Surviving the Elements (Richard/M.E Thread)

[Jacelyn Winters]

Okay, so Jace had gotten elected to be one of the chaperons of this little student camping trip thing that somebody had thrown together. From her understanding, it was that damn Student Body President's idea, and to be honest, Jace was less than thrilled about it. Not that she didn't like the outdoors or anything, just that, well....Jacelynn was a little on the clumsy side, so the last thing she needed was to be stuck, alone, in the wilderness, with a bunch of teenagers.

Sure, she knew there was supposed to be other teachers, but not all the other teachers really liked her, and well, she wasn't too keen on them either. Not to mention she didn't know which ones were supposed to be showing up. As far as she knew, it was her and one other teacher on the bus that she was headed toward, one of those big ass fancy buses that meant that SBP had shelled out the ass, because she highly doubted that Mrs. Badoer would have. But hey, whatever, she wasn't going to complain.

Dragging her bag along the ground, because it was way too heavy to pick up and carry, she gave a frustrated little sigh and tried her best to blow a bit of her hair back out of her face. She was dressed in a pair of denim jeans, complete with holes in the legs and one on the ass which gave a somewhat clear view of her black and pink boyshort undies. Not that she really cared. A white tank top covered with a button up flannel shirt which was undone and tied just below her breasts...the sleeves rolled up. Auburn locks twisted up at the back of her head, though clearly some of it was falling freely and about her face due to the struggle she was having with her bag.

Perhaps she had packed a bit too much, but she was one that believed sometimes less was not always more. So, she had made sure to get everything she would need. In reality, it wasn't too much, but the bag attached to her bag that held her tent was really weighing her down. Inside her backpack though, she had bottles of water, energy bars, sunscreen and bug spray, changes of clothes, plenty of socks, a lighter, a sleeping bag and other stuff like a book, book light, and all that good stuff. She wasn't going to be dying anytime soon, at least not if she could help it.

In her back pocket was her pocketknife, and atop her head was a pair of pink kitty ears and a pair of shades. She thought to pull the shades down, but if she did, she would have to lose some of her momentum that she was using to pull her stuff and then yeah....she would have to start all over. Not worth it. The woes of being so small clearly shown as she trudged her way toward the bus, her boots not even laced up yet, which was really just an accident waiting to happen.

However, she would finally get there, looking at the bus driver person who was throwing all the kids stuff into the undercarriage of the bus and simply releasing her bag with a heavy sigh and glancing at her stuff and then back at him before offering an all too sheepish little smile. "Umm...would you mind?" Giggling a bit as she tucked her hands into her back pockets, watching him move forward and with one hand grab her stuff and toss it in.

Eyes narrowing, she would grumble to herself as she waited til his back was turned and stuck her tongue out at him. Quick to suck it back in as soon as he saw him turning around, and turn herself to watch as the students loaded up, not sure if the other teacher was here or not yet, but hopeful they would hurry up, if for no other reason than so she didn't have to be all alone.

[Richard Monaghan]

And show up he did, wandering up to the scene and managing to only look relatively lost. He wasn't even sure he was considered a teacher, he had yet to be assigned an actual course, even. All the same, Rick had been asked on his first day if he wanted to help chaperone some camping trip, and seeing no reason not to, had agreed. It wasn't until after the secretary had hung up that Rick realized he had no idea where the buses parked.

Luckily, he managed to stumble across it, nodding and giving a quick wave of acknowledgment to the bus driver. He was wearing a pair of khaki cargo pants, a white tanktop under a blue plaid shirt, left open. On his back was his blue camping pack, filled up with a four-person tent, an outdoor mini-grill, a flashlight and a lantern, a sleeping bag, some extra clothes, a few bars of soap, a box of matches, and a box of tinder. In one hand, he held a fairly large cooler, containing beverages, of both teenager and adult variety, hot dogs, burger meat, and buns for each, along with various condiments for each.

In the other hand, he held a black bag, the contents of which were the most important part of the trip.

He set the cooler down for a moment, catching his breath slightly, moreso pausing to adjust his mirrored shades, lowering them to get a more vibrant view of his surroundings. Without the dull amber coat of his sunglasses, the pink ears showed up all the more suddenly. A smirk crossed his features. So the other teacher was going to be the kooky psychiatrist that Rick had met the other day.

He could deal with that. His smile grows a little broader and he waves in her direction, before picking the cooler back up and helping the driver put his and everyone else's stuff into the charter bus. With that out of the way, the driver turned and headed to the driver's seat to start getting everything set up to drive. Rick's eyes met Jace's, before they looked in the direction of the open bus door.

"Ladies first," he says, gesturing casually with a hand.

[Jacelyn Winters]

Jace was a bit surprised to see Mr. Sunglasses standing there, having been a bit preoccupied with trying to get her bag from her car to the bus and all. Any other person might have felt like a dork for not noticing him standing there, especially given how much time she had spent checking him out the first day they met, but not Jace! Nope! She fully forgave herself because of the simple fact that she was certain her pack could have killed a man his size if swung with enough force, by somebody clearly stronger than she was.

But yeah, point was, it could have crushed a man's skull!

Jumping a bit as she caught sight of him giving her a little wave, she would blush just slightly and offer up a little giggle as she returned the gesture. "Hey there handsome. Surprised to see you here." She had been unaware that he was actually considered a teacher, though it did make sense if she thought about it, to have the head of campus security go along on this trip. Made even more sense if she took into consideration her complete lack of camping ability. Knowing her, she was likely to try and build a tent and instead catch a student on fire.

Stranger things had happened.

"Have to admit though. I couldn't really ask for a better camping buddy." That smile lighting up her features as she rocked back onto her heels, a little wound up from all the excitement of getting ready for this trip over the last couple days. The whole ordeal having taken a couple days due to the fact that she had to pack, unpack and pack again. She was a little OCD that way.

Whatever the case, as the bus driver moved to climb behind the steering wheel, she would give a little polite bow of her head as Rick motioned for her to go ahead. "Hmm, such a gentleman. Though what will I have to do to persuade you to sit with me?" That charming little grin given before spinning around and bouncing toward the entrance to the bus. Perhaps, just maybe, making a point of swaying her ass in the process. She wasn't sure if he was the type to check her out, nor was she the kind of girl that would look to see if he was, but she was the kind of girl that would perform the subtle little act in hopes that he was. Because lets face it, she thought the guy was hot, and it would only make flirting with him that much easier if he thought the same.

Bouncing up the steps to the bus, she would then make her way through the isle toward the back. She knew that most teachers liked to sit at the front, some form of superiority complex or something, but she knew that if you were going to keep your eye on a bunch of rowdy teens, it was best to sit in the back...Also, it stopped some naughty kids from having a full blown make out session back there. However as she spun around to plop down into her seat, she would make sure and turn her eyes back toward Rick, scootching over as she did and motioning toward the spot next to her.

Getting to know you time she supposed. Besides, it wasn't like they had anything else to do for the length of the trip to the camp site.

[Richard Monaghan]

Rick chuckled a bit at her question, shrugging as she finished. He glanced into the bus, taking a look at all the students seated and ready to go. He looked back at her climbing up the steps, leaning against the side of the door. His eyes, hidden behind his shades, followed her butt as she swayed back and forth, not necessarily intending to look, but when it was right there - well, Rick was, after all, a male, and he was only human. A slight smirk crept across his face as he looked, until he noticed the driver staring at him disapprovingly, wiping the smirk from his face.

"Well, you could fight for my favor against any one of these lovely students," he remarked, finally, as he headed up the stairs behind her. "Or you could always just ask." He held his hands up in a full shrug, making something of a 'what can you do' gesture for a moment before dropping his arms back to his sides.

And ask, she did, in a more nonverbal fashion at least. He looked at her for a moment, then the empty spot, and turned around to sit in it, taking up her offer.

Once he did, however, he got a little quiet, sitting with his back facing her, legs in the aisle. He looked over all of the students, doing a quick head-count and taking note of the faces of those gathered. It was pretty obvious to anyone looking that he had quickly slipped into 'Head of Security' mode once again.

[Jacelyn Winters]

She may not have seen him looking, but she did catch sight of that bus driver looking behind her with those disapproving eyes, a little grin curling on her lips as she imagined what that was for. Though as he spoke, she would simply chuckle and shake her head. "Now, now...I can't go seeming too forward can I? Just wouldn't be very lady like of me." A little grin flashed his way over her shoulder as she turned her head back to look at him.

Turning back around, she proceeded on her way to the back, counting heads as she did and noting who was here and who she was going to have to deal with for the duration of the trip. A mental groan spotting some of her less than favorable students, though she wouldn't say or do anything other than offer a little half assed smile in their direction before taking up her seat at the back of the bus.

That motion given to silently ask him to sit with her given, she had to admit she was rather happy that he chose to accept, though as soon as he sat down it was obvious that he was right back into full on Head of Security mode, which in her little oddly formed mind, was kind of sexy.

Shifting within the seat, she pressed her back up to the window and curled one leg into the seat, easily fitting into the spot due to her small size. Those pretty little eyes looking over him as he looked over the students, finding this to be the perfect time to check him out.....again. What?! She liked the way he looked, and she wasn't at all ashamed about scoping him out every chance she got. Though after a moment, she would lean forward, her chin softly pressing against his shoulder as she spoke in a soft little whisper against his ear. "You know, I don't think they are going anywhere right now. I mean, not a whole lot of places for them to escape to."

Teasing of course, knowing why he was being so serious and respecting his commitment to the job at hand. He just should have had some clue by now that Jace was not the sit still and be quiet type. In fact, if she was doing that, it could probably be safe to assume something was wrong...She was just far too bubbly and....quirky to be contained for any real length of time, making her a bit annoying at times. Or so she had been told.

[Richard Monaghan]

He was brought out of his zone by her words, head tilting towards hers for a moment, until he realized just how close she was, which startled him slightly. His eyebrows rose, but he made no jumpy movements, simply replied.

"Maybe not right now, but there's lots of open space out there and I wouldn't mind knowing who's snuck off as soon as they do." He smiled slightly, more to himself than anything. With the headcount done, however he shifted back in his seat to face the front, relaxing into the chair a little more than before. He scratched his nose impatiently.

"How much longer before he gets this bucket of bolts moving? I hate tight spaces."

[Jacelyn Winters]

Jacelynn would shrug slightly, shifting around to face forward as he did, and resting her arms over top of the seat in front of her. "Well, I can already tell you that those two in the third seat from the front, on the left, will be disappearing fairly quickly to find a spot to make out in. The three over there on the right currently huddled together will likely be first though, my guess they either have beer or drugs stored in their bag, if not both. Oh and that one there, seat five on the left, he will disappear at night sometime. He has this creepy little habit of trying to hide and watch the girls change, been caught trying to make peep holes in the girls locker room four times so far." She nodded and then slouched back into her seat, her hands falling to rest upon her lap.

However when he spoke about the bus driver getting this show on the road she would arch her brow slightly and turn her head to look at him. "Claustrophobic?" Her head tilting a bit as she curled her legs up Indian style into the seat with her, her arms wrapping about them slightly. "As for the bus, should be going anytime now...Don't really see any reason to wait, everyone is here." Another little shrug before she would sigh and lay her head back into the seat, once more looking forward and tapping her fingers against her leg softly. A few moments later, the bus starting up and the door closing as they got ready to head off on their oh so fun adventure.

Gah...already she wanted to go home....though at least she had some amusement, in the form of the very handsome, yet slightly odd male next to her.

[Richard Monaghan]

Rick nodded attentively as Jace pointed out the problem students on the bus, listening to what she had to say about each one. He had pegged the couple pretty quickly, and the three bad eggs weren't too hard to spot either. The pervert, however, threw him. "Him? But he looks so innocent!"

Rick then pointed out another one, off to the side. "See, I've got my eye on that one. See how he keeps putting his hand in his pocket?" He looks back at Jace and nods. "He's packing. Probably a little pocket-knife, but it's either the first time he's ever held one, or he's thinking about when he gets to use it on somebody."

He shook his head, leaning back again and scratching the side of his neck uncomfortably as she asked her question. "Ah, not... exactly," he said, looking back over at her. "Bad experience back in Afghanistan. Our APC hit an IED and flipped. Those things are claustrophobic enough already, but when they're upside down and you're in a pile of your own men, and you don't know how long you have until they cut through the side and swarm..."

Rick trailed off, his face going dark as all the less-than-happy memories began to flood back in after all this time.

[Jacelyn Winters]

Jace would sit there for a moment, nodding and looking at the kid he had pointed out. "Kyle...Yeah he is a bit of a trouble maker. Or more of a wanna be trouble maker, I should say. I would guess he is aiming to start trouble with Chase over there in the blue shirt and red hat." Her hand motioning to the other boy, nodding a bit more before she allowed her hands to fall back into her lap.

Slowly her tongue would brush across her lips, eyes cast forward until he began to speak about what it was that caused him to not like small spaces. Her nose wrinkling just slightly as she reached down to wrap her hands about her legs which were curled up in the seat, though she said nothing. She was one of the best at not interrupting when somebody was speaking, though that was kind of her job. She was a listener, pure and simple. Only offering advice when it was important that she do so.

Yet as he continued to discuss what had happened, she noted the way that he sort of ....left. His mind undoubtedly going back to another time and place, one much less happy than the one he was currently in. This thought only confirmed when he trailed off and seemed to become lost in his own thoughts, his face darkening.

Lightly she would tilt her head, letting her eyes scan over him for a moment before reaching out with one hand and grasping his own rather firmly. "Well its a good thing you are here now and not back in that awful place." A genuine, soft little smile curling upon her lips as she offered a somewhat reassuring squeeze to his hand, not yet pulling back. She knew some about those kinds of flashbacks/memories, enough that she knew it was important to pull said person back to the here and now instead of letting them dwell on the past....and despite having just met him, she did care about him somewhat....Jacelyn cared about everyone to some extent, her friends more so than others...She was just a very caring person. Hence the job as a therapist.

Hell, most people had turned down the offer to work at this school, saying it was pointless. She on the other hand had felt that it was necessary....even if the kids never listened to her. "Besides, worse case scenario is we get stuck on the side of the road. Then you are stuck with me. Which is pretty serious, I mean...I can be rather annoying at times." Giggling softly, leaning in her seat just slightly to nudge him with her shoulder.

Once she was sure he was okay, she would pull her hand back from his own..Not really having noticed she left it there that long and blushing just a tiny bit. Though she was quick to turn her head to look out the window, concealing said blush from view.

[Richard Monaghan]

Her hand on his seemed to snap him out of his dark place, the words slowly bringing him back to reality as he turned his head to face her, a soft smile alighting his features. "Yeah," he said, quietly at first, but quickly gaining his usual candor and tone. "Yeah it is." His smile grew a little wider, and he looked back out towards the middle aisle of the bus, watching the students.

She spoke again, and he couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of being stuck on the side of the road. He looked back over at her, then distinctly at her hand as she pulled it away, looking down at her lap and hand for a few moments before his gaze reverted back to her eyes, which had since turned to look out the window. "That would just be terrible," he deadpanned with a little laugh. "If we actually got stuck, I'd probably just have to get out and fix the damn thing myself."

This time is was Rick who didn't look away, propping one of his arms up on the back of the seat as he looked over at her, staring out the window. "See anything exciting out there?"

[Jacelyn Winters]

Jace tried to keep her focus out the window, but when she heard him commenting about fixing the bus, she easily was distracted, giving a little laugh and glancing back at him before turning to resume her previous glance out the window. However when he asked if she saw anything interesting she would smile slightly and shake her head...turning back to face him, fully expecting him to still be facing forward and surprised to find him still looking at her instead. "No, not really. Much better scenery in here at the moment."

That flirty little tone followed up by a soft giggle as her smile grew a bit more genuine and bright, back to its usual way of being. She was a happy person, usually, or so she tried to seem and this day was no different than the hundred of others to exist within her past. "Besides, I am sure I will have plenty to look at once we are out in the wild or whatever. Though I have a feeling it is not going to be as rugged as some of these kids are hoping." No, she was picturing something a little more....subdued..perhaps even mildly boring and tame. Nothing fun and exciting, at least, not if they didn't make it so.

Shifting in her seat, she would turn to face him, her shoulder pressing into the back of the seat and her head leaning against it slightly as well...those eyes focusing upon his own once more as she reached out and playfully tapped the end of his nose. "How about you? See anything interesting or exciting?" Grinning just slightly, teasing him and at the same time not...A subtle way of seeing if she could get a read on just what he thought about her...and her pink kitty ears and all.

[Richard Monaghan]

He smirked at her comment about the scenery, not bothering to comment on it just yet. He broke eye contact for a while, turning his head back to face the front. His head leaned back as she spoke, and he shrugged. "You're probably right," he said, glancing back in her direction again. "Where are we going to be, anyway? Some nearby national park?"

He looked out into the aisle again, looking around at all of the students, when he saw her shifting to face him. Not to be rude, he turned back to her as well, turning his head in her direction just in time to see her finger coming up and poking his nose. His eyes followed the finger all the way, resulting in him looking down at it cross-eyed when she tapped it. He laughed a little, shaking his head at her.

"I dunno, do cute little cat-people count as 'interesting' or 'exciting'?" he counters, with a shrug.

[Jacelyn Winters]

She pursed her lips slightly, shrugging just a bit as she thought about the place where they were headed. "I believe it is a state park. From what I could gather, by listening to the other teachers as they tried so hard to pretend I wasn't there, the family funding the trip has taken every precaution to ensure that this camping trip is about as effortless as possible. You know? The whole, designated camp grounds, awkwardly placed shower rooms, picnic tables and a good view of nature from a safe enough distance." A little amused chuckle given as she shook her head. She found the whole thing a bit silly really, to call it a camping trip and yet be so scared to leave behind some of the comforts of modern living. Not exactly what she was hoping for, but what she got just the same.

As he shifted back to face her, her eyes would linger upon his own, giggling softly at the way his eyes crossed as he followed the motion of her finger with them. A gentle shake of her head given, however being caught slightly off guard by his words and blushing just a bit. "I don't know. I mean, I would think so...but it all really depends on the ears." Her small hand coming up to lightly flick one of the pink ears that was perched atop her head. "Can't be an amusing cat girl without a good set of ears." That bright, bubbly smile once again curling upon her lips as she would curl within her seat just slightly, settling in for the remainder of the ride in a position that granted her a clear view of him while they spoke. "Also depends on what the cute little cat person is doing. I mean, get one riled up in just the right way, who knows what could happen. Would be exciting, and interesting...that's for sure." A slight grin gracing her lips as she reached up and began to idly twirl a lock of her hair about her fingers.

[Richard Monaghan]

Rick quirked an eyebrow lazily at her as she explained the location, and how tame it was. She looked to be a little disappointed, but Rick couldn't help but shrug.

"Sounds exactly like the only kind of camping trip a school could legally be allowed to take a bunch of, well, delinquent kids on. Could you imagine half of these guys running out in the real wild?"

He shakes his head and lets out a low whistle. "Well, I dunno, maybe they'd be more suited there."

She got a little more quiet, but only for half a second, at most, at his rather modest compliment, which caused him to smile a little wider, amused by her antics and the red color that started to flush her cheeks. His arm draped over the back of the seat, lazily hanging off of it as she talked about her ears, settling himself in as well.

"Can't really be a cat-girl at all without a good set of ears, I'd imagine," he slid in edgewise at the appropriate time, giving a little shrug as she continued. His grin, however, turned to a straight face, and both eyebrows lifted up above his shades as she finished that particular thought.

"Ms. Winters, are you coming on to me?"

[Jacelyn Winters]

She would arch her brow slightly, glancing over the students on the bus and shaking her head slightly. "Well, the way that I look at it, is that these kids need a bit of a challenge to possibly give them something to work toward other than vandalizing the pretty bathrooms set up just outside the campgrounds." She shrugged, her tongue slowly tracing long her lips, her eyes fixated upon him rather intently.

It wasn't like these kids could really go anywhere, so she figured that it was perfectly alright to be distracted, at least for the time being. Going about explaining her ears and breaking to grin slightly at his comment. Not often did people agree with her when it came to the various pairs of kitty ears she wore atop her head, but it was kind of nice to have him do so. A light chuckle given before she would nod slightly. "Exactly my point! If you mess up the ears, you might as well just go home because lets face it, there is nothing sexy about a bad set of ears." Her lips pursing slightly, brow furrowing in a rather serious look before she could hold it no longer and would giggle lightly.

Though as she continued, it would seem that she was caught, his expression going a bit straight and his words causing her to blush momentarily as she worked to recover. She didn't really want to come across as the shy, babbling idiot, but yeah, she had allowed her brain to go free without a filter there for a moment. "And here I was thinking you would never catch on." Purring the words forth in a near whisper as she leaned in toward him just a tiny bit more, a little grin settled upon her lips as her eyes shimmered with delight. Oh, she was dying on the inside, wanting to curl up and disappear due to embarrassment but she had said something she could not take back, so she figured she might as well run with it.