[ THISAVROU: INBOX ] MID messages & IC mail

[forwardmomentum]

I N B O X

IC Voice Mail "Personnel Officer Miles here. If this is a personal matter, leave a message; if it's ship business-related, may I direct you to the Personnel Office's suggestion box. Sending me a barrage of texts will not make me respond to you any faster, so don't, Ivan." Mun Contact PLURK:   runawayballista

Comments

[soldiergenes]

[ Snake's managed to touch on every sore spot in this text conversation, hasn't he? Not that he particularly minds, or feels that guilty. It's teaching him a lot about Miles, that's for sure. ]

That can't have been an easy way to grow up.

But it sounds like you've done pretty well for yourself despite that.

[ Only a courier, maybe, but given the physical disadvantages he has, it's impressive. ]

[forwardmomentum]

I've worked hard for it.

[ that's the most important thing, sometimes, that they all know he did it himself. that none of it was because he's the son of the prime minister and former lord regent, of that vorkosigan. none of it was born of nepotism. miles has never had anything handed to him except an opportunity to prove himself.

someday, just once, he'd like to see a book refer to aral vorosigan as miles' vorkosigan's father instead of the other way around. ]

[soldiergenes]

[ Snake picks up on the implication there. Miles hadn't been given an easy out because of his position as the son of a famous soldier. With the way the rest of his people had viewed him, he'd probably had to work even harder to get as far as he did.

And don't worry, Miles. Snake has to do a lot of work to distance himself from his father's legacy, too. ]

This ship may be a floating prison, but I'm guessing you've had less people comparing you to your father or looking at you like you're some kind of monstrosity.

[forwardmomentum]

anything, anyone. For some of us, a second chance. And for some of us, it's a chance to serve, to help, because however things came about, you can't deny that there's a greater good to be worked toward here. If not for one's own sake, then for everyone else's. We all want to get to where we're going, and there's nowhere else to go. For better or worse, we're all in this together. We might as well make an adventure out of it than a trial.

But yeah, you're right. On a ship with aliens, dragons, and the occasional god, not many people bother to look twice at a half-crippled mutie.

[ that's in self-deprecation more than anything else; miles has always resented the kneejerk assumption that his physical deformities are genetic. but it amounts to more or less the same thing in the end. J almost certainly didn't care why he looks the way he does. it's enough for her that he looks like this. ]

It was a welcome break, yes. But with this book apparently circulating around the ship now, I doubt it'll last.

[soldiergenes]

[ Honestly, Miles is right. They're stuck in this situation whether they asked for it or not. Snake complains about it, but he's done his job as asked and hasn't thrown up too much of a fuss for the very reasons that Miles cites. He still doesn't trust any of the captains, but right now this ship is their only ticket home. So they have to cooperate.

It doesn't leave a good taste in his mouth, but it is what it is. ]

It's just a book. It might be a good read, I haven't cracked it open yet, but it doesn't change anything about you.

[ Is he going to do this? Apparently he's going to do this. Snake sighs to himself and sends a follow-up text. ]

My biological father was a legendary soldier too. It doesn't mean I'm not my own person.

[ Granted, he hadn't had it hanging over him throughout his entire childhood, so that's probably helped Snake make the clean break that he has from that legacy. ]

[forwardmomentum]

About me? You're right, it doesn't change a thing. It all happened long before I was even born. But perception is everything. I'm sure you've run into that very same distinction yourself.

[soldiergenes]

Yeah. I think the best solution is acting like it isn't there. If you refuse to acknowledge it, eventually people stop bringing it up.