|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 7:47 pm
Camp Northwood A.K.A. The Camp From Hell - Mae's Teen Quest
 The Just of It: (well, what I sent to Aylee when I filled in his form 8D) Right! Mae quest. It's not really a quest per say, but I'd call it a little adventure of self-discovery. How does that sound? The focus of Mae's quest is to make him work for something and go somewhere where he's forced to try new things, co-operate with people and be a part of something bigger than his own selfish needs. Because sadly, Mae has no social skills and certainly no group skills. I decided that the focus would really be on his one big flaw, and him learning how to correct it. He's not going to change his character completely over the course of the quest, but I think it'll give him a better understanding of himself and little more patience when dealing with people. I think he needs to go out in the world and blossom! Blossom! *coughs* Well, sorta blossom at least. Making a few friends wouldn't hurt either, since he has about two right now. XD Mae's teen quest will involve him being sent to some sort of "group effort" camp way out in the middle of nowhere. Pryderi will figure it's a good place for him to take pictures and make friends at the same time, though I doubt that Maelon will feel the same way about that. He'll be up in the middle of nowhere for about a week, maybe two, and during that time he'll gradually learn more about himself, teamwork, getting to know people in the normal way, and all those other good social skills. They'll be a team of about four people going along with him, four kids his own age, and then maybe one or two adults to accompany them for safety. It'll be a typical camping trip, full of lovely things like bugs and bears and all that goodness. :3
Not really a great, magical quest of self-discovery, but I think it'll do Mae a bit of good to be forced into a situation like this. ^^ I figure it'll help him mature a bit mentally (to match the physical maturity) and then maaaybe he can finally figure out how to have a relationship with someone. Because Pryderi sure as heck isn't teaching him about relationships.
Table of Contents
1 - You want me to go WHERE?
2 - Camp Northwood-Up-Your-a**
3 - Roomate #1: Paragon
4 - A Journal of Sorts
5 - Via The Carrier Pigeon
6 - The First Night
7 - Taking a Wrong Turn
8 - Alone in the Dark
9 - One of Us
10 - Somewhat Glorious Return
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 6:46 pm
You Want Me To Go WHERE?!
Taaaake on meee~ Take meeee oooon~
Maelon hummed absently to the song that blared through his headphones, working on some math word problems Pryderi had printed off the internet for him. The deer boy wasn't much of a teacher, but he did like to provide his charge with some amusement. The dark chocolate boy knew that his guardian didn't really know much about his interest – besides his fascination with all things poisonous – however the deer boy did know some good ways to amuse him. New books, math problems, magazines on world issues, Pryderi brought them all. While his guardian often walked in on him at the most inopportune moments, Mae wasn't about to complain. The deer boy brought him things to do and promised him didn't have to go and see Bae again for quite sometime. Life was pretty good.
With a toothy grin he set the first sheet aside and moved onto harder problems. These ones on the first page were a good warm-up, but he wanted something a little more challenging. He had just started up on a rather lengthy algebra problem when someone knocked firmly on his door. Maelon looked up, suddenly on the alert. Pryderi knocked much more softly on his door, often so quietly that the dark chocolate Sin'aeis didn't even notice he knocked. But this knock sounded quite purposeful. The preteen slid his headphones down to rest on his neck and spun in his chair to face the door.
"You can come in."
Mae was a little surprised at how fast the door opened – he was very used to Pryderi hesitating a little – but his surprise faded quickly into glee when he saw who it was. The kitsune that stood in his doorway was none other than Havok. The Sin'aeis grinned widely, beckoning him inside. It had been ages since he'd seen the fox, especially since they lived so far away now. Now with that added distance, it meant a lot to Maelon that the kitsune took time out of his day to come and see him. The fox had been his original teacher, and he was sure that if Havok hadn't taken an interest in his studies he'd be paying for it now.
Havok smiled back at Maelon, moving to sit neatly on the bed. "Long time no see, Maelon. How've you been?"
The fox always started out with pleasantries, to which Mae felt obliged to answer. He would have simply ignored anyone else who started the conversation in what he considered a superficial way, however he owed Havok and it was the least he could do. The conversation moved topics effortlessly, the kitsune asking about his schooling, his spiders, and his life in general. When Havok touched on the topic of friends, Maelon even told him the story of his encounter with Jack, pleased to see that the kitsune found the story quite amusing. While Pryderi had nearly fainted when Mae had recounted their adventures, Havok merely said that Maelon would be wise to try and avoid fistfights with people who were wearing steel wool on their knuckles.
Eventually Pryderi came in to join them, sitting beside Havok and joining in the conversation only when it was something he knew about. He said nothing about Mae's adventure or the strange bugs on his windowsill, though it was apparent that he didn't like either of them. The Sin'aeis was thankful for this. He was enjoying this quiet time with Havok.
"Mae, would you ever consider going to a teen camp?"
The question came out of the blue, jerking Maelon from his reverie. When he blinked owlishly at Havok the kitsune chuckled, and tossed him a pamphlet. The Sin'aeis turned the rather brightly coloured pamphlet over in his hands, a slight frown creasing his brow. Northwood Teen Camp. It appeared to be some sort of "group bonding" centre, where kids were supposed to meet other kids and make friends. The idea didn't sound appealing; however Maelon had always trusted Havok's judgment. After a pause, he said slowly, "Not really...but I suppose it would be... okay."
"Good, because there's a two-week-long session next week that I signed you up for."
Havok saw the danger when Maelon's eyes darkened angrily, and raised his hand to silence the preteen before he could start. "This isn't like the military school; it's supposed to be a fun. You'll meet new people and learn about yourself. I'm not asking you to like it, Maelon, but I'm asking you to try. If you come back hating it, then Pryderi and I won't ask you to do it again."
Maelon shut his mouth, still scowling at Havok. Despite the rather appealing bargain, the preteen couldn't help but feel like he'd been betrayed. It was a very Pryderi-like thing to do, signing him up without his consent. Then again, he probably wouldn't have agreed to go anyway, so he supposed this was Havok's way of making sure he did something. But since when had Havok been concerned about his social life? That was his concern. He didn't need to go to some happy-go-lucky camp. He wasn't going to come back spewing rainbows and shitting bunnies. Was that was Havok wanted, to change him into someone like his son? The thought created a bitter taste in Mae's mouth.
"What's the purpose of sending me here?"
The Sin'aeis boy asked tersely as he tossed the pamphlet onto the far corner of his desk. "It's not going to make me into some optimistic, bright-eyed per-"
"I know," Havok interrupted, looking surprisingly calm as Pryderi fidgeted nervously beside him. Maelon almost wished that Pry had proposed the idea first. His guardian would have dumped the idea at the fist sign that Mae despised it. Havok, however, was not so weak willed. "I'm not expecting you to change. This is an opportunity to learn about yourself. Your strengths, your weaknesses, and to give you a chance to interact with other people. Unless, of course, you'd rather go and make up with Kim Bae's mother and become his friend again? Because you could always do that."
Maelon shuddered at that idea. He wanted Bae's mother to leave him the hell alone, and he was not going to apologize for what happened between him and the kid at the concert. It had been her idea, after all. Next to Havok's other suggestion, the camp idea didn't seem so bad. Still, it wasn't something he enjoyed giving into.
With a half-hearted sigh, the Sin'aeis slumped in his chair, still glaring half-heartedly at Havok. "Fine. I'll go." The fox gave him a soft smile, before getting up and heading out the door. Pryderi gave his charge one nervous glance over his shoulder and then skittered out after Havok, closing the door.
So this was how it was. Maelon swore under his breath. He would go to this camp, he decided, but he would not enjoy it. In fact, he'd make every other kid's life there hell. Mind made up, he returned to his math problems, still grumbling. What a way to spend his time off.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 5:31 pm
Camp Northwood-Up-Your-a**
This officially sucked.
Maelon glared sulkily out the window of the car, refusing to look at Havok. The fox was driving him to Northwood, but only because Pryderi had refused to. For once, the Sin'aeis was glad that the deer boy felt the same as him, however it didn't seem enough to sway Havok's opinion. The kitsune wasn't budging. He'd even packed Maelon's bag to make sure that he was ready to leave on time. It had become apparent to the dark chocolate boy very early that he had no say in the matter, and it was in his best interest to be quiet and just go with it. Besides, Havok had promised that they wouldn't do anything like this again if he didn’t like it. And really, how hard could that be? Mae was the master at making sure he didn't enjoy anything.
He was jerked back to reality when Havok stopped the car, the motion nearly sending him into the dashboard. It was the kitsune's hand that stopped him, and Mae mumbled his thanks. It was pure instinct, the preteen reminded himself, as he stepped out of the car and shut the door. He was upset wit Havok. He wasn't going to be thanking him for anything. It was the stupid fox's fault that he was here in the first place! Satisfied that his mood was back to its original, dark state, Maelon shuffled towards the trunk where Havok was holding his knapsack. Before he could take it, however, Havok slid his arms through the sleeves of a black jacket and pulled it neatly onto his body. Then, without another word, the kitsune handed him his backpack and ushered him towards the gate.
Something in the back of Maelon's mind told him now was his chance to make a break for it. He could simply disappear into the forest and Havok would have a hell of a time finding him. It was a dense forest – he had seen it get thicker as they got closer to Northwood – and only the coon would be able to track him down in such a place. But somehow all he could think about was the jacket that Mae had just given. Despite for the fact that he'd been around for a fair amount of time, he wasn't the type of person who got gifts on a regular basis. Sure Yuki had given him that bug for his toddler quest, but other than that, he didn't have enough friends to be presented with gifts. Even his own guardian had trouble giving him things, fearing that he wouldn't like it. It was only Havok that gave him things without any qualms. Maelon had always loved his gifts; however this one was something special.
He'd outgrown his old jacket, and had had to make due with an old jacket of Pryderi's. Mae had never mentioned this to anyone, and he doubted that his guardian would have said anything. It wasn't even common knowledge that he wasn't fond of the jacket. But somehow Havok had known. The Sin'aeis fingered the edge of the jacket, enjoying the smooth, leathery feel of it underneath his fingers. The inside was lined with some sort of soft material that only made the jacket that much warmer. It was expensive, that was for sure. Why would he buy something like this for Mae? Was this Havok's way of making up for what he was doing? A gentle hand on the top of his head stopped that train of thought before it could get any worse.
"I bought it before the trip. Pryderi's old jacket wasn't doing much for your image."
Havok gave the silver hoop in Maelon's ear a playful tug. The Sin'aeis boy raised an eyebrow at this, tilting his head to look at the kitsune for the first time since he'd announced the unexpected trip. The fox didn't look any different than usual. His amber eyes danced with their usual mirth, his mouth curled upward in a rather cocky smile. Maelon couldn't help but return the grin, finding that he liked Havok's expression. Had Pryderi been driving him the deer boy would have fretted the entire way and made the Sin'aeis even more uncomfortable when he had to leave. Havok's expression left no doubt that he felt Maelon could handle this, and it wasn't a punishment or for his own amusement. It almost felt like a challenge.
"... Thanks...." Mae finally said, his voice just above a whisper, "For the jacket, you know?"
Havok just smiled back, and gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder that meant more than "You'll be fine."
And then he was alone.
The Sin'aeis felt his stomach clench as he watched Havok drive away, reprimanding himself the moment he recognized the feeling. He'd been by himself before, and this was not going to be any different. He'd just have to put up with a cabin full of loud-mouth, mama's boys. It wasn't going to be fun, but he was not going to allow himself to get nervous over it. With a half-hearted snort he stuffed his hands in his pockets and sauntered towards the throng of people. They appeared to be swarming around a large signpost, chattering excitedly in a way that made Maelon's eye twitch. He managed to push a few of the weak-willed boys away from the board to get a good look, searching through the lists of cabins for his name. He was in Cabin Four, and a quick glance around told him that it wasn't too far from here. Good. The faster he could get out of this crowd and into his cabin the better. No doubt the other teens would roam around, trying to make friends instead of heading straight to their cabins. He would at least be able to have a moment or two to himself.
With the plan successfully formed, Maelon set out to locate his cabin. After passing through a section of pink and red painted cabins – he assumed they were for the girls attending the camp – he came upon a collection of green and blue cabins. They were about the size of an average flat, with a single wooden door behind a screen door leading inside. The door was unlocked, and as Mae suspected, nobody else was there. Good. He sighed softly, shifting his backpack as he took a look around. It appeared that he had entered into a small common room. The walls were wooden on the inside, as were the floors. There were several puffy armchairs and a few large beanbag chairs arranged in a circle in the centre of the room, and a cedar chest in the far corner containing a variety of items. To the left was an open door, leading into a small but homely bathroom. To his right was another door, leading into the bedroom. Like the common room, both the floors and the ceilings were made out of wood. There were three sets of bunk beds and two large dressers. While it wasn't high class, it was as nice as Mae's room at home.
It became obvious to the Sin'aeis that Havok had put a lot of thought into where he sent Mae, and had probably paid a lot of money. The thought made him feel a little uncomfortable, however he dismissed the feeling. Instead, he chose the bunk bed furthest away from the others and tossed his bag up onto the top bunk. It took him a moment to clamber up after it, however once he was up he found the bed to be rather comfortable. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad. No, he reminded himself, he wasn’t spending this time here alone. He'd have five other people invading his personal space for two weeks. With a soft grumble, Maelon unzipped the front pocket of his bag and pulled out the novel he'd been reading before he'd been whisked away to Camp Northwood-up-your-a**. He had just opened the book to where he'd left off when he heard the screen door slam.
Maelon lifted his eyes off the page to stare down at the five pairs of eyes that had just arrived attached to his new roommates.
And so ended the Sin'aeis boy's quiet time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 7:53 pm
Roomate #1: Paragon
At first, all Mae could do was stare. It wasn't that his new roommates were strange – and believe you me, the Sin'aeis had seen strange – it was just that he'd never had to start a conversation. He was very used to having his companions start talking the moment they met him and never shut up after that. Truth be told, he wasn't even sure he knew how to start a conversation. Oh sure, he knew how to start an argument or a fist fight, but not a polite conversation. He wasn't exactly friends with anybody shy. After a moment of silence, Mae finally muttered a small "Hi" before he returned to his book. Let them talk amongst themselves. If they weren't going to talk to him then he most certainly wasn't going to start anything with them. Besides, he had a book to read.
Unfortunately for him, the group that had just walked in wasn't about to let him return to his book. While he didn't find his new roommates strange, they appeared to think he was the strangest thing since self-slicing bread. No sooner had he settled down in his bed a pair of hands was on the side bars of the bunk and a boy's face came into view. His hair was spiky and dull blue, falling around his face in a very strange yet oddly appealing way. There were no marks on his face, and only a single stud in his right ear. His eyes were pale, so pale that it made even his skin appear dark, though in reality it was stark white in comparison to Maelon's own arm. Despite being fairly close to Mae's age, he seemed so frail as he hung over the edge of the bunk bed's guard rail. Not that he was even looking at him. His wrists just seemed so small from what Mae could see in his peripheral vision.
At first, Maelon ignored him. Ignoring was generally a good way to let people know you didn't want them there. And for a moment, it seemed to work. Until, of course, the boy hoisted himself over the guard rail and flopped next to him. Great. Now he was squished against the back corner of the bed. He had just turned to demand why the boy felt the need to invade his personal space when there were suddenly fingers on the blue triangles on his neck. Mae flinched reflexively, but the boy didn't seem to be deterred. He was staring at the scales, eyes wide in a mix of amazement and curiousity.
"Are they real scales?"
Having never had anyone this close to his person in a very long time, all Mae could do was nod slowly. Perhaps if he answered all of the boy's questions he'd leave the Sin'aeis alone. The nod only made the boy grin broadly, fingers still deftly stroking the triangles on Mae's neck. It was a slightly ticklish feeling; however the Sin'aeis was so stunned by the invasion of his personal space that he didn't move. The boy removed his fingers after a moment, suddenly aware of the sheer amount of metal on Maelon's face. His eyebrows shot up underneath his bangs, and the dark chocolate boy was instantly on the alert. Now what? He could practically feel his lip curling in a snarl.
The boy, however, seemed to sense Mae's uneasy and his eyebrows returned to their initial position. "Wasn't going to say anything about them, so don't worry... oh, what's your name? I remember looking on the sheet but now I can't remember! Ha, silly me," he laughed and Mae's eye twitched irritably. What had made the boy so giddy? They were in the middle of ******** nowhere living in a cabin with four other boys. Was there any reason to be happy like that?
Regardless, Maelon felt that the faster he answered these questions, the faster the boy would leave him alone. "Maelon," he replied dully, hoping quietly that the boy would remember his name and not ask him repeatedly about it. If it was one thing he hated it was people who had no memory for names. There was a different between forgetting on purpose and being just plain forgetful. The boy seemed to be satisfied with his answer, a look of approval passing over his eyes as he leaned back to study Maelon. The Sin'aeis suddenly felt like a horse being put up for auction. It was not a pleasant feeling, though he took some comfort in the fact that the boy approved. But only because it would mean that they would live in close quarters easier of he was like. Yes, that was it. What did he care if this strange boy liked him?
"So where are you—"
"Oy, Paragon! Come help with your bag. Brine's not going to carry it in for you."
Paragon blinked owlishly at the boy who peeked his head in the room, before grinning and shrugging his shoulders sheepishly.
"Well, I gotta go. Hopefully we'll get to see each other at dinner?"
As his bunkmate got down from his bed and skittered out into the common room, Maelon made a promise to himself that they would not be sitting together at dinner.
~
Dinner was at seven, and was extremely uneventful. Not that Maelon minded. He'd had enough of this touchy-feely business thanks to Paragon, and he was not in the mood to be nabbed by the boy again. He'd been first to the dining hall for a reason. Luckily, the camp staff didn't seem to mind him sitting and eating outside, not realizing that it was because he wanted to be alone, not enjoy the fresh air. The food hadn't been all that bad, though Mae suspected what he would miss most were Pryderi's pancakes. Breakfast would be a very trying time.
After returning his tray to the dining hall Mae excused himself back to his cabin, claiming fatigue. This appeared to be fairly normal, and no one questioned his behaviour. A quick change into his pajamas and a trip to the bathroom and the Sin'aeis was ready for bed. As he pulled himself up into the top bunk Maelon realized that there had been an element of truth to his excuse. He was very tired. It must have been all of Paragon's talking, he thought dully as he snuggled down into the top bunk.
He was sound asleep by the time his cabin mates came back from dinner.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:29 pm
A Journal of Sorts
Quote: What do I call this thing? A journal? I guess. It feels weird to actually write stuff down, since all I've been doing since Pryderi gave me the laptop was do audio journals. So much easier than writing it down, but I have to at least record something otherwise Havok won't believe what I have to say about the camp being a waste of time. He'll want to know everything that went on, and knowing him, it'll be to show me the "other side" of the situation. Che. Like that's going to work with me. Pryderi has tried and failed multiple times. Hell even Kim Bae's mother tried to tell me to "see through her eyes" about why she was angry with me. As if. I told her I don't like being in unintelligent people's heads seeing through their eyes. She wasn't too pleased with that. It was probably that that set her off. Oh well. Back to Camp Something-About-Wood. I guess I'll start off with what I know about my cabin mates. This is all just stuff I've learned by watching and by that stupid game the camp councilors made us play this morning. The get to know everyone in your cabin game! Jeeze, isn't that original? We had to pick a partner – two guesses who my partner was – and learn as much as we could about our partner. We then had to tell the rest of the group everything we knew. Needless to say, Paragon struggled when his turn came, while I simply said his name and about one minute's worth of information on him. I wasn't in the mood that early in the morning to be dealing with hyper-active boys. He didn't seem to be too intent on being up early, which was fairly good for me. Aside from Paragon, there are four others in the cabin. Paragon's a bit of a funny characters. He's always happy, though he doesn't like getting up in the mornings. I think he smuggles cake off the cook, though I can't say for sure. He talks in his sleep, he moves around a lot, and he always seems to want to come and sit beside me on the bed or in the chair that I'm sitting in when I'm in the common room. Much like Bae he's attached himself to me, though he seems to be braver than Bae was, though not much smarter. From listening to him and the way he talks to the other boys, it appears that they all know each other. They apparently use this camp as a place to get to know other teens in the hopes that they can recruit new members for their little group. It appears to be some sort of honour to be in the same cabin as them. I'm not sure I'm all too pleased with the idea. The leader calls himself Avalanche. Big guy, and they say he has a nasty temper when someone sets him off. Looks like he has a bit of animal blood in him but I can't tell exactly what. It's way back in his lineage whatever it is. All he's got left are strange markings on his back and a nice set of fangs and claws. He doesn't talk much, and he hasn't talked to me. I've tried to steer clear of him, just because he looks like he could take my head off if he wanted to. I know when to quit, believe me. Second in command is Smog. He's a good friend of Paragon's, or so I've gathered. Another animal mix, though this one's more obvious. He's got a pair of little grey bear ears that give it all away. He's a big guy, bigger than Avalanche but he doesn't come off as dangerous. Very big hands. Makes me feel like he could break my arm by just grabbing me. He seems nice enough, but not too bright either. Then we got Brine. Bit of a sarcastic kid, cynical and all, but he knows when to keep his mouth shut. Just by looks alone I think he's Avalanche's younger brother, kept on only because he can shut up on cue. Snarky thing, and while I'd usually be itching to fight with a guy like that just for my own amusement, I have this niggling feeling that Avalanche would come after me if I started challenging his brother. I don't feel like going home with a broken nose. And then there's Feral. I'm not really sure what to write about him. Besides Paragon, he's the only one who seems to take any interest in me. Not that he talks to me. He doesn't really talk to anyone but he stares at me. Even if I look back at him he doesn't break his gaze. I end up having to look away before he totally creeps me out. Weird kid. I wouldn't want to face him on a dark night somewhere in the middle of the woods. So there you have it. My cabin mates. I've just been told that we're going on a week-long camping trip and to start packing my bags. Will try and write more later. ~ Maelon
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:37 pm
Via The Carrier Pigeon
Quote: Dear Havok, I'm not even sure this message will get to you. Carrier pigeons are apparently very unreliable. But however unlikely this will reach you, I will send it anyways. It would be very nice if you could let Pryderi read it too. I'm only allowed one pigeon. I considered just taking one of the younger student's birds, but I don't think you would approve of that. So if the bird arrives in one piece, please read this with Pryderi. I'm not sure what possessed you to send me out camping in the woods after Pryderi and I had just moved into civilization. I understand that you wanted me to find companionship, and so I'm sure you'll be happy to know that it found me very easily. Paragon saw me writing this letter and told me to say hello to you from him. As you can see his jostled my hand in an attempt to take my pen and write it himself. We're going into the woods for a week on a camping/hiking trip. I'd just like to let you know that if I die, please wipe my laptop and give it to Pryderi. Oh, and be kind to my poisonous pets. Sincerely, Maelon
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:39 pm
The First Night
Quote: Journal-thing number two Well, here we are, smack dab in the middle of the woods. They got us up at ******** in the morning – I can tell you right now that Paragon and I were not impressed by this – forced us to eat a large breakfast and then sent us back to pack. I had packed the night they told us we were leaving, so it wasn't like I had to do anything. Paragon, however, had been busy with other activities so I ended up having to pack his bag for him while tried to wake up with little success. He's not so bothersome anymore, just sort of a minor irritation. He seems to realize that I don't need to be spoken to 24/7, and he's content to just lope along beside me when I go out for a stroll after dinner. He's not a bad companion, especially since he's more alert than Bae. While Bae would have talked my ear off no matter how I was feeling, Paragon seems to know when I would rather he shut up. It doesn't stop him from being there, but he at least knows when he needs to shut up. I don't mind him being there anymore. I still wish he wouldn't curl up so close to me during the night though. He claims he's cold – and I suppose it's true, he's got no fat on him – but I wish he would just cuddle up to Smog instead. He must be warmer than me. But whatever. First day was pretty good, for lack of a better word. We started hiking at about six and we made it to our make-shift campsite around noon. I'm sure if I hadn't been carrying my backpack I would have been carrying Paragon. I thought he was going to fall over halfway through our walk. Finally Smog took pity on him and slung him over one shoulder. That didn't look too comfortable to me, but it must be better than walking. With Paragon off with Smog, I used the time to get a feel for our surroundings. While I did grow up in the coon's cottage out in the middle of nowhere, that doesn't mean I'm any good at surviving there. Sure I could spend a day or two out here, but I did have a house to go back to. I can only hope that when we start hiking again tomorrow to reach our next destination that we don't get lost. I'm not worried about get poisoned – I had Timber bite me to test the theory – but I had no intention of spending the night out in the woods with no shelter. The woods are all evergreens too. I can only hope that the leader knows where the hell he's going. So we spent the morning hiking, and then after a quick lunch we had to set up camp. Of course, I've never had to put up a tent in my life, but that didn't stop me from trying. Feral eventually came over and did it for me, leaving right after it was finished before I could say a word. The tents were small, and it soon became apparent that we hadn't brought enough tents for all of us. The leader said we'd have to cram three people into each tent so that everyone fit. It would provide extra warmth, he said. It was a lame excuse if I'd ever heard one. Of course, Paragon decided that we'd be sharing my tent and that Smog would be joining us. I nearly asked him if we'd all fit, but decided against it. Considering my other options, I had got the best out of that deal. After the tents were up and everyone had a place to sleep, the leader sent us out to go gather firewood and water. Overall, a very disgusting business. I really don't see the appeal of collecting rotting wood to bring back and use as firewood. But I did it, and I made sure that Paragon didn't touch a piece of wood with a spider on it. I didn't care if I got bitten, but I had a feeling that he'd freak out if something poisonous bit him. They were city kids, after all. Dinner was bland, the camp songs they sung afterwards were noisy and stupid, but the fire was warm. That was the only reason I stayed as long as I did. Had I known better, I would have said that someone spiked Paragon's water supply because the boy was dancing around the fire like an idiot, singing songs as loud as his voice would allow it. I excused myself shortly afterwards before my ears starting bleeding. And here I am, sitting in the tent with my flashlight, writing this. Quite an eventful day indeed. I've been told we're going to start hiking again tomorrow to get to the next camping spot. I really don't see why Havok wanted me to go here. He could have easily taught me woodland survival skills. So far, I'm waiting to be impressed. ~ Maelon
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:41 pm
Taking a Wrong Turn
"Maaaelon! Maelon! Come on, sleepy-head wake up!"
Maelon carefully opened his violet eyes, glaring balefully up at Paragon, who was seated on his abdomen. The boy grinned down at him despite the look that the Sin'aeis was giving him. Only when Maelon started to sit up did he remove himself from the dark chocolate boy's personal space. A quick glance at his watch told Mae that it was only nine o'clock. They didn't to start getting ready for another two hours. What was Paragon doing up? He should be in bed sleeping, especially since they'd already eaten breakfast. He gave the boy a questioning glance as he brushed his hair from his eyes. His glance was answered with a giggle, as Paragon proclaimed happily that they were going out to gather some berries in the woods. It was prime picking season, and since they had some free time before they had to leave, why not go and gather some berries? They would make great additions to breakfast tomorrow, or so Paragon said. They just had to watch out for bears, though they were probably all gone by now. It was much too late for bears to be foraging.
It took Mae a moment to realize why the boy was telling him these things. He wanted the Sin'aeis to go with him. Before Maelon could come up with a believable excuse Smog poked his head through the tent flap.
"Ah, is he up then? Good good. Come on, Maelon, there's berries to be picked! You don't take long to get dressed, do you?"
Paragon answered for him. "Naw, he gets ready real quick. We'll be out in a minute! You go get everyone else up!" With that, the boy shooed his much larger friend out of the tent and zipped it up. Then he turned back to Maelon, who had flopped back into his sleeping bag and tried his best to burrow deep inside it. He did not want to go berry picking. He wanted to stay inside the tent where it was warm and sleep until they had to leave. He needed his rest damnit! They were going to be hiking all day, why not use that time to admire the scenery and pick berries? Why did they need to go now?
His companion, however, didn't take no for an answer. No sooner had Maelon curled up into a ball did Paragon start poking him through his sleeping bag. His wily fingers could not be ignored, and Mae was finally forced out of his sleeping bag and onto Paragon's. The boy grinned in triumph, continuing to poke Maelon until he finally got up and pulled his jacket on. He'd worn his clothes to bed in an effort to have to do less when they were packing up. It only served in helping him avoid more of Paragon's pokes.
"There, I'm ready," He said sulkily, rubbing his side where Paragon had poked a little too hard. Once the words were out of his mouth he was ushered out of the tent, his companion bouncing along after him. The group had already assembled outside his tent, apparently waiting for him to come out. The thought made Maelon feel slightly uncomfortable. He'd never had a group of people waiting for him to come with them. All of his friends were few and far between, and he only met them alone. He'd been to a few gatherings when he'd been younger, but both his and Pryderi's dislike of crowds had kept him away from group meetings for a long time. He wasn't sure if he liked the fact that they had all been waiting for him to join them on something as trivial as berry picking.
Paragon, however, paid no mind to his inner dialogue, and linked arms with him and Smog. That seemed to be the signal to start, as the group set off, chatting quietly amongst themselves. Paragon and Smog were the ones who really perpetuated the conversation, however even Feral joined in and laughed from time to time. It made Maelon feel awkward, as though he didn't belong.
Before long they arrived at what Smog declared as the primary berry picking site. Maelon did his best to help, however it swiftly became obvious that he had no experience picking berries. They were just too frail, and before long Maelon ended up with berry-stained fingers. He was so used to handling both things and people roughly that plucking berries gently from their stalks was near impossible. As he sucked on them sulkily, Paragon came up behind him giggling, only serving to further darken his mood. It was one thing to not be able to something. It was quite another to have someone laugh at you for not being able to do it. Before he could stop himself, he growled, "If you're going to laugh, ******** off and do it elsewhere." The look on Paragon's face told him he probably shouldn't have sworn, but he brushed the thought aside and pushed past his hurt companion.
He spent the rest of the trip in silence, Paragon having left him to hover around Smog. Maelon knew he probably shouldn't have said what he did, but the guilt didn't override the anger that simmered inside him. He hated having people laugh at him. Hated it with a passion. It was one of the things he shared in common with Akilah, and it was what had provoked both of them to fight when they'd first met. And of all the people to provoke him, it had to be Paragon. He wouldn't have cared what he said to anyone else, but Paragon was the only one who even associated with him. And the trip had just started looking up.
As he shuffled after the group in the direction he assumed was back to the campsite, Brine's voice suddenly caught his attention.
"What the hell... did they leave with out us?"
Maelon's stomach felt cold with dread. They wouldn't have left without them. Camp leaders don't just leave their charges in the woods. Or did they? Was this a way to get rid of this gang that had come to the camp? It must be, and somehow he'd managed to get caught up in it. He should have marked their trail or scouted for landmarks or done something. Now they would never make it back to the camp! Smog's voice broke through his panicked thoughts.
"This isn't our campsite. It's just another clearing. But I've never seen if before...."
His voice trailed off as he gazed helplessly at Avalanche. The teen was staring stonily at the clearing while his younger brother Brine cursed under his breath. Everyone except Feral seemed unnerved by the news. Even through his panic Maelon knew exactly what was going on.
They were lost.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:42 pm
Alone in the Dark
Mae swore under his breath as the group stood in the abandoned clearing. A glance at his watch told him that they had little over an hour to get back to the campsite before everyone would be leaving. They were wasting precious time standing here like a bunch of lost sheep. They needed to make it back to the campsite and soon. The Sin'aeis shuffled anxiously, eyes darting around as he waited for someone to say something. A roll of thunder interrupted his thoughts and they all glanced upwards at the sky. Dark clouds were swiftly gathering overhead. Great.
"Well, I guess we better try and find our way back," Avalanche said finally, looking about for any sign of resistance to the idea. He found none, as expected. He was stating the obvious.
And so the group set off again, Maelon shuffling along at the rear as they wove their way through the trees. The dark chocolate boy kept checking his watch, his nerves on edge as each second passed by. They weren't going to make it back. They were going to get lost in the woods and never make it back. He should have fought with Havok. Had he fought and won, he would never be here.
Go back! Go back! The earth shakes, the air blows hot! Go back!
Maelon froze, suddenly very alert. It had been a long time since he'd spoken with a spider, and it took a moment for him to realize who was whispering. The spiders were not warning him, but each other and the other small critters around them. They were small, but their warnings continued to assault Mae's head as he picked up his pace to make up the distance between himself and his travel group. What did they mean by these warnings? Were they warning each other about him? Or was there something else there? It was no good trying to question panicky spiders. All Maelon could do was stick close to his group, praying that it wasn't the latter.
"It shouldn't be much further!"
Avalanche called out as he pushed his way through a nearby berry brush, only to stop abruptly. Brine bumped in him, cursing softly until a pinch from his brother silenced him. Mae felt his heart stop. He had been right. The spiders were running for something. A very large something. Standing no more than two feet away from their group was a large, brown bear. Paragon's assumption about them being in bed by now had apparently not included this late riser. For a moment, the group stood shell-shocked, staring at the bare as it regarded them quizzically. Its brown eyes then darted to Smog, and in an instant its teeth were bared in a challenging snarl.
Needless to say, the group fled.
Maelon couldn't remember a time when he'd run as fast as he did now that there was a threat of a bear at his heels. By the time he and Avalanche's group had stopped running they were who knows where in the forest, far off the beaten track they'd been following. But that was the last thing on Mae's mind. He was too busy catching his breath, chest burning painful as he struggled to breathe. Never again. He was never going camping again.
"Well... that went well," Paragon managed, chuckling weakly as he leaned against the same tree that Mae hovered near. That gained him a few snorts from the group and a soft laugh from Smog. Even Maelon managed a small snort. He supposed that much was true. They had avoided being mauled, that was true, but now they were even more lost than they'd been in the first place. "Well" didn't quite cover that part of the story.
A rumble in the sky forced the group to look up at the sky again. By now the rain clouds has completely darkened the sky, though it couldn't be more than two o'clock in the afternoon. Maelon couldn't help but wonder if the camp leaders would go out and search for the missing group or if they'd just keep on going. The fact that he wasn't very sure made Mae's stomach tighten. Avalanche had already proven he didn't know where he was going, so perhaps it was time for him to set out on his own. But would it be better to leave the group? Surely a bear wouldn't chase a group of people, fearing it would be outnumbered, but it would chase a scrawny boy who's colouring looked far too close to a deer's for comfort. Perhaps he'd stay just a bit longer with them.
"We should get going. See if we can make a path around the bear," Smog said after all had caught their breath. There was a murmur of ascent from the group, though Mae silently doubted that they'd make it back to the camp by nightfall. His doubts only grew as the group set off in a direction that appeared to be to be more north than where they came. They sky only got darker as they walked, and a glance at his watch told Mae that they were not going to make it back. It was nearly four o'clock. The leaders had probably moved on, figuring that the group had run back to the campsite to avoid hiking again. According to what he'd heard from a few campers during the sing-song, it wasn't uncommon. The thought did nothing to quell his doubts.
After walking for what seemed like hours, Avalanche finally proclaimed them lost, and suggested that the group now look for a place to spend the night. The sky was threatening to rain, and the faster they found somewhere sheltered the more likely it would be that they would stay dry. It didn't take long to find a coniferous tree with raised roots, the tree's thick needles providing enough shelter to keep the group moderately dry. Avalanche then sent Paragon and Maelon out to gather firewood before it got too wet. He had brought some flint with them, and was hoping to kindle a fire before the rain started. It was starting to get nippy outside, and a fire would be a welcome warmth.
Paragon had apparently not forgotten Mae's harsh comment to him earlier, as the boy didn't touch him or say anything to him as they collected firewood. Maelon found the silence uncomfortable, surprising himself with the feeling. Silence was usually something he enjoyed, not something that bothered him. As he reached for another piece of dried wood, Maelon tried to think of a way to apologize to Paragon. He had only just decided that a "sorry for snapping" was good enough when Paragon's yelp jerked him from his thoughts. Maelon turned sharply to find the boy clutching his wrist, the sleek body of a snake already gliding away through the short grass. The Sin'aeis' blood ran cold.
Without even thinking Mae dropped his firewood, kneeling down beside his friend. "Let me see it," he demanded, pulling Paragon's arm close to inspect it. Fang marks, and by the markings on the snake he'd glimpsed, the fangs held poison. The preteen cursed under his breath, before licking his lips nervously. He had never done this before, but he'd seen it done in movies. If Paragon was going to make it back to the camp without a swollen, venom infested arm, he was going to have to pull as much poison as he could out. Jaw set, he lifted his gaze to Paragon's face. The boy was while as a sheet, tears quivering on the edges of his eyes.
"This is going to hurt, but I need to suck the poison out," Mae explained softly, watching as Paragon nodded shakily. He took a deep breath, before he dug his fangs into the wound and tore. Paragon cried out and nearly jerked his arm away but Maelon held him firm, pressing his mouth to the bleeding wound and starting to suck. The blood tasted coppery, mixed with the bitterness of the venom. He had to work fast to stop if from spreading. Mouthful after mouthful he sucked, spitting the blood on the grass as he worked. He had just spat the final mouthful when Smog came barreling through the trees, shoving him roughly aside. He hovered protectively over Paragon, eyes darting between the wound on his arm and the blood that now coated Maelon's chin and his fingers.
With a snarl not unlike the bear they had just faced, Smog lunged, catching the side of Maelon's face as he scrambled backwards to avoid the angered boy. He had to get out of here. Smog would surely kill him. His heart hammered in his chest as panic took a hold of his brain once again. He had to get away before back up arrived.
And so Maelon ran. He ran until his lungs burned, not willing to stop until he was far enough away from the angered Smog. Had he been looking where he was going he would have noticed the tree root that stuck up at an odd angle from the ground. But he was too worried about making sure Smog wasn't following him. His foot caught the root and he hit the ground with a dull thud.
The rain started to fall on the grass around him as Maelon tried to regain his breath. He was winded from his fall, but that didn't stop his brain from coming to one frightening conclusion.
He was alone in the woods.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:43 pm
One of Us
Maelon lay on the swiftly dampening forest floor, chest heaving as he felt the words sink in.
He was alone in the woods.
As he moved to sit up, he felt a painful twinge in his right ankle and he winced. Make that alone in the woods with a twisted ankle. He propped himself up on his elbows, grumbling as the rain stung the scratches on his cheek. Why did everyone who attacked him have to have something pointy on their fists? Was punching him in the face not enough for them? He had barely enough time to grumble about that thought before there were hands under his arms and he was being hauled to his feet. Fearing it was Smog come to get a second shot at his face, Mae whirled around as fast as he could manage on his injured ankle, arms up to guard his face.
"Easy, kid. I'm here to bring you back, not hurt you."
It was Feral. Maelon carefully lowered his arms, still feeling wary. No doubt they had taken his injuring of Paragon very seriously, and he was not entirely sure that Feral meant no harm to him. With a name like Feral everyone had a right to be cautious around him. Feral, however, simply turned and beckoned for him to follow. Since he had little choice in the matter, Maelon limped after the older teen, keeping a safe distance between them. So long as he was out of punching range he would be safe. If Feral noticed his wariness he said nothing about it. Instead, he glanced over his shoulder and murmured a soft 'thank you'.
At first, all Mae could do was stare perplexed into the yellow eyes. What was he thanking him for? Running away? Not fighting back against Smog? He couldn't imagine the older teen would thank him for something as stupid as that. Feral chuckled softly, revealing a set of rather sharp teeth, but his eyes remained calm.
"Did you forget what you did for Paragon earlier? It was hard to distinguish what had happened to him, but Smog failed to notice the deep holes the snake's fangs left in his arms. Completely different to the tears you made to try and draw the poison out before it spread. Even I nearly missed it until Paragon got angry at Smog and told him you'd only been trying to help him after her got bitten. Was very brave of you."
There was a kind of approval in Feral's voice that made Maelon feel oddly warm inside. It was the same kind of feeling he got when Havok patted him affectionately on the head. For once, he didn't use spite to quell the feeling. Instead, he scuffed the toe of his shoe along the ground, refusing to meet Feral's gaze. "It's nothing. Repaying him for what he's done for me and my way of saying sorry for hurting his feelings," he said softly, wincing as he put a little too much weight on his injured ankle, "Besides, a little snake venom'd never kill me. I'm immune to poison."
Feral simple made a noncommittal noise, before he ushered Maelon ahead of him and towards the tree the group was hiding underneath. Avalanche was hovering near the entrance, and for a moment Mae hesitated. Did he want to go in there? A flash of lighting in the sky quickly made the decision for him, and he scuttled as fast as his injured ankle would carry him inside the tree. Avalanche didn't make a move to stop him, and Feral trotted easily in after him. It was dry inside, but not necessarily warm. Maelon couldn't help but shiver, suddenly more aware of how cold and wet he was. At least his jacket had managed to protect him somewhat, but that didn't stop the raindrops from running down the back of his neck. Landing on the damp group hadn't helped anything either.
Before he could say anything his jacket and his shirt were removed by Avalanche and he was dried with a small towel. Then what appeared to be Smog's spare shirt (only from sheer size alone) was pulled over his head and his jacket was pulled on shortly after. All Mae could do was sit their dumbly as he was cared for, murmuring a soft 'thank you' when everyone was finished. Feral just shrugged and Avalanche gave him a rather rough, but vaguely affectionate, pat on the head. "Go see Smog about your ankle," Brine, looking slightly amused when a wary look crossed Mae's face. "Don't worry, he won't hurt you. He actually feels real bad about hitting you, especially since you saved Gem's life, aren't you Smog?"
Maelon suddenly felt Smog's hands underneath his arms and he was pulled gently towards the small make-shift bed where Paragon lay. The Sin'aeis boy chanced a look up at the larger boy's face, surprised to find guilt there. "You didn't hit me that hard," Maelon supplied awkwardly as he was set down and Smog moved to get a look at his ankle. The dark chocolate boy propped himself up on his elbows, all traces of wariness ebbing away.
"I'm sorry for assuming," Smog said softly, as he pressed his fingers gently around Maelon's ankle. "I just saw the blood all over the ground and your face and I just--"
"I've dealt with worse. Nothing to be sorry about," Mae interrupted with as much indifference as he could manage, though the apology made the tips of his ears turn red. The last time he'd been apologized to was when Pryderi had ended their fighting. Being apologized to was still something he found made him feel awkward and out of place. Before Smog could return to the topic of apologizing, Maelon changed it to Paragon. "How is Paragon, anyways? I thought he might faint when I started spitting out the blood..." Maelon trailed off, glancing at the makeshift bed that held his companion. Paragon didn't seem as pale as he had been after the snake had bit him, but there was still blood leaking through the bandage that appeared to be somebody's shirt. The Sin'aeis winced inwardly. Perhaps he shouldn't have bitten so deep.
As though he were reading Maelon's thoughts, Smog gave his shoulder a friendly pat. "He'll be alright. From what Feral said, you needed to bite that deep to get the poison out, otherwise he might have... you know..." It was Smog's turn to be uncomfortable. Apparently the thought of Paragon dieing out in the woods was not a pleasant one, and Maelon simply nodded his head when Smog didn't finish, indicating that he understood what the larger boy meant. Truth be told, it made him uncomfortable as well, but he would be the first to deny it.
"Alright kids, enough with the chatter. Everything huddle close around Paragon and try to get some sleep," Avalanche said calmly, and all moved to obey him.
And that was how the search team found them the next morning. Six boys huddled close to each other underneath a tree, a small smile on the dark brown one's face.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:44 pm
Somewhat Glorious Return
Quote: Haha, well so much for staying in the camp for two weeks. I was only there for a week but I somehow managed to get lost in the woods, scratch up my face, sprain my ankle, and in the midst of all that make five new friends. I hesitate to use that word, only because it sounds superficial to me. To call them allies wouldn't give them any justice either. We spent the good portion of the week getting to know each other – or rather, me getting to know them – and then it all clicked when we got lost in the woods during the second night of the camping trip. I'm not sure what did it, but I'm leaning towards the fact that I saved Paragon. It really was no skin off my nose, but somehow my immunity to poison seemed not to dampen the effect of what I'd done. Even now I don't know why I did what I did. At the time, it was the only thing I could do, and it struck something in me to see tears in Paragon's eyes. It's not really that I pitied him... just that I felt the need to do something for him. I've told anyone that's asked why I did it that it was because I was afraid Smog would break my neck if I didn't help his friend, but I don't think anyone in Avalanche's group believed me. I don't even known if I believed myself, but it seemed a good cover. Anyways, I'm sitting in the waiting room of the emergency hospital about a couple kilometres from the camp. Avalanche and the rest are sitting around me, but nobody's really watching what I'm writing. Except maybe Brine. Yes Brine, I can see you sneaking glances at my paper. Don't think I don't notice. Ha, there. I think he read that, and Avalanche caught him. Oooh, I can't imagine that cuff to the back of his head felt nice. Oh well. It serves him right. There we go, he's switching seats with Feral. Good. I've come to respect Feral. He says only what he needs to say, but at the same time he doesn't keep anything hidden. I always know he's telling the truth, and something about that makes me feel better. What was I writing about? Oh yes, I was writing where I was so that I could talk about how the heck we got here. So we all huddled together during the storm underneath that tree, and fell asleep. About nine o'clock the next morning, Feral is poking me awake because the search team had found us. Apparently the leader had radioed into the main camp to see if we went back. When they replied that we hadn't, they'd sent a search team after us. They found us under that tree, and we all had to file out for inspection. Of course, the moment they found out that Paragon had been bitten by a snake they freaked out and radioed for some sort of forest rover to come and get him. That took about a good fifteen minutes to get there – I'm very glad I managed to get most of the poison out or else I think Paragon's arm would have been blue by the time they got him back to the camp – and then we all piled and went back to camp. Once we got there they had an ambulance waiting to take Paragon, and they through me and Smog in the back too. I think they thought I was bleeding from my mouth because of all the blood on my face. Avalanche, Brine, and Feral ended up bumming a ride off one of the camp counselors. Regardless, here we are now sitting in the waiting room. I've had my face cleaned, and we've all had to go through the nurse and then the bathes. The nurse nearly had a fit when Feral told her I'd siphoned the poison out of Paragon's arm, and nearly had me swallow a purging powder before I thoroughly assured her that I was immune to poison. It hadn't occurred to her that it was nearly 24 hours since I'd done the siphoning and I was showing no signs of being poisoned by the snake. Still, she gave me a very evil eye when I left to go take a bath out back. We didn't get new clothes, but I think we were all thankful for that because the hospital garbs looked really itchy. Well, the nurse just came out and told us that while the wound in his arm is rather ugly, he won't die from the snake bite. The wound isn't deep, and it'll heal soon enough. They're taking him out back for a bath and then he'll be allowed out with us. They've called Havok so I'll be expecting to go home soon. Or not. I might choose to stay with this group. We'll see. Until later ~Maelon
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
