OE DECEMBER CAMPING TRIP

[goosemods]

OE DECEMBER CAMPING TRIP

The weather is frigid, but seasonal, as snow flurries greet the students that gather in the morning for the tree-cutting camping trip. Although it’s only one night, it’s a beloved event, overseen by Mr. Thorn, Mr. Covington and Mrs. O’Hare. The three of them are in high spirits, laughing and joking as they pack up the sleds and check to make sure everyone is well equipped.

CAMPING RULES:

• Students going on the camping trip are excused from Friday classes and leave at 10:00 AM after breakfast.


• There are sleighs students may ride in, or you may take a horse.
  • There are ten horses available to ride, and everyone else hops into magical self-driven sleighs. Members of Equestrian Club are given first choice of whether or not they want to ride a horse, so if your character is not in Equestrian Club, please do not sign up to ride a horse. After that, there are two sleighs which each seat nine, three to a row.
  
  
  • Just approximate the numbers. We're not overly worried if things don't quite add up.
• Dress appropriately for the weather. Kids need (at the minimum) a winter coat, hat, gloves and winter boots. You will be left behind if you're not dressed properly.


• 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, and 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.


• 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!"


• The purpose of this outing is to collect a number of trees for decorating campus. OE students who are experienced in cutting down trees are responsible for this, overseen by Thorn. Only seniors who regularly attend Outdoor Exploration get to cut down trees. Everyone else assists or watches and cheers them on.
  • The qualifying seniors are: Adeline, Avery, Clementine, Dominic, Ennis, Kurt, Lachlan, Lilika, Mackenzie, Oscar, Sylvester, Webster and Wilde.

Mr. Thorn picks the following seniors to be his #2s, based on 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, help set up camp, and manage the horses.

• Gweneth Popplestone


• Kurt Wolfhart


• Adeline Foster-Hayes


• Mackenzie Prince

CLICK HERE FOR TENT ASSIGNMENTS

TENT ASSIGNMENTS: 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.

Lilika & Mackenzie	Sofia & Ennis
Dinah & Concordia & Paris	Dominic & Ulysses & Oscar
Griffin & Jefferson & Wilde	Gweneth & Clementine & Avery
Kurt & Sylvester & Webster	Ruby & Tuesday & Peyton
Tristan & Isabelle	Lachlan & Adeline

» THE RIDE: The group leaves at 10 AM and are excused from all classes that day. The weather is chilly with romantic snow flurries as they ride out on horses and sleighs. It's a picturesque departure.

» ARRIVAL: It was a long ride, but we're finally here! It's extra work getting the tents set up in the snow, but Mrs. O'Hare leads everyone in singing carols to pass the time. Unfortunately, she's an awful singer.

» TREE CUTTING: The reason we're all here! The qualifying seniors, and anyone who wants to assist or witness, hike out with Mr. Covington and a horse pulling a sled. He's very serious about who's allowed to use the axes. You cannot freely assume your character got their hands on one.

» EVENING: Mr. Covington once again cooks around the fire, and there's hot chocolate and tea available for everyone. The snowfall intensifies a little, but not enough to drive everyone into their tents just yet.

» NIGHT: Time for bed! The soft sound of snow falling on the canvas above you lulls you to sleep. 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 out of your tent, there's a 50% chance of being caught.

» OOC - Questions, comments, concerns!

Comments

THE RIDE

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HORSES

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SLEIGH #1

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SLEIGH #2

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ARRIVAL

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TREE CUTTING

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Avery

[un_kept]

Last year, she used magic to help put up her tent and Mr. Thorn rightfully shut down her prospects of tree-cutting. Since then, she hasn't even had her wand visible in class unless otherwise instructed to. It's very clear this year she wants to cut down a tree and bring it back to GB.

So, she asks - hoping she looks confident and not nervous.

Webster (and open)

[websterknox]

Webster is very excited to cut down a tree or two. He and his cousin Tony have cut down the family's Christmas tree the past few years. Well, Webster was actually in charge of Finding the Tree and the all-important Securing A Perimeter. Tony, being the bigger of the two, insisted he actually cut it down.

But now Webster will get a chance! And sure, he's not as big... or strong... or rugged as Tony and some of his classmates BUT you don't have to be strong to do this. You just have to be precise. Make a proper notch at the correct angle. Create a natural hinge by chopping from the other side. Let gravity do the rest. (Bonus: Wear a vest so you look good doing it.)

Webster sets his axe down and starts stretching. "Don't worry. You got this," he tells himself... and then suddenly hopes nobody heard him.

Clem v Tree

[neattrick]

Clem's had her eye on a specific tree since freshmen year. And she has lumberjacking in her BLOOD. She's ready to go the second an axe is handed to her and goes at her chosen tree with some gusto. Her cousin doesn't so much cheer her on as back-seat tree chop, and she stops several times to bicker with him before successfully felling the tree.

Mackenzie shows off. (open)

[princeprincess]

Before picking up her axe, Mackenzie ties back her long, red hair and finishes it off with a festive pin made a look like a sprig of holly. There's something about hefting an axe in red lipstick that makes a girl feel good about herself. There's also something about the object of her affection possibly watching this that makes a girl feel extra pressure to wield said axe with power and precision. But that's fine. She's Mackenzie Prince, and there's no one more competent than her. There's nothing she's set out to do that she hasn't accomplished with a steely glare and effortless composure.

She lets the axe rest over her shoulder as she surveys her target.

Kurt and the magnificent pine

[puphart]

It takes Kurt a really long time to choose the right tree.

It has to be full-grown, but not so old that it will die soon, because dead trees provide a lot of nutrients to their environments. (He read a book about nurse logs over the summer and it was fascinating!) It has to be free of small animals' and birds' homes. It has to have an unobstructed path to fall where it won't damage anything else.

He settles on a tree after a close inspection of close to a dozen candidates. He thinks it looks impressive and lovely whether or not it actually fits either of those requirements, and he quadruple-checks where he plans to whack.

EVENING

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Sylvester + OPEN

[threatens]

Sy smuggled a flask of bourbon on this outing, which he's willing to share with anyone who isn't a huge snitch. It's cold as fuck out here, and Sy will his part to keep anyone from freezing to death and/or stave off the realization that you're camping deep in the same woods which might have kidnapped you last June. Any takers?

After dinner, Sy sits on a log at the edge of camp. His flask sits in the snow, on the other side of the log so it's concealed from casually wandering teachers. He's scribbling in his journal and muttering to himself.

Addy Does Duties (OPEN!)

[addytives]

When she's given just a little responsibility, Addy grasps it and keeps it like she's never going to get another one. She's not sure where that came from, and why she doesn't just let it go, fail on purpose, and wander away. That would be easier. She's found, though, that she likes adults trusting her. It's a bizarre thing. The tasks she's been given today aren't so frightening, though. Feed horses, manage camp. She can do all that. And well, even.

Everyone's slowing down their activities to cook and eat, but Addy tries to be one of the first over to the horses, a bucket of icy water sloshing against her legs inevitably as she offers it to one of the beasts. "Hiiii." She coos at the horse, scratching her (her?) nose. "This is like...kinda cold, so let me warm it up, a little, ok??"

She knows she's not supposed to use much magic, but hey, it's December, and she doesn't think horses like ice water much, so she does a very, very small warming charm. One gets the idea that left to her own devices, she'd probably be looking for a lemon wedge to squeeze in there, for the horses' dining pleasure.

Dinah + Paris + a raccoonicorn

[dinahdanger]

There's a raccoon. There's a super cute raccoon, and he's got something in his super cute and tiny little paws that he's holding super close to his cute and tiny little head, and it might be a super cute and tiny little pinecone. But it MIGHT also be a tiny little horn.

"Oh my god," Dinah stage whispers to Paris next to her and points at the little guy by the treeline. "It's like the world's fattest little unicorn." She gasps, struck with inspiration. "A raccoonicorn."

NIGHT

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Addy & Lachlan

[lachlangalbraith]

It's taken Lachlan longer than usual to unwind (he still can't believe he'd agreed to go along for a camping trip the Friday before exams!) but he finally has. After a day spent with friends, riding in sleighs and cutting down Christmas trees and drinking hot chocolate, how could he not? And, after this week, he'd needed all of that.

Lying beside Addy in their tent with his pleasantly sore arms folded behind his head, he exhales and offers the girl a fond, sheepish, thank-you-for-never-judging me smile. "Thanks again for your help," he says, still embarrassed but nevertheless in good spirits, "Between the two of us, I think we might make one capable woodsman." Who's not strong enough to chop down a tree on his own? This guy! And he can't even blame it on being a septuagenarian today.

Lilika & Mackenzie

[princeprincess]

Mackenzie pulls her knees up to her chest as she surveys the cozy tent she's sharing with Lilika. Cozy, but spacious with the two of them. The huge teal fleece blanket she has laid out across her glows with magical warmth. With Mr. Thorn being so strict, this will have to keep them from freezing tonight. For once, Kenzie chose function over form, and isn't wearing a slinky nightie or something equally impractical. Instead she's wearing a huge, blue fleece sweater that she's comfortably drowning in. Her hair's in a messy braid over one shoulder.

She pats the spot next to her, gesturing for Lilika to join her. "I used to love watching the seniors struggle with their axes."

Clem & Avery & Gwen

[neattrick]

Clem's... in enemy territory here. Ebonhide and Ribbonfin aren't playing each other again until May, so this shouldn't be awkward, right? Feels a little awkward to her, for whatever reason. Setting up the tent went fine, as one might expect with three veteran members of the outdoorsy clubs. Clem has even remembered to pack a spare pair of socks so she doesn't have to sleep barefoot or in her snow-soggy ones, which is an unprecedented amount of foresight on her part.

But she's having trouble falling asleep, and her usual talking point (Quidditch) seems like it might be best avoided. She squirms in her sleeping bag a little, wiggling around to lay on her side so she's facing the rest of the tent.

"D'you think..." she begins, trailing off for a second as she wonders if it's still before curfew. She didn't bring a watch. "Uh, do you think Brother and Anony care that we're cutting down trees? Aren't they like... forest guardians?" She figures they probably would've heard about it by now if they weren't, but it still occurred to her when she was hacking away at her tree earlier. Something about it had felt borderline sacrilegious, and she always feels like something's watching her in the deep woods these days.

Dinah + Pear + Concordia

[cheer_leader]

Conflicted was Dia’s word of the day. CAMPING! But cold. AXES!!! But she couldn’t touch one. TENTS!!! But the ground was hard and cold. DINAH AND PARIS! But who would get the coveted middle spot? All these warring feelings were leaving Concordia feeling very tired by the end of the day. Glad the tent had been set uo earlier, Concordia snuck back some got chocolate in a little thermos when she was over being around the fire and just wanted to crawl into bed.

Now that she was inside the tent though, she definitely felt more awake. “Hey! I got more hot chocolate. I wish it was the kind my Abuelita would make for me but it’s still pretty good. I knew I should have brought some spices with me...” She muttered, frowning. Foodie was putting it lightly, if she could wear a spice belt like a tool belt at all times she totally would. “So who gets middle? Or I mean like where did you two want to sleep?”

Tristan and Isabelle

[aftokaiafto]

"So."

Tristan sat cross-legged on his sleeping bag, elbows resting on his knees as he expertly shuffled a pack of cards.

"The irony is not escaping me," he began seriously, one eyebrow raised as he dealt Isabelle a hand for a round of Exploding Snap, "that for Reasons Unknown, I wasn't allowed to be in your cabin, but hey--camping almost alone and almost unchaperoned and in the same tent is one hundred percent okay all of a sudden."

The gravity of the situation seeped out of him faster than air from a balloon and in the next moment, his nose is wrinkled with an almost sarcastic smile. "What horseshit. I'm not sure what's got me more offended."

OOC 🌲 Questions, comments, concerns!

[goosemods]

Re: OOC 🌲 Questions, comments, concerns!

[ulixes]

this looks extremely fun :< why did no one ever give ME an axe when i was a teen

Re: OOC 🌲 Questions, comments, concerns!

[puphart]

this had better not turn into a "goodbye, ruby and tuesday" situation.

Re: OOC 🌲 Questions, comments, concerns!

[lachlangalbraith]

This is so nostalgic now~ ♥

Aaand this is also the trip that makes Lachlan remember that, while he is good at camping and outdoors stuff, he is still A WIMP. :’) Someone please help him.