Guidance Counselor's Office, Monday

[solarhippie]

Karolina had missed the picnic due to an unexpected case of villainy back in LA early on Saturday. She'd only gotten in town late last night, but, hey! Mondays were a good time to get started on a new thing. And for this new thing, coming to see her new office for the first time seemed like the best way to start, so here she was.

She had never had an office before.

It was weird. But also exciting! She'd barely gotten in the door, but already she was considering the possibilities in how to re-decorate it. She wanted to make it a little more inviting – something that students wouldn't find, like, intimidating or anything like that. A place where you could just drop in without it being a big deal, because she knew from personal experience how hard it was sometimes to approach adults who were Obligated to Care about your crap. She wanted to fight that, and make her office a place where you could --

-- admire a drawing of Nyan Cat in a corner on the wall?

Huh.

Okay, it was kind of a weird thing, but Karolina found that she actually liked it. She was definitely going to bring something in a rainbow print into the office, anyway. And nothing else already in the room seemed very inspiring to her eye. As she went around the desk and took a seat behind it and started opening the drawers, all she found was piles of old paperwork (some of which looked like it had been at some point folded up into paper planes) and... a 1000-piece puzzle in a box?

So guess now she knew what guidance counselors did when they were bored. And on that note, she also looked into the mini fridge by the desk. It was empty, except for a single bottle of something called Green Lamp Ale. A post-it was stuck to the side of it. All it said was Good luck.

Karolina was going to take that at face value.

She leaned back in her chair some, and snapped a picture of the room on her phone - and promptly texted that off to Jim:

OH MY GOD I have an OFFICE!!

[ooc: Open! Yay Karolina!]

Comments

[pursuedthestars]

Jim was overseeing some repairs today and it was the most boring thing known to man. He knew it needed to be done and this was part of being a captain but he'd started counting the cracks in the wall.

When his text tone chimed, he almost said 'thank you' out loud and plucked his phone out of his pocket.

And where did you get wrangled into working that you have an office?

[solarhippie]

FANDOM HIGH

She should probably ease up on the caps, right?

I'm the new guidance counselor!

[pursuedthestars]

I didn't know that was something you wanted to do. Students need a lot of guiding, I guess. Especially there.

He'd never gone but maybe others were smarter when it came to feelings and such.

[solarhippie]

Neither had Karolina, but in all fairness, the counseling during their time at school hadn't been all that helpful.

(Also Karolina had had her weekly therapy sessions on the mainland, anyway.)

It goes with my studies! Kinda.

[pursuedthestars]

What are you studying?

He barely knew what day and year it was back in that world let alone what everyone was up to. He tried to keep up but things kept him very busy.

[solarhippie]

And it wasn't something Karolina begrudged him for. Because, she hadn't always been very good about staying in touch in the first place.

Also she was ridiculously forgiving, anyway.

Social work! Just community college for now, but I transferred schools so I can continue going to classes here too. I wanna help kids in the future, so... It makes sense, right?

[pursuedthestars]

It does but you know those kid are not normal kids, right?

That wasn't an insult, it was just a fact.

You ready to hear some weird shit?

[solarhippie]

I wasn't a normal kid either.

So yeah. She knew.

Also like half the town is still being rebuilt after some shark attack thing?

[pursuedthestars]

A what?

That was a new one.

Don't sharks hang out in the water?

[solarhippie]

There was some kind of a hurricane that dragged them out? It was pretty bad, apparently there's a hole in the bar's roof.

Weren't you glad that was no longer a part of your daily life, Jim?

[pursuedthestars]

How lovely.

He glanced over at the repairs taking place, frowning at the hole they were patching.

I'll stick to space, I think. You nervous?

[solarhippie]

A little. But I think that's a good thing.

Assuming he meant about the job, and not the prospect of future sharkicanes.

[pursuedthestars]

It probably is. Are you the youngest person on the staff?

That could go either way. Jim remembered a lot of young teachers but he also remembered a lot of gruff and grizzled teachers too.

[solarhippie]

Probably!

Well, twenty-one was pretty young.

But I missed the picnic bc of some dumb villains, so I could be wrong.

[pursuedthestars]

Dumb villains?

Something sparked and one of the technicians cursed. Jim just rolled his eyes.

What happened?

[solarhippie]

Some C-listers making the mistake of harassing people right in our neighborhood. No biggie but made me miss my portal.

[pursuedthestars]

Did you beat 'em up? Or did you play peacemaker and talk them down?

[solarhippie]

Weeell we contained them.

There'd been some beating up involved. She still hated it, but sometimes there was no choice.

It's kinda whyI'm here now, too? I mean Fandom has its distraction and invations but there are also way more heroes here.

[pursuedthestars]

You're there because you want to help battle dumb villains?

Jim wasn't sure if he was following correctly.

[solarhippie]

He wasn't.

No! Because I want to be able to focus more on my studies and work. There are more people here to handle battles, I don't have to be directly involved in everything.

[pursuedthestars]

Ah, got it now. That's a good reason to be there. Just don't work too hard and don't let any push you around.

He knew she was strong but she was also so so so nice that Jim worried.

[solarhippie]

Pfffffffft.

No, that was a very valid concern. The former more than the latter, though.

Are you gonna come visit at some point?

[pursuedthestars]

I don't know. We're busy with repairing the ship right now and then I've got a few missions in the future. I'll try but it's not easy to get away.

Hopefully she understood.

[solarhippie]

She did. She couldn't have claimed not to be a little bummed, but she knew his work wasn't really the kind you could just take breaks from whenever.

Well, when you get the chance, you'll know where I am!

[pursuedthestars]

I do!

Jim wanted to get there and see her, see her office and tease her a bit and he would. He just had to plan it out.

I'll send you something of mine to keep you company until then, though.

[solarhippie]

Too bad raised eyebrows couldn't be conveyed through text. He'd just have to imagine it.

Really? Like what?

[pursuedthestars]

Not telling.

Mostly because he didn't know himself just yet.

You'll have to wait and see.

[solarhippie]

Karolina was fine with that. It was just fun to get things.

And also to be in contact with old friends, for a change.

Oookay. Intriguing!

[pursuedthestars]

One day, a box is just going to show up with instructions on what to do and you'll have to do them because you love me.

He'd make sure it was nothing embarrassing though that would have been fun too. She was working now, a professional and he didn't want to make her uncomfortable.

[solarhippie]

Clearly I said intriguing waaay too early!

She'd missed you, Jim, she really had.

I hope you realize you'll actually have to go through w/ this or I'll be disappointed.

[pursuedthestars]

Hey, have I ever broken my word?

That was one of the few things he held dear, held sacred.

Don't go doubting me.

[solarhippie]

I know, I'm just saying. I'm being encouraging!

While idly shifting through some of the paperwork left behind by the old counselor.

It all looked like a mess.

[pursuedthestars]

And you will be rewarded.

Jim glanced up, noticing that the repairs were just about done. For this section, at least.

Just keep an eye on your mail. It'll get there. But, I've gotta go help with some more repairs. Boring, I know.

[solarhippie]

You're a CAPTAIN, it's not boring!

God, when had they gotten so grown up and responsible?

I should probably focus on getting to know my work, too, so no worries. <3 you!

[pursuedthestars]

Is too!

Jim smiled and shot off one last message before pocketing his phone.

Have fun!

[bigdamnprincipal]

It always gave Zoe a warm, fuzzy feeling in the part of her that was capable of warm, fuzzy feelings to see students coming back to work at the school. Once she saw Karolina was settled, she knocked on the door and peeked her head in. "Getting settled in all right?" she asked.

[solarhippie]

Meanwhile, it was going to take Karolina a while to adjust to not thinking of Zoe as the head of the school from a student's perspective, but that of an employee.

Or, y'know. A fellow adult.

If a person could be bubbly and have a second's flash of a deer-in-headlights look, well, that was bout what happened when she looked up from some of the paperwork she'd been trying to decipher. "Principal Winchester! Hi! Yes, I think I'm doing okay. Just getting familiar with what's here and all."

[bigdamnprincipal]

"That's good to hear. I'm very glad you decided to join us," Zoe said. "This space is all yours, you can decorate it however you want, in case that needed to be said. The good news is, we don't have a lot of students who need a lot of help, so you shouldn't be overwhelmed. But... well, this place hasn't changed a whole lot since you were here, I imagine."

[solarhippie]

"There's a little more... shark damage, than I remember?" Karolina replied, her smile tempered somewhat by how that wasn't really anything to smile about. "So. Not really. Same old Fandom."

For better and for worse.