A young woman sat in the corner booth of a diner, slowly stirring her metal cup of coffee with a thin spoon. She looked around, patient yet silently anxious. The floor was a black and white checker pattern, the ceiling was gray, fluorescent lights sat above every booth, held up at each corner by thin metal wire. The walls were covered in various posters, each depicting different movies and games. The restaurant itself was a model replica of a 1990's parlor, something about the place was inherently calming, despite her having never left the planet she sat on.
She looked out the window and placed her head in her hand. The street was bustling with activities, bright lights painting the scenery on the vast canvas beyond the glass, it was raining lightly, streaks of water racing down the window at various rates. She could see one of this planets moons far out in the distant sky, covered in what looked like massive nails, she knew though, in reality, they were in fact massive human farms. She felt the beginnings of guilt pull at her heart strings, it felt wrong that she and everyone her benefitted so eagerly from the suffering of millions. She had no way to know what was going on in those behemoths of steel, but she could feel it in her soul that it was wrong.
She saw her reflection for a brief moment in the window. Her skin was a very light blue, with sharp ends of scales at her elbows and shoulders. Her hair was pulled back into thick, green dreads that fell to her shoulders, just brushing her thin, white tank-top. Her eyes were akin to that of a snakes, they were yellow and piercing, covered in a protective layer called a brille.
She leaned back in her seat and let her head fall back against the leather. She was, simply put, absolutely bored. Her friend was running late by a pretty generous amount. While she valued her patience, it was finite.
As she was about to stand up to leave, she heard the door behind her open, the bell attached to the frame above it jingling lightly as the door brushed it. She turned and saw a tall, fiery headed woman step into the shop; she was adorned in a polished white armor that covered her breasts and stomach, at the arms it split off into a thick red fabric that then became thick, white leather gloves. She looked to her left and then eventually right, finally spotting the woman in the corner booth. She turned over to the short, homogenous blob of slime that ran the shop and hastily signed to it, requesting a coffee for herself.
She walked across the checkered floor and eventually sat down across from her amphibious friend. She flicked her ginger hair out of her eyes and crossed her arms, waiting.
"You called me out here and were late Helena?"
Helena rolled her blue eyes, pulled the thick gloves off her sleek, tanned hands and began tapping rhythmically on the table. She didn't speak so the other woman continued.
"Is this important to you?"
Finally Helena spoke, her red lips releasing a cold sigh.
"Nadene, I don't even know what this is."
Nadene pushed her hands up to her hair and slowly massaged her scalp.
"What do you mean?"
Helena stopped tapping her hands and once again crossed her arms.
"I just think it's wasteful."
Nadene stopped rubbing and looked at her, a snarl peeling across her lips.
"You think this relationship is wasteful?"
Helena shrugged, her armor squeaking lightly against the cold leather.
"At our core, we are inherently animals, we exist to eat, sleep, fuck, and eventually die. This 'relationship' as you call it is just wasteful, this is a luxury born of comfort at best."
Nadene shook her head, her green dread scratching lightly against her shoulders. Helena, becoming slightly aggravated, slammed her hand on the table.
"My people are dying out, we are going extinct and I can't help but feel guilty for indulging in our fantasy, I feel so wrong for turning my back on my people!"
A silence settled in the room in the aftermath of Helena's outburst. After a couple of minutes of awkward silence, Nadene spoke quietly, almost as if she were whispering.
"That isn't your burden to bear, Helena."
Helena sighed, after a couple of moments the slime rolled over, balancing the coffee on a plate atop his head. Helena grabbed the mug and silently nodded to the creature. She sat there staring at the cup, warming her hands, after a few moments she spoke.
"My parents were extremely poor, they gave everything they had to send me to this planet, to make a life for myself. Unlike you I can't throw away that kindness."
Nadene felt tears well up in her eyes at the cruel statement, she didn't say a word and stood up, she turned and walked to the door, pushing it open. Helena didn't stop her, and watched her leave. She stared at the coffee for a couple minutes before pushing it away. She wasn't thirsty anymore.