I am nothing but an artist, and I'll never understand [OTA, multithreads welcome]

[itchafes]

Neal starts the day sitting behind his cabin, shirt unbuttoned, trilby in place, a piece of slate and several bits of charcoal gathered from around the camp sitting in his lap. He doesn't look like he's slept much, if at all. On the slate, there's a half-completed rendering of Vuillard's The Stitch. He stops often, rubs things out, not showing an

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[saveme_barry]

"Hey! Tracy Emin!" The cheery Irish accent of arguably the camps most pleasant and lovable young scamp, comes warbling across to Neal, as Nathan emerges from around the side of one of the other cabins. Bringing his hands around to his chest, he mimes fastening a row of buttons down the length of his t-shirt, "Cover up a little, why don't you? Nobody wants to see your goods, Mister."

He pauses, craning his neck to try and see what Neal's drawing, before finally conceding that he has to come over to get a better view, "What're you drawing?"

[itchafes]

Neal gives him a scandalized look as he smudges away another line. "Emin's not really my bag."

He glances down at his bare chest, like he's just now realizing his shirt is open. "I was hot. Why do you care again?"

And also who is he, but Neal will get to that bit when (if) he stops being annoyed at the interruption.

[saveme_barry]

"No?" Nathan sounds vaguely disappointed, before pulling out his one Tracy Emin related fact, "But you totally look like the type to get all drunk and shameless on telly! Personally, I believe that it's the highest form of artistic expression."

Nathan wanders a little closer to the other man, still craning his neck to get a good look at the drawing, "Well, it's not as if any of us have a choice about being here, and I for one don't think that you should go around scandalously revealing yourself, as long as there's even a chance of the virginal eyes of one of the young ladies of this encampment being besmirched by your inability to keep your nipples to yourself."

[itchafes]

"Sorry. No." Get his picture in the paper for jumping out a fourth story window, maybe, but not for being drunk and shameless.

Neal is getting more offended at this kid's existence by the minute. "Try taking a look at the nearest women's magazine or billboard back in the real world. I don't think I'm going to besmirch anyone's virginal anything."

[fellbychoice]

Anna liked the library. Out of all the locations she had seen since her arrival, she valued the library the most. It was the place where she knew they would find more clues about their location, and it could have been a good central area of activity if someone took the time to clean it up. So when she saw a man inside the library, straightening things up, it brings a smile to her face. Apparently, someone else had the same idea as her.

She didn't want to interrupt him or his hard work, and so she just silently slid into place nearby him, and started doing her part to help hold up the shelves that needed to be nailed into place.

"Thank you, for doing this. It's very proactive of you." She tipped her head up to offer him a smile, but it was short lived, and she was all too soon focused on the task at hand. "I can help you move the shelves to better places, and put up the books - if you don't mind me being here too."

[itchafes]

He flashes a grin of his own, studying her while she focuses on the task. Pretty, businesslike--a Diana type, probably, though hopefully not with all that entailed.

"Not at all. It's not really that proactive." He rests a nail in place as she holds the shelves and starts knocking it into place inexpertly with the rock. "Honestly? I'm kinda bored. And I'm in here enough that cleaning it up helps me as much as anyone."

[fellbychoice]

"Of course it is." She argued as they continued to work, and she debated on whether or not to just use telekinesis to shove everything into place. That probably wouldn't make the best first impression, though, and so she settled for just keeping up with the hard manual labor. "Everyone else is still busy finding friends and making shelter for themselves. No one else is thinking about the big picture, not yet."

That thought made her frown, and she reached over to take the rock from him. She nodded for him to hold a shelf in place, and began knocking the rock into the nails with a force surprising for someone her size and gender, but she didn't glance up at Neal to see what his expression was. She just focused on working.

"I'm Anna," She introduced herself as an afterthought, glancing up in his direction only briefly. "And I think that we should be making plans for long term survival here."

[itchafes]

"...Neal." He holds the shelf obediently, eyebrows raised, while she pummels the nail. Mental note: do not upset this one.

At the idea of long-term survival plans, Neal doesn't-quite-twitch. He'll admit to being one of those who--quietly, privately--hopes this whole thing is just going to sort itself out and he'll wake up and tell Moz about that ridiculous dream he--

Moz.

Neal clears his throat. "Probably. You sound like you're used to this kind of thing."

[likeasecondhead]

SOKKA IS TAKING HIS VACATION IN THE LIBRARY.

...Meaning, he had no idea that there was one and is now officially convinced that, giant talking animals aside, this is the best spirit world vacation ever. Now he's not convinced that Aang wasn't having awesome parties on all those spirit world adventures he went on.

He's currently in a corner, not quite paying attention to Neal's work, because he's occupied trying to read some of of these books. They are written in... SPIRIT LANGUAGE. Or that English thing Toph was talking about. At least his map translates for him

[w2g_twinkletoes]

Toph, for her part, thinks this spirit vacation sucks. Libraries were never her thing, especially after last time when things blew up sooooo spectacularly. ...And literally, what with that whole Avatar State crappity. But she doesn't exactly want to hang around by herself at camp, so she's chilling in the corner with Sokka, laying on the ground and chewing on a grass stem and occasionally SIGHING with boredom.

She gets up to follow Sokka around because at least then she's doing SOMETHING as opposed to just sitting on her duff. She nearly socks him one for stopping all of a sudden (and just because she's bored out of her skull) but oh, hey, she knows this other person.

"'Sup," she says to Neal with a casual wave before rolling her eyes. "Personally, I think it looks fine as is."

...What. It's been over fifteen minutes since she tripped Sokka up with a blind joke. It's totally appropriate.

[itchafes]

He goes from surprise and a touch of confusion to a snort at Toph's response. "Of course you do. Come to pick out a little light reading?"

He'll ask her if she's thought any more about being taught braille later, but for the moment--

"And why would I need a spyglass?"

[likeasecondhead]

Sokka rubs his chin thoughtfully. "I dunno. I think it's kinda we-" Pause. Glare. "... One day I won't fall for that."

ONE DAY. This is Charlie Brown and the football. Too bad Sokka doesn't understand that reference.

AND NOW SOKKA IS IN FULL-ON GLEE MOD, BECAUSE OF COURSE YOU NEED HIS KNOWLEDGE, NEAL. "To see over long distances." Duh. "If you put one of your hat- it keeps your hands free." He pulls out his boomerang and mimes throwing it. "Y'know, so you can aim."

[knowmypurpose]

Cordelia had been making her way to the stream to clean herself off when she paused in her steps. Well, there was a sight you didn't see everyday (well, you didn't if you were stuck anyplace other than here, anyways). It was a fox and an otter...playing tug of war with a hat. Huh.

She just stared for a moment before placing her hand on her hip. "Are all the animals here insane or what?" She asked...no one in particular. But at the very least, these weren't trying to enslave her or anything like that. She supposed she had at least that to be glad about, if nothing else.

I'm too lazy to switch accounts, so you get both tags in one. :c

[itchafes]

Nomee chirps in indignation, letting go. Neal tumbles backwards, almost falling into the stream before he collects himself and sets the hat down, wriggling his head under it before Nomee can snatch it away again.

Annnd now there's a panting, soaked, suit-clad man on the bank of the stream instead of a fox. He coughs and shivers, trying once again to adjust to the difference in size and senses.

Neal flashes Cordelia a slightly haggard grin, then promptly glares at Nomee and puts a hand to his head to keep his hat there when the otter comes close. "If I'd known there was a toll for taking a bath, I wouldn't have bothered."

Mmm, two tags in one :3

[knowmypurpose]

Well, hello salty goodness.

Seriously though, a fox turning into a handsome guy in a suit? She'd almost think it was some kind of fairytale if she wasn't already aware of just how much this place seemed to suck. As it was, she kicked off her shoes and carefully waded into the stream in order to offer a hand to help him up.

"Seems like a lot of things here come with a price, especially when it involves any of the animals here."

She couldn't help but think of her own experiences with that giant ferret and company.

[itchafes]

"I've noticed." He takes the offered hand, not really using it to lever himself up--but half-bowing over it and touching the brim of his hat in salute. Neal straightens gingerly, trying to ignore the way his bones seem to grind together when he moves, the way his whole damn body feels bruised.

He really can't keep doing that.

Neal holds on to Cordelia's hand for a breath longer than could be considered appropriate before letting go. "Not to go Algernon on you, but what's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?"