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

[nomoresportscars]

There was the bonfire for everyone who thought Maryland in January was a little too cool for their taste, as well as the moddable warm food and drinks, and chairs and tables in the school colors of blue and gold. Some tables were also set a little further away from the crowds.

Because there were always people who preferred the fringes.

[OCD up! This is the picnic post for general mingling. Roommates, fake siblings and teachers are all here. Since it's outside, the picnic is open to all students, teachers, and townies!]

Comments

Re: General Mingling [Spring 2014]

[genesishero]

Hooray, dogs!

Evan, for his part in all this, was blushing furiously, wrapping his arms around Ozzy's middle and almost, almost managing to pick him up for the third time now, but the little guy kept wiggling free. And now there was excited barking to go with it.

"Sorry! I'm so sorry! He just took off!"

Why did Ozzy have so much wriggle in him?!

Re: General Mingling [Spring 2014]

[jaegerborn.livejournal.com]

"Can't you control your bloody animal?!" Chuck demanded, tugging Max back with help of the leash.

Max was tiny and his anchor impression was weak, so it wasn't too much of a fuss.

Re: General Mingling [Spring 2014]

[genesishero]

"Usually! He just doesn't get to see many other dogs!" Puppies were apparently at a premium around here until just about right this moment. This moment also involved a fair bit of flailing, apparently, as Evan grabbed at Ozzy one more time, and then wrapped his arms around him a couple more times than was strictly humanly possible in order to keep him from making another breakaway. "But I should have guessed that someone would have a pet here today. Someone usually has something."

Max was new and novel in that he wasn't part polar bear, or a dinosaur.

Re: General Mingling [Spring 2014]

[jaegerborn.livejournal.com]

Was Chuck developing a mild facial twitch already? Must be Fandom.

"Didn't see 'no pets' on the folder anywhere," he said, managing to make that sound about as pissy as everything else he'd said to date. He plopped Max down in his lap. "How about you get him a better leash?"

Sorry, Evan. This was just how Chuck communicated with... everyone who wasn't a 250 feet tall robot.

Re: General Mingling [Spring 2014]

[genesishero]

"His leash is perfectly fine," Evan replied, frowning as he straightened up, raising an eyebrow at Chuck. "He managed to drag me across the school grounds at the other end of it. He just surprised me when he took off."

A beat.

"A little bit like yours surprised you."

Ozzy, for the most part, kept up his wriggle for a moment more, and then decided now would be a great time to appeal to Evan's better nature to set him down by starting to lick excitedly at his chin. He wasn't getting anywhere with the grip his boy had on him, now.

Re: General Mingling [Spring 2014]

[jaegerborn.livejournal.com]

"You don't see mine running off to the other end of the picnic just 'cause he got excited," Chuck said. "You get a dog, you figure out how to contain him."

He had to aggressively avoid thinking about how that equated to his father sending him off to be dealt with elsewhere - and even in that, he failed.

Max, perhaps sensing this, began licking Chuck's wrist with enthusiasm.

Re: General Mingling [Spring 2014]

[genesishero]

Evan noticed Max's enthusiastic licking and wound up smiling a little, in spite of himself.

It was difficult to be properly chagrined when there were happy dogs giving happy dog kisses.

"You're right," he replied, ducking his head a little in hopes of hiding that little grin he had going, there. "I'm usually better at it, but obviously he needs more training in crowds. I'll have to work on that." A lot. "Um... your puppy's cute, by the way."

Re: General Mingling [Spring 2014]

[jaegerborn.livejournal.com]

It was difficult, and it was only by sheer force of practice and temperament that Chuck managed to cling to his own chagrin so effectively. "Won't be a puppy for that much longer," he said, patting Max on the flank. "You'll grow up to be a mean ol' badass, aren't you?"

Yeah, the drooly puppy currently flopping over and broadcasting happiness in all directions was going to grow up to be terribly mean. Really.

Re: General Mingling [Spring 2014]

[genesishero]

"I'm sure he'll be the most badass dog on the island," Evan replied solemnly, biting the inside of his cheek now to keep his grin from being too apparent. If asked, he'd totally blame it on the tickly dog nose that was now snuffling around his neck, trying to find a way to coerce Evan into putting him back down. "He's a bulldog, right? I've never seen one in person before."

In fairness, Evan hadn't actually seen a lot of things in person.

Re: General Mingling [Spring 2014]

[jaegerborn.livejournal.com]

"Purebred and all," Chuck agreed, sounding... almost a bit mollified. In the week or so since he'd gotten this dog it had already grown to be quite possibly his favorite non-robot creature in the universe.

Re: General Mingling [Spring 2014]

[genesishero]

Mollified was good! Evan would take mollified!

"That's neat," he decided, because 'neat' was a very versatile word and it worked just as well here as any other. "How old is he? Did you have to go to a breeder to get him? Ozzy's a pet store dog... They hadn't set up the shelter on the island yet when I got him."

Evan was going to be friendly at you now, Chuck. Heads-up.

Re: General Mingling [Spring 2014]

[jaegerborn.livejournal.com]

This could only end poorly.

"Couple of weeks old, maybe a month, as far as I can tell," Chuck said, patting Max some more. "No idea where he came from. He was a Christmas present."

Several weeks late and bought off the back of Herc's Chuck-related guilt complex, but whatever.

Re: General Mingling [Spring 2014]

[genesishero]

"Well... he's quite the gift," Evan decided, before, wrapping Ozzy's leash around his wrist a few times, he tentatively set the dog back down again. This time, he was planting his feet and making sure he wasn't going anywhere. And if that involved turning them into lead weights... well... it wasn't like anyone could see them under his boots. "The most exciting presents I ever get are usually books."

Re: General Mingling [Spring 2014]

[jaegerborn.livejournal.com]

There was a part of Chuck that would happily take books over puppies for presents if it meant said presents actually felt like gifts, rather than bribes.

He shrugged. Evan's problems were not his problems. "Still wound up with a dog, didn't you?"

Re: General Mingling [Spring 2014]

[genesishero]

"Yeah... I got him after I came here," Evan agreed, pursing his lips and giving Ozzy a look as he worked his paws into the snow, trying to get some traction again. "He's been good company. I'm sure yours will be, too."

Evan could spot a person who needed the affections of a dog from a mile away.

Re: General Mingling [Spring 2014]

[jaegerborn.livejournal.com]

"Max and me'll do fine," Chuck agreed. He peeled a slice of lunchmeat off his plate and offered it to Ozzy. "Watch 'im better next time, all right?"

Re: General Mingling [Spring 2014]

[genesishero]

"I will," Evan promised as Ozzy gave another wag of his tail, hoovered back the offered slice of meat, and then sat up on his haunches. He was terrible at 'stay,' but he wasn't above 'beg.' Ever. "Um, I'm Evan. And this is Ozzy."

Ozzy, who was going to hold this pose forever, or until more lunchmeat came into the picture.

Re: General Mingling [Spring 2014]

[jaegerborn.livejournal.com]

"You're a hungry one, aren't you?" More lunchmeat was supplied. Because dogs. Dogs were all right. "I'm Chuck Hansen, this is Max."

There, Evan. You'd earned a name. Be grateful.

Re: General Mingling [Spring 2014]

[genesishero]

Oh, he was!

"Hi, Max," he greeted, sparing a smile for the pup as Ozzy gobbled down another one piece of meat. "And welcome to Fandom, Chuck. If there's anything you need at all to help you settle in..."

A beat, and then he was pointing his free hand toward town.

"You or Max. There's a shelter in town that sells pet supplies, just down that way, in case you haven't had a chance to look around yet."

Re: General Mingling [Spring 2014]

[jaegerborn.livejournal.com]

"I'll check it out once Max starts running out," Chuck said.

Unlike his quote-unquote 'sibling', Evan was actually helpful. See, Isabelle? That's how it worked. "Anything else I need to know?"

Re: General Mingling [Spring 2014]

[genesishero]

"I could write you an entire essay about things that people should know before they come to the island," Evan replied with a wry smile. "Would you like me to start with the weird weather, the weird wildlife, the weird teachers, or the radio?"

Hey! Options!

Re: General Mingling [Spring 2014]

[jaegerborn.livejournal.com]

"Have a go at whatever," Chuck said, with a lenient shrug. "As long as this isn't about that ren faire bollocks again."

Re: General Mingling [Spring 2014]

[genesishero]

"Ren faire...?" Evan looked quizzical for a moment before shaking it off and trying to figure out a way to approach Fandom's... Fandom-ness without seeming too weird. "Did your sibling tell you something that was a little difficult to swallow?"

It would help to get a feel for where Chuck was from before he started, perhaps.

Re: General Mingling [Spring 2014]

[jaegerborn.livejournal.com]

"She called me 'mundane' because I'd 'never met a werewolf'," Chuck drawled, sounding unimpressed. "Queen of the local geek club, I take it."

Re: General Mingling [Spring 2014]

[genesishero]

"Or just rude," Evan replied, wrinkling his nose a little. "Mundane doesn't exactly sound like a flattering sort of term."

A little like flatscan, actually. Evan frowned a bit.

"We, uh--" How to put this? "We have all kinds of people around here, you know? It takes all types." Case in point, he was the extra pale bluish kid with lips to his ears, here. "We're used to people being a little weird around here, you know? You adjust to it eventually. Students here come from all over the place."