Grilling at Renato's

Posted on Tue 21st Jul, 2020 @ 3:59am by Commander Paul Graves PsyD & Lieutenant Commander Alora Baro & Yuliette Marayan Dr. & Renato Solis & Lieutenant Commander Lanis Dhuro MD

1,249 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Resolution
Location: Brown Sector Deck 2245 Renato's
Timeline: MD14

The children wanted to play Dabo, but Renato knew that wasn't responsible. Instead he gave them sticks, and instructed them in fencing. His simple storefront on the promenade stood alone in a cul de sac where two other shops operated. Both were closed for the Peldor Joi observance, so the whole roundabout was his. Every year he had wanted to do something like this for the kids in Brown Sector, but his issues had kept him from doing anything. Guilt, anxious cloying guilt each year had contributed to a depression that claimed many years of his joy. This year though, he started a new tradition, and hoped to have it continue each year.

"Parry, Riposte, Recover, En Garde." He punctuated each command with its accompanying action. He swished his hips, and flourished his imporivsed wooden foil to make the satisfying whipping sound. His opponent, a small child of eleven who grimaced with all her might to lunge past his defense. Blocking it was elementary, but rewarding her efforts was paramount. He let her land the hit on his thigh, and pretended it hurt just slightly.

"Oh, Lexy, my dear that is an excellent Attaque Au Fer."

Lexy was quite proud, and her friends cheered. Renato gave her a salute and tossed the foil to another boy near him. "Practice now, as I complete the Jumja."

He sent them to spar, and looked over to the small tug of war bout over a ball had erupted. The promenade had a few outlets like this, a small turnaround place where people would usually come to see one of those two shops. Renato only offered Humanitarian aid and a refugee resource center. He had little beyond a desk covered in Padd, and isolinear catalogs, the rest of this space was dedicated to whoever needed it most and a kitchen where soup and bread flowed every day.

His neighbors were a Risan who offered Pawn store wares, and a Tellarite that could make repairs and alterations to devices, and had cages drawn down over their entrance. For today, they were a background to the food and festivities he had in mind for the kids. Already, word had gotten out and new children arrived every so often, with twenty or so running around this dim little corner.

He walked inside the storespace, leaving the door open. Several people inside prepared foods with him. Kya, a close friend and Bajoran mother to Lexy shot him a glance, he only smirked at her in reply. She deep sighed and he offered a weak, "They're not going to hurt each other, I'll be right back out there."

Kya resumed working the meat off the bone, without looking at him she gently joked, "If one of them falls and bleeds, I'm not spending the whole day with them, or cleaning it up."

A belting wail came from outside, the boy yelling Lexy's name as though he was murdered. Kya just shook her head, exasperated. Renato grabbed the closest chunk of meat, scarfing it down before she could object. Her fury was towering, so he backed away, adding and smirking just before he left, "Peldor Joi."

As Yuliette approached the scene she mused on it. The speed in "Brown Sector Proper" or "The Village" —as those in the Zodiac termed the Refugee-camp-turned-home on deck 2245— was more relaxed, like a small town, with familiar homes and classic store fronts. The ceilings were lower and the mood was less electric.

She watched the kids jealously grabbing sticks-for swords from one another, and wondered at that. Something as common as a stick, a favorite toy of children for ages, across so many worlds, was not as readily for the having from any fallen limb. In a place like this, a wooden stick must be a treasured thing. Yuliette hung back a little and tried to poke around the street, scanning for Findley while clasping the tool she wanted to return to him.

She found him near the spread where people were setting out food and he looked up, suddenly grinning at the sight of her.

"Well look here! It's Miss! Hey, lemme introduce you around." Findley put a guiding arm around her shoulders and directed her towards the Ullian. "This guy is Renato. He's the founder of the feast today. And my therapist. But he swears he's not gonna share my secrets. Renato, this is Miss—"

"Neone. Please." Yuliette smiled nervously and avoided eye contact. Was it an alias? A lie? It was unavoidable, was what it was.

"Oh, so it's Neone." Findley repeated. "I couldn't get a name out of her for the life of me. Guess you got a face people can trust, Renato."

Renato smiled at the good-natured comment, "Oh, do I need a napkin?" He noticed Neone was not enjoying this forced encounter, so he casually greeted her. "Welcome Neone, pleasure to meet you. Peldor Joi, please enjoy our celebration."

Renato couldn't help it, his eyes took in data and his brain sorted it. This had lead to some awful moments in his life, but by now it was just best to let the facts pop into his brain. Neone seemed to look uncomfortable with her own name and avoided using it with Ian Findley. She wore expensive, well fashioned boots with a practical outfit suited to adventuring parties and expertly tailored to her petite form, and buttoned up to the throat. She'd accessorized with a cheap, demure blue headscarf pulled forward in such a way as to conceal her face from the sides. The hair beneath was dark and cropped short. She wrung one hand with the other-- neither of them appeared to have seen any hard labor or much housekeeping. She had a handcrafted necklace with polished clay beads, each marked with a unique glyph.

"Thank you... I wasn't here to celebrate, I just heard you were here, Mr. Findley--"

"You can call me Ian. Or hey, even just Findley if it'll make you feel better. People only call me Mister when I'm in trouble."

"Well, I have your wrench. I mean, gorch," She produced it from her pocket and gave it back. "...or whatever. It was very useful, for the filter installation. Thank you for thinking of it."

Ian accepted the tool back. "Don't mention it. But at least stay, you know, catch something to eat. No one here's gonna bite. Tell her Renato. We don't bite."

Ian was very friendly, but he was pressuring her. She had already provided a false name, and did not like the attention she was getting. He desired everyone to have a great time, so he asked Ian, "We can't lie to the good lady." He winked at the joke, and quickly added, "Could you show her the bataret altar, perhaps throw a renewal scroll?"

Renato looked at her directly, as friendly as he could muster, "We will be having a feast later, it really is something, the smell of succulence and savory delight has attracted dozens so far, and its hours until we serve. I expect a crowd so now is the best time to see everything, there is an art walk as well further down the alley out of this cul de sac." He gave her an out, if she wanted it, but there was much to do right here.

"Maybe, yes, the art sounds nice. I think I'll get a plate and have a look around. Excuse me." Yuliette slipped her shoulders out of Ian's arm.

 

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