Realistic or Modern Channel 16 | IC | Closed

[elytra]

Current Chapter: Chapter 1, Name Pending
Event Countdown: N/A
Event Post Links: N/A
Recap Links: N/A
Current Day: Day 1
Time: Morning
Weather: Sunny & hot

Short Introduction:

Arborly National Park was 310 miles of protected wilderness. It had been that way for years, and with luck would continue to be that way for many more. The thing was, considering how big the area happened to be and how hot the summers were, fire tended to break out easily. These fires, while being important, sometimes got big enough to be an issue for park goers, and an eye had to be kept on them.

This problem was solved by bringing in volunteers and seasonal employees to stay at lookout towers during the summer, taking note of fires and the weather, as well as helping around the park if truly needed. The job came with a 3-month long period of isolation, but for some, that time was something they needed. Many people had reasons that they'd need alone time because of. It wasn't uncommon.

When all the interaction you have is one person and a radio, though, imaginations tend to go wild, and it isn’t easy to tell what's real and what's fake. But other than that, what’s a better way to spend your summer?

 

[elytra]

Character: Theodore Garcia
Location: Rosewood Peaks Lookout Tower
Radio Channel: 413.892 (misc)
Interacting With: N/A; Open for Interaction​

Fire was an important part of ecosystems.

People who didn’t have any previous knowledge about forest fires usually thought that they were simply hazardous and needed to be put out immediately. Truth was, destructive events like that were needed for places to thrive. Stopping them entirely would damage areas that environmental lobbyists were trying to protect. Fires got rid of dead trees and decaying material, returned nutrients to the soil, and kickstarted a new cycle of succession.

A good example of it was the jack pine. Pinecones from the jack pine would grow on the tree, but remained sealed until a fire came around and heated them up. New jack pines could only grow when fires happened; a destructive event helped the plant to reach maturity, and without that event, they would otherwise just….die out. Well, unless evolution stepped in, but that was a generation upon generation sort of deal. It wasn’t snap of the fingers, and it didn’t fit in with the point.

The point was, people were sort of like Jack Pines. Sometimes, in order to grow, they needed a bit of a push. Something disastrous. Something they couldn’t view as good unless they really scrutinized it, and even then, there would be cons.That was life, in a nut shell. Or in a pine cone, actually. Bad things were sometimes needed, and not in the ‘god planned for this, it’s ok’ bullshit explanation way.

Except for Theo. He was the exception. He had not once had a bad experience where he had grown from it, but that was fine. He was doing fine, no matter what anyone said.

“I don’t think Arborly is good for you.” Veronica had told him before he’d left, as if she knew anything about how he was doing, what he was thinking, or even how he was feeling “You already went last summer, right? You got what you need to put it on your resume. The isolation isn’t going to help, Theo.”

And it was sweet that she was thinking of him, but she just didn’t get it. He’d told her as much, as kindly as he could, a bit of ruffling of her hair and a “What, going to miss me? Sap!” to defuse the conversation as he continued to pack his stuff. She didn’t seem to be distracted as much as he wanted her to be, but dropped the topic, which he was thankful for. That was the last conversation they’d had before he drove up to Arborly, his home for the next 3 months, and started his hike in.

He couldn’t see why anyone would see this as bad for him. The park was beautiful, and probably one of his favorite places to be. He knew it in and out, seeing as he’d been visiting it every so often even when he wasn’t working there, and the tower he was in was his favorite spot in the whole place. Rosewood Peak was the best tower to be in, no offence to the others; the view was gorgeous, and the stargazing? Out of this world, if one could excuse the pun. Of course, he wouldn’t be shouting that over the frequencies, but he thought it was pretty valid of him to love what he was doing.

He had no idea who his towermate would be, but he wasn’t worried. He dropped his stuff down in the currently-empty tower, grabbing a radio and taking a seat on his bed. He wasn’t sure if the other person was even there yet or not, actually, and that was fine. When they arrived, they arrived; he’d introduce himself and that whole shebang, and if they got along? Fantastic! But he wasn’t there to make friends. Would it be nice? Sure, sure. He was a sucker for friendships. He was there doing work, though, and his aim wasn’t to annoy the shit out of the person he was living with for 3 months.

He probably would anyway. He’d feel bad. Maybe he should just apologize in advance.

He set the radio frequency to 413.892, the misc channel that he’d personally taken over last summer. Time to make himself known. He pressed the button after taking a deep breath and letting it out; hopefully some of the lookouts from the last time were still around. If not, he was gonna have to act normal.

“Hey there, Arborly! Rosewood Peak watchtower, reporting in because I’m already bored out of my mind. Anyone else around yet, or am I alone? Over.” He then set it down next to him, figuring he’d pick it up once someone replied, if they did. He had come pretty early, in his opinion, but maybe not; he had hope that maybe someone would indulge him and actually say something.

To pass the time, he grabbed his guitar, which had been hell to lug with him, and positioned it so he could easily pluck the strings. First, a simple scale, just to get himself going again. He’d been aiming to be in a band once; he remembered wanting that more than anything. Of course, shit happened, but he still had the pro of being able to play pretty well. Or, that’s what most people who heard him play said, anyway. He paused, before switching gears, starting to play an actual song. Something soft, slow, atmospheric; he liked fast tunes, but it wasn’t the time for that. He just wanted something relaxing.

 

[mogy]

Character: Adam Henderson
Location: Trail leading to Rosewood Peaks Lookout Tower/Rosewood Peaks Lookout Tower
Radio Channel: None
Interacting With: elytra (Theodore)​

Going to Arborly to work as a lookout was just one of the numerous decisions Adam’s parents didn’t approve of, and they didn’t approve of a lot of decisions Adam made recently, especially in the last six months or so.

He couldn’t blame the two. They just lost their son half a year ago, and they just wanted to make sure that their other son wouldn’t choose the wrong path in life, which was something every parent did.

Even though they didn’t approve of him going and taking a gap year from college for that matter, they still decided to drive him to the park, which was the least they could do. Parents being parents, Adam had received a bunch of tips about what to do if ‘this’ or ‘that’ happened, and to be honest, after hearing tip after tip after tip about what to do if you accidentally fell into a raging river or if you encountered an eagle, a person can easily get bored, agitated and moody.

The two-hour ride seemed more like an eight-hour one, to Adam at least, and after about ten minutes into it, he had to just pretend to fall asleep in the back of the family car so his parents would just shut up.

When the three had reached Arborly, Adam didn’t know if he was gladder to be there because of the nature, because he wouldn’t have to listen to his dad’s tips any longer or because he was finally going to get away from the mundaneness of his everyday life. It was probably a mixture of the three, but never mind that. All that mattered now was that Adam was finally in Arborly.

He put his big backpack onto his back, a satchel onto his hip, dangling from his shoulder, one bag into his left hand, and a small map of Arborly into his right hand, with the path he was supposed to take highlighted by a red marker.

Saying goodbye to his parents, Adam was off, and all he had to do now was enjoy the amazing nature which surrounded him as he slowly made his way to the Rosewood Peaks Lookout Tower. He had heard that the tower he was stationed in was one of the best in Arborly, if not the best, but he wouldn’t judge that just yet.

About an hour later, Adam had reached the tower, his back hurting from the large backpack he was carrying on it. He was definitely going to feel that tomorrow. Making his way inside, he could notice a guy inside already, most certainly his tower buddy, and the dude didn’t look that much older than Adam. Four years tops.

Adam opened the door, trying not to create too much noise as the previously mentioned tower buddy was playing his guitar, and it sounded pretty good in Adam’s opinion.

“Hey, I'm Adam.” He forwarded his hand in hopes of a handshake.

 

[Jewel]

Character: Charlie

Location: Northhazy Lake Lookout Tower

Radio Channel: N/A

Interacting with: Open for Interaction

​

Charlie waved as her sister’s pickup zoomed off into the distance, kicking up dust clouds and vanishing quickly before her eyes. She sighed, quietly, adjusting her grip on her guitar case and kicking up dirt with the heel of her boot. The breeze tickled her nose and eyelashes, and it felt comfortable against her peach-colored skin. She closed her eyes and she inhaled deep, breathing in the sweet earthly smell of the forest’s natural flora. God, she loved being in nature. It was so relaxing. She couldn’t imagine that this three-month lookout job could be anything but relaxing either.

Hiking her backpack up onto her back, she began her journey to the tower. It took a few hours, but the sun was warm on her rosy freckled cheeks, and the ground was sturdy beneath her boots, so she had little trouble making her way along the trail. When she finally reached the summit of the hill, where the trees parted to make way for a grassy plateau where the tower stood, she breathed a deep sigh of relief. She’d made it.

She strode across the clearing to the base of the tower, her guitar case swinging in her right hand, her backpack weighing on her back, but not too heavily. There was sweat between her back and her backpack which was uncomfortable, and her socks were kind of wet from standing in a creek along the way, but neither of these things bothered her much. She was just relieved that she’d found the tower and that it wasn’t nighttime, and that she hadn’t been killed by a crazy axe-murderer or a bear.

She passed the outhouse and the generator, and she stood in front of the stairs, looking up at the tall wooden structure before her. She knew what the towers looked like but seeing it in person was a whole new level of surreal. She was really staying in this thing. For three. Months.

She went up. She wasn’t surprised to see that her tower-mate hadn’t arrived yet since she had set out pretty darn early. She was glad for the few minutes of solitude, and she decided that she would use them to unpack her bag as much as suited her needs. She picked a bed and she laid her backpack down, leaning her guitar case against the wall near to the oven and the microwave.

The tower was outfitted with a complete kitchen and two small cots on either side of the room. There was a sink with running water, a minifridge, a shelf with two radios in their chargers, and a circular map on a stand in the center of the room. Maps and posters hung above the windows, adding a personalized feel to the cabin. On the cot Charlie spread out her sleeping bag, and she shoved her backpack beneath the cot, holding her sketchbook in one hand and her flashlight in the other. The flashlight was a gift from her sister, Sammy. She set it on the nightstand, just in case she needed to get up in the night.

While waiting for her tower-mate to arrive, a ranger named Casey whom she’d never met, Charlie went out onto the balcony and gazed out onto the lake below them. It glittered under the late-day sun, imitating a quivering motion as the waves reflected the glossy yellow sun. Charlie drew a brief sketch with a charcoal pencil.

She was feeling optimistic about the next few months. It would give her a lot of time to think, and to process all that had happened over the recent months. And a lot had happened.

She was standing on the overhang still when she spotted the other emerging from the woods, headed for the tower. She raised her hand in a silent gesture of greeting.

 

[TerrorKitty]

​

Character: Casey

Location: Northhazy Lake Lookout Tower

Radio Channel: 413.892 (misc)

Interacting with: Jewel (Charlie) elytra (Theo)​

Casey stopped and took a good rest, setting down her equipment. It was around 40 lb worth of hiking equipment, the set up for her doppler module and a large bottle of scotch among other supplies such as food and water. It was a long hike but certainly not her first. The added weight wasn't too much different than any overnight setups, but she felt extra tired today. Someone had sprained their ankle after getting spooked by a raccoon giving Casey some extra paperwork on top of the already numerous other reports she had to fill out before she left the station. She would have liked to have been at Northhazy earlier in the morning.

Picking up her pack and giving her ankles a good rub the girl was off again, marching her way through the trees which gave her much-needed shade from the dry heat of the sun. Arborley traffic was sure to be low this summer considering the heat. There was a warning issued at the station but knowing how thick-skulled campers can be there will be a few here and there, heatstroke paperwork will be filed before the summer is over, it almost guaranteed.

Finally making her way out of the tree line Casey saw the tower not too far up. Upward hikes were killer especially with supplies but it wasn't as bad as her first year with less experience hiking up Rosewood for the first time. On the tower's balcony, she saw her new tower mate, it was a red-haired woman from what she could tell, waving at her. Giving a small wave back up at the stranger Casey continued until she finally got to the base of the steps. The smell of the old paint and wood made her smile, although the cabins were quite modern the outside still had the classic old-timey look and feel Casey loved.

After forcing herself up the stairs the tall dirty blonde tired to say hello but instead just kinda coughed on the dry air and put up a finger of momentary pause as she got out her water bottle and took a long sip of cool refreshing liquid. "Hello there, I'm Ranger Baxter, but you can call me Casey, I'm just going to set up and do some checks, and I'll probably go on a short patrol this afternoon so don't be alarmed if you find yourself alone for a bit. Um what else...Oh, and welcome to Aborley." She concluded her introduction with a big smile before stepping inside the tower and out of the sun.

Immediately going to the unclaimed cot and unpacking. Putting her climbing equipment down at the foot of the bed with her large pack, taking out a much smaller one and putting water and other things into it as preparation for her afternoon patrol. She then took careful time getting out the weather equipment and setting it on the work desk before getting out the instruments and setting them outside the window.

Once that was all done Casey checked around the cabin to make sure they had everything they needed and checked them off in the report book at the desk and making a quick radio call to the station as well as checking in on any other Rangers on channel 456.639. While she was making her calls the Ranger was writing down a lot of information, most of which was about the current conditions of the area such as bridges, caves, etc, as well as all the current hikers and campers so she knew who was in the Park and any animal sightings and such. Mostly mundane stuff but it was all regulation. Stuff the other lookouts didn't have to deal with. At one point during her call, she let out a light chuckle and soft smile.

Finally done with the hike up, the check-in and cabin inspection Casey flopped onto her cot and tuned her radio to 413. "This is Ranger Mom to Theo, over," Casey called before sitting up and taking another sip of water.

 

[LiquidSaint]

Character: Jonah Harker
Location: Falcon Rock Tower
Radio Channel: None
Interacting With: N/A​

Jonah looked over his apartment one last time. Things were in order, there was nothing in the fridge that would spoil; the bills on his dresser would multiply but hopefully the paycheck he was bringing home would deal with some of them. He took a deep breath and shrugged, then closed and locked the door.
It was a long bus ride to Arborly, and he was grateful for the chance to stretch his legs in the parking lot. He looked at the various tourists coming in and out; serious hikers, families looking for an outdoor trip, kids looking for trouble. He smiled, remembering what it was like to be young and carefree, with the whole world ahead of him. He shook his head to clear it and headed out for the trail to Falcon Rock tower.
When he was away from the parking lot, and didn’t see any tourists around, he found a secluded copse of trees and took a seat. He pulled his pipe out of his bag, packed a bowl and smoked. With that done, he got up and finished his walk, a big smile on his face as he looked over the trees and fields of the park. Being out in nature again felt good, it reminded him of simpler times and cleared his head as he made his way towards his new home for the next three months.
He arrived at his tower in a good mood, looking up at the structure with a smile. Last he’d checked with Brendon, he hadn’t been assigned a tower-mate yet and that suited him just fine. It wasn’t that he was anti-social, he simply didn’t mind being alone. In a lot of ways he actually preferred it, and having the tower to himself made it feel more like a three month camping trip than a job. All the same, he tried to keep an open mind in case someone did show up after all.
He ascended the tower, tossing his bags onto one of the beds. He wiped sweat from his brow and took a long drink of water, taking stock of the tower’s amenities. Finding it clean and comfortable, he walked out to the deck and leaned against the railing. The view was phenomenal, and the park in the late afternoon was really a thing of beauty. Taking one last look around to make sure no last-minute tower-mate was approaching right at that moment; he took out a pack of cigarettes and lit one, watching the sun set over the park with a big smile.

 

[cadence]

Character: Pierre
Location: Meadow Tower
Radio Channel: N/A
Interacting With: N/A

There was nothing more exciting than a fresh start. Pierre Humphrey loved his sister more than just about anyone in the entire world, he really did! She was funny and kind and, over the past year of living with her in her small studio apartment in the city, he had really been able to repair the relationship between the two of them. As close as they were, though, it didn't take much to tell that he had way overstayed his welcome. She was beginning to be annoyed with him. She had a boyfriend she wanted to have over without her younger brother around to make things uncomfortable. She had a life! A job! She was twenty-six, of course she did. Yes, the Humphrey siblings were close, but, by the mouth of LeeAnne Humphrey herself, they weren't so close that she would be comfortable with her little brother listening to her and her boyfriend doing the hanky panky. She even went as far as too explain that she missed fucking wherever she wanted, to which Pierre had no choice but to cover his ears and scream. As much as Pierre loved living with her, he could respect her privacy. She was an adult with her own life. So, he had taken the first opportunity to move out with what little money he had that he could.

Albory National Park had been the answer to everything he was looking for. He would live in a tower for three months. Which was perfect because Pierre honestly didn't have the money saved to be able to afford any kind of living situation. He was sure three months of saving with a job that paid more than anything he was working at before would earn him enough to get started on his own. Albory National Park was going to be his fresh start. He was finally going to get his life on track and it was all thanks to the opportunity Albory had given him. Honestly, he was ecstatic. It had been all he talked about for the two weeks before he'd actually leave. He was so excited that he had printed multiple pictures and flyers off of the website and stuck them to LeeAnne's fridge. He went shopping at thrift stores and flea markets just so he'd have an entire new wardrobe for when he arrived. He boxed up all of his belongings around LeeAnne's apartment. He was serious about leaving. He was determined to finally get out of her hair.

Two weeks later, he was doing just that. He brought a hand to his forehead to shield the brutal summer sun from his eyes, turning to the small car LeeAnne was just now getting out of. As badly as she wanted him out of her apartment, Pierre could tell she was rather upset at seeing him go. She had the kind of smile on her face that Pierre knew as forced, trying to keep real emotions at bay. Besides, the last time he had left her to be on his own... Had ended in disaster. He knew why she was worried. "I'll be fine," he insisted once she was out of her car, embracing her in a tight hug. He had a genuine smile on his face. A confident smile - one that clearly showed how nonchalant he was about the entire thing. Pierre wasn't worried in the slightest. Albory was going to be good for him, he just had a feeling. "It's just three months!" He assured, pulling away from the hug to grab his two bags he had set on the grass. He stood directly in front of the meadow tower, where he'd be living for the next three months. He placed a hand on his heart, feigning a frown. "I know you're going to be absolutely miserable without me."

"Shut up," LeeAnne scoffed, rolling her eyes. Though she sounded annoyed, she had a small smile on her lips. "Please don't do anything stupid," she begged, a pleading look gracing her features. "I mean it. Seriously. Don't. I don't want to have to haul my ass over here, okay?" She bit her lip, exhaling heavily at the look Pierre gave her. He was rolling his eyes, mimicking a mouth with his hand and mouthing 'blah blah blah.' "Real mature," she mumbled. She gave him another quick hug before pulling away, taking a step towards her car. Sucking in her breath, she glanced at his bags. "Do you have all your stuff? I can mail you anything you might have left. Please tell me you packed some unde-"

"Lee." Pierre was shaking his head, not having the freehand to give a dismissive wave. "I'll be fine," he said again, tossing the larger of his bags over his shoulder. "Goodbye!" He said, his voice energetic and final. Before LeeAnne had the chance to overthink some more, Pierre was walking backwards, waving his fingers the best he could with his grip around his bag's handle. "Enjoy the sex! Go crazy! Go stupid!" He proceeded to scream before turning around, leaving his sister looking absolutely mortified.

He could hear the sound of the car door slam behind him, the sound of the engine revving not moments later. This was it. He was finally there. He inhaled, a grin on his lips as he made the small trek towards the meadow tower. LeeAnne had driven to the tower, making it simple for Pierre to find his way inside, and up the stairs to where he assumed he would be staying for the next three months. Pierre could describe the view as breathtaking, even though there wasn't much to it. To the left, he could see a lake. In any other direction, he saw meadows that he imagined reached for miles. Already, he could feel the itch to pull out his canvases and paint, but he knew there were tasks at hand. First, he needed to unpack. He had been the first to arrive to the tower and the fact that he got to choose which bed he slept in was... Honestly exciting even though they were both nearly identical.

He chose the bed with the better view of the lake, tossing his two bags on top of the comforter. And then, he got to work, unpacking all of his things in the matter of minutes. He kept his clothes in his bag, tucking it under the bed once he had pulled out the necessities. He stuffed the weed he had brought deep into the drawer of the nightstand, not wanting it to be discovered. He put his art supplies on top of them, leaning the larger canvases against the wall. And then, when it was all said and done, he sat down on the very edge of his chosen bed and waited for his tower-mate to arrive. For added luck, he clutched onto his lucky dragonfly pin, hoping more than anything that whoever he got bunked with would be... A decent person, if anything else.

 

[NyanNyanYummy]

Character: Suki Corulla
Location: Meadow Tower
Radio Channel: N/A
Interacting With: cadence

Jet lagged and slightly annoyed by her uber driver, Suki had finally arrived to Arborly National Park. It was early in the morning when she'd arrived, and she asked the driver to drop her off as close to the hiking path that led to the Meadow Tower. However, upon arriving and unloading her luggage, she had decidedly noticed that not only was she not near an actual patch, but according to the map, she was closer to the northern part of Melliwick Lake, on the western side. She could just make out the hiking path across the lake, but did not see a bridge or any quick way of getting across it. And So began the walk around the lake.

About an hour into the walk, the sun began to really beat down. She could feel the steam behind her oversized sunglasses, the sweat building up on her light blue tank, and the heat beating down on every exposed part of her reddening skin. The sun hat she wore offered very little reprieve, while the little beige "camping shorts" she bought specifically for the trip did nothing but ring the dinner bell for bugs and scratchy plants. She was feeling miserable, until she finally got a clear view of the lake and the tower in the distance. It was beautiful. The lake had a clear blue shimmer that she had never seen, having lived the majority of her life in and around Los Angeles. There were small boats on the other end of the lake, and just the most absolute picturesque vision of nature surrounding everything. She snapped a picture on her phone, deciding it would be cover of the "kiss my butt" album she'd ultimately tag Barb in.

Another 20 minutes later, Suki had finally arrived to the base of the tower. She had packed fairly lightly, but was definitely dreading having to carry everything up. The little wheels on her rolly luggage had been all but destroyed midway into the hike around the lake, creating deep scratch marks in the plastic of the outer shell from where it had been half dragged through the wilderness. Summoning all her strength, she grabbed her luggage and bags and trudged up the tower, dropping everything to the ground the moment she made it up. Dragging her things the rest of the way, she fell face first into the nearest bed, making a quick note of the other person in the room.

She held her hand up, gesturing for him not to speak, as she tried to catch her breath. "Hello...My name....is...Suki..." she managed to get out between breaths. "Nice...to meet...you..."

 

[Lizy]

Character: Victoria May

Location: Falcon Rock Tower

Radio Channel: N/A

Interacting With: LiquidSaint (Jonah)

"I think that's it. Thanks for the ride!" Victoria said, taking her large backpack and duffle bag out of the trunk of her friend's car. Her friend, Gabby, had been nice enough to take a little road trip with her to Arborly. Victoria was very glad she didn't have to deal with an Uber driver or public transportation. Uber drivers weren't so bad, she actually liked talking to new people, but she was not good at public transportation. Somehow, she always ended up getting on the wrong bus. It always worked out eventually, but it was a lot of hassle. She was glad that Gabby volunteered to drive her over. "It was no problem. Good luck Vi!" Gabby grinned. Victoria smiled at her friend as the girl got into her car and waved. She gave her a smile and a wave back before turning to go find where she was supposed to be.

She needed to be at the Falcon Rock Tower. Victoria looked at a map, she had actually been dropped off pretty close. She was glad it wasn't too far away, and right next to the trail, because she didn't feel like hiking a long way with her bags. She was looking forward to hiking a little some other time though. She started her short hike to the tower. As she went on she took note of her surroundings. The park was absolutely gorgeous. Too bad she didn't have a camera. Oh well, there was always her memory. She reached the tower and smiled to herself. This was where she'd be spending the next three months. It looked pretty nice, for a tower in the woods.

She started up the stairs of the tower without too much hassle. She didn't mind having to go up stairs, the walk was easy and she still had plenty of energy in her. When she finally got up to the tower she took a look around. It was nice, surprisingly clean for being in the wilderness, and her cabin mate was outside on the deck. She sat her bags on the bed that was available and headed outside to meet him. "Heya!" she greeted, stepping outside, "I'm Victoria, your tower mate. And you are?" She held out her hand for a handshake. ​

 

[elytra]

Character: Theodore Garcia
Location: Rosewood Peaks Lookout Tower
Radio Channel: 413.892 (misc)
Interacting With: Adam ( mogy ) & Casey ( TerrorKitty )​

Theo could admit, he got preoccupied when he played music. It was mostly because he had a habit of focusing on what he was doing and puzzling out a tune rather than playing aimlessly. It wasn't relaxing to him to just strum something random out, because if sounded bad, he'd just end up berating himself for it. Coming up with something, though? That was fun. If he got it down right, he felt accomplished, too. He didn't write his songs down in any way, but he kept them in the back of his head to build upon and work with. It was better than being asked at a party to play something and then whipping out the 'well, here's wonderwall' routine. There was only so many times you could do that without people shooting you dirty looks. Wonderwall wasn't a classic. After about 3 plays, all it became was an annoyance.

So, he got a little sucked into his music, and didn't notice the fact that his towermate was there until he was directly in front of him and offering a hand. He did he best not to look too startled, removing his guitar and putting it on the bed beside him, before shaking the hand once. A good handshake could make or break a first interaction. Or was it an interview? He wasn't sure. Not that it mattered, really. He flashed an easy going grin at the guy, trying to subtly get a good look at him. They had to be around the same age, and god, did that make him feel better. He didn't think he could stand 3 months with someone way above his age or way below. It would be awkward as hell.

"Theodore. But, that makes me sound real old-timey, so feel free to call me Theo." He introduced, readjusting himself so he was sitting completely on the bed, legs crossed and hands in his laps. "Sorry that I didn't greet you right away, got a bit distracted. I promise, I won't usually ignore you...unless you want me to. In which case, I'll ignore you." Was that too much? It was probably too much, he was being weird. It was too late to take it back, and he heard a reply from his radio. Ah, Casey. There was a familiar voice.

He signaled to Adam to wait a moment, picking up the radio. "Well, well, Ranger Mom, if I remember correctly I'm older than you on paper." He began, absentmindedly glancing behind him in the direction of where the Northhazy Lake tower was. "But good to hear a familiar voice, over." After he was done, he let the button go, tossing the radio to the side and letting his attention fall back on Adam.

"So, your first time here, I'm guessing. At least, as a lookout. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong."

 

[mogy]

Character: Adam Henderson
Location: Rosewood Peaks Lookout Tower
Radio Channel: None
Interacting With: elytra (Theodore)​

“Well, nice to meet you Theodo-“ Adam stopped and corrected himself, while keeping a smile on his face. “Theo.”

How was he already being awkward? If there was a list of the world’s most awkward people, Adam would undoubtedly be in the top 10, if not in the top 3. This guy could make a conversation with his mom about getting a dog awkward in the matter of literal seconds, which definitely had to be some kind of a record. Maybe he could apply to be in the next Guinness World Records book.

“Oh, it’s no problem, really.” Adam said, referring to the Theo not greeting him right away. He then proceeded to chuckle a bit, awkwardly for that matter, in hopes of making the awkwardness which was present in the tower go away.

He was still holding all of his bags, and that started to hurt a little bit, which is why he decided to put all of them onto the floor beside the bed which he presumed was his. Theo was sitting on the other one, talking into the radio.

Adam took a moment to look around the tower he would be spending the next three months in, while Theo was talking with a girl through a radio channel. It was more than he expected it would be. It had everything he needed to be comfortable and more. He even noticed that there was an empty desk. It would be the perfect spot to put his typewriter in, as the view from that side of the tower was magnificent, but he had to ask Theo if he had other plans for that desk. The view on every side of the tower was magnificent, not just the side where the desk was. Featuring rocks, and trees, and what looked like a stream, but was probably a river Adam knew he would definitely make his way down to it some time. Maybe he would even go for a swim if it wasn’t too cold.

“Um, yeah. First time here. You?” Adam answered Theo’s question a little bit after Theo asked it, simply because he was amazed at the view of the beautiful scenery going far out every side of the lookout tower. It was obvious that Theo wasn’t here for the first time, judging by the way he talked to the girl over the radio, which was definitely a relief for Adam, since Theo could possibly help him with everything that he wouldn’t understand. For example, the circular map in the center of the tower. Adam didn’t have a single clue as to how it worked or why it was there, but he knew it must have been important. He also had no idea how the walkie talkie radio thingies worked, and they seemed like they were quite important as well.

Oh God, he was definitely going to be a real nuisance to Theo and the other lookouts.

 

[Jewel]

Character: Charlie
Location: Northhazy
Radio Channel: N/A
Interacting with:​

Charlie greeted the other girl with a wide toothy smile, the cool summer breeze ruffling her thick hair and pulling strands loose to flutter in the wind. The other’s curt introduction did nothing to dissuade Charlie from thinking highly of the other, especially as she came to realize how tall the other girl was. Holy cow.

Charlie had always maintained the belief that a tall girl is taller than a tall guy. Like, not literally, but almost literally. When you say a guy is six feet tall, it’s not THAT impressive. But a girl at six feet? Makes you say damn. She’s tall.

“Thanks,” she called after the other, watching her disappear into the interior of the lookout tower. Charlie tucked her sketchbook under her arm and then she started down the rickety stairs to where the hill was grassy, and she began to examine the clearing to gather her bearings. She had noticed the outhouse on her way in, and she generator, and the wooden sign that cried the name of the lookout in weeping blue letters. The paint was peeling, and the wood was splintering. Charlie wondered if they had any paint with which to fix the sign.

Her eyes went to the trail from where she had come from earlier. It was easy to spot, thanks to a blue blotch of paint on one of the our-facing trees. She was aware that there were other trails, some which led to the other towers, but she hadn’t memorized any sort of map or anything. Perhaps that would be a good thing to do.

Returning up to the lookout, she finally picked up her radio and attached it to her belt. It felt right there, the right weight, as if she’d been missing it and now it was returned. She spared a glance at the other girl. She couldn’t have been much younger or older than she. It was hard to tell, on account of her being tall. Tall and with youthful features and clear skin. Charlie envied her clear skin.

“Hey, uh... Are you hungry?” She asked, leaning her hip against the counter. “I was thinking maybe we could have lunch.” She glanced at her watch. It was about two thirty.

 

[TerrorKitty]

Character: Casey

Location: Northhazy Lake Lookout Tower

Radio Channel: 413.892 (misc)

Interacting with: Jewel (Charlie) elytra (Theo)​

Casey smiled at Theo's response and radioed back "If you forget to fill in your inventory report again, I will personally march over there and do it myself. Call in if you need anything." She said before clicking the Radio into standby and putting it on her belt. It was nice to have someone familiar around and she was glad Theo took the job but she was still worried, not everyone comes here for good reasons, she crossed her fingers internally and hoped he was alright, she hadn't expected to talk to him again.

Giving her ankles a good rub Casey set her hat on the bed and stretched. A cascade of pops and cracks reverberating from her body followed by a large sigh of content. Then she turned to the girl still standing outside. What was she like? Casey wondered, hoping that her quick introduction was rude or unseemly. From the reports, she knew her name was Charlie and probably older but Casey couldn't tell. The girl's fiery red hair and olive green eye's made her seem young but mature.

Eventually, Charlie came back in and asked about lunch. Casey nodded and looked at the tower clock. It was already 2:30 in the afternoon, and she didn't have to do a patrol for another two hours. "Yeah, I can cook something up if you don't mind." She said standing up, feeling her full against Charlies. The difference in high made Casey chuckle, it was cute.

Moving to the small kitchen Casey turned on the gas stove and removed a pan from one of the cupboards and setting it down on the stove, then moving to the small fridge and taking out something that looked like steak and a stick of butter. Humming a song to herself Casey moved wistfully around the kitchen swaying her hips and moving around to the invisible music as she got into the meal she was preparing.

Finishing a short time later she smiled at the plates of food. "Venison steak with steamed broccoli and a side of rice. Normally we wouldn't have Venison ready for us so early but because spring started early this year, some hunters with veteran permits were brought in for early hunting to keep the population at the normal levels for the later hunting season and because the park doesn't allow for the meat to be taken home unless it's during the main season they gave it to the lookouts and stations." She said as a matter-of-factly as she sat down on one side of the table. "Sorry for not talking much while I was cooking, I just kinda get into the mood of it all, and I'm used to being alone most the time. It's usually just me and the trees." She said resting her chin on her hand. "So you're Charlie, right? It's a pleasure to meet you."

 

[LiquidSaint]

Character: Jonah Harker

Location: Falcon Rock Tower

Radio Channel: N/A
Interacting With: Lizy / Victoria
​

Jonah was outside smoking when he saw a figure form on the trail. He took a drag of his cigarette and tucked it into his hand, and as the figure grew closer; he cursed and licked his fingers before pinching it out, putting it in the chest pocket of his overshirt with a grimace. He idly glanced over the railing to make sure he didn't drop any hot ashes that would cause a problem, and found he hadn't. He watched the figure stroll along the path, dividing his attention between her and the horizon. It was too early to see any kind of smoke or lights from campfires; if you looked straight out into the park it looked pristine, untouched, the same as it had looked for thousands of years.
As the figure approached, he saw it was a woman, and she was definitely coming to the tower. He gave her a little wave he wasn't sure if she saw as she approached, and as she walked around the tower to climb the stairs he made an exaggerated grimace. He had just been starting to get used to the idea of having the tower to himself for three months; and he had to switch gears back into sharing mode. He would live though, it would hardy be the most awkward living situation he'd put up with. At least, he hoped. Life seemed to set new records for him all the time.
The woman reached the tower, and Jonah took a deep breath before turning to face her. Even dressed down and sweating from the hike, Jonah could see she was gorgeous. For a second his pulse quickened and he wondered how old she was; then he chuckled to himself and shook his head with a sardonic grin. Even if she was his age and single and straight an everything else; he doubted she'd be interested in a three-time loser who dressed like he still thought was nineteen. He casually made his way to the door back inside, trying to time it so the woman could put her things down and take a breath.
"Heya!" she greeted, stepping outside, "I'm Victoria, your tower mate. And you are?" She held out her hand for a handshake.
"Jonah." He told her with a smile, offering his hand in return. His voice was soft and even, with just a touch of gravel. He reflexively raised a hand to smooth his hair, but it did absolutely nothing. "Harker." He finished. "Nice to meet you." He gave her a smile and looked out over the railing before turning his attention to her again. "Uh, you can have whichever bed you like. I just got here myself and just kinda tossed my bags in that direction; so if you've got a preference feel free to throw my stuff wherever." He shrugged, then gestured back towards the door into the tower. "So, uh, have you done this before? Been a fire lookout? It's my first time, so I'm still not sure what to expect."

 

[cadence]

Character: Pierre Humphrey
Location: Meadow Tower
Radio Channel: N/A
Interacting With: Suki ( NyanNyanYummy )

Only minutes after pulling out his phone, Pierre got lost in it, forgetting to shoot an occasional glance towards the door to see if his tower-mate had ever walked through. He was halfway through watching a stupid video a friend from back home had sent him when she finally walked in, immediately making her way towards the free bed and face-planting it. Suddenly, Pierre was thankful he had chosen the bed farthest from the door. He wondered if the girl even checked the bed before collapsing. As far as first impressions went, he wasn't sure being squashed would be a great one. He quickly shut off his phone, carelessly tossing it behind him so he could get up and greet the woman. He had just kicked his legs over the side of the bed, mouth hanging open so he could greet her, when she lifted her hand, waving it in a way that Pierre immediately recognized as the "not yet" motion.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, a joking tone to his voice. He even offered a lazy salute, a carefree grin gracing his face. The next moment, however, his face had a look of surprise. "Wait, shit, that counts as talking, doesn't it?" He cringed, inhaling through clenched teeth. "Yikes, sorry. Sorry again." He rubbed the back of his neck with his palm, internally cursing himself for literally being the most awkward human being on the entire planet. The young man was a very social person. In fact, he considered himself a social butterfly, the type to make friends in almost any situation. But damn, he had to agree with his sister, who claimed his social skills were a wreck. He inhaled sharply, glancing at the woman on the bed, who seemed to be catching her breath. He wasn't even sure if she was annoyed with him for talking or even if she could see his face, but just to be safe, he moved his fingers across his lips, pretending he was tying a zipper that would ultimately keep his mouth shut.

"Nice to meet you too!" He almost shouted when he overheard her speaking through quick breaths, glad to finally be able to speak again. Pierre... Well, he liked to speak. He did it far too often, which he was sure the girl, Suki, her name was, would eventually come to realize sharing a tower with him for three months. "The name's Pierre. Like the kind you tie boats to," he said, his voice sounding very informative despite the stupid laugh he gave afterwards. "You spell it differently, though. With an extra "r" and an "e." Also, don't tie a boat to me? I'm not a pier, I'm a human." Another stupid laugh left his lips, and he turned his head to look at Suki again, a toothy grin on his face. Realizing she was still looking rather out of breath and face-down in the mattress, he knit his brows together. "Do you want some water?"

 

[NyanNyanYummy]

Character: Suki Corulla
Location: Meadow Tower
Radio Channel: 413.892 (misc)
Interacting With: cadence elytra TerrorKitty

"Do you want some water?"

Suki rolled over in bed and swung up to sit at the edge. She lifted her arms above her head and took in deep breaths to steady her breathing and her heart rate. After about a minute, her breathing had returned to normal, although she was still flush with exhaustion, feeling the sweat dripping all over her body. "Thanks for offering, but I'm good," she says while pulling a banged up flowery blue water bottle from her bag. "I still have some water left in my bottle."

Looking at the living space for the first time, it was a bit more cramped then she was used to. Everything looked a bit weathered, from the windows that made up all the walls, to the small white stove tucked into one of the corners of the teeny kitchen. Still, it all gave off a homey feeling, something you rarely see in a city like Los Angeles, unless you paid hundreds of dollars to buy stuff that was made to look vintage. Suki walked around the space, testing a lot of the appliances and checking the cupboard for supplies. The stove appeared to be in working condition, while the cupboard was full of cereals, dry foods, and various cans of vegetables and snacks. The fridge had a few steaks, some fresh produce, and a bunch of other stuff you'd expect to find in an outdoorsy setting. Out of the corner of her eye, Suki even noticed some old fishing gear leaning against the wall near the entrance to the room. The fishing gear seemed pretty haphazardly assembled, but beggars couldn't be choosers. Suki was still very much a beginner, so she almost passed up on getting a fishing license. But if there were every a time to practice, it would be when she was literally living in wilderness.

Finally feeling a bit better, Suki turned to her roommate for the next few months. She managed a smile onto her face and asked, "So, is this your first time? And follow up, how are you with cooking?"

Before he could answer, she heard chatter from the walkie talkies. She picked one up from its charging cradle and decided to introduce herself. "Umm... Hey everyone. This is Suki from the meadow tower checking in. Hope everyone made it okay."

 

[Lizy]

Character: Victoria May

Location: Falcon Rock Tower

Radio Channel: 413.892 (misc)

Interacting With: LiquidSaint (Jonah), Whoever is listening to the radio.

Victoria smiled at the man as he introduced himself. Despite his rather rough appearance, he seemed nice. "You too," she nodded after he introduced himself and shook her hand. She glanced inside at the beds as he said that she could pick whichever, as he didn't have a preference. She found she didn't have much of a preference either at the moment. "I think I'm good where I am," she smiled. She didn't mind staying on the bed where she had sat her stuff. Besides, where her bed was wouldn't matter much, it was only where she'd be sleeping. Victoria gave a small laugh when Jonah asked if she'd ever done this before. "Nope, can't say I ever have," she shook her head, "I don't really even know much about nature if I'm being honest." When it came to the wilderness, she knew squat. She was pretty good at first aid though, and was very good at tying knots.

She took a step inside and glanced around. "What a wizard tower we have here," she laughed to herself. Using the word wizard, her extremely dated word for excellent, felt rather silly. But it worked and she liked saying the word, it was fun. Victoria was about to comment more about the cleanliness of the tower, because this was something she really was impressed by. She was expecting to have to clean it up a bit, but it seemed nice right away, which was a surprise. But instead, she got distracted by noise from the radio. She went over and picked it up. "Hello hello hello," she started, "This is Victoria May of Falcon Rock Tower, at your service." She grinned and set the radio down. Although she wouldn't get to see lots of people besides her tower mate while she was here, at least she could talk to people. She quickly picked the radio back up. "Wait, I almost forgot. Over," she said with a laugh, ending her message.​

 

[elytra]

Character: Theodore Garcia
Location: Rosewood Peaks Lookout Tower
Radio Channel: 413.892 (misc)
Interacting With: Adam ( mogy ), Suki ( NyanNyanYummy ) & Victoria ( Lizy )​

"Was here last year, actually. It's a good gig." Theo said in reply, shifting himself back so he could lean against the window, looking to the side to gaze at the park. It was a nice place; he could see himself going back for every summer, if they allowed him. Sure, it got muggy and hot, but that was just nature for you. He could handle a little heat, and that was about the only problem he had.

The other seemed distracted, and seeing as he couldn't really blame him- being in the tower for the first time was definitely an interesting experience -so Theo didn't push conversation. He didn't want to be a nuisance day one, after all, and he could understand taking the time to take everything in. He had to, the first time around.

Then again, there was probably a big difference between how he reacted to things and how Adam did.

Rather than continuing that line of thought, he picked up the radio. Might as well chat a little with the new folks, get to know who was in the area. While he wasn't going to see them, it was good information to know. "Hey, glad everyone seems to be getting in alright! Some of the towers are a hell of a hike." He began cheerfully, before adding "I'm Theo, from Rosewood Peaks, over."

 

[mogy]

Character: Adam Henderson
Location: Rosewood Peaks Lookout Tower
Radio Channel: None
Interacting With: elytra (Theodore)​

Adam didn’t realize this, but he was doing his weird daydreaming/staring thing, and that probably didn’t look very normal to his tower buddy, but sometimes he couldn’t stop it, even if he knew that he was doing it. This time, he was staring at a mountain peek that was visible from the tower window he was standing next to. When he did this, his mind was fairly empty, no thoughts whatsoever. He liked to think of the phenomenon as a glitch/bug in his brain, but society probably had a very complicated medical or psychological term for it.

When his tower buddy started talking into the radio, Adam was brought back to reality. He looked around himself, noticing his own radio placed on one of the many surfaces in the tower. He walked over to it and took it into his hand, trying to figure out how it worked. You would think that he would know that, especially because he used to love walkie-talkies when he was a kid, but no, that wasn’t the case. He figured out that there was the button he had to press and something, but he had no idea what frequencies he should use, or how to shift through them.

He walked back over to his bed, putting his radio onto it, but only after making a mental note to ask Theo about how they worked, especially about frequencies.

It was time to unpack, and Adam did just that. He didn’t bring that many stuff, other than clothes, and he was pretty quickly unpacked, just 5 minutes of work. He had left his clothes in a cupboard/nightstand near his bed, and surprisingly, they all fit. He put his typewriter onto the table he considered earlier, and it looked like it was meant to be there. A few more things, and Adam was fully unpacked, his bags empty. He put them under his bed before throwing himself onto his bed.