Chapter Text
The hum of the overhead lights started before they flickered and came to life, though they didn’t do much with the amount of natural light coming in through the rather large windows. Three sets of wooden bunk beds sat about four feet apart against the back wall, twin XL mattresses on each set, a detail that had delighted Isaac when he got his camp supplies list. Three sets of dressers with six drawers each, against the front of each bunk. They were in decent condition, but clearly worn through years of use with scrapes, scratches, and dents in them. The floor had seen better days, the green paint chipping in spots, areas that were splintered. There were cobwebs in the corners, and a layer of dust that had just been disturbed by Isaac’s presence. To the side right there was a door, next to it sat a sink and a mirror, and then behind the door was a toilet, that sat under a singular lightbulb and a vent fan.
There were five piles in the room. Suitcases, trunks, plastic containers, and all their camp supplies needed for the next eight weeks. Their stuff had been collected from them and shipped about a week ago, left in a neat pile, each pile labeled with the name of the camper they belonged to.
Alder Arison, Isaac Herbert, Dempsey Jürgen, Piper Penn, Susie Sillington. Five names, six bunks. Hm.
As he started moving his stuff to the bed that he had claimed as his own, the bottom bunk of the set furthest from the door, close to one of the electrical outlets and easy access to the top of the dresser to set his personal items on at night. Isaac knew there was a chance of having a mixed gender dorm, but he couldn’t help but feel flustered at the idea that he would be sharing with two women. He had never stayed with a woman longer than a week or two, and they were family members, much less lived with one in such a close space.
He finished scooting his stuff over before pulling his phone out and taking a selfie in front of the pile. I made it! No bears to be seen!. Almost as quickly as he sent it to the family group chat, his pops sent back Yet Followed by his dads Really Thomas? with a goofy little smiley emoji. He looked at the box that sat on top of his pile, simple cardboard addressed to him. Each camper had gotten a link to a store that provided disciplinary tools. Each camper had to purchase at least one. There were a variety, belts, paddles, brushes, spoons, whatever a spanky mind could think of.
When Isaac had told them he had found, and thought about going to Camp Knotty Pines, it had caught his dads off guard, both openly saying they’d expect this from Hollis. A seeming normal camp until you read what would happen to campers who disobeyed… Isaac flushed as he thought about it. He knew about his parents but didn’t ask much, he didn’t want to ask much.
He opened the box, looking at the wooden spoon that on the inner curve had his initials engraved. He felt his throat tighten. Maybe he should have asked much.
-
Floorboards creaked a few yards behind Isaac announcing the newest arrival. A tall young man with chin length blond hair stood at the threshold to the cabin with a grimace on his face. His broad shoulders were hunched in clear dismay at the prospect of having to share living quarters with strangers.
Instead of offering a friendly wave or smile he made a beeline to the bathroom. The door nearly ripped off its hinges from the strength put into flinging the wood aside. “Nein, nein, nein!” One hand drifted up to yank on the ends of his hair. “This isn’t what I signed up for. Where am I going to put my shampoo? Do they expect us to dip our toes into the lake like little duckies? What next, will they throw us crumbles of bread and expect us to waddle in line? I don’t think so!”
The young man stepped away from the bathroom brows knit in frustration. “This is not okay.” He reached into the back pocket of his jeans to procure a phone and proceeded to input his code and press the first contact on his list. It hardly rang before the caller on the other end was blessed by a frazzled message.
“This is a horrible idea, Colt! I want to go home now. Pick me up.”
A moment of silence followed the demand as the blond listened intently.
“I am not overreacting–yes, I know I agreed to try something new but…” Another pause. “I’ve been here for five minutes. That should count as ‘giving it a go.’” Finger quotes added a whole new level of sass to the retort. “Who cares if Papa Gunter already paid the fee? We can just tell him I had a blast–yes, I know he will want photographic evidence but–ugh!” A hand was tossed up into the air and pacing commenced. “I know how you feel about lying–that’s not fair! Just because you don’t want me to stand in the corner without supervision doesn’t mean sitting on a mattress isn’t time-out.”
Blue eyes closed to cancel out surroundings as the camper listened to a firm set of instructions. Finally he let out a huff and gave a reluctant nod. “Fine. I promise to actually try. Love you too.” The cellular device returned to the open pocket and the tall guy strode to the pile of belongings. He ducked down and grabbed an orange suitcase with the Dempsey Jürgen label.
Uncoordinated feet trudged over to the bottom bunk across from Isaac’s. The zippers slid open enough for the blond to reach in and retrieve a stuffed possum. He removed his red converse and flopped onto his side on the mattress cradling the creature close to his chest.
“Stop staring at me. I’m trying to calm down.”
-
Isaac opened his mouth, a breathy sound escaping before he shut it again and shaking his head. He hadn’t realized that he had been staring. He turned back to his pile of stuff, opening up the bigger of the two suitcases, this one full of clothes and a couple pairs of shoes. He started sorting out the clothing in the bottom three dressers of the one that sat against his bunk.
His mind spun with different thoughts. Clearly that was Dempsey, or at least he assumed so as he had taken something from the sign labeled Dempsey, and Dempsey was rather large. Isaac didn’t meet many people of his size. Was the whole cabin like this? Was that why the beds were all Twin XL? The tall people cabin? The quiet lingered awkwardly between the two. Fuck. He should have convinced Hollis to come with, then he’d at least have somebody to talk to. He picked his phone up, texting his brother. ’One of the guys in my bunk looks like he could be my actual twin. I’ll ask him for a DNA test.’ Three dots. Disappeared. Dots again. ’You’d cry if you learned we weren’t actually twins.’ “Fuck you…” Isaac chuckled a bit. ’It wouldn’t say we were twins, we are fraternal, dumbass. It would say we were siblings.’ The two had been an unusual set, but at this point Hollis was his best friend. He ran his fingers through his carrot colored hair, then traced the matching beard down to his chin, gathering a bit of courage before standing.
“I… uh… I didn’t mean to stare.” Isaac sat down on his own bed, cringing a bit as it squeaked. “I’m Isaac.”
Dempsey ran a hand over the flank of his possum before sitting up carefully to avoid bonking his head on the wooden slats. “I’m Dempsey.” He bit his lip considering what else to say. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have snapped at you. Back in Germany people stare all the time.” He attempted a smile but it appeared rather wobbly. The type to surface before tears followed. “I’ve never done this before and miss my Pferdchen–uh, boyfriend,” he corrected.
Rising off the springy mattress he ducked down to assess the contents of his suitcase. A box of fruit rollups rested in the mesh compartment housing several pairs of undergarments along with matching socks. Toiletries were tucked away in a small travel case that was wedged between a stack of shorts and T-shirts. Dempsey resituated his strawberry pajamas beside the dachshund set in order to recover the bedding.
“Colt let me pack his bedding so that I can smell his scent if I wake up lonely in the night.” White sheets were unfurled and the blond traversed from corner to corner to tuck everything in before spreading a blue comforter with waffled fabric over the bed. Soon the pillow was dressed in a matching white pillowcase and the possum arranged so that its head rested on the cushion.
Not adept at the nuance of small-talk but desperate to change the topic and hide his vulnerability, Dempsey opened his mouth to ask Isaac a question only for his jaw to snap audibly shut at the sudden shout from the door.
“Big Bird! No way!” A high-pitched squeal assaulted the tranquility of the cabin. Dust stirred as a short woman with umber pigtails skipped over, her pink backpack thumping against her back along the way. “I didn’t know you signed up for camp. What a small world. Is your crypt keeper with you?”
She paused beside his bed accepting no shame at glancing over his belongings. “Fruit rollups, nice.” A smirk crossed her face. “No gummy bears, huh?”
A vehement headshake sent blond locks flying. “Ja, not after last time.” Dempsey shivered and glanced toward the floor.
“You have no sense of adventure. Being high is great.” The dark-haired girl slid the backpack straps off her shoulders and tossed the bundle to the top bunk.
Instantly, Dempsey jumped to his feet. “What are you doing?”
“Calling dibs, duh!”
“N–nein! Go to the other side. This is my space.”
The slight stutter didn’t go unnoticed by the girl and she winked at him. “Can’t I already claimed it. You are stuck with me.” She crossed over to the pile of baggage to claim a purple duffle with the words Susie Sillington written in a flourish pink font and little red heart stickers decorating the rest of the tag space.
“Wait a second, what’s with the cardboard?” For the first time since arriving, Susie noticed Isaac. “Yoo-hoo, Spaghetti String! Hey, yeah, you. What’s in here?” She wrapped a hand around the delivery displaying square-shaped freshly manicured nails while shaking the delivery back and forth.
“First-” Isaac held a finger up, unamused. “My name is Isaac, not spaghetti noodle.” He took a couple steps forward, holding his free hand out. “Second, that's not yours.” He pointed out. “So hand it over.”
Her hands seemed miniscule next to his, hell, her whole frame did. Yet this tiny woman seemed to make Dempsey seem like an elephant next to a mouse. They also knew each other. Great. Even if he seemed agitated, the two knowing each other meant that they would more than likely stick together and Isaac would be alone still.
When she had mentioned the gummy bears his ears perked up. He was used to being around cannabis, his parents smoked and did edibles, and Isaac had tried a few times before with them, though never questioned to push past what he was given. Were they even allowed to have drugs here? Did she have drugs? Was that why she seemed to bust in here with the confidence that she did?
“Well you're a spoilsport.” Susie frowned at Isaac perturbed by the fact that he had used his height against her. She even tried to jump up to grasp the package, face reddening from exertion as the prize was held skyward beyond her reach. “Shit,” she let out a breath. “If I had known I’de be paired with the giant cabin I would have packed stilettos.”
Dempsey eyed her suspiciously. “Are you a stowaway? I doubt Erik would let you out of his sight.”
“Don’t be a dingus. If I was a stowaway my nametag and belongings wouldn’t be here for everyone to see. Besides, my sinfully hot viking daddy suggested I try a change of scenery.”
“You were sent here as punishment.” Dempsey deadpanned, sniffing out her attempt to dodge the question.
Susie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “Okay, fine! Erik made me come because I outmaxed my monthly credit card allowance.” She glared at Isaac waiting for him to pass judgement. “Go ahead and laugh if you want but I’m the one who will drive out of here in a flamingo pink Mercedes while the rest of you drive in used cars or squeeze onto the bus.”
“Were… were both of you sent here against your will?” Isaac spoke up after an awkward pause in the conversation. He glanced around the space for a spot to put the box, but not finding anything that would keep her away. At this point he would just have to keep guard of it. He set it into his now empty suitcase. “Your sinfully viking daddy.” It was a question, but also a statement. A weird statement that stuck in his mouth like peanut butter. Yet something else quickly sidetracked that thought. “How do you know she’s being punished?” He paused, looking away from both then back to Susie “Are you being punished?”
For him this was an adventure. Something out of the ordinary. Something that had peeked his interest, but he had no idea what he was getting into. To hear punishment this early on from people who looked to be his age threw him off.
“Also, again;” He waved a hand around himself “my name is Isaac.” Spaghetti String and now spoil sport. “I would like you to use it properly, or I can just call you Shorty Stilettos McGrumpus.”
Susie stuck her tongue out at the nickname. “Call me that and I’ll find a nice thick branch to shove up your ass.” Winking, she twirled around the heat disappearing from her words. “If you must call me something it should be Ethereal Fashionista the Giver of Fabric.”
Stopping on her third spin she brushed a stray pigtail over her shoulder. “But to answer your question. No, I am not here under duress. My Dom talked with me about camp and we agreed it would serve as an appropriate punishment because I hate the heat and bugs.”
Dempsey chimed in. “Her Dom, Erik, works at the Little Center. He wouldn’t force her to come unless she consented to it. Colt is trying to help me spread my wings and form meaningful connections so he suggested I give this.” He provided a lackluster wave to indicate the space. “A try.”
“He’s just scared that people will find out he’s a Little.” Susie giggled while placing a foot up on the rung of the ladder.
“H-hey!” Dempsey tried to swipe at her but missed as she scurried up the steps like a squirrel retreating to its nest. “Am not!” His face flushed in embarrassment at the prospect of looking the newcomer in the eye after that revelation.
An upside down smile spread across Susie’s face as she leant over the failing, her dark pigtails cascading down. “Big bird, you have a freaking stuffie on your bed. I think that kind of gives your secret away.”
Groaning in dismay, Dempsey slipped into his bunk and lifted the covers over his head.
Isaac leaned back a bit, bringing his hand to his chest at the threat of her shoving a stick up his ass in a “How well do you think that’ll work for you?” He prickled at the idea, more in annoyance that she would even threaten him. She didn’t know him enough to threaten him, even playfully, much less seriously as she seemed to be with her threat to at least bother him.
Then they started about the Little Center. He had done some research before coming to camp, but he still had limited knowledge on littles and what exactly they were. He had done a designation test before coming, one similar to what they’d give to any student applying to an Ivory League school and was given a high percentage of “caregiver tendencies”. What exactly did that mean to him? He didn’t know yet. Littles seemed to vary from age to age. They seemed to like different things. Some were AB’s, some were DL’s. Some were both, some were neither, and that was his knowledge about that.
“I don’t care if you’re a Little.” He finally spoke up. “And I know many people who still sleep with stuffed animals or something else. I mean, hell.” He looked at the quilt that sat folded on the sheets of his bed. “My quilt has patches of my brothers and my baby blankets.” He pulled at worn corner. “I’ll sometimes rub it between my fingers when I can’t sleep.” Why the hell was he telling them this? He didn’t know these people.
“I do have a question though.” He sheepishly smiled. “What is a Little Center? I… I am kinda new to all this?” He admitted. Even if they seemed to go back and forth bickering, Dempsey and Miss McGrumpus seemed comfortable enough with each other that they’d at least be able to talk to him and agree on things.
Had he jumped in too damn quick to this? He should have done more research. Shit. He didn’t know half of what he needed to know.
He felt his chest tighten a bit. “You don’t have to say anything about like… yourself with it but like… fuck. This…” He started to stammer. “I’m not good at this.”
Dempsey timidly peeled the covers down to peek at Isaac. Sensing the sincerity of the questions he shifted into a sitting position to address the matter. “A Little Center is where consenting adults can go to drop–uh get in a younger headspace. Caregivers are volunteers or employees at the center that ensure the safety and play of the group–”
“Though some of them are strict and will send you to the corner.” Susie interrupted. “Mostly, they watch you engage in different activities. Some Littles like to play in the indoor playground and jungle gym. Others want to sit quietly and listen to someone read stories. There’s lots of books to read, puzzles, gameboards, and toys.”
She opened up her backpack and retrieved a sticker book. Leaning over the railing of the topbunk she offered the item to Isaac. “This is what my viking daddy uses to track my daily behavior. Happy faces earn rewards like taking a detour for ice cream or visiting the rollerskating rink. Stars mean I did chores or received a good grade in my assignments. The raincloud is for when I get into trouble and sad faces track the amount of consequences I’ve earned for the week. Some Little Centers have a chart for frequent members that documents how their time at the center went.”
Although he felt tempted, Dempsey refrained from snagging the book out of Isaac’s hand. However, he made a note to sneak a look later and see if Erik had placed any handprints on there to signify that she had earned a spanking.
“Hey!” Susie snapped her fingers at Dempsey. “Why is the corner of your mouth curving up?”
The blond shrugged nonchalantly and placed his possum in his lap. One hand began to stroke over the creature's back. “No reason. Just thought of something funny.”
Isaac took the book, hesitating to open it but trusting that he was able to. He flipped through the first couple of pages, looking over the stickers of many different kinds. His brows furrowed when he saw the handprints, wondering what those meant. When it clicked he flushed to a deep pink ”Oh.” He shut it with a fumbled quickness, holding it back out to her.
The explanation of a Little Center made something inside of his chest tighten, but not in a bad way. It was endearing, somebody being able to have a space for them to be themselves in a non-judgemental way. “That sounds nice. I’m glad y’all have a space like that.” He knew a bit about his dads time at RBU and never heard about a Little Center, but that was also nearly 30 years ago, and it had most likely changed in that time.
Isaac looked to Dempsey and then to Susie “Is this how it’s going to be all summer?” He chuckled a bit, cut off by the door creaking, the signal of a new guest arriving.
Ally paused in the doorway, taking in the three people in front of him; two giants and a pigtailed woman practically dangling off the top bunk. “Hi.” He waved, the sleeve of his hoodie flopping with it. He pushed up his thick rimmed square glasses that magnified his doe eyes, making him even more adorable.
He found his pile of items “Alder Arison” He said outloud, though to himself.
A hoodie in the summer caught Isaac off guard, but he wasn’t going to question it. “Hey, I’m assuming you’re Alder since you’re standing at that pile.” He waved back. “Welcome to Cabin 4!”
“Uh, yeah.” Ally grabbed the first of his bags. “You can call me Ally.” He glanced between the open beds. “Are they assigned?”
“Nope, you can pick which one you want.” Isaac told him. “I’m Isaac, that’s Dempsey and Susie.” He almost tagged on the McGrumpus, but decided not to, not wanting to get that whole thing started again and possibly overwhelm the man in front of them.
Ally smiled wide as he saw the top bunk with nobody on the bottom. “Alright that one!” He decided.
Susie smirked at the newcomer. “Let’s see,” she tapped a pointer finger to her chin. “We have Big Bird, Spaghetti String, and now you shall be…” Humming aloud while pretending to think it over allowed for her gaze more time to roam over Alder.
Blond curly hair sat atop his head waiting for a hand to ruffle through the free-spirited locks. Summer must have started early for him because his skin was tan, suggesting time spent outdoors. Susie pictured him as the sort of person to prefer picking flowers and gardening as opposed to participating in extreme sports like rock climbing or whitewater rafting. Kind eyes appeared twice as large behind a pair of thick glasses.
The young man set his suitcase on his bed before turning to smile up at her. Unpacking took a pause as he provided them with his full attention. Soft round cheeks and a button nose begged for someone to tweak. That friendly demeanor and cuddly looking exterior solidified Susie’s choice of name. “Bunny Buns. It suits you well. Are you a top in disguise here to spy or a bottom? I bet you are a bottom.”
Dempsey frowned at her abrasive commentary. Lifting a fist he thumped it against the platform base of the top bunk with a loud thunk.
“Excuse you!” Susie jumped on the mattress causing it to dip enough to bonk her bunk buddy in the noggin. “Don’t be a killy joy.”
“Autsch–Verdammt!” Dempsey rolled off onto the floor, one hand raised to rub at the throbbing at his skull. “That hurt you Arscholoch!”
“Ooooh Big Bird!” Susie contorted her lips into a wide O and fluttered her lashes. “You're going to get in trooooubbbble talking like that. Such potty language. You ought to be spanked.”
“Nein!” Dempsey narrowed his eyes, finally processing that she had understood him. “When did you study German?” His tone held a trace of panic. If people knew a few of the things that were prone to slip out of his mouth then he would have to work twice as hard to guard his words.
The sound of a zipper cascading across a backpack filled the space followed behind rustling until a plastic container of sour patch kids emerged. “Oh I don’t speak that European stuff but I have a goal to learn as many curse words in different languages as I can fit in my brain.” She popped a blue raspberry gummy into her mouth.
“I imagine you won’t learn that many words then.” Dempsey grumbled, satisfied to witness the sour expression that crossed her face at the insult. Rising to his feet, he crossed the room to wash his hands. The faucet produced a steady stream of cold water that sent gooseflesh scattering across his arms. Catching sight of the soap, he couldn’t help but sigh. Why couldn’t this camp have a pump which dispensed a liquid version of hand sanitization? “Fucking bars.” He mumbled while furiously lathering his palms with the dense slippery brick.
A red sour patch gummy sailed from the top bunk to clunk Alder in the chest. “Where are you from? What’s your story?” She tossed a green one at Isaac. “Please be more interesting than this guy. He’s like a statue.”
“You are going to break these beds!” Isaac stared, the gray blue hiding behind widened pupils. “Also, why are you trying to bother him? Are you going to be like this the whole damn time?” He stood to start making his bed, sliding the package from earlier under his bed. He would find some time to look at it later without anybody else around.
Bunny Buns. Though it didn’t seem as if the other guy minded the nickname, just shrugging it off with a friendly smile.
Isaac raised a brow at the girl and shook his head, making a face at the green Sour Patch. ’You didn’t even ask anything about me.’ He signed to her, his face full of pity. He expected to hear his brother or fathers laugh at the switch to American Sign Language to talk without others knowing what they were saying, but nothing came. ’I could say whatever I wanted and you’d never know. Like you’re obnoxious, and the red ones are the best.’ He made sure to finish his thought before just slapping his hands down at his sides in defeat.
She was obnoxious, but also captivating. She didn’t seem phased by anything around her right now. “Oh,” Isaac spoke again, this time a bit more sardonic. “What did those handprints in your book mean?” He wanted to hear her say it out loud, see if he could poke her buttons. It seemed that for a person who wanted somebody spanked so bad, she seemed to get a lot of spankings of her own. A pang of guilt hit as he said it out loud though, calling her out in front of everybody else for something that might just be hers? No. She showed it to him, an apparently boring stranger.
The other thing that struck him was the fact that talking about all of this seemed so natural for her. The ease of asking ‘Are you a top or bottom?’ Then outright just assuming where he was made Isaac question if he himself were readable like that. He tucked the first corner of his light blue sheets, cooling of course, then the second. The silky fabric seemed to lay effortlessly on the weird plastic like mattress that was to be his bed for the next eight weeks. Blue had always been ‘his color’. When their dads would match the boys, which was thankfully not often, he would usually be blue, Hollis was usually green. This happened though with all kinds of things. It made it easier for them to have their own of the same item, even with the fact that the boys were far from identical, it gave them their own little bit of identity. His comforter was a navy color, thin. He always slept hot, so something that would cover him but keep him cool was essential.
Ally followed the gummy as it fell from his chest to the bed. “I am a sub.” He confirmed. “Damon, my dom, is back home because of school stuff.” He pouted just a little. “But he says he thinks I’ll have a good time here.”
Susie stretched her arms to the ceiling completely unperturbed by Isaac’s baiting question. She had a reputation among her peers as the instigator of mischief. Erik wasn’t bashful about spanking her in public if the occasion called for it. “Those handprints represent all the intimate times my viking daddy took me to task.” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.
Noticing the blush creeping up Isaac’s neck she blew a mocking kiss. “Any other curiosities? I could share about the time my naked skin tumbled against a hairy chest. How flames danced in the fireplace as only a shag pink rug protected our delicate bits from the cold floor. The next morning people swore they heard wolves howling but that had only been–”
Waltzing into the common space with hands on each side of his head to block out the tale Dempsey scrunched his nose in disgust. “No one wants to hear about your sexual proclivities.”
The girl just laughed. “Your loss.” Resuming her feast of sugar she amped up the sucking noises, eyes glinting in amusement at her audience.
“What is the protocol of camping–or, um, would it be called cabining?” Dempsey bit his lip unsure of the correct nature jargon for roughing it out in the wild. “Are we assigned a guide? Colt, uh–” he glanced at Ally, adding for his benefit. “My boyfriend said there’s usually activities everyone signs up for. I don’t really want to hike a mountain and I refuse to participate in a trust fall. The main reason being because I don’t really know any of you except for the she devil and due to the fact that you both.” He pointed at Ally and then Susie. “Are tiny.”
Isaac had gone as far as ‘second base’, touching a woman's boobs, and while yeah, it was something, it wasn't anything compared to what Susie seemed to have started listing off, and apparently Dempsey had a boyfriend. And now he felt inadequate. He had had one girlfriend and never done any of this and now he was in a room with a sexual deviant… possibly. She could have been bullshitting him. She was probably bullshitting him.
“I am not tiny.” He spoke up, defending his height like the others couldn’t see it. “I am 6’4. My brother is tiny… he's average. He is taller than my dad…” He rambled, pausing as he felt three sets of eyes on him. He went to start talking again, not knowing what to say or do when the final cabin mate came in, smiley and bright.
“Heyyyyyy!” The woman was round and quite short compared to the rest of the group. “What's up everybody?! I'm Piper and I'm your camp counselor!” She threw her hands up, shaking them with excitement. Her neon pink hair was peaking out from a bandana neatly tied in the back and pinned with bobby pins. She looked at the bed that sat over Isaac's and nodded. “Nice to meet you bunky.”
“Hello.” Isaac stared, this woman was supposed to make sure the four of them were kept in line, yet it seemed she might be the life of the party herself. “Isaac.”
“Nice to meet you, Isaac.” Piper chucked a bag to the top bunk with ease, sliding the rest of her stuff to the foot of the bunks. She pointed to Ally. “And you are?”
Ally paused from setting his sheets up, flopped down like a starfish to help reach the corner. “Alder, you can call me Ally.” He told her.
Piper bobbed her head as she took in the information. “Alder, but Ally. Pronouns?”
“He/him.” Ally smiled at the consideration.
Piper looked back to Isaac. “And for you?”
“Also he/him.” Isaac set the quilt he had at the foot of his bed, folding it nicely for when it might be needed. “What about yourself?”
“She/they.” Piper started up the ladder to her bunk, pausing to look at Susie. “And who might you be?”
She could see it already, hell she knew it already. Not one, but two littles. The air was already buzzing with a bit of chaos. She noticed the bag of gummies and made a note to look over the agreed upon rules that Susie had signed at some point, she had a feeling that this might become a problem if not squashed by bedtime tonight.
The girl propped an elbow on the railing of the bunk, head tilting slightly as she pondered the short camp counselor. Deciding to mimic Piper’s enthusiastic greeting she stuck an arm out with a flourish. “I’m Susie but you may call me Ethereal Fashionista the Giver of Fabric. Is this the part where we go around in a circle and share three things about ourselves?”
She didn’t wait for a response, jumping right into TMI territory. “I’m a sub with little characteristics who goes by she/her pronouns. In second grade I broke my nose on a see-saw. I’ve tried bison, gater, shark, escargot, and squid.” She held up five fingers with a smirk. “But my greatest accomplishment is my lack of gag reflex and ability to tie a cheery stem into a knot just using my tongue.” Assessing the astonished faces in the room she gave a shrug. “I’m willing to demonstrate if you don’t believe me.”
“That was more than three things.” Dempsey stated under his breath. Giving a sigh, he returned to his bunk and took a seat. His hand crept behind his back to stuff the stuffie underneath his pillow. Having an authority figure in the cabin suddenly brought on an onset of diffidence. When he was sure the possum was out of sight he threaded his hands together and sat up straight.
“Guten–Um, good afternoon. I’m Dempsey Jürgen. He/him.” He blinked slowly trying to figure out what else to add to fill up the silence. “I transferred from a German lifestyle school to RBU and sometimes I switch to my first language when speaking…. I like hamburgers.”
A suspicious sounding snort from above quickly grew muffled by the rustling of fabric as Susie pressed a pillow against her face at his awkwardness.
Wishing the earth would open up to swallow him whole, Dempsey almost retreated back under the covers. He hated being placed on the spot. For some reason his brain failed to function properly and he came across as abrupt or dumb. It’s a good thing that he didn’t pack his glasses but contacts. Who can say what kind of teasing may have occurred.
Piper blinked a few times as Susie went off with information about herself, nodding once she stopped talking to process it. Once she felt like she could respond appropriately she smiled. “I can as well! The cherry thing!”
She wasn’t expecting Dempsey to actually continue, as Piper hadn’t said that was the expectation. She just wanted to know proper pronouns and had planned something later to get to know them. “Okay, so there is a place by me that does a PB and J hamburger. It is freaking amazing and it shouldn’t be as good as it is… but it is.” She slumped a little as she thought about it, her mouth turning up at the edges. “They put a sunny side up egg on it as well.”
“Oh!” Ally spoke up. “Ally, he/him.” He huffed as he realized he had already said that “I said that already though.” He muttered. “I am really good at table top RPGs!” He smiled wide. “My current D&D group has been going since September!” He proudly told them, thinking about his friends back at school and their many nights of missing curfew due to wild battles. “I am actually majoring in game design and theory.” That was three. Right?
“That sounds cool. My sister has a campaign right now that has lasted for years. I don’t get it, but she enjoys it a lot.” Piper told him. “She introduced me to Dimension 20.”
“Which one?” Isaac asked.
Piper pressed her lips, thinking. “Uhhh. I don’t know. I just know that I watch other shows with them in it.”
Isaac chuckled. “I love Dropout.”
“That doesn’t count as a fact.” Piper winked, climbing up into the bed. “Well, since everybody else did, you tell us some things about you.”
Isaac swallowed hard, his mouth dry at the idea of presenting himself as a somewhat normal human being. “Uh… Isaac. My last name is pronounced A-Bear. Like ‘I saw a bear!’” He waved his hands around in mock shock. “He/him.” It was like he had forgotten everything about himself. “I have a twin brother. His name is Hollis.” He held a finger out, that was one fact. He lifted a second as he thought. “I took a gap year after I graduated high school. So I’m starting college this fall.” His foot bounced on the creaky floors as he thought of something else. “I really love to dive and I have been on a dive team since I was 4.”
“Diving as like…?” Piper started unfolding her sheets.
“High diving off the crazy big diving boards. Last year for my birthday though I did cliff diving and that was fucking awesome.” Isaac slapped his hands down on his thighs. “It was a massive lake and it was hot and then it was like I was flying and it was so cool.”
“That sounds terrifyingly awful. Nope.” Piper shook her head. “This bed is about as high as I can get. Any higher? Hell no.”
Isaac shrugged at that. “Do they have a high dive here?”
“Yeah, a couple.” Piper sighed. “You shove me off of one, you won't sit for the rest of your life.”
Isaac quickly shrunk back at the threat, not having even thought to do that in the first place.
“Like I said. I am Piper. She/her/they. Whatever, really.” She sat up fully as she thought. “I graduated just a couple weeks ago from Handerbelt with a degree in agricultural science and going to continue on and get my masters in finance from there as well.” She was rather proud of her accomplishment. “I can wiggle my ears.” She made sure to demonstrate the skill as she said it. “I have learned how to crochet and I hope you are all ready to get some little crochet stuffies by the end of the summer.” She got serious. “I am determined to make everybody one… just don't know of what yet.”
Inspiration struck a few days later…