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

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!event: welcome picnic

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

The nice thing about the fall welcome picnics was that, well, they didn't typically happen in the fall. It was definitely still summer in Fandom, with sunny skies and a light breeze blowing through the front lawn of the school. Folks had gotten up bright and early to make sure there were plenty of tables, chairs, and blue and gold streamers to decorate the picnic area.

And glitter. So much glitter for the new folks to learn to love.

Getting the food out was the finishing touch, and then everything was ready for the new (and not-so-new) arrivals!

[This is part one of the picnic, specifically for meeting siblings, roommates and teachers. The rest of the picnic is happening here! Since it's outside, the picnic is open to all students, teachers, and townies!]

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Anders tried to look welcoming as he came up to Traves, remembering how confused he'd been on his own first day on the island.

"Hello there," he said, taking in the boy's nametag. "I think I'm your big brother. My name is Anders. Has the place tried to scare you off yet?"

"Not yet," Travis said, offering his hand to Anders in greeting. It was almost instinctive and done without thinking. "Is that gonna be a thing?"

"It seems to be what people do here," Anders admitted, taking the hand for a brisk shake. "You'll have a head start if you believe in parallel universes and magic."

The fact he was dressed a bit like he'd wandered away from a Renn Faire probably did not dissuade Travis of his "new age" theory.

"Uh, magic like that David Blaine guy?" He remembered seeing a part of one of that guy's television specials while he'd been in the hospital. "People pull pigeons out of their sleeves here?"

The parallel universe was something he wasn't touching just yet.

Anders looked confused. "No. I mean, I suppose they could, but why would a pigeon be in your sleeves to start with? I mean magic like -- spells,and waving wands and staffs around, and conjuring."

"Oh."

Yeah, Travis didn't really have an explanation for pigeons in sleeves. He just knew that it amazed random people in the streets when that David Blaine guy was around.

"Really?" What school had he just landed in? The kid with the fire in his fingers and now this? "There's real actual magic here? Like they have in video games and movies?"

"Exactly like they have in video games and movies," Anders nodded. Not that he'd seen much of either, but TV Tropes certainly made it sound about the same. "I'm a mage, and I'm not the only magic-user here. Your home's not much for it?"

"Nope." Travis shook his head. Thankfully, having gone through the whole body transplant, he found himself a little more believing of the impossible.

Still, though. "The kind of magic I'm used to is rabbits coming out of hats and simple card tricks. Nothing like...conjuring or whatever else might happen. That's...amazing."

"I'm fond of it," Anders said, and smiled. "You seem to be taking the idea well, though. So you might be all right here. It's not a bad place at all."

"I've had some experience with things previously thought impossible lately," he said, half smiling. "What's with the castle? Isn't that a little big for a school?"

"It is, isn't it?" Anders agreed, glancing over to the building. "I'm not sure how the school ended up here. It's a nice castle, though. Most likely has anything you could want."

"Don't know if there's anything specific I'd want in a school besides not to go." He was supposed to be freaking twenty one, after all. It was hard to still be in high school. "You been here long?"

"Since May," Anders told him. "Why don't you want to go to school? If it's the classes, they're almost all easy here. Odd, but easy."

Oh so many reasons, Anders.

"To make a long story short, my last school didn't do me any favors," he said, understating the whole situation a lot. "And school's never been a strong suit of mine. But, I'm here and willing to try. Means something, right?"

"Of course it does," Anders nodded. "And whatever went wrong at your last school, this place seems to be better for a lot of people. Most people here really are incredibly nice. No one's trying to control you."

"I guess that's a point in the 'pro' column of being here then," Travis said, glancing around. "Seems almost too good to be true. A giant castle for a school, free food, a beach, that's...not typical."

"Well, you do have to deal with rains of fish and the possibility you might wake up a mongoose tomorrow," Anders said, as lightly as he could manage. "It's an extraordinary place. But there are bad parts. If you're asking why it's here at all -- I don't know."

"I...don't want to wake up as mongoose," Travis said lamely. "No thank you."

"Well, it doesn't happen all the time -- I haven't woken up with fur yet," Anders said, trying to sound reassuring. "But I also got preoccupied and missed a gigantic evil carnival, so my luck may just be good. Yours might be too."

"Giant evil carnival." Travis blinked and then rubbed both hands over his face. "I am...not sure what sort of place I just got myself enrolled at but it sounds a little better than my last school. Worst thing there were pop quizzes."

Well, there were other worse things but pop quizzes were the simplest to explain.

"And I'm not sure what a pop quiz is, but I'll take your word that it's bad," Anders said. "I promise, it all starts making sense after a while. Or -- you understand that it's not going to make sense, so the not-making-sense makes sense."

"This is far away from Missouri and that's what I need right now," Travis said after a moment. "If it's weird, it's weird. I'll just deal with that. Or I'll end up in therapy, talking to a doctor who's actually doodling on his notepad instead of listening me to drone on."

"Or you could do both," Anders suggested, with the faintest smile. "Anything else you need to know?"

Travis thought about it before he shook his head. "Not that I can think of right now. Might be a little overwhelmed to do anything but look at the sky and go 'ooh, colors'."

"'Oooh, colors' is about right for a first day," Anders said. "If you think of something later, I'm in Room 322.Stop by anytime."

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

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