Fwurg

[Maria Latharion]

Somewhere in Unity City there is a small restaurant. The restaurant wasn't well known and somewhat difficult to find if you didn't know what to look for. Because of this it was usually quiet and it rarely saw anyone important. But despite all this the people who worked there where very friendly and kind.

The restaurant's interior was artful, with sculpted woodwork and forged iron decorations. It gave the whole restaurant a warm feeling.

At one of the tables two women sat across from one another, a set of candles burning on the table. One of these women was Maria Latharion.

She wore simple clothes, though her clothes seemed to warm for the climate controlled weather.

[Emily Hunteria]

The other woman wore even warmer clothes. She was pregnant and anyone familiar with human-like species could see that.

The two women where both quietly eating, a bowl in one hand and a pair of chopsticks in the other.

Once every few moments they looked at each other or paused a moment to sip from their drink.

[Nehket Aeka]

As the restaurant was small, it was easy to spot both people entering the restaurant, and the garderobe, from the restaurant itself.

Two women entered the restaurant, both of them wearing cloaks. One of the women was of a species with horns, or other protruding appendages on the head, maybe a togruta or a veolian. The other was a twi'lek, which was evident from the fact that her lekku were not covered by the cloak.

One of the women, the horned one, softly spoke to the other: "Allow me to take your cloak, love."

[Serrah]

The second woman remained silent, but allowed the first one to help her out of her cloak.

The now decloaked woman was a lethan twi'lek. She wore an intricate black leather binding on the base of her lekku, and a simple black dress to match. Her shoes were equally simple, a pair of supple black leather ballet flats.

Thought she clearly dressed differently, and much more conservatively, then she usually does, Maria recognizes her as the slave of senator Nehket Aeka.

This recognition is further confirmed, as a the maitre'd approached her.

"We have a reservation for two, under my name.", she said to the man. As he looks at is datapad, she adds "Serrah."

[Nehket Aeka]

While the twi'lek was speaking with the maître d', the first woman put her own cloak on a hanger in the garderobe as well.

Maria now recognized the woman as no one else than senator Nehket Aeka. But instead of wearing her ceremonial armour, which she literally wears every single time she appears in function, she too wears a simple black dress, her hair drawn back and pinned up with an elaborate ornamental hair pin.

She looks around the restaurant as the maître d' leads them to their table. A spark of recognition plays over her face as she spots Maria, but all she does is give a polite nod of recognition to her astrian colleague.


Once at the table, the veolian senator pulls out a chair for her slave, in the way one would expect a suitor to pull out a chair for his lady. Once both women are seated, the maître d' brings them a bottle of wine, opens it, and puts it on the table.

((OOC: I felt bad interrupting your dinner '^_^))

[Maria Latharion]

Maria was surprised when she noticed Aeka, she hadn't expected to see her veolian colleague here.

Something that didn't go unnoticed by her companion.

[Emily Hunteria]

Emily stopped eating for a moment, Maria following her example.

To anyone unfamiliar with Astrians it would probably have looked a little strange, as both women looked like they where having a conversation. But neither of them made a sound nor did their mouths move.

[Maria Latharion]

The conversation was apparently short because a moment later Maria waved a waiter over.

Telling the waiter something, who promptly nodded and headed into the kitchen.

He came out a moment later and went directly to the two women who had just sat down.

"Excuse me." The waiter said in a soft voice. "The two ladies over there wish to know if you would be interested in joining them for diner."

He gestured in the direction of the two Astrian women.

((OOC: to bad now I have to interrupt your diner ^_^))

[Nehket Aeka]

She hadn't expected to run into anyone she knew here so she had different plans for the evening, but those could easily be postponed. The veolian woman looked at her twi'lek companion for a moment, who simply said "We would love to."

And so it was decided. The two women got up, and made their way to the table of the astrian couple.


"Maria", the veolian states after a short bow to both astrian women, "We'd love to join you for dinner, though we do not want to impose on your free time."

Aeka pulled out a chair for Serrah, and sat down herself at the opposite side of the table.

"I think introductions are in order", the veolian said as she looked at Maria.

[Maria Latharion]

Both Astrians stood as Nehket Aeka and Serrah joined them, making a polite bow before sitting back down.

"Ah yes." Maria replied. "Emily, this is Senator Nehket Aeka of the Veolian Commonwealth and her servant Serrah."

"Senator, miss Serrah, this is my partner, Emily Hunteria."

[Emily Hunteria]

Emily bowed her head when she was introduced. She looked at the veolian senator for a moment with an unreadable expression.

"A pleasure to meet you Senator, miss." She said in a gentle, high pitched voice. After which she pushed her glasses further up her nose to it's original position.

[Nehket Aeka]

Aeka did not miss the use of the word 'servant', or the expression she got from Emily. Letting the former go, and unsure what to think of the latter, she replied.

"The pleasure is all mine, miss Hunteria. I hadn't realized Maria was in a committed relationship, but I can see why she is.".

[Serrah]

Serrah looked at Emily's belly. The twi'lek's expression was joyful, but it was clear that something small didn't sit right with her, even though she was trying to not let it bother her.

"Congratulations, miss Hunteria, miss Latharion", the twi'lek woman spoke up, "When are you due?"

[Maria Latharion]

"I believe I told you I had a partner, Aeka, back when you also met with High Priestess Amilia?"

Maria said, noticing something was off with Serrah, but writing it off as disappointment.

[Emily Hunteria]

"Thank you, I'm due in about five months if all goes well." Emily replied to Serrah.

"Is something wrong, miss Serrah? You seem bothered by something."

[Nehket Aeka]

"I know Maria, but I hadn't realized that you and your partner were committed to child-bearing. I am happy for you both.", the way the veolian woman said it made it sound as if she spoke about a very important duty.

Just after Emily asked Serrah whether she was bothered by something, Serrah looked at Aeka with a questioning expression.

Aeka looked back with a smile, and said "Don't worry, love. I trust Maria, and by extension miss Hunteria, to be discreet about it."

[Serrah]

"If you're sure...", was Serrah's reaction.

She looked back to Emily, and replied.

"To be honest, I am. Your partner introduced me as a 'servant', which is not exactly true. I am not a servant, I belong to Aeka.", she looked at the veolian, "And in the Commonwealth, the relation we have would not be accepted. At the least, my mistress would be ridiculed and politically weakened."

[Emily Hunteria]

"I figured as much." Emily said, clearly not surprised that Serrah was a slave. "Though I admire the fact you remain loyal to your people despite the fact they wouldn't accept your relationship, I can't help but wonder why they wouldn't accept it."

She looked at Aeka for a moment.

"Miss Nehket, I feel the need to apologise to you. You see I noticed how you greeted Maria earlier and that she recognised you, I mistakenly believed you where making an attempt to hit on her. I realize now this was wrong and thus apologise to you."

She said before adding something.

"I trust her but that doesn't take away the fact that I don't like people hitting on My Maria."

[Serrah]

Serrah looked at Emily. "It's... Well... I am loyal to Aeka. Veolians don't have romantic relationships with their belongings. To have such a relationship with a slave, it is laughable. It shows weakness. I can't really explain it any further."

[Nehket Aeka]

"Don't worry, miss Hunteria. This evening, you can be certain I won't try to chat anyone up. Serrah wouldn't let me hear the end of it."

She looked at Emily mischievously.

"And I'll be sure to have your permission before I hit on Maria."

Her last statement was met with a curious expression from Serrah.

[Maria Latharion]

Maria cleared her throat, making it known to everyone their conversation subject was still present and could hear everything they said.

"Miss Serrah, you speak about yourself as if you're an object. You are not, you're a person and I believe Aeka sees you as a person."

She cast a glance at the veolian woman to confirm her claim.

"Where we come from a person cannot be owned in any way, shape or form. I know this is different in the Veolian Commonwealth and I accept that, even if I disagree with it. The thing is, if either of you want your people to accept your relationship, keeping it a secret will only lead to problems and unhappiness. There is an old Astrian saying: 'change is like an avalanch, you need a mountain before things start rolling.' It means you have to take a stand to achieve your goals.

Of course if both of you are satisfied with your current situation, then by all means keep doing things like you do now. I just know I wouldn't be happy if I had to keep my relationship with Emily a secret."

[Serrah]

"Thank you for your support, Maria.", the slave took a sip of her drink.

"Aeka and me have been in a relationship for the past 12 years. And we will continue to be together for the coming decades. But I have accepted that I will stop being there at some point. And at that point, my love will still be alive and well, having only spent a small time of her life with me.", Serrah looked at Aeka, with a mixed expression.

"She doesn't like to think about it, but it's the truth. And after I am gone, she will still have a long time ahead of her. I do not wish my presence to taint her career for the rest of her life.", Serrah spoke with a neutral voice, but Aeka clearly had difficulty with this topic.

[Nehket Aeka]

Aeka did not seem appreciative of the topic currently being discussed, but remained silent for a while.

"I did not enjoy this topic when Elrinka interviewed me, and I still do not enjoy it. In all honesty, I'd rather change the subject.", was her reply.

[Maria Latharion]

"Very well, what would you like to talk about?"

Before Aeka could answer, the waiter interrupted the conversation.

"Excuse me, might I offer the two ladies the menu?" He asked Aeka and Serrah, already carrying the menus under his arm.

[Emily Hunteria]

"Ah, Gerald. Perfect timing as always. Could you get Maria and me another drink?" Emily asked the waiter.

The waiter, apparently named Gerald, smiled to her.

"Of course, miss Hunteria."