genessia | Spring, June 3rd - Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires

Who: Semi-Open. Ayame has only invited her friends and their Pokemon for the camping part, but any run-ins in the forests or just dropping by for one or two activities before heading home are perfectly fine.
What: Outdoor adventures and camping
When: Early morning of June 3, to evening of June 4.
Where: Forests of Fayren
Warnings: None, but will adjust if something comes up.

Intro:

Ayame had been planning for this trip for some time now ever since she heard about camping in a talk show. Now with the Chimera Infection dying down, she figures it's already safe enough to go for it. Inviting her friends who might be interested in this sort of activity via text message, along with their Pokemon, Ayame went ahead and rented some camping essentials in Genessia City for herself and her party. Shrinking them to pocket-size, they shouldn't have any problems carrying anything to the steep hills of their chosen campsite.

Campsite:

Setting their belongings on a flat area overlooking a good amount of the forest and the distant ocean. Ayame's party makes camp with two-person tents that they could share with someone of their choosing, along with a spare one for supplies like food, weapons, and gear. A spot for a campfire is placed in the middle, and a picnic table for later dining. A hammock is in place for anyone who wants to lay suspended in between a couple of trees, safely nestled near the edge of the hill, giving those on the hammock has a nice view of the forest below. Ayame's pet cat Hibiki can be seen roaming around the campsite, and being unlike her Gardevoir Hibana who is being helpful with setting up the camp. Ayame would primarily be in charge of making the food, but she wouldn't be opposed to some helping hands. Other than lounging around and waiting for the next leisurely activity, Ayame brought a projector screen for movie night in the woods. A pack of wolves and a couple of ravens that Ayame had befriended like to visit the camp, and are surprisingly friendly to the campers.

Hot Springs:

A natural hot spring in a secluded part of the forest, with tall trees and thick vegetation providing ample privacy for the campers.

Waterfalls & River:

If the hot springs is too much in this summer-like heat, the cool and clear waters of the river would seem more ideal, there is a small waterfall not far from the campsite that extends into a river. Ayame makes a raft made of bamboo for any campers to ride and make them feel like floating. This river is connected to a descending stream that the campers could follow, leading them to the next area:

Caves & Cenote:

Half-way to the river's path towards the ocean, there is a fork in the stream with the smaller branch that leads towards a cave filled with water. Anyone willing to dive into this natural maze of wonder and mystery is more than welcome to do so. They get to explore an expansive cave system with bioluminescent lifeforms and crystal formations, and a myriad of other things that lie beneath the surface.

Forests:

Whether through wanderlust, a quick morning walk or jog, or looking for something to forrage in this vast forest, campers can run in to anybody who weren't on the invite list and just so happens to be roaming the woods too. Dangers lurk in these woods, so Ayame advises anyone to go in twos, be on high alert, and bring a weapon if they don't have any special abilities. Luckily, Ayame was prepared for that,
and brought some standard-issue energy rifles from the Dubai subarchway for self-defense, lessons, or for when they're drunk and trigger-happy.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Ayame dips herself a little deeper so she's sitting on the same "height" as Konoka. Being fairly tall, Ayame towers over most women ]

I see. It's a shame we don't have Japanese-styled festivals in Genessia, other than the ones in the Tokyo subarchway. I'm in the mood to wear all the yukata I've made.

You know, there ought to be more festivals like that in Genessia.

[ Having been around men, women, and even old classmates built like titans (or just tall) meant Konoka didn't bat an eye when Ayame sat next to her. ]

Have I seen all of your yukatas? Don't think I have... I haven't been to your store in a while, and here I promised to advertise for it!

It's no issue. You can come whenever you feel like.

[ Ayame shakes her head. She understands tailoring isn't really for everyone, which explains why it's of a dying art, so she just assumes Konoka finds it boring. ]

But a festival... Considering we have an ample amount of Japanese in this world, perhaps we can all come together and start our own festival? The shrine in Genessia would be perfect for such a celebration.

That sounds like a lot of fun!

[ Konoka's eyes lit up at the suggestion. ]

We'd have to gather a lot of things for this, of course. But I'm sure our memory's good enough that we can reconstruct most of the important things we don't already have... or someone might be selling it at a store! But it's a lot to remember... I'll need to write it all down.

[ Ayame musters a small tug at her lips at Konoka's enthusiasm. Needing nothing more to say, Ayame just stretches her legs in the water ]

I'll remember it for you.

[ Having an eidetic memory, that won't be a problem for Ayame ]

Let's talk about something else. It's something that's been on my mind but I've never actually had a "girl talk" before. How do those typically go?

You... haven't had girl talk?

[ Konoka tilted her head... then found herself tilting it some more. If she were an owl or other flexible bird, she might have tilted her head all the way around.

She peered at Ayame for a moment. Didn't seem like she was lying. ]

Girl talk is pretty much private conversation between girls. We've actually been having it. Some say it involves talking about stuff that only happens to girls, but I like to think it's a little more flexible than that.

Oh. I thought it was a short-hand for something more specific than that.

[ Like adult talk between girls. ]

I've never had any talks with other girls like this, even about things not relating to relationships. Even under the guise of a civilian, I kept to myself, even more so than I do now.

You could say that. It's definitely not wrong.

[ It was probably more accurate, too. ]

I'm just more flexible. I mean, I can't lie, if you had any juicy details about who you're in love with, my curiosity would definitely be on overdrive. But you're definitely someone with more on their mind than that, aren't you?

I suppose I am.

[ Ayame sighs, smiling as she feels the heat of the water cool and her skin grow hotter. ]

How about you? At your age, I imagine there's at least a few people who catch your eye.

If you're just saying 'who catches my eye', then aside from dangerous succubi, I wanna say Sonico-han. But honestly, I don't think she likes girls that way. Plus I bet the line formed by all the boys is like, a mile long. [ She giggled at that. ] But... I don't have any romantic prospects yet.

[ Konoka seemed to actually stop and think about that for a moment,a frown on her face. To be honest, her gut reaction was to say 'I haven't been looking lately'. Which she hadn't. But... well, as far as people she talked to frequently, and looked forward to talking with again? ]

You know, I wonder if there could be something with Mariko-han.

[ Ayame nods as she listens, agreeing in her mind that Sonico is definitely popular among the boys. The young woman is just blessed to have all that charm. Ayame can't help but be proud of Sonico. But Konoka's frown caught her attention, along with the words that follows it ]

Mariko?

[ Ayame quirks a brow. Unaware of her fate many years from now where she will meet Mariko and become a mentor figure to the young redhead, Ayame looks curious as to what kind of person this girl is ]

Yeah.

[ Konoka looked at Ayame now. ]

She's a redhead I've known for a while now. She's a musician with some neat powers alongside that. We've been talking for a while now...

[ She looks thoughtful again, but this time there wasn't a frown. ]

I like her. But... I dunno how much, or what she thinks of me.

If you like her for simply being a musician with interesting abilities, then perhaps you don't like her very much.

[ Ayame took a moment to respond with that honest opinion. She has considered that Konoka is just holding back with her views of Mariko, though. So Ayame adds a question: ]

What do you feel when you close your eyes and think of this person?

[ Konoka had paused for a moment with that assessment, realized Ayame was entirely right, and then laughed.

Wow she didn't say much. ]

I feel her burning sarcasm giving me life.

[ She said that with a wry smile before closing her eyes, imagining the other girl and going into more detail like Ayame said. Though she had said that in jest, it was also not a lie. ]

Okay seriously, I think of a cool and slightly rough and endearing person. The way she talks, through words or text, linger in my mind. She sings and I am enraptured. We face danger together and I feel comfort in her protection.

[ And now that she was thinking about it, Mariko was one of the few people she'd been in rather unique situations with in Genessia, and of those the only one where they were all positive with her. ]

[ Ayame nods. She doesn't know what to say, or if Konoka's feelings are really "love" or just a crush. She does feel sort of the same way with Satsuki. Not that she'd tell Konoka that and never hear the end of it. For now, Ayame simply hums in thought ]

I see. Do you have any plans in pursuing them? Life is short, and even more so in Genessia.

Well... when you put it that way, I have more to gain by seeing if something happens than not. But I worry if it fails, it'll get too awkward between us.

[ And well, it could get really awkward. ]

If you truly feel something for her, then it is worth the risk, yes? Besides, you can test the waters first. Ask her some questions that would give you ideas if she is interested.

Oooh? What kind of questions?

[ This sounded like something good. Maybe she could have thought of things on her own, but in all honesty? Ayame might have a better idea, despite not having been in romance before.

Maybe.

Well, she could at least point Konoka in the right direction. ]

Spring, June 3rd - Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires

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