Private Home for the Holidays

[Hollis Orenn]

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Location: Naboo​

Outfit: xxx​

Tag: Justice Lesan​

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Hollis couldn't deny the flutter of nerves.​

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Why? Because she was bringing her boyfriend home to meet her parents for Life Day. No big deal. Actually, it was definitely a big deal. She'd never brought anyone home before, let alone to stay at her family home for the holidays.​

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It would be nice, though. Hollis did miss spending time with her family now that she was a Jedi. And, this way, she'd get to spend Life Day with her mum, dad, and Justice. It did seem like the best of both worlds. She'd done some shopping before they'd left Coruscant, and she'd spent some of the journey to Naboo getting the gifts wrapped up to put under the tree. As she made her way back to the cockpit to join Justice, she hoped he would like his gift.​

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"Hey," she said, smiling as she took a seat next to him. "We're almost there, yeah? I did give you the coordinates, didn't I?" ​

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Even though she was pretty forgetful, she was sure she had actually given him the coordinates. Were they stalling just a bit? maybe. As if anticipating the worries on his mind, Hollis pipped up, "It's all going to be fine." She offered him an especially encouraging smile. She was used to spending Life Day with her family... Justice wasn't. The thought made her sad, but she was glad they'd be together this time. "My mum is super friendly," Hollis said, chuckling. "She's going to love you." ​

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Hollis was quiet as she thought of her father.​

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Hollis continued, "tonight we're having a quiet dinner, and tomorrow we'll have a big breakfast before we open gifts." She reached over and gave his hand a squeeze. "It'll be fun!" ​

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[Justice Lesan]

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Wearing: xxx
Arm: xxx
Tag: Hollis Orenn

Meeting the parents was always a significant step in any relationship. Justice found himself on the precipice of that particular milestone. Maybe they were doing things a little backwards. Hollis and Justice already shared an apartment, a fact her mother and father likely knew about already. What they thought about that was going to depend on how traditional or conservative they were. Justice knew only what Hollis had told him, and that seemed to center around the fact her mother was going to love him.

“Yeah, you gave them to me.”

Hollis’ question had pulled Justice out of his thoughts, for which he was glad. He pumped his brows a little as he strapped his restraints before turning the autopilot off.

“Alright, I’ll hold the controls, but you’re gonna take the ship in. We gotta work on those landings still.”

Was he deflecting or distracting himself a little? For now. He was looking forward to all of it, but there was still that part of him that was not used to a normal functioning family. Everything he knew about Hollis and her family was that they were as functional as his family was dysfunctional. Justice did smile, however. He wanted to make sure Hollis knew he was excited to be on the trip.

The truth was that he needed it as much as Hollis did. A good family dynamic was something Justice needed to witness, especially if they wanted a family of their own one day. One thing Just was secretly afraid of was whether he would be a good father or not. His father had been absent his whole life. Justice did not even know who the man was. It bothered him a little, but not enough to go searching for any clue of who he was. Judah had been close enough to a father to keep Justice grounded to a degree. At least there had been a male figure of some kind.

“Dinner will be nice, and you remembered the gift for your parents, yeah?”

Justice had packed an artifact for them, one from a recent dig. He hoped they would like it.​

 

[Hollis Orenn]

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Location: Naboo​

Outfit: xxx​

Tag: Justice Lesan​

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Hollis gave Justice a nod and a smile when he said she'd be taking the ship down. While her landings were always a bit on the shakier side, she was far more confident than she'd been.

"Yep," she said, nodding. "I got everything all set."

There might have been a little twinkle in her eyes. She really hoped that Justice liked the gift she'd brought for him. It was the first time she'd really given him anything. Hollis had lovingly wrapped it all up and put a bow on it, too. She was glad she'd had the time to do it while he piloted the ship. No peeking!

"Alright, well… here we go!"

With that, she did her best to remember everything that Justice had taught her. Landing was always a bit tricky… what with all the wanting to not crash and kill them. But she got through it well enough, and their ship set down in one piece. They didn't have a proper landing pad, since her parents didn't fly, but the grassy field would do just fine.

"Ready?" she asked and leaned over to give him a quick kiss. "Why don't you grab the luggage, and I'll get the gifts?"

Once they were ready to set out, the brisk Naboo air met them.

The house in the distance was situated with a stunning view of the Solleu River, which flowed all the way to Theed. It was nice being close to the capital without being in the capital. As the couple approached, the door would open to reveal Hollis' parents framed in the doorway. Her mother's bright smile could already be seen, while her father's… not quite smile apparent, too.

"Don't worry," Hollis said quickly to Justice. She'd been saying it rather a lot since they'd left Coruscant.
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[Justice Lesan]

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Wearing: xxx
Arm: xxx
Tag: Hollis Orenn

Justice knew he had forgotten something, but he was not sure what it was. In a rush to pack he had the feeling something important had been left behind. It was a good thing Hollis made sure they had everything. Hopefully she had seen his attempt at a wrapping job among the pile of their things as he had brought a gift for her as well.

For the most part Hollis did a great job with the landing. She was more confident, which was always good. They landed in one piece. That was another bonus. She gave him a quick kiss, and Justice squeezed her hand a little letting her know not to jet off so fast.

“Good job, babe,” he said before standing up and giving her another well deserved kiss.

That was when he let her lead them toward her parents house, which looked stunning. It was a little larger than the home they had shared when they visited Judah’s winery, or he had let them use the chateau as a vacation home. Justice wondered if she ever told her parents they had been that close, and did not call on them to see them or not. That would likely be an awkward topic if they did not know, so Justice was going to be sure he avoided it altogether.

“I’m not worried,” he said in that tone of voice which indicated he was half way there. “Just concerned about things going really well is all. I want them to like me.”

The truth was Justice was completely intimidated by Hollis’ father. Justice did not have a relationship with his own father, nor even knew who the man was. It made it so that Justice was not sure how to interact with the man. Watching Hollis with her family was going to be a learning experience for Justice, but it was also something he very much envied. Going into this meeting he was severely handicapped, and he knew it.

“You told them about my family dynamic, yeah?”

At least they could have a warning.

There was little time to answer as the pair quickly made their way to the door. Justice was not completely aloof at least as he offered a bouquet of fresh flowers to Hollis’ mother before reaching to shake her father’s hand. It was time to turn on what little of the Lesan charm he had.

“Finally good to meet you both. Hollis talks about you two a lot.”​

 

[Hollis Orenn]

Tag: Justice Lesan​

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Hollis wanted her parents to like Justice, too.

After all, she wanted him to be part of the family. She gave her parents a big wave as they approached and almost dropped her armful of gifts. However, she recovered in time to just hear Justice ask if she'd told her parents about his family life – or lack thereof. "Huh, wha—"

As her mother pulled her into a big hug, Hollis aimed an apologetic look over her mom's shoulder at Justice. She hadn't told them. Mainly, she'd spent every holo-call gushing about how great Justice was and how much she liked him.

Her mother was quick to pull Justice into a hug next and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "We've heard a lot about you too, dear," she said. "I'm Poppy and this…" She glanced to the side to see that Hollis' father was still by the doorway. "That is Grant. It's so nice to finally meet you."

Hollis made her way over to Justice's side again and nodded towards the house.

"Happy Lifeday, dad," she called, smiling at him. For a moment, his gaze warmed slightly as he nodded to his daughter. But it froze over again at the sight of Justice next to her. Though, he was a smart enough man to throw on a tight-lipped smile at the silent… but frantic bidding of his wife.

"Good to see you Hol," he said, leaning in to give her a quick side-hug. "And this must be Justice." Grant extended his hand to the young man. "Welcome to our home."

And as he gestured everyone inside from the cold, he added.

"Now, I know you two are already sharing a… roof," he said, gruffly. "But we've set up the guest room for Justice."

Poppy was quick to appear at Justice's side. "Don't worry, it's very comfortable – you'll be fine."

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[Justice Lesan]

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Wearing: xxx
Arm: xxx
Tag: Hollis Orenn

Aaaaaaand they were having the cohabitating conversation before they barely walked through the door. If Justice were not trying to impress, he would be rolling his eyes. Hollis might have forgotten to mention that her parents were traditional when it came to these kind of things. Then again, he could appreciate it to a degree. Justice did not know what normal was, he just knew what tradition was supposed to be. His mother certainly did not give him that example, considering Justice had never met his father.

“Oh, I am sure it will be just fine.”

He smiled.

There was an awkward handshake with Grant, but only because the matter of Just’s arm factored in. Certainly they knew, but Justice had always been self-conscious about it. There was no synthflesh on it, so for now it was covered with a glove, one that Justice was not going to take off. It would be better than extending cold metal after all.

“I’ll uhhh… well, I guess, I’ll take care of the bags. Hol, I’m sure you don’t want to waste any time catching up with your mom and dad. I’ll come find you all when everything is settled.”

Hollis knew Justice well enough that she knew he was not trying to escape. It was simply who he was. He was the guy to take care of luggage and think about Hollis first. It was part of why his life among the imperial regime had never worked. Justice simply could not come to terms with the mindset that they tried to produce in their young. He refused to be conditioned.

<< “You are not wrong… you are so like your mom…” >>

At least being Jedi had its perks. Little tidbits like that could be passed back and forth and her parents would not be any wiser. Maybe he would play with that later, just to see if he could get her to blush. For now, that did not seem wise, nor did mentioning this was not their first time on Naboo. Their time at Judah’s winery needed to be their little secret.​

 

[Hollis Orenn]

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Tag: Justice Lesan​

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"Dad…" Hollis murmured, her face immediately flushing.

When Hollis had anxieties, it manifested in one of two ways – she might become a visible ball of nerves or the worries were placed on the high shelves of her mind and forgotten. In this case, she'd managed to block out the issue of sleeping arrangements.

Her father's stiff posture and impassive expression gave little of his thoughts away. What did he think of Justice? As far as Hollis was concerned, her father was a closed book. Even his aura seemed to shut her out.

On the other hand, her mother was still beaming and bright. Hollis smiled. Then, Justice's voice in her mind made that smile grow even more. "<Oh, hush…>"

As her mother finally ushered them all out of the entry way and into the house, Hollis took in the familiar scenery. The large living space was decked out in holiday style – a tall Life Day Tree stood prominently, a fire warmed the hearth, and stockings were hung on the mantle. Hollis paused a moment. One, two, three… four. Four stockings. Her mother had made one that said 'Justice' and hung it up with the rest.

"Go on, get settled…" Grant said. "I'll… tend to the fire."

He went out the back door to gather some more wood.

"Down the hall this way, dear," Poppy said, ushering Justice towards the guest room.

Meanwhile, Hollis wandered in the opposite direction. She stood in the doorway of her childhood room, which featured several embarrassing things. Plush creatures, girly accents, and a poster of a boy band. There were images too… Hollis with chubby cheeks and dated kids clothes.

Poppy would, of course, direct Justice to Hollis' room once he was finished.

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[Justice Lesan]

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Wearing: xxx
Arm: xxx
Tag: Hollis Orenn


Justice could not help himself. Teasing Hollis was just as natural as their clumsy mannerisms were. Part of the reason they loved each other so much was because they had fun together. It was important. The only reason this was particularly entertaining was because her parents had no idea about the banter happening between them in their own minds. His efforts earned him a much deserved hush, which only served to make the Jedi smile.

The smile quickly faded when it became apparent their rooms were on the opposite side of the house. That was not going to make sneaking around easy at all. He simply nodded as he was escorted to his room. It was simple and comfortable looking. Justice did not need much or require much. The small apartment he shared with Hollis was about all they needed for the time being, and he was more than content with what they had together.

He waited for Hollis' mother to leave before he started to settle in. For a moment he laid on the bed and just looked up at the ceiling. It was a weird feeling to be in Hollis' childhood home. There was a happiness in the house which was foreign to Justice. He did not know what a happy home or childhood was supposed to feel like. Eventually his curiosity got the better of him, and he started to walk down the hall in the direction he had seen Hollis go.

Her room was very different. It looked like the room of a carefree teenage girl that had a crush on every cute guy they knew. Maybe she had not been that way, but it was a pretty on point replica of a stereotypical teenage girl bedroom.

"So which one were you crushing on?" he asked, pointing to the poster of the boy band.

He leaned against the post of the door frame and crossed his arms.

"Permission to enter, milady?"​

 

[Hollis Orenn]

Tag: Justice Lesan​

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Hollis jumped slightly at the sound of Justice's voice behind her.

His presence always mingled with hers when they were near – and sometimes, when they weren't – but now he was standing framed in her doorway with crossed arms. A bright smile appeared at the sight of him.

"You may," she said, nodding.

Her eyes shifted back to the boy band. And a little color may have appeared on her cheeks, even now. "I liked the blonde guy," she said, giggling. Indeed, he'd been quite the fan favorite with his light hair and good looks. Though, he was nothing compared to Justice.

Hollis gently took hold of Justice's hand to pull him close.

Just standing this way was enough to make her heart beat faster. For a long moment, she sank into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his waist to hold him. "I'm sorry... for not warning you about my dad." Hollis let her head rest against his shoulder. "He's... he's just a bit stony at first. But he'll warm up to you, I know it. My dad's just a bit protective of me, that's all."

There was more she could say. But Hollis left it at that.

"And... I'll miss you tonight, when you're far away in the guest room," Hollis said, finally pulling back slightly to look up at him. "Gotta say, it's going to be a bit weird to sleep in this room again." It was like pulling a scene from her memories, a time when everything was different.

There was no trace of her life as a Jedi here.​