Summer 23 - newcomer mingle

[norrhamn_residents]

[ It's a small but valued group of new guests arriving at Norrhamn today. The ferry lands smoothly on the jetty as always, Olivia already waiting with her clipboard in hand. Aina lingers until the guests have cleared out before steering out to sea again, to pick up another batch.

Later in the afternoon there'll be coffee and sponge cake in the community center garden, to welcome the new guests as is tradition. ]

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[sseuda]

ＤＡＥ

[ the first thing he does when they first land is linger on the jetty, hands in the pockets of his rolled up light wash jeans. the sea breeze picks up those tufts of dyed blond hair, making a mess of him as he rolls the sleeves of his hoodie up. it's a little too warm for the summer, but he'll make do for now.

though he has a keen attention to detail when it counts, when it matters, tj allows himself to be lost in a daydream during the entire ferryboat ride there, eyes fixed out the window as the ocean opens right up before him. it would be a lie to say that he isn't nervous about it, that he isn't worried about the life and the people he is leaving behind. it isn't as if he can't return and he had at least put in a note about dae coming with him though he hadn't seen him upon boarding. perhaps the next boat whenever that arrives.

slowly, tj regards the island, his temporary home; it's like nothing he's ever seen before, though he has barely left his own home save for a few brief excursions to japan, the philippines, etc for work. sliding his hands into the pockets of his hoodie, he begins to head towards the water before the other guests do. ]

ＯＰＥＮ

[ the community center garden is a darling place. it makes him wish he had a sketchbook with him or something to take in such a sight properly, the way an artist should.

and.... yeah, the presence of bees makes him a touch nervous but he isn't wearing anything especially bright today ( dark green as usual ) and has opted to sit in a small clearing a way's away from the flower beds where someone else sits. there are many places to land, but he at least wants to make some friends. ]

Hey, can I sit here?

[boyeo]

( an excitement nap — that's what he'd call it if anyone was bothered enough to ask why this slight boy spent the ferry journey stretched out across the length of one of the long wooden benches on the inside of the vessel.

dae is certain that the boat ride over is beautiful, the sounds of the waves crashing around them and the lulling rocking they bring about, but in all honesty, he's a little nervous about this adventure he's so willingly put himself on. a free vacation is hard to deny, a chance to get away from the uncertainty of the industry he works in, an opportunity to further separate himself from who he was in the past. said free vacation also means time spent without a certain june tae, and he's practically bowled over by how upsetting that feels every time he thinks about it. time won't pass in their world while he's gone, the people in charge of this place insist, but time will pass here, days, weeks, months spent without the boy who's made him feel so special and cared for.

it's tough. but so is dae.

he wanders blearily off of the ferry and onto the dock, a yawn stretching his mouth open as he shields his eyes until they can adjust to the sun. from the smell of this island alone, from the way the air feels on his skin, dae knows that this place is different than anything that he's used to. a glance left, a glance right and —

no, he knows the outline of that person from the briefest glance, even if newly blonde locks seem practically sun-kissed right now, and dae's heart practically leaps into his throat as he takes off towards him. there's no hesitation, no warning — he leaps onto tj's back, innately knowing that tj will catch him, legs wrapped around his waist and practically clinging to his neck. his cheek presses against tj's temple as his eyes squeeze closed, sighing in sheer relief as he remarks: ) They really did read my letter.

[sseuda]

[ there hadn't been a single doubt in his mind that he would see dae again even if it might take a couple of agonizing weeks before they were reunited. thankfully, the universe seems to be on their side – so much, in fact, that as soon as june tae hears the familiar beat of footsteps behind him, he braces himself without thinking.

the weight against him is more than familiar and tj bursts out laughing, partially because it's funny but mostly because he's relieved to have dae right here with him, away from the hustle and bustle of their daily lives. his arms immediately reposition themselves so his hands can curl around slender thighs to hold him right around his middle and he keeps on trotting to the end of the jetty where he will not let him go right away thank you very much.

naturally, dae gets a kiss on the cheek first. ]

How much did you say about me? 'Cause I mentioned you too.

[ even if tj hadn't been as worried as dae had been, it's still a relief to have him here, tangible and real and not just some distant dream to be reunited with someday. he turns his head to try to get a better look at him. ]

Hi, Daehyeonie.

[burntviolet]

[ It's a nice day outside, and breathing the clean air of Norrhamn while reading a book is something Hanako had learned to appreciate little by little. Her days spent within four walls all by herself are not completely gone, but now she won't refuse to hang out in the open when the weather allows it, used as she is with the familiar faces all around the town.

However, the boy suddenly asking to sit near her is not one of those. Her immediate reaction is a hanging jaw, eyes blown wide, but she realizes that might look dumb to the stranger so she hurriedly stutters her reply out, smoothing her long hair so it covers half of her face. ]

Y-You can, it's fine— I don't mind...!

[sseuda]

[ she seems a little bit like a lonely girl, someone who could use a bit of company. and tj being new here is just the person to provide some of that should she agree. he's grateful not to be alone, especially with dae catching up to him so quickly, but he knows that it isn't the same for so many other people on norrhamn.

his smile is open, friendly, and he thinks nothing of her reaction. ]

Thank you. [ he has in hand a plate of sponge cake and coffee, taking a seat near her. ] I'm TJ, by the way. What's your name?

[burntviolet]

[ A small glance to the food makes her realize she's been out and about since early in the morning and maybe it's time to eat some of the cookies she brought along in her bag. But now seems like a pretty bad time, and she's not that hungry. The smell of coffee comes under her nose. ]

... I'm Hanako. [ She rests the book on her lap, closing it with a finger staying in-between the pages. ] Are you... new around here?

[sseuda]

Hanako. Nice to meet you.

[ tj carefully balances the plate of treats in his lap, one hand wrapped around the coffee as he brings it to his lips for a happy sip. ] I just got off the boat, my boyfriend and I. [ he chuckles, shaking his head. ] He was asleep the whole ride over so we didn't see each other until we got off.

Have you been here for a while?

[burntviolet]

[ Coming here with someone dear to him... Hanako is a bit envious. She arrived after a bad fallout that left her with no more friends to rely on. It's still difficult dealing with that fact, to this day.

She recalls her first day here, and makes an affirmative sound. ]

For about three weeks. I-It feels like I've been here longer...

[sseuda]

The days are long here, yeah?

[ tj tries to make conversation though he can tell already that the announcement of company doesn't sit terribly well. he supposes they both lucked out in this instance, having been approached at about the same time with similar priorities. he doesn't know what dae wrote but he suspects that it might have been more about him than about himself. ]

[burntviolet]

Yes. It's strange how it works, but I got used to it.

[ There is nothing magic or unnatural with days being long, though it felt that way at first because of the day still being bright by nine in the evening. ]

But I was informed summer is going to end soon, and the days might get shorter from there.