Fantasy Camp Haven

[SilentSir]

Welcome, one and all to Camp Haven!


Have you ever felt...different? Cast out from your peers because you could do things that they couldn't? Have you ever been able to bend something to your will, be it water, air, fire, earth, or something more? Well don't worry, this is the place for you! We have a fully equipped camp for everyone. We have a training ground, where our highly trained staff, who are just like you, will teach you how to control and master your gift! We have cabins for every type of bending, and they are very comfortable! We have a wonderful dining hall, with meals that enhance your mastery of your gift, as well as a fully stocked medical facility for whenever you have an accident. We also have special events every week, but you will have to come and see what they are for yourself! We can't give everything away here can we? Worried that your parents wont let you come? Don't worry! We are open 24/7, so your family can come and visit whenever they want!


So, if you have a gift, and you want to meet other people just like you, and make lasting friendships, then come to Camp Haven, where everyone is safe!


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*RIIIIING* I lashed out with my fist and sent the alarm clock sailing across the room. I knew exactly what time it was by the sun just coming over the horizon. 6:30am. It was time to get the camp ready for the new arrivals. I stretched as I walked into the shower. As the hot water cascaded around me, I checked my skin for signs of hemorrhaging. Being a Haemokinetic, or Blood Bender as we are referred to as, I had to constantly check my body for internal "leakage". I got out of the shower, and looked over at the shattered alarm clock. I reached out with my mind, and began to reassemble it. I was a Ferrokinetic as well, meaning I could control metal, but I rarely used it. I picked up the assembled clock and put it back on the nightstand. As I headed for the door, I grabbed my black counselor uniform, which consisted of track pants, a spandex undershirt and a hooded sweatshirt, off the counter in the kitchen and pulled it on. None of the other counselors were awake yet, which gave me some time to head to the training ground and meditate. "Here's to another year, Tim, make the best of it," I muttered as I walked across the cool grass toward the grounds. "Let's just hope the kids have more common sense this time.

 

[SilentSir]

It was around 7:00am when I finally reached the training grounds near the entrance to the camp. I took a deep breath in and looked around. I could see that the medical pavilion and dining hall staff were preparing for the arrival of the campers near the north side of the grounds. The medical pavilion's white-washed walls were a stark contrast to the rising red sun, and the dining hall was nearly invisible due to the dark blue paint job. I looked back at the cabins on the west end of the grounds. The counselor cabin, being the only two story building in that area, dwarfed the other cabins by comparison, but they look almost alike. "They almost look like Lincoln log cabins" I muttered. I turned back towards the entrance to the camp, on the south end of the compound. I sat down in the sand and gravel fighting pit, and waited to hear the sounds of cars pulling into the lots.

 

[Yanire]

"I wonder if there's more here?" I muttered to myself as I took inventory of the medical supplies. My hands ran along the boxes of saline, sterile gauze, bandages and dressings of various sorts, and I frowned at them in thought. "We'll go through most of this in a single busy week, I'd wager." I reached back and ran my fingers through my hair nervously, my eyes darting up to see the time. 7:00 am. They'll be here soon.


I found the hair tie nestled against my wrist and used it to fashion a disorderly bun at the nape of my neck - disorderly enough to match my thoughts. I began to add some last-minute necessities to the cabinets and hummed quietly as I did so. The light, wooden cabinets added a more homey touch to the otherwise white interior of the building. I took a deep breath, and even from within the pavilion there was a faint hint of cedar lurking in the air. My favorite. Well. My thoughts corrected. Only second to coffee. The sun shone through the windows valiantly, somehow livening up the quiet space. Actually - I thought to myself, after a few moments of calm - I bet there's more supplies on the backup cart. I glanced toward the large closet space near the back of the medical pavilion that I'd yet to venture into. It's worth a look.


My arms could barely reach around the stack of boxes containing excess supplies after I'd stacked them, but I somehow managed to get the boxes and myself to the back room - what I could only assume was the supply room - in one piece. I clumsily opened the door, nearly dropping a box of 0.9% Normal Saline bags in the process. I set the boxes down just inside the door and felt around for a light switch for a few moments before they gratuitously turned on. They were the kind that sensed movement. Well, that's handy. I thought, walking into the room in search of more sterile gauze.

 

[Yanire]

"Shit!" I exclaimed as I tripped over something while exiting the supply closet. Twelve small packages of sterile gauze flew everywhere, like some odd confetti. I reached out with my hand and caught the door jam, turning on my back so that it could take most of the blow. After the air had been knocked from me as I connected with the ground, I looked to my palm. I'd scraped it on something - probably the door jam, somehow and it began to burn as soon as I looked at it. I propped myself up on my other hand, looking to find the offending object that had tripped me - the boxes I'd left by the door. I frowned at them, as though they had done something wrong and quickly stood up to nudge them further inside the supply closet with my foot, closed the door, and gathered my confetti gauze.


After placing the packages in the cabinets, I glanced at my skinned palm again. It wasn't really bleeding, but I grabbed an alcohol swab to place against it anyway. It was true that nursing school was largely responsible for making me almost germaphobic. I sucked in a breath at the sting of alcohol and patted the scrape dry with a piece of gauze, before placing my other hand over it. Better get some practice. I thought to myself, my palms pressed together in a sideways-praying sort of way. With the ability of vitakinesis I can induce healing - speed it up, even, within reason. Pain control was another bonus. It helped to focus on nothing but the injury, and making it yours to control. Inhaling slowly, I imagined the edges of the scrape turning inward, and coming closer together. While exhaling, I imagined the pain leaving as my breath did. It was like meditating, almost. After a few moments of this, the burning had turned into little but a dull ebb, and I stopped to examine my handiwork. The scrape had subsided into a small area of light discoloration, which went away after a day or so if the injury wasn't deep enough to scar.


I sighed and closed the cabinets that I'd left open. "I need some coffee." I turned down the hallway toward one of the smaller pavilion entrances and stepped out into the crisp air, headed toward the dining hall. Turning my head, I saw two male figures in the distance and waved. They looked to be counsellors, and I wasn't sure if they were among the ones I'd already met or not. I wasn't even sure if they'd seen me, and hopefully they hadn't been near a window to see the tumble I'd taken. Glad none of the kids were here to see that. I thought as I continued toward the dining hall.

 

[SilentSir]

I nodded to Jerome, and looked back at the entrance. The campers were slowly beginning to file in. I recognized a few of them, as they had been with us for years, but most of the faces I was were unfamiliar to me. I saw a boy about the age of 16 hug his mother good-bye and grab his suitcase. I glanced to my left and saw a girl no more than 10 crying as she said good-bye to her parents. I smiled. "Jerome, check off the names of the campers who arrived. I'll gather them around the fighting pit. It's time for orientation."

 

[Yanire]

Eris walked out of the dining hall, a fresh cup of coffee in hand - which somehow made this already fantastic morning a little bit sweeter. She smiled at the campers walking in as they started getting their bearings, said their farewells to their families, and began their introductions with one another. She didn't want to go back into the pavilion just yet with all of these new faces around, and so she followed the crowd of campers to where Tim was gathering them, taking generous sips of hazelnut coffee on the way.


She walked alongside the group of new campers. "Hi there." She said with a gentle wave. "I'm Eris. I'm the registered nurse over at the pavilion." She made a vague gesture with her hand toward the direction of the large white building. "I'll be coming with you guys to the orientation, but if you ever get injured, or don't feel well, come to the pavilion and see me. I'll get you fixed right up."

 

[SilentSir]

When all the campers were finally gathered around the fighting pit, I stepped in the middle and addressed the newcomers.


"Welcome to Camp Haven. I am head counselor Richards. This" I pointed to my right "is Jerome. He is one of the other counselors at this camp. If you need any help while here, or just want to come and talk, our door is always open. Eris already introduced herself. If you need medical treatment, she is the best around." I walked around the circle of campers. "However, do not take our charity for idleness. This is not a resort. You are here to learn about your gifts and master them. If you hurt each other on purpose, you will be sent to the penance hall." I pointed to the second floor of the medical pavilion. "You will stay there until you have learned your lesson." I went back to the center of the pit. "Now, I give this offer to all newcomers who arrive here. Who wants to show me what they can do?" I step back further into the pit. "If you can hit me, just once, I will kneel and call you master of your gift."

 

[Yanire]

I listened to Tim as he spoke. "Eris." I said quietly in a low voice, as he mispronounced my name. It wasn't a common name, so it was understandable enough. One of my professors in college had always pronounced it 'Eeris', with a long E sound - so if I had to choose between mispronunciations it would be Eric, any day of the week.


l took my hair from it's confined bun and let the wind do with it what it wished, and then looked around the circle to see if there were any campers willing to take Tim's offer. I could imagine that in a group with such varied ages, there were at least a few who were brave enough to put themselves in such a position.

 

[Clockwork Syringe]

I woke up as soon as the sun streamed across my face in lines reflected across the shades on the window. Rolling over I glanced at the alarm clock I frequently relied on to wake me up. The clock read "7:45" and my face contorted in surprise as I realized the ramifications of what this meant. "Oh crap, Tim is going to have my head when he realizes how late I am! My stupid clock didn't wake me up on time." Throwing the covers back in lightning speed, I quickly dressed myself, brushed my teeth, raced down the stairs and grabbed something from the refrigerator to quickly eat on the way over to the fighting pit.

 

[Yanire]

I noticed as a man with black hair strode over to the group and bit my lip, wondering if the boss man was going to call him out, and feeling sorry for the latecomer in advance if he was called out. I afforded him a friendly smile and wave. We've all had those days in our lives where we've run unfortunately if not fashionably late.

 

[Tiny Dancer]

Long before the rest of the staff had even gotten out of their beds, I had decided to get in a five mile run by taking to the forest trails that were part of the Camp grounds fitness trail. Today was going to be a long day. I knew that Eris had the task of checking the medical supplies first up, and knowing her as I did, she would have it done in record time. If she managed to have a coffee. Girl could be like a bear with a sore head without it. It was one of the quirks that I liked about her. Oh yeah, the kids thought she was great and had a wonderful bedside manner, but he knew that behind the sweet facade there could be a real tiger.


Jogging down the dirt trail, wearing my sweats and jogging shoes - I turned in for my dorm and took two steps at a time, before stopping to check my heart rate. I'd raised it enough to have worked up some sweat, and I lifted my arm to take a whiff.


~Pwoahhh~ I thought to myself. Yeah, I stank. A good shower and then I'd be able to join Eris at the Training ground. It was always a good idea to familiarize yourself with the latest group of campers, and also check in with Tim.


Tearing off my shirt, I hopped across the lino covered floor as I took off my pants, and then whipped off my briefs, before I got in under the shower. The jets of water were a welcome relief, and after washing my hair and body thoroughly, I stepped out of the glass cubicle, releasing a cloud of steam into the bathroom. As always I fogged up the mirror, and with a large wipe of my hand, I was staring at my dripping features. A good rub with the towel and I was able to dry myself down, shaking my head as water droplets cascaded all around me and onto the floor. The cleaning staff loved me. I gave them something to do.


Sliding open the door to my closet, I had a row of cotton shirts, all in light shades. Nothing flash really. I wouldn't be what you regarded as a sensitive new age guy. I dressed for practicality, never fashion. Dressing in a white shirt, with jeans and of course my old faithful pair of boots - I slipped on my brown leather jacket and was now ready to face the day, and Eris.


It was a short walk down towards where Tim had a group of new campers at the ready, and it was pretty easy to spot Eris in amongst this lot. Having just released her hair from her trademark loose bun, it was actually nice to see her with her hair down. Sauntering up beside her with my hands buried deep in my pockets and I noticed that she was holding a cup of coffee. One that she must have been enjoying.


"Hazelnut? Where's mine?" I joked with a slightly raised brow, before I turned my attention towards Tim and the campers. "Are we going to have enough bandages for this lot?"


I could have well answered that question myself of course, but there was nothing like making light of the first day back at work.

 

[Yanire]

I hid my smirk behind taking another sip of my coffee and took a short pause to savor the taste before responding. "I think that our bandage usage might be directly affected by how this goes." I indicated the fighting pit and looked up at him. "But if you need some more sterile gauze, I might have left some packs of it on the floor." I gave him a glance to indicate that yes something happened, and no I didn't want to reveal what it was. "I also left your coffee all the way back at the dining hall, it seems." My sarcastically apologetic glance in his direction was most likely not convincing. He was fun to goad, regardless.

 

[Maximus]

Looking at the campers brave enough to try to prove their worth. I noticed Alaric running. Waving to him, I sigh Some things never change. Taking a seat, I think about the Newcomers on how they're gonna lose to a master. Chuckling to myself I finish my coffee and goes over to the group of newcomers, trying my best to convince them to at least try. "you guys are a shy bunch huh?" Trying to get them to talk.

 

[ZevVeli]

Upon being addressed by the councilor who had been responsible for the attendance, I shook my head. "No," I said said watching the head councilor make his challenge to the students. I cocked my eyebrow and looked around, surprised to see some students actually taking him up on it. "Why would anyone take him up on this challenge? He's more than likely been practicing his 'gifts' longer than we've been alive. I mean, I can't even use my abilities to defend myself against a regular person, much less...well...him."

 

[SurroundSound]

Upon promptly waking up and rising from the bed, I moved toward the closet to get dressed. After putting on the comfortable white, orange, and blue shorts and an enormous black and red hoodie, I almost sprinted to the dinning hall. I was late, and my heart raced. Had I missed anything? Hoping I hadn't, I slowed down to a simple trot, entering the outdoors with all of the people. A male's voice filled the air and I followed it.


As I arrived where the others were gathered, panting at the slightest, I would brush my blonde, almost white hair from my bright eyes. Sensing the ones around me, I calmly guided myself to stand beside the one's that were talking, already waiting around one of the counselors. Sighing in relief, I would hope that my small frame wouldn't catch the eyes of any of the campers or counselors. I wasn't fashionably late, I was extremely late. I had slept in, gotten at the camp late last night.


The air smelled of the waking forest, and it made my stomach turn, the last time I'd been in the forest, I turned all wolfy and almost killed a someone. That's why I was here, to control this crazy power of mine to turn into an animal, or one that was alive. I sighed, I had missed something, maybe something even important, or the rules.


What if I missed something really, really important!


My heart began to race faster, and faster, blinking rapidly.

 

[Tiny Dancer]

It was actually a good feeling to know that I wasn't the last to turn up for the morning introductions and of course the start of the campers training. I watched as one of the older female campers - a girl with wild winter white curls; come down fast to join the rest of the group. "Is it me or is the intake age getting older? She has to be over nineteen." I couldn't help but voice my thoughts, which I normally kept close to my chest. It was then I checked to see that smug expression on Eris's face as she used the cup almost as a shield, and another way of saying that she had no intent on sharing her delicious hazelnut coffee. It was only when she lowered her cup and said that she had left his, most likely not even made back at the dining hall. Glancing over to the dining hall that was a fair distance from the training grounds, I grimaced. Didn't feel right to go jogging back to fetch it now, especially with the Chief...Richards preparing the campers for their first introduction to Camp Haven's rigorous training schedule. There was no time for social niceties at Camp Haven. They began testing the campers more or less right after they had unpacked their bags.


I could have illustrated my own abilities at this point if I really wanted that coffee, but I wasn't keen on showing off. It was always best to save that for a time when it was truly needed.


But back to the smirking Eris. Part of the fun of working with her was this non stop banter. A sense of comradery; that had come from a previous working relationship when she had done her internship. Either way I wasn't about to let her get the fun of ribbing me this morning. Not even after she said that she had left some sterile packs of bandages on the floor. Really? Taking my hands out of my pockets and then folding my arms across my chest, I let out a breath slowly, before leaning towards her - yet keeping my eyes focused on the center ring of the fighting pit.


"You know, they go in the supply closet. We even have marked a shelf that says...sterile bandages. In blue nikko" It wasn't really a put down, but more to make up for the fact she couldn't be bothered bringing him a coffee from the dining hall. I wasn't about to start on her other than that small quip. I instead straightened and showed my best half smile to the latest arrival - the girl that looked like her heart might come pounding out of her chest. Trying not to stare for too long at her, I went back to watching which camper was going to take up Richards on his challenge.

 

[Yanire]

I looked at Dr. Marsh while taking a deep, deliberate inhale of the coffee. It was half-empty already. "I don't know about age curves, but I feel like if nobody steps up to the plate soon, Tim's going to start volunteering people himself." I held the cup out to him as an offering, with a smirk on my face. After a moment's thought, I scowled, bringing it closer to me again and popping off the plastic lid before holding it out to him again. The steam from the coffee's warmth escaped from the brim after being held hostage. I raised my brows at him as I offered the styrofoam cup and opened my mouth to speak. I closed it again, distracted by a strikingly lovely blonde taking her place in the group. Huh. I thought. He must be right about the increased age limit.

 

[Geozaki]

Lilly followed the group of people as they walked into the camp, and over to the fighting pit. She watched curiously, yet nervously as a man stepped into the middle of the pit and started to introduce himself and some other members of the camp. Then he challenged anyone to try and take him on. Saying that if they could land a single hit on him that they'd have 'mastered' their gift. Lilly was thankful at this moment for the fact that she was shorter than usual for her age, allowing her to be a little more hidden in the crowd. But an overwhelming feeling of nervousness hit her. The last thing she wanted to do was fight against someone, even less so in front of so many people. She remained silent, desperately hoping that she didn't end up having to take up his challenge


(Sorry took me so long to reply)

 

[AnarchyReins]

Ashton looked at the man with surprise and said, " I'll fight you, though I might not get a hit I'm not just going to stand here and look like a cowardly guy." I say as I step forward.

 

[SilentSir]

I glanced to my left, seeing Alaric take up position on the outside of the ring. I smiled and shook my head. Late, again. Wonder what his excuse is this time. I didn't have time to think about what kind of chewing out I would give him though, as ne of the campers came forward towards me. I stuck out my hand and shook his. "Ashton, pleased to finally meet someone who is willing to take up my challenge." I looked at the other campers. "This is someone who has confidence in their gift." I had the rest of the campers and counselors exit the radius of the fighting pit, and we began to circle each other. "Hope you're ready Ashton." I said, as i reached out with my mind and felt for the blood vessels in his arms. I constricted them, and forced his arm downward into the sand.

 

[ZevVeli]

I crossed my arms as I listened to the counselor. "Confident in his gifts?" I asked the counselor next to me. "He says that like being cautious about what we can do is a bad thing, or knowing our own limits. Is he trying to encourage recklessness in the campers?" I shook my head as I watched the camper's arm get slammed into the sand.

 

[AnarchyReins]

When he shoves my hands into the ground I concentrate on my lighting powers and and shock the sand with a high voltage. I then use the air and manipulate it to throw sand around the ring. "I'm not confident I just believe that are powers are for fighting for people.

 

[Clockwork Syringe]

I stood back from the ring as I watched Ashton take Tim up on his offer of challenge. I chuckled to myself and thought, " Ashton's about to get a rude awakening." Watching the two of them circle, Ashton's arms suddenly sank into the sand. Being gifted in the art of Haemokinesis as well, I began to think about how his use of his gift was similar, yet so different from my own. Suddenly, Ashton used his apparent electrokinesis to electrically charge the sand creating a miniature sandstorm that encircled the two of them. "Well this is new, haven't seen an electrokinesis user in a while. Kid's got talent I'll say. But if he wants to make use of that, he's going to need to act fast before Tim does something.

 

[Yanire]

I clutched my coffee back to my chest again as we cleared enough space for the two to duel. While watching the fight my mind immediately starts working. Splint anything that's broken. Check for exit wounds on electric burns. Loads of replacement fluids. I began to do the formula in my head. 4ml of fluid per kg of weight times the percentage of body area burned. Administer half of the total over eight hours, the rest of over sixteen hours. I placed the lid back on the coffee and took another drink. I wasn't sure how much Tim weighed. I wasn't doubting anyone - but my mind couldn't help but be prepared for whatever may happen.

 

[Tiny Dancer]

Well this was a welcomed change. Eris was actually offering her coffee to me. Maybe it was the guilt about the mess of bandages that were on the floor of the storage room that did it. Either way, you don't kick a gift horse in the teeth, and I gratefully was about to take it, when...the action started in the ring. I wasn't exactly blind to it, more just surprised to see Eris pull the coffee cup back towards her chest and fell back to clear the ring properly. Under my breath I muttered a small obscenity, but really she was doing the right thing by clearing the ring. Tim was not going to go softly on this kid. The one that had the balls to enter the ring and pick up the challenge.


"This is someone that has confidence in his gift" The head counselor said with some authority. More like someone with something to prove, I thought. With the power to manipulate the boy's blood vessels, Ashton's arms rocketed downwards towards the sand as the first attack was played out. Shooting a glance at Alaric, who probably shared the same thoughts on Tim's methods as I did, I went back to following the match, with the boy ultimately defending himself by creating an electrical surge, that sent sand flying up in a spraying fashion. It was going to be one of those shows, and as I was no stranger to this type of fight, I took out my sunglasses and fixed them to my face to prevent sand getting in my eyes. Not like I needed to be blinded by the action.


Eris was still clutching that cup of coffee and took another sip through the lid. Smart girl. Coffee wouldn't taste as good if it were filled with sand.


"Good thing those sterile bandages will be in easy reach after this." I said lightly with a chuckle. Yes, I wanted to remind her of her accident that morning. No doubt she was already calculating what was going to be required to patch this kid up later.