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

[bigdamnprincipal]

Picnic-ing in January - still not the best idea ever! But there were tables and chairs set up in the sun, and a nice bonfire going, and plenty of warm food for everyone to encourage socializing for as long as possible.

[OCD is up! This is the picnic post for general mingling. Roommates, fake siblings and teachers are all here. Since it's outside, the picnic is open to all students, teachers, and townies!]

Comments

[ungue.livejournal.com]

True, it wasn't the best tree ever, but it was starting to grow on her.

"It seems like the time for people to arrive." Here, have a bro nod. "Laura Kinney."

[soniaroadsqueen]

Given that it was Fandom, that was entirely possible.

Bro nods were cool with Ringo. "It is about time for new people, yeah." She grinned up. "Nice to meet you, Laura."

"What do you think so far?" Ringo asked, letting her gaze turn back to the fire and the people around it.

[ungue.livejournal.com]

Something else Laura didn't need to know right then.

"It is... different." Which could mean so many things, really. Her voice betrayed her hope, though. A good different, most likely. "I have yet to make my mind."

[soniaroadsqueen]

Ringo thought she recognized something in that tone, and it brought a smile to her face. "Oh, it's different alright," she agreed easily.

"I mean, it's different for everyone, but I know that it's been a really good different for me."

[ungue.livejournal.com]

"Has it?" Laura shifted on the branch, looking at Ringo (or Ringo's back) with more attention. "How so?"

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Well." Ringo considered the question, then shrugged a bit awkwardly. "Things were really, um, tense back home. So I guess I didn't really start learning how to relax properly until I got here?"

She wrinkled her nose. Did that even make sense?

[ungue.livejournal.com]

It made a lot of sense to Laura. "Hm", she said at first, processing what she was hearing. "I know the feeling. I left... home because of that, in a way." Also due to demons and not being sure she had a soul at all. In a way.

[soniaroadsqueen]

Hey, demons and being unsure about the existence of your own soul probably do cause tension, to be fair.

"Well, maybe you'll get the same thing I did, then." Ringo's smile was relaxed. "If nothing else, you should at least have a chance to catch your breath, you know?" Metaphorically speaking, that was. Laura didn't look particularly out of breath at the moment, after all.

[ungue.livejournal.com]

The only times Laura was out of breath was when she had carved her way through several dozens of armed guards. That could really make her work a sweat even with her healing factor. Otherwise she remained mostly unaffected.

"Maybe." That was basically the most positive thing she had said since coming here. "I have never gone to school proper", she ventured. She would have to admit that eventually, right?

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Well, you're definitely not the first here to be in that situation." Ringo grinned. "And it's not that bad, really."

She cocked her head. "Hey, do you know what classes you're in? Maybe we're in some of the same ones."

[ungue.livejournal.com]

"I suppose it is not." She had a long way to go and change her mind, though.

"Computer Science, Survival in the Field, Diplomacy, Relationships, and Tactics and Around the World." Of course she knew them all by heart now.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Oh! We're both in the same class on Wednesdays, then!"

"Diplomacy, Relationships, and Tactics is Lady Ghanima's class. She's really awesome."

[ungue.livejournal.com]

Laura nodded. It was good to have feedback on teachers. "I could use alternative ways to work things out." Other than, you know, cutting everyone in her sight.

[soniaroadsqueen]

Well, it was true that not all of your problems could be solved by sudden outbursts of violence.

Ringo smiled slightly. "Do you have a lot to work out, then?" she asked, intending it as a teasing, casual question.

[ungue.livejournal.com]

"I do, yes." Had Ringo made a more detailed question, she might have gotten an answer with more details too. All in all she dodged a bullet there. Laura had somehow managed to spend the entire day without weirding someone out yet.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Well, I've found Fandom to be a pretty good place to work stuff out. I just got back from visiting my family, and my sister said she thinks this place has been good for me." So hopefully it'd be good for you, too, Laura!

[ungue.livejournal.com]

"I suppose we will see." She didn't know who could gauge her improvement back home. Logan? Unlikely. "You left in good terms." Not asking, really.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Yeah." Ringo smiled. "I mean, with my family, anyway. Not so much with everyone." She shrugged. "I don't really think that's possible, though. Be on good terms with everyone?" She shook her head.

[ungue.livejournal.com]

"No, you really cannot." Laura had left with nearly everyone in bad terms, so she knew, really. "I figure I made a few people angry, and others worried." More angry than worried, she bet.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Sometimes that's how it goes," Ringo sighed, shrugging unhappily. "But you need to focus on you first, you know? You can worry about other people being upset once you've got yourself figured out."

[ungue.livejournal.com]

Laura nodded, deep in thought. It was what she was trying to do, put herself first for a change. "Yeah, I am trying. Sorry, I did not want to ruin the mood." It was her default mood, but it didn't mean it had to be Ringo's.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Oh, don't worry about it." Ringo smiled reassuringly. "I've found that my mood bounces back a lot faster than I would have thought before I came here."

"Besides, you shouldn't have to apologize for being yourself. That's another thing I learned here."

[ungue.livejournal.com]

And that was a whole lot of other stuff she had to deal with. Laura shrugged-shrank, eyes wandering away. "I wish it was that simple. Maybe some day."

[soniaroadsqueen]

Ringo realized she'd probably said something she shouldn't have there. "Sorry." She smiled apologetically. "I'm giving you all this advice and don't know anything about your situation."

[ungue.livejournal.com]

"Do not apologize", said Laura, a bit hastily. "The advice is good; you would not want to know anyway."