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. ]

Comments

[cursebreaker]

"It won't? Will it make me sick?" She gives the cookie a suspicious look, like perhaps it's been deceiving her.

[notrosesshadow]

"Oh no! Well, a couple won't harm you. But I'm sure there's plenty of sugar and other rich foods which will likely give you a stomach ache!"

[cursebreaker]

"Oh, that's a good point; thank you." She nibbles on the cookie and smiles. "I won't overindulge, but this is very good. Very... smooth, I suppose." Since buttery isn't really a flavor she's used to at home. They mostly use olive oil and butter is used much less.

"My name's Evelina," she adds, a little shyly.

[notrosesshadow]

"Oh they are that... it's all the butter," Martha replied, nabbing one off the tray for herself and taking a bite. It is quite buttery, and she takes a mental note to come back to that table after trying something a little more substantial.

"Martha," she supplies with a smile. She brushes the crumbs off her fingers and holds her hand out to shake the other woman's. "It's nice to meet you Evelina!"

[cursebreaker]

"Is it? How tasty." She puts the rest of the cookie in her mouth, telling herself she must try more things with butter in them.

The handshake isn't unfamiliar to her, since she's lived all over and most recently in a port city, so she takes the hand and gives it a gentle, almost timid shake. It's almost as if she's testing something, which she is, though she isn't about to admit it. But Valborg has given her a magical bracelet that will hopefully stop her cursebreaking ability, and she shouldn't be afraid to touch others now.

"And you as well. Thank you for being so friendly."

[notrosesshadow]

"Of course! Are people not usually friendly towards you?"

Martha's a little shocked by that. Of course, people in 21st Century London weren't necessarily friendly or unfriendly. Just focused on where they needed to be next and not real worried about anyone else.

[cursebreaker]

"Oh, no! It's not that at all." She looks abashed that she may have accidentally insinuated such.

"It's... me. I usually prefer to keep to myself and all this is so new." It's actually difficult to put into words what she means without giving out too much information about herself.

"People aren't unfriendly. I simply don't talk to them very much beyond business. That's all I meant. I'm sorry I wasn't clear."

[notrosesshadow]

Martha nodded and smiled. "I can see that. I definitely felt that way in med school. Only talking to people if it was necessary for my studies. I have to say, I'm looking forward to having some time to not worry about all of that."