POST-TRIAL LOOSE ENDS & SHARING

[trashmouthtozier]

[that night, after a KO'd Eddie has been brought back to Cabin 3 to recuperate and everyone has scattered, Richie returns to the campfire with a book tucked under his arm, and a flashlight. he's not thinking about bringing supplies for s'mores, or hot dogs, or burgers, or any of that, not this week. so if anyone wants to show up with food, they're welcome. if anyone has appetites.

this week, he's focused on the remnants of a word he scribbled in the dirt earlier, flipping through the book he found on Thursday. he exhales, slowly, looking like he might just be sick all over again, no matter how tired he is. the makeshift scarf Cielo made him is draped over his shoulders to keep away any evening chill]

Oh, God. I ... I know what they said, you guys.

Comments

[le_mat]

[Ren is at the circle, staring at the fire. Occasionally he picks up a stick to stoke it... holding it up to watch it burn down to his fingers. Like he did last week while grilling. While talking to Talcott.

Eventually, he takes out his phone, swiping on it and leaving ashy finger smudges. If someone comes behind him they might see him looking at pictures of people. Mostly kids his own age, but a few people specifically keep showing up, and an older man too.

...but if Ren realizes someone is coming close to him he will blankly look up and hold his phone up to... snap a picture of them.]

[velocirainbow]

[ ... Ren can't be taking this well, given they were sweet on each other. Cielo breaks a stick in half, and then just sorta... messes with some sand. ]

... Hey, bro.

[le_mat]

[Hpe you don't mind Ren taking a pic, Cielo.

...

Otherwise, he says nothing]

[velocirainbow]

[ Okay, he's weirded out a little bit, but he'll frown. ]

... Bro. You know, you can't jus' keep holdin' it all in all de time, tryin' to be everybody's strong man. My leader did dat all de time, an' he still suffered for it.

[ Sitting down. ]

C'mon. It's... it's okay. You jus'... what you jus' went through. You gotta be feelin' a lot.

[le_mat]

[He fiddles with his phone, tries to spin it on the pad of his finger and almost drops it. In a panic he yanks it to his chest like it might jump away, never to be seen again]

It's weird though... I feel like I... don't feel anything.

[velocirainbow]

... Dat's de numbness.

[ He says it with a weird air of certainty. ]

When you first lose somebody real important... it ain't feel real, almost. Like, you know it happened, but your mind just... it's like you been given a sedative. You ain't feel anything. ... Eventually you gwon bawl your eyes out, dat's stage two, if you lucky enough to get de time to process it.

[le_mat]

[He nods along. That sounds right. He thinks he's read something like that somewhere before.

Perfectly logical.]

[soulcandy]

[That sure is a picture of him! Kon blinks a couple times.]

What's that for?

[le_mat]

... I don't want to forget what anyone looks like.

[soulcandy]

...

[Okay, Kon's going to come sit down next to Ren.]

It should be a picture of the 'real me' then, shouldn't it?

[le_mat]

I dunno if that'd picture super well. Plus, I think I'm starting to be able to tell you and Ichigo apart enough that it's... it's not a big...

[He sucks in a few shuddering breaths- like talking was letting something out that he had to corral back]

...a big deal. I'll know it's you.

[soulcandy]

[Don't think he missed that, Ren. He's just going to be nice and give Ren a moment to recover.]

Tell me about it then. How do you tell us apart?

[le_mat]

When you're not pretending to be Ichigo you... hold your face different. Body language is looser. Ichigo hold's himself like he's expecting someone to hit him all the time. Though... you fake being him really well - I was pretty fooled.

[killtheanimals]

[He pauses in surprise when Ren raises his phone.]

What...?

[1999.]

[le_mat]

Took your picture.

[killtheanimals]

[Oh. Wow.]

That's useful. You... must be from the future, then.

[le_mat]

Probably. 2017.

[killtheanimals]

...1999.

[Well over a decade.]

[lovebun]

...You should... Take one later in the week, when I'm more together.

[ Right now she's on the verge of tears. It's not a pretty picture. ]

[le_mat]

It's... a pretty decent phone. I can take lots of pictures.

[If he was more himself maybe he'd say that 'a pretty girl can't take a bad picture~' but he doesn't have it in him. He isn't sure he ever will again]

[contrarianism]

[ ....! ]

[ not that he isn't used to candid pictures, so. ren has successfully captured a picture of surprised natsume in his phone. ]

... Are you ALRIGHT?

[ gently shakes him a little. ]

[le_mat]

Hm?

[He looks up when shaken, like Natsume woke him from a nap with his eyes open]

... I will be.

[romancekiller]

[clarke is a bit caught off guard when she approaches ren only to have him point his phone at her, unaware he was actually taking a picture of her] What was that?

[le_mat]

I took your picture. Don't... want to forget what anyone looks like.

[romancekiller]

Oh— [she smiles at that] I didn't know you could do that from your phone. [she is not really that tech savvy... and besides they didn't exactly have phones for that either even though she is from a more apocalyptic future]