calligraphy

[isthisart]

Linya is working on a massive flowchart-like diagram of a planned software project for Dr. Cheung. It's laid out in every color and in three dimensions with sprawl of its little writing that takes up most of her office and keeps fading out at the edges and in her shadow when she moves around, but reappears when she turns or approaches.

Comments

[thisvorlunatic]

Miles remains flat. And bored. And bored. And flat. And irritated about it.

He does like it when Linya sings to him, though.

[isthisart]

Then she will do so while she is visiting.

[thisvorlunatic]

And then he will get out of the hospital, and go to Vorkosigan Surleau, and wish to be hand-fed some fraction of the time. It's a large fraction to start with, but he is determined to regain full upper-body function as quickly as possible.

[isthisart]

To which end Linya is nothing if not sympathetic. But she will feed him when he wishes to be fed.

When Miles is mostly better, Linya makes plans with Ekaterin to go to an arts festival, at which may be found many arts. Linya plans to get as much of her Winterfair shopping as possible done there, since everyone she knows already has a pen and it is not traditional to compose people songs for Winterfair.

[first_loyalty]

Ekaterin does not have the means to buy nearly as many arts as Linyabel, but she is determined not to let that stop her from enjoying them.

She finds a series of landscape paintings of mingled Earth and Barrayaran vegetation that she falls passionately in love with, and spends a long time staring longingly at before she finally decides she can't afford one and moves on.

[isthisart]

Linya quietly buys one before catching up.

Ekaterin receives it at Winterfair.

[first_loyalty]

Ekaterin is overjoyed!

[isthisart]

Good! That's the point.

[first_loyalty]

They make plans to visit a history museum in Vorbarr Sultana together. Ekaterin is very pleased about the idea.



The night before the planned outing, she pens Linyabel a flustered-sounding note. I'm sorry, something's come up and I can't make it to the museum tomorrow. Don't worry, everyone's fine, it's just a family thing.

[isthisart]

Sure. Does next week, same time, work for you?

[first_loyalty]

A long pause, and then: I'll see. I have to go to sleep now.

[isthisart]

Okay.

Linya waits.

[first_loyalty]

Perhaps the mysterious family emergency is distracting her, because Ekaterin doesn't follow up anytime in the next few days.

[isthisart]

The day before what would be "same time next week":

Are we on for tomorrow or do you need to postpone further?"

[first_loyalty]

Oh! I'm sorry, it completely slipped my mind. I'd love to - I'll just check with Tien that he doesn't have anything planned.

[isthisart]

Okay. I'll come fetch you if you don't tell me not to, then.

[first_loyalty]

Thank you. See you tomorrow, I hope.

A couple of hours later: Sorry, Tien is going out with his work friends all day and needs me to watch Nikki, and I'm not sure this museum would be an appropriate place for a small child. Maybe another time.

[isthisart]

Okay. Let me know?

[first_loyalty]

I'll do my best!

[isthisart]

And Linya waits.

[first_loyalty]

Time passes.

Two weeks later: Do you still want to go to that museum? Are you free tomorrow?

[isthisart]

Tomorrow works for me! I still haven't been to see it and they still have the mineral exhibit.

[first_loyalty]

Great! See you then!

[isthisart]

So Linyabel turns up to collect Ekaterin, the next day.

[first_loyalty]

Ekaterin seems oddly shy and flustered at first, but soon returns to normal. She enjoys the museum trip very much.