exsiliumlogs | [closed] So here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my road

Entry tags:

[closed] So here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my road

Date & Time: forward dated: Friday 22nd – Sunday 24th March
Location: a fair way into the Outlands
Characters:
Asami Sato

chittybang, Cedric Diggory

theboywhodied, Collette

whatsupcroc, Ellie Linton

reconnaissance, Fi Maxwell

burnsinvisibly, Katniss Everdeen

accidentalrebellion, Mitsuki Ishikawa

drowns, Peter Parker

arachnoid, Steph Brown

controlledvariable
Summary: Nine teenagers with varying degrees of trauma decide to go camping.
(Actually, eight teenagers get bullied into going camping by Ellie.)
Warnings: Not sure yet; I'll add them as they come up. At the very least some language, and fallout from PTSD.

Ellie had found the place once before on her wandering into the Outlands; a dilapidated old barn, with stone walls and a roof that was, by some miracle, completely intact despite all the evidence of nature clambering up its walls and trying to reclaim it for the land. There's a hill leading down to it, and if you follow that hill down, you meet the woods, a big lake. It's beautiful, she thinks. Nowhere near so wild as Hell, but that was better.

Finding that place had been how it started, before thinking about getting some of the others together had kicked in. A way to unwind, after the body swap. At the very least a chance to get some decent people all together in the same place (and maybe a way to apologise to Asami for pointing a gun at her that one time).

OOC: Party style, adventures everyone.Just go wild, if you want it to be set at a particular time, maybe specify in the subject line? I'm doing some starters just... in case that helps but do whatever you like tbh. YEAH. There's also the ooc plotting post so chuck folks in there and scheme and let the madness and CR unfold.

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[That... sure is an explanation. It's a lot more than Vanadi's comparison, and it - means more, too, because she knows Ellie isn't saying at as an attempt to get in her good graces. (Her thougts about Vanadi aren't very generous).

It also doesn't surprise her, hearing the way Ellie talks about her, that Collette got the wrong impression about her relationships. She thinks that's one of the nicest compliments she's ever got, and her smile is - soft, grateful. She isn't sure what to say.]

Healing and fighting, huh? I guess that fits.

[She hasn't done as much, well, healing here, as she does back home, but there's something about the comparison that she kind of loves, as much as it makes her feel a bit overwhelmed.]

Yeah. It does.

( Even if Steph hasn't done much fixing other people, she's helped Ellie. A lot, more than she ever had to, and she was the one that grabbed Ellie and kept her afloat when she was struggling. There's just the barest flicker of a smile, and she shrugs. )

But you gotta wear more red. That's Sehkmet's colour, I think. It's been a while since I read up on my mythology. I mean, not all the stuff about her is good, but they don't matter.

( Well, that sure was a thing to say. Ellie rolls her eyes at herself, and scratches the back of her neck. ) You got the good end of the stick. I told Cedric he was like a teddy bear.

[There's a flicker in her expression, something unreadable at the red comment, but it lasts barely a second before Steph smiles.]

I'll show you what my Robin costume looked like, one day. There was a fair bit of red in that.

[She still has too many feelings tangled up in Robin for it to ever be easy to mention, but she doesn't need to trouble Ellie with that. So she lets her smile widen.]

I dunno, teddy bears aren't so bad. I'm sure he appreciates it.

( She just watches, nods a little. Suddenly her hands feel really empty, fingers twitching as the absence of doing something strikes her. That awkwardness that comes when she feels-- well, that awkwardness that just comes, sometimes, that feels like setting herself to some task or another will help. Ease it away, give herself something else to think about, rather than the fact she just told Steph she was a goddess lion warrior healer. Sometimes she wanted to smack herself in the face for her own honesty. )

Mmm. I still miss Alvin.

( Whatever, she doesn't even care. She loved that bear, don't judge her. Instead, blows her hair out of her face - again - plastered down as it is by the rain. ) Do you want to head back to the barn?

[And there's another thing that startles a laugh out of her.]

Oh my god. Alvin, really?

[It's not about Ellie's teddy bear, but rather the fact that Alvin is a name that Tim operated under, when he was taking Steph out before she knew his real name. She's never heard it since then.

But she also nods for the question, turning towards the barn and offering her hand with a slight wiggle of her fingers.] You could probably stand to change your clothes.

Yeah. What's wrong with Alvin?

( At least she's not offended, this time, just bemused.

Glancing down, and then, back at Steph. So deadpan: ) I think it's fine.

( So, so fine. It only takes a few seconds for that flatness to crack, and she grins as she takes the offered hand. It doesn't even occur to her to think that, hey, maybe this is another reason Coll thinks they're dating. ) I gotta check the fire, too.

( Stop checking the fire, Ellie. )

It was a cover identity one of us used.

[Alvin Draper. She huffs a laugh, even as she gives Ellie's fingers a squeeze and starts towards the barn.]

I'm sure the fire is fine.

Probably the best identity your lot's ever come up with. Alvin was my favourite teddy.

( Hardened guerilla fighter, tragic teen deprived of teddy bear: that old chestnut. Just as well there's a fire and some marshmallows for her to console her poor broken heart. )

Alvin Draper. He took me to lamaze class, and I'd make fun of him by pretending I couldn't get the name right.

[There's something about the way she says it that makes it sound like an admission, as if it's something that she doesn't tell many people. It's a simple memory, meant to be a joke, but - it's not something she'd tell just anyone.]

( She grins, and squeezes Steph's hand as they walk. ) You're so mean. ( Not at all what is conveyed in her tone, there's too much affection in it for that. )

Poor guy. ( She sounds so so terribly sympathetic. Really. So sympathetic that she shoots Steph a conspiratorial wink. ) Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me. Once Corrie and I ate sherbet and somehow convinced ourselves it was Ratsak and we were gonna cark it.

He was the one who wouldn't tell me his real name. [She doesn't sound annoyed about it, despite the fact that's probably a situation she could be annoyed about.

The story gets a huff of a laugh.] How old were you when this happened?

Don't me wrong, I love Alvin, but he was a teddy bear. If you're gonna think of a fake name, wouldn't you go for something cooler? ( That said, she seems to be drawing a blank. Maybe not, then.

She knocks her shoulders against Steph's. ) Seven or eight. We were a couple of terrors.

He wasn't very creative. It was Alvin or Gary. [a beat, and she looks at Ellie with a smirk] Or Caroline, that one time.

[Now there's a story.]

You sound like it. I'm glad it wasn't actually Ratsak.

( She's going to just laugh and let it go, but-- ) Caroline?

( Really? ) You're serious?

( Oh, dear. ) That takes some dedication.

( With a bit of a laugh, she tugs Steph the last few steps to the barn, peeling the wet singlet away from her skin as she jogs the last few metres to her backpack, rummaging around for a dry shirt. ) Yeah, yeah. You're just saying that because I make good coffee.

I'm serious, his fake tits were better than my real ones. Cross-dressing is just one of the many things we're expected to do for the mission.

[Ellie should be so glad she has a friend like Steph. Who stands guard near the entrance to the barm to make sure none of the boys wander in while Ellie is changing.]

Maybe the coffee is a part of it.

( Thankfully, she manages to catch herself before Steph's comment makes her glance at Steph's chest, just nodding and... yep, getting a new shirt. Getting new everything, actually, she's drenched. At least the rain took off the mud on her skin. ) Did you ever have to? Cross-dress, I mean.

( Ellie wasn't even thinking about it. Living around people in close proximity for the better part of a year, you almost forget what modesty is. Selectively forget, anyway. On the plus side, she also changes quickly, so she's already almost done hauling on some dry things. )

And the nutella. I'm gonna work that recipe out, just you wait. There's gotta be something in the library, and I'm going to find it. ( Annnnd there she is, appearing back alongside Steph as she tugs her dry shirt over her head. )

Not yet, I haven't done a lot of undercover stuff. [It's more a Robin thing, than a Spoiler thing, and she wasn't really Robin long enough to do anything like undercover work.

There's a "yet" though, because it could be something that Batgirl ends up doing. She's sure Babs would take delight in it, if nothing else.]

I think there's something of everything in the library, so I'm sure we'll find a recipe.

Oh, Christ. That's weird to imagine. ( But she's tilting her head, and trying nonetheless. ) I'm sure you'd be very handsome.

( Trolling? No, never. She never does that. Especially not to Ste-- oh wait. ) There might be one for vegemite, too.

I think that's a compliment. [She's grinning though, so she's probably taking it as one.] Maybe I'll dress up one day, just for you.

[Because that is... a reasonable thing to offer to do.]

That one I'm less keen on you making, but I'll try it if you find a recipe.

It might be. Just be careful Collette doesn't get the wrong idea about why you're doing it though, hey.

( All right, maybe she can laugh at herself sometimes. ) Listen, if Fi can eat it by the spoonful, it's perfect for everyone.

I'll tell Collette I'm doing it for her. [a grin and a wink, even as she peers outside the barn, looking a bit thoguhtful before she sheds her jacket and goes to sit down on her makeshift bed, patting the spot beside her.

She doesn't mind the rain too much, but she's a bit tired of it.]

Fi is Australian, I'm pretty sure you guys are bred to eat vegemite.

I dunno. Does that mean she and me-- she and I ( Sometimes she has to try and correct herself ) are competing for your affections, now?

( Quite happily, she first scoops up Steph's jacket, hanging it over the makeshift clothesline that is close enough to the fire to help dry things off, but not close enough for anything to become sudden charred. Her own clothes remain in a soggy pile, mind you, as she flops down next to Steph. )

Hah! Bred, bread. We're bread? ( One day an intervention may be necessary. ) I'll drink a toast to that.

Maybe, are you worried now you've got competition? [It occurs to her that she should - probably mention that whole thing where she's sleeping with someone, but she's not entirely sure how to bring it up.

The joke just gets an eyeroll.] You always rise to the occasion.

[Because... bread... rises. It's abeen a while since she was Robin, okay, she's rusty.]

Me? No way. I know I'm your favourite.

( So so cocky. )

Hah. Well, you're always egging me on.

( Really don't encourage her )

Next time we organise something like this you should invite down friends, too.

[Steph just shoots Ellie a look at the favourite comment, but she can't actually say anything about it because it's, well, true.]

I just didn't wanna stop you while you're on a roll.

[She's embarrassed by herself. And looking at a bit awkward at the idea of inviting friends.]

All of them are here. [Or, Ellie, Fi and Collette are here.] Except Vanadi, but I don't think that would've been a good idea.

[Partly because camping out in the rain wouldn't be fun for someone who isn't waterproof. And partly because he's just Vanadi.]

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