Summer 3 - action on the farm

[forever_jack]

Jack is not and has never been a farmer. But he does know the value of vigorous physical activity in helping to deal with psychological pain, and so this morning brings him over to the farm to help out with the potato harvest.

For Einar

He shows up perhaps a little later than some of the others (he's not naturally a particularly early riser, especially when he's on holiday!) and ambles up the path towards the farm buildings, looking out for the farmer.

Open

He's worked hard and by the time the bus comes round again on its way back to the village, he's ready to hitch a ride with some of the others rather than walk. They haven't talked all that much while they were working, and there are several he hasn't spoken to at all, so he grins round at the person settling into the seat across the way. "Feels like a good day's work, eh!"

Comments

[forever_jack]

You bury your cows, Einar?

He quirks Einar a wry grin, and picks up the potatoes, shaking off the worst of the dirt as instructed and tossing them into the basket, then going for the next plant with the pitchfork.

"Great!" Definitely easier than graves. "So, Einar... Have you lived here long? Looks like someone's put a lot of work into this farm!"

[norrhamn_residents]

Someone's got to! Cows don't bury themselves!

"You could say I've lived here for a while - actually, I was born here. Right in that house over there." Just like all his kids were born in that house. "It's a family farm, we've been tendin' to these lands for generations."

[forever_jack]

Aww, so tender-hearted!

"Really? Family farm, eh? Better make sure I don't mess it up!" Well aware how much Einar will have invested in the place, if it's where he grew up.

"Is it just you, now, or have you got a family of your own there?" he asks, glancing towards the pretty little farmhouse.

[norrhamn_residents]

"Eh, it survived this long. I'm sure it'll survive you." He laughs, a warm, deep laugh from the heart. At the question he draws his attention back up to the house.

"Oh, I got plenty of help from the missus and the little ones. Six of 'em, so far. Good kids."

[forever_jack]

It's a good laugh, real and warm, and Jack instinctively grins along.

"Six? Wow, that's a good number! Keep you busy, I bet!"

[norrhamn_residents]

"Oh, you know it! Little rascals, ain't no slowing them down!" He's in a good mood now, talking about is family, as big as it's gotten. It's a bit of a dream come true, if he's honest.

"Don't know what I'd do without 'em... children really are a blessing." He sighs, happily. "You got any of your own?"

[forever_jack]

It's nice to see someone looking so happy about their family, even if he can't say the same for himself.

"Yeah. They are," he agrees, and shakes his head, busying himself with his digging. "Not at the moment, no."

Sure, Alice was still alive, but he didn't expect her to ever forgive him enough to actually let him see her again.

[norrhamn_residents]

"Well, there's always plenty of kids in th' world you can borrow, if you ever feel th' urge."

Management talked to him about the whole... you'll-get-a-family-eventually attitude he usually takes so he's trying to be a bit more mindful about how some people here may not be able to. Some won't have anything to go back to or, heaven forbid, they simply don't want kids of their own. He's trying, for better or worse.

[forever_jack]

That... isn't something he was expecting and it throws him for a moment, almost gaping at Einar for a long minute before he finally bursts into laughter.

"You know, I might take you up on that at some point!" Kids are certainly distracting, if nothing else. "Although to be fair, I already seem to have taken on a bit of a parental role here already. My roommate is very young, and I kinda feel like she needs someone to look out for her!"

[norrhamn_residents]

"Well, there you go! Maybe Olivia put th' two of you together for a reason!"

Bless her heart, she has such a big heart. It wouldn't surprise him if that was exactly what went down.

"An' if that ain't enough, you're always welcome to spend time with my hellions. They could use th' company."

[forever_jack]

"I think it's a pretty good bet that she did, yeah," he nods, vaguely amused. He's been fairly sure since the start that the room assignments weren't just random. Olivia had their application letters, after all; she knew a fair bit about them.

Although he could certainly think of other people better equipped to look after Hanako. If she needed physical protection, he'd be a great choice. But emotional support and understanding? Not so much.

He looks round at the comment about Einar's children. "Are they the only kids on the island? Must be pretty lonely for them."

[norrhamn_residents]

Olivia's administrative magic will always remain a mystery. Seriously, he has no idea how she does it.

"It can get rough." He admits, with a sigh. "They head in to the mainland for school of course, but th' summers can get mighty lonely. Good thing they got each other, at least. I never had any siblings m'self."

[forever_jack]

He forces himself not to think about siblings and how you may grow up with them but still lose them, and grins instead.

"Is that why you had such a large family yourself?" It's often the way, he finds. "It'll be nice for them to have us lot around, I guess. Something new and exciting on the island!"

[norrhamn_residents]

"Got me there!" he laughs, not at all shy about the reasons why he always wanted a soccer team of kids.

"An' they're real curious about you. Shy, too, but I wager that'll pass before you know it."

[forever_jack]

"Yeah, I bet! Have they met any the visitors yet? I'd love to meet them, if you'd be okay with it?"

[norrhamn_residents]

"They've had a peek, but no formal introductions yet. You're welcome to head up to th' house once we're done here, meet th' little hellraisers!"

There's so many of them, Einar has no problem renting them out as surrogate kids to visitors.

[forever_jack]

"I'd love that, thanks!" It's not exactly what he came to Norrhamn for, but kids are a great distraction and he needs all of that he can get, right now.

He smiles reflectively. "Been a while since I was Uncle Jack to anyone's children."

Chuck is so mad rn and she doesn't know why

[norrhamn_residents]

"Yeah? About time that changed, in that case." And he's more than happy to provide.

"When was th' last time, if you don't mind me askin'?"

Awww, Chuck! <3

[forever_jack]

"Uh..." The question takes him aback, for a moment, because it means thinking about the past in a specific way that he tends to try not to do.

But actually, the answer is not that painful. Well, it is, because these are people he never expects to see again, but at least they're all hopefully happy, living wherever they wanted to go.

"Well, it wasn't really children, but a few years ago I was stuck somewhere that I ended up kind of adopting someone as my sister and she looked after quite a few of the teenagers who were also stuck there. I don't think I ever actually got any of them to call me Uncle Jack, though. They were a bit grown-up for that. I can't remember the last time there were actual children."

[norrhamn_residents]

"Sounds like you're just about due to spend some quality time with th' youngins, in that case."

At least if he's right in his assumption is right about Jack enjoying spending time with kids. Some people don't. Einar will never be able to understand those people.

"I sure hope this place is going to get you what you need. Helluva project they got going here, in any case."

((ooc: omg this week has been bonkers, sorry for the lateness.))

[forever_jack]

Jack doesn't feel he's ever been very good at spending time with kids, but he does enjoy it when he gets the opportunity. He grins. "I'll look forward to break time then!"

And then his smile softens at the second remark. "Thank you. To be honest, I think I'm already getting a lot of what I need, and I think others are too. Peace and quiet, fresh sea air... honest labour!" Hefting his fork in the air. "It's all good. And very good of someone to arrange it all for us!"

((OOC: no worries, I figured as much, and I haven't been around much myself anyway!))

[norrhamn_residents]

"That's real nice to hear. I'll bring it up with th' higher ups next time they drop in."

Which isn't often, to be honest, and probably something Olivia would be more equipped to handle but so what? He can pretend he has a say in things if he wants to!

[forever_jack]

"Yeah?" He grins widely and lifts an eyebrow. "See them often do you?"

Apparently, teasing Rica's characters people who look like Aidan is something he just can't resist. Although, there is a more serious question in there, because he can't help but be curious about their mysterious benefactors.

"Do they ever actually drop in here, to Norrhamn?"

[norrhamn_residents]

Hey! He doesn't seem too fazed by the teasing, just laughs another warm, rumbling laugh. Okay, you got him! He's not really a key member of staff here, but then again the same could be said about almost all of them.

"They did, before you all came in. In th' planning stage, I'd say, to look over the place and fix it up proper. Not sure if they'll come by again now that it's up and runnin'. Sure they got other things on their mind."

[forever_jack]

He nods. "Seems to be the usual way of things. I expect they've got some other exciting project they're busy setting up now, somewhere else!"

He gives Einar a wink. "Suits me, to honest. I never have had much time for the folks in management. Prefer to interact with the people who actually do the work, you know?"