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

[fanstheflame]

Not even day old camp coffee? Damn, Catnip. ..... You realize I don't even know who made this. They might not have even known what coffee was supposed to turn out like to begin with.

[he pours her a mug, grinning]

[the_effect_she_has]

As long as it wasn't you, I should be fine.

[She grinned back, taking the mug and sniffing it, before taking a long sip. She grimaced, briefly.] Mm. Just like Mother used to make.

[fanstheflame]

[for some reason, this is what drives it home for him: just how much she's changed, just how much time they have back home between them. normally, he can forget, let things be easy, the way they used to be Before. normally, it's easy enough to do. but sometimes, it's the little things. back home, the Katniss he knew never even touched coffee - and he'd had a feeling that she probably wouldn't have anyway, since it was so bitter. even he won't drink it straight, and he's rummaging for the tin of powdered milk he'd thought to bring along. but here she is, drinking it down with minor complaint...]

That bad, huh?

[he covers the thought with a flash of a smirk, though, and carries on]

[the_effect_she_has]

That bad. What I wouldn't do for some milk and some sugar cubes ...

[She's looking wistfully at the cup, thinking of Finnick, of all the mornings she swallowed down coffee just to get herself through the day. Through the lethargy. All those training sessions with Joanna, all those planning sessions with Beetee. Those weeks in the field of District 2, staring at the Nut. Coffee brings back the bittersweet - maybe that's why she can still swallow down the bitter.]

[fanstheflame]

I've got powdered milk, here. It doesn't taste as good, but it works. And there's probably sugar around here somewhere, if Allen hasn't used it all in his coffee already.

[the_effect_she_has]

It's better than nothing. [She held out her mug, letting him sprinkle the milk. She looked around the campsite, eyes narrowed speculatively.] And where is Allen hiding?

[fanstheflame]

I don't know, he might be on watch ... he volunteers to help out, all the time. ... Have you ever met him? He's a good guy, works in the clinic a lot.

[the_effect_she_has]

I did, actually. We fought together in the Space Olympics. [She sighed, quietly.] Which is just as ridiculous as it sounds.