Private Evenings Are Warmer With Company

[Seo Linn]

The speeder slowed to a stop beside the familiar sand-worn house, its pale stone exterior glowing warm under the fading Lorrdian sun. Long shadows stretched across the desert, and heat still clung to the air even as evening settled in.

Seo Linn stepped out first, boots crunching softly in the sand. She glanced back at Kas with a small, steady smile — one part invitation, one part apology. "It's not fancy," she murmured quietly, "but it's home."

From the outside, the house looked peaceful, almost sleepy, lanterns beginning to flicker to life beneath the awning. A few desert blossoms clung stubbornly to their pots despite the dry season. A scrap-metal windchime — her father's work — clinked gently in the breeze.

Seo led the way up the narrow stone path.

She hadn't sent a message ahead. She wasn't sure why — maybe because this felt easier without time for her parents to turn dinner into a production. Maybe because she wanted Kas to see them as they were.

Halfway to the door, a small figure burst out of the side yard with all the subtlety of a detonated firecracker.

"Mom!"

Her son barreled into her legs, sandy-haired and bright-eyed, wearing one boot and one sock — evidence of some half-finished adventure. Seo bent and lifted him with practiced ease, his small arms immediately looping around her neck.

She kissed the top of his head, murmuring, "Easy, sweetling." Then, gently, "We have a guest tonight, so mind your manners."

The boy turned, wide eyes staring at Kas with open, unfiltered curiosity. After a beat, he whispered — far too loudly — "He's tall."

Before Seo could respond, the front door slid open.

Her mother stood there, one hand braced on the doorframe, the other resting absently on the curve of her heavily pregnant stomach. Her eyes widened in surprise first at seeing Seo, then at the stranger beside her.

"Seo?" Her mother blinked, then broke into a gentle, exhausted smile. "Well, this is unexpected. Come inside, both of you. It's still hot out."

As Seo stepped forward, her father's voice drifted from deeper in the house:

"Who was at the door? If it's another vapor-tank salesman I'm not—"

He appeared behind his wife mid-sentence, stopping short when he saw Seo. "Ah. Not a salesman." His gaze flicked between Seo, her son latched to her shoulder, and Kas. His eyebrows lifted. "...Company, then."

Her mother shot him a look that said behave more clearly than any spoken word.

Inside, the home was small but warm — woven rugs, desert-toned tapestries, shelves crammed with her father's tools, old books, and her son's scattered toys. The smell of food lingered in the air: something simmering slowly, probably meant to stretch into leftovers.

Seo set her son down, brushing dust from his knees before he scampered toward his toys. She turned back to Kas, a quiet flush warming her cheeks.

"I promise this wasn't meant to be an ambush," she said softly, lips curving with shy humor.

Her mother ushered them toward the small sitting area, already reaching for additional plates. Her father disappeared into the kitchen, mumbling something about "finding more cutlery" and "checking the stew."

Seo exhaled, letting her boots sink into the worn rug as she glanced toward the sunset filtering through the window.

"I'm… really glad you came," she said quietly, sincerity warming her voice. "Despite the chaos."

She gestured for him to sit, her expression open, hopeful, and just a little nervous — leaving room for Kas to step into the evening however he wished.

Kas Larsen

 

[Kas Larsen]

Kas Larsen

​

"I'm a Jedi Sentinel, using everything in my arsenal to keep the peace."

TAGS: Seo Linn
EQUIPMENT: Kas' Gear | Echo Stone
CURRENT LOCATION: Lorrd | Lorrd City | Seo's Family Residence
OBJECTIVE: Visit Seo's Family | Socialise with them | Learn more about Seo

After spending time learning about the ability known as Protection Bubble from the Great Library and Datacron with fellow Jedi; Seo Linn. The friendship between Kas and Seo led to an invite from Seo to Kas in coming to her family residence. Once the speeder came to a halt nearing the house that was where Seo and her family live within even though night fell the heat was still present. The upbringing Kas had with Caden and Kharis wasn't fancy or wealthy just a working-class background. It was nice to see a similar outlook with Seo and he hopped out of the speeder his boots thudding down into the sand as he glanced over to the building.

"Don't need to be fancy or rich around me, Seo. Home is what you make of it. Looks really peaceful I like it."

When Seo disembarked from the speeder that they took to travel Kas followed her along the stone pathway and watched other activities unfold. When a small child made their way to Seo and there Kas realized it was Seo's son he had a smirk at the corner of his mouth. When the comment about Kas' height was heard he just gave a wink over to Aodhan not the first time others made remarks about Kas, his family and more. Before anything else could be done or said Kas saw the front door open up as a heavily pregnant woman stood there before him, Aodhan and Seo. Kas adjusted his jumpsuit a couple of times and brushed his hands down it.

"I'm Kas Larsen, uh, came from the Jedi Order. I was in the Great Library with Seo earlier. Helped me find some theories to study. Hope I'm not any bother to you all."

Cleared his throat before he spoke to Daithi and Saraid, the parents of Seo, pats Aodhan on his head of hair gently with a free hand before they went inside of the home. Upon entry Kas made sure to wipe his boots and kick off any debris to avoid making a mess as he followed Seo inside. When Seo whispered to him about the family meeting him for the first time Kas didn't mind it there was a lot of chaos back on Corellia back when he was a CorSec Officer. Taking in the surroundings of what was here throughout the home and able to smell the stew, dinner cooking in the background. Watching everyone else go back to their routine and Kas stood still.

"It's alright - no harm done Seo. This is a lovely family, and home."

After looking around and taking in the environment Kas walked over to the available seat that Seo gestured for him to take. It didn't appear chaotic to him in his perspective just looked like a regular family with a guest in attendance. This was different from the usual activities Kas has been involved with recently. He is one to keep himself occupied with any tasks that he can participate in and the thought of helping Seo's parents with dinner would be the most polite thing to do. Hearing both parents being busy Kas after having a few moments to sit down with Seo got back up to stand be ready to lend a hand.

"Thanks for inviting and bringing me here, Seo. Heh it isn't chaotic just the family life not much different from my own. Not being rude I'm going to help out if it's alright, Seo."

Politely and with respect Kas walked out of the sitting area in the room that Seo's mother had ushered him to. In being here unannounced Kas didn't want to burden Seo's family by sitting idle he hadn't earnt anything to be treated differently. Once out of the sitting area and entering the kitchen where dinner was being made Kas looked around to see how he can be of help to Daithi and Saraid. Kept in mind that he is a guest but Kas is the type of individual who puts others first before himself even if he was a quiet one socially. Again, Kas respectfully cleared his throat to not startle Seo's parents as he was now inside the kitchen.

"Sorry to come in, I can lend a hand in here if it is alright with you both. Don't need to give me any special treatment."

 

[Seo Linn]

Seo had only just shifted in her seat when she heard the soft, muffled voices from the kitchen — Kas's polite offer, her mother's warm refusal, her father's predictable attempt at humor. A small, fond sigh escaped her before she could help herself. Of course, he had tried to help. Kas was exactly the sort of man who couldn't sit idle when others were working.

A moment later, footsteps returned down the short hall, and she glanced up just as Kas appeared in the doorway. Her expression softened instantly — not with apology, but with quiet understanding.

"They didn't let you stay, did they?" she asked, a faint smile tugging at her mouth.

Kas looked equal parts sheepish and resigned, and Seo shifted over on the low couch, patting the seat beside her in wordless invitation. "Don't take it personally," she added gently. "My parents won't hear of guests helping. It doesn't matter who you are. They've had the same routine since before I could walk."

She could still hear them in the kitchen — her mother humming as she moved, her father muttering about spices, the clatter of utensils fitting seamlessly into the familiar rhythm of home.

"They mean well," Seo continued, lowering her voice as she leaned back slightly. "My father believes a guest should be looked after, not put to work. And my mother… she thinks anyone who tries to help slows her down."

Her eyes flicked toward the kitchen with subtle affection. "She's probably right."

Aodhan barreled past them with a wooden toy, the boy circling the room with endless five-year-old energy before disappearing down the hall again. Seo watched him for a beat, warmth creeping into her features, then turned her attention fully back to Kas.

"Thank you for offering, though," she said, her tone quieter, sincere. "They noticed. They… have firm opinions about how a home should run."

The faintest trace of amusement glimmered in her gold eyes.

"And for tonight, apparently I'm responsible for taking care of you."

She let the words settle between them — light, not heavy, but meaningful in their own small way — before continuing, "So sit. Relax. They'll call us when dinner's ready. You'll make them nervous if you hover."

A soft breeze slipped through the open window, carrying warm desert air into the room, and Seo folded her hands loosely in her lap.

"Besides," she added, her voice gentler now, "I'm glad you're here. Let me enjoy the company before they steal you for all their questions."

Her smile finally reached her eyes — open, warm, honest — as the house settled into its familiar, comforting evening rhythm around them.

Kas Larsen

 

[Kas Larsen]

Kas Larsen

​

"I'm a Jedi Sentinel, using everything in my arsenal to keep the peace."

TAGS: Seo Linn
EQUIPMENT: Kas' Gear | Echo Stone
CURRENT LOCATION: Lorrd | Lorrd City | Seo's Family Residence
OBJECTIVE: Visit Seo's Family | Socialise with them | Learn more about Seo

Returning from heading inside of the family kitchen rubbed a hand along the back of his neck felt a little guilty that Seo's parents were working away to fetch the dinner. Walking down through the hallway within the house and stood at the doorway glancing over to Seo. When asked about how he got on with her parents, he just chuckled awkwardly, shaking his head to Seo it wasn't going to bother him heavily. Moved on with the atmosphere mood, it was cosy and warm Kas hadn't felt like this since he was last home. Corellia, he does miss it, rarely speaks about it these days apparently it is Independent since the Alliance dissolved recently.

"No they wouldn't let me help or go near anything. They don't have to go out their way for me y'know."

It appeared this family got by despite the hardships they would endure and face, especially on a planet like Lorrd, if anything Kas had that determined mindset to make life easier for people like Seo's family. The Larsen family did face their own struggles as well but adapted and somehow managed although Caden, Kas and Kharis finding out their parents were former Jedi Masters. Still a subject they all barely discussed and got into it was a lot to take in but the Larsen youth trio were headed off to Tython by that point. Their journey led them to be inducted into the New Jedi Order and the rest is history from then on.

"I was brought up to help anyone, everyone where ever I go. Didn't matter if I was the host or guest, still do my part to help out."

When asked to sit back down and relax with Seo, he chuckled after giving her a brief but kind nod of respect. Walked over to the available seat and sat down, letting any tension he had fade while just relaxing in a comfortable household. A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as Aodhan ran past them bounding around with his wooden toy then disappearing down the hallway. The moments of Aodhan reminded Kas of what it had been like when everyone in the Larsen family were younger. The warm, desert air from the breeze sweeping throughout the sitting area was felt as Kas glanced towards Seo returned a smile of his own before speaking.

"Reminds me of my folks, their way or the high way ahaha. I'll enjoy our own company whilst we can, Seo. Ahaha, good thing I've been training to become a Jedi Sentinel. Handle questioning bestowed upon me from others heh.

I'll always want to help out even if I'm injured or unwell, others first before myself."

 

[Seo Linn]

Seo had watched him return from the kitchen, that familiar mixture of guilt and politeness written across his posture, and when he finally settled beside her, she felt some of the tension ease from the room. It wasn't the awkward kind of tension — more the leftover habit of a man who'd been raised to pick up every burden in sight, even when no one asked him to. She met his chuckle with a soft, amused exhale of her own and shook her head gently.

"They go out of their way because they want to," she said, her voice warm and steady. "You're a guest, and that means something to them. It isn't about obligation. It's just how our home works." Her gold eyes held a thread of deeper understanding as she added, "You don't have to earn your place here. Being invited was enough."

As he took the seat beside her, she let her shoulders relax, her posture easing into the familiar softness this house always drew out of her. The clatter of Aodhan's wooden toy echoing down the hallway pulled a faint smile from her — one that lingered even as she looked back at Kas. It was strangely grounding to see someone else watching her son with that small flicker of fondness, as though the chaos of childhood was something universal rather than something she bore alone.

"You really were raised well," she said after a moment, her tone quiet but sincere. "Most people talk about helping others like it's a virtue. You speak about it like it's a reflex. That's rare."

She shifted slightly, tucking one leg under her, her gaze growing thoughtful as the warm desert breeze drifted through the window. "But there's a difference between wanting to help and needing to carry everything yourself," she continued gently. "You don't always have to be the one who steps forward first. Especially not when you're exhausted or hurting."

There was no judgment in her words — only an offered truth, the kind spoken by someone who had lived on both sides of self-sacrifice and learned the cost of it.

Her smile returned, softer this time, touched with genuine warmth as she met his eyes. "For tonight, you're allowed to sit still. My family isn't testing you. They want you to enjoy the meal, the company, and a quiet evening." A beat of light humor threaded into her voice as she added, "And I promise, whatever questions you're bracing yourself for… my father will ease into them slowly. He actually likes you already."

Seo let her hand rest loosely on her knee, posture open, tone gentled by the comfort of being home — and by the presence of someone who seemed to settle into her family's rhythm with surprising ease.

"Just… breathe, Kas," she murmured, warmth coloring the words. "You've already done enough."

Kas Larsen

 

[Kas Larsen]

Kas Larsen

​

"I'm a Jedi Sentinel, using everything in my arsenal to keep the peace."

TAGS: Seo Linn
EQUIPMENT: Kas' Gear | Echo Stone
CURRENT LOCATION: Lorrd | Lorrd City | Seo's Family Residence
OBJECTIVE: Visit Seo's Family | Socialise with them | Learn more about Seo

Sat down beside Seo and doing his best to be casual around the family environment being idle wasn't easy sometimes for Kas but he took a breath in slowly to help his body and mind relax. He was brought up well that part was true when Seo mentioned it couldn't help but give a nod and smile to her. He did wonder how his mother and father would take to bringing Seo to them on Corellia into their homestead. Kharis would tease Kas a lot he knew that for a fact at least Caden would perhaps keep his twin sister occupied unsure how his mother and would react. May be Cara would be delighted that the family was expanding.

"Yeah not taking anything away from them, Seo. Just second nature kicking in. I appreciate the hospitality from them and you. Glad to be invited and welcomed by you all, Seo."

The statements from Seo were welcoming and did help Kas relax put his mind at ease for now. There is of course the typical yet slightly daunting feeling where Kas will end up getting interrogated by Seo's parents. It is respected and acknowledged that her parents are of course looking out for their eldest child from what Kas had been told Seo had endured quite a lot in life. Not everyone would have pleasantries in their lives there'd be challenges and hardships for all to endure as well as to overcome. It seems like Seo has indeed endured and overcame her fair share in the earlier stages of life but turned it all around so far.

"Don't worry I won't push myself foolishly only when it's necessary. Guess some parts of my Jedi training have rubbed off on me among the upbringing from my folks back home before the life of a Jedi. I just always like to help and put others before me."

Met the eyes of Seo with compassion radiating from his aura and he had a genuine, warming smile in response to Seo's when Kas was able to spot it as they shared time alone from Aodhan and her parents busy in the kitchen. Taking in the quiet atmosphere aside from chatting away with Seo and sometimes hearing her son play away with a toy or few in the background. This was indeed a lot different in recent activities that Kas has underwent he's either been learning in his studies and training sessions with his mentor or on assignment alone, with fellow Jedi and sometimes with Caden and Kharis.

"Might as well enjoy what time we can have together before I get pulled into the interrogation hah. I know they won't be testing me but your folks do care for you and love you, Seo. They've got every right to ask me questions afterall."

 

[Seo Linn]

Seo listened to him with quiet attention, her gaze softening as the tension slowly unwound from his shoulders. The way he breathed, the way he glanced around the room, the way he tried so hard to be respectful of her family's home — it all reminded her how rare it was for someone to adapt this easily to the rhythm of her world. People from cities or wealthier planets often found the desert too stark, too humble, too small. Kas didn't. He didn't flinch from it. If anything, he sank into it like he'd been here before in another life.

She shifted slightly to face him more fully, letting her arm rest along the back of the couch. "I know it's second nature," she said, her voice low and warm. "It's a good instinct to have. And they see that. My mother knew what kind of man you were within ten seconds of meeting you." A faint smile pulled at her lips as she added, "That's why she shooed you out so quickly. She didn't want you to start helping before she could stop you."

His mention of his family — of how they might take to meeting her — drew an expression from her that was both touched and thoughtful, though he hadn't spoken those thoughts aloud. She didn't pry. Instead, she let the quiet moment stretch, allowing space for things unspoken to breathe between them. Something was comforting in the idea, though, something warm and unexpected in knowing he'd even wondered how she might fit into his world.

When he promised her he wouldn't push himself recklessly, Seo's expression softened into something gentler still. "It's good to want to help," she murmured, her tone threaded with something like understanding. "But helping doesn't mean you have to disappear into everyone else's needs. You matter too, Kas. You don't need to prove anything to me — or to them."

His smile — genuine, open, threaded with compassion — made her stomach lighten in a way she wasn't used to. She found herself holding his gaze a few seconds longer than she intended before the sound of Aodhan thumping along the hallway pulled her gently back into the moment. Her son's laughter echoed down the corridor, warm and bright, and Seo's smile, softened by maternal affection, was in return.

Kas joked about an upcoming interrogation, and Seo let a low chuckle escape her, shaking her head slightly. "If there's an interrogation, it won't be anything serious. My father will want to know what you study, what you're training for, how you treat people — things that matter to him. He does that with everyone who gets within a meter of his children." Her tone held a note of fond exasperation as she added, "And my mother… she'll simply watch how you sit, how you speak, how you treat Aodhan. She doesn't need questions. She reads people faster than most Jedi do."

She didn't say that they already liked him.
She didn't have to.
Her tone said it for her.

Seo leaned back slightly, letting the warm desert breeze drift over her skin as dinner continued simmering in the kitchen. "You're right, though," she said softly. "They care. They always have. And they love fiercely — sometimes a little too fiercely." A hint of humor touched her voice, but it didn't hide the sincerity beneath it. "So yes… they'll ask their questions. But not to test you. To understand the person sitting beside me."

Her gold eyes lifted to his again, steady and open.
"And I think you'll handle that just fine."

Kas Larsen