vivarium | basically a mingle

[ At buttfuck o'clock (translation: super late), if anyone decides to enter the garden, they will find the usual nice starry fake sky and nature. Nothing exactly out of place, besides a brand new campfire that Jake decided to start. ]

[ Sure, he had to dig a hole in the middle of the garden, gather some rocks around it, use the scrap paper from the suggestion box, break off dead branches, collect some fallen leaves, and pretty much kind of ruin how nice the field looked, but you know what, shhhhh... Jake doesn't really care. What matters is that he made a campfire and even if it's not super big or anything, this tiny thing is enough. You people should be happy that he used his own lighter for this. Look at how generous he is. ]

[ But anyway, Jake himself will be just relaxing in front of his achievement. Upon closer inspection, it looks like he finally used his coins to take a goddamn shower like a normal person and not take a bath in a river, so consider your annual miracle slot filled. 20 coins for a shower and 15 for shampoo, ridiculous... He doesn't want to shave his head that badly so he'll keep his hair and whatever stubble he's growing now, so have fun with Mr. You-Can't-Call-Me-Bald-Anymore. Find him either thinking of shit in front of the campfire or sleeping. You are more than free to try and draw on his face (keyword here: try). ]

[ But really, go off and do your thing. Tell scary stories around the campfire, talk shit under the stars, have boat races in the river, do it. It's a free-for-all. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ He's got his trusty lighter here, some fallen leaves, and with that scrap paper, this should be easy... He hopes. ]

Keep 'em. Knowing you, we'd probably need them later as bandages.

[ He'll get started with this fire thing. C'mon, work work. ]

For me? Or for you? How's that arm doing, by the way?

[and instead of just being 100% useless she starts waving one of the trays to give the budding fire some more oxygen]

For you, since you're more reckless than me, and it's fine. Like you need to worry about me, but how about your back?

[ Aaaaand bam! There we go, a fire! Jake looks smug about it, heck yeah. ]

For me, since I'm better at keeping track of things, like how there is no way in hell you are any less reckless than I am. And it's fine, nothing's fallen off so far as I know.

[and fire is pretty nice though, yay for camp skills]

Since when did you have a lighter?

[not accusing, just curious]

[ Jake waves her off. It'd be a waste of breath trying to argue who was was more reckless because these two are children and would argue for hours about things. He will answer her question though. ]

Back in the sixth AB Round. Apparently, every time there's an ally-betray moment, everyone involved gets something.

[ This was back when Ema betrayed him, and since this was his second time being betrayed while allying, he got this nice lighter, and because i'm a terrible tagger and just noticed i didn't tag you back when ema got betrayed in an ally-betray moment, she got a knife and two sleeping pills, i am sorry.... ]

[score~]

No wonder you were chill about it. You're welcome, by the way.

[this is said totally wryly; far from the defensive attitude she'd worn at the time, her feelings on the whole affair are mixed at best.]

[ don't start randomly drugging/stabbing people ]

Yeah, you sure did me a favour. [Sarcasm. He may still be a little soured over that round. ] Anyway, get started on your gruel roasting.

[ He'll hand over a bowl of gruel to her with a spoon. He'll get this can of fucking awful beans open. ]

[all future druggings/stabbings will be amply planned, don't worry]

[she gives a light sigh but doesn't protest. Being betrayed kinda blows.

In the meantime she takes one of the food trays and dribbles it with strips of gruel. Then the whole thing is propped over the fire in a wobbly base of cups to "bake".

That should do it...

[ that makes him feel so much better, oh boy...... but now that he has this can open, he just... dumps the beans into the tray. ]

You can try it first, once it's done. Let me know if it's edible or not.

[not really much she can do, so no point in struggling against it.]

Think about what we're starting with. Really noplace to go but up.

You're sure optimistic about eating something that might become the worst thing we've cooked since getting here.

[ Like... cooking gruel and beans together is just asking for disaster. ]

How many things have we cooked since getting here? Beanie-gruelies is definitely going in the top two. Haven't you ever been camping?

Sorry, but my childhood was sadly deprived of camping, surviving in the wilderness, and eating out of cans for a week.

I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to keep the whole can for the whole week. Sounds like a good way to get your mouth cut up. Anyway, should we make a tent for the whole experience? It's never too late for traumatic childhood memories.

[ he gives ema a look for a second before just shrugging with a smile ]

Sure, why not? But what are you going to use as a tent, your lab coat? I just took a shower so I'd rather use something somewhat clean.

Hey, it's--

[no, it's not really that clean. It's not her fault there's no laundry machine here! (even if she's only somewhat confident it wouldn't just fall apart in a heavy wash since parts of it are more holes than cloth by this point) ...... after a beat of frowning contemplation, she tugs the still sizable and clean(ish) remains of the piano cover from her bag.]

Fine, here. Don't spill any beans on it.

[ Jake takes the sheet from her, carefully around the little campfire that they're going here (make sure you're keeping an eye on that or else they're going to burned gruel with beans for their midnight snack, or have a bigger fire than just what they have now). ]

Yeah, like I'd waste food, but what do you want do with this? Spread it across a table while we sit underneath it?

[ Tell him all the rich details on how you want to make this tent. ]

I figured you knew at least the bare basics of tent-making, but... Yeah, I guess that'll work. Since we can't move the chairs, and there isn't really anything else tall around here.

And I didn't mean to imply you wouldn't eat the beans off, heaven forbid, but I'd still like to have at least one piece of cloth not covered in ominous stains.

[she flips the bean-gruel hybrid as best she can with the cafeteria spork, namely, not well at all, and if anyone was hoping that cooking it would make it look more appetizing, those hopes are about to be dashed. luckily her expectations were pretty low from the outset and getting Jake to sit on the floor under a caf table playing campout is honestly surprising and oddly satisfying enough that her expression and tone aren't actually irritated at all.]

...I guess this stuff is as done as it's gonna get, if you're hungry.

[ Jake has kind of lost all fucks tonight. I mean, he spent coins, took a goddamn shower, and bought things. Sitting under a table with a sheet over it was honestly be the least weirdest thing tonight, so he drapes the sheet over the table next to theirs. It probably doesn't cover the entire table and reaches the floor, but better than nothing really. ]

[ He doesn't get under it yet, though, instead of just eyeing the terrible creation they have made... ]

Ladies first, so you can do the honour of trying it out for me.

At least half of that statement makes sense for you. You can be a gentleman and test out the 'food'.

[she chooses to interpret it as testing out the tent as opposed to the food; they could probably make a better one in the lounge, but maybe next time. it at least filters the fluorescent lights to be less harsh so it's not so bad to sit under, even if your feet stick out the end.]

Now I don't see why I haven't been doing this from the beginning. This is some premium floor space, for sure.

basically a mingle

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