Dance. Code. Shenanigans.

Vorkosigan Saga re-read, two favorite bits/banger quotes per book

Just finished Brothers in Arms and AHHHHHHH IT'S SO GOOD. An incomplete (due to So Many Things) and disordered (due to excited flailing) list of things I love about this book:

-- that LMB is the kind of writer who uses words like wight and swive in a sci-fi novel

-- that Himbo Cousin Ivan is the hostage! Himbo Cousin Ivan makes an excellent damsel tied to the railroad tracks. so good.

-- Duv Galeni coping with grief through nigh-superhuman violence (I wanna see him again asap)

-- the fact that one of Miles' most far-fetched lies yet turns out to be an actual far-fetched plot that is occurring

-- the fact that said far-fetched lie throws otherwise perceptive people off the scent of the actual plot (Miles losing at winning again, womp womp)

-- Miles and Mark reading one another for filth over and over again from grand plans to the minutest gestures and both being salty about it for different reasons

-- the part where Miles manically recites all of Richard III to thwart truth drugs (choice of play is on the nose annnd I love it sooo much... also it's a minor miracle that this is Miles' first go with fast penta)

-- Miles' continued preference for tall stronk women (well done, short king.)

-- Elli Quinn's "Gods, I've fallen in love with a man who thinks he's an onion."

-- Elli Quinn's summary refusal of Miles' proposal of marriage

-- Elli Quinn's enthusiastic consent immediately thereafter to be Miles' Bodyguard with Benefits

-- Elli Quinn's saving evvverybody's asses and possibly averting millions of deaths by being extremely competent at what was supposed to be a mundane task, that Miles forgot he even told her to do

-- Elli Quinn's whole deal tbh

-- the fact that even though Cordelia is physically worlds away she is present in this book in a Deep Spiritual Sense: "My mother's theology actually... persons before principles."

-- "Yeah, invisible, like air. If it disappeared you'd hardly miss it. Till the next time you came to inhale." (!!!!!!!!!)

-- "He yields to logic. My mother is one of the few people I know who has almost completely conquered the will to be stupid."

-- "MILES, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH YOUR BABY BROTHER??" (I neeeeeeed to see Cordelia and Mark meet! aaaaghghgh)

it turns out the uploader is in fact the woman in the photo (she's uploaded a few other pictures of herself to other articles) and she ran an extremely web 1.0 site on the topic of bondage

this was apparently a long-standing fantasy of hers and she in fact did an entire video plus accompanying photoshoot about it, which was run in a bondage magazine in the 90s and did in fact take place on an abandoned train track. they committed to the bit hard enough that there's even a shot of the sinister villain looming over her with a big document labeled DEED and a pen

the best part is that according to this page, there were two "villains" involved (the woman's two partners, apparently), and the other one was dressed as a gorilla. sadly there are no images of the gorilla kidnapper because that sounds like. even funnier.

But a very special object can sometimes be attributed personhood.

• Sleep can function as mental bondage. If you're asleep and can't be easily woken, you're completely helpless and vulnerable. If you're sufficiently drowsy and out of it, you're still basically helpless, but with the added bonus of potentially being somewhat aware of what's happening.

• The many ways to be forced to sleep -- surgical drugs, chloroform rags, hypnosis, sleeping spells and potions, tranquilizer darts, hidden sedatives in food or drink...

• The onset of sleep can be quick, barely giving you time to react before you're out, or so gradual you won't even realize what's happening until it's too late (and everything in-between).

• Uncertainty -- being put to sleep against your will, not knowing what will happen to you while you're defenseless. Being carried away as you fall asleep, not knowing where you'll be when you wake.

• The fight to stay awake, because it feels like something you should be able to fight, to overcome with enough willpower, but...

• The inevitability of being put to sleep. You might not feel the effects of the drugs or magic right now, you might feel wide awake, but sleep will be coming for you.

• Heavy eyelids fluttering and straining to stay open, drooping and closing all by themselves.

• Confusion and disorientation as the drowsiness sets in.

• Floating in and out of consciousness, perhaps just able to hear people discuss you or feel them handling you.

• Deep hypnotic sleep where your conscious mind is shut down and your subconscious is utterly vulnerable to suggestion.

• Glassy, dazed eyes with nothing behind them -- your eyes might still be open, but you're still fast asleep.

• Sleepwalking, wandering around in a trance, unaware of your surroundings -- or perhaps your sleeping mind is following someone else's commands...

Train me to be oblivious of what I’m doing. Make me totally unaware of my hands on my body. Trigger me to touch on command.

If you see me sat at my desk working, all you have to say is “Rub” and a hand shoots between my legs and edges me non-stop; killing all productivity I had and forcing me to crawl to you to bring me some kind of relief, still confused as to why I’m so horny and cursing myself for being so scatterbrained.

Anytime I try and start a conversation with you, all you have to say is “Circles” and my hands jump to my nipples and begin to rub. The pleasure slowly building making my brain fuzzy and my thoughts wander. All the while I’m losing track of what I was saying making me need you to keep me on topic to get my words out between my soft moans before mind turns to mush and I melt into your arms.