Un-advisedly Lost (open to one Guardian, and anyone else)

[Gia Van Derveld]

It was hot. Gia wiped the loose hair away from her eyes, and inwardly growled against the humidity. Her normally straight hair decided to curl up a bit, making her ornate Alderaanian hairstyle a bit...unkempt looking.

Her heritage was a refugee camp on Corellia for survivors of the Alderaan disaster oh so many years ago. Now the camp was a city of it's own right, but she had not seen it in years. She'd been living on the dark planet of Figaro Favoura IV for almost a year, and she was extremely pregnant. Only five months along, really, but with twins...well the stomach area got rather large.

She needed to rest her feet and get a drink of water. Gia pushed open the door to the first eating establishment she reached, and was ignored by the door guard. Her clothing offered no hiding places for weapons, and who ever heard of a pregnant woman posing a threat anyway?

The Lupine, turned by her husband Diego Van-Derveld, sat down at a table and propped her feet up on one of the other chairs. She'd lost her escort while shopping for baby clothes at the shopping mall, and hoped he'd contact her soon. But for now -

"Water, please." She smiled at the droid, and then looked at her hands. Her fingernails were dirty. Gia absently scrubbed at them with the napkin on the table while she waited for her water.

[Mr Dust]

The day had been rather tiring... nothing too strenuous, just a great deal of walking about and errand-running. But, after hours of trodding the unyielding duracrete walkways, he was more than happy to be able to sit and relax.

His tea had just arrived when he sees a noticably pregnant woman walk through the doorway. He smiles amicably at the the sight, and sips at his tea. He begins to simply relax when something about the woman causes him to look up again. He can't quite pin it down, but for some reason, the woman reminds him of Lupines. As a Guardian, he is rather sensitive to these things. Though he cannot be sure, he has learned to trust his feelings on this issue. He watches the woman carefully out of the corner of his eye. He doubts she will attempt to cause any trouble, but one can never be too careful.

[Gia Van Derveld]

Gia drank her water thirstily, and then looked absently at the menu. She pulled her commlink out of her pocket and set it on the table, looking at it as though she could make it beep by staring. To anyone watching it was obvious she was waiting for a call.

With a sigh, she ordered a dinner salad from the droid, and used the folded up menu to fan her flushed face. There were only a few other people inside the bar and grill as it was mid-afternoon and not time for dinner yet. She let her eyes glance at the pale bald humanoid just out of her line of sight, but didn't think about him too much.

[Lariat Van-Metzger]

The Van-Metzger family, unlike their somewhat better known counterparts, were not a worldly lot. Coruscant was a great new world to them. Acting head of the family and official ambassador, when it came to off-world affairs, Lariat Van-Metzger found himself travelling a lot, though not often to Coruscant. Perhaps this was why he stood a little longer than usual at the threshold to the Bar and Grill, watching the world as it sped by. Turning, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The Lupine prided himself on manners, and so was quick to comply with the guards. He removed his wallet from his coat, before handing it over to be hung up with the others. Everyone knew that Lupines didn't need to carry weapons, "Thank you, gentlemen."

A momentary smile was offered before Van-Metzger turned and made his way towards where the Lady Van-Derveld was sat. He pulled himself out a chair without request and while doing so gave the bar a surveying glance, noting the current patrons. "What are we having?" he asked, procuring the menu from the table closest to theirs and flicking immediately to the page entitled 'steaks'.

[Gia Van Derveld]

Gia smiled over her glass of water at Lariat. "I thought I'd lost you for good." She looked over at his menu, and then flushed slightly as the droid arrived with her salad. "I'm afraid I don't have a change of appetite in this... when I'm not...you know. I don't know if that's normal or not."

And it was true, when she was in her human form which was usually, she still ate much the same as she always had, although when she did eat meat she tended to like it rarer than normal. When in the Lupine form... Gia tried not to think about what she'd eaten. She'd only changed twice before becoming pregnant, and only once after. It still hurt, as she wasn't used to it. She loved Diego, but it was taking some getting used to.

Lariat had offered to take her to Coruscant, and do some shopping for the babies. There simply wasn't anything on planet that would do, and so Diego had relented.

Gia slipped the commlink back into her pocket, and stabbed her fork through the salad greens.

[Mr Dust]

As Mr. Dust watches, a man comes in to join the rather pregnant woman. They chat for a moment before her food arrives. Apparently they had been shopping together. This man may be her husband, but from the lack of physical contact so common among those about to have a child, he doubted it.

But more interestingly, he begins to feel even more uneasy in the presence of this man, as if he too were a Lupine. He cannot help but tense up, but forces himself to relax once more. He is about to go back to his tea when the man reaches over and rudely takes the menu from Dust's table. He speaks up at this rather flagrant breach of proper dining etiquette.

How rude, sir! You had only to ask, and I would have handed you that menu!

He continues quitly, under his breath.

How rude indeed... it's as if people do not have even the slightest decorum anymore...

[Diego Van Derveld]

That voice immediately drew Diego's attention as he entered the Bar.

Dust. The Guardian.

Diego's intense blue eyes panned quickly from the albino to his wife, and back. He'd come to Coruscant unannounced for a two-fold purpose. To keep an eye on Gia while in his ally's company, and to suprise and lavish her. But now, a more disturbing purpose had presented itself. Amongst the Jedi it was difficult enough, but a guardian was major threat.

Managing to shrug off most of his unease, the Lupine approached Gia's table, draping his rough hands at her shoulders with a gentle touch.

"Are you enjoying your trip?"

[Gia Van Derveld]

"Diego!" Gia exclaimed in happiness, getting to her feet and wrapping her arms around her husband. "I wasn't expecting you here!" She kissed him, and drew him back to the table to sit.

"How did you find me? To be honest, I'm not even sure what the name of this place is, I just needed a drink of water while I waited for Lariat." She beamed at Diego, not letting go of his hand as he sat.

[Lariat Van-Metzger]

Lariat made a conscious effort to hide the smile that grew on his lips as he heard Dust muttering. In between looking over the steaks still, he watched Diego and his lady. "Wherever we are, it doesn't appear as though we're welcome," he clapped the menu closed, lowering his voice, "I'm not the most astute of men, but I'm going to go out on a limb and venture that this ia a Jedi watering hole." An almost giddy smile came over him, "In the den of the enemy... how exciting."

[Mr Dust]

Just as he finishes commenting about the man's rudeness, a new arrival enters the B&G. Unlike the first two, however, this man is known to the Guardian.

Diego?!?

What was he doing here? This is... odd, to say the least. He watches as he and his apparent wife embrace, and listens to the other Lupine (or so he assumes) make his comments. He cannot help but speak up.

Diego? It is... shall we say... odd to see you here. I do not recall Jedi establishments to be your usual haunt. Nonetheless, I would be unkind not to offer to pay for a drink for you and your guests, should you request it.

He reaches into his coat to produce a large silver credit coin.

As you are aware, I am more than willing to offer a cred to a Lupine in need of one...

[Diego Van Derveld]

Diego looked to Dust, a fierce expression flashing in his eyes for barely a second, before he concealed it once more.

"No thank you. I am not thirsty."

Dust did not appear openly hostile. Of course, in this place, it was not advantageous for Diego to provoke him or his companions. That would undoubtedly wait for another day.

He pried his eyes off his nemesis, and back to his wife.

"I trust you are enjoying your excursion? My friend is being accomodating, yes?"

Diego acknowledged his Lupine ally with a silent nod, as he sat next to Gia.

[Gia Van Derveld]

The exchange between the pale man and her husband was not lost on Gia, but she chose to trust Diego, and ignore the being who was behind her back. She hadn't seen the silver, but she had seen the look in Diego's eye. Gia patted her husband's hand as he sat next to her, and nodded in reply to his questions. "Everything is going well."

She jumped slightly, and grabbed for Diego's hand. "Here, feel!" Gia pressed his palm against the roundness of her belly just under her bust and to the side. "He kicked me." She beamed.

[Mr Dust]

A small *ahem* is heard as Mr. Dust clears his throat. When the Lupines do not seem to be paying him any attention, he does so louder. At this, they do seem to notice him. When they do, he inclines his head and tips his hat politely.

I am terribly sorry to intrude, but I fear that your compatriot was a bit rude earlier, and has not yet apologized. I would appreciate it were he to do so.

[Lariat Van-Metzger]

Lariat turned in his chair, lank hair falling across his face as he regarded Dust with a growing smirk. In a display of facetious insincerity, he pressed his palm to his heart, clearing the straggling strands of hair from his eyes with his free hand. “My deepest apologies, sir. How can I ever repay you?”