JUNE EVENT: CAMP

[sailmods]

early on June 10th, Friday's morning announcements end with a request for everyone going on the latest excursion to meet her in the atrium. she seems in noticeably better spirits than she had been last time, and she leads them cheerfully to the tender. once they are all aboard, and the door is securely shut, the interior fills with gas, and, perhaps, their last thought before they slip into unconsciousness is "oh shit, not again."

passengers wake up on a rickety old school bus, driving down a dirt road surrounded by woods. what is it that they notice first? that, no matter what they were wearing before, they are now wearing a camp t-shirt and legitimately horrifyingly short shorts? the overstuffed backpack between their knees? the words "take one down and pass it around" dying on their lips? the fact that Friday is absolutely driving the bus?

or, maybe the fact that it's already slowing down, pulling up in front of a massive wooden sign, saying:

 

 

 

 

 

CAMP AION

when they get out of the bus, Friday is the one to divide them up into their cabin groups, and she is the one to give the counselors their very official-looking clipboards and whistles. she explains that they are in charge, and that she will be back to pick them up in a week, and... very little else. she responds to nothing outside of whatever is on her unseen little script, and she gets back on the bus shortly after, leaving them there.

welcome to camp. let's make some summer memories!

Comments

[light_mischief]

[Oh you think he doesn't feel that smirk in her aura? He's going to coddle you so badly, now. There's no escaping the kind gesture coming your way!]

You'll be one of the first I'll tell. And if you dig deep enough to find the concrete foundation, give me a shout.

[With that, he's off! Back into the forest -- well, into the trees, anyway. Skulduggery loops not-so-leisurely around back to the mess hall, breezing through the kitchen area with a forced disregard for anyone who might panic at the sight of a skeleton rifling through the pantry. He grabs two water bottles, debates on adding some sort of snack into the mix, and then decides that Clarke would beat him with his own arm if he tried to actually coddle her. She's a big girl, she can get string cheese on her own time.

On his way out, Skulduggery spots a towel draped over a chair; it's dry to the touch so he snags it. Sorry, Sharky random person who left their towel here, but it's going to good use.

About twenty minutes after he disappeared -- just long enough, perhaps, to be forgotten about? -- Skulduggery resumes his previous position in front of Clarke.]

Now, before you argue with me... [He drops the towel-wrapped water bottles on the ground within Clarke's reach, and then turns around and immediately walks away.]

Benches

[serialskiller]

[Small. She's very small and Murderbot is immediately concerned about seeing her here. So it trundles over, a very tall, imposing figure in a pastel suit, almost looming over her.]

Are you...alright?

[Look, it's not sure what to make of her. It's never been good at judging human ages, but it has literally never seen a human this tiny before. Children aren't generally sent on planetary surveys, aren't at mining installations, aren't allowed around big clunky dangerous pieces of machinery like it.]

[justneedsomehelp]

Yeah, I wouldn't jinx ourselves. Apparently the Captain likes to pull shit.

[And he doesn't want to give him any ideas to like, spawn monsters to eat them because they dared to think this might be an uneventful hike.]

Guess we'll see if there are any weird animals that'll run out and attack us.

Which way are we going?

[neverleave]

[Flattery will get you nowhere, Clarke.

Bullying just might though, even if Natsuno can see right through it.]

Fine.

But only because I know you'll probably do it anyway no matter what I say.

[It's fine, he'll just go another night without telling her, maybe when she's busy puking tacos.]

[mooninthewater]

[ Mizuki is pointedly not going to the mess hall for the dance. And he's especially not wearing that hideous zebra print suit he had in his bag? He'll chance the short shorts, thanks. It'd be different if it were back on the ship, where he could at least pick whatever horrible pre-00's song that was available. He'd endure it then. But sitting by a boombox playing a random tape? Fuck that noise, actually. He is a little sad it means he can't hang out with his friends, but he's admittedly been kind of a downer on this trip, hasn't he? It's understandable, he's gone through a range of intense emotional rollercoasters the week previous to the camping trip, but he doesn't see that as a good enough excuse. He doesn't want to bring the mood down. Instead, one will find him… ]

I. OTA
[ …at the firepit, which is currently unlit. Don't worry, Mizuki has a blue bioluminescent glow to keep it bright enough in the area to see what he's doing. He's humming a haunting melody, which isn't much better than the prom music going on inside the mess hall. Do you really want to be hanging out here? On closer inspection, it looks like Mizuki is writing letters. "Dear Doctor," the header says, but Mizuki will hug the papers to him if you get too close to read anymore. ]

II. Closed to Ebalon
[ …around the mess hall, actually. Mizuki would poke his head into the windows, just to see how everyone was doing. Or, more accurately, make sure everyone was okay, and, you know, around. When he hadn't seen Ebalon amidst the crew, however, he had to go investigate that. Eventually. Maybe not quite so immediately? He's going to check Ebalon's cabin first, and hope he's not wandering around the woods again. Hopefully he's not lost? ]

Knock knock~. [ He doesn't knock. He's just letting himself in, actually. He's probably annoyed Ebalon's temporary roomies with how much he's done this. ]

III. Closed to Venti
[ …in the Craft's area. Be that before, as the mess hall is getting set up, or after the dance, or in the middle, it's where Mizuki spends most of his time. He's not even a little tired, which makes sense. He's nocturnal after all. But more so than that, he was kept up for most of the previous night due to a few conversations he'd heard by the lake. He thought he had made it particularly obvious that he was sleeping there to a lot of people, but the fact that there was a lot of shenanigans that happened and no right way to excuse himself, for a lot of it, he just had to hide and whine to himself until everyone went away. But he did hear some… things. Some stuff.

…

There's a lot of balled up paper next to him, while he currently taps on a blank sheet in frustration. ]

[serialskiller]

"When we're back on the ship, I'll lend it to you. And...maybe recommend some of the other books I've looked at?"

Its lips quirk slightly, the ghost of a smile.

[justneedsomehelp]

"Yeah... heard what happened last time. Guess it's got a lot of people on edge." He huffs out a sigh, tilting his head back thoughtfully.

"I'm kinda hoping it doesn't, but I'm not sure what the fun is watching everybody-- camping out."

[light_mischief]

"You're right, it's likely going to take particularly powerful magic. We have a basic idea how his magic works, but there are a few fine details I would love to know more about before we make any plans to hold him. Like his sigils. I'd love to know about those."

Like how many they are, where they are, what they look like, and if they can be altered without utterly destroying the reality keeping them alive. But, you know, these aren't things that are easy to find out when you're trapped in a neverending forest.

His tree opponent is flimsy enough that it bends when pulled on. Nice. He's going to have to get a bit higher up to actually pull the thing out of the ground, but that's an easy fix. "Steven mentioned that your reality had some form of magic, or -- his name was Doctor Strange, I think?" Great name. He loves it. The other guys on Team Avenger or whatever could really step it up. "But he didn't seem familiar with it. Does that go the same for you, or...?"

[justneedsomehelp]

Oh, entirely normal. Nothing odd to see here.

"Didn't wait to get right into the killing, I guess?" That's-- good to know. Maybe that means this trip will be different after all? Potentially.

[neverleave]

...you're serious.

[W O W. Remind him to never accept food from Flynn ever again.]

Normal people don't put mashed potatoes in their sweets.

[Natsuno literally drinks blood and he's still judging. Look at your life, Flynn. Look at your choices.]

[light_mischief]

Skulduggery would pout but he doesn't have the face for it. He settles for picking a single blade of grass and tossing it at her. "I'm going to start shouting for Maximilien. He'll come running, you know, and then he'll tell me. It's guaranteed to be more humiliating that way."

[decohere]

She tries swiping the grass out of the air and misses entirely. Grass doesn't have the most predictable aerodynamics.

"Fiiiine," Ava draws out a sigh. "HisnameisMalcolmandhe'sverynice."

[neverleave]

[Natsuno isn't too keen on the "meeting people" part, but the rest sounds... fascinating, really. You can probably learn a lot by observing instead of socializing (ew). She can be as anonymous or involved as she wants, stay if she likes it, leave if she doesn't - the ultimate freedom.]

I think a lot of people would appreciate not being nosy, actually. [That's him, he's "people". Oh, getting to know people is good for team building and working together, blah blah blah, it also gives you emotions and it sucks.] Not all realities are pleasant.

[light_mischief]

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite get that?"

[nostradamnit]

"Don't! It might be poisonous. Many varieties are, and not all of them are quick or pleasant ways to die."

Yes, that wording implies some are. And yes, he knows some of those firsthand.

[nostradamnit]

"Mystics have debated that question for centuries. Alchemy offers a route to immortality, but that seems to be already within his grasp, perhaps. There's rituals and appeals to demons and other manners. And perhaps this, too, is a field that developed beyond my time. In my world, magic was never real, it was always some form of trickery. Smoke and mirrors."

[decohere]

"I said. His name. Is Malcolm. And he's very nice." Ava overemphasizes the words. And her face is so very flushed until she buries it right into the grass in embarrassment.

[light_mischief]

"Oh!" He was definitely going to tease her, but he knows Malcolm! "The homicide detective with the NYPD? He is very nice." He even gives a short, appreciative whistle for emphasis. "He's seemed to be a good guy when I spoke with him, at least. And the eyes are quite striking, aren't they?"

Hehehe. He can still embarrass Ava in a completely different way!

[decohere]

Oh. She's not sure why she's surprised they've actually met. Not like it's that big of a ship. Except she's never heard either talk about the other. But it does mean a lot, to hear Skulduggery's opinion of Malcolm.

"They're so blue..." Ava complains into the grass as if it's the most miserable thing in the world. God, she could stare into them forever.

[nostradamnit]

Nostradamus moves in closer to the split tree to take a look.

"That certainly isn't how the inside of most trees looks. Why would it grow like that? Is it...diseased in some way, perhaps?"

[pillaroffortitude]

[The music isn't particularly in line with his usual tastes, and neither is this ruffled thing he found within his backpack earlier. Still, it's certainly better off than the other outfit, and he doesn't quite mind the way it looks on him. He'd left the jacket behind in his cabin, deciding it would be a bit too heavy given the advertised activities. The white rose boutonnière he'd also found amongst his things was brought along, however, and as he sidles up beside Lumine he reaches out to casually tuck it behind her ear.

It certainly suited her more than it did him.]

Any chance I can convince you to abandon your responsibilities long enough to grace me with a dance? I've rarely seen you take a moment to breathe this whole trip.

[pillaroffortitude]

[me with my terrible memory sittin here suddenly unable to recall if they actually did do introductions when they first met.... it's fine dwbi kjahsgdhkg]

They're not quite upon the same comfort standards as the bedding onboard the ship, but they do the job well enough. I myself elected to claim one of the bottom bunks, as it affords better mobility in a crisis, though I imagine that shouldn't be much of an issue for you given your mastery of the winds.

[Ayato himself has yet to hear of Venti's status as Mondstadt's absentee Archon, but he mentally filed the way the shape and color of the bard's false Vision the moment he laid eyes upon it.

He props his arm up on the table, shelving his chin on top of his closed fist and letting out a soft, thoughtful hum.] A proposal then, in that case. I'm interested in hearing this fairy tale of yours in full, if you don't mind, and in turn I'll regale you with one of my own works. Then you will be free to judge my wording for yourself.

[latersgators]

No he wouldn't have survived in the army at all. They would have doubled down once they realised his discomfort and constantly harassed him until he cried himself out of the squadron.

"Did they look at u-- um. You?" Steven asks as he hurries through the motions of soaping and shampooing himself up. "Isn't that weird?"

Steven rinses off quickly, making sure all the suds are out. He dries out quickly and takes Marc's shirt gratefully, putting it on while he's still damp to the touch. For a brief few seconds his hair is able to be tamed long enough to look like Marc's, but in no time at all it springs back into its usual curls.

"For what it's worth I'm glad you've been looking out for me. Really. Thanks for this too."

[touchofcashmere]

The groan spikes his blood pressure a little. Had he said the wrong thing again?

"Right. Of course. Bad idea. Not here-" It ends in a bit of a embarrassing squeak as Edward's hand travels downward, the effect slightly dampened by the water, but it still makes his insides knot and coil with a weird prickly heat and also the terror that that Ed's going to try to take his shorts off which is becoming less and less of a good idea.

"Yes, okay." Damn. The press of lips against his shoulder were completely unexpected. He briefly wonders what Ed is going to prove and he has a sudden sinking realization of what it might be which seems very fast considering everything but he can't just back out of it now. He's a man isn't he? He's built for this kind of stuff! Anyway, it'll just make this situation more complicated and he's tired of the weird distances between them that keep cropping--

And then the sudden sweet heat of that mouth against his neck, making him startle and causing every muscle in his body to tense at once.

"Nnnnnnh~" Oh God. Stede claps a hand over his mouth and flushes scarlet. Had that sound come from him? It was like a reluctant dog being told to stay. A real man wouldn't have made that sound. Would have been stoic and said something clever.

"Sorry..." But he also wats Ed to do it again while also never wanting to do it again ever.

This water is clearly not cold enough.

[neverleave]

[Hm. If death is justice, then vengeance - ]

So still death, but slowly, or for unrelated people?

[There's no judgment in his voice, just trying to figure out facts. Surely something like that wouldn't work on the ship, either, if only because the captain would be thrilled].