Summer Camp
"Charles, this is Erik. Erik, Charles." Moira chirped as she eyed the two men. She saw something flash in Charles' eyes but paid no mind to it. "Erik's here under interesting circumstances." She told Charles. He'd been a camp counsellor for three years, and in her opinion, he'd been the best. "So just. Try to get along, okay?" Hah. It was a laugh and a half, telling Charles to 'get along' with someone. That man was practically impossible to hate.
On cue, he turned a charming grin in Erik's direction. "Pleasure to meet you, my friend. I take it you'll be bunking down with me?" He asked. Moira huffed indignantly at being ignored. "After all, we don't do co-ed rooms." He explained.
"Yes, you two'll be in Cabin Two. I'm in One, if you need me. Alone." She hinted, leaning towards Charles. As per usual, he paid her no mind. She was seriously starting to wonder if he was, perhaps, g-
"Moira!"
She twisted, nearly toppling over as a pretty blond tackled her in a hug.
"Raven!" Charles scolded. He flashed Erik an apologetic smile - as if it didn't matter that Moira herself had nearly ass planted in the dirt - "Don't mind her. She gets like this when she hasn't seen people in a while."
"She is right here and she is your sister and she only gets like this when she see's Moira. Jerk." Raven jabbed her brother in the side, making sure to hit a tender spot. Charles yelped - rather pathetically, might she add - as he twisted around in an attempt to escape her nail - talon, he swears she has claws - "Hey, Raven Darkholme-Xavier." She said to Erik, stretching the stabbyhand out for a shake.
He took it, silent still. Left eyebrow cocked, lips quirked in faint amusement. "Erik." Was all he said. She decided not to push it, when she saw the look in Charles' eyes.
"Ah." She nodded as though he'd said something wise, before patting Moira on the shoulder. "Sorry 'bout that. Any oldies?"
Moira, glad to finally not be ignored, lifted her clipboard up. "Nope. Not anyone your age anyway."
Raven sighed as Charles patted her shoulder sympathetically. "You know there aren't many teenagers that enjoy doing this whole 'camping out in the woods under strict supervision' thing." He told her.
"We have two girls your age, though. Jean and Ororo. Hmm." Moira tapped the board. "And a handful of boys your age." At that, she flashed Raven a grin. "One here for a science thing," Which would come from their nature studies, "Two here for the sake of it, and one from juvie," who was probably there because his parents didn't want to deal with him.
Charles made a noise of concern in the back of his throat, but the girls ignored him.
"It's four to a room, so you three girls'll be in my cabin with me." She really, really didn't like to be alone. "I guess we'll toss those four boys in a cabin together. I'll set them up in Cabin Twelve and then we'll sort out the rest of the kids."
"Don't be pitting everyone together so soon, Moira. We'll take a look at orientation and figure it out from there." Charles admonished gently.
"Speaking of," Erik drawled, eyes on his watch. "We're fifteen minutes late for that."
"Shit." Moira swore, grabbing Raven's wrist. They cut through the woods to get to the actual cabins. The group they had consisted of the teens Moira had spoke of, and a gaggle of seven younger ones. "Shit." She swore again. This wasn't a good turn out, not at all.
"Probably all at the Asshole Club." Raven muttered. Charles swatted her affectionately, muttering back for her to watch her language. She rolled her eyes.
There was a redheaded boy sitting next to a blond, and a dark skinned one. They were three that were her age, and if she had to guess, one of them was the juvie. The only other teen was sitting by himself, looking rather frightened. Not of the outdoors, but of the people - especially the girls.
Another redhead, and another dark skinned girl with the oddest white hair Raven had ever seen. They had grouped together as well, although they seemed like they knew each other. Raven was certain this would be another year where she played outcast.
"Okay everyone. I'm Moira, your head councellor, and this is Erik, and Charles. What we say? You do. No if's and's or but's." Thankfully, Moira didn't introduce Raven - it had been a disaster last year, being called to stand as a councellor's pet. "We need everyone to get into groups according to age. Fifteen to seventeen, line up in front of Erik. Eleven to fourteen, in front of Charles. Everyone else with me. We'll sort your cabins out, and then you can all go off for two hours of free time before dinner. Come on now, lets get moving!" She called cheerfully, winking at Raven.
The girl slunk over to stand in front of Erik. She knew Moira had paired the teens with him for a reason. He was really creepy. Probably creepy enough to keep them all in line.
"Hey." The red headed girl said softly. "I'm Jean." She gave Raven a quiet smile, calming the girls fears of being - yet again - a social outcast at Camp Unknown. Or, Camp X as they called it. "This is Ororo."
Ororo smiled, widely, looking every bit confident and friendly.
"Raven. Nice to meet you both." She glanced around "Looks like we're outnumbered by the guys, we'll probably have Moira pairing off with us during our competitions."
"You've been here before?" Ororo asked curiously.
"Mm, yep." Raven grimaced.
"That's cool. This is our first year at this sort of camp. We were at math camp last year." Jean joked, sensing Raven's unease. "My mom and dad like to send me off to random things. Riding camp, basketball camp."
"I always come here. Charles up there is my brother."
"He's kinda cute." Ororo mused. "How old is he?"
"Twenty three and so totally not swinging your way." Raven grinned, nodding at Erik.
"Seriously?" Jean grinned, leaning around Raven to peek. "Huh. Well he is kind of well dressed." As if hearing her, Charles flashed a smile at the girls. The three of them burst into laughter.
"What's so funny?"
Raven glanced to the side, seeing the blond boy from earlier. He was staring at them with narrowed eyes, head tilted. Studying them.
"Nothing." Ororo replied smoothly, staring him down. "Or at least, nothing of your concern." She knew how nasty boys could be when armed with dangerous information. She was rather surprised Raven had bothered sharing at all, and she wasn't about to give a group of teenaged boys any canon fodder.
"Whatever." He scoffed, "Hey Armando, I get top bunk." He punched his friend in the shoulder, and the girls wondered if those two knew each other as well.
"Whatever dude." Armando replied, shrugging easily. He slung an arm around the blonds shoulder, eyeing the girls up. "I'm Armando, he's Alex." He introduced, not bothering to shake hands.
"I'm Sean!" The red haired boy - he had to be a bit younger than them, Raven thought, perhaps around fifteen - said, bouncing forward to shake everyones hands. "And I think his name is Hank." He pointed at the boy with dark hair, glasses, and pressed pants.
Raven felt a pang of sympathy go out to the awkward teen. He probably wasn't going to have a very good time, at all.
"Hey Bozo, say hi." Alex sneered, ignoring the shake Armando gave him.
"Hi." Hank said softly.
"Leave him alone." Jean snapped. Without thinking, she reached for Hank, dragging him over to stand with the girls. Raven could practically see the ground falling out from under him. That wasn't going to make anything easier.
"Oh, one of the girls, eh?" Alex laughed. "Hey Erik!" He hollered at the man, who had been watching them silently. "I don't want him bunking with us! Might be too interested in our junk and we don't want to see what he has in his pants."
It earned him a laugh from Armando, Sean, and a few of the younger boys. Erik, however, didn't look amused. Still, he said nothing, and Raven was quietly grateful. At least he wasn't helping to dig Hank's Grave of Shame any deeper.
Jean, having seen what a terrible mistake she'd made, released Hank's wrist. The boy was blushing crimson.
"Unfortunately." Erik spoke, finally, "You will be bunking with him. If you have any problems with it, perhaps that will deter you from strutting around naked like a preening peacock." He drawled, seemingly unamused.
Alex sputtered, turned red himself, then fell silent when Erik turned a powerful glower onto him.
"We're going to have to get along if we want to beat the camp across the lake at this years competitions." He added. "You four get Twelve." As Moira had said in the beginning. "And Raven, I trust you can get Jean and Ororo to their cabin?"
Huh, Raven thought so he was listening. "Leave it to me." As Erik began to usher the boys away, she mouthed goodbye Hank at the mortified looking teen.
He responded with a tentative smile.
As Ororo linked arms with her and she began leading the way, Raven thought that perhaps this year might be a better one.