Sep 7, 2020
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**NEW EVENT**
On October 4th our collective meeting will run from 3-6 as a banner making for the Sisters in Spirit Vigil.
Timeline: 3pm-6pm: banner painting in the SCC 2nd floor lobby (55 Gould St.) 6pm: leave the SCC to join the vigil at Allan Gardens
If you cannot make it to the banner painting, please feel free to join us to walk over to the vigil.
Light dinner will be provided.
This event is open to all women and trans folks.
Childminding is available. Please contact [email protected] for more information.
Open to anyone who is interested in, or who is currently involved in, the Centre! (volunteers, if you come to events, hang out in the centre, etc). Come hang out, bring your ideas, interests, or just your awesome selves! We will be talking about some of the events that are going to be happening this year, ways you can get involved, and taking direction from you on what you want to see, or need from the centre in this upcoming school year.
RSVP HERE
Camping With The Panabakers → Granielle
Tagged: Grant Gustin & Danielle Panabaker @hyfdanielle Location: Georgia Time Frame: Saturday June 4th-Monday June 6th Notes: Grant and Danielle go camping with Danielle’s family and Grant has the worst camping experience possible.
Danielle stepped out of the RV and onto the camping site they were assigned in Tallulah Gorge, Georgia with a smile on her face. Her boots were firm on her feet, hands at her hips, and the dogs were already running around the campsite. It had a fire pit that can be used for cooking, a picnic table on top of a slab of concrete for sitting down—and there were signs designated for showers that were off to the horizon. They weren’t alone, considering that about two hundred feet or so there’d be another family that had another campsite set up, but they still had the privacy needed for a family camping trip. “Guys, relax”, the brunette started now and tied all of the dogs leashes to the picnic table. It would be just so they had room to explore the area; but still wouldn’t be lost. “Danielle”, she heard her father’s voice now and was handed a box. “Why don’t you and Grant set up your tent before you go exploring, huh? Kay’s already halfway done with hers.” Her sister threw her a smirk and she, being as childish, stuck out her tongue at her sister. It wouldn’t be so bad—the tent that her dad had given her fit four people and it’d be enough for her, Grant, and the dogs to sleep in. “Honey”, she yelled out to get his attention, but her father had already beaten her to it and handed Grant two sleeping bags. “Better get the tent up before nightfall. Donna and I will just be inside the camper here at night.” So not fair that her parents got to sleep in the RV.
Grant was feeling mixed emotions about this camping trip. He was excited to experience it for the first time but it also had him worried, wondering if he was really suit for this kind of thing. He had never done it when he was younger and he was clueless about how to even go camping but he knew that he had Danielle by his side and that would make it worthwhile. When he heard Danielle call his name, he looked over at her but saw Harold in front of him instead, handing him two sleeping bags. "Right, got it. I can do that," he said while nodding. He didn't want Danielle's father thinking he was incapable of doing anything camping style, even if that might have been true. He didn't know the first thing about setting up a tent but he'd have to give it a shot. Walking over to Danielle with the sleeping bags, Grant put them on the ground and kneeled down to start putting the tent together. It was proving to be difficult, barely able to get a stake in and not knowing what to do next. "Um..." He trailed off, looking up at his fiancé for help.
Danielle had been laying down all of the supplies that was in the tent box when Grant came over with the sleeping bags, grateful that her father gave him the ones that would be able to zip together to make one big sleeping bag instead. For now, she was just able to lay down the ground cloth after finding a good spot to have the tent, but Grant grabbing the stake already had confused her. Oh, it was his first time camping like he said, so was it his first time setting up a tent as well? “Babe”, she started out now, making a slight face at him before showing him the ground cloth in her hands. “Can you help me flatten this out first? I don’t think you’d want a wet sleeping bag early in the morning, would you?” Surely she didn’t mean to tease, but she couldn’t help it. He just seemed so helpless, so adorable, so gosh darn loveable right now that she couldn’t do much but tease.
Grant stopped what he was doing when Danielle held the cloth in her hand, stating that they should put that on the ground first so that they would be dry in the morning. "Oh. Right," he said, clearing his throat. Helping her flatten out the cloth, Grant then grabbed the stake and put it on the corner of one end of the cloth, starting to hammer it as best as he could. "How is it supposed to get through this?" He muttered, slamming onto the stake harder which resulted in it slipping from the stake and hitting his finger instead. "Fuck," he winced, dropping the stake and the hammer as he grabbed his finger. Putting pressure on it for a few moments, Grant shook his head at Danielle who he knew would protest. "I'm fine," he muttered, grabbing the stake again and trying his best to hammer it. Finally getting it through, Grant continued putting the other stakes in before realizing he had put them in the wrong spots. "How am I supposed to know where they go next? How are we even going to get the tent part up?" He asked frustrated.
Danielle wanted to help Grant. Really, she did. She wanted to show him just how to put up the tent as efficiently as they could, but he was adamant on staking the cloth down to the ground first. The brunette shook her head and pulled the tent part out of the bag in just enough time to see Grant hammer down his thumb. “Tommy”, she yelled out then, making a face and putting the tent part down on the cloth to keep it from getting dirty. Already, she offered out her hand in order to see just how bad he hit his hand, but he wasn’t having it and Danielle was already just iffed when he continued on with what he wanted to do. “Can I show you”, she started out now before taking out the two poles that would criss-cross each other. They were long, but they needed to be threaded in the tent in order to keep it up. “You grab this pole here, right? And you see these hooks all around? You just gotta thread the poles in the hooks in order to get it to stand up.” And she showed him one, bringing up half of the tent already in two of the stakes he put down. “Make sure the poles criss-cross at the top to make an X, babe.”
Grant knew that at this point he should listen to Danielle since he had already messed things up and pretty much had to start all over. When she did the poles first and said they had to cross, Grant swallowed hard and nodded, making sure to put the stakes in the right spot this time. "Okay," he replied quietly, feeling himself starting to sweat at all the hard work he was doing. "Having some trouble here?" Harold spoke up once walking towards them. "No sir, I got it. We got it," he said, licking his lips and making sure everything was going smoothly. Once the poles were in the correct spots, he put the rest of the stakes in, being careful of his fingers but feeling his hand shake since he was nervous and Harold was watching him. Hitting his thumb again, Grant bit down on his bottom lip hard to fight the pain, trying to work through it as he continued.
Danielle pressed her lips together when her dad came. Sure, he would have helped her had she asked, but Grant seemed adamant on doing it himself. She didn’t want to step on any toes of that nature. Finally, they had the tent up and so proud that Grant had managed to do it mostly by his own doing—but winced again when he hit his hand on the mallet they used to stake the tent down. “Ouch”, she mumbled out now, finishing up with the rain guard that would come over the tent so that they’d be dry if it ended up raining through the night. “Good job guys”, her father spoke out now and moved away, and Danielle immediately went and grabbed Grant’s hand in order to assess the damage. “You need ice”, she told him quietly; but the only ice would be in the RV for now with the water main hook up there. “Do you want to go just go lie in the tent a little bit while I grab you some?” Her tone of voice shifted to worry, of course, making sure that he was alright before continuing with anything else.
Grant tried moving his thumb around so that it wouldn't get stiff, not wanting to not be able to bend it all while they were there this weekend. Shaking his head when Danielle asked if he wanted to lay down, before he could even say yes to ice Harold was telling them it was time to go for a hike. "I'll be fine, it's all good," he nodded, trying to convince Danielle since he knew she was worried. Tightening the laces on his new hiking boots, Grant walked over to Danielle's family, smiling at Kay who was smirking at him. "What?" He said, as she nudged him playfully. "Nothing. Seeing you as a camper is cute. Never saw it before," Kay said, causing him to roll his eyes playfully. "That's because it's never happened," he muttered before beginning to walk, Harold leading the way. He had gone hiking before and figured this couldn't be much different, even if the trail was in the woods and anything could happen while they were in there.
Danielle didn’t believe Grant when he said he’d be okay, but that’s not something she could deal with right now. Her father started on his lets go hiking phase and everyone was up and ready. Even Kay managed to take Krypto’s leash to help them out at this point—but not before giving Grant a comment that had Danielle furrowing her brows. She pressed her lips thin and took Nora and Bella’s leashes so that Grant would have just Jett. She lingered behind and tilted her head at her fiancé to watch him for a moment, shrugging her shoulders. “Camping is a cute look on you”, she agreed with her sister now, giving him a soft smile to let him know that things were okay. That he’d just have to relax and everything would be fine. “Come on. All we have to do is stay on a trail and follow it back to the site. You’re going to be fine. I promise.” And with that said, she laced their fingers together and started on the walk, hazel eyes turned up at him to give him her full attention.
Grant started walking with Jett's leash, smiling as Danielle laced their fingers together and rolling his eyes playfully as she agreed with her sister. "More like an awful one. At least off to a bad start," he mumbled, shaking his head. Knowing it wouldn't be difficult to just follow Danielle's father through the woods, Grant was glad to get a break from the chaos that would involve the rest of this camping adventure. They had been going at a quick pace in and out of certain trails and it was starting to get confusing the more they ended up walking. Some spots were curvy and had a slight hill to it and as he tried to keep up, Grant's shirt had gotten caught on a stick which caused it to rip. "Dammit," he muttered, Jett trying to walk still but not being able to since Grant had his leash. "Hold on buddy," he said, trying to get the shirt that now had a hole in it off the stick. When he looked up, Danielle and the rest of her family weren't in sight and Grant started to panic. "Danielle?" He called out, not getting a response. Starting to walk faster to try and find them, Grant ended up tripping over a stick in the ground and falling right into an area of mud, watching as Jett walked over to him. "Fuck," he groaned into his dog's fur.
Danielle had been lost in thought and talking to her parents for a moment in time, holding onto Bella and Nora’s leashes while doing so. She shifted her weight back and forth, holding onto her backpack for a moment before her brows furrowed. It had been a while and Grant had been so quiet. She figured it must have been just him being nervous on his first camping trip. However, when she turned around to check up on him, he was gone. Grant had been missing and she couldn’t see him up the trail and she was pretty sure that she had been walking before him. “Tommy”, she spoke out now, wanting to make sure that he wasn’t just playing around with her; but no answer back. “Grant”, she yelled out louder now, walking back a few steps before Kay started yelling for him as well. “Oh my god, I lost him.” Her tone of voice had been full of worry, but she handed off the leashes that she had to her mother and started running up the trail again while calling out his name. “Tommy! Tommy!” Five minutes of walking back up and she still hadn’t found him and she was already thinking the worst.
Grant stayed on the ground for a while, feeling the pain of getting his shirt stuck and falling into mud that he rolled himself out of. "Stay here Jett," he whispered, needing his dog to cooperate. The last thing he wanted was for Jett to get away even if he was usually good about staying close to him. When Jett started barking, Grant wondered if maybe Danielle or at least someone would hear it so that he'd have an idea of where he was. Of course no one was around him at the moment and it was looking pretty hopeless. He had no phone on him since he realized it was nearly impossible to get service in the woods and now he felt stranded. "Great," he muttered, sitting on the trail with Jett in his lap. "It's okay buddy," he whispered, petting him gently as kept him close, mainly for his own comfort.
Danielle yelled back out into the woods now, still frantic and searching for Grant. Of course she managed to stick with the trails, but did that mean that Grant didn’t? Did Jett wander off that he had to follow? “Jett”, she yelled out now, hoping that she’d be able to hear his bark if she called for him. “Tommy”, she yelled back out again; but there had been barking in the distance. Sprinting towards it, stepping out of the trails and into the woods for a moment, she let out a soft sigh when she found her fiancé and dog just sitting on a log next to a mud pit. “I found them. They’re okay”, she yelled back and then heard her sister yell to her parents. She kept her distance, mainly because of where Grant had been sitting, but scrunched her nose together now to make a face. “Hi”, she spoke out to him. “What in the world happened? Are you alright?”
Grant knew that he should probably start walking in one direction of the trail to find someone, anyone, hopefully Danielle or her family but right now he felt bruised and broken from falling and his shirt ripping that he just needed to chill. His thumb was still throbbing and when Jett started licking it, Grant kissed the top of his head gently. Suddenly five minutes later he heard Danielle's voice, causing him to sigh in relief. Stepping off the log and making his way towards her with Jett in his arms, Grant shrugged. "I don't know. My shirt got caught on a stick and the next thing I knew you guys were out of sight. After falling right into a puddle of mud," he muttered. Of course his shirt was white which made it even worse but at this point he was just glad to see a familiar face. As they started walking to catch up with Danielle's family, Grant sighed as Harold spoke. "What happened there champ?" He asked, Grant explaining the same situation. "Gotta be more careful. We're almost back at the base, hang in there."
Danielle sighed now in content. At least she had Grant and they’d be able to get back to the tent with ease. “I think Grant should have the first shower”, Kay spoke out now, and Danielle had to agree. Maybe she felt sorry for him and maybe her sister had a heart when it came to beings in distress, but she wasn’t about to argue with the woman about it. Camp had been just there in her line of sight and now that the dogs were okay with walking around and keeping close, she loosened up their leashes for now and set up the bags in their tent. It’d still be a tight squeeze with the dogs, but at least they’d be together. Immediately, she made preparations in order to ice Grant’s finger, making sure it wouldn’t be broken but having the first aid kit ready and waiting. “I’ll start with dinner”, her mother started out now. “Burgers okay with everyone?” Danielle nodded profusely now, working up an appetite with all of the running and worrying she ended up doing.
Grant appreciated that Kay and Danielle suggested him taking a shower first, full of mud and sweat and probably scratches that needed to get cleaned out. Once they were back at the campsite, Grant watched as Danielle got ice for his thumb, putting it on for a little bit before he could shower. Nodding as Donna suggested burgers, Grant stayed quiet as he saw Danielle's sister playing with the dogs. "I'm gonna shower, I'll be back," he said quietly to Danielle, grabbing some clothes from the tent and heading into the RV. It was cozy in there and he had never been in one before but he could see Danielle's parents fitting in perfectly. After taking a nice hot shower and feeling the stinging in different areas of his body, Grant sighed and dried himself off, changing into a pair of shorts and t-shirt before making his way back outside. "Shower's free," he said to no one in particular, shaking his head to get the water out and heading into the tent for a few minutes.
Danielle watched as Kay jumped up from her seat now in order to get a shower in. Her parents were busy with cooking dinner and that left her in charge of the dogs. She didn’t mind, actually, more worried about Grant than anything and when he ended up in the tent; she followed him with the first aid kit in order to see if he needed anything. There was worry in her face, but she didn’t say anything as she looted through in order to find alcohol swabs in order to clean some cuts and bruises he might have had when he fell. “Where does it hurt more? I have bandages”, she offered out to him, a soft smile on her lips. In a strange turn of events, this was more or less something that would happen to them anyway—and with Danielle as a natural caretaker, she wanted to do nothing more than just to help him with everything that he might have encountered in the woods.
Grant sighed softly as he sat down on the sleeping bag in their tent, just needing a few minutes to recollect himself. His body was throbbing and stinging in all kinds of places and he just need to chill for the rest of the night. Smiling slightly when Danielle came in with a first aid kit, Grant shrugged before lifting up his shirt. "My hip is pretty banged up, and theres a scratch on my ribs from the stick my shirt got caught on," he said, watching as she started getting stuff ready to bandage him up. "Kinda feels like we're our characters right now," he chuckled, lightening the mood a little bit and trying not to wince at the pain. When Nora came into the tent and looked at him worriedly, Grant reached his hand out and smiled when she cuddled into his side, leaning down to press a kiss to her head as she kept him company.
Danielle had realized it too, but didn’t want to end up voicing it just yet. The brunette wanted to make sure everything was fine, of course, but still she kept her actions where Grant had told her where he hurt. She was skilled enough to handle the little stuff, bandaging him up as best as she could before Nora came into the tent. Smiling softly, she let the dog come over to Grant and finished quickly. At least they were cool enough again in order to be as comfortable as they could with each other. “Do you want to eat in here”, she asked of him, wanting to give him as much time as she could to rest. “I know today must have taken a lot out of you. You scared me half to death. I’m so glad you chose to stay in one place instead of wandering around.” She was rambling now, being able to get a chance to speak what was on her mind at this point, and her words started flowing out of her like a waterfall—quick and swift. “I don’t know what I would have done had I lost you. I don’t know what I would have done now if I hadn’t found you. I was so afraid something happened.”
Grant wrapped an arm around Nora and pet her gently as she leaned into his side, glad that she seemed okay with him again after everything that happened at the dog park. Shaking his head when Danielle asked if he wanted to eat dinner in there, Grant didn't want his bad luck to ruin the trip or make his parents feel like he regretted coming. "No, we should eat with your family. It's been a rough day, yeah, but now is the time to just chill with them and enjoy it. I don't think anything else can go wrong if we're just eating, right?" He chuckled, hoping that was the case. He didn't know what else he could handle right now with how his body was already feeling. Suddenly Danielle started talking about how awful she felt when he was lost and not knowing what she would've done and that's when Grant pulled her closer. "Shh, it's okay. I'm fine, I'm right here. You don't have to worry about that. You can't get rid of me that easily," he teased, kissing the top of her head. "It's all good. I'm sure you would've found me eventually," he shrugged. "Lets go see how things are going out there," he said, picking Nora up in his arms and getting out of the tent to see how dinner was coming along.
Danielle shook her head. She hated this feeling—the feeling of hopelessness and regret of even losing him in the first place. She hated the fact that they had to experience this and it was like her life flashed before her eyes when she realized that he was gone. She wouldn’t have known what to do at this point. Her frame melted into her fiancé’s arms and she wrapped her own around his, determined not to let him go for anything of that sort. The brunette pouted against him now, inhaling the scent that wafted against her nose and she had to let out a soft moan at the notion. He was there. His words and presence proved that. And she wasn’t going to lose him. Danielle nodded her head now, patting his chest once before unzipping the tent and crawling out, seeing Kay feeding the dogs and everyone else starting to have dinner at the picnic table. “Almost done with the burgers”, her mother spoke out at this point. “Your father’s in the shower and he’ll be out soon.” Her mother seemed right at home with the make shift kitchen outside; but at least they had grilled corn on the cob as a side. “Sorry there aren’t any fries”, she mused out to her fiancé now, whispering against his ear before pulling away and helping anyway she could.
Grant was glad that Kay was around, paying close attention to the dogs and taking care of them while he and Danielle were in the tent. It was nice knowing they were in good hands and didn't have to be watched by them constantly since Danielle's sister was around. Nodding when Donna said the burgers were almost finished, Grant took a seat on a log by the campfire, knowing Danielle still needed to shower herself. "No worries, I like corn on the cob too," he said, smiling at his fiancé. When Harold was out of the shower and it was Danielle's turn, Grant swallowed hard and let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. The day had been exhausting and he was honestly ready for bed but they still didn't have dinner or anything yet so he knew that wouldn't be for a few hours. "Regret coming here son?" Harold said as he sat next to him. "No, not at all. Just not a good camper I guess," he chuckled, shrugging afterwards. "You just need time, you'll get the hang of it," Harold said before squeezing his shoulder. "Thanks," he replied, pursing his lips and staring at the fire until dinner was ready.
Danielle jumped at the chance to get into the shower now, taking one as quick and as efficient as she possibly could. The night was approaching and that meant mosquitos and she was going to try so hard not to get bit. After showering, she sprayed on spray that was in the camper and headed out, dressed in a pair of shorts and a tank top that she had stolen from Grant’s side of the closet so it was definitely way loose on her. It was comfortable, and well enough that would be nice to sleep in without air conditioning tonight. Her mother was already done with cooking and she had started to help the woman with passing out plates. Her sister got the first one, but she brought the next one over to Grant since her mother carried her father’s plate already. The dogs were fed and already in their tent which was good. At least they were content with the outdoors. Danielle came back with her plate now, setting herself beside Grant and watching the fire pit for a moment. “There’s stuff to make s’mores too”, Danielle offered out to Grant for a moment, handing him a can of beer from the cooler that was nearest her. “But I think I might head into the tent after dinner if you want to come with me.”
Grant looked up at his fiancé when she came over with a plate of food and a beer for him. "Thanks babe," he replied through a whisper, taking a bite of his burger before speaking. "That sounds good. I've always wanted cliché s'more made by the campfire while camping," he chuckled softly. "But I think I'll join you. We can always do that tomorrow. I'm already wiped out," he mumbled, feeling sore from his fall still and overall exhausted from his first camping experience. Taking a sip of his beer, Grant ate peacefully with Danielle next to him, glad that the dogs were content in the tent and most likely sleeping themselves. "At least the dogs had a good first camping experience," he smirked, licking his lips as he finished his burger. "You make a mean burger, Donna. That was great. Thank you," he said to his future mother in law, giving her a soft smile.
Danielle agreed that they'd be able to make s'mores tomorrow night once everything had been settled down. Their first day had already been a whirlwind and even she needed a break. The dogs were already wiped and all she could do was eat in silence until it'd be time for her to go back into the tent. "Thank you, Grant", she heard her mother speak out about the compliment to her cooking, and Danielle gave a smile behind her half eaten burger. She ended up cleaning up as best as she could, helping her mother and saying goodnight to both of her parents as they entered the RV beside the tents. It seemed as though everyone had started to turn in and even Kay threw them a smirk and waved her headphones at them before getting into her two person tent alone. Danielle turned her attention now to Grant, shrugging her shoulders and climbing into the tent she was gonna share with him at this point, opening the flap just enough for the both of them to get in and zipped it closed. "What a day", she groaned out as she laid in the corner of the tent with the sleeping bag. "I'm exhausted."
Grant helped clean up to the best of his ability, though he didn't want to move much to irritate his side. Thanking Donna once again, Grant said goodnight to both of them as well as Kay who gave them a smirk. Rolling his eyes, Grant made his way into the tent with Danielle, the four dogs settled in there already. It was going to be tight but it was pretty much how they were on the bed together anyway. Getting into the sleeping bag, Grant winced as he put pressure on his side accidentally. Laying on his back, Grant sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. "Yeah," he breathed out, licking his lips. "Me too," he added quietly before swallowing hard. "Goodnight," he whispered before laying towards his own side and trying not to put any pressure on his side as he closed his eyes. He hadn't slept outside in a tent before and he wasn't sure how well it would work out but he hoped with how tired he was, sleep would take over his body soon.
Danielle perked her head up when Grant winced out in pain, already checking his frame in order to see what was happening. It brought her back to the time a month ago when he had chronic back pain because of filming the show and she pressed her lips together now. Maybe sleeping on the ground wasn't a good idea for his back and maybe she should have thought ahead and bought an air mattress to put in here—but life had been full of maybes and this was probably the last time they'd be able to do this anyway of this trip was going to go just as the first day projected. "Are you okay", the brunette asked of her fiance now, laying a hand on his arm to show affection, but if he wanted to sleep, she wouldn't object to it. She knew he needed the rest and after a day like today, she didn't blame him for wanting to go to sleep and just get the day over with. She was just disappointed about how it ended, she supposed. "Oh", she started out now, pressing her lips together before pulling one of the covers of the bag over her. "Goodnight. Love you. I'll fix your bandages in the morning." Her eyes were open, staring at Grant's back at this point, and rubbing it as gentle as she could to try and soothe.
Grant swallowed hard as he felt Danielle start to rub his back. He knew none of this was her fault but he also felt like he didn't fit in with her family when he so clearly was clueless about camping and not good at it. She had told him several times how often they would go when she was younger and now that he was a part of it he just felt like the outcast and didn't know what to do about it. He hoped tomorrow would be better and he stayed quiet until he eventually fell asleep, thoughts clouding his mind which made it take longer. Grant wasn't sure how much time had passed when he next stirred from sleep. "Not yet Danielle," he mumbled as he felt what he figured was her hand on his face. When he reached out to touch it, it felt slimy and nothing like a human hand. "What the fuck," he blurted out as he opened his eyes to see some kind of creature on his face. Jumping up and sitting up to get it off his face, Grant saw what it actually was. "A lizard? How the fuck did a lizard get in here?" He exclaimed, watching as Krypto tried to go after it. "Don't eat it," he scolded, pushing him back before sighing heavily. "That thing was on my face."
Danielle had awoken well before Grant to get the dogs situated. The sun was up and shining, but she could barely see through the tent anyway and the sounds of the day started to flow through the tent. She made sure that she wouldn't wake up Grant when she got out, but she definitely did forget to close the flap all of the way when the dogs were coming in and out. Coffee on a picnic table was an experience and she had forgotten what it was like, not having been on one of the family camping trips in so long. However, thoughts of Grant and worry cluttered her mind. Was he even having a good time? Just how badly was he hurt? Did he need to go to a hospital? For a moment, she stayed quiet until she heard a curse from the tent and poked her head back in to see Grant scolding Krypto about a lizard that accidentally entered the room. "What's going on", Danielle wondered out, furrowing her brow for a moment before the golden retriever barked at her.
Grant wasn't aware that Danielle wasn't even next to him when waking up, too distracted by the lizard. She would always leave him alone in bed but he didn't think she would with them being in a tent and him still not being used to this whole thing. When she appeared at the flap where they would zipper to get in and out, Grant sighed. "Nothing. Just a lizard crawling onto my face but it doesn't matter," he muttered, feeling like he didn't get nearly enough sleep as it. Moving around in the tent, Grant found socks and his boots to put on before getting out and saying good morning to her family who were already awake. "So you're not an early riser like my daughter, huh?" Harold spoke, causing Grant to shrug. "Not really, no," he replied quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Even though it's still kind of early," he added which just caused Danielle's parents to laugh at him. "Not for us, honey. We're all used to getting up early," Donna said. "Got it," he replied quietly before walking over to Kay who had the other dogs, taking Jett from her so that he could walk him for some peace and quiet of his own.
Danielle ‘s eyes widened at the comment and Grant shrugging it off. Of course, she knew he was being sarcastic, but that wasn’t her fault. She could have predicted none of this happening and it seemed like bad luck was following them everywhere on this trip. The brunette didn’t say much but kept her mouth shut, knowing that if she would have said something, it might have caused a bigger riot which she didn’t want to ensue. For right now, she ended up following him out and taking Krypto with her so that he wouldn’t chase the lizard. Maybe camping was a bad idea and they still had a day and a half of this left before they’d pack up on Monday. “Just one more night”, she spoke out, whispering her words like a mantra. “Just one more night.” Of course, she heard the good-natured teasing that her parents had started on and she winced. Maybe it wouldn’t be great. Danielle had always been able to read Grant, and now that he was walking alone in the woods with Jett, she knew that unfamiliar territory would be dangerous. “Stephanie”, she started out and tilted her head, which her sister stood beside her. “You want me to watch the dogs while you follow him”, Kay started out before she shrugged her shoulders. “This is why I don’t date.” Danielle let out a scoff and threw a thank you at her sister, grabbing one of the walkie-talkies that had been charging overnight and waving off to her parents to follow Grant at a distance—giving him the comfort of peace and quiet, but still being close enough to see if he’d need help in any way.
Grant started walking around with Jett, though he knew he shouldn't go far since his luck had been shitty and he probably wouldn't be able to find his way back. He had no idea what to do right now but this camping trip was off to an awful start and he could tell it just wasn't for him. Not to mention he clearly wasn't fitting in with Danielle's family and how they would do things which made things worse. He felt like an ass for sleeping in, especially when Danielle wasn't even next to him. Standing there with Jett for a little while, Grant turned around and didn't even realize that Danielle was a few feet away from him. "Don't worry, not going far so I don't get lost," he said, making his way back up to the campsite and handing Jett's leash over to Kay so that he could be with the other dogs. "We're supposed to be hiking again today, a bigger trailer. Are you going to be able to handle it or do you want to sit this one out?" Harold said to Grant. "I can do it," he replied, sitting on a log as he waited for whatever they were doing next.
Danielle let out a sigh, but her mother was already handing her a breakfast sandwich to load up for the trail today and then giving one to Grant as well. They were going to hike down to the gorge for fishing—but it was going to be a very difficult path. They’d have lunch down there, of course, which ended up fine considering they were almost already done with breakfast and Kay had all of the dogs ready. She offered out a hand for one of them, taking Bella with ease at this point. Her heart ached for her fiancé, it did, but there wasn’t anything she could do if he was lost to her like this. “Are you sure”, she offered out, trying to find the right words to say. Her voice had been full of worry, knowing what an ordeal it must have been for him yesterday and she didn’t want to agitate him. “I remember when we first took Dani camping”, Donna spoke out then. “She got so many mosquito bites on her legs. I started calling them diamonds to stop her from scratching them so they wouldn’t scar.” And maybe the story seemed random at best, but she knew what her mother was doing. She had tried to make Grant feel better and Danielle definitely appreciated the effort in doing so.
Grant thanked Donna when she handed him a breakfast sandwich to it, still sitting on the log and nodded when Danielle asked if he was sure. He wasn't just going to stay behind, knowing it would be pointless since he was here already. Not doing anything would just be a waste and he just had to hope today would be better. When Donna started telling him about the first time they took Danielle camping, Grant smiled softly and let out a chuckle. "Sounds rough," he said, looking at his fiancé before looking back at Danielle's mother. He realized that maybe not everyone had the best first camping experience but it still made him feel crappy, especially since Danielle's whole family were pros and obviously into doing this thing often. When he finished his breakfast sandwich, Grant stood up and took Jett and Nora from Kay so that she wasn't holding them all and getting ready to follow on this trail Harold would be leading. "Try not to get lost this time, son," Harold said, Grant pursing his lips and nodding.
Danielle nodded her head when Grant told her that her situation was rough, and she remembered it being so. Having an itch and not being able to scratch it had been one of the most horrible things ever, and the reason why Danielle carried mosquito spray and sprayed it all over herself right now. She didn’t want to take any more chances, considering the wedding had been so close, and she wanted to make sure that she looked at least presentable on her wedding day. For a moment, she turned her attention towards Grant now, seeing that he took Jett and Nora, and they started on their walk. She decided to fall behind, making sure that everything would be great and brought up the rear to make sure. Plus, she had the walkie-talkie in her hand still and would be able to call out to the front to make sure that everyone and everything had been okay. Forever the worrier, she supposed. “It’s not so bad”, the brunette whispered out, just hearing the roar of the waterfall distant enough in the horizon. “The fishing, I mean. Daddy uses a net so we’ll probably have lunch right there and I know Mama’s bag has a cooler so she brought sandwiches just in case.” She was trying to further soothe him, of course, hoping that it’d work.
Grant walked with Jett and Nora in his own spot, Danielle's parents in the front, Danielle in the back and Kay in the middle. He figured it was better this way so that no one would get lost and he would know where he was going. When Danielle caught up to him and said the fishing wasn't so bad, Grant nodded, figuring it couldn't be hard, especially with a net. "Never went fishing either. My dad or grandpa were never into it," he said, listening as Danielle said his mother brought sandwiches too. "Oh so he's going to eat the fish? I mean...just like that?" He asked, making a face. Grant was starting to think he'd lean more towards the sandwiches regardless. As they continued walking, Grant tried his best to keep up, going into a difficult area and having to move through a lot of bushes and other leaves and plants. "Ow," he muttered as he came across a thorn bush that cut his arm. By the time they had gotten up to the area they were going to fish, Grant was out of breath and sweating. Taking off his shirt, Grant started wiping his face with it and placed it on the ground before sitting down on a rock.
Danielle let out a soft smile, but laid a hand on Grant’s back to try and soothe. They were going to be doing some firsts today and she even nodded to explain that they were going to just eat the fish then and there. “Of course Daddy’s gonna have to gut it. You’ll get a really good appreciation for all of the fish mongers that work in this profession. It’s insane how they are”, she continued out, just explaining the process on how to gut a fish this time—exactly like it is how to gut a chicken that still had its giblets, of course. Maybe it wasn’t the best way to explain the situation, but at least they were at the place where there’d be prime fishing and Danielle would be able to hand Grant a water bottle from the cooler that her mother had been carrying on her back. “It’s cool”, she offered out now before bending down and giving the dogs water before she’d take some herself. She was busy with the dogs, but heard Kay talking to Grant now about his new cut. “Yikes. Bad luck, huh”, her younger sister asked out before handing him a bandaid from her pocket.
Grant made a face as Danielle explained what her father would have to do to the fish, still not so sure he'd be trying it out. When they had gotten to the area and Danielle offered him some water, Grant took a sip before giving it back to her, still on the rock trying to catch his breath. When Kay came over to him saying he had bad luck, Grant nodded. "I guess you can say that. Thanks," he said once she handed him a bandaid to put on his arm. When it was time to start fishing, Grant wasn't sure how much he really wanted to partake, especially with how his luck had been but when Harold started showing him tips and how to do it, he figured he'd give it a shot. They managed to catch quite a few fish and Grant was glad he wasn't completely stupid with at least one activity they were doing, though he figured it was easier because they were using a net instead of a fishing rod. "Ready to eat?" Harold said to all of them, Grant swallowing hard as he started doing his thing. "Uh..."
Danielle watched as her father started descaling and gutting the fish they were going to cook for lunch today, trying to keep all of the dogs up and out of the water. She didn’t want them getting dirtier than they have been, knowing that they’d have to give them a bath before they’d go back to Los Angeles. It was interesting to say the least, watching Grant with her father and fishing. Truly bonding in a sense and it was like warmth radiated through her. Things started to look up, at least from her end, and she scrunched her nose in amusement at Grant’s hesitancy to eating the fish that had been gutted and descaled. “Do you want a sandwich instead because that’s what I’m having”, the brunette asked of her fiancé. She spoke a mean game about fishing, but when it came down to it, she couldn’t eat anything that she knew had been moving around just a few minutes ago. It was life, sure, but the eyes that had stared back at her had her creeped out somewhat. She couldn’t handle that. “Come on”, she spoke out to Grant then, taking his hand with hers and leading him over to the cooler where everything would be at this point.
Grant was grateful when Danielle asked him if he wanted a sandwich instead, feeling like that was the much better option. It was less appetizing to see what Harold was doing to the fish before eating it and he knew he wouldn't be able to eat it afterwards. Following her to where they had a cooler and started taking everything out, Grant grabbed a sandwich and started eating it, sitting down on the rock and breaking off a piece of bread to give Jett who came running towards him. "Jett, you're all dirty," he chuckled, shaking his head. He had dirt everywhere but he figured that would happen with them being in the woods and since he was white, it showed more. Looking over at Nora and Bella, they looked just as dirty and Krypto looked like a mess himself. Wiping the sweat off his forehead with his arm, Grant continued eating his sandwich and looked into the water. "Pretty tempting to jump in there right now."
Danielle at least had been able to feed the dogs just some food she brought with her in her bag before setting herself down beside her fiancé and eating. She smiled when she heard his chuckle again, a soothing sound for her, and she nodded her head to agree. “They’re all going to need baths”, she mused out with him, seeing all four dogs having so much dirt on them. They all had light colored fur, so the mud and whatnot that ended up in the woods with them showed through. It was warm and humid, something that was happening because of the rainy season that was upon the southern United States, and she just hoped that everything would be fine by the end of this month just so they could have the wedding. Her head turned now when Grant did, looking in the water with a soft smile on her face. “We’re allowed to go swimming in it. Daddy got us all permits, but the dogs aren’t allowed and they’re the ones that need it the most.” It was saddening, but she did take another sip of the water bottle when she was finished with her sandwich, turning her head to see her parents finishing up with their lunch as well. “You can go in if you want”, she offered out to Grant then, throwing him a soft smile. “I’ll go with you. Mom can watch the dogs.”
Grant listened to Danielle say that they could go in the water but the dogs couldn't. "Damn. Well Jett and Nora hate the water anyways," he shrugged, finishing off his sandwich and nodding. "I think I will then, we should go in," he said, standing up and taking off his boots and socks. "Coming in loser?" He teased Kay before running into the water, jumping in. He felt better getting wet and cool but then started wincing once the water started stinging his cuts everywhere. "Ow," he whispered before moving closer towards Danielle's family. "Come in babe. Don't make me pull you in," he teased, watching Jett bark at him from up top. "Hey buddy," he cooed before leaning back against the water and running a hand through his hair. Once Danielle was in the water with him, Grant sighed and enjoyed the fact that things were peaceful for a little while. "Nothing can...bite me in here, right? There's only fish? Because the last thing I need is something to bite me when I already have plenty of cuts and stuff on me," he said before chuckling softly.
Danielle laughed at the childish antics that Kay and Grant had managed to shell out. Maybe it was the age itself, but she was already undressing as well in order to get into the water. She was more subdued when it came to it; but at least she had the sense to wear her black swimsuit underneath her clothes when hiking just in case. She stuck out her tongue at Grant then, falling into the water and letting out a soft sigh when the coolness of it soothed her hot skin. Her arms were at her side, moving them around to keep them steady at this point before she shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. I think there are only fish in here so you’re okay.” Her tone of voice had been soft, but she did feel a tinge of guilt when he said that there were so many cuts and bruises on his frame. Danielle didn’t even fathom that there’d be such bad luck enveloping them on this trip, but she was grateful that they had a peaceful lull in it for now. “There’s only one more sleep until we pack up the camper and go back to Augusta”, she started now, swimming around him and laying on her back to float in the water. Kay managed to do the same at this point, amused at her little sister’s antics with her fiancé. “Is that my new nickname”, Kay asked of Grant, referring to him calling her loser earlier. “I’m going to have to contest that.”
Grant sighed in relief when Danielle said there were only fish in the water, moving around and trying to keep cool but also relaxed. "Yeah, I know. It'll be alright," he said, only having to get through one more night. He just hoped nothing would be on his face to wake him up tomorrow morning like there was today. Chuckling as Kay came over to them, Grant flicked water in her face before speaking. "I don't know, we'll work on it. I'm sure I can come up with something else with a little persuasion," he teased, moving out of the way when she started splashing him back. After a little while longer in the water, Grant was ready to get out and realized that now he'd have to walk back in wet shorts which wouldn't be pleasant. Not wanting to get his shirt wet, Grant just placed it over his shoulder and grabbed Jett and Nora from Donna as they began walking back. On the way back Grant found himself getting stuck in between bushes again, walking through leaves and rocks and just hoping that he'd be able to relax and finally make a s'more once they got back to the campsite.
Danielle felt at ease now, pressing her lips together now that she was able to fix her ponytail in the water. Getting out had been hard, considering that the water was so cool, but at least that meant that they’d get back to camp and be able to relax for the rest of the night. She managed to sneak in drying off with a towel that Kay had brought with her and put on a shirt and some shorts again. So it might have been weird walking back in a wet suit, but she had to right now if she wanted to walk back. Whilst her sister took Bella, she took Krypto this time and gave him room to run by walking behind everyone. The youngest puppy had so much energy and she needed to be able to let that out in order for him to settle down at the camp. For a while, she followed everyone and hadn’t paid attention until she saw Grant come out of the side of the woods where the trail had curved around—and for good purpose. “Honey”, she tried catching his attention, but it might have been too late. Danielle started walking faster, trying to catch up with everyone, but maybe she realized wrong. Maybe it was just a random few leaves that just looked like something they should have avoided. “Nevermind”, she spoke out to him before moving her hand up and slapping his back hard to kill a mosquito that had been on his back. She groaned out once it started oozing blood, making a face to show her disgust. “Grant gets the first shower because there’s blood on his back”, she yelled out and held out her hand for him to see.
Grant looked back at Danielle when called him but continued walking as she said nevermind. They were almost at the campsite and suddenly he felt Danielle slap his back which made him jump. "What the hell?" He questioned, looking at her. When she showed her hand that had blood on it, Grant made a face and scrunched his nose. "Was that a bug?" He asked, figuring it was a mosquito and he had gotten bit. "Great," he muttered, shaking his head and running a hand through his hair. He was grateful to get the shower again first, needing to wash off all the nasty water and now blood from his body as well as clean out his cuts, new and old. Grant felt much better once he did, feeling refreshed and changing into a new pair of shorts and t-shirt since it was hot and humid out. Waiting for everyone else to take their showers, Grant took a seat by the campfire and attempted to start a fire though he knew he'd struggle with it like everything else on the trip.
Danielle nodded her head when Grant asked if what she had killed on his back had been a bug. It looked as though there had been a few bites on his back before she killed this mosquito, but at least she’d be able to wash off her hands with a water bottle that had been in her bag. As the showers became occupied, she was able to situate the dogs and they were already all in the tent and sleeping. The trail probably took a lot out of them, but at least they had a place to sleep with water just right in there with them. It was just one more night and then they’d be on a plane back to Los Angeles with her sister—that’d be the arrangement that they ended up having. Once it was her turn for the shower, she came out with bug spray and started spraying herself just in case, handing it off to Grant now that she found out that he was susceptible, the fire that raged in front of her warming her while her mother handed off marshmallows for them to cook. The light of the fire with Kay’s music on low in the distance brought a smile on her face, finding the allure of the night somewhat magical, and laid her head right on Grant’s shoulder for a moment. Even if the trip had not been what she expected, at least she had him with her. “How are you feeling”, she asked of him now, scrunching her nose gently. “There’s anti-itch cream in the first aid kit.”
Grant arched his back that started getting itchy as he sat there by the fire, eventually getting some help from Kay to get it going. He wanted to roast marshmallows so that they could make s'mores and have one since he was still feeling kinda hungry from just having a sandwich earlier. When Danielle joined him after showering, Grant shrugged at her question. "My back is kind of itchy," he said, listening as she said there was cream in the first aid kit. "Aka my life line right now," he chuckled, realizing he needed the first aid kit more than anything else on the trip so far. Once Danielle's parents came back out, Grant was excited to make a s'more, ignoring his back right now as best as he could. Roasting a few marshmallows, Grant ate two on their own first before getting one perfect to put on a s'mores, taking a bite and humming in approval. "So good," he mumbled, licking his lips as contents of it started getting everywhere. Feeling an itch on the back of his leg, Grant looked at it and saw the rash forming there which he could tell was more than just a mosquito bite. "Oh fuck."
Danielle scrunched her nose at the teasing but stole a kiss all the same, pulling away and now just honestly concentrating on making a s’more. They were tricky to get right, the consistency having to be as perfect as they can, and she was happy when they were able to just eat and be content. Her smile grew wider when she heard him hum, the noise making her happy that he was happy for now, and then eyes widened when she heard him curse. Shit. She was right when she wanted to stop him earlier and now it was too late in order to help him. “Don’t you dare touch it”, she told him now, jumping up from her spot in order to grab the first aid kit from the tent. “Don’t you dare scratch it either, Tommy. Scratching it might get you an infection.” Danielle was already starting to apply the medicine for him, pressing her lips together and making sure that she would be able to help him out. At least it wouldn’t be contagious, but the horror stories she heard about it had been enough to scare her.
Grant groaned as he saw that he had poison ivy all over his leg. Looking at the other, he saw it in the same spot. "That's why you don't wear shorts while camping, kid," He heard Harold say which caused him to sigh. "Everyone else did!" He said, knowing Danielle and Kay were at least in shorts. Sure Harold was in pants and obviously that was the best choice but he was already sweating and pants weren't in the question. "This blows," he muttered, rolling his eyes as Danielle told him not to touch it and started lecturing him. "It itches," he mumbled, arching his back. "And my back is itchy," he whispered when Danielle came back. "I need you to scratch it. Please baby," he said before pouting up at her, hoping that would get her to crack.
Danielle huffed at her father, scrunching her nose at his teasing. “Oh hush up, Daddy”, she started out now, her voice harsher than what it had been. “You know as well as anyone if poison ivy wants to get you, it does. The oil soaks through your clothing and you’re already screwed whether you like it or not.” She had grown tired of her father’s teasing, and it wasn’t the time for it now that she had been worried about Grant’s wellbeing. It was going to be torture, and even now as her father started shaking his head at amusement at them both, she couldn’t very well just leave it. “I know, baby”, the brunette answered her fiancé and started to spread the anti-itch cream everywhere where she’d see that rash. She handed him the tube now before she took hand sanitizer and cleaned her fingers just in case the oil managed to follow her and pulled up his shirt. “I can’t”, she told him, seeing about five bites on his back already, but she did take the cream and started applying them to the bug bites that had been there. “I can always ice them when we get into our tent tonight for you, but I can’t scratch them because you’ll bleed.”
Grant whined when Danielle said she couldn't scratch his mosquito bites for him. "You could but you won't," he said before pouting again, letting out a sigh. Burying his face in his hands, Grant felt Danielle putting the cream wherever she could to help him, even if it wasn't ideal he knew it was probably better for him. "The cream doesn't work as effectively. You could scratch them for like five seconds. It'd feel much better," he tried, looking up at his fiancé. "I don't want ice, that won't stop the itching," he frowned, arching his back against as she continued. Feeling a bug on his knee, Grant slapped it and groaned, needing to get away from this area so that he didn't get even more bites. "I'm going to head into the tent, don't want to get bit even more. Night guys," he said before standing up and hovering over to get inside. "Guys, help me," he mumbled to the dogs before burying his face in their fur.
Danielle gasped at Grant's words, but gave him a pout all the same. She could, he was right, but wouldn't the scratching just make it all worse? Wouldn't it just make him bleed and scar? Would it be better for her to just scratch them like he wanted and then just leave them be? "Honey", she pouted back at him, but he was already making his way towards the tent. Everyone else had started to get back to bed, knowing that it was super late and they had to wake up early to start packing the tents and camp early anyway. After she said her goodnights, she went into the tent to see him with the dogs. With one heavy sigh, she relented and reached out her hand for his back, running her fingertips up and down his back over his shirt. That way, she wouldn't be scratching skin hard enough for it to break either. "It's only going to get worse if I stop", she offered out to him now, her voice trying to soothe him as best as she could.
Grant smiled as Bella licked his forehead, kissing the top of her head gently afterwards. "Tell Mommy to be nicer to me," he whispered, feeling Danielle walk in and started grazing her fingernails against his back through his shirt. "Babe," he whined, letting out a groan. "That barely does anything. It tickles more than it helps," he said before pouting. Sighing into Nora's fur, Grant closed his eyes and groaned again at the pounding and throbbing in his feet thanks to the new boots. "My feet are killing me. So much for breaking these boots in ahead of time," he muttered before kicking them off, sighing in relief. "I'd ask if you'd help me out there but you clearly don't want to be touching me," he said before pouting at her again. "Krypto no. Don't touch my feet," he muttered as he felt the dog move towards them.
Danielle immediately moved Grant to the spot where she slept in this morning, away from the dogs so that they'd wouldn't be able to agitate him further. He had to get better and the only way to do that was to make sure nothing would be able to bother him. She shot an apologetic look at Krypto, but brought a hand out to pet him just to soothe him for a moment, and then turned her attention back to her fiance. "Honey", she practically pleaded with him now. She was torn on knowing what to do and what was right and giving him exactly what he wanted. There wasn't much room for her to work with and be able to take care of him. Danielle ended up relenting, of course, dipping her hand into his shirt and scratching his back ever so gently in order to try and sedate the itch that he had. There wasn't much she could do about his legs or his feet, not wanting to spread the rash. "I'm only trying to take care of you", she continued to beg of him. "Because I don't want things messing with you for longer than they should."
Grant smiled to himself when Danielle gave in and started scratching his back gently underneath his shirt. "Ah, much better," he moaned, closing his eyes and licking his lips as he rested his head against Nora. "Feels so good, baby. Mm," he mumbled, listening as she explained she was just trying to take care of him the best way possible. "I know and this feels great. You're doing a perfect job," he said in bliss, biting down on his bottom lip. He knew she was going to stop eventually but right now it felt good and better than the cream by a long shot. Pouting when she did stop, Grant leaned over to take the socks off of his feet and stretch them out, groaning at the sight of his two big toes that were red and the back of his feet having blisters. "I'm broken. Just completely broken. Leave me here for the animals, there's no turning back now," he muttered as he leaned back against the sleeping bag.
Danielle stopped just a few seconds after she started giving him scratches along his back. She didn’t want to be able to give him any blisters that might form after the mosquito bites and surely it was better than what had transpired. The cream was slow acting, but it was the only thing she knew that she’d be able to give him for now until they’d be able to go to a pharmacy and get something stronger. When he started on his actions to get ready for bed, pulling out the socks and seeing the blisters on his feet, she was more than glad that they had extra shoes for him to wear tomorrow and he didn’t have to wear the hiking boots any longer. The brunette did give out a soft wince when she saw them, shaking her head. She was so stupid. They should have bought boots earlier and had him wear them around the house in order to break them in. Grant’s words, though, did make her laugh just a little bit. The dramatics of the situation had only started increasing for just a moment before she would lie down beside him. She didn’t want to get to too close, considering the bites and the rashes, but she did lean over and stole just one slow, passionate kiss in order to distract him. “You’re going to be fine”, Danielle offered out to him now. “I’ll take care of you and we’ll leave for civilization as soon as we wake up. I promise.” She didn’t want him to stay much longer where everything would be giving him a rough time.
Grant smiled slightly against Danielle's lips, returning the kiss with just as much passion as she was giving him. He felt like they didn't get much of a chance to connect while on the trip, mostly because her parents were around but also because everything was going wrong so it was nice to have moment. "I know. I'm in good hands with you," he said while smiling. Lazily kissing her lips once more, Grant then leaned back onto the sleeping bag and closed his eyes, sighing softly and trying to get in a comfortable enough position to fall asleep. Eventually he was successful and when he woke up that morning, Grant felt irritated on his back and his legs, the itchiness waking him up and making it extremely uncomfortable. Letting out a soft groan, Grant swallowed hard and sat up, watching as Jett and Nora moved closer to him. "Hey guys," he whispered before rubbing his eyes. "Need to get you guys a bath before you go back home with Aunt Kay. Do you know where we'll be able to do that?" He asked Danielle.
Danielle shifted in the sleeping bag for a moment, snuggling down into the pillow part of the bag before her eyes widened. The dogs were awake and they were anxious to get out, and she knew she had to get up soon if Grant had been awake before she had. The brunette let out a groan as she rubbed her eyes to find herself face to face with a dirty Krypto, giving out a soft yawn before scratching the puppy. They all needed baths and the only way they'd be able to do that and keep them clean would be to have them all in the RV. "There's the RV we can squeeze them all in", she mumbled out now, sitting up and giving her frame a small stretch. Danielle even laid out a hand to Grant's chest, giving it a soft rub as if to say good morning and time to get back and away from civilization. "I figure we can do that, and keep them in there while everyone else packing so they don't get in the way. Is that alright?" Even now, she ended up scooping one of the dogs in her arms and scrunching her nose together. Camping and light colored dogs did not mix at all.
Grant nodded when Danielle said they could use the RV to get them clean. "Yeah that works," he said, smiling softly at his fiancé as she rubbed his chest. Sighing softly, Grant got up and picked up Jett and Bella, carrying them both and making his way out of the tent. "Morning," he said while nodding to Danielle's parents as he made his way into the RV. He was tempted to mess with Kay's tent since she seemed to be sleeping still but he was too uncomfortable and just ready to get out of the wilderness at this point. Grant figured he could take Bella and Jett to the sink since they were smaller, doing them one at a time while Danielle took Krypto and Nora into the small bathroom that had a shower in there. Filling up the sink with warm water, Grant placed Jett on the ground to walk around while he cleaned Bella, smiling at how calm Bella was. "Such a good girl," he whispered, kissing the top of her head gently. Once he was finished with her, Grant started rubbing a towel against her as best as he could knowing she'd get dry after spending some time outside without walking around too much so that she wouldn't get dirty again. Jett gave Grant more of a hard time which he expected since he always did. "Come on buddy," he muttered, Jett trying to jump out of the sink as Grant washed his face which was the most dirty.
Danielle waved to her parents with Krypto in her arms and Nora following her like…a puppy. The brunette let out a laugh at the scene they must have created, but a bath for all four pets just sounded like the most ideal thing before they would all get back to Los Angeles. “Come on, guys”, she spoke out now, sliding in between Grant and the shower in order to get her two dogs situated. It’d be weird, considering it was a standing shower, but she’d be able to get both of them clean at the same time. Remembering that Nora hated bath time and water, she tried starting out slowly and small. Krypto, if anyone could believe it, was the most compromising of them all. He took to water like he took to land and soon he was the first dog out and clean, even beating Grant and Bella. “One dog down”, she yelled into the bathroom and even though she was getting herself wet as well in the shower with the clothes, she didn’t care. Nora, on the other hand, had been on the other side of the shower, curled up into a corner and she took the time now to carefully clean the pup as soothing as she could, speaking to her calmly in order to keep her calm. Easily enough, she turned off the water and started drying off the dog while standing beside her fiancé on a towel in order to keep the floor of the RV as dry as she could, but her nose had scrunched at Jett’s face that was so wet. “Poor baby”, she coo’d out to him before turning her attention to Grant. Danielle held up Nora to his face now, almost dry, and gave him a soft smile.
Grant tried his best to get most of the dirt of Jett but started feeling guilty when he started to whimper. He tried his best to dry off Jett but the dog wanted no part of it so there he was, walking around on the floor trying to get away and shaking the water off of him. Kissing Nora's face when Danielle held her towards him, Grant took him into his arms and sighed. "I'm going to miss them," he frowned, knowing it wouldn't be ideal to take them to Baltimore but always hating his time apart from them. With Nora in his arms, Grant picked up Bella and started making his way out of the RV. "Make sure you grab Jett or he'll get dirty all over again," he called back to Danielle before getting their leashes on so that it would be easier for Kay to take a hold of them all. "You gonna be alright with these four crazies?" He asked Danielle's sister while smirking. "Thank you for taking them," he said, handing Nora and Bella to her once they were hooked up on their leashes. Grant then slowly made his way over to Danielle's parents. "Despite the bad luck I had, I did have a good time. So thank you for having me and we'll see you guys for the wedding in a few weeks," he said, hugging them both.
Danielle agreed with Grant. She’ll miss them too, but a lot of traveling never did do them good and they’d be much safer with Kay back in Los Angeles. “Me too”, she whispered out to him and handed off Nora towards him now. Krypto would be better off walking again and even he couldn’t get as dirty after a shower. But Danielle knew that she needed another one of those as well before she’d finish packing. “No, no, no”, she spoke out to a rogue Jett who was running around the RV trying to hide and she almost ended up slipping; but she caught herself and the dog and now they were on their way out to meet up with Kay. The good natured teasing had her sister in a pout, grumbling that she was a zoologist and could run circles around the both of them in doggy care, but Danielle shook her head in laughter. “Please take them to a groomer’s when you get home too”, she told her sister before nodding her head. “Please take a shower because you smell like wet dog”, Kay spoke out but Danielle only stuck out her tongue and followed Grant to say goodbye to her parents. “Bye Mama, Bye Daddy”, the brunette started out and said no more, hugging them only after Grant had done so before they laughed at her wet clothes and hair. “Looks like Grant needs to give you a bath”, her father told her and she shrugged her shoulders. All she needed was a change of clothes and she’d be able to take a shower in their hotel room in Baltimore. “Drive safe, please. Our car to the airport near here would be arriving soon. Grant and I still have to pack.” It was then that she made to lay her hands on Grant’s back, but realized that might have been a bad idea and started scratching gently, just in case.
Grant said goodbye to Danielle's parents, waving before making his way over to Kay to hug her too. He realized it probably wasn't the best idea since his back was irritated now but he knew he couldn't avoid physical contact forever. "Ah," he blurted out when he felt Danielle's hands on his back. Closing his eyes when she started to scratch it gently, Grant was grateful for the gesture since it had been driving him crazy all morning and he needed it desperately. "Thank you," he whispered, licking his lips before getting into the tent to start packing up their things. "The mosquito bites are actually bothering me more than the poison ivy is. Hopefully there's something stronger at the pharmacy for that too," he sighed, running a hand through his hair. Once they were all packed out, Grant took his bags out of the tent and put them on the ground. "Bet this tent is easier to get down than it is to put up," he said, having the joy of knocking it down because of all the stress it caused to put it up. Once they had everything, Grant started following Danielle as they went to find a spot, to get picked up to head to the airport, excited to be going on another adventure and spending time in Baltimore to have some more fun with Danielle.
Danielle had changed into some new clothes and grabbed her toothbrush in order to go to the communal baths in the campground to brush their teeth later. When she came back, Grant was already taking their clothes out of the tent and she was watching him with rapt attention. The smile on her face stayed when he started knocking down the tent, a testament to their weekend at the gorge. “You beat up camping. You crushed it”, she teased out to him now, throwing him a soft smirk before her parents came over and grabbed the rest of the tent to pack it up. Saying goodbye to them again, she started walking out of the camp ground and onto the main road where the car would be picking them up to head to the small airport that had been in the area. Her smile grew as her eyes stayed on her fiancé’s frame, arms holding onto a blanket just in case the airport had been too cold on her, and studying his frame now. Camping did take a toll on him, she saw that. The rash wasn’t spreading like she had thought, so that was good, but she hadn’t wished it on anyone at all. “I’m glad that you still tried it”, she spoke out now before the car came around now with a driver. She shook her head at Grant, pulling him into the car and letting the person come help with their bags. Danielle knew they needed to utilize the cleaning services in the hotel once they’d get there as well. “Are you excited to go to Baltimore? How excited are you?”
Grant got into the car and was thankful when the driver took their bags, just needing to rest at this point. Camping was exhausting and he barely slept as is because of the lizard and his awful poison ivy and mosquito bites that were driving him crazy. "Yeah, really excited. I can't wait to see the Orioles play," he said with a smile on his face. Once the driver started driving them to the airport, Grant looked out the window and stayed quiet, mainly because he was tired and uncomfortable and hoped that once they were on the plane, he'd be able to get some sleep. He knew he wouldn't be going camping any time soon but he was still glad to have the experience despite how horrendous most of it was.
Danielle smiled wider once Grant had managed to crack one himself, her hand going to his head of hair and scratching the scalp gently. She was happy that he was content enough now, having the experience away from them at this point. At the mention of the Orioles, she cringed inwardly; but she didn’t want to show him she was afraid to experience the bird time first hand. No, he deserved more than that. He deserved the whole world after the ordeal that he had gone through and she was going to be the person to give it to him. “Good. I love you and we’ll do all of whatever you want there, promise”, she spoke out to him now, her tone of voice calming as ever. Her hands still moved to give him some sort of affection, but really ultimately she stayed in her position in the car until they were there at the airport. “Ready to go”, she asked of him now, indicating her head to the return of civilization.
School hasn’t even started and I’m already exhausted.
I got accepted!!
Finally got word I was approved for the child welfare internship I have been working on for so long!!! Looking forward to a definite future in working with children in the child welfare program in my state, as flawed as it may be. Finally feeling like I have a real chance to make an actual difference in others lives!
Cubing with the Pros: Lenticular Design
Lenticular design is a way that designers at Wizards of the Coast make cards that fulfill different function depending on how you look at them. Maro likes to use the example of Black Cat, a 1/1 creature with a death trigger that makes an opponent discard a card. Newer players see it as a 1/1 creature first, and will play it as such, then just take the death trigger as a happy bonus. More skilled players will see that in some circumstances the discard is often more useful than the 1/1 creature and that this is the sort of thing you can try to build a combo around. Cube designers are somewhat limited in how they can apply lenticular design to cube construction, but it does have some important lessons for us.
Designers at Wizards have a big leg up when it comes to lenticular design: they can create fresh new cards that people will have to look at in different ways before figuring out all the ways they can use them. Cube designers have only existing cards with which to try and bring something new and interesting into our cubes. If you have newer players in your play group, then you can make similar decisions to Wizards, such as including Black Cat simply because some players will see the value of the death trigger while others will only see it as a 1/1 creature with a random bonus if it dies. But if your play group is anything like mine, things are fairly stable and the players are all of roughly equal skill levels. They wouldn't fall into drafting something like Dragon's Claw and including that cycle in my cube would only mean some players get stuck with bad cards that they know are bad on their sideboard. Bad cards have their place, but I think they should generally still make players wonder if they would be worth drafting in some circumstances. Even your “bad” cards should have some sort of value.
Your attempt at something like lenticular design has to take your entire cube into account, as well as whatever you know about your play group. For instance, I know I have a Timmy, a few Johnnys and a Spike in my play group. I can choose cards that each of those players will value, but for different reasons. Timmy is probably the easiest to please: throw in the biggest spells and creatures I can and player will be happy to draft them and even happier when they get to cast them. Johnnys want to build a unique deck and so often need combo options of some sort available. They don't always have to be the most powerful; it's usually enough when it's something that will surprise the other players. When possible, I like to trade a few cards into my cube when I know a friend is aware of that combo. I want to see if they'll put it together and manage to pull it off in game. Finally, Spike just wants to win and will try to draft whatever they think gives them the best chance to do that. In a new cube they won't necessarily know what that is; in older cubes I try to switch things up enough to keep my Spike on his toes without making him feel like I've hamstringed his favorite decks (though sometimes it's hard to avoid that).
Which brings us to a card that could have all those players considering how it might fit into their deck. Abhorrent Overlord is a big flier for Timmy, a resource for a sac outlet due to all those Harpies for Johnny, and good mid-endgame for Spike. Not many cards appeal to all these types of players, but a good number of cards will mean different things to two of them at the same time. Finding and including some of these cards can transform draft into a more interesting competition by causing players to value the same cards highly, where perhaps before they were each in their own little world, Timmy not too concerned with what Johnny might do. When the same card means different things to different people, assuming those things are good, it's value increases and your draft takes on a whole new life. And that's what good lenticular design is all about.
Cubing with the Pros: Keeping it Fresh
Wizards of the Coast helps insure the game is always new and interesting by rotating old cards out of standard while it brings new cards (or reprints of cards we've been missing) into the game. They do this multiple times a year, at least in regards to adding cards. If drafting and playing your cube is starting to get stale then you shouldn't be afraid to freshen things up!
Not that you need to change things up as often as Wizards, especially once your cube's found a sweet spot. But it couldn't hurt to keep a healthy “side board” of cards you can trade in and out to keep players on their toes. This also can help you keep dominating metas in check without completely eliminating them; just make them less appealing due to cost or by switching them from instant speed to sorcery.
We can see how Wizards does this by looking at Doom Blade. It's really efficient creature removal for black at instant speed. Other cards that do that at different speeds and costs include Annihilate, Asphyxiate, Assassin's Strike, Assassinate, and Attrition. And we haven't even gotten out of A yet! You have a lot of options to change up your cube and make your players reevaluate their favorite cards and strategies without doing a whole lot of tinkering. Just make sure your curves don't go to far askew when trading in new cards and your next draft will be an exciting and fun new experience!
Cubing with the Pros: Complexity
The last Cubing with the Pros post talked about how Wizards uses card rarity to help keep control of the complexity of the game: commons make up most cards and in general are less complex. There are certain things that Wizards just wouldn't do at common today because it would make the game even more difficult for new players. While you might understand the rules really well and maybe even scoff at that idea, you should know that even the best players can only handle so much complexity in the game.
By limiting the complexity in your cube, you are able to encourage players to put their efforts in the right places, instead of leaving them to mull over every single card, reread this one, forget what another does, and wonder if they made the best draft choices. As far as individual card complexity goes, it's often useful to drafters to be able to glance quickly at some of the cards to see what they do. A 1/2 flier, okay. A 1/1 vanilla goblin. Those cards only require a quick look so that they can focus the rest of their efforts the more complex cards. If every card they come across is a more complex card then mental fatigue occurs very quickly and it becomes harder and harder to make good choices when drafting.
That sort of mental fatigue continues in game. More complex cards have more complicated effects on the board state and how they interact with other cards. A game should be decided based on who played best, not because someone missed some bookkeeping on a card or was too busy reading what their cards do to focus enough of their efforts on winning the game. In short, decreasing complexity in places where it doesn't contribute to a fun and competitive game allows your players to focus on the game and play better. Where you no longer have a complex card to bring something special to the game, you instead have players focused and calculating how they can win. A good cube will balance the two, providing cards that are just complicated enough to keep game play interesting, without being so complicated as a group that they make it difficult for players to play.