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Ivan is asleep when it happens, but the captain knocking on his door gets him up quick enough. "What? Where's the fire?" Ivan asks. This was supposed to be a quiet posting. Well, the posting on Earth was supposed to be quiet too, cultural, etcetera, but Xerxes is supposed to be downright boring. Ivan is not supposed to be awakened from his eight hours unexpectedly.
"Murder, not a fire. You're cousin to Lord Mark Vorkosigan, aren't you?" says the captain.
Ivan has to think for a second. "...Yes?"
"Security vid picked him up within radius of a murder. This is the first we knew of him being on the planet, but the locals want us to bring him in so they don't have to it themselves and risk mishandling a Vor lord. Seemed worth consulting you on him - the file on him's really something."
Ivan blinks. "You need to arrest Mark."
"Yes."
"...Sir. Uh, give me a while to try doing it myself. He's... I'm not positive I can succeed but I am pretty sure I can survive trying, and unless he's in a cooperative mood I'm very uncertain anybody else can say the same thing."
"He may have just killed a man."
"I'm aware. He likes me. He doesn't know you from a hole in the ground, or anybody else within fetching distance, sir. Give me his last location and a few hours? Please?"
"By yourself?"
"He wouldn't know anybody you could send with me from a hole in the ground."
The captain chews his lip. "None of your shenanigans, all right?"
"Sir, I'm not the shenanigans one, it's just contagious when m'co- my other cousin's around. I'll see if I can find him, if I find him I'll try to bring him back."
The captain eventually acquiesces. And that is why Ivan is tromping around downtown, debating whether or not to call "Mark? Mark?" like he's looking for a lost dog.
Ivan has to arrest Mark
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middlingalong
middlingalong
Ivan doesn't really know what to do about that. Patting him on the shoulder is out.
middlingalong
So Ivan will sit here, not looking directly at Mark, being awkward.
unmarred
At least he's not rambling about horrifying things anymore? Just the crying.
middlingalong
Ivan doesn't actually consider that terribly much of an improvement, but he isn't going to ask Mark what his favorite color is right now.
unmarred
Well, then he will not learn what Mark's favourite colour is. Instead: crying.
middlingalong
Ivan shrugs again. He woggles his pen and sends the captain his notes on Mark's testimony regarding the murder. "You want to hang out here or go settle into my room?"
middlingalong
Ivan opens the door and shows Mark to where he's bunked. "That one's yours," he says, pointing at the second bed in the room.
middlingalong
"Right, I'll stop saying the obvious. Have you got stuff in a bolthole somewhere you want me to shepherd you out to fetch?"
middlingalong
"Right. I'll warn th'captain about your startlement thing and," shrug. He doesn't know what then. Sitting around wondering if it'd be rude to play games on his pen, probably. He writes a note about the startlement thing.
unmarred
Mark sits on his bed and... doesn't do anything at all. Well, the entertainment options are limited here.
middlingalong
"You can amuse yourself on the comconsole if you want. I barely use it."
That would definitely make it non-rude to play games on his pen.
That would definitely make it non-rude to play games on his pen.
unmarred
"I might."
But he doesn't. He just sits.
It's distantly reminiscent of Miles in one of his depressive swings, except with Miles there is invariably a lot more melodrama. Mark is just... shut off. Powered down.
But he doesn't. He just sits.
It's distantly reminiscent of Miles in one of his depressive swings, except with Miles there is invariably a lot more melodrama. Mark is just... shut off. Powered down.
middlingalong
It takes Ivan about fifteen minutes to decide that he doesn't care if it's rude to play games on his pen. He starts playing a moderately inane little matching-puzzle.
It takes Ivan about fifteen minutes of moderately inane little matching puzzle to say, "Are you okay?"
unmarred
"Mm. It's... I could worry about whether or not someone is going to try to keep me here. Or I could not do anything at all. Not doing anything wins that contest, but it's bloody dull."