Come Home, Dear Children

[Liliane]

"Nothing interesting from my side."

She looked at the cooking stew to keep her eyes something to do while she was thinking. Indeed, she had not been up to many interesting things and at that moment, she didn't even remember the few things she had done. Perhaps she was truly a boring person?

"Most of the time, I'm adventuring. Nothing intriguing, though. Just some plain wandering around."

Her eyes then moved from the pot to Vindi, then to Merikh and finally stopped on Vitor.

"I found myself a part-time job. I'm a cashier in a bookshop."

That was practically doing nothing, because she only had to work once a week and most of that time, droids about a half of the work she should have done. But that brought her all the money she wanted, adding a little bit to the money she received from home every month.

"But I think Vindi has been up to something interesting."

 

[Onrai]

[member="Lilin Imperieuse"]

"Not much..." Vindi nodded. "I have no idea what I'll be doing in time, only that I hope it to be big." He took over pot-stirring duties as Vitor himself turned to look at his three children.

"All of you are very important... You are the only ones left in the Imperieuse family. As much as I am loathe to say it, it's the truth. The weight falls on you to form the next generation, Vindi... unless Lilin's children maintain her last name."

 

[Liliane]

Lilin sighed. Indeed, keeping a family alive was what Vitor had always wanted them to do. He'd told them about the importance of family and more. Of course, when a family was about to die out and only your children would be able to continue the legacy, it was a little bit worrisome. The other part of her family, the Lancaster tree, didn't have to worry. They had a few others who'd keep the family blood running.

"Yes, father, I will do my best at keeping our family name around."

Truth to be told, she wasn't sure if she was even wanting to have any children, but she did want to take a little bit pressure off of Vindi. He was still too young to get so much pressure on solely himself.

He was still Lilin's little brother and she had to protect him, and in other cases, aid him at his recklessness.

 

[Onrai]

[member="Lilin Imperieuse"]

"This is important..." He sighed. "Many years ago, before I was placed into stasis, I had interest in a young woman about my age named Akena Shan. I lost the opportunity to help her continue the dynasty of the Shans, and in fact awoke in the present with the knowledge that there are only two descendents of her line, none of whom bear the name. The two of them then disappeared. I have no knowledge of whether that line is now dead or not. But it taught me something." He leaned forward, eying his children.

"It taught me that I won't let my family make the same mistake just to become a footnote in history."

 

[Liliane]

The story Vitor told was kind of sad and Lilin could tell why her father was so frantically wanting them to keep the family's legacy going. They were the only ones who could do that, they were able to choose the destiny of their bloodline.

It felt powerful, yet at that exact moment the girl felt a huge responsibility being put on their shoulders.

"Dad, what family name does our half-brother bear?"

She had to ask that, it came out of her automatically.

 

[Onrai]

[member="Lilin Imperieuse"]

"...the Imperieuse name, though I doubt he will ever find someone to call his beloved due to his... Particular aberrancy." He sighed, knowing that through his union with that Tera Vampir, a genetic dead end had been created. Unless he was fortunate to become part of a family of energy vampires, of course. "As is, I wonder whether anyone will be able to accept you, with your draining life of those who stay with you for too long, or Vindi's ability to disable technology with a touch."

Mutants. That was what they were.

 

[Liliane]

That last remark was quite disrespectful, at least in Lilin's eyes. Even though she did not care of what others thought, she was still quite offended by being thought of as a mutant. Her teenager hormones still seemed to have effects on her.

"I think it's a nice ability to have. Both of them are."

She sighed. But she felt like Vitor was right. Who would accept the two? They had strange mutations which many people would have suffered from like their mother and father had. Even the local Zahati'i were being controlled by these two, which made the Druid Elders start creating mind shields and using other powers to protect themselves.

The girl took a look at Vindi, hoping for him to say something. But what could he?

 

[Onrai]

[member="Lilin Imperieuse"]

"Our being mutants is understandable, and I would expect that people would take such into account... but such is hardly our only defining feature." He stated. "I consider myself as respectable a man as you yourself are, father." His dignity was that of someone far beyond his years, a shortcoming due to his need to mature thanks to the existence he found himself in. "And Lilin is as respectable as our mother."

At least, such was what he knew - her business was something he didn't know about.

 

[Liliane]

Lilin nodded. Although Vindi probably had no clue of what their mother really was like. It was a good idea to just think of her as of a noble person, a honourable person. But Lilin did not share that opinion.

She loved her mother, she really did. But she also hated her for what crimes she had committed against the galaxy and against her family. She had been a Sith at heart and at her later years, didn't care about anything else. Lilin just couldn't bear such facts.

"We shall be a proud family, looking past our disabilities and not letting them define us. There's clearly no need for hiding who we are and what we can do."

 

[Onrai]

[member="Lilin Imperieuse"]

"Indeed." Vitor nodded. "I'm very proud of you all... And I will be until the day I die." He sighed, pondering over how troublesome life had been - life and existence as a whole had been against him from day one, it seemed. But now he was done being used as a tool. Now he merely enjoyed retirement.

"Lilin, I believe we're almost done. Tell me when the stew looks good to you."

 

[Liliane]

The girl nodded and took a look at the cauldron. It looked amazing, just like it smelled. To ensure its good taste, she took a spoon with which she would taste the stew. The food was nearly ready, all ingredients were amazingly balanced and well done, but she thought it lacked something. Perhaps it was the seasoning?

"Could somebody hand me some salt? And pepper?" she asked, not taking a look from the food. It was appetizing and she hoped others would think that as well.

She didn't make much of food in her home at the city. She ate out a lot because there was just no need to make food at home if it was far cheaper to have a meal in a café.

 

[Onrai]

[member="Lilin Imperieuse"]

Vindi nodded, passing his sister the condiments to flavor their stew even as he smiled, looking at the salt shakers. "You know, I'm very glad that I can't destroy simple technology like blown glass. My life would suck..."

"Admittedly it would, but your curse is also quite useful as a blessing - all of your powers are double-edged swords, just as capable of harming the enemy as it is one another."

 

[Liliane]

Vindi's curse. It was something even worse than Lilin's. She couldn't even imagine not being able to use any technology because it would just break in her hands.

But just as terrifying was her very own curse -- the unstoppable ability of draining other people's energy. There was virtually nobody it wouldn't have affected and truth to be told, she was slightly afraid of that. Even her friends had to deal with that.

"Indeed," Lilin muttered as she added salt and pepper to the stew, stirred it, and then tasted again.

It tasted quite heavenly in Lilin's opinion.

[ [member="Vitor Imperieuse"] ]

 

[Onrai]

Vitor smiled, motioning to Lilin as he grabbed four bowls. One was placed on the table for Lilin to fill, while Vitor himself held one and his two children were handed both that remained. One by one, they would have stew ladled into their bowls - delicious stew that tasted good as Vitor took his first sip. "Excellent, Lilin... you're a better cook than your mother."

Such was true admittedly.

[member="Lilin Imperieuse"]