TR: Pre-GMC Camping Trip (James and Greg)

[Event !]

Meeting up in a coffee shop, before the camping trip.

[Dr. James Campbell]

James had been in town running some errands, and stopped in to get a bear claw and some coffee. The cafe was fairly busy, and all of the tables had at least tone person sitting at them. He had a table to himself near the window though, and was looking out at the people walking past in the mall as he thought about the ridiculous event Chase had roped him into.

Truth be told, James Campbell was not really excited about the camping trip. He wasn't the camping sort of person--he'd only lasted a few months in Boy Scouts as a child--and he'd only agreed to go because he knew Chase would enjoy it. He hoped that it wasn't Sean who had thought up the event, because even if he didn't look miserable the whole time, James was quite sure he'd be thinking miserably.

He was dwelling on this as he sipped his coffee, but he did notice when an older man was looking around for an empty. He hand't talked to Greg at length at Sean and Josh's cookout, but James recognized him anyway. The recruiter gestured to the empty chair across from himself, hoping for company.

[Gregory Strickland]

Holing himself in had taken on a whole new meaning for Mr. Strickland as of late. Remodeling Erika's house had been the inspiration and push Greg needed to get back into what he was best at. And that certainly wasn't drinking. Making plans wasn't the same without his late husband, but Greg still smiled at what Nate would've said about his 'stupid ideas', and so Greg adjusted his blueprints as though they were still being proofread by Nate - it was a comforting process.

Summer was fast approaching and Greg was happy to see that Pilot Ridge was taking well to the new animal shelter in town. In fact, a lot of businesses had donated quite a bit of supplies (dog toys mostly) and money, not that Greg would've minded putting more of his own money into it, but it was exciting to see everything come together.

After a rousing conversation with Sean on the telephone, Greg had subtly mentioned having a camping trip for 'the boys'. It would be exciting and fun and Greg wanted to pretend he was young again, although reminiscing about college days around a fire was bound to age him more. So with Sean and Josh's help, the GMC Camping Trip was dated, signed, and planning was well under way. Planning was Greg's forte, and it was going to be spectacular. There would be something for everyone.

Latte in hand, Greg was looking around the doughnut shop like a lost puppy. It wasn't until someone gestured towards him that his smiled grew bigger than it already was. Greg patted James' shoulder and took a seat, his blue eyes friendly. "Well hello stranger," he said amiably, setting down his drink, "how they manage to make a heart out of the steamed milk I'll never know." And with that, he took a sip, enjoying the taste.

[Dr. James Campbell]

Planning was also James's forte, but his plans had never involved tents and sleeping bags before. The idea of getting together with the group of friends he and Chase had made through Sean was appealing. They were an entertaining group, and extended his social circle beyond his friends from Hammel and Roman. But he would have much preferred offering his own home to host another barbecue instead of camping.

It was going to be so... dirty.

James didn't realize that Greg was to blame for his current anxiety over having to sleep on the ground, or he might not have been quite so friendly, nor would he have grinned so much when the other man sat down. "I'm not sure how they do it either. It's probably something to do with consistency."

He took another sip of his coffee and thought about how much caffeine he would need to get through this trip, as he didn't expect to be able to sleep at all. (Is it clear that James had no interest in camping?) It would be worth one weekend of discomfort if Chase wanted to do it, so he was going to attempt to enjoy it. He just wasn't very hopeful at the moment. He was pretty sure his husband had mentioned that Greg was also going, so James hoped for some sympathy. "You're going on that camping trip in a few weeks too, right?"

[Gregory Strickland]

If all went to hell in a hand basket, they could always mosey on over to the Campbell residence and have a BBQ instead. Hopefully that wouldn't have to happen though, but James should keep the thought in mind just in case of major flooding or extremely mosquito raids.

Greg nodded in agreement. "The home made machines just don't work in the same way," he said, wearing a momentary milk mustache before wiping it away. "They must do it on purpose to keep customers firmly planted at their favorite coffee shops," he said with a chuckle.

Hands folded on the table, Greg's eyes lit up at the mention of his, uh, the, camping trip. "Yes! I hope it'll be lots of fun," he said, his head in his hand as though in a dreamlike state. "Does everyone eat quite a bit? I'm trying to decide on how many s'mores I should make." Greg loved camping, but he was more excited about spending time with everyone.

So far, it was only Sean that he knew of who didn't like the great outdoors and sleeping in it.

[Dr. James Campbell]

Obviously, the sympathy that the recruiter was looking for wouldn't be coming from Greg. Why were so many people interested in camping? Particularly among their age group. James would have expected more protests from anyone who dreaded what the ground would do to their backs.

(Though he was doing it for his husband, and he couldn't know how many had agreed to go because their partners and friends wanted to. He certainly couldn't blame anyone else, as he hadn't put up much protest either.)

"From what I remember, they do. It's been a while since everyone got together, but I think everyone's bringing something to eat as well. Chase and I can bring some s'mores ingredients too." Of course, adding more food with sugar would only increase the likelihood of ants, bears, and other things James didn't want anywhere near what he was eating.

However, cooking gave him an excuse to stay as close to the campsite as possible, so he was planning on volunteering to help there. Chase could hike or build a campfire or any other dirty activity he wanted, and James could keep his hands clean. "I have never been camping. What kind of food should we bring? I'd prefer a camp stove, but Chase wants to cook something over a fire."

[Gregory Strickland]

There was nothing like an inexpensive, self-inflatable mattress to help cozy up the trip. Speaking of which, Greg happened to have a couple, and seeing as neither Greg nor Josh were too excited about the whole thing, perhaps he could loan one of his to them.

"Wonderful! You can bring peanut butter if you wish, I'm not a big fan of peanut butter in s'mores, but I try not to judge those who do." Try, being the key word of course. Oh it was all in fun! Greg wasn't worried about bears, as most of the people attending had meta human powers, someone was likely to have something that would come in handy if need be.

"I have a camp stove if he changes his mind," Greg offered. He just loved sharing, and it wasn't every day he had the opportunity to do so. "Otherwise, hot dogs are always a camp favorite, chips as well. Actually, anything simple and quick." He smiled at James. "I hope you're not planning on sticking to any sort of strict diet, it's nearly impossible to do on these types of outings." And that was the guilty pleasure of it all. Greg suspected some of the attendees would get fancy and cook whole meals on the trip - he didn't plan on showing everyone how terrible of a cook he was, and so would stick to a simpler menu.

[Dr. James Campbell]

"Isn't it sticky enough without peanut butter?" It had been a long time since James had actually had a s'more. S'more flavored things, sure, but actual melting chocolate and marshmellow? Not one of his preferred snacks.

"If Chase cooks, it probably won't be edible. We have a gas camp stove already though. I use it when we lose power during blizzards." James was already used to cooking on it, but at home he didn't have to carry the food anywhere. Also, whenever he used it, he was worried about cooking things before they spoiled, as opposed to packing things that wouldn't spoil. They would at least bring a small cooler though, with milk for the inevitable terrible coffee in the morning. "What about pancakes? They shouldn't be too hard to make, right?"

He was almost done with his coffee, and not any less worried about the camping trip. Honestly, what was going through his head was, Do it for Chase. If he could concentrate on that, he'd be okay. "Do you know how many others don't really have any camping experience?"

Hopefully, he wouldn't be the only one.