(no subject)

[lizbee]

I have had a headache for four days.  I blame the Pill, and my foolish decision to go without it for a month.  And my body, which responds to any hormonal change with paaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin.

On a happier note, THIRD ROW TICKETS FOR TORI!  With thanks to singingweaver, who did the standing in line and handing over of money while I was at work.

Let us not speak of the fact that I have literally no money to live at the moment, or my nearly-maxed credit card.  Just ... don't.

Randomly: I was rereading Diplomatic Immunity during the week, and enjoyed it much more the second time around.  I don't think I disliked it on the first reading, but ... well, it's been several years and I only just read it again.  And it's the only Vorkosigan novel proper that I don't own (I don't have Ethan of Athos either). 

Five Thoughts on Diplomatic Immunity

1. It's about time Bel Thorne got some lovin'.

2. The main problem with DI is that we revert from multiple POVs back to Miles.  And not even Miles in one of his more manic moods -- he might be making things up as he goes along, but he's absolutely certain of having the Imperium's support afterwards.  I always found that tension distressing in the early books, but now I miss it.  Miles really does make everyone around him crazy, including his readers.

Anyway.  What I was building up to say was that I miss Ekaterin's POV, especially since much of the resolution actually ends up in her hands.  And we've missed a great chance for a Bel Thorne POV, too.

3. The Vorpatril family tree really is in retrospective bloom, isn't it?  But we still don't know which Vorfamily spawned Lady Alys.  If I could ask Bujold one question, and one question only, that would be it.

4. I feel like these Cetagandan threads are all building up towards something big, but most of the growth seems to take place in the lesser books -- Cetaganda (duh), Ethan of Athos and Diplomatic Immunity.  And yet I find it fascinating.  How much longer can the Cetaganda/Barrayar brinksmanship continue, and what would bring it to a permanent halt.  Am I seeing an arc where none exists?  Is Cetaganda/Barrayar not the Best OTP Ever?

5. I feel like the whole Vorkosigan series is holding its breath.  The logical end of the saga is for Miles to become Count Vorkosigan, and I can't help but feel that Bujold is attempting to put it off for as long as possible.  Frankly, I'm glad she's doing her procrastination in another universe all together, because this breath-holding business is awkward.

Not that I can blame her for wanting to postpone Aral's death for as long as possible, but putting it off is almost worse than getting it over and done quickly. (The Band-Aid Theory.)

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

maybe you should buy food instead of tori tickets an dpay your credit card. you don't want to get into debt.

[windtear.livejournal.com]

But that is LOGICAL.

Besides, food is a distant second to Tori tickets.

[tapedeck.livejournal.com]

I have had a headache for four days. I blame the Pill, and my foolish decision to go without it for a month.
TWINSIES.

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

You know, in the past I've wondered how I came to be in hormonal sync with half my friends list, but that's just weird.

[risti.livejournal.com]

4. I feel like these Cetagandan threads are all building up towards something big, but most of the growth seems to take place in the lesser books -- Cetaganda (duh), Ethan of Athos and Diplomatic Immunity. And yet I find it fascinating. How much longer can the Cetaganda/Barrayar brinksmanship continue, and what would bring it to a permanent halt. Am I seeing an arc where none exists? Is Cetaganda/Barrayar not the Best OTP Ever?

Back in the fall, I had big plans for a fic that ultimately resolved in a tentatve alliance between Barrayer and Cetaganda. It involved an almost-a-man Nikki as the key player, along with a renegade Haut girl with, erm, "questionable" lineage. Do the math between Nikki's age and Miles time on Cetaganda, and you end up with a rather nice convergence(I was toying with the idea that having reached maturity, she was going to become a ba, being deemed an experiment gone wrong as she had too much spunk).

There was an Evil!Elli thrown in, a Dark!Beta, and the return of whats-her-face, the evil villainess from the Vor Game. Ultimately, though, I got the idea for a tentative peace treaty partially stolen from the way history tells us it used to be done, and partially because I think Bujold is setting us up for the story to evolve this way. Basically, after recieving the Order of Merit, being 'officially' added to the allowable gene bank for the haut, the only thing left to give Miles is a Haut Bride, of course.

(the whole thing does make more sense then that, but I was trying to not summarize the *entire* plot and resolution)

I ended up getting distracted and not moving beyond the prologue (http://www.livejournal.com/users/risti/105402.html), but since I just reread over half the series myself(including DI), I've been considering whether I should pick it back up again...

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

Evil!Elli? Bite your tongue! *mad Elli fangirl*

Basically, after recieving the Order of Merit, being 'officially' added to the allowable gene bank for the haut, the only thing left to give Miles is a Haut Bride, of course.

"It's the gift that keeps on giving!"

"What do you get for the Imperial Auditor who has everything?"
"Something he'd never get for himself."
- The Vorpatril-Galeni Comedy Hour

"Did it come with a receipt?"
- Miles

*asphixiated from laughter*
- The Countess, Ekaterin, Lady Alys, Professora Vorthys, the Koudelka girls and EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD!

I don't think the Cetagandans are in the habit of breaking up established relationships. Maybe they'll pass her on to Ivan. Or ... someone. *flails*

[risti.livejournal.com]

Oh... Was I not obvious enough in the hints about the Cetagandan Renegade Haut girl with questionable lineage being the same age as Nikki?

(Of course, in the end, both sides think they're getting the better end of the deal. The Cetagandans lose a girl they were trying to make disapear anyhow to a young man they mistakenly believe is Miles' heir, while the Barrayans think they're adopting a Haut princess into their bloodlines...)

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

You mean I wasted all those jokes on an erroneous assumption! Woe!

Don't mind me, I'll just blame the headache for my insanity.

[risti.livejournal.com]

No... the jokes were still funny... And Ivan is getting something out of the deal. I hadn't made my mind up yet as to who I was going to set him up with(if anyone) but I was going to give him the job of temporary Regent when Gregor has to go off to save the world...

...Oh come on, if Gregor and Miles are both off risking their lives, doesn't that make Ivan the perfect choice to look after the little heirs?

(I was still trying to decide what his 'reward' for this job well done would be...)

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

Ivan? In charge? Of Barrayar?

*contemplates*

Gregor: Bye, Ivan! Try not to do anything stupid while I'm away, mmmmkay?
Miles: Don't forget to feed the Ministers, and try to keep the Vorrutyers under control, and don't let the conservatives scare the Betans!
Ivan: I'm not totally incompetent, you know.
Gregor and Miles: *exchange worried looks*
Ivan: *waits 'til they're gone, jumps on Gregor's bed, dances through Imperial Residence in underwear*

But seriously, what about Laisa? Or Cordelia? Or has no effective progress been made in that area yet?

...Or Ekaterin, since Laisa and Cordelia are both off-worlders?

[risti.livejournal.com]

Oh but where would be the fun in that... Besides, one of the possible love interests for Ivan was a Drou-like female deeply entrenched in the day to day activities within the palace itself...

And the whole basis of the plotline was that the job was supposed to be nothing more than a glorified baby-sitting job. Gregor was leaving the planet for what should have been fairly standard diplomatic reasons, and with the Council of Counts not in session, and the Prime Minister doing his job (along with everyone else), all Ivan was supposed to do was play a role for a couple of weeks and help Imp Sec ensure that no one kidnapped the royal kids while they were gone.

He just, well, happened to still be holding the position when the Imperium of Three Planets suddenly found itself at war.

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

He just, well, happened to still be holding the position when the Imperium of Three Planets suddenly found itself at war.

I'm sure he will deal with the situation with his usual clumsy grace.

Hurry up and write this, so I can sit back and enjoy it instead of nitpicking problems that don't really exist.

Until then, I shall be picturing Ivan dancing in his underwear some more. *happy smile*

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

What I forgot to say, being distracted by the comedy in my head, is that giving any Barrayaran a haut bride would be a fiendishly clever way to add the Imperium to the Empire. Of course, Cordelia would spot it a mile away, and Miles would only be a few moments behind.

[risti.livejournal.com]

Well yes, there is that too, of course.

[ide-cyan.livejournal.com]

return of whats-her-face, the evil villainess from the Vor Game

"Face like an angel, mind like a rabid mongoose." AKA Cavilo.

[cesario.livejournal.com]

Aral's death will make me one pathetically sad puppy. In point of fact, Miles-love aside, every time I pick up one of the books, I find myself wondering why their can't be more Cordelia and Aral centric books, a la Cordelia's Honor.

I sympathize

[the-lost-rowan.livejournal.com]

I'm more of a Aral/Cordelia fan than I am a Miles fan, though I adore Miles. Though my all around favorite character is Taura. I wish there were more about all three of those.

Re: I sympathize

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

Now I have a vision of Taura, Aral and Cordelia going on a bad-guy-kicking expedition together, which is improbable but amusing.

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

I'd really like to see more of Sergyar. We haven't seen much of the early colonisation processes in the series -- by this stage in history, most of the major planets are pretty far along in their terraforming.