Summer 1 - Welcome dinner

[kollomods]

[ It's the very first dinner on Norrhamn and the kitchen staff (???) has really gone all out. The counter is covered by a variety of the finest cuisine Sweden has to offer — sandwich cakes of every variety, from the classic salmon and shrimp to ham and horse radish or more modern, vegan varieties with avocado and cherry tomatoes. There's a smaller table set out with strawberry and cream cake, and the traditional spread of seven different types of shortbread cookies. Of course there's coffee and tea by the bucketload, along with other drinks such as elderberry or lingonberry squash. The community center has been decorated for the occasion with bunting and strings of lights leading out into the garden. It's still early summer so the nights are mild and surprisingly bright — the sun has yet to fully set by the time the celebrations kick off. Better get used to the light, it's not getting darker anytime soon. ]

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[norrhamn_residents]

[ The residents of Norrhamn — well, most of them — are all here tonight, eager to meet and greet the guests.

Olivia: ever the work-a-holic, Olivia will be flitting about the community center, making sure everyone is having a good time and answering any questions the newly arrived guests will have. Towards the end of the night she'll finally take a break and a piece of cake, slinking away to a more secluded area of the garden for a much needed breather.

Einar: Einar has made his way down from the farm, bringing his wife and an undetermined number of redheaded kids to the festivities. He's perhaps the most cheerful and social of the residents, with a hearty, infectious laugh that can be heard clear across the room. Watch out if you're a wall flower because he will find you and talk to you.

Ingvar: The elderly shop keep spends most of his time out in the garden, drinking coffee and playing old swedish folk songs on his accordion well into the night. Got any song requests? He'll do his damnedest to fulfil them, even if it means making up a song that sounds like it could be named Despacito.

Valborg: Valborg may be a quiet old woman, but her eyes are as sharp as her mind. She spends most of the evening in the periphery of the party, watching the newcomers with keen eyes. If anyone would approach her she'll be more than happy to have a chat and maybe impart some grandmotherly wisdom. Later in the evening she'll join Ingvar out in the garden with a cup of coffee (and perhaps a hip flask of something stronger).

Lars: Bus drivers also deserve cake. Lars will switch between eating said cake inside the community center and slipping off into the garden for a cigarette — if you need a break, a smoke or just a chat with someone who will absolutely without a doubt drown you in trivia whether you like it or not, Lars is your guy. ]

Olivia, to start with :-)

[forever_jack]

The administrator had been busy talking to someone else when he'd disembarked earlier on so he'd made do with a smile and a nod, but when he sees her here tonight he heads on over to make his introductions.

"Hi - Olivia, isn't it?" he says casually, with a charming smile. "Captain Jack Harkness. Pretty wonderful place you've got here!"

Valborg, please!

[cursebreaker]

[ Being shy around new people, Evelina also sticks to the edge of the party for a portion of the night, and at some point in her meandering she finds herself near an elderly woman. She smiles politely, sipping her tea and watching the rest of the new guests engage with one another, wondering if it's finally safe for her to open up here when she's used to being alone and guarded.

Eventually, she gathers her courage and turns towards the woman. ]

Are you enjoying the party?

Ingvar? :>

[thefavorite]

Being ever drawn toward music, Dewey makes his way over to Ingvar once he's finally migrated away from the food. He stands a few paces away for a while, listening to the music - it doesn't sound like anything he's heard before, but he's happy to watch the old man play.

So when there's a break in the music, he steps up.

"Hi. I like your music."

[forever_jack]

Being a person who thrives on company (even when he's hurting, he often likes to pretend he's not by throwing himself into a party, and that's even easier when it's with a bunch of strangers who won't notice that it's only on the surface), Jack is rather relieved to find there's a party. He had been just the tiniest bit worried that there'd be so much peace and quiet here that he'd actually be forced to deal with some of the things he needs to deal with right away, when he'd much rather leave that for a few days and just enjoy himself. He's here for a break, after all, isn't he?

He turns up newly showered and in a fresh change of clothes (although anyone who saw him earlier might be forgiven for thinking they're the same clothes, considering he almost always wears a variation on a theme), complete with the greatcoat because that's a key part of his persona, and launches straight into the party, grabbing himself a plate of food and a glass of lingonberry squash and mingling cheerfully, introducing himself to all and sundry - usually with a bit of a leer and something along the lines of: "Captain Jack Harkness - and who are you?"

Later, he wanders out into the garden in the late dusk evening to enjoy the music and possibly find someone to dance with. Dancing cures a multitude of woes.

Evelina | ota

[cursebreaker]

[ It's hard to know just where to start at the feast (how can all this just be called a dinner?) and Evelina spends a long minute just staring at the assortment of foods. It's only when she recognizes the tea that she perks up and takes a cup, sweetening it with honey. She takes a few shortbread cookies and heads out into the garden, looking perfectly dressed for the weather in a long, flowy dress and sandals.

It's peaceful here, and from the way she looks out at the scenery, it's clear she's a person who has been desperately searching for such a thing in her life. ]

It almost seems like a dream.

[ It's murmured aloud in a faintly accented voice of which it's hard to pin down the origin. ]

Re: Evelina | ota

[notrosesshadow]

Martha was also taken aback. She always was at an excess of food, ever since the Paradox Year. Even a modest Christmas feast at home was enough to take her breath away. But then to add the actual sandwich cakes? Yeah, that was a bit much. She heard someone near her murmur something about it being like a dream and Martha turned to match the voice with the speaker. Her eyes alighted on a young woman dressed significantly nicer than her.

"Almost an excess of food. But one that I'm eager to try."

[forever_jack]

[That really is a stunning outfit, and it isn't long before Jack saunters over. (It's not that he's actually that shallow, but he is drawn to the exotic and beautiful, and Evelina looks both!)]

Quite some dream, yeah. [Coming up beside her, gazing out at the early shades of the sunset spreading gently across the wide expanse of sky.]

Really beautiful. [With a smirk that indicates that he's including her in that assessment.]

[traceofeffort]

Lisa is a social being at her core, so while she's been content chatting and unpacking, she's ready to meet new people. While she'll probably be comfortable bringing it to events later, right now her bass is in her room; tonight isn't for practice. No, tonight is for settling in. She hasn't changed, so she's still in the same light top and pants she arrived in when she arrives at the community center. She seems a little restless from the outside - part of her instinctually realizes she missed band practice today - but she also doesn't want to brood over the place she isn't.

To that end, she's trying to roam a little. She's not quite adventurous enough to insert herself into other conversations on her own, but if she finds someone not looking utterly closed, she'll pause and greet them. "Hey, how's your day been? Find anything exciting?" It's in a bright tone, but there's an honest interest in it. She snacks lightly over the course of the night, munching on cake (both the dinner and dessert varieties) and sipping on one of the berry juice drinks. By the look on her face, she's okay with this food.

At some point, she'll wander over to Ingvar, listening to his songs and almost regretting her decision not to bring her bass. Almost. She'll be found there later on the evening with a glass of tea, alternating between attentive focus on the music and staring up at the fading light.

[ebony_wings]

"Find anything exciting?"

Ah, that awkward moment when you want to acknowledge someone talking to you, but your mouth is full. Viola's head snapped over to Lisa with oddly bird-like speed, probably reaching the upper limits of human possibility. As a result, she wound up staring, wide-eyed, before swallowing the food she had in her mouth to quickly answer.

"Everything's exciting, now that I get to wonder freely and don't have Death stalking me every corner!" Viola somehow managed to answer that gracefully a bit later. "I don't think I've ever had any food like this before... not that home doesn't have good food, but this sort of thing never gets made on my little corner of the world! And thus whole place... amazing! Who knew there was a vacation spot that worked like a fairy dimension?" She'd probably keep talking about it, but Viola felt like her interloper got the point. "Ah, I got ahead of myself. What about yours?"

[burntviolet]

[ Hanako, much to the surprise of whoever knew her back home, is showing up at the dinner withot anyone dragging her to it, mostly because she's in need of energies after that long trip. It's a good thing the summer temperature is mild enough that she can go out in a light jacket without hard consequences. None of the clothes she brought have short sleeves - a decision she made on clear purpose to cover up the scars running down her arm.

At least, despite the ungodly amounts of anxiety she's suffering, all about sitting in the middle of a crowd with certainly a few eyes on her, she's still got some appetite. In fact, she didn't eat since she left her world. The food presented looks pretty appealing, and the tension is half gone from her face the moment she starts eating.

There won't be much prompting to talk from her. All she does is carefully watch the other guests, slowly eating her portions. She'll be wary of anyone approaching, but she won't be against having a conversation. ]

[freedomordeath]

North had not, as such, been hiding on the ferry. She had just been keeping to herself, preferring to observe her fellow visitors' first attempts at socializing from afar. Trying to gain some measure of comfort with her new surroundings and being surrounded by so many humans in particular.

But she hasn't traveled all the way from Detroit to a Swedish island outside of time and space just to parkour herself into the rafters.

So she decides to go to the dinner even though she doesn't eat as an android, enjoying the chance to be wearing light summer clothes without standing out, enjoying the chance to explore the community center and even the selection of food. Her long hair is neatly braided, the most effort she has put into looking nice for socializing.

In fact, she lingers quite a while by the food for someone who doesn't ever so much as pick at it. Time and again her path takes her back to the buffet table to observe the unfamiliar Swedish food and poke or sniff at something.

[dumbstruck]

Being very human and being that Hyunseok has to consume food for that whole continued survival thing, he's finding himself drifting to the buffet table himself with relative frequency. The problem he's having here is an equal lack of familiarity with the food, which has him behaving much the same way, poking and sniffing at the food without actually eating anything.

It's probably fine, but if there's one thing Hyunseok is careful with it's what he puts in his mouth, and this? This isn't making him think he's gonna get a lot of good mouth feel out of it regardless of taste.

The food can wait for a moment though, because the minute North wanders back towards the buffet Hyunseok's attention is snapping to her, and he's adjusting his position to try to pull off a cool, casual lean against the table.

Honestly, if the general human-ness wasn't enough reason for her to not really want anything to do with him, the fact that he just stuck his hand straight into the main course will probably do it. His eyes slowly widen in horror as he feels it squishing between his fingers. The smell of shellfish and horseradish is not going to be easy to get off...

kieren walker | ota

[facings]

[ two things that Kieren isn't particularly enthused about: a party, and food. and yet he's there nonetheless, wandering around in a sweater that's more appropriate for an English fall weather than Swedish summer, glancing at the food somewhat wistfully.

it's hard, after all, not being able to eat it after two years of being used to eating food like a normal human being.

( a. ) if anyone thinks to offer him a plate of anything at all, or even motions towards the food, he shakes his head with a half-smile, half-grimace and says, ]

Um, no thanks. I'm... not really hungry.

[ better than saying "I can't eat", right? right.

( b. ) towards the end of the evening, one will find Kieren sitting a bit off to the side, watching the party like he's not quite sure it's all actually real. and indeed, should anyone approach him, they'll hear his quiet words: ]

Did you actually think this was... real? When you saw the advertisement, I mean.

hi (b)

[oracledriven]

[It's not exactly the most crowded party Noel has attended, not after two years surrounded by the people he's been with. But after Luxerion, after the hushed whispers, the scared mutterings of people waiting for the world to end...it's feeling a little loud. So he keeps his distance as much as he can, watching people. Listening. (Occasionally popping some food he's never heard of in his mouth.)

He almost doesn't spot Kieren at all -- he looks different. It should be expected, but somehow, Noel wasn't expecting it. When he does spot the former-shade, it's jarring, as if his heart stops for a moment, because he wasn't expecting it.

Maybe he should have been. After all, they can all use what this place offers.

He hears what Kieren says, but he's at a loss for words, sifting through different responses in his mind. Questions. Fears. It's very possible he won't recognize him. It's possible that he will, but in so doing will be reminded of everything they've tried to escape. What if? What if?

For the briefest second, he debates the "cut and run" idea. But when he imagines Kieren's response to that, it's scarier than any of the other options.]

... I didn't. [He keeps his voice measured, eyes searching Kieren for a response.] I'm still not sure I do.

b.

[unwieldy]

[ Sitting off to the side is one of Haein's favorite pastimes. He's no social butterfly and the food was okay, but not incentive enough for him to properly engage with anyone or anything.

He's not really approaching Kieren to approach him, more like wanting a seat for himself to get away. He catches the quiet words and pauses for a moment to briefly glance at the speaker, then drops down a couple of seats from Kieren with a huff. ]

I thought it was a joke.

a.

[burntviolet]

[ Hanako is pretty observant of the people surrounding her, as long as they don't trade eye contact with her. It's... sad that she's more comfortable when people don't acknowledge her existence, but that's how things have been for so long.

But something drives her to speak to the man, once she witnesses him refusing a plate of food from another person and looking almost sick. Her voice is quiet and demure, but they're close enough that she can be heard. ]

Are you f-feeling unwell, sir...?

[ebony_wings]

For the record, Viola had been just unpacking her bags and nosing around the local spots so far, but now was a time when she really wanted to be social. There were all sorts people around, far different than the type of people she knew back at home.

Viola herself probably stood out as the darkest dressed person in the room, relatively speaking. She was probably the only one in a black skirt, and her short-sleeved blouse was rather frilly, including along the buttons. She wasn't quite so graceful enough to hop right into people's conversation, but anyone remotely speaking in her direction would get her to reply.

"Yeah?" She might say. "I don't get out as nearly as much as I like. Can you forgive me for wandering?"

callie vee | ota

[girlvet]

[food and drink]

The spread is as pretty as Christmas dinner, if entirely foreign to her eyes--she's not sure that she's ever met a Swede before today--and she's sorry she couldn't have brought J. B. with her to sample all these different cookies. Salmon and shrimp, meanwhile, are a veritable delicacy, and Callie is not about to let them go to waste. Taking good-sized servings of a few cakes, though not so much that she looks greedy, she sits down to eat.

"A sandwich that looks like a cake is the funniest thing," she remarks, after having swallowed a delicious mouthful. (See! Perfectly serviceable manners. Her elbows aren't even on the tabletop.) "They ought to have a cake that looks like a sandwich, so you can eat surprises through the whole meal."

When she takes a sip of lingonberry squash, a drink that appears to have nothing to do with the vegetable squash, her eyes fly wide. "This is almost as good as a Coca-Cola!"

[music]

The music's as unfamiliar as the food, but it's equally enjoyable. Callie's not much of a dancer, but the song's got a rhythm made for tapping toes, and she's still so excited about being here that she just wants to move.

"How do you think you're supposed to dance to this one?" she asks the person next to her. "It's not exactly waltz time."

Music

[forever_jack]

"I think it's more of a jig," Jack responds from where he's leaning against a post nearby, foot tapping away instinctively in time. The music is definitely lively and it's kind of hard to stay still to.

He grins down at the girl. "I think it's probably the sort of music you link elbows and skip round to - that sort of thing!"

And, because he's Jack and has no sense of shame, he offers her an elbow to link with if she so desires, along with an enticing grin.

Dewey | ota

[thefavorite]

a. dinner ]

Dewey isn't really shy or non-sociable, really, but the truth is that a childhood spent in competition for food has conditioned him to go directly for the spread, as soon as he can. He's not quite sure what everything is exactly, but while he leaves a few things his immature palate finds too dubious, he does pile himself a rather dense plate. Some of it is actually dinner. More of it is from the smaller dessert table, honestly.

Hey, it seems like they're plenty anyway... right? He makes his way with his heavy plate, very carefully, to a seat, and sets in without paying much attention to any other people who may be present.


b. garden ]

Once he's had his fill of sugar - which is quite a lot, really - he makes his way outside to check out how light it still is. He's heard about how late it will stay light out in some parts of the world, but that's very different from seeing it, and he hadn't necessarily expected to get to see it for himself. Certainly not before he'd grown up and established his independent wealth, anyway.

And he's full of so many cakes.

"This... is the best place ever."

garden

[notrosesshadow]

The food was excellent. The dancing, fun. But Martha eventually needed a breather. She came out to the garden smiling, one hand holding a glass of water while the other fanned her face to try and cool down. She looked up at the sky, still light this far north, and let the night air cool her down.

It was then she heard a voice declare that this was the best place ever. A very young voice. She looked around and spotted a young boy. She then looked around for any parents... of which she couldn't see any.

"Hello! It is rather lovely isn't it?"

a

[oracledriven]

Noel isn't quite as voracious as Dewey, but as his trepidation about this place wears down, he starts getting the same idea about the food. After all, where he comes from, the variety of food available hasn't exactly been exciting, so he's eager to try as many new things as possible. See how people really live when they're not just surviving.

His plate is mostly made up of piles of meats and spreads interspersed with the occasional vegetable. Also the weird "cake that isn't cake" thing, which he's surprisingly into.

More than the towering food on his plate as he sits not far from Noel, it's the fact that Dewey is so young that catches his attention. He lifts an eyebrow, not judgmental but more curious -- that must have been an interesting application.

"What's your favorite?" he asks, gesturing at Dewey's plate, after he's had a chance to inhale various portions on it.

[dumbstruck]

[ Honestly, a lot of the food doesn't look all that great to him after he kind of stuck his hand in it earlier, embarrassing himself in front of a very attractive woman. There's a little resentment towards it right now. It's not the food's fault he's an idiot, but that doesn't stop the irrational irritation he feels towards it.

That said, he is still hungry though, and while he skulks around the party in a bad mood, he eventually starts to drift back towards the buffet table, and begins eying what's on it.

With some reluctance Hyunseok picks up a plate and tentatively starts loading some shrimp and salmon onto it, skipping the ham. ]

[unwieldy]

[ Haein's been keeping to himself on the sidelines, choosing to stick to the walls and people watch for the most part. He's not doing so well on the social front, but that's no surprise. He'd rather chew his own arm off than mingle and make friends.

It's still relatively early into the gathering when Haein decides he's had enough and it's time to go. Just as he rises from his seat, his gaze lands on a figure by the table and his expression shifts into one of surprise when he recognizes who it is. He hadn't been expecting anyone he knew to be here, let alone someone he actually tolerated and considered... a... friend... or something.

All thought of leaving are gone and Haein heads over to the buffet table, slipping in right beside the other boy. ]

Hyunseok?

[ He even looks and sounds a little pleased to have a familiar face here. ]