maskormenacelogs | person man, person man, hit on the head with a frying pan

WHO: Mark and whoever
WHERE: Everywhere!! But mostly De Chima and Maurtia Falls
WHEN: Throughout November
WHAT: Catch-all for November with stuff. Hit me up!! Please!!! Open prompts below; PM me if you want something that isn't these things.
WARNINGS: Mark's life sucks; I'll edit this header if any particular suckiness comes up.

1. dog dog dog dog dog dog dog; De Chima/Maurtia Falls
[ In De Chima or in Maurtia Falls, you might find a rather strange sight: a small stocky man walking an enormous stocky dog. This is Mark walking his dog Captain, a scarred and warlike pit bull that pulls at the leash and constantly wags his tail. Mark's expression is still a forbidding glower, but Captain's doggy face is open and bright-eyed and happy; there's no one he doesn't want to make friends with.

And Mark, unfortunately, doesn't know good leash technique, and also (in spite of his own roundness) doesn't outweigh his dog by that much. And so when Captain wants to make friends, Mark is dragged along behind him. And that is why, if you're walking around, you might be approached by a dog trailing a very sour-looking little man who's hissing - ]

No, don't - stop - heel -

2. come make $$$$; Maurtia Falls
[ PKE, LLC, up in Maurtia Falls, is beyond luxurious. The office is appointed with a sort of brushed-steel-and-pine classiness, like it's furnished from the expensive part of Ikea; the receptionist out front is attractive and aloof, and people who are waiting get offered mineral water from glass bottles.

There are any number of reasons that you might have ended up here: you might have received an advertisement in the mail, or a random notification on your phone, or you might have seen the advertising that targets imPorts. All of this advertising will have offered help in investing, getting rich, or opening a new business - generous funding to get everyone a little bit wealthier.

Mark, sitting at his desk, smiles a smile that can generously be described as oily when you're shown in. And he purrs - ]

Please, sit down. Tell me about how you'd like to make money.

3. kicking some grass; De Chima
[ Mark doesn't like to practice where he can be seen. Definitely not. So when he's worked up and anxious, he goes out far away from his family, far away from the people who know him, out into the forests of De Chima. On the unlikely off-chance that your character happens to wander by, they'll be treated to a very strange sight: a small fat man vigorously practicing a judo kata, face miserable, before punching a tree. He turns as soon as he hears them, though, eyes flashing with anger as he snarls - ]

What the hell are you doing here? Go away.

4. fuck it; anywhere
[ Mark's eating ice cream. Come have ice cream. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Then there you go. That's several dates worth, right?

You could even bring Ed with you to some new places too, y'know.

Yeah.

[ That makes him subside a little uneasily. ]

Winry...She said she wants to date him, too.

[ Which is...confusing. ]

[ Her eyebrows go up. ]

Really.

Yeah. Which makes me worry that she's just...She just doesn't want to hurt my feelings.

[ She waves a hand, dismissing that notion immediately. ]

Winry is a kind girl, but she wouldn't lead you down the wrong path like that. If she says something, she means it.

[ A little quietly: ]

It just doesn't seem possible. That anyone would want... [ Me. ] This.

[ She steps in closer to him as they walk, curling an arm around his shoulder and back. She can guess what that pause at the end actually implied. ]

Of course it's possible, love.

[ There's the briefest ripple of tension at the contact before he, gratefully, relaxes against her arm. ]

I'll admit that I don't, um, want Miles to feel all smug. If I end up in some situation like his. [ Meaning polyamorous. ]

[ She gives him a light squeeze when he does relax against her. ]

Why smug?

Because he'll decide I'm emulating him. Like it's because I look up to him or something.

[ She snorts faintly through her nose. ]

Then you can call the kettle black and say he's emulating his parents in turn.

[ A slight hesitation. He's been curious. ]

So - you and Tex are...?

Have been for a while, love. Your father too.

Is it...stable?

[ She grins at the question like it's some secret joke. ]

As much as any relationship involving more than one person can be. I think we're pretty stable, yeah.

[ He's encouraged by her forthcomingness. So, a little shyly: ]

Are you, uh...Are you all three involved with each other? Or is it...Is there some division?

Not a division really, but it was just me and Allison at first. Your father wasn't involved until later.

[ She glances at him sideways with a smile. ] Do you want to ask how it all works?

You and - ?

[ He coughs with surprise. Cordelia is...gay? Bisexual, rather? He...had no idea. He knew all about Aral, of course, but - ]

Uh...I - I think I do want to ask. Yes. Just don't be too... [ Betan. He shrugs helplessly. ]

[ She laughs again. ] You thought it was Allison and Aral first?

And yes, I'll try not to be too Betan about it.

Uh...

[ He did. Apparently, he was wrong. Internally, he reflects that it's a bit too late; Cordelia is already too Betan about the whole thing.

Oh, well. ]

Yeah...I mean. I always heard - [ Was taught - ] That Count Vorkosigan - [ That's differentiated from Lord Vorkosigan; in Mark's head, Count Vorkosigan is Galen's fiction, Lord Vorkosigan the true man here. ] Took...liberties. [ Translation: did things like cheat on his wife because he had no respect for the sanctity of marriage. ] So I assumed.

Ah, so that's what they told you, hmm?

Did you still assume that of the man you've met here? After you started thinking of him as your father?

[ He hesitates, then gives a little shake of his head. ]

No. Or - I don't know. [ After all, does the peculiar arrangement with Tex count as taking liberties? But after a moment, he affirms: ] No.

[ She gives a nod to his hesitant affirmation. ]

Someone more conservative, or at least more bigoted, might consider dalliances as taking liberties, but your father and I take consent very seriously.

[ For some reason, that relaxes him. Right. That's what matters more than anything else, right? Everything else - your choice of partner, how many partners, how you're with them - it's just details. The most important thing is consent. ]

Ma'am...

[ He falls silent, though. Because he's not really sure what to say. Finally, he comes up with something that's painfully earnest: ]

I think what matters is - everyone being happy. Right?

[ That's a genuine request for confirmation, because he simply doesn't know. Are my instincts correct? ]

Are you all happy?

[ The arm around his shoulder tightens fondly. ]

Yes, love. We're happy.

(no subject)

jacksonian - 2016-12-01 00:39 (UTC) - Expand