Untitled

meet camryn harris // welcome to the catastrophic rpg.

                                          the basics //

full name : camryn adriana harris birthdate & zodiac :  december 30th & capricorn gender & pronouns :  cis female & she/her sexuality :  Panromantic & pansexual occupation :  council member hometown :  wears valley, tennessee

                                        deeper dive //

positive traits: Dutiful, tactful, realistic, confident, practical, driven negative traits: Subjective, headstrong, insensitive, secretive, opportunistic skills: Has previous combat and firearm training, navigation, investigation, water filtration, implementing rules and procedures alignment : lawful neutral myers briggs : istj - the logistician

habits :                            does not smoke [cigarettes] / indulges in the occasional cocktail [alcohol] / straight as an arrow [drugs]    

loves :                                solitude, cappuccinos, loose-fitting clothing, the outdoors, order fears :                               claustrophobia

                                         appearance //

height : 5′7″ tattoos : minimalist mountain range that wraps partially around her right ankle scars :  A few on her arms and legs from general hiking, but nothing serious piercings : She used to have her ears pierced so there are holes there, but they have long-since been removed.hair :  Reaches to just below her shoulder blades, has a slight wave to it and is a warm honey brown naturally highlighted from the sun. She often has it tied back in a braid or bun. fashion :                                          clothes -  anything comfortable for activity, cam likes to be able to move. no extravagant patterns, earthy colors, non restricting and breathable                     shoes - same as her clothing, athletic shoes are preferred for comfort and to keep her body safe for quick movements

                                        history //

(child death mention, violence mention, mild racism mention)

     Camryn had a very mundane home life, being raised in a middle-class town in suburbia with two very normal, kind adoptive parents. The origin of her birth is unknown, but she'd never found the desire to seek out any information on her birth parents. As far as Cam had been concerned the couple she was raised by were her true parents, and that was all that had mattered.

     She was often very quiet at school, not being bothered to make friends because she much preferred the company of animals or to just simply be by herself. Never was she bullied, save for the occasional snide remark about her history or for simply looking different than her classmates, but she was great and keeping herself undetected. Her father worked as a deputy superintendent of park service in the nearby Great Smoky Mountain National Park which led to many trips and experiences in the wilderness growing up. This spurred on a passion and an interest to pursue a career in park management as a ranger.

     Cam finished high school and went on to pursue a degree in outdoor recreation and parks management with a minor in natural resource management. While in college she'd met a fellow forestry major who shortly after spurred on a romantic entanglement. The two were always together when Cam wasn't too busy with her head in her books or enjoying solitude on mountain and forest trails. She graduated before him at the top of her class and then sought out employment in the same place she'd learned of her passion for the wilderness.

     It took hardly any time before she'd been called in for an interview with her father's name thrown into the mix. Camryn was then hired and entered the park ranger training course at the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy. There she learned self-defense, firearms training, crime scene investigation, defensive driving, and much more.

     After landing the job and having most things in her life going so well, her long-term boyfriend proposed after a five-year relationship. She'd said yes because it felt like the right thing to do. They'd been together for so long as is anyway, why wouldn't she? But as time went on she went through the motions. It wasn't until a wedding date had been set that she felt that sense of dread in her stomach. She called things off quickly after, moved out, and settled into her own apartment closer to the Great Smoky Mountains and out of Wears Valley.

     It was about two months post-break up that she realized she was pregnant. Deciding the keep the child Cam kept things amicable between her and her ex so that they could share custody. After all, she didn’t want her child feeling unwanted or off in any certain way just because one parent was out of the picture. She gave birth to a baby girl she named Mikaela that she grew very protective over. She wanted nothing more than to provide her with the best life possible and then some.

     Her mother had passed a year before the outbreak, but after the apocalypse, Camryn rushed with her daughter back to Wears Valley to find her father in her childhood home. Her father, still distraught over his late wife, barely found a reason to keep on living until Cam showed up. They held it down there with the ranch style house far off enough from the main road to keep from getting overrun. It took over a month before walkers began making an appearance and two more before it resulted in her father losing his life to a small hoard and her daughter receiving a bite trying to help protect him. Camryn did what she knew was best and put her out, spent all the time she needed to grieve until she forced herself to get up and leave, and took to traveling out of there.

    She headed for the mountains first where human populations were scarce before the end of the world. This didn't mean she didn't find other survivors. At first she'd avoid contact if it could be helped, but it became obvious that sometimes to best choice to make was to mingle with others. They could share knowledge and there was safety in numbers. Sometimes she'd part ways on good terms, sometimes she'd slip out in the middle of the night while taking a thing or two. Supplies were hard to come by, and as far as she was concerned if she didn't rob anyone blind they could make it without the little bit she did take.

—

         “It wasn’t always that way but I think somewhere down the line, there was that last bit of hope that was given up in lieu of a new reality,” she admitted quietly with a nod. Hell, the world didn’t used to have the dead walking around but that became the reality quickly enough that settling back into something that resembled her old life — Ali wasn’t too sure how it was all going to last. Or if she’d even make it.

There was plenty to keep her inside the walls, but there were reasons for her to want to go back out again and find a different place to hole up and preferably somewhere on her own. At least then she could trust herself, even if it wasn’t all the time. Fairvale felt too good to be true, and she felt uneasy speaking it out loud as she didn’t know the council members that well or if her questioning thoughts would lead to something where she’d find herself on the outside whether she wanted it or not. Camryn wasn’t giving her any indication that it was coming across that way, which left her once again waiting to see if another shoe would drop or if this was real.

Her gaze shifted to the pointed out spots, bringing a sound of disbelief that there was such spots anymore. Coffee and bars, or even home cooked meals were thought to be a thing of the past until seeing that they had both here. “It’s unbelievable. And I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about it all because part of me wants nothing more than to rush into those places and drink until I can’t stop and the other part of me doesn’t believe it,” she replied with a bit of a laugh, even if it sounded more hollow than Ali wanted to admit. “Next you’re going to tell me that there are yoga classes held once a week by the gazebo.”

⛰️

Stella would be the better candidate for emotional support. Local community therapist, as Cam would refer to her, she has this warmth about her that makes it easy for those to express emotionally vulnerability. Cam does not so she can only nod in understanding. Her expression is rather stone-faced at the idea of abandoning hope for the sake of acceptance to the new way of life. "For what it's worth, I think your caution is normal. I'd be far more worried if you took everything without being suspicious." Those who took all the curve balls of the apocalypse in stride are the scary ones. It'd meant they were meant to survive something like this while the rest of them struggle. To Camryn it makes Ali all the honest, and she'll take real any day. So long as it doesn’t drive Ali crazy and she lashes out like a cornered animal - but there is no concern on Cam’s end there.

She laughs, a cheerful amused little sound because yes, the Hard Times being around makes it a possible thought to drink themselves into oblivion. “I think our bartenders are wise about when to cut someone off, but I understand that desire.” It’s why she finds fun, homemade hooch from old, fermented produce scraps. It’s easy to make a trade with any of the farmhands or citizens crafty in the art of creating their own alcoholic swill. And nowadays, no one is above bottom shelf level liquor...

— 🔧 —

There seems to be something she’s looking for from him, but Javier can’t figure out what it is. Certainly not forgiveness - because if that were the case, he wasn’t about to offer it up. He could leave it in the past, but there would always been that reminder that she’d betrayed any trust they’d fostered between them. He wasn’t about to easily forgive and forget it. And certainly he wasn’t going to just lay his trust in her once more. Sure, she was on the council of this little town he’d found himself in…but that didn’t mean he had to trust her - or the rest of them, for that matter. 

He doubted she was fishing for forgiveness, though. It didn’t seem her style. She felt she had to do what she did, and she probably didn’t think there was anything to be forgiven. Or was there some guilt hidden under all that nonchalance and puffed up justifications?

“I do so appreciate the pleasantries, Cam, but I won’t be needing anything from you,” he stated simply before turning his back on her and resuming his work.

—

Ali simply nodded. Her curiosity ran deeper than recruiting, wondering what or how a place like this came into being before they began to send out people to bring in new ones. Or how they knew to interview those that made it through the gates. And even what happened to the ones they didn’t let through. But her patience would only last her so long as she considered all that she’d seen around her so far, that there was a sense of peace and security that she couldn’t remember feeling for nearly a year at this point. 

          “I suppose that’s where I stand at the moment, waiting until the unreal feeling of it all to dissipate.”  If she were being honest with herself, Ali didn’t know if it ever would after what she’d faced in the months prior to her arrival. Still, she’d interacted with enough people so far to see that not everyone waited for the bad to show up like she did. It was always there, lingering around the corner and waiting for her to drop her guard as she cleared her throat when she glanced back at the other. “Nothing you’re saying is worrying me specifically, nothing anyone is saying is worrying me and that’s what has me worried if I’m being honest,” she managed to get out, even though it sounded as if she were only talking in circles. “Fairvale seems too good to be true, is all. Do I want that to be the case? No. But I’ve been through enough outside to not at least be cautious.”

⛰️

"I can't promise that it will entirely, but if anything you'll adjust. Or so I hope. We're all surviving our own traumas, so it's understandable that the surreal nature of this is still on your mind." Truth be told, Camryn never fully shook the feeling of this being too-good-to-be-true.

She's settled into her own apartment, picked up this position on the council, and has fallen into her own routine, but if something happens where life in Fairvale is no longer viable and her skills can't help protect and maintain this community she will do what she has to do. So really, with that thought shoved into the deepest recesses of her mind, saved for later with the hope she will never have to act on it, she does know what Ali means. And, just as she says, Cam cannot even dispute the thought of waiting for things to take a turn for the worse. Smooth sailing has been a concept lost on them all for the better part of the last two years even for those who started in Fairvale at the start of everything.

— 🔧 —

Without leaders and law, there is no order.

Perhaps that was true. They couldn’t survive in this world without someone taking charge, or taking charge for yourself. But it all depended on who those leaders were and what laws they created that determined the way one survived. Keeping a lifestyle that was familiar and comfortable - that seemed to be Fairvale’s approach thus far, at least from what he’d seen. But Javier had also seen first hand what civilizations other types of leadership bred. Who was to say that Fairvale wouldn’t go that way sooner or later, too? Then what? 

Strangely, though, a part of him can see why Camryn would choose this path - and how she might make a good leader. She knew how to make the tough decisions (or perhaps it simply hadn’t been a difficult decision at all). The question was - was she still out for herself, or was she able to look at it from the angle of what would be best for the town as a whole? 

“Yeah? And why’s that?” Javi remarked finally, raising an eyebrow. “You want me to be pissed off about it? Call you out? What fuckin’ difference does that make?” Truth be told, Camryn wasn’t high on his list of concerns. He’d figured out she was in town shortly after he’d gotten there himself, but there had been no reason to seek her out. 

Frankly, he hadn’t been planning on staying at all. 

“What is it you think you could do for me, anyway?”

⛰️

Maybe she wanted something to come out of Javier, but Camryn can't say for sure. It was more so an expectation she had held the moment she'd seen his face. Not back when she slipped out of her blankets while everyone slept, or when she packed away enough supplies to get her to her next destination without the rest of the Navarro siblings. Any chance of regret or guilt had been switched to off once she'd been on her own long enough. She just didn't think she'd ever have to face the consequences of her actions so it's easy for her to play it up into something bigger than it is...

Javier is not thrilled, but he is taking the higher road in the matter. "You're right. I shouldn't have assumed that you would have." And maybe if she hadn't been on the council in a position that needs the trust and faith of the community (to some degree, because there are plenty still shaken by Kit and suspicious no matter how good the intentions are) she'd care less. That has to be in.

"It's far more on brand for your brother to act that way." Wherever Gabriel might be now she's sure he'd be more vocal about his grievances with her. He's always had that rough-around-the-edges feel, Cam could tell in the short time she'd spent with the three of them. But Camryn just finds herself shrugging in all the nonchalance she could muster up, void of any pride, just this casual coolness over the situation like there isn't a worry festering beneath her skin.

“well you know what they say about all work and no play.” livia nodded, small chuckle escaping as she shrugged her shoulders, teaching might not be her first love, kids in general were sometimes a little too much for her to take and twelve and thirteen year olds right on the cusp of jumping into their belligerent teen years doubly so but she was good at her job - at least she had been when that job didn’t also involve teaching them how to face life or death situations.

“i appreciate you listening even if you can’t get anyone else on board for the bulk of it.” she knew it was a long shot - the survival skills classes would probably be voted in with little to know problem but no one had time for things they considered frivolous in this day and age “i know hobbies aren’t really at the top of anyone’s list but if you look at it from a mental health perspective - these kids need to believe that despite how bad things get and how hard times are there’s still something beautiful to be found in the world.”

and maybe if they can get the kids to believe that, the rest of the people - livia included - might start to believe it too.

“i’m willing to put the work in if you can manage to win over your fellow administrators - i may already have a small group of people in mind i can coerce into volunteering their time if it helps my case.”

A perspective she herself can't quite relate to, Camryn has been a workhorse all her life. Never stopping to reach her goals, missing out on plenty just to reach her goals. She can't say she ever regretted it save for when it came to lost time spent with her daughter. Time she won't get back, not ever now... But she's also sure that if her daughter were here she'd be helping her focus on survival over sports and art and all the fun things. The socializing to be saved for after school hours, if Camryn ever found her way to Fairvale if things had been different in beyond her...

No use in considering hypotheticals.

"The way I see it is there is just no point to this if we can't set up a future for these kids. As bleak as it may be, we provide a safe home, food, education... but at some point we, the adults, aren't going to be here anymore." Whether it be sooner or later considering how it had only been a little over three months since Kit's insurrection caused death and loss in the community, life is so much more fragile now than it had ever been. "Which in turn would mean we failed them. So, I will start with the survival classes pitch. I think that will gain enough traction..."

As for the arts, music, sports and all extracurricular courses it might be more difficult. But, if Livia could pull something together before that is brought up. They could scour inventory for all supplies, Livia can scout for the people she mentions. With a heart like her it's no wonder she'd attract like-minded individuals. Those would be the people to help with that.

"I'd say recruit potential coaches for sports, find mentors for anything of the sort and, as much as I hate to put the work on you and your friends, find as much as you can use. Maybe if we take a bulk of that work out of the way ahead of time it'll be an easier pitch. Don't you think? I can check inventory warehouses for anything." Camryn feels hopeful about that in her own way. She thinks that Stella might be a good candidate to go scour the warehouses for soccer balls or scrapbooks and the like.

          “How’d you find it?” Her curiosity had always been a quality that either went well or horribly wrong, wanting to know the answers to questions that she perhaps never should have asked as she glanced from the other to the gazebo. Ali was interested to know how many people came here through recruiting and who was here before that, especially since there was a council in place that people seemed to respect. That could all change though as soon as she learned more about the place that she’d come upon, seeking shelter and safety even if it wasn’t going to last forever. Or long.

Her inability to sleep stemmed from before the virus broke out, but the months on the run made it less of a necessity than other things to keep alive. Seeing others roam about in the middle of the day, without as much fear in them as she was used to left her wondering once again what made this place special. Or what kept the walls up long enough to give someone that sense of peace. “It still doesn’t seem real,” she spoke once again, tearing her gaze away from what looked like people smiling before her gaze landed back on the other giving her a tour. “And I may or may not be waiting for the other shoe to drop when it comes to keeping my spot in a place like this.”

⛰️

Perhaps she'd implied the wrong thing. Camryn only smiles in Ali's direction and corrects herself, "I should reword that and give the right people credit. Recruiters found me and brought me in." Two beacons of hope that extended a generous hand out with the promise of food, shelter, and safety within these walls. Then, before Kit's greed for power caused unnecessary bloodshed inside, they offered her security. And now long enough after the insurrection they've built themselves back up and Fairvale is back in its peace-going ways.

"That takes a while, too. It's a very surreal change to what we've all experienced outside. Save for the residents who had started here at the beginning of the outbreak, we all had to battle for our lives. It's almost too good to be true at times." A short laugh escapes, void of any real bubbliness, and it stops so suddenly at the next bit. Waiting for the other shoe to drop? Her brows pinch together into a look of concern while she begins to lead Ali to another busy part of town. "What do you mean? You don't have to fight for your spot or complete for it. It's yours. No quid pro quo's or anything. You already took up a position in the agriculture sector -" she cuts herself off from rambling and decides to ask, simply.

.

“Oh, perfect.Life advice.” He held the ladder from habit more than genuine concern. It wouldn’t occur to him until later that he could have jostled her from it.

Placing a hand over his heart, Gabe fluttered his eyelashes. “Oh, is it? Is it all mine? Well, you’ll probably wanting to be taking it from me, then.” His expression flattened. If it had just been Gabe, he might have just tipped his hat for her outplaying him. But she’d done wrong by his brother and sister - and that wasn’t okay.

And she didn’t even fucking care. That - above all - he would remember. She didn’t care that they could have died for her actions. That she’d left them vulnerable. It was this that Gabe would remember, this that fed his anger.

And to eye him like that? Nope, fuck it.

He headed up the ladder, uncaring if she tried to follow.

⛰️

It had been much easier talking to Javier. He didn't greet her warmly, but at least she'd been able to get a few words out not only to feel secure enough with his presence in Fairvale but to try to let him know that she's in service of him along with the entirety of the community. Council leadership is nothing but a position of servitude after all.

Gabe, however... he's holding and lording that grudge over her, expressing it loud and clear that he is not going to give her even just an ounce of forgiveness. No matter. It's not the hill she wants to die on. So, she expresses a smirk, entertained by his snarky remarks, and a brief chuckle before shaking her head. At least the amount of fight in him hasn’t changed. It’s probably why he’s made it this far, and she commends him for it. (It’s kept to herself of course.)

— 🔧 —

It must be easier, to not care about anyone or anything as Camryn clearly presents herself. Javier wonders if it’s all for show or if it’s actually the way things are for her; flitting from place to place, taking what she needs to keep on living regardless of who she snubs in the process. Then again, if that were still the case, Javier couldn’t see much advantage to taking up a position on the almighty Fairvale council. What benefit would that be to her, alone, other than having some prestige added to her name? Certainly that wasn’t the only reason she’d take the title. She wasn’t that cocky. Titles weren’t meaningful, he imagined, to someone like Cam.

“But council above all else, no?” he pointed out, turning around to instead sit back against the front bumper of the car, wiping his hands off on a rag. To be fair, this place was probably what they were all looking for. A little peace. A little protection. Something that separated humanity from the rest of the world. The council wasn’t really special in any way above the rest of them. Javier could recognize that. They were just the people who had been appointed to make the rules - to keep the peace, to protect the people living here. It was simply easier, though, to point blame and make accusations. Easier than forgiveness.

His eyes flitted over her now. It was frustrating, what she’d done - that she’d left without word, taken supplies they’d needed just as desperately as she did. But could he really blame her? Would he have done differently, had roles been reversed? He wasn’t some high and mighty figure, he had made his own fair share of mistakes. And his had far worse consequences than a few lifted goods. 

“Look, I get it, Cam. It is what it is.” Weren’t they all just doing what they felt needed to be done to keep on living? That didn’t mean he had to like being on the other side of it. And now? Now he had nothing. No people. No supplies. Nothing of his own left to give. Maybe it was time the favor was returned.

⛰️

"Without leaders and law, there is no order. Without order there would be no Fairvale," she states with confidence. Men like Kit lead to bloodshed and chaos, and the walls protecting Fairvale's citizens mean nothing. "I have my reasons for taking up a seat." It's a flat answer, one she decides not to elaborate on under the simple belief that she didn't need to explain herself. Not to him or anyone else in town. Not to mention any detail she'd given Javier might just assume she'd try and delude him. No matter.

And then she stalls an appropriate amount, a see-saw of time between wanting to actually keep this job and calculating how to respond to this perceived apathetic demeanor of his. Stone-faced and completely unenthused by her presence, it's not an insult. She'd be surprised if he acted in any other way. When his eyes meet hers the corner of her mouth quirks up in a smirk, there and gone in a flash of amusement at whatever it is that is going on between them. She almost wishes he would be angry because that's easier to handle than the statement of 'it is what it is'.

who: @camharris​ when: about a week into ali being here where: somewhere in town

          “It may not look it on my face, but I appreciate you doing this. I’m already tired of having to ask for directions and obvious questions of those around me,” she spoke up as they began their tour of the town. Not only that, but she wanted to know the routines of others and places to avoid running into them. Ali knew that it was going to be impossible, but her heart couldn’t take the surprise of seeing him again without being fully prepared for it.

This was the next best way to solve that problem other than not leaving her room or the farm, neither of which was going to help her. She might as well have stayed outside the walls and kept running for the rest of her life. “I don’t think I’ve gotten used to sleeping through the night yet, so I look and feel more exhausted now than in the weeks leading up to me finding this place.” A full night’s sleep just wasn’t in the cards for her, yet. Or ever.

⛰️

It seemed every week the recruiters were bringing in new arrivals. Not so many the faces are beginning to blur but enough that gives Camryn a sense of pride to hold in the town's recruiters. They're doing a fantastic job seeking out potential residents and while Cam is happy that Fairvale can provide a sanctuary of sorts to many she also knows that more working hands is beneficial for the town's growth.

"Most people don't mind answering questions, but at least for now while we go around you can ask me whatever comes to mind. And I figured the Town Square is the best place to start." An excuse to get out of the office is fine by her, and Alexandra gave her just that. Besides, it grants Cam opportunity to get to know the newcomer all the more. With a smile she looks out to the Town Square, and to that gazebo that many use for shade from the sun and a location to hang out with one another. How residents bustle about makes things, if just for a moment, feel okay.

"It's an adjustment. I don't think anyone has an easy first week or two. I felt the same way when I first found Fairvale." Sketched out, ready to bolt, untrusting of anyone and everyone... "For however long you may have been out there, you're still probably in a sort of survival mode." Cam offers her a sympathetic glance, but she knows that at some point Ali will get used to it. "It's what kept you alive for so long."

it’s refreshing how willing to listen camyrn seems to be, livia has no idea how genuine the other woman is but she’s willing to give her the benefit of the doubt for now and take her offer for suggestions at face value.

“we teach the basics, math, english, history, science. but there are no extra-curriculars.” it’s something she’s been thinking a lot about and not just the relaxation classes like art or music.

they were preparing these kids, especially the older ones, to take their place in the community once they were old enough to hold their own.

“they need more - arts, music, sports for sure, classes they can deride some kind of joy from.” she tapped lightly against her desk, the only sign of the slight case of nerves she was feeling “but also more tailored classes like survival skills, first aid.”

she shrugs a little, self-conscious but strangely hopeful she at least wont be laughed at or given the old company line of ‘we hear you but we just don't have the resources.’

“there are enough people in town that we can probably round up volunteers to teach a few specialised subjects and it just seems to me that in the long run the kids would be better ready to deal with what’s out there beyond the gates if we fully educate them in here.”

⛰️

It is worth a shot. For whatever the council can actually pull off isn't a matter of discussion at this moment. She's simply here to ask and learn, to broaden her perspective. She has her own opinions about the school system and the curriculum, but if she can find some opinions that fall within the scope of all things considered necessary then they can make some changes. Perhaps there is something they are missing, and perhaps there is nothing else to do. She can't find that out without asking questions.

"Extracurriculars..." Cam parrots, scratching that on her little notepad with a thoughtful hum. To her, not quite as important as other things, but all things considered as much normalcy as possible is needed for these kids. "I understand, what is the point if we neglect shaping all potential talents. We all turn to music and art at some point, don't we?" When Cam looks up to meet Livia's eyes she smiles, subtly and a tad bit sad. "People frequent the library for novels and historical works, distractions. Others turn to creating to navigate these hard times-" A nod to Livia.

Then a pause, her smile fades and Camryn looks to her scratch pad. "I can't promise prompting art and music courses will gain any traction, and I will try, but..." A hum and she's scribbling down some more things. "Survival classes is an idea I have considered. To have someone else present it, and maybe even others-"

♋

Stella knew that working as a council member would be far more bureaucratic than she’d ever wanted. Part of why she’d left the hotel to her brother to manage was specifically because she didn’t want to be in charge of running things, but when they had settled into Fairvale, it seemed only natural to lend her talents at leadership and emotional intelligence to the council. 

It wasn’t like she was truly made for manual labor, after all. 

And she’d managed to make her first real friend in Fairvale among the council; Cam reminded her so much of one of her best friends growing up, it was easy and natural to fall into a fast friendship with her. To bond over dramatic statements made during meetings, to roll their eyes at each other when one of their regulars came in to complain, again, about how there was too little coffee to go around. 

As if they didn’t have much bigger fish to fry. 

“Screw the glass,” Stella laughed, pushing her binder back into it’s drawer and standing up, “I think it’s a ‘drink straight from the bottle’ kind of day.” It was always rougher when she had clients come in to talk to her, one on one, during her council hours - but a necessary evil, to help whomever needed it. “Has your day felt as absolutely endless as mine has?” 

⛰️

"Oh, is it now?" Her laugh rings through Stella's office, but not from surprise. It seemed more times than not each day ended as a 'drink straight from the bottle' kind of day. The daily stresses of overlooking a town made to survive a nearly catastrophic ending of sorts. Cam hardly believes the leaders of the old world could have done it, not even at a smaller scale of a population under three hundred.

But poor Stella takes on more than some of the others. Aside from the general town maintenance - observing supply usage, delegating work when problems arise, and keeping things running like a well oiled machine - she deals with a more emotional toll. Something Camryn never could step up to do, but she can respect and admire all the same. Even as once a mother herself, she didn't have that same instinct to help that required emotional vulnerability and compassion. The unlabeled bottle is placed atop Stella's desk, the lid is twisted off, and then it's slid closer to her.

"More times than not I find that the day can drag, especially when stuck behind that desk. Some days it can feel more thankless than others, but it's the nature of the beast.”

— 🔧 —

“Ah, right. The whole ‘council’ thing.” There was some sense in organization, in order, to a place like this. All things considered, it made sense. But it was ironic, really, that Camryn would find herself standing in such a position of power. He just wondered how honorable she was when it came to getting there. Or maybe honor didn’t matter anymore. 

Not that he was much one to talk. 

He continues on with his work - not entirely ignoring her, but not exactly about to strike up a conversation with her, either. She’d come to him after all; he wasn’t the one who had things to say. But when she did finally speak again he breathed out a slow, stabilizing breath, planting his hands against the frame of the car, before finally looking back up at her.

It’s just you then.

He had made mistakes, plenty of them - and some of them had cost him dearly. Yet somehow he had ended up here, still alive…without any of the people who had mattered. 

“I don’t know that it’s worth much,” he finally spoke. Her word - or the notion that him ‘still kicking’ was worth anything at all. Besides, he’d been so very close to not being here at all. “So how long has Fairvale been your little pet project? How long did it take you to climb the ranks and take charge?” Bend it to her will, probably. 

Javier has to take a moment to brace himself against her proclamation, and she's seemed to have caught his attention. By default Camryn has no real attachment to Javier or his siblings, but after having traveled in the safety of a group it's a curious thing that when one face shows the others are absent. But she does present herself as indifferent. Cam doesn’t have the energy or drive to push and pry. Another time, maybe.

She leaves talk of his brother and sister behind too. She gives the knuckles of her left hand a pop and eyes the entirety of the crew's HQ up until she finally can meet his eyes. "It brings its own rewards-" Along with a whole hell of a lot of headache from time to time. "-but it can be a thankless job more times than not." Because people appointed any authority will be the first to have a finger pointed at them when something goes wrong, be it something in their control or not.

"I wouldn’t say that there’s a ladder to climb. No one council member over the other." She leans back where she's perched. Maybe Fairvale's history hasn't been something Javier's been made aware of just yet. Kit's uprising led to too much tragedy, and far too many families had been torn up. It may seem to be a contradiction to how she acted outside those walls, but putting all of that aside the well-being of the community as a whole is her priority.

The voice is familiar, tensing his muscles and stopping him at the base of the ladder. It isn’t until he blocks the sun with one hand to peer up that he realizes who the voice belonged to.

“Ah, you gotta be fucking kidding me,” he swore, stepping away from the ladder entirely. She’s at the gate, up a tower - she’ll see you coming if she’s doing her job right. Shoulda asked for a name. Should’ve brought a knife. Can of gasoline, maybe.

His laugh is bitter; only contained from proximity to the gate. “Fucking figures.” First Javi, now this snake of a woman. Not for the first time, he wished they’d left her to die where they’d found her. To her, he sneers, “Yeah, we survived a vile bitch stabbing us in the back after we saved her life. Surprise.“

The curse that slips out of his mouth does little to offend her as does the insult sent up her way. Suppose she deserves it. Doesn't mean she regrets it. That's not to say she doesn't wonder what may have come of her had she stayed, but Javier had shown up two months ago. Gabriel is brand new to the town. Something happened. Something she hasn't asked about, and she's not feeling particularly nosy about it. With nothing but the corner of her lip upturned, her smirk is a subtle indication of her amusement. From Javier's detached and dry reaction to her visiting him, this reaction seems pretty on brand for Gabe. She'd expect nothing less. "Sometimes you just have to watch your own back." The response is dry, lacking any smugness as well as guilt for Camryn felt neither. It is what it is and that's all there is too it.

"Aforementioned 'vile bitch' is waiting for her relief. Are you coming up, or do you need me to come down first? You might need the extra room up there for that grudge you're so clearly holding onto." Either way she isn't sure she wants to have it be just the two of them up there. It's not so private she's fearful, but on the ground she can at least just decide to walk away. So she descends, quickly too, reaching the ground and not being at all sly about the once over she gives Gabriel.

🎨

as someone who’d lived through the whole fairvale uprising, livia had a healthy amount of weariness when it came to the council, sure on one hand so far they seemd to be diplomatic and making strides towards a brighter future but on the other - kit had been charming and seemingly decent to begin with as well.

so when camyrn harris comes knocking at her classroom door, livia is weary enough not to greet her with the same amount of enthusiasm she’d usually greet her visitors with, yet she’s not willing to put herself immediately on the offensive.

“sure i’m almost done here, i’ve  just got this final paper to finish grading.” she glances up quickly waving the other woman into the room “take a seat if you like i won’t be a second.”

once she’s done she gives her full attention to the woman in front of her “thoughts and concerns?” she raises an inquisitive eyebrow at that before shaking her head “you mean besides the fact there’s not much of a future to prepare these kids for?”

“there might be a few suggestions i could run by you, i’m not exactly sure how  necessary you’d find them though. the one time i tried bringing them up to a few of your colleagues they were less than enthused.”

The smile she responds with is halfway to grim, but Camryn decides not to give into the thought of what's ahead of these children. For those here now it's an adjustment, and for those to be born it will be their normal. Hiding behind walls, living on limited resources, surviving. She idly wonders if they put on this facade for a shred of normalcy. Cam surely hopes not. She will never be able to stress enough the importance behind any type of education, formal or not.

With a subtle nod, Cam acknowledges the comment. "It is a shame, but unfortunately there's not much we can do about that other than prepare them for it in every way we can." Not for any dream careers that don't fall under the category of trades. They will have to make do.

"Sometimes the necessity behind some concerns or ideas might fall to the wayside when compared to the bigger picture, but for someone who has nothing but the children's' best interest at heart I believe your word has plenty of merit to it." Because if thought to be pointless, why teach? Despite mentioning the lack of promising life ahead of them Livia is still here, grading papers behind the desk when she could easily find something else to do with her time.