& open gen post iii.

[aeneia]

OPEN POST ( III. )
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[mahalakshmi]

"Oh." Well, perhaps she had passed? It happened often enough, and she leaves it there. She'd see to it. Maybe there was a neighbor that had taken pity upon him then.

She has to lengthen her stride to keep up with him, at least between that and keeping herself from being drawn into things she sees, and the occasional blunt look at someone she has to give someone staring too much. But other than that, she is just there beside him. The teasing at least, comes easy. "My own durgavasi again." She murmurs it light. "I promise you that I am quite well, you will not have to worry much on that account."

[komarran]

He shortens his stride when necessary, more interested in keeping her near him than letting her fall behind. If she's truly from the 1800s then he can't begin to imagine what kind of overload she's experiencing from everything she's seeing. At least if she's staying with him, he can ask more and learn from how she sees this future, if it's even the same as the one she would have.

"Durgavasi?" he asks, brows furrowing at the unfamiliar term. With all the languages he knows from his studies of Barrayar, that is not one that has come up.

[mahalakshmi]

"My guards women." She supplies it, bemused and as immediately distracted. Her head darting looking at something, another screen, that showed - something movie? She had tried to think of them as books, but it didn't seem that way at all. He had shown her words but, even so, it was something else again. "They rode to war with me, and tended to my well being in the same amount."

An explanation briefly given, looking at something. Every so often looking back at him to make sure she's still near him. "Though I am afraid it seems I have not battles to drag you too. I think I promised Illyan to leave you in one piece."

[komarran]

Ah. Similar to the armsmen that Vor households had then though female. A matriarchy then? He's watching her carefully out of the corner of his eyes. It's hard to tell what exactly is catching her attention with everyone going about their work days around them as they walked, but he suspected he'd have time to hear her questions. Much like he hoped she'd tolerate his.

"I would be interested in hearing more about your time, once you are better rested," he admits. "And I myself would appreciate staying in one piece."

[mahalakshmi]

"I will try, at least for your Captain's sake." She's barely smiling, of course she isn't. Queen before woman and a stern, disciplined one before her amusement, but there's a crinkle there at the corner of her eyes. She might be teasing.

"You are welcome to ask me what you wish." It's an easy invitation. Whatever it would be to ask. Strange, though she supposed as a child, hearing of the campaigns, she had a burning curiosity to Baji Rao's mind. "As long as I may do the same, of course." No doubt, she had a great number of questions but of a more practical nature than what he might ask. Which - she jerks her head in indication to a man guarding a door, holding something, it looked and seemed a firearm but - "what are they?"

[komarran]

"He would greatly appreciate it." If only because it took time and work to get him writing ImpSec reports the way he wanted. All that academic frivolity had to be beaten out of him somehow and notes written in the margin of all of his reports did the trick.

"You're free to ask me anything so long as it isn't classified." A blanket statement to get that out of the way though he doubts her questions will veer in that direction much. He follows the indication of her head and nods. "A plasma arc. It's a weapon that fires energy-based projectile."

[mahalakshmi]

She wants one, is her first thought. Just to see what an energy based projectile might do. "That sounds... impressive." A hum, pressing her mouth together in thought. "I am glad I did not resist them over much."

Well, except for the man that had put his hands on her when she told him not to, but his broken nose would heal. After that, she had gone quietly to her standards at least. "How far is your home from here?"

Would they be riding in another one of those strange machines, is probably the question that goes along with it. It had been disorientating, smoother though, she could give it that.

[komarran]

Impressive and terrifying as any weapon should be. Duv only has a stunner on him given the nature of his job and he prefers the nonlethal option.

"Far enough we'll need to call for transport." Which has him wondering if she's even been in transport of this era yet. He frowns as he glances over at her in mild concern. "You rode in a hovercar to get here, yes?"

[mahalakshmi]

"Yes." She thinks, thinks she heard them call it that. There's a brief flicker there, of uncertainty, she isn't really sure she wants to go back into one of them but - if it's how things work here then... "Though I didn't see much. The windows?" That's what they were, weren't they? Seemed like glass. Finest she had ever seen. "Were... very dark."

That hadn't helped, even if she think she understood. Kept her hidden, and kept her from seeing very much until they were sure about her.

[komarran]

"These ones should be clear," he assures her. "We could walk, but it would take longer." Long enough that he would rather drive, mostly for her sake. With how her day has gone, he wouldn't be surprised if she was ready to collapse into bed after a hot shower and warm meal.

But he won't force it on her if she's truly concerned. "It's your choice."

[mahalakshmi]

She steels herself, shaking her head. "If I can ride into canons, I am sure I can... do this." Her smile is wane but - she's trying. Courage now, Lakshmi, she has faced worse things than this, right? Right.

"Nothing else but to adjust."

[komarran]

"Unfortunately," he says with a sigh. They're nearing the entrance to the building and he speaks into his wristcomm briefly to have a taxi come to their location.

"I'm not sure how feasible it will be to research a way for you to return home."

[mahalakshmi]

That turns her eyes down brief, in step beside him, and if he wants her distracted away from getting in the hovercar, then - "I must. I cannot stay here. I must continue my fight."

It's firm, and she's trying not to think about it, but it's not a question. Not to her mind. "I am a Queen and my place is there."

[komarran]

He nods, understanding. That's the sort of duty that thrived on Barrayar and was similar to what he felt to his own planet. The holds open the door to the back of the hovercar to let her in first before sliding in beside her.

"I'll pass along updates as we get them," he assures her. "I'm afraid there's not much more I can do."

[mahalakshmi]

"Then that will be enough." It's a small smile she gives him as she settles to sit beside him. Not the way she likes to ride, but - he's doing a great deal to soothe her worries. Nerves that are rattling still as she slips her hand to the handle on the door, latching onto it in a tight grip to make sure it stayed with her.

"I am not fond of feeling... disjointed."

[komarran]

"It won't be a long drive," he says, a touch apologetic. At least she wouldn't have need to travel much outside of walking distance once they arrived. All they had to do was survive until they got there.

"Are you only used to traveling by animal?"

[mahalakshmi]

A nod, as she swallows, watching the car begin to move, the scenery pull past them. "Horses. Or... a palanquin if riding was not favourable. Sometimes carriages. But I preferred horses." She misses them fiercely. Sarangi had been wither her since she had been a young woman, almost as long as she had ruled. But she couldn't take those trappings with her. Too obvious to have an animal so fine.

[komarran]

"I am unfamiliar with palanquins, but Barrayar only recently swapped from horses to these." He taps the base of his window to mean the car. "They're still in high use though carriage rides are more tourist attractions and romantic venues than means of transportations now."

Even in the rural areas. Those there either walked or if they were fortunate, rode a horse.

[mahalakshmi]

She snorts. "There is hardly anything romantic about being tossed about in a carriage." Should she bite her tongue? Probably. Does she ever? Not whilst she's been living.

"A palanquin was more for... state occasions, I suppose. Or when I would go to pray at important ceremonies."

[komarran]

"No, but Barrayarans are fond of their horses." In any way they could have the damn things pull them around. Duv had avoided them beyond staring in curiosity. He had no interest in getting up close and personal with one.

"So similar to a carriage without the tossing around?"

[mahalakshmi]

"Then I cannot find too much fault with them." That much is easy to give them. It's no small amount of affection in her tone and warmth - not at all for the Barrayarans, she doesn't know them. But horses, those she was endlessly fond of.

"Of a kind. A palanquin is carried by men on their shoulders, I had a great one of silver my husband gifted me."

[komarran]

"I would imagine that's a fine gift for a queen." As she said she was. He manages to keep any sarcasm out of his tone, his own distaste for the ruling caste on Barrayar made him wary of any others who claimed to rule.

Though she is a stranger here and he glances over at her as he offers, "If you end up here for a time, there's a lord who owes me a favor and owns a stable." A small comfort.

[mahalakshmi]

"A husband's love for his wife." She corrects, firmly. Gangadhar loved his splendor, his extravagance, and he had loved in just the same way. God, she missed him. She missed how he took delight in so much of the world. In all things beautiful and artful.

Though - she tries not to look too excited, too enthused, it wouldn't do but when she looks back to him, her gaze is barely kept bright. "I would... like that."

[komarran]

A verbal misstep he didn't know he could take. He nods in acknowledgement of her approval of his future idea as he shifts to regard her more fully. She had left an entire life behind and he knows there's no delicate way to ask about it. Maybe after she rested.

"You'll get along well here if your fondness of horses is that great," he remarks. "Were they an animal of nobility?"

[mahalakshmi]

She lifts a shoulder, her eyes drawing back out the window again. "Livestock usually is, in some regard." Cattle more so than any, but they were kept by all manners of society, not just the wealthy. Something the English hadn't understood when they had killed them. The animals were kept not just for holy purpose.

Old wounds, brittle and hideous and she wills them down.

"But horses have a particular use only to a few, and so by those few it was kept. Warriors, rulers." her eyes slide across, back to smile, smiling softly. "Messengers through the high, arid mountains."