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

[bigdamnprincipal]

It was the start of a new term, and there were some new people around, so it was time for a picnic! The sun was shining and the last bits of summer weather were still upon the island, so a few of the lawn's sprinklers insisted on doing their spraying duty no matter how much Zoe tried to turn them off. In less frustrating news, the food was ready, the nametags were out, and everything was set up for a lovely picnic day!

[Flying OCD-free, have at it!]

Comments

[sharp_man]

Hannibal nodded. "Fair enough. I am Doctor Hannibal Lecter. I take it you are Kreia?"

[despisestheforce]

"I am," Kreia agreed. Had she had functional eyes, they would have raked over Hannibal to weigh his value. Since she did not, she merely seemed to stare at him from under her hood. "I assume you are not responsible for my appearance here. You haven't the power. Now, what is this place?"

[sharp_man]

"I am not," Hannibal agreed. "If you're not here of your own volition, chances are that the island itself is responsible. This island is Fandom, and it is a multiversal hub that tends to pull people from other worlds as it decides that it needs them. You have apparently been brought in to teach a class in the college here, and I was assigned to assist you in acclimating."

He waved at the thermal bag over his shoulder. "I have coffee, tea, water, and various sandwiches for you, if you would like, as well as things like a map and a telephone directory."

[despisestheforce]

"Hmph," Kreia said.

She looked past the man and at the island-- taking in its life, the unburdened minds. "Fandom, did you say?" she said.

Oh. Oh, no.

[sharp_man]

"I did," Hannibal agreed. "It's an island off the coast of Maryland, in the United States." He looked at her robe. "On a planet called Earth."

[despisestheforce]

"I'm aware," Kreia said stiffly. "A fool I recently had the misfortune of traveling with spent some time here, if I recall correctly."

She folded her hand into the empty sleeve of her other arm. "I suppose the galaxy had one more indignity in store for me."

[sharp_man]

Hannibal nodded. "It's not uncommon for a number of people to arrive here from the same universe. What was your fool's name? And would you like that food and drink, or perhaps a place to sit?"

[despisestheforce]

"Does the name matter?" Kreia asked. "Atton is unlikely to have accomplished much of anything here worth speaking of." She looked towards the food. "If I must continue to live, then I suppose sustenance is acceptable. For the time being."

She had hoped for a worthy death. Starving after being so cruelly robbed of her end was not one.

[sharp_man]

"It only matters in that I might know them," Hannibal said. "Which I do, or at least did. Atton Rand was here for many years, though no longer. I heard he had died, though you would have to ask someone else to be certain." He loved gossip, but he couldn't verify it.

Hannibal set the bag down on a nearby table. "Do you eat meat? And do you have a preference for drink?"

[despisestheforce]

"Died? Unlikely," Kreia said, as she followed him to the table. "The Force smiles on those such as him, and his future has always been shrouded from me accordingly."

She considered the table. "I do not care," she said. "The body requires sustenance. That is all."

[sharp_man]

Hannibal shook his head. "Just because it's a requirement doesn't mean it can't be enjoyable."

He poured her some tea and gave it a splash of milk and a little sugar, then set out some watercress and proscuitto finger sandwiches.

"You're from a more technologically advanced culture, then, but I believe the others from your galaxy have had few problems adjusting. You'll want to acquire a phone; the best way to do that is to inquire at the store with Summer. Phones are used as pocket computers more often than not, and many things on this planet rely on them."

[despisestheforce]

Kreia took her tea, but merely held it. Little else. "Perhaps, if it becomes useful," she spoke, though she sounded rather unconvinced of the idea. "I have no intention of staying here long."

[sharp_man]

"You have been assigned a class to teach," Hannibal informed her. "If nothing else, it is unlikely the island will let you go until the end of the term."

[despisestheforce]

That was the vague hint of an eyebrow being raised under the hood. "The island itself has a will?"

[sharp_man]

"We haven't entirely determined that, but it does seem to be at least semi-sentient," Hannibal answered. "Although I don't know of anyone who'd managed to speak with it."