Event || Camp Curtisy Retreat

[eternitymods]

Who: All characters
When: July 17th - 22nd
Where: Nah Nami Reserve
What: Characters go to the campgrounds to do some team building exercises and build CR.
Warnings/Notes: See prompt D for Mognet glitches



A. Arrival

[On the morning of the 17th, Mogaruru directs the outworlders and Curti Center employees who have signed up to the airship headed to the Nah Nami Reserve. Counselors hand out pamphlets with maps, general camp rules, and the week's itinerary. This place loves their pamphlets. Fortunately, most of the rules detail common sense: quiet hours are at 10pm, no smoking or alcohol, no harming the forest wildlife, no setting off fireworks.

After they touch land, the arrivals are free to pick their cabins and set up their rooms before gathering at the mess hall for lunch.]

B. Team Building

[It's not a corporate retreat without ice breakers! On the first day, every splits into groups sharing their names and one interesting fact about themselves. Throughout the day, there's all sorts of get-to-know-each-other events. Maybe Never-Have-I-Ever (alcohol is replaced with juice). A game of Truth or Dare? Trust falls? If it's meant to foster friendships, it's here.

There are also races and obstacle courses for those that want to compete as a team.

Mogaruru oversees the main activities, even leading a workshop in building paper-mache Moogle masks, encouraging everyone to find their passion.]

C. Actual Camping

[There are important life skills to be learned when living in the great outdoors. Hiking, learning about local flora and fauna, and cooking are included in the itinerary. Complaining about the sun and constant reminders about staying hydrated, too.

In the evenings, there's campfires for any type of socializing. Perhaps now is the time to have heart-to-heart chats over roasting marshmallows or swap scary stories about the Camp Lake Ira Killer.]

D. Late Night Hijinks

[After dinner, campgoers are allowed to use Mognet to catch up with news and chat with friends...though considering the glitches that occur during this event, it may prove to be less relaxing considering the glitches that occur in Kupoto's charge.

Things are fine on the 17th. On the 18th, however, messages to and from the Curti Center are delayed by 10 minutes. In an effort to fix this issue, Mognet is down at the Curti Center on the 19th. On the 20th, it's fixed...but all posts are made public. On the 21st, this is addressed, but now every subject line begins with "!Kupo".

Someone is going to have a stern talking-to when Mogaruru returns.

But that's fine. Campers are free to sneak travel outside in a group for totally legal activities. After all, no one would sneak booze or fireworks or play pranks on the other cabins, would they?

At least, if they don't get caught. Otherwise, it's cleanup duty for the rest of the trip.]

E. The Great Outdoors

[The Nah Nami Reserve boasts beautiful forests and a beach. The weather is beautiful. There are no monsters on the reserve...unless one considers the large fish living far from the beach shoreline to be monsters. Or if they are unlucky enough run into one of the larger animals in the forests. Fighting back can be overlooked as long as they don't grievously injure their opponent, ideally escaping without harm to either party. These are protect species, after all. It shouldn't be a problem if they are with Camp Curtisy counselors, but chances are there are some hiking groups that decided to explore the entire island on their own.

The beach includes a long stretch of sand, rock outcrops with tidal pools, and a net for volleyball. Some counselors have "TEAM LAVODE" shirts left from last month's Blitzball tournament, especially the Hypello lifeguards.]

F. Lessons Learned

[Now's the time for the campers to shine. Counselors lead workshops on arts, crafts, survival skills, and languages, but slots are open for all participants to lead a class of their choosing. Want to teach the history of your homeworld? Have any other skills you wish you share? This is your chance to show off what you know!]

Comments

open

[aethereally]

[Team building]
[Salieri's never been camping before. He's a born and bred city boy, and usually avoided any wilderness as often as possible. Still, the idea of camping with all of these fine people sounded like a fun time, since it didn't seem as rustic as he imagined. And now he gets to talk about his favorite subject: himself!]

A pleasure to meet you all. My name is Salieri, and while I appear human, I'm what's known as a Shadow. And if any of you know what that is, I'd like to speak with you. Although I can't prove it, technically, since my ability to transform into my natural state has been taken from me ever since I arrived on Vaikuntha... [He pouts a little bit over that.]

[Great outdoors]
[Being from 1901 on Earth, Salieri's had to go through a lot of culture shock, even as open and liberal as he is. Nothing, however, has prepared him for swimsuits here. My god, you people are practically nude! And he's supposed to just wear these shorts? Unbelievable. It's simultaneously shocking... and kind of amazing. Look, he's still a teenager, okay. Besides, he's got enough confidence to finally wander out in his own swimsuit (red, of course) and act like this is no big deal just like the rest of you. Y'know, despite his small build and pale complexion.]

So, how's the water today?

[Campfire fun]
[Salieri's not quite got the hang of roasting marshmallows. He keeps getting them lit on fire, and then he panics slightly, and ruins the thing trying to put it out. He looks awfully dejected over something so trivial.]

For heaven's sake, this didn't look so difficult when everyone else was doing it.

[Party time]
[Someone has had a few drinks. Just enough to make him super giggly and dumb and even flirtier, and keeping him from knowing which way he was going in the dark forest. Sal was trying to head back to the warm campfire after the sun set at the lake, and now he's lost. Maybe you can hear him calling for help (and talking to himself), or maybe you're out wandering the woods yourself. Hopefully you know where you're going.]

Ah, hellooo? Anyone around? I didn't think this place was so big... or so dark...

Team Building

[mythmaker]

Eh? You're not human, Salieri-kun?

[Azusa blinks. Despite her inhuman ability to get her and everyone else around her lost, she's still human. And Salieri looked human...there are so many types of people here.]

That's really amazing. I had no idea. What's your, um, other form look like? I'm curious~!

[aethereally]

It's true! And I hope you won't hold it against me. I'd be devastated. But considering all of the other non-humans on this planet, I figured it was time I left this particular piece of personal trivia slip out.

[He has to think about how to describe it, since it's not something he really has had to do much. Normally he could just shift over and show someone.]

Ah, well, it's quite different than being in human form in every way. We're non-corporeal, for one, unless we want to be. I suppose you would call it smokey, or ghostly, and humanoid in shape. But many generations ago, my kind was brought to Earth and learned how to take human form when we wish to. Now we can all do it, and it helps us live among human society. Although there's still an acceptance problem with most humans.

I'm very glad to see so many different types of people here getting along. It gives me hope.

[mythmaker]

No, I don't mind at all. I think it's wonderful. Where I'm from, everyone is human, but to think there might be mermaids, fairies, or angels...it's heartwarming, I think.

[Not every non-human is as pretty as Azusa is thinking, but her mind is made up. It's a learning experience for her.]

Ghostly and smokey...hmm. I have a hard time picturing it myself, but that must mean you can do some amazing things, right? Like maybe walk through walls? Or...are you too solid for that?

[aethereally]

We can! So long as we've got the energy to. But if you're well-rested enough, walls are nothing to us. Visit the homes of some older generations of Shadows, and you won't find any doors on them. [What the point what everyone can be incorporeal anyway? And sealed-up homes and rooms keep pesky humans out.]

I have no problem with being in human form, or humans themselves. I quite like humans, honestly. But I would like to be able to be myself sometimes. I find myself so attempting to change over to that form, and nothing happens. I won't ever get used to it.

[mythmaker]

Homes with no doors...that sounds like the kind of place I'd like to visit. There's no way I'd wander off and get lost that way, right?

[Remember that time it took twelve hours to get him from Point A to Point B? Azusa still feels a little bad about that.]

I can't even imagine what that's like. It's not hard on you, is it? Have you tried talking to Ganeshan-san? I wonder if there's a way he could help you.

Campfire!

[hatejakku]

You don't put it in the fire.

[ He watched quietly while Salieri wrecked marshmallow after marshmallow, assuming the other man was doing something Finn didn't know. Apparently not. He can't claim to know anything about marshmallows, but he knows what cooking is about more or less. ]

You're trying to roast it, not burn it. Try holding it over the heat.

[aethereally]

[Salieri has marshmallow goo on his hands and dismay on his face. See, kids, this is what happens when you're raised with servants in your house. No one teaches you the easy stuff.]

That seemed to be taking too long. So when I got it closer, it caught on fire. Then it just tasted like sugary soot. Not pleasant at all.

[He'll watch Finn closely to see how he's doing it. Looks like he needs to be more patient. Salieri will give it a try... as soon as he can figure out how to get all this stuff off his hands first without being rude about it. Where's that handkerchief of his?]

[hatejakku]

[ Finn smiles, holding back a surprised laugh that he's actually enjoying himself out here. ] You could just lick it off?

Here, you want this one? [ He offered over the marshmallow he'd been roasting. ] I just had one. They're a little too sweet for me.

[aethereally]

[Salieri raises an eyebrow at that suggestion, but smirks.] Please, sir. I have manners!

Oh, if you insist. [He'll gladly take that marshmallow, gingerly pulling it off the stick and inspecting it before popping it in his mouth. His eyes light up.]

Now that's much better. Caramelized, but not burnt. Perfect. Good work! You're the right person for me to take lessons from.

[hatejakku]

[ Finn laughs again. ] I don't know anything about cooking, really. This is just one of those survival things I learned in cadet training.

But if you know anyone doing cooking lessons, I'm interested. [ He wants to eat all the things. ] Want me to make you another?

team-building!

[masqueraid]

( ren's ears perk immediately at the word 'shadow' though his face doesn't show it. when he leans forward to reply, the glare from the sunlight seems to catch his glasses just right... )

What do you mean, a shadow? ( it seems like he might know a little about that sort of thing, but all the same, in case this guy wasn't serious... ) We all have them, don't we?

[aethereally]

Ah, I suppose we do, don't we? Even in our natural forms, we manage to cast one, although not a very strong one. Not easy to block light when you're not quite corporeal.

[He's on a different wavelength than Ren here.]

I'd gladly change and show you, if I were able to.

[masqueraid]

( completely different. only, that just raises more questions... )

Your true form, would you say? ( how many masks had he ripped off saying something just like that... yikes. ) I don't suppose you spend your time following someone around all day, though.

[aethereally]

"True" works, yes. Not that I have any problems with being human, mind you. There are a lot of advantages to being able to stay human all the time. For instance, you can't dress up as a Shadow! It's a little dull otherwise. And a touch more difficult to tell Shadows apart at a glance.

[He grins a little at the "following someone" comment.] No, no, of course not. Not unless they're up to something interesting, I suppose.

[masqueraid]

Hmm... ( without giving too much away, ren is clearly weighing what this man has to say against something on his mind. )

Did you... often change from one form to the other? From— shadow to human?

outdoors

[twomeals]

[Who needs swim shorts when you can wear ~nothing at all~!

This probably only works for Yue because his bottom half's a bird, but. Anyway he's happily splashing around in the shallows, not quite willing to stray too far from shore, but enjoying the beach regardless.]

It's nice and cool! Are you going to swim?

[aethereally]

[He really does feel naked out here, but everyone else is pretty much dressed the same, so he tries to think of that. No one's going to think he's strange, right? No one's paying attention to him?

Hey, no, he wants that part. Everyone pay attention to him!

He takes a few steps into the water, and while it's very cool, he doesn't shy away.]

Hmm, you're right. It's been a long time since I've been swimming, though.

[twomeals]

Mm, I've never tried swimming at all before, personally.

[Which is why he's in the shallows rather than farther out with the cool kids, probably. He rakes a claw through the water, enjoying both the cool wet feeling and the ripples he's leaving behind.]

Do you know how to swim? If you jump in you'll make a big splash!

[aethereally]

I... know enough. The water isn't too deep, so I'm not too worried.

[He hasn't jumped in all the way yet, though.]

How have you never tried swimming before? It seems so... universal.

[twomeals]

Does it?

[He cocks his head curiously, looking out at the other swimmers for a moment.]

Well...there wasn't really anything to swim in, back on the mountain. And then once I saw the ocean, it seemed like it might be kind of hard to learn, with wings. Right?

[A small laugh, as he says that.]

party time, of course

[poisonwish]

Snow White had been attempting to avoid Dylas get some time to himself. Why the hell was he even here? He didn't like these people. Well, not most of them... There had been the hope of spending more time with Euphemia, but there was such a crowd and so much noise...

So when he first heard the intoxicated voice, he was annoyed. Then, he thought maybe he could get rid of it. Then he realized that someone would probably miss the voice and it would disappoint Euphy if he went and killed someone.

With a heavy sigh, Snow White went to "rescue" the drunkard... and was somewhat surprised to see Salieri again. "Oh -- you."

[aethereally]

[Once Salieri wandered into view of Snow White, he tried to change his attitude, straightening himself up and adjusting his hat. For whatever reason, he doesn't want to look like a whiny lost drunk in front of Snow White, and he squares his shoulders.]

"Oh, you" too. What are you doing out here?

[poisonwish]

[Snow White sighed heavily. It was just Salieri, no one important. So it didn't really matter.]

I was avoiding people. Not that it's going well.

[He gestured at Salieri.]

What made you walk into the woods? Don't tell me you're really lost?

[aethereally]

Who said I was lost?

[He did.]

Can't a gentleman enjoy the foliage and animal life and... the like? If you wanted to avoid people, why not just go...

[He looks around, remembering the party was quite a few yards off at this point, and they are indeed out in the forest.]

Ah. Yes.