Fandom High Graduation Ceremony, Class of 2020, Early Saturday Evening [Part 1]

[bigdamnprincipal]

There were normal traditions, and there were Fandom traditions, and having this party get started right around dusk was definitely a Fandom tradition. As the sun went down, the finishing touches of decorations were made; the lawn of the school had been lit up with blue and gold lights, and there were chairs set up for all of the graduates, along with plenty of seats for guests to come and watch. The weather was behaving itself, and it looked like it would be a nice, warm spring evening.

Congratulations, Class of 2020! You made it!

[OCD is up, have at it!]

Comments

Welcome! [Grad 2020]

[bigdamnprincipal]

Grab a seat, say hello to family members and old friends, or make some new ones from among the guests.

Re: Welcome! [Grad 2020]

[bookbeltof_love]

Was Nina still incredibly blah about the whole 'her brother was leaving' bit?

Most definitely!

But that wasn't in evidence here and now as she bounced, looking around for the guests she knew were coming for him.

Like, sure, it sucked that he was leaving but she was still really proud of him for graduating!

Re: Welcome! [Grad 2020]

[sword_chocobro]

"So," said Gladio, grinning at Nina when he spotted her and making sure to make his way over, since he knew Noctis was going to probably try and be all aloof about everything and he wouldn't want to make anyone suffer through a conversation with Ignis if they could avoid it it, "what do you think, Nina? Where's going to be the best spot?"

Re: Welcome! [Grad 2020]

[bookbeltof_love]

"Gladio!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she chirped, beaming up (and up!) at him. "And, like, the first few rows are definitely best for cheering on Prompto??????????????"

Or heckling him.

Or a combination of both.

Nina peered around him, making sure to find and wave at the other two.

"And, like, being up close means there's the best seats to any possibility of doom too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

She hoped there would be doom. Nina was all set to record it and post it online.

Re: Welcome! [Grad 2020]

[sword_chocobro]

"Doom?" asked Gladio, with a quirk of an eyebrow, but, as soon as he said it, he thought about it, and, yeah. Yeah, something like doom did seem kind of par for the course from this place, didn't it?

"What kind of doom are we talkin' about?" he asked, in part to be prepared and in part to see if it was minor enough doom that he could still manage to get through some of the book he'd brought with him, because he was definitely expecting more bored than doom.

Re: Welcome! [Grad 2020]

[bookbeltof_love]

"It's usually just something the grads have to deal with," she said, bouncing a little. "Like, I don't know if Prompto's really paid attention to that sort of thing but, like, he's survived to graduation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He's got this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Nina was not particularly worried, no.

"Like, last year they were attacked by spelling bees!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The horror! The shame! The terror! "It's always something............"

She was hoping it gave her fodder to tease her brother with, why yes.

Re: Welcome! [Grad 2020]

[sword_chocobro]

Pardon the small snort that followed the words if Prompto's really paid attention; they couldn't be helped, and Gladio would admit that he was a little intrigued, too, though Nina's explanation left something to be desired.

"Spelling bees?" he asked, immediately wondering if he should have.

Re: Welcome! [Grad 2020]

[bookbeltof_love]

She giggled.

"If you answered them right they left you alone," she explained, "but if you got it wrong, you got stung and if you hit them then, like, you got covered in pollen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Re: Welcome! [Grad 2020]

[sword_chocobro]

Even though Gladio still didn't know what to think about even half of the stuff he heard about this place (including whether or not to even believe any of it), he snorted a laugh as he tried to picture that. "Here's to hoping no one's allergic, then," he said, with all the confidence of someone who figured he'd do pretty well in that challenge; he was an excellent speller, but he was pretty sure Noct and Prompto would be doomed.

Re: Welcome! [Grad 2020]

[chef_chocobro]

"Nina," Ignis offered with a nod of greeting, as he came over eventually, once he'd hoped she'd gotten some of her more expressive energy out of her system (a hope, he realized, that was probably most futile), "it's good to see you again. How have you been?"

Re: Welcome! [Grad 2020]

[bookbeltof_love]

It was most definitely futile because, like, really... if she wasn't being expressive something was either going to die or she was going to go and cry so, like...

"Hi, Ignis!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she beamed at him. Yes, good. Sure, she had a boyfriend but there was nothing wrong with being happy to talk to a bunch of hot guys. Nothing. "I've been okay, I guess???????????????? Plotting more mayhem for the next semester!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How about you?????????????????"

Re: Welcome! [Grad 2020]

[chef_chocobro]

The Insomnia crew definitely did more than their fair share to help turn up the heat a little more at this ceremony, it was true.

"I am well," Ignis informed her, with another nod, and a small adjustment to his glasses, "thank you for asking. Eager to get Prompto back onto a more focused and disciplined regimine for his training, though I'm certain he feels quite otherwise."

"Only time will tell," he added, "if it'll do His Majesty well to have him back on board with us..." He threw in a faint smile, "...or the complete opposite."

Re: Welcome! [Grad 2020]

[bookbeltof_love]

"You're a cruel man," Nina observed, because he was, on so many levels. "But, like, Prompto's actually been looking forward to going back???????????????????"

Sure, he hadn't said much about it to her but, like, puh-lease. She knew.

Re: Welcome! [Grad 2020]

[chef_chocobro]

Sometimes, such cruelty was a necessity, Nina.

And also sort of what you got when you'd been retainer to Noctis since you were six.

"I can hardly blame him for that, either," Ignis noted. "He's shown a great deal of fortitude in sticking it out for the long run, though it seems the last six months have been quite a bit...less traumatic than the summer had been. Still..." He paused a little thoughtfully. "It has not been without its merits. We're glad to have him back."

He adjusted his glasses along with shifting his glance more directly toward her. "And I'm sure I can trust in you to share any other...particularly noteworthy revelations, should they still come up."

The nuances of exactly how this island's views into various alternate dimensions was something that still kept him delightfully puzzled, though he was determined to ascertain at least their usefulness.

Re: Welcome! [Grad 2020]

[bookbeltof_love]

"Oh, don't worry about that," she assured him blithely. "I already plan to tape my classes just for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Well, assuming the moose didn't reject her class idea.

But it had been more than a week since she'd submitted it and she hadn't heard from them yet... so...

Re: Welcome! [Grad 2020]

[chef_chocobro]

That wasn't exactly what he meant, Nina.

"That wasn't exactly what I meant, Nina," Ignis said, though he knew that she already knew that.

Re: Welcome! [Grad 2020]

[i_hate_beans]

This was obviously a much smaller, much quieter graduation ceremony than the one Noctis himself would be participating in next week, and that was exactly what he liked about it. He sort of envied Prompto for that, although any envy he felt was nothing compared to the disappointment over the fact that they weren't going through this together.

But at least he could be here for it. Not even a little the same, but helped, and he and Gladio were ready to cheer particularly obnoxiously when it was Prompto's turn to get his diploma. They might even get Iggy in on it, too.

Doubtful, but they were going to at least try.

Re: Welcome! [Grad 2020]

[bookbeltof_love]

There were two ways to deal with awkward. Avoid the shit out of it or to trample all over it.

Nina knew Noctis' method of dealing with it was.

Too bad for him that she was going to deal with it the other way.

"Noooooooooooooooooctiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Complete with incoming glomp--and, in fact, saying his name was partly so that Gladio and Iggy wouldn't stop her approach--just so she could, if she was successful, take a selfie at the most awkward time!

Mwahahaha.

Re: Welcome! [Grad 2020]

[i_hate_beans]

Well, mission successful, because, even though Noctis was half-expecting a full-form Nina assault at some point (as were Ignis and Gladio, who had very few intentions of interfering with said assault), she still managed to catch him with the most confused, mildly started expression on his face, which was impressive, cosnidering he swiped it away as fast as he could.

But not fast enough for the camera.

"Wha--?" he started, the sound that emerged from him mid gawp, and then it was followed by a faint grunt, as if to establish that his stoicism never betrayed him after all. "Hmm. Oh. Hey, Nina."

Re: Welcome! [Grad 2020]

[bookbeltof_love]

"Hi!!!!!!!!!!!!" she said happily, taking a look at the selfie. "Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Ah, yeah, that was getting texted to Iris right away.

"Victory was mine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Re: Welcome! [Grad 2020]

[i_hate_beans]

And that picture would almost be enough to make it up to Iris for her not being able to be there!

"You're almost as bad as Prompto, with those drive-by selfies," Noctis groused, although there didn't really seem to be that much complaint to it...not any more than usual, anyway. "If you're going to do that, you should at least give me time to prepare."

Re: Welcome! [Grad 2020]

[bookbeltof_love]

Not quite, but almost!

Nina would just have to make up the rest by inflicting herself upon the Amicitia family for a sleepover one weekend soon.

"The whole point is to not give you time to prepare!!!!!!!!!!" she protested, smiling, as she let him go free. "Otherwise, like, we'll get the same three expressions from you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Re: Welcome! [Grad 2020]

[i_hate_beans]

Three was being incredibly generous, Nina.

"That's not true," Noctis countered. "And don't act like you wouldn't prefer to have a warning before hand, too..."

A pause.

"More of a warning," he amended.

Re: Welcome! [Grad 2020]

[bookbeltof_love]

It really was. Man of many facial expressions was... not Noct.

"Well, maybe," Nina conceded, "but, like, it's okay when I'm the one doing the surprising?????????????????"

Re: Welcome! [Grad 2020]

[betterthanaplan]

Duke hadn't even attended his own high school graduation, but he had nothing better to do today, and he had at least a couple students graduating, so sure, why not?

He had no idea what to expect. Except probably something completely unexpected.