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Diego Morales is a leaky indie folk faucet. 💧 (morale) wrote in gooseberry,
@ 2017-01-19 07:31:00

Entry tags:

! ic/ooc, diego morales

UNSANCTIONED CAMPING

This is almost certainly a bad idea, but when faced with the arrival of family members the next day, who doesn't need to relieve a little stress? After curfew, some students slip out to the wooded area between Azurcrest and the sorting cave. There's a scattering of tents, and in the middle a campfire blazes.

The mood isn't as wild as a Grotto party, and most of the entertainment is found in sitting, talking, and drinking. Alcohol is available in reasonable amounts, enough for everyone to have a drink or two (or three if you really need it).

» Around the fire: The forest doesn't have the same warming effect as the Grotto, but it feels very... normal? Just woods and trees and the hoot of an owl. Are you relieved, or do you feel lonely?

» BERTIE BOTT'S EVERY FLAVOUR BEANS: Someone got their hands on a family sized bag of these imported sweets. At first, it's just taken to be candy, but as the truth about these jelly beans is fully understood, it becomes a spectacle.

There's a group of students sitting in a circle, passing the bag around. The idea is that you take one, and then everyone waits in anticipation for your reaction. (Let's be real, they're all hoping you get earwax or cigarette ash.) You must then guess what it is before passing the bag to the left.

In game terms, this means reply to the root comment, and we will use RNG to pick out a flavor for you. You can then write your character's reaction and attempt to identify what they just put in their mouth.

Official results for your random flavor could come from Diego (morale), Sy (stokers), or the mod journal (goosemods).

» The Tents: The magically warmed tents make another appearance. They're filled with pillows and blankets and should be pleasant to sleep in.

» The Morning: In the early hours of the morning, students (hopefully) begin to sneak back to their campgrounds, and (maybe) avoid the eyes of vigilant prefects.

» Did you get in trouble?: If you did, reply here. The punishment will be two nights of detention starting Monday, and a loss of 10 house points per student. Visiting parents will also find out about the indiscretion.

» OOC: Questions, comments & concerns.

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Diego & Cecil

morale
2017-01-19 10:26 am UTC (link)

The head count idea hadn't quite worked out as well as he'd wanted. Diego finds that, once again, planning is not one of his strengths. (Does he have any strengths? Throwing parties? Shitty indie music no one really likes..?) By the time he's up and looking at the list, some people are already gone, while others are nowhere near ready to leave. In retrospect, he's pretty sure he abandoned the effort after he found someone who was receptive to his flirting. God, his head hurts.

He helps with the cleanup, but moves too slowly and loses time. When he finally reaches Azurcrest, he's almost certainly cutting it close, but he thinks he can still make it. Diego's looking over his shoulder at some early bird freshmen, not paying attention to what's in front of him as he quietly sneaks around the balcony to his cabin door.

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Diego & Cecil

choneychurch
2017-01-19 11:35 am UTC (link)

Unfortunately, it doesn't actually matter how quiet Diego is sneaking back into the cabin...because Cecil is already wide awake. With his family coming today, he'd gotten up earlier than usual to tidy the cabin (again) and get ahead on his lessons and generally prepare himself for the visit. He's in very good spirits until the door opens and he glances up from his Magizoology essay to see his friend standing there looking tired and disheveled and dressed in the same clothes he'd been wearing yesterday. The curtain around Diego's bunk is still closed and he'd assumed that he was asleep, but it now seems more likely that he's been out all night. Looking startled, then confused, then hesitantly dismayed, he says quietly, "...Diego?"

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	Diego & Cecil morale 2017-01-19 12:25 pm UTC (link)
	Diego nearly jumps out of his skin when he sees Cecil there. Diego knows what he looks like: dishevelled and still wearing the clothes he wore yesterday, hair a wreck, expression radiating guilt. It takes a moment before Diego feels like his heartbeat is back to a manageable speed. "Cecil," he responds quietly, "hey. Uh. 'Morning." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Diego & Cecil

choneychurch
2017-01-19 06:19 pm UTC (link)

It doesn't take long for Cecil to decipher Diego's expression; he's seen that shocked, guilty look on his friend's face before. Always when he's caught doing something he shouldn't. He tenses and frowns and stands up slowly from his desk. Then he shakes his head, tone a blend of strained concern and unhappy sternness as he asks, "Diego. Have you been out all night? Where have you been?"

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Diego & Cecil

morale
2017-01-19 06:45 pm UTC (link)

Diego wilts visibly, which looks even more pathetic because of the general state of him. Under Cecil's scrutiny, he feels like trash. He worries he smells like it, too, but it doesn't even matter. The only lies Diego can tell are ones of omission. He stands there limply, no charm or energy left, silent for several second. The regret upsets his stomach more than the hangover. But he'd known this was coming, or he should have. Diego's not often sure which side of that line he's on.

"It's just, uh. I know what you're thinking," he tries hoarsely. Then he realizes that's kind of an unhelpful, shitty answer. He presses his hand to his forehead, and scrunches up his eyes. "And what you're thinking is probably right."

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Diego & Cecil

choneychurch
2017-01-19 07:23 pm UTC (link)

Cecil honestly doesn't know what to think, but as he takes a few steps closer, he can confirm a few things: that his friend appears to be okay (mostly), that he smells like campfire smoke and alcohol, and that he's almost certainly hungover (he's seen this often enough to know). His frown deepens and he glances back at the other bunks, all with their curtains drawn. Is there even anyone here? Has he been making an effort to be quiet for no one but himself? While his voice remains even, his broad shoulders slump a little as he looks back and says, "Just tell me. Please. You know I've got to ask." And write it up. And report it to Mr. Merrill. And notify the other prefects. And institute a headcount to ensure that everyone who followed Diego out into the woods (to the Grotto?) made it back or is making it back to camp safely.

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Diego & Cecil

morale
2017-01-19 09:03 pm UTC (link)

Diego's eyes look doleful as he stares at Cecil. "Uhm." He's going to tell him, he knows he is, but Diego's also worried about the bunks behind them. He remembers Levi's lasting anger. Oh, god, does he remember.

"I will, I want to. But can we talk outside?" he asks weakly. He doesn't want anyone overhearing what he knows is coming: abject disappointment and hurt feelings, all while the shittiest friend in the world is grovelling like he always fucking does. "We can go on your run. Or anything you want that isn't in this room."

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Diego & Cecil

choneychurch
2017-01-19 09:22 pm UTC (link)

No matter what's going on, Cecil can't ignore the distraught expression on his best friend's face and he gives a small nod of agreement almost immediately. But he doesn't move just yet. While it always feels like an invasion of privacy, he's obligated to glance into the bunks to see who's here...and who isn't. Because Diego never does anything like this alone. "Wait for me on the balcony, all right?" he asks quietly, "I'll be there in a minute."

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Diego & Cecil

morale
2017-01-19 11:23 pm UTC (link)

"Yeah, sure," he agrees, hushed and cowed. Diego slinks back towards the door, grabbing an extra scarf from his bed as he passes.

The chill outside is biting, but it almost feels good, and it even clears his mind a little. Diego drags himself to one of the wooden chairs where he can stare out across campus. His eyes linger on the deep woods past Ebonhide. He thinks he could cry if he really wanted to, but he doesn't want to end up with Cecil comforting him for feeling bad about eight hours too late for it to matter.

Instead, he lets his thoughts linger on Ravi. It's like picking at a scab; painful, but satisfying.

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Diego & Cecil

choneychurch
2017-01-20 12:53 am UTC (link)

Cecil doesn't leave Diego waiting long -- it doesn't take much time to confirm (to his surprise) that only Ryan appears to be gone and to pick up his journal so he can let the other prefects know what's going on -- before he steps out into the cold, dark morning air and joins his friend. He takes a seat beside Diego and, instead of looking into the distance, he glances down at the camp and the trail leading up to it. Will he see any others returning? If he does, he supposes he'll have to write down their names and talk to them too.

A long moment passes before he looks over at his friend, exhales a soft sigh that escapes his lips in a puff of white, and prompts, "Okay?"

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Diego & Cecil

morale
2017-01-20 03:42 pm UTC (link)

"Okay," Diego repeats, staring at his hands instead of Cecil.

"There was a party last night. People were so stressed about their parents coming, there's so much shit going on right now for a lot of us. We stayed overnight in the woods. It was just in that little gully off Rattlesnake trail. The one by the shortcut to the Sorting cave. I-it was really close, we could see the trail from the tents." Diego realizes his explanation is veering into excuses territory, and falls silent.

"I'm sorry. It was my fault," he adds in a dead voice.

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Diego & Cecil

choneychurch
2017-01-24 08:26 am UTC (link)

Cecil is quiet for a moment, thinking all of this over, but there are still too many holes in this plan for it to seem anything but reckless and irresponsible to him. Finally, he says, "I know people are upset about the conferences. I know people are stressed. But running off to have an unsupervised campout in the woods is dangerous, Diego. What if someone had gotten hurt? Or lost? Or if something strange had happened again?" His lips thin as he looks at his friend, his expression that blend of disappointment and concern and guilt that always seems to surface when he has to lay down the law. Especially for Diego. Then he asks quietly, "You organized this?" The unspoken too lingers on the tip of his tongue, but he doesn't say it. He doesn't want to think about this emerging pattern of poor choices and lies just yet.

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