Happy birthday to - oh wait, you're dead Who: Bradley, Dagmar, Kajsa, Leif, Linnea, Nikita, Satu & Valterri (NPC) Where: Niemi household When: 7:00 p.m.
For the first time in her life, Linnea was humming to herself as she finished preparing the meal for Jokull's birthday celebration. Oh yes, he was very much dead - she had even made sure to stop by the cemetery with Kajsa on their way back from the store to make sure - but it was still his birthday and Linnea had decided that she was going to celebrate. People who did not know the truth about the relationship between them probably thought that it was a sadly touching thing for the widow to do, and those who knew found it amusing and utterly delightful. Then there were the children, and Linnea had no idea what any of them thought except for Kajsa. Valterri would probably be somber, thoughtful, because he may be somewhere near as upset as Leif by their father's passing. Linnea was not surprised that the boys were more upset by it. Jokull had never quite induced the same level of terror in them as he had in his daughters. Doesn't matter, he's dead now, Linnea reminded herself as she set the table.
'Are you going to be able to keep the smile off your face?' Strike asked from where he was curled up underneath of his heat lamp, tongue flicking out against the air. 'You know it'll only upset Leif.'
The smile vanished immediately and Linnea had to turn and sink her fingers into the nearest fountain to keep her emotions anywhere near stable. Her eldest child, Leif, the only one that she felt as though she had failed when he was growing. Don't worry, came the soothing voice of her element as the water flowed over her hands and wrists, washing the feeling of failure away. He doesn't like you either, remember, Jokull's through and through. A few deep breaths and Linnea was able to flick the droplets of water away and go bask to setting the table. "We aren't talking about that," she informed Strike, ignoring the mumbled comment about how they never talked about things like that. Satisfied that the table was ready - and sufficiently devoid of candles because in a house of water elementals that was one thing that simply did not stand - Linnea turned to regard her reflection in a nearby mirror. Of course she was wearing black as was only acceptable of a widow... but if she said so herself, the touches of gold kept it from being somber.