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

[fonomena]

[There are four days yet to go, allegedly, before the excursion could officially be declared ended. Plenty of time for any number of things to happen, to be sure...but this first few days have more or less passed without incident, which is more than could be said for the battle royale at the very least. Jade sincerely hopes--for Fio's sake as much as anyone else's--that this remains the case for the rest of this whole affair, too. (...Unlikely as such a thing still feels, presently...) But for the moment, here, to bring down the mood in such a fashion by bringing that topic to light...the thought isn't a terribly appealing one to Jade, presently. He'd have to imagine that Fio's surely already aware of the risks here, anyhow...she wasn't exactly insulated from the royale herself, for better or worse. For all that the idea she'd signed up willingly for this one sits rather discomfiting in thought...

...Hmm. No, in the end, it's far easier to talk about the late hour--now isn't it? For the meantime, at least.]

My my, and here I was just about to ask you the same question! [Jade is aware, vaguely, of how it's generally recommended that children Fio's age retire earlier for proper amounts of sleep. His memories of such things mostly stem from earlier curfews set for Nephry when she around the same age, though. Presently there really isn't anyone around to enforce such curfews for Fio, is there...? Jade doesn't find himself terribly eager to be that enforcing person himself at the moment, either. Not like an occasional late night here and there could hurt too much, surely...not like he'd also be a massive hypocrite, to even try. Case in point:] Still, I guess I'm obliged to answer first now, since you did beat me to the punch. Mm, you could say I'm still up because I've rather a lot to think about lately...but, I'll admit! It's also because my normal time for bed is rather later than most people's anyhow, I suppose.

[Here, he turns to Fio beside him properly, smile still in place as he lowers his voice in that conspiratorial fashion he seems to rather enjoy leaning into for matters of...rather dubious secrecy.]

Have you ever tried sleeping with glasses on, Miss Fio? Just between you and me--it's really quite a hassle...

[sabigoe]

[ The sign-up sheet had red flags written all over it and she realized it. The list of names kept growing longer and longer over a number of days. Somehow, it scared her into signing up herself, despite knowing what happened in the previous excursion. It kind of felt like everyone was going away... and leaving her. She can't stand the thought of being alone again. And she hopes the rest of the week continues to be peaceful.

And she can imagine a lot must be on his mind... there's always something to think about when you're left alone. But before she can even think about asking what might be on his mind, he suddenly goes into a more secretive tone. ]

Um... no? I don't wear glasses! [ Clearly. Asides from the occasional Tommy Bahama sunglasses. A beat. She similarly lowers her voice, in a matching volume for only Jade to hear, even though it's unlikely anyone else is around to hear them. But you never know! ...This might be as important as the crow romancer secret. ] You don't remove your glasses when you sleep?

[ Guess she doesn't have to change his "Mr. Specs" nickname ever! ]

[fonomena]

No, I suppose you don't wear glasses generally, do you? [You know, yeah, that's fair enough--the question had been more rhetorical than not, but the sensibly literal take on her answer does end up drawing a chuckle from Jade despite himself. It tapers into an appreciative smile, as Fio lowers her tone as well in accordance with this new round of secrecy. Ah, he probably really ought to feel more guilty about applying this kind of gravity to the most inane sorts of things around her (like crow romancing smh....), but Fio just takes it up so wholeheartedly every time...it's hard to resist! Ah well.

Actually, for a moment the temptation is also very real to come up with yet another utterly ridiculous sort of lie about his eyes and glasses, but...hm. This is a different time now, than it was before at that sticker party. (The peace of the camp still seems to sit so fragile around them.....not that even he's sure why that thought arises, alongside this topic, but--)

Well, a little honesty every now and then surely wouldn't kill him. Especially if it can seem secretive in this sort of way too...]

Oh, no no--I simply must remove my glasses when I sleep, too. After all, if I so much as turned over I'd probably break them! But, I can't have leave them off for very long either...my eyes don't do very well without them, you see.

[Possibly she's noticed it in the past, the unnatural red color of his eyes--even if it might look more like a reflection of the fire across the way from them, currently.]

So, I've taught myself to sleep for fewer hours than most people, so that my glasses aren't removed for long. But it does mean I end up staying awake rather longer into the night than most others, too.

[sabigoe]

[ Many other passengers possess many different features, unlike anyone from her reality. Or anyone that she has seen in any of her dreams. The closest example that she can draw from are ominous red glowing eyes from a few individuals in her dreams, but still, that's a much different case! Though she has noticed Jade's unnatural red eyes from time to time, she sort of takes most things in stride, without questioning much. (Much like how she easily accepts traveling around with a giant insect and ghost in a mysterious tower...) At least not until now, with the subject of his glasses coming up.

Fio tilts her head slightly. She knows the more obvious reasons for wearing glasses, like being able to read texts more easily. Or see signs from far away. Perhaps there's another reason that doesn't cross her mind as easily, which is why they're having this conversation. ]

...Is it 'cause your eyes are special?

[ Standing around with nothing but your thoughts can be distracting. Sometimes the mind drifts off to somewhere darker. Which is why she usually tries to immerse herself in a fairy tale. She doesn't know what sorts of books grown-ups like to read though. And being out in a forest, there's no library, of course... ]

I like reading a nice fairy tale if I stay awake too long. Too bad there aren't any books here...