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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"The Federation?" Ben repeated. "Oh, no, we're not affiliated with a government here at all. Our galaxy has had space travel for more than ten thousand years."

"Your people didn't come from this galaxy." Less a question than familiarizing herself with the concept. "You are farther from home than me, then. Did you arrive here by accident as well?"

"Not entirely," Ben replied. "My father thought that our galaxy was getting a little too dangerous for me to be in for the moment. That was two years ago, and the situation at home has leveled out, but I've made very good friends here and want to finish my education."

Someone from another galaxy had sent his child to the heart of Federation space to be safer? Then again, Earth was nothing like she'd been told it was. There was sky and grass here, a visible ocean. No city-sized domes, and not, so far, a single Federation uniform on anyone.

Cally shook her head in confusion. "This place is nothing like the vids I've seen of Earth. I was told the atmosphere outside was no longer breathable, that it wasn't safe outside the cities."

"This might be a different version of Earth," Ben offered. "My roommate is from one in the future where they had repelled two alien invasions. Does that sound more familiar?"

"A different...version?" Nothing Cally knew of galactic history had ever mentioned Earth being invaded; who would dare? "I don't understand."

"Are you familiar with the idea of a multiverse?" he asked.

"Not by that name." Thoughts were beginning to click together, though. "Multiple universes. The theoretical concept of alternate dimensions based on alternate quantum events?" Physics was not Cally's specialty, but she understood the gist.

"Exactly," Ben said. "Now you just expand it a little. Fandom's an alternate dimension nexus--we get people from many different versions of the universe. A lot of from Earth, though not necessarily the same Earth you're familiar with. Some are from places you've never head of before arriving here."

Cally stared at him. "You're saying such a thing actually exists, as more than an idea for physicists and philosophers to play with, and more than that, we're in one?"

"Yes," Ben said. "Welcome to Fandom. I'm Ben."

She scrubbed a hand through her hair. "I'm not just halfway across the galaxy, I'm in another universe." She tried it on, attempting to make sense of it. The only sense it was making, though, was adding up to a huge dark cloud of wrongness. "I have to get back."

"Okay," Ben said quietly, projecting a bit of calmness. "We can work on that too. Where are you from? Maybe we can send a message back so no one worries."

"Auron." She wasn't expecting him to know it, not by now. "Do you think we c--" She cut her question off mid-thought, blinking at him.

The feeling of being...soothed was almost familiar, but not. "Is that you?"

~~Ironic icon keywords are ironic.~~

He smiled. "Yeah. Most people don't notice where it might be coming from."

//You are telepathic?// she projected at him, as lightly as possible given everyone else's reactions so far.

His reply was most emotions rather than actual words. Sort of? More empathic.

It was still the closest thing to home she'd felt in hours, and in the wave of gratitude for that, Cally couldn't completely blink back the prickling of moisture in her eyes, though at least it didn't spill over.

"There are those among my people whose skills lie more in that direction." One thing flowed into another; it was hard to separate thought from feeling entirely.

"There are a fair number of telepaths and empaths here," Ben said. "I can introduce to a few later? It might make you feel more at home."

"I would like that." Even if Cally had her doubts that anything would make her feel at home that wasn't getting home, she would like to meet them. "I've never met a telepath not of my own race."

"There are some teachers who are also telepaths," he added.

"That," Cally said with a small smile, "I am far more familiar with." It was difficult to keep your disagreement with what you were being taught to yourself when the teacher was right there in your head.

Ben smiled back. "Me too," he said. "It's really hard to argue with your parents when they already know what you're thinking."

"I recall, yes." With more fondness than for certain teachers. "Mine are gone, a few years ago now; it's just my sister and me, but we definitely kept life interesting for them when we were small."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Ben said sincerely. "My mother died a few years ago, too."

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