The door before Ahlai slid open. She hadn't bothered to knock. She did own the apartment after all. The young Sith entered calmly, surveying the room. It was in much better order than last time, no doubt thanks to the cleaning droid she purchased. Reclining on the couch is a human woman, middle aged with long, black hair, smiling up at Ahlai, a false smile, she guessed.
"Ahlai! You've come to... what, to visit? Well, alright come sit."
Ahlai slowly walked around to stand in front of the woman. She didn't sit.
"Eave. Things have continued to be in order?"
"Yes, yes, you've done well for me. Ah, your name really doesn't match now, does it?"
Ahlai willed herself to nod. Her name, meaning 'misfortune and sorrow'. A cruel name from a desperate mother in despair at the circumstances of her daughter's birth. She wasn't sure what inspired her to come this time. Each time they get nowhere, stilted conversation after stilted conversation.
"Eave, I may be away. For a long time. I no longer am limited by a master and-"
Eave's head darted up
"And the apartment?"
Ahlai's face betrayed none of her anger.
"Nothing for you will change. I will continue to pay for your lifestyle." She finished coldly. Eave visibly relaxed. Ahlai wanted to scream, wanted to get in her face and tell her how many times her masters encouraged her to end her mother. To break this chain to her past. How many times she nearly listened.
"Good... good. That's nice." Eave must have caught some flicker of what Ahlai felt. There's that nervousness to her. That nervousness that came the moment Saon Keres took them from the streets. She looked at Ahlai with that same fear. Her mother is scared of her, and yet she feels nothing. "Thank you. I don't know what I'd do if not for you."
"You'd die Eave. Sith don't like loose ends." Eave fell silent. Ahlai turned to leave.
"Ahali - you just got here."
She stopped.
"You could stay- you could stay longer."
"You don't want me to." Ahlai sensed the confirmation through the force. She continued to walk.
"I do love you." Quietly said. Not quite a truth and not a lie.
Ahlai left, forcing her mother's voice far from her mind.
"Ahlai! You've come to... what, to visit? Well, alright come sit."
Ahlai slowly walked around to stand in front of the woman. She didn't sit.
"Eave. Things have continued to be in order?"
"Yes, yes, you've done well for me. Ah, your name really doesn't match now, does it?"
Ahlai willed herself to nod. Her name, meaning 'misfortune and sorrow'. A cruel name from a desperate mother in despair at the circumstances of her daughter's birth. She wasn't sure what inspired her to come this time. Each time they get nowhere, stilted conversation after stilted conversation.
"Eave, I may be away. For a long time. I no longer am limited by a master and-"
Eave's head darted up
"And the apartment?"
Ahlai's face betrayed none of her anger.
"Nothing for you will change. I will continue to pay for your lifestyle." She finished coldly. Eave visibly relaxed. Ahlai wanted to scream, wanted to get in her face and tell her how many times her masters encouraged her to end her mother. To break this chain to her past. How many times she nearly listened.
"Good... good. That's nice." Eave must have caught some flicker of what Ahlai felt. There's that nervousness to her. That nervousness that came the moment Saon Keres took them from the streets. She looked at Ahlai with that same fear. Her mother is scared of her, and yet she feels nothing. "Thank you. I don't know what I'd do if not for you."
"You'd die Eave. Sith don't like loose ends." Eave fell silent. Ahlai turned to leave.
"Ahali - you just got here."
She stopped.
"You could stay- you could stay longer."
"You don't want me to." Ahlai sensed the confirmation through the force. She continued to walk.
"I do love you." Quietly said. Not quite a truth and not a lie.
Ahlai left, forcing her mother's voice far from her mind.