Farewell sweet earth and northern sky (tinuviel) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2017-04-08 16:45:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | !complete, luthien tinuviel, stahma tarr |
Speaking as one with siblings
Who: Luthien and Stahma
What: Random meetings
Where: A Lawyer's office
When: recent
status: complete
If there was one thing that Luthien hated, it was dealing with lawyers. Sometimes it was necessary, especially when fending overtures from records labels, or issues with overzealous fans. She didn’t mind the waiting room, and hummed hauntingly as she flipped through a magazine.
Dealing with lawyers was always a trial. Though it tended to go smoothly for Stahma when she met with her own lawyers. She knew what she wanted and how to articulate it, and her lawyers typically understood what they were supposed to do. Though that didn’t make the process any easier or enjoyable. Especially when accused of a crime she didn’t commit.
Stepping into the waiting room, Stahma walked up to the receptionist and signed in. She had her human appearance on, and wore a black dress, one that spoke to both money and that she was no stranger to the business world. She spotted the other woman as she took a seat, hearing the tune she was humming.
“May I ask, what tune are you humming?” It was pleasing to her, and Stahma was curious about it.
“One of my own composition,” Luthien replied, lifting her head to smile at the attractive woman. “Based on a song that is very old.” Older than nations, than the current shape of the continents themselves. Very, very old. Luthien leaned back, crossing her legs. “I’m sorry if I’m bothering you.”
“You are a composer?” Stahma asked, a smile crossing her face. “No, you are not bothering me at all. On the contrary, I rather enjoyed that melody. It was rather ethereal.” And it sounded a bit alien, or foreign, and it reminded her of Casti, in a way.
“Yes, and a singer and dancer. You could say I do it all.” She winked, lifting her hand to brush her hair back over one very pointed ear. “Ethereal is a good word for my sound.”
Stahma saw the pointed ear, which told her that this woman was one of the Dreamers. Or at the very least suggested she might be one of them. “A woman of many talents. I can respect that,” she said, nodding her head a bit. The way she moved her head seemed non-human. The movement could be similar to those of a reptile and how it moved its head and eyes.
It stood out to Luthien, though she couldn’t place what exactly was strange about it. Almost dragon-like, if she were to choose something from her world. Very interesting. “Thank you. You could say music is in my soul.”
“I understand that. My son is a bit similar. He lives and breathes music.” Stahma said with a little smile. Though there was distance between her and Alak. He was pursuing his dreams, and that was what she wanted for him. She wanted him away from the trappings that came with the kind of life she had. Her accent was also an odd one. While there was a Russian tone to it, there was also something...foreign in there as well. An accent that didn’t seem to come from Earth. Even the cadence of how she spoke seemed strange.
“I hope mine will too. But he’s still very young.” Even if Dior or her daughter chose not to follow in Luthien’s footsteps, she would still love them and be proud of them. Choice was an even bigger deal than music, to her. She offered her hand. “I am Luthien.”
“Hopefully he will.” Much of the time, Stahma wondered where Alak came from. He had little in common with her or Datak. And yet there were plenty of times when her son definitely took after her. She took Luthien’s hand and shook it. “I am Stahma.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Luthien was too polite to ask why Stahma was at the lawyer, and while she’d listen attentively she didn’t think it would matter. “How old is yours?”
“Twenty-two, I am afraid to admit.” And considering Stahma didn’t look that old, she’d clearly had him young. “I was young when I had him, though I do not regret it.” Even if she regretted the fact that they weren’t close now, and that he didn’t walk in her footsteps.
Luthien nodded. She hadn’t been old enough herself to have Dior, but she didn’t regret it. At times, she missed Beren. The dreams hadn’t helped with that. It was hard to dream of an epic romance, when the other half was nowhere to be found. Her wife, at least, was still hers.
“How old is your son?” Stahma asked. She was an odd sort, Stahma loved her son in her own way, but she didn’t show her love in the traditional way people expected. Right now, she loved him by keeping him at a distance, protecting him from the empire she was slowly building. Protecting him from Datak as much as she could as well.
“He’s five now,” Luthien replied. “And my wife gave birth to our daughter last year. He’s quite taken with his little sister, though I’m sure they will have sibling issues.” She laughed. “I was an only child, so that’s a guess.”
Stahma chuckled softly. “Speaking as one with siblings, there will always be sibling issues.” Sometimes Stahma was intensely grateful that Alak was an only child. Though sometimes she wondered if he would have done better having a sibling.
“That is good to know.” While she’d have to put her foot down, she also knew that both would absolutely have to establish their own boundaries with each other. That was something that she couldn’t do for them. Well, beyond telling them not to hit each other, anyway. “I’m sure I’m in for a handful.”
“Everyone is different, of course. My siblings and I mostly quarreled over space. Though my parents saw that we stopped even that before we got into our teens.” That was mostly due to her father’s prominent job in the Russian government. When the family had to make appearances at parties, they had to be well behaved and not fight with each other all the time. “I wish you luck. Hopefully both of your children shall get along well most of the time.”
“With a firm hand, I think they shall.” And with the help of a hyper-intelligent hound, no less. Luthien wondered if Huan’s curse - that if he should speak three times he would die - had carried over. He hadn’t spoken yet, and she’d rather he not if it meant losing him. There were no terrible evils to fight here. No need to risk her friend. At there wasn’t a ‘greatest wolf who ever lived’ to kill him.
“A parent must stand firm, otherwise children do not properly learn their boundaries.” Stahma had never raised a hand to her son, but she’d had a firm hand in raising him. Alak simply had a more timid personality than either of his parents, which had sometimes helped.
Luthien agreed. Being firm, but not raising a hand, that was. She’d experienced enough of that from her own father. Not frequently, but enough to know she never wanted her children to fear her. “I think they should be taught to respect other people, and that helps them learn to behave.”
“I agree. Everyone has boundaries, and learning them is integral to being able to function properly in society.” Stahma had never been hit by her father, but she had been hit by her ex-husband. She would never raise a hand against a child. Stahma only hit people who deserved it or who hit her first. She tended to keep everything close to her chest.
“I wish that other people were taught that,” Luthien murmured. Too many were either left to be wild, or drawn tightly and constrained too much. It was an important balance, and one she hoped she could maintain.
“As do I. Many could benefit from proper learning. Though sadly, not everyone is able to be a good parent. There will always be people who are not taught that.” Stahma said. She was a pragmatist at heart, and she easily accepted not everyone made good parents, and not everyone would learn properly. Still, it wouldn’t hurt for some people to try.
“Ms. Tinuviel? They’re ready for you now.”
Luthien put down her magazine. “I suppose it’s time to talk to the sharks. Luckily, they’re on my side. You wouldn’t believe the effort some people go through to go after others’ intellectual property.”
She stood to an impressive height, and offered her hand. “It was nice to meet you.”
Luthien’s height was unexpected, but Stahma didn’t even bat an eyelash at it. She simply smiled and shook Luthien’s hand. “Likewise. I wish you luck.” She wasn’t certain what Luthien was seeing a lawyer about, but anything involving lawyers wasn’t exactly good either.