Author's Notes: Coincidence is an amazing source for inspiration sometimes. Especially when looking at the extended family of Awakening's Avatar.
The day was quiet as the army milled about its usual tasks, all the normal troublemakers kept busy by some job or another. Vaike was sipping on his daughter's latest attempt at soup, his face turning an odd shade of purple as he forcibly swallowed Kjelle's strangely thick mixture. Inigo had been roped into sparring practice with Lucina, keeping his shenanigans to a bare minimum (or at least to a very narrow area). Really, it was the calmest that the camp had been in a very long time, a small break in their travels being used to rest the Shepherds before they resumed combat.
Which was why Lissa had insisted on finally meeting the new people that her children had brought into their family. She was so excited that she barely even noticed the mess she was making of their tent while she searched for the blanket she'd rolled up for the event. Robin had dryly pointed out that they already knew their children's spouses and the accompanying family, had actually known them far longer than their children had but Lissa had quickly shushed him. He was apparently just being a meanie, if his wife was to be believed, so he simply sighed and picked the rolled up blanket out from behind their tent's flap before walking out with his bubbly wife at his heels.
Despite his observations, he was glad to see her having such a good time. The war had a way of gnawing away at people's souls and his wife's uncrushable enthusiasm was a great source of comfort. Not that he'd ever tell her such, lest he never hear the end of her teasing.
Her hand snaked into his as they walked, the silence comforting as they headed towards the field resting on the edge of their camp's protected position. The sun shone down gently, a faint warmth constantly pouring down on the Shepherds while clouds lazily floated overhead and blades of grass were barely ruffled by the almost non-existent wind. All in all, it was a perfect day for a picnic.
The day had gone fine at first, Nah and Laurent's families mixing well with Robin's own as they gathered around to get to know each other better. Robin was just happy to be with so many of his friends, Lissa and Nowi were running around like a pair of excited schoolgirls while Kellam tended to the food (their daily rations alongside whatever Lon'Qu had hunted out of the forest).
But eventually, some… uncomfortable interactions started to appear. The first Robin wandered across entirely by accident.
"What did you say you were studying again?" Nah questioned Miriel as she shifted her head so that it was resting on Owain's shoulder.
"The inheritability of romantic preferences from the same gendered parent to their offspring," Miriel responded calmly, glancing down at the paper in her hand to double-check her notes before continuing. "So, simply to rule out the first option, I can assume that you've never felt a physical attraction to your mother, Owain?"
Owain sputtered, shouting denials while his face turned a bright shade of red. Nah shifted her head and fidgeted slightly with her hands. Owain noticed her behaviour and quickly gripped her hands before he started pleading, "You have to believe me, Nah. You do, right?"
"Eh, yeah… it's just kind of uncomfortable," Nah responded awkwardly, her raised face revealing the hue on her cheeks.
Miriel just marked something down with her quill before nodding professionally, "And you Nah, you've not been using Owain to simulate a relationship with your father?"
"How would I even do that?" Nah responded in exasperated disbelief.
"Yes or no, please. The proper questioning will commence shortly and you will be given full opportunity to share your own opinion on the matter," Miriel said quietly.
Nah's eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms, huffing somewhat icily, "No. No I have not."
"Good, then you aren't a contaminated sample and the study can go ahead as planned," Miriel allowed a small smile to play across her lips at that, the shade cast over her eyes by the brim of her mage's hat giving her a rather unintentionally eerie appearance.
Owain and Nah both gulped, their hands each squeezing the other's tightly as cold sweats gathered on the back of their necks.
"Owain, have you always been attracted to physically young-seeming girls, specifically ones in-and-around the edges of the 'pre-teen' years?" Miriel asked curiously. "Of course, you may elaborate on whether or not your own particular age at the time was equal to theirs, perhaps scaling it back a further two years from that point as a suitable start."
"Ehm, uh… could your repeat that?" Owain asked with a deep confusion shining in his brown eyes. He couldn't even manage to speak in his usual flowery manner, his 'boiling hero's blood' apparently cooled by the unexpected situation.
Nah conversely grew notably more agitated, "I. Am not. A. Little. Girl," she growled out in a tone that made Owain flinch and caused Miriel to scribble down further notes.
"Mentally no but your physical constitution is that of a young girl, perhaps aged ten or eleven," Miriel responded easily. "Your low height and slim frame compared to other girls of your peer group is comparable to your mother-in-law's at the time that she and your father-in-law would have logically begun courting."
"That makes dad sound so creepy…," Owain lamented as he placed his face in his hand.
"There's no particular shame in it, especially if it's an inheritable trait. Genetics are a powerful, subconscious motivator," Miriel reassured… in her cold, clinical voice that was about as comforting as a scalpel running along your skin before making an incision. "Why don't you think about it for a moment while I converse with your significant other?"
Nah was instantly on guard, a dragonstone clutched in her hand. "Think very carefully about what you say next."
"I always think carefully about what words happen to articulate in my mouth but I appreciate confirmation that you will likely strive to do likewise," Miriel responded easily. "Why did you seek out a black-haired swordsman with an unusual approach towards women as your spouse? Or do manaketes prefer the more appropriate term of 'mate'?"
"Spouse is fine," Nah said more quietly than before, the implications behind the term mate turning her face red. "And I don't like Owain because of that stuff. He's really caring and nice… even when no one else around him notices sometimes."
"Nah…" Owain's lips curled upwards softly at the compliment, his heart hammering away in his chest at the cute sight of an embarrassed Nah.
"Hm, if you enjoy his exuberance, perhaps you have inherited your own father's tastes. This presents numerous new possibilities for study," Miriel noted with what one might equate to a normal woman's excitement.
Both Nah and Owain groaned as Robin slipped away from the scene as quietly as he could to avoid being dragged in.
"Is not!" Morgan screamed with all of her might, her fists clenched tightly in front of her.
"Is too!" Nowi yelled with equal vigour, standing on her tip toes so that her glare was closer to Morgan's eyes.
The two went back and forth in that exchange for several minutes without alteration, neither woman showing the slightest sign of calming down.
"How long have they been at this now?" Lon'Qu asked, his usually cool expression bordering on curiosity as he took in the sight.
"Counting the conversation that led to their shouting match, I'd estimate about eight and a half minutes," Laurent responded while reaching up to adjust his glasses.
The two males were sitting next to each other on the grass nearby while their fully grown, adult wives had an argument that would shame a rowdy pair of eight year olds. Not that either looked particularly surprised by the turn of events.
"The game's too slow for Nowi, she doesn't have the patience for it," Lon'Qu said disinterestedly as he inspected his sword, a pointless activity at that moment but he found it quite relaxing.
Laurent meanwhile had taken a small book from one of his pockets and his eyes were entirely focused on the black words written against the yellowish white background. "I suppose a more aggressive stance against Tome Stackers was always going to rile her up. She has an unhealthy fascination with the literarily-damaging game."
Glancing upwards with a small smile, the bookish boy added, "Though I don't think interference will be necessary. They should work this out themselves… eventually."
"Any chance Nowi has to burn off energy is a good thing," Lon'Qu concurred. "She's dangerous when she starts getting pent up."
"Morgan is much the same. Although I've never properly appreciated her inability to transform into a dragon when upset before now," Laurent said bemusedly.
"So how does your dad turn invisible anyway?" Owain asks suddenly, the bread he'd been biting into dropping crumbs onto his clothes.
Laurent froze in his effort to eat his own ration, one eyebrow rising curiously, "Pardon?"
The two were sitting by a river that the camp had been using for their water needs while they were in the area, everything from bathing to… 'waste' disposal. Luckily, those activities were mostly done further downstream and the liquid they were resting by was still perfectly clear.
"You know, the thing where he just vanishes from sight. Is it some kind of secret technique? Does it have a name? Oh, if it doesn't, you should call it the 'Everclear Wind'!" Owain rattled off excitedly, hopping to his feet and striking what he likely thought was a very heroic pose.
"There is no technique," Laurent said with obvious annoyance. "He just keeps mostly to himself and goes unnoticed by the unobservant. It is a noble dignity."
"So it should be called the 'Royal Everclear Wind' then?" Owain responded in confusion. The theatrical swordsman crossed his arms over his chest in a worried way, "I don't know, it seems kind of long."
"I didn't tell you to lengthen the name," Laurent says firmly. "Even if there was a technique, why would you shout out the name of something obviously designed for stealth? The name would be superfluous at best and lethal if wielded by one whom put spectacle over utility."
Owain waved his arms in protest, his lips curling unpleasantly, "Come on, what's a technique without a name! You have to give it one or it'll be as depressingly silent as its use!"
"Fitting, wouldn't you agree," Laurent said calmly. Seeing that Owain was about to protest, he simply sighed. "I suppose there's only one way to properly end this conversation…"
Owain threw his hands into the air enthusiastically, his eyes hungrily darting around for the exciting conclusion to the show. However, his brown eyes quickly turned to confusion.
"Huh, where'd you go, Laurent?" Owain glanced about before darting back into the field in search of his sister's husband. "Come on, where'd you go already?! I want to know how that conversation was supposed to end!"
Back where the two had been sitting, Laurent massaged his temples gently. "He can be just as persistent and unaware as his sister, it seems." Turning his head to the left, he added, "I'm sorry you had to overhear that conversation. I hope you didn't find it insulting."
Not five feet away from the young man sat a large black haired man sinking into a suit of armour, the metal looking positively hulking as it sat beneath the sun's warm rays. The unopened eyes inside the suit found Laurent's and the soft smile on the figure's features widened a fraction.
"I'm just happy when people notice me at all," Kellam assured as he politely set into his meal. "Still, if you want to talk some more…"
Robin breathed tiredly as he watched the various interactions, a sigh crossing his lips as Lissa and Nowi fled from an excited Owain in a game of chase. Morgan was watching too, hiding in the nearby bushes to avoid having to run from her brother.
Kellam was also supposed to be playing, though he'd run of breath while fleeing Owain and was crouched over, desperately gasping for air. Owain had charged right past him, Robin only noticing the armoured man because he'd accidentally bumped into him while following the happy game.
Laurent and Miriel were both taking notes on the kerfuffle while Nah tried to make heads or tails of what was written, the sweat on her brow and her narrowed eyes underscoring her difficulty in doing so.
Lon'Qu had joined Robin in observing the family, sighing with the faintest hint of a smile while his trained eyes observed the chaotic events unfolding before him. Robin couldn't help smiling himself… after all, their invisible bonds were on full display. Robin chuckled as Owain gripped Laurent's shoulder and pulled him to his feet, shouting that he was "it" before taking off running.
Laurent glared and was clearly about to sit back down when he heard Morgan's giggles from the nearby bushes. His annoyed expression quickly darkened… before a sly smile crossed his lips. Wandering towards the foliage, he reached a hand in to tap Morgan's head, causing the smaller girl to pout as her blond head moved out of its green confines.
Laurent immediately took off running as Morgan's shorter legs struggled to catch up to her mage husband while Lissa, Nowi and Owain burst out in laughter. Kellam gave a good natured chuckle at his son's antics while Robin failed to supress a snort at his daughter's current enthusiasm.
The game of chase eventually trailed off along with most of the family's energy, the various members scattering back to their own tents as they did so. Robin rolled up the blanket that he and his wife brought, the bouncy blond cleric clinging to his arm as they returned to their tent.
"This was a really nice day, huh," Lissa said teasingly before pouting when Robin freed his arm started patting her on the top of her head. "Knock it off, I'm an adult, you know!"
"Then why are you so cute when I tease you," Robin responded before wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close to his side. "And I guess today was fun, in a weird sort of way. Everyone got along really well."
"Told ya," Lissa taunted by sticking her tongue out.
The Shepherd's tactician simply rolled his eyes, a silly grin refusing to leave his features. Lissa's head snuggled into his chest as the sun wordlessly set on the day.
Author's Notes: God, this was pointless. I just wanted an excuse to do some of the skits I came up with the family falling the way it did. Take it as the fluff that it is, though I'll accept any criticism offered, especially if someone can think of a way to give the story some actual meat.
Hopefully, you at least got a laugh out of it.