Family

[Taataani Meorrrei]

(Somewhere in Master Yoghurt's Bar & Grill, an attendant carries a holocube, looking around the establishment for its intended recipient. The message was to be delivered to a Cizerack adolescent female by the name of Saarreeaa Meorrrei. The sender identified themselves as "Saarreeaa's mother".

Thinking nothing of it, the man continued to look for the felinoid girl)

[Saarreeaa Meorrrei]

A serving droid trundled up to her table, and let the Cizerack know that someone was looking for her. She frowned. "A messssssage?" Saarrreeaa looked up from the end of her meal, and raised her hand slightly, catching the attendant's attention.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

(The attendant promptly walked to Saa's table, setting the holoviewer down and activating it...walking away. A shimmering blue figure appeared...of a bespectacled Cizerack female. The figure made a face, hunching down and tinkering with something...likely the holoprojector.)

...ssstupjid machjine...how jin Carrrssshouljisss' name...

(She looked up, her ears fluttering as she smiled widely)

Oh good!

(She approached the viewer, her face magnifying as she got a little close)

HELLO SSSAARRRRRREEAA!!! How jisss mjy ljittle kjitten dojing todajy???

[Saarreeaa Meorrrei]

Saa stared for a moment at the holo, and then realized that it wasn't a recording. "Motherrr?" What..." She searched her mind for something to say... anything to say! "What arrre jyou dojing up thjisss late? jIt mussst be mjidnjight on Carrrssshouljisss!" She wiped at her mouth with a napkin, wondering how in the galaxy her mother had found her.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

(Taa laughed, and Saarrreeaa noticed a grey-haired male scampering away in the background)

Ohhhh, jyou know...couldn't sssleep, and jI haven't talked to jyou jin moonsss! Whjy, jI almossst forrrgot jI had a daughterrr!

(She giggled)

jI jimagjine wjith Kree-rrou affectjing jyou...jyou've enjojyed jyourrr tjime alone though....orrr ssshould jI sssajy, not ssso alone!

(Taa sighed, propping her head up in her hands)

Ohhh chjild, jI wjisssh jI werrre ssso jyoung. Now all jI have jisss jyourrr fatherrr and a few morrre jI've pjicked up along the wajy. jYourrr fatherrr'sss sssnorrrjing woke me. He'sss got clawmarrrksss on hjisss backsssjide forrr the trrrouble.

[Saarreeaa Meorrrei]

"A few morrre?" Saa grinned at the holo. "Motherrr...jI told jyou that mjy fatherrr wasss morrre than enough forrr jyou. How on earrrth do jyou manage morrre?" She caught a glimpse of a tanned body in the background and peered at her mother's spectacled face.

"jYoungerrr, too...jyou've outdone jyourrrssself, Motherrr. Asss forrr Krrree-rrrou, jI have been enjojyjing the male jyou gave me on mjy deparrrturrre forrr - ah, forrr mjy aunt'sss." Saa hesitated to mention Sasseeri's name. The conversation had been going so well.

She kept on going, keeping her mother distracted with talk of Cirrseetto. "Let me tell jyou, jI had no jidea the Burrrnjing could be ssso enjojyable. jIf jI have not alrrreadjy sssajid ssso, thank jyou." Saa sipped her drink.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Ahh...when jI wasss jyourrr age, therrre wasssn't a male sssafe frrrom me wjithjin thrrre cjitjy blocksss!

(Taa glanced upwards, deep in imagination)

Now jitsss jussst jyourrr fatherrr and thossse otherrrsss. jI'm gettjing too old to keep up wjith too manjy malesss.

But jI'm sssurrre jyou have no sssuch prrroblem. jYou've prrrobabljy found sssome deljicjiousss hjyuu-mann...what werrre thejy called...aahh....football plajyerrrsss?

(Taa laughed)

Prrrobabljy have a dozen chajined jin jyourrr bedchamberrr. Majybe when jyou come to vjisssjit me, jI can...meet them.

(She adjusted her spectacles)

Ssso arrre jyou cooperrratjing wjith jyourrr aunt? Ssshe'sss a foolisssh half-brrreed, but ssshe knowsss busssjinessssss. Ssshe could teach jyou sssome thjingsss.

jIn fact...jI wasss hopjing that jyou would come vjisssjit home...when jyou have the tjime.

(She smiled sweetly)

jI would love to sssee jyou agajin. And majybe jyou can worrrk forrr me jif jyou ljike.

[Saarreeaa Meorrrei]

Beneath all the bubble and charming ditzyness, Taataani Meorrrei was a shrew business woman. Not on the same level as Sasseeri, her half sister, but she was formidable in her own right.

Saarrreeaa resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the holo of her mother. "jI mjight have met a handsssome hyuu-mann or two whjile awajy frrrom Carrrssshouljisss Prrrjime..." She smiled coyly, and winked at her mother. "And jI wasss plannjing on vjisssjitjing sssoon. We'rrre wrrrappjing up a busssjinesss venturrre herrre, and then jI can be on mjy wajy to Carrrssshouljisss."

Oops, she'd said 'we.' Saa hoped her mother didn't notice. Questions about 'we' was not something she wanted to field right now.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Excellent!

(Taa's eyes lit up.)

Do jyou know when? jI wjill have a sssujitable parrrtjy forrr jyou. jIt wjill be fun!

[Saarreeaa Meorrrei]

"Well, jI'm not exactljy surrre when. Sssometjime wjithjin the next month...or ssso..." Saa bit the inside of her cheek. A parrrtjy? No!

She couldn't disinvite Sanis from accompanying her. But...Cizerack society and Sanis Prent? The very thought horrified her.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

That gjivesss me enough tjime to jinvjite everrrjybodjy. Mossst of jyourrr frrrjiendsss arrre ssstjill ljivjing on Carrrssshouljisss. jI'm sssurrre thejy wjill love to come! Of courrrssse jI wjill have to fjind enough food. jI sssuppossse two orrr thrrree dewback perrrhapsss? Orrr majybe sssome fjingerrr foodsss asss well? And the enterrrtajinment...mussst fjind sssomethjing excjitjing!

(She grinned widely)

Ohhh....jyou have made mjy dajy, mjy ljittle kjitten! jI haven't planned a parrrtjy jin AGESSS!

[Saarreeaa Meorrrei]

"jYeah, that sssoundsss ljike fun." Her eyes flitted to the side, looking for a distraction...for any was out of the conversation!

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Oohhh, and jI MUSSST tell jyou about mjy new clothesss! jI bought a pajirrr of leatherrr...what do jyou call them...petal pusssherrrsss? Ooohh!! Thejy make me feel jyoung, ljike all the femalesss jyourrr age. But thejy crrreak ssso much! Verrrjy ssstrrrange!

[Saarreeaa Meorrrei]

Saa smiled, "Motherrr, jyou'rrre gettjing old. Perrrhapsss jit jisss jyourrr kneesss themssselvesss that arrre crrreakjing."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

(Taa rolled her eyes, with a leering grin)

Oh husssh, jyoung one! jI've ssstjill got plentjy of kjink left jin thjisss bodjy! Jussst asssk jyourrr fatherrr.

[Saarreeaa Meorrrei]

Saa smiled at her rambunctious mother. "Oh, jI don't have to asssk hjim. jI am mjy mother'sss daughterrr afterrr all. The Meorrrrrrrrrei strrrength jisss legendarrrjy. And jif jit jisssn't, jit sssoon wjill be!"

[Taataani Meorrrei]

(Taa smiled, her ears rising)

jYou make me prrroud, jyoung one. jItsss not everrrjydajy that sssomebodjy goesss outsssjide the clusssterrr to make a ljivjing. jYou arrre dojing well, frrrom what jI hearrr frrrom Sssasssssseerrrrrrji. Gjive herrr mjy thanksss forrr takjing jyou jinto herrr emplojy, and let herrr know ssshe jisss jinvjited home, of courrrrssse.

(She sighed)

Weeellll....jI do sssuppossse jit jisss gettjing late. jI thjink jI wjill go to bed. Goodbjye, ljittle kjitten!

(Taataani kisses at the holoviewer, and closes the commline)

[Saarreeaa Meorrrei]

Saa deactivated the holocube, and sat back in the booth, exhaling slowly. A parrrtjy? She had been planning to visit Carshoulis soon, but if she was going to take Sanis along with her... The less her mother's friends saw of him, the better.

Perhaps she could convince Sanis to leave within the week. Saarrreeaa chuckled at the thought of her mother's face when they arrived before the party was planned. She lifted her hand to call for her check.