Meet the Family

Writers: Avery, Heather
Date Posted: 13th October 2020

Characters: K'lvin, Riveenata, Thereenata, R'ven, Veneena
Description: K'lvin meets Riveenata's family for the first time, and makes some disheartening realizations about her parents.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 10 of Turn 10
Notes: Immediately follows "Shot Down in Flames"

K'lvin was not sure what to expect as he followed Riveenata to Veneena's weyr. He had heard her talk about her family some in the past but he didn't recall her mentioning the names of her parents, only her siblings. He at least hoped that he wasn't _older_ than her parents, now that might be both awkward and embarrassing.

**Maybe I am crazy getting involved again with someone half my age,** he thought to himself. After Riveenata's rejection of his weyrmate offer, he still felt a little off-balance and unsure of what to think. There was a more frightening thought that he kept pushing down, perhaps he was more invested in their relationship than she was.... He had always worried, from the beginning, that a young greenrider would not want to settle down and now.... He shoved the thoughts away again. He would re-examine them later when he was back at Barrier Lake in the solitude of his weyr. For the moment, he had to put on a normal front and meet her family.

Riveenata didn't lead them to her sister's weyr, but instead to a small room usually used for children's Harper classes. "Single-person Crafter rooms are really small," she said as she detoured them, "so we were able to borrow this for a little party as long as we clean it up. There's my sister and brother, and our parents, and some cousins and other guests. I hope it won't be too much family for you all at once?"

"The more the merrier," K'lvin said, because in all seriousness, the more family members there meant that he could hide behind some of the other conversation and perhaps all of the attention would not be focused on his presence.

"I'm sure it'll go fine," she said, reaching out to squeeze his hand. "There's a baby to coo over. What would go wrong?"

Everything, apparently, could go wrong. As soon as Riveenata and K'lvin entered the room and he laid eyes on the people inside, a startling realization struck the bronzerider. He knew Riveenata's parents. Not in that, 'oh, we're fellow riders' way, no, he _knew_ her parents. As soon as his eyes met her father's there was a spark of recognition. **R'ven of brown Gleth.** K'lvin knew Riveenata's father because they had been clutchmates. **Oh boy.**

"R'ven," he said with a pleasant nod of his head.

Thereenata bustled over to wrap her arms around her daughter. "Oh Riven, I'm so glad you could get off watch duty so you could be here." She stepped back from the hug and her eyes widened as she saw K'lvin. "Welcome to the party. Here to see the newest Weyr resident?"

"K'lvin. What a... pleasure to see you again." While his words were pleasant, R'ven's tone was totally frosty.

K'lvin smiled at Thereenata's question, realizing as he looked into her eyes that he had certainly won one or more of her green flights when they had lived at River Bluff. **Isn't it just a small world,** he thought.

"Hope you've been well," he said to R'ven out of necessity, hoping that Riveenata hadn't noticed the slightly awkward vibe.

"Do you know each other?" Thereenata asked her weyrmate. His Gleth didn't always win her green, who liked to vary her choice of mate, and she knew Xmrenth had a few times.

"We were clutchmates at Dragonsfall," R'ven said, shifting his gaze to look at her. "A long time ago, it seems," he added, pointedly, as though to remind his daughter of the age gap.

So much for no one noticing the age difference. K'lvin looked past her parents. "I hear congratulations are in order? Is this your first grandchild?"

"Yes, and everyone is thrilled." Veneena pushed her way past the crowd, smiling at the newcomer. She had a sling around her with a small form cuddled up inside it. "Want to meet Venali? She's going to be Dolphin Cove's most _spoiled_ baby."

K'lvin felt intensely relieved to have something to focus on besides the fact that he was the same age as Riveenata's parents. "Veneena, she is beautiful," he said, crouching a bit to peer at the gently, perfectly rounded cheeks of the sleeping infant.

The Baker beamed at him, immune to any tension from the family. "She is. Here, do you want to hold her? Riven says you have your own, so I know you know how." And with that, she held out her precious girl.

"Yes, I do come experienced in that area," K'lvin said with a tilt of his lips as he took the baby in his arm, tucking her deftly into the crook of it as he smiled down at her.

Both Veneena and Riveenata beamed at K'lvin holding the baby like a natural. "Can you keep her for a second? I need to talk to my sister," Veneena chirped at K'lvin, then dragged Riv aside to talk.

"He looks so good at it," the baker whispered to her sister. "You should give him one."

"He _has_ children," the greenrider hissed at her. "Two of them."

"No harm in another one," Veneena said. "Especially one of yours. My daughter is amazing. Look at how he holds her. Go hold her too, and tell me you wouldn't want one."

"I can't swat you at your own party, but shhh. I have Savith, she's enough."

"You could have your dragon and a weyrmate and a child," Veneena said. "Isn't he retired? Couldn't he care for your child? It wouldn't be so bad to have a man take charge of it all, surely."

"He has a new job now, he's not retired, that's why he's inviting me out there. Anyway, that's not what you're doing." She rolled her eyes. "I'm on the teas, and I don't want to have his child. Not yet."

Veneena took her sister by the shoulders and turned her, holding her so they could both keep seeing K'lvin with the baby, talking to another person. "He's a natural," she said again. "just think about it."

A part of Riveenata's heart melted. He _did_ look good at it. She'd never felt the desire for her own child. Always she'd been focused on other things, first to be a Crafter and a Candidate, then just on her Craft, then she'd had her unexpected Impression... And a dragonet was so much work to have, like a child. She'd worked with babies as part of her Healercraft rotations, but she'd never wanted one of her own... but K'lvin had seemed so sweet with his daughters every time she saw them interact and he did look good.

"Don't make me steal him away," her sister whispered teasingly.

"_Please_, Vee."

"Just saying," the baker replied sweetly. And Veneena walked over and held her arms out. "Thanks for watching her, K'lvin."

"Oh, sure, anytime," K'lvin said as he passed the baby back got her mother. He had often snuck down to the creche when Kylena and Kaliha had been infants to hold them for a few moments. Seeing how tiny Veneena's baby was reminded him of how quickly both of his own daughters were growing.

She beamed at him. "Thank you so much. So, how long are you here with us?"

"Just today," he said. "There isn't much free time at Barrier Lake right now."

"Oh, what a pity that you can't spend more time. You know, I kept hoping you'd come back here with us. Are you too busy to spend much time with your own girls?" asked Veneena.

"Yes, don't you have family obligations?" R'ven chimed in in a neutral tone.

K'lvin ignored the dig. "I've moved my girls to Barrier Lake, I see them most evenings, but you know how it is as dragonriders," he said looking at R'ven, "duty first."

"I understand, it's much harder to raise a family now that Threadfall has returned. Beforehand, it was so much easier for us, when it was just drills and couriering and life as a rider was simpler," Thereenata said. "We have obligations to tie us down now and make it harder to juggle too many tasks." She was trying to thread a needle, aware of the tensions in the room.

"That's why I'm glad we have fostering, so I can eventually get back to the kitchens. But I would like to prize my time with my little one, for a bit," Veneena said.

"Soak it in as much as you can," K'lvin advised, knowing all too well how quickly it went by.

}:It is time.:{ Xmrenth informed his rider.

K'lvin glanced at Riveenata and reached down to give her hand a squeeze, letting her know.

She bit her lip and squeezed his hand back. "Excuse us for a moment," she told her family, then led K'lvin outside to the corridor.

"I'm sorry about that," she said softly. "They're kind of a lot and…usually somewhat nicer."

"It's fine," he reassured her. "If Kaliha or Kylena ever bring someone home my age, I would react the same." He could not blame her parents for being protective or speculative, but he also couldn't blame his heart for what he felt for Riveenata. It wasn't as if he had planned it.

She leaned in and kissed him. "I'm still glad you came. We'll keep in touch and I'll see you on a restday?" Her tone queried up, still hopeful.

"Of course," he promised, pressing his lips to her forehead.

Last updated on the October 27th 2020

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