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

Re: cw: blood? better safe than sorry

[spin_kick_snap]

It was hard to be squeamish when you lived on Fandom for awhile. Kathy had been spattered by fish guts from vicious flying eels, covered in spider guts from fighting off giant poisonous Deep Roads spiders, and had practically bathed in demon ichor. Add that to stitching up Nick's gunshot in a hotel and the cop that had been fatally shot in her arms and the knife-fight with The Butcher in the alleyway in Baltimore...

Okay. Yeah. Laura was possibly right to be concerned. Good instincts, Laura.

"Here," Kathy said, reaching into her bag for a package of wetnaps. "This might help." Because blood got sticky when it dried, as Laura likely knew very well. "You know a version of Raven? That's really cool. We're going to stay roommates after we graduate, out in my LA."

As she spoke, she examined the claws as closely as she could without actually touching them. "Those don't quite look like steel," she said. "Tungsten? Not platinum."

Re: cw: blood? better safe than sorry

[ungue.livejournal.com]

Laura's appreciation would grow for her in time, then. Also the need to keep her away from other animal's visera in the future. Ew, Kathy.

Laura's claws shot down, disappearing once more. The blood on her knuckles dripped down, but some of it seemed to be reabsorbed in her skin. She thanked Kathy and cleaned the remaining blood. Usually, Laura was too busy cutting through people that hygiene wasn't a concern. She couldn't very well walk around soaked in blood here now, could she? "Are you?" It was a different version, most likely. "The version I know is older. She is not someone I would trust, but I cannot say this Raven is like her." And she looked younger; Laura knew that how you grew had a lot to do with the way you turned out, so...

"Bone laced with adamantium." One claw peeked a few inches from her skin, just enough to let Kathy see, but not enough for the wound to have the time to bleed.

Re: cw: blood? better safe than sorry

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy would really appreciate being kept out of the way of internal organs, regardless of what kind of creature they came from. However, her tendency to rush into the thick of things without really thinking would make that job harder than it really had to be. Apologies for that.

"This Raven is my best friend," Kathy said staunchly. "I'd trust her with my life. More than that--I'd trust her with my sister's." There could be no higher declaration. "Once you get to know this version, you'll understand."

It was important to note that none of Kathy's mutant powers included precognition.

"Adamantium?" Now Kathy just looked confused. "Is that some kind of high-tech alloy...?"

Re: cw: blood? better safe than sorry

[ungue.livejournal.com]

That usually ended with something poking out of Laura's body after she got in the way of whatever trying to kill a person she was protecting. It happened a lot.

But if Kathy defended Raven so much... maybe she was right. Maybe Raven was that good. She wouldn't judge her just because. Talk about being a hypocrite. "I will trust your judgement."

The claw sunk entirely, and Laura flexed her hand. "It may not be native to your world. In mine, it is the second most resistant material on Earth, only a close second to vibranium."

Re: cw: blood? better safe than sorry

[spin_kick_snap]

It would get a little ridiculous, both of them trying to protect the other. And anytime Laura got hurt trying to help Kathy, she could be assured of guilty apologies and baked goods.

Kathy shook her head. "Neither of those are ringing bells," she said. "I mean, I'm no material scientist, but I feel like I would have at least heard of them."

Re: cw: blood? better safe than sorry

[ungue.livejournal.com]

Considering she was the one that healed, Laura would be appropriately cross if Kathy tried to get herself in harms way to protect her. Let the tank be the tank, Kathy.

Laura nodded. "They are relatively well known. Do not worry; just know that nothing will break them, and they will cut through everything." Barring vibranium, but that wasn't an issue here.

Until she met Steve.

Re: cw: blood? better safe than sorry

[spin_kick_snap]

And, honestly, Kathy had been built for DPS. Her main problem was that she solo'd too often to really learn how to sit back and let other people do their stuff.

"Handy," Kathy said, eyebrows up. "Is it a really common element, then?"

That was the only reason she could come up with for how Laura's mutation had fashioned internal claws out of the stuff. Trace amounts in her system for it to bond and shape?

RE: Re: cw: blood? better safe than sorry

[ungue.livejournal.com]

If anyone had the gear to do a Leroy Jenkins, that was Laura. Who probably was a WoW geek in the works.

"No, it is not. But a few individuals have made them well known." You know, the guy she's a clone of?

A moment later, Laura realized the deeper implication of Kathy's question. "My claws were removed and laced with it then reinserted. My claws were originally just high density bone.

Re: cw: blood? better safe than sorry

[spin_kick_snap]

There were more people running about with adamantium claws? Weird.

"They were?" Kathy asked, boggling. "That must have been--especially how quickly you heal--does that count towards metabolizing--" Now Kathy was turning green. "Someone must have thought this surgery was very important to go to all that work," she said carefully. "I hope it was you?"

She was remembering some of the things that Jono and Evan had said about what could happen to mutants in their world.

RE: Re: cw: blood? better safe than sorry

[ungue.livejournal.com]

Just the one, bub.

Laura's eyes were plastered to her hands. Kathy was spot on all the way to her last assumption. "It was forced on me", Laura admitted. "It was deemed necessary." Her voice was distant. She would answer if asked, because that was her, she wouldn't lie in the face of kindness, but she feared she was about to push someone else away not a day after arriving.

Re: cw: blood? better safe than sorry

[spin_kick_snap]

"Fuck," Kathy breathed; appalled and not even trying to hide it. "I can't believe--no, I can believe it and that's why it's so terrible. I'm so sorry that something like that was done to you."

Laura had been forced. Not persuaded or cajoled, not even tricked, but forced. Now more than ever, Kathy was glad she'd convinced Raven to come with her after graduation, rather than having her go back to live with Charles.

"I've got nothing useful to say," she said, offering Laura an apologetic smile. "But I'm really glad you're here and away from whatever assholes deemed invasive surgery on a minor was necessary."

Re: cw: blood? better safe than sorry

[ungue.livejournal.com]

Laura turned to look at Kathy, veeeeeeeery slowly because she was still pulling herself together on the inside. If she only knew. No more than ever did Laura think she really couldn't share her life with anyone, specially if they cared so easily. It wasn't fair on them.

"You do not need to say anything." Many had tried, but at least she was being honest. And Laura wasn't going to tell her that the invasive surgery wasn't the worst they did to her. Or that said assholes were long dead. "The circumstances of it... are maybe better left for another day." Hopefully not soon.

(And then Atton's class happened).

Re: cw: blood? better safe than sorry

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy would argue what wasn't fair was what had happened to Laura. And that people who cared needed to be told about stuff like this so they could work to keep it from happening to others. But then, Kathy was an idealist.

"Yeah, I can imagine this isn't the kind of talk you want to have with a random stranger your first day on the island," Kathy said with a nod. "Especially not where the squirrels can hear."

Re: cw: blood? better safe than sorry

[ungue.livejournal.com]

Idealists didn't live much in Laura's world. Not her world world, but the circles she ran. Those were bad circles.

"You are not a random stranger", Laura said, perhaps too quickly. "Not anymore, at least." She didn't understand for a moment, but then she remembered what Frank had said. "Seriously." The little critters.

Re: cw: blood? better safe than sorry

[spin_kick_snap]

"Seriously," Kathy told her with an aggrieved sigh. "Hopefully your big sib told you that they can be bribed by rum?" She shooed off the one that she could see, complete with notepad and hat, but she knew better than to think that was the only one around taking notes. "And--thanks. I'm really glad I decided to climb up here."

Re: cw: blood? better safe than sorry

[ungue.livejournal.com]

"No, he did not. Frank seems more intent on keeping the alcohol for himself." She wasn't going to ask what did rum had to do with squirrels.

Laura smiled back at her. Shyly, but she smiled. "I am glad you did."

Re: cw: blood? better safe than sorry

[spin_kick_snap]

They were drunkards was what. Buncha little alcoholic rodents.

"Ahhh, Frank," Kathy said as if that explained everything. Because, really, it did. "Yeah, you can give them a little rum and they'll run off and not listen in on your conversation. Because they're furry little lushes."

Welcome to weird sentences you'd only say on this island, Laura.

"I'm in room 508," she added. "In case you ever want to come visit. You're always welcome and I usually have stuff to eat, too."

Re: cw: blood? better safe than sorry

[ungue.livejournal.com]

Would the wonders ever end?

"That makes no sense at all, but okay." Just roll it with, try not to lose your mind on the minor details.

"I am in room 304." If for any strange reason Kathy wanted to pass by what was going to look like a really weird room, considering the two weird girls living in it.

Re: cw: blood? better safe than sorry

[spin_kick_snap]

"I spend a decent amount of time down on three," Kathy said. "Don't be surprised if I do come knocking. Besides, I'll feel less bad about rifling through your common room if I've visited someone on your floor first."

Re: cw: blood? better safe than sorry

[ungue.livejournal.com]

"I will leave the door open." It was up to Kaylin to close it if she wanted to. And then she remembered. "Sometimes I sleep outside, though." Depending on just how late she planed to show up.

Re: cw: blood? better safe than sorry

[spin_kick_snap]

"You're hardier than I am, then," Kathy said with an exaggerated shiver. "I'm a thin-blooded California girl. I'm not made for these East Coast winters."

Re: cw: blood? better safe than sorry

[ungue.livejournal.com]

Laura looked down, smiling a bit. "It is just habit and bad dreams." And that she didn't want to cut anyone if she woke up startled.

Re: cw: blood? better safe than sorry

[spin_kick_snap]

"You should check out the roof, then," Kathy suggested. "There's a garden up there and you'll be closer to the stars. And it doesn't get quite so many visitors during the winter." She pretended to shiver again. "And it's warmer than the preserve and closer to the showers when you decide to get up."

Re: cw: blood? better safe than sorry

[ungue.livejournal.com]

"I will", she said, and she would, because Laura was a sucker for high places. Something something, cat pun.

Had Laura been something closer to a normal teenager, she would have half-hugged Kathy. As it was, physical contact made her a bit nervous, because she was still bad at boundaries. "I do not get too cold or two hot. My body regulates its temperature depending of its needs."

Which is why she was always wearing somewhat revealing clothes, or her uniform.

Re: cw: blood? better safe than sorry

[spin_kick_snap]

Laura could join the collection of two-legged feral cats the island was amassing.

"Oh, I see," Kathy teased. "Just rub it in. I'm in the first stages of frostbite and you're fine. I see how it is. See if I share any more of these excellent..." She looked down at her empty plate. "...chip crumbs. So there."