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]

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."