come_sailaway | 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'm not trying to be cagey.

( not that the denial takes away from the fact she's quite a bit cagey... it's just been three months of actively focusing on a new problem, with no one really throwing the weight of her past decision around to make her second guess the new ones they'll inevitably have to make. immediately after mount weather she'd all but run away, tried to blend into the foliage for a time, adamant she was no one and here...

but, no. it decidedly feels like dishonesty. )

Maybe we could just talk about it later? I still want to get samples of the lake water, and we need to find a box for the other snare.

Alright.

[As someone who's been acting cagey since the moment he woke up on the ship, Natsuno can't judge. He drops the subject and focuses on the task at hand.

When Clarke decides it's "later", they'll talk. He won't push it.]

There's an arts and crafts cabin, right? There's gotta be boxes there.

( there's no so much a sigh of relief when the topic switches, but a low exhale and a reinforced sense of appreciation. sometimes it seems shes capable of making exceptional decisions, and whatever ones were made in terms of befriending natsuno yuuki might just be her pièce de résistance.

tl;dr, he's a homie. )

I think I at least saw some crates there. And some jars full of paint brushes, those'll work for lake water.

We need to take some food from the kitchen too. As bait.

[So they should probably head back. He can always come back at night to see if there are any nocturnal animals.]

When the trap's ready, does one of us need to stay and drop the box? Or is it like the bird trap?

( the thought of returning to camp for boxes and food has clarke pausing, looking at the array of milk cartons still nestled in the dirt. not all are full, but barring anything new popping up, it feels like she's covered the bases: dirt, grass, bark, stones, leaves, moss...

so she kneels to refold the tops in an effort to secure them, before carefully arranging them in her backpack so they wouldn't spill much during their return to the main camp. )

We shouldn't need to. The rig would hopefully trigger the second something gets close enough to the bait. But it's good to check them religiously, just in case.

( is she very optimistic about the chances of success for these snares? no, not really. they haven't even seen a hint of bird poop out here but, after ody there was always a chance, right? and for that slim chance, they needed to try. )

I'll check. I was gonna head out again at night, anyway, in case there are nocturnal animals.

[Honestly, he's as optimistic as Clarke is, running on stubbornness more than anything. Even if it's hopeless, it feels better than hanging out back at the camp and playing the role of a happy camper. What a weird thing for the captain to find amusing...]

( hold up buddy back the fuck up you're gonna do what? )

What, alone? You know it's more likely you'll run into nocturnal murderers than animals, right?

( she's absolutely willing to shatter the illusion of hope they've been chasing, attempting to track, and building snares for to get that point across. don't do anything stupid, natsuno. survive another day to grow angrier and more stubborn. )

And it's more likely I'll notice them way before they notice me.

[He's a creature of the night by design. It worked well enough on the island, until Ebalon started messing with the moon. And since there will be no moon bullshit this time, surely the woods are totally safe.]

You know you're not the only vampire on the ship, right?

( nevermind that the likes of diana abel and claudia are nowhere to be seen on this excursion. it's already a fact that they can't keep track of every newcomer, nor an accurate log of their species of abilities.

besides, didn't he hate relying on his powers? )

Just — ugh, don't be reckless. I can come with you.

( a liability, but a liability with a heart at least plated in gold. )

[He gives Clarke a sharp look. Yes, he's not the only vampire on the ship, and Claudia especially gave up all pretense of concealing her nature, but still - what other bloodsucking abominations have you been talking to, bestie, and can they be trusted.]

I know, and I can tell who they are right away. [They all reek of death - he's yet to meet anyone who's alive like him. And yes, he hates relying on his powers, but it's not like he can turn his senses off.] I don't want YOU to be reckless, either.

( just diana abel, who embodies all the stereotypes of a deadly wild animal, predominantly: she's more scared of clarke than clarke is of her. it's a whole thing, and kinda sucks. )

It wouldn't be reckless if I came. I'd be traveling with the most situationally aware person here.

( ...you. you, natsuno. and we're ignoring that she's simultaneously complimenting him while also bullying her way into these nighttime excursions. )

[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.]

( potentially taking advantage of her future food poisoning... so proud of you, bestie. dick move, but so proud. )

Am I becoming that predictable?

( "becoming", clarke please. )

[Natsuno, watching Clarke collapse in the grass while crying for her mother: an opening, nice.]

No.

[Did he just crack a smile? That's definitely a smile.]

Or maybe I'm only saying that because I don't want to be surprised.

( observe, calculate, improvise, adapt, abandon the deadweight: legit.

also what? the hell? was that? did he just —

...yeah. yeah, he did, and clarke would absolutely be moved to ask if natsuno's sick or feeling entirely himself but. she's learned a lesson about ruining a nice moment between the two of them. )

Well, don't get comfortable. I will undoubtedly find new ways to surprise and disappoint you.

JUNE EVENT: CAMP

CAMP AION

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