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[indent][sub][COLOR=fde1ef][B]Location:[/B][/COLOR] [I]Team 78 Campsite[/I] - [I]Southern Plateau, Dundas Island[/I][/sub][sup][right][COLOR=fde1ef][b]The Homecoming Trials #1.79:[/b][/COLOR] [I]The New Normal[/I][/right][/sup][/indent][sub][hr][/sub][INDENT][sub][color=fde1ef][B]Interaction(s):[/B][/COLOR] [I]Team 78: Firebird — Lucas Bray [@Nemaisare][/I][/sub][SUP][RIGHT][COLOR=fde1ef][b]Previously:[/b][/COLOR] [I]N/A[/I][/right][/SUP]
[INDENT]Ariel had no idea what to expect from a normal university, never mind a university specifically for Hyperhumans, but a camping trip was definitely not it.

It was...charmingly mundane. Before the emergence of their water powers, Ariel used to go hike past the rocky hills of Truth or Consequences with their mother, often camping out for the night if the weather was cooperative. Marching past the cliffs and hills of Dundas Island felt like treading footpaths of the past, but compared to the blistering heat of New Mexico, British Columbia's brisk winds was paradise, as was the vacuum-sealed security of Pacific Royal custom-tailored for Hyperhumans. [color=fde1ef][i][b]Coming here was the right decision,[/b][/i][/color] they thought. No more sleeping in abandoned warehouses and breaking into minimarkets. No more watching out for police, or worse. Ariel breathed deep of a hopeful future as they gathered close to the rest of Team Firebird, here in their assigned camping position.

Team Firebird came across as a quiet bunch at first, but everyone seemed pleasant enough. No more unpleasant than Ariel could be, anyway. After the long drive from their most recent motel hideout in New Jersey to Pacific Royal grounds in [i]Canada,[/i] Ariel had been far too exhausted to get to know the others properly, just barely staying awake for the entirety of the opening ceremony. Best they could offer was a curt nod, with an accommodating smile to those sitting next to them. The very same smile they now wore at the camp. It wasn't a very genuine-looking smile, to be fair, but the last thing Ariel wanted to be seen as was 'the unapproachable kid'. They learned the hard way that first impressions could just as easily be last impressions. 

[color=fde1ef][i][b]So it's time to make a good first impression![/b][/i][/color]

Simple enough to set up a tent when the tent literally set itself up, but with that done, Ariel heard someone throw a question into the air. A younger sort of boy, with a babyface as soft as Dominik Mysterio, a tangle of hair a shade of brown lighter than Ariel's. He seemed...lost. Not like how Ariel was lost, shambling without purpose or reason. No, this one looked like he was [i]intentionally[/i] lost, a devoted wanderer in his own thoughts. It was always something interesting that made people want to do this. Not eager to pry but not denying their curiosity, Ariel took the bait and latched onto the hanging question.

[color=fde1ef][b]"I can take care of that tent with you, sure,"[/b][/color] Ariel piped up, brightening their dim smile as they approached the brown-haired student. [color=fde1ef][b]"Though these things look sturdy enough to withstand a car crash. I wouldn't worry about the wind."[/b][/color] That being said, Ariel still walked over to the other side of the tent and secured it as per instructions. The boy certainly seemed like a worrier no matter what they did. Peace of mind should be good currency.

[color=fde1ef][b]"I'm Ariel, by the way. Let's be friends."[/b][/color] They flashed him a grin and a peace sign before turning their attention to the fire pit and the portable pizza ovens. Though vulnerable to fire and heat, Ariel's Malay blood afforded them a fondness of and tolerance for anything spicy. They had already stuffed a personal pizza into the oven, one loaded with peppers and drowning in frankly irrational amounts of sriracha.[/INDENT][/INDENT]