Leaning back on her elbows, Kit peered back at the boy – Fitz – with a smile. “Fitz,” she repeated, savoring how the name felt on her lips. She rolled onto her belly to look him in the eye. “That’s a cool name. Is it short for something? Fitzgerald, maybe? Fitzpatrick? Fitzwilliam? What’s your story, Fitz?” She was mostly teasing, though genuinely curious – it was a unique name. And he seemed unique, too – not very outgoing, a little quiet and brooding from what she could tell…he’d be a tough nut to crack, but she loved a challenge.
his lip quirked up once more as she said his name, he himself wasn’t even sure if his smile was out of politeness or genuine, but it was there. “fitzgerald. what about kit? short for something or are you just a kit?” he turned her question around right back at her, matching her curiosity. “hate to disappoint but no story here. i guess i’m boring.” he teased, and she reminded him of a cat. curious and cunning, sleek and sly.
“Alright, but if you ever change your mind I’m always ready to hand it to you.” Charlie gave the boy a kind smile and packed away the sunscreen. She even took a second to recheck her supplies, and once she was certain everything was there she zipped it up and held her hand out towards him to shake. “You’re working here too right? I’m Charlie! I’ll be around here as a counselor.” Something about this guy felt…sad as she took him in fully, but she still remained her cheery self in some sort of attempt to maybe lift his spirits.
looking down at the girl he couldn’t help the small shock at how organized she was, he was always more the controlled chaos type, everything thrown around his room in a way that looked like a pure mess but he always knew where everything was (sometimes). “nah, i’m a camper. got dropped off early.” he teased, though his straight face would say otherwise. “i’m fitz.”
the fire pit was one of the most popular places for the employees after the campers were asleep but now, when they hadn’t arrived yet, they could be around the fire for hours without a care in the world. the crackling of the flames mixed in with the voices of old and new counselors alike and darcy was lost in it for a moment until someone spoke directly to her. “hmm? oh, it’s a madhouse once they get here. screaming from the moment the sun gets up and lots of crying from the younger ones who miss mommy and daddy. after the first week that usually calms down a bit.”
it was nice like this, the fire roaring and bringing warmth to them all, s’mores being made and everyone's laughter flooding around it. along with the good there was always the bad though, the wind moving the flames constantly, someone always getting the short end of the stick and left coughing and needing to step back. nothing could ever truly be good, and fitz was just waiting for it to be his turn. “say that and you’re going to make me already regret coming here.” he gave a small smile, teasing words.
coming to camp reverie, fitz didn’t think he’d know anyone here. he was right at first, every face he saw a new one, a complete stranger to him the way he was to them. he preferred it that way, the weight of his identity lessened on his chest, and while he could never relax he could as much as his mind would let him here. that is until he sees them, a cruel reminder of his past, and one he can’t run from now with them both here. “rory?” he called out, questioning, knowing there was no avoiding it.
“I totally would’ve applied to be a lifeguard if I felt like I was capable of saving a life,” Kit stood akimbo as she turned to the guy she’d eyed as soon as she got here. He seemed cute and a little brooding, and so not like some of the other meatheaded lifeguards here like that Axel guy. She’d thrown on her swimsuit just to take a trip to the lake in hopes of running into him and lo and behold, here he was. “It’s super noble and stuff, but I have a tendency to be a little reckless.” She grinned slyly, setting up her towel near the edge of the water. “I’m Kit, by the way.”
out by the lake fitz would have to get used to being here most days this summer, not that he minded. if he had to be anywhere this was a pretty good place to be, beautiful cool waters that would be perfect on the inevitably hot summer days, and he’d rather sit around and watch than have to constantly follow the kids around like the counselors did. the blonde’s words of saving a life almost gave him goosebumps, and he guessed taking this job would be like some kind of repentance for him. “don’t know how noble it really is, but thanks i guess. you probably coulda done it anyway, recklessness and all.” he gave a quick smile down at her. “i’m fitz.”
Audrey finished putting all of her clothes away in the cabin getting it just the way that she liked it before walking around the grounds. Trying to get to know the area better, more then anything this job was a bit of a joke to her. An easy way to make money all she had to do was make sure not too many brats died. As she walked around she heard someone talk to her looking over at the boy she shook her head. “Nah this is my first year here.“ Taking a cigarette out of her back pocket and putting it in her mouth before speaking again. “You new too, honey?”
he nodded his head at her words, taking a few steps closer in her vicinity, eyeing the cigarette between her lips. “yeah, i am. glad to know i’m not the only one. everyone i meet seems to have some history here.” he didn’t know what to expect, but surely not that, everyone giving their tales of this being like a second home to them and less of a job. “you gonna offer me one or just have me watch as you smoke?” his lips quirked into as much of a smile he could make, it was genuine though despite the smallness of it.
as tended to be the case, rissa got the short end of the stick when it came to doing the shit tasks. this time, her manager had asked her to walk across the camp to the supply closet, because a kid had just puked but they were out of soap. when she managed to make it to the staff cabin, though, there was already someone there, a tad too close. rissa swallowed, grip tightening on the door for a moment as she took fitz in. she recovered within seconds, though, and scowled. “move it.”
lurking in the staff cabin fitz was just finishing up what little work he was sent up here to do with plans on relaxing after. he was told most people just hung out here when they needed a break and some quiet during the day, and while everyone roamed camp and enjoyed all it had to offer he needed that break for the chaos that was all the thoughts in his mind. still, he was quickly finding out there was never truly a moment of being alone at this camp, and his point was proven as a girl made her way into the cabin. “shit, sorry.” he moved out of the way, giving a scowl back at her attitude.
the setting was jarring for him, somehow isolated but with so many people in the wilderness, the opposite of his self made isolation typically inside. maybe it was the push he needed, amongst all the chaos of his life a chance to integrate in society again, make friends and try to be a person again. he wasn’t even sure if he was capable of that anymore, but he knew he’d go nowhere if he stayed silent and on his own for the rest of his life. “so are these our last moments of peace before all the kids arrive? be honest, how crazy can they get?” he questioned the girl near him.
The smell of pure nature brought a smile to Charlie’s face as she shifted her camping bag on her shoulder while taking in the layout of the camp. She was absolutely in her element, and just the thought of all the new hiking trails made her even more ecstatic to the point where she could barely contain herself. Before taking another step though she remembered an important detail, and tossed her bag in front of her before searching through it. After a few seconds of rummaging she found her bottle of sunscreen, and started to apply some when she suddenly noticed another staff member hanging nearby. “Hey! Did you want to use some? Just in case. You never know how harsh the sun can get around here, and sunburns just suck a lot y’know?”
spending so much of his time on his own in his youth or with peers like him, looking for nothing but a place to smoke and shit on everything, he was a bit shocked at the cheeriness of many of the employees. so many of them were just so...happy, excited to be here, hopeful for the events of the summer. it was shocking his father had a claim in anything this positive, and shocking to fitz to remember some people weren’t living in as much of a shit storm as he was. it almost could make him feel good, happy and positive, because while that may not be destined for him good on these people for having that. “i’m good, thanks for offering though.” it felt weird to take it from someone he barely knew, especially with such good intentions.
there was a little area, just behind one of the cabins, where rissa knelt, digging with her hands. it would seem strange to anyone passing by, but was even stranger was when she stopped, grinning, and with a motion gentle then rough then gentle, she unearthed a squirrel skull from beneath the earth. “there you are, buddy,” she muttered, tapping against his skull. “i knew you would be a good one.” she’d known since she’d buried the recently deceased squirrel here last summer. it took her a moment to realize someone had noticed her, and she scowled, “what?”
everything about this place seemed normal, mundane, boring even, or so fitz thought. amongst his interactions and wandering at the camp nothing seemed out of place or bizarre, until he spotted the girl hunched over digging through the dirt with her bare hands and he could only imagine the dirt now deeply embedded beneath her fingernails. seeing what she pulled out just left him more confused, and even a little uncomfortable. he hadn’t meant to stand and stare, but the events were too curious not to, and he was so caught up in the moment he didn’t even think to try and hide his blatant staring. he raised his hands up at her harsh tone and question, feigning innocence since in this situation he was. “just wondering what you’re doing.”
fitz had never been a summer camp type, or at least he didn’t think he was. he wouldn’t have known, never having been to one and while he was here now he wasn’t here just for fun. there was always too much on his mind for that, even if he drowned himself in alcohol or smoked until he could barely stay awake, those demons in his head ran rampant with no signs of stopping. it helped he knew no one here though, his past always with him but unknown here, some of his guilt and fears alleviated because of that. it made it easier to talk to people too, turning to the girl nearest him and gave her the smallest hint of a smile as he spoke. “you work here before or is it your first year?”
[ ROSS LYNCH. CIS MALE. HE/HIM. ] [ FITZGERALD “FITZ” CARMICHAEL ] is a [ TWENTY-TWO ] year old [ LIFEGUARD ] at camp reviere. [ HE ] makes me think of [ BLACKED OUT FACES ON A FAMILY PORTRAIT, NEVER BEING ABLE TO WIPE THE RED OF BLOOD OFF YOUR HANDS, THE STARS ALIGNED AGAINST YOU, AND TRYING TO PUT SOMETHING BACK TOGETHER ]. their favorite horror movie is [ THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE ] and they remind me of [ MICHAEL AFTON ]. [ filene. 19. pst. she/her. ]
i know i said the last one was the last one but i swear this one is the actual last one,,,i think BUT ANYWAY HOPEFULLY BY NOW YOU GET THE GIST OF THINGS also this is really bad my apologies THIS IS MY FOURTH ONE MY BRAIN IS BROKEN
trigger warnings: death, murder, this is my most dark one there’s a lot of death so !! watch out
coming from an affluent family, a young fitz always thought he had a good life, he was even a little spoiled. his father was a businessman, a good one too, always having a finger in any big business in their area and doing his part behind the scenes. they weren’t a household name or someone you’d immediately recognize as the carmichael family, but they were more well off than you’d expect.
a child you never really care to know the details of your parents work, just that they go off to do it and not to bother them if they had to bring any home, you just minded your business and do whatever it was that kept you entertained as a child. his father was always working, but nonetheless they were a perfect nuclear family. his father in his designer suits, his mother a housewife straight out of the 50′s, and he was the eldest of two boys. they were picture perfect, everything the american family could be.
he was a spoiled kid, a brat and a bully even, especially to his younger brother. always giving him wedgies, taking his toys and putting them up in places he couldn’t reach, watching as he tried to reach it and never could, getting all his friends together to scare his brother until he cried. it was all fun and games, the regular cruelty an older sibling played on their younger brother. until it went to far.
he didn’t mean it, it was all for fun, it was all a joke, him and his friends wearing halloween masks as they babysat one night and chased him around the house. they turned all the lights off, kept it pitch black, really wanting to scare him. it worked, in the darkness they could hear his brothers sobs amongst their laughter, waiting to take the masks off and put him to bed after what they considered a prank. there was no accounting for him getting so scared he opened the door and ran into the street for help, no accounting for the car speeding through their neighborhood not expecting a little boy to run right in front of it.
fitz and his friends were stunned, frozen, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. his friends had to run inside, call the police and call their parents, shaking him as he stood there and stared, screaming at him to call his parents to get home now. none of it felt real, he doesn’t even remember making the call, doesn’t even remember everyone’s reaction when the ambulance came too late. he just remembers waking up and being an only child and being told it was his fault.
their family was in disarray, his father throwing himself further in his work and his mother throwing herself further away from the family. she could hardly stand to look at fitz now, and fitz couldn’t even tell if this behavior was odd from his father or if this is how he always was. he never paid much attention before but he did now, and he couldn’t even tell if this effected him at all.
a year later his mother left them, and their once perfect family was truly broken apart, an empty house with him and his father and fitz just a shell of his former self. he didn’t know where to go from here, what to do or how to act, still stunned by everything that had happened. his father was no help, more like a faceless entity in a designer suit, sitting with him for dinner and placing a hard hand on his shoulder as he left, and fitz didn’t know if that was his way of showing affection or a silent way to put him in his place. maybe it was both. but fitz was quickly learning that the man he shared a bloodline and a house with was a stranger to him.
still, they went on with life like they had to, fitz went to school and grew up always having that guilt over his head, always being known as the boy who caused his brother to die. he became a bit of a loner, wallowing in his emotions and self pity, preferring to spend his nights alone in his cold house.
he grew more suspicious of his father, the late night phone calls he’d make with his office doors locked, his apprehension and denial whenever fitz asked to learn more about his business. he always told him he’d tell him more one day, when he was ready to learn more about what it took to be a real businessman. still, none of that felt genuine, because he didn’t understand what would be so hard for him to understand of owning a convenience store chain amongst the other shops in their town.
there was something off, he just knew it, and he found out soon enough. his father always disappeared late at night, past any hours any actual business would need any worker for, and fitz was tired of his lies. so he followed him, and when he found out the truth he wished he had kept living in ignorance.
his father was not a good man, not at all. when he found him he couldn’t hide, not with his shock and disgust, and that moment was the most his father had truly spoken to him and shown actual emotion. his bloody hand resting on fitz’s cheek, telling him “we’re the same, we’ve both done this” and “everything i’ve done has been for you”.
fitz ran, he ran as far as he could straight home. yet again he was shocked, stunned, he couldn’t think or move or do anything. he knew he should call, call 911, do something but he couldn’t do anything. he went to bed and told himself he would in the morning, his brain still not letting him process it all. by the time he woke up his fathers stuff was gone and he knew he was an idiot for not doing anything, for being such a coward. his father was a smart man too, he knew how to get away with something, he knew how to win.
fitz knew the only way to fix this was to do it himself, so he dropped everything and dedicated his life to finding his father. that’s what lead him to camp reverie, he had a percentage in owning it despite not having much to actually do with it, but this was the last place on his long list to go to in hopes of finding something to track his father.
personality & hc’s:
like i said before he’s kind of a loner, but more so in the way he puts that on himself. he’s scared of getting close to people and getting hurt, but he doesn’t completely lack social skills and if someone is nice to him he’ll be nice right back.
he never really cared or wanted to take over after his father, more of a lowkey “fuck the system” type.
he smokes cigarettes way too much, evident by his hollowed out cheeks. he’s also the guy who despite being on a mission brought a shit ton of alcohol and weed. i mean, it helps to get information when someones under the influence.
he’s totally that guy who got high alone in his room every night of high school that’s not much of a headcanon i just have to say that.
wc’s:
fwb or a random hookup
more as a slow burn but someone who eventually becomes his confidant and ally THOUGH IT WOULD BE REALLY HARD FOR HIM TO OPEN UP
i never really had a set place for where he grew up (not in st. genevieve tho) so potentially someone he knows or grew up with or met SOMEHOW
