wrotethepamphlet: (pic#5463100)
Coach Morceau "Morry" Oleander ([personal profile] wrotethepamphlet) wrote in [community profile] whisperinglogs2013-02-05 06:10 pm

Campfire [OPEN] [June 7th, 8 p.m.]

Who: OPEN
When: 8 pm on Friday
Where: The campfire
What: Coach Oleander and the rest of the counselors formally welcome everyone to camp!
Warnings: TBA.



It's roughly about eight o'clock. The sun has finally begun to set on this long June day, and there is a steady fire going in what is commonly used as an auditorium for the camp. When you arrive you will see several of the camp counselors standing up on the small stage, waiting patiently for everyone to arrive and take a seat. After a quick attendance is taken one of the counselors steps forward.

He's an odd looking fellow, several feet shorter than the others and dressed in some combination of a boyscout and a drill sergeant. His face is scarred and it looks like one of his eyes is blind. He gives the appearance of a worn battle hero. He gives the entire camp a stern once over before he coughs, stands straight, and slaps his crop against the projection of the human brain behind him.

If you've been to camp before, you know what's about to happen. It's the same speech that Coach Oleander makes every single year. It seems that no matter what, he makes it every year without fail, with the same amount of gusto as the last.

"The human mind. Six hundred miles of synaptic fiber, five and a half ounces of cranial fluid, fifteen-hundred grams of complex neuromatter. A three pound pile of dreams.

"But I'll tell you what it really is! It is the ultimate battlefield and the ultimate weapon. The wars of this modern age, the psychic age, are fought somewhere between these damp, curvacious, undulations.

"From this day forward, you are all psychic soldiers. Paranormal paratroopers! Mental Marines who are about to ship out on the adventure of their lives!"

Once again, he slaps the crop against the projection, voice raising in volume. "This is our beach head!"

Thereafter, he brings the crop to his own head. "And this? Is our landing craft. You shall engage the enemy in his own mentality. You shall chase his dreams, you shall fight his demons, and you shall live his nightmares.

"And those of you who fight well, you will find yourselves on the path to becoming international secret agents! In other words, Psychonauts!"

Oleander pauses here, to glance to his colleagues, all Psychonauts in their own rights. He snaps his attention back to the rest of camp.

"The rest of you? Will die!"

There's a deep sigh from behind Oleander. Agent Sasha Nein pinches the bridge of his nose. "Mory..."

"Just so you know, we're legally obligated to tell you that no one has ever died at camp!" Razputin Aquato, one of the two teenaged agents on the stage, provides cheerfully with a big grin. He stoops down and retrieves something from a box, holding it up--it's a bag of marshmallows. "Who wants some s'mores?"

"Razputin." Sasha shakes his head and turns to address the camp. "Moving along. We, as the counselors of Whispering Rock, would like to welcome you all back this summer. You will note that a few of our counselors are missing right now, due to important Psychonaut work, and will return when they are free of obligation.

"I would like to reiterate that camp activities will begin on the ninth, and until then you all may use this opportunity to get acquainted with the grounds. We have a little time before lights out, so you may use this chance to speak with a number of the counselors or filling in junior counselors questions."

[OOC: This is a small mingle log! Its purpose is for it to be used as an open forum to counselors about any questions or concerns. For all the missing badges, we'd like to ask that you guys keep it sort of vague until we get people to fill those spots. Until then, any of the Jr Counselors for the badge may pop in and help out. That's entirely up to you guys.

Counselors/Jr Counselors are free to make their own threads and Campers are welcome to just ask questions in separate threads, where anyone could try to answer.]
brokethecycle: (Little ghost little ghost)

[personal profile] brokethecycle 2013-02-07 04:38 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, its a lot like that.

[It sure is nice to have all this crazy stuff about his life answered after all this time. Norman is thoughtful for a minute mulling it over.]

So, retrocognition is stuff that's already happened? So, you're just seeing the past?
callmeyork: (This is my game face.)

[personal profile] callmeyork 2013-02-07 04:39 am (UTC)(link)
Exactly. And sometimes, that's just as useful as seeing the future.

Do you have any specific examples you'd be willing to share?
brokethecycle: (If I lay here)

[personal profile] brokethecycle 2013-02-07 04:53 am (UTC)(link)
[Norman nods. That makes sense to him.]

Um-! Well, once I had this dream where I was in the woods and ...it was really dark, but I remember being really scared. Like I was running from something? And then these men showed up and they started shouting "Witch! Catch the witch!". It's kind of blurry after that, I just remember running as fast as I could and then I woke up.
callmeyork: (Contemplative)

[personal profile] callmeyork 2013-02-07 05:00 am (UTC)(link)
Hmm... considering that nobody really goes on witch hunts anymore, it's pretty clear that you're seeing something that happened in the past, maybe to one of your ancestors. Or possibly something that happened in your home town many years ago.
brokethecycle: not-a-comedian @ tumblr (Wond'rin' if it's really her)

[personal profile] brokethecycle 2013-02-07 05:02 am (UTC)(link)
That would make sense. Blithe Hollow is kind of known for witch hunts. They make it into this big tourist thing back home, its kind of annoying.
callmeyork: (I don't follow.)

[personal profile] callmeyork 2013-02-07 05:03 am (UTC)(link)
... Blithe Hollow? Can't say I know the name.

They're... staged hunts, right? Not actual "burn the witch" persecution?
brokethecycle: not-a-comedian @ tumblr (No one else could see this apparition)

[personal profile] brokethecycle 2013-02-07 05:08 am (UTC)(link)
It's in Massachusetts. And no, no um. I mean that a long time ago there were witch hunts and because its the only thing the town had going for it historically they went kind of ...crazy. Everything is witch themed back home.

[Sigh. Really, calling the hotdog place Witchy Weiners was taking it a little far. Norman liked spooky things but Blithe Hollow made him roll his eyes without fail.]

...That kind of makes me wonder if witches back then were just psychics, or something.
callmeyork: (This is my game face.)

[personal profile] callmeyork 2013-02-07 05:12 am (UTC)(link)
Sounds like a nice little place. [hahaha no it doesn't]

Well... not all of them. A lot of supposed witches were either psychics, people with misunderstood mental sicknesses, or people who practiced religions other than Catholicism. Basically, anybody who seemed "weird" in ways that the common man couldn't understand.
brokethecycle: (Anything)

[personal profile] brokethecycle 2013-02-07 05:47 am (UTC)(link)
Completely. [With the same amount of sarcasm.]


Its funny how a lot of that hasn't changed, huh?
callmeyork: (This doesn't look good.)

[personal profile] callmeyork 2013-02-07 05:52 am (UTC)(link)
For a certain definition of "funny", yes. Unfortunately, prejudices are prejudices, and they're hard to shake off.

[He shrugs in something resembling defeat.] That's just part of the world.
brokethecycle: mambo (Little Ghost | The White Stripes)

[personal profile] brokethecycle 2013-02-07 06:01 am (UTC)(link)
I guess. [Norman was already kind of resigned to the way he was treated back home. That was the whole icing on the cake about coming here. Three whole months away from Blithe Hollow. For a kid his age, he sure looks accepting of all of that.]

Um, thanks for answering my questions.
callmeyork: (*smile*)

[personal profile] callmeyork 2013-02-07 06:40 am (UTC)(link)
You're absolutely welcome. [York nods, adjusting himself in his seat.]

Will I be seeing you in my classes once they start up?
brokethecycle: shaburdies @ tumblr (We'll do it all)

[personal profile] brokethecycle 2013-02-07 06:47 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, uh, yeah. I mean, I guess my specialty is Mediumship, but I definitely want to know more about Precognition since its sort of a thing that happens to me.

[He looks a little less nervous than before and offers a smile.]
callmeyork: (Call me York.)

[personal profile] callmeyork 2013-02-07 06:53 am (UTC)(link)
I understand. I'll be glad to see you at my lab. What's your name, just so I can pin it to a face?
brokethecycle: (Every morning I awoke)

[personal profile] brokethecycle 2013-02-07 06:54 am (UTC)(link)
Norman. Norman Babcock.
callmeyork: (I have to consult Zach about this...)

[personal profile] callmeyork 2013-02-07 06:57 am (UTC)(link)
Norman. Got it. [He taps his temple with two fingers, smirking.] I'll be expecting you.