An Exercise in Relaxation [Closed]

[apologiesmyking]

Characters: Kaldur'ahm, Zatanna (backwordscompatible), Robin!Dick Grayson (hackingyoursensors)
Date: 10/4-10/11
Location: The woods and mountains outside of Keeliai
Situation: Things have been a little rough going for the last couple of months. The Team could use a break and bonding time. Camping for a week sounds great, right? Nothing could possibly go wrong.
Warnings/Rating: no warnings, PG at best


It had been his own idea, although Kaldur could not take credit for it entirely. He remembered how well the camping trip when the team had first formed had gone. They had bonded and learned much from one another. It had shown them not only how to be a team, but how they could be strong friends.

He believed that they needed it again. Kaldur was grateful that Robin and Zatanna had agreed to take this trip, and he truly thought it was for the best. The three of them, without the influences of others around.

The camp was simple, but in a defendable position--as if they would select any other kind of location for one--while not being too deep into the woods. It was the perfect clearing. It was only the first evening and night was falling to the point that a fire needed to be set, to get them ready. He looks over the packs of supplies they had brought and wondered if perhaps he should take the hour walk to the turtle's edge and fish more. He looks over to the other two.

"Is there anything else we need for the night that cannot be held until morning?"

Comments

[backwordscompatible]

The timing couldn't have been more perfect.

After reinforcing the protection spells around her apartment to make sure she didn't come back to Bart's latest attempts at Feng Shui, Zatanna left her apartment with a backpack on her back and a smile on her face. A week's getaway from Keelai was just what she needed. Away from the glaring and lingering accusations. And revenge attempts.

Unfortunately, there was one aspect of this trip that she hadn't realized might become an issue. She and Dick were okay. More than okay, in fact. But she and Robin...well...there was a reason why the two of them had clicked from the start, and --so long as Kaldur was around--she had to pretend that reason was gone. Conversations were still pleasant enough. She would even smile at him, wish him off when he left to go collect firewood for the evening, but that was the extent of their interactions.

It was exhausting. She was only so good of an actress after all.

Beyond that, however, she was in fairly good spirits. Glancing up from checking her rations (as a vegetarian, she'd needed to ensure slightly more than the boys did, since fishing or hunting wouldn't be an option for her), she shook her head in response to Kaldur's question.

"I think we're good for now. Worst case scenario, I could always summon whatever we needed."

Cheating? Absolutely.

[apologiesmyking]

Kaldur knew of areas in this part of the woods that foraging was ample, although whether or not all of the edible-looking foods were truly good for human--or Atlantean--consumption was unknown to him. The foods that the kedan could eat were not always the ones that he thought should be eaten by humans and hia own diet was also different from that of surface-dwellers. But he trusts Zatanna to take care of her own if necessary so instead he focuses on looking over where they might set traps for potential intruders. He is not sure how angry those in Keeliai may still be about the magical...mishap.

He smiles with a bit of humor at her statement. "I would prefer we stick to basic skills if at all possible," he says. "We are more than capable of not relying on special abilities to survive in the wilderness, I would think."

So he turns to begin setting up the tent that he procured for Robin and himself to use.

[backwordscompatible]

"You forget I'm a city girl. The closest thing we had to a tree was the potted plant outside my old window."

A joke, of course. She'd done enough traveling with her father over the years that she knew well enough how to take care of herself. Magic or no magic.

"Need any help?" Her own tent was noticeably smaller, and would take far less time to set up.

[apologiesmyking]

Considering the ease at which she had agreed to this outing, Kaldur doubts that she's as incapable as she claims. He could put up his own tent with enough time, but does not see a reason to refuse her offer.

"If you do not mind," he replies, spreading out the large poles to be used for the frame. "I have only ever done this once before. It would be easier with assistance."

[backwordscompatible]

"Not at all. Consider it an exercise in teamwork."

While he worked the poles, she set to work spreading out the tent canvas so that the base was as flat as possible. Pulling out the loops where they would pin it into the ground for better access. Twice, she checked the ground, frowning and adjusting accordingly when--of all things--the soil proved too soft.

That's all they needed, was to have their tents upheaved by a strong gust of wind in the middle of the night.

[apologiesmyking]

Kaldur has no problem admitting to his own shortcomings, even though he wishes he had fewer of them. He does not realize how much the quality of the soil affects the location of a good campground, though, considering to him softer soil is better that rough.

He looks over to see her shifting the canvas with a bemused look on his face. "Is something wrong?"

[backwordscompatible]

"Hmm?" She glanced up just as she managed to penetrate soil with one of the stakes. Not even realizing the face she had been making. "What do you mean?"

[apologiesmyking]

He sets the pole he is holding down. "You looked displeased," he responds. "I was unsure if it was the work or something else."

[backwordscompatible]

It took her a moment to realize what he was referring to, before she snapped back to reality and shook her head.

"Oh! No, no. I'm fine. It's just...the soil's a bit tricky to deal with. It doesn't seem to be willing to negotiate."

[apologiesmyking]

"Hm," he thinks over the situation, looking at how the stake sticks out of the ground. "Is it moving too much? We could always find large stones to stabilize the stakes."

[backwordscompatible]

She stood up, placing a hand on one hip, and looking down.

"Or to beat them all the way into the ground. If it wasn't still so warm out, I'd think the ground was frozen underneath." A thought occurred to her, though, even though she knew it wasn't possible. She couldn't help grinning. "Unless Jack followed us out here somehow."

[apologiesmyking]

He chuckles a little at the rather violent alternative, but there is a priority topic. "Jack?" He's seen the boy on the network, but Kaldur has never spoken to him himself. He knows he is related to ice and winter. "Why would he seek to follow us?"

[backwordscompatible]

"Because he missed me. Or he got bored. Come to think of it, I'm not really sure where he goes when he wanders off for alone time."

[hackingyoursensors]

Robin is 'searching for firewood.' Of course, gathering the firewood took only ten minutes-- most of the trees in the area are scraggly and there are dead branches everywhere. He snaps them off with ease. Most of his time is dedicated to doing a perimeter sweep and making mental notes of potential dangers as well as potential resources. (You'd better believe he knows which plants are edible.)

After about an hour, he returns to camp, his arms full of firewood.

"You know where I went," Robin replies teasingly. He knows they meant Jack, of course.

[backwordscompatible]

That was good timing.

Zatanna looked up from where she was still busy kneeling on the ground, doing battle with the last of the stakes. She offered a friendly smile at his return, but didn't bother getting up to greet him.

"Keep telling yourself that, Robin." A bit of light-hearted teasing. One last push mid-sentence, and the stake was finally all the way secured. "Your method of disa--ppearing is a bit different from mine, remember?"

[hackingyoursensors]

"It's just as effective."

He surveys the scene before him, half-glancing at both Zatanna and Kaldur.

"You guys have never been camping before, have you? Aside from that one time."

[apologiesmyking]

Kaldur had wondered if perhaps there was something off between the two, but their banter seems genuine and amicable, so perhaps he has been worrying over nothing. He has not been around them both at the same time enough to notice if they are being less close than they usually are. He finishes putting together part of the frame for the tent and chuckles softly at them.

"Perhaps it would be better for us all if we avoid any sort of vanishing acts for the time being. This is meant to be a...reprieve, after all," And he would much prefer to not have anyone disappear right now. Nice and simple, that is all he would like for this one week.

"I have only 'camped out' on the surface in that one instance, Robin, but I did do some cursory research on what would be required to last for a week without having to travel back into the city."

[hackingyoursensors]

"I'll resist the urge."

Dick grins at Kaldur, but it's clear he's just teasing. He fully intends on spending time taking it easy. They all needed it.

"I figured you did. I've done it a lot back home, though. Survival training, stuff like that."

Beat.

"Don't worry, Batman didn't try to feed me to bears or anything."