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

[justneedsomehelp]

"Wouldn't be surprised." He's pretty sure there are a lot more reasonable, stable adults around them than they could ever hope to be. But you know what, Marc isn't-- that bothered by it. They make it work.

Even if Steven is just a tiny bit clueless at times. But that was-- what Marc needed sometimes, right? Someone to balance out his own pessimism, or he'd be on some nihilistic spiral by now.

"Sometimes you remember, huh? Maybe if the book budget were a little less..."

[latersgators]

Well. Maybe it's because of their current predicament? They're like, half an adult each. Of course problems are to be expected, with this kind of setup.

Especially for someone who loves his books a lot. It's hard to give up these things in life that he enjoys for something as meaningless as his... continued survival.

"I'll just drink water at work and take my showers there." He was clocking in long hours anyway, no one was going to bother him for taking up a locker full time to keep his toiletries in there and if he spends a bit more time after closing up to freshen up before leaving. Well, that was when he had work, at least. Now he's even more broke and just. Trying to take things a day at a time.

"Anyway. I don't have a book budget anymore. Gus wouldn't be happy if I tried to clean his tank out less often..."

[justneedsomehelp]

Or maybe because one's a violent, depressive murderer and one's-- Steven Grant. But hey, at least Steven did manage to hold a normal job. That's something, right? Although he rolls his eyes at Steven's insistence that he had it all worked out.

He reaches up to muss Steven's hair. It's-- kinda his fault Steven doesn't have that job anymore. Or Gus. It's his fault he won't get back to any of it to make it right too.

"But you've got a library on the ship."

[latersgators]

Being a marine is a job. And if it's Marc's fault that Steven lost his job because he saved them, then it's also Steven's fault that Marc lost his job even though he can't remember ever helping Marc get out of a particularly hairy military situation.

"Yeah we do. But there's only storybooks in there." Steven loves his archaeology and history and death rituals and he's curious about animals, aliens, all sorts of things. He hasn't found anything non-fiction or scientific or academic in there.

"I picked out some titles I thought you might like. If you haven't read them yet we could read them together," Steven offers.

[justneedsomehelp]

"Yeah... wonder what's up with that?" What sort of library doesn't have non-fiction sections? Why isn't there anything available anywhere? Even if the Captain's just pulled them into some weird pocket dimension to be dancing monkeys for him...

Why not give them some normal non-fiction shit? Keep up some sort of pretense...

He nods at the suggestion. "Yeah-- I'd like that, Steven."

Maybe mostly because Steven usually starts reading out loud and... Marc actually finds it a little relaxing. Maybe a little fun, too, hearing him get into something.

[latersgators]

Steven shrugs. Maybe the Captain just wants to keep them entertained, or all he has access to when the ship calls to a port is some of those horrendous airport novels. He might not have the time or the expertise to curate a tasteful selection of non-fictional titles.

He's feeling a little hopeful about getting back to the ship in one piece right now. Taking in a deep breath, he moves slowly to stand, nearly hitting his head on the bunk overhead but narrowly avoiding it through sheer dumb luck.

"Reading can wait," he announces. He didn't sign up to come to camp to read. He wants to do manly outdoorsy things. "We can go, when you're ready."

[justneedsomehelp]

"Yeah, alright." He gives a stretch as he climbs to his feet. Steven looks like he's calmed down, seems in better spirits too. Hopefully nothing outdoors wrecks that as they go on their patrol.

"Let's get going then."