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

[jacksonian]

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. ]

Comments

[use_everything]

[That fetches a strange look from Aral. Good god, he hopes Miles gets there. It was a long shot for him to have survived the first ten days, then ten years. Meeting him here had been, stunning, relieving and transformative. To 45? 46? He really hopes so. That whatever might be lurking from those prenatal chemical baths never shows.




Or that Miles himself doesn't invite the more mundane forms of violent death well before that.

Mark though... he had not only a better base.. but a more sensible head on his shoulders.]

I consider it quite possible. I'm looking forward to seeing both of you at the creeping old age forty. [A wry grin steals across his face for just a moment.] Though the secret of your well wishes is quite safe for now.

[jacksonian]

[ An answering smile of self-deprecating gratitude is quickly hidden by him ducking his head. No matter how quickly it goes, though, Mark certainly does look different when he smiles - and it's notable that smiles have been coming rather more frequently of late. Particularly remarkable that they're coming in the presence of the once-feared Lord Vorkosigan. ]

It's hard to imagine being that old. [ And then, with a faint alarm as he considers his not-quite-insult - ] I mean - not that it is all that old. It's not like you're decrepit or anything.

[use_everything]

I've made similar arguments. I tried to retire last year, none of the actual fossils would let it happen. [Including the Imperial one.]

[jacksonian]

That would have been - [ He thinks about the timeline - ] When they were asking you to be regent, right?

[use_everything]

Just so. I had ideas of a quiet life in the countryside with my wife.

It was a well meaning self delusion.

[jacksonian]

Do you regret it, sir?

[use_everything]

Not telling Vortala to sod off? [How would the future change? If he did it then, and knowingly continued every day, week, and month after.

What would have happened, Aral could only think bitterly, is that Ezar would have announced that Aral Vorkosigan had accepted the position of Regent on public broadcast without him, making it just as true. Vorbarras were not men who had their desires denied. Especially not Ezar.

It's... actually a long time before he answers, a sort of thunderous, frowning silence after it.]

I'm not sure if I'm a learned enough man to answer that on a whole. To say yes would snub the whole future I see here, and I want what I have here more powerfully than I thought was possible.

But to say no would ignore the hundreds of inadequacies of politics and outright errors I've made. ... and am going to make along the way.

In pieces yes.. in pieces no. I'd take a perfect world if I could have it. But some things are only forged in fire.

[jacksonian]

[ A small nod. He doesn't know whether it's insight gained from Galen's training, all those intimations that Aral Vorkosigan couldn't ever hurt his son, or from observing the man himself, but - ]

Miles would have been different.

[use_everything]

But he would exist, even different.

He's hardly my only concern.

[jacksonian]

I meant more... [ Another small hesitation. ] Would you want him to be different? It seems like you and - [ He clears his throat. ] And Mother. You like him as he is.

[use_everything]

I do. Without qualm or hesitation.

[jacksonian]

Yeah.

[ Yeah. ]

Um - what are your other concerns?

[use_everything]

[His brows raise, a perfect line of surprise.]

You, for one.

[jacksonian]

Oh.

[ He rubs self-consciously at his knees. ]

You mean...making sure that I, uh...come into the family?

[use_everything]

[Or even exist. What a fine act this is going to be, inspiring a madman, just enough, but not too much.]

I've some natural interest in being able to bring you home, yes.

[jacksonian]

Yeah. I'd like that too.

[ He takes a moment, not sure if he should express this thought. It'd be too dark for Miles to hear, definitely - probably not too dark for Cordelia. No, definitely not too dark for her; she can handle anything he throws at her. Too dark for Aral? No, Mark decides; there's very little too dark for Aral's sensibilities. So: ]

If you'd asked me a few months ago - I'd have said that it would have been better to go all the way back. That I'd have preferred never to have been created. But I don't think that now.

[use_everything]

[Not too dark at all. If there was any feeling Aral was acquainted with, it was wanting to be erased, or to trade oneself for another's life and happiness. It was a hideous beast to throw off.]

Good. [As much as he'd listened, level and even that simple good was all but breathed. But, he can't promise a better world, not even one as good as this one.] ... Barrayar will not be easy, so you know. But you are not trapped there either, just ... an open door is there for you.

[jacksonian]

[ He gives a short nod and admits: ]

I was...thinking about Beta Colony, actually. For school. [ He looks back up at his father and admits, with a mixture of shyness and pride: ] I'm at the top of my econ class right now, or near it. It's nice to be good at things.

[use_everything]

I'm sure your mother will approve of that choice. [It was delivered dryly.] But.. not a bad move, I think. We really only teach it as a tool of war. [Between Counts, between men, and between planets and empires. There weren't many schools in Aral's time that weren't military.]

You'd be the first of us with any proper skill with it.

[jacksonian]

[ A nod. ]

And if I'm going to really attack Bharaputra in his pocket-book, I need to know everything.

[use_everything]

Mm. The emperor's of capitalism wont be easy. [It's just that, an agreement of assessment, rather than a dissuasion.]

[jacksonian]

[ He shakes his head in agreement. ]

So if I'm going to do battle with them...I need to be fully armed. As armed as I possibly can be.

[use_everything]

Have you considered practice here?

Trying a few business maneuvers without your abilities?

[jacksonian]

Oh. Uh - I considered it. I don't want to play around with our money, though...

[use_everything]

[Aral shrugs.]

It's just money.

[And this IS why the Vorkosigans can't have nice things. Actually literally.]