garrulously | Where Ivan truly achieves his life goals

"Good. Open communication is key to making this work. So--" Ivan stands, and gestures David to the rather comfortable looking couch against the wall of his office. "Why don't we sit? And you can tell me about your time here on Beta Colony so far."

Start small and easy with learning more about him, too. Ivan's good at this as well -- chatting up men and women had been an easy part of life before this. Now it's just in a professional context where he gets paid to do it. He grabs a bottle of massage oil from a tray as he heads over, making sure that David is doing as he's told.

Communication he can do. Maybe. Open discussion of emotions had never been a popular topic in the Galen household and the most communicating he does in his work is through teaching, far from personal chatter. He glances over at the piece of furniture indicated and slowly makes his way over there, taking a seat on one side of it. Somewhere in the back of his mind he can hear a voice berating him about how he's spending money for a man to sit beside him on a couch and talk. It's a voice he chooses to ignore for now.

"I've only been here a couple of weeks," he confesses and rests his elbows on his knees. "I haven't done much beyond trying to figure out the code behind your earrings and where to buy food. I plan for this stay to be extended, I arranged for a sabbatical with my job."

All so he could talk to a LSP while he picked at his next book publication in his rented flat.

Taking a seat next to David -- not too close, not too far away either -- Ivan reclines casually, arm slung across the back of it. He's tall on Beta Colony at over six feet, it's hard to keep his legs from touching David's but he manages all the same. "It gets easier when you start picking out the details," Ivan says, touching his own. "This curl indicates that I'm an LSP, while this is sexual preference," he says, touching another part of it. "And the rest is just an indication of no real desire for any serious relationship."

Simple to him. David's own choice makes him smile -- it's very to-the-point.

"You're a doctor -- I assume not a medical one. You teach?" That's casual conversion that's easy, encourages him to relax with how much he's had to explain it, no doubt.

He watches Ivan's hand and nods. David had been sure to look up what earrings were common on an LSP though preference had been plainly stated on the profile he had read on Ivan. Everything had been laid out in clear terms which had helped greatly in his decision to come to this particular clinic.

He perks up and turns slightly to face Ivan better as he answers, "Yes, Komarran history though I'm qualified to teach political science as well. Thankfully they're flexible with leave of absences, I'm working on my next publication in my spare time while I'm here."

Which given his only real plans here were to sort things out with a LSP, he had plenty of that.

Ah, that spike in interest is just the sort of thing Ivan'd been hoping to encourage. His body language changes into something to encourage David to continue to talk, glad that he seems to be capable of holding a conversation in general. There's been a few clients where that wasn't the case, and Ivan had found himself at his wits end.

"Brought all your research with you?," he asks, amused. "That's ambitious. What's the topic?"

David doesn't need to clarify that he's here just to see an LSP -- there's no small number of people who are. That or the Orb, but while Ivan sometimes picks up shifts there when he needs a break in his routine, doesn't get to experience much past his adolescent years.

"An in-depth review of the history of the Komarran legislative system," he says without a second thought. "I did a more broad scope of it as my dissertation topic and thought I'd do a series of articles to be published in an anthology together."

Which he has no doubt Ivan has little to no interest in. The man's not Komarran by any stretch of the imagination, but the topic is something familiar. David can sink his teeth in it and almost forget why he's here. Almost.

Yeah, right over his head. But that doesn't mean he can't encourage this topic of conversation. "Your dissertation?," he prompts, only deviating from the topic to gesture at one of David's hands. "May I?"

He's not getting paid to completely forgo physical contact, David. And since he knows the other man is paying him good money he might as well make sure he's getting something from this entire thing. But without a break he drags the conversation back towards the man's academic work. "I didn't think the Komarrans had much of a legislature."

"Ah--yes, you may." Though not without some hesitation on his part before he offers his hands, unsure what exactly Ivan wants with them.

"We do. It's not egalitarian by any means, votes are given to the population based on shares people hold and those with a greater portion make up our actual legislative body." Of which his family has a representative in. He shrugs lightly. "I'm not sure how much you really want to hear about our system of government."

Nothing, at least for the moment. Ivan simply takes them in his, sliding his fingers through David's before letting them rest in the space between them on the couch. It's a start, and he's not going to suggest much else beyond a finger massage for their first real session. The hesitation is a sign that maybe he's not relaxed enough, so Ivan decides to encourage him a little.

"Just tell me anyway," he says, encouragingly. He's sat through worse.

No, he's not quite relaxed enough, but he does smile slightly as he glances down at their hands before he's distracted by Ivan's words. If the man really wants him to, he can ramble on.

"There's 200 Counselors that make up the entire legislation, either of those with large shares themselves or representatives from their families," he explains and shifts his hands slightly in Ivan's as his gaze shifts back to the man's face. "Money tends to flow in the same circles and the average person's hopes of getting that high up are dashed through trade ship share gambling. Not many would call it the best system of government, but it's been working for centuries."

Ivan practically winces at the implications to his Betan educated self -- Good God, it could hardly be called government if not everyone had a solid say in what went on. "Trade ship share gambling?" He prompts, leaving the lack of democracy behind. Not everyone in the Nexus came from America before it got nuked sky-high, he reminds himself.

David is well aware of the problems that present in their system of government. A big part of why he's spent so long studying it, so when he takes up the Counselorship from his aunt, he can make informed decisions.

He leans back into his seat as he answers. "Yes. Buying shares in trade fleet ships in the hopes they make it big with their cargo is something almost everyone does. It's risky depending on where you place your investments, but the rewards can be worth it." There's a small pause before he asks, "I'd like to hear more about Beta Colony. I'm afraid I'm missing much of the nuances as an outsider."

Ivan shrugs, not sure where to begin describing Beta. "If you're looking for a true native perspective, you'd have to look elsewhere. I wasn't born here," he explains with a wave of his hand. "But it's not as complicated as everyone makes it out to be -- all the information is there for you to access, just like everything else is. Living like this, with how our government works, why wouldn't we want an atmosphere of openness and equality?"

His mother had found it difficult to adapt, Ivan thinks, while he'd been barely a year old by the time they got settled. Raised pure Betan, much to his mother's displeasure.

"That's all their is to it?" he asks, blinking back his surprise. That seemed too simple. No backdoor dealings or trades made in secret? He's not sure a planet could exist on that alone, but he supposes that's where Beta Colony's export of military goods comes in.

"If you're not from here, where are you from? If you don't mind me asking," he quickly adds. He's not sure how much personal information a LSP is allowed to divulge to their clients.

"Pretty much. The economy is founded on technology and sex; and the rest of the Nexus knows what we do and how we do it. Well , except for the technology we keep for ourselves." See, David, simple. He doesn't mind the question, although he does shift his grip on David's hands, rubbing slow circles into the palm of them. "Barrayar. M'mother and I came here when I was a baby -- refugees, you know, from that civil war they've still got going on. After my father died I guess her sister-in-law helped her get off sent and back to Beta."

"I'm sorry to hear that," he murmurs. David knew vaguely of the conflict, Komarr shared a wormhole with the planet when it had reentered into the Nexus. His gaze settles on their hands though he doesn't shy away from the touch. It's relaxing in its own way. "That must have been quite the adjustment for your mother."

Because what he's heard of Barrayar is far from flattering.

Relaxing is what he's aiming for, David Galen. Ivan doesn't mind spilling about where he came from -- that's all old news, anyway, and barely relevant to his life growing up on Beta Colony. As for his mother, well. She still included the Lady Alys Vorpatril on all her business cards. Ivan might have grown up Betan by default, but his mother had never shied away from making sure he'd had the important parts of being a Vor Lord instilled in him at an early age.

Which didn't mean running off to become an LSP in her view. "She manages," Ivan says, with a small grin, "And manages social functions for the politicians here in Silica. Very prestigious and very in demand. Even if her flat out refusal to organize orgies leaves some of her potential clients flummoxed."

Right. Beta Colony. They did that here and even considered them politically important at times. Even for Komarr, the thought of planning out orgies seemed far beyond the scope of what anyone would even dream of doing in an official capacity.

Davud glances up long enough to catch Ivan's grin and lets his gaze linger. It really is an attractive look for the man. "I imagine that hasn't harmed her business model much if she's able to continue refusing," he replies a little lamely. "I'm glad you've found your places here."

And not only because it meant that Ivan was his LSP.

He'd wondered briefly why David didn't opt for a hermaphrodite, but the lingering gaze tells him enough. He supposes if you're going to find out if you're attracted to men you'd want someone you're attracted to; that's good, that'll help them in the future. "The galactics appreciate it," Ivan points out, grin going slightly wider as the hand massage he's giving David dips towards sensual before he pulls it back again.

"What about your family?" Surely the man has some.

"I'm sure," he replies with a shrug. He can imagine other galactics have the same reaction to Beta Colony that he does. Overwhelming and far out of his comfort zone in many ways and a novelty in many ways.

The question about his family catches him by surprise. "Ah -- well. I have an older brother and both my parents, all of which are involved in the family business. Trade and shipping, nothing exciting," he glosses over somewhat smoothly. If there's one thing he doesn't want to talk about, it's how influential his family is on Komarr. "My aunt Rebecca does similar work to your mother for our politicians."

In a very loose way.

Ivan hums in understanding, dropping one hand to pick up the other and doing the same gentle circles as he had before. "The most lucrative profession on Komarr, though," he points out but doesn't follow through. "I can imagine that's a lot of work -- it takes a certain type of person to wrangle everyone and get them where they need to be. God knows how m'mother does it, but I think she likes the satisfaction of a job well done."

She's not the only one, but Ivan's job isn't really one she approves of. A point of contention in their relationship, one of a few.

"Yes, and one many engage in." His family is hardly the only one to do shipping and trading. He smiles faintly as Ivan moves onto his other hand. This isn't too bad. Sitting and talking, he can handle this if that's how their first few sessions are going to proceed.

"I'm not sure how she handles it even after watching her a few times," he says with no small amount of admiration. "It's impressive."

His own face lightens at the fact David is at least enjoying this, hopefully. Good, instinct told him he was on the right track. Encouraging intimacy in a professional relationship isn't too difficult, especially one where they'll eventually have sex, but he knows that it's important to make the other man feel comfortable with it. Although they'll really have to work on getting him comfortable with his own body when it comes to sex.

"Better them than me," Ivan confesses with a smile. "I've got no talent for things like that." Where he has plenty when it comes to having sex.

It's talent Duv is hoping to acquire and learn with time. He's not sure how much he should tell Ivan before he hesitates and changes the subject to something in the same vein.

"I'll stick to my students and research. They're enough of a handful without adding anything else to the mix."

Ivan laughs at that, remembering getting his own degree. "I can't say I envy you. I was awful at school, but they don't let anyone become an LSP without getting a degree." He did manage it though, so he feels like that says something about him. And with a perfectly average GPA, too.

"It can't be all bad if you keep going back to it, though."

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