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

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!event: welcome picnic

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

There were plenty of tables and chairs scattered around the lawn for anyone who wanted to sit down once they'd had their fill of the buffet, or to recover from starting to find out what this place was all about. No one would judge the need to take a mental breather.

Some of the tables were out in the open, for those who weren't allergic to the sun, and some of the tables were in the shade, or far from the rest of the crowd for those who needed a little more space to process. Wherever people decided to rest, there was space enough for everyone.

[OOC: This is part two of the picnic, separated in an effort to save our browsers for as long as possible. Part one, to run into siblings, roommates and teachers, is over here, though teachers are also welcome in this post, of course. Because the picnic is outside, it is open to all students, teachers and townies.]

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Victor almost certainly wouldn't have noticed Liara's mood, but he did notice that she and Gert seemed to be talking at some length and he could swear he heard his name in there a few times.

It did not take a brain surgeon to guess that whatever was going on there likely had something to do with Karolina and the rest of the team. Victor drew a deep breath, decided that of the two uncomfortable conversational options he'd go with the one with more direct knowledge, and shuffled over to Liara, pausing for a moment along the way to don his shirt again.

"Hey," he said awkwardly. "So -- promise I don't spy on you, but you were kind of talking to Gert for a while."

"Yes," Liara said. She was starting to regret her decision to go to the picnic. Surely she could have found some cereal in the cabinets in the common room. "I just returned from your world."

"Oh." Victor's jaw set. "Guessing things kind of sucked there?"

He was trying, and sort of failing, not to jump to any conclusions from the fact he didn't see Karolina anywhere.

Liara hesitated for only a moment. Then she said, "Karolina asked me to tell you she would not be returning any time soon."

Having something to do kept her from sulking.

Victor scrunched his nose. "Xavin, betrothal, peace mission?" he checked. "Yeah. She ... does that. Not fun to watch her go."

He approved of the idealism, though he still wasn't sure it was the right thing to do. Especially not with Xavin.

"For us she was back in a couple months."

A flash of gratefulness passed over Liara's face. "So she could return," she surmised, "not terribly long from now. That is... a relief. I did not trust Xavin."

"Xavin is a complete ass," Victor said, before honesty compelled him to add, "... But you can trust her. She's not in this to hurt Karolina at all. "

Robot issues aside, he had to admit Xavin more than came through in a pinch.

"Xavin did not appear to understand or be interested in understanding our group dynamic," Liara said. She had heard a variety of pronouns thrown out about the being before, but she was not entirely certain to which to adhere. "Though they did calm down when Karolina capitulated... though I suppose you know that."

Victor had settled on she for Xavin because the Skrull was female in human form more often than male, because it matched Karolina's preference, and because it seemed way cold.

"Xavin spent months calling me a self-important blender every ten minutes and then put her life on the line for us," he sighed. "I don't think even Kar would say Xavin is, like, easy to get along with. But she's not actually a bad guy. Just ... coming from a way different culture. If that helps."

He wasn't sure it would, if he were Liara.

Edited 2013-07-07 13:13 (UTC)

"So do I," Liara said. Mildly. "I still found Xavin's behavior rude."

And she could say now, now that she was slightly less worried about Karolina's wellbeing.

"Yeah, not sure Skrulls even have a word for polite," Victor said. "Or maybe the nice ones stay back on their home planet and they send the jerks to Earth."

"Jerk," Liara repeated. "Yes. Xavin is a jerk."

Oh dear.

Hey, jerk was one of the milder opinions Victor had of Xavin. The Victor back in Karolina's world no doubt would have had a few stronger words to use.

"I kinda hoped Karolina would decide to stick around to be with you," Victor admitted. "But I guess saving the planet won out."

"...We have not been dating terribly long," Liara said, after a moment. "I would not have expected her to choose me over a planet. However, I wish she had erred more towards safety."

That was the rub.

"I get that," Victor said. "I guess doing stupid stuff like that is sort of in the hero job description, but it looks totally crazy from the outside."

Victor suspected any of the Runaways would have done the same thing, in Karolina's place. Even Gert.

"I don't pretend to understand why you go to such lengths," Liara said. "But Karolina seems to enjoy excitement, at least to some degree."

She'd understand it eventually.

"There's an adrenaline rush," Victor said, and wondered if he or Karolina literally had adrenaline or if in their cases it was strictly metaphorical. "Plus, like ... it's kind of a waste to have powers and not do anything good with them. Especially when you have family crap to make up for."

Liara gave him something approaching a Look for that statement.

"Karolina does not have powers," she said. "She is simply not human."

"Okay, but technically I'm not either," Victor pointed out, mostly unruffled. "She can still fly when most of the beings" -- and there he used a slightly pointed tone -- "around her can't. It's useful."

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