"- if I try to imagine Uncle Aitim arranging me a marriage that's gross but I suppose the cultural equivalent would be Uncle Aitim going 'Ana! Hi! Let me introduce you to this boy your age who writes Treebranch games and doesn't really care for your dad's genre of music particularly!' and that's not gross at all so I suppose that would work fine for her."

"Is he good with people? Your uncle Aitim?"

"Yeah, 'course. Also he rules this entire planet so he's probably not cultivating a ton of boys my age who write Treebranch games, but if he did."

He nods. Smiles slightly.

"Mom and Dad are landing, can a wizard pick them up?" says Hala.

"Sure, I've got it," says Karen, and she disappears.

"Curious about the Andalite versions of us but I guess he still doesn't wanna come chat."

"He didn't seem very talkative, no."

Eskillimi is translating for the Khazad between bites of potato croquette, though she is slowing down on the food at this point, having consumed a truly unreasonable number of calories. She doesn't meet anyone's eyes.

"Might try anyway if no one else has showed up by the time we're done eating."

"What are you going to ask him?"

"Just, you know, what his family does, what the rest of them are up to, whether they need stuff for their war..."

Nibble nibble potato croquette.

Karen reappears with Isama and Kantil in tow.

"Well, this is an elaborate gathering. Your brother in law conquers a planet and you go to buy up all their hardwood and before you know it you're up to your ears in lazy science fiction tropes. Hello everyone, I'm Isama."

"Nice to meet you."

"I'm Ismat. Isun is the one on the right. We're still waiting for the one with four each legs and eyes. I'm jewelry he's dishes she's lightbulbs."

"Jewelry?"

"...not sure what about that's surprising."

"Wouldn't have guessed it. Dishes and lightbulbs don't surprise me and neither did clothes."

"It's magic, does that help? I figured out how to make it magic without needing a wizard."

"Oh, that does help. Mine's the universal joinery, Susannah invented the assembly line..."

"Slipcasting."

"Uh, lights used to break sometimes in z-space and Ismea's don't."

He beams at his wife.

"How'd you meet her?"