Camelonean Summer Exchange Program (IC, MT)

[Greater vakolicci haven]

"So we don't make distinctions in the Haven," Leon laughed, "It's all legal. Everyone wants to live in a different way, who the fuck are we for dictating how someone is allowed to live his life? Society isn't a thing, it's the individual that's important."

[Purgatio]

Ansel scoffed, "The individual is important? Sure, except the individual's actions have consequences on the society. Those who take drugs impair their judgment and go on to commit a whole variety of crimes, either whilst influenced by the psychoactive drug into violence, or forced into robbery or thievery to get the money needed to pay for these addictive substances. That hurts third parties, that hurts the victims of those crimes who never agreed to your behaviour, nor were they given the chance to consent to suffer those consequences. Unfortunately, Leon, no man is an island, people who engage in self-destructive behaviour tend to impose costs on everyone else in society, the idea that you can ever make a choice which affects you and you alone is a hopelessly-fantastical and ridiculous illusion."

[Greater vakolicci haven]

Leon sighed, understanding exactly what he was saying. "I guess you're right on that one," he told him, "It's difficult though when nearly everyone does something...we're still relatively productive though, thank the gods." As he spoke he opened up the bag again. If Ansel would look inside he would spot that it appeared to be filled with snack food with packets labelled in what was clearly the latin alphabet, but all in bizarre, twisted handwriting which made it extremely difficult to read.
"I didn't think I'd be able to get any of this stuff here," he explained, "None of it's drugged, it's all sealed. You can take stuff if you want it."

[Purgatio]

"Relatively productive, sure, but think of how much more productive the Haven could be if no one took such substances" Ansel suggested excitedly, before seeing the snacks with the bizarre handwriting which rather creeped Ansel out, who shook his head, "No no, I said I'm fine, I'm not hungry, like, at all" Ansel insisted vehemently, sealed or no you can never tell the extreme lengths to which a GEM sympathiser might be go to in order to harm another person, Ansel thought cautiously to himself

[The Selkie]

As they were boarding, William turned around, facing an older blond-haired lad behind him. (OOC: The Lillorainen student)

'Is it rather queer to you how really rather obsessed with firearms that bath-chair boy is?', said William. Whilst he had learnt how to use a rifle at school, and sometimes went with his father on shoots, he didn't consider them so worthy of discussion as to bring the topic up on one's very first interaction. Suddenly, he realised he hadn't introduced himself and ploughed on, not wishing to make a poor impression.

'Oh, I am sorry. My name's Arthur, but people call me William. How do you do?'

"Ah."
The boy in the wheelchair turned his head to an older guy; who aside from his facial features looked entirely different. He had the build of a football linebacker for one, and if it wasn't for an intelligent glint in his eyes people would assume he was a thug. When he spoke, his voice as one would expect was somewhat deeper than the other boy's, his brothers.
"It is racism then I see. How very odd. A queer thing, racism, very difficult to support in logical arguments but also very difficult to destroy." He didn't seem to be talking to anyone; everyone heard it though.
"Appologies if my brother appears to like guns a little too much," he said in a slightly louder voice; evidently this voice was meant to sound like it was meant to be heard, unlike the other one which was likely meant as a stage whisper-type thing. "He has suffered gunshot wounds, so have I. Our city is distinctly crime-ridden; he who does not carry a gun has a tendency not to carry anything else for much longer. I'm Isaac, by the way; this is Leon."

Leon meanwhile didn't seem phased by the odd looks everyone was giving him and like the rest of the group simply moved over to the bus, transferring out of his wheelchair with some apparent difficulty especially when one shoulder began to move rather violently and on its own. He managed it however and on legs that really did not appear to want to walk managed to painfully and slowly make his way to the seat that was beside the boy who had been reading before, the first one who had spoken. He sat down, looking pleasantly at his neighbour who still appeared annoyed at his question; he sighed softly.
"Sorry if we got off on the wrong foot," he told him, putting out his hand, "I'm Leon, by the way...Leon Verina. What might I call you?"

When boarding, Frederik was talked to by a guy who looked one or two years younger than him. He was talking about the wheelchair driver's gun obsession - then he realized he had forgotten to introduce himself.
"I'm Frederik" - he replied to William. Then he realized that he had used the Danish way to pronounce his name, which might sound a bit unusual to non-Danish speakers. "But call me Fred."
He was slightly startled when suddenly Isaac started talking in a quite loud voice. Very discrete! - he thought. Now the whole bus knows how bumpy our start is being. Thank you!
He was surprised how criminal the place where the Verina brother came from seemed to be. Frederik himself was from Hetager, for sure not the nicest district of Lysköping, in a country where also nearly everyone owned a gun, but this was extreme. Lillorainen was such a safe place compared to this ... - He considered asking if the bullet wound was the reason why Leon was bound to the wheelchair, but he somehow got the feeling he already knew the answer. And the start had been bumpy enough, anyways.
When Leon and Ansel started to talk about terrorism in their home countries, Frederik inwardly shook his head. Terrorists everywhere ... poor them they have to grow up like this.
He decided not to join this conversation. There were enough aluminum hat wearers in his home country.
He moved on. A girl in the middle of the bus obviously had decided not to contribute to the terrorism talk either. Finally someone normal, he thought inwardly.
He put his stuff onto the free spot on the other side of the bus next to the girl, sat down and grabbed two bottles of coke out of his rucksack. He said to the girl, smiling, "I wouldn't have expected to end up in a spy movie." He laughed. "Hi, I'm Frederik Leverdal, but Fred is fine. Want some coke?"

Ida smiled back, friendly, reaching for one of the bottles.
"Thank you, Fred.", she automatically shortened his name, getting used to it rather quickly. "I didn't expect that either, but here we are... let's just hope, that our hosts don't take any offense and blow it for all of us. I'm Ida." With 24, she was not exactly a girl anymore and she had the figure to show for it, turning slightly to Fred to give him her full attention. Under her cloak, he would be able to spot the Geansai, the Tribal Dress in Her God's Colours. "Ida Ardscoil of the Tribe of Wicklow. Just Ida's fine, though."
She was not a person to stand on ceremony, when ceremony was not needed.
"What brings you here?", she asked and took a sip of her coke.

[Greater vakolicci haven]

"I guess it would be a bit more productive," Leon admitted, "But at the cost of reducing public freedoms? No thanks. Their are parts of the haven with tighter drug laws though, you'd probably prefer those." He put the bag back down between his feet after removing some chocolate "You're so odd," he laughed, opening it. "If you weren't a foreigner I'd think you absolutely hated me...it's not what you do in the Haven when someone offers you food, you just take it to be polite even if you don't want it. Unless you can't eat it...it's actually one of the worst insults I can think of."

[Purgatio]

"An insult to refuse food?" Ansel raised an eyebrow, "What a concept! Doesn't it mean more food for you? I'd think you'd be happy about that fact." He remarked in surprise.

[Greater vakolicci haven]

"It's seen as the person who was offered the food saying that what you've got isn't worthy of them," he stated. "Oddly enough a country which was based on welcoming everyone is really big on hospitality, so it implies a lot if someone refuses that sort of offer. I've known people who have been friends for years who've fallen out over that, it's like insulting somebodys mother."

[Lillorainen]

"Yeah, here we are." Fred opened his bottle, raised it quickly as if cheering, and took a sip. "You know - it was a serious to get out of my homeland for a while. I'm from Lillorainen, if you've heard about it." He gave a vague description of where Lillorainen was situated. "I mean, it's a nice country where actually nothing is forbidden, we have some really cool places and such ... though, it's all a bit over the top sometimes. I've always been interested in foreign cultures, and cultural life is something we somewhat lack of a lot. It may be because of our history, I do get that, but still - it sometimes feels like nine random states spawned overnight decades ago, leaving people with nothing but weed, booze, and guns and leaving them to themselves sitting back and watching." He laughed. "No, this quote doesn't come from me. But it easily could. Well yes, and then, by coincidence I found that Camelone launches a student exchange program for this summer, and I thought, yes, that's the place you want to see! And yeah, now I'm here. How about you?" - he asked, taking another sip and wondering if he was talking too much.

[Purgatio]

"Well I genuinely aren't hungry, so please don't make me eat against my will out of hospitality" Ansel responded, "And if it helps, me not accepting your food has nothing to do with you", although of course that was only partly true, Ansel wasn't hungry but part of him was also hesitant to accept food from Leon out of his natural fear and anxiety.

[The Selkie]

"Yeah, here we are." Fred opened his bottle, raised it quickly as if cheering, and took a sip. "You know - it was a serious to get out of my homeland for a while. I'm from Lillorainen, if you've heard about it." He gave a vague description of where Lillorainen was situated. "I mean, it's a nice country where actually nothing is forbidden, we have some really cool places and such ... though, it's all a bit over the top sometimes. I've always been interested in foreign cultures, and cultural life is something we somewhat lack of a lot. It may be because of our history, I do get that, but still - it sometimes feels like nine random states spawned overnight decades ago, leaving people with nothing but weed, booze, and guns and leaving them to themselves sitting back and watching." He laughed. "No, this quote doesn't come from me. But it easily could. Well yes, and then, by coincidence I found that Camelone launches a student exchange program for this summer, and I thought, yes, that's the place you want to see! And yeah, now I'm here. How about you?" - he asked, taking another sip and wondering if he was talking too much.

Ida laughed with him at his description of his homecountry, coming from a country, where many things usually seen as deplorable and bad in other cultures were allowed, herself (...but surely he can't mean everything being allowed!, she thought).
He was not talking too much in her opinion, though. She had asked him, after all, and when the ball was played back to her, she replied with, mostly, honesty: "I study at the University of Leuda, Department for History and Anthropology. My Professor, Professor Ollamh, a girl barely older then I am, sent me here for bonus credits and to find an inspiration and foundation for my Master Paper. I've studied Camelone for a time now from afar and it's time to get my object of studies known in situ, as they say. This student exchange is one grand opportunity for that."
That was, however, the truth - but only one half of it.

[Greater vakolicci haven]

"Fair enough," Leon said, giving in. "To tell you the truth it's a really stupid tradition anyway, but yeah...if you come to the Haven, please don't do that. I wouldn't want to see you get beaten up for refusing someone's offer, when I say we take it really seriously I'm not joking."

Isaac

Isaac found a seat on the bus close to the entrance. He'd made it clear to Leon from the start that he wasn't on permanent standby to do things for him, and Leon had explained that he didn't want him to be anyway; which allowed him to join in other conversations going on. From a few seats along he heard someone explaining how their home country allowed almost everything and laughed when he spotted a gap in the conversation.
"Sounds like my home country," he said, "As much drinking gambling drugging and shooting as you could hope for across 36 whole provinces."

[Purgatio]

"If your people would beat someone up for not being hungry and politely declining snacks then your culture is genuinely worrying, and extremely violent" Ansel said, no sense of irony or self-awareness in his voice, "I really don't see what kind of national culture would violently punish people for doing nothing more than not eating someone else's food. I don't see why its rude either if the person is genuinely just not hungry. What is he supposed to do then? Take the food and not eat it? Throw it away later on? Eat it and get a stomachache?"

[Lillorainen]

"Yeah, here we are." Fred opened his bottle, raised it quickly as if cheering, and took a sip. "You know - it was a serious to get out of my homeland for a while. I'm from Lillorainen, if you've heard about it." He gave a vague description of where Lillorainen was situated. "I mean, it's a nice country where actually nothing is forbidden, we have some really cool places and such ... though, it's all a bit over the top sometimes. I've always been interested in foreign cultures, and cultural life is something we somewhat lack of a lot. It may be because of our history, I do get that, but still - it sometimes feels like nine random states spawned overnight decades ago, leaving people with nothing but weed, booze, and guns and leaving them to themselves sitting back and watching." He laughed. "No, this quote doesn't come from me. But it easily could. Well yes, and then, by coincidence I found that Camelone launches a student exchange program for this summer, and I thought, yes, that's the place you want to see! And yeah, now I'm here. How about you?" - he asked, taking another sip and wondering if he was talking too much.

Ida laughed with him at his description of his homecountry, coming from a country, where many things usually seen as deplorable and bad in other cultures were allowed, herself (...but surely he can't mean everything being allowed!, she thought).
He was not talking too much in her opinion, though. She had asked him, after all, and when the ball was played back to her, she replied with, mostly, honesty: "I study at the University of Leuda, Department for History and Anthropology. My Professor, Professor Ollamh, a girl barely older then I am, sent me here for bonus credits and to find an inspiration and foundation for my Master Paper. I've studied Camelone for a time now from afar and it's time to get my object of studies known in situ, as they say. This student exchange is one grand opportunity for that."
That was, however, the truth - but only one half of it.[/quote]

"Oh, that's really not bad" - Fred said, admiringly. He had not finished school yet, and to make it even worse, he was one of the oldest students of his grade - missing a year because he had been enrolled into school a year later than at the usual age. "There are really funny coindicents. I once had such a one too - a good friend of mine moved to Nienhagen, that's a city on the other side of the country from my hometown. We were 12 at that time, that's an age where you don't just fly or ship over to another island whenever you wish. And guess where, two years later, my next school trip went to!"
While talking, he had a look into his rucksack searching for chocolate bars - unfortunately finding them molten. "Nice, a cocoa wrapped in plastic ..." - he murmured.
He closed his rucksack again and turned back to Ida. "And do you already know what you're gonna do when you've finished your Master Paper?"

[The Selkie]

"Oh, that's really not bad" - Fred said, admiringly. He had not finished school yet, and to make it even worse, he was one of the oldest students of his grade - missing a year because he had been enrolled into school a year later than at the usual age. "There are really funny coindicents. I once had such a one too - a good friend of mine moved to Nienhagen, that's a city on the other side of the country from my hometown. We were 12 at that time, that's an age where you don't just fly or ship over to another island whenever you wish. And guess where, two years later, my next school trip went to!"
While talking, he had a look into his rucksack searching for chocolate bars - unfortunately finding them molten. "Nice, a cocoa wrapped in plastic ..." - he murmured.
He closed his rucksack again and turned back to Ida. "And do you already know what you're gonna do when you've finished your Master Paper?"

"I was thinking, that I maybe look whether or not the Foreign Office would need someone like me.", Ida replied with a smile, raising a finger to make him wait for a moment as she looked into her own backpack. He had treated her to a coke, it would only be polite to return the favour. "And if that doesn't work out, private industry or, preferably, research. One thing's for sure: One never knows, where Lodan Lir's Rivers take one." She let a beat pass. "Who knows, maybe I graduate from being a Servant and become a Priestess?"
She gave a triumphant grin as she found, what she had been looking for: A small pack of Scipeáil, a popular sweet amongst the Selkie, a thick filling make of breadcrumbs, dried fruit and sweetener between two small layers pastry.
With that grin still on her face, she offered Fred a piece: "Want a piece? And did you manage to find your friend?"

[Greater vakolicci haven]

"Eat it and get a stomach ache," Leon responded firmly. He couldn't know for certain that Purgatio killed people, so couldn't bring that up; however he resolved to punch Ansel for insulting his culture if he found out it did; he certainly didn't consider havenic culture barbaric. "Genuinely. It comes from a time when food was often poisoned, you know during times of war and between noble families that were fuding, they'd invite each other round for peace conferences, poison the food then have no more enemies? Well trust was messed up to the point that it became common for everyone to demand that the host try the food prior to serving. So this sort of grew...to the point where if yo've had some food you make, or out of a particular packet for example if it's that sort of food and you offer it around and people refuse it then what you think is that they really hate you or they really don't trust you. I actually can't think of a worse insult than it."

[Purgatio]

"That....doesn't make sense...." Ansel said, brow creasing as his expression was increasingly confused, "If poisoning your enemies was so commonplace, why would people expect others to take food when offered? I mean, logically, it sounds to me in such a society it would make total sense to refuse someone else's offer to try their food, if poisoning really did occur so frequently. Besides, why should it be an insult if a stranger doesn't trust another stranger? Isn't that what a stranger means?"

[Greater vakolicci haven]

"It's once the other person has had some of the food," Leon explained, knowing how dumb this tradition was but unable not to get annoyed by it. "It's almost like...almost like you're saying that that person would die in order to take you out. Or in its more common sense that on being touched by the other person the food has become poisonous. Isaac takes it more seriously than I do, he wouldn't make an exception on account of you being a foreigner...if he offers you food then take it."

[Purgatio]

"I'm not going to bow down to a foreign tradition just because your brother is so intolerant" Ansel said with a hint of jingoistic and nationalistic pride, his use of the word 'intolerant' was without a hint of irony, "If he can't handle the fact that I won't accept food if I'm not actually hungry then that's his problem, not mine at all."

[Lillorainen]

"Oh, thank you!" Fred took the piece of candy. "Yes, we found each other - literally by accident. We ran into each other with our bikes on a street crossing." He held on to try the sweet. "Hey, that's good! What is that called ... okay, how to pronounce this?"
He had been too busy talking to Ida and dealing with candy bars that he had not realized Isaac's interjection.
"Drinking, gambling, drugging and shooting?" - he repeated. "And you're sure we are from different countries?" He laughed. "Yes, that's what it's like. I mean, it's nice and fun and everything. Yet it just ... somewhat wasn't sufficient, if you get what I mean."
One never knows, where Lodan Lir's Rivers take one ... - he inwardly repeated this proverb he had never heard before.

[Greater vakolicci haven]

"Just eat the fucking food," Leon said, rolling his eyes. "If It helps we make very good chocolate, you're not going to feel sick from it. But I must ask...if you don't want to have my food and drink, does that mean you're buying all the rounds when we go out for the basketball?"

[The Selkie]

"Oh, thank you!" Fred took the piece of candy. "Yes, we found each other - literally by accident. We ran into each other with our bikes on a street crossing." He held on to try the sweet. "Hey, that's good! What is that called ... okay, how to pronounce this?"
He had been too busy talking to Ida and dealing with candy bars that he had not realized Isaac's interjection.
"Drinking, gambling, drugging and shooting?" - he repeated. "And you're sure we are from different countries?" He laughed. "Yes, that's what it's like. I mean, it's nice and fun and everything. Yet it just ... somewhat wasn't sufficient, if you get what I mean."
One never knows, where Lodan Lir's Rivers take one ... - he inwardly repeated this proverb he had never heard before.

She smiled at the story of the two of them meeting again and as he asked how to pronounce the name of the sweets, she replied, speaking enunciated: "Ski-pe-ál. Selkie is a complicated and very melodic language. You might see that at my accent."
Indeed, her accent converted the English language in a melodic one, sounding a bit as if she was singing her replies to him.
And then Fred included Isaac into the conversation, Ida offering a piece of the sweets as well, while she listened. Those two seemed to be alright with their homes, which sounded... interesting to her.
Comparing that to her own homecountry, drinking of alcohol was a part of Selkie-Culture and cuisine (one of their export hits besides SDY's vessels was indeed whiskey), gambling happened in small and big forms, as well as betting (which was actually the larger of the two activities), drugging... it depended on what one defined as 'drugging'. However, Ida doubted, that they meant target shooting with shooting.
She could understand, however, what Fred meant by Yet it just ... somewhat wasn't sufficient.
"Yearning to see and learn about something new is a noble cause, Fred.", she said and smiled at the younger man, "Don't be ashamed of that."

[Purgatio]

"Just eat the fucking food," Leon said, rolling his eyes. "If It helps we make very good chocolate, you're not going to feel sick from it. But I must ask...if you don't want to have my food and drink, does that mean you're buying all the rounds when we go out for the basketball?"

Ansel shrugged, "Sure, I don't mind, I'll buy a few shots for the table, depending on whoever is joining. Doesn't really matter to me."

[Greater vakolicci haven]

"Your mother is the home secretary," Leon reminded him, "You must be loaded. You can afford more than a few shots surely? You can afford to be so drunk you are picked up with the rubbish collection the next morning. I mean getting home might be fun but I'm sure we can manage it, right?"

[Kuronami]

Why go to another country, why go abroad, why not just do your service now and get it over with, why not wait and just go overseas for your service? It was flurry of questions asked to Asuka by her friends, teachers, and family with a few others asking could they join her, wanting to get out of the tiny mountain town. She was on the cusp of 17 technically an adult already by historical standards but not legally declared one as of yet. Eventually she would have to return home and do her service for her country (that or face a hefty tax penalty for years to come) but before that she felt she had more to learn, her inquisitive mind never stopped she always wanted to know everything. Some pegged her as a know-it-all because she felt learning was something everyone should share in, from the important topics such as how do airplanes fly to the mundane like which movie made the most money in a year. Either way she loved to learn and she loved her small town school and small town but she wanted an experience of being around other students. A fair share of them were older than her, which took her by surprise. There were a few her age as well so an okay mix and match. She had slept through most of the train ride unable to get much sleep on the journey to Camelone she was awoken once the motion of the train came to a stop. It was time to dismount and get ready. She probably stood out amongst the crowd, wearing a 20s style Kimono, long brown boots with a big hair bow for her long golden hair. She listened to their guide a Miss Neasa Monaghan. No questions really sprung to her mind as of yet so she let others speak up to get their thoughts out there.

Once that was done and they were boarding "Huh" She muttered to herself, "I should call mama." She took out her smartphone she had stashed into a custom breast pocket made inside her kimono top and checked the time "Oh better wait..." She had a world clock app on which showed it was about 2AM in Kuronami right now. Her parents, brothers, sisters would all be asleep. She was the oldest of four younger siblings from 3-14. She did send a text off to her best friend, Tomo, a real night owl who would usually spend the night playing an MMO of some kind. Not surprising not a great student but she got by, usually with her BFF's help. How would she survive without her?

After sending off her text to tell of her arrival, a reply came almost instantly.

Im so :D :D :D Buuuut I miss u! How will I do my hmwrk nw?

A small grin came to Asuka's face and she cheekily texted back

Try doing it yourself!


Soooo meeean! I wish your ship sunk!

U love me!

I do not! Only when you give me hmwrk help! :V

SAAAY IT

OKIE I miss u. Have fun there, bring me a present prdy please?

[box]I'll think about it.

Of course she'd bring her a gift that's what friends do. She also texted back

Just in case I forget, will you tell my folks I made it safe?

U got it! Cya!

There were some boys talking rather loudly she could hear, better not to get in the middle of it. Glancing around it seemed most of the students were boys and men. One, maybe two women at most. She didn't hate men or boys of course she had guy friends she just hung out with and she dated once or twice. Still would be nice to have some girls to talk to while here. Just whatever happens happens. She looked at her phone again seeing the time. She was fighting a wave of unease and a bit of remorse but that was probably just homesickness.