Support Systems
Posted on Fri Jul 15, 2016 @ 1:50pm by Captain Isha t'Vaurek & erie'Riov Rianni Monteros-t'Khellian
1,693 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
Interlude - Day 1
Location: Isha's Quarters
Timeline: 19:00
It had been a while since Rianni had gone to see her Aunt, too long in fact. They'd spoken, sure, but this was going to be the first time they were in the same place since Rianni had left sickbay. The fact was, though her pride made it hard for to admit, she needed Isha worse than ever, not only for emotional reasons, but also financial and legal ones; D'Liin was dead, but the chaos he caused in her life lived on and she needed Isha's knowledge as much as she needed her support.
She rang the chime and stood and waited, checking twice to make sure the curtain of her hair was still in place, covering the disaster beneath.
Within Isha was finalising arrangements for Argelian to travel with his nanny and live with a distant branch of the family where he would be safe from threats both to the station and to her.
"Come in," she called authorising the doors to release their lock. "You look tired, Rianni," she observed wondering what on ch'Rihan the girl thought she was doing with her hair.
"Yeah, still recovering, I suppose." Rianni smiled, "Didn't get a lot of sleep in that sickbay. So, I was hoping you would have a little time to talk to me. I got some... interesting news today." That was certainly one way to put it, she almost fell out when she saw that transmission on her console, "Seems my late husband had rather substantial holdings, which now are apparently mine and, I don't know what to do with them.
"Honestly, I don't know if I even want them. I mean, it brings back some seriously bad memories....." ~Yeah, even that one I can't ever tell you about.~ She stopped for a second, making sure her hair hadn't moved, it would kill her if her appearance frightened the Aunt she loved like a mother.
"Why don't you help yourself to something from the replicator," Isha suggested - the defensive gesture was not lost on her.
"Um, sure." Rianni agreed, walking to the replicator and making herself a glass of Icoberry Juice, "Would you like one?"
"Thank you, no," Isha declined the offer. "Come and sit." she invited.
Taking her glass she went and sat down by her aunt, instantly feeling safer and more comfortable, smiling, "I'm happy to see you again. You look really beautiful." She complimented, Isha was always put together like a model, one of her many traits Rianni wished she could emulate, ~Yeah, Isha wouldn't have let that little vole turd beat her up and rape her, either.~
Isha reached out and pushed back the hair that Rianni seemed so keen to keep in place, "It looks like you've been in the wars," she said using an expression she'd heard used.
Rianni tried to pull back, but her aunt had already moved the hair, the secret was out now, ~Well, she didn't shriek or start crying. Not sure she would though......~ "So, how bad is it? I haven't looked." Rianni began, "I came out from anesthesia during surgery, heard Lena Parseghian telling Dr. Telamon that I would probably be disfigured for life. Hair curtain was for other people's comfort. Am I hideous?"
The older woman shook her head. "Just tired, I think, and your hair looks better when you're not trying to hide from the world," she said sagely.
"Yeah, it's gotten a little out of control again." Rianni laughed, secure now in the knowledge that she wasn't disfigured; if she had been, her Aunt would've told her. She took a breath and smiled, "Now that I know I don't have to hide half my face when I get some time I'll get it cut, maybe something like yours. Your hair always looks great."
"You'll learn to overlook such trivialities," Isha replied. The less attention she paid to such matters the less important they became.
"Oh, and before we get into the serious stuff, I got a gift for you." Rianni laughed, "Well, something you'll probably approve of." With a smile she carefully removed the three earrings in each of her ears, the things Aunt Isha referred to as her 'mutilation of those delicate ears' for so long, "I know you hated these, for good reason, just a plea for attention, I suppose. I've got to meet with the doctor today, going to get the holes sealed up. Lot of changes coming."
"I've every faith in the Federation doctors," Isha said with a slight smile. "It was a decision you had to come to yourself."
Rianni handed the six silver hoops to her Aunt, "There, all yours." She smiled, "So, did you get my message?" She took a deep breath, fully prepared to get an ear full for doing something that, no doubt, Isha would consider very stupid.
"Message?" Isha's eyebrows raised, "I don't believe so."
"Oh, well, it wasn't all that important." Rianni shrugged, feeling like she'd really gotten away with something, "I mean, just a basic if I don't come back message, the type you've heard and no doubt made a hundred times before. No worries now that I'm home safe." ~Hey, alright, I managed to avoid an epic level ass chewing for that stunt, nice! Crap! Now she's going to check for the message.....~
"You're an adult, Rianni," Isha replied. "I cannot say I have ever sent such a message, but I am not here to police your actions, though I would mourn if you did not return. Tell me," she said, changing the subject, "What did your mother think when I sent her the bathroom she had so admired? [http://ds5.co.uk/sms/index.php?page=post&id=2705 & http://ds5.co.uk/sms/index.php?page=post&id=1345]
"She loves it." Rianni answered, "And, I'll tell you a secret, she likes you. She even admitted to me that she's grateful for all you've done for me. Maybe in the future you two will become friends."
Isha laughed. Explosively. So much so that it took her a moment or two to regain her usual composure.
"I had no longer use for it, and I thought she would appreciate an exclusive." Isha paused and shook her head, "I doubt we will be friends, but many years have passed and we may grow to tolerate one another without the assurance of a honed blade or a barbed tongue."
"Well, I'm still hoping for the best." Rianni smiled, she thought deep down the two most important women in her life did like each other, they just didn't know how to express it, ~Or maybe they don't want to. Very stubborn.~ "So, yeah, the rodent who forced me to marry him, the one your mother selected for me, he's dead now......"
Isha drew a deep breath. "I warned you, Rianni before you joined the House of my mother that there would be obligations," her terminology as usual was neutral but cold on the topic of her house of birth. "I find that astonishingly I can bear the passing of D'lin with fortitude. That said, I would counsel you against any visits to ch'Rihan in the near future."
"If it matters it was self defense." Rianni said, "He married me with the intention of killing me from the beginning. Anyway, the issue that's cropped up is that apparently I've got some sort of survivor's rights to his holdings and I don't have a clue what to do with any of it."
"Yes, you mentioned that. My advice would be to invest it and forget about it. Latinum, like power, is a corruptive force if one dwells on it, or holds it directly in the hand," Isa said, "What you invest it in is up to you."
"There's a good bit of latinum, and several ships, a small estate on ch'Rihan, too." Rianni replied, listing the various 'gifts' her short lived marriage had delivered, "The whole thing has been surreal for me. I just want to put this whole thing behind me, you know?"
Isha took a minute to think on that. "You do have an opportunity to mend relationships. Cede the estate to a ranking member who will remember the favour, pay some latinum in compensation to the House for their loss, gift the ships to the Galae and move on," she suggested.
"That works." Rianni smiled, she knew her aunt would solve the problem for her, "I'll make the arrangements for the ships to go to the Galae with one of Daddy's friends, give the estate to the dirtbag's sister, she can have all the latinum, too, I don't want any of it. Thank you."
"It won't mollify everyone, but it will do what needs to be done," Isha said, "but give the latinum to my mother. She will understand the gesture and value it far higher than she did your late husband."
"So she's not really happy with me at the moment, huh?" Rianni sighed, though the truth was she'd expected as much, Llair was the type of woman who liked to be obeyed and obeyed quickly, Rianni knew she hadn't precisely done that, like, at all, "Okay, she can have it, not like I'm exactly scratching for cash, right?"
"I wouldn't know," Isha replied, "We're estranged since I rescinded my position as her heir I no longer answer to her. It will help though."
"Guess keeping the peace is another one of those obligations, huh?" Rianni mused, not overly concerned with who got D'liin's property, as long as it, and thusly he, were out of her life forever.
"Indeed," Isha replied, "I did warn you."
"You did. You've always been very honest with me in everything." Rianni said, then laughed, "And nobody else I know would've just reached over and moved my hair." Her aunt was definitely one of a kind, straight to the point and straight to the bottom of everything.
"I am what I am," Isha replied.
"For which I'm eternally grateful." Rianni smiled, leaning over to embrace and kiss her aunt, "I love you."
Captain Isha t'Vaurek
CO DS5
erie'Riov Rianni Monteros tr'Khellian
CO, IRW Dhelan
RSS Feed