· OPEN ·

[carmesi]

WHO: Anyone and everyone in Solvunn!
WHAT: Mingle for the Summoned disguised as Winter Survival Camp™
WHEN: Two days, some time in January after the beached great yawning shark situation has been resolved.
WHERE: Within the boundaries of the Primary Settlement, at the edge of a small forest near a small body of water.

The invitation for camp is made after the beached giant of the sea has been put back into its rightful place in the ocean. It's an idea that had been ricocheting in the minds of those who live in Gardsbruk farm, and after sharing the idea with Aloy, together they've managed to design something that will (hopefully) not raise too many questions. Aloy has scouted a suitable camping area—safe, near water, with lots of space—and has cleared out debris or any obstructions that will make it difficult for people to pitch their own tents.

The Summoned are, of course, all very explicitly invited to join, and they are to disguise this congregation of too many like minds with extending the invitation to children, teenagers, and young adults in the Primary Settlement.

The individuals of the Primary Settlement are, after all, familiar with the majority—if not all—of the Solvunn Summoned. Though cautious as the natives of the commune may be, there is familiarity in the work some of the summoned ones have done to integrate, help, teach, and entertain the younger inhabitants.

And so, for two days, they will continue to integrate, teach, and entertain those who decide to join.

A. WINTER CAMP FUN

Delightfully, Solvunn doesn't suffer from having incredibly cold winters, but it is still chilly and wet enough to make camping a test of wills. However, they're lucky to have Aloy working behind the scenes to get something going.

She will be assigning chores to Summoned and Solvunn natives alike: getting water, gathering firewood, organizing supplies, pitching up tents. Additionally, since this could be new to many, she will be offering instruction in all these things, including how to build a fire, preparing wood for lean-to construction, basic traps for small game like rabbits and fish. If anyone happens to be particularly intrepid (and is not squeamish about it), she can teach them how to prep and cook said small game. Older kids and teens are asked to mind the younger children, and there is always adult supervision around the corner.

Also, maybe check first with someone before eating those mushrooms, and don't go anywhere alone. Use the buddy rule.

It's not all chores at camp, though. Some activities are available to pass the time, from the usual team-building ones to survival to improving a fighting skill. An archery range has been set up, a tightrope for a test of skill and balance, and a drum circle for a moment of singing fun and rhythm blazing are among the activities. Additionally, scavenger hunts in the near vicinity of the forest are set up, with the opportunity to run around and solve puzzles. For those who prefer quieter activities, there is always the small lake to swim into (it's cold! but nothing like a shock to the system—), collecting pebbles from the shore, or simple bird watching.

Of course, every Summoned is welcome to bring their own idea of a fun time to the camp, and whatever spin of an activity they may want to share with the others.

B. CAMPFIRE CHILL

After a long day of running around, jumping into the freezing lake, quiet meditation to garner favor with the gods, and getting energy depleted with the other activities that took place during the day, there is nothing better to end the day with than to have a big, roaring campfire to huddle around while holding onto a delicious, steaming bowl of creamy soup. All ingredients have been locally sourced (with goat cheese and bread available as sides), and now is the time for everyone to wind down. The younger children sleep first, but for those who are older, there is always a drink or two to pass around, stories to tell, and perhaps one of the Summoned will delight the group of Solvunn natives (and other Summoned) with a story of their big feats of heroism (or otherwise) back in their world.

Musical instruments will be made available, should anyone want to break into song. Games like charades will be an interesting concept to introduce the Solvunn natives to. Stargazing is another activity to indulge in should one walk a little ways away from the bonfire to look up at the night sky.

The fire blazes with life with every log of wood thrown into it, and marshmallows roast at the end of branches (some may burn), and the night really winds down the energy of the group, with people going into their respective tents, wanting to build the energy for the last day of camp, full of activities.

C. THE SUMMONED

Obviously, the Summoned are not expected to be, nor stay, during the entirety of the camp. Some can arrive on the last day of, ditch when it's time to set up or put everything away, or simply walk off if they feel bored.

They will, however, be expected to be there for the very first night.

As darkness covers their surroundings, illuminated solely by the light of campfire and torches, and once all Summoned who have decided to attend are in the clearing they had used for the bonfire, Wanda will step up and unfurl her Chaos Magic. With it, she will create a small hex, covering the perimeter of the camp, from the tents to the clearing the Summoned sit at. From the outside, nothing will look amiss: everyone sleeps, the bonfire dwindles as times passes, and from the inside, the Summoned can move about without having to worry that their movements or words will be noted outside of the Hex—an illusion with six walls and a roof, which, from the outside, gives the impression that things are still and without movement, just another night out in the forest.

No one can leave nor enter it, however, without her first bringing the Hex down. Those who are intuitive with magic will take note of the complexity of the spell, but nothing about it will neither change nor modify physical and mental traits of those within it. Its purpose is to solely give them a space to speak while the natives of Solvunn sleep, and remain asleep.

Wanda will have reached to a select few during the camp—those she's aware of magical prowess and mind control abilities—to aid her during the night to make sure the Solvunn natives remain asleep throughout their discussion, and to keep curious ones trying to get into the camp to turn around and return home without getting too close to the Hex.

Here, they can speak freely.

Before the end of the night, and when they have finished talking, she will wait for everyone to return to their tents and bring the hex down with little fanfare. Mind control or other magical trappings are no longer necessary at this point.

( OOC This will take place in one starter thread HERE. It's preferable that it can take place in an e-cats format (quick, short and snappy tags to move the story along), with no order as to who intervenes in the conversation at any given time. As different characters have different information to provide, feel free to start a thread within the starter pertaining with whatever information shared/discussion your character wants to share. Feel free to jump in and branch off, too! It's going to be a little chaotic, but we can suspend disbelief for the sake of info-sharing.

Feel free to assume that your character has heard all the information being shared in the different branching off conversations! No need to respond to claim that they have. If you want to hit a serious or emotional beat, do feel free to write as much as you want; that's fine, too! But be aware that the purpose of the conversation is for it to move along quickly. Feel free to write your own, separate post-conversation threads if you'd like. )

Comments

steve harrington { stranger things.

[hairington]

A. WINTER CAMP FUN

[ so here's the thing about steve harrington - he is not a camper. his summers were instead spent traveling, his parents much too wealthy to sleep on the ground out in the wilderness when they could instead stay in beach homes or mountain escapes. when he was younger and the other kids were getting sent to summer camp, steve was traveling, or was stuck at home, or was being told to entertain yourself at whatever work retreat that steve's dad had been asked to attend. that's not to say steve's never been camping, of course there was a weekend or two that tommy h's parents had swooped him up and taken them all out into the woods, but steve never really learned the how of it all.

but it's not like this is the first time steve's had no idea what he was doing - and with aloy around to offer instructions, well. steve spends a lot of time listening. is he any good at it? probably not. but lord knows he'll try - which means you might just find him squatting next to a small pile of sticks, a frustrated noise escaping him as he tries, really really hard, to get this fire thing going.

or, alternatively, there is a very good chance that some of the kids whose parents did let them attend the camping weekend have found steve and pressured him into taking part in any of the games and activities set up. steve doesn't really volunteer himself to babysit, exactly, but it's also hard to escape when you've got eight or so seven year olds begging please. and good news for steve! he's not half bad at archery, or tightrope walking, somehow. ]

B. CAMPFIRE CHILL

[ when it comes to everything winding down, steve will end up finding himself helping put a lot of the younger kids to bed. which means that most of the other adults are already circled around the campfire when he sneaks back in and sits himself down next to you. ]

This seat taken? [ he'll ask with an easy smile, before turning and asking for whatever drink is being passed around. once he gets a drink or two in him, he will absolutely take part in whatever charades or other games are happening - no matter what doubts he may have about the natives themselves, steve likes most of them, and knows a good amount of them who are all in the primary settlement, so it's not too hard to join in. ]

C. WILDCARD

[ run into him wherever! ]

B. CAMPFIRE CHILL

[cobrakais]

( really, it's cute. sitting around a campfire with a bunch of other people, drinking something warm, listening to people talk and — not really caring about it at all.

oh sure, he's not completely unfeeling but he doesn't know these people and he doesn't know what they're trying to do here besides bond and make sure everyone knows each other.

so, that's what kai's trying to do. he's staring at the fire, lost in his thoughts, when the voice breaks him out of it. he looks up and at a guy with very, very nice hair and then shrugs. )

Yours now. I wasn't saving it for anyone because I don't know anyone here.

[hairington]

[ truth be told, the only reason steve knows this guy is new is the fact that he has at least seen every other solvunn local here. it hits him in that moment how many times he's made the rounds, at least around the primary settlement, but that also doesn't matter as much.

instead, steve sees him and thinks you know, you were there once and heads over, asking for the seat. when it's opened up to him, steve all but collapses in the space, a hand running through his hair. ]

It's no big deal, man. There's not a lot of us, it won't take long. I'm Steve, by the way. [ he sits up and will even hold out his hand for a shake, if kai's into that kind of thing. ] When'd you get here?

[cobrakais]

Uh —

( after he shakes steve's hand, he counts his fingers, looking thoughtful before he says: )

Not too long ago. Maybe...a few weeks? A month? I'm like new new. The shiny new person sheen is still on me, I think.

( making it obvious to everyone that he is a new person. )

[hairington]

[ whether or not he meant it, steve does laugh a little at that. ]

If it makes you feel any better, I don't see any sheen. But I might be blind to it since I probably have some of my own.

[ new kid club? even if steve's not super super new. just. new enough. ]

B

[lightkeeping]

Oh--hey.

[For as alert as she is when it comes to scoping out potential threats, Aloy seems surprisingly oblivious when someone comes into her space to engage her socially. She looks a bit surprised, then soften when she sees it's Steve--she won't claim to know him very well, but there's a certain camaraderie born of the mission they embarked on not too long ago.]

Go ahead. [There's no good reason to deny him a seat, especially when there's an empty one right next to her.] Did you win?

[Charades.]

[hairington]

[ the greeting has steve smiling - easy, charming, and casual. they spent long enough together that aloy has seen the look from him and can probably tell that it's more familiar than anything, plus she has probably seen him in some uh. embarrassing situations when they were on the road together. so it's not like he has much of an ego to try and keep up with here. ]

Thanks. [ and he means it, all but collapsing into the spot she has open next to her. he seems...not tired, exactly, but like he has been putting a lot of effort into something that he's just now relaxing from. ]

Charades? [ he asks, before shaking his head with a laugh. ] Nah- not even close. I'm not really good at that game anyway, so I'm not sure why I tried. [ he says it without any real weight to it - like he may (or may not) be fully aware of at least some of his faults. ] Plus I'm pretty sure there's a like. Cultural disconnect going on. [ a shrug. ]

Not a fan of party games?

[lightkeeping]

[She shrugs, an indication that Steve doesn’t really have to thank her—-it’s not like anyone else is waiting for this seat. The tension in his shoulders doesn’t go unnoticed, and Aloy tilts her head a little in curiosity.]

Not a fan of parties.

[She’d physically escaped from the last one she attended, and that had been thrown in her honor. Predictably, it hadn’t gone over well. Steve’s willingness to play along, however, doesn’t go unnoticed.]

But someone’s got to make nice with the locals. [And lose at charades, apparently.] Just glad it isn’t me.

[hairington]

Oh...really? Not at all?

[ steve knows people who don't like parties, but it always comes down to finding the right type. right? part of him doesn't think it really matters.

still, he watches some of the other older locals settle in around the campfire, takes notice that there is a definitive separation between them and the summoned. he's not sure what to make of that, but he shakes himself out of the thought a moment later. ]

They're not bad, actually. From what I've heard of the other factions, I'll take- [ he gestures at the party around them. ] And I'll take the games, so you don't have to. [ a small smile. friendly? bonding? maybe? ]

A.

[ofthesword]

[It's not with a lot of grace that Nero finds the kid squatting in the dirt, fumbling with a bunch of sticks, in a way that almost has Nero worried about him. Yeah, yeah, he knows the whole thing is some weird front, and it's a hell of a wild idea. This isn't exactly Fortuna culture, and the Order wasn't taking any knights-in-training to sing kumbaya out around some trees.

(Nero mostly volunteered to go since someone had to watch the kids. And protect what Wanda couldn't keep her attention on.)

At first, he doesn't even know what the kid's trying to do. Like. Pick-up sticks? Do kids still play that?

Instead of easing into it, Nero just knocks Steve's foot with his own boot. Not hard. Just catching his attention.] All right, kid. Enough playin' around in the dirt. It's time to learn.

[He stabs what appears to be a large stick sharpened into a spear in the ground next to him. No, he's never mentioned Geralt told him to teach the kid swords. Just seems like a good time now, especially with Wanda's fancy little ward.] How much has Geralt taught you about fighting, anyway?

[hairington]

[ he is not playing a game, nero, he is trying his best to actual master some kind of survival skills here. what with the current state of the place they're living in. but it's also not going well for him at all, so at the chance of being distracted to do just about anything else, steve will be quick to drop all progress he may (or may not) have made. ]

Huh? Okay... [ steve pushes up to his feet easily enough, watching the spear-looking-stick for a second before his attention turns back. nero has never...mentioned any of this, but the truth of it is that steve knows nero knows what he's doing. knows a lot more than him. so at any mention of 'learning' with the addition of a kind of weapon...well.

plus, he's met with geralt a few times now, learned some of the basics of footwork, how to hold a sword, and what he is definitely doing wrong every time he shows up. it's something that clicks with steve - the practice, the footwork, the way it comes to play. he was in too many sports not to draw the connection, but articulating that is the hard part. ]

Um. A little. How to hold a sword, some basic steps and stuff. We mostly spar, [ and geralt kicks his ass] and he tells me I should use a mace or something instead. But it's not my first rodeo, either. Why?

[ofthesword]

[Man, maybe he has been hanging out with Geralt too much. Or -- what really has happened -- is he's sort of annoyed by this whole thing. That they have to sneak around like this, that Wanda's had to put so much damn energy into the thing just for a bit of secrecy. And he's cooped up in here, 'cause he promised he'd keep the place safe, ward or no ward.

So he's wound up with nothing to do. The least he can do is get a kid to stab him a few times.

Nero offers him the stick-spear, tipping his head towards a bit deeper in the woods. Still under Wanda's hex, but outta the way so no one's gonna get between them mid-stab.]

He's asked me to teach you a bit. More than you can learn in in the Horizon, I guess. 'Cause I'm awesome at this stuff. [Or, more likely, Geralt decided he'd be a safe teacher since Steve couldn't accidentally kill him. Nice of him.] And you weren't too bad at helpin' me last time. [Nero gives him a look over, considering. He's not exactly scrawny, but he's not big, either. Geralt must've seen a reason why.] A mace's not a bad idea. You handle something weighted better?

[hairington]

[ steve can sense that much from him. or, rather, he might not know that nero is pent up and frustrated, but there is something tense and restless about him that steve has seen before. something that could have been a more drawn-out, confused back and forth, that is now - instead - a little more ready.

nero offers the stick-spear and points them into a spot still under wanda's ward and steve considers the weapon, turns it in his hands a few times, as he walks over to the spot. ] He told me to find someone in Solvunn to help me in person, but I didn't know he already asked you.

[ it's the I'm awesome at this stuff that has steve's eyes going from the spear to nero, brows up. not incredulously, or even disbelieving, but more oh, huh, cool. ] Is that what you did back home? Fight with weird medieval weapons and shit? [ also, wow, steve is not scrawny thank you very much. it's called being toned. it's also called he hasn't actually been in sports or consistently worked out in about a year, give him a break. ]

Honestly? I don't really know. [ steve spins the stick in his hands a bit like a lacrosse stick, shrugging. ] We used what we could find, so it was a nail bat, since I used to play baseball, or an axe - molotov cocktails too, oh and firecrackers - but I don't really know what I handle better.

b.

[marlbro]

[ Jerry automatically scoots over a bit, matching the smile immediately with one of his own, wide and dopey and entirely earnest. ]

All yours, sweetcheeks.

[ He says this very casually, like it's a totally normal thing to say to a near-stranger he's probably only spoken to a handful of times around the commune.

Jerry takes a puff of his pipe (wooden, intricately carved into the shape of a boar's head), and then passes it over. Sharing is caring. ]

[hairington]

[ it is a little weird, but at the same time, pretty much everything steve's been dealing with these last few months has been weird. he'll take nice weird over the alternative. thus, as his fellow near-stranger-summoned scoots over, steve only pauses for a moment - looking at jerry with a what? sweet cheeks? kind of look - before he shakes his head, shakes it off, and goes ahead and takes his spot in the newly free space. ]

I feel like I've seen you around, but we haven't actually like, met met. I'm Steve.

[ and, you know, like a good neighbor steve takes hold of the pipe - hesitating only a second - before he takes a very long drag and hands it back. he doesn't choke on it (he's too cool for that, thank you) but he does look like he's about to cough for a couple of moments. ]

[marlbro]

[ Jerry reaches out casually, unthinking, to give him a good thump on the back when he coughs. ]

Yeah, been around a few weeks now.

[ Mostly helping out with errands in the commune here and there. Trying to find the best pipe tobacco and/or weed the fine denizens of Solvunn are willing to trade for a few hours' hard work.

Jerry beams, taking his pipe back. ]

Nice to meet'cha. Jerry.

You been here a while?

[hairington]

[ he does appreciate the thoughtfulness of it, even if the good thump is a bit harder than he expects it to be at first. it does the trick, though, and steve is able to get through that breath. ]

Not too long. [ he's...pretty sure that's weed. that was weed, right? well, why not. ] Just a couple of months. Somehow it feels like less.

A

[postocular]

[ When the idea about the camp was first pitched to him, Carl definitely made a face. Being forced to live out of a tent and really rough it was already something he'd done more than enough for one lifetime, thanks.. But the prospect of spending time with the other Summoned and having more of a 'summer camp' vibe sounded pretty good. He'd never been to summer camp growing up, but he had gone on a few camping trips with his mom and dad.

So far, it's been pretty fun getting things set up and keeping the kids entertained. Even if he was garbage at balancing and archery. He's working on the second one at least. Guns are just so much easier than a bow and arrow because there doesn't always need to be accuracy. Maybe archery just isn't for him.

He's busying himself by picking up stray branches and dry sticks to use for the fire once the sun goes down when Steve's huff of aggravation stops him in his tracks. Unable to help himself, Carl comes over and peeks down at what Steve is doing and clears his throat. ]

If you're trying to light a fire with that, [ He points at the pile of bigger sticks ] you'd probably have an easier time just using your heat vision.

[hairington]

[ steve is pretty sure you still have to be kind of accurate when you use a gun, but his experience with that kind of weaponry is a little bit more limited than carl's, so who knows.

but thank goodness carl comes over to help with the fire starting, because steve is not really getting anywhere with it, and without the distraction would probably still be there however much time later it took carl to finish collecting. as it stands, he's about to hand off the duty when carl makes the snarky comment, and steve's brow lifts pretty instantly.

( he does not need to linger about how this whole exchange reminds him of dustin, definitely doesn't need to think about how much that thought hurts. ) ]

You want to try, Smokey the Bear?

[postocular]

[ Somewhat accurate, but when there's spray, you're bound to hit something, right?

Carl looks over the setup that Steve's got going, he's just getting a little ahead of himself. He smirks and crouches down next to Steve. ]

Okay so you're not doing it wrong. So this little kindling? You want to put a little bit of it on the bit of wood you're rubbing and you want to block any sort of wind with your body. You want to light the little bits first, then you can add your little twigs. Think of it as a thing you have to feed to grow big. You can't feed a baby a hotdog, you know? When it gets bigger then yeah.

[hairington]

[ part of steve expects something sharp and sarcastic in return, so she's a little shocked when carl actually comes and squats down next to him. but hey - actually - this is the best-case scenario.

and as he explains, steve's got that furrowed brow situation going on, watching him point out everything and explain. ]

Yeah, yeah I get that- [ he says - because yes, logically, that makes sense. ] But the small baby sticks aren't lighting. Is there some trick I'm not doing right?

[unnecessaryflourishes]

[To be perfectly honest, Emet-Selch has very rarely needed to make a fire by hand. Not when he is perfectly capable of lighting a fire by other means besides, most of the time. And even when he had needed to pretend to be something less than the sorcerer he is, there'd still been the easy option of flint and steel (and the fact that magic had not been completely unknown in most areas, if not always common.) Still, he does at least make an effort to listen all the same, even if he has no practical experience in trying.

Commiserating with unsuccessful attempts, on the other hand... that he can do.]

It's never as easy as it might sound, is it?

[hairington]

[ steve is mid-attempt when the other speaks, which means that there's going to be another second or so of steve really really trying before he gives a sigh and lets his hands fall. ]

No, this is definitely not easy. I don't know why they don't just have lighters.

[ steve glances to his companion, back to his pile of sticks, and then back over to the other again. ]

You're not having any luck either?

[unnecessaryflourishes]

[Fortunately enough, Emet-Selch is perfectly willing to wait for an answer. One of the side effects of living as long as he has. (That and it's perfectly understandable, given that the other man is rather in the middle of something when he asks.]

No doubt because they are deceptively difficult to create. Though I imagine even the natives her have access to steel and flint if naught else.

[True, there may be some use to the skill they are intended to learn the basics of. But they have often been few and far between, in Emet-Selch's experience. Still, there's a shrug at the question of his own luck.]

I have rarely needed to learn such a skill, prior.

[hairington]

[ steve sighs, one hand coming up to scratch at the back of his head. ]

I guess I could ask around for that. Unless you have some with you?

[ chances are steve will still struggle with steel and flint, but hey! better than rubbing two sticks together, right? ]

Yeah, me neither. [ but again, that's because he or someone else always had a lighter. but steve gets the vibe that is not what this other guy means, so he'll just wait a moment before. ] How did you used to do it?