"See ya, Ani."
His dialogue with Emery was no better, the small brunette turning into a mini sass queen. "My knight in shining armour. I'd be so terrified of what lurks in the dark forest if you weren't here." She giggled. This is what he got for being nice. "You don't have to if you don't want to, but a walk up the hill together would be nice." Mason fell in step with Emery as his answer. He wouldn't have risked offering if he didn't want to go a step further with the daughter of Artemis.
To his last question, she began to answer, "I didn't really have anyone in mind. Just joined for a bit of fun. Although if you know anyone that's interested in me you should let me know, I could have a little fun while I'm here at camp."
Mason grinned. "Is fun code for fling in this instance?" He guessed in her slightly more scrambled brain it was. "Don't worry, I'll let you know. I'm very 'in the loop'."
When they reached her cabin, Emery turned and leaned against the doorframe to face him. "Thanks for protecting me from lions, tigers, and bears, oh my," she said and Mason smiled sadly. He hoped she didn't feel the less pleasurable effects of alcohol in the morning. "You're a good egg," she concluded, throwing her hand lazily into his shoulder or something like that, and afterwards stumbling into her cabin. Mason lurched forward to help but she had enough composure to give a final, "Goodnight!" call and to shut the door behind her.
He let himself laugh quietly and headed back to his cabin. He must've sat up in bed for a couple more hours at least. Not doing anything really except waiting for his mind to go blank and sleep to take him. Mason didn't have nightmares anymore but he was afraid of them.
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When he finally convinced himself to get up, the next conviction was much more of a press. That being to get out of his cabin and his stomach argued that point largely. He sighed out letting the need for food win again but not before getting changed. If throwing on the closest shirt and whatever slacks counted.
On his way to the hall, Mason spotted a girl on her own lapping up the sunshine and fresh air. He couldn’t recall her name regrettably but she was eye capturing without trying to be. She never made a scene of herself and he knew little about her, except that he was intrigued by her. Keep walking, keep walking, he told himself. Mason kept watching her. Then there was no mental tear about it as Kalani approached her instead. He'd have to high-five the girl or something at some stage for making the decision easier.
In the dining area, there were a few odd bodies already in place, including Emery, feigning interest on her phone, a clever avoidance technique from conversation, and Harley. He sighed out and found his own seat.
D U K ExxL O Y C E N
HEX:#780707 | Outfit
HEX:#780707 | Outfit
”Ah, sorry! Sands a smidge wetter than I thought there.” He only smiled and shook his head to communicate no harm was done, unlike the effect on her castle and statues. Maybe he should have apologized. ”Thanks, I've always had a talent for sculpture. It's no so much the crowds, nor the parties ye ken. It's just been a lot to take in, lot to go through. And I divent know who people is.” He gave a nonchalant gesture as he found himself trying to repair and rebuild her castle wall. ”Given who we are. A suppose we've all lost stuff afore we come here, maybe that’s why we're sent here. Soes them we love don't find themselves in the crossfire.”
He sighed out. "I think the point of a party," he emphasized to keep their topics less soul bearing, but in no way ignoring the girl's observation of why half of them were there, "aside from an excuse to drink, is to meet people and, uh...what do people say? Let down their hair?" He furrowed his brows. All those snazzy expressions and lingos weren't his territory.
”Ye must think I'm an idiot. A wee lass playing in the sand on 'er own.” Duke laughed. Not in a cruel way though. He had to admit, many people of their demographic didn't play in the sand alone or at a party but he didn't think that made her an idiot. ”Seems we're nearing the last still out, party must be coming to a close. Time for us to head back?”
Duke glanced over his shoulder. And so the party was, but the dying fire and party couldn't hold his attention. "Different is good. And you can head back..." he begun, palming over a heap of sand to start his own castle "whenever you like." Duke raised his hand towards the bonfire, giving it new life and passion to light up the beach for them once again. He grinned towards fire then his company. "So for reference do I call you wee lass or do you have a real name?"
It took some time for Duke to project his vision on his castle, especially working with something as small and delicate as grains of sand that fell through his hand or off the sides, but he made it work eventually. Once his task was complete, he climbed to his feet and offered the girl a hand up and walked her to cabin, bid her goodnight then went to his cabin for the night.
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It had crossed his mind in the morning to knock on McKenna's door and ask her if she wanted to grab some breakfast together, but he thought it best to leave her be. She could have already been engaged and committed in an experiment, her work or simply enjoying a sleep-in.
Duke kept walking and stumbled upon no other than Alex. Doing a workout by the looks of things, using a limb of a tree to pull herself up. "You got to engage your core," he said and automatically held his as demonstration. "Don't pull up on momentum, pull up with these."