yogen | ▫ outdoor survival club

Sure you can!

[ There is no elaboration, not while they're still coming down the hall and npc-kun can't gesture grandly to what's hung up on their walls and on the shelves.

... ]

What is it you're scared of?

( everything would be the easy answer — but she's got appearances to keep up, and letting herself appear fragile has always been a problem. in the end, though, she's still just a teenage girl, just as terrified of pain and death as anyone would be — not much of it slips past her bravado, but...

well, she won't let herself appear weak in front of a stranger, that's for sure. )

Nothing. But this place's kinda fucked, isn't it? How can you protect someone from all the weird shit that happens around here?

[ The answer disappoints them, but only because they wouldn't be able to sell safety to a person who isn't scared, who already feels safe- or confident in themselves to be safe. ]

That depends on what they need protecting from. If they're scared, I can help... If they're hurting, I can help... If they feel like they're losing themselves, I can help... Things like that. It doesn't matter what this school throws at you; I'm sure I have something that can help.

Huh...

( that sounds a little too convenient to be true, but it's not like she's got any reason to argue. something to keep in mind for the future, maybe, if she ever feels like she's about to lose herself, or... whatever. )

Hmm, that sounds suuper cool ~ Guess Shopkeeper-kun's just thaaat talented ~

Yep!

[ They sure are talented! The best! Never mind that most of that has to do with their wares and not themselves. They'll let things speak for themselves, turning the door handle to the store and pushing the door and propping it open before stepping inside and turning around and spreading their arms wide. ]

Ta-da! Welcome to the place where dreams come true! Take your time to look around and buy everything that catches your eye, there's no need to hold back!

[ Normal student store items... some of the innocuous bonus activity items... there are a lot of little boxes filled with rocks, some of which npc-kun is going around to refill from the rocks in their satchel. ]

( she looks around the store, not exactly... used to this kind of a place... when she thinks stores, she thinks seven eleven, or maybe a clothes shop, and this sure is... not... that... )

That's a lot of rocks. ( she notes, peering into one of the rock boxes.

why so many... is this the hot item of the season or something... )

one.

[while camping doesn't seem to be the point of this club - like, at all - there are still a few things Helena has managed to acquire in her time involved with it. for example, how to make a very simple tent to keep the heat of the day off, and this is something she can and will do when the opportunity arises.

so yes, she has taken down curtains from a currently empty classroom, and has carried them all the way to the courtyard. and perhaps a low hanging branch of the wisteria is not ideal to truly make a tent structure, but it will do. her cane helps her poke and guide it into place, and as long as it doesn't get too windy it should work.

but how to weigh the edges down to truly make it work...that's where all the rocks that survival club has come in handy. they can be weights for the corners.

all in all, Helena has her tent, just big enough for two, and after all that hard work, she's happily sipping a drink sitting in it and enjoying the wisteria. it may be hot, but she's innovated a solution!]

two.

[as long as that little tent is allowed to stay, then Helena has a safe zone to relax outside, avoiding the heat. and sometimes she can bring whatever she's working on outside. today it's a small length of rope that she'd found somewhere...but that was perfect for practicing a different skill altogether. knots, she had once read, were crucial for reliability, and it feels nice to set her hands to a task.

so for a time, she's sitting in her shade spot, carefully trying to master a few knots. ones that will hold weight, and who knows, perhaps actually come in useful someday. and as she does, Helena sings to herself - quietly, but enough to amuse herself and make the task easier. of course, there are starts and stops, particularly when something falls apart, but nothing's easy.]

three.

[this is the wildcard catch all. if you want a custom prompt, just comment, and we'll create something just for you! alternately if you just want shenanigans from this month, this can also be the space for it. let me help you answer your wishes!]

Yeah! How many do you want?

[ It's a hot item, obviously. Look how many rocks there are just waiting to be sold. ]

( a tent in the courtyard isn't an unusual sight by any means; he practically lived out here himself, through july, so it's almost more familiar than anything else. this tent, though? this is new. handmade, and he's not sure how well it would do through rain, but it seems to serve well enough for sunlight and ash, so he'll crouch down in front of it, peeking through to see helena working on... on something — a rope, it looks like? well, either way, it doesn't take long for him to speak up. )

You mind if I come in?

( he's curious...! )

I've never needed dragonflies before, but I don't mind giving it a try.

( but he's pretty sure he has seen a couple? not a ton, like you'd see right beside a river or anything, but you know — the average amount you'd see come through a garden or something. it makes him curious though, on a few levels. first of all: )

Was that a book here, or...?

( is it something ko learned during the depression week(s)? eyes... )

You don't have to keep them, I think.

( he's not too sure what people do after they catch him, maybe it's to look at how nice they are, and then release them. who knows, it's not anything he's done, and there was more to do on the islands than catching dragonflies so it's the last thing he'd think of doing, but partially grateful that a quick read gave him insight. simple activities like building sandcastles, or catching fish, or playing with the cow (just komaeda) was their normal fun times. )

One of the many, but nothing to brag about...

( he's not going to explain, but you know, amami should be able to understand it's something he's learned recently if the information comes out so fresh. the fact that he has specific rocks as well, along with a length of string for their project. ) Isn't it lucky that Shopkeeper-kun had these sizes, but we probably didn't need this many, huh...?

( he's holding like twenty. )

Not at all! Please, come in.

[it does keep the ash off, and therefore it suits her purposes just fine. she smiles, and her hands tug at the new knot to try and draw it taut. she's wrapped the loop of rope around her cane to test it properly - no better way to try a hitch without something to work with.]

Did you sleep well?

[as on most nights, she had slept like a baby - the heat drained one's energy, really]

( hope it was one of those shitty books amami gave him. either way, he guesses it's something harmless enough — for a second, he'd been wondering what komaeda even needed dragonflies for, but if he's not keeping them... yeah. not that weird. he can go along and give it a shot.

though with a glance at komaeda's handful of rocks, knowing kamo-kun's prices? jeez. )

Pretty sure they have any kind of rock you could possibly want. I'm just impressed that you could still afford so many.

( says his 500k in-debt ass. )

So how do you use them?

( he offers an absent thanks, bending over to make his way in and sit down, cross-legged across from her. )

Well enough. How about you — are you adjusting well to things?

( could probably be better if they weren't here all the time but, y'know, he's hoping that it isn't too hard on her. his eyes are drawn to the knot in her hands as he speaks, and he'll take a look to see how it's going. how ya doing, helena? )

Oh... Can you not? If you need, I can purchase them for you...

( is there a hope discount, or is komaeda supporting npc-kun's business, either way, he doesn't mind buying because he has no concept of money. when you're rich, and money just falls into your hands, it just comes easy — honestly, i don't know how much funds komaeda has on him, he's just been doing what he can. now if amami is in need of assistance, he'll give what he has.

coming to a stop, his hand quickly settles against his stomach, dropping a few rocks onto the ground as he feels indigestion bubbling in the pity of his stomach. he closes his eyes, lips pursing into a straight line, but he seems more offended at dropping the rocks. slowly, he squats down in front of what slipped out his hands: )

I'm not really sure... you tie the string and rock together, then fling them.

( he takes one string, wrapping it around his index finger so that he can make a loop, but as he removes his digit — he doesn't think the circular end will hold on tightly enough to the shiny pebble. though stumped, he speaks: ) Sounds easy, right?

They charge a pretty high premium — it'd be fine if we could get out of here, but I don't have much cash to my name right now.

( and taking up komaeda on that offer would just be transferring his debt from one collector to another. honestly? he'd prefer to pay it off himself, so he'll figure something out, he's sure; relying on the other can stay plan b. shaking his head at the offer, he does raise a brow at that description of the trap he's setting up for them. )

Sounds like you'd need to have pretty good aim...

( how's that supposed to work. there's no way amami's actually hitting a dragonfly with that thing. he will make his way over when he sees komaeda struggling to pick up the pieces he needs though, crouching down to help him gather them up. )

Do they?

( everything reads like an allowance to him, but when your parents didn't care much about you, so the possibility they gave komaeda money so he'd just... go away, is an idea. he blinks slow, glancing over his shoulder to look at npc-kun who made their way outside, there's nothing different about them, and they remain the same in selling their wares. )

That shouldn't be a problem for an Ultimate like yourself, you can sell anything... voice, looks, and be in your grace. Such blinding hope... they understand what's needed, so perhaps...

( komaeda pauses, clutching the string in his hand as he looks to the side, coughing slightly — nothing new, he does look like he's dying, but maybe he spoke too much. after, he clears his throat, keeping his face turned away because he will not sully amami's glory with his hope cough. )

We should prepare them at least so when we find at least one, we can try? ( who needs aim... )

( why komaeda make it sound like amami's supposed to be an idol or a host or... something... never mind an ultimate, he's a normal ass guy out here. anyway, his sense for the value of money may be very far removed from reality, but there's still a sense there — and running out of the cash komaeda gave him has forced him to acknowledge that. )

If you say so.

( it's probably easier just to not argue about that.

instead, he'll focus on the cough and the complexion that's even poorer than usual. together with dropping the rocks and all that, it's enough to feel some concern. )

Are you feeling okay?

There's no need to worry about scum like me, I'm just a waste of time...

( he sighs, but hey, as he's picking up a few rocks, he'll look at the other helping, and an idea immediately comes to him. with the string, he begins to wrap it around amami's finger that's holding a rock, trying to get them snug by the use of it. luckily, having amami's assistance is working greatly, and komaeda's able to get the rock tied in a small knot. )

No wonder you came down to my level, this is easier with two people... now we must do the other side.

It could be far worse, I'll say.

[it's not an exact knot, and by the way her fingers brush over it and then undo it, she knows. time to try again. back and forward, and then to loop and tug through.]

We have water, shelter, and each other to ensure we get through the next day. I shouldn't complain about any of those.

[an unspoken but hangs in the air. she doesn't want to burden Amami - after he's been so kind to her, inviting her into the club and making sure she knows she can rely on any of the members.]

But...

( it's fine, she doesn't have to say it — amami doesn't mind putting it into words. she seems to have a good idea of what she's doing with that knot though, so he'll let her tie and retie, pull loose and loop through again unless she seems to encounter some kind of trouble with it. for now: )

I've been thinking some more variety in the food wouldn't be so bad.

( schrodinger's dorm's schrodinger's kitchen. is he sick to hell and back of granola bars, or just tired of not having access to rich people ingredients? he'll say it either way. )

Rome wasn't built in a day, but it's not like we can't make things better. Is it something I can help with?

( like, he can help with summer clothes. homesickness might be a bit tougher. )

( amami's grimacing, but komaeda's already taking his hand in his and wrapping the string around it, so he guesses that's that. letting komaeda do that, he'll press the back of his free hand against the other's forehead. take his temperature, how's he feeling. no cold sweat or anything... right? )

I don't mind lending a hand. Do you still need my finger?

( to tie the other side of the string, he guesses...? )

...Maybe, but if you can't, it's all right.

[food variety would be nice, but it's not what she really longs for - it's not what would make her happiest. she's quiet for a moment, and then decides to say it.]

The books in the library...I can't read them. The only ones I can are my textbooks, and I've read them cover to cover. And there's no one there I can ask if there are any editions I'd be able to read. It's disheartening, since reading is one of my favorite things to do.

[her only option would then be to ask someone to be her reader, but that was a burden she didn't want to place on anyone.]

( he's patient while he waits to hear what it is, sure, but the moment helena'd put it into words amami'd already brightened considerably. that relief surely leaks into his reply as well. )

So we just need books with braille then? No problem. The student store opened — I'm sure you've heard about it, right?

( kamo-kun did come to the club to sell rocks. )

The shopkeeper's really ( cute? amazing? adorable? the best? uhh, how about— ) dependable, so if you can work out a deal with them, I'm sure they can find some for you. If it comes down to it, you can put it under my name. They know I'm good for it.

Oh, that's very kind of you, but I couldn't accept that. I can negotiate my own debt, if needed!

[that needed to come out first and foremost. she can't possibly imagine that Amami's a rich boy...]

But that's a path I hadn't considered, so I thank you for it. If they had anything, I'd be glad...or at least knowing when the librarian will return, since we're on a break, aren't we? If it's not too long, I could manage until then just fine. Maybe it's a sign I should focus on my own writing.

▫ outdoor survival club

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helena adams | ota

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two!

03

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