[MINGLE] Scout's Honor

[sixthiteration]

WHERE: Hot Springs
WHEN: 21 Sept, after sunset
OPEN TO: ALL - MINGLE
WARNINGS: Please warn in your subject line as needed
NOTES: Details found here

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It's been a strange, rough couple of months for our intrepid villagers — Bunkers, superpowers and clones, oh my! Perhaps the Observers are sympathetic to their plight, or maybe they just have a peculiar sense of humor. At any rate, they've set up a gathering space chalk full of summer camp goodness, no strings attached. Not that anyone knows that part.

Just before sunset, a cheery message pops up on wrist devices all across the settlement and beyond. The instructions seem simple enough, although one does have to wonder at what dubious gift awaits them all after everything is said and done.

Marshmallows are on the house, so grab yourself a stick, strap on a sash and get to roasting, villagers. Skinny dipping, sing-alongs and friendship bracelets optional.

Comments

[3ofswords]

Call of Duty fan that he was, Kira always knew Ravi was good people--there's proof in who he surrounds himself with, who knows him. Liv is a fucking bastion when the ren faire set try to hear the tick in their smart watches or he trips up on someone mentioning a battle for New York.

"Don't worry, I gave him one too." Or do worry, considering its resemblance to the specimen he dropped at the clinic after that whole ordeal. "I'm just regretting the oversight of not putting hugs, not drugs on it.

"How's things? I hear Major went on a rant about my cheekbones."

[living_proof]

"See, I was wondering what to put on the one I'm going to make him, and now I know." As if it's a joke. As if I hadn't wanted to strangle Bucky for venturing into the wilderness to battle giant fucking snakes.

The casual segue from current boy to previous boy makes me squint at the fire in a vaguely-pained fashion, but I can't expect Kira or anyone really to understand the history there, both ancient and recent.

"Yeah, that—" I begin, and lift a hand in an awkward, oblique gesture. "It was a thing that happened for sure."

There are people that Ravi has told and people Ravi has not. Generally, I have no idea who falls into which category until they announce the knowledge out of nowhere.

[3ofswords]

It better not be a joke: Kira wants nothing more in the moment than for every string on Bucky's wrist to be a wry reminder of that time they almost died on a shitty island. Meanwhile, his half-chunky-garbage bracelet stands as a reminder that they did not die, and no hard feelings.

Sometimes a place just has snakes.

Sometimes the guy who gets bit was a KGB assassin, or what the fuck ever.

Shit happens. "When I met Major he mentioned a shirt made of condoms, so, seems--normal, but from the tone I take it this was more z-word normal." Having spilled the entire fucking story days one through whichever day the fountain spat him back up, Kira knows more about Major as a zombie than Major as an ex. Lifting his brows, he half-explains: "Ravi has a big mouth, and I live with Mark."

[living_proof]

I hadn't thought of the Mark connection, although I probably should have — Not being a stoner, I don't have a lot of cause to be thinking about who happens to live in the Weed House, as it is affectionately and appropriately called. Kira's reaction is so mild it's edging into blase, but my expression still goes pinched. I hate having these things sprung on me.

"He has a very big mouth," I agree with a faint sigh. "I don't think he's ever really understood the optics of being a full-time zombie." I slide Kira a look. "I'd appreciate it if you'd keep that bit of trivia to yourself. This isn't like vampires. It's not an exotic, sexy affliction. People just think Night of the Living Dead and body parts falling off."

[3ofswords]

"None of them seem like much fun, from what I've seen." The convenience of not having, or not being able to eat the food the village provides is debatable--no one's really made him catch a squirrel to get his protein for the day, in this year of village life or from what he's read of the last one. "I wasn't aware sexiness was the big concern, but noted."

Unlike other certain horrible secrets that came to light weeks later anyway, this one affects him shockingly little.

"Some people make their weird shit work for them," he says, nodding at the far more existentially baffling grey dude with horns, who doesn't seem to own any shirts and has had no one asking him to find one.

[living_proof]

"Oh, you do not even want to know how well he makes his weird shit work for him, trust me," I immediately reply, holding up a palm to stop Kira right there, except not really, because this is the good village gossip. I squint at Bull from across the wavering firelight. "If I was into Tim Curry in that movie about the unicorn with baby Tom Cruise, he could get it," I admit.

Could, but wouldn't, because that's actually the point of the conversation, even if it's veered pretty far away from the tribulations of zombiism.

[3ofswords]

"You didn't like Legend," he asks, like it's a bigger affront than Bull's entire existence. How did they even fit that in a tube? Where did the size difference end? How lucky were they that the food situation was mostly under control when he arrived?

Not the pertinent questions. Kira full on tilts his head and considers as Bull turns to engage some conversation, because somehow a perfectly pleasant and sentient person resided in that big grey chassis. "I don't know, there's a point where big is too big, but I guess if I lost an arm up there I'd have a buddy to help me through the adjustment period."

[living_proof]

"When did I say I didn't like Legend?" I'm quick to shoot back. "Not being ready to climb Red Horned Mountain doesn't mean I'm not into unicorns and fairies and Tom before the couch-jumping."

The armless support system remark I let slide, because there is something else that needs to be addressed. I lift a hand. "Hold on. How? What are you doing with anyone in the bedroom that would end in lost appendages? You know your arm's attached, right? So if you go for a deep dive or something, you can pull it back out, it's not gone forever."

[3ofswords]

Kira sighs deeply enough, he seems on the verge of terrible revelation--fisting related or otherwise. "I don't think there really was a Tom before the couch-jumping. I think it was always inside of him."

Speaking of things inside of people: "Look at him, Liv. Look at his back muscles, look at my arms. He'd clench it right off at the finish."

[living_proof]

Frowning, I squint over at Bull, and then slide Kira a skeptical look. I could point out that assholes don't really work that way, but what would be the fun in that?

"Best to just avoid that ride, then," I settle on. "But the point stands, I guess, that some people are into that." I hesitate a tick. "Tony, for example, which is fine, I'm glad they found each other, but not what I might have expected. Maybe I should have." I direct my squint to the genius in question. "He looks like he'd be into spanking."

[3ofswords]

"Are we still talking about Tony," he asks, his squint roving from Bull to Liv and back out in search of the haircut he's been maintaining these last few months. "Or are you telling me our second mutual friend isn't Russia's greatest love machine, because I'm not sure I can handle the disappointment."

[living_proof]

"Brooklyn's greatest love machine, excuse you," I shoot back with a haughty lift of my eyebrows. The expression only holds a tick, though, before I duck my head against a soft laugh. "And boy does he get really Brooklyn." Like he just got off the subway and is going down to the bodega to check the schedule for the Dodgers kind of Brooklyn.

"But no, don't worry your pretty little head," I add, reaching again for the bracelet so I can tie it around my wrist. "Top marks all-around."