fandomhigh | Oh the Humanity!: Friendship is International Adventure, Thursday, period 1

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Oh the Humanity!: Friendship is International Adventure, Thursday, period 1

Pinkie waited for the students today wearing large mirrored sunglasses and several dozen paper shopping bags tucked at crazy angles across her withers and around her front legs. "Hiya everypony!" she called, waving frantically and setting the bags rustling and fluttering in a way that indicated in so uncertain terms that they were all entirely empty. "Hope you're ready for some super fun times today! We're going shopping!"

Eliot was dressed -- exactly like he would any other day of the week. Up to and including the incredulous expression he was shooting Pinkie. "If you wanna go shopping," he said. "You don't have to go shopping. We're not takin' a field trip to a mall or anything."

"Ooooo, we should totally do that!"

Eliot ignored her. "Today we're visitin' one of the largest and most economically successful cities in the world -- and one of my personal favorites: Seoul, South Korea." He looked around specifically for Kathy, then went back to addressing the entire class. "There is far too much to do in this city in one trip. I recommend pickin' one thing: shopping, sure, or a historical tour if that's your thing, or checkin' out one of their theme parks, or even just explorin' along the river, maybe, and keepin' the place in mind for future vacations."

"ENOUGH CHIT-CHAT!" Pinkie declared, bags flying again. "Let's go hit the town!!"

Eliot actually smiled a little at that. He was looking forward to seeing what Seoul made of a talking pink pony.

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Watch Eliot somehow instantly blend in (does he know someone everywhere?)! Watch Pinkie get trailed around shopping malls by Korean teenagers taking pictures!

Pinkie was making so many new friends!

Eliot went straight for the hotteok. Seriously, world tour of street food. He was totally going to have to do that this summer.

Right before it was time for the portal, Kathy showed up, wearing a new hanbok and arms practically covered in bags. Rather than saying anything, Kathy just beamed at him, before bringing her hands together and performing a deep, sincere bow.

Eliot had collected more than a few bags himself, all full of produce, condiments, spices, and teas from around town. He smiled and bowed back, only slightly awkwardly.

"You have fun, darlin'?"

There was probably a ridiculous amount of overlap in their bags. The other best thing about portals? NO CUSTOMS. Bwahahah.

"I did!" she said, as if her grin wasn't bright enough to prove it. "You know, this is the first time I've ever come to Seoul and got to do touristy stuff?"

"Usually stuck followin' your family's lead?" Eliot guessed. "Surprised they didn't drag you around town to all the cultural stuff. My mom always made us hit up the tourist traps when guests were in town."

You know, all those hot Oklahoma City sights.

"Oh, we did cultural stuff," Kathy assured him. "Had to teach the American cousins what was what. But it wasn't--it wasn't this kind of stuff. Nothing quite so bright and colorful. If there were white people taking pictures of it, then it was too touristy for my grandma."

Eliot chuckled. "Fair 'nough. You could come back, you know. On your own, take more time to see all the crappy tourist stuff. You kids oughta be takin' all kinds of advantage of that portal system."

Even when it went wonky and left you stranded for a little while in the world without shrimp.

"You know what? I think I will, this summer," Kathy said, eyes bright. "It'll be my last summer to get to do this kind of thing. And Raven's always trying to get me to relax. Maybe I'll do a whirlwind tour of the globe with a bunch of friends--you know, stay in hostels, eat random foods, decide that day whether we're going to go full on tourist trap or stay more authentic for the region..."

Literally anything was possible at Fandom. Why should she limit herself.

"You know, I think I'm finally getting the hang of this 'being a kid' thing."

"Just in time," Eliot noted with a wry smile. "You know, I been thinkin' about what to do for the summer myself. Leanin' towards a street food tour kinda thing. You think your fellow kids would be into that?"

"Ooooh!" Kathy said. "Wait, are you asking if a bunch of teenagers would be down with a class all about street food from around the world? Most emphatically yes, Eliot!" She dimpled at him. "I'll be your TA again if you want!"

More food for Kathy, yes good.

"Dunno, sounds like you've got yourself some plans already. Backpackin' 'round the world is a fine tradition. You don't want an old man crampin' your style."

"But I have to take at least two classes each summer session," Kathy pointed out. "Otherwise I won't count as a student. So I come back for class, then use it as a jumping off point to go, well, anywhere else."

"Well. I suppose if you're gonna be all logical about it. . . ."

"Besides, you'd miss your favorite TA if she didn't stick around for her last semester on the island at least a little bit," Kathy said, dimpling at him.

"Darlin', I'm gonna miss you no matter when you leave."

Yeah, Eliot was getting a giant hug for that, armful of grocery bags or not. "I'm going to miss you too, Seonsaeng-nim," she said.

As a rule, Eliot didn't blush. But that got him pretty damn close. Hardison would be making all sorts of knowing noises if he saw the two of them right now.

"Guess that just means you'll have to come back and visit plenty."

Hardison had an entire 'Eliot has feelings'song for times like this.

"As often as possible," Kathy promised, then amended it to, "Well, possible and feasible. I'll still have to work and study hard. But I doubt I'll be gone for too long. This place is like my home."

Of course Eliot had feelings. He just most often chose to express them in growl form.

"You'll always have one in Fandom, definitely," Eliot assured her. "You ain't gotta worry about hotel rooms or anything after you're outta the dorms. I got plenty of space, and that house is practically empty half the time, anyway."

More than half. It was a bit of work dragging Hardison away from his tech toys even just for a night at Eliot's place, after all.

Edited 2016-03-10 18:17 (UTC)

Hey, he'd started bringing his toys over to leave at Eliot's place for those nights away!

"Really?" Kathy beamed. "I would love that!"

It might not always work out, considering the people she could be visiting in Fandom, but Kathy couldn't deny the appeal of having somewhere to that that wasn't the impersonal warmth of the hotel, nice as it was.

"We could cook together!"

"I'd like that," Eliot said. "Fair warnin', though, I can be kind of a hardass in the kitchen."

Ninja chef, they'd called him. Or course, that might have something to do with him not even bothering with an alias on that job. . . .

"Can't be any worse than cooking for my dad," Kathy said with an easy shrug. "And if I'm cooking Korean, I've got an easy way to get you to back off."

Like 'I learned to make bulgogi from my mom, what Korean woman taught you?'

"Oh yeah?" Eliot asked, curious. "And what's that?"

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