NEWCOMER MINGLE
The breeze across the waters is cold, Norrhamn glowing like a bonfire with the reds and oranges of the trees. Autumn has truly arrived and Olivia, the administrator, has foregone summer dresses for warmer clothes. The ferry lands soft as always, letting off the small group of newcomers. Welcome to Norrhamn.
As is tradition, a welcome party is planned for later that night. A small fire pit has been set up in the community center garden and Ingvar is present to liven up the night with his accordion. The fika for the night is apple cake and hot chocolate — and if you know who to ask, you may be able to spike that chocolate with something stronger.
HOUSE GNOME MAYHEM
You're sure you had it a minute ago. The book you borrowed from the library, that trinket you brought from home, your favourite shirt, maybe even the keys to your cabin — whatever it is, it was there and now it's gone without a trace. Weird, huh? To make matters worse, whoever manned the community center kitchen has also disappeared, leaving the guests to fend for themselves with whatever they can find in the fridge.
Those who investigate this odd string of thefts - if that's what they are - may hear footsteps, see movement out of the corner of their eye, smell tobacco smoke or hear a faint, gruff chuckle without being able to place where it's coming from. Stranger and stranger...
[ Anxiety bubbles horribly inside Hanako's stomach as the accumulated desperation leads her to the forest area. Her doll is gone and no one in town was able to help her, so the wildness is her only last hope to find it. Perhaps someone stole it and ran over here to hide. Or there is a person, or a group of people, cruel enough to bury her treasure somewhere, or rip it apart, or burn it—
No. That would not make sense. People like those wouldn't be allowed to stay in a place meant to give people the healing they need.
And yet, someone stole her doll, and the forest sounds barely drown the stream of loud thoughts running through her head.
However, the smell of smoke fills her nose soon after. Something appears in the corner of her eye, but fades when she turns around. Muting her thoughts now, she can even hear footsteps. Her blood runs cold. Is she having a weird encounter like last time at the lake...?
Collecting her voice, she raises it loud enough to be heard in the vicinities. ]
[ Her voice is met by a loud rustle in the nearby bushes, followed by a string of muffled curses. A moment later something peeks its little head out to peer at her — it's a man, maybe two and a half feet tall, with a wrinkled face and beady little eyes almost entirely hidden under his bushy eyebrows and the brim of his floppy, pointy felt hat. His beard is long and unkempt, his clothes grey wool and old fashioned. He grumbles at her, before exclaiming in a gruff voice: ]
In her books, those people are often called Dwarves or Gnomes. They also exist in real life, although she'd only seen a couple important actors on TV with those conditions. She can't help thinking such appearance is a bit grotesque, even funny if she ever had a humorous bone in her sad body. But alas, she reacts with proper shock. ]
Y-You...? What? [ What is he saying?! Hanako can only assume the language he's using. ] Sorry, I don't... s-speak Swedish?
[ The little man squints at her, grumbling nonsense to himself before trying this communication thing again. Perhaps the nature of the man makes the translators less effective, because his words come out broken and with a heavy accent. ]
Go... away! Away! Go! [ He makes a shooing motion for emphasis. ]
[The horn was taken away. Normally this would summon hurried searching around the cabin for with most normal people, and surely enough Buddy does the same thing until she sees that it's completely gone from her room. She grabs her saber and is ready to ask whoever looks suspicious about the missing horn.
Admittedly, Buddy is not normal.
As she comes into the kitchen, she smells... tobacco. She doesn't know anyone that smokes around here.]
[What in the hell is that? She's seen no children around here so far. And there's still the smell of smoke. It's too strong to just be imagined. Buddy tries to follow the noise, keeping a close eye on the floor.
Whatever it is, it sounds like it's shorter than even her.]
[ The noises have been subtle so far, almost supernaturally muffled, but they're soon followed by a loud crash and a string of unintelligible cursewords.
A couple of sauce pans have tumbled out from a cupboard, clanging and rolling over the floor. Whoever knocked them over seem to still be inside, hiding in the dark. ]
NEWCOMER MINGLE Part 1: brighter than the sunlight
[During the ferry ride Buddy kept to herself, honestly too distracted by the water... there's so much of it. If she wasn't told to, she would dive in the cold depths just to feel the clean-looking water on her skin. But perhaps that will have to wait until they get to land.
And when they get there, Buddy runs to the nearest green spot she can find. Brushing away leaves until she finds the grass under it, green and alive. Buddy feels the grass under her weathered palm, almost in awe of it. She had only heard about it in stories.]
It's real... it's actually real.
[She may not notice it but she's crying at the sight of grass, her left eye welling up with tears.]
NEWCOMER MINGLE Part 2: i tapped into a feeling that i could not ignore
[Later that night, Buddy wants to stay in her cabin. (There's light without the need of candles, running hot water which Buddy is frankly shameless in indulging in as soon as finds the bathroom in the cabin.) But curiosity makes her come out, the smells encourage her to stay. She's never smelled anything so delicious before. Soon enough she has a slice of apple cake and hot chocolate and is frankly... inelegantly shoving the cake in her face.]
[ Hanako was by now used to seeing new arrivals come by ferry every three days, but so far she hadn't seen any of them actually crying right after setting foot. The girl's appearance brings some feeling in her chest which she identifies as empathy, and it's with careful steps that she approaches her, gently calling out to her out of concern and with a light stutter in her wording. ]
[Normally, she doesn't like to be disturbed. (Force of habit? Or maybe it's because no one has ever bothered to comfort her? Who knows.) Buddy raises her head to see a ... fellow woman, with a scar of the other side of her face.
In most cases, she would be showing her curiosity at a fellow woman. It's a rare sight but she doesn't wish to scare her off.]
[ Something uncomfortable hurdles the pit of her stomach. Never seen grass? Did the girl live in a city? But even those places have parks, gardens...
Not feeling any bit entitled to question for details, she merely stands there, knowing better than moving to place a hand someone's shoulder when they might not want to be touched. ]
I see. This place has a lot of grass around. There's even a forest not far from here.
[Nothing grows where she lives. Buddy would explain it if asked, but right now. The smell of grass is almost too much. Let her go back to her usual wary carefulness.]
A Forest? I thought that was a thing in a book.
[She doesn't mean to sound comically naive, but it really is true for her.]
[After having departed the world created and fought over by Materia and Spiritus, finally, Kuja has found himself left blessedly alone on the ferry ride over and then some. Checking in was a similarly uneventful affair, and once he sees to his lodgings, he leaves only as night falls.]
[He hadn't expected there to be a party of sorts for the new people, but he avoids and trails along the shore, hiding himself from the events and any there who might recognize him to feel the cool night air on his face and let his troubled mind wander.]
[ After the fruitless investigation from weeks ago, Hanako frankly feels at loss when she steps into the community center kitchen, finding it more empty and silent than it ever appeared that day. With the sudden lack of provided food, either way, she has to attempt some breakfast for herself. Probably cook for whoever passes by, too. She lost track of how many people had come and gone since her arrival.
She'll be found setting some ingredients down and flipping through a recipe book, trying to decide which one of the absolutely foreign dishes she's going to attempt preparing. When in doubt, just make omelette... ]
ii; all around town
[ Later that day, she can be seen all over the place, looking like she's desperately looking for something.
It's after another fruitless round that she starts asking around, hesitating towards people she never spoke with before, but still asking the same question. ]
Have you s-seen a doll around here? It's small sized, with blonde hair and blue eyes...
[It wasn't his wont to visit the small social plaza beyond the cabins often unless he needed something or just wanted a change of scenery, but the island was only so big. He thought he might venture out today to see if anything had changed, if nothing else, and found himself disappointed.]
[When the girl approaches him, asking after a doll, he turns to regard her with muted surprise. Not many took a chance on him, and he couldn't say he would blame them whether or not they knew who he was.]
NEWCOMER MINGLE: nowhere to run, no more room to pretend
[On the ferry Oscar is covered in a blanket to keep warm and watches the water. It's relaxing and thank god it isn't flame. He tries to wrap his head around for the first time in... ever he's on vacation. How does one relax?
He figures, that he will try and sort it out once he gets to Norrhamn and gets settled in. Once he gets to his cabin, he changes into something else, throws the old clothes away. (Anything to get the horrid memory out his head.)
He goes over to the community center garden, there's music playing, hot chocolate and what looks to be a cake with music playing there's also a fire pit. He stares at it for a long time...
Oscar gets a cup of hot chocolate, looking for someone willing to spike it.]
[Honestly, food had been the first thing on Link's mind. Granted, he'd taken in the beauty of the area - it looked a little like Akkala - but first things first - food.
After dropping the Master Sword off in his cabin (since carrying it around is a little bit Not Relaxing and he doesn't think he'll run into anything dangerous here), he heads to the mingle. For food.
The apple cake is delicious and the accordion reminds him of Kass's playing, so Link immediately feels at home. He's on his second cup of hot chocolate (whatever that is, it's sugary and warm) when he sees someone standing alone with a cup.]
[Oscar had been too distracted with his own mind to pay attention to the scenery. (Which may actually be a problem of his.) He's focusing a little too intently at the fire until someone comes at him speaking to him.
Shit, he's commenting about the party. What does he say? I haven't noticed anything about the party because I'm too busy being reminded of horrible things? No, one doesn't say that.
Oscar holds his own cup, looking at the hot chocolate.]
It's... fine.
[What else could you say? God, someone has got to be here with a flask of something because he can feel the awkwardness in that pitiful sentence.]
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House Gnome Encounters
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No. That would not make sense. People like those wouldn't be allowed to stay in a place meant to give people the healing they need.
And yet, someone stole her doll, and the forest sounds barely drown the stream of loud thoughts running through her head.
However, the smell of smoke fills her nose soon after. Something appears in the corner of her eye, but fades when she turns around. Muting her thoughts now, she can even hear footsteps. Her blood runs cold. Is she having a weird encounter like last time at the lake...?
Collecting her voice, she raises it loud enough to be heard in the vicinities. ]
I-Is there anyone here...?
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Stick å brinn!
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In her books, those people are often called Dwarves or Gnomes. They also exist in real life, although she'd only seen a couple important actors on TV with those conditions. She can't help thinking such appearance is a bit grotesque, even funny if she ever had a humorous bone in her sad body. But alas, she reacts with proper shock. ]
Y-You...? What? [ What is he saying?! Hanako can only assume the language he's using. ] Sorry, I don't... s-speak Swedish?
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Go... away! Away! Go! [ He makes a shooing motion for emphasis. ]
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She squeezes her hands over her chest as she makes an attempt to communicate. ]
Excuse me... p-please, I'd like to know i-if you've seen a small doll with blonde hair around here.
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Admittedly, Buddy is not normal.
As she comes into the kitchen, she smells... tobacco. She doesn't know anyone that smokes around here.]
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A blur of movement pass her by. The smell of tobacco intensifies. ]
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Whatever it is, it sounds like it's shorter than even her.]
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A couple of sauce pans have tumbled out from a cupboard, clanging and rolling over the floor. Whoever knocked them over seem to still be inside, hiding in the dark. ]
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Come on out you bastards!
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[During the ferry ride Buddy kept to herself, honestly too distracted by the water... there's so much of it. If she wasn't told to, she would dive in the cold depths just to feel the clean-looking water on her skin. But perhaps that will have to wait until they get to land.
And when they get there, Buddy runs to the nearest green spot she can find. Brushing away leaves until she finds the grass under it, green and alive. Buddy feels the grass under her weathered palm, almost in awe of it. She had only heard about it in stories.]
It's real... it's actually real.
[She may not notice it but she's crying at the sight of grass, her left eye welling up with tears.]
NEWCOMER MINGLE Part 2: i tapped into a feeling that i could not ignore
[Later that night, Buddy wants to stay in her cabin. (There's light without the need of candles, running hot water which Buddy is frankly shameless in indulging in as soon as finds the bathroom in the cabin.) But curiosity makes her come out, the smells encourage her to stay. She's never smelled anything so delicious before. Soon enough she has a slice of apple cake and hot chocolate and is frankly... inelegantly shoving the cake in her face.]
part 1
Are you a-alright...?
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In most cases, she would be showing her curiosity at a fellow woman. It's a rare sight but she doesn't wish to scare her off.]
I'm fine... I've just... never seen this before.
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Not feeling any bit entitled to question for details, she merely stands there, knowing better than moving to place a hand someone's shoulder when they might not want to be touched. ]
I see. This place has a lot of grass around. There's even a forest not far from here.
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A Forest? I thought that was a thing in a book.
[She doesn't mean to sound comically naive, but it really is true for her.]
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[After having departed the world created and fought over by Materia and Spiritus, finally, Kuja has found himself left blessedly alone on the ferry ride over and then some. Checking in was a similarly uneventful affair, and once he sees to his lodgings, he leaves only as night falls.]
[He hadn't expected there to be a party of sorts for the new people, but he avoids and trails along the shore, hiding himself from the events and any there who might recognize him to feel the cool night air on his face and let his troubled mind wander.]
House Gnome Mayhem (OPEN PROMPTS)
ii; all around town
ii
[When the girl approaches him, asking after a doll, he turns to regard her with muted surprise. Not many took a chance on him, and he couldn't say he would blame them whether or not they knew who he was.]
No, I'm afraid I have not.
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I see, I-... I'm sorry for the disturb. My doll was at home, but somehow it disappeared and I-I can't find it...
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It was no trouble. The locals here have mentioned items of interest gone missing. It seems no one yet knows why or who to blame.
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[ It's the only conclusion she can reach, after hearing that. Fingers curl as she clutches the front of her shirt with her scarred hand. ]
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sorry, I'm having a hard time trying to figure out what to do ;3;
it's fine, we can end it here and thread more in the future~
yey thanks!
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[On the ferry Oscar is covered in a blanket to keep warm and watches the water. It's relaxing and thank god it isn't flame. He tries to wrap his head around for the first time in... ever he's on vacation. How does one relax?
He figures, that he will try and sort it out once he gets to Norrhamn and gets settled in. Once he gets to his cabin, he changes into something else, throws the old clothes away. (Anything to get the horrid memory out his head.)
He goes over to the community center garden, there's music playing, hot chocolate and what looks to be a cake with music playing there's also a fire pit. He stares at it for a long time...
Oscar gets a cup of hot chocolate, looking for someone willing to spike it.]
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After dropping the Master Sword off in his cabin (since carrying it around is a little bit Not Relaxing and he doesn't think he'll run into anything dangerous here), he heads to the mingle. For food.
The apple cake is delicious and the accordion reminds him of Kass's playing, so Link immediately feels at home. He's on his second cup of hot chocolate (whatever that is, it's sugary and warm) when he sees someone standing alone with a cup.]
Hey, [he says cheerfully.] Good party, right?
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Shit, he's commenting about the party. What does he say? I haven't noticed anything about the party because I'm too busy being reminded of horrible things? No, one doesn't say that.
Oscar holds his own cup, looking at the hot chocolate.]
It's... fine.
[What else could you say? God, someone has got to be here with a flask of something because he can feel the awkwardness in that pitiful sentence.]