Terre Haute expedition: Camping Day 1

[lord_wizard]

[It's been a more or less uneventful day of travel for the expedition team. Not unexpected for the first leg of such a trip, and with any luck, it will stay that way.

As the sun starts to get low in the sky, Felix signals the group with a sharp whistle to stop, shortly after he feels the change. They've entered the Dead Zone. That sudden loss of power for anyone used to that sort of thing. Not an easy thing to adjust to, at first.]

"We've crossed into the border of the Dead Zone now. We should stop here for the night. Those of you with experience, help set up camp as needed. And I recommend a few of you working out a watch schedule. You never can tell what might be out here."

SET UP | CAMPFIRE | IN THE NIGHT

Comments

[hellofist]

[Cass just grins at the admonishments and bumps her back, then promptly takes a spot beside Steph once it's offered.]

Yep. Always.

[secondchances]

I'm writing a report for Tim, so he can read it when we get back. You know him. Anything you'd like to add?

[She puts the journal on Cass' lap, and takes her hand to put the pencil in it.]

[hellofist]

[Her fingers curl around the pencil automatically so it doesn't get dropped and Cass' lips pull into a slight frown as she looks down at the journal. She can pick out the letters but ultimately it's still just a jumbled mess to her.

Still, she puts the pencil against the paper, tries to remember how to make the letters that make the word hello.

A minute passes and nothing happens. Shrugging, Cass passes everything back to Steph.]

You write. Tell him, said hi.

[secondchances]

[Nope. Steph puts the journal back on Cass' lap, and the pencil back in her hand. This time, her hand stays over hers and she presses the tip to the paper.]

I'll help you write. "Hi Tim" has five letters. We can do it. Do you know how to do the first one?

[hellofist]

[She resists at first because this is dumb, there are better things they could be doing. She saw people melting stuff over the fire and eating it with chocolate, she wants to do that, not this.

But it's important. Steph wants her to. Under her breath, Cass makes the sound for the letter as she tries to remember it.]

Um... H. Then I.

[That much is fairly easy, she should have just started with hi. It comes out shaky when she writes it, there's an indentation left on the paper when she dots the I too hard, but it gets written.]

[secondchances]

Hey, that's pretty good! [Steph's free hand rests on Cass' back in support.]

Now, his name. You've already written one of the letters that goes in it, so it's just the other two that you have to figure out. Give it a go.

[hellofist]

[She writes the I first, to get the easy part done with. She's aware that on the other side of this Tim is likely seeing this, confused about why "hi i" has shown up in Steph's message to him, but it probably doesn't matter. Once it's done he'll understand.

There's more quiet sounding out, but this time it takes longer. Writing is harder than reading, Cass is discovering. At least when she's trying to read, she can look at the letters and try to remember their sounds. This way, she has to try to remember what the letters are, what they look like, just by the vague recollection of what Tim's name sounds like.

Slowly, finally, she gets the last two letters and puts the pencil down, fairly pleased with the outcome.]

[secondchances]

[Steph lets Cass take her time, waiting patiently. When she manages to get the letters down, she tosses her arms up in victory. The only reason there's not a "woo!" attached is because people might be sleeping.]

You got it!

[hellofist]

[Cass smiles, but it's mostly because of Stephanie's reaction. That whole experience wasn't really enjoyable.]

What'd you write?

[secondchances]

Are you asking for the content, or for the learning experience?

[hellofist]

... Both?

[secondchances]

The content is pretty boring, since the trip's been uneventful so far.

[THAT JUST LEAVES YOU WITH LEARNING.]

[hellofist]

[OMG NO THAT IS NOT WHAT SHE SIGNED UP FOR.]

Well, could go... make events.

[secondchances]

Oh? Like what?

[Sneaky girl.]

[assassino]

[He grins, stepping up behind them both.]

Am I hearing a call to make our own fun?

[secondchances]

[Pretends to write while speaking aloud.]

Dear Tim, on this day Ezio found himself stuck up in a tree and Cass had to get him down...

[hellofist]

[Cass, on the other hand, has manners. Sometimes.]

Hi Ezio. Any suggestions?

[assassino]

[He chuckles.]

I'd leave the trees to her to begin with! [Guess who doesn't like climbing trees, and has no desire to aggravate his injury with stuff like that?] I may have a suggestion or two, though.

[secondchances]

I guess we can hear you out. [Smiles at Cass. This is bound to be... something.]

[hellofist]

[She's a bit distracted at first, staring at Ezio's side now that she's figured out something isn't quite right. Did he get hurt?

Oh hey this is where she's supposed to do that communication thing.]

Did ask. Would be rude... not to listen.

[assassino]

We should take the boy [Connor] and go see what we can hunt!

[Hunt animals, that is. It's not like he wants to even think about hunting humans right now.]

[secondchances]

[Steph follows Cass' gaze, but doesn't see anything amiss. He does wear funny clothing, so maybe she's just paying more attention to that right now? Whatever.]

Like what? Owls?

[hellofist]

Can catch fish... with just hands.

[Killing anything with more brain power than a fish isn't exactly on Cass' list of things to do if it can be avoided, thank you. Even animals have body language and when they die it looks the same as when humans do it.]

[assassino]

No! We find one of those buffalos.

[secondchances]

No, Ezio. We're not going after the eyeless buffalo [WITH PEOPLE PARTS ON THE INSIDE EWWW] tonight.

Why don't you tell us a story or something? Be entertaining!