Aria stared at the small card, with names written in glittery ink, in all their glorious little curves and vine-line twists. The more she stared, the more it perplexed her. A named seating arrangement for a family reunion was the least of the absurdities she expected from her family. The bewilderment rose further, when she found her own spot, seated far away from her grandma and the others. Away, almost on the periphery of the extended family. In fact, her table was twice moved from second cousins.

To her benefit, the arrangement suited her just fine. Away from all the pomp and prestige, her prying relatives, and their pride-fuelled pretences. With only the Mitchells to share the table, she could indulge quality time with Astra. It felt almost akin to their own oasis.

With no concern for the disapproving gaze of others, Aria held Astra's palms and led her to the table. Looking at their seats, her veneer of confidence broke, giving way to an indignant click of her tongue. She could already feel the invisible hand of her mother at play. Rodney Mitchell was conveniently placed between Aria and Astra. That, solved part of the mystery. The presence of their neighbours in her family reunion.

"Hey Aria," said Rodney with an equally bewildered expression on his face.

Aria gave a sigh of relief. Rodney was not a part of the plan. The young man was every bit an unwilling participant, dragged into her mother's schemes.

After the preliminary introductions with Astra, Rodney shuffled uncomfortably in his seat. "Sorry, I didn't realise we were being set up. My mum and your mother kept badgering me to come. So took a weekend off."

"Its alright," said Aria.

"This is awkward," said Rodney, a confused smile on his lips. "Being forced to become a third wheel between two lovers."

"Don't apologise, it is not your fault." Aria could not get angry at Rodney.

As surreal as it might sound, it was hard for Aria to hold anything against him. She reminded herself that despite the fact that they were neighbours and born in the same year, this was probably the closest interaction they ever had. In their peer group, they were both outsiders but for different reasons. As children, while Aria refused to play with dolls, Rodney played with DnD figurines, exclusively.

By fourteen, when Aria was a withdrawn girl, Rodney declared himself to possess superpowers. Even went as far as to moniker himself, the Arcane Wielder of Opulent Blade. Even the bullies and the bitchy girls gave him clear space, not because he was tough, but tormenting Rodney was an exercise in patience and as they all learned the hard way, that the experience was not worth the effort.

"So, Rodney," said Aria, in a feeble attempt at a polite conversation. "You still collect those little dolls."

"Figurines?" Rodney huffed in contorted mirth. "Those are Warhammer miniatures, and Dnd Characters, Aria."

"So do you go out apart from spending time with those miniature armies of yours?"

"Yes, actually, I am also a part of a medieval re-enactment troupe. We perform in historical re-enactments and renfairs."

"Huh, from Dnd Campaign to a live campaign, that's an improvement."

"Hey Aria, keep this up," said Rodney. "I could see your mother with a look of approval from the other side."

Aria gave a simple nod while stealing a gaze at the lovely form of Astra seated next.

"Anyway, what is the deal with your parents sitting there?" asked Rodney. "Looks almost like they are guarding Aidan, and is your mother poison testing his drink before letting him have a sip. That's too much infantilising going on."

"He deserved it," said Aria. "Four nights ago, he got drunk and picked a fight with Mr. Lorenzen. Insulted his dead wife."

"Ouch. How is Aidan still alive?"

"You have Astra to thank for that." Aria reached out to hold Astra's fingers, kneading them with needy moves. "My girl just strong-armed Mr. Lorenzen into submission."

"Damn, that is amazing." Rodney dug into his pocket and pulled two small tickets. "Now, might be a good time. I am inviting you both to a renfair tourney that my troupe is participating. We really need Astra to play an armoured titan holding a shield."

"Eh, I think we will pass." Aria reminded herself of the last time when she went to comicon. She ended up with an alien wife from comicon. With her luck, she might end up with two mythical kids from renfair.

Rodney turned to Astra. "Please convince your girlfriend to come. We really need you there."

Aria pulled Rodney back. "Hey now, don't go calling her my girlfriend here. How do you even know that?"

"Seriously, like I have to be blind not to notice the two of you stealing quick glances at each other." Rodney nodded towards the direction of Aria's grandmother, clustered in the middle of her cousins and Aunt Edith, with Aunt Terri missing. "Even your grandmother noticed it."

Aria could feel the whole of the extended family glaring daggers at her.

"Maybe it is a perfect chance for me to play the drunk dead person, so you two could ignore and continue your silent pinning for each other."

"You just lie dead and motionless, like in your historical war re-enactments?"

"Precisely." Rodney winked. "I am going to get some drink." With that, he vanished.

Aria's respite was short-lived as Grandma's voice pierced through the din. "Aria, why do sit away from the family?" The old woman raised a languid eyebrow at Aria's mother and continued. "Ah. Yes. That must be your mother's way of hiding her family's ignominy."

Aria could see her mother's knuckle blanch as her hold on her fork tightened.

"Edith, pardon me, dear, but must be the age getting to me, but what did I say exactly that time?"

"You said, one day Aria will bring home a girl instead," chimed in Edith.

"Astra is just a friend," answered Emiliana, a wicked snarl marring her face.

"Aria come here. Introduce your new girl." A hard squint veiled grandmother's eyes as she peered at Astra. "She is too tall. Is she even really a girl?"

"Aren't her shoulders a bit too broad?" added Edith, then, turning to Astra, she asked, in a tone concealing the malice beneath, "Sweetie, are you, perhaps, one of those girls who work out a lot?"

Looking elsewhere, Grandmother snorted. "Someone people sure have no shame about bringing their thrash along. Luckily, our family does not breed such low standards."

The acidity in Grandmother's words cut right through the festive air of the party. Everyone turned to glare at Astra.

Aria could see the venom dripping from her relatives.

"Aunt Edith, what's wrong with being a bit athletic?" defended Aria.

"Athletic, you say?" Edith pointed at Aria with her wine glass. "First, it is a simple athletic, then it's a demand for freedom and emancipation and finally, you will declare all men are a redundancy. This is how moral values erode."

Emiliana walked over to grandmother's table, towards the glowering glare of the Edith and her family. "There is nothing wrong in wanting to maintain a healthy and independent attitude, and Aria is as independent as she is beautiful."

"Why is it that the good-looking and independent women always hide in their mother's shadow?" asked Edith, snidely.

Emiliana wagged a finger in the air, with no hesitation or qualms, ready to defend Aria. "That is quite enough of a comment from you, Edith. We are talking about my daughter here. She is a capable girl unlike some I know. So stop trying to create a scandal where none exists."

Grandmother rolled her eyes, and looked around as if unconcerned. When she finally spoke, her tone was distant and nonchalant. "None exists? She always held herself with a substandard conduct. Her virtues are bankrupt at best."

The manner of Grandmother's deliver alarmed Aria the most. She said it like an open secret that everyone else knew. She did not have the courage to ask what her grandmother meant by her statement. But even as she tried to remain calm, the internal turmoil going inside her mind wouldn't. It was all disturbing. It made her feel dirty. Worthless. Worse than feeling unclean, it felt insecure.

Nevertheless, Aria needed to find a way to counter, quickly.

"Don't let those words, get to you." Astra still remained unfazed, a mask of calmness on her serene face.

"Astra, how do you even remain undisturbed?" asked Aria.

"I am trained to lead a spaceship, remember. Part of the training is to ignore the taunt of others, to make an objective decision."

"But those scathing words, they are even aimed at you. I can't bear it."

"Aria, Love, please. It's okay. I am mature enough to take insults, reconcile with varied opinions and still maintain my own sense of being."

At that moment, every bit of strength left Aria, and her body started responding to Astra's sweetness. Aria closed her eyes. Suddenly, everything fell into place. Everything that made her feel wrong, uneasy and dissatisfied. She realised her extended family were not homophobic. They were just bullies who never matured into adulthood. Their homophobia was merely another outlet to project their drowning sense of superiority.

She could be in a fulfilling relationship with Rodney, still her extended family would find an opportunity to pass condescending comments. If no opportunities were found, one would be created. But, Aria would not let any overgrown playground bully and their imperious attitude, take a jab at her Astra.

"It is obvious that your opinion of Astra is at variance with the rest of the world." Aria ignored the searing glare sent in her direction from every other member of her immediate and extended family. "But the truth is, Astra here, did save Aidan's life from Mr. Lorenzen's anger. So how about we be grateful to her? Or is gratitude a lost virtue for our illustrious family?"

"Oh dear, what did I miss? Also sorry, got a bit delayed." Aria would have preferred a deux-ex-machina at the instant, instead, fate delivered her, Aunt Terri, the wallflower.

"What caused the altercation between Aidan and Mr. Lorenzen?" asked Terri.

"Aidan got drunk, picked a fight and punched me out cold." Aria perceived every set of eyes move their attention away from her and glare at Aidan with sheer accusation.

Keeping his head down, Aidan mumbled. "Well, I wasn't alone at the bar. Uncle Jake dragged us, and Dad was there too."

Aria silently thanked her brother, for throwing their father and uncle under the truck. She would have done it herself, but this worked far better in her benefit too.

Grandmother fixed Jake with a single glare, lips tightly pursed.

"Wow. Let's not get too hasty and judgemental here, alright," said Jake in full damage control mode. "Aidan is a healthy young man, a bit rough around the edges. Nothing wrong there. That's how young men are."

Both Jake and Jeremy glanced over at their mother, seeing her crinkling her brows in disdain.

Jake sighed. "Well, we did make sure Aria did not suffer any concussion before escorting Aidan back home."

"You saw her knocked cold, out in a bar, still left her alone?" Aunt Terri had her hands firmly planted on her hips. "My Travis would have never done something so stupid."

Jeremy looked thoughtful for a moment, with pursed lips, avoiding the soul-crushing look from his wife. Even Aria felt sorry for her father now.

"She did assure us that she was all fine. I only left the bar on her insistence," defended Aria's father.

"Jeremy. You told me she was just catching up with Dana." The air around Aria's mother crackled. "She is a child, Jeremy. Our Child. You should have been the responsible father."

"Not a child, from where I see," chimed Grandmother, pointing at Astra. "At least not from the company she brings home."

"Stay out of this." Emiliana snapped at her mother-in-law with all the rage of a scorned mother. "Perhaps, had you raised your sons well, I would not have to deal with such an incomplete and defective specimen."

"Emily, don't you ever talk to my mother with that tone."

"I will use whatever tone is appropriate, and you do not get to correct me. Not after you abandoned our daughter in a bar."

"I didn't abandon," said Aria's father, feeling his very worth demolished before his family gathering. "I left her in the capable hands of Astra."

"So Astra not only saved Aidan's life but also Aria's? I believe she deserves all our gratitude, then," said Aunt Terri. The harsh truth reverberated throughout the reunion, pulling a quick gasp from all and an unconcealed smile from Aria.

The surging elation lasted only a paltry few minutes before the demanding chime from Aria's mobile claimed her attention. The frequency of its vibrations as rapid as the urgency of the message it carried.

"Aria, Travis is on his way to give a surprise visit to Grandma's party. Any moment, soon, he should be arriving. Just letting you know. Aileen."

The sense of dread, engulfing Aria, was incomparable to the invading expression of futility on Astra's face. Despite her training as a consummate Covenant Fleet Captain, to remain undaunted in any situation, she felt powerless against the rising distress in her.

A gasp went through the gathering, then still silence remained.

Phaedra stepped in.

An uncomfortable look came across every member of the family. Yet, none dared. Aria's grandmother purposefully averted her eyes from following the newcomer. In Phaedra's steps, she could almost see the spirit of Aria's grandfather beckoning her from the other side.

The tensed situation continued until Jake broke the silence. With a flicker of disgust, he blurted out. "Heh, you can't be here. This is a private event."

Phaedra glared him into submission.

"I am sure we could put an extra table. A simple hospitality for a total stranger. We could manage that, can't we?" His brother's plight made Jeremy resort to a more accommodating route.

"Accommodating is what got us putting up with your immoral daughter and the miserable company she brought," scoffed Edith, but quickly dropped her act, when the very audible breathing of Phaedra, like the roar of a relentless ocean waves eroding a cliff's face, came.

Only Aidan had the dearth of common sense to challenge Phaedra. "Hey, you tramp. Which part of this is a private family event escapes your understanding?"

The menkari girl raised a languid eye at the petulance, lethargic in its gaze and dismissing in attitude. "Fools do rush in where Angels fear to tread."

"Nice quote, but you need to do better than... like Shakespeare," said Aidan, ignoring the open tug of his mother.

Granted, Aria did not have any expectations for her brother, and he still managed to disappoint her.

A long moment of heavy silence fell. Everyone watching, and many hoping that someone would step forward and finally bring a resolution to the growing unease. Phaedra's resilience overwhelmed all.

Silvery grey eyes of the sentinel swept through the room and eventually settled on Aria, but her conscious attention on Astra. "This being. Perhaps, a sibling? Someone you care? Would your bond survive should anything happen? Would you blame her? Mayhap curse Astra for dragging me?"

Each word, pushed slow and deliberate, slammed Aria.

Aria froze from the combined glare of everyone. Even Aunt Terri held Aria and Astra with an accusing stare. But once again, no sound came forth.

One of Phaedra's features shifted, bringing an aura of profound disquiet.

All Aria could do was to turn towards Astra. She met the confounded blankness on the Vajran's face.

"Stop ignoring me," screamed Aidan. "Think you are cool with your attitudes and monologues. Let me give it to you straight. You have such a resting bitch face that even if you place yourself in a whorehouse, you will get fucked the last."

"Tell me, what do you do with your dead?" The gaze of the sentinel never lingered far from the table of Aria. "Bury them? Cremate them? Or even leave it to the elements or the wild to consume? It matters not. Nothing will add meaning to your meat puppet existence."

Another deafening silence descended upon the reunion, while Phaedra's intense scrutiny focused solely on Aria.

"Enough." Astra liberated herself from the shackles of deliberate inactivity. "Phaedra, have you forgotten what I promised that last time we met?"

The sentinel's withering stare made Aria go numb from the barrage of fear, anxiety and dread. Aria knew the question plaguing everyone. Now that Phaedra and Astra had addressed each other, she had to come up with something. Anything.

"Hey guys, so this is Phaedra," said Aria, burying the panic surging inside. "She is Astra's sister."

"Sisters? They don't even look the same race," said Aidan.

"She is adopted," said Aria, digging deep into her latent ability for situational improvisation.

"She is?" asked Aidan with cynicism.

"She is?" asked Astra with bewilderment.

"I am," answered Phaedra with hesitation.

Aria swiftly approached Phaedra. If Travis's arrival was a crisis, then Phaedra was an apocalypse. Any time soon, she would have a crisis confounding on the already existing train wreck of a family reunion.

"Really close sisters, eh. You must have missed your sister so much that you even tracked and followed her," said Aria with a forced smile splitting her face wide. "So, Phaedra, now that you have caught up with your sister, how do you feel?"

"I feel that you embellish a lot," replied Phaedra.

"And I feel like belching," added Astra.

"Come, Phaedra, we could add another seat in our table. Sit with us." Aria offered with enthusiasm born out of hysteria.

"Enough. I grow tired of this farce." Phaedra growled, muscles roaring beneath the sentinel's skin. Boiling venom spat with every word she uttered. "Nothing binds the esteemed daughter of a prominent family and a homeless drifter like me."

"Have you, exactly, presented this sentiment to Vierna?" asked Aria.

Phaedra grew silent, brows furrowed, and emotions waged inside. Lips tightly pursed, preventing words from spilling out.

"Vierna?" Edith questioned, taking comfort in the safe distance from Phaedra.

"One of their mothers," answered Aria.

"Two mothers?" Grandmother waved dismissively. "Without a father-figure to guide them, no wonder, their education of common etiquette was incomplete. There is only so much these so-called emancipated woman, prancing in a man's shoes, could fulfil."

"So you claim." Phaedra's calmness was even more unnerving than her rage. "I see no mate beside you on your table. What happened?"

"An acute liver cancer claimed our father years ago," replied Terri.

"Don't you bring my man into this." Grandmother leaned back, arms crossed, defensively. "My man was a conscentious man. Always stayed by my side."

"Liver cancer?" repeated Phaedra.

"It's a disease, caused by an extended duration of exposure to extreme stress." Everyone looked at Aria, and in an eerie and surreal manner, after two seconds, every pair of eyes settled on Grandmother.

A cold light glistened in Grandmother's eyes. "We have tolerated your spiritually stagnant attitude for long, Aria. You will not taint the honour of your grandfather."

"How did my daughter taint your dead husband's name?" Emiliana jumped in. "By citing the truth? If I were to surmise, it is the guilty conscience in you lashing out at her."

Aria's mobile pinged again. It was Aileen.

"In case you are not prepared, Travis should be arriving in a few mins."

"So Phaedra, now that you are here," said Aria with an expression contested with alarm and urgency. "Long journey, meeting with you dear sister and all, how about going somewhere private? away from the crowd? You can catch up with your sister. Get a well-deserved rest?"

"Actually, I quite like it here. So I am going to say no to your offer. Being with your family is like watching a pack of juvenile raptors chasing their own tail."

A faint giggle echoed and all stared at the spot where Aunt Terri was seated. "It was a nice comparison." She shrugged herself as though bereft of any culpability.

"Come on, Astra." Aria nudged. "Don't you have anything to say to your sister? Like share new experiences and gossips... like, I don't know, whatever that sisters do when they meet after a long time."

"Yeah, sure," said Astra, as through a long forgotten fact resurfaced from the depth of her memory. "Marshall...eh... Phaedra, my favourite sister." Astra rolled the last two words with the same effort of someone with a pack of marbles shoved in their mouth. "May I suggest we convene under four-eyes for a bonding session?"

Taken out of context, that came out extremely wrong, even to Aria.

"So, what kind of sisters did you say they are?" Aidan had the grin of cat that got the cream. "sci..."

"If you even utter the third word of rock, papers...I will personally drag you to a vet and put you down." Aria stomped her foot, and dragged her thumb across her neck, making a point.

"Makes sense, and Aidan is right with his comments." Jake extracted himself from the whispers of his wife, and looked at his brother. "Your daughter would keep lesbians and dykes pretending to be sisters, and had the audacity to even drag her vile lifestyle before the family."

"I have not forgiven you for dragging us to the bar, despite the concerns I voiced," said Aria's father. "But this is an unsubstantiated accusation."

"Unsubstantiated, you claim? Let me open your eyes, to your daughter's depravity, then."

Jake tossed his mobile, screen unlocked. A screenshot of Aria's post with the very open caption, leaving very little to deny, was rendered on pixels for all to see.

"In bed, a chilling time in my childhood room with true Love."

"Aria, what is the meaning of this?" Her father's eyes refused to even meet her, still firmly glued to the image on the small screen.

"Well, the truth is out in the open," chimed her Grandmother with a toothy grin that would make any evil-stepmother jealous.

"You can hide for a while, but the truth always comes out," added Edith.

"Still want to deny that she does not go munching on carpets, Jeremy?" The smug look of victory shrouded Uncle Jake.

"It's nothing dad." Aria attempted to shoo off the allegations burning holes in his forehead.

"Nothing?" Her father's voice was singular, devoid of any emotions. "Your post even claims true Love."

"Oh, that." Aria gave a nervous giggle. "I mean Vlad, Dad. Look, he is also in the picture, snuggling between us like a needy baby."

Emiliana breathed a sigh of relief. Aria had never seen her mother go from pallid pale to a vibrant glow so fast.

"You know, I once read an article in a scholarly journal about the negative effect of pornographic addiction." Astra walked closer to Aria, and laid a caring palm on her shoulders. "People who are addicted to porn will often project their fetish on people in real life, even close family relatives."

"Yeah, I remember reading that too," added Aidan.

That surprised Aria, for she was certain that Astra's own citation was made up on the spot.

Aidan continued. "The article claims that they even imagine people they meet in a pornographic position."

"Aidan, that's not true. It's pure bullsh..."

Jeremy leapt, cutting his brother's words with a clean blow, the strength of the punch knocking Jake off his balance. Jeremy fell upon Jake and the pounding began.

Emiliana screamed loudly, to stop.

Edith screamed louder, to stop.

Grandmother screamed loudest, to stop.

"Did you fucking project your damn perviness on my daughter." The flurry of blows from Jeremy continued, undeterred by any of the shouts.

When Travis finally arrived, sheer chaos greeted. He was too preoccupied -- to notice his cousin slipping away with two girls, one of who was too tall and bore an uncanny resemblance to the target of his query -- for both his uncles were determined to kill each other.

"Travis," Grandmother screamed, "Be a man. Do something."

Travis assessed the extent of the shuffle in a calm and measured manner. Then he trotted towards Terri.

"Mother, would you excuse me, if I return immediately back to work?"