come_sailaway | JUNE EVENT: CAMP

JUNE EVENT: CAMP

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I want to. I really do. But it might undermine your--" Caveman grunting ex-marine manliness if he's seen cuddling incestuously with his highly neurotic, sensitive twin.

"...air of authority." Let's go with that.

"And my cabin's a mess." There's a bear attacking a twink kind of mess and if Steven's not careful the bear might take this otter out too. "Miss Ava's either trying to get us killed or turn us against each other. I want to make sure the young lads are alright. If I bring the stick in, the bear might attack me with it."

"Air of authority?" He's in a room full of teenagers, man. But alright, the incestuous cuddling might make some people uncomfortable.

... "I'm sorry, what? Did you say bear?"

What the actual fuck is going on in Steven's cabin?

"Boss lady made us prepare for a bear attack and the bloke she designated as a bear tried to lunge at me because, I d'know, maybe I looked like an easy target. He bowled a young lad over instead and I think they both got hurt." It was so silly and pointless but if he said anything she might never talk to him again. Steven wrings his hands anxiously.

"Marc," he ventures softly, resting his head against Marc's shoulder. "If you have to do something to get out of here, I want you to, okay? I won't blame you. Promise me Marc." Steven's voice drops down to a raspy whisper. He might cry again. "Don't come back for me."

"What the fuck..." It's very silly and ridiculous, but he can't stop a soft chuckle at the mental image. Bear attack. Did Ava think that was likely or did she just-- want to see her cabinmates act like total idiots?

... Of course Steven has to go and make it so serious again. He huffs out a sigh, tilting his head to rest against Steven's. "Sorry, Steven, but I can't do that. I'm not leaving you behind, whatever happens."

He just-- can't. Steven can't make him, no matter how hard he cries. "I'm gonna keep you safe. I keep-- failing at it. But I'm not gonna fail this time."

They look so pathetic sitting on a bed leaning on each other like this. He's supposed to be the pathetic one and Marc is supposed to be the strong and fearless one. This state of affairs is just sad.

"I'm not worth it Marc. I'm the weakest person here." He frowns and tugs on the hem of his shirt. "I've lived plenty of life with you. Because of you. You're the best thing that's happened to me. You don't-- owe me anything, or have to do more."

"You're not weak. Would you just--" He lets out a frustrated grunt as he straightens up a bit. What he wants to do is tell him to just shut up and stop it. He's perfectly capable of stepping up when he needs to... or did he forget fighting zombies like it was nothing already? He might have lost in the end, but...

They'd been set up to fail there, and Marc had been the one too weak to do much in the end.

He's not sure he's the best thing that's happened to anyone. It's-- weird, hearing it. Especially when Steven's dead because of him. "It's not about owing. I want to, Steven. You're-- the best thing that's happened to me too, you know. Why would I want to leave that behind?"

Steven's frown deepens and reluctantly nods, feeling like maybe it's a little selfish to not want to live with the guilt of something happening to Marc because of foolish heroics without realising that Marc has had to live with the same when he thinks he's let Steven down.

"We'll look out for each other then. Do you want-- half a stick?" They can probably swing it at a doorframe and break it in half or something. Sleep with it under their pillows just in case.

"Yeah, alright. That's a deal." They can even split the stick if it'll make Steven feel better, but-- he's the one who's more of the 'hit it until it stops moving' guy. He's more the knife guy.

"We'll be okay. Right? And remember-- death's not permanent here. So if I do get it, don't sit up crying yourself sick over me. Alright? Just keep the bed warm." Which is hypocritical because Marc's probably... gonna lose it if Steven's ever hurt. But eh. He doesn't have to know that.

"I'll do the same."

Steven makes a high-pitched little whine. He doesn't want to think about Marc dying, even though he said he would come back. He shakes his head and has to sniffle a few times to try and keep a plug in the waterworks. Taking two big gasps, he swallows down the discomfort and nods a few times.

"Okay. Okay I will. And you-- you have to come back! I'll be waiting. Waiting until I'm cranky." And Steven is extra mean when he's cranky! It is known.

"I'll come back, promise." He just hopes it's a promise he can keep. But it isn't the first time he's promised Steven something impossible, so it's easily done with a reassurance or two. He lifts his hand to try to wipe away a few of those drying tears at least.

"You can be as cranky as you want." Terrifying threat, that.

Marc hasn't had the best track record when it comes to promises but Steven wants to hold him to this one. His lips vanish as he presses them together tight, lets Marc fuss over the sorry state of his face.

"I don't know how to live this life without you." He could, maybe, make a good effort of it. But he doesn't want to. He wants to have someone to come home to. Someone to vent to since he can't leave mum voicemails anymore.

"If you're not coming back, I'm not either."

He wants to point out that Steven's always-- lived life without even knowing Marc was around until recently, but he doesn't. No reason to upset the guy even more. "I don't want to either, alright? Couldn't keep me away."

Not if there's an option at least.

"Now, c'mon. Try to relax and enjoy your camping trip. I doubt he'd make us kill each other twice, alright?"

So that means-- lake monster? some guy in a hockey mask? Who knows. "Just keep an eye out."

"Okay," Steven says after taking a deep breath and blowing out a long sigh. He's looking more or less composed now but his eyes are still swollen and his face still looks a little red.

"I thought I'd be sleeping on a piece of tarp in a mouldy old tent. This is-- this is alright, yeah?" At least he'll get to die on a proper mattress. He wants a bottom bunk because he's clumsy and worried about stepping on someone or pulling the whole bunk bed over. And if something tries to attack him he can bolt out straight to the door instead of swinging his leg around looking for the ladder step.

"Will you teach me how to start a fire? With sticks."

"Yeah, it's not so bad." All in all, it could have been worse. They could have been dumped out naked somewhere and told to eat bugs to survive or something that would have sent Steven into an even quicker breakdown.

They can make this work.

"What?" He huffs out a short laugh. "Sure. I can teach you how to make a fire, Steven. We'll just have to gather some wood first."

"I want to be useful. Or learn something useful on this trip, at least. I'll be useful eventually... when I learn enough tricks. Fashion a splint out of a coat hanger ot change a flat tire with-- a bit of duct tape and, pocket lint." Steven mumbles something about 'manly' and 'ridiculous' that isn't a personal attack on Marc more so than lamenting how he doesn't fit the traditional criteria for being A Proper Bloke.

"You can be useful in other ways, you know..." It doesn't have to be-- any of that. "You just need more confidence in yourself, Steven."

Steven glances over at Marc and seems to be considering it for a bit before lowering his gaze and nodding a few times, wringing his hands in his lap again. He doesn't feel he has to be right now. Not ever, when Marc's around. Maybe he's not-- inside Steven anymore, can't call on him whenever he needs to, but if he's still there he can still front for them both. And Steven can help them both out if Steven's around, too. That's still how it works. They don't have to operate-- completely independently.

"Can I stay for a bit, first?" he asks softly. "Before someone else stops by."

"'Course you can. Did you know I'm surrounded by a bunch of teenagers? Trust me, I'll welcome company that's not entirely moody and hormonal for a bit. Kids have never-- Not sure I should be around them. Barely have patience for adults."

Besides, what if he ends up like Mom, right? He knows himself. He knows it's possible. He doesn't want to do that to a kid.

"And anyway, not like there's anything pressing to do here. Seems... tame, actually. Let's hope it stays that way."

At least for a bit.

That makes Steven laugh a bit. Marc would be fine around kids. Steven is confident of it. ~~He's fine around Steven after all. Occasional temperamental outburst aside.~~

"You've a lot of patience for me," Steven points out. And clearly he is the most adult around these parts...

"What's the normal pressing things to do here?" The city boy has very little experience with these sorts of things. He's barely even settled into his own disaster of a cabin but if he can help Marc with anything, he would gladly offer.

"I've barely unpacked. My bag's like, bursting at the seams. I don't even know where to start. Apart from like, fixing this clothing situation maybe. Do you remember getting changed? I think I got undressed and redressed like this. What if they took our clothes off and did-- funny stuff while we were out?"

He wants to point out that Steven is an exception rather than a rule, but-- he's pressing on to other things and Marc just huffs out a sigh, shaking his head. Really, buddy?

"I was gonna go-- walk around, make sure nothing weird is happening or there's nothing that's gonna give us trouble." He has a feeling he's not the only one who's probably going on a patrol around here either.

"As for that-- yeah, I'm pretty sure they dressed us like this." He didn't do it. He remembers some kinda weird gas or something, so it wasn't even one of his usual blackouts.

"I--" He pulls a face. "I hope they didn't. Probably just decided to humiliate us with short shorts instead."

Probably? How are they supposed to now though.

"Okay." Steven hadn't noticed anything on his own little walk, but he was mostly ~~pining anxiously~~ searching for Marc and not really paying too much attention to his surroundings so he can't guarantee that they're really safe just sitting around here.

"Well I'm hoping I can change into something else. This is-- uncomfortable." Humiliating, yes, but mostly uncomfortable. Especially for Marc who might feel weird trying to sleep comfortably in a cabin full of teenagers. He can't exactly take them off and just let everything hang out.

He wants to follow Marc for a while, but he also doesn't want to go out looking like Marc made him cry or something. He might just need a couple minutes more before he invites himself along to Marc's patrol.

He's not in any hurry to venture out right now. Steven is here -- and that's where he wants to be. It still feels like a piece of him is missing, even more so when they're separated. Right now? It's as close to feeling whole as he's felt since this little adventure.

"Hopefully." He just won't say he's not counting on long pants being included when the Captain wants to have his fun. He brings up a hand to muss Steven's hair lightly, affectionately.

"You feeling better now, buddy?"

Steven nods a few times wordlessly, as if Marc might think less of him if he said it out loud. He always feels better when Marc's around. Things have-- gotten so scary since they died. Marc is the only thing that's familiar to him that he can cling to, even though the more layers Marc peels back of himself, the less Steven feels like he knows him.

"Been looking for you." He knows Marc doesn't need him, he's perfectly capable on his own out here, setting up and settling down and all that. Not Steven though. He's glad he's found him, knows where ~~to come screaming or crying or sulking or~~ to go just in case.

"Mostly 'cause, y'know, you need my help. I know you were getting anxious and all."

He breathes out a short chuckle. "Yeah-- I was just about to go look for you too, you know."

Because whatever Steven thinks, Marc was going out of his mind. He'd probably come closer saying Steven would be better at handling things alone -- he didn't even know Marc existed until recently after all.

"Oh, yeah. You brought me a stick."

"Maybe you won't need it, room full of teenagers. Or maybe you will. Might turn all Lord of the Flies in here awful quick and you're the fattest, slowest, juiciest one here," Steven teases. See? He can be mean!!

"You'll be running to me for help then." Fat lot of good he'll be able to do. But at least Marc won't be the slowest person in the room then.

JUNE EVENT: CAMP

CAMP AION

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