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

"Hey, that's good," she beams, restraining the urge to ruffle Fio's hair. She remembers being a kid and people deciding that it meant she didn't get any say in people getting up in her space.

"You're really brave, ehn?" Darcy can't imagine herself doing as well at that age, back when she was still soft and weak and blubbery. Darcy knots the end of the friendship bracelet and removes the tape, giving it a quick once-over for quality.

"Hold out your hand, so I can tie it on?" she asks with a small smile.

"Sure. Can you put it here?" Fio asks, holding out her left hand. A small gold disc with a dull shine already takes its place tied to her wrist. It's a gift from another passenger. But there's plenty of room to include the friendship bracelet. "This one's also from another friend I made."

While she has her hand out, she looks at it, finding it hard to believe she once wore manacles on those same wrists many months ago. It was a painful symbol that she had to see everyday, reminding her of her social status and fate. Somewhere in her cabin on the ship, those bindings are buried away in a place where she can't see it...

But now, she gets to see and wear things that make her feel warm and happy, new symbols that remind her that she's not alone anymore. She grins. "I'm gonna wear it forever and ever."

Darcy furrows her brow just momentarily at the gold disc, having not noticed it before. She exercises all the control she can to keep her touch gentle as she ties the bracelet on, despite her callouses and cold, cold hands.

"They kind of match," she indicates to the gold embroidery floss in the bracelet and Fio's other bracelet, "who gave you that?"

Fio steadies her hand, to ensure Darcy can easily fasten the bracelet on. She notes the gold similarities as it's pointed out, staring at both with awe like she's wearing the two most valuable treasures ever.

"Mr. Specs!" She blurts out the nickname readily at her question. Another one of her many nicknames, however this one is so... wildly different from the person's original name that it could be anyone. After all, there could be multiple people from the ship wearing glasses. Pausing, it takes her a moment to realize the nickname may have no meaning to her.

"Jade! That one's from Jade. I think it's magical or something? He said it makes me feel hardier, at times. Less likely to get tired." Parroting nearly word-for-word what he told her that day, after the battle royale...

"Oh, I think I know Jade too, with the glasses," she gestures towards her face, "he talks a lot, but he seems nice."

Darcy was never particularly good at dealing with magic artefacts, that much was down to the Krewe's magic scholar, Terre Mère. So if Jade said that it was magic, she wasn't going to disagree.

"Lucky you have it then, ehn? It was very kind of him to give it to you."

"That's him," she grins. Honestly, she's not sure what Jade is thinking at times. But she does consider him to be "nice", even for all his smirking. Though, she has seen a much more different, rare smile with a tinge of warmth from the man before.

"I feel very lucky. I have this and now I've got your friendship bracelet," she says, turning over her arm a little as she looks over both accessories, "It reminds me that I'm not lonely."

It's like friendship is magic too! Maybe her words sound really sappy, but Fio says it without any sense of shame.

Unlike Skulduggery, Darcy would never mock Fio for stating that friendship is magic. Fio is a child, Skulduggery is several hundred years old, there's a difference. But... honestly, it's not even like she disagrees with the assessment. Darcy has more friends here than she ever had back home. Closer friends, too, people willing to pick through her barbs and prickles, who don't take it personally when she snaps at them, who are willing to forgive her when they fight. People who wanted to see her for what she was, like a technique that needs hours sunk in before it starts feeling right. Darcy gives her a nod.

"Yeah. It's nice not being lonely. I kind of didn't... know what I was missing out on."

JUNE EVENT: CAMP

CAMP AION

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