fandomhigh | BWI Airport Portalocity Lounge, Saturday Morning

Entry tags:

!event: newbie shuttle

BWI Airport Portalocity Lounge, Saturday Morning

There was a crackle of energy before reality split and portal opened up into the Portalocity Lounge. A few seconds later a figure popped through the portal wearing what appeared to be an environmental suit attached to an air supply hose going back into the portal. He then pulled out a tablet device and took some readings before stripping off the environmental suit revealing the teenager known as Barry Ween.

"Okay, Jeremy. I'm here and the atmosphere is breathable. Send the rest of my shit through," Barry said into his comm headset. "No. Just push it into the portal and pull back the suit. Jesus Christ! How fucking hard is it to push it through numb-nuts? Just fucking push it!"

Three suitcases and a large crate appeared through the portal. "About fucking time. Okay, now press the button to close the portal. Which one? The big fucking button that has a label on it that says 'PRESS THIS FUCKING BUTTON AND NOTHING ELSE.' Are you fucking kidding me? No. No. No! Just fucking forget it! Don't touch anything I'll shut it down remotely."

A couple of taps on his pad and the portal disappeared with a "plip." "All right it's done. Don't touch any of my fucking stuff while I'm gone, Jeremy. You hear me? All right. I'll check in with you later."

Barry looked up at the glittery sign bearing the name 'Fandom High' and grunted before going back to his tablet and taking further readings; muttering to himself occasionally when he found something of interest.

[Woo! Newbie Shuttle!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Look, Jono thought the bus would have been much improved by a Union Jack. Constantine had even agreed with him!

But he was behaving himself, more or less, wandering into the waiting area not far behind Anakin and looking, if not half as imposing as Skywalker, at least several times more amused.

//Anybody need a hand with their luggage, just wave down the lanky bloke in the leather wrappings,// he shared. //S'what I'm here for.//

Kaylin clapped her hands over her ears and spun around. She'd heard him in her head and that was just wrong. But he didn't look like a Tha'alani - no antennae - and he hadn't touched her, so instead she just stared.

And being Kaylin, had to ask. "Where's your mouth?"

//Splattered across the remains of a coatroom in London,// Jono replied, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms over his chest. //And a few other places besides. You need help with your things or not?//

"Where's London?" Kaylin asked. "And what's a coatroom - or wait, do you mean you people have whole huge rooms just for coats? That sounds crazy."

She shrugged at the small knapsack on her back. "This is all I have. Pretty much all I own period."

And back to what really interested her. "Did it hurt?"

Somewhere Teela was facepalming.

//London's on the other side of the ocean, that way,// Jono replied, waving a hand in the general direction. //A coatroom is just that, yes, though this belonged to a business, not really just one person.//

And then, back to the last thing he really wanted to be talking about. //And yes, it was excruciating agony.//

"I'm sorry," Kaylin said with sincerity. "That sounds terrible. And no one could fix it for you? I could try if you want, though I'm not really sure how much I could help."

//Been there, tried that,// Jono replied, shaking his head. //Thank you for the offer, but it really only ever ends up in me going through that again, and I'd rather not.//

He jammed his hands into his jacket pockets, a little awkwardly.

//Not a semester goes by without somebody asking if I'd like them to make the attempt, actually.//

"Sorry," Kaylin said again and meant it. "A really bad curse then, if it keeps coming back."

She looked a bit sad. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad or remember bad things." Really she didn't, because she knew all too well what that was like.

//Less a curse, more the way I'm made.// Jono shrugged. //It's not really something to fix, at this point.//

He would have sighed, if he could. He did tilt his head a little, though, relenting.

//It's fine. I'm used to the questions, too. I'm well aware that I'm a bit unusual, to most.//

Re: The Trip to Fandom!

notamascot - 2014-05-02 22:28 (UTC) - Expand

Re: The Trip to Fandom!

furnaceface - 2014-05-02 22:40 (UTC) - Expand

Re: The Trip to Fandom!

notamascot - 2014-05-02 22:53 (UTC) - Expand

Re: The Trip to Fandom!

furnaceface - 2014-05-02 23:13 (UTC) - Expand

Re: The Trip to Fandom!

notamascot - 2014-05-03 01:12 (UTC) - Expand

Re: The Trip to Fandom!

furnaceface - 2014-05-03 01:14 (UTC) - Expand

Re: The Trip to Fandom!

notamascot - 2014-05-03 03:30 (UTC) - Expand

Rapunzel's options seemed to be either to try to live here in the airport (which seemed terrifying) or go outside on her own and try to find the floating lights in an environment she'd never even dreamed of -- also terrifying, yes.

And these people seemed nice enough, at least? Even if they kept making her ask questions. Like 'what's an airport' and 'what does factionless mean' and -- "Where did that voice come from?"

Rapunzel almost dropped the hair she was carrying again, she was so startled. She hadn't heard it, was the thing -- she'd sort of not-heard it but she'd never not-heard something like that before.

Well. That was an impressive amount of hair. And a somewhat familiar face, though Jono had never really gotten to know the Rapunzel that had gone to the school before. He lifted a hand almost sheepishly, gave a little wave.

//From over here,// he replied. //The one waving at you, sorry. Takes a bit of getting used to, I understand.//

Rapunzel squinted, tentatively wandering over to the man (and see, he was hiding his mouth -- that moved Jono to the top of the list for pointy teeth candidates, all things considered) who was waving at her.

"Sorry," she said, cautious still. "I've just...never met someone who can talk in my head, before."

Obviously.

Jono's teeth were... not so much pointy as just mostly not there. Not that he was aware that was where her thoughts had wandered, granted. And he probably wouldn't explain as much either, unless he was asked.

//Most people haven't,// he noted, a little more gently. //It's the only way I can speak, but it's a fairly rare ability. Most can't.//

It didn't sound like bragging, so much, when Jono said it.

"Well, that makes me feel better," Rapunzel said, a bit more brightly. "I mean, not that you can't speak otherwise -- that's terrible, and I'm so sorry. I just mean, um, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who's hearing you in my head, and that I'm not supposed to be talking to you the same way."

Since she couldn't, and all.

//Nono,// Jono replied, shaking his head. //My ears work just fine, luv.//

Thank goodness. He was so bloody happy to have his head again.

//I'm sorry for startling you with it.//

"I've been startled before. I'll get over it." That was about the least-fumbly thing Rapunzel had said since she'd gotten here, which was probably a good sign for her increasing comfort level. For the moment. "Um. Are you a...teacher?"

Her hesitation didn't come from whether she thought Jono was suitable from the job, but rather from the fact that she wasn't totally sure of where she was going, and that a school was beginning to seem likely.

//I'm a teacher,// he agreed. //Professor Starsmore will do if you prefer to stand on formality, but I'd rather people just call me Jono. I'm teaching Music Appreciation this term with Dr. Lecter.//

Because... music. It was something they appreciated.

//Were you intending to head off to school, or are you one of the ones who just sort of wandered into it? We usually get a few of either, each time we get a new batch of students.//

And she sounded and looked a little lost.

Re: The Trip to Fandom!

likes-ducklings.livejournal.com - 2014-05-02 23:47 (UTC) - Expand

Re: The Trip to Fandom!

furnaceface - 2014-05-03 00:12 (UTC) - Expand

Re: The Trip to Fandom!

likes-ducklings.livejournal.com - 2014-05-03 00:17 (UTC) - Expand

Re: The Trip to Fandom!

furnaceface - 2014-05-03 00:22 (UTC) - Expand

Re: The Trip to Fandom!

likes-ducklings.livejournal.com - 2014-05-03 00:24 (UTC) - Expand

Re: The Trip to Fandom!

furnaceface - 2014-05-03 00:27 (UTC) - Expand

Barry gave Jono a suspicious look. Well, less suspicious than if Jono had been a giant ape.

Barry had issues with telepathic apes.

"You're telepathic?" he asked carefully.

//It's either that, or you're hallucinating,// Jono replied with a shrug of his shoulders. //I'm not going to go rummaging around in anybody's head, if that's what you're worried about. It's just, talking gets a little tricky, otherwise.//

He gave his hand a vague wave toward the wrappings on his face.

"Either you have a problem with your face or some wicked halitosis," Barry reasoned.

Both possibilities really weren't much of a stretch.

//One of those,// Jono confirmed, shrugging. //Not a big fan of telepaths, mate?//

Jono had met a few like that.

"Just one in particular," Barry said easing up his suspicion a tad. "As long as you don't emotionally blackmail me into saving a parallel dimension we should get along just fine."

//Ugh, no. Been there myself, I have no intention of throwing anybody else under that bus.// Jono gave his shoulders a shrug. //The metaphorical one. I'm reserving judgement on any students who might need to be thrown under this literal one until after I've met more of you.//

He was probably joking.

"Fair enough," Barry said shouldering his bag. "I'll do my best not to blow up the island."

He wasn't kidding.

//You wouldn't even be the first to feel the need to make that promise on your first day,// Jono replied, with just a touch of nostalgia. //Welcome aboard, mate. Good luck.//

He might need it.