Staff Lounge

[Miss_Vivi]

The get away for the staff

Only the staff of the School may post here, they may bring a student as a guest, if need be.

This space to be used for discussion of cirriculum, general mind fuckery of students, to plan recommendations, to receive school wide messages, and to generally just chat.​

 

[Britwitch]

The English teacher brings in several large cardboard boxes and starts to decorate the Staff Lounge ready for Christmas

Tucking hair behind an ear, she starts to pull out the sections of a rather ancient looking and decidedly dog-earred fake Christmas tree. It might look naff, but it's the principle of the thing.

After a struggle the tree is put together and now for the lights.

After a longer, more involved, struggle she's achieved little more than to basically wrap herself up in fairylights whilst trying to detangle them. Arms trapped more or less to her sides and wire looped here, there and everywhere...

Perhaps she should have waited for another member of staff to help her.

Oh well, can't be that hard to wriggle free, surely...

 

[Scuttle Buttin']

Click.. taptap.. click... taptap...

His steps were slow, the cane tapping absently along as he made his way into the Lounge, his eyes scanning a journal article that had grabbed his attention and, for the moment, refused to let go. With many of the students gone he was dressed down a bit, sleeves rolled up as he worked on a lesson plan for the coming semester.

But an empty cup had called out to be filled.

A few steps into the room, making his way to the small cabinet where various teas were kept, he realized someone else was in the room. His eyes lifted from the page for the first time since stepping off the elevator, his progress into the room halting, and he grinned broadly at the sight he was met with. For the first time he could remember, he hoped there were cameras in the Staff Lounge recording them, because he had no clue how one could manage to tangle themselves up the way she had.

"Are you... having some issues?"

 

[Britwitch]

From outside the Lounge she heard the 'ding' of the elevator and felt her hopes rise as well as feeling her stomach simultaneously sink. She might be freed but to be freed meant someone else was going to see what a mess she'd gotten into.

He came in and obviously hadn't seen her. She was torn between calling out and just letting him come and go without discovering her. It seems fate decided she was to be found and so his eyes fell on her with a wide smile.

"Issues?"

She repeated before looking pointedly down at the wire and lights around her upper body and then back at him with a brow raised.

"Just one or two..."

There was a pause before she added.

"...so, are you going to help me or are you waiting for Christmas to come first?"

 

[Scuttle Buttin']

Laughter sprang from him, he would not have been able to help it if he tried, and he nodded in reply. Swift steps carried him to the nearest table, the creased journal and empty mug set aside. The cane was hooked over his forearm, the end swinging semi-freely below.

His eyes fell upon her again, tangled as she was, and a mischievous grin lit his eyes as he considered her.

"Help you," he said, nodding once. "Yes."

Brown leather shoes carried him quickly to her... and then past her, not even bothering with a hitch in his momentum as he approached her. Instead, he went to an open cardboard box, all manner of decorations sticking out of it, and he pursed his lips as he gazed inside.

Hands reached, withdrawing a few selections, and then he turned back to her, this time stopping as he reached her. Green garland was quickly swirled around her, the end draped over her shoulder, and then red was added to it, circling her in the opposite direction.

Leaning back, he admired his work, nose scrunching as he eyed her.

"Well. It's not bad, but... we can't have a Christmas tree without ornaments, can we?"

Without waiting for an answer, he turned and went to another box in search of further decorations.

 

[Britwitch]

A sigh of relief as paper and mug are put down and he approaches.

"Thank you, was starting to think I might be stuck here until...er, where are you going?"

He walked past her without pause. Making her frown in confusion.
When he reappeared his hands were not empty. Red and green looped around her torso over the top of the lights.

"Ha ha, very funny..."

She replied in a monotone to his Christmas tree comment with a roll of her eyes.

"Now come on, help me get these things off..."

She wriggled her shoulders, trying to loosen her arms a little and glanced back up to see him gone...again.

"Oh you can't be serious...!"

Her tone was bordering on the exasperated and she wriggled some more. The garlands rustling and the lights tinkling against one another.

 

[Scuttle Buttin']

His back to her, he laughed again as he heard the rustle of the garland and the exasperated tone in her voice, and he nodded as his fingers picked through the box of ornaments.

"Of course I am!" he called back to her, gathering more in his hands, "Tree decorating is serious business, you know."

Satisfied with his selection, he turned back to her, bulbs and stars and figures in hand, fine hooks dangling from them all.

"Hmm."

He paused, considering her, and then reached out and hooked one over her ear, letting it dangle down near the back of her neck. The next, a shiny silver bulb, was hung on the string of lights near one shoulder, an ice skating elf dropped off near her elbow on the other side.

Slowly, he made his way around her, placing ornaments here and there, hi and low, side to side, until his hands were empty, and once again he stepped back to admire his handiwork.

 

[Britwitch]

"'Serious business'..."

She repeated crossly under her breath as he rifled through one of the boxes of decorations.

"Hmm."

Blue eyes blazed at him as he stood before her. Assessing her. As if silent fury would be enough to stop him. It didn't work.

She growled quietly as a decoration was hung on her ear, the ornament tickling the side and back of her neck. Making her shiver and fidget.
Another, then another, all over the wires and garlands, looped over blouse buttons and hung from the belt loops of her tailored skirt. Each one making her feel more and more annoyed. Every little sound of satisfaction he made, the smile on his face, all combining to wind her up even more.

At last he stopped, moving back, and still she glowered at him.

"Happy with yourself? Good. Now, let's stop this silliness and you can let me go."

 

[Scuttle Buttin']

"Silliness?" He repeated the word, the end of tipping up into a question, his head tipping to the side as he reached this point, brow lifted above one blue-green eye. "What do you-"

His words cut off before the sweep of his tone could indicate the question in the words that would follow, and he gave a long, slow nod, as if it was all suddenly clear.

"Oh. Yes, yes, of course. My apologies. I'll fix this right away!"

Another nod, this one shorter, quicker, and he turned away from her again. His eyes quickly swept the boxes, two quickly eliminated from his search as he knew their contents, and knew they didn't hold what he sought. He started with a third, fingers rummaging through yet more decorations, then moved on when his search came up empty. He was quickly rewarded at the fourth box, the desired item standing out among the other various pieces of mirth held within.

Spinning on his heel, he held out the star for her to see, grinning proudly as he did.

"I didn't even think about it. Caffeine withdrawal or something, who knows. But yes, yes, of course. What kind of tree doesn't have a star?"

He rolled his eyes at the absurdity of the notion and returned to where she stood, tangled in lights and garland, decked in all manner of shine and porcelain. Leaning close, his fingers danced along the uppermost strand of lights, searching, searching...

"Do you know where...? Ah! Here we are. I was growing worried for a moment."

The plug end found, he pushed the prongs in and smiled, delighted, as the star in his hands lit up. That accomplished, he turned to the business of perching it atop her head.

 

[Britwitch]

"Oh. Yes, yes, of course. My apologies. I'll fix this right away!"

She didn't try to kid herself that he was going to help her anymore. It was just a case of seeing how far he was going to take this before he got bored and either freed her or left her, for another to find.

The star was something of a surprise, and yet not. Fingers sought out plugs and connections were made and soon he was stood right in front of her, reaching to the top of her head - not that it was much of a stretch for him - to balance the decoration upon it.

Once the illuminated star was balanced upon her head she let out a long sigh. Perhaps appealing to his better nature would be the way to go. Assuming he had one.

Her tone was softer now, a little more contrite almost.

"Alright. You've had your fun. Now please, will you help me get out of all this?"

 

[Scuttle Buttin']

"But..."

He frowned, blinking at her, then sweeping a hand to the empty room around them.

"Such a pretty tree, and no one here to see it! Besides," he continued, and now his hands were patting the pockets of his vest, not finding what they sought and dropping to do the same to his pants, "Isn't Christmas all about sharing? And didn't you bring all these to brighten the place up for everyone?"

Fingers light upon what he seeks and he slips then into his back pocket, retrieving his phone.

"We've got to take a picture, if you're so anxious to get out of the Christmas spirit, so people can at least know we decorated some!"

Thumb swipes and taps, finding the camera app on the phone, waiting for it to open and access the small lens on the back of the phone, and then he points it in her direction with a broad grin.

"Smile!"

 

[Britwitch]

"But...Such a pretty tree, and no one here to see it! Besides, isn't Christmas all about sharing? And didn't you bring all these to brighten the place up for everyone?"

"Well, yes but..."

She frowns, knowing whatever fresh idea has leapt into his brain, she's probably not going to like it all that much.
The phone appears and her heart sinks a little further.

"We've got to take a picture, if you're so anxious to get out of the Christmas spirit, so people can at least know we decorated some!"

"I'm not trying to get out of the Christmas spirit, just out of this mess!"

She exclaimed, wriggling furiously and sending a host of decorations tinkling and rattling around her body as they swung from their hanging places.

"Smile!"

She can't smile, even if she tried she knew the result wouldn't be pretty. Goodness knows where this photo will end up, who it will be seen by and what repercussions will follow. In the end, she manages to look unimpressed but at least the fury is almost entirely gone from her face.

As the phone makes the digital sound of a shutter closing she knows that while this might mean her freedom is close at hand, a whole new area of amusement for him was opening up as the image was captured and stored within the phone's memory.

She watches him checking the image and lets out a long, slow breath. Trying to keep calm.

"Fine, you have a photo. Now will you let me go?"

 

[Scuttle Buttin']

His thumb taps the button, watching as the image is captured, and he considers it with a small tilt of the head, frowning slightly.

"Hm. I think you might look more Grinch than merry elf here. What do you think?"

He comes to stand besides her, tapping into the gallery, then the last picture he took, finally offering it to her to see.

"Maybe you just weren't ready?" He asks, but a tone of skepticism creeps into his voice.

 

[Britwitch]

Her face looks like a textbook definition of 'grumpy'. She looks from the image to him and back again.

"Maybe you just weren't ready?"

"Maybe..."

She repeats, barely keeping the sarcasm from her voice.

A new plan is needed. Humour him.

"Alright, let's try it again..."

As he steps back and holds up the phone once more she rolls her eyes before forcing herself to smile. The expression is pretty convincing, eyes brighten as lips curve upwards, even white teeth showing between them. Even managing an almost sing-song tone as she adds.

"Ready when you are..."

 

[Scuttle Buttin']

He nods at this, happy to hear her suggest it, and moves back into place. It is a couple taps on the screen before he's back to the camera, another to draw in the focus, and then she's there, decorated and smiling brightly. He reflects the smile and hits the button again, watching as the image is captured once more.

"Ah, that's perfect!"

Quick steps return him to her side, where he shows her the picture, the 'tree' looking much happier than the last time.

"Excellent!" The phone is locked and slid back into his pocket, the cane lifted off his arm and stood up on the ground near his foot. "I'll get these up on the school web page later today, so everyone can see our holiday cheer! I'm sure they'll be delighted!"

He nods as if to emphasize the point and then turns, heading back to the table where he left the mug and the papers.

"Merry Christmas!" he exclaims, fingers curling around the mug.

 

[Britwitch]

"Ah, that's perfect!"

"Glad you think so..."

She murmurs begrudgingly, fidgeting as the decoration over her ear continues to tickle at her neck.

"Excellent! I'll get these up on the school web page later today, so everyone can see our holiday cheer! I'm sure they'll be delighted!"

Her eyes widen as he turns as if to leave. At that moment not caring a fig for the destination of the photo, there was a far more pressing matter to deal with.

"Merry Christmas!"

"Hey, you're not going to leave me here like this, are you?"

Her tone is genuinely concerned as she half shuffles, half jumps, towards him. Or at least as far as the plugged in wires will allow.

After all, the school is practically empty with students already gone home for the holidays. Staff are like ghosts, rarely seen. She could be there for quite some time.

"I thought you were going to help me...I mean, you can't just leave me here."

Her tone is now dangerously close to something akin to begging.

"Please help me..."

 

[Scuttle Buttin']

He can't help but to grin a little at the sound of ornaments shifting and garland shaking as she tries to move, but with his back to her it is a hidden grin, one he shares with no one. When he half turns to her, looking at her over his shoulder, it's gone and replaced with an arch of his brow.

"But... didn't I already help you? You were decorating, weren't you? I'd say things have been brightened up here considerably, wouldn't you?"

His head bobs in a nod, an answer to his own question, and then gives a half shrug, as if to say that settles things for me!, turning back to continue gathering up his things.

 

[Britwitch]

"But... didn't I already help you? You were decorating, weren't you? I'd say things have been brightened up here considerably, wouldn't you?"

"Yes, I was but-"

She begins but he turns away again and she scowls at his back.

Fine.

"...I was decorating but I was planning on decorating the tree rather than myself..."

She gestured with her head towards the fake tree, the star on her head swaying slightly.

A heavy sigh. She was going to have to spell it out, wasn't she?

"When you came in I'd gotten myself a little tangled up in the lights and couldn't get out so, if you could give me a hand and, help me get out of this mess I would be ever so grateful."

 

[Scuttle Buttin']

He pauses at this, mug and papers in one hand, fingers of the other curled around his cane. Slowly the mug is returned to the table, the folded journal sat next to it, and then he turns to her again. His expression has changed, a grin on his lips now, but it is one that holds a little less humor, instead a trace of a predator eying his prey has crept in.

Click. Click.

Two steps, the cane tapping on the floor, and he's back close to her, the lights encircling her casting strange orbs of colors onto both of them, making them look a bit like survivors of a great paintball war.

"Ever so grateful, hm?"

His eyes are on her face when he reaches out, tapping a dangling ornament with an outstretched finger, making it swing against her.

"And just how would you show me this... gratefulness, praytell?"

 

[Britwitch]

If she hadn't been almost completely immobilised by tinsel and fairy lights she would've stepped back upon seeing his smile now. Instead she had to stay where she was and watch as he stalked closer. He didn't walk now. This was something far different.

"Ever so grateful, hm?"

She nods, tongue wetting suddenly dry lips. The slightest flinch as a decoration is set in motion.

"And just how would you show me this... gratefulness, praytell?"

She tried to sound jovial as she made her first suggestion.

"I could clean your classroom for you, give it a tidy before the holidays...polish your bunsen burners?"

The bright smile faltered as her eyes met his.

"Or did you have something else in mind...?"

 

[Scuttle Buttin']

There is a short laugh at her suggestion, at the absurd premise that it was cleaning he was looking for, and he gave a single, almost pitying shake of the head.

"My classroom is kept plenty tidy, thank you."

He reached out to her with his empty hand, index finger curled under her chin, his thumb brushing across a full bottom lip.

"But I think we can work something out."

His voice had dropped low, his eyes holding her gaze.

"You're a language teacher, aren't you?"

His head tilted, eyes dropping to her mouth, thumb brushing across her lips the opposite direction it had previously.

"Precise pronunciation. Repetition of words. Probably makes for quite the nimble tongue."

A pause, a grin, his eyes lifting to hers again.

"I'll help you get free. And some night, soon, you will come find my in my class room, and show me how nimble that tongue is. Deal?"

 

[Britwitch]

"My classroom is kept plenty tidy, thank you."

She tensed as his hand moved towards her face. Breath held as thumb moved over her mouth, pulling slowly and gently over her lower lip.

"But I think we can work something out. You're a language teacher, aren't you?"

She nodded, the barest hint of a frown before watching his eyes leave hers and lower to focus on her mouth. His thumb sweeping back the way it had come, making the previously held breath leave in a shaky fashion over it.

"Precise pronunciation. Repetition of words. Probably makes for quite the nimble tongue."

"I suppose so..."

"I'll help you get free. And some night, soon, you will come find me in my class room, and show me how nimble that tongue is. Deal?"

A moment of hesitation. Agree or not. Freedom or not. That was her choice and she had to make it quickly.

She looked over his face, looking into those eyes, trying to see what might be hidden in their depths. She didn't look for too long in case, in doing so, she was allowing him to see just how worried she was.

"...deal..."

At least if it was to be night time, there was less chance of bumping into someone, of having to explain where she was going or...when she left his classroom...where she was coming from and what she'd been doing.

"If you let me out of all this Christmas paraphernalia...it's a deal. One evening I'll come to your classroom and...give you a demonstration of my oral skills..."

 

[Scuttle Buttin']

"Excellent."

He nodded once, his thumb pressing light in the center of her bottom lip, flickering down off of it, and then his hand dropped entirely.

"We have a deal then."

The cane lifted, about to be hooked on his forearm so he could help release her, but he paused with it held up between them, catching her gaze again.

"One thing though. If I have to come looking for you, to collect on your end of the deal? I'll be in need of a new cane by the time I'm done with you."

He paused, giving the words a moment to sink in, and then the cane was hooked over his forearm, his expression brightened into a smile, and he began to lift ornaments off of her one at a time, reacquiring the pile he'd carried over to her.

 

[Britwitch]

"Excellent. We have a deal then."

"We do..."

Her eyes dropped warily to the cane and then back to his face as he spoke.

"One thing though. If I have to come looking for you, to collect on your end of the deal? I'll be in need of a new cane by the time I'm done with you."

She shook her head, quickly, nervously.

"Y-you won't. I promise. You won't have to. I'll be there."

A nervous smile followed.

And then he start to do as he had promised. One by one, sparkling decorations were gradually removed, carefully unhooked until they filled his palm once more. Once they'd been returned to the box, she was left in the garlands and the lights. The star still balanced slightly precariously on her head.

She tried not to move, to fidget too much, at the thought of his fingers having to untangle the mass of wire and bulbs that were wrapped tightly around her.

"...thank you..."

 

[Scuttle Buttin']

His tone was bright as he untangled her, much closer to how it had been previously, as if the deal and the warning that followed it had not even occurred.

"How did you managed to do this, anyway?"

The star was unplugged, lifted off of her head, and with it held in the crook of his arm, the strands of garland were unwound, then replaced in the box.

"And what were you planning to do if I hadn't come along? The building is almost empty right now, and students aren't even allowed here on their own..."

The untangling of the lights began, a slow process of following tangled wires around other wires of the same color, his fingers moving slowly along the strands, along her, to slowly free her.