Cloud AU's

Campfire

As a bonding exercise Luce had made them all take a camping trip. It was to last a week and include activities such as hiking, water battles (Colonello was looking forward to this one), hide and seek (Mammon made a betting pool that nobody would find them), outdoor cooking... and, of course, the classic: Horror stories around a campfire.

Colonello had almost won the splashing contest by using his flames, making water walls to shield himself. He was like a walking fortress. Though Fon was the one to win as he was more nimble and all water above his waist would evaporate.

Hide and seek was won by, surprisingly, Skull. Luce had made Viper the seeker so all bets had gone down the drain.
The Mist was quite agitated by the loss of money and being unable to find the useless Cloud within 5hours! The rest were surprised when the Lackey ended up at camp just after they had called off the search, thinking he would find his own way back to them. Turns out, he can cover his tracks and presence astonishingly well in a large area, such as the woods (and densely populated cities).
He had watched Viper from the start and the only one to notice him even remotely had been Fon. The only reason the man didn't attack the hidden presence was because it wasn't hostile and his bond would prevent him from doing anything harmful in response to it. He probably guessed from then on that it had been one of the others.

After they had found Reborn, who assumed that he was the last one (and got surprised when he found Skull to still be in hiding!) Fon rightfully assumed it was the Cloud who was watching them. It was a classic strategy to watch the catchers moves to evade him and Skull showed that he knew it too.

Luce had attempted to make bolognese but that turned out to resemble some kind of grey-black blobby mass.
She had somehow overcooked the noodles, gave the sauce into the pot in the process to stop the burning and made the noodles too squishy to the point they resembled mush. The sauce was thus also contaminated.

Skull took to making simple sandwiches along with chips and a cheese-dip for lunch.
He had experience with outdoor survival - not like they'd know about it though. Plus, this was simple enough for their standards.

They all ate and some of them thanked him for the food.
This time, Luce, Colonello and Lal did the cleaning.

After searching for enough wood -or actually just felling a tree (wtf Fon?!) -, and prepping the snacks came the favorite thing they were actually looking forward to, despite it's mild childishness: Telling each other stories and see who could scare the most.

Truthfully it was still a competition, but what with the mafia basically made to traumatize those involved with it it was more a bet to see who's experienced worse!

They all, even Luce, began telling of the scariest moments of their career, or stories they heard from their contacts and colleagues. Some of which was a bust when the others recognized the story and just spoiled the rest or began to hash out the 'true' story amidst each other.

Skull was only mildly disturbed by their stories. In fact, he seemed curious for all the dark and gory details and backgrounds that had more than one glancing his way as the night progressed.
Luce gave him concerned looks every time he opened his mouth whereas Fon, in stark contrast, vividly remembered his sister and nephew not shirking away from the bloody parts either, so he attributed it to a kind of Cloud immunity. Perhaps their bloodthirst had a role in it?

Just as Verde told them of his run-in with Estraneo experiments in southern france in the late 80's, which looked close to a zombie pandemic if it wasn't for their ridiculous weakness against noise and head he'd probably be stalled for longer from continuing his own set of experiments.

Finally it was Skull's turn.
"This actually used to be a song I grew up with. It's based on true mystery murders."

He was met with blank faces, raised eyebrows and the loose wrist gesture to 'get started'.

"Maybe we'll recognize them." Fon offered in lieu of a response from their side. Skull shrugged, lips twisting back into a snarky grin. "Maybe (when the dead can talk)."

Skull then deeply inhaled, helmet off to get clear, cold air. He let it ground him for a second before he started with the opening rhyme.

... Not gonna lie, it's warped. Lal thought, thinking through each 'Alice's unique circumstances.
A lost person (likely murdered) in the woods, a shot singer, a... corrupt princess (poison?) and twin children who never woke up.

She jumped out of her skin a few times, thinking back on how often she'd trek alone through forestry to vent. Also whenever the bushes and trees rustled and a shrill Eep! sounded from right next to her ear.

She'll kill Colonello after this, she swears.

The others seemed a little off, Reborn and Luce perhaps thinking over the 'genius idea' of combining crime scenes with a folklore for children (as much as Alice in Wonderland also served to highlight a certain mental illness.)

Verde and Viper were likely thinking through the process of the murder rather than focusing on the story, albeit Viper stopped Skull so he'd tell them the name of the song (likely intending it for use in their free time/ 'inspiration' or for the Varia's Storm officer Belphegor).

And just like that their last night passed, Colonello being the only one unable to sleep afterwards.