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[mr_gaeta]

[Pre-Milliways: Gifts given, for another reason.]It isn't anywhere close to Solstice season on the other side of the door, but Gaeta's had a good day regardless. He's dressed down far more than usual -- instead of his duty blues, he wears a gray zip-up sweatshirt thrown over his tanks and BDU pants -- and has curled up near the fire with a loosely

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[veryvorkosigan]

The thing about visiting Milliways from Vorkosigan House, Cordelia muses as she sits down at the bar, is that sometimes the ambient noise level actually goes down when you step in. Especially around Winterfair.

Despite having been climbed on by grandchildren for most of the afternoon, she doesn't look the slightest bit rumpled. She's wearing her usual (for Vorbarr Sultana) embroidered long dress and bolero jacket, and -- with perfect unconcern about how odd it may look -- carrying the stuffed plush stegosaurus that little Piotr pressed on her when she arrived.

"Coffee, please?" she says to the bar, and smiles when it appears. "Thanks."

[mr_gaeta]

From over the top of Louis' manuscript, Gaeta catches a glimpse of Cordelia. It takes a beat for him to place her; once he does, he smiles and lifts a hand in greeting.

[veryvorkosigan]

She smiles and waves back. "Hi."

"Hi," echoes the stuffed stegosaurus, its synthesized voice a touch crackly.

[mr_gaeta]

Gaeta's eyebrows rise.

It's not because of the technology; talking toys had been around for upwards of a century before he was even born. It's what the toy is that draws a look of puzzlement.

"That's, ah..." A small, embarrassed smile. "May I ask what that is?"

[faithful_lt]

He'd taken enough time after coming off-shift to stop by the head, wash up, and change out of his duty uniform, and then had gone on to sit in on the latest semi-impromptu hand of cards after a good-natured exchange with Mardran in the corridor.

Eventualy, however, Hoshi gets around to finding his way up to the door and through to the end of the universe.

He stops by the bar first for coffee, and is surprised when it's presented along with a basket filled with goods of a type he's seen before.

"... oh, gods," he breathes, staring at it, delight plain on his face.

[mr_gaeta]

He'd know that voice anywhere, quiet as it might be. Immediately, Gaeta looks up, already starting to grin.

"Louis!" he calls to him, and lifts his hand in a wave.

[faithful_lt]

"Felix, hi! Just a second--"

Hoshi hastily scoops up the basket in his arms and manages to get a grip on his coffee as well, then weaves his way across the room to the other man.

"-- sorry, I didn't see you there at first," he apologizes, as he reaches him.

[mr_gaeta]

"It's okay," he says, gently amused. He folds the manuscript shut, casting an eye over the gift basket. "Where'd that come from?"

He's not expecting it to be another birthday gift. Louis gave him plenty already.