[ Preparations are in full swing right after breakfast - although still seemingly unstaffed, the kitchen is a flurry of activity and careless guests may find themselves bumped into if they venture too far into the actual cooking area.
It's safer outside, where guests are encouraged to help dress the maypole with fresh cut, leafy birch twigs and a variety of colourful, seasonal flowers - ox-eye daisies, woodland geraniums, cow parsley, buttercups and lupines. There's also a table and benches to carry out into the community center garden, lanterns to hang in the fruit trees and bottles and bottles of elderflower lemonade, beer and brännvin - midsommar isn't midsommar without snaps.
A little later in the afternoon, with the tables laden heavy with pickled herring, fresh potatoes, sour cream and chives, and Västerbotten cheese pie (and a few other less traditional but perhaps more palatable dishes), guests and residents alike sit down for the midsummer celebration. If anyone wants to partake in local customs such as the little frog dance, Ingvar is more than happy to provide the music. Of course, he's just as happy to teach a few drinking songs for those who want to partake in snaps. ]
Evening
[ As the sun begins to... well, not exactly set, but take a dip towards the horizon, the long table will be cleared for dessert - coffee or tea, strawberries and cream, with the option of an aperitif of your choice. The music will continue with traditional songs, that the residents are more than happy to try and teach the guests - or just sing poorly, as is tradition.
For those who are looking for something a bit more quiet and peaceful, Valborg is spending the evening talking about the magic properties of midsummers eve, the most magical of nights. It says that if you pick seven different types of flowers in complete silence and then sleep with them under your pillow, you'll dream of your future betrothed... ]
Night
[ Those who stay out late will quickly notice that the sun doesn't exactly set tonight. You don't need much light to guide your way back to the cabins. However, as you make your way through a wooded area, you might get the sensation that you're being... watched. Like there's someone following you in the shadows. Surely that's just your eyes playing tricks on you... right? ]
( he's never been a great storyteller, or at least, he doesn't think he's ever been one; the trick to it in this instance is the fact that he misses home so much that he can't help but to paint a vivid picture, to bring in all the little aspects that made those memories so important to him. because he's a sentimental little goofball that will always think of his family home that way. go figure.
there's a very small moment in which everything might find itself ruined because somebody can't keep his balance, can't pick his foot up high enough to keep from tripping over a root — but keith doesn't let him fall, comes close enough to catching him that he regains his balance without much flailing ( there might have been a tiny bit of it, but with those long arms and legs, what else would you expect ), and hands are shoved quickly back into pockets by both parties like nothing ever happened. ) It was — huh?
( he pauses near-instantly, trusting the other's instincts as he's learned to do over the past little while. ) What's up? ( is it a waterlily??? )
[ go figure. they've barely been here for a few weeks and they're already bonding more than before. ( let's see of lance will ever acknowledge that. ) of course, they have to put that emotional bonding on pause because keith cannot shake the feeling now that they're not alone. ]
I don't know.
[ keith sets his jaw as he always does, hands at the ready and no longer shoved into pockets or folded under his arms. they could be getting themselves into some trouble here, but that is absolutely nothing new for these two. after all, that sort of investigation ( and paranoid ) had gotten them into their lions in the first place. ]
( okay now just. listen. he's over the whole dismissal of the initial bonding moment never happening. because it totally did and maybe he'd be willing to admit it now but since they're bonding even more here? he doesn't have to!
but that bonding is going to have to be put on hold, because keith heard something ( ™ ) and it instantly has lance's attention because paranoia or not, when keith's attention gets shoved in one direction or another over anything else, it usually means something. usually.
he looks around them, but of course he doesn't see anything right away, so he ends up looking right back at keith for some sort of. direction or something. ) Heard something like. What? ( pause. ) A bear?
If you leave bears alone, they probably won't attack you. It sounds like we're being followed.
[ okay, so keith might be mister paranoid. or he might have been when he was booted out of the garrison but those suspicions were far from unfounded. it was partly through that inkling, that hope of something being out there, that jettisoned all of them into space. ]
I don't know, [ keith murmurs through gritted teeth, frustrated that he can't even see it, even when he squints through the trees. ] It isn't even that dark out.
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there's a very small moment in which everything might find itself ruined because somebody can't keep his balance, can't pick his foot up high enough to keep from tripping over a root — but keith doesn't let him fall, comes close enough to catching him that he regains his balance without much flailing ( there might have been a tiny bit of it, but with those long arms and legs, what else would you expect ), and hands are shoved quickly back into pockets by both parties like nothing ever happened. ) It was — huh?
( he pauses near-instantly, trusting the other's instincts as he's learned to do over the past little while. ) What's up? ( is it a waterlily??? )
no subject
I don't know.
[ keith sets his jaw as he always does, hands at the ready and no longer shoved into pockets or folded under his arms. they could be getting themselves into some trouble here, but that is absolutely nothing new for these two. after all, that sort of investigation ( and paranoid ) had gotten them into their lions in the first place. ]
I heard something.
no subject
but that bonding is going to have to be put on hold, because keith heard something ( ™ ) and it instantly has lance's attention because paranoia or not, when keith's attention gets shoved in one direction or another over anything else, it usually means something. usually.
he looks around them, but of course he doesn't see anything right away, so he ends up looking right back at keith for some sort of. direction or something. ) Heard something like. What? ( pause. ) A bear?
( lance why the hell would it be a bear. )
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[ okay, so keith might be mister paranoid. or he might have been when he was booted out of the garrison but those suspicions were far from unfounded. it was partly through that inkling, that hope of something being out there, that jettisoned all of them into space. ]
I don't know, [ keith murmurs through gritted teeth, frustrated that he can't even see it, even when he squints through the trees. ] It isn't even that dark out.