Dark Devotion

The House Caldera

"I believe I have to do this, mother," she spoke nervously, "I'll only be accepted if I have a good set of extracurricular activities to prove I'm able to sell myself to people."

"I'm aware of the need for extracurricular activities, but must you attend somewhere so... Rural?"

"Summer camps are one of the most social things, and if I could add it to my profile I'm sure it would make me look good. I know it may be difficult to see me travel so far alone, but being around the average folk will also help me sell my inventions in such a way they'd be interested! After all, mama, the majority of the population are from their sort of group."

"You've heard the stories though- I don't want my baby girl to go missing all of a sudden."

"Ma, I promise it won't happen to me. I'm perfectly capable of getting out of trouble!"

"In a familiar environment, maybe. But sweetheart, this camp is almost three hundred miles away!"

"It's the most comfortable camp. Unless you'd rather I spend my nights sleeping in the dirt with all the insects and--"

"No, no! I'd much rather you stayed in a cabin-"

"Precisely why this is a good option."

"Okay, Tyria, I'll think about it. Now, go and work on that design of yours!! I'm sure your father will be pleased to see it finished."

"Alright, mama, I love you!"

"I love you too."

The trek from the main hall to the library took Tyria much longer than she would have desired. Already exhausted from overworking today, having to walk for about five minutes just to find her desk littered with notes and reminders left her frustrated. "Goodness, I'm barely old enough to stand on my own two feet and they expect me to act like I'm thirty."

She sat down on the mostly plastic office chair, spinning around idly with a pencil tapping to her mouth. "I wonder what it's like," she thought aloud, "Being a normal kid. Like, what's it like to go to a summer camp for fun? What kind of people go there? Hey, maybe I can make some friends!-" she cut herself off, scowling at her own thoughts. "Wait- Ew, what? Friends with commoners? Absolutely not." She rolled her eyes, twirling the pencil in her hand and staring down at one of the notes on her desk.

Don't forget to smile :)

- Dad

The words made her smile. Well, not so much the words as the gesture in itself. Her father had taken time out of his day to remind his daughter to keep her spirits up. He worked hard to provide for her and her mother, she knew that. He worked most of the day, and often Tyria found herself missing his presence.

Her mind wandered back to her childhood briefly, and she chuckled at the reminder that the man had tried to teach her the theory of toolmaking when she was four years old. She also remembered the blank stare she'd given her father after a long speech, and then asking for a cookie.

Looking back on it, she felt kind of bad for wasting that much time, but was it really fair to teach a four year old a whole craft? It's not like she would have understood a word of what he was saying anyway. She was just a kid!

Either way, though, the man tried his best to get involved with his daughter's childhood and give the world to her. He might not have been the most clued in socially, but he was a sweet man with the purest intentions. He'd taught her the tricks of the trade. Now it was her turn to use those skills.

Hey, maybe this little camp could be a good thing.