Base Dormitories

*Oh, Jake had heard of all of those things! And played most of them too, except the sport. He hadn't really played any sports that didn't involve training of some kind. Maybe they could try it later...*
I've played those! Er, except the ball one. But me and Morgan play the others all the time! Though other times we race or fight or wrestle, which is fun too.
*Granted, Jake usually only wrestled or fought with Morgan, since they were more on an equal level and could challenge themselves to get better that way. Though he'd probably prefer to challenge boys rather than girls; he was comfortable with Morgan, since she was his sister, but other girls, well, he wasn't sure yet...*

*Oh, she had a brother too? A much older one, from the sound of things. Still, she hadn't apparently had any experience wrestling people near her own size and age... not that Jake was going to volunteer. Fighting the urge to blush, he looked away slightly and reached up to rub the back of his head with his palm, eyes looking back and forth.*
I guess that's kinda like when our dad wrestles with us... kinda.
*He supposed? He wasn't sure how to relate, whether it was a game or a serious competition, but at least he had a second string of conversation he could follow, so he lowered his hand.*
Is your brother here too? What about the rest of your family?
*... uh oh. What if she didn't have one anymore? He didn't want to have struck a sour memory! I-it was fine, he assured himself, she was just sent here to learn and her family was staying home, nothing more, that happened all the time, right? Yeah, Jedi students still had families, even though the families may not even live on the same planet anymore after the children went to the base! He was fine, really... he hoped.*

*Oh, good, her family was fine, just not here. In fact, they were all coming here soon, but Serena's father had wanted here "as soon as possible." He must have really cared about her training then. Jake relaxed a little and gave a smile.*
Well, that's good. How big's your family?
*She at least had a father and a brother, maybe more family members. Jake knew he had a fairly large family right now, and he still wasn't sure he completely understood it. Did Serena have as large a family as well, or a smaller one?*

*So she had both parents and her older brother, and that was it. Sounded like a nice, small, close family. Wait, Marc was adopted? That was neat, but mostly because he could relate, and Morgan too, being adopted themselves. In a way, Jake preferred adopted families, since it helped reaffirm the fact that adoption didn't matter as long as everyone loved each other. As for Serena's claim that Marc was the "best big brother ever," Jake could only stop and wonder, as he had many times before, whether he or Morgan was the "older twin." He wasn't trying to dispute Serena's claim, but it was something that often bugged him, only to be forgotten later until it inevitably came to mind again.

Trying to put that thought aside for now, he looked up at Serena and smiled.*
That's nice. Our family is... sorta big. Not really big, but big enough, and a little... confusing.
*Maybe he should have kept that last bit to himself, because that would probably be a weird thing to say in front of her, especially when she hadn't met their family yet. Probably.*
Er... that's just because... Well, maybe you'll find out soon, I guess.
*No use trying to explain, because no doubt he'd just get her even more confused. Unfortunately he had no idea how to quickly and successfully change the subject, so now he was dead in the water...*

*Aerandir wondered to himself as he returned home if Morgan had yet returned with Serena. Likely Serena knew all about Morgan's connection by now; it was Morgan's favorite trait, after all, and if she showed Serena the jungle, no doubt she would sing Felucia's praises, which often either began or ended with her talking about her connection. Just so long as it never became a bragging point, though Aerandir occasionally worried she would grow far too dependent upon her connection...

He had a datapad in his hands with information for Serena, her classes, a schedule, and a basic layout of the base for her benefit. Upon entering the quarters, he noticed the light coming from the twins' room. It could have been just Jake, but a quick check with his senses confirmed that Morgan was home, with Serena. Well, that was convenient. He smiled to himself and entered the room: Jake was standing a short distance from Morgan's bed, where Morgan and Serena were sitting. A quick note of the condition of their hair told him they'd likely gone swimming. Oh boy. He resisted shaking his head and smiled at them.*
Oh good, you're back, and I see Serena and Jake have met each other.
*He approached Serena and handed her the datapad.*
That'll give you a list of your classes and where to find them, as well as other important places, like the gardens or dining area. And also how to get back to your quarters. You're welcome to stay a little while longer though if you wish.

*A quiet moment in the Calmcacil family quarters. It hadn't taken long for Aerandir to cherish these moments even more than before, what with the arrival of a very healthy and a very active infant in the home. Usually, he often cherished them the same way: With a nap. This time was no different, as he rested on the couch in the living area, little baby Lucina curled up and cradled against his chest. Any opportunity during the day where he wasn't busy and she allowed it, he used it for sleep, considering most nights, if not all, she needed attention of some kind, and meditation only did so much.

But she was only an infant, and infants had needs. Even Michelle and Annabelle and Morgan had come to him in the middle of the night because of some need, whether they had gotten sick or had a nightmare or even a scary vision of some kind. Did infants dream? And if they did, what did they dream of? The world was still so big and vast and unknown to them, after all. It was funny, times like this where he should have been sleeping, he instead found himself contemplating things like this; even to Jedi Masters, there were countless unanswered questions.

Eventually, he'd finally managed to succumb to some much-needed sleep. However, almost like clockwork, he couldn't have been asleep ten minutes before the month-old baby in his arm started squirming and fussing. Aerandir's eyes slowly fluttered open as a bemused smirk appeared on his face.*
Oh, Lucy, just five more minutes?
*With a tired groan, he sat up on the couch, cradling Lucina in his arms and rocking her, brushing a soothing wave against her Force signature as he attempted to divine her current issue. Discomfort... diaper. Of course. He set her down on a mat and pulled the diaper bag toward him; he hadn't had to change one in years, and now it was a frequent daily activity once more.*
I knew what I'd be getting into, and yet I still don't feel prepared...
*He chuckled to himself, making quick work of the task and securing her within a fresh diaper, before picking her up and cradling her once more, hoping she'd be tired enough to go back to sleep and allow him to as well. But alas, she was fully awake, squirming, kicking, and letting her little hazel eyes wander, examining various points of interest before moving on to the next one. Of course Aerandir was disappointed, but he couldn't fault her for it, and quite honestly he was a little used to it by now.*
Okay, time to play, I see.
*He sat her upon his knee, holding her hands, which she gripped onto out of affection and for support, and he gently bounced her a little, causing her to grin. She made little noises, as though attempting to laugh, but nothing quite fully resembled even a little giggle just yet. Still, he grinned at his baby girl and made babyish noises at her to help keep her entertained. Barely a few moments later, he felt presences at his door, which opened as he looked up, the sound of the sliding door almost immediately coupled by an excited shout.*
LUCY!
*The door had barely opened before Kayla had bounded in and leapt toward the couch, turning in midair to land perfectly beside her father and grin at the baby, before leaning forward to tickle her a little. Ah, so it wasn't like Aerandir had had enough time to rest anyway, even if Lucina hadn't woken her up. He smiled at his no-longer-youngest daughter, then looked back at the doorway as Cassie entered into the quarters proper. They exchanged smiles as she closed the door behind her and approached the couch.*
Get any sleep?
*Aerandir gave a chuckle, feigning additional weariness.*
A little. Could have gotten more, but instead I was laying here wondering if babies could dream. Then when I finally did fall asleep she started fussing a little later.
*Cassie grinned as she took a seat on his other side.*
You get used to it.
*Lucina seemed excited by her mother's presence, seemingly attempting to bounce herself in place. Cassie laughed softly and took the child under her arms to cradle her and tickle her belly. This only seemed to upset Kayla a little.*
No lemme see her!
*She climbed across her father's lap, trying to remain close to her little sister. This activity Aerandir was certainly used to, and he responded by lifting her and setting her on his lap, close to Cassie and the baby. Kayla giggled and made faces and noises for the infant's entertainment, while Aerandir rested his head back against the couch.*
Yeah. I'll get used to it. Jedi are meant to be able to adapt to anything, after all.
*Cassie chuckled and shook her head, leaning into him.*
Usually they do so in less than a month...
*Oh, she was making fun of him. He decided to ignore it and rested his head against hers. She certainly was stronger than him in this regard, having raised Kayla more than he had, though they'd made an attempt at an equal effort in recent years; and getting married at last certainly helped.*
I'll let that one slide, considering your seniority, milady.
*He put an arm around her and decided to enjoy this moment with his family; it was these moments he lived for, after all. He didn't regret helping bring Lucina into the world, nor would he ever; his entire family loved her, even if they hadn't had to deal with the more intensive aspects of baby care. Apart from Annabelle, who often volunteered to even do the dirty work, and Michelle stepped up to the challenge too sometimes, though Morgan more often than not shied away and neither Kayla nor Jake would so much as touch her diaper.

Speaking of Jake... it had been hard to get a read on the boy's reaction to his new little sister. He seemed completely calm in the presence of the rest of his family, most especially Morgan, but when Lucina was around, there was always this odd sense of nervousness and isolation resonating from him. Aerandir was unsure what had been causing it, though thought perhaps it would wear off after a little while. Instead, it only persisted. Now that it was on his mind, he made a mental note to make a personal conversation with his son a priority, as soon as possible.*

*Perhaps it was fate, for just as Aerandir had concluded he would have to have a talk with Jake, the boy appeared in the doorway a few moments later. He seemed in good spirits, until he saw the family gathered; the sudden freezing and avoidance of eye contact and company was too obvious not to miss. Cassie had frowned curiously, but Aerandir had already made up his mind about what he was going to do. He lifted Kayla, who protested briefly until she realized he was simply slipping off the couch and setting her down in his spot. As he stood, he met Cassie's gaze.*
I'm gonna go talk with him.
*She gave him a knowing nod, so he turned and headed toward the room the twins shared, opening the door and stepping inside. He was laying on his bed, studying his datapad; typical Jake, always dedicated to his studies. However, he could sense the definite need for companionship, which was shocking, and a little disheartening considering there were four members of his own family in the next room he could have gained that with. ... surely he didn't think...*
Jake?
*Aerandir closed the door behind him and walked toward the bed, sitting down on the edge, leaning toward the boy with a concerned expression.*
You alright, my son?
*While he often referred to Jake as "son" normally, in this instance it was deliberate; if the boy truly was feeling excluded, he had to dispel those doubts, and this would be a good, subtle way to begin removing that notion.*

*Somewhat unsurprisingly, Jake began by denying that anything was wrong, even though it had been written all over him when he'd entered the quarters, and all those times in the past... and even before he made his denial. Aerandir's look became one of slight plea, as he reached a hand forward and set it gently, lovingly, upon the boy's shoulder, continuing to attempt to make the boy feel as at ease as possible.*
You know I know that's untrue. C'mon, trust your dad, talk to me, man to man.

*Jake seemed hesitant for a moment, as though unsure if he should voice his thoughts. Aerandir hated this; normally, when a child he loved hesitated, it was usually due to emotional turmoil of some kind, or simply trying to figure out how to voice their thoughts, and that was understandable. But now, while certainly emotion was involved, it seemed Jake was unsure if it was worth saying; Aerandir wanted him to speak though, to trust him, to trust the father who'd unconditionally taken him in and loved him as a son, to tell him anything without hesitation.

Jake looked down. When he looked up, he was on the verge of crying, with a question that pierced the father's heart: "Do you still love me, Dad?"

Aerandir's lip trembled, then he immediately pulled his son onto his lap, into his arms, and held onto him tightly and lovingly. He did feel rejected, excluded. Because of a new baby? Why should that threaten their relationship? It didn't, and no child of his was allowed to feel as though they were no loner loved.*
Of course I love you, son. What kind of question is that? I'll continue loving you into the next life and beyond.
*Oft-stoic Aerandir, who'd mastered the art of keeping his cool in many a situation, was unable to keep his eyes dry, nor his voice from choking a little as he reassured his son—with his words, with his arms, with an attempt to reach out to him in the Force—that he had nothing but love for him.*