kollo_rpg | Summer 1 - Welcome dinner

Entry tags:

Summer 1 - Welcome dinner

[ 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. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[And he on his end can't quite tell if she's ignoring the compliment or if she didn't quite get it. He hopes it's just the later!]

Yep, just arrived today! I think most people here are new. Most of those here were on the boat, I think.

[He smiles, and offers her a hand.] Captain Jack Harkness. And you are...?

Oh! [ She looks at the offered hand, a little startled. ] I, uh, prefer not to shake. I'm sorry.

[ She winces, but she can't take the risk of being outted as a Cursebreaker. She really needs to talk to someone about putting a stop to that ability. ]

I'm Evelina. Are you a ship's Captain?

[That's the second time today he's had his handshake refused, and he makes a mental note to stick with just saying hi from now on. Perhaps it makes sense in a way. There's a fairly good chance, after all, that the people who've chosen to come here are damaged in some way, or have good reason not to want physical contact.

He gives her a smile, sticking his hand casually in his trouser pocket instead.] Of course. Nice to meet you, Evelina. Pretty name!

Not a ship's Captain, no. I've been Captain of quite a few things over the years but these days it's mostly just an affectation. No formal Captaining nowadays - just freelancing! [He grins, eyes twinkling.]

Thank you.

[ She ducks her head a little at the compliment, not really sure what to do with it. She didn't name herself, after all. ]

I'm only familiar with ships having Captains. And militaries have them too, I think. Should I be calling you by your title?

Oh, all sorts of organisations have captains. The military, sports teams, police forces... But no, please, don't call me Captain. Jack is fine! We're all off duty here, aren't we?

[With another disarming grin.] So! Where do you come from, Evelina? I can't quite place your accent?

All, right... Jack.

[ There's a slight blush here. Surely these questions are simple ones to answer, but she's been dodging talking about herself for so long that it's hard to start. ]

Delphi. It is a city-state. [ And large enough that someone like her can easily hide from her past. ] But I am from all over, really. A traveler. Your accent is very different to my ears too.

[Jack knows a deflection when he hears one, mainly because it's exactly how he answers such questions too.]

Another traveller, huh! Guess that's something we have in common. I'm kinda from all over too. [He sounds more or less American, but his coat looks like something from the British Air Force. He's quite a mixture, just as she is.]

Delphi, now - haven't visited Greece in quite a while! Had to see a man in Athens once, about a stone nymph that was actually a dormant alien, but that was years ago!

[Delivered, as always, with that bright, faintly teasing smile that makes it absolutely impossible tell if he's serious or not. (Though this time he is.)]

Oh?

[ She looks cautiously intrigued at his traveler comment, but if she asks to hear more, he might do the same in turn, and how to explain without getting to the heart of why she's always been running? ]

Um, an alien? What is an alien?

[He quirks an eyebrow.]

A being from another world? Another planet. Or another dimension.

The stone nymph turned out to be a Wnaglypheron, from Xclypiof. Its spaceship had got knocked off course and crashed here several centuries ago, and it had been stranded there ever since, poor thing!

((OOC: The whole nymph thing is straight out of my head, btw. Jack's always full of these stories. It keeps my creativity active!))

[ Her eyes grow wide on hearing that. She didn't think it was possible, but then again, she's never thought about how vast the night sky really was out there. And she's not sure what to make of the word "dimension." ]

Those words are so... different to my ears. But it's lived here hundreds of years? And it came in a ship that sails across the sky, in space?

[ She has so many more questions that it's difficult to untangle them all in her mind so she can ask them. ]

[ ooc: sounds good! it's always fun to flesh things out like that. ]

[He chuckles.] Yeah, bit of a mouthful, aren't they? A lot of alien names are. Not designed for mouths like ours, of course!

[Some aliens have very different mouths, which can be very interesting to experiment with (especially if you're Jack). Of course, others have no mouths at all, which he considers no fun!]

Apparently, yes. There are thousands of worlds out there, you know, and quite a few of them have have space-faring technology. Earth has had its share of visitors over the years.

They have different mouths? [ A pause as she thinks, then asks: ] They don't look like us?

[ This is all brand new information to Evelina, and it's giving her a lot to think about. ]

Some of them, yeah. [He inclines his head.] Some of them look exactly like us. Some of them, not so much.

[A grin.] It would be boring if we were all exactly the same, though, wouldn't it? Not much fun in exploring that!

I've never thought about any of this before now! All this is true?

[ She wouldn't be surprised if he was teasing her for her naivete. ]

I suppose so. It definitely makes me want to learn more. But this is not a well known thing, is it? Maybe I've been too isolated, but I've never heard of, uh, aliens from other places in the sky before.

Completely and utterly true. [For once.]

But no, not well-known. I mean, there have been myths and legends throughout human history of strange and mystical beings, many of whom turn out to be aliens if you know what you're looking for, but in general early twenty-first century humans just don't want to know and it all gets covered up.

[Giving her outfit a thoughtful look.] Which is when I assume you're from? [To be fair, that outfit could fit quite a number of eras, both earlier and later.]

Oh. [ She frowns a little. ] I do not think so... The twenty-first century of what Age?

Ah. He studies her again, eyes narrowed.

Anno domini. [But he doesn't expect that to spark any recognition in her.]

I'd say it seems rather likely you're from a different world altogether. I did wonder earlier when you mentioned Delphi being a city state, but... Different dimension, or alternative universe perhaps, where things ran a little differently to my universe?

[ She does look rather confused by what he's saying. ]

A different universe? I thought the universe was the biggest thing there was and there was nothing beyond it.

[He inclines his head with a grin.]

Well, yeah, that's true. But there are also a lot of other universes sitting alongside it. Kind of like really big bubbles, each one self-contained but occasionally allowing things to cross through.

[His grin widens, though his eyes are sympathetic.] I know, it can be rather mind-boggling when you first come across the theory!

[ Her eyes sort of glaze over for a moment as she pictures it in her head. So there's even more beyond the endless sea of stars that spread out beyond reckoning. ]

It almost seems scary, that there can be so much out there. So much that's unknown. Is that silly?

Not silly at all. It's hard to comprehend, even for someone who's been out there amongst the stars. It's such a massive shift in scale, from our day to day lives on Earth to the whole universe, and even more universes beyond that!

[He grins.] It can make you feel rather small and insignificant in the face of all that!

[Yes, really - even him!]

[ Evelina nods solemnly. ]

I have never considered myself very big to begin with, but now I feel even smaller. It is hard to fully understand it all. Maybe it's better if I don't try.

[ Things are easier when they're simple. ]

[He chuckles.] Yeah, I shouldn't worry too much about it, if I were you! Especially at a party. This is supposed to be a lighthearted evening! We're here to have fun!

[He cocks his head as Ingvar strikes up a cheerful tune on his accordion, and quirks an eyebrow at Evelina.]

Do you dance?

[ She looks down and nods at what he's saying. At a party she shouldn't be getting twisted in knots about what's out there beyond what she can see. It's a bit too much. ]

I dance a little. I'm afraid I don't know any actual dances with a partner. I just move to the music.

[He takes half a second to congratulate himself on managing to distract her from thoughts that are way too deep for a party, and then grins.]

Well, I'm not sure I actually know any dances that are really appropriate for this kind of music, but I'm game if you are! This is kind of folk music, I think. But I'm strong lead and I can wing it!

[Offering her a hand to lead her towards the dancing.]

Summer 1 - Welcome dinner

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)