[SpringsSong]

Rorin.  Bifrost Kuhna.  Human form.
Mirua.  Pixii Kuhna.  Human form.

"Drinks, food, guest rooms... oh, for the love of--where is--?"

Mirua grumbled and looked through what had to be the fourth box she'd pulled out of the attic since she'd woken up that morning.  She'd woken up to a text from her mother, Kanika, that she, her stepmother, and her three half-sisters would be arriving--as well as a plus-one in the form of Rinendra's significant other.  She was so absorbed in searching through boxes that she almost missed the knock on the door.

"Mirua?" came Rorin's voice.

"Come in," Mirua called over her shoulder, flinging some fabric haphazardly towards the door.  It almost hit Rorin in the face, and he ducked out of the way to dodge it.  He watched her carefully, and after a few minutes, he leaned against a wall.

"How long have you been up?  It's only nine and the whole house looks like... well, like it's been buffeted by a whole clan of Paragon."

[SpringsSong]

"I've been up since five-thirty," Mirua said in a distant voice.  "Mother, Mama, and my sisters will be here soon, and I wanted to make sure that the house was in order, but there's something I'm missing; something that Vaissa made for me before I left for Barakka..."

"And you're going to dig it out from all of this...?" Rorin asked, sweeping his hands over the chaos.  Mirua paused for a few moments and looked over the debacle, and she sighed as she rubbed her forehead.

"By the Triumvirate, this is..." she made a clucking sound with her tongue and sighed.  "They'll be here within the hour, and I wouldn't dare present a house that's in this sort of state to them..."

"Here, let me help you..." Rorin said, getting down on his hands and knees to pick up some of the items that had been strewn around.

[SpringsSong]

An hour passed almost too fast for Mirua and Rorin to realize.  As the last stray pieces of fabric were put away, there was a sharp knock on the door.

"Mirua!  We're here~"

"And that would be Mother," Mirua said, standing up and smoothing the skirt she was wearing.  "Hope you're ready for that double-interrogation?"

"I'll have to be," Rorin said.  Before Mirua could fully open the door, it flung open.

Kanika.  Doomsberry Lakundra.  Human form.
Aina.  Holy Lakundra.  Human form.

"Let me get a good look at you," Kanika said, taking Mirua by the shoulders and pulling her in front of her so she could examine her.  "You're definitely gleaming like you've recently gotten engaged.  Wouldn't you agree, Aina?"

"And Rorin has a similar look," Aina said softly.  "You've definitely turned into a fine young man, Rorin."

[SpringsSong]

"Thank you," Rorin said, a slight hesitance at the end of the statement.  In the days when they were children, he wouldn't have hesitated to address her as "Mrs. Somasundara", but it had been nineteen years, and now, he'd asked for their daughter's hand in marriage.

"What, Myu got your tongue?" Kanika asked.

"I think, dear," Aina said, "that he's unsure of how he should address us now."

"Well, he's gonna be our first son-in-law, with any luck," Kanika said.  "How about he chooses between what Mirua calls us, or Kanika and Aina?"

"And where are my sisters?" Mirua asked.  Kanika chuckled as she pointed behind her.

"Vaissa and Arela are outside, on the phone with Rinendra," she said.  "She and her plus-one's flight out of Lambastia was delayed.  You'd not believe the tongue-lashing Arela's given her already."

[SpringsSong]

"I know all about Rel's tongue-lashings, Mother," Mirua said.  "Remember when I called you after my blind date with Rorin, and I thought that Vaissa answered the phone, but it was Arela?"

"She was complaining to me afterwards," Aina said with a soft chuckle.  "Or was it more... bemoaning the fact that she and Vaissa apparently sound alike?  Either way, she was not happy about her situation," she said.  Mirua, however, turned and walked outside.

Arela.  Vaissa.

"Rua!  There you are!" Arela said, walking toward Mirua.  "You wouldn't believe how happy Vaissa and I were to hear that you were going to be getting married to Rorin."