Meeting the family- SW/Quinn
Introducing Malavai Quinn to her parentshad been one thing. A quiet family outing together, some quality time with herparents over good food... her mother misbehaving, of course, but that was parfor the course. Introducing him to her extended family was quite another, fornumerous reasons. Not that Eirn didn't love her family - or at least, the partsof it willing to admit she existed. Quite the opposite, in fact, but Malavai-well, he'd never been comfortable in large crowds of strangers, and Eirn doubtedthat large crowds of strange Sith would improve it any.
It was part of the reason, though, she'dchosen the way she had; a casual, extended family reunion for the feast ofancestry, a mostly Sith tradition, and one largely used by the noble Houses asan excuse to talk themselves up. Like all things in the Empire, though, it hadfiltered downwards, with the lesser Sith lines and families - including Eirn's- having their own traditions. Their attention, though, would not be on him- not for the most part, anyway, and not in the same way it would have been ata more formal introduction.
They were back on Ziost, of course - hostedin the grounds of an estate belonging to one of Eirn's more financiallysuccessful distant cousins. Malavai had only gotten more nervous at thatthought - a Sith estate, really? - until Eirn reminded him pointedly ofthe complete lack of nobility her family had, or for that matter, wanted.
Once they were there in person, though, thebolt of terror that went through him when he realised just how many Sithwere in the grounds was tangible; there were a few other Forceblinds, and evenseveral other humans, but the majority of those present had red skin, and atleast some competence in the Force.
'It's alright,' she said, offering him asmile. 'If anything, they'll be judging me, not you.'
'That does not,' he replied, 'Make me feelmuch better, Eihn.' If anything, that thought just made him all the moredefensive.
'Just be grateful it's only father's sideof the family,' Eirn added, teasing him a little. 'I dread to think of the sortof fuss mother's side would make.' She paused, at that, adding, 'Do yourself afavour, though, and don't bring them up, or all we'll hear all night iscomplaining about the way they treated mother.'
Malavai, who was just tenser than ever atthat, glanced around the crowd - feeling all the more helplessly lost, if hisaura was anything to go by. 'They... really care?' he replied, a littledubiously.
'My grandmother makes sure of it,' Eirnreplied, sighing. 'Even when I was a kid, before dad was able to retire fromthe Service, she went out of her way to include mother and me. To make sure wewere- that everything was okay. Sith... look after their own. Mostly,' shefinished, frowning a little.
'Family is important to Sith,' he said, 'Iknow. I just hadn't expected...' his gaze, at that, flicked back to the crowd.
'It's where we come from,' Eirn replied -the slightly abstract explanation that had never convinced him. 'Where Icome from. Where our children will come from,' she added, reaching forsomething a little more personal.
The words our children had a magicaleffect on him - made that terror evaporate entirely, replacing it with a kindof giddy anticipation. It wasn't even the thought of the requisite sex,necessarily - more the idea of his legacy, her legacy, their legacy -inarguable evidence of them, forever woven into Imperial history. Into Sithhistory.
'Still,' he replied, nervousness stillbubbling through him, 'I'm not really...'
'You're my fiancé,' Eirn replied, pokinghim gently. 'That makes you family, or as good as, and it makes your family,family. So- you should probably warn your mother that they'll be invited, too,next year.'
Which did not reassure him in the slightest- the thought of repeats of the event, or - Eirn could only assume -introducing his own family to- well, just to Eirn's own parents, never mind therest of the Illte hordes.
'Come on,' she said, looping one of herarms around one of his. 'Half an hour. If you need to come out and get someair,' she added, 'I'll make an excuse for us. Deal?'
He looked at her, for a long moment -studied her, before smiling faintly to himself. 'Very well. Lead on, my lord.'