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

[bigdamnprincipal]

Okay, admittedly, having a picnic at the beginning of January wasn't the best idea the school had ever come up with. Thankfully, the weather was sort of agreeable today - it wasn't too chilly, the sun was out, and there were still pretty pockets of unmelted snow on the lawn.

In the middle of the lawn, a bonfire had been set up for warmth and light--mostly the warmth--and the tables and chairs had been set out to mostly be in the sun. There was a long table with a variety of moddable warm foods, and there was the usual table of nametags and lists to help folks find their siblings and roommates. With everything set up, it was time to welcome the new folks!

[OCD is up! 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!]

Comments

Re: Meet Your Roommate [Spring 2016]

[fckedupx5000.livejournal.com]

"To the where?" Velma asked. "Is that your, uhh, base of operations?"

It was everything she could do not to call it a lair. But it was a fact that virtually all team-ups consisting of three or more heroes not sanctioned by The Super Patriots, Inc either failed or were branded as supervillains in the eyes of the media and public within seventy-two hours of their formation.

People calling themselves 'the Dark Avengers' who laired in 'the Savage Lands' didn't really sound like the type to somehow buck the trend.

Speaking of bucking trends... "Hey," she said, sounding more confused than ever. "I'm not feeling the onset of Team-Up Rage. Are you?"

RE: Re: Meet Your Roommate [Spring 2016]

[oldstrongest1.livejournal.com]

"I have no idea what that means," Skaar said. "Just guessing, you don't know what any of the stuff I've mentioned is either, do you?"

Re: Meet Your Roommate [Spring 2016]

[fckedupx5000.livejournal.com]

"Not a clue," Velma said, relaxing a little. "So my guess is that one of us, at least, is from a parallel dimension, alternate continuity, or externally manipulated reality."

Dealing with alternate realities was always a tricky proposition, but Velma had gotten high marks in both her Alternate Reality Survival and Recognizing a Dreamscape in Ten Easy Steps units during Heroing 101.

"Just to be clear--you have no knowledge of The Super Patriots, Inc., The Junior Super Patriots, or any of their franchises, subsidiaries, or merchandising?"

Re: Meet Your Roommate [Spring 2016]

[oldstrongest1.livejournal.com]

"I know of a couple bad guys who used the name Super-Patriot who were before my time. That doesn't sound like what you're talking about," Skaar said.

Re: Meet Your Roommate [Spring 2016]

[fckedupx5000.livejournal.com]

"No, no. The Super Patriots was the team name of the first three superheroes in my dimension," Velma explained. "They eventually incorporated and now it's this huge conglomeration for the training and oversight of superheroes." Her mouth twisted into something bitter for a moment. "If you were from my world--or a parallel dimension of it--you'd have heard of them."

Re: Meet Your Roommate [Spring 2016]

[oldstrongest1.livejournal.com]

"And of you were from mine, you'd know what a Hulk is," Skaar said. "Different universes completely. Got it."

Re: Meet Your Roommate [Spring 2016]

[fckedupx5000.livejournal.com]

"Uhhh, since I'm not and I don't--did you want to explain?" Velma asked.

It seemed like it might be an important part of her roommate's identity.

Re: Meet Your Roommate [Spring 2016]

[oldstrongest1.livejournal.com]

"You know how I huge and green? That's a thing with some people where I'm from," Skaar said. "My father is the original Hulk. He has some rage issues. A lot of people think he's a monster. I'm like him, but calmer. And with a sword."

Re: Meet Your Roommate [Spring 2016]

[fckedupx5000.livejournal.com]

"I did notice the huge and green thing, yeah," Velma said easily. That part hadn't worried her. After all, one of her teammates had been more lobster than boy, thanks to his dad's gene-splicing therapy that had kept David alive. "Nice to meet you, by the way. The sword is cool and the calm is appreciated."

She wondered if she should bring up the things that made her other than normal, too. It wasn't like she was going to be putting her costume back on any time soon. But he was her roommate and it wasn't like Velma had suddenly started liking to put her clothes away just because she'd left The Junior Super Patriots, West Coast Division.

"I'm hoping all that calm means you won't be weirded out if you see a stuffed animal or two walking around our room, picking up or whatever?"

Re: Meet Your Roommate [Spring 2016]

[oldstrongest1.livejournal.com]

"I might've smashed it if you didn't give me that warning," Skaar admitted. "But since you did, no smashing."

Re: Meet Your Roommate [Spring 2016]

[fckedupx5000.livejournal.com]

"No smashing, good," Velma said. "I mean, plush stands up pretty well to a smashing and losing button eyes doesn't really impede my control, but that might have led to other things getting smashed that I'm glad to avoid."

Like her bed. A desk. The walls. That kind of stuff.

"I'm an animus, so making stuff move is what I do. Did. Whatever."

Re: Meet Your Roommate [Spring 2016]

[oldstrongest1.livejournal.com]

"So you don't do that anymore?" Skaar asked, slightly confused. "Or just a little bit?"

Re: Meet Your Roommate [Spring 2016]

[fckedupx5000.livejournal.com]

"I don't do it, umm, professionally anymore," Velma said haltingly. "I walked away from all that. But I still have the powers. And a bed that doesn't make itself, no matter how hard I try."

Having a teddy bear that did it for her made so much more sense.

Re: Meet Your Roommate [Spring 2016]

[oldstrongest1.livejournal.com]

"Understood," Skaar said. "Don't worry about using that stuff around me. I've dealt with weirder than that. I am weirder than that."

Re: Meet Your Roommate [Spring 2016]

[fckedupx5000.livejournal.com]

"I dunno," Velma said, relaxing enough to tease. "So far, I'm just seeing big and green and you said that's genetic. Not the weirdest I've met, either."

Re: Meet Your Roommate [Spring 2016]

[oldstrongest1.livejournal.com]

"I've only told you a little bit so far. Trust me. It gets weirder," Skaar said. "I'll probably explain it more later on."

There was still the alien thing and the warlord thing and the teaming with his unpowered father to train to murder the fully powered version of his father, and his ability to control the planet through an ancient force within the Earth itself.... But that was Advanced Skaar Studies.

Re: Meet Your Roommate [Spring 2016]

[fckedupx5000.livejournal.com]

It was okay. You had to be a certain level to unlock parts of Velma's backstory, too.

"Gives us something to look forward to," she said. "Roommate goals."

Of course, Velma's only real roommate goal was to make sure that this ended better than things did with her last roommate. She'd been pretty busted up when Yele--when Sparkle Bright had flung her into the locker room wall. She didn't think she'd survive if Skaar decided to do the same.

Skaar probably also wasn't going to hook up with her boyfriend at Marketing's behest, either, so this really was looking better than her last situation.

"Have you ever had a roommate before? I did, a few years back."

Re: Meet Your Roommate [Spring 2016]

[oldstrongest1.livejournal.com]

It depending on how exactly Marketing pitched it, in theory, but it was pretty unlikely.

"None close to my age," which was poorly defined due to being an alien hybrid gamma monster, and trying to find the corresponding Earth age to his stage of development. "I've been in tight quarters with my family and with other groups back home, but nothing like this."

"I probably snore when I do sleep."

Re: Meet Your Roommate [Spring 2016]

[fckedupx5000.livejournal.com]

It would be all the harder since Velma didn't see dating looming large in her future in roughly...ever. She was still hung up on Aaron and knew it.

"Invest in earplugs, got it," Velma said. "Uhh, do you want us to rig up some kind of modesty curtain or anything?"

Much of Velma's modesty had been eroded by years of locker room changes and injuries that sometimes made getting the costume off in a hurry a higher imperative than protecting her dignity. So long as Skaar didn't actively watch her get changed, she was fine. But whether the same went for him was another story.

Hey, he could be really modest under than loincloth!

Re: Meet Your Roommate [Spring 2016]

[oldstrongest1.livejournal.com]

Skaar had literally never been in a situation where his modesty required consideration. "I don't think there will be a problem, but we can put one up in case it feels weird."

And maybe liberal use of a modesty curtain could allow him to transform to his smaller form from time to time without presenting himself as a potential target. He didn't particularly need to transform, but real deep rest now and then was a good thing.

Re: Meet Your Roommate [Spring 2016]

[fckedupx5000.livejournal.com]

If he ever did shift, it was entirely possible he'd wake up to several toys standing guard over him. Out of habit, more than anything else, countless drills of never leave a weakened team member undefended.

"We can try it for a few days and see?" Velma suggested. "I'm pretty sure it'll be fine on my end, but the only roommate I ever had was a girl, so it might end up being different than I remember."

And they'd both been prepubescent at the time, too.

"I'll also try to keep my stuff off of your side. I'm kinda messy, but that's what the plushies are for."

Re: Meet Your Roommate [Spring 2016]

[oldstrongest1.livejournal.com]

"Don't worry about that. I don't keep things besides weapons, so my side will be empty anyway," Skaar said. "A space in the school's weapon's locker has my name on it, though."

Re: Meet Your Roommate [Spring 2016]

[fckedupx5000.livejournal.com]

"...This school has a weapons locker?"

Re: Meet Your Roommate [Spring 2016]

[oldstrongest1.livejournal.com]

"I was told I have to drop my sword off there," Skaar explained. "I'm guessing I'm not the only person here who likes to be armed."

Like he really NEEDED to be armed. Even worse, hiis sword was bigger than several of their classmates.

Re: Meet Your Roommate [Spring 2016]

[fckedupx5000.livejournal.com]

"And my last public school had metal detectors everywhere," Velma said with a low whistle. "They have a system so nobody else can get at your weapons, right?" She eyed him. "Assuming anyone could lift the sword you've got, I mean."