james: (Default)
James ([personal profile] james) wrote in [community profile] vorkosigan2021-01-19 05:58 pm

Confidants

I was thinking about Cordelia and Alys (as you do) and I realised that because of circumstance (social standing, security clearance), Cordelia and Alys are each other's most appropriate confidant. But I don't know that I think they are actually suited for oen another in personality and such.

Like, when Cordelia arrives on Barrayar, Alys would be the best person to ask questions of (what did he mean by that, so and so did this thing what does it mean). But they also have huge differences, not just the culture they grew up in. Cordelia is married, Alys is a widow. Cordelia is raising a disabled son, Alys' son is healthy. While I don't know they would out-right resent one another, I don't know if either would feel completely comfortable venting and bitching about things that the other could reasonably resent.

I suppose each woman is mature enough to give it a try - if the other called up and said 'omg this thing is driving me nuts' she would listen and make agreeable noises.

But would they be good friends? Would they truly enjoy one another's company and seek it out for any purpose, not just 'society rules dictate I must hang out with you and not someone else.'

Not that either one would feel required to follow social rules. But with all the family secrets and security, and the ease of just finding someone to connect with - it'd be easiest to turn to one another. Of course the books don't really show either woman having friends, or a life outside their children and husband.

Which means what I really want is for someone to write a story or two. ;-)
legionseagle: Lai Choi San (Default)

[personal profile] legionseagle 2021-01-20 01:15 pm (UTC)(link)
They go through a war situation together. That's much more likely to end in them bonding than any of their perceived differences.
legionseagle: Lai Choi San (Default)

[personal profile] legionseagle 2021-01-20 02:54 pm (UTC)(link)
The war happens before -- and indeed during -- Ivan's birth.
legionseagle: Lai Choi San (Default)

[personal profile] legionseagle 2021-01-20 03:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, when you're talking about their relationship "in the beginning" that's when Cordelia is using Alys as her local guide to Barrayaran high society, and they're both pregnant (the pregnancies progressing normally) and married with living husbands. That's the point when it's valid to consider whether they would have stayed each other's closest confidants if there hadn't been the Vordarian pretendership. But if no Vordarian pretendership, Padma lives.

But because of Vordarian, Padma dies and the two women are flung together in the closest of possible circumstances -- Cordelia and her team rescue Alys and Ivan when Padma has failed to do so. So the "what might have been" if they had grown apart after the initial coincidence of circumstance that threw them together has disspated never happens, because the bond of shared danger, comrades in arms and so forth brings them so close together any differences are largely superficial.
desertvixen: (Default)

[personal profile] desertvixen 2021-01-20 05:29 pm (UTC)(link)

I think they both recognize each other's talents and skills and appreciate them in general.

As for after Padma's death/end of the war, I'm thinking of the scene where it's discussions about Drou's wedding attire that brings Alys out of her funk, and Cordelia's realization that Alys needs people/things to organize.

I would argue that they certainly stay in touch - thinking about Memory here.

This is more about Laisa and Cordelia meeting, but it sums up how I see their relationahip: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19469692