gaining ground in my pursuits."

Hermann stared, not certain what to make of the sudden rush of words or the nerves behind them. And in the end, her request proved to be just as unusual. So thrown by the odd nature of the request, it took a few moments for his brain to actually supply possible answers.

"Oh, er- I'm... rather fond of sweet croissants and lemon meringue pie.."

Having an actual answer was such a relief. Kareen couldn't hold back a smile despite the awkwardness of the situation. "Ah, yes, thank you. Those both sound lovely. The few people I've asked so far only have said they'd enjoy anything I tried to make, perhaps in an attempt to put me at ease while I'm learning. I really do appreciate an honest, unbiased answer."

Hermann shrugs a bit, uncomfortable as ever with genuine gratitude and anything even vaguely resembling a compliment.

"Well it didn't cost me anything," he said gruffly, then cleared his throat a bit. "I'm sure you're an intelligent woman capable of setting realistic goals with respect to your skill level."

And that's quite possibly not going to be taken as a compliment. And this was why small talk was terrible.

"Not that- it's.. well, I mean perhaps the bakery would be more inspiring? I should really.." He made a vague gesture in the direction of the deli.

"I am afraid there is no skill to speak of at the moment. One could consider it a work in progress." Compliment or insult, Kareen accepts the words as they are and doesn't think too much on them. The fact that she's basically a novice in everything is simply that; a fact.

"Oh, believe me, it's more overwhelming than inspiring," she responded dryly, but now it's fairly obvious by his reaction that he wanted out. "Sorry to keep you, Doctor. Until we meet again, then."

Relieved, Hermann gave a nod.

"Yes, of course. A pleasure speaking with you, Mrs. Vorbarra."

He turned slowly, wary that he might be called again, but after a few cautious steps, turned unnecessarily down a grocery aisle and out of sight to freedom.

Sept. catch-all

Hermann

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