CAMP ALPHA: for everyone who wanted a crossover between summercamp and Ghost Adventures

[indigo_league]

Who: Everyone who came to Camp Alph
Where: The Ruins of Alph
When: July 18th-21st
Summary: This is a log for all the camping shenanigans your heart desires! For part 2 of the event, there will be a second log to keep the ensuing seance situation separate from the all-purpose ruin-exploration adventures. Participation in part 2 will be entirely voluntary, so feel free to tag on part 1 as long as you like! For more information about this event, check out the info post over here!
Rating: PG-13
Log:


Been to the Ruins of Alph before? Are you an old hat at this stuff? Well turn everything you thought you knew UPSIDE DOWN because EVERYTHING. IS DIFFERENT NOW.

… Or at least, that’s what the flyers being passed out under a canopy of cheap Celebi balloons that are bobbing around in the breeze say.

One thing’s for sure, there sure are a lot more tents than normal. By the time most of you casuals get there, the entire picnicking area, usually quite spacious, has been turned into a small tent city. And the excited atmosphere is palpable.

The crackle of the Ruin Rangers’ walkie-talkies mingles with that of the ghost-hunting equipment toted around by excited Hex Maniacs, burbling Unown are drifting here and there to blink curiously at all the new people and Pokemon suddenly on their turf, and chatter from Legend Seekers of all ages (really, of ALL ages-- everyone from Youngsters to Veterans have apparently been swept up in the Seeker-mania!) rings out as stories and speculations are swapped.

There’s lots to do, plenty to explore, and (according to word on the grapevine), more than enough spooky rituals to perform once the night falls.

Will you solve some tile puzzles and fall into an underground chamber? Stick to the main group and make s’mores? Befriend a floating letter (or twenty-four)? Go directly against the advice of the tired-looking Rangers and play One Man Hide-and-Seek in the dark?

Or, most importantly, will you start a small-scale riot in order to keep the loud static boxes away from the tents where you’re trying to sleep?

Comments

[colorpalatable]

That loud, terrified shriek is music to her ears. Marceline laughs as she flicks on her flashlight and emerges from the shadow she'd tucked herself into to check on her spook target. Because surely the appearance of a tall, skinny woman with long black hair filled with bats (well...three bats) isn't going to make things worse!

"Hahaha, oh, man, I got you good!"

She pauses, and the thought maybe too good crosses her mind. She tilts her head and leans down just a bit to peer into Armin's face.

"Are you gonna be okay?"

[schachmeister]

Armin has one hand pressed over his chest as if it can either keep his heart from breaking his ribs or at the very least, get it to cool its valves. Gus the Shiinotic has wrapped his weird spindly thin fingers around Armin's other wrist, looking up at him, as if to make sure he is all right.

"Y-yes. I'm all right."

After the loud shriek, Armin's voice is now soft and awkward. He doesn't like making a fool out of himself. Though he cannot help but add, in a slightly softer voice.

"Though that was kind of cruel..."

[colorpalatable]

"Aww, I'm sorry little dude. I was just having some fun."

Her apology is sincere - Jake the Dog notwithstanding, she's not super used to people who can't just shrug off a good jump scare.

"D'you wanna do a reverse jump scare? Even the score? I'm down if you are."

[schachmeister]

"I don't think I'd be particularly good at scaring people."

Look at him Marceline. Look at his round little face, cute button nose, and big blue eyes. Is this the face of a scarer? No, no it is not. But really that is mostly because Armin is a bit of a stick in the mud who doesn't see the fun in jumping out from behind a wall to frighten someone.

"Besides, would that even work? You'd know it was coming, wouldn't you? Without the element of surprise, I doubt it would be effective at all."

[colorpalatable]

That is sure a very cute and round little face. But even cuties can be scary with the right motivation!

"Well, you don't have to do it today. Space it out a few weeks or months, you know? Catch me when I least expect it."

[schachmeister]

"No, I think I'll pass. It's not quite my thing."

Though, after a moment, he goes on to add:

"Of course, if I was actually intending to take you up on your offer, I'd probably answer in the same way to lure you into a false sense of security. Which would improve my chances of success."

He is not, but you know. Hypothetically speaking.

[colorpalatable]

"Ooooooh, that's good. I got you." She winks and grins a pointy toothed grin. It's dark and shadowy in here though, so he may miss it.

And then she moves right along, totally dropping the subject of jump scares and crouching down to get on a level with Gus. "Who's this little guy? He's really cute!"

[schachmeister]

"I really don't--"

But, oh. Okay. The subject has moved on already. Hopefully she won't be too much on the look-out for Armin jump-scaring her because, well, he really, really has no intention of doing any such thing.

"Ah, this is Gus." Now that it looks like his trainer won't be dying of any sort of heart attack (small pity, Gus would've loved to watch his corpse rot away into nothingness), Gus has relaxed too. His spindly thin fingers are still wrapped around Armin's wrist, but it is looser now. Less concerned. When Marceline crouches in front of him, he tips up his cap to look at her, raising his other hand to wave his long thin fingers at her. Silently. Completely, utterly silently. "He's my Shiinotic."

A pause.

"You really think he is cute? Not that I am doubting your words exactly! It's just that... most people don't react to Gus that way."

[colorpalatable]

"Yeah, I think he's cute." She glances up at Armin with some disbelief, before returning her attention to Gus. She raises one of her own hands, fingers spread, and mimics Gus' spindly-fingered wave. Then she extends her hand toward the creature a bit more - she'll shake his hand or poke carefully at his fingers or let him poke at her fingers if that's how he rolls.

"How do most people react?"

[schachmeister]

"They think he is kind of creepy." Armin watches as Gus examines Marceline's extended hand for a moment, before wrapping his thin fingers around hers. Yes, he knows how to shake. He has seen the human people do it. Of course, being that he is a fungus boy, he doesn't quite manage a proper shake. Rather than a good solid hello, Gus' shake ends up being more of a weird tickle against Marceline's palm, moving her hand up and down in a slow manner. He also holds on far too long.

[colorpalatable]

In Marceline's experience, holding on for far too long is really just something that adult, human-shaped dudes can do. Anyone else is no problem. Especially good fungus boys who make Marceline think of earnest little kids. She lets Gus' spindly little fingers manipulate her hand, and doesn't complain about the length of the contact.

"People say that to you?" She is offended on Gus' behalf. "Next time someone does that, tell them they're creepy. I've only known this little guy for a minute but I can see he's an absolute sweetheart."

Marceline would cut a dude for this little dude.

[schachmeister]

"Oh, they don't say it, but you can tell." Sometimes you need to read between the lines a bit. Not that the awkward, side-long looks people give Gus need a lot of reading between the lines. It's pretty glaring. "Well, apart from little kids. They just blurt it out some times."

Armin can understand it a little. Between the vacant looking eyes, the absolute silence and the spindly long fingers, he probably does ping a lot of people's 'uncanny valley' radar. Plus, there is the other thing. The whole 'he likes to watch dead things rot with absolute cheer'. That is a bit weird too.

"Thankfully Gus doesn't seem to mind one bit what people think of him. He has a lot of self-confidence."

[colorpalatable]

"Hmph. Well, they're all missing out. Sucks for them. And good for you, little dude!"

That last remark is directed at Gus - a warm congratulations on his self confidence.

Finally, though, once Gus seems to be finished playing with her fingers, Marceline stands back up. She tucks her hands casually into the pockets of her jeans, ready to carry on with this conversation at people-height.

"I'm Marceline, by the way. Sorry again for spooking you so bad."

[schachmeister]

"I'm Armin. Armin Arlert."

He won't say it is okay, because scaring people and tricking them is not cool! Especially not when they are sticks in the mud like Armin. But also, it happened and he won't let it stand in the way of them talking. Not when it doesn't seem like she is very malicious about it. Just mischievous.

"Uhm, I don't think I've ever seen you before. Could it be you are new to this place by any chance?"

Armin won't say he knows literally everybody who has come here. But he checks the network regularly enough and he can't recall Marceline being on it. Of course, he may have missed a post here or there, but presumably, he would've noticed her if she had been here for a while.

[colorpalatable]

"It's been almost two months now. Not sure if that still makes me new or not, though. I'm guessing you've been here a while?"

She notes the lack of any sort of response to her apology, but that's fine. Some people are sticks in the mud, even if they're pretty cool otherwise.*cough*Peebs*cough* He seems like a good kid - he loves his little mushroom buddy, for sure, and hey, he's still talking to her. She'll call that a win.

"What kinds of stuff do you do for fun around here? Besides spooky seance camps?"

There hasn't been any seances yet, but Marceline's not blind; she saw that stack of Ouija boards on her way in.

[schachmeister]

"I've been here for almost three years now." So, compared to that, two months is nothing. Armin blinks and sometimes it feels like another two months have gone by in this place, and to be absolutely honest, he never wants it to end. Perhaps he shouldn't think that way. He's got a soldier's duty, after all, but he cannot deny he does.

"Well, I suppose that depends on what you consider fun. A lot of people are involved in battling, of course, or just training their pokemon. And most of the cities have things like libraries, museums and shops." And also things like bars and music stages and all, but like Armin ever visits those! "Probably, anyone who you'd ask would have a different answer." Which is such a terrific non-answer even Armin is a bit embarrassed by it. "Well, as for me personally, I like to go diving."