Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“No, it’s gonna work this time, trust me!!”
Oliver’s voice was brimming with confidence, as it always was and always would be. Randy stood next to him as he held onto the large sun hat that Oliver had handed him.

“I don’t think it will…! This is the fifth time you’ve tried…!”
He protested. The two were staring at the ever elusive, ever absolutely impossible to photograph Bigfoot, and Oliver was HELLBENT on getting a picture of him wearing a funny hat. That’s what the two had been doing all day, as it was Oliver’s day off and the Funfair was closed due to an infestation that Abel refused to explain to Randy other than “ those wretched little isopod things. ” Randy didn’t ask for more explanation than that. Bigfoot was currently standing rather close to the tree line of the outskirts of town, staring at Oliver as he approached. Oliver sauntered up to the apeman with Randy in tow, a banana in one hand and a camera hidden behind his back.

“Hey, Bigfoot my man! Can you do me a solid real fast?”
Bigfoot made a curious but apprehensive noise. Randy handed the hat over to Oliver, who stood on his tiptoes to put it on Bigfoot's head. Bigfoot stooped down to allow him to do so, letting out another confused sound as Oliver handed him the banana. Oliver shook his head as Bigfoot stood again.
“Nah it’s nothin’ bad! Now, can I PLEEAASSEE take your picture!? It’s not t’ publish, it’s just for my scra- aaaand he’s gone. ”
Bigfoot had bolted off at the word ‘picture’, leaving the hat to sadly fall to the ground. Randy stuck his hands in his pockets, watching as Oliver picked it up.

“...firstly, I STILL only hear ape noises when he talks-”
Oliver let out a small snicker at that.
“And secondly, how does he motion blur like that in real time?? I-It’s just- it looks so weird !! I think he even gets film grain in there!”
Randy said, sounding baffled and slightly afraid. Oliver just shrugged, grinning as he thwapped the hat onto Randy’s head.

“Dunno my fine blue-themed pal! I’ll snap him wearin’ the hat someday, even if it is motion blurred as fuck. Honestly I’d want nothing less…”
Oliver said wistfully, holding the camera as he stared off into the middle distance. Randy leaned forward slightly, looking at him as he raised an eyebrow.

“...wait, is that why you had me wear that inflatable tophat?”
He asked. Oliver nodded.

“Yep! I wanted to do a section of my picture wall where everyones wearing weird hats!! Bigfoot’s the only one I don’t have!”
He said enthusiastically. Randy couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at how excited Oliver was about this project.

“How’d you get Karen t-to agree to do that?”
Oliver put his camera back in his bag.

“Bought her lunch and made sure the hat was horse themed. It was like a pool donut but with a horse head!”
Randy laughed.

“N-Next time we go to your apartment, c-can I see?”
Oliver’s face visibly lit up.

“Of-fuckin’- COURSE you can!! You’re always welcome to come look at my MASTERPIECES!”
Randy knew Oliver was very enthusiastic about his photography and filmmaking, it was a passion that he admired deeply. Oliver’s unbridled, untarnished enthusiasm for it was infectious. Mr. Dickens once joked to Randy that if the Scareshack ever fell through, Oliver could always become a reporter. Randy knew that wasn’t Oliver’s plan, though. Well, it was one of them. Plan H to be exact. No, Oliver’s plan B was to start a ghost hunting tv show, and he knew this because he had called Randy in the middle of a shift one day to ask if he would join him if this ever happened. Of course Randy said yes. He would always say yes to Oliver’s plans, they almost always led to fun, or at the very least an interesting story. Besides, Karen did say he needed to get out more. Oliver tapped his fingers against his bag as he thought about what to do next.

“...hey, what day is it?”
He asked, breaking the comfortable silence as the two began to walk back towards the funfair. Randy paused, checking his internal calendar.

“Ummm…July 6th? Why?”
He asked. Oliver snapped his fingers, suddenly looking very, very excited.

“Dude! I totally forgot to mention! Tomorrow Norm’s gonna take me to that one lake that’s out by where he used to live!”
He said excitedly. Randy looked slightly confused, startling as Oliver suddenly grabbed his hand.
“You should come with me!! Imagine it!”
Oliver yanked Randy into a one armed hug, his other hand gesturing to the sky.

“Just you and me in the great outdoors! It’ll be groovy as hell man! I can pack food n’ snacks- oh oh! We can totally make smores and tell scary stories around a fire, like you see in old movies sometimes!”

Oliver grinned, the thought of a camping trip with just him and Randy sounded like a lot of fun! Randy sputtered as he was nearly yanked off of his feet.

“I-I mean- yeah I’d love to come with you but why!?”
He asked, clearly startled. Oliver let go as he pointed at the sky.

“Norm says that every year on July 8th, a huge UFO comes down from the sky and hovers over the lake!! And I’m gonna get a picture of it- no, a video!! Could you imagine the B-roll for the scare shack?? Real UFO footage?? ”
Oliver was buzzing with excitement at the idea of catching a real alien spaceship on film, assuming that Norm wasn’t lying to him. Norm hadn't lied to him yet, and he really didn’t see any reason why the cosmic yeehaw would lie about that specifically. Still, this was going to be an amazing opportunity! And if anything else, camping for two days with Randy sounded…nice. Very nice. Oliver looked up at the sky, the clouds starting to paint themselves a cotton candy pink as the sun began to make its descent.
“It’s getting late, you ready to head back to the apartment?”
Oliver asked. Randy nodded, lifting the brim of the sun hat.

“Y-Yep!”
Randy had been staying with Oliver for the last few days due to the sudden isopod event , luckily for him Oliver had built a bunk bed exclusively for situations where Randy needed to crash with him for a bit! Though the conversation of who got what bunk sent Oliver into a minutes long giggling fit that would start up again every time Randy mentioned the words “top” or “bottom”, so they would usually just flip a coin to see who slept where. Oliver honestly didn’t mind either way! As the two began to walk back towards the subway, Oliver grabbed the sun hat off of Randy’s head.

“Trust me, it’ll be fun! Just you, me, and the great outdoors!”
He said. Randy wrung his hands together.

“...Does this great outdoors contain swans, by chance?”
Oliver paused.

“...I don’t THINK so!”

“ Hooo boy… ”

-

Oliver had never thought he would unironically enjoy country music, but he had to admit, he did like Norm’s music taste. The car lightly jostled and jumped as they drove along the unpaved road, Norm humming along to the radio as he gently tapped his fingers against the wheel. Randy was sitting next to Oliver, his backpack on his lap as he stared out the window at the trees flying by. Oliver glanced down at his notebook, double-checking that he had written everything down. He had a supply list, a list of possible interview questions should they actually make first contact, and a list of recipes one could make over a campfire in case they couldn’t get internet. Norm looked back at them in the rearview mirror.

“You boys sure yer gonna be alright? I can stay with ya if ya want.”
He said, his voice filled with an almost fatherly concern. Oliver shook his head.

“It’s super groovy of you to offer, my man, but we’re gonna be just fine! Besides, it’s only for two days! You said the UFO shows up at midnight, so we should be fine to leave by the morning!”
He said, giving a thumbs up. Norm smiled under his bag, letting out a sigh.

“Alright, if yer sure…I just get right worried about the idea of you bein’ out here on yer lonesome…”
Randy looked back at him, hugging his backpack closer.

“Isn’t Jerry up the road? If things get too bad we could always go to his house…”

He suggested. Oliver nodded in agreement.

“A gnarly idea, my friend! I’m sure Jerry would be THRILLED to see us!”
Norm chuckled at that.

“I’m sure. If there’s an emergency do not hesitate t’ call me. Ya’ll got yer emergency radio too, right?”
Randy nodded.

“Y-Yep. I triple checked to make sure it was there!”
Norm gave a thumbs up.

“Good on ya. Ya can never be too prepared!”
The car rolled to a stop. Oliver quickly scrambled out of his seatbelt and hurried out of the car, heading around to the back to get their bags out of the trunk. He stumbled as he felt a sudden headrush, but before he could fall he felt two cold hands grab him to steady him.

“H-Hey! Easy !!”
Randy said, his voice laced with worry. Oliver waved a hand, already steady on his feet again.

“I’m good! I’m fine!”
He said, his voice still vibrating with excitement. He was always one to bounce back quickly from anything that could be thrown at him, today was certainly no exception. He opened the trunk and grabbed one of the duffle bags while Randy grabbed the bag with the tent.

“Man, this trip would’ve been in-tents if we had forgotten this one!”
Randy said, holding up the bag. He paused as a thought occurred.
“...or I guess it would be…uh, out of tents , if we forgot the tent.”
Oliver looked at him, a smile spreading across his face.

“...what a tents situation that would be-”

“Alright, one more pun outta the two of you and I’m drivin’ off with the rest of yer stuff!”
Norm half joked as he got out of the car. Oliver laughed, nearly dropping the duffle bag he was holding as he doubled over with his fit of giggles and snorts. Randy let out a deep sigh as he shook his head, clearly a bit embarrassed. Oliver noticed and quickly nudged him, smiling as he caught his breath.

“Gnarly pun, my guy!”
He said, beaming. Randy paused, looking over at Oliver.

“O-Oh, thanks!!”
Oliver couldn’t help but smile when he saw how flustered Randy got when he was complimented. Oliver liked the way Randy’s screen would flicker for a moment when he realized someone said something nice about him, how his hands would shake in a stim for a moment before he’d still them, how he’d always hold himself just a little straighter than he had before. It made Oliver happy to see his friend happy. The three of them began to carry their bags to the campsite, which was a lovely little clearing right at the edge of the lake. The water lapped at the shore as the ponds surface reflected the surrounding treeline, almost making the entire thing look like a giant eye. Norm set down the largest of the duffle bags, whistling as he adjusted his hat.

“Always was a mighty fine view out here. I’d come here t’ fish if the huntin’ was off season.”
He said, his voice showing how fond he was of the place. Oliver set the duffle bag he was holding down on a nearby picnic bench, briefly admiring the moss covered wood before going to help Randy.

“Think that’s everything?”
Randy asked, setting down the tent bag. Oliver glanced at the car, not seeing any bags left in the back.

“Yep! I think we’re in the clear!”
He said enthusiastically.
“This is gonna be great!”
Norm smiled, gently patting them both on the head.

“I’m sure you’ll have a great time. Jus’ remember, I’m always a phone call ‘r radio transmission away, kiddos. Don’t hesitate t’ call me if somethin’ happens!”
Oliver and Randy both nodded.

“Y-Yes sir, we will!”
Randy said. Oliver looped an arm around Randy’s shoulder.

“Everything should be just fine, Norm!” 

Norm smiled and nodded as he turned to head back to the car. He waved to the two of them as he backed out of the clearing, the dirt under his tires crunching as he drove off. Oliver squeezed Randy a bit before heading to get the tent set up. Randy followed, setting his backpack on the picnic table next to Oliver’s bag as he went to help.

“S-So is the UFO supposed to show up at midnight tonight, or midnight tomorrow?”
He asked. Oliver shrugged, yanking the tent out of its casing.

“Dunno! That’s why I decided to come a day early! From what Norm said the one time he saw it, it was SUPER bright and SUPER loud so it’ll be obvious if it comes down!” 

He said as he began to screw two of the poles together. Randy grabbed the tent and began to unfold it, glancing over at Oliver as he did.

“He saw a whole UFO out here? D-Did it attack him? W-What if it attacks us?? ”
His voice broke slightly. Oliver shook his head, patting Randy’s shoulder reassuringly.

“Hey, it’s gonna be fine! He said it just hovered over the lake for a minute and then went back up into the sky! Hopefully it hovers long enough for me to get a video! That’d be gnarly!”
He got the poles set up and Randy handed him the tent canvas. Together the two of them had no trouble setting the whole thing up, minus Randy tripping and knocking one of the poles over, causing the tent to fall on top of them. That was an easy fix though, and soon Oliver was sorting through the bags to get all their supplies organized. He grabbed the radio from the duffle bag, setting it on the picnic table as he made sure it turned on. He had tested it before they left with Norm, but you could never be too careful. He grabbed the cooler that they had packed and shoved it inside the tent for now; they REALLY didn’t need a bear ruining their plans by eating their food stock. Oliver stood, brushing his hands off on his jeans as he admired the tent.

“Hey Randy, what do ya think abo-”

“ AAIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! ”

Randy’s scream pierced the air not unlike a tornado siren, causing a few birds to fly off with irritated sounding caws. Oliver whipped around, expecting anything from Randy having stubbed his toe to a masked, machete wielding psycho. Randy was standing on the picnic table, trembling as he watched several VERY large isopod things crawl out of his thoroughly chewed up sleeping bag. The odd bugs skittered around for a moment before grabbing Randy’s sleeping bag and dragging it into the pond, vanishing into the water in a matter of seconds with their ill gotten gains. Oliver just stared, blinking as he tried to process what he just witnessed.

“...well shit! Guess you’re sleeping in my bag with me tonight!”
He said cheerfully, walking up to the edge of the pond and peering into the water.
“Man that was gnarly, where do you think those little guys went?”

“L-Little!? They were huge!! How did they- why did they- m-my sleeping bag!!”
Randy stammered, clearly frightened and absolutely baffled by what just happened. His precious sleeping bag, now with Davy Jones' locker…or whatever was the Davy Jones equivalent of a pond. Oliver just shook his head, patting Randy on the shoulder.

“Sorry my man! I’ll buy you a new one when we get back!”

Randy got down from the picnic bench, shuddering as he looked away from the pond.

“What were y-you going to ask?”
He stammered. Oliver paused.

“...Dude I totally forgot. I’ll let you know if I remember though!”
Oliver laughed. As Randy went to get the rest of the supplies into the tent Oliver unrolled his own sleeping bag, spreading it out on the inside.
“Guess it’s a good thing I brought my extra big one huh! Otherwise we’d be like some fucked up burrito!”
Randy chuckled lightly at the comparison, and the odd mental image.

“I-I don’t mind sleeping on the ground-”

“ Nnnnope ! You’d freeze your ass off! No groovy pal o’ mine is gonna sleep on the ground when there’s a sleeping bag big enough for two!”
Oliver was not going to let this slide. Randy deserved to be warm, damn it! Oliver set the pillow he packed down by the sleeping bag before grabbing the small heater Norm had given him alongside the radio. Now everything was set up! Oliver crawled out of the tent and stood to admire their work, sighing as he looked over at the pond. The sun was starting to set, the glassy surface looking almost like a watercolor painting.
“Oh! I remember what I was gonna ask! You think Karen ever painted the pond? This place is gorgeous!”
Randy shrugged, walking over to join Oliver as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

“I have no idea, p-probably…it is really beautiful…!”

He said quietly. Oliver looked over at him, smiling. He gently patted Randy on the shoulder, fighting the urge to pull his nerve-wracked friend into a hug.

“C’mon, let’s get dinner started! I’m starving!”

Oliver said, heading back to where he put the cooler to get out some of the food he had packed. Randy nodded and hurried over to help as the two began to debate on what to cook for dinner.