gooseberryhigh | MONTHLY BONDING: CAMPING

MONTHLY BONDING: CAMPING

It's a windy October day, and the entire school is packing up to go on a camping trip. This month's monthly bonding is going to force even the most indoors-loving students out into the wilderness for one night.

There's a rumor going around that the trip is clearing out the students so that MACUSA agents can search campus without the students around. This will have to remain a mystery, however, as nothing interesting happens before the hike gets underway. Quentin Youngblood sets up some magical audio surveillance in their cabin, but when they get back the most interesting thing they recorded was the sound of two raccoons fighting outside. However, they do hear footsteps on the walkways outside the cabin. It could just be staff doing patrols.

Natalie Prince struggles on the long hike and ends up lagging behind, but on the bright side gets to walk with Mr. Covington who's bringing up the end of the group. As everyone's setting up camp, Dinah Dixon suddenly shouts either in fear or excitement: it's Brother! ... Oh, wait, no, that's just a normal moose. False alarm.

CAMPING RULES:

Dress appropriately for the weather. It's autumn up in the mountains, and it's beginning to feel like it.
~~No large electronics of any kind.~~ Alas, Mr. Thorn has been overruled during this particular trip, since it's not actually an OE event. You may bring your gadgets.
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 face IC repercussions.
Thorn is serious about making sure you kids learn how to survive in the great outdoors without your wands, and therefore insists all the set up and take down be done without magic. He doesn't humor any arguments about wandless magic, either. "Those are the rules. Now get to it!"

HOW THIS WORKS

Students will leave Friday afternoon and hike out to a large camping area. The trip is about a an hour and a half long hike, but it's low impact and everyone takes a break in the middle for snacks.

Upon arrival, tents are set up. It's two or three people to a tent!

Tent assignments were made with a combination of student requests and random assignments. You can choose whether your characters asked to be put together, or if staff assigned them by chance.

Couples are not prevented from being in the same tent. However, the tent walls are awfully thin, and the campground is crowded. Hanky panky at your own risk.

Each year has its own campground and fire, but you can wander and mingle with other years.

No magic is allowed when working on setting up camp and survival skills.

Students will return Saturday morning. Ebonhide will have to miss their Quidditch/Cheer time on the pitch, but Mr. Thorn will arrange with their captains to give them some choice extra practice slots next Saturday.

Students who don't have sleeping bags, pillows or camping gear will be provided with school loaners.

Students may bring their familiars so long as they're able to travel safely. Familiars that remain behind will be tended to by staff.

Staff will come through and do a head count at curfew (10:00 PM) when everyone must be in their tents or at the fire pit. Midnight is quiet time, and everyone will need to be in their tents with the lights off.

If your characters want to sneak around and trade tents, there's a chance of being caught if it gets too widespread. Chances are, though, you can get away with it.

Assume that the locations of the tents and campgrounds correspond to the layout of the table that's just below this list.

EACH YEAR WILL EXPERIENCE A UNIQUE SUPERNATURAL EVENT. There will be places to react below.

SENIORS:

Veronica & Riley	Iliya, Ulysses, & Mackenzie	Avery & Sofia
Saira & Phoebe	Ferdinand, Reid & Cameron	Phineas & Yancey
Adeline & Sybilla	Reece, Jonathan & Sylvester	Lachlan, Jaime & Ennis
Oscar, Dominic & Webster	Roxanne & Rosemary	Olivia & Clementine
Casey & Casper	Kurt & Chloe	Antonia & Ursula

JUNIORS:

Ariadne & Jade	Joanna, Samantha & Evangeline	Sebastien, Lucas & Ramon
Fern & Charlotte	Gabriela & Victoria	Madison & Ruby
Calvin & Micah	Milo & Bianca	Cole & Austin
Regan, Isabelle & Paige	Estella & Jefferson	Zachary & Solomon
Hazel & Susana	Todd & Spencer	Heathcliff, Cassius & Ira

SOPHOMORES:

Archimedes, Hieronymus & Griffin	Natalie & Antigone	Peyton, Grace & Corrigan
Violet & Carolina	Rupert & Quentin	Concordia, Marie & Tuesday
Nisha & Dinah	London & Paris

» THE HIKE: Although it takes an hour and a half, the hike is low impact without many hills, and it's very scenic. The mountains are full of fall colors, and it's perfect scarf and sweater weather.

» SETTING UP CAMP: Mr. Thorn encourages everyone to participate! Help dig a fire pit! Learn to put up a tent! Prepare dinner!

» EVENING: Everything's winding down, and many students have retreated to their tents. Others linger by the fire. Mr. Covington makes some (non-alcoholic) hot apple cider or hot cocoa for anyone who's still up.

» IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT: SENIORS: A beautiful teenager in a tattered suit, lace shawl and what looks like a mask from last year's masquerade wanders through your campground, leaving newly bloomed violets where his bare feet touched the ground. If you're awake (one character per player), you can come out and meet Anon in person. He will answer the first 5 questions asked, but... it's Anon, his answers may not be useful. Staff are exasperated by this news, and MACUSA agents will want to interview you. Anon needs to be reminded to keep his distance.

» IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT: JUNIORS: Pearl visits your year's campground, and wanders through the tents at night. If you're awake, she will trade with you through an opening in the tent flaps. Give her something valuable, and she'll reward you with something of hers. (One trade per player.) Later in the evening, Peter can be heard coming to collect her. In the morning, members of staff insists all students who made a trade give up their items to MACUSA... unless you hide your prize.

» IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT: SOPHOMORES: Late at night, everyone remembers Mr. Merrill coming through and checking on them individually now that he's finally caught up with the group. Sheesh, that's a long walk, kids! He's a little too quick to tease them, but it's easy to assume he's tired and that's why he's not his usual gregarious self. However, in the morning, he's nowhere to be seen. Mr. Merrill never arrived last night. So who was that..?

» MORNING: The staff are tired and a little frustrated by what happened last night, but this is just what happens at a magical school, right? This is Gooseberry now. Time to pack up and hike back to campus.

» OOC - Questions, comments, concerns!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Oh, yeah, do we have one handy?" he jests. Ennis reaches into the side of his pack for his water bottle, using all of his willpower to take small, civilized sips in front of Jaime instead of just chugging it with the fervor of a person's who's been stranded at sea.

The next words out of his mouth aren't a joke, but he gives another light laugh before speaking in case he needs to play it off as one: "Can't you just carry me?"

Edited 2017-10-23 01:24 (UTC)

"I did not bring mine from home, sadly," Jaime laughs, stretching slowly as Ennis drinks his water. He's not impatient to get moving again - he's happy to wait for his friend to be ready - but he is fidgety.

The Ribbonfin's later words make him laugh again, and immediately he's sizing the other boy up. "Hmmm, I think I can pick you up." There's really only an instant between this observation and Jaime's sudden advancement forward. He partially kneels down, takes a hold of one of Ennis' arms, and hoists him up in a fireman's carry, even if it's a little awkward with the pack he has on.

It takes Jaime a moment to stabilize himself, but afterwards he doesn't seem too troubled by the weight of the other boy.

When Jaime starts to stretch, Ennis watches for a brief moment before quickly averting his gaze. He doesn't need any more strain on his poor sweat glands.

Even though he was the one who made the suggestion, he didn't actually expect Jaime to accept. When he sees Jaime sizing him up, Ennis quickly reseals his water bottle and is about to make a comment about how he might be too heavy to lift until the other boy hoists him up and over his shoulder. The fireman's carry isn't even remotely romantic, but Ennis's expression goes from glum to gleeful as he dangles behind him.

"Oh, wow, you're so strong," he says with a gentle stroke to the Azurcrest's ego, "I thought I'd be too heavy to lift." A bold lie. "Can you walk like this?"

Jaime takes another few moments to shift Ennis' weight (as he's laughing, because he can't help it), before he answers the other boy's question with action. He starts forward, veering a little precariously as he goes along, nearly bumping them both into a tree. It's unclear if he's doing it just to goof off or if he's truly that off-balance, but in the end it doesn't matter.

"What?? No! How could you think I was not strong enough to lift you? I am very strong."

MONTHLY BONDING: CAMPING

Sweaty Boy needs a lift (Jaime + Open)

Sweaty Boy needs a lift (Jaime + Open)

Sweaty Boy needs a lift (Jaime + Open)

Sweaty Boy needs a lift (Jaime + Open)