Posted by Civilian Micah Pikelsimer (Federation Security Agent) in From the Shadows Comes Hope

Posted by Commander Shara Calloway (Chief Intelligence Officer) in From the Shadows Comes Hope

Posted by Civilian Micah Pikelsimer (Federation Security Agent) in From the Shadows Comes Hope
Posted by… suppressed (7) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

“Hey, you have to coax a lady first. Warm her up. Can’t just go at ‘er like that. Besides, it’s been almost a year alone in this place. Don’t want to harm our ears by harsh sounds.”

She spent awhile longer tuning though frankly it was likely only her that would notice the subtle differences. All told, the piano had held up quite well in her absence and that gave her hope for future years in space.

Soon though, they were both both ready. She warmed up a little doing scales, arpeggios and an étude before she started into a full piece, playing Mendelsshon’s Songs Without Words No.1 in E Major. Yes, she had her guitar and it was something special, a way of also losing herself, but it was so different with the piano. It spoke to her in a way she had yet to find an accurate way of describing.

OOC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1uvYdW8MSk (the first 4.5 minutes)

~Shara Calloway, CIO

For the first minute or so, Micah just leaned on the railing that ran along the bedroom’s overlook of the living room. He watched Shara play, and the smile on her face was overshadowed only by his. He walked down the spiral staircase and over to the couch, resting against the back so he was right next to her. When she had finished, he clapped and then yelled “Encore! Encore! If I had some flowers, I’d chuck ‘em at ya!”

Micah

She looked over at him and grinned, her cheeks flushing. “I’m a little rusty but I’m probably the only one who can tell.”

Her fingers began to dance again. “I really should get myself some sheet music. I don’t know if I remember all of this one, but I think I remember enough that it will sound okay.” Shara flowed into another piece that was bright and had a rhythmic cadence and there were some obvious stumbles and once she paused to remember where it was going next, but overall she was happy with it and finished with a smile.

“Expect me to be playing daily,” she said with a laugh.

OOC: Passacaglia by Handel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAIZxaToV2A

~Shara Calloway, CIO

“Expect?” Micah said in prentend offense. “Hun… if’n ya recall, you playin’ me music everyday is mandatory.” and he grinned. “Now… whatcha want to eat? I want to get somthin’ in me ‘fore the kids get here.”

Micah

“Not picky. Something light would be nice, honestly.” She couldn’t help but grin at his reminder of her promise to sing and/or play for him every day. At the time it seemed an easy thing to promise but now it was something important she could focus on that had nothing to do with work or any of the nonsense they had been immersed in for the last months.

She shifted genres of music, playing a minute in and around the melody of her next song before she started to sing.

For you there’ll be no more crying
For you the Sun will be shining
And I feel that when I’m with you
It’s alright, I know it’s right

To you, I’ll give the world
To you, I’ll never be cold
‘Cause I feel that when I’m with you
It’s alright, I know it’s right

And the songbirds are singing
Like they know the score
And I love you, I love you, I love you
Like never before

And I wish you all the love in the world
But most of all, I wish it from myself

And the songbirds keep singing
Like they know the score
And I love you, I love you, I love you
Like never before

Like never before
Like never before

OOC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9Hqn8x6a8s

~Shara Calloway, CIO

As she sang and played, Micah swayed with the music as he made her a piece of toast with butter, some sliced strawberries, and a slight drizzle of balsamic reduction. He cut in half, set it on a plate, and poured her a fresh cup of coffee. He walked into the living room and set the plate on the table, leaned back, and watched as she finished; smiling the entire time.

Micah

Shara looked up at Micah, her gaze intense, and then while her eyes were still fixed on him, her fingers began to move against the keys. It was a quiet piece at first. Something moody and deep, but then there was an energy to the melody, picking up in speed. You couldn’t quite pick out the genre, it wasn’t any one thing, nothing easily identifiable in any case, but there were elements, moments that felt familiar.

Her eyes never left him, as if Shara were channelling Micah himself into song. Even when her body moved with intensity, her eyes never wavered. After a couple minutes, the music began to slow, returning to the original melody but there was a softness to each note that was akin to being wrapped in a blanket. Safe. Sure.

Finally she played the last note and simply rose nonchalant from the piano and moved over to him, her gaze sweeping the meal he had prepared. “Looks good. You take such good care of me,” she said as she leaned in, aiming for his cheek.

~Shara Calloway, CIO

He turned his head quickly so that she caught him full on the lips and he grinned as he kissed her. Finally pulling back he said “Well, I have to. Gods above knows if you were left to your own devices you’d never have made it here.” and he gave her a quick peck on the lips and then reached for his coffee.

Micah

She laughed and moved to sit on the couch and grabbed her coffee, sipped and then took a bite of toast. A sigh of pleasure escaped her lips. Simple food, but somehow decadent when you were used to ordering from a replicator. She could make toast and use a knife to cut up just about anything, but that drizzle? A magical thing that she knew was probably quite simple and straightforward but that her anxiety in the kitchen made nearly impossible. As she swallowed an idea came to mind that could be a terrible one, but she really liked the idea of. “You should teach me to cook. Maybe after so many decades and having you around, it might be easier.” Maybe, but there were no guarantees.

~Shara Calloway, CIO

Micah looked at her and his eyes narrowed. “So thats it, then? That’s how you plan on killing me? I knew this ady would come.” and he shook his head in mock sadness.

“Yeah, I can teach you to cook. But we are not experimenting on the kids. We want them to enjoy this trip.” and he laughed.

Micah

Shara snorted. “You do remember I almost poisoned Faye with her own birthday cake? Actually, to be fair, it wasn’t dangerous, just terribly inedible. But Nadine’s got enough weird things about her birth mom to work through. Food poisoning is not something I want to add to the list.”

While they were joking, there was something earnest in her voice. “I just don’t want my father to be the reason I can’t do something. I’m getting too old for that crap. Besides, he’s dying and if he didn’t die during our disappearance, he can’t last much longer. Though Gavin would have…” Shara dropped her toast onto her plate, her mouth and eyes wide.

“I haven’t called Gavin. It’s like I forgot we were even talking again…” she whispered. He had to have heard all the rumours but what if he hadn’t heard the aftermath? His sister, once again a terrible person betraying Starfleet. That’s what he had to have been thinking this whole time.

~Shara Calloway, CIO

Micah stood up and went to the closet where the records were kept and came back with a small comm unit. “Call ‘em. Right now. Although I will say FedSec sent a clearance memo to all known family members, so he probably knows you’re good… but ya should call.”

Micah

She set her plate down and took the comm. Shara stared at it for a moment before she put in the ping to Gavin, not even sure where his ship was right now. She knew the general service areas they tended to be in, but that didn’t mean he was easily reachable. “Okay, ping sent. Just need to wait,” Shara said, picking up her plate again and resuming her meal.

“So, besides listening to my music and teaching me to cook, and spending time with the kids, anything you want to specifically do while we’re here?”

~Shara Calloway, CIO