Camp Darkness

All Over Except for the Crying

A/N: There's actual backstory on Gideon in this chapter! I'm wondering if I should let you all know some of her secrets :D

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"This was supposed to be easy." Gideon whined softly, letting her head sink onto Lisa's shoulder.

"My poor pet monster." she petted Gideon's face like one would a dog. Then Lisa jerked her hand away with a digusted look on her face. "Did you really just lick my hand?"

"It was lick or bite. Be grateful I already ate." Gideon shrugged and laughed when Lisa pushed her away. Gideon was just tired enough that she let herself fall. It had been a hell of a day, and it was only noon. The Wild Call in the morning, the late and painful breakfast, freaking out over whether or not convict knew what she was.... it was definitely a caffiene heavy day in the works.  

Lisa sighed and let Gideon sprawl on the grass. The witch Councillor was looking over Gideon's weekly lesson guide, trying to help the quixotic Councillor reformat it now that there were seven kids to mould. "Gideon's Rules. #1 Do not lie to yourself  #2 Don't get caught  #3 Don't bluff  #4 There is always choice #5 Keep your word #6 Be your own hero. Gids, do you really think these kids are ready for some of that heavy shit?" she asked, leaning back to use her friend as a pillow. Only the witch was comfortable touching Gideon, and even then it was a rare thing. But magic makes an awfully useful sheild sometimes.

"It works because of the symmetry. I have six rules and six weeks. I can usually get one rule pounded into their heads by the end of a week, so it's a good layout. This week it's all about getting them started. I show them some basic survival skills, and in amongst the bivouacing, I pull them aside and impart my knowledge onto them." Gideon shrugged, combing her fingers through her friend's hair.

"So what are you doing with them after lunch?" Lisa asked, waving the golem over.

Xavier had just stepped outside from the Mess and Meet and wandered over to them, flopping down into the dog pile, but using the witch as his pillow. Even the golem was starting to look a little less polished as the week continued. Although all the Councillors are well trained for these intakes, it's still a hardship to survive them sometimes. And Gideon wasn't the only one finding her kids were more on the chaotic evil side of things than the side of the angels.

"After lunch, I'm doing my famously infamous blindfold rope." Gideon smiled as she said it, remembering her own experience with the team building exercise.

Gideon was the second person in the line up, Tyler right in front of her one of the only ones able to stand letting her touch him. Her intake mate behind her was a Bokor who was used to much much worse than even Gideon could do. The rest refused to let her physically near them, and at this stage, Gideon didn't blame them. The blindfold around her eyes actually made Gideon relax instead of tense up. She didn't have to deal with the look in the eyes of everyone around her, watching, waiting. Everyone looking for the first signs that she was going to be like the rest of her kind.

Tyler grunted and suddenly Gideon couldn't feel him under her hand anymore. "Tyler!" she called out, worried for the one person who seemed to tolerate her here.

Then she heard his laughter. "The rope goes over a giant hole in the snow! It's like four feet deep and full of powder snow." he laughed and suddenly Gideon felt herself pulled into the hole by her ankle. The Bokor behind her coming along for the ride so that the three of them were smooched into each other while the rest of the intake slipped on the edge of the hole and slid in a moment later. Six kids in a hole that was four feet deep meant that inevitably they were all arms and legs akimbo.