fandomhigh | Fandom High Graduation Ceremony, Class of 2015, Early Saturday Evening [Part 2]

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!event: graduation

Fandom High Graduation Ceremony, Class of 2015, Early Saturday Evening [Part 2]

As the last new graduate sat down with their diploma, a roaring noise could be heard in the distance. The noise quickly got louder, and then it wasn't so distant at all as dragons began to swarm around the lawn.

Some of the dragons were real, with scales and tails and fire in their breath. Following in their wake were smaller, squishier dragons, in a variety of tasty jello flavors.

As the dragons descended upon the graduates, the Fandom graduation protocols kicked in, and an invisible barrier came down to separate the graduates from the rest of the audience.

Good luck, graduates. Hopefully there were some brave knight types among you!

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"My advice: never go to some places on Dantooine. Or Dxun," Atton said. "I went on to meet way more giant bugs post-graduation."

Beat.

"Though I'm hoping your future is slightly more dragon-free than that."

"The only dragons I ever knew about before here were in stories," Karina said, then frowned. "The only way dragons are getting to Sternbild are if they follow me from Fandom. That had better not happen."

Atton shrugged. "What's waiting for you back there, anyway?" he asked, actually sounding halfway curious.

She hesitated.

"Work," Karina said, after that moment. "And probably back to school for me, honestly, since the timeline kinda... stopped, back in my world. I'm hoping it'll start moving once I go back because endless highschool... not really my thing."

Atton could read an Important Hesitation as well as anyone with half an ounce of sense, but he wasn't going to press on that front. He shrugged. "Hey, if they keep you comfortable and fed the way they do here..."

She laughed.

"Just with 100% more nagging and a lot more effort," Karina said wryly. "But it'll be good for me. It's easy to get lazy here."

"I'm having trouble picturing you lazy," Atton admitted. "You're probably going to kick some ass. Someone else's, that is, instead of bitching at mine."

"You'll miss it," she retorted promptly. "But, yeah, kicking ass is totally in my future."

Both literally and figuratively.

... If Atton was lucky and the island felt like showing the right channel, he'd even get to see her on TV, doing it professionally.

"Good, then," Atton said.

He was quiet for a second.

Then he offered her a hand.

"Pretend I'm like a real teacher."

It was on the tip of her tongue to say something like 'You are? Since when?' or to just burst out laughing, but something about that silence before he offered her his hand that made her smile slightly instead.

A real smile, not one of her usual ones.

"I guess I can do that," she admitted, reaching for his hand.

Atton gave her hand a firm shake. "It's been good knowing you," he said. "Congratulations, and try not to hate this place too much once you blow out of here in style."

He hadn't smiled a real smile in years, but she was getting what amounted to a fond look in return.

What? He liked the kid. Who didn't let him call her kid.

She laughed.

"I didn't hate everything about it," Karina admitted. She didn't hate Sparkle at all, or Minako or Kathy or Elsa, though she knew Sparkle the best. She didn't hate Atton, either, though she knew him the least.

"But, hey, I'll take that in the spirit it was intended," she continued, and yeah, she was just going to kiss him on the cheek now, because she was terrible and could only pretend he was a teacher for so long. And because this was making her a little sentimental. Shh, don't tell. "Don't die, okay? And if the island gets too awful, hop to a better world. I'm not going to be around to bitch at you for terrible life decisions."

Because she already could guess that he'd make terrible life decisions.

Edited 2015-04-25 21:05 (UTC)

... Did she just kiss him on the cheek? Really? Was he respectable enough for that now? Or did he genuinely drag up that level of (platonic) affection?

Damn it.

He scratched the back of his neck with more nervous energy than he was inclined to admit, as that kind of threw him off his calm-and-collected streak just now.

"I'll be fine," he said, shoving what remained of calm-and-casual into his tone instead. "But, uh, thanks."

He bit back an and stuff.

Karina ruthlessly killed any giggles that threatened to escape her at that reaction.

But it was priceless.

"You're welcome," she said. "I'd say I'd see you around, but I don't think I will. Take care."

Look, he just wasn't used to displays of affection, okay? On any level.

"Yeah, yeah, you take care, too," Atton said. "Go. Get out of here already. Live long and not weirdly."

"I'm going, I'm going!" she said, smiling again, as she turned to leave.

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Fandom High Graduation Ceremony, Class of 2015, Early Saturday Evening [Part 2]

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