Family Meeting

[Colère Nystrom]

Colère took in the size and style of the mountain retreat that Aurelia had purchased for the family's use. She lifted a brow then decided not to comment on how this home didn't seem to resonate as something Aurrie would purchase regardless of its purpose. Then, she and Katja stepped into the kitchen/dining/meeting area and Colère understood perfectly.

This was a mandatory family meeting, the invitation sent only to the core Nystrom family and in that, Col had learned, Linnea had only required the presences of those who were blood or bonded. Despite his status as Mihal's boyfriend and the family's physician, for instance, Keir Wayne was not present. This was the meeting then and it was small wonder that most everyone seemed jumpy and on edge once this "invitation" had been expressed.

To try and cut the tension a little, Colère remarked quietly to Katja, "We should come up here to stay sometime. Now that we know where it is. The location... it reminds me a good deal of my stay on Morellia, eons ago. The rustic beauty, I mean. Geral's work was in the city, but his family's estate was in a rural locale like this. Aurelia has excellent taste as usual..."

[Katja Nystrom]

"Holy bantha crap on a cracker!" shoulder the vibrant Katja as she glanced around the kitchen, eventually whistling. The place was immaculate and huge. "Auri really picked out a great place for the fam, beautiful."

Rounding the corner of the kitchen island, leaning over it as Colère held her attention, Katja was treated to more details of her fiancee's past. She smiled, taking it all in. "I'd like that. Coming here for a time. Oh! Maybe we can borrow this for our honeymoon?" she said, musing aloud. "Unless you wanna go off planet for something? You know me." She winks. "Totally easy."

[Aurelia Nystrom]

Aurelia smiled at the compliment Katja had passed her way about the retreat. Casually dressed compared to her usual power-suit look, she'd made that fashion choice deliberately, showing that she could be relaxed with her real family... even with the gravity of what this family meeting was about.

"You're welcome, Katja. And as a token of my esteem, would you like to hold your nephew while I get drinks for everyone?" she asked as she came into the kitchen.

Because, of course, Aurelia had insisted on hostessing duties when it was decided that the meeting would be held here. It was the sort of logistics that she was good at and it freed Linnea's mind for the agenda at hand.

[Nikole Nystrom]

Nikole chuckled at the exuberance of her little sister, almost squealing when Aurelia offered up their son for her to carry. She was a good Aunt and a good babysitter, and Nikole adored her to death since learning that she had another baby sister and brother in her life. It put a smile on her face to watch the brilliant smile of her sister and Ronan's face light up as the played.

She had to sneak a quick kiss from her wife before the job of hostess spirited her wife away until the meeting started.

"Hello, Colère," she said finally, brown eyes eager to linger on her form, which was the norm since their joining on Nar Shaddaa. The situation was still delicate, but Aurelia had accepted what occurred and it wasn't that Colère was trying to steal her life away at all. It was just the intermingling of souls that had a hand in the connection that Nikole, Aurelia, Katja, and Colère endured. The Force or genetics, who knew, it was just there. Just odd that Katja and Aurelia still hadn't had a similar bonding. Which then of course caused Nikole doubt if her bonding with Colère was some sort of mistake ...

[Claire Dantes]

The suspense of this meeting was killing Claire. Thanks to her bond to Kalyn, she knew that her mate was just as anxious. That was why she'd broken with appropriate behavior and convention, as usual, to climb onto the back of the sofa and insist that her mate sit between her legs on the appropriate cushion. She could rest her hands on Kay's shoulders then, which she did, working at tense muscles.

Linnea should've told Kalyn in advance what her decision is, she thought again. This is so unfair to leave her - to leave us! - in suspense. This affects us all, but the stakes are so much higher for Kay.

The poet slid her index fingers up and down the sides of Kalyn's neck, trying to help with the tension she felt there. Claire sympathized; her own body was equally stiff and uncomfortable.

[Kalyn Nystrom]

Her beautiful mate. Her fiancee! She knew exactly what Kalyn needed and had no issues displaying it despite how silly she looked sitting atop of the expensive leather couch to give her a shoulder rub. The tension began to melt as her eyes closed, leaning against her.

"I should be doing this for you, my dear." She hoped that with how connected they were, that her own lessening anxiety would bleed through to help the love of her life.

[Racheal Nystrom]

Racheal was so excited to be here! Her entire family was here! That never happened in forever - which was ten years ago. She had a great view of all of them - watching all the couples chat away and Aliya and Mihal chatting quietly together over drinks. Only thing missing was Syrenia but rules were rules, as declared by their mother. Linnea only wanted the bonded here because that was basically married and she and Syrenia certainly weren't that. Hell! Racheal finally admitted to being into the woman who was going to be taking over the damn throne of the Empire one day and that was enough of a heavy burden to deal with, let alone wondering if they were forever and ever and all that!

[Linnea Vandron]

Sipping her mixed drink that Aurelia prepared herself, Operative Linnea Vandron gazed out the large dining room windows at the picturesque landscape before her. The hilly country reminded her of Corellia, especially the mountains that were miles and miles away - appearing so close but so far out of reach. Just like her home. Morellia.

What this entire meeting was about because regardless of Linnea's decision, this entire family was here in this capacity because of the plague that had affected their homeworld. If not for tragedy, Linnea wouldn't have six children, a grandson, and three of her daughters who have found their mates.

She had been in search of a place to call their own. A home ... and had found a means to an end with the decades of preparation she had endured. preparation that was basically destroyed just over a year ago when she and Tatiana had the brilliant plan of arranging the meeting of Nikole and Aurelia. That singular moment had knocked over what she had believed to have been the first domino in the series of events, but no. They had met years ago when Aurelia was six. And let's not forget Colère's prophecy four thousand years ago that she would meet her daughter.

Now they had a family and a life on Bastion, but what about all the work she and her family had gone through and sacrificed? Especially Kalyn. How was that fair? How was any of this fair? She wanted to do right by every one of them, but so much has changed in a short time that the Matriarch wasn't entirely sure if her decision was justified. It was why she needed to hear what they wanted and believed to know that she was.

Her comm chirped and checked the message. Their last visitor would be arriving on the time table she set. Which meant this meeting had to begin now.

"Everyone." She called out, moving to the head of the long dining room table. "Come. Sit. We've a long evening ahead ..."

[Aurelia Nystrom]

Aurelia's gaze roved from person to person as they settled in at the table. She felt close to bursting with love and pride that this was her family. Her gaze lingered for a moment on Mihal, accepting that - if her dumb brother came to his senses - he'd be twice over her family too.

Because she was who she was, she looked to Linnea with a knowing smile. "I think it goes without saying, Mother, that we are all curious to know what exactly is on your mind. We might even dare say that you can 'cut to the chase' as you're fond of saying..."

Next to her, Auri heard Nik's startled gasp and saw Colère stifle a chuckle with a hand to her mouth. But of anyone here, they could both best appreciate how her relationship had changed with her mother-in-law that Aurelia could say that to her!

[Linnea Vandron]

Bemused, she waved the hand that held her drink towards her daughter-in-law. "Point taken, Aurelia."

Eyes danced from Nikole to Colère, silently finding their reactions amusing as well. Linnea and Aurelia had come a long way from the day they had first met face to face. She disliked the woman greatly. Feeling her unworthy to be her eldest daughter's mate. Not often was the matriarch proved wrong and she was good with it. "I know what is weighing on everyone's mind. But our family has been together like this in ages. Before we get to the meat of our time here, there's still quite a bit of announcements that need to be made.

However, we're missing two guests." This time her gaze pierced Aliya's, brow raised in question. Their second guest was not the one she was in correspondence with. "How much longer?"

[Aliya Tserta]

Now that all eyes were on her, the usual sabacc face that Aliya displayed cracked a little. "Well, I didn't give her a strict deadline ..."

"Wait! Who's her?" came the question out of Katja's mouth that was pretty much the one on everyone's tongue.

"You'll find out soon enough. I'll just check to see where she is," she said, glaring at Katja as she pulled out her comlink to text Lily.

-Where are U?!-

[Lily Darksun]

-Lost...? These mountain roads are like a maze!-

In the rental she was operating, Lily made use of the voice commands to text Aliya back because she did not dare let go of the controls in order to type.

-Coming, anyway! Soon, I hope!-

Lily sighed, then couldn't help but laugh. She wasn't the type to be late to anything important. What a way to make a first impression with the love of her life's whole family!

[Aliya Tserta]

Oh for the love of ...

-Synch GPS to my link and get here. NOW. We're waiting on U-

Smiling sheepishly, Aliya looked up at her family and spoke assuredly. "She'll be here shortly. Perhaps we can discuss another matter while we wait? Fill her in -"

"WHO'S HER?!" Katja blurted out again but Colère patted her mate's arm, shaking her head to tone down her exuberance.

"As I was saying," she said, glaring at Katja, "We can fill her in when she gets here."

[Linnea Vandron]

Another warning glance from Linnea had helped to settle the endless energy that was Katja before continuing.

"Correct. To begin - Claire has agreed to take a full time position in my department. She'll be one of the team leads within encryption." The request was not surprising as the separation took its toll on both her and Kalyn during the poet's last book tour. But it was also the conviction in which Claire had approached her in wanting to be an asset to the family that Linnea was willing to give her this opportunity. She was a quite gifted code breaker.

"The rest, I leave to you Claire."

[Claire Dantes]

Claire flushed and squeezed Kalyn's thigh beneath the table. She ducked her head, avoiding eye contact at the smiles and pleased murmurs - and boisterous ones from Katja! It was just like with her poetry, she didn't know how to take compliments easily.

"Um. Yes. Thank you," she said, flashing a smile to Linnea. Claire moved her hand, linking it with Kalyn's which she set on the tabletop for all to see. "Kalyn and I wanted to let you all know that on top of the great gift of being bonded, we're also engaged now."

She looked to her mate, beaming a smile at her.