Why Must We Fight?

[Jamie Pyne]

The man in front gave a nod, exiting the speeder promptly to begin shooing away the riff-raff so that the two girls could exit and walk clear of any obstruction or personal inconvenience.

After all, they were above these people.

Jamie gave a nod to Aela before sliding over and stepping out as the door was opened for her royal behind. With an empty glare the girl extended her hand, expecting the assistance of the man to actually get up and out of the speeder. As the blonde climbed out and stood, she took a look around at the center, taking in what there was to see. People, hundreds of them, skyscrapers as tall as the eye could see, and an endless sea of shops of varying types offering goods, wares, and delectables.

"Quickly, we must be rid of these peasants. I am already feeling claustrophobic around them sister."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Aela stepped out of the speeder with the swagger one might ordinarily expect from a Queen.

Her shoulders were straight back, her chin held high, and her eyes fell on those around them as though they were so far beneath her that even their screams could not be heard. It was eerily similar to what one might expect from a Sith, though her features were still a bit too soft for that. Her glare made those around them step away, the assistance of the driver aiding in that. She frowned at them as they moved away, her eyes eventually folding to a restaurant ahead of them.

"That one." She pointed towards the establishment.

It was the type of restaurant that likely had entrees which cost as much as a small house. Not exactly the place that Aela would dine ordinarily...but when playing a character, one had to stick to it. The SIS would likely have her head for the expense report, but as long as they succeeded in their mission there wouldn't be too many complaints.

"We'll dine there." She told Jamie. "None of them can afford to go anyway."

Aela shrugged and began to flow forward, those in front backing away as she did so.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie took a look in the direction Aela had pointed. Truth be told, she was actually quite excited for fine dining. She was more than well accustomed to it, given her upbringing, and well, she would be lying if she said she didn't miss it at times. Especially now, given her distance from home and lack of options when it came to eating, to see such an upscale place and have the chance to actually seize the opportunity put a smile on her face that was actually genuine.

"Perfect." She said in a sultry tone, as if the mere thought of avoiding these lower class citizens aroused her in some way.

The two walked behind their escort and beside one another as they made their way towards the restaurant, all the while Jamie wondering what types of exotic food they might serve here, or if there was anything she might recognize from back home, dishes that were intergalactic in their preparation or had their own unique spin on.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

This all felt rather odd to her. She wasn’t used to being stared at, and yet those in the crowd around them did just that. Half of her was sure that they wanted to kill her, and in truth she wouldn’t have really blamed them given the attitude she was displaying, but the other half of her was pretty sure that the people of Bastion were likely used to this sort of thing.

It was a terrible thought, but an accurate one.

”Here.” She pointed to an unoccupied table. ”This will do. Fetch me the menu.”

Aela was starting to feel a bit silly with all of her demands, but it would help in the end. They seated themselves at a small corner table at the back of the veranda, other nearby guests were quickly cleared away and ejected from the restaurant. No doubt the owner would be unhappy about that but...well throw enough money around and one tended to get their way.

Another thing she would have to explain in the expense report.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

A waiter arrived promptly, cloth draped over silver platter where atop sat a glistening pitcher of ice water. Adjacent to that, a bottle of wine, aged fifty-five years, nearly three times Jamie's own age! The man smiled through his all too telling displeasure at having lost several tables due to their overly extravagant entrance and dismissal of his patrons. The younger blonde looked up as he procured the two their menus and began to pour water into the two glasses on the table. Once finished he presented the wine to Aela first, then Jamie. Expense report be damned, this girl was going to get a glass of that! She nodded once, though tried to not appear terribly excited, despite the glow in her chest at the thought of wine as well aged as this.

"I will leave you two with the menus and return shortly. If you have any questions my name is Tobias."

Looking at the text there wasn't too much to see. A single page of entrees, where on the other side a quarter of the page was dedicated to the variety of wines for offer. Beneath that another quarter page encompassed soups and salads, and finally half a page for the fancy desserts that were titled so exotically that she couldn't pronounce the names of some of them. The menu itself was very simple, absent of any pictures or color. A very simple black on white with floral borders. Prices on all items were unlisted, and for obvious reason.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Briefly she tried to remember the last time she actually went to a restaurant, much less a fancy one such as this.

It was no surprise that it was well over a decade ago, when she had been traveling with her siblings.

She frowned slightly and tried to recall the circumstances under which they’d been traveling, though the memory quickly floated away as her attention was caught by something else within the crowd. Her eyes followed the same man that had watched them in the shop, though this time he seemed to be doing a better job at maintaining his anonymity. ”I don’t know any of this.”

Aela said it with a frown.

”It’s all so…” Saying the next word pained her. ”Foreign.”

She said it with distaste.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie set the menu down on the table, looking up at Aela with a slightly irritated expression.

"This is why I'm the sophisticated one and you're just, well, you." She shook her head, blonde hair bouncing from side to side before reaching for the glass of wine and swirling it in a slow, circular motion close to her mouth. The aroma of the liquid was strong, far more so than anything she'd had in the past herself. "I'm sure whatever is served here will pale in comparison to home, but at the very least the wine smells proper."

The blonde took a sip from the glass, leaving a dark crimson against the rim of the glass as it tipped back. It was strong. She hadn't quite expected it to be quite that potent. It was delicious, she would have to concede in private. It was a good thing there was no more than half a glass, as if she consumed as much as she now wished she would be on her ass harder than a punch to the face.

"Do you need me to pick something for you? It isn't like there are too many options."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

She let out a haughty sniff at her sisters words. ”At least I’m prettier than you.”

Aela smiled at Jamie, then before she could even reply she talked over her.

”I’ll have whatever…” She pointed towards one of the lower entries that had the word ‘nerf’ in it. ”This is.”

She of course knew exactly what it was. Nerf Parmesan for the lack for a better term. A simple Nerf Steak marinated and covered in cheese of some sort. She had no doubt in her mind that she’d enjoy it, though in truth he doubted any food would sit well with her at the moment.

They were still being watched, and that was off-putting to say the least.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie scoffed and scooped up the menu again, her face obscured by the thin laminated paper menu.

"As IF." She started to say, quickly scanning the menu herself to find something suitable before the waiter inevitably returned. "I'm the youngest, the prettiest, most sophisticated, and above all else, father's favorite. You just came first. It took time to perfect the vibrant being I am."

Another swirl of the crimson liquid, but instead of sipping from the glass she instead set it down, thumb trailing the menu before she decided on her meal. The waiter returned, datapad in hand and glared down at the two women of which interrupted his rather pleasant afternoon.

"Have we decided, ladies?"

"Suppose I will have the Pink Wedge and Juna Berry Salad with a bowl of Summer Vegetable Soup."

Jamie then pushed the menu off to the side of the table, rather than hand it directly to the man. After all, she didn't want to risk touching him. While Aela ordered her dish she saw to taking another sip of the wine, casting her gaze around the room to get a look at the other waiters, a few patrons off in the distant corners of the room, and the man who Aela had seen following them earlier. She gave no pause to any person in particular, simply noting their presence and what they looked like.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

”You’re only fathers favorite because you do as he says.” Aela didn’t answer the waiter, but instead pointed to the menu and then continued berating her sister. ”Some of us have a mind of our own and are actually capable of intelligent thought.”

She stared blankly at Jamie. ”I suppose you can’t even begin to know what that’s like.”

Her finger slowly slipped from the menu and then her hand waves the waiter away, her attention shifting towards the crowd for half a second before she refocused herself back on Jamie. A part of her thought that she was being a tad too cruel, but then again...the more the played this act out in public, the better it was.

”Perhaps you’ll meet a nice boy and stay here. It would please father.” She said it loud enough for the waiter, and some of the crowd, to overhear.

All part of the game.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The blonde leaned closer over the table, glaring at Aela with narrowed glowing blue eyes.

"I do as he says?" Jamie waived her hands, gesturing toward their surroundings. "I believe you're here too, are you not?"

With glass in hand she pointed at the girl sitting opposite herself. "The only intelligent thoughts you get are the ones where you follow me."

Pausing for a moment she took one final sip of the wine, finishing it off before setting the glass back down, causing an audible clank, nearly loud enough to echo throughout the whole of the room. "For someone who has a mind of their own, you sure don't use it for much." She gestured this time towards her ring finger.

"Where's your ring? Where's your husband? Where's the part where you stop living off of father's money yourself? Hmmm? Oh, it would please father if I met someone here. At least then his oldest might finally have the motivation to get off her lazy behind and do something with her life."

Jamie could be a brat. She had nearly perfected the art. Her voice was now loud enough that anyone who wanted to hear them could.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

”Well, better on my behind than my back, hmm sister?” Aela said nothing else, only smiled at Jamie.

Her eyes began to flicker towards the crowd however. She’d spotted three agents by now, or what she thought were agents. The first was the man who had been watching them at the shop, the other two were clearly together, a man and a woman pretending to be a couple. They were leaning against a nearby wall, ostensibly speaking but eyes always fixed on either Jamie or Aela.

The woman had a necklace that held the insignia of one of the Houses here on Bastion, either a careless mistake, or a way to throw someone off their trail and point to another house. Aela couldn’t guess whichever one it was, but in the moment it hardly mattered.

Her eyes cast towards some of the high rise buildings, then slowly back towards Jamie.

They really were being followed by multiple agents, probably more than she had first counted on in fact. It seemed that the families were incredibly distrusting of outsiders, either that or the two of them had somehow garnered far more interested than the SIS had ever counted on.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The younger girl rolled her eyes and shook her head ever so slowly.

"You're hopeless. It's no wonder nobody wants you."

Unexpectedly the waiter returned carrying two small plates. He had with him what looked to be half a loaf of freshly baked bread, the heat emanating off of it gave that impression. With it was a small cup of cinnamon butter and another filled with a light oil meant for dipping. A knife was slid into the handle of the platter to allow for cutting.

"Your meals will be out shortly, ladies." He said nothing else, not wanting to disturb the two rather unpleasant girls any further.

Removing the knife from the handle of the platter the blonde cut a small piece away from the loaf, brushing a bit of the butter on one side before dunking the edge of the bread into the oil and taking a small bite. It was sweet, a bit salty, and warm. Yum! The faintest smile perked up her face as she chewed away.

"Maybe if you found someone who could tolerate you then you wouldn't be so sour all the time."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

She thought about how odd this all was for a moment. Aela had grown up with a rather wholesome family life. Sure her siblings had argued at times, and Micah and she had even feuded to an extent, but she could never imagine treating any of her siblings the way that she and Jamie were treating each other.

It was...unthinkable.

For starters her mother likely would have smacked both of them, her father would have told them they were being idiots, and her other siblings would simply have scolded her. This was...odd, and in truth she could hardly believe that anyone interacted with their family this way. Perhaps it was simply the environment they were used to, or perhaps they felt they needed to do it in order to stand out.

”Tolerate me?” She gave Jamie a quizzical look. ”Darling Sister, I don’t need someone to find someone to tolerate me. Plenty of men would just to get into fathers good graces. I need someone that deserves me.”

Oddly enough, that was true for Aela Talith as well.

She wasn’t as prissy as the character she was playing, but when it came to love Aela was still very choosy. Who could blame her? The only example she’d had in that department was her parents, the perfect couple. ”If I chased the first boy who caught my eyes I’d be long since gone.”

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"If only I were that lucky." She mumbled, feigning an attempt to quietly insult her sister. "You need someone to tolerate you because so far, in case you hadn't noticed, they tend to flee at the sight of your sour expression towards everything." A mischievous smirk painted her face as she placed the rest of the piece of bread in her mouth, chewing with a satisfied hum as if she'd just won some great victory. She took it one step further though, taking the role of the younger girl who doesn't know when to stop. "Besides, who deserves that kind of punishment you'd put them through with your incessant misery? That poor boy, my heart already aches for him and I've not even met him, wherever he may be in this galaxy."

A minute later and the waiter returned, entrees in hand. He set each dish down in front of the correct girl, procuring additional cheese for Aela if she wished for it, as well as atop Jamie's wedge salad. The blonde looked over her food and took in the scent of the soup. "This is fresh right? Made now? Not this morning? I'll know if it's old."

The right eye of the waiter twitched in contained fury. "Yes, miss."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

”Misery?” Aela made a noise of mock confusion, as if she didn’t understand what Jamie was trying to get at. ”Once again Sister you mistake higher intellectual function for depression.”

The Jedi Master cast a glance at the food in front of her, then looked back up to her sister. ”Just because I don’t spend my day blathering and dithering around like a ditsy little princess doesn’t mean I’m not happy.”

Oddly enough, that was once again rather reflective of her own life. Most of her childhood had been spent indoors reading and practicing the force. She’d never really had that many friends as a kid and in truth, she’d never minded all that much. Aela had enjoyed her childhood, reading had brought her a great amount of joy and she had no regrets about how she had spent her time as a kid.

”Perhaps if you spent less time on your knees and more time reading you’d actually be able to hold a proper conversation.” She paused. ”Then again, I doubt you’d have anything interesting to say even then.”

With that she began to eat.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie's mouth dropped as if she'd been slapped in the face. Her sister did after all just call her a hussy. If nothing else the others in the restaurant were sure to be getting a good show listening to the two bicker at one another over a meal many couldn't afford with a year's salary.

"Just because I am attractive and like to have fun doesn't make me ditsy. I know how to get what I want from men. Your books never taught you how to converse with anything other than a wall. That's why you're so boring and get no attention. Anyone can have a proper conversation with themselves. That's why father wanted you to come with me. He hoped you'd find someone as dull as you."

The blonde dipped her spoon into her soup, blowing lightly a handful of times before remarking one last thing and taking the spoon into her mouth. "Besides, I am a princess. Even father says so. I have grace, charm, looks, and personality. You're about as interesting as that Nerf you're eating."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

She made a tsking noise. ”You should close your mouth, Sister. People are starting to realize what an idiot you are.”

With that, Aela ended the conversation.

At least for her part.

The meal would not last much longer, or rather, what Aela would call a meal. She had a few bites, but after that she pushed the food away and yelled at the waiter for some made up reason. After that she and Jamie traded a few more barbs until eventually, they found themselves once again sitting inside of the limousine speeder.

”Sorry.” Was the first thing Aela said when they were alone. ”It’s not real, I know, but...those were terrible things to say.”

It showed just how uncomfortable Aela was with this particular role, the fact that an apology was foremost on her mind rather than the spies that had been listening to them this entire time.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Sitting down Jamie heard Aela's brief apology. Her index finger on each hand raised to brush away the hair that had fallen in front of her face on either side. She then crossed her leg over herself and glanced at Aela with a strange, quizzical look, as if unsure why Aela had even apologized in the first place. It wasn't as if she'd taken anything said back there to heart. Jamie understood what they were supposed to be doing, and she was quite okay with it all.

"Why are you apologizing?" She'd ask. "I was struggling not to laugh. I had fun." Perhaps the cynic in her had gotten the better of her back there. Given she had no siblings growing up, maybe that pent up emotion had found a way out without having to actually do any real harm. Jamie was thoroughly amused by the whole thing.

"It's quite alright."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

”If anyone in my family talked to one another in that way my mother would box them in the head so hard they’d question who they were.” Aela said with a smile.

Talking like that...It just wasn’t in her wheelhouse.

”It’s…” She smiled. ”Just not how I was taught to speak.”

Aela let out a laugh. ”Oddly enough though, I seem to gravitate towards the role. There was another mission where I was posing as the head of a Criminal Syndicate, she was...well she was pretty much the same as this one, but colder.”

She did rather like playing the parts, not necessarily the way their personalities, but adopting another face...it was something she enjoyed. Perhaps it was because it presented a chance to be someone else, to look at the world in a different way that she hadn’t seen it before.