Closed Christmas with the Brownes PV Nora Jensen

Hjørdis paused for a microsecond, turning back to glance over her shoulder to look at something. From the corner of her eye, she could have sworn she saw a familiar face. The face of her mother. But why would her mother be at the airport, waiting by arrivals? It, obviously, made no sense when they were not there to visit her mother - and her mother had not responded to her letter informing her of her visit in the first place. But she thought she saw her and that threw her off for a moment.

Long enough to fall slightly behind her companions. Long enough to hear the words hit her ears - wait, what- did he just- She immediately turned to glare at the back of Caradoc's head. Yes, head. Not butt. Really? That was the comment he chose to make, in front of his teenage daughter? Oh, Hjørdis was immediately regretting choosing juice as her drink on the flight over. It had not been long but she should have taken something stronger to be ready to deal with this sort of behaviour! She wanted to make a comment but, unlike him, she chose to control herself. So instead, she was left to just stare intently at the back of his head - refusing to look anywhere else - until he turned around to see her glare.

The sound of her heels tapping against the floor sped up a little, slightly harder than before as she walked with more determination than moments prior since she was no longer distracted. She pulled her bag behind her in one hand with an airline transport holder in the other for her cat, Jeger. When Caradoc turned around, he was definitely met with a glare. His stupid smirk made it worse. Oh how she wanted to wipe it off. "Oh, I don't know... Sailing seems rather interesting and I've started to get a soft spot for music, you know?" She mused, definitely hinting at the fact that she was more than happy to bring up both subjects and engage with them - especially if it caused him to regret teasing her. "Perhaps I'll spend the entire trip convincing your father that you have a sudden interest in sailing and want to learn everything," Hjørdis teased him, the smirk growing on her own face.

He was rather lucky that his daughter was with him. There would have been no warnings but rather, she would definitely have immediately brought it up as soon as they sat in the car - and then proceeded to ask as many questions as she could fathom on the topics for the rest of the day. However, since she did not want Cassanora to have to listen to the same stories on repeat, she decided not to do that this time.

Dressed in a royal blue pantsuit, Hjørdis extruded confidence as she walked. However, if she was entirely honest, a part of her was a little nervous. This was, after all, the first time meeting his parents. In fact, the first time she had ever had to meet any partner's parents. Admittedly, meeting Cassanora for the first time was a lot more nerve-racking for her. First impressions count for a lot though, so there would always be a small number of nerves. Especially given that Hjørdis did not come across as exactly 'warm' or 'caring' or anything else pleasant on first impressions.

Meeting the old man, however, she immediately recognised some aspects of his behaviour to match his son's. They had similarities in their appearance, of course, but even some of the words that Cecil said - such as the way he introduced himself - or the facial expressions after... Yeah, she was beginning to see where Caradoc got some of it from. "Thank you. Hjørdis Jensen, though everyone calls me Nora," She introduced herself in return, though it was likely not necessary, with a small bow of her head as he complimented her, "And this little fellow is Jeger," She added, lifting the carrier a little for Cecil to see a sleeping Bengal in it. For once, she did not introduce herself as 'Nora Jensen' but she was also not entirely sure why she chose to be honest and give her real name. She just... did, "I'm starting to see where he gets his good looks and charm from too," She added in return as he spoke of bearing his name, recognising that Caradoc bore similarities in all of them.

Her eyes flickered over to Caradoc, landing on his hair. It was not really a thought she had until now but... he was turning more white and it just dawned on her that, one day, they would match in that. She had not really thought about that before now. "Oh, she really did not have to. I'm sure all of it is delicious!" Hjørdis added, not wanting to stress anyone out with her visit. Then again, she would have likely been the same... In fact, she had been the same around Cassanora. At the very least, she recognised that in herself. It would seem like she had something in common with Moira in that respect, at the very least. She had even been panicking about what to bring the Brownes as a gift, undecided as to what they might like and what she should bake without knowing their dietary requirements or food preferences. Poor Caradoc was on the receiving end of many questions ever since he invited her. But it would appear that he might have received questions from his mother too.

As they spoke, she followed them to the car placing her bag at the back. Jeger was asleep in his carrier so she did not take him out. Keeping the carrier and a small handbag on her lap, she sat in the car desperately tempted to start talking about sailing and music - simply to get back at Caradoc for his earlier comment. But instead, her eyes scanned the passing buildings from the window as she took in the familiar sights. It had been a while since she visited but she recognised the area instantly.

Outfit of the Day

The passing buildings, the familiar sights crossed her vision. It had been a while since she had visited Ireland but it was still familiar to her. She had been here plenty of times with the hope that things would be different. Things would be better. On edge and uneasy. It was... strange, in a way. This time was different. She was a little nervous, sure. But she was not really on edge as much. There was something almost comforting about the whole thing this time. Her nerves were nothing compared to the excitement. There was something very exciting about the whole thing. For the first time in a while, Christmas seemed to be shaping up to be a good one. She had not considered herself unhappy in years past by any means. However, this time, there was a very distinct feeling of happiness that she did not really know she was missing. She was nervous, in a good way.

It was definitely strange to think how quickly things seemed to happen. She had no idea when they went from just being "Jensen and Browne, Head of Houses" to something more. Meeting his daughter was unexpectedly quick but it seemed to have progressed even more. Not that she thought it was too fast or bad. It was just unexpected. If a Seer had told her this would happen this time last year, she'd have thought they were crazy. But she was happy.

Her gaze tore away from the view outside to the pet carrier on her lap. Jeger was purring softly in his sleep, nestled inside. For most of the journey, she focused on maintaining a conversation with Cecil. She was interested in hearing his stories, no matter how long they were. For her, this was still the first time she would hear them - and it was a nice way to find out more about the Brownes without having to harass Caradoc with questions like she usually did. In return, she would explain that she had relatives living in a few cities in Ireland - including Dublin - without getting into too many specifics and how she was most familiar with the city centre itself. The majority of her visits would include walking around the city centre or visiting some museums, admittedly. She would also mention that one of her favourite locations was Trinity College and if she had grown up here or known about it when she was younger, she would have loved to graduate from there.

Hjørdis did her best not to mention sailing or music, so really, she held up her end of the deal! Nonetheless, she could not help but smirk a little at the sight of the other pair. Whoops. She contemplated taking Caradoc's hand whilst no one was looking but resisted. Luckily they pulled up to the house not too long after. Sliding the pet carrier onto the middle seat, she quickly rummaged through her handbag and pulled out some gifts for the family as she saw a lively lady pop out of the house. She had packed them near the top, shrinking them with the help of a bit of magic, for this very purpose.

Getting out of the car and collecting her bag from the back, she stood there for a solid second not really knowing what to say or where to look. Luckily for her, both Caradoc and his mother decided to break the ice so she did not have to. "Lovely to meet you," She managed to get out, trying not to ignore the glance Caradoc was giving her. Moira's response, however, was too funny. She attempted to stifle her laughter but a small titter managed to escape her lips. There was no denying Moira's words. What Caradoc likely felt right now was exactly how she felt when he flirted with her in front of his daughter! She gave him a glance that basically said 'SEE?'. Moira was not wrong and she could easily see where Caradoc got it from. But she made no comment further, despite wanting to.

Greeting his mother in return, "Thank you for having me," She responded politely, holding up a gift bag, "This is just a little something for you all," She added. It was a tad bit more than a 'little' something but for Nora, this was as 'little' as she could manage! Any less and she would have considered herself rude! It was honestly the best she could do without bothering Caradoc or making him think she was worrying far too much - which she likely was. If Moira looked inside the gift bag, she would find a variety of things. At the bottom, a box containing a Christmas Pudding with a small box of decorated and shaped cookies. On top of them, there were a few different bottles. The biggest was a bottle of Gløgg (the Scandinavian version of mulled wine) but there were several smaller bottles of Julebrus, which was a Norwegian soft drink commonly sold around this time. It was also known as "Christmas Soda". If any of the bottles had no English on them, Hjørdis would have tied a bit of twine with a note to translate them in order to clarify what they were and what ingredients were in them.

Nodding, she followed Caradoc in - mostly because she had no idea what else to really say. She was still trying to pretend she did not see what happened earlier and was still recovering from it. Whilst trying to also recover from the fact that she had laughed - an emotion not easily seen, as her companion would know. She paused at the entrance to take off her shoes, being used to doing that even if the hosts insisted it was fine otherwise. If she saw any other shoes, she would put her own nearby. Otherwise, she would look at Caradoc with the hopes of him telling her where to put them.

With that done, she followed him into the hallway, one hand on her bag again and the other carrying the love of her life. "So... Am I going to regret not bringing earplugs?" She teased, completely joking. Whilst they were very... lively, for the lack of a better word, she was kind of expecting it. It was actually kind of nice to go to such a lively house - though, admittedly, she was not sure if she would quickly find herself overwhelmed. After all, it had been a long time since she had been in such a place. She had started to get more used to the quiet, silent home. Well, that was till Caradoc started to visit.

Observing the pictures on the wall, she could not help but smile a little. Photos were one of the things she treasured most in life. She had far too many photos collected. Not that she took many but she had collected and kept them over the years. Most of hers were in photo albums but she also had a wall of photos much like the one she was looking at. Looking at the photo of Young Cecil, she could definitely see the similarities. There was another photo of another young man, which she could only assume was his brother. Hjørdis could not help but stifle another laugh as she saw two toddlers, one biting the other. It was pretty adorable. Pausing, she let go of her bag and looked at Caradoc, "I can't decide if I want this to be you or not," She smirked as she saw a photo of a teenager who looked very much like young Caradoc but with long hair. She briefly ran her hand through his hair as she spoke, as though trying to imagine it that long now. Hjørdis honestly could not imagine him with long hair before now. Either way, it was... something.

She raised the pet carrier up a little, "Oh, where do you want the bags and this little guy?" She asked him, wondering where she could put Jeger down. Not everyone wanted a cat running around everywhere, after all. He was asleep for now but she intended on putting him down with the carrier open so he could leave when he did wake up. Her eyes lingered on her companion for a few moments. She wanted to say something but she did not quite know how to say it or perhaps, she did not quite know what exactly she wanted to say. She had these feelings inside. A mix of nervousness and uncertainty, a desire to know if he was alright, if this was alright. But also, a sense of content and peace. Gratitude that she had yet to express, perhaps. There was a lot of feelings and she had no idea where to even begin. With her free hand, she hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should hold his hand or touch his arm. But as she raised it, she ended up wiping his cheek gently as though she was cleaning something off and giving him a small smirk in place of any words. Of course, she only did any of this because they were alone. He'd find her quickly pulling away from him if the others were to enter.

Outfit of the Day

With a pause, she hesitated as she heard the growl and carefully watched the dog. She was not afraid of dogs, not at all. However, she was concerned that the dog might react badly to Jeger - and that was worrying to her. As he calmed, however, so did she. Approaching the dog, she leaned down a little as she moved her hand to ruffle his hair. Giving him a little scratch behind his ear, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Loxley," She whispered softly but it did not last long. Before she had the chance to introduce Jeger, Hjørdis found her gaze fallen on a very adorable little girl that she had not met.

It was suddenly very loud. Luckily, this was not something that lasted long. Her saviour came in the form of his mother. With a firm nod in response to Moira's words, she followed the lady. There was no denial coming from her mouth, she would not. With a small shake of her head, "It's nothing, really," Hjørdis insisted. Her late grandfather would have been very disappointed in her if she turned up at their house without gifts. He had taught her never to go to someone's house empty-handed, especially not at Christmas. Even if it was small, something should be given.

Placing Jeger down on the side, she also put down the luggage she had bought up with her as her partner spoke to his mother. She opened her cat box, allowing Jeger to leave it if he wanted to. Though, for now, the little fellow was fast asleep.

She turned towards Caradoc, smiling a little as she heard his mutterings. Her eyebrow quirked as he stepped closer, taking her hand. This was not the time to dance! Though... it quickly became apparent what he was doing. Wrapping her other arm around his neck, she pulled herself in a little with a smirk playing on her lips, "Well... I suppose that gives us about four minutes and exactly eleven seconds for me to do this," With that, she tiptoed slightly and captured his lips with hers.

Pulling away after a few moments, she rested her forehead against his despite her earlier words. She had no intention of following that through right now, after all. Hjørdis stayed in the same position, as though they were dancing, "Now, now, Admiral... I don't think you'd be able to handle my family," Hjørdis teased playfully, using a nickname for him that had been given some months ago. The truth was, she wanted to be here. Being here made her nervous. However, there was nowhere else she would rather be. For years, she had spent the holidays working alone. The work distracted her from her loneliness. Christmas was a festival that was widely celebrated in her life previously but everything had been different these past years. She missed her family. There was no denying it. She missed them, and there was a sadness in her heart from it.

Moving her head, she leaned the side of her face against his shoulder. Without saying a word, she swayed a little. Not enough to be considered dancing but enough for him to know that everything would be okay, "I love you, Caradoc Browne," She whispered softly, "Inspite of your ridiculousness. I think I can handle a few more like you for a few days," Hjørdis teased. In truth, she would likely be overwhelmed by the energy, enthusiasm and noise emulating from the house. They both knew that. However, she also loved him. Being here with him was not something she pictured she would be doing. Yet, when the question was posed, she could not bring herself to say no.

Christmas was not a holiday she celebrated anymore... But she wanted it to be. She missed the days when she did. She missed the feeling of being surrounded by loved ones, eating far too much food and just having fun. He was her loved one. Pulling away after a few moments, Hjørdis gently stroked his cheek softly, "I believe the first call should be soon... You ready?" If he agreed, she would lean in for a quick kiss before they had to leave. She did not really need to freshen up but dropping off her luggage, letting Jeger out and just having a moment to breath was enough.

Outfit of the Day

A soft sigh escaped her lips as she closed her eyes, feeling his forehead against hers. Warmth ran through her as the edge of her lips curled a little into a small smile, "You are trouble, mister" She agreed before laughing softly at the sound of the cuteness echoing through the house. Raising her hand, she gently stroked his cheek with her fingers. With that, she pulled away, "Aren't I always right?" She teased him jokingly. As best as she could, she mentally prepared herself for what was about to happen. Chaos. Absolute chaos. In the best way possible. It had been a while since she had spent Christmas with others.

Hjørdis was used to turning heads when she entered a room or being the centre of attention. But this was different. It took every fibre of her being to not take a step back as she was swamped by a line of people with far too much energy, all directed towards her. She was not much of a hugger but she returned his sister's hug lightly trying not to be awkward about it as politely as she could, "Thank you for having me here," She responded with more enthusiasm than her hug, as she continued to greet his relatives. Noburu's greeting was more her speed. Polite and kind but not overly enthusiastic or way too friendly, like someone else's later down the line.

She leant down as the twins appeared, bending a knee to bring herself to their height, "If you're Chiyo," She said in a tone that was far softer than her usual one as she gently poked the top of the girl's nose, before turning to the little boy pegged to his father, "Then you must be Chikara. Hi there," She greeted the boy with the same soft tone but made no contact. She figured he was shy and wanted not to be touched - two things that she could very well appreciate. His sister, however, seemed more like a bundle of chaotic energy that wanted to swarm her. As she stood up, she lifted Chiyo up. Hjørdis held her carefully on one hip, though she was a bit awkward about it. In fairness, she was not really used to this whole "dealing with children" thing. She just took the hint and caved to it because the girl was adorable.

Hjørdis had made sure to ask Caradoc about his family and it came in pretty handy right now. Her left eyebrow twitched slightly, quirking a little as she stared at Cad. A part of her wanted to wipe that slyness right off his face but right now, this was his house and she was a guest in his home. Besides, she was likely overthinking his behaviour. He was being perfectly polite and that was all... right? Surely. She was literally here with his brother, after all. Her eyes flickered to Caradoc for a moment before returning to Cad, as the thought dawned on her. He did not bring dates often. That was something she knew, of course, but it never really hit her till now that this was a little unusual for them too - just as it was for her. Then again, she also had not been at one of these family gatherings with a date in quite some time so the same could be said about her.

Balancing Chiyo as carefully as she could, she lifted her hand to shake his hand... but he seemed to have other ideas as he took her hand and placed a kiss on it. In fairness, she could have pulled away but out of politeness, she refrained from doing so, "Thank you," She muttered, unsure of what else to really say to say in response to him more than that. He welcomed her and complimented her though so... a bit of gratitude seemed fitting if nothing else. If she was honest, she did a lot better in one-on-one conversations, rather than in moments like this when everyone was watching her. It also did not help that she was in unfamiliar territory right now as she was not sure exactly how to act.

She exhaled inaudibly, sighing a breath of relief as Cecil gave her a chance at escape. Hugging him slightly more enthusiastically than she normally would have, she took the opportunity he offered to change the topic. With a nod, she took a seat, carefully loosening her grasp on Chiyo. She would allow her to sit on her lap if she wanted to but gave her the space to move or sit elsewhere, "Oh, does she need help with dinner?" Hjørdis asked, definitely more comfortable in the kitchen than here. It would also give her a great chance to breathe without everyone staring at her - which was she was pretty sure was happening right now.

As she heard Cecil's words, she could not help but glance towards Caradoc, a small smirk appeared on her lips at the thought of hearing embarrassing stories about him. Turning back to his father, she nodded, "That sounds marvellous," She responded, "Please tell me you have embarrassing photos of him too?" She continued, recalling the few photos of a younger Caradoc that she had passed in the hallway on the way here. That was how these things went, right? Baby photos were brought out or something!

In truth, she had absolutely no idea what to even say about herself. As far as she was concerned, her life was pretty uninteresting. Not because it was boring but rather, because most of it was stuff she did not really talk about. Being closed meant there was very little to actually say that was of interest. The situation she found herself in right now, though, was very different. She was not in a professional environment. Instead, she found herself choosing to be more open, "Well, what would you like to know?" Her eyes swept around the room, giving them the opportunity to ask any questions. She would do her best at being an open book. Wondering if there was a good place to start. If she was going to be interviewed, might as well start now.

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