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

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!event: welcome picnic

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

Despite the fact that this picnic was celebrating the new fall semester, it was still technically summer, and the weather was making that clear. It was sunny, with not a cloud in the sky, and the temperature was seasonably toasty.

With not a minute to spare, the food was ready, the tables and chairs had been spread across the lawn with just the right amount of glitter on them, and everything was ready to welcome a new batch of folks to the island!

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"Some things definitely don't change."

The portal had come and gone earlier that morning. Beta was out and about, and if she knew the school, she'd get her own housing soon enough. That left Aloy a moment to rest before she addressed her own situation.

She tossed her pack down into the grass by a tree and sat down. A moment later, the tree's shadow sagged slightly forward, as the tall metal Sunwing settled down on its upper branches and spread its solar panel wings.

She exhaled.

"Now that's something I can honestly say I've never seen before," Charlie said. "Yours, I'm hoping?"

Edited 2022-08-27 15:28 (UTC)

Aloy looked up-- and then further up, towards the Sunwing. "Yes," she said. "It's harmless. I overrode its programming."

"Good looking and inteligent," Charlie said with a smile. "Good to know."

She held out a hand. "Charlie Gale, nice to meet you."

The compliment didn't so much bounce off of Aloy's skull as it was batted away without a blink of acknowledgement. (She was better than Beta at dealing with people. That didn't mean she was great at it.) "I'm Aloy," she said, taking Charlie's hand for a cursory, firm shake befitting the warrior that she was. "My sister is a student here."

Edited 2022-08-27 15:40 (UTC)

"That's awesome," Charlie said with a grin. "And does that mean that you aren't? A student here, I mean?"

"I was a few years ago," Aloy said. She looked towards where Beta was - the girl who looked exactly like her, and completely not, with her short hair, simple cotton clothes and anxious movements. "It was definitely some kind of experience."

"OH, I can already tell it's going to be that," Charlie said. "Even with more warning than apparently a lot of students get, I can tell this is going to rock my world."

Aloy made a faintly amused noise. "You know someone who went here too, huh?"

"No, but the Aunties researched it pretty well and told me a little about what to expect," Charlie said, "Along with a lot of warnings about behaving and not acting too Wild, even if it's in my nature, if I don't want a horde of Aunties to descend on me."

"I don't think anyone is going to notice 'wild' around here," Aloy said dryly.

Charlie let out a contented sigh. "I may just have found the home of my heart."

Aloy let out a soft breath - even she didn't know if it was annoyed or amused.

"I hope so for you," she said. "I came here by accident the first time, and it refused to let me leave."

That sobered Charlie up immediately. "I'm so sorry," she said. "No one should ever be trapped somewhere they don't want to be. If that ever happens again let me know. I might be able to help."

"Thank you, but this time, I'm letting it work in my favor," Aloy said. She looked towards Beta again. "Our favor."

Charlie nodded. "In that case, I'm happy for you. And if someone wants you to leave against your will I can definitely help you with that."

"Thanks, but what I really wanted to ask you was if you could be nice to her," Aloy said, nodding at Beta. (She had a feeling this girl would be angry - and rightfully so - if she knew about what Far Zenith had done to Beta. But that wasn't her story to tell.) "She's not used to having friends. I brought her here to help with that."

Aloy's friends were more people who had refused to let her go it alone than friends she'd made. She wasn't really qualified to help Beta with that alone.

Charlie followed her glance and nodded. "Oh, I can do that. Easy." Even people who dodn't want to be friends with Charlie ended up being friends with Charlie.

"I'll head over there in a minute. What's her name? Or should I just let her tell me?"

“Her name is Beta,” Aloy said.

If she sounded a little wry, well. It was the Far Zenith of it all.

"Beta. Interesting," Charlie said. "And don't worry, I won't tell her that you sent me over."

Aloy offered that a grateful nod.

“Though you can tell her I said it was okay, if she’s scared.”

Beta seemed to be scared of so many things. Once again, Aloy felt a surge of gratitude towards Rost for giving her the certainty that sat, solid and warm, at her heart.

"If she seems uncomfortable, I'll let her know," Charlie assured her. "I know I can be A Lot." She'd heard it said enough.

"But I'm good at heart!"

“That’s what I’m hoping for.”

Besides. Beta could probably use someone with Charlie’s level of… liveliness.

Charlie laughed. "Well the Aunties all say I'm irrepressible - or incorrigible - so I won't let you down there!"

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

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