Pushing Forward

[Gaia Sunaris Cadera]

Sundari, Mandalore
Some Bar

What a karking terrible year. Sure, the past five had been amazing. It was tough but it was good - between her, Raiz, and the twins, nothing else ultimately mattered. Their small family made it all work. What else could she ask for? Life was good, at least a month ago. Life still needed to be good, at least for Lily-Grace. And for [member="Raiz Australis"], too. But how could she keep their lives happy when she felt so... Empty, now?

Cassiopeia had primarily been staying in Sundari in her small apartment with Lily and her nanny, Margie. Tonight specifically, Margie sole duty was to watch little Lily. Raiz... She had no idea where Raiz was. Mourning on his own, perhaps? They hadn't talked much since Dimitri was murdered. What could they really say to each other, anyway?

Cassiopeia sat on a stool in jeans and a grey shirt. Another emotion that felt like a punch to her gut. She slouched onto the counter top. She stared at the bartender in front of her who continually asked her what she wanted - but she couldn't, or wouldn't, say what she was wanting. She in truth wasn't sure. Tihaar? Correlian whiskey? Brandy? Some of her favorite tequila? What did she want? She sighed as she fiddled her thumbs on the table top, popping another peanut into her mouth.

What else could she do besides sit in a bar, night coming about, and debate on the simpler things in life - which liquor would be the best this night? It wasn't like she had anywhere to be tomorrow, so she didn't have to worry about that. She could easily use the day as a hangover day. Or maybe just another drinking day. It was interesting, though - she never found herself to be one to find comfort in alcohol until now. It tasted something awful, so she knew she couldn't keep it up, but at least she had some type of comfort in her darkest hours.

"Tequila, please," she muttered.

[member="Shia Kryze"]

 

[Shia Kryze]

"Su cuy'gar Cassiopeia."

Shia Kryze did not appear from nowhere - in fact, she'd walked alway the way across the bar - across Sundari from the spaceport, actually - under her own power.

But it wasn't chance that brought her to this bar, at all. It was no co-incidence she did not spend much time on Mandalore, inside the multiple overlapping bubbles of Force nullification. The sharp, clear vision of pain and loss had been unmistakable, and the Manda willed as the Manda willed, she was but an instrument of her people.

She knew of [member="Cassiopeia Australis"], but not much more than the general details of her life and her place in the Empire. But she also didn't need her powers to see grief in person.

"You look like you need a drinking companion, ner vod - ret'lini."

[member="Cassiopeia Australis"]​

 

[Gaia Sunaris Cadera]

She looked up to [member="Shia Kryze"] surprised to see her there, but kind of not, too. Most things didn't surprise Cassiopeia much anymore. How could they? She was just... Surviving, in some way. One day at a time seemed to be her only option.

Cassiopeia didn't know much about Shia except that she always wanted to know her more - she seemed like an amazing person to get to know. Someone a person could count on. It was a shame they didn't talk sooner - probably when Cassiopeia didn't have to bite down the random tears.

She gave a weak smile and a nod, "Yeah, I think I do. Whatcha want? It's on me today." She held up a credit chip that had some type of various amount. She wasn't sure but she knew it was enough to get her through the nights drinking - plus several others.

She gave a nod to the bartender as he set a small, shot-sized glass of tequila in front of her.

 

[Shia Kryze]

Shia smiled and made the somewhat crooked Mando'a handsign for 'T' to the bartender, to be rewarded a moment later with shotglass of tihaar.

"Vor'e."

She looked over at [member="Cassiopeia Australis"]'s glass as she sat down next to her.

"You know what the aruetii say about that stuff, don't you? It must be pretty serious."

 

[Gaia Sunaris Cadera]

She stared at the shot glass that sat before her. She had gotten into tihaar since she joined the Mandalorian Empire all those years ago. But tequila was her go to before she became a Mandalorian. It was a shot from a time before she was apart of a galactic empire, or a mother, or a wife... Well, ex-wife now.

Was life really supposed to be this way? She had never seen it coming like this. Granted, she hadn't expected to ever leave Chroma Zed, either. Her family lay dead there, a brother most likely dead, enslaved, or something else. All traces ended up dead when she tried to find him, so she could only assume he was gone.

But this hurt in a whole new way. Dimitri, Raiz... Her entire personal and family life had collapsed when he was killed. It had been a little over a month since her and Raiz officially divorced. And Dimitri was still gone. She had talked with [member="Yasha Mantis"] about a small renovation in the Palace for her and Lily, of course, paid for by Cassi herself. That way she could throw herself fully into the Empire's work and still raise Lily - and have Lily being taught by the best and brightest of the Empire.

She took the shot and gulped it down with some ease. She motioned for a refill afterward.

"It's what I used to drink. Before I joined the Empire." She sighed as she gave [member="Shia Kryze"] a weak, sad smile behind tear stained eyes.