Paris-jardin-des-tuileries

USS Odyssey

[Archived] Earth / paris-jardin-des-tuileries

Earth

Captain Ezarah Ryn 28-Dec-20 05:25 PM

Captain Ezarah Ryn 28-Dec-20 05:34 PM

*The day after the ball was cold, but clear. Mercifully, Ezarah had been able to discard her costume for a comfortable jacket and pants, the modern materials keeping her much warmer than before. She sat on a bench in the Tuileries. This garden had always been a favorite of hers, a bit of green connecting the Louvre, a palace of ancient kings, and the Palais de la Concorde, the heart of an interstellar government. She kept warm by sipping a coffee she'd bought earlier, another cup sitting beside her - waiting for whenever her guest showed up.*

Azel Rennan BOT 28-Dec-20 05:51 PM

"So," *A bright voice called out as another Trill walked down the path towards her bench. He was dressed a bit more professionally than her in a suit, but his hair looked like he'd just rolled out of bed.* "I know you've never liked being the middle child, but I never thought you'd actively try and change it." *He scooped up the coffee and dropped himself on the bench in it's place.* "So what is it Ez, should I call you my twin now?"

Captain Ezarah Ryn 28-Dec-20 06:24 PM

"Twins are born on the same day, genius." *She chiding in a false mocking voice. The effect was ruined as Ezarah wrapped her free arm around him for a hug.* "Aren't reporters supposed to be more detail oriented than that?"

Azel Rennan BOT 28-Dec-20 07:37 PM

“Of course! But they have me hanging out with a bunch of politicians - and diplomats,” *He added the last bit with a poke in her side.* “And their white lies are starting to rub off on me.”

Captain Ezarah Ryn 28-Dec-20 07:53 PM

*Ezarah snorted in response.* “Maybe they’re just not ready for the whole Federation to know about their business yet. And, for the record, you’re still older than me. Medical added the extra years to my record. Still a month younger than you.”

Azel Rennan BOT 28-Dec-20 08:21 PM

“You counted. That means you were hoping.” *Azel laughed.* “Too bad little sister. Too bad.” *He paused for a moment to take a ship.* “Agh! Hot!” *He made a fuss about his burning tongue, overreacting for a laugh. No matter how stupid, his little sisters always indulged him with a laugh.*

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Captain Ezarah Ryn 28-Dec-20 11:36 PM

"I did not!" *She complained, though her protestations were interrupted by her laughter. Ezarah was trained well enough to recognize his silliness for what it was, but she appreciated it all the same. When the laughter died away, she looked him right in the eye and took a sip of her own drink, a mocking proof of strength.*

Azel Rennan BOT 28-Dec-20 11:44 PM

"Did you get mine extra hot on purpose?" *He asked with a grin.* "Don't worry *Captain,* we already know you're a badass." *Azel took another sip without the slightest reaction, making it clear that he'd been goofing around before.* "How's the new - or old? - ship, by the way. Heard they went through the shit out there."

Captain Ezarah Ryn 28-Dec-20 11:58 PM

*That killed the mood. Ezarah's gaze drifted away out into the gardens, her demeanor obviously darkening.* "They did, but if you're looking for a story, I'm really not the one to ask."

Azel Rennan BOT 29-Dec-20 12:06 AM

"Well," *He dropped the playful act too, noticing how distressed Ezarah was.* "I don't want to hurt your feelings Ez, but you aren't exactly Picard. And your predecessor was no Kirk." *This time, he put his arm around her, actually pulling her towards him for a hug.* "No story here, just your normal concerned almost-twin brother."

Captain Ezarah Ryn 29-Dec-20 12:17 AM

"We're not twins." *Ezarah laid her head on his shoulder as she spoke. She stayed there for a moment with her eyes closed, before speaking again.* "It's weird to go back there. I've had years where they've had months. We're all out of sync. I was worried that they'd still see me as their very green former first officer, but they seem to be getting over that quick enough. I hope it lasts when there's a real problem. I tried to reconnect with my girlfriend and it was a disaster - mostly my fault."

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Azel Rennan BOT 29-Dec-20 12:46 AM

"That doesn't seem all that bad. Don't new regimes always have an adjustment period? Maybe it's not about you at all. They probably just have to get used to you after losing another captain you all trusted." *Azel didn't know a lot about starship politics, but he had reported on enough governments across the Federation to make an opinion.* "As for the girlfriend. People change, it happens. Maybe you'll even get back together one day."

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Captain Ezarah Ryn 29-Dec-20 01:16 AM

"I doubt it. It doesn't even hurt. I know it should. But it doesn't. I think I got over her a long time ago, but I didn't realize it until I was back in her orbit. I know I hurt her though. If anything, I feel more guilt than heartbreak. As for the ship..." *She trailed off for a minute, before continuing in a quiet voice.* "I didn't trust him." "I didn't trust him." *Her voice was stronger when she repeated the words.* "I left the ship because of him. He wasn't the kind of captain I wanted to be. I don't even know how he was promoted that high." *Ezarah's words came faster now. She was letting lose opinions she'd been holding back for a while, now that she was finally with someone she trusted enough to speak freely to.* "I sit on that ship and I pretend to mourn him, because that's what's expected of me. But I am relieved. I'm relieved that he didn't take the rest of them with him."

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Azel Rennan BOT 29-Dec-20 03:55 PM

*He sat there in silence for a bit, leaning back in the chair to let her words settle in. It was brutally honest, but he expected that from Ez. With a different tone it might have sounded cold, but she was talking so fast, the words practically pouring out. That wasn’t like his sister. She was normally so controlled, like their mother. Every word thought out. To Azel, she sounded afraid.* “It’s over now. Time to let it go.”

Captain Ezarah Ryn 30-Dec-20 03:29 PM

*Ezarah sat in silence for a moment so she could get herself back under control. When she did speak, her words were at least back to their normal rhythm, if not a bit sarcastic.* "Ah yes. Let it go. That's easy to do, while I'm living in his quarters, working from his office, and sitting in his chair. But that's fine, I'll just let it go."

Azel Rennan BOT 30-Dec-20 03:35 PM

"You mean living in your quarters, working from your office, and sitting in your chair. So he was a shitty captain." *Azel had no proof of that, but he trusted his sister's judgement, so he went with it.* "And his death was tragic. Probably would have been better if Starfleet had fired him instead. But the ship and the crew are fine. And now they have you to babysit them live an over-attentive mother - oh what is that animal, I always eat a lot of it on Earth - chicken!."

Captain Ezarah Ryn 30-Dec-20 03:41 PM

"He probably preferred death to a discharge. He had that kind of mindset." *She didn't say it like it was a good thing.* "And the word is 'hen', a female chicken." *Ezarah trailed off again before continuing.* "It's not just him. I was a disaster the last time I was in a command post on the Odyssey. People died because of me."

Azel Rennan BOT 30-Dec-20 03:42 PM

"That was over two years ago for you. Is that who you are now?"

Captain Ezarah Ryn 30-Dec-20 03:44 PM

"No." *She answered flatly, the word coming immediately and with determination.*

Azel Rennan BOT 30-Dec-20 03:48 PM

"So quit worrying about it. All you're gonna do is worry a hole in your floor." *It was an old joke. Their mother was a determined pacer, to the extent that she'd worn down the floorboards of her office until they were so smooth that she'd once slipped and fallen flat on her back. Thankfully, she'd been unharmed, so the rest of the family had made jokes of the incident ever since.* "You've changed since the last time I saw you. If I can see it, they will too."

Captain Ezarah Ryn 30-Dec-20 03:53 PM

"My floor is made of duranium, not fancy decorative wood. Doubt I could wear a hole in it if I paced for a thousand years. But... fine." *Ezarah couldn't quite bring herself to do as he asked, not yet. But she felt better for talking about it.*

Azel Rennan BOT 30-Dec-20 04:02 PM

"You're missing the obvious part. You don't pace. I'm the only child who inherited that delightful habit. You and El just sit there and sulk." *He finished his coffee in a huge gulp, threw the empty cup at a waste dispenser nearby, and missed.* "Damn!" *Azel complained, quickly getting up to go retrieve it.*

Captain Ezarah Ryn 30-Dec-20 04:04 PM

"Hey!" *Ezarah complained as she fell onto the bench - Azel had still been holding most of her weight. Pushing herself up, she finished her own drink so she could hurl her empty cup at his back. Ezarah didn't miss, mainly because she had a bigger target. Any retort she had for him was lost in the commotion.*

Azel Rennan BOT 30-Dec-20 04:12 PM

*Feeling something hit him, he spun around just as the cup hit the ground.* "Hey!" *It was obvious they were related, Azel said it in the exact same way as Ezarah had moment ago. Then he picked that cup up as well and dropped it in the bin with his own. Now that they were no longer in danger of littering, he went back to Ezarah, pulling her to her feet instead of sitting back down.* "Come along little sister. Time to see if we can wear a hole in this dirt."

Captain Ezarah Ryn 30-Dec-20 04:16 PM

*Ezarah let him pull her up, then they set of down the path together, wandering towards the river. It was so dusty here, she had no doubt they'd leave marks of their passage in the dirt.* "How's everyone at home?" *She finally asked, changing the subject.*

Azel Rennan BOT 30-Dec-20 04:22 PM

"Well, let's see. Mom is keeping the government running - or so she says anyway - so nothing's changed there. Dad finished his next book, though he says he could have finished in half the time if he wasn't always nagging Mom to take a break and stare off into space with him. Elyzia, our dearest baby sister, received a glowing recommendation by her field docent, so the day is soon coming when I'll be the only unjoined one in the family." *He took a break to run through and make sure he hadn't missed something.* "And that's all there is to know."

Captain Ezarah Ryn 30-Dec-20 04:27 PM

*She smiled happily at the reports. Her parents sounded the same as ever, and she was happy for Elyzia. They'd been worried that the Commission would be less inclined to give her a symbiont when her sibling already had one.* "Has she decided what she's going to do after yet?"

Azel Rennan BOT 30-Dec-20 04:46 PM

"She's thinking about following your lead and joining up with Starfleet. Or taking a civilian post over in the shipyards on Mars. She's gotten a lot of offers to help code the base computer systems for new starships. Ruining the family brand, our little scientist."

Captain Ezarah Ryn 30-Dec-20 04:56 PM

*They were climbing the stairs near the embankment now, leaving the green of the park behind for a view of the Seine.* "More of an outlier than 'ruining' I think. Computer coding is like language, if viewed correctly." *Maybe it was strong genes, or merely the natural result of being raised by a politician and a poet, but her family was always drawn to professions that revolved around words. A reporter, diplomat, and computer programmer. Elyzia was more mathematically oriented than the rest of them, but she had always described it to Ezarah like a highly structured way of speaking. Definitely still part of the family.*

Azel Rennan BOT 30-Dec-20 05:00 PM

"Yeah, but with math. Gross." *He gave an exaggerated shudder. He'd nearly failed math in school and he'd never bothered to hide his dislike of the subject since.* "You think she'll follow through on that plan once she's joined? Or will she change her mind?" *Azel asked, figured Ezarah would have a better perspective on it than him.*

Captain Ezarah Ryn 30-Dec-20 05:08 PM

"It depends." *Ezarah shrugged.* "The Symbiosis Commission will take that into consideration when deciding. I was a good fit for Ryn because I was already in Starfleet, and it's always been an explorer. *If* El is joined," *She emphasized the 'if,' because there were more factors than just the recommendation of a field docent,* "It means they have a symbiont who they believe is a good match, and they think she can bring something unique to that symbiont's life. It's a matchmaking game. Some people do what they were planning, others go off in an entirely different direction."

Azel Rennan BOT 30-Dec-20 05:12 PM

"Long story short, you have no idea?" *He asked with a laugh.* "Good help you were, I was hoping for a solid answer from someone with experience."

Captain Ezarah Ryn 30-Dec-20 05:14 PM

"There is no answer!" *Ezarah protested with a laugh of her own.* "How is anyone supposed to predict that when we don't know who she might be joining with? She'll still be El, but she'll be someone else too."

Azel Rennan BOT 30-Dec-20 05:19 PM

"That is something I do understand. I have experience in that." *He remembered going to visit Ezarah after her own joining.* "Though I still have no idea why you called me Mizen. Who the hell was Mizen anyway?"

Captain Ezarah Ryn 30-Dec-20 05:21 PM

"He was Drezden's son. And I don't know why I called you that either, you look nothing alike. He was a bit of a goof too, but a much quieter one." *She smiled, remembering Drezden's memories of him.* "He idolized Drezden. Even joined the space agency to continue his legacy."

Azel Rennan BOT 30-Dec-20 05:25 PM

"We look different. That's what worries you? Not the fact that you thought I was your son? This is why I don't want to be joined. You're all nuts." *He shook his head, pausing by the ledge to look over at the river.*

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Captain Ezarah Ryn 30-Dec-20 05:34 PM

"You're pretty nuts yourself." *Ezarah assured him teasingly, before continuing on a bit quieter.* "It's ok to want to be yourself too. Don't think it escaped my notice that you reported on everyone but you."

Azel Rennan BOT 30-Dec-20 05:39 PM

"Nothing new to report there either. Got sent here to report on the goings on of our lovely planetary representatives to the Federation Council, visited my little sister, because we're in the same sector for once, then I'll hitch a ride back to Trill in a few days." *Azel shrugged as he spoke. Same old same old from him, as always.*

Captain Ezarah Ryn 30-Dec-20 05:40 PM

"What happened to your girlfriend? That Bajoran girl you met on assignment? You were over the moon about her last time."

Azel Rennan BOT 30-Dec-20 05:41 PM

"She didn't want to leave Bajor. I didn't want to leave Trill. Distance destroys us all. Remember that, next time you have a chance to visit home and don't."

Captain Ezarah Ryn 30-Dec-20 05:45 PM

*Ezarah ignored the veiled barb. It wasn't going to stop her from pushing.* "And have you met anyone else recently?"

Azel Rennan BOT 30-Dec-20 05:47 PM

*He sounded rather downcast as he answered.* "I met someone on Betazed a few months ago. We've been talking ever since, but it's going to end the same way."

Captain Ezarah Ryn 30-Dec-20 05:49 PM

"How do you know if you don't try?" *Ezarah tried to inject some hope into her voice, but she could tell that she didn't nail it, so she gave up in favor of self-deprecation.* "Either way, can't go worse than my breakup. Our family line is doomed."

Azel Rennan BOT 30-Dec-20 05:53 PM

*That got a laugh from him.* "Good thing you all are joined then. Those slugs will have to carry on our legacy for us!"

Captain Ezarah Ryn 30-Dec-20 05:55 PM

"And how's your book going?" *Ezarah inserted the question quickly, hoping to take him off balance with it to get a straight answer. Azel had been working on a novel for years, and he'd never let anyone in the family see it.*

Azel Rennan BOT 30-Dec-20 05:58 PM

*He opened his mouth then closed it quickly, shooting her an annoyed look.* "It's not ready yet." *He said a bit pointedly, hoping she wouldn't ask anymore than that.*

Captain Ezarah Ryn 30-Dec-20 06:00 PM

*Unfortunately for him, diplomats knew how dissect words, though a reporter should have known better than to have let that slip.* "Not ready yet? That's not the same as 'not finished yet.' Not ready implies that you're finished writing, at the very least."

Azel Rennan BOT 30-Dec-20 06:01 PM

*The look of annoyance only deepened, then faded as he sighed.* "I finished years ago." *He admitted.* "But I keep editing it. It doesn't feel ready. The prose isn't good enough. Not like... not like I want it."

Captain Ezarah Ryn 30-Dec-20 06:03 PM

"Not like Dad's?" *Ezarah questioned, reading between the lines of that hesitation and remembering feeling similarly unworthy once.*

Azel Rennan BOT 30-Dec-20 06:06 PM

"Not like Dad's." *Azel agreed.* "Every word he puts down is perfect, beautiful. Mine are nothing like that."

Captain Ezarah Ryn 30-Dec-20 06:11 PM

"Different doesn't mean it's not beautiful. You have a voice all of your own, you shouldn't be copying someone else's." *Ezarah turned away from the river to look into his eyes as she spoke.* "That was my problem when I entered the Academy. I tried so hard to copy Mom that I forgot to speak for myself. I did better when I relaxed. My grades improved too."

Azel Rennan BOT 30-Dec-20 06:15 PM

"You say that like it's an easy thing to do." *He said ruefully with a slight shake of his head.* "Maybe it's easier when you have professors breathing down your neck, but not when you're sitting alone in a room with a manuscript."

Captain Ezarah Ryn 30-Dec-20 06:16 PM

"Fine." *Ezarah said rather wickedly.* "We'll do it this way then. Send me your manuscript. The original one - I'm going to assume you kept archive copies. If you don't, I'll chase you back to Trill, and you'll have a starship breathing down your neck. Sound good?"

Azel Rennan BOT 30-Dec-20 06:20 PM

*He stared at her for a moment of open mouthed shock, before finally blurting out,* "You can do that!? Actually, I don't want to know. You'll have it by morning." *He shook his head.* "And you think these people won't respect you, seriously."

Captain Ezarah Ryn 30-Dec-20 06:21 PM

*Ezarah just laughed.* "Honestly, I don't think I can do that, but I still expect a manuscript. I've been waiting years to read this book. The anticipation is enough to break a few rules for."

Azel Rennan BOT 30-Dec-20 06:28 PM

"Just promise you won't laugh at me over subspace as you read it ok?" *He still looked a bit nervous about it, but resigned himself to handing it over. He'd sat on it long enough, it was time to show it to someone.* "And speaking of books, I have a present for you." *He pulled a small bound paper book out of his pocket and handed it over.* "Dad had it printed for you. A special collection of all your favorites, plus some new ones he's written just for you."

Captain Ezarah Ryn 30-Dec-20 06:31 PM

*A smile bloomed on her face as she took the book from him, immediately opening it to view the table of contents. Ezarah recognized about half of the poems from her father's oeuvre of works, but the rest were new.* "It's wonderful. I'll have the computer create a paper copy of your book too, so they can both sit in my office."

Azel Rennan BOT 30-Dec-20 06:34 PM

"Hell no! What if someone picks it up and reads it?"

Captain Ezarah Ryn 30-Dec-20 06:35 PM

"Then they'll say 'wow Captain, what a great author, where can I find this book for myself?" *Ezarah slipped the book in her pocket then started walking again, thinking of heading to a café for lunch.* "People are going to read your book eventually you know, that's kind of the plan."

[D] The siblings wandered off to enjoy the rest of their day as the bubble popped.

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