Fandom High Graduation Ceremony, Class of 2008, Saturday Afternoon (Part II)

[fh-fae.livejournal.com]

After the last diploma had been handed out, the graduates were sent back to their seats, and Principal Washburn returned to the podium, to give her final speech and end the ceremony.

It was then that the rumbling started.

Odds were, if you asked the average citizen of Fandom to describe the town, they would tell you about the school, and the shops, and the beach and preserve, and all the areas of the island that existed above ground. But what they wouldn't describe was the island's biggest secret - beneath the ground, hidden from all of the town's inhabitants, was a city of ancient machines, designed to keep Fandom connected to every dimension it has ever touched, allowing people to continue to come from all over to live and grow on the island.

Although the existence of the underground city has always been hidden from Fandom's citizens - a safety measure, to ensure that none of Fandom's more power-hungry students or teachers try to use the machines for harmful purposes - it has not been a secret to everyone. During the night, fae and faeries of all sizes and power had come to make their way underground, and seize control of Fandom's machines, determined to have the unparalleled dimensional access for themselves. Although they were followed, the Wild Hunt had never caught its prey, and while the people of the town were occupied with graduation, the faeries struck, beginning to activate the machines.

But what the faeries didn't realize was that not all of the machines controlled access to dimensions. One machine in particular, one of the first to be activated, controlled the access to the city from above ground. As the machine chugged along, a section of the island lowered a few feet underground, allowing access to the city, the machines, and the faeries.

Of course, it just so happened that this section of land was where the platforms had been laid before graduation, and where the graduates had all been seated. As the platforms sank, a clear bubble covered the area where they'd been, allowing the audience to watch, but preventing them from being able to interfere or help. It was up to the graduates to defend themselves, and get rid of the fae.

[Wait for the OCD, please! OCD is up! Have fun!]

Comments

Re: Uh, did we win?

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker had settled down and finished her popcorn, looking for graduates congratulate, assuming they weren't covered in faerie guts. That meant they'd get congratulated from farther away.

Re: Uh, did we win?

[demonbelthazor]

Bel wandered over. "Hey, Parker," he said, keeping an eye out for any shoes that might be headed in his direction. "How's it going?"

Re: Uh, did we win?

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Not bad at all. Faerie asses kicked, graduates graduated, parents greeted, and mine aren't here." She grinned at him, tapping the toes of her shoes on the ground, and folded her arms. "Everything fine with you guys? It's Daisy's big day, so I'm guessing yes."

Re: Uh, did we win?

[demonbelthazor]

"You know we wouldn't miss it," Bel said, grinning. "Had to come help him celebrate."

Re: Uh, did we win?

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Yeaaah. I'm proud of the big lug. Did you see him swinging that chair out there?" she asked, grinning toward the graduates. "Very cool." She cocked an eyebrow at him. "So. No more harem e-mails. Right?"

Re: Uh, did we win?

[demonbelthazor]

Bel sighed. "No more emails. You turned me down, Isabel turned me down, Veronica. . . ." He glanced over at the woman in question, who was talking to some of the graduates. "Can I ask you a weird question?"

Re: Uh, did we win?

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker narrowed her eyes, then shrugged. "As long as we're not talking weirdly personal, because that'll get you kicked. But sure. What?"

Re: Uh, did we win?

[demonbelthazor]

"Not personal about you," Bel quickly assured her. "I just . . . I don't know much about human pregnancy. I mean, where I come from, some types of demons? They lay eggs. I know how everything works, of course, but I was just wondering . . . if a woman were, say, Phoebe-sized, and was just over four months pregnant, shouldn't she be showing by now?"

Re: Uh, did we win?

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker's eyes got huge. "Phoebe's pregnant? Omigod. Didn't you guys learn from last year? Unless you planned this, I guess you could have planned it, but, jeeeez, Bel--"

Re: Uh, did we win?

[demonbelthazor]

"No!" Bel said. "She's not pregnant! Veronica is!" He winced and facepalmed.

Re: Uh, did we win?

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker's eyes got even bigger. "Whoa. Whoa. Waaait. How do you even know this? Did she tell Phoebe?" Parker snuck a look at Veronica, and frowned. "Hunh. Yeah, I'd think she'd be showing more, but... I can't tell from here, and maybe you got the date wrong?"

Re: Uh, did we win?

[demonbelthazor]

"She and Logan hooked up in December," Bel said. "When Angel was . . . you know. And then I overheard her on the phone later telling him she was pregnant."

Re: Uh, did we win?

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Oh look, six feet of muddy, shirtless, overjoyed Cylon jock barrelling toward her. "Parker Parker Parker Parker Parker!"

Re: Uh, did we win?

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"DAISY!" Parker threw open her arms, then cautioned, "No mud on the Armani, no mud on the Armani, oh my god, you did so great out there, graduate!"

Re: Uh, did we win?

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Anders -- bless fast reflexes -- stopped just short of a hug, then, and grinned at her. "Did I do you proud?"

Re: Uh, did we win?

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker grinned at him for both the sudden stop and the actual question. "Definitely! Whaling on that little gremlin-snot, and trading quips-- I couldn't hear, but it looked quippy. And using your mortarboard as a frisbee! High five!"

She could feel a hug coming on. Fight it, fight it, nooooo...!

Re: Uh, did we win?

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Anders laughed and obligingly held up a hand. "I tried my best. I did!"

Re: Uh, did we win?

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"You did! You did better than try, you succeeded! Wooo!" And that, right there, might be a tiny spontaneous hug, across an area not smeared with mud or faerie blood. "God, and you thought you couldn't get through this. Way more impressive than surviving another fight, Daisy."

Re: Uh, did we win?

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"I frakking made it," Anders said, his tone of wonder indicating that he'd be saying it many more times today.

Re: Uh, did we win?

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker chortled in glee at his reaction, and said, "Many many glasses of champagne on me at the post-graduation victory party. 'Cause you deserve them."

Re: Uh, did we win?

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"I'd like to think so," Anders laughed. "Really kinda would."

Re: Uh, did we win?

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Do think it! Told you so, told you so," Parker sing-songed. She grinned at him, and pushed his hair out of his face, feeling a pang. "Knew you would."

Re: Uh, did we win?

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

"Fandom did not disappoint." Billy muttered, cracking his neck. "Hey Parker. You enjoy the show?"

Re: Uh, did we win?

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"A thrill a minute, just like usual." Parker grinned. "And hey, congratulations!"

Re: Uh, did we win?

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

"Thank you very much. Good to see you." He'd always had a bit of a crush on Parker, despite the fact that this was one of the longest conversations he could remember having with her.