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!

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"I don't really know who Bill is, but... If he was involved in the blip, he was brought back. If not-- then hopefully, he made the best of the hell hole that was left after." He shrugs his shoulders awkwardly. There's not a lot of comfort he can offer there.

"Why is it better like that? For neither of you to see each other?"

"He used to work for SHIELD, took me in after it collapsed. But it's not as simple as all that though, is it?" Ava asks. Even if it all... more or less works out in the end, there's got to be a lot of permanent consequences with something that grand scale. And she's not there to help him through it. She's not there and what if she disappeared and now can't come back? Reassure Bill that she's okay?

"I wouldn't want him to be here. I don't think... he'd be too happy. Though he might find the entire situational theoretically fascinating."

"Well-- sorry that you lost a friend." He does mean that. Being alone-- well, this is the first time Marc's ever felt truly alone in his life, without Steven's constant presence in his head, without the ability to run and hide behind him if he needs it. But it's a feeling that's driving him crazier, the longer they're apart.

He can imagine she must be feeling something like that, even if she seems to be dealing with it.

For a moment, Marc might just be a little jealous of that, but he stamps it down. It's not particularly fair after all. "He sounds like he must've cared for you a lot."

"He was the only person that wanted to do right by me, back when I was a child. So they removed me from his care," Ava crosses her arms over her chest. "And I never had anyone since. That's why I'm such a miserable bitch. Especially toward people that try to be overly nice. I don't know what..." Ava looks away.

"Can you tell Steven I'm sorry? I was taking the sign off the cabin anyway, if he wanted to return."

"Yeah, well-- a lot of assholes out there. Sometimes it's easier to keep people at a distance," he admits. Not like he wants to get into it, but-- he gets it. He gets how it's easier, especially if you don't expect actual kindness. Most people aren't kind in his experience.

"Yeah... yeah, sure. I'll tell him. Think he'll just be grateful to have a bed again."

"So have you two... pulled the whole parent trap switcheroo yet?" Yes a very pointed subject change.

"What?" That-- surprises an amused huff out of him. "You think Steven could act anything like me to save his life? Guy can't even leave the room without looking like he lost a fight with a hairbrush."

"Sure, but do your best impression of that. I want to see it."

"Seriously? That's not a bit childish?" ... Honestly, maybe he has fronted for Steven a time or two -- briefly. Just so he didn't have to get yelled at by Donna for showing up late or whatever.

"You're gonna owe me some kinda rematch sometime if I do."

"It's only childish if you're implying Steven is a child," Ava claims.

"And of course. I'll even throw in my best impression of any Avenger you choose." Not that it'll be a good impression.

"That's not-- what I'm saying!" It's just, you know, childish to impersonate people, right? But fine. He's about to do what he usually considers unthinkable and muss up his own hair from it's carefully brushed and gelled look into something a little more appropriately Steven-like.

He feels like an idiot, but-- he'll get her back.

"Alright, yeah... You better get ready to blow my mind, bruv," he starts -- and you'd think for a guy who has a very uptight British personality that used to reside in his head, he'd be able to do a better imitation. But it's kind of subpar, really.

No wonder Donna would always give him the stink eye the few times he had to front.

"Because I wanna see the Hulk."

She said any Avenger, didn't see?

She hides a giggle behind her fingertips, eyebrows raised at the very poor British accent and trying to decide if she should be offended. "I've never even been to England, and my accent is better than that," Ava teases. Okay, she's been to London a few times, but she doubts assassination missions really count. She didn't even get a proper fish and chips while there.

The Hulk will be a challenge to pull off, but...

Ava pauses. And then something sorta clicks all at once. "Tomb Buster," she points at him accusingly (again).

"C'mon, it wasn't that bad." It's not his fault that Steven can hit surprisingly higher notes than Marc thought them capable of. He huffs out a short chuckle--

At least until--

"What?" His eyebrows go up. "You've actually seen that?"

You know, that's just not something that ever really happens. It catches him off guard. "Uh, yeah. I-- watched it a lot as a kid."

Clearly way too much.

"It was that bad," she insists, cheerfully.

"And of course, it was a... classic." It was definitely not a classic. "Saw it with my father, he was a fan of the actor."

She tilts her head thoughtfully. She's certainly not an expert on these things, but she can sorta see the connection. The desire to build another self based off a more heroic figure.

"Luckily I lived in Argentina, so I actually got to see real jungles."

"It was a classic, and it was good!" He will absolutely die on this hill, okay. He's seen it-- far too many times. But even Steven wants to insist it was a bad C-grade movie. Honestly.

Although he pauses, shifting a little -- awkwardly after a moment. Still weird that she's figuring out details he doesn't share with. Anybody. Talking about anything real has never been something he could do, wanted to do.

"Is that when you were a kid?"

"It was fun, campy. But somehow I'm not sure it'd hold up quite the same," Ava comments.

Figuring out little details is what she's good at, thanks for noticing.

But she doesn't mind sharing a bit in exchange. "Yes, it's where I lived before my parents died. And then SHIELD dragged me away to their facilities."

"Well, guess we'll just have to see about that... if we ever get a tape of it." Or a working VCR. Those might be tall orders though.

"Do you remember much of it?" He has no idea how old she was when she finally got taken, if she can remember that far back... Maybe she doesn't want to.

"It's possible, my friend Maximilien got the whole James Bond collection on disc." And she's very eager to sit down another evening and watch a few more.

She shrugs slightly. "Snippets, mostly. I was five when I was taken, so it's difficult to remember most things that clearly." What she remembers most vividly is the accident, because it always finds a way to make its way back to her nightmares. "I never had a chance to go back."

"James Bond, huh? Think that's more Steven's speed." He did demand to know why Marc hadn't made him cool like James Bond at least. He rolls his eyes at the memory before he quiets, listening.

"... Sorry. Gotta be tough." He shrugs. "But maybe one day, right? Unless we do get to... stay here. Make it better. Something."

"Oh, see I must have mistaken you for a man of action," Ava teases, then shakes her head. "Sometimes the past is meant to remain in the past," Ava dismisses the thought of returning. It's long past any opportunity to do so. Life never went the way she wanted it.

"And I still owe you a Hulk impression."

"Hey, c'mon." He is totally a man of action. But the thought of that Hulk impression has him looking pretty amused again, if he's honest. "Yeah? I mean, you do. You ready to give it now?"

"Fine, but you have to picture me as green. And bigger," Ava puffs out her chest, tries to curl her arms into the stance of a gorilla. She's so laughably small in comparison. "Much bigger..."

And then stomps toward Marc, teeth bared angrily. "HULK SMASH," and swipes both her arms down at him. With no intention to hit him, if he doesn't move away in time they'll simply phase through.

Okay-- look, he got a tiny woman to act like the Hulk. It was worth trying to act like Steven Grant for the moment. He does back up when she smashes at him, actually laughing for a change. He doesn't do that often at all, but--

Can anyone blame him?

"Oh, perfect. Gotta say... your acting is spot on."

"Thank you, I always wondered what else I could have done with my life other than kill people." She shakes off the stance. "Anyway, sorry I'm a dirty cheater. I assure you, I make up for it by being bad at other things."

"Hey, Hulk impersonator isn't so bad." He shakes his head dismissively though. "Yeah, well, don't worry about it. As long as it stays between us."

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JUNE EVENT: CAMP

CAMP AION

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