SAPH: Blue Jay

V - Correlation and Causation

Alexa and Amethyst showed Jay the grounds. Afterward, the three helped Toka and the Pines with stocking the pantry and camp with supplies. After they put the last of them into storage, Toka fell right to sleep. After a cleanup and tucking him to bed, Amethyst and Alexa brought Jay to his quarters. Amethyst dangled his keys before opening the front door.

"This is your Quarters for today. You'll be assigned to your cabin tomorrow."

Jay looked around the pair of bunk beds before replying. "Wow. Where's my bag?" Amethyst looked around the room. "What do you mean, cousin?"

"No, I mean where's my stuff?" Jay further clarified, pointing at the floor.

Alexa pulls them out and throws them on the bed. "Sorry about that. You didn't want to come here empty-handed," she says, pulling out Jay's weapons. She stares at them intensely, almost as if she recognizes them from a distinct time long ago. She snaps back before awkwardly saying, "You want this on the shelf?"

"Not for now." Jay places them back in the blue duffel bag, setting them aside. Jay then compliments the green pair. "Thanks for the hospitality."

Amethyst patted Jay's shoulder, his steady hands lightly gripping on the blue avian's side. "That's what family's for Jay. Now, get some rest. You and I both need it."

Jay nodded before Amethyst left with Alexa catching up to him. "See ya soon, Birdie. Good luck with the Orientation Initiation." She waved at Jay, chasing Amethyst as she took some empty jars.

Jay waved back before Alexa's words sank into his head, clouding him in confusion. Wait, what Orientation Initiation?

Next Morning.

A new day shined on Remnant. All campers gathered at a cliffside overlooking Forever Fall. Jay made his way into the crowd of new campers trying to see the front. The young man brushed his blue vest, ensuring his new hunting gear was untouched, and put on his hood for comfort.

As everyone got on the pad, Ruby, Oscar, and the biker man came up front, the picturesque red autumn behind them. Jay tried to glance at the two as Ruby took her scroll and spoke.

"Uhm." Ruby cleared her throat. "Hello, everyone. It's a pleasure to have all of you campers here, new and old."

As Ruby addressed the camp's policies, a fellow camper nudged through the crowd and moved next to Jay. They adjusted their bun and tried to see the front. The man sighed and turned to Jay.

"Hey." Jay looked back and saw the boy and his amber eyes. The light-skinned man asked again. "Can you see her from here?"

Jay squinted. "Yeah, but it's hard with all these people."

The other boy nodded. "Agreed." He wiped his face. "Reminds me of home."

Jay pays attention, wanting to make some small talk. "You from here?"

The boy dismisses this. "I'm from Vacuo. The capital can be pretty dense there." He switches Jay's question, addressing it towards the fellow boy. "Where you from?"

"Mantle."

"Wow. You're from the city, huh?"

"Yeah."

The boy chuckles at Jay. "That's funny. My mother's from there. Back when it was in the shadow of Atlas."

Jay thinks for a second, then connects the dots. "Was she a refugee?"

The boy smirked in awe. "You know your history."

Jay stretched. "Learned that from my dad. He always taught me to see the past to remedy the present."