& open gen post iii.

[aeneia]

OPEN POST ( III. )
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[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."

[komarran]

He's slowly building an image of where she must have lived before being brought here, by whatever had happened. No doubt those on the Imperial budget would be researching to find the anomaly and attempt to solve it if they could.

"I'm guessing your kingdom is agricultural then? And in a warm climate?" he asks, interested. This should be a safe conversation topic.

[mahalakshmi]

"You do not know very much of Hindustan, do you?" It's bemused, she isn't irked over much by it, just strange. It's the thing almost everyone complains of when they visit it, the oppressive heat of all of her home. But as it was... "Bundelkhand is a desert. Jhansi is a small kingdom, set up high on a rocky plateau. Compared to the jungles in the south, it is dry, not as humid."

It's easy at least, to talk of home to someone that is genuinely interested. "But we do not have much good farming land. Instead, we encourage trade, for all good things to come into our city. Many artisans and craftsman as well." Alliance and trade, a fair distribution of wealth, had been what caused it to prosper.

[komarran]

"Given that it's been possibly a thousand years..." He waves a hand vaguely. If her timeline were to be believed, it's entirely possible her nation hasn't existed for a very, very long time. India is still there, but Earth is not the same as it once was before space travel. It was a tourist destination and cultural icon, nothing more.

"Jhansi is your kingdom?" he asks for confirmation to make sure his memory hasn't betrayed him. "What was your city best known for?"

[mahalakshmi]

She can't comprehend that - that much is plain. An unhappy blink and her head turns back to the window to fix on that thought. It's bad enough she thought it lost to be devoured. But she had taken some solace that the land itself could not be changed by the Lycans. That? She swallows on, pressing forward because she cannot afford to think about it.

"Yes." A firm nod. Onwards, ever onwards. "Theatre, perfumes, very fine carpets. We were host to - well, a family that are known for their weaving. My husband built a theatre, and we had many sought after performers, too, were encouraged with royal patronage. He... he loved them very much."

[komarran]

That catches his attention. Past tense and stated with hesitation. He doubts that has to do entirely with her current predicament. Another piece to her puzzle, falling into place as he watches her carefully. At least he had enough information now to seek further information on her kingdom though it would require a lot of digging to go that far back.

"Loved?" he asks, frowning.

[mahalakshmi]

"He died."

The sky is up, the earth is down, and her husband is dead. Easy in that tone. Something that simply is. Carefully she lifts her fingers to touch the glass in her curiosity. Certainly more interesting than discussing it. "Some years ago, now. Before the rebellion broke out. He was the Maharaja Gangadhar Rao Newalker." Her fingertips leave little press marks of their print on the materials. Flat worn with callouses, the dirt and blood under her short cropped nails. "This is odd, most people know of it. It's why I rebelled at all. They took my kingdom off me, and said that a woman was not fit to rule after his passing." One story that leads into another, like some tragic play unfolding.

[komarran]

"My condolences." Because while it's happened a while ago and she sounds as if she's come to terms with the loss, it's only proper.

He frowns thoughtfully. "I'm unfamiliar with that title. That sentiment is unfortunately shared by many on Barrayar though not by the rest of the Nexus. Times have been improving." As Barrayar stepped further into the modern age. Being caught up after 800 years of isolation was no easy feat and uterine replicators made a difference in what woman were able to do here.