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

Entry tags:

!event: welcome picnic

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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Elphaba nodded, looking up at Zack from her seated position. She had a slightly surprised expression on her face, her eyebrows raised just slightly over the rims of her glasses.

"That is my name," Elphaba said, her tone a little guarded. She then saw his nametag and realized why he was greeting her. "You're my school-appointed friend, then?"

"Well, the official term is big sibling," Zack replied, smiling and shrugging lightly. "But I'll take whatever you're comfortable with. I'm pretty much here to show you around and to help you settle in, but I'll never turn down a new friend if I can help it!"

He offered her his hand for a shake. "I'm Zack! Good to meet you!"

Elphaba looked at the hand for a moment before she reached out and shook it. She was amazed he didn't seem to be staring, and wasn't even asking about her skin.

In fact, he was treating her just like she was normal. That had the acute effect of letting her relax and, in fact, make her actually feel welcome.

"It is nice to meet you, too," she said. Elphaba finally stood up and gave him a little smile. "I think I'll need all the help you can give."

Well, really, Zack had lost his virginity to a girl who was bright green. This was kind of like old-hat to him, at this point. Sort of nostalgic, even.

"Well, I've got plenty of it," Zack decided. "I've been around for over a year, now. This place takes a bit of getting used to, but everyone is reallyreally nice, even if some kinda weird stuff goes on from time to time. Would you like a hand with your luggage?"

"Oh, I can carry it fine," Elphaba said. "I don't know where I'm staying, yet. I sat down just to compose myself. It's already been quite the day. Are things like the bus common here?"

The bus was unlike anything she'd ever seen.

"The bus? Oh, yeah, sure. I mean, we don't have busy roadways to run buses on, but sometimes there are field trips. In town, it's mostly bicycles and rickshaws. You can walk pretty much anywhere on the island."

How reassuring, right?

"You'll probably be staying at the dorms, like all of the rest of the students. There's a table over..." He squinted and looked around, and then perked up and pointed over toward the roomie assignment lists. "Over there! That'll tell you what room you're in, and who you'll be staying with."

"Well, at least they don't ask you to fly everywhere," Elphaba said, a weak attempt at humor. She couldn't fly, really. She was quite dictated to staying on the ground by the forces of gravity. She paused for a moment, hesitating to ask the question most on her mind.

"Is it true that I won't be ridiculed here?" she asked, barely able to say the words.

"Ridiculed?" Maybe it was reassuring that Zack actually looked confused for a moment at that question, looking her over as if he was trying pointedly to figure out if there was anything the matter in the first place? It wasn't that he couldn't tell, really, but that was just the way he was wired. "I can't really see why you would be. Everyone here is different, you know? I think everyone comes here a little scared about that same thing."

Elphaba got a little teary-eyed as she smiled. "You really don't even think twice that I'm green," she said. "You really don't."

... Awww, okay. She needed a hug. Did she mind? Zack was going to try to hug her anyhow.

"My first girlfriend was green from time to time," he confided. "She's not here anymore, but she was really nice. People around here knew that, too."

Elphaba was surprised, but leaned into the hug a little. "I guess I have her to thank, then. Everyone back home treats me like I'm made of poison ivy."

And a gentle squeeze, and then Zack was easing off a bit, still smiling. Mostly because he tended to get carried away with his hugging, and he didn't want to accidentally crush the poor girl.

"Well, I'm not itching or anything, so we've just proven that can't be the case," he replied. "And, you know, there are lots of other people who are different here, too. People who had to hide what they were because they were afraid of what other people would think... that sort of thing. They're all fine, here."

"My father was right," she said, relieved. "This is just about the greatest thing that has ever happened. I'm so happy, I could just about melt."

"Well, don't melt. Then I'd have to try to get you out of the grass," Zack laughed. "Just be yourself, and things will go fine, okay? Worrying about the small stuff all of the time is no fun at all."

"I'll do my best," Elphaba said, her enthusiasm rejuvenated. "And I'll be able to ask you about anything, right? That's what you're supposed to do?"

"That's right," Zack agreed, nodding. "I can show you around, or tell you about places in town, answer any questions you might have! I think I've been around long enough to have that much figured out, you know?"

"I'll definitely call on you when I need help," Elphaba said. "Perhaps even when I just need help to pass the time between studies, if that would be all right?"

"Hey, totally! There's a great place for ice cream in town," Zack shared. "We can go there sometime, like a welcome-to-Fandom outing, or something. If you need me at all, I live up on the fifth floor of the dorms, in 504. And I can write down my phone number for you too, in case you need to grab me in a hurry and I'm out training."

"Phone number?" Elphaba repeated, questioningly. Her expression portrayed her unfamiliarity at the concept. Everything else she'd nodded along with, smiling. Those things she understood. "What is that?"

"Oh!" Hey, time-displacement! Zack could handle that! He pulled his phone out of his pocket and held it out to her. "This thing lets people talk to one another from long distances apart. It kind of carries voices back and forth, I guess? It's really handy to have, on an island like this one. You never know when you're going to need to contact a person, and quick."

"So it is a magical machine that will carry your voice miles away?" Elphaba said, trying to explain it in a way she'd understand. "That is truly amazing. You must be quite lucky to have one."

"It's something like that," Zack agreed, nodding and shrugging. If magic made it make sense, then all power to her for coming up with the explanation on her own. "But it's not really a luck thing. Plenty of people around here have one, actually. If you like, I can help you get one set up, too, and show you how it works."

"They're common here?" Elphaba said, surprised. "I'd like that help, please. I'm not really familiar with these sort of things."

"Well, then meet up with me sometime after the picnic, and we can head into town to get you one," Zack replied. "Once you get all settled in and stuff. It's a good excuse to show you some of the businesses here, too, right?"

Elphaba smiled, and nodded in agreement. "That does sound like a wonderful plan, Zack. Thank you."

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

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