"A-HEM!"
The mindless chatter of the camp fell silent under the supervisor's exclamation. She often had the effect on people. She wore a khaki button up atop slightly browner slacks with matching brown hiking boots. Her hair was done up in a proper blonde bun, and her green eyes sat behind simple glasses.
"Listen up children—"
A voice from the crowd voiced out—it was a blonde girl, though extremely tall for her age—"Uh, ma'am, we're fourteen. Totally not children!"
A menacing glare was thrown her way, and the blonde girl grinned sheepishly while she scratched her head. "S-Sorry. Continue! Please, ahaha…"
The supervisor returned her gaze to the audience, who were in fact made up of almost entirely fourteen year olds—in some eyes, they were pretty much children.
"For those of you who are returning for another year of summer camp, this news will come as a great surprise," the supervisor walked to the side of the stage she stood upon, originally using it to welcome the summer camp returnees and newcomers. Her presence was commanding as it was intimidating, "but for those of you that are here for your first time, it may not be too much of a shock. Perhaps you won't even care, considering you're already surrounded by strangers."
The blonde girl from earlier turned to her shorter friend, another camp-goer who she's been sharing cabins with for years, probably since they were about eight years old. "What'dya think she's gonna say? Goodwitch hasn't had a major announcement in.. Wow, I don't even remember."
The other girl placed her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow. "I don't have a clue. Whatever it is, it probably isn't really a big deal in the first place."
The two girls, respectively, were Yang Xiao Long and Weiss Schnee. They'd met during their first year at Twin Axes, the most well-known summer camp in all of Vale.
.. Okay, so, there weren't too many summer camps to choose from in Vale, but Twin Axes has been a long running establishment for quite some time, and in this time, it has created opportunities for many of its camp-goers, earning sports, academics, and art and music scholarships for their futures. It was a well-run, co-ed camp that provided its patrons with weeks of exciting excursions, activities, relationship-building exercises and the like. Some of the more notable activities including kayaking, volleyball, mixed martial arts, basketball, swimming, crocheting, knot-tying, survival… The mixed martial arts wasn't too popular, though the rowdier campers like Yang relished in its tough style. Its age range was from eight to sixteen, so veterans like Yang and Weiss were nearing the age limit—though that didn't stop them from staking their ground and reminding everyone who was the smartest and the strongest.
Glynda Goodwitch, the head supervisor at Twin Axes, continued her exposition. "For the first time in our camp's long history, Twin Axes will be hosting another camp this year, due to unforeseen budget cuts."
A flurry of questions and misplaced "what?"s sounded off across the audience, Yang and Weiss included.
Weiss scoffed, "Hosting another camp? If we do that, then how will we compete in the annual Friendship games this year? Wouldn't that just defeat the purpose?"
The Friendship games, as it were, is a week-long event that is held near the end of each camp session, where dozens of other camps come from across Remnant to Vale to participate in competitive activities against one another. Though it is supposed to be an event where the term "friendship" reigns strong.. To headstrong camp-goers like Weiss and Yang, it was merely a chance for them to show off how good they were at.. Well, everything they did.
Yang shrugged, "Dunno. Who do you think it is though? You think it's that other camp across Vale?"
Weiss waved her off, "No, impossible. They're not even close to being on our level, the supervisor wouldn't do that to us, much less to damage our reputation."
"Ouch. I know we're good and all, but you're starting to sound like you take summer camp waaay too seriously, Schnee."
"Oh, don't even tell me you don't, Xiao Long! It's our honor at Twin Axes that we have to uphold. Everybody in the country knows we have the highest achieving prospects!"
Yang thought for a moment, "Yeah, yeah you're totally right. Gotta live while we're young, right!?"
".. No, no that's not really what I meant, but I'm glad your spirit has returned. Ugh, where's your sister?"
"Oh, shoot! Good question." Yang looked around the campsite and finally caught sight of her little sister, Ruby. It was Ruby's first time at the camp, and she was merely twelve, so she wouldn't get to share a cabin with Weiss or Yang, but Yang figured she was big enough to make her own friends by now. "Rubes!"
Ruby swung around from talking with blonde haired boy, whom Yang recognized as Jaune, another boy who's been going to Twin Axes for a while. "Yang, what's up?"
"C'mere!" She waved her sister over.
Ruby jogged over to the pair, eager to find out what she wanted. "You guys okay?"
"We're fine, Ruby, but we've got a situation on our hands. We're having another camp here this year, and I don't know which one it is yet, but let's just hope it's no one we've got grudges against, or who knows what'll happen."
Ruby tilted her head, "Twin Axes has grudges? Like, with who?"
"Ruby, Ruby Ruby," Yang propped her elbow up onto Ruby's shoulder, "You've got a lot to learn, little sista."
Ruby turned to the stage where Goodwitch was discussing something with the head counselors. She called out, "Uhh, Miss Goodwitch?"
The woman turned at the sound of her name, adjusting her glasses accordingly. "Yes, what is it?"
"Who're we joining up with?"
"Ah, yes, I hadn't mentioned," she cleared her throat. "Twin Axes is joining up with a camp from Mistral. I'm sure the majority of you are familiar with the name Aegean…"
Weiss' mouth hung slightly agape for a moment, but she quickly rectified the unsightly habit and shifted her eyes up to her friend's. "No way."
Yang brought a balled up fist to her lips, covering her smirk. She knew Weiss was pretty upset, but considering the irony, and the fact that she often liked to make Weiss upset herself, the situation was pretty damn hilarious.
Goodwitch finished her announcement. "We will be spending this summer with our friendly competition, headed by Miss Cinder Fall."
The campers could tell Glynda put a strain on the words "friendly" and "competition." Looks like the campers weren't the only ones who knew of the rivalry?
Ruby tugged at Yang's shirt, unsure of the measure of the real problem here. "What's Aegean? Why is everyone so wound up about them?"
Yang distanced herself away from the other campers to give the three of them some space to talk. Weiss followed, though her look of displeasure was apparent. Ruby was only curious.
"So, Rubes, you don't know this since it's your first year here, but Camp Aegean is like, pretty much the biggest rival we have. Our camp is basically top-notch in everything we do, but that crazy head counselor they've got over there runs things real well and it turns out, they've got some awesome superstars. We're fairly sure all those kids have done some hardcore training all their life, so they always give us a run for our money whenever the Friendship games roll around. Drives Weiss freaking insane. Isn't that right, Frosty?"
"Do not with that nickname, please. But yes, Ruby, the heathens in that camp are obscenely full of themselves and they always make a point to rub it in our faces whenever they actually do win a competition. It's horrendous, and I will certainly have no part in welcoming them into our camp!"
Ruby looked back and forth between her relaxed sister and her seething companion. "Soooo, uhh, do they have team captains over there too? You both told me you two were kinda in charge of stuff here, so they have to have the same thing, right? Maybe that's why they're so good? And don't you guys do any normal camp things, like go hiking and make s'mores over a fire?" Honestly, she found Weiss' obsession with the competition a little bit silly. They were going to have to share their camp, maybe even their cabins soon enough, so why bother getting worked up? Then again, Ruby hasn't been here. She has no say in the feelings of the veterans, she supposed. Or maybe she just couldn't understand teenagers quite yet.
Yang yawned, stretching her arms out above her head, "S'mores are a given, Rubes. We usually do a few night trips over the summer, so you've got that to look forward to. But coming back to Aegean, I think I heard rumors of two really, really good people there. We've never actually seen them up close, since we usually ended up playing against each other at different times, but everyone says they're the "MVPs" or something. What were their names? Uh.. Weiss, you remember?"
"Blake. Blake and Pyrrha were their names, Yang. And I for one do not care to know what they look like, because either way, I'm not sharing a cabin with them, hmph!" Weiss turned her nose up.
"Okay Schnee, I don't think you have a lot of say in what Goodwitch ends up doing, but I gotta agree. It would suck if we had to entertain our enemies… But maybe it won't be so bad? Who knows, it could actually be pretty fun."
"Oh, we'll see about that," Weiss warned.
The chatter and noise across the camp was halted by a flurry of buses arriving at the camp entrance. There were two in total, full-length school buses skidding slowly to a stop, kicking up dust surrounding the tall, wooden sign that read "TWIN AXES" in stylized letters.
Goodwitch stepped down from the stage and approached the entrance, rolling her eyes at their untimely arrival. "Fantastic. She's obnoxiously early, as usual."
Yang took Ruby's hand and led her to the entrance as well, Weiss following closely behind. There was no way they'd miss the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the poster-children for their biggest camp rival.
The first bus' door slid open, and quite a handful of campers, ages ranging from probably about the same eightish to fifteen step out one by one, laughing and looking around with enthusiasm. They didn't seem all that different from the campers at Twin Axes, but they had a distinct variation of demeanor to them. It was almost as if they were just a little more serious looking. What sort of place was Mistral, exactly?
The second bus also began pouring out guests, though the first bus wasn't emptied out yet. Camper by camper, Yang and Weiss' careful eyes followed them, scanning them for any telltale sign of "star player." In truth, they really had no idea what these two captains looked like; they'd only hoped they could just realize it when it happens.
The trickle of kids diminished slowly, and soon only a few people were left exiting the vehicle. The very last three in the first bus step out slowly, their eyes wandering the premises to soak in all the new information.
The first girl—there were two young girls, plus what seemed like an older woman—had onyx-colored hair, tied up in a messy ponytail, loose strands wild along the outline of her tanned neck. She had sharp eyes, almost catlike, one would say, upturned and all-knowing. Her pupils were a bright amber color, nearly matching in hue the reflection of a clear pond in the daylight, and just as mysterious. She had on her camp's signature t-shirt, wearing dark colored jeans with white converse sneakers.
Her companion stepped out of the bus soon after, this time sporting a head of luscious hair that was a shade of red almost resembling fire. She also had it tied up, in a cleaner, more kempt version than her darker-haired counterpart. Also wearing her camp's t-shirt, she had on a pair of jean shorts, white knee socks and red converse sneakers. Her skin was a slightly lighter color, and she had brilliant emerald eyes that mimicked the morning dew, delicate on fresh blades of grass.
While her partner had eyes that told you they knew, this girl had eyes that told you she wanted to know.
The pair of girls were followed by a taller woman, presumably the head counselor for Aegean. She had ashen grey locks that framed amber eyes similar to the younger girl's; though these eyes looked much more experienced, and rather conniving.
Weiss and Yang stood side by side, their eyes glued to the two girls that just got off the bus. Weiss was drawn to the girl with dark hair, while Yang was particular enraptured with the girl with red locks.
They languidly turned to each other, both in total disbelief at how… Just how freaking pretty their "competition" was.
Weiss was the first to speak. "Y-You don't think.. That was Blake—"
"And Pyrrha?" Yang finished.
Ruby could only stare at her silly sister and friend, shaking her head at their hypocritical antics. She uttered a sort of dissatisfied grunt, "Eugh. I seriously don't understand teenagers."
a/n: Hi all! With this story, I kinda wanted something a little more lighthearted than my other stuff. Everyone is a lot younger, and a lot more focused on doing things 14 year olds do... Which, well, I don't really know what that is anymore, but I wanted to portray a fun story about two kids that end up with crushes on two other kids; kids in the total sense of the word. Weiss and Yang are really into their camp stuff, and they make it seem like a big ol deal when it's sort of not, but that's what being an adolescent is about, yeah? Just kind of living the way you want with reckless abandon, going all out-that kind of stuff!
Anyway, aahhh I just hope it turns out alright as far as characterization. Again, considering they are all 3 years younger than their canon selves, they shouldn't be too off the mark, I hope.
Also also, if you keep up with my other stuff, you might have noticed I reused the name Twin Axes from the coffee/bar shop in one of my Freezerburn fics. *shrug*
Let me know how everyone likes this 'summer camp' AU.