Ren Rennyn Posted January 8, 2017 Posted January 8, 2017 ((Lucaf’s, Arnmere, Trill)) ::Emery was sitting at a very nice table in a quaint little family owned restaurant in Arnmere, with Logan and Stennes. Kurt had recommended it, as he'd eaten here previously with someone else. After only a little bit of interrogation, he'd let it slip that his companion had been Doctor Lahr. What kind of soldier did he think he was, breaking that easily? Emery smiled. She enjoyed this kind of friendly ribbing between shipmates. It brought them closer, and helped form a more cohesive team. To his credit, he remained tight lipped about the depth of his connection with the good doctor - whether it was just dinner, or if there might be more come out of it later. It was none of her business, so she didn't press. You never wanted to take friendly ribbing too far.:: ::But the restaurant was nice. The lighting was low enough to make it comfortable, but not bright enough to remind you of being on board a starship, where the lighting in the corridors and non-personal areas was always set at optimal working levels...meaning bright. And the decor inside this place was fairly rustic, giving it a comfortable old world charm, rather than the sterile feeling one got in the rest of the civilized Federation. Emery liked it here. And the smells wafting from the kitchen did nothing to change her mind. Whatever they were currently cooking for the other patrons, it smelled wonderful.:: ::A waiter came and took their food order. Being a native of the planet, Emery knew all the dishes on the menu and had to talk Kurt out of ordering something she knew he wouldn't like. But she suggested some tralisom stew, and the table ended up ordering three bowls. It came with a salad and bread, and they each ordered a glass of something to drink. The waiter retrieved the menus, smiled in acknowledgement, and bustled off to deliver their orders. It was just then the ambient background music changed, and a sudden memory rushed into her consciousness.:: ((Timeskip backward - 223001.06 - 164 years ago, Avanyu, Trill)) ::Dinara was still sitting at her cliepestra, staring at it. She'd been here for hours. Well, no. She'd only been here for twenty minutes. But when you're trying to find inspiration and nothing comes, time seems to drag immeasurably. Nils was trying to keep the children busy outside, but the sound of their excitement was traveling through the closed window into the conservatory. Dinara could hear them. She'd been listening to them for twenty minutes, and smiling the entire time. She loved the sound of her children playing. Four of the five of them were frolicking in the wonderful spring sunshine with their father. The fifth, Aliana, was still asleep in her crib in the nursery.:: ::Dinara got up, and pushed back the cliepestra stool. She wandered to the window, gently held back the curtain and looked out onto their courtyard. Her previous compositions had made her famous and wealthy enough to afford a manor-house in the countryside. They had a courtyard, which bordered on several hectares of prime country real estate, and a 17-room, three storey home, done all in stonework. It was much too much for them, but as her husband had said, "nothing else they looked at was big enough, and you can't remove part of a building as perfect as this one." He was right. The entire family loved this house. It was incredibly peaceful. And non-intrusiveness was an attractive feature for a famous composer such as she was.:: ::She didn't like the fame. She didn't like all of the public attention. She just wanted to write her music. People said she had a gift. Whether that was true or not, she didn't know. But her music certainly was popular enough to pay for her current lifestyle. That was another thing she didn't like. Well, having money wasn't not to like. But she didn't need as much as they had. They did have five children, though. So she kept half of her earnings, and donated the other half to various charities. And they still had enough to pay for this manor. But the money certainly wasn't the reason she wrote her music.:: ::Just then a quiet knock came at the door on the far side of the conservatory. Dinara wasn't composing just now, anyway, so she wasn't upset at the interruption. She let the curtain drop back into place as she turned and strode across the polished marble floor to the double 6 meter tall doors. She grabbed the tall door handles and pulled. The doors easily glided open silently. Eliandra, their live-in nanny, was standing there with little Aliana in her arms. The baby was smiling and gurgling in joy. The smile already on Dinara's face seemed to grow even bigger. She reached out and took her daughter from the nanny, pulling the child in close.:: Eliandra: She only just woke up, and since I didn't hear anything from inside, I figured you were distracted again. Dinara: Yes, and you know the only thing I love more than my music is my family. Thank you, Ellie. Eliandra: If the children are distracting you again, I could take them into Avanyu for a few hours. I know they enjoy the Children's Exploratory Museum there. Dinara: Thank you, Ellie. But I think I'll give up for this afternoon. I've been having a lot of trouble focusing recently. Eliandra: If you don't mind me saying, ma'am, I think they're pushing you too much. Dinara:: I agree with you. Music must flow, it can't be forced. But I haven't written anything since before this little one was born. I think I'm afraid that I'll lose it if I don't write something soon. I think I'm pushing myself. Eliandra: Shall I go get her bottle ready? It's almost time for her feeding. Dinara: Again? My goodness she eats a lot! Eliandra: She is growing. Dinara: By all means then, Ellie. I'll bring her down momentarily. ::The nanny left on her errand to the kitchens. Dinara wandered back into the conservatory with her youngest daughter in her arms. She found herself back over by the window, trying to get all five of her children into view at the same time. The two-year old twins, Weren and Valdin, were running from their older brother Gram, who would be eight soon, and laughing at the top of their lungs. Renna, Dinara's five year old daughter, was being pushed on a tree branch swing by her father Nils.:: ::Just then, though, the sun shone in Aliana's eyes, and she started to cry. Dinara turned her to shade her eyes, but the crying continued. Dinara started to hum something, anything to quiet her. Dinara looked out out to her family again while she hummed. She didn't even notice that Aliana had stopped crying and was cooing again. When she did notice, she smiled down at her daughter, but continued to hum.:: Eliandra: That's lovely. What is it? ::The nanny had returned with the bottle when Dinara hadn't found her way down to the kitchens. Dinara turned and looked up to Ellie, still humming. Then she realized that whatever she was humming wasn't something she'd heard before. A look of realization came over her face. She continued to hum, so she didn't forget what the tune was, but rushed to put Aliana in the nanny's arms, then rushed back to the cliepestra. She started to play the tune on the stringed instrument as Eliandra smiled, inserted the bottle into little Aliana's mouth, and wandered out of the conservatory humming the tune herself.:: ((Timeskip 164 years forward, Arnmere)) Rhyn: I love this piece of music. It's called Aliana's Lullaby. ::Emery had always loved this piece. It was played to sleeping babies all over Trill. She hadn't realized that one of her symbiont's hosts had composed it, because even though Dinara had been Joined to the Rhyn symbiont at the time, she'd continued to use her family name of Krindon when she composed.:: ::Just then their food was brought to them and Emery's thoughts returned to her meal and company. Although the past was nice, her focus was on their future. Who could know what surprises it would hold?:: --------------------------- LtCmdr Emery Rhyn - Chief Tactical Officer - USS Darwin-A, NCC-99312-A V237810V10
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