The edge of the woods.... [Final Results Up!]

[Birdy]

Hike, start!
Username: The Pirate
Link to roll call post: Click!
Link to previous form: Click!
Prompt response:

Aos tossed and turned turned in their cot, the uncomfortable heat settling deep into their bushy fur and causing beads of sweat to form. Their hair, which was usually let free to sit wildly upon their shoulders, was now wrapped tightly into a knot in order to combat the rising humidity. The forecast had called for a night spent in blistering heat, causing many of the Kampers to be kept awake in the miserable temperatures. Aos, however, was awake for another reason.

Thinking back to the previous night, Aos recalled braving the darkness to investigate a strange noise. Though there were many other kalons alongside them with the same curiosity, there was a buzz of fear in the air that had kept them all relatively quiet, almost in waiting. While a few rogue kalons had been smart enough to bring along flashlights, most of the kampers were relying on Aos' glowing breath to illuminate the otherwise pitch-black forest.

"Man, we really lucked out!" said an unknown kamper who quickened their pace to stand beside Aos. Aos nervously glanced at the kalon, whose friendly eyes beamed at them in the darkness. "Who would have thought we'd have a personal flashlight to guide us?"

Aos, in fear that they were being teased, shifted uncomfortably in the darkness. But when they built up the courage to sneak another glance at the stranger, they were surprised to find the same warmth and friendliness as before.

"My name's Damsel," said the stranger, and with a large smile she revealed a set of fangs that gave her an odd, crooked grin.

Aos panicked at the thought of having to make their own introduction, but in the delay, Damsel continued on.

"I absolutely love the woods at night, don't you?" Damsel said. Before Aos could reply, she was talking again. "I have a cabin in my own woods a few hours from here, though I usually prefer to sleep under the stars. I guess you could say I'm a professional kamper!"

Aos suspected that they were meant to laugh at the poor joke, but as shadows in the woods continued to reach and bend, they felt unable to produce a laugh.

"Anyways, I sure am happy that we've got your...er....light(?) to guide us!" Damsel continued. Aos raised an eyebrow and gave the kalon another look-over. With tangled purple fur, Damsel really looked as though she were a professional kamper. There were even a few twigs and berries hidden throughout her hair and tail. But as disheveled as she was, Aos could tell that she meant every smile.

"Thank you," Aos said, almost in a whisper. For a moment they thought Damsel hadn't heard it, but when they looked back at her she was giving them a gentle grin.

That night, when the kounselors had scolded the group for investigating the noise, many of them sulked away back to their cabins, letting out a few mutters of disapproval. Damsel, however, hadn't lost her smile, and as she and Aos parted ways, she reached out to pat Aos on their back.

"You know, I feel a lot better about going on this Test of Courage now that I know we'll have your breath to lead the way!" Damsel said.

With that, she skipped away, though Aos could have sworn they saw her duck back into the woods. She was a strange kalon, indeed. Nevertheless, Aos felt a burst of relief thinking about their encounter. When they had signed up for the Test of Courage, they had thought they'd be going into it alone, as usual. But now, Aos had a sinking suspicion that they'd have a purple-haired kalon by their side. And for the first night of kamp, despite the overwhelming wave of heat, Aos drifted off into a deep, happy sleep.

[Peppermint Mist]

Hike, start!
Username: Peppermint Mist
Here!
Link to previous form: here
Prompt response:

Lilac felt a prickle of worry, was this really a good idea? She tried to push it down by readying herself to boast to her fellow Kampers about how not scared she felt, and that she was going to pass. When her mouth opened however she hesitated and no sound came out. Would the others just ignore her like her brother and sister usually did when she boasted, it didn’t seem like such a great idea. If she wanted to make more friends then maybe she shouldn’t make a bad impression in front of these Kampers. She hadn’t met some of them before and then she realised that her mouth was still open and so she quickly shut it, hoping no one saw her gaping like a fish, or jumping to conclusions thinking she was scared. Was she though? For once, she tried to put her stubbornness aside to think about how she really felt, but in reality she did feel a bit scared, the name almost intimidated her and the forest gave off an eerie feeling. She hated that she felt a bit scared, she didn’t want to be, she wanted to pass the test.

As her frustration grew she watched as some of the Kampers begin to form groups, ‘maybe it would be a good idea to go with a group’ she thought to herself ‘I don’t really want to though, it might be boring because everyone would want to take control but-” she briefly glanced at the forest, and then growled, she stamped her foot on the dry ground, a small cloud of dust came rushing up, she coughed, looking around in embarrassment ‘gosh, what’s wrong with me today?’ She sighed loudly, pushed her pride to one side and began to make her way towards a group. She noticed that some Kampers who she shared a room with had teamed up. She was still mad about last night, how she knew that after one rejection no one else would go with her and so she stalked by them, not even giving them a second glance. She walked up to a small group who were chattering away to one another. She coughed slightly and their heads shot up to where she was standing, their eyes meeting hers. All of a sudden she felt a bit nervous “uh, hi! I’m Lilac” the others blinked at her, Lilac could feel her fur prickle with embarrassment “I was wondering if I could join your group?” They turned to each other, and leaned forward to whisper, Lilac was ready to speed away from them and just go on her own, when they all turned back and hesitantly smiled “sure, why not!” one of them chirped, Lilac sighed in relief and sat down with them.

Lilac blocked their chatter out for a few seconds and just stared at the forest ahead. She strained her senses to remind herself of the scent of the trees, to familiarise herself with it. Since she’d be in there for a while, doing this soothed her in a way, though the eeriness and the fear still remained. Lilac felt a little bit of excitement ignite inside of her and she turned back to her group and smiled at them. She was about to join their chatter when a loud voice interrupted her

“Kampers! The hike starts now!”

Lilac jumped up, brushed the dust out of her fur, and then helped one of the Kampers to stand up. ‘I can do this’ she told herself, ‘hopefully,’ came the voice from the back of her head.

[carotid]

Hike, start!
username: carotid
link to roll call post: ya yeet!
link to previous form: u got it fam
prompt response:

the day the hike was scheduled to start was a lot like the other day she'd had the weird dreams. she spent a lot of it in bed, though this time, it was from crippling anxiety instead of a ferocious migraine. thoughts of standing at the edge of the forest sent her into waves of terror and uncertainty. though she'd signed up, was it too late to back out? she was nearly sure that the sheet had filled up, and had heard murmurs of disappointment from a few kals that had wanted to go, but the hike had no open spots remaining. it'd be disappointing to herself to not go. not going would be disappointing those people, too.

it wasn't until she heard names beginning to be called that she actually descended her bunk, pulled on a large sweater, hiking shoes, and a backwards ball cap over her unruly hair. fearing that they'd announce her name before she was ready to go, she pulled out a large folded back from her suitcase and began grabbing at whatever snacks she'd stockpiled in her suitcase-- granola bars, candy bars, a red bull...

her teddy bear looked so neglected, though... why not? she threw in her best friend too, figuring that little bit of emotional support wouldn't hurt. almost immediately after, she pulled the bag onto her scrawny shoulders and was out the door.

muriel's mother had said: "before you leave for camp, make sure to take my hiking backpack! it will fit all the things you need for the long hikes you'll go on." this had led to muriel, in the present day, standing next to a variety of campers, most with tiny backpacks or holding a water bottle in hand. it was obvious that a minimalistic approach to the hike seemed to be the preference. this made her heart sink, wondering if anyone else would judge her. "oh well," she thought with a sigh. "at least i have snacks to feed a whole village if we get lost."

her eyes panned across the group gathered in front of the forest, spotting some nervous faces, others with a triumphant glow, as if they'd already conquered the hike. she envied those who appeared to have it together, wishing her heart would stop pounding so hard in her chest, and wishing her thoughts would settle into something resembling more order. every possible wrong outcome whizzed through her head, in one ear and out the other, but enlisting fear in her head nevertheless. she knew, though, that fear was what the test was all about. conquering her fears would be the best thing she could ever do for herself. people always said deep breaths helped, right?

deep breath in. deep breath out.

usually, she'd stick to the outskirts of the group, favoring the position where less eyes were on her and more were on each other, upholding lively conversations, or simply keeping their attention on the trail ahead. the test was about conquering fears, though. with only mild hesitation, muriel edged closer to the center of the pack, muttering "excuse me's" and "sorry's" as she went. in the midst of the crowd, her head felt like it was spinning. but a deep breath in caused her thoughts to halt. a deep breath out released negativity with the air she breathed. adjusting the straps of her pack on her shoulders gave her something else to think about- how many granola bars did she pack again? turning her gaze forward instead of focusing on each kamper around her gave her somewhat of a peace of mind. she could do this.

one fear conquered. this thing would be easy. muriel grinned to herself as beni announced the hike's beginning, and the slight clatter of her backpack didn't make her feel insecure or like she was an annoyance to anyone else. it simply made her feel prepared.

the test of courage? more like the test of chumps. she was certain that this forest had nothing on her.

[Unleashed Squiid]

Hike, start!
Username: Unleashed Squid
Link to roll call post: x
Link to previous form:x
Prompt response:
It all started with Tod, the kalon who was jittery of even his own shadow. Elaina and her small group of camper friends had been walking peacefully when a horrific scream filled the sky. Birds flocked from the scene, the voice echoed hauntingly in the air. The sound resonated in her bones, filling her with adrenaline and causing her heart to pump. What had happened back there? Slowly the panic surged up through other camper up the trail as uncertainty over the screech filled them.

Elaina whipped around only to see Beni shushing down her fellow frightened cabinmates. “Cool it, he just saw a squirrel running. He’ll be returning to camp now.”

That’s it? Elaina felt rage bubbling through her. “Thanks for the scare” she mumbled to herself. “Damn I wish stupid scaredy-cats would just hike on back and leave us to enjoy ourselves. She looked up, timidly after she spoke to a disapproving glance from her counselor. The young kalon has spoken louder than she had intended to.

Another kalon who was walking next to her shrugged. “I bet more will leave too. You and I won’t though. We’ll stick on until the end.”

Elaina smiled. Indeed she would. She had prepared herself with all of the necessities, and was so weighed down by her pack that it was a shock that she could even walk. Water, snacks, a flashlight, an umbrella, bandaids, bug spray. All the joyful oddities one might need in the woods on a single hike in summer kamp. Suddenly an idea crossed Elaina’s mind. It was so devious that a small grin crossed her face.

“Hey Cas.” She spoke quietly to the kalon from earlier, “You know what would be fun?”

“Wha?”

“We should scare everyone else off the trail.”

“Woah, I’m in. You’re such a jerk, I love it.”

“I love me too.” Elaina’s eyes flicked back and forth to the many others who trailed ahead of her on the path. Her mind was blaring with countless ideas of mischief and suddenly the trail walk seemedso much more exciting. It all started with Tod, yes, but who would be her next victim?

[neon.]

Hike, start!
Username: neondisaster
Link to roll call post: roll call
Link to previous form: the edge of the woods
Prompt response:

When he’d signed all their names, the sheet had been filled completely- new sheets had even been added! Goldfinch imagined there would be hundreds of kalons, all going on the test of courage. But as the temperature had dropped, it had seemed the number dropped too. There were less of them now- a lot less.

Rhubarb voiced what they were all thinking, “So… do you think they made the wise decision?”

“Shh!” Goldfinch shook his head, banishing the thought, “We don’t want one of them to hear!”

“The ghosts. They feed off of doubt and, uh, fear.” Croissant interjected, his voice a whisper.

“Not the ghosts- the counselors.” Goldfinch looked pointedly at the pair. They seemed suspiciously at ease. Goldfinch was certain Iphis hadn’t blinked yet. Like an owl, the counselor slowly turned to look at the three of them. Summoned by their thoughts. They all quickly looked away, and towards the other campers.

“So… Do find a party? I’ve read a number of manuals on party exploration of all kinds,” Rhubarb stated matter of factly.

“That’s dungeons and dragons! Xerxes said it wasn’t real.”

“Well, now I’m disappointed. I believed we’d make a most excellent party.” Rhubarb sighed. “I think I would be a wizard. Goldfinch, you could be a charismatic knight, or paladin.”

“What about me?”

“Croissant, you could be whatever you set your mind to. But I think you would be the cleric of this party. Your kind attitude is quite healing.” Rhubarb looked down a little, “And we kind-of-need-a-healer. We must be a balanced party!”

“Rue… Y-You’re so kind!”

“Hey! You two! Stay focused- they’re gonna start the hike! And besides… Everyone’s making friends now.” The ‘without us’ went unsaid. That was thing- when they were all together all the time, they could lose sight of where they were, and even of other people. They didn’t want to be closed off. They didn’t want to be hard to talk to. They wanted to be courageous - they wanted to ace this test of courage.

Sometimes, they didn’t have to speak to each other to communicate when they were all feeling the same thing. Is it still traveling together when you’re all in one body?.

It was hard to stop feeling something when it was three times as powerful.

But then, they felt a tap on their shoulder - something small, almost wary. They turned, all three heads tilting in sync.

“Hey,” the kalon offered, brushing back soft brown hair, “I was wondering if you guys wanted to adventure with me? I’m looking for friends to bring.”

They all spoke with one voice, “We’d love to!”

[Yuroshi]

Hike, start!
Username: Yuroshi
Link to roll call post: here
Link to previous form:

here
Prompt response:

Sal shuffled out of his cabin, eyes a little bit puffy, and ears bright red. He didn't know how long he'd be like that, and was suddenly really glad for his dark beanie, which he pulled further down in an attempt to hide his constant redness. Silently, he puffed up his cheeks, before breathing out slowly.
All in all, he was feeling quite miserable.
It wasn't because he was about to venture out into a forest, in the middle of a night, with a flashlight he didn't plan on using, when he was absolutely hopeless with directions.
Oh no, it was what happened with the Kamp counselors before. If there was one thing he hated, it was disappointing people. I didn't even know there was a curfew, he thought forlornly.

As he shuffled forward, mostly determined to go it alone this time, Sal found himself distracted by a short blur of yellow- unmistakably from a fellow Sunflower, although he wasn't quite sure why she would've chosen to wear such a bright shirt for sneaking. It just wasn't practical! Shaking his head slightly, he felt a grin replacing the melancholy look on his face, and was suddenly reminded of the whole reason he came here in the first place. Especially to the Test of Courage! Sucking in a short breath, he moved after the blur of yellow which was worriedly prancing around the group of waiting Kampers.
"Yukiko!" He called out, just loud enough for her to hear without attraction to much attention to himself. As she turned to him with a smile- for they had become fast friends after their excursion the night before, he found all of his jittery excitement for the night returning, and his eyes began to twinkle with a mischevious light as a grin split his face. The two greeted each other in Sal's typical fashion- a hug. He was delighted to see she still had the plush he'd given her, even if she might've thought it was a little childish

Pausing for only a moment, he quickly told her to wait before running back to the cabin to grab his "special" bag. He threw it over his shoulder and raced back to Yukiko before explaining his plans to her. Doubtful though she might've been, she wasn't about to disagree- especially with his offer, and seeing the almost predatory grin he was sporting. Sal swung her up onto his back- "an extra pair of eyes and arms," he said- and quickly dashed off as soon as the counselors gave the okay.
He wasn't going to let one mistake ruin what could be an amazing time. He snickered quietly, glancing down at his bag of pranks and noisemakers, then looked back up at his younger accomplice- it was going to be an amazing night.
And, he thought to himself, it will be absolutely unforgettable for anyone unfortunate enough to cross my path.
With that, he signaled for Yukiko to pulling the Shrieking Whistlers.
It was time to let the mayhem unfold.

[chunkypeanutbutter]

-

[sentimental]

Hike, start!

username: sentimental_android
link to roll call post: ♡
link to previous form: ♡

Prompt response:

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────



────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

[0h-Six]

Hike, start!
Username: Lloril
Link to roll call post: Here!
Link to previous form: Here!
Prompt response: 384 words

As the sunlight faded, Zion couldn't help but admire the array of colors that stretched across the sky and slowly darkened into night. From the looks of things, it could be clear weather for the hike. As safe as things appeared to be, he was apprehensive about this "Test of Courage" and hoped that for being a Kamp activity it wouldn't be too dangerous. He looked towards the forest and shivered, not looking forward to going back in there since he first arrived here. Instead, he busied himself with going through his supplies as the other Kampers milled about the starting area.

His bag was a decently sized hiking bag he had been using for years and already had some basic supplies such as food, water, first-aid kit, rope, a rechargeable flashlight, a multi-tool, a spare set of clothes, and a thin bedroll strapped to the bottom. He had also picked up a few things from around Kamp like a compass, a map, matches, a whistle, and a small tarp just in case.

As nervous as he was, he was also kind of excited to see what Iphis and Beni had in store for them. If he focused on steeling his nerves, he could imagine it was like a recon mission back home but almost without certain death lurking around the corner. It was bittersweet almost; on one hand he was eager to see the world back to normal again and explore the surrounding area but on the other, he was afraid of that creeping darkness. What if he was separated and somehow was sent back to his world? He was drastically unprepared for that.

He shook his head and strapped on his backpack, eager to get started. He wouldn't let that happen, he was going to stick with his original plan and stay with the group or at least a few other Kampers should they happen to be separated for some reason. With a shy smile he approached a small group of other nightshade Kampers from his cabin and with a resounding approval, was accepted into their group.

He was wary still, but refused to let his nerves get the best of him yet again, he was with friends and the only thing to do now was wait for Beni and Iphis' instructions.

[apprentice_]

{ Hike, start! || username: rainichi || roll call || previous form }▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬{ courage prompt three || nora ft. cas }
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

wont anyone pls think of the children them gonna die


“i’m freezing.”

“what?” nora’s head snapped in her friend’s direction. “i thought you didn’t get cold.” every winter, nora complained about the snow and buried herself in four layers of clothes while cas stood around without so much as a jacket. she didn’t get cold.

cas shrugged nonchalantly. nora pulled off her own jacket and tossed it to the shorter kit. “my heart is beating so fast i think i’ll warm up once we start the hike.”
she was freezing too, really. the forest they stood at the edge of had its own wind. it dropped the surrounding area’s temperature. on the breeze, nora thought she could hear the whisperings of the other world, where fairies and monsters alike lurked.

it was all mind games. forbidden forest. test of courage. gets the blood pumping when, in truth, this was just a hike through some trees with a bunch of kids. nora supposed she’d always been like this, though. let’s go to the abandoned pool on main, it’ll be fun! then she gets there and she sees skid marks and meets the eyes of the devil on the other side of the chain link fence. but she’s too stupid to book it, because wow this is terrifying but lord is it exhilarating.

she still didn’t believe in the things that hid in shadows. she was afraid of them, but she didn’t believe in them, and it might have been contradicting but it was a battle between the mind and the heart and never would one win over the other.


“are you coming?”

nora looked up with startled eyes. left in the dust. everyone was fifteen feet ahead already. everyone but cas, faithful until the very end, even if it meant being left a bit alone in a spooky forest.

“you got everything?” nora began checking her own bag for the umpteenth time. even if she was missing something, it was too late to go back now. flashlight, the granola bars she bargained with other kids for, water, a stress ball to absolutely crush if she got nervous. . . “no way. . . c.. cas. . .”

“. . . what?”

“i forgot bread!” nora blubbered. she’d left behind her best friend ( second only to cas ), a stuffed dog. she always brought it along on such outings. call it her guardian angel. her panic was cut short when something smacked against her head and landed in her arms. her face lit up with more joy than any kalon should have been capable of.

cas kicked the ground. “i brought him, since you’re forgetful and an idiot.”

in half a second, nora arms were wrapped around cas, squishing the plushie between them. “you’re the bestest best friend! just the best! i asked for a miracle and god sent you!” the hug wasn’t much returned, a bit because cas wasn’t the type, but more because nora had her in a death lock. cas took in a big breath when nora finally let her go.

the dog was stuffed into the red kit’s bag. “now that i have my lucky boy, let’s go ! we’ll be caught by wendigos if we’re left behind !” she took the other kal’s hand and dragged her along, sprinting for both their lives. she ran not to catch up, but to far surpass the other campers. this wasn’t a race, but she’d make it one.

“slowest ones get eaten!”
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬