OUTDOOR EXPLORATION CAMPING TRIP: Day 1

[goosemods]

WEEKEND CAMPING TRIP
DAY ONE

Outdoor Exploration's first weekend trip of the year is here, just before the inevitable chill of winter sets in. Mr. Thorn still warns students to dress warm, because once they get higher in altitude, they may run into snow. If you don't pack your coat, you're not coming with!

Mr. Thorn is being accompanied by Mr. Covington to help manage the group.

Supplies are spread out amongst the students, so everyone has to carry a little. "No exceptions!" Mr. Thorn barks. "We're suffering as a team, kiddos!" It includes, tents, food, a first aid kit, and other various and sundry supplies.

CAMPING RULES:

• Bring a coat.
• No large electronics of any kind. If you brought something he doesn't like, Thorn's confiscating it, no questions. The only exceptions are: flashlights, small music players with headphones, GPS devices, cameras. And before you ask, no, portable video game systems are not allowed. Thorn says: "Come on, why sign up for a camping trip just to play on your little no-maj thingies? You can do that when we get back."
• Buddy system at all times. Do not go off on your own.
• Don't leave the trail.
• Respect your tent-mates. If Thorn suspects there's a problem, he's stepping in.
• Lights out is 10:00 PM. All students must be quiet with lights off after this hour.
• You must help carry the group's equipment.
• Clean up after yourself.
• All the rules that apply on campus apply here, kids! The only things you're escaping are your uniforms and classes.
• If you act up, you're being sent home early with Mr. Covington and will be banned from future OE trips.

Mr. Thorn picks the following seniors to be his #2s, based to their proficiency in the great outdoors. Yes, he has four #2s. Don't question it. It basically means that you're expected to keep your eyes on the group, make sure no one falls behind, and help set up camp.

• Nathaniel Bird
• Henrietta Gray
• Levi Kramer
• Diego Morales

MORNING: The group leaves at 10:00 AM and are excused from all classes that day. The weather is brisk but pleasant, with scattered clouds.
AFTERNOON: The group hikes through picturesque landscapes, taking a break for lunch, which is bagged sandwiches. Students with special dietary needs will have a lunch that suits them. Levi Kramer shares some of their bread with a chipmunk that proceeds to follow the group for about a mile.
ARRIVAL: Here at last! The group sets up camp in a lovely little basin by a lake. The group is directed to set up camp, with Thorn and Covington relying on the #2 seniors to direct efforts. Will Chase has bad luck setting up their tent, and gets smacked in the face by a pole.
EVENING: Wes Carpenter and Cecil Honeychurch help Mr. Covington make a hearty meal in a dutch oven, which is topped off by peach cobbler. Wow, he's a surprisingly good cook.
NIGHT: Time for bed! You can chat quietly and have wand lights and flashlights on, but after 10:00 PM, Thorn expects to hear nothing but peaceful snoring. If you try to sneak into another tent, there's a 25% chance of being caught.

TENT ASSIGNMENTS: Due to last minute sign-ups, some things got shuffled around! Assignments are two or three to a tent. They're regular nonmagical pop-up tents decorated with the Gooseberry emblems. (Yes, you are expected to put in elbow grease instead of using magic.) Students are provided with sleeping bags and pillows if they don't have their own.

Solomon & Ferris & Essie	Cricket & Anuhea	Cecil & Henrietta & Ravi
Nate & Levi	Bailey & Kurt	Wes & Will & Diego
Nia & Trixie & Veronica	Clem & Dom

Comments

BEFORE THE TRIP

[goosemods]

[indiefolk]

Diego is incredibly excited, waking up earlier than usual and going to drag Levi and Cecil out of bed to get ready if they're not up yet. He was a little put out that the three of them wouldn't be sharing a tent, but clearly intends to at least be all over them during his waking hours.

[knightly]

Ravi would've let Anuhea know the night before that he's sneaking onto the trip at the last minute, and asked for her help on figuring out what he needs to pack. For someone who's spent more than three years at camping school, Ravi does not know a lot about camping.

And probably in the morning, they set off together along with all the other Ribbonfins on the list, which is... just Kurt lol.

[gdilevi]

Instead of bringing his Large Electronic (IS IT TRULY ELECTRONIC IF IT'S MAGICAL??? ok but it is large) Levi opts to bring his stylophone instead of his keyboard. He also brings his ukulele from LARP. It's gon' be a good time.

[paytee.insanejournal.com]

Wes was only just a little too amused at needing to leave Rafael behind for the weekend, and tried his best not to laugh too much when apologizing to him for leaving. But let's be real, a lot of it was smirks and "Them's the breaks, baby," before he put wards on his guitar and his trunk and bed and booked it right on outta there.

[tinyrebel.insanejournal.com]

This is what Ferris has been raised to do, she has been able to survive alone in a forest for years and simply packs a utility knife, fiddle and a sleeping bag. Anything more than that is for suckers.

[puphart]

Anybody who saw Kurt on Thursday would have thought that Christmas came early, and that it came with a winning lottery ticket. It's actually his annual excitement for the first camping trip of the school year! This is his third year experiencing said excitement, and it only gets more enthusiastic. More delightful. More adorable. And for some campers, probably also more insufferable. He's basically a labrador puppy who's just been given a new squeaky tennis ball, and then gets showered with a million more.

His bag's been packed since Monday and he is SO READY.

[chryseis]

Cricket is basically Backpacking Barbie. She has been on enough of these trips to realize that she doesn't need to go overboard with survival supplies, but she is well prepared. The combined worth of her personal camping gear and chic camping outfit is well into quadruple digits. Notably, she brings along her own fishing gear, a trashy romance novel, and her History of Magic notes.

Before leaving, she asked Maggie to take extra good notes in class (not like she needed to remind her!) and asked her to collect anything she may have missed.

Considering most of Ebonhide is on this trip, I imagine most of them walked up Bear Trail together, but she specifically stopped at the Ebonhide Senior boys cabin to scoop up Nate.

[unregrettable]

Henrietta packed the night before. First camping trip of the year! SHE'S ALL OVER THIS. And don't tell anyone, but she actually has a list of things to pack. She was up early and was probably disgustingly bubbly, haha.

She cancelled Azurcrest's official Quidditch practice on Saturday but told the rest of her team that if they wanted they could still turn up to the pitch to fly, practice manoeuvres, or just mess around on brooms. BE GOOD WHILE MAMA'S IN THE WOODS~

MORNING

[goosemods]

[knightly]

Ravi is here, missing LARP for what might be the first time ever??? (Sorry LARPers, this Saturday you are under the lovingly total supervision of Rafael Ramirez. ♥) Ravi does playfully greet Levi and Trixie by their character names when he sees them, but otherwise seems quite excited about going on the camping trip. Let's see what all the OE fuss is about~~

Oh, and he also makes a point of stopping to talk to Cricket and thanking her for the invitation. Ravi is far less experienced on the trail than everyone else, but game about helping out, so no complaints here about having to carry extra equipment.

[paytee.insanejournal.com]

Wes slapped the boys from his assigned tent on the back as they all headed on out, but spent the whole hike bouncing between different groups and chatting people up. He was especially talkative and flirtatious around Henrietta, and may have offered to carry a little more than he should have, because #gentlemanly / #showoff.

If there were any large obstacles blocking the path, he insisted "hold up y'all I got 'dis." (https://instagram.com/p/BGDXcseJr9I/)

Re: MORNING

[puphart]

Kurt's first sighting of Mr. Covington sends his excitement into orbit ("W-we're going on horseback?!"), and even when he finds out that the groundskeeper is just there for extra supervision, he merely returns to previous levels of "very." He'd have given Bailey a hug when he saw her, and would say that they definitely have the best tent assignment.

While hiking, Kurt remains delighted. He isn't going out of his way to talk to anybody new, but he also isn't shying away if unfamiliar faces try to make conversation — though he'll quietly stammer replies, much to his displeasure. If companions speculate about birdsong or certain wildlife, Kurt willingly offers information whether or not it's specifically requested.

[choneychurch]

Cecil is a bit of a baby when it comes to the cold and he's maybe a bit more bundled up than seems warranted, but he's nevertheless in high spirits and excited to get the first camping trip of the year started. While he'll often stick close to Diego and Levi, he'll also make the effort to welcome Essie back to OE, welcome Ravi to his first camping trip, and otherwise make nice and catch up with everyone.

[chryseis]

Cricket is in her most relaxed state. OE trips are her one opportunity to immerse herself in the serenity of nature and not attempt to micromanage everyone else's business. She is still chatty friendly with everyone at they head off, but she is visibly more relaxed and doesn't go out of her way to greet every single person like she usually would. She isn't obvious or rude about it, but she avoids hiking near her more boisterous peers and mostly sticks with Nate.

[alapai.insanejournal.com]

Anuhea was glad to get out and enjoy the nature. She was pretty relaxed and chatted with those around. She made sure to keep an eye on Ravi because she sort of felt semi-responsible.

AFTERNOON

[goosemods]

[lfmkarapst.insanejournal.com]

Since Trixie can eat very little, while everyone is eating their delicious sandwiches, she produces a few handfuls of fruit and passes it around if anyone else would like to share in this. Meanwhile trying to keep her distance just in case someone tries to kill her with her only weakness, food.

[notacad.insanejournal.com]

Poor Will - he had been trying so hard on this trip, but then all of a sudden he got smacked in the face with his tent pole. He was in pain and more than a little embarrassed, bless his heart...

[knightly]

When it comes time to set up camp, Ravi observes his peers with all the seriousness of a scientist at a physics demonstration, and would be glad for any direction on where he can help out. Cecil and Henrietta are probably very proficient at setting up tents (also, very tall), and when it was all done, Ravi applauded them. ;u;

EVENING

[goosemods]

[lfmkarapst.insanejournal.com]

Trixie totally steals some of the peaches out of that peach cobbler while happy claiming that the food is awesome (at least looking depending on what it is).

NIGHT

[goosemods]

[lfmkarapst.insanejournal.com]

Seeing on how she exists on about four hours of sleep a night, Trixie will sit up most of the night fiddling with some strange collection of dead lighters and little gears that she is somehow able to see in the dark while doing. Promise she will keep very quiet while she does it as not to annoy her tent mates.

MR. THORN

[goosestaff]

Is there anything you need Mr. Thorn's help with? He'll sort things right out.

[chryseis]

After they arrived and set up, but before dinner, Cricket asked Mr. Thorn if she could go fishing for a bit.

MR. COVINGTON

[goosestaff]

Looking for some deep and yet somewhat incoherent life advice in the form of a horse metaphor? Mr. Covington's on it.

Re: MR. COVINGTON

[theniceboy]

Solomon followed Covington around, asking him everything he could think of - in a completely nonironic way - just to get all that life advice.

OOC - Questions, comments, concerns!

[goosemods]

This is the place where you claim volunteer slots, ask if anything happens if your character does a certain thing, or just hit up the mods with questions about the trip! ♥

[paytee.insanejournal.com]

Character C for Wes please!