Ever since finding himself here, Ivan has been torn between two options: lie down and die to avoid his family and doing everything he can not to die, god knows how many years before his comfortable life in Vorbarr Sultana. It's not relief that filled him the moment he became aware that he wasn't the only unfortunate Barrayaran to show up here -- Miles and Mark are running around getting themselves into trouble and then there's Illyan. Although Ivan had slotted the former head of ImpSec into the 'family to avoid' category along with his grandmother and his great aunt and great uncle. Avoiding the latter is a matter of self defense, one he's sure the last remaining modern Vor shares his opinion of, because Byerly Vorrutyer might be a goddamned headache but he only plays the fool.

Which is why when Byerly tells him to meet him down at the village in two hours, Ivan knows it's going to be trouble. Most everything with Vorrutyer is, eventually, even if it starts out as a 'why don't you come with me to grab a drink' or 'why don't you come with me to say hello to my cousin, newly returned from Beta Colony'. Ivan was still in mourning for Donna Vorrutyer's breasts, that had been such a waste.

Still, he's got his hands stuffed into the pockets of his issued greatcoat, and at least the military uniforms they've been issued were always made from wool. He could do with better boots, Ivan thinks, as he shuffles along towards the meeting point -- catching a glimpse of By's figure huddled in his own coat.

"This better be good, Vorrutyer," he mutters, flipping up the collar of his coat in a futile attempt to block the cold.