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

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!event: welcome picnic

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

The island was still thankfully, blissfully normal, so fingers were crossed that the picnic would go off without a hitch.

The weather was pleasant enough - sunny, but not so hot that people would melt outside - and all the decorations had been safely pulled out of storage. There were tables and chairs set up with blue and yellow balloons, a table for all the information the new students would need, and enough food to probably feed two islands. It was time to welcome some new folks, everyone!

[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!]

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Okay, Kennedy couldn't quite keep the amused look off her face any more, especially after she tracked that glance. She couldn't tell if she was going to end up liking this kid, punching her in the face, or both, which she got was the kind of reaction people used to have to her all the time. (Still did, though less frequently now.)

"Didn't think you were, FYI. Rhetorical question, and don't worry. You definitely don't strike me as the teacher type."

/Will. Help. When did I become the level-headed and mature one?/ she sent, and just got a snicker in response.

Well, shit, she wasn't taking the bait, and you know what? Beau had to respect that, at least a little. It was more than she could probably do, she'd admit that much.

"Yeah, okay, good," she said, relenting just a touch, though she hadn't stopped doing the Beauregard equivalent of a cat poofing out its fur to look bigger yet. "'cause I'm not."

Still kind of eyeing her warily, though. Something about the way she carried herself suggested that confidence had been earned, and ~~a really good insight check roll~~ she didn't give off any kind of shifty vibes, but the 'this-is-my-place' sort of way she'd been looking around the grounds still got to Beau a little bit.

Kennedy raised an eyebrow. Not in a mocking way, just genuine curiosity.

"Something bothering you?" she asked in a mild tone.

Yes. She had one of those. Contain your shock.

"Nah," Beau said after a moment. "I mean, like, other than you kind of look like you want to buy this place or some shit, like, really?"

So maybe it had reminded her of some snooty-ass people back in Kamordah, a little bit, and touched a nerve.

"What?" Kennedy shook her head and laughed. "Pssht. No."

Which, again, she could get why people would jump to that conclusion with her.

"Just nostalgia, I guess you could say. I used to be a student here. Way longer ago than I want to think about now."

"I know so many people who've done that," Beau said slowly. Well, three, at least, but it kind of made her feel extra justified in wanting to stay, really. "And now you're back teaching, too. Teaching what, though?"

"Self-defense." Kennedy eyed the kid, who definitely had a martial artist's sort of build. "Not in the training-for-a-black-belt kind of way, though. More practical stuff."

She let one corner of her mouth quirk up into a sly smile.

"Useful for people who don't spend all their time learning how to hit stuff, like me, and, I'm guessing, you."

Good one, Kennedy, just make her try and draw herself up a little more, try and look a little more buff still. (It wasn't working very well.)

"You know, the fact that I never got to go to a school like this one is a total rip-off," Beau grumbled, but she nodded. "That's dope, though. Pretty useful at a place like this."

She knew perfectly well that she hadn't either confirmed or denied Kennedy's guess, but she also kind of felt like she didn't need to, so why volunteer the information for no reason?

Yeah, no, Kennedy hadn't even needed to guess. Please. As if she didn't personally recognize the kid's restless energy and the way she carried herself like she was ready to throw down at any second. On a surface level, Beau reminded her exactly enough of herself at a younger age that honestly? Kennedy was hard pressed not to laugh right now.

"That's the idea, yeah," she said with a nod, leaning back against the edge of the picnic table nearby. "Some kids here, they aren't so much from the worlds with the wacky, and you know what the Fandom variety of wacky means sometimes. There's those of us who are always ready to jump onto the front lines to look out for them, but. Can't be everywhere at once. So I guess it just makes me feel a little better to know they can at least take care of themselves enough to get somewhere safe."

She tapped a finger against her lips. "Y'know, I might need help sometimes, with class demos and things, and you look like you know what you're doing."

A brief pause.

"More than total newbies, anyway."

"Hey," Beau objected. "I totally fuckin' know what I'm doing!"

You were maybe level two at best, Beauregard. Level two to Kennedy's level 15 at least.

Kennedy could've responded to that with a subtle smirk and an amused "Mmmhmm." She would've, too, if she hadn't already trained at least a dozen Slayers with way more enthusiasm than they had restraint, but she knew the type, and it was meant to be a subtle reminder of that.

Damn this being mature and responsible thing, because the impulse was still there.

"Wouldn't have made the offer if I thought you didn't," she said instead, evenly, then allowed a small half-smile to form on her face. "It'd be nice to have a chance to demonstrate that, yeah?"

Without having to run off headlong into danger to do it, she meant. It was cute that she was even trying, really.

Wait, a level 2 character running off to try and throw down with something that had a challenge rating of 8 was supposed to be a bad idea? Good luck trying to convince her of that, Kennedy. You would've done the same thing once.

"I mean . . ." Beau shrugged, tried to play off the fact that she was kind of flattered to be asked. Finally, affecting a disinterested tone, she nodded. "Sure, why the fuck not."

It was just, like, sparring in a classroom setting, right? It didn't count as trying to help someone teach, which she was going to maintain all day she wasn't cut out for anyway. Still, she gave Kennedy a sidelong look that implied more annoyance than she actually had about the whole situation.

"Y'know, it'd be nice to know who the fuck I'd be working with, in that case."

What, like she was going to volunteer her name first? Please.

Kennedy just grinned, like she was secure in the knowledge that she wasn't giving up any kind of advantage by introducing herself.

"Name's Kennedy."

And then she raised one eyebrow, expectantly.

If Kennedy had been as pushy and hotheaded now as she'd been as a student, Beau would've still felt antagonistic enough right now to turn this whole exchange into a ridiculous game of introductions chicken.

But nah. Kennedy wasn't backing down, as much as Beau kept trying to bluster, and that definitely earned her a measure of respect.

"Beauregard," she replied, and finally uncrossed her arms to stick one hand out, though the belligerence in her posture didn't fade any.

"Nice to meet you, Beauregard," Kennedy said smoothly, and reached out to shake her hand.

And -- look, Kennedy had been a Slayer for eight years. She was perfectly aware of her own strength, so she knew she was applying just a touch more pressure than a handshake strictly required.

Yeah, yeah, cool, this would be kind of fun. It would --

"Ow, motherfucker!"

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

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