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?

[chasingangela]

Angela blinked at the carnage, hands unconsciously on her stomach.

Frito's chances of going to Fandom had just dropped another 20 percent.

Re: Uh, did we win?

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel had sent her family back to the hotel with promises to meet them after she'd showered off the blood and goo. But before she went back to her room, she wanted to do a bit of a check to make sure everyone was okay.

"Angela! Hi! Welcome back to the crazy place."

Re: Uh, did we win?

[chasingangela]

"It's as completely insane as ever," Angela said, reaching to hug Isabel despite the goo. "Possibly more -- we only had to fight aliens. And congratulations!"

Re: Uh, did we win?

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Gingerly Isabel hugged her back, trying not to spread the fairy goo. "Thanks! Yeah, it's definitely different. But a good different," she said, finally taking a moment to appreciate the changed scenery. "For a change."

Re: Uh, did we win?

[chasingangela]

"I hope Portalocity can get us home from here," Angela mused, eyes scanning the horizon. "So, god, how have you been before this?" She waved a hand to indicate the carnage.

Re: Uh, did we win?

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"There are worse places to face a portal delay," Isabel pointed out. "Look at those beaches."

"I'm doing great. There's been some bad stuff." Which was an understatement of epic proportions. "But overall, it's been a really good year."

Re: Uh, did we win?

[chasingangela]

Angela did look at the beaches, and had to grin slightly. "Yeah, even if they're bitches about rescheduling us it'll be worth it," she had to agree. "And I'm glad you got a good senior year. There's always bad stuff."

Re: Uh, did we win?

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, you heard about the Angel statues didn't you?" she asked. "And that magical plague?"

Re: Uh, did we win?

[chasingangela]

"Tiny bit?" Angela confessed. "I've been kind of horrible at keeping in touch. I love you guys, it's just school sucking my brains out."

"Did the statues get anybody important?"

Re: Uh, did we win?

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Hey, Angela!" Parker called from a up few seats, then wandered down to say hi. "Well. That was special, wasn't it? At least no one got hurt."

Re: Uh, did we win?

[chasingangela]

"Except the fairies," Angela pointed out. "And hi! Were those like the things that possessed you guys during the play that creepy teacher ran that time?"

After three years of Fandom, many strange sentences were unremarkable.

Re: Uh, did we win?

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Very like, from what I could see. Although I never got a good look at the ones in the play, since, hi, possessed. But, that's what the one who possessed me expected some of her minions to look like." Parker made a yuck-face. "And Dream wasn't exactly creepy--" He was damn scary, but cool and sad and very very weird. Okay. Creepy.

She grinned. "I feel so completely vindicated at this point, seeing them all get kicked around like that. Closure. Okay, two years later, but still!"

Re: Uh, did we win?

[chasingangela]

"He didn't have eyes," Angela pointed out, which to her completely sealed the issue of Dream's creepiness. "And yeah, I'd feel vindicated too. I need to let Rory know - she got stuck directing the thing."

Re: Uh, did we win?

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"God, yes. Her directing, Sam Carter going through backstage tech support hell. They'd both get a kick out of this." Parker grinned and added, "And hey, tell her congrats when you see her, on the wedding thing. Long time coming, and all."

Re: Uh, did we win?

[chasingangela]

"I'll pass that on," Angela promised. "I can't believe we're a year out and coming up on two married couples from -- were there even 20 people in our class?"

Re: Uh, did we win?

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Twenty two? I think?" Parker frowned, counting in her head and checking the FH directory, then nodded. "Twenty-one, without Hamlet, now. God, life changes so fast. I can't *imagine* doing that any time soon." She paused, thinking about Veronica's news, and added, "Or anything like it."

Re: Uh, did we win?

[chasingangela]

"You know off the top of your head?" Angela said, impressed but somehow not surprised.

Also reminded again of Hamlet.

She eyed Parker carefully. "And what do you mean, 'anything like it'?"

Re: Uh, did we win?

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Chase!" cried Anders, bounding over to her. "Hi!"

Re: Uh, did we win?

[chasingangela]

"Sam Annnnnders!" Angela responded, reaching for a hug. "Hi back! Yay graduation!"

She was going for exclamation points today, apparently.

Re: Uh, did we win?

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Anders quickly used his robe to wipe off as much mud as he could before hugging her. "No kidding! You've got a hell of an impressive yell on you, y'know."

Re: Uh, did we win?

[chasingangela]

"I've been working out," Angela offered. "Seriously fairies. I think that beata aliens. Are you okay?"

Re: Uh, did we win?

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"I'm great," Anders assured her. "You think they had a score to settle from the play or something?"

Re: Uh, did we win?

[chasingangela]

"I don't know. They possessed you guys, so you would think that was enough," Angela said. "My guess is it's Fandom being weird again. Just to show it can."

"At least we got a better beach out of the deal?" she added, gesturing at the improved vista.

Re: Uh, did we win?

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Good old Fandom weirdness," agreed Anders. "Man, I'm gonna -- whoa, that is a new beach."

Re: Uh, did we win?

[chasingangela]

"I don't miss the weird," Angela confessed. "Though I do kind of want to know how the whole island moved without us getting motion sickness or anything."

"Nice beach, too," she added. "I might go swimming before we have to leave. "

She'd hide her slightly bulgy middle under a big t-shirt, okay?