fandomhigh | Fandom High Welcome Picnic, Front Lawn of the School, All Day: Part I

It might have been the start of the fall semester, but it was definitely still summer in Fandom. The sun was shining and the temperature was already starting to get high, even as the NPC crew set things up for the day.

Luckily, the school knew how to take care of folks on days like today. Beneath the blue and gold streamers and balloons, tables had been set up with cold drinks and food, and an entire section devoted to offering up different ~~moddable~~ ice cream flavors. As always, there was a stack of nametags set down next two signs: one listing the Big Sibling/Little Sibling pairings, and one listing rooms and roommates for the new students.

With everything set up and the crew out of the way, it was time for the picnic to begin!

[~~Please wait for OCD!~~ The OCD is up! This is part one of the picnic, specifically for meeting siblings, roommates, and teachers. The rest of the picnic is happening here and here, in an effort to keep browsers from breaking for as long as possible. Since it's outside, the picnic is open to all students, teachers, and townies!]

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"That is a school?"

Hey, look. Words. They went in sentences. Awesome.

A school. So not purgatory. Allegedly. Dolf sent a dubious look in the school building's direction.

Jason nodded, very glad to be moving on to sentences. "A good school. A fun school," he said, tilting his head a little at Dolf's confusion. "Where were you going? If not school?"

"Jerusalem," he said, by rote if anything. "But I didn't get-- there."

Now that he was getting the hang of those sentences, he was going to keep trying, thank you.

"No, you really didn't," Jason said, frowning. "This might sound...strange? But you were expected here." He pointed to Dolf's nametag. "Someone knew you were coming." Which was totally weird, but he'd learned to kind of roll with this stuff and just see how it turned out.

Yes. Dolf had realised that. He just still didn't know how, or why.

"Do you know... doctor Simiak?" he asked, at last. The million dollar question.

"No, I've never heard of him," Jason said, shaking his head. "Should he be here too?"

"No, he's..."

Dolf sighed.

"No," he said again. "Not, then."

"I'm sorry," Jason said quietly, looking Dolf up and down. "Do you have a bag? Like, with clothes and stuff?"

"I have one thing," he said, and patted the small bundle on his back. It was a heavy coat, too warm to wear, but he'd held on to it just in case... just in case why?

Just in case something would happen?

Dolf frowned at himself. "That is it," he muttered, distractedly.

Jason had spent yesterday thinking about all the weird things he was going to tell his sibling about, but that all went out the window in the face of basic needs not being met.

"Okay. First, you've got to find out where you're living, and who you're living with," he said. "Then, have some food. There's a ton, and they'll keep bringing out more until everyone's eaten, so you can have as much as you want. If you want, I can show you where to get some clothes in the town." He wasn't sure if all of that made sense, or if Dolf would even want his help, but he'd feel like an ass if he didn't offer.

Dolf'd kept-- he'd kept his dagger, even if he'd left it at the weapons locker, and he still had his breadknife tucked away under his clothes. When had that turned into a habit? It seemed ridiculous, in the face of normal, everyday modernity.

He suddenly felt ridiculously exhausted and heavy. I have no money, he realised, beyond the coin in his pocket -- he'd have to get a job. If he stayed here.

Jason's words washed over him because of it, and he only caught the tail end of the sentence. He swallowed once, eyes flitting back to Jason's face, and finally he nodded. Slowly. "Okay."

"Okay? Okay," Jason said, feeling a little like a broken record, but simple words were still the best ones. "If you need help, I'll help you, okay? That's my job. From the school."

Another nod, this one jerky.

"Tomorrow?" Dolf said, hoping he got that right. "After sleep?"

Which was code for after I pass out, because there's no way I can deal with all of this all at once right now without losing it. It was taking him more time to adjust to being back... somewhere than he'd expected.

Then again, he'd expected his mom to be there. And not to be in America.

"After sleep," Jason promised, pointing to the other tables. "Don't forget to get food. It's important too." Okay, so maybe he had his own priorities.

Fandom High Welcome Picnic, Front Lawn of the School, All Day: Part I

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Re: Meet Your Big/Little Sibling [Fall 2010]

Re: Meet Your Big/Little Sibling [Fall 2010]

Re: Meet Your Big/Little Sibling [Fall 2010]

Re: Meet Your Big/Little Sibling [Fall 2010]

Re: Meet Your Big/Little Sibling [Fall 2010]

Re: Meet Your Big/Little Sibling [Fall 2010]

Re: Meet Your Big/Little Sibling [Fall 2010]

Re: Meet Your Big/Little Sibling [Fall 2010]

Re: Meet Your Big/Little Sibling [Fall 2010]

Re: Meet Your Big/Little Sibling [Fall 2010]