The End (Friends welcome)

[Feena]

Stupid boy. If she had more time, she might have fought against this match a little more- just to light a fire under this boy, make him try harder in response. She didn't hate him. She didn't have to like him very much, of course, but hating him would be stupid. Feena wasn't stupid.

"Do you at least have a ring for her?" she asked, sighing, as if he'd disappointed her greatly.

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

He coughed into his hand again. "Not yet. I am working on getting something...fitting," he admitted sheepishly.

[member="Feena Mason"]

 

[Feena]

"I see. Sensible."

The first complement she probably had ever given him. She looked at him now. Really looked at him. This was the boy her daughter had chosen? He didn't look like much. No gift of the Force either, but that really wasn't that terrible. Her poor daughter probably liked that about him. She couldn't blame her. The more she looked at him, the more charming he seemed.

Feena smiled. Yes. He would do.

"Well. I can't let you leave without giving you a gift too. You are, after all, family now. Marriage or not."

She reached across to her left hand. The ring that Keter had given her. So long ago. Not long enough. She could wear it to the grave, but then, nobody would see it again. That would be too sad for words. No. This was the best she could do for him. Keter.
As she slid it off of her thin fingers with perfect ease, she looked at her husband. This was it. She reached out, holding it out to the boy.

"I hope it gives you both what it gave us."

[member="Owain"]

 

[Placeholder 04]

He had not been a good son.

Cyril was a broken soul. Recent events had shaped him in such a way that he had deemed himself unfit for the rest of the galaxy. Failures and heartbreak shaped him in such a way, that even his family had been shunned. He could note bear to look any of them in the eye, given his recent choices. Alone he'd wandered on the fringes of space - beyond the limits of the galaxy and places beyond. There was no way he could have possibly heard of his mother's sudden lapse in health. Yet he had.

It was was a sudden shift in the force that brought him from hermitage. Something all too important, and very much himself has broken. It was beginning to fall away; it would not remain much longer. The former knight of the Republic had spirited away on a friend's shuttle back to his mother's home. The trip was far too long. He was late.

He entered without a word. It was not that he wanted to be silent - Cyril feared that if he dare utter even a single syllable, he might break down into a sobbing fit. Instead, he reached up to remove his mask, clipped it to his belt, and stood quietly by the door. It was not his place to interrupt.

[member="Feena Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

"Cyril."

The girl appeared seemingly from nowhere, a swaddled bundle in her arms. Her face was clear of all sadness. She was too far beyond that now. She'd done what she could, gave her Mother what little comfort was in her power to give in her final hours. And she was not sad anymore. She wasn't afraid. Mom wasn't afraid to die. What right did she have to be afraid to let her? When she was hurting so much...

"She's in there with Dad and Owain right now," she said quietly, avoiding her brothers eye, "When she's done with him, I think... She'll probably be happy to see you."

The blonde shrugged, an act that made the bundle in her arms squirm and fuss. Felicity shushed the baby, giving her a finger to suck on while they both waited.

[member="Cyril Grayson"]

 

[Placeholder 04]

A child?

It took Cyril a moment or so to recall the infant. As he remembered, Felicity and her lover had taken the baby from the Magrath family to protect it, or something like that. He was not privy to all the details. He eyed the child curiously for a moment; allowing his mind to travel to places far from this gloomy place.

That short relief only lasted a moment. It would be a disrespect to his mother to try and ignore what was happening here. Yet, perhaps he might save her. There were few that rivaled Feena Mason in her healing capabilities - her own flesh and blood being one of them. He could do things doctors could not.

A spark of hope flickered within him.

"Hope so." He managed a faint smile. The reality of the situation was lost to him now. He would save his mother - if he failed in that, what good could he do for anyone else?

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

Now what? Felicity, if she had to admit it to herself, was still angry at her Brother. She had so many reasons to be angry. For his abandonment, for his judgement, for his very existence, if she wanted to be cruel. But today, she would put it aside. Tomorrow she might go back to hating the sight of him, but for this one, single, dark day, she would let it pass. Her heart would be forgiving. Because that is what Mother wanted.

"Have you met Zeldara?" she asked, awkwardly, "She's almost walking now. You should see h-"

Her voice died in her throat. There was another one over there. Another dead person, closing in, watching her, trying to speak, because they knew she'd listen, that she could hear them even when nobody else could. Her eyes focused on the figure, right next to her brother.

Then the baby started to cry again and the blonde woman turned all her attention back to her.

[member="Cyril Grayson"]

 

[Owain]

Oh. Uh...well, it was a nice gesture, in a way. Except it would also sabotage whatever he did - marring the special moment by reminding Felicity of her dead mother. A mixed bag. Owain wondered if the Queen even realized what the ring would signify to her daughter. Probably. She was a schemer like that. But with Keter Mason looking stoically on...well, he could hardly refuse. He nodded and took the ring without a word, bowing his head respectfully as thanks for the gift.

[member="Feena Mason"]

 

[Feena]

He wasn't sure what to think of the ring. That was alright. It was slightly morbid, giving your future wife her dead mothers ring. But Feena was confident in this boy. He'd find a way to make it work for them. Maybe he'd re-use the stone in a different setting, give her the ring for an anniversary gift one day, or he'd just keep it as a good luck charm. Either way, Feena had seen that ring for the last time.

She sighed deeply, running a hand across her now naked finger. She hadn't taken that off in years. She was sure that if she still had feeling in that hand, it would feel very strange.

"Off you go then," she said, nodding to the door, "Send someone else in. Oh. And Owain? Don't wait too long. Nobody is guaranteed a long life."

[member="Owain"]

 

[Bolt]

Zaiden found himself staring at the young woman that was his niece as she handled the infant. When he found she was a mother, even if only adoptive, he wanted to clock her over the head with something heavier than his fist...yet she was good. Better than Feena's and his own was.

Then in came another new face, one that seemed to be familiar yet he instantly knew he had never met the person...

"Zaiden James-Greyson," Zaiden said as he offered a hand. Something in the way the Force whispered to him made him stop, "Are we related?"

[member="Felicity Mason"] [member="Cyril Grayson"]

 

[Placeholder 04]

"No, I haven't." He shook his head. The infant was a mystery to him - most were. He'd almost had a child once, but things had happened to prevent that. His soon-to-be wife was a Lieutenant under the Sith regime now. Needless to say, they didn't talk anymore. "She's the Magrath child?" He lofted a brow, trying to strike up a dialogue with his estranged sister. Perhaps he was the one who was estranged. It was all a matter of perspective, really. Then the child was crying, and he found himself falling silent.

Felicity was focused on something. Not him, but near him. Perhaps it was Vulcanus's shade - Cyril had banished the malevolent spirit, but part of Krag lingered on. It always would. Sith rituals were persistent like that. "Something wrong?" He asked as Zaiden made himself known.

He did not hesitate the shake the stranger's hand. "Cyril," He stated plainly. "I'm Feena's bastard."

[member="Razor Shot"] [member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Bolt]

Arching a brow, Zaiden didn't even attempt to hide his surprise. Instead he offered a sad smile, "Other than my sister is passing I. The next room - my twin mind you? I find I have another relative, a nephew to boot. We should get better acquainted during a time less tragic." Zaiden said then turned his head back to looking at Felicity.

How would she react to his plan...

[member="Cyril Grayson"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

The girl said nothing more about the baby, especially after he'd guessed at her parentage. She propped the child up so that everyone could see her face, blue eyes, rosey cheeks, head full of light brown hair peaking out under her cap. She was, well, to put it in plain terms, seriously cute. And Felicity honestly wished she could take credit for any of it.

As her uncle approached and introduced himself to Cyril, Felicity knew this would be awkward. But she was not prepared for what Cyril said next.

"Your mother," Felicity snapped, "would not like to hear you call yourself that."

[member="Cyril Grayson"] [member="Razor Shot"]

 

[Placeholder 04]

Cyril knew of his uncle's existence. He'd spent a little less than a year on Naboo, and he had ears. He simply had not gone out to find the man - things were too chaotic for that. At least, they had been. Such thoughts did not come to the Jedi Master as of late. His life had become a simple one; his hermitage known to few. There could be no going back to that now that he'd made himself known once more.

"Yes, we should." He offered a slight nod. "Family is...important in times like this." A heavy sigh escaped him. He parted his lips to speak further, but Felicity managed to cut him off.

"It saves long explanations, and it's not a lie." He stated plainly while eyeing the infant in her arms.

The baby was cute.

"I'll wait until whoever is inside is done." He paused. "Has your boyfriend proposed to you yet, Felicity?"



[member="Felicity Mason"] [member="Razor Shot"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

The girl should have blushed as her brother asked the one thing she really didn't want to talk about. But here it was. That question again from someone else. She sighed, sad smile on her lips.

"No. He's waiting for the right time. I think he was close to doing it. Then..."

She glanced at the door as if to say 'then mom started dying'. He would understand.

"I told him there was no hurry. Zelda is already here, after all. Not like getting married at this point would make a bit of difference."

[member="Cyril Grayson"]

 

[Bolt]

Zaiden smiled again, "Well, I'll seek you out. Its hard to find me unless I'm on an off day. And I don't usually have those." He paused then shrugged, "We bastards are not the rarities we once were. My mother sold me, while keeping Feena so I was a bastard son and brother. Go combinations!"

Eyeing the baby, he waved a hand, and a bouncing cartoonish bear shimmered into being. It waved its arms, kicked its leg about, and made funny faces. Zaiden didn't tend to use illusions, but did every so often for the right reasons.

Seeing a cute child's smile was a good enough reason.

[member="Felicity Mason"] [member="Cyril Grayson"]

 

[Placeholder 04]

"It's just good to do it." He shrugged. Now was certainly not the time to be lecturing his sister on the benefits of marriage, and she wouldn't listen to him anyway. "Good to hear though. Kid's cute."

He paused. His mother awaited him on the other side of that door. Last she'd seen him, he'd chided her on what he saw as her illogical beliefs. Particularly on the thought that the Sith were, in fact, not evil. If that were true, then he'd turned away Silara for no reason, and perhaps his one chance at the sort of happiness most being experienced. The thought made his blood boil.

With a bit of effort, he reigned himself in. He would not allow himself to be mired with displeasure during what might be his final conversation with his mother. Not that he was going to let her pass on due to an illness. He could heal her, he was sure.

"I'll be on Sullust. I've thrown my lot in with the Galactic Alliance. They might bring some change." He offered his uncle a meek smile, and knocked on the door leading to Feena's chambers.

[member="Razor Shot"] [member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Bolt]

Zaiden resigned himself to his thoughts until the younger man headed for the door, "Just a warning. She's worse than you will want to see at first. Also she won't want to be healed if that's one of your goals - I offered already, even to go as far as altering her genetics to eradicate the physical wounds now caused by the illness...

"Give her my love. And tell her Zaiden said she's slow to talk to everyone!" Zaiden then grinned, "She'll probably get a kick out of that, knowing I'm still a smart ass."

But then all signs of acceptance vanished once again. She really was taking a while longer than he had imagined, which meant she could go any moment..

[member="Cyril Grayson"]

 

[Owain]

He nodded, dismissed. Just like that, his interactions with the mother of the girl he loved where over. What a way to end it. "Thank you," he managed to makeout. For what...he wasn't sure. For her acceptance? For Felicity? That and more. She would know. Dealing with stupid proud idiots like him. He sighed and stood up, nodding at Keter as well, before bowing his head and leaving the room. Great, now he was infected with the melancholy as well.

"Well...whoever's next, your turn," he said flatly, staring at the ground.

[member="Razor Shot"] [member="Cyril Grayson"] [member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

Felicity had given her brother a look of passive disdain. 'It's just good to do it', he said said, as if that explanation was even an explanation at all! How dare he walk in here after months of being absent. Not a word. She'd thought he was dead, or would have if she wasn't seeing enough dead people all around her to fill a cemetery. After all that, he had the nerve to waltz in and pretend he knew what was best for her? No. For them. It wasn't just her now. They were a family. The baby, Owain. All of them.

And what did he have? Nothing. Nobody. And the saddest part, Felicity was certain that was probably for the best. He was destructive to those he loved, even at the best of times. Maybe it was better for him to be alone. She'd opened her mouth to dig into him, her temper about to fly.
And what made him think he deserved to just cut the line like that? Mothers friends had been here hours ago, waiting just to catch a few words from her. But he? He thought that after running off and leaving her until the very last second, he deserved to just waltz in like he owned the place? Cyril may be the eldest child, but it was quite clear that Felicity would soon be taking up the role of matriarch of this family. This was not alright with her.
None of this was alright.

"Wai-"

She stopped tearing into her brother when Owain opened the door. He looked... sad? She'd never seen that look on his face. The lightsaber her Mother had given her bounced softly on her hip as she walked forward, her brother, for the moment, forgotten, free to enter.

"Did she... say anything to you?" she asked [member="Owain"] softly, moving in with the baby making 'mamamama' sounds, "You look like she hurt you bad."

[member="Razor Shot"] [member="Cyril Grayson"]