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

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!event: welcome picnic

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

The good weather continued throughout the day, making it very comfortable to be out on the lawn. Who would want to miss such a nice picnic?

[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!]

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Elli was far too shy to actually go up to a strange woman and ask about her dog so, instead, she was casting the odd admiring glance their way from where she was sitting under a tree.

What an adorable and well trained dog he seemed to be!

It was okay, Kathy had noticed her anyway and offered a small wave. "Hi," she said, coming over to talk to her. "You know, I used to sit under this same tree for picnics when I was a student here. It's both out of the way, but still close enough to see everything."

Elli ducked her head, briefly, before looking back up.

"Hi," she said, her voice soft. "Oh! Does that mean, I'm sorry, should I move? It's just... it's just a bit overwhelming so I thought this was a good spot..."

But she could totally move!

"You're fine just where you are," Kathy said, giving the girl a smile. She...reminded Kathy of herself, roughly a million years ago now. The head duck, the immediate offer to leave, the quiet longing in the glance Kathy'd intercepted. "I just came over because it looked like you wanted to make the acquaintance of Ronin here."

She glanced down at her dog. "At ease, boy."

And Ronin, who had been holding himself back a little, keeping himself between Kathy and the rest of the crowd, immediately relaxed, coming up to look at Elli with curiosity.

"Would you like to say hello?"

"Oh, I couldn--"

Elli trailed off as Ronin approached her.

"He's just so beautiful," she said, offering him her hand to sniff.

Ronin padded over to her hand and whuffed, then leaned down to sniff her hand. "Isn't he though? I like to troll my boyfriends by calling him the most handsome boy in the house," she said with a small laugh. "Also, Ronin very much loves getting scritched behind the ears. You know. If you felt like indulging him."

From the way Ronin tried to nudge at Elli's hand, he was all for the indulging.

With a laugh, Elli shifted to do just that. Ear scritches for the most glorious dog she'd ever seen? Absolutely.

"I'm sorry," she said, uncertain if she'd heard the 'boyfriends' part right, but also unwilling to pry when she didn't even know the woman's name. "I completely forgot to introduce myself. I'm Elli."

She had, but until and unless she asked, Kathy wasn't going to make a big deal about it.

"I'm Kathy," she said, not offering a shake since Elli's hands were busy. "I'm guessing you're new this summer?"

Kathy didn't recognize most of the people at the picnic anymore, but this one had 'new girl' written all over her, bless.

She was so, so new and squeaky.

"Yes," she admitted. "One of the girls on the shuttle said that this was a small town but... it's bigger than my home several times over."

Elli was so lost.

That was one place Kathy couldn't relate. She was a city girl, through and through. "I promise, this place is going to be a big adjustment in a lot of ways."

So many ways, Elli. So very many ways.

"But almost everyone around is really nice and even the people who are jerks are usually decent when it's really important."

You know, like during an invasion or something.

"That's a relief," she said, though she was thinking more like, oh, a flood or during harvest time than invasions... "We've got a few people like that back home too. They just aren't people persons."

Elli hesitated.

"Is it okay if I ask what's probably a really silly question?"

"It's not a silly question if you genuinely don't know something," Kathy said, dropping her hand down on Ronin's back.

"Is it true that almost everyone has a phone?" Elli asked earnestly. "Only, there's just one phone in town back home and we don't really need it otherwise but another girl thought it was a necessity..."

"It's true," Kathy said with a nod. "Phones for most people around here are more than just ways to communicate with folks. They're cameras and mini-computers and ways to send and receive money and all sorts of things."

She took out her own phone, pulling up her camera app and showing Elli the ridiculous selfie Dante had sent of himself, Blondie, and Ronin the other day. "Phones these days are intensely personal things. You don't have to have one, but without it, people will have a hard time getting in contact with you."

"Oh, but I couldn't possibly afford one," Elli said, though she giggled at the picture. "They must be thousands upon thousands of dollars!"

"Oh goodness no," Kathy promised. "You can get a semi-decent one for about twenty bucks. Or even free if you sign up for a plan. They're very affordable, I promise."

"For only twenty dollars?" Elli marveled in astonishment, ~~while I grumble that that's not how cell phone prices in Canada work lol~~. "Almost nothing is that inexpensive back home!"

It took a lot of money to get things shipped into a small town.

"Most people who live here manage to survive with only a single day of work a week," Kathy assured her.

With many people, she'd offer a job at her store. But...no, Elli. Just no.

Yeah, there was no way that wouldn't end in tears.

"I read in the brochures that there's a clinic on the island," she said, smiling. "So I was hoping to get a job there. I want to be a nurse after high school..."

"There is!" Kathy had no idea who the head of the clinic currently was, but Elli should still be okay to get a job there. "And as far as I remember, the nurses there were all really nice, too."

"Oh, good! That's a relief! And the guidance counselor gave me a map, so I should be able to find the clinic just fine..."

She was going to be very dismayed about all the stairs.

"It sounds like you've got this well in hand then," Kathy said, giving Elli victory fingers. "Your roommate seem nice? And your big sibling helpful?"

"I think so! Alara, my roommate, was pleasant on the shuttle?" They hadn't really talked much but she'd been nice. "And my sibling is Astrid. She made the most lovely sign for me! It was absolutely covered with these gorgeous hand-drawn flowers..."

"That sounds lovely," Kathy said. "My roommate is still my dearest friend and even though we live far away, we're still close. And one of my old teachers ended up adopting me. This island can give you relationships that will change - and last - your whole life."

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

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