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

With all the rain the island had seen during the week, everyone had been hoping for a sudden turn to nice weather for the welcome picnic. But as the crew from the school started to set up for the picnic, the sky got darker and darker, and by the time everything was ready, it had started to steadily rain. As tempting as it was to move everything inside, there just wasn't anywhere in the school for so many people to gather at once, and since it was still comfortably warm outside, extra measures were taken to ensure that the picnic could go on as scheduled. Tents were set up to cover the information tables, the food, and most of the tables and chairs, and umbrellas had been gathered, ready for use by anyone who wanted more personal protection against the weather. It didn't look like the rain would be letting up any time soon.

[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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"Perfect!" Juliet decided perkily. "So, where are you coming to the island from? I'm from New York."

"New Jersey," Cassel shared. "I've spent a lot of time in New York though."

The fact that Juliet was from a place that he recognized and she still didn't wear gloves was a little unnerving. He was beginning to think his New York wasn't the same one this girl was talking about.

Ew, Jersey. On the bright side, at least he knew where New York was, which counted as being practically neighbors in Fandom terms.

"Where in New York?" Juliet asked carefully. "We live on the Upper East Side."

"Same area," he said. "One of my friends lives there with her family."

"Oh, what's her name?" Juliet asked, in a warmer tone. "My family's kind of a big deal. We know most people."

Most people worth knowing, anyhow.

"Lila Zacharov." Cassel wanted to point out that saying that your family was a big deal wasn't a very good move if you wanted people to believe it. "I doubt you've heard of her. I'm beginning to think that my New York isn't the same as other people's."

It was true -- Juliet just had a hard time with the concept of subtlety.

"I don't know her," she said regretfully. "But there seem to be a lot of different New Yorks. And it's real, if you're still thinking people are playing around."

"Oh I don't doubt people. I can usually tell when people are trying to mess with me," he said. "I've gotta ask--is Jeremy your brother?"

"My twin," Juliet nodded. "He's amazing. Did you already meet him?"

"He's my school assigned sibling," Cassel explained. "He's a pretty nice guy. Could have definitely done worse in the fake sibling department."

"And if he's your fake brother and he's my real brother," Juliet said thoughtfully, "We're almost already family!"

Cassel smiled and, yes, it was always that lopsided. "I hope we're the kind of family that doesn't has a bunch of sibling rivalry and backstabbing."

'Cause, really, he had enough of that.

"Not with Jeremy and me, anyhow," Juliet said, smiling back. "It'll be better to be nice to each other if we have to sleep in the same room, right?"

Well, unless Cassel started dating Jeremy. But as Juliet considered that more than unlikely, she figured they'd probably be fine as roommates.

"Right," Cassel said with a nod. "I won't be too much trouble, I promise. Though I, uh, probably should explain the glove thing."

He didn't think he'd have to explain it since where he was from everybody wore them, but if he was going to live with someone that didn't understand he felt it was better to just be up front about it. Better that than have her try to snoop around.

Juliet looked blank for a second. Between a lifetime looking at fashion spreads and six months in Fandom, gloves in July hardly rated as odd.

"what about them?" she asked.

"It's just, well, I wear them all the time. Except when I'm in the shower or when I'm asleep," he said. "Everybody does where I'm from."

Blink. Blink blink. Blink.

"Okay." Blink again. "... why?"

They were fine, as gloves went, but wouldn't you get tired of them? Was this some weird religious thing?

"It's a safety thing," he explained. "There's this...skin condition that certain people in the world have that is dangerous to others. It's all focused in the hands so everybody wears gloves to keep everybody safe."

He was sick? That was sad.

It was also worrying. She didn't want gross hands she had to keep covered with gloves.

"Can I catch it if you touch my stuff?" Juliet asked, though she at least looked sort of sympathetic.

"No, no, it's not contagious at all," Cassel assured her. "You wouldn't even know looking at them. They aren't gross or anything. Just super pale."

"I know a great self-tanner." Not the point, Juliet. "But, um ... that's good. not the sick part. The not-contagious part."

Another question occurred to her. "Hey, is it gross to you that mine are all naked?" She wiggled her tangerine-manicured nails at him. "Because I have some vintage gloves somewhere. I can wear them around the room if you want."

"Nah it's fine," Cassel said, though the fact she wiggled his fingers at him like that made him slightly...flustered. That's what happens when bare hands become something dangerous and taboo. "The fact that you had no idea what I was talking about with the glove thing kind of gives away the fact your hands aren't dangerous."

Hey. Her hands were deadly with a credit card.

"Not so much," Juliet agreed, and cocked her head to the side thoughtfully. "Is there anything else we should talk about, or do you just want to try to get settled?"

"Getting settled is probably a good idea," he said. "There's a lot more to get used to than I anticipated."

Wow that was an understatement.

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

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