@LiegeLord
Cecilia smiled gently as James spoke. She was pretty anxious, but it was because she wanted to tell him something instead of any negative discomfort she may have felt being around him. She paused for a second, gulping subtly as she too looked to the flames, stealing a final moment to get her words together. It seemed like he said something else when he turned away, and she had a feeling she knew what it was, which made her blush a fair amount. "That's good to hear. And you didn't make me uncomfortable. In fact, when I said that I didn't mind holding hands, what I meant was... I don't- I wouldn't mind holding hands... if it's with you, James," she said softly, though in a way that he could pretty clearly hear. She felt quite exposed both literally and figuratively as she quickly glanced at the firepit. Should James look to her, he'll easily notice how embarrassed she is although, he may also tell by her warm expression that she meant it.

@Mangrale

He wouldn't say anything for else, though he would glance her way. Did she just say that? She wouldn't mind if it was him? He wasn't expecting that at all, his right hand twitching as he looked to it. He got the idea Neric was doing something, whenever he made his hand twitch it was for James to take a chance. Well guess this is one of those moments, for the next glance he made at her was when his left hand gently slid her way and took her hand gently. Blushing and looking away in an embarrassed way but he had a slight smile on his face, he wasn't expecting this but he wouldn't complain. He wouldn't even speak, just wanting the moment to linger between them as his gaze went back to the fire.

@Blueflame
Valencia nodded to Max with a smile and sits down.
@LiegeLord@Arya10108909@KatherinWinter@Mangrale

Decided to help him. "I have all the time of the world, so I would help you sir on a condition." the minstrel paused and took a good look at the traveller. He placed his mandolin(?) on the ground and finished: "If you would listen to one of my songs."

Valencia continued, not knowing of it was any good but at least she had done her part. Everyone was sitting around the fire while it got dark. The mood was really nice, it gave her a really happy feeling. To day was gread.

@LiegeLord
Whether it was by Neric's at least partial intervention or not, Cecilia couldn't tell. But when James took her hand, a rush came over her and her voice broke slightly and daintily, like it had during the hike, although somewhat quieter. She was constantly mindful of how good it felt and the significance of what it meant, but decided to stay quiet, feeling as though anything she'd say wouldn't come out right and spoil the moment, of which she'd hoped was only the first of many. Although she didn't have James' jacket, it was like she didn't need it to feel warm. Gazing softly at him for several seconds, she noted how adorable he looked and decided to give his hand an affectionate squeeze before turning to the fire herself, a slight blissful smile on her face.

"'I will listen to your song minstrel. While I don't have all the time in the world there is always time for a song.'The traveler assured the musician. He enjoyed music. It seemed like a small price to pay for help. He needed to help. He would pay this price willingly. He lowered himself to the ground and waited for the music to start" Kyle continued

@DriveEMOut @grandia20 @LiegeLord @Mangrale @LiegeLord @Blueflame @Vampy
THE NEXT MORNING THE BELL RANG TO WAKE ALL THE CAMPERS.

Max slowly woke up, popping his spine from sleeping in the uncomfortable chair all night by accident, he stood up eyeing the picture of the skeletal flower he was working on after finally finding the cabin which he was told to stay in. The flower wasn't quite done, it still needed to be shaded. He decided to put his blue hoodie on in case it was cold after changing into a pair of jeans and white short sleeve shirt he left the cabin with the picture making his way over to the tree he and Valencia was at yesterday. He passed many trees on his way there and leaves that littered the ground crunched under his feet. Once max got over to the tree he turned into a cloud of black smoke and scaled the tree looking for a place to sit. He found one and began drawing again planing on finishing the drawing.

@KatherinWinter

James would wake up and yawn softly, stretching as he smiles and looks around. He was rather looking forward to what the next day has in store as he gets up. Neric coming out of his hand to stretch in his cat form and yawn in a way as well. The boy grabbing some clothes and getting around, but he couldn't help but remember last night. And even then afterwards he got to take her back to her cabin, or as far as he was allowed. The thought was on his mind as he chuckles, shaking his head.

"Seems you are enjoying yourself, and especially last night." Neric would chuckle as he walks over on his all fours, being a cat that's his only movement currently and as he wants.

"Oh leave me alone about it Neric, let me enjoy a good memory." He would say but with a smile, the Void going quiet as it turns into a cloud. Moving to his shoulder before the previous cat would turn into a raven on his shoulder. James scratching its feathers gently, checking himself over and making sure he is all good to go before heading out. Eagerly wanting to see what the new day had in store for them.

Ivy was up with the sun. She bounced around her cabin as she got dressed. It was very hard for her to be still. She longed to go outside but she had promised Kyle that she wouldn't do that until the bell rang. He was afraid she would wake someone and she couldn't argue that she wouldn't. She knew herself well enough to know that she would probably go looking for someone to interact with. It was just how she was.

Kyle didn't get up until the bell rang. He had been up awhile but he had been deep in thought. He wasn't connecting with people. He blamed it on his lack of experience. He had spent his life looking out for Ivy. She took all of his time and attention. He rarely interacted with anyone else. They had spent their lives avoiding people. Now he was trying to learn how to make friends like most people did when they were young.

Cecilia woke up a short while before the bell, but, as she suspected when she first sat on her bed yesterday, it was so comfortable that she had a difficult time getting out of the sheets. But when the bell did ring, her eyes darted open and she knew she couldn't just linger anymore than she already had. Sitting up in her pajamas. she yawned and rubbed her eyes as she looked over at Valencia, who would also be awake from the camp-wide morning wake up call. Cecilia knew that Valencia liked to go at her own pace and didn't want to bother her too much, especially if she wasn't a morning person. So she simply said good morning and encouraged her to take her time, quietly getting out of bed herself and changing her clothes for this new day. After making her bed, she looked down at it and smiled, thinking about last night and how she couldn't wait to see him again. The young girl turned to the door and after sidestepping the floor mat again, went outside.

Ugggh I hate travelling..., the thought crossing Lin Yang's mind as she leaned against the wall of the bus. Despite the bus claiming it was "air ride equipped", it seemed like every tiny jolt in the road made her stomach do one more in a LONG line of flips. At least it was a marked improvement over the plane ride that had taken her from her hometown of San Francisco to the biggest city nearest to this little camp she signed up to attend.

The entirety of her plane ride had been spent gripping the armrests of the seat, knuckles white and eyes wide with terror. Try as she might, it seemed near impossible to keep her brain from sending her fragments of possible futures: the plane exploding in midair, the plane nosediving in to the ground and her, in the back, surviving and living alone in the wilderness only to die of starvation or disease or being eaten by some wild animal. There was even one scenario where Lin puked and the flight attendants got so mad that they physically tossed her off the passenger jet in midair, letting her fall to her death on impact. She suspected that that last fantasy was purely fear-based, but she didn't discount it. Her power was weirdly unpredictable like that....at least the future part. The past was usually easy to access.

The bus hit another bump as it turned on to a dirt road, prompting Yang to look out a window....and immediately made her wish she hadn't. The bus was now offroad, moving at a fast clip towards what appeared to be a very sizable cabin in the woods. When the bus pulled up in front of the cabin's front porch, about a good fifteen feet from it, Lin sighed with relief, clutching her stomach and finally mustering the courage to sit upright. She wondered if her PTSD-induced motion sickness would ever go away. It sure would make traveling easier...especially considering this was the first time she'd ever left Frisco and she was fascinated to live in an entirely different place, or basically an entirely different world as she disembarked the bus, a man and a woman standing side-by-side on the front porch of the cabin, assumed by Lin to be her welcome committee given the way that they were giving her the staredown. Despite her rather lanky 5'7" fairly muscular frame, even Lin seemed taken aback.

She raised a black-gloved hand in greeting, mustering as friendly a smile as possible. "Hi!" she said into the (chilly?) morning air, her breath fogging out in front of her. The couple said nothing, but the returning smile they gave sent a small unnerved shiver down Miss Yang's back. She was acutely aware that the brochure claimed the rest of these people were supposed to also have powers. That warning still fresh in her mind, she approached the couple with sure steps, stopping just in front and a wee bit in front of them.

The couple spoke in unison. "We, your camp counselors, are so glad you've arrived, Lin Yang! Breakfast has been prepared for you, should you still require it. It and your room awaits you inside. You may be assigned a roommate, so let the other campers get to know you as soon as possible! The typical order of day activities are as follows: breakfast, arts and crafts, sports, lunch, wood skills, competition, supper, fire stories. We hope you enjoy your new home, Lin!"

Lin raised her hands, taking a half step back and leaning on that long leg. "Whoa! I wasn't expecting a two-for-one special! Thanks....guys? Guy? Thank you, you two! I mean, sorry. Guess I'd better be heading in now!" She laughed a nervous, full-bodied laugh before quickly bounding around the two presumed counselors and into the well-furnished cabin with the fantastic rug on the floor. Acutely aware of having just been outside, Lin avoided the rug until she had kicked off her boots in the entry way, feeling the smooth wooden floor boards beneath her feet. She took one step towards the fireplace and something sharp poked her foot. "OW! Splinter, splinter, splinter!" She hopped around on one foot until she steadied herself with one hand on the back of a couch, catching her breath.

@Mistiel
Ivy bounced along the path between her cabin and the room where they had their meals. She didn't go str, her brother said she was in capable of it. She wondered of the path and the back onto it. She was easily distracted. She would see a bird and follow it. Then she would see a butterfly and she would follow it. It took her three times as long to get to the building then everyone else because she couldn't focus.

Eventually she made it to the cafeteria. Just as she entered the a girl she hadn't seen before started hopping around saying ow. Ivy hurried over to her. Not because she could help but because she was curious. "HELLO! WELCOME TO CAMP! MY NAME IS IVY! I CAM CONTROL FIRE! WHAT'S YOUR NAME! WHAT CAN YOU DO? I'M HERE WITH MY BROTHER! COMP IS FUN! THE COUNSELORS ARE STRANGE!

After a minute or so of slinging her backpack down on to the floor, and with one hand grabbing a band-aid out of it, Lin Yang roughly extricated the offending sliver of wood from the pad of her foot and slapped the medicated bandage over the spot. Sighing with relief, she was just about to put her foot back down when she was confronted by a blur that seemed to circle her and spout words.

Lin smirked. This person has got to lay off the Red Bull, she thought. When the speedy, bouncing girl seemed to take a pause for a quick breath, Lin seized her chance to try to get a word in edgewise. "Hey speedy, my name's Lin! You can control fire, huh? I'm new to this camp. Why don't you show me where breakfast is so we can both get our hot little hands on some grub, yeah?" She remembered reading somewhere that when dealing with hyperactive children, it was always best to keep your responses under thirty seconds. With this Ivy girl, it seemed like that rule needed to be cut in half.

The older girl tried to put an arm around Ivy's shoulder, all friendly-like, hoping to help her focus. "As for my power, I don't think I can explain it without some food in my belly. I don't even fully understand it, haha!"

Jack hopped off from the bus he came to the camp in, and immediately summoned a dead soldier when it left. "Hey. Do me a solid and take this bag to my room." The soldier was about to say something, but Jack cut him off. "Whatever. Just find out where it is." The soldier nods, and Jack walked through the camp. Tugging at his bomber jacket, he walked towards what he assumed was a cafeteria. Not wanting to be completely alone, he summoned a dead union soldier from the civil war. The soldier opened the door for Jack and he stepped in, his head down. Jack went to the most empty table there was, and sat.

Max eventually finished the picture he folded it up and pocketed it as he stared out at the blue lake in the morning. Max kinda wanted to swim but he would have to go back for his swimming trunks. He decided to go back in his smoke form. He went by trees and people as the got to his cabin. But he kinda went through ivy not paying attention he turned back rolling as he landed."oops sorry" max said as he sat up dusting him self off. @KatherinWinter

Walking along the path in the camp, hands in his pockets and Neric walking on the ground in his cat form. James would look around at what's going on, seems quiet at the moment. Looking to the Void as he sighs softly* "So, think we should head to the cafeteria first or the campfire?" *Thinking, but soon it seems the morning would light up with activity. Noticing off to the side a guy with someone, is that a soldier? James looking over for a moment to see that same soldier walk off with the bag, the same guy suddenly having another soldier looking person appear suddenly. The two walking off as James looks at Neric* "I think we may have some new campers with us."

*The little Void would look to the watching the pair heading for the cafeteria as he looks up at James, unmoving as he speaks* "Seems so, well a chance to meet someone new right? *The little Void would say as he and James continued on their path to the cafeteria, the little Void a little faster then James on this so he would make it to the Cafeteria before James would. James behind him trying to hurry in his step to get there. Though the moment Neric reaches the doors, he would break apart and turn into his cloud form. Passing under the door and reforming as the cat on the other side, walking around as James opens the door shortly afterwards. Shaking his head and smiling*

"Neric slow down, geez didn't know you were excited for the day." *James looking to let anyone else behind them in, though most that were awake would have maybe already beat them with the distance ahead. Closing the door behind him as he heads for a table to sit down, sighing softly and looking at Neric who just jumped ontop of the table. James smiling and rubbing his head as he looks over, seeing Ivy bouncing around a new girl as he chuckles* "Seems Ivy met someone new, should we introduce ourselves?"

*The Void looking over, tilting his head as he looks to James* "Let's do that after everyone eats, I know some people get cranky and mad when they are hungry."

Val was seated at the very back of the bus with her eyes closed and head tilted back. She ignored everyone else around her as she focused on her thoughts. Don't stir up trouble... no fighting, don't use powers on other people, don't get kicked out. She repeated the same words in her head. Those were promises she made for herself, since people back home treated her like a monster, this camp was the only thing she had at a real shot of calling some place home. She reached into her bag and pulled out gauze. She then stared at the palm of her hands, both lined with scars over the years of accessing her power. People might freak out if they saw this. Val shrugged and proceeded to wrap her palms covering the scars.

The bus came to a stop and the other new campers began filing outside in front of a cabin. Val sighed and slung her bag over her shoulder gripping the straps tightly. After the counselors greeted them and explained the activities of the camp and that breakfast was starting, she made her way over to the cafeteria. Inside was bustling with campers, tables were getting filled and it seemed like chaos. Screw it who needs breakfast Val started to turn around to walk out the door only to stop when her stomach began making noises, protesting that it needs food.

@Mistiel @Blueflame
"MY NAME ISNT SPEEDY! I CANT RUN FAST! I TOLD YOU THAT MY NAME IS IVY! WE GRAB GRUB HERE! THE COUNSELORS USUALLY SET UP A BUFFET STYLE MEAL SO EVERYONE CAN HAVE WHAT THEY WANT! ISN'T THAT COOL? YES I CONTROL FIRE! MY BROTHER CONTROLS WATER! HE SAYS I'M A HANDFUL!" Ivy explained she bounced around until Links put her hand on her shoulder. Not an easy when Ivy is doing her impression of a Mexican jumping bean. Lin would feel her hand getting hotter the longer she was in contact with Ivy.

"I wouldn't advice keeping Ivy still too long." Kyle told her softly as he approached the new arrival. He studied her careful. Few had the energy or patience to to deal with Ivy. His sister made hyperactive kids look like sloths. Or do he thought. He didn't know since had never met a normal child with the disorder.

As soon as the new boy entered the picture, Lin felt her hand begin to heat up from where it rested on Ivy's shoulder. Not wanting to feel like the other girl had scared her off, Lin gently extricated the offended limb, silently massaging her slightly burnt fingertips afterward. "Well," she ventured a bit more carefully. "I know your name's not Speedy, Ivy. My bad! I like to make nicknames for people. You know, Ivy, the plant you're named after has some varieties that grow about as fast as you move. You'd make a small fortune using your fire to kill off kudzu in the southern states. It's a vine that twists, almost "bounces" around people and never backs down an inch." The grin on her face kept growing as she said this, the laughter getting harder to repress.

Spying the buffet table across the hall that Ivy mentioned, Lin swaggered over to it, suavely taking advantage of the distraction. She removed the fingertip covers of her black gloves so that she could properly grab hold of things and gingerly plucked up a muffin, got a firm grip, and bit into it. "Ooooh! Banana and macadamia nut! I LOVE this muffin!" Her mouth was full of food, but Lin was used to talking with her mouth full so "Banana" and "LOVE this muffin" were guaranteed crystal clear. She swallowed and slowly readdressed the duo she'd left behind. "Ahh don't worry about it, bro! Ivy's just got a fire in her belly is all! That part doesn't matter. She should look at the stars for example."

Lin took another bite of muffin, so her next words were slightly harder to hear but still doable. "Stars are just big balls of fire. Ivy needs to think of herself like a shooting star: bright and fiery, but constantly moving in one direction toward her short-term goal." Her throat bobbed as another glob of muffin joined the second on its way down her gullet. "Dang I think I'm gonna like it here!" she sighed, satisfied, and picked up a napkin from the table to dab at a couple of crumbs here and there.

"Well not many people here, should we grab a meal real fast before the breakfast rush arrives?" James looking over at Neric with a smile, the little Void thinking as he nods his cat like head. Seems the Void even likes the idea of getting a meal before everyone gets there to avoid a line. James getting up as Neric falls apart in his cloud like form, the black cloud heading for the counter as James tries to hurriedly walk after him. The boy sighing softly and smiling as he reaches the counter.

@KatherinWinter@Mistiel

Looking over at the three as he grabs a plate, Neric forming into a monkey and grabbing a plate for himself. James letting the Void pack his plate over to the hot peppers, setting the plate down and taking the tongs to pick up the peppers one by one. James shaking his head with a smile as he looks over at the group. "Morning Ivy, morning Kyle. How are you both today?" Walking over and grabbing some sausage, eggs, a pancake and some fruit on the side. Looking to them as the Void finally gets his peppers and then picks the plate up. Packing said plate over to the hot sauce and drizzling a bit on the peppers.

"Oh don't worry about him, he needs energy and heat is energy so he just eats off that." Him looking to the new girl as he smiles. "You either must be new here or I didn't see you at all at the activities yesterday, regardless. The name's James, nice to meet you. And that's Neric, he's my Void."Holding his hand out for a handshake before pointing out the monkey that was a cat before, the monkey picking the plate up and walking over on the counter to them. But instead of leaving tracks or a mess due to his feet, instead the black form along with the black cloud funneling bit by bit off it was eating away at anything that could be considered "Unclean" on the counter as he looks at the girl.