In life, there are two equally awkward yet universal experiences.

The first is introducing your friends to your family; the other is introducing your lover to your family.

Heavens help you if there's ever an overlap.

-The memoirs of a princess who married her childhood friend.

___________________________________

"The Fourth Young Master is back!"

"I told you he was alive!"

"And he brought friends!"

"Is he romantically involved with any of them?"

"Not sure. One of them looks like they're interested in him."

"Hah! Pay up, assholes!"

After extracting himself from Jinju Ren's bites of love and worry, Zhen Liu finally got around to introducing his friends to his family.

Well, he managed to introduce Lythero, Antonio, Maggie, Taurna, and Leona to most of his family and lovers.

SInce he managed to message them awhile back that he was alive and that he managed to meet up with his cousins, the Zhen Clan had more or less relaxed, knowing that he wasn't in any mortal danger.

There was a bit of a scare when Arachnidame and Lacerage both suddenly left the Zhen Clan estate in the middle of the workday, where they both shouted something about having to be by Zhen Liu's side before things went, as Lacerage inelegantly explained, "absolutely tits up." However, that fear was soon assuaged once Lacerage and Archanidame returned several hours later.

That stated, it was still a rather pleasant surprise for all of the Zhen Clan members present at the estate when Zhen Liu returned with his friends in tow.

"I must say, it's quite a pleasant surprise seeing you back with friends instead of more romantic partners," Jinju Ren teased Zhen Liu with a mischievous smile. As soon as she made that comment, though, she had also thrown a quick glance in Leona's direction, recognizing a certain look in the lion bloodliner's eyes. "Although, mayhaps I have spoken too soon."

"I…honestly can't tell if you're being serious or messing with me."

"Can't it be both?"

After she had made her displeasure about being left behind known by biting Zhen Liu's neck for much longer than necessary, she had decided that his arm was going to be her home for the next few hours or so.

Joining her in this endeavor, Rianna decided to do the same with Zhen Liu's other arm.

It honestly made for a rather lovely picture from a distance, seeing them act in such a cutesy manner.

Granted, anyone even remotely familiar with either of their reputations would be absolutely flabbergasted at such maiden-like behavior.

Regardless, with the girls attached to his arms, Zhen Liu still went about introducing his friends to the members of his family that were still present.

This included Zhen Tai and Zhen Xing's parents, Elder Zhen Jin, Elder Zhen Ye, and their respective spouses...

"Ah, so you are alive! Good to see you back, Xiao Liu," Zhen Ye said with sincerity.

"Good to be back, uncles."

"I hope you know that if you do die again, we're not hosting another funeral," Zhen Jin added in with a mildly joking tone.

"Okay...why?"

"You have such a terribly good track record for coming back from the dead, that spending money on your funeral would be a literal waste."

"I mean...that's fair, but a little rude."

...several of his cousins that were present besides Zhen Tai and Zhen Xing...

"Guys these are even more of my cousins, Zhen Feng and Zhen Guo."

"Hello there."

"Nice to meet you."

"Hey, have you guys seen Zhen Yue and Zhen Hai anywhere? I haven't seen them nor their parents."

"Zhen Yue and the Second Elder are currently meeting with the Ecaredies family about finalizing the wedding between her and Carlos. I believe they're going to be tying the knot in a few more months," Zhen Guo answered.

"Oh really? Huh...I should probably get them a souvenir while I'm in Dozing Salamander..."

"As for Zhen Hai, he's on a training expedition with the First Elder and the Patriarch in Roaring Tide under the guidance of the main clan's matriarch," Zhen Feng added. "Actually, now that I think about it, I think I remember something about them heading to the Abyssal Lands to train."

"Ah..." Zhen Liu trailed off while thinking about the fact that he needed to find an opportunity later to connect to the Neo Storm Knights and update Jin Fang about everything that has happened to him.

...and of course, his immediate family.

"Okay, can you girls let go of my arms now?" Zhen Liu asked Jinju Ren and Rianna. "I get the feeling I'm going to need to duck very soon."

"Fair enough," Jinju Ren capitulated.

"Fine..." Rianna agreed reluctantly.

"Huh?"

The Dozing Salamander crew was rather confused by this request.

Up until this very moment, Zhen Liu seemed more or less okay with Jinju Ren and Rianna simply clinging on to his arms the entire time they had been here at the estate.

Thankfully, they were going to get an answer very soon as to why he had requested freedom of movement.

"Hi, Mother! Hi, Father! I'm back from the dead with fri—WHOA!"

Before Zhen Liu could finish greeting his parents, a hatchet came flying towards his head and embedded itself in the wall immediately behind him.

"Didn't I tell you to stop putting yourself into situations where you might get yourself killed?!" Zhen Liu's mother, Daria Nerissa-Zhen called out from inside of the room.

While Zhen Liu was in the process of no longer ducking, Lythero leaned down to ask a question that had been brewing in his mind since he saw how Bellona and Alicia first treated him after they had been reunited not too long ago.

"Zhen Liu, buddy, why does it seem like most of the women involved in your life try to kill you before showing you affection?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but it's been theorized to be a familial quirk," Zhen Liu seriously answered.

"Huh...that explains why Zhen Tai was okay with me going rough..." Taurna muttered under her breath as Lythero helped Zhen Liu to his feet.

As if the universe wanted to reinforce this statement of Zhen Liu's, his father Zhen Yan came out the door to greet his son and friends.

"Good to see you back, my boy. And I see you not only have managed to avoid your mother's hatchet, but that you also brought friends and...possibly more lovers?"

"Mostly friends, and I see your covered in needles," Zhen Liu greeted his father in kind. "Did she use you as a practice target?"

"Nope," Zhen Yan happily shook his head. "Your mother needed someone to practice acupuncture on. She was actually in the middle of a session when you and your friend announced your arrival."

"And now I have to go and coordinate with the servants in making a delicious dinner," Daria declared while exiting the room, her pet Shadow Cat following along with the haughty demeanor of a well-trained guard dog.

The most enigmatic woman in the branch clan shared some brief greetings with all of Zhen Liu's friends before leaving for the estate kitchens and giving her son one last bit of instructions.

"While I'm preparing dinner, you go and bond with your baby siblings. I refuse to have my children being unable to recognize one another."

"As you wish."

Going with the flow, Zhen Liu was followed by Lythero and the others as he went to go and check on his baby siblings.

"Wait, uh, Senior Zhen Yan?"

"Yes?"

"Shouldn't we take those needles out before you go and check on your babies?"

"Huh? Oh, right," Zhen Yan agreed before plucking the needles out one by one. "Kind of forgot they were there because they were coated in a homemade numbing agent."

"..."

At this moment, Lythero, Antonio, Maggie, Taurna, and Leona began to understand that Zhen Liu's personality may very well have been genetic.

...As the humans talk, the Kaijin commented...

[And that was most of our Maestro's immediate family. Any thoughts?] Hurricroak asked the newcomer Kaijin.

[Well...I now understand why the War Chief seems more than capable of having all of us talk on his head,] Depth Strider answered first. [Big families make it a necessity to be able to talk to everyone at once.]

[Pretty much, yeah.]

[Caretaker's caretakers also has twins?] Corpse Doll rhetorically asked as she tried to wrap her head around the idea. [Does that make us redundant?]

[I...I don't think that term is applicable for this situation,] Porcelain Doll answered, after initially trying to figure out if she needed to comfort her twin or not.

[I actually have a question in regards to the chief's family.]

[What is it, Pegsoar?]

[Do we have any zakos on them so that we can see what they're up to? You once mentioned that the war Chief has a tendency to attract trouble and weird events. I'm kind of curious if they're in the middle of anything that might lead to us getting involved.]

[That...is a very insightful question. Hmmm.]