Main Campfire, Tuesday Afternoon

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

Yes, it was ridiculous to be outside in this weather. Yet all the same, Miley bundled up in her new winter coat (the product of a collaborative shopping effort between her and Lilly; it had depended upon the use of Skype on their zPhones as Lilly wandered around the only store in Atlanta to have started the winter collection this early). Armed with the coat and various other winter accessories she had not imagined having to use this early, not to mention her trusty Uggs, Miley brought a cup of her father's famous loco hot cocoa out to the campfire and got started roasting marshmallows.

Freezing or not, she was still camping, and Miley could put aside her body temperature in favor of a return to country living.

[[I know this is a long shot, but if LJ cooperates, open!]]

Comments

[vanillajello]

Despite her plans to the contrary last night, Kate was now on day two of moping. Today, that was translating to wandering around despite the cold. First it had been the town, but she'd returned to the campgrounds.

Bundled up in a golden jacket with a pink hoodie underneath, not to mention the (these days) ever-present scarf, gloves, and sock monkey hat, she was steerings clear of Anti-Joke Chicken, but stopped by the main campfire when she noticed it wasn't unattended.

She offered up a "Hey" as she approached the fire.

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

"Hey!" Miley chirped. She was in the process of getting a marshmallow to that perfect stage of golden brown.

"Want a marshmallow?"
Sorry, Kate. Miley didn't really get the whole moping thing unless it had to do with her.

[vanillajello]

That was fine. Kate wasn't too obvious about it, and wasn't big on sharing with people who weren't close friends.

You got on so much better by just faking being okay at the general public. "Yeah," she said, lightly, "I think I would, thanks."

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

"You want it burned or brown?" she asked, evaluating the one she'd just finished toasting. "I like them brown, but then you meet some people now and then who like it burned, which I think is weird, because it's burned, you know, and burned sounds bad for a reason, but some people are weird and that's what they like. But this one's brown!"

[puppywithatutu.livejournal.com]

Sure it wasn't the most polite thing to just eye someone sitting at a campfire, but Caroline so doubted Kate wanted her to say hi when she'd likely been the reason Bod didn't show at her party Saturday.

Whatever, Caroline could play the ignoring game as well as anyone.

[vanillajello]

Kate had probably been at least part of the reason Bod hadn't attended the party. But, in a roundabout fashion, Caroline was part of the reason Kate hadn't talked to Bod for two days, so maybe they were... even, or something.

Not that Kate was about to let Caroline in on that. She didn't miss the eyeing, either. "Caroline," she acknowledged evenly, with an idle nod. See, she could totally pretend to be civil when she had no idea what she'd rather been instead.

[puppywithatutu.livejournal.com]

"Hi Kate," she said, even waving a hot pink glove at the other blonde in slight acknowledgement of her own staring. "I know, we don't usually do the whole talking thing, huh? But whatever, why didn't you let Bod come to my party?" Seemed Caroline had given up on tiptoeing around their issues.

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"How's your everything, Kate?" Ramona asked, waving over at the other girl. She hadn't seen her since...she was a pony (shut up, she wasn't talking about that.) "I like the monkey hat."

[vanillajello]

"Thank you," Kate replied, inclining her head. "The monkey hat appreciates the compliment. Your earmuffs are pretty nice too."

As for 'her everything', no comment.

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"Thanks. I should invest in more anthropomorphic articles of clothing," Ramona replied. "I mean, it'd just be weird to say that my earmuffs appreciate anything."

[puppywithatutu.livejournal.com]

"Chocolate!" Caroline was kind of in need as she dropped to a seat in a far too large parka, boots, and thick, hot pink gloves. "God, you have good timing."

And yes, that would be Caroline helping herself without asking if it the food was meant for sharing.

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

"I try," Miley laughed. Teasingly, after Caroline had already taken some for herself, she asked, "Would you like some chocolate, Caroline?"

[puppywithatutu.livejournal.com]

Caroline smirked, tilting her head as she chewed what she'd already stolen. "You're too kind! Sure does make coping with this cold easier."

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

"That was my logic, anyway," Miley agreed. "That," she said, holding up her mug of hot chocolate, "and a cup of loco hot cocoa. It has about a million calories, but I can pretty much excuse it in this weather."

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

Ramona hadn't really felt that bad after her other interaction with Caroline, even if she hadn't particularly cared for the other girl. But she was cold, there were only so many people here to talk to, and she didn't want to be rude. So she raised a gloved (they were black and white striped) hand in a little wave, figuring that would probably be enough to pass over the bitchy-cold-shoulder thing, but not necessarily obligate her to another conversation of insults.

[puppywithatutu.livejournal.com]

Caroline figured she was doing fairly well to raise a hot pink glove in return and not go for any response that could possibly start a conversation. She got the strong feeling Ramona was so not there to talk to her anyway.

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"How are you?" Ramona asked, politely, because she could be polite. There was no reason not to be, after all. And even if things had turned ugly pretty quick there, before, she had at least a year of inhabiting the same school as Caroline. Might as well be nice. And she had no reason to feel insecure around her, or bad about what she'd said.

(Even if she did feel a little insecure, she wasn't going to mention it.)

[withasword.livejournal.com]

"Is this where the crazy ones hang out?" Who else would be out here, really.

Huddling inside over a little cold just wasn't in Kate. But wrapping herself in a cloak and huddling outside? Totally okay.

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

"That's my guess," Miley laughed, passing Kate the bag of marshmallows in an act of selfless generosity. "I'm from Tennesee, so the whole freezing winter thing doesn't really phase me. Want a s'more?"

[withasword.livejournal.com]

Kate dipped a nod as the took the bag. "Thanks." Selfless generosity when it came to marshmallows seemed to be way more common here than it was back home.

"But do you normally camp out in it?" she asked. For most people, that seemed less the norm.

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"The crazy ones are more fun," Ramona offered mildly, waving the hand she wasn't smoking with. "In my experience. Though right now I'd say that this is probably more where the smokers and people who apparently don't feel temperatures hang out."

[withasword.livejournal.com]

Kate snickered mildly, and kicked her feet out in front of her to warm a little closer to the flames. "Works for me." She was the latter.

"I feel it, but don't really care if it gets me out of a tiny box with eight other people for a while." Cabins may be the more familiar living situation for her, but there was a whole different set of issues living with so many in such close quarters.

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"Seriously?" Ramona asked, though there was no heat behind it (sadly enough.) "We're still doing this campfire stuff even though it's so cold I'm literally wearing earmuffs?"

She was. They were black and fuzzy!

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

Huh. So she was.

Miley surveyed her, then poured some of her loco hot cocoa from the pitcher into an extra cup.

"Hot cocoa?" she offered.

And she was just going to go ahead and not mention that it was probably warmer inside than outside. See? Social skills!

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

Yes, but Ramona had made bad choices and was a smoker, so she'd actually wandered outside to keep her cabinmates happy. She did take the cocoa before lighting up, though, finding a seat as she did so. "Thanks. How've you been, little Miley?"

...what, she was vaguely, weirdly fond of Miley. Thus, the diminutive.