BWI Airport, Portalocity Lounge

[rebelseekspizza]

It was That Time Of Year again. At BWI airport, they knew well that this was not the kind of thing you wanted to be asking questions about. So when a teenage boy showed up wearing a ratty long red-and-black coat, an expression that blazed hell and a large series of bleeding scratches on his face, well, they didn't ask. About anything.

Dante didn't mind. It meant he could walk into the nice warm Portalocity lounge and crash on one of the benches. Had to sleep off the day he'd had... yesterday? Was it yesterday now? Who cared.

By the time he jerked back awake about an hour later, the scratches had vanished and his expression had gone sleepy, though the ratty coat remained. He sat up, rubbing at his eyes. Guess he wasn't alone anymore, huh? Fine, whatever. "Who knew the public still showed up for transport?"

Comments

The Trip to Fandom

[rebelseekspizza]

Or bother your drivers, when they ping in.

Re: The Trip to Fandom

[vdistinctive]

"All aboard for Fandom High," Eliot called as he swung the door to the shuttle open. Pardon the resting grump-face, kids. At least he wasn't wearing full body armor or something, like a complete weirdo.

Plus, you know, he was humanoid. Which they'd eventually realize was reassuring.

Re: The Trip to Fandom

[rebelseekspizza]

Okay, so a school. Called Fandom. Apparently people were going there, or something.

Dante squinted up at this guy and tried to figure out whether he liked the look of him. (Probably not.) "Who pissed in your coffee this morning?"

Dante, no.

Re: The Trip to Fandom

[vdistinctive]

"Your mother." Oh yeah, this was going to go great. "You goin' to Fandom, kid, or not?"

Re: The Trip to Fandom

[rebelseekspizza]

Honestly, it hadn't exactly been in his plans this morning. But fuck it. Being on this shuttle would put a roof over his head for at least another thirty minutes, right? And anywhere a few more miles away from Limbo City was good.

"Yeah, sure," Dante said. "You know, my mother's dead, so you might want to swing by the doctor's for a check-up. Just to be sure."

Re: The Trip to Fandom

[vdistinctive]

Eliot smirked at that. He kinda liked this kid. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Eliot Spencer. I'll be teachin' teamwork."

And he was clearly doing a great job of proving the competence of Fandom's teaching staff.

Re: The Trip to Fandom

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante looked from Eliot... to the guy in the body armor.

Back to Eliot.

"And let me guess, he teaches diplomacy."

Re: The Trip to Fandom

[halfaclink.livejournal.com]

"A toast to the bus driver!" Frank said, raising his glass. "And a toast for me getting on the bus!" Frank said, raising his other glass.

Re: The Trip to Fandom

[vdistinctive]

Eliot looked between the two glasses and the kid getting on the bus. He raised an eyebrow. "Don't bring it aboard if you ain't willin' to share it with the class."

Re: The Trip to Fandom

[halfaclink.livejournal.com]

"If I have to, but I don't want anyone making a habit of relying on me for this," Frank said. He downed one drink, put his bag down on the nearest seat gently - there was enough clanking going on from the sheer amount of glassware and bottles in it, he didn't want to break anything - and pulled out a couple bottles. "I don't have enough glasses for everyone. Would you prefer we shared glasses or just passed the bottle around and had a rule about only one swig until everyone's had a turn?"

Re: The Trip to Fandom

[vdistinctive]

Eliot stared. He'd worked for a man who could literally spend an entire year drunk, and he'd met a talking pink pony, and this still threw him.

"Go sit your drunk ass down, kid," he growled ("thrown" on Eliot tended to look very angry). "And don't spill on the upholstery."

Re: The Trip to Fandom

[halfaclink.livejournal.com]

"So I don't have to share?" Frank asked, taking the seat next to his bag. "Well, I trust your judgement and agree with your decision. Here's to you!" He drank the second drink.

Re: The Trip to Fandom

[myfaireggsy.livejournal.com]

"The fuck's wrong with that guy?" Eggsy, that was rude. Washington was standing right there.

Re: The Trip to Fandom

[vdistinctive]

"Paranoid personality disorder." Or possibly Eliot was projecting.

Re: The Trip to Fandom

[myfaireggsy.livejournal.com]

IT WASN'T FAR OFF.

"And they let him around kids?"

Re: The Trip to Fandom

[vdistinctive]

"Don't worry, kid." Eliot smiled a little wolfishly. "He's more afraid of you than you are of him."

Re: The Trip to Fandom

[worstofalltime.livejournal.com]

And Wash was not a weirdo for wearing his armor. He was merely thinking ahead to the safety of the incoming class.

You're welcome, kids.

He was also less surly looking by virtue of no one being able to see his face. So. Go him.

Re: The Trip to Fandom

[vdistinctive]

Yeah, because that armor was totally reassuring.

"Swear to god, you even look like you might point a weapon at these kids and I'm throwing you into the harbor."

The harbor was nowhere near BWI. This would not stop Eliot.

Re: The Trip to Fandom

[worstofalltime.livejournal.com]

"The lack of trust is hurtful, Eliot," Wash replied. Because 'that'd be fun to see' wasn't how you responded when you were a mature adult.

Re: The Trip to Fandom

[vdistinctive]

"You're the one who decided it was a good idea to prep for pickin' up a bunch of new students by wearin' body armor."

Yeah, Eliot wasn't disagreeing with the 'lack of trust' bit.

Re: The Trip to Fandom

[worstofalltime.livejournal.com]

"We all have our quirks."

Re: The Trip to Fandom

[cuzfriendship]

"Hey, I like your armor," April chirped as she headed to board the bus with her huge amount of luggage. "Wait, is it armor? Or are you, um, a robot? Not to be rude!"

She wasn't judging. Probably lots of people were robots.

Re: The Trip to Fandom

[worstofalltime.livejournal.com]

"No, I'm not a robot," Wash said in the same tone as someone who had answered that question far too many times. "I'm a teacher and yes, it's armor."

Space armor.

Re: The Trip to Fandom

[cuzfriendship]

"Well, it's neat!" April said encouragingly. "Sorry if that was rude! It's probably not a good first day move to suggest that a teacher might be a robot. But my best friend from home is really into robots. She'd really like your armor, too. What's it for?"

Just keep babbling, April. There you go.

Re: The Trip to Fandom

[worstofalltime.livejournal.com]

"It's military hardware," he replied, sounding a little amused by that.