Realistic or Modern 𝒩𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓜𝓮𝓽𝓮𝓸𝓻 | IC (NEW SLOTS OPEN)

[Straw-Berry Milk]

​

OOC: Welcome to hell on earth. You are about to start your journey into the end of the world, and I hope you brought your kitchen knife 'cause you're going to need it. The RP starts with our characters going on a road trip to San Francisco to observe a unique and mysterious meteor shower. The beginning of the RP is going to be fairly slice of life, so bear with me. For the characters that are not a part of the stargazing group, feel free to do whatever you want, really. You can even be watching the meteor shower from another spot if you so wish, or you could be interacting with NPCs, and if that's the case I'll create some for that so you won't be just monologuing. A reminder that the characters in the stargazing group already know each other, some know each other better than others, depending on how long they've been in the group, so we can discuss that in the OOC chat.

Tags: @Kassandra, NaughtiDoti , II-CinderRadcliff-II , Noivian , @SirDerpingtonIV, @SpazTheButcher, _em_ , BeyondDandy , Bullyboy Squad , LowkeyLovingLoki , Baradour

 

[Straw-Berry Milk]

By Tina Alle
Thursday, May 6 2021

Mysterious meteor shower peaks overnight on Thursday

A NASA meteor expert is predicting that hundreds of meteors will create a glowing celestial light show possibly after sunset.

Totality will stretch from around 11 p.m. PST on Thursday and Friday and into the predawn hours on Friday and Saturday. Scientists from around the globe have yet to identify the exact comet, all they know is that it is a long-period comet (a comet that takes over 200 years to travel one time around the sun). Once in a while, this mysterious comet's trail of dust gets extra close to Earth's orbit and can create a bonanza of meteors. And with the summer skies being as clear as they are, conditions are just right for them to show up on Thursday.

In this year's outbursts, stargazers might be able to glimpse 100 to more than 1,000 meteors total. The peak of the outburst will likely last for only about 15 minutes, but could potentially last up to 40 minutes.

The outburst is expected to occur at 2:50 a.m. PST on Friday, but observers should start watching for potential meteors starting at about 2:25 a.m. PST.

Source of inspiration for the article: here.

The group had finally settled down after setting up camp. They had made camping reservations months earlier since this particular campsite only had one spot for a large group. Months ago someone had come up with the idea of all of them going on a road trip together to the north of the state, and it took a lot of convincing from Brielle’s parents for the girl to come. How could she simply pack up and leave her grandmother for an entire week? But she had never been to San Francisco and her parents offered to pay for a caregiver themselves while she was away. God, they even offered to pay for her trip since she didn’t really have any money. She had some savings, but it wasn’t much, considering she stopped working as soon as her grandmother started showing signs of the illness.

But here she was, in the Sky Campground in Point Reyes, after driving about an hour and a half. They had rented two vans to fit everyone and their equipment and driven all the way up the state to San Francisco. They were staying in a hotel near Fisherman’s Wharf, and the plan was to explore the city the rest of the week before going back to SoCal.

They had to hike to get to the campsite, passing a few dead animals on the way, but it seemed worth it. It looked like the perfect spot to watch the meteor shower. Not only it was open and dark, but they had the Pacific Ocean right in front of them.

She decided to start working on a fire, even though it was still 6 o'clock, but her stomach was starting to grumble. They had brought cookies and marshmallows and everything else you need to bring for a good camping trip. She took out her lighter and lit up the fire, lowering herself to the ground and gently blowing on the dry leaves. "All right, which one of you hid the marshmallows from me?", she asked, walking over to the cooler and getting a Spindrift, cracking it open with a fizz as the gas escaped the can.

 

[Baradour]

PHILIP TREADWELL​

Listening to incessant whining of his daughter behind him Phil wondered for possibly the hundredth time why he’d thought this trip was a good idea. He wasn’t paying much attention to the actual words but he was pretty sure Rebecca was complaining about the distance they’d hiked, the strange smells, how her feet hurt, why she had to carry a pack, the lousy phone connection and whose idea it had been. Actually he thought it may well have been all of them.
Looking to one side at his son Andy they shared a smile and seeing how excited the boy was Phil was, for the hundredth time, reminded why they were there.

“It’s going to be so cool !” the 12 year old gushed with enthusiasm “did you know they don’t know much about this comet and they don’t think its ever been this close to us ? Halley’s Comet comes by every 75 years and there was that one Hale-bop, did you see that one Dad ? I was reading about this Shoemaker comet that actually hit Jupiter that was amazing.” Though he sounded like he’d swallowed a book on Comets it was hard to fault his enthusiasm and Phil couldn’t remember the last time his son had been so excited by anything outside a computer game. For some reason this Comet and the predicted Meteors had really sparked his interest and that after all, was why there were here.

Adjusting the straps on his pack Phil was glad to finally reach the campground. It was a wide open area but separated into smaller sections each with an spit for pitching tents, picnic tables with benches fixed to the ground and their own fire pit surrounded by stones. Most sections were small but there was one larger one where a group were setting up. The sections had numbers and Phils smaller section was close to the large area, looking around the site seemed to be mostly empty but 'rules are rules' so he headed over to their site.

“This is us kids” he said, dropping his pack on the ground. Andy carefully placed his bag next to Phils while Rebecca just dumped hers on the ground and wandered off, Randy, predictably followed suit, drifting after her like a puppy.
“Don’t go too far” he called, safe in the knowledge that the chances were they wouldn’t pay any attention to him even if they’d heard him.

Phil looked over to the neighbouring group, should he say something ? He should…probably…otherwise it’s that awkward does it look like I’m ignoring them if I don’t say something ? if I don’t say something now, can I then start saying something later ? what if they don’t want strangers talking to them ? Mentally slapping that overly polite English part of himself he raised a hand in greeting “Hello there. This looks like a great spot for the show tonight”.

 

[NaughtiDoti]

Spoiler: No longer in the RP

​

Kore spent most of the ride up to San Francisco asleep. She had pulled an all-nighter the night before to get some class assignments done before going on the road trip. This road trip for her was more than about seeing the sights, or even the meteor shower, though both were a bonus and had Kore super excited. No, this was a school assignment for her. So she had packed spare clothes, her great grandfather's canteen that she has had since she was a little girl growing up in Ohio, and some of her school books, mainly the ones associated with her Astronomy class.

For this trip, she had to stuff away the high-class dancer, and actor she was working to become and return to her roots as an Ohio country bumpkin that was used to camping on the weekends with her family... it was easy enough. As soon as the van she was in stopped she stretched, letting out a big yawn, and clambered from the cramped space, her old, ratty farm boots kicking up dust as she lands and looks around. 'God I miss being in the middle nowhere'

It didn't take her long to set into helping everyone put up tents and set up camp, seeming more at home here than she had when she was picked up in LA. She didn't mind the dust, the heat, or even the bugs. Once everything was in place she did spot a family that took up the spot next to them, offering a smile and a wave to the kids as they wandered off, only for her attention to be drawn away by their father, Philip. "Oh, "She looked up at the sky, shielding her face for a second, "Yeah, it does. You and your kids out here to watch it too?" She asked, leveling her gaze on him.

Off to her right, Brielle asked about Marshmallows and she laughed, shaking her head. "Did you check the black backpack... That's where I last saw them... Think you can pass me a root beer?" She asked, taking a seat on one of the many folding camp chairs they had, within earshot of both Philip and Brielle.

 

[II-CinderRadcliff-II]

Spoiler: No longer in the RP

Ray A. Scarlet - Security Guard

Location: Sky Camp - Site 1

As the campfire flames flickered and sputtered in the light breeze, Ray was in the midst of setting up her tent as Philip arrived. She looked to be covered in sweat and was wearing only a tank-top and shorts over her essentials, the soaked fabric clinging to her skin - with the bandages around her leg covering her scar. Her abdomen moved in and out to accommodate for her diaphragmic breathing, and as she finished up pitching her tent she reached out for the cooler inside and grabbed a can of beer; taking a sip before turning around to see Philip. She hadn't really met him before, nor did she remember ever talking to him. She just gave a light wave before inching closer to the campfire, slowly sipping away at the cold beer in her hand as she gazed up at the sky. Tired could not begin to describe how she felt at the end of this particular day.

Her morning began at 5:30am, with a steaming hot shower and cup of coffee bringing her mind up to speed with her body - planning out her meals for the week and packing up her lunch for work. All the while she combed through her hair and put on some light make-up to hide the bags under her eyes. By the time she had finished getting ready for work it was roughly 6:40am, driving through traffic taking another 15 minutes before she made her way inside of the museum with her uniform signifying her job. From then on her work varied. A kid got lost and needed help finding their mother, teenagers getting too close to paintings for selfies or social media posts, entitled snobs letting their kids climb the fossils like a jungle gym. You name it, she's seen it. Although these were few and far between on any given day, this particular day saw 4 incidents that she needed to take care of - with one warranting calling the police for vandalism and trespassing. If she wasn't handling a situation as such, she was either patrolling the museum or watching the security footage in the back room; both of which were more relaxing and allowed her a bit of free time while on the job. And then her shift ended at 4pm, with her crusty husk heading back to her friends place to change into a different pair of clothes and wash her uniform for work next week. The coffee pot awaited her and so did her jog, with roughly 2 hours before she had to head out for the campsite. Despite debating whether or not to go, she needed the break to hang out with her club members - perhaps catch up on life.

After an hour long jog Ray arrived back sweaty and exhausted, climbing into her car and turning on the AC before starting to drive towards the campsite. Her body relaxed while behind the wheel as her hand instinctively flipped the radio on, the broadcast being a reminder of the meteor shower that was to come tonight - her eyes glimpsing over at a local grocery store as two officers of the law dragged a shoplifter out of the store and into their cruiser. She almost felt bad for the teen, but she didn't know the situation that had unfolded - nor was she that interested to look up the news reports that would pop up later. Once the police were out of sight the broadcast switched over to music, with 'I want it that way' by the Backstreet Boys starting up as she began to tap her fingers to the song. A sense of ease washed over her as she reached the edge of the city.

With a sigh, Ray leaned back from the campfire and looked over to Kore, reaching back for the cooler and grabbing a root beer.
"Heads up!" Ray spouted before tossing it over, then taking another sip from her beer can. Despite the rough day, she could at least relax with her peers while gazing upon the stars.

TEMPLATE © BOKEH​

 

[Noivian]

Spoiler: No longer in the RP

All through the bumpy trip, while most of the others who had the misfortune of riding in the van one Mr. Buster was driving were complaining, Umeko sat in the way back, with most of the gear. She had the odd job of making sure their driver didn't break the fragile telescopes with his horrid driving, a job the group as a whole had decided was necessary at the first pit stop. But while Umeko knew she should have been paying attention to the way the boxes of equipment jostled and swayed, she was actually a bit... preoccupied. She fiddled about with the buttons and lenses of a camera in her hands.

Umeko was never known, at any point in her life, for having a lot of money. This was especially true now that she was a college student. Within the group itself, she was always known as the girl who didn't have her own telescope. Then again, she wasn't really in the group for her interest in astronomy, anyways. The only reason she could afford a brand new camera for the meteor shower was because she had written off the purchase as a requirement for a film class. It would serve her better than the phone camera she'd been recording with for the past few years, at least.

When the van came to a halt and the gear began being unloaded, Umeko packed up her camera into its hard covered case and shuffled out, helping set up camp. As the sun began to creep towards the horizon, however, she took to the chairs around the campsite, pulling out her camera again and readjusting the lense and exposure to perfectly capture stills of the sun through the branches of the bushes, glimmering off the water as it set. Noise at the campsite drew her attention back to those gathered around the fire, and she turned just in time to watch the guy who was driving terribly shove a bag of marshmallows down his pants. Making a noise of disgust, Umeko crinkled her nose. "Ugh, talk about crude humor." With a roll of her eyes towards Greg, she turned her attention back to her camera, turning it off and slipping it back in its case, trying to conserve battery power for the meteor shower.

 

[II-CinderRadcliff-II]

Spoiler: No longer in the RP

Ray A. Scarlet - Security Guard

Location: Campsite #1

By the time Ray had finished her can of beer she watched as Greg and Daniel arrive, her nose wrinkling up as her gaze turned cold at the crude and grotesque attempt at humor Greg tried to pull. The embodiment of bile left stewing in the sewers mixed with the run-off from the city streets, to say she hated everything about him wouldn't do proper justice - with pretty much the only aspect of him she didn't mind being his appearance. With a huff she got up and swiped the bag out of his waistband, watching the waistband snap back to his groin as swift as his decision to commit a hate crime to all that was sweet and gooey. To add salt to the wound she then shoved the sweat covered bag into his face like a owner would do with their pet, then walking away from him with the bag still in hand as she used whatever dry sections of her shirt there still were to get the sweat off of the bag.
"The next time you even think of tainting the marshmallows with your ragged dirty carpet, I'm stuffing these up your nose to replace whatever brains of yours had leaked out." Ray sputtered in disgust before handing the bag to Brielle, sitting down beside her and keeping her glare on Greg. At some point it registered in her head that Umeko had made a remark regarding Greg as well, her anger towards the insensitive excuse for a chad slowly subsiding as she laid down onto the ground and looked up to the sky. Flattening herself was helping keep her skin cool and allowing the sweat forming on her skin to evaporate quicker, her body relaxing gradually as she got comfortable on the ground.

TEMPLATE © BOKEH​

 

[_em_]

“Yeah, dad, we just got here- yeah, we’re fine.” Chloe said into her iPhone as she and Cameron climbed out of the van last. She adjusted her backpack straps and took in the campsite. Their dad had been more than happy to use up some vacation money for them to go, especially once she had started protesting. Dad and Cameron loved teaming up against her if it meant getting her to leave the house. “Dad, I promise we’re okay- ya know, you’re the one who convinced me this was a good idea.”

She joined her twin as he pulled their camping gear from the trunk, listening to her dad with an mild look of annoyance. It wasn’t that she thought what her dad was saying was irrelevant; anyone who knew her understood that Chloe always had a sarcastic quip on the tip of her tongue and an uninterested look on her face, and that, generally, neither should be taken to heart. “Of course I have my pepper spray-”

“And you know she’s not afraid to use it!” Cameron had shut the trunk and leaned in towards Chloe’s phone speaker, instinctively ducking away as Chloe reached out and shoved his face away. He laughed good-naturedly. “Tell him we’ll text him later.”

“Cam says he’ll text you once we get settled in. Okay. Love you, too.” Chloe hung up and stuffed her phone in her back pocket as she joined Cameron in walking over to Brielle. He dropped their stuff with everyone else’s. “Hey, Bree. Need any help?”

Because of course Cameron would volunteer to help set up.

 

[LowkeyLovingLoki]

Spoiler: No longer in the RP

Artemis would not say that camping was at the top of his list of favorite things to do. Then again, he wasn't really sure what he would put on that list, so that wasn't saying much. He wasn't even really sure why he still bothered with the stargazing group, except for the fact that it had actually done a good job so far of keeping him relatively sober. He still slipped up - of course he did. He was in no way cured of his alcoholism. But it gave him something to do during the nights other than sit around and get wasted alone. Sure, he didn't really talk to... well, anyone, but that was okay. It was probably easier like that. What if someone really disliked him, and then he felt like he should leave, and then he was back to swaure one? Then he'd really have to consider Alcoholics Anonymous, and that was at the very bottom of his list of favorite things to do..

He couldn't say that he'd particularly enjoyed the drive down, although he'd just sat at a window seat of the van with his earphones in and his music blaring, trying not to vomit. When they finally arrived, he was last out of the van, but it didn't take him long to collect his things. Even though he'd packed a variety of outfits, he knew how to pack in a sustainable way, and so he only had a duffel bag with him. For today, since he knew they'd be camping or in the van for the majority of the day, he wore a surprisingly basic outfit of a black hoodie and some ripped jeans with a silver chain here and there. Upon exiting the vehicle, he dropped his things down with the others', then dropped himself near the fire, on the ground.

He could have sat on a chair, he supposed, but he was freezing - Artemis ran cold, almost like a lizard - and so he wanted his entire body to be heated by the fire. So he sat in silence, hands shoved into his hoodie pockets, trying to block out the sound of someone being awfully crude near him.

​

 

[Straw-Berry Milk]

Location: Campsite 1
Mentions: Philip ( Baradour ), Ray Scarlet ( II-CinderRadcliff-II ), Greg ( Bullyboy Squad )​

Brielle liked pretty much everyone in the group. Everyone except Greg. And he kept showing reasons as to why. When he stuffed the marshmallow packet into the front of his pants, she reached into her pocket and removed a pocket knife, unfolding it and looking him deadpan straight in the eyes.

”If it’s a treasure I think I’ll keep it, then,” she said. But Ray did her the favor of taking the package and handing it to her, which she silently thanked God for since she didn’t want to have to get anywhere near his crotch.

She put the knife away, then rested the package on her lap and reached to her side, where she had a long bag, removing long roasting sticks from them. ”Who wants some? We also have some sausages in the thermal bag somewhere,” she asked the group, then looking over to Philip and his kids she raised her voice, ”Hey, Philip, good to see you. Do your kids like smores?”

It was summer, so the sun still shone high and bright, but despite the season, the weather wasn't very hot. Brielle actually felt quite cold. Being so close to the ocean, the breeze blew cold, moving the vegetation around them, folding the high grass and branches away from the water. Here and there she saw some critters that were so used to people camping there that they had grown used to humans, and were curious about who was there this time; perhaps they would even get lucky and get a snack. The brunette got up and rested her stick on the chair, walking to the bag with foods and getting the chocolate and crackers. She opened the package, broke a piece of the cookie, and tossed it to a squirrel nearby. "There ya go, buddy."

 

[Bullyboy Squad]

The glint of Brielle's blade caught in his eye, stirring lust down his groin. Something visceral tugging at the primitive side of his brain. Lust for violence. But Greg was in no mood for fighting. Fooling around? Always. "That's just perverse." Still smiling in that rascal manner. "Love it."

But the museum-lady snatched his attention, spanking him with his own waistband. To the one body-part insulated with some actual fat. So Greg didn't feel much of an impact from the worn sweats' elastic that flogged at the base of his still relatively flat gut.

The owner didn't get a chance to do much more than open his mouth in surprise before she smacked him across the face with her contempt. And a bag of marshmallows. Buster cackled, catching the thing that hit him only to let her have it. "Jeez, woman." Tone croaked with amusement, cheeks tugged up. "You wanted more attention should've just said so."

* * *​

Daniel caught himself lost in the sight. Brielle feeding the tiny fellow was just all kinds of cute. But he knew better than to gawk and paced over towards the seats by the fire. "Hey, Buster." He called and tossed the larger, Supreme hoodie to his half-naked buddy. It was well-worn compared to the navy one he pulled on himself. The student was amazed that Greg didn't pick up the cue when Brielle mentioned sausages... Normally the tall guy would be flinging vulgar jokes left and right.

"Do I look like a weenie to you?" Greg laughed at the piece of clothing, indicating he wasn't cold, or at least putting on an act. Daniel shook his head with a chuckle. There we go.

"Hey, emoville!" Buster hollered when looking at the boy sitting by the fire across from him, the one Daniel suspected was gay. Greg didn't go into explaining nor blatantly insulting, but he tossed his unzipped hoodie at Artemis' head as if suggesting the long-haired male was cold...like a weenie. Daniel exhaled exaggeratedly at his friend's behavior, conflicted about whether he would appreciate the gesture or feel offended by it.

"Hey guys," he said glancing to the twins "I think we're all set." He reassured. Then offered a kind smile to Kore when taking a seat next to her. "Amazing place isn't it." He settled down, adding. "Who's that?" Looking at the older man that was talking with Brielle. Then his puppy eyes shifted to another female, the one with the camera. He wondered why she wasn't snapping pictures of the coastline and the city nearby. Daniel was perfectly sated with his small-town life, but San Francisco? It was so picturesque there.

mentions
Straw-Berry Milk LowkeyLovingLoki _em_ II-CinderRadcliff-II Noivian NaughtiDoti Baradour ​

 

[Baradour]

PHILIP TREADWELL
​

"Yeah it does. You and your kids out here to watch it too"
Phil pointed towards Andrew "one is. The other" he glanced around "I suspect she's got other ideas!"


Finally hammering the last peg flat into the group Phil tossed the heavy mallet to one side and looked about. Both tents were up and looked habitable, Andy had a fire going in the fire pit, Phil smiled at him "good to see those years in the Scouts weren't wasted. Any sign of your sister ? I'm going to get some food going, Burgers ok ?"
The 12 year old looked up from the fire, it was hard to go wrong with half a box of firestarters. "No sign of them Dad." Andy began singing quietly to himself "Becca and Randy, sitting in a tree. K.I.S.S.I.N.G", sharing a grin with his Dad.

A while later and as the burgers were charring nicely Phil saw his daughter 'and Klingon' emerge from the tree line and walk toward the fire.  He rolled the pun silently in his mind, "Klingon...Cling-on" get it ??, he was easily amused he admitted to himself .
Rebecca was, at 15 years of age, as tall as her mother, slim of build and pretty. Her shoulder length fair hair had been died a harsh black with eyeliner and lipstick to match. A pierced eyebrow, nose ring and multiple earrings completed the look which was matched by multiple rings and bangles. The ripped jeans and black tee shirt advertising some death metal band provided the finishing touches to this poster child of parental rebellion.
Randy (he couldn't help it, every time he thought of his daughters new American boyfriends name he felt the urge to snigger like a kid) was the male equivilant, tall, skinny and so pale that Phil felt he could probably burn at night, followed along behind Becca like a puppy.

"Our burgers had better be Vegan, Randy doesn't eat anything else" she demanded imperiously.as they approached, "I told Mum to make sure you only got us Vegan, its for the planet you know !"
"Since when ?" Phil replied - it was getting tough to keep up with the ever changing landscape which was Rebecca's latest demands.
"2 days ago , I told you !". it shouldn't be possible but Phil swore he could hear her rolling her eyes from 15 feet away.,
Glancing at the wrapping which, though meat free, had no mention if the burgers had been were vegan of not, he waved it towards the teenager "See, it says here 100% Vegan". He pointed vaguely at the cover then casually tossed the packaging into the fire. He felt briefly guilty but then reminded himself that once home and away from Randy she' probably be back on the bacon butties in no time.

With the basics taken care of Phil munched on his burger, the kids were stuffing their faces so he enjoyed the absence of both teenage moaning and random wiki based facts about astronomy..
The main group seems to be sorting themselves out too, Greg looked to be fiddling with his crotch in front of Brielle which looked like it was going down like a lead balloon. 'Typical Aussie' he thought, amused. Phil had spent 3 months trying to learn how to surf on the Gold Coast when he was younger, he'd never managed to learn the knack but had fond memories of sharing more than a few tinnies on the beach. 

"Hey Philip, good to see you. Do your kids like smores ?" Brielle called over.
Throwing the remains of his burger on the fire Phil wondered over, " are they those things with marshmellows and chocolate ? We don't have them at home but I'm sure they'll give them a go." Lowering his voice a bit so only Brielle could hear him "I'm not sure on the laws out here, am I ok to drink alcohol ?" he knew booze was illegal to drink outside sometimes in the US but wasnt sure about here in the 'wilds'.

 

[_em_]

----

----​

“Cool. C’mon, Cam, let’s go sit down.” Chloe said. She walked away from where they had dropped their bags, not checking to see if her twin actually followed, and more trying to get away from the possibility of having to do work. Cameron followed her, though, after saying a quick ‘see ya’ to Bree.

“We sat the entire trip,” he said upon joining her around the fire, “I could grab my bat and-”

“I am not pitching for you right now.”

“Please-”

“ Nope.”

“Just for a minute? You know I’m missing practice all week and the scouts are-”

“Not happening, dude. Ask someone else.” Chloe replied, causing Cam to give up. His sister had never been able to wrap her head around his sports stuff; she was the kind to stay buried in a book or some sort of research- so much so that she had graduated high school two years early during what was supposed to be her sophomore year. There were colleges lined up around the block waiting to snag her whenever she decided to attend, and the time was drawing near for her to make a decision since she had been waiting for him to graduate.

She didn’t want to stick out like a sore thumb among her college classmates, even though she was planning on attending online. Because Chloe, for all her brains, was not a social creature, hence why Cameron wasn’t going to track someone else down to pitch for him; the only reason they had joined the star gazing club was to get Chloe out of the house. His dad would kill him if he left her side to go practice and, though he’d never admit it to his sister’s face, he’d feel bad leaving her knowing she’d be uncomfortable. Besides, he knew eventually someone would rile her up enough that she'd need to get her energy out by throwing a baseball at him.

 

[SeaTea]

'Nate' Fairfield​

"You keep staring that way, they're liable to think you're more of a hooligan than you actually are."

"Alright one, I wasn't staring. Two, seriously hooligan? That's the first thing that comes to your head?"

"Me thinks the gentle man doth protest to much."

Nate slumped back into his lawn chair as his great uncle George let out a racking cough in his own lawn chair. They had already set up their tents and got a slight fire going. This was supposed to be an easy week away. No problems, no concerns, no work for his uncle breaking his back on a wharf. Just the two of them taking the sights and Nate finally choosing what his future would look like. A bit stressful maybe, but Nate figured that was the whole point. Right now was supposed to be the stress free time, instead uncle George decided to poke and prod at him. He hadn't expect such a large group of people to settle in the same campground as they did when they made the reservations, although it did make sense given how big the ground was. The two of them had kept their distance, but George just couldn't keep his big mouth shut.

"No need to be picky Nate," George said as if he could hear Nate's inner thoughts. "I just thought it'd be healthy for a young man such as yourself to get some social interaction with kids his own age, you know, like normal people."

"You know I already have friends Unc' so this is really not a conversation we're having again." Nate spoke with a rather gruff tone now, the twang of his accent now more pronounced.

"Oh you told me why you're burning your eyes out on those screens, doesn't mean I think its good for you."

Nate roughly rubbed his eyes as he moved to sit back up. "You know, for all the things you've... taught...." Nate trailed off as he saw George primed in the middle of rearing back the football they had brought with them in his hand. "What are you doing?" George didn't answer as he let the ball go sailing across the campground in the general direction of the large group of friends, although it looked like it impacted close to two of the younger of the group, the one's Nate had noticed before. The throw had missed hitting anyone thankfully, but it would almost impossible to miss with how close it landed.

A pause passed between the two. Nate in confused shock, George with a crooked yet cheery smile on his face.

"Woops, sorry bout that Nate, don't know my own strength. Looks like one of us will have to go grab it." Nate said nothing in response. George nodded to himself, before heaving a theatrical sigh. "Well, I suppose me and my aching bones can just go ahead and mosey over, looking for that darn thing in the dark with my ailing eyesight and-" He stopped himself as Nate stood up from his chair in a flash.

"Don't be a spoilsport Nate, enjoy life." George chuckled at his grand nephew. Nate however wasn't having it.

"I'll remember this Unc' believe you me, this ain't finished." Nate didn't look back as he began striding away from his own campsite towards the other larger area. As he approached however, his steps became less confident. He took a breath and tried to steady himself.

'No need for pressure man, just like you always do. Nothing fancy.' He tried to force on an apologetic look as he approached the other campsite.

mentions: _em_

 

[Sistros]

TOM HENSLEY​

With a weary sigh, Tom tipped back the brim of his Stetson to wipe the sweat from his brow, his eyes narrowed as he admired their handy work. Pitching a tent wasn’t what he would consider a complicated task, but that had changed the moment his grandson had insisted on offering his assistance. While it had been a tedious process for them both, especially since Eli wasn’t what he would refer to as the industrious type, Tom wasn’t about to complain. After all, he was never one to refuse a learning opportunity.

And so, they had endured until the job was complete.

Nevertheless, he had his doubts about the quality of their work—or rather, whether it would hold up under the elements. He had to admit, he could be too damned meticulous sometimes, a trait Eli had undoubtedly picked up on and would likely criticize him over if he dared to convey his thoughts to the boy. There was also the possibility that it could send the wrong message; he didn’t want it to appear as if he disapproved of the final product simply because Eli had helped. That would surely be a blow to the boy’s sensibilities.

Still, Tom couldn’t resist. With a frown creasing his forehead, he idly kicked the nearest stake with the toe of his boot to test its durability. He noted the knot used to tie down the cord was somewhat crude, but overall, it wasn’t bad. It had some sway, which was perfect under the current conditions. It would hold for now.

“Not bad, huh?” Tom beamed as he came around to the other side of the tent, grateful that the task was finally behind them. After the long drive out to this remote location, he was certainly looking forward to some downtime. “You did a good job today. We’ll make an outdoorsman out of you yet.”

Eli, who had already returned to scrolling through the items on his iPhone, barely glanced up as he uttered a quiet scoff. “If you say so, Grandpa.”

It was an evasive answer, the response of a moody pre-teen who wasn’t quite engaged with his surroundings. That struck Tom as odd, considering the boy had approached him about traveling up here in the first place. He knew he shouldn’t probe, but Eli’s behavior piqued his curiosity.

“So, uh...why don’t you go talk to your friends?” he nodded toward a boy and a girl, probably a few years older than Eli, milling about on the fringes of their campsite. “I can hold things down here by myself.”

The boy shook his head, his sandy locks falling down into his face in defiance.

“I think they’re looking for someone to play catch—”

“Grandpa…”

Tom sighed and held up his hands in resignation. “Alright, fine, no harm done,” he murmured quietly, his gaze shifting to further observe the pair out of the corner of his eye. He noted that another party had now approached after throwing a football into their midst. He had to smile at that; it was a nice tactic.

And it also gave him an idea.

“Uhh, how about some s’mores or a couple of hot dogs instead?” Tom persisted as he began to backpedal toward the group sitting around the main campfire. “You can’t tell me you’re not hungry after that long drive.”

Eli pulled a face, but at least he managed to glance up from his screen. “Well, yeah...maybe.”

A crooked grin spread over the old man’s grizzled features. “I guess I can accept maybe. I’ll be right back with some grub.”

Tom did not give his grandson a chance to protest. Instead, he turned his back and trudged across the camp to the firepit. “‘Evening,” he called in his usual drawl as he approached the group, tipping his hat in greeting. “I hope y’all don’t mind a newcomer impeding on your fun.”

Mentions: Straw-Berry Milk Baradour Bullyboy Squad ​

 

[Bullyboy Squad]

Evening.

He snapped his keen gaze towards the oncoming male. The old timer arrived right on cue, Buster was getting a little bored. The shirtless man stood up as if he was about to come shake hands. "Could use a cane, grandpa?" He greeted with a trademark smirk, straying towards the bags instead. "My good boy scout can carve you a walking stick in no time." He tossed over shoulder.

Daniel - the good boy scout - uneasily chuckled, putting his hand up in a short wave. "Hello, sir. We're just waiting for the meteor shower."

Greg inaudibly laughed at his friend while fishing around the cooler. McGrath was such a funny fellow at times. He couldn't even mock him half of it, it would be like slapping an oblivious puppy in the face. Or muzzle.

"Am I the only one who knows how to welcome a man, eh?" The beefcake mused when browsing their beverages. He picked two beers and approached Hensley, opening one bottle against the other before offering it to Tom. Using the car key to open his own.

"Kids, 'emaright?" The young man bared his teeth in a wry smile and if Tom accepted the drink Greg offered to clink their bottles before taking a drag.

Daniel shook his head and rose up, pacing over to them. "This is Buster, I'm Daniel." Then he turned to others and proceeded to list their names as well like the silly potato he was. Until his words were cut short by the football flying right past his head, almost getting acquainted with his cheek.

Buster spurted his beer out to the side as his body jerked with laughter. Gush of American-styled lager merely missed the new companion. Big guy wished his buddy got clocked to the head...that would make the evening much more entertaining.

mentions
Sistros SeaTea​

 

[BloodThunder27]

Enter Justina Yang

Exactly a week away from her due date, Justina was absolutely terrified, scared, but excited. Excited to have her Daughter in her arms, and out of her belly. For this evening, where she had hoped for a good night's rest, she ended up having a wave of strong contractions. Strong enough to where she couldn't tell if they were either Braxton Hicks or a sign that she was going into labor. In a lot of pain, she had to call 911 because she was in no condition to be driving herself to the hospital. The Ambulance ride was mostly quiet and she was silently squirming and trying not to cry in the gurney, with the occasional heavy breathing. Upon arriving at the hospital though, her midwife had checked her cervix. Overall, Justina's water didn't break and she hasn't dilated yet. No signs of labor, granted the contractions were very strong.

After a few hours of resting, Justina was pretty much free to go home, but she was currently in her Midwife's office talking about the birth plan that they had discussed and worked on over the course of the third trimester. So far this night, she had been sitting down and relaxing in one of the comfortable chairs, massaging her swollen belly and thinking about the impending childbirth. Other then that, she was currently sad about how she was going to be in the delivery room by herself, alone and without support. Someone there for her, holding her hand and telling her that she can do it while her mind is full of doubt as she goes through childbirth. "I'm ready to go home. Although I do kinda want to go see that Meteor Shower that's supposed to happen tonight, but with my contractions, I don't think I can make that hike." She said, breaking the silence between her and her midwife.

 

[Straw-Berry Milk]

Location: Campsite 1
Mentions: Philip ( Baradour ), Daniel and Greg ( Bullyboy Squad ), Tom ( Sistros ), Nate ( SeaTea ), Chloe and Cameron ( _em_ )​

Brielle had walked away from the squirrel and approached Philip’s camp to continue the conversation. "Are they those things with marshmellows and chocolate ? We don't have them at home but I'm sure they'll give them a go." Then he leaned over and lowered his voice. "I'm not sure on the laws out here, am I ok to drink alcohol ?" he knew booze was illegal to drink outside sometimes in the US but wasn’t sure about here in the 'wilds'.” She let out a light chuckle and nodded her head. ”I wouldn’t worry too much about it. We’re staying overnight so no one is driving off after having a few beers. Besides, there’s no patrol around, so you can drink with your mind at ease. They’re drinking too, so don’t worry, she pointed with thumb over her shoulder towards her camp. ”But yeah, ‘smores are those things with marshmallows and chocolates. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like them.”

The brunette turned around, the wind blowing strands of hair on her face, which she uselessly fought against, trying to get them off her face. She took a hair tie out of her pocket and tied her hair in a ponytail, but some stubborn strands still wrapped themselves around her tanned skin. She looked at the fire to see who was around it. ”Hey, Daniel!” She opted to call for him, as she thought he was the most reliable one in the group, even if this was a menial task. ”Can you get some ‘smores started? These guys have never had them and I thought that was a crime.” She finished with a smile.

But the smile was replaced by a startled expression when a football flew by rapidly and landed next to the fire. It missed the twins by little. Looking over she saw a teenager was walking over, an embarrassed expression on his face. But then of course she got distracted once again. Greg was loud and obnoxious and was being disrespectful to the old man that had accompanied them on the trip. If there was one thing she couldn’t tolerate was treating older people like that and she quickly felt her face burning.

 

[_em_]

---

---​

The football came out of nowhere; it hit the ground and rolled until it bumped into Chloe’s leg. “What the…”

Cameron leaned past her and they both looked up at the teen walking towards them in sync, Chloe taking in his muscular stature and assuming he was some sort of jock like her brother. She leaned back on the log they were resting against, rolling her eyes already predicting what Cameron was about to do, “Oh good god.”

“Hey, dude! Lost something?” Cameron greeted, standing up with a wide, excited smile on his face. He grabbed the ball from next to her side and tossed it back to the stranger; she noted his ‘professional’ stance as though he was in the middle of a game. Everything was practice to him- her and dad went to every single one of his games and helped him practice all the time...couldn’t he just quit it for a week? This was the first club she had ever been involved in enough to call her thing, not to mention she was actually enjoying it. She glared into the fire, muttering “Jesus christ…”

mention: SeaTea

 

[SeaTea]

'Nate' Fairfield​

Nate grunted in surprise as the football came flying back from the nearby fireside in a perfect spiral, striking him center of the chest. He quickly put hands on it and caught sight of the person that had let it fly. He nodded towards the two, face still pinkish in embarrassment even in the darkness of the surrounding night.

"Yeah man, thanks for that. My uncle is.... well he's sorry o' course. I just think in his age he sort of doesn't care about social-... I'm rambling, sorry. I mean I'm sorry as well, we didn't mean for it to happen."

Nate took a moment to get a better look at the two. The guy seemed welcoming enough, though judging from how hard the girl was staring into the fire, Nate figured he was already off on the wrong foot with at least one of them. "Uh, I'm Nathan, please call me Nate, pleased to meet ya." Nate tried to infuse some of his usually subdued southern accent into his tone. He figured that might help a bit. He sighed heavily, before looking back to the guy and gesturing with the football.

"Say uh, you got quite the the throw, and form was near perfect. I'll bet you got yourself a scholarship to USC or something with a cannon like that. Where do you play?" Nate offered his own easy going smile, glad he could at least talk shop with someone with something he knew about. It almost felt normal. It almost felt like... no, he pushed that last thought down and away as he listened to his opposite.

George Fairfield​

The old mariner let a smile finally crack across his weathered skin as he saw Nate finally start talking with the two teenagers across the way. He cared about the boy like he was his own son, and it killed him to see Nate so set with keeping to himself even after making such a comeback. If he had been older, George would have been happy to bring him in to 'family' business. But...no, Nate wouldn't have to suffice with a life like his own if he had anything to say about it.

George finally rocked himself out his lawn chair, bones protesting loudly as he did so. He shook off as much of his exhaustion as he could before he set out sauntering his way over to the larger group surrounding the fire. They seemed like a lively bunch so far and George figured it would only be polite to get acquainted with his new neighbors, and George had never considered himself to be a bad neighbor.

Approaching with a lively step combined with a slight cough, he cracked open his crooked smile once again. "Good evenin' folks, my apoligies for the sudden intrusion, my grand-nephew doesn't know his own strength so it seems. He's Nate, I'm George, a pleasure to make all of your acquaintances!"

mentions: _em_ , Sistros , Straw-Berry Milk , Bullyboy Squad , Baradour , NaughtiDoti

 

[BeyondDandy]

CASEY GUIDRY

Location: Downtown San Francisco

Before
The lights blinded him, colliding with the microscopic nerves in his eyes. He squinted to keep the discomfort at bay as a hand shoved him forward down his driveway. To his right was John and his wife Elizabeth holding up their phones, filming the events that unfolded before them with no remorse. The live stream would find thousands of eyes in seconds, displaying a family affair for the world to see. To his left was Casey’s old friend Eric, a short Hispanic UPS driver who clasped his hands behind his head and watched in disbelief as his only bud was escorted towards a patrol vehicle. Behind him, Casey could hear the sobs of his fiancé Jennifer, her high pitched shrieks attacking his soul. The sound rang so loudly in his ears, silencing the thundering ambulance sirens that started to arrive on scene.

Now
The startling alarm sound of his new iPhone forced Casey awake from his second scheduled stop. He had been on the road for almost twenty hours and had decided to enjoy one final solitary nap before entering the city of San Fran. It had been eight years since he had enjoyed proper sleep - one without uncivilized interruptions or nightly shanks. He however could not waste another second away from her - Jennifer. Collapsing the sun visor, Casey cupped his hands to catch the falling car key. Igniting the engine, Casey felt the cool air of his old Ford Taurus like it was the first time again - still in disbelief that his parents kept the darn thing for so long. He could not get over the fact that he was finally released and was in a mindset to make things right again with those he hurt. With the engine rumbling and ready, Casey took off from the graveled rest stop and back on the road one last time. Welcome to San Francisco.

Born and raised in Montana, the warm weather and calm waters under the Golden Gate Bridge was foreign to him, but Casey enjoyed the view and relaxing atmosphere that San Francisco offered thus far. It was beautifully artistic and crafted for free souls, a scenery specific to itself. The traffic and boisterous road rage however reminded him of the nature of humanity - people had not truly changed in his time away, even if he had. He missed his hometown of Whitefish, but could not allow himself to turn his back on the woman he loved. After eight years away without contact, she had been the only light in his lonely and dark cell. Casey dreamed of her smile and would give anything to see it shine in his eyes again.

With a tip from his brother, Casey was able to track Jennifer down to a hotel in downtown San Francisco. She is said to be partaking in a rooftop gala under the historic meteor shower on this night. Casey envisioned her in her favorite dress and everything he would say to her when he saw her. He could see himself pulling her away from the party into a private room and begging for her forgiveness and everything he had put her and her family through. What he could not predict however was her reaction. Every time he tried to think of what she would do or say in response, his mind would go blank as if he was not worthy of that future just yet. As he sped into the city, daydreams were becoming reality. He was so close.​

coded by natasha.

 

[Straw-Berry Milk]

Midwife Jane Portland

Location: New Beginnings Birth Center - Jane's office
Mentions: Justina ( BloodThunder27 )​

The midwife was an older woman, a few dress sizes over what would be considered healthy, but she somehow still managed to look good in her older years. She was a little bit lost in thoughts, writting down some paperwork while Justina sat in one of the comfy chairs in her office, so she lifted her head a little surprised when she heard the other one speaking. "I certainly don't advise that you go hiking or even on long walks at this point. But I've read on the news that the meteor shower is going to be so close to Earth's atmosphere you can see it even from a lit up city like San Francisco. So if you'd like to, you can go to a park and watch it from there. I think the biggest part of the shower is supposed to happen at around eleven?" She made a pensive face and looked at the bookshelf with books, decorations and a picture frame on the opposite wall for a moment while trying to think. "So, you know, just be careful and try to stay in a safe place. You know how the city can be, especially at night. But I imagine a lot of people are going to want to see this meteor shower, as the experts say it's something unusual, so it should be safe enough. You could go to Huntington Park, it's right around the corner. Or you could get a bus and go to Presidio or the Golden Gate Park, those should have more people gathering to watch the show." The Birth Center was right next to the Grace Cathedral and not too far away from the Saint Francis Memorial Hospital. Huntington Park was only a block away.

 

[BloodThunder27]

​

Location: New Beginnings Birth Center, Midwife Jane Portland's Office​

Justina did frown a little when her Midwife ( Straw-Berry Milk ) suggested that she doesn't go hiking or an extended walk. At this stage of pregnancy, it was likely best for her to not be on her feet for an extended period of time anyway. With how big her belly has gotten, Justina often felt as if she was going to fall over because it changed her center of gravity, not to mention her belly's weight was pulling her spine inwards, which led to the backache she now had dealt with on a daily basis along with heartburn. However, since there was no mention of bedrest for the rest of the week, Justina ended up being a little more at ease. At the mention of a Meteor Shower though, Justina's curiosity was peaked. She proceeded to listen as her Midwife explained that the Meteor Shower was going to be visible even though there was Light Pollution. Having never seen a meteor shower before, Justina was definitely interested. "Well, I guess I can go sit on a bench at the park and watch it. Probably better then trying to watch it from home, even though I live on the top of a hill and can probably watch it from my balcony." She said before looking at the clock.

There was still plenty of time, so Justina had a reasonable amount of time to decide as well. Mrs. Portland also then advised her to be careful and stay in a safe place. At the same time, it was only natural for her to want to do that, especially right now! She was very, very pregnant and about ready to pop. her Due date was at the end of this upcoming week. Not to mention her belly grew to the size of a pumpkin. Or so she thought. Straightening out the sleeves on her dress as well as her rainbow hair, Justina proceeded to take another deep breath before speaking again after Mrs. Portland suggusted that she could go to Huntington Park since it was close by, or catch a bus to Presidio or the Golden Gate Park. Slowly, she started rubbing her belly again to soothe the little baby when she felt more kicking. "Assuming I can catch this Meteor Shower on time, I would like to get the best view possible. I think I might catch the bus to Golden Gate Park, since its more in the clear and there won't be any buildings blocking it." Looking over at her Midwife, she started massaging the belly once more. "Are you gonna go see it too?" She asked, before pulling her phone out of her purse to check the Bus Schedule in hopes that there would be a bus coming within the next half an hour.

A lot of the good spots were probably already taken, so she also had to choose wisely. Though if anyone was interested in watching the Meteor Shower and did not intend to from home, they were probably going into the hills and such. So maybe the parks would have a little more space? Feeling another strong kick, Justina flinched before letting out a quiet 'Ow' and then taking another deep breath as she was worried about her contractions acting up again. "On second thought, I think I'm just gonna go find a bench at Huntington Park. So if my water breaks or something, I can just come straight back here." She said before grabbing her Hospital Bag and slowly standing up. "But here's to hoping my Little Princess is a patient young woman who will wait for her due date."

Upon looking at her reflection in the mirror, she frowned as she turned to her side. "Wow, I'm humongous..." She said, her cheeks partly turning red as she remembered that Mrs. Portland was still in the room with her.

 

[Baradour]

PHILIP TREADWELL
​

”But yeah, ‘smores are those things with marshmallows and chocolates. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like them.”



With a nod of gratitude Philip turned to the Icebox but rather than a 6 pack a single lonely bottle awaited him. Looking around he could see Rebecca and Randy…and his beer disappearing round the corner. With a sigh and a muttered “at least they left me one “ he opened the bottle and took a sip.

His wife and long taught him to pick his battles, “don’t start a fight you can’t win” she’d said on many occasions. A bit of underage beer and sneaking off with the boyfriend was a long way from the worst thing that could happen, “besides” (he thought) “we’re camping in the woods, theres not that much trouble they can get into”…



Joining the other camp with Andy, he noticed the group had been been joined by two sets of teenagers both with older campmates, it was an interesting group, he’d been a little worried that he and Andy would have been too old and too young for the group but this was a good mix.

Greg was being the typically brash Australian and while Phil was pretty sure there was no malice or disrespect intended he hoped the others understood.

“Hi, I’m Phil, this is my son Andy and over there being antisocial is Becca and her boyfriend Randy” He introduced himself to the new arrivals.

He took a brief moment to look around, the sun was getting lower in the sky , there was not a cloud to be seen. There was a light breeze blowing and trees were swaying gently, the smell of smoke from the fires was tempered by aromas from the food being cooked. Taking a sip from his beer he wandered how his wife was getting on, she'd probably met up with her girlfriends and they'd be in the middle of a gossip/catching up session , frankly he preferred to be here.

“So what time do they think this light show is due to start ?”

 

[_em_]

---

---​

Cameron was oblivious to Chloe’s attitude, as per usual. She was always going off about something; one became blind to it after a while. Cameron huffed out a laugh, “Yeah; lucky enough to have a couple scouts talking to me. I just play for my high school, though. How ‘bout you?”

“Oh- I’m Cam, by the way” he added as he pointed his thumb back to his twin, “This is my sister, Chloe.”

Said sister turned to look at Nate. She smiled unenthusiastically and threw up a half-assed peace sign before looking at Cameron’s back. She let out a resigned sounding, “Just go play.”

Cameron whipped around. “What? No, Chlo-”

“Just go, Cam.” Chloe repeated, exasperated, as she stood up and dusted off her pants, “I’ll grab my book and sit wherever you’re playing. I can feel Greg’s toxicity from all the way over here and he hasn’t even done anything yet- well, besides exist.” She looked at him and shrugged before walking over to grab her tattered copy of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Cameron turned back to Nate, unable to hide his excited grin. “Wanna play?”

mention: SeaTea