Private A Good Start

[Jacen Nimdok]

Nimdok had been on Monastery for no more than ten minutes before he heard someone say, “Excuse me. You look familiar. Have we met before?”

He looked up. An elderly woman in faded clothes, her face and hands weathered from decades’ worth of exposure to the sun and salty air of the planet’s atmosphere, had walked over to where he sat on a bench, floating her luggage with her. The spaceport around them was small, cramped, and crowded, though it was mostly travellers merely using Sanctuary as a layover or rest stop along the way to other destinations.

With a suitcase on the floor in front of him and Miri sitting beside him, Nimdok gave the old woman a polite smile even as he grimaced internally. He had expected something like this might happen, but he hadn’t thought it would happen right out of the gate. Literally—they had just disembarked from their ship. Nimdok tried to let her down gently. “Sorry to disappoint you, m’am, but I’m afraid I don’t recognize you.”

The old woman smiled down at Miri. “Oh, well—are you two visiting Monastery, or is this just a layover?” she asked, continuing to study him with interest, her gaze keen and focused. “I ask because I’ve lived here my whole life. In fact, this will be my first trip away from home.” She gestured to her luggage.

“The three of us are visiting,” he explained. “We’re waiting for… someone else.” He managed to hide the flush that automatically rose to his cheeks. It was silly to be bashful over Elise’s presence, like a teenage boy with a crush, but he hadn’t quite gotten used to having her around yet.

Luckily the old woman didn’t seem to notice. She was too busy experiencing a sudden revelation. “I know!” she exclaimed, snapping her fingers. “...But no, you can’t be. He’d be much older than you by now, as old as I am. Unless... Tell me, are you related to a man named Deronda?”

Nimdok’s heart sank. Hesitating, he replied, “Yes. I’m afraid he passed away, about ten years ago.”

“Oh.” She pursed her lips. “But you are related to him?”

“My father,” Nimdok admitted, his eyes darting as he searched the crowds for Elise. “He was my father.”

“That’s what I thought!” The old woman’s graying eyebrows rose. “He and I went to school together. We even dated at one point. My word, you look so much alike. The resemblance is very strong, I can see it.”

Somewhere inside Nimdok, the shapeshifter congratulated himself on a mimicry well done. The rest of him continued to desperately look for a way out of this situation. Should he blurt out that he needed to use the bathroom, and make a run for it? But then he might risk losing Miri in these crowds. Maybe he could try and hypnotize her? But what good would that do? He’d already admitted to being Deronda’s son...

“I don’t mean to put you on the spot like this, but you’ll find that everyone knows everybody on a planet like ours.” She glanced at her chrono, saw that she had plenty of time to chitchat, and looked up at him again. “What’s your mother’s name, if you don’t mind me asking? Is she from here as well?”

“Erm, yes. Her name was Nimue.”

“He married her?!”

Nimdok’s wandering eyes immediately snapped back onto the old woman at this sudden outburst. He raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth, only to close it again as he couldn’t think of anything to say. It was just his luck that the first encounter he would have with a Sanctuary native would be a loony old lady who had some sort of grudge against his late mother.

“I’m terribly sorry,” she said, pressing her wrinkled hand to her chest. “I just have a hard time believing it. A nice guy like Deronda marrying a… well, I better not say anything more. I don’t mean to offend you. Perhaps we better change the subject—”

But Nimdok had finally spotted Elise. “I’m sorry, I have to go,” he said, standing up and gesturing for Miri, who had her nose buried in a book, to do the same. “I hope you have a nice trip.”

If the old woman said anything else, he didn’t hear it. Slinging his bag over one shoulder and taking Miri’s hand, he marched them both over to his salvation. “Phew, I was starting to get worried. What took you so long?” Placing his free hand on her back, he started to steer his no-doubt bewildered (or perhaps bemused, depending on how much of his conversation with the old woman she had witnessed) lover out of the starport. “There’s way too many people around. Let’s get out of here…”

Elise Ike​

 

[Elise Ike]

Well, things could have been worse, at the very least it didn't devolve into fighting like it did last time, still, the relationship she had with Kurenai was rocky at best. One didn't simply forgive you for abandoning them as a child to a war torn planet and then show up 800 years later wanting to be family again like nothing had happened. At the very least the mentioning of Nimdock and a potential 'father in law' did strike the stoic women's interest.

Finally she managed to get back to Nimdok at his daughter, it would also seem that the man had be talking with an older women and things didn't look or sound to good. Not that she had any time to react no sooner herself having joined them being led out of the space port like a married couple and family. "Wait, who, why was, are they.... never mind".

Herself shaking her head a little while somewhat taking the lead, the trio boarding a speeder headed out to the more rural areas. Elise taking a seat, patting her lap a little. "Miri, want to sit on my lap and look out the window while we travel"? She offered with a smile, also patting the spot next to her for Nimdok. "The trip should be a few minutes, the village isn't to far away, then a short walk to the Dojo", she replied at the weightless feeling took over the craft as it powered up.

"Oh, also, good new Miri, her youngest daughter is there today so you will have someone to play with, just be prepared, Akari is rather... excitable". That sugar addicted kid was going to be the death of her father, so it was a good think Kurenai was basically immoral, one needed to be in order to keep that child in check.

Jacen Nimdok

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Nimdok waved his hand vaguely. "It was nothing—just a case of mistaken identity."

But he didn’t relax until the trio had piled into the speeder and taken off, the crowded spaceport being replaced by the more peaceful, less crowded countryside. He sat beside Elise in the spot she indicated, while Miri accepted the spot on Elise’s lap, happy to have a good position from which to look out the window at the changing landscape.

“The ocean!” she exclaimed upon seeing blue water below. “...I see fishes!”

“You see fish,” Nimdok gently corrected her grammar.

"The trip should be a few minutes, the village isn't too far away, then a short walk to the Dojo.”

Nimdok nodded in acknowledgement. “I believe the village isn’t far from where my parents lived. I’ve never been there myself, but I remember the name of the town and some of the landmarks they mentioned. Perhaps while we’re here, I should visit the area.” Preferably in another guise, if only to prevent encountering anyone else like the old woman at the spaceport.

“Are there Melodies in the ocean?” Miri asked, tapping her finger against the window as she pointed. “If there are, I want to meet them.”

Nimdok cracked a smile. His daughter had become obsessed with the sea and any creatures and wildlife pertaining to it; after reading several children’s books about mermaids, she had been delighted to discover that a similar alien race actually existed somewhere in the galaxy. “The Melodies are native to Yavin 8,” he explained. “That’s one of the habitable moons of Yavin Prime. We’re quite far away from there.”

Miri pouted. “We should’ve gone there instead.”

"Oh, also, good news Miri, her youngest daughter is there today so you will have someone to play with, just be prepared, Akari is rather... excitable.”

Nimdok’s smirk faltered. He considered his words carefully before speaking, keeping his tone light. “Ah, I’ve been meaning to ask, are Kurenai and Akari also energy vampires? Or, that is, do they have the same eating habits as you?”

He wasn’t sure of the exact heritage of Elise’s children and grandchildren. So far she had spoken very little about her late husband, whether he had been an energy vampire as well or some other species. Nimdok figured he ought to at least know what they ate before meeting them, if only to avoid making mistakes or risking offending someone at their very first meeting.

Elise Ike​

 

[Elise Ike]

If he lived nearby that would make sense why the old women mistook him. "Well I doubt much would have changes, maybe some old damage, I here that when the CIS took over it was due to some monsters or something". "Half the reason why my daughter made the Dojo was to teach people her basic self defense in the even said beast returned". It was quite the noble goal, one that she kept too even with their home world now being in CIS hands and Kurenai herself being stationed on Atrisia.

Her line of thought was interrupted at Miri's excitement of the ocean, something that she herself didn't find interesting but had to remember that the small child on her lap probably had spent most of her short life staring at metal walls and less nature. "Even if they are not native to this planet you never know if some migrated here, the CIS despite is past forms is a bastion of freedom, I could easily see a few Melodies coming here to escape the first order". Even if said order killed itself when no longer having any outward enemies to face.

It was a long shot but seeing the bright smile across Miri's face was worth it, though Nimdosk expression had quite the opposite effect. It was fortunate his answer was very amusing. "Oh, yes Kurenai is the same as me, but she has had many years to control her urges, considering she married a normal human and he isn't ahem, 'turned' it's clear that she can keep her manners". How those two came to be together remained a mystery even to the women's children.

"As for Akari, you don't have to worry, she doesn't know about herself being a 'you know what' yet, to be honest I think her lust for sweets is kind of a stop gap of sorts, replacing the need to 'feed' in some manner". From what she had gathered in meeting her daughter it was an attempt to raise Akari as normally as possible, something that the elder members of the family had not been granted. Though both of Kurenai's eldest children had turned out fine, both knights in the Silver Jedi their lack of a proper childhood had scared each in some small way.... for the eldest daughter that was physically literal.

As their conversation continue the speeder began to slow down, buildings of the village zipping from either side before coming to a full stop. The area looking fairly typical aside from a clearly new pathway leading to the nearby hills. Even from here the top of the Dojo sticking out from behind the nearby forest. "We have arrived".

Jacen Nimdok

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Nimdok raised an eyebrow. “Monsters? Here?”

He supposed it was possible. Although what kind of monsters, he didn’t know. He’d never heard of the CIS encountering such creatures on this world. Come to think of it, he hadn’t known the CIS was in charge either. Well, he must have guessed it somewhere at the back of his mind, but it didn’t properly sink in until he set foot in the spaceport and had seen their symbols on every holoscreen. Not that he minded, of course. One faction was just like another so long as he didn’t have to suffer under tyranny…

Nodding with poorly disguised relief as Elise answered his burning questions, he replied, “Good. I mean, not that I was afraid or anything. I merely wanted to… make sure that I was prepared for anything that might come up beforehand.” He cleared his throat and looked away, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Smooth, real smooth.

“I like sweets,” Miri chirped, grinning at her father.

“Of course you do.” Nimdok rolled his eyes heavenward in over-exaggerated exasperation. “Just don’t eat too much. I don’t want you getting sick.”

“How much is too much?”

He shrugged. “It depends on what it is. Look, if it’s bigger than your hand, it’s probably too much.”

“Cotton candy is bigger than my hand,” she protested. “But it disappears in my mouth, so it doesn't count.”

“It doesn’t disappear, it dissolves. Or melts, I should say.”

Miri bobbed her head in agreement with this assessment. “One time, I saw a video of a raccoon that stole some cotton candy and tried to wash it in water, but it melted. The raccoon was looking for it in the water, but it couldn’t find it…” She imitated the raccoon’s desperate cotton candy-seeking gestures with her hands.

Nimdok was wheezing with laughter when the speeder came to a stop. He couldn’t see much more than the roof of the dojo through the trees. “Ah, so we have,” he remarked, stifling his mirth. As soon as the speeder doors unlocked, he opened them and stepped out. The warm, humid air smelled of the forest—plants, trees, wildflowers and recently disturbed earth. There was a faint aroma of ozone, too. Either it had rained earlier, or it would rain soon.

Reaching inside the speeder, he lifted Miri off of Elise’s lap and set her down. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she took off running and skipping across the grass. Clearly she had not appreciated being cooped up in the starship and then in the speeder. Once she was able to move around, there was no stopping her.

“Don’t wander too far!” he called out to her. Turning his attention to Elise, he offered her his hand as she got out of the vehicle. “I take it we won’t be disturbing anyone at this hour?...” he asked, his voice trailing off softly. His touch lingered on Elise’s white hand, his gaze tracing over her long elegant fingers and sharp nails.

Elise Ike​

 

[Elise Ike]

She could only give a small shrug at the comment of monsters. It had happened a while back and at that point she wasn’t even aware her daughter was still alive. What ever the case there didn’t seem to be any problems and if there was the CIS could handle it.

A small chuckle arose from her mouth as she stepped down from the speeder, watching as Miri ran through the village. “I can understand your slight fear, most of our ‘kind’ are not usually so civil”. “Our family is quite different and we have had time to adept”. That didn’t mean they were not still deadly, just more in control of who they point their fangs at.

Sliding her hand down she wrapped her fingers into his, a slightly sly smile creeping onto her face. “Perhaps you should meet your new step daughter before suggesting anything else”. Actually that was an interesting point, in a sense Kurenai and Miri were now sisters. Oh this was gong to be fun.

With a slightly sinister giggle Elise began to pull Nimdok along with her towards the stairs. “Miri come along now, shouldn’t keep our hosts waiting”. Herself slowly ascending each step with her new partner, the complex walls soon coming into view behind the trees dotting the way.

“Well, here we are”

Jacen Nimdok

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

“I’m not afraid,” Nimdok protested. “I just want to be… accommodating to your family.”

Miri stopped when she heard Elise call to her, but she didn’t move from her spot until her father gestured for her to follow. While she seemed fairly comfortable with Elise, she certainly wasn’t going to obey orders from her. Not yet, anyway.

Elise slipping her hand into his brought such a pleasant sensation, it took Nimdok several seconds before the implication of her words actually sunk in: Your new stepdaughter?

Before Nimdok could clarify, Arimanes’s voice spoke in his mind.

<What is she talking about? We’re not married. We’re not even engaged.>

“My new stepdaughter?” Nimdok echoed with a chuckle, pushing Arimanes’ presence down to the bottom of his consciousness. “I don’t know how things are done on Atrisia, but where I’m from Kurenai wouldn’t be considered my stepdaughter until you and I are married.”

<I will not marry her. And I won’t let you marry her either.>

<Why not?>

<Because—for one thing, this isn’t your body, it’s mine. You’re only in here until Miri comes of age. If you marry Elise, once you leave I’ll be stuck with her!>

<Weren’t you the one who wanted her in the first place?> When there was no response from Arimanes, Nimdok gave him a mental nudge. <Come on, Ari. She’s beautiful, she’s smart, and she certainly likes you a lot. There’s a lot of potential here.>

<She doesn’t love me, you moron. She loves you. You’re the one who seduced her. And don't call me Ari.>

<Oh, was it really all me? I seem to remember there being a voice in my head approving all my words and actions, egging me on—and then shoving me out of the way as soon as she gave you that first kiss. The way I see it, I’ve just been helping you with your love life. The passion you feel for her certainly isn’t coming from me.>

Of course, Nimdok showed no outward signs of this internal argument raging within his mind. To Elise, he would merely seem to be deep in thought as he walked beside her into the compound, still holding her hand in his.

<I don’t get it. What’s stopping you?>

<Plenty of things. You know all about it, so don’t play dumb.>

<I don’t know of anything that would prevent you from actually committing to her... Are you afraid? It’s not so bad. I’ve been married before.>

<But you weren’t living like this then, blast it!> Arimanes’ frustration was directed more at himself than at Nimdok. <It’s different for me. Much different. I’m not used to… relationships. Not like this.>

<I noticed. I think Elise has, too. You should give her more credit.>

<But you’re not… you won’t have to live with the consequences if it doesn't work out. Don’t you get it? It won’t work. Things are difficult enough as it is without a marriage complicating things. If it's doomed to fail, why bother in the first place?>

<You don’t know that. And you’ll never know if you don’t try.>

“Well, here we are.”

The sound of Elise’s voice silenced Arimanes and brought Nimdok back to reality. Miri, who had been scurrying along a little ways behind them, now hurried to her father’s side and seized his other hand. “There are new people inside,” she said, meaning strangers.

“Don’t be shy,” Nimdok replied, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “It’s the good kind of new people. Everything will be fine.” He hoped everything would be fine, at least...

Elise Ike​

 

[Elise Ike]

"We are Atriaian, we are the ones that are accommodating if anything else", even herself with the whole ideal that she was older and superior above most of the people in the galaxy kept the customs of being polite in mind when meeting others... usually. "What I am saying is don't worry, Kurenai can handle anything thrown at her, be it mother hood or a nuclear blast". That latter part not really being an exaggeration if her stories about dying in via a reactor blast melt down and time rewinding was to be believed.

Her eyes occasionally drifted to Jacen Nimdok as the gate came closer, though she could see his face and body all calm something seemed off. It was hard to say but being alive for so long gut feeling often tapped you on the shoulder to say 'something else is going on'. What ever it was Elise had to put in on hold as no sooner had her hand reached out to knock did the door slam open, a small child leaping from the gap into the vampires arms.

"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAANYYYYYYY!!!!!!!" that child was no other then the sugar hyped Akari, her arms tightly squeezing around Elise like a vice grip. "Yes- hello Akair-, please let go- I can't breath"! One problem about not knowing her vampire heritage was that Akari tended to not know her own strength sometimes. While nothing to be worries about she could give monsters hugs that could almost put a young Wookie to shame.

With a giddy smile the small girl popped down, looking to Nimdock all wide eyes, "are you my new grandfather"? She continued to stare before another person approached, grasping the young child and holding them to her chest, a slightly exasperated look on their face. "Akari, please, I may not be getting older fast but at least try to slow down once in a while". Kurenai was dressed in her usual white and blue Hakama, her gaze sifting from her mother and Nimdok, with a bland look, her eyebrow perking up upon spying Miri.

"Well it is nice to see you arrive, please come in, I've made tea". Turning around she lead the trio into the court yard, putting Akari down who promptly wandered over to Miri, "hello, I'm Akari, and you"? While the two children began to talk Elise leaned in towards Nimdoks ear, "don't worry, she is mainly cross with me, give it a day or two and she will warm up".

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Miri squealed in startled surprise when Akari leaped through the door and nearly tackled Elise. Nimdok flinched as Elise protested that she couldn’t breathe, but then heard his daughter giggling at the scene, her uncertainty and shyness evidently gone.

Akari was absolutely adorable, like a living porcelain doll complete with ribbons in her dark hair. She turned her enormous blue eyes on Nimdok, the very portrait of youthful innocence, and he found it almost impossible to believe that the girl had any trace of vampiric lineage in her.

"Are you my new grandfather?”

“Possibly,” Nimdok replied without skipping a beat, smiling warmly at Akari. “If you’re a good girl, that is.” It was hard to say anything other than 'yes, please, call me Grandpa Nimdok' to such a cute face. Of course, she wasn’t as cute as Miri, though Nimdok was automatically biased in his daughter’s favor.

His attention was drawn to Kurenai as she exited the house. Sunlight made the slightly bluish tint in her black hair visible; unusual, but too subtle to be anything other than natural. Her pale blue eyes were keen and searching, like a hunter scanning for prey or a sentry watching for the enemy. Nimdok managed to avoid staring at either her ample assets or her washboard abs, though he had to crane his neck slightly to meet her gaze—she was taller than he was. Her lack of expression and mannerisms gave away very little, but she didn’t seem at all impressed by him, though Miri’s presence at least made her raise an eyebrow.

"Well it is nice to see you arrive, please come in, I've made tea."

With that, she turned her back on them and headed into the courtyard. Nimdok deflated a little. Great. Just what he needed, an icy potential future stepdaughter who couldn't even be bothered to properly introduce herself to them.

"Don't worry, she is mainly cross with me, give it a day or two and she will warm up.”

One corner of Nimdok’s mouth curled upwards in a smirk at Elise's explanation. “I’m sure,” he said, using the close proximity to plant a kiss on her cheek.

Miri meanwhile was having a more difficult time. Shy and timid by nature, she was overwhelmed by the other little girl’s hyperactive and outgoing behavior. It didn’t help matters that one of her front teeth was loose and likely to fall out soon, though she didn’t know when it would happen. She hated not knowing when things were going to happen...

"Hello, I'm Akari, and you?”

“Hi Akari, my name is Miri,” she mumbled her reply, mustering up a nervous smile. Following the adults, she dragged her feet as she walked, her shoulders hunched and her arms folded tightly over her chest. She didn’t really know what else to say, so she blurted out, “Um, do you like mermaids?”

Elise Ike​

 

[Elise Ike]

She couldn't help but chuckle at Akari's words and Nimdoks reply, unless you were some heartless monster with no redeeming qualities you wouldn't be able to say no to such a small marshmallow of a girl. Just imagine if she had the power to use force persuade, even the Sith Emperor would think twice about rejecting any offer given by the tiny being.

Her gaze shifted from Akari to her daughter as she approached, then to Jacen Nimdok , gaging his reaction to the stoic women. Once again she had an idea of what the man was thinking about Kurenai, though this was more due to everyone having the exact same reaction. Be if close family friends or the run of the mill solider she commanded.

Thankfully the short sour mood was put away as she felt her cheek being kissed by the man, her almost pale face washing with a bit of red as she linked arms with him walking into the court yard and towards the main building. "One think I should say is that Kurenai is quite good at tea making, not just our type, most around the galaxy, so if you want something sweat and brown this time around". She remarked with a coy smile, all the while the two children continued to chatter.

To say Akari was having fun with someone around her age was quite the understatement, the only thing keeping her from bombarding Miri with a thousand question being the promise of cake if she behaved from mother. That and the question posed by Nimdoks daughter that got her to stop and think for a few moments. "Hmm mermaids? No, what are they? Maids for Mers? But what are Mers"? It was a line of thought that had her tiny brain in over drive.

The group soon reaching the front of the simple homestead, Kurenai opening the door and ushering in the newcomers. "Have a seat where ever you wish".

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

"One thing I should say is that Kurenai is quite good at tea making, not just our type, most around the galaxy, so if you want something sweet and brown this time around.”

He chuckled to himself, remembering the first time he had visited Elise’s home and the odd look she had given him during tea. His behavior then must’ve certainly seemed strange, devouring all the cookies to mask the bitter taste of the tea she had served him. “Yes, well, I never was much of a tea drinker, but if she is indeed a tea connoisseur, then I’m sure she’ll have something I’ll enjoy.”

Nimdok’s gaze wandered as they walked arm in arm, taking in the Dojo. Part training grounds and part private residence, it balanced out nicely between the two, serving the needs of both school and home. "This is a lovely place," he said, directing the compliment at Kurenai. "Did you build it, or...?"

Whether Kurenai answered him or not, his attention was drawn toward the two girls as they conversed, mostly because the word “mermaid” had reached his ears, but also partly because he wanted to make sure the two were getting along. Miri had launched into a full-blown lecture reminiscent of her father’s long-winded history lessons, eager to tell Akari all about her favorite thing in the whole universe.

“Mermaids are ladies who have a tail like a fish instead of legs and feet. They live in the ocean and can do magic sometimes. And they always have really long hair that swishes in the water, and they don’t wear clothes because they’d just get wet. There are real mermaids called Melodies, but they all live on a moon called Yavin 8. They start out looking like people when they’re born, and they walk around on land, but when they get older their legs turn into tails and they have to live in the water. Oh, and um, the man mermaids are called mermen. And when they die they turn into sea foam, I think.”

By the time she finished, they were already inside the house. Since Kurenai had said they could sit wherever they wished, Nimdok headed for a sofa that could seat two people, bringing Elise with him. He set his bag on the floor beside it and sat down.

Miri shifted her backpack off her shoulders and placed it beside her father’s. The purple dye which had colored it had faded to a dull grayish hue, and it was covered in peeling stickers, scratched button pins, and old keychains. It had been through quite a lot over the past few months. Next to it, Nimdok’s leather bag looked equally worn out and beat up, though he had likely bought it that way in the interest of saving money.

Still holding her book in her hand, Miri climbed up onto the seat across from Nimdok and Elise. Once she was settled, her feet dangled in the air above the floor, clad in child-sized sneakers. She looked uncertainly at her father, afraid she would be made to sit while the grown-ups talked about boring grown-up stuff.

Nimdok picked up on it at once. “Would you like to go play with Akari?” he prompted.

“Ummm.” She tilted her head back and paused, carefully considering the question for all of two seconds, then nodded enthusiastically. “Okay.”

And just like that, she was clambering back down off the seat. Nimdok reached over and picked up her discarded datapad as she ran to catch up with the other little girl. “Does Akari have any other siblings? Besides Sky'ito, I mean. Elise already mentioned her." Again, he directed his question at the stoic Kurenai, not wanting to let whatever bad blood lay between her and Elise stop him from being friendly. Besides, he had an interest in genealogy, and the Ike family fascinated him. Their longevity made him wonder how far their influence may have spread beyond Atrisia. Kurenai, as an active player in the CIS, seemed to have reached the farthest beyond her clan's place of origin, and no doubt her children would stretch out even further in time.

Elise Ike​

 

[Kurenai Yumi]

Even in this very modern era the Atirisan tea ceremony was still practiced a lot and her daughter upon reconnecting with her family indevoured to catch up on all the cultural aspects she missed over the last 500 years. "There will also be sweat, Akari is a guarantee of that", were anything's surgery was Akari wasn't far behind.

Upon entering Kurenai went into the kitchen soon returned with a tray carrying the varying tea and sweets, placing them on the table in the center of the lounge room, looking to Jacen Nimdok as he posed the question. "I didn't build it on my own, the CIS assisted in the construction as this is technically speaking a facility used for the Obsidian Knight Order". Some students learning to know more advanced martial arts often came here to train though due to her new station on Atrisia the complex didn't get used as much and was now more a second home for the Yumi family then anything else.

While that was taking place Akari was fully concentrated on Miri's speech about fish people, wide eyed with an expression of amazement plastered across her face. If that wasn't evidence enough of her enthusiasm the fact the small devil hadn't leaped onto the plate of cakes sitting on the table yet showed how vested she was into these mermaids. "Wooow, mum mum, we have to go there sometime to see them"!

A small sigh left Kurenai's mouth as she turned around and throw a cookie towards Akari, "I will think about it, but I can't guarantee anything". Even she couldn't give a direct no to the cute marshmallow. Akari eagerly chomped down the small snack before giving a woopie and running out back into the courtyard, followed by Miri a few seconds later. Left along with her mother and Nimdok Kurenai's eyes gazed over the couple, noting how, cuddly the two were being.

"Well it is nice to see that your 'relationship' seems to be quite mutral, to be honest when I heard mother had found another man to be with I almost assume she had you under some spell or what not, but seeing you in person has dispelled that thought". Being married herself she could see if a couple had feelings for each other and with Elise and Nimdok there were certainly sparks. "As for Akari, she has several siblings, Sky as you have mentioned, Tana the eldest son along with Hayato, the youngest, almost a year old now". She replied, pouring some green tea out for herself and Elise on the center table.

"There is also Kiso, but she is adopted in a sense I sort of raised that one during my life as a mercenary, though I am well old enough to be her mother I didn't tell her about me being a vampire at the time, so our relationship was more sister like then anything else". "Regardless she is still a family member.. sorry I'm rambling". Talking about her children was one of the few things Kurenai was quite patinate about and with good reason. All were quite accomplished warriors in the Silver Jedi by now even if all of them had very muddled pasts.

"Aww you are so cute when you talk about family, I can see why Tekeshi fell for you", Elise chimed in, causing a slightly wave of embarrassment to wash over the usually stoic women. "Ah yes, but following on, does Miri have anyone else? or is it just you Nimdok... or should I be saying dad"?

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

"I didn't build it on my own, the CIS assisted in the construction as this is technically speaking a facility used for the Obsidian Knight Order.”

“The Obsidian Knight Order—is that the CIS division of the Jedi?” Nimdok asked. He knew very little about the CIS’s inner workings, mostly because he hadn’t traveled much within their borders. This trip to Monastery was a first for him.

"Well it is nice to see that your 'relationship' seems to be quite mutual, to be honest when I heard mother had found another man to be with I almost assumed she had you under some spell or what not, but seeing you in person has dispelled that thought.”

The frankness with which Kurenai spoke forced Nimdok to fight back a burst of laughter, though he actually found the implications of her words somewhat worrying. “I take it you putting men under spells is a common occurrence, then?” he asked, his tone half-joking as he glanced at Elise.

Sky and Tana were either teenagers or young adults from the sound of it, while Akari and Hayato were still little kids. And an adopted relative, Kiso, on top of all that. “You must have your hands full,” he remarked. “Though I can certainly see the appeal of having a large family, especially if you live in a house like this with plenty of room.”

"Aww you are so cute when you talk about family, I can see why Tekeshi fell for you."

"Ah yes, but following on, does Miri have anyone else? Or is it just you Nimdok... or should I be saying Dad?”

Kurenai’s question, though basically the same as the one he had asked her, made Nimdok hesitate for a few moments. Finally, he answered, “Just Miri. I would’ve had a son, but he was never born. He and my wife both died in a transporter accident. We knew he was a boy, but hadn’t decided on a name for him yet. I wanted to call him Magnus, but she insisted it was too heavy a name for a little boy, even if he eventually grew into it. She wanted to name him Pernicar, after an old Jedi Master.”

His voice was quieter than it had been, but otherwise there was nothing dramatic about his delivery of this sad news. He’d had time to come to terms with his grief and move on. The awkward effect his response would have on the conversation wasn’t lost on him, however, and he was quick to add, “That was years ago, when Miri was very young. I’m sure they’re in a better place now.”

In fact, he knew—he’d gone to that better place with them, killed in the same accident. He had come back for Miri’s sake, but it had pained him to leave Bithia and their son behind. Returning to the world of the living after you had already become one with the Force, experiencing the completeness and peacefulness of the afterlife, was far from easy. He had been afraid too, not sure how safe they would be without him. His knowledge of the Sith meant that he was all too aware of necromancy and the looming possibility that their souls would be called back from the dead and bound to some vile purpose, much like Miri had been taken from the orphanage and experimented on...

“As for what you should call me,” he continued, taking a deep breath to clear his mind of these dark thoughts. “You can call me Dad if you want, or just Nimdok. Either works. Whatever you're comfortable with.”

Kurenai Yumi​

 

[Elise Ike]

"Sort of, it is the CIS order of Force users, though it is quite diverse and I wouldn't equate it to the Jedi or Sith". with most words under the CIS being self goverened with Jedi, Sith and everything in between under one roof said order had varying chapters for those wishing to be taught in the light dark or more grey aspects of the force.

As the comment about Elise's use of the force came through she had to shy away a little with a slightly guilty look on her face. "I won't deny that I may have used it quite a bit in the past to get what I want, but rest assured I've not done anything to you, such actions usually require me to bite you or do a long winded spell".

"That is unless you count that time in the manor as a spell". Her voice clearly playful, the notion also getting a reaction from Kurenai, the daughter almost spitting out her tea, coughing a bit before getting composed once again. "Ahem, that aside I do have the odd problem, raising Sky and Tana wasn't very easy, not with my work and all, and Kiso was independent for quite some time herself". "Though now things are easier, we have a stable home with servant and most of my children are 18 and older, full fledged adults". After all if the republic allowed 14 year old's to fight in the clone wars she was certain fast healing vampires with more years of training would be more then capable of handling themselves in the galaxy.

Elise leaned over to gasp her cup as well as a cake as Jacen Nimdok explained his family situation, both women giving a small understanding nod. All of them had lose friends and family over the years, Kurenai more then any, being an active solider in many of the wars following the start of the rebellion. "Well, you are here now and that is what matters, it may not be perfect but she has a capable father who looks out for her, more that I can say for some others...".

At that Elise felt another pang of guilt, her eyes drifting over to Kurenai this time, the two locking eyes for a short movement before the daughter gave a small wave. "What is in in the past stays there, it's been over 800 years mother, you still have a lot to make up but no need to feel guilty, from what I understand from grandmother that sort of stuff used to be normal among us vampires". "We should strive to become close again and make a family that our decedents can rely on with need for petty fighting.... wouldn't you agree dad"?

It was a little odd to say but he words rung true, both families had suffered much in the past, and right now both had a chance to mend things and start anew. Kurenai with a father, for Miri to have siblings and for Elise to once again be with someone. Not the most orthodox family around but considering Kiso along with another 'private' matter it wouldn't seem that out of place. "Awww that is sweet of you Abigale~".

And with that the magic was gone, Kurenai blushing once more as she strode out of the room, Elise laughing loudly at the teasing act and her daughter immature response. "You had one job mother and your blew it"!

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

“Ah yes, of course.” The CIS was known for including both Jedi and Sith among their ranks. He should’ve known better than to use Jedi as a catch-all term, but it was a force of habit.

The look on Elise’s face confirmed Kurenai’s statement to be true. Her guilty expression was sort of cute, however, and Nimdok saw no reason to hold it against her. She was changing. They all were. And for the most part, the changes seemed to be for the better.

With his arm draped around Elise’s shoulders, he idly traced circles on her soft skin with his fingertip. “You didn’t have to cast a spell on me to make me fall in love with you,” he practically purred in her ear, then remembered that the two of them weren’t the only people in the room. While Kurenai coughed after nearly spitting out her tea, he released his hold on Elise in order to lean forward and take a cup and one of the cakes for himself. This time the tea wasn’t half so bitter, or perhaps he was better prepared for the taste.

"Well, you are here now and that is what matters, it may not be perfect but she has a capable father who looks out for her, more than I can say for some others..."

Nimdok gave them both a look of appreciation, but he didn’t say anything. Truth be told, he actually considered himself something of a failure when it came to fatherhood. One of his deeply held fears was that Miri would be taken away from him, and there would be nothing he could do to get her back. Or worse, that she would suffer for his mistakes. After all, his need to always have her by his side meant that he had brought her along on dangerous missions. He’d never deliberately taken her into a warzone, but there had been a few close calls. He looked up from his tea to find Elise and Kurenai had locked eyes.

"What is in the past stays there, it's been over 800 years Mother, you still have a lot to make up but no need to feel guilty, from what I understand from Grandmother that sort of stuff used to be normal among us vampires. We should strive to become close again and make a family that our descendants can rely on without the need for petty fighting.... wouldn't you agree, Dad?”

“Certainly,” Nimdok replied with a small smirk. ‘Dad‘ it was, then. As Elise had predicted, Kurenai seemed to be warming up to them, letting bygones be bygones. Nimdok thought he may have even unwittingly opened a door for mother and daughter to truly reconcile.

But Elise ‘ruined’ the moment by mentioning what sounded like a name, Abigale. At once Kurenai flushed with embarrassment, cried, "You had one job Mother and you blew it!” then left the room. Bewildered, Nimdok turned to the laughing Elise and raised an eyebrow. “What was that all about?”

Elise Ike​

 

[Elise Ike]

A few tears of laughter rolled down Elise's face as Kurenai put her head against the wall in the next room, no doubt hiding from the embarrassments. A few more second passing before she turned to face the confused Jacen Nimdok . "You know how I have a basic name instead of a typical Atrisian one? That is because I lived most of my life away from my home world and the same with Kurenai". "When she was born I kept with the basic names, Abigale is the one I gave her at birth".

"It's usually a secret she likes to keep and only tells those who are close to her, just goes to show that even though she is almost 900 years old she still has a lot of maturing to do". Speaking of which, if they were on the subject of names. "As for moi, you can also call me Emiko if you want, that is my Atrisian name, but honey also works just as well".

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Well, that explained it. Nimdok cast a mild glance toward the doorway Kurenai had disappeared through. “In some cultures, names hold great power,” he remarked bemusedly.

"As for moi, you can also call me Emiko if you want, that is my Atrisian name, but honey also works just as well."

Elise and Abigale. Emiko and Kurenai. “I have another name too,” he said, speaking loud enough that Kurenai could hear from the other room. “Arimanes Bosch. When I was a child, everyone called me Ari…” He smirked, meeting Elise’s eyes. “I don’t reveal my other name to just anyone, so I understand Kurenai’s embarrassment. But ‘a rose by any other name would smell as sweet’, as they say. Right, Emiko?”

Though Elise had told him her Atrisian name willingly, he wasn’t merely exercising his right to speak it aloud. With the power of his voice behind it, Emiko became more than a mere word. He’d turned it into silk and honey, teasing, soothing, tantalizing, and full of subtle suggestion. If Kurenai could hear it, she’d probably shudder and think twice before going back into the room with those two...

“Daddy!”

Startled, Nimdok blinked and broke eye contact with Elise. He hadn’t heard the door open, but now he heard the door close and Miri’s hurried footsteps as she re-entered the room. She ran over to the couch and thrust out her hand. “My tooth fell out!”

Her pronunciation of "tooth" now sounded more like "toof" thanks to the loss. She opened her clenched fist and they all saw that it was true. At the center of her palm was one of her two front teeth. Nimdok stared at it, then looked up at his little girl, who was gingerly poking at the newly formed gap between her remaining baby teeth with her tongue.

“Does it hurt? Is it bleeding?” he asked.

“Nah... I could taste metal a little bit when it came out. But it didn’t hurt that badly.”

“It just popped right out?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Um, Akari said I should tie a string around it and then tie the string around a doorknob and slam the door to pull it out. But I said no, I didn't wanna do that." She looked slightly guilty. "I think it came out 'cause I kept wiggling it around, though. Am I supposed to do that?”

“That's fine, Miri,” Nimdok said, struggling to keep a straight face. Her newly acquired faint lisp was killing him. “Would you like to keep it?”

“Yeah. Um…” She looked at her backpack, her father’s bag, then all around the room. “...I don’t know where to put it. Also, I would like some ice water please."

Elise Ike​

 

[Kurenai Yumi]

"Well it is true for us that you usually call someone by their last name with an honorific like Sama, San and things like that, but seeing as we are more 'family' now such a matter is trivial". If the two had met elsewhere Elise or Kurenai would probably be using Ike or their other last names, Herself going by Dr Dixson most days and how she had first greeted Jacen Nimdok .

She leaned her head against Nimdok as he told his own tails and name, a small chuckle coming from Elise as said name hit her ears. "Ari, no offense honey but that sounds rather much like a girls name, well to me anyways, I know different cultures have different names". Her own language wasn't free from feminine sounding names that were indeed used for men. Still, nothing wrong with poking a little fun at the man, he was a grown up.

Before anymore teasing could take place both women looked towards the now present Miri, Elise covering her hand to smother a laugh at Akari's antics while Kurenai simple sighed. "I should not have told her that story, it was one time and in the middle of a fire fight, not many dentists around and Kiso was a tough cookie". On the plus side the whole tooth issue had seem to resolve the stoic women's embarrassment, herself coming out of the kitchen calm once more, holding a pitcher of water, pouring a glass for her step sister... that would be strange to say.

"Here you are Miri".

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

“Oh, I always hated being called Ari. It was more of a pet name than anything else.”

With Miri’s request for water fulfilled by Kurenai, Nimdok took the girl’s baby tooth and put it away. “Kiso—is she Atrisian as well?” The name sounded like it might be. “How exactly did you meet her?”

While the adults talked, Miri sipped her water quietly. It was clear she was eager to get back to playing with Akari. When the glass was a little less than half drunk, she abandoned it on the kitchen counter and ran back outside.

Kurenai Yumi​

 

[Elise Ike]

"OH a pet name hmmm? Well I think I may have some use for that". Elise contained to tease, poking her potential husband in the ribs a little while observing Kurenai's parietal skill in action, all the while the small Akari poked her head from the side of the door, awaiting the return of her aunt in law to keep playing. Her mother sitting back down as Jacen Nimdok posed the question of Kiso's origin.

"She is indeed, med her during the one Sith wars a few decades ago, her family was a military one, so it wasn't to surprising that her parent died in action". "I still don't know the full story but one way or another she wound up in the mercenary group I ran with, was about 9 I think at the time". A lot of time had passed since then but to Kurenai it was almost if those events had just happened last month.

"Being from Atrisia myself I was 'voted' to keep care of her, the boss probably thinking if we found her family we could get a nice reward, but as you can probably tell that never happened". "Some ideas were posed to drop her off at some Alliance base but Kiso wanted to fight, she knew the basic of combat already and with my teaching became quite the good fighter".