Ask Beyond a Shadow of Doubt

[Darth Stolas]

Tiamat's moods weren't the most difficult to pick up on, especially right now. This whole thing about the rescue was clearly more complicated than he immediately realized. As the red-headed young woman spoke golden eyes watched her. Even Morgan looked annoyed by her admission to the Eternal, although she'd told him about them as well. Of course he wasn't likely to take them from her, either. An eyebrow raised and his lips curled downward into a frown.

"He should not have left you," Stolas stated firmly, staring at her. "The Eternal has your gates, not you or Emryc." Pointing out she shouldn't have given the Eternal everything seemed redundant as she seemed well aware at this point. "If you weren't worth breaking out, I would not have looked, and Emryc would not have taken action, is this not so?" Morgan took another bite of cupcake.

Emryc's moods on the other hand were challenging to read, but the Firrerreo's sharp eyes had practice. A small scowl that vanished when the half-Sephi looked at him was telling, but it was the rest while Tia spoke that concerned him. Minute movements and muscle twitches in fingers, posture, the simple fact his face was entirely, icily blank. The little twitches from Tiamat as she moved were not lost on him, either.

Morgan's brows furrowed as his boyfriend's sheer anger at what Tiamat said became frosty dismissal and almost turned into something more crude, but the half-Sephi stopped himself instead. It wasn't the other man's anger with Tiamat or his choice of words that annoyed the prince but that he'd walked into an argument. He did also find Emryc's politeness very sweet, resulting in a little smirk.

"No one else has your eyes, Emryc," he said matter-of-factly, although someone must have something similar if it was being brought up. Morgan meant in his own specific way.

He hummed in a satisfied sort of way at Emryc's agreement, back to his simple smile. The cupcakes were quite good, and he took another bite.

"Tia. These cupcakes look heavy. But they're really quite light, no? You've improved."

@Sreeya @GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Emryc was ready for his rebuttal and Tiamat felt her jaw clench tighter and her nails digging further into her palms as he carried on, but he did not finish. It was enough of a pause that even Tiamat had to look up from the spot on the table in which she was burning a hole with the sheer might of her gaze. Emryc seemed to relax, her eyes flickered to Morgan and then back to Emryc when he commented that the cupcakes were good. His tone was soft, and there was a genuineness she heard currently that only happened in rare moments when she were with him.

She kept her eyes on Emryc while he focused on Huttball and Morgan spoke, reiterating points she deep down knew they were true, but there was something else that clearly ate at her. Morgan's own senses would be correct in that it was more complicated than what was being spoken. Though now there was an extra layer being added, Morgan had been searching for her too and there was a flinch in her brow as she took his statement as something that seemed out of the ordinary. It seemed in her own rule book it was ok for her to care about others, but as soon as it were switched around, there was something about others taking notice of her that left the redhead on edge. It was like an invisible danger that sat on the horizon, waiting for her to accept it, bait her until she fell into the jaws of pain and disappointment. Even though by now, she seemed to be good at setting up herself for that even if it did not exist.

Morgan stated something about his eyes and she was more than certain that other Jedi shared his features. The woman pursed her lips in thought and turned attention to the huttball game, feeling herself relax until Morgan spoke, adding a comment about her cupcakes. Her eyebrows raised to his observation and compliment, her cheeks warmed with the glow of scarlet as she eyed her cupcake she had been nibbling as it sat on the table and then back to Morgan, "Thank you" she quickly diverted her gaze to the holoscreen and started to gently twirl a lock of her hair around her finger, "I tweaked the recipe, I think I found the right balance for everything." Tiamat explained, her own tone lost its sharpness.

@Sreeya @Mr. Teatime

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc said nothing as Morgan spoke and quickly diffused the situation. The half Sephi’s eyes flicked back over to the other man when he mentioned no one had his eyes. His gaze lingered briefly, the scowl and grumpy look gone and replaced with his default blank. However, the look in his eyes softened the most, clearly appreciative of the words.

“Hm,” Was all that was offered in response before he went back to watching the game. The conversation had switched to the topic of cupcakes. Tiamat was also calmer now and Emryc had to marvel at Morgan’s ability to placate her. If it had just been the two of them, things would have gotten far worse with Emryc’s dismissive attitude and Tiamat’s explosive rage.

The half Sephi tuned out the conversation, quietly drawing in from the cigarra and blowing it out as he saw his team score. His eyes lit up slightly as there was a chance for the Rancors to win this after all.

Every now and then his eyes flicked to the side at Morgan, but very subtly, before they were back on the game. Otherwise, it was the same blank face and the trademark icy gaze.

@Mr. Teatime @GABA

 

[Darth Stolas]

Goldens moved once more to Emryc and then to Tia and found after a moment of consideration that things seemed to have calmed down. Tiamat had some kind of reaction to something Morgan said but didn't bring up a rebuttal, instead sinking into her own thoughts, other than the flush of red from a compliment. His boyfriend's grumpiness seemed to evaporate and he got a fresh smile before silvers went back to the game and goldens looked back at Tiamat, his head still tilted very slightly as if to listen in the half-Sephi's direction.

Morgan took the second to last bite of cupcake and used a napkin to remove a stray bit of frosting from his lips. His eyes flicked toward the screen for a moment and then back to the red-headed Sith. She was more relaxed now but still troubled, if not outright angry. The prince wondered if she'd had too much thinking time.

"Always best to improve, even if only a little at a time," he said casually before taking the last bite, meticulously making sure his fingers were entirely free of cake debris, and leaned forward to retrieve a cigarra for himself. It lit in a small flash of heat during the first inhale. Morgan exhaled a small cloud of smoke and blinked toward the screen and gave it his full attention for several seconds.

"The Rancors' new tactics seem to be working." Was Morgan a major Huttball fan after all this time dating one? No, but he did learn about it so he could watch it with him and keep up. It at least had violence and planning unlike some of the more 'civilized' core world sports that couldn't hold his interest. Too tame.

"Do you have plans now that you're back, Tia?"

@Sreeya @GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Tiamat reached over and picked up her cupcake that she had been working on and took a small bite, sinking back into her seat and pulling her knees up to sit comfortably crossed legged. Morgan's observation in improving had multiple meanings to the young Sith Lord as she gently peeled back the paper on the treat. Perhaps coincidently, her baking cupcakes was really a projection to what she wanted... a balance, to not overwhelm herself or others, and not be so placate that she is dull and underwhelming to any she came across. Though, there must have been some balance in what she did, or the effort was there, otherwise she felt Emryc would never had come to the prison, and Morgan would have never taken time to let her just get it all out on how she felt about things.

She watched the game, still haven't had a clue as to what was happening in the game, but Morgan seemed to also like this sport too. Even though it was not so forbidden now, it still felt odd to watch a sport that was illegal in the core worlds. She could easily recall how her father complained one evening about the scum who smuggled in transmission coordinates to be able to watch these games. She felt the corner of her lip flicker with a grin and when the sports commentators jumped on, her attention turned from the game, her gaze resting on Emryc before looking on Morgan when he inquired about her plans.

"I still have a lot of work to accomplish with the hypergate technology." she explained, "Right before Byblos, I found another gate, confirming we can move ships." Tiamat took another bite, careful not drop crumbs into her lap, "It will just be...a process to build another that we can use." she frowned, "Expensive too, but I am going to go back to Theta to double check some things." The redhead set the partial cupcake back down on the table, "They tried using Kyber in their gate while reverse engineering, and it may have worked once or twice, but with consequence since we can't really break it down into isotopes, however, there may be an isotope of Supraluminite that can match some of the unknown components." she shrugged and frowned, this of course was all hypothetical work and showed her own uncertainty, "I just need to find some engineers to help and see if we cannot match chemical properties to the ones I have seen in the known gates. Problem would be stabilization of such isotopes, dangerous and frustrating work."

She glanced at Emryc for a moment to see if he was still glued to the game or if there was any interest to what she was saying, regardless, she continued, "Other down side it can be slow, I'm working with so many unknowns and creating things that don't even yet exist." Tiamat frowned, glancing at the holo to a replay of a score by the Rancors, "I do look forward to building and traveling with my own personal gate." she grinned and sighed to the fantasy of not bothering being stuck on a ship for days or weeks.

@Sreeya @Mr. Teatime

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc glanced over when Morgan mentioned the Rancor tactics. His eyes lit up and it was clear this was a very easy way to get his attention, “It’s Rovera,” He said smugly, “I knew he was a good addition to the team. He’s just the right amount of aggressive and has been working off intimidation alone,” Emryc rambled for a bit longer about stats and players before focusing back on the game again.

At first glance it appeared as if Emryc wasn’t listening at all while Tiamat spoke. He continued smoking his cigarra and ashing it every now and then while the silver gaze remained fixed on the game. It was a habit of his to always detach to where it was impossible to tell whether he was engaged or not. It was clear the Rancors had won this game.

“Does the Eternal know all this?” He said after a while, eyes flicking back towards Tiamat. His mind wandered back to when they had first discovered the technology together. Those days felt like centuries ago when they ended up on Dantooine and in a remote village. Smoke plumed from his nostrils as he remembered Grub and the jalopy speeder.

“Actually it doesn’t matter,” He stated as he finished up his cigarra and rose from his seat. He glanced down at Tiamat as he towered over her, “Just be prepared to do whatever the hell it says from here on out. Whenever it decides to tug your leash.”

The disappointment in his tone was unmistakable. He didn’t linger there, turning away and walking towards the cargo bay on the ship. It had been repurposed into a gym and he suddenly felt like training.

@Mr. Teatime @GABA

 

[Darth Stolas]

Emryc's reaction to Morgan's brief commentary was an excellent example of why he paid attention to these things. Golden eyes turned to watch and listen to the half-Sephi's approval and explanation, lips curling up into a smile as it was elaborated on with player comparisons and statistics. There was a glimmer in his own eyes as he listened and took in the new information, just enjoying seeing his boyfriend happy.

"His checking as well, very impressive," he commented somewhere between the information with obvious approval.

Morgan's question to Tiamat summoned up a long and detailed answer, something he expected from her by now. He found interest in the information she presented at least partly for logistical reasons and made mental notes to brush on certain pieces of information in her explanation, amongst other things. Suffice to say building a new gate would be difficult, expensive and required figuring out a new catalyst material.

Emryc seemed for the most part disengaged from this conversation as well, silvers on the screen. Tia looked at him to see what the half-Sephi was doing. Morgan was beginning to see new patterns he hadn't before and this new context clicked into place with others. Behind his expression he felt a familiar sense of having thought too hard over something that hadn't needed it.

"A worthy endeavor. You mentioned needing engineers?"

His head turned partway to Emryc as he spoke up. Morgan's gaze followed a moment later to see the man's face with a return of the furrowed brows on the Firrerreo's face, eyes watching him as he stood from the couch. Emryc's disappointment came through in his voice and the words he chose, but most of all in deciding to leave the room entirely. Goldens looked after him with visible concern, eyes widening as the half-Sephi retracted his question entirely, and Morgan sat straight in his seat as his boyfriend walked away from the lounge.

Morgan understood why Emryc tended to go off like that and his presence brushed comfortingly against the other man's as he headed to the cargo bay, too subtle to detect by others. The prince's lips pursed with frustration and he slid to the edge of the couch, longing to follow even if he figured Emryc needed a little space first unless a return sensation indicated otherwise. He took a last drag of his cigarra and put it out, turning to look at Tiamat.

This was obviously not a new issue between teacher and student.

@Sreeya @GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Emryc was focused on his game; even though he never gave indication he was paying attention to what she was talking about, the neutral expression on his face told Tiamat he was taking in every word. She was nearly feeling comfortable and settled as her attention took to her research, her mind processing ideas and theory even as she explained her current chapter in her work. There was a silver lining to being in a prison for so many months and she felt a renewed enthusiasm to dive back into her research. Besides, the few weeks of recovery left her with plenty of time for reading, thinking, and filling her table tops with books, maps and papers. She glanced at Morgan when he asked about engineers and her eyes light up.

"Absol-" she paused, hearing Emryc speaking as he inquired about the Eternal knowing of this part of her work. Tiamat pursed her lips in annoyance, feeling he had listened to all her explanation only to shoot it down with his concern for the Eternal's knowledge of her work. The redheaded woman inhaled, grasping onto an extra effort to keep calm, but she was feeling uncomfortable again, almost unwelcomed as he rose from his seat and towered over her. Her brow narrowed to his words as he dismissed his thoughts, warning her of the choice she had made for the Eternal.

His tone was lined with disappointment and for Tiamat, to hear that was more painful than his anger toward her and Emryc knew as well as Tia that it was the one effective way to tell her how much he was hurting too. She didn't speak and instead her blue eyes followed him as he made his way to one of the adjacent rooms that he used for his own training and left him be. She sat there in silence, letting her thoughts come and go, feeling herself retreat within, and for a brief moment she had forgotten Morgan was still in the room until he slide to the edge of the couch. Tiamat frowned and let out an exhale she had been holding in for too long.

"If it truly did not matter, he would have not said a word." she muttered quietly and looked at Morgan who seemed to have his attention on her, "Do you remember when I told you about my boy troubles." she frowned and scratched her head, feeling bashful as she found a lock of her hair, "He is my troubles." she titled her head in the direction of Emryc's training room.

@Sreeya @Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

Keen ears listened to the last of Emryc's retreating footsteps across the metal deck while Morgan's eyes remained on Tiamat and the emotions on her face. Her eyes were on the half-Sephi as he left, the young woman clearly affected by what the man had said. His brows furrowed at her first, quiet comment, almost entirely said to herself. The Firrerreo wondered if it was a reminder or a sudden realization.

Morgan's reaction to her outright admission of how she felt toward his boyfriend was mixed. There was some lingering irritation, a little sheepishness that quickly passed, and a bit of surprise in there as well. But at this point the prince wasn't exactly shocked by this news. He scooted back on the couch and turned so his legs filled the spot left by Emryc.

"I see your troubles," he commented wryly, turning to look away toward some other part of the ship. If Emryc took something Tia had done personally it must be related to something he'd spoken of to her before. Not to mention the situation itself was immensely awkward. Many things made sense all at once and he needed a moment to gather words to string together.

Probably best to handle one issue at a time. His lips curled downward into a small frown.

"Why did you give up the gates?"

@GABA @Sreeya

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Her eyebrows rose as he acknowledged her troubles and Tiamat glanced again to the training room as though she were expecting Emryc to pop out of the room on cue. She caught Morgan in the corner of her eye as he shifted on the couch and she too shifted slightly to better position herself to face him. Leaving her hair be, she went to say something, but paused as Morgan asked her his question: the gates, why did she give them up?

Again, she glanced toward Emryc's training room and then her eyes drifted overhead as she once more looked at the interior of the ship. "This..." she gestured, "I wanted his ship back just so the Eternal no longer had it." she stated, "I know how much his ship means to him...I saw just how devastated and broken he was after Denon and..." she found Morgan's golden eyes, "His happiness was more valuable than anything I had." Tiamat paused, glancing away in her thoughts as she remembered her evening with him at the infirmary. She remembered what he had said, staying up nights before her summons to the Eternal, debating on what she could and could not do. The chance was there and if it would have worked, she would have never forgiven herself for the risk she took; however, even with the results, she did not feel as devastated as Emryc seemed to be. Of course it would be a setback, but the beauty of technology was it needed upgrades, tweaks, and repairs, what the Eternal had would soon be obsolete.

"That did not happen of course, I knew it was lying, I knew it had the ship, at the station, I just needed...some hint..." she turned her gaze back to Morgan, "To where it was..." she smirked to herself, "To maybe find a clue to where Emryc had gone." Tiamat shrugged, "But maybe he is right, it doesn't matter now. He got his ship back, he's still disappointed in me, the Eternal got what it wants and I'm back at square one." she frowned, her gaze falling away for a moment before she smirked at her own faults.

@Mr. Teatime @Sreeya

 

[Darth Stolas]

Golden eyes stared over at Tia while she explained, the distant and muffled sounds of whatever training Emryc was doing reaching an ear still slightly angled in that direction. Her explanation failed to make the situation less complicated but they did shine some light on things. Morgan and Renfry had also gone after the ship for similar reasons, and although they'd taken a more direct path to get it back, he could understand that desire.

"I understand."

She'd traded her gates for the slim chance of getting his ship back, a gesture that showed just how much she deeply cared for Emryc. Of course the Eternal didn't have all her knowledge or expertise, and she could catch back up with work, but that didn't feel like what the half-Sephi's problem was. Or Morgan's own. But he could understand the feelings behind what she did, and it tempered his frustration more than he expected after discovery his jealousy.

"His happiness is priceless. I do not blame you for how you feel about him." But Tia was after his approval and attention. Frequently looking toward him while she explained her work, the prior conversations between Morgan and Tia, her current attitude told him this.

"But, you gave away something important, something that was yours, to the Eternal," the prince began evenly, still frowning. By contrast Emryc had despaired over his ship being taken and Morgan knew his boyfriend would never let that happen again. Sharp golden eyes returned to the young woman after couple moments, hawk-like and piercing. The expression around them was complicated, a mix of different feelings about this incredibly awkward situation.

"That I think is why he's disappointed."

Morgan wouldn't say it was obvious, but to him that was what Emryc had focused on. The prince looked away again, lips pursed and brows furrowed. Morgan was silent for a time, whether or not Tia had something more to say on the matter or spent it processing his point of view. He took a long, slow breath to steady himself.

"We should speak of 'boy troubles' as well. It is... Important. Complicated."

@GABA @Sreeya

 

[Darth Tiamat]

The young Lord nodded as Morgan spoke, his gaze locked with her own, her attention focused on him as she sought for something she felt she was missing. Perhaps Morgan observed something that she had missed, but as he continued, it affirmed what she already knew and there was some relief that washed over her.

Tiamat was glad she had Morgan for a friend; he listened and acknowledged her choice in what she did, giving her validation that at least there was one person who understood her reasoning. She understood how this would also hurt Emryc, she knew what he said that evening, the last she saw him before his hiatus and understood why he told her as such. There was also much she would learn about herself from this decision and outcome, such as her limitations as to how far she would go for him as well as how far he would go to protect her. Additionally, it told her what risks she would be willing to take to get what she wanted; and though she were one to ensure she had good odds before following through, this instance in particular, gave her the slimmest odds and ultimately leading to her failure. Optimistically, she did see opportunity.

"He'll be ok, he'll get things figured out on his end." she said as she remembered how she spoke similar to Emryc after Denon. She was correct then, even in his inability to see, and it told her now, he would be fine with some time.

She looked at Morgan again, his gaze that once was as pointed as Emryc's just a moment ago was now deep in thought, looking beyond the walls of the ship until let out a long slow breath.

"Important, complicated boy troubles?" she grinned, finding relief to know the topic was going to shift away from her and Emryc and there was always more time to think about that later, "I'm all ears, tell me about this boy of yours." she welcomed.

@Mr. Teatime @Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

After a while, Emryc wandered from the cargo bay and hopped into the shower. Within a few minutes, he was dressed in a sport hat, a hoodie and some gym shorts since his pants were above his ankles. Emryc walked back over to the common area to find both Morgan and Tiamat in conversation. Of course, he had no clue what they had been discussing. He only knew one thing.

“I’m hungry,” He stated flatly to them both, “Join me if you’d like,” Emryc said simply, as was his usual nature. This docking bay had an extensive line of restaurants and he wanted to capitalize on walking out without his helmet. He simply had to make sure no one saw him come out of his ship. No one would recognize him as Emryc Thorne with the long hair and beard.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he walked towards the exit. He would let the others pick, well aware of his own bland eating preferences. Emryc was back to wearing his usual cologne, the scent wafting behind him as he walked down the ship corridor.

@Mr. Teatime @GABA

 

[Darth Stolas]

Tia seemed to take Morgan's observations well, even relaxing. She went through quite a bit of thinking about it all while the Firrerreo, meanwhile, was trying to figure out the other issue present. He only nodded in agreement to what the red-haired woman said. Emryc would need time to process things, it was his way.

His ears picked up the sound of a shower running at some point in their discussion which meant his boyfriend was done training. The half-Sephi rarely took long after that.

Morgan felt incredibly awkward. Tia was eager to discuss his 'boy trouble' instead and the prince was stuck in a position of having to tell his friend they loved the same man and Morgan was already dating him. After a few seconds he opened his mouth in an attempt to say something, but then Emryc reappeared from the shower. Goldens looked toward his boyfriend with hints of both concern and frustration. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief for the distraction, nostrils flaring slightly at the scents the half-Sephi wafted in after himself.

He supposed a cupcake wasn't really 'food'.

"Soup and dumplings," he declared as he stood from the couch, stretching a little and straightening his clothes. One of the bay eateries almost exclusively served both since they were both tasty and easy to make in advance. Morgan followed along behind, his expression remaining somewhat grumpy despite the distractions.

Unless someone had another suggestion he'd lead them to the nearby restaurant after they managed to sneak away from Ship. It was a cozy little place with booths, four-person tables, and a bar from where they served the food.

@Sreeya @GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

She waited for Morgan to speak, watching him curiously as he seemed to struggle to find his words. Tiamat couldn't remember ever seeing him having difficulty finding a place to start and she frowned in her concern. She wondered how long his troubles have been going on given the momentary delay, she thought she would offer him solace in knowing he did not have to share right away when Emryc came out, from the other room, announcing his hunger. Tia's blue eyes followed him as he walked pass the two and on his way out of the ship. At least he changed his pants, there was something about pants too short that made her entirely too uncomfortable.

She caught the lingering trail of cologne as it waft through the room, triggering memories of everything she admired about Emryc and leaving her slightly distracted until Morgan announced his suggestion for food. Tiamat, indecisive of what she wanted to eat, decided soup and dumplings sounded all right given the slop she was fed in prison for the last few months. She watched Morgan get up and follow Emryc, and Tia felt a renewed enthusiasm to eat something real, quickly catching up with the other two as Morgan led them to the restaurant.

She caught up beside the Firrerreo, "Whenever you do want to talk about it, just tell me." she told Morgan; she figured whatever Morgan had to talk to her about would wait; she was uncertain how comfortable he would feel discussing it in front of Emryc. Tiamat never took the half-Sephi to be the sort to problem solve such issues with her, so she did not expect him to do so with anyone else. She gave Morgan a reassuring smile as they went into the restaurant and were seated.

@Sreeya @Mr. Teatime

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc glanced back at the others as they walked with him. He had just been getting used to Morgan walking everywhere with him again. Silver gaze lingered on the two for a moment before he turned back to face forward, hands in his pockets as he walked ahead of the group. He looked all around, taking in sight of the busy port and everyone walking around. He was still not used to having his sight back, and he caught himself marveling at the most mundane things.

There was a fair bit of distance between Emryc and the other two as he forgot how quickly his long strides took him places. Between that and looking around aimlessly, he arrived at the restaurant a bit before they did.

As Morgan and Tiamat walked together, they would stride past crowds going the opposite way as people visited the nearby shops and restaurants. At a certain point, a young man walked the incoming direction from where Morgan and Tiamat were facing. The man was dressed in a playful crop top, black jacket, tight pants and designer shoes with an earring dangling from one side. Brilliant blue eyes gazed ahead, but shifted briefly to catch the goldens of Morgan’s. The man smiled brightly, giving a casual wink before his gaze flicked ahead ahead. He had his arm wrapped lovingly around that of a massive, blue Feeorin man easily over 7 ft tall. The Feeorin didn’t notice the exchange, face set in a severe and serious expression as the couple walked past Morgan and Tiamat.

Emryc was playing a game on his datapad by the time the others joined him, and they were led to a table inside the restaurant. He kept glancing around, wondering if anyone recognized him. Suddenly being out in public didn’t seem like the best idea. With only booths available, he had to slide his larger frame into a side by himself.

The half Sephi looked down at the menu, going right to the vegetarian options.

@Mr. Teatime @GABA

 

[Darth Stolas]

It was almost a little strange to not be walking right beside Emryc but he supposed, grumpily, it was necessary at the moment. But he still got to watch the half-Sephi freely looking around the area, a little smile finding itself on his face. Long strides took the man farther from Tia and Morgan but they'd get there eventually. At least he wasn't as recognizable outside his robes.

Tia mentioned what the prince wanted to talk about and his expression was a little complicated for a moment before ending up sheepish but still grumpy. Goldens turned to look at the red-haired Sith after another second as they walked. Giving Morgan time to think about things more beforehand was very nice of her, and well appreciated. "I will. Just, later." His tone was mildly apologetic. Morgan maneuvered around a group talking in the middle of the walkway and his eyes caught sight of something familiar emerging from around the throng of moving pedestrians.

A brightly blue-eyed man, single earring flashing brightly to the Firrerreo's eyes, his grip intimately around a large, blue Feeorin who he'd of course noticed first. Morgan took in the other man's manner of dress and the Feeorin's appearance and demeanor, brows raising and eyes widening almost as if surprised, or awed, blinking once.The brief, glancing gesture and meeting of eyes from the man un-distracted him and he returned the smile with a friendly, fanged and cheerful smile of his own right back. They seemed to have even more in common than he'd thought.

Morgan's annoyed attitude seemed to vanish shortly after that subtle exchange, putting the usual light pep back into his step. He instead looked like he was pensively in thought about something that lit up his eyes for the rest of the walk to the soup and bun shop. The prince sat himself at the table that clearly had a tall half-Sephi at it and gave Tia the edge seat.

"Have you ever been here?" he asked her, his tone reflecting his new good mood. "Recommend the chili vegetable soup and nerf buns." There were also vegetable-only choices both soup and buns. "Mushroom buns are good here," he added to his boyfriend, already knowing what he was going to order for himself.

@Sreeya @GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Emryc's stride quickly brought him to the restaurant before Tiamat and Morgan arrived, but it gave the redheaded Sith enough time to center herself and it seemed to be the same for Morgan too. By the time they reached the restaurant, he seemed more of his cheerful self and whatever it was he wanted to talk about felt it could wait until later. Though Tia didn't mind, she still felt concern for her friend, uncertain if perhaps the mood was set when he had walked in during the spat and he was reminded of something troubling his mind. She could do better, feeling guilt for even allowing herself to be flooded as she was.

The restaurant smelled inviting and Tia felt her stomach growl as soon as she entered, searching for and easy to spot Emryc with as tall as he was. He was already seated and playing one of his games when her and Morgan took a seat in the booth. Tiamat shook her head, "No, I haven't been here." though she had not visited many restaurants, her time focused in her work left her with whatever she could find on base, or a quick trip to a street vendor if she remembered to eat.

TIamat begun to look over the menu, glancing at Emryc who was searching for the vegetarian options. What Morgan suggested sounded good and yet everything looked good, she could have eaten everything on the menu. Though what she was craving was something with flavor, "I want the spiciest thing on here..." she said quickly scanning, "Months of bland slop and then the Infirmary insisted I drink just these nutrient shakes." she made a face, just thinking about it left her disgusted. She glanced at Morgan and then back to Emryc; she observed him for moment, her lips parted as though she were to say something, but stopped and took her gaze back to the menu.

@Mr. Teatime @Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc’s face scrunched up slightly as Tiamat excitedly announced wanting the spiciest thing on the menu, “You both can stay away from me then,” He grumbled quietly, knowing Morgan was just as likely to order the same thing, “And what’s wrong with nutrient shakes?” Silver gaze flicked back towards Tiamat with genuine confusion on his face. He thought those shakes made for great snacks in between eating MREs. In fact, he likely would have thoroughly enjoyed the prison food.

The half Sephi practically turned the menu upside down trying to find a dish before Morgan casually mentioned mushroom buns. Emryc gave a vague “hmm” before deciding to select that very option as if it were his idea all along. The waitress came by and took their orders before walking away again.

He, too, noticed Morgan was unusually cheery, far more than when he left the ship. Emryc glanced his way, but it was with his default stoic face which betrayed little. However, the Firrerreo would recognize the stare as curiosity briefly before the gaze shifted over to Tiamat.

“So, did you learn anything useful from your silver-eyed Jedi boyfriend?” Emryc asked casually as he reached over to grab a bit of bread. This was markedly different from his complete refusal to touch foods before.

@Mr. Teatime @GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

He seemed put off by the idea of her and Morgan eating something spicy and the redhead bit her lip to contain her smirk. His gaze turned to her with confusion to her opinion of the infirmary's food choices, but the smirk remained, growing into a smile before she diverted her eyes back to the menu, trying to look more serious in thought about what she wanted to eat. Flipping the plastoid sheet front to back and back to the front again, Tia decided on her spicy soup just in time for their order to be taken back to be prepared. She could feel her stomach growl in protest in having to wait just a little longer for something to fill it.

Her face contorted into a pout when Emryc asked about her Jedi boyfriend, "He doesn't have a sense of humor, so I don't think it is going to work out." she stated flatly, watching him grab a piece of bread. "I told him my name was Hot Trouble and he and his sidekick did not think that was funny." Tia sighed, but a giggle broke through, "I thought it was funny." she reached over and grabbed a piece of bread for herself and shrugged.

"They're aware of the power consolidation among Darths, Darth Stolas, Darth Raze, and even Malicia, and they also noticed your absence." she glanced at Emryc.

"They seemed very focused on lecturing me about my participation on Denon and Blybos, boo-hooing about collateral."

@Sreeya @Mr. Teatime