office hours: round 1.

[foo_bar]

office hours daily. i'm here to help... i think.

(screened PCs with han)

Comments

[throwabookatit]

Don't you "Rebecca" me, Mister!

[foo_bar]

[YIKES. He winces a little bit, and then runs a hand through his hand]

How can I help you?

[throwabookatit]

Let's see, how about we start with you dropping the friendly act, now that your boss has seen fit to really start telling us what he wants.

[foo_bar]

I have basically been hinting that was coming since day 1.

[he sounds annoyed.]

What do you want from me, Rebecca? I can't send you home, I'm criminally uninformed about what's going on here, and now I can't even keep it a secret when a student makes a really dumb mistake.

[throwabookatit]

[ ...That seems something new. For a moment she purses her lips in thought, but then- then just charges, right ahead. ]

I want to see you take some responsibility for all this! Maybe you don't know everything that's going on, maybe this is a mistake, but it's still our lives on the line here, in this- this bloody torture session your superiors try to call a school, and it's clear that you still know more than we do!!

And that I have a problem with.

[foo_bar]

Should you take some responsibility for your own kidnapping?

That's what you're asking me to do right now. I don't know how it happened, how to undo it, or anything else. And the only reason I know anything at all is because I came to this school for a completely different mission.

[throwabookatit]

You- excuse me? Then what were you brought here to do?

[foo_bar]

Figuring out why the hell there were so many anomalies!

Investigating what is going on is my whole reason for being here.

[throwabookatit]

[ ...Huh? ]

A-anomalies...? What- what are you- you mean like the- the hijacking thing? What's going on outside this place? You don't know what that is either?

[foo_bar]

No. I knew something was wrong, so I applied as a teacher.

[he runs a hand through his hair.]

I'd just started my investigation when I got pulled to this.

[throwabookatit]

...You mean all of this?

[ She gestures around her. The office, the school. Everything. ]

[foo_bar]

Yes.

[throwabookatit]

You- you mean to tell me...you were trying to understand just what we are, and you were...dragged into it, kicking and screaming?

[foo_bar]

Not kicking and screaming. I'm supposed to actually be a teacher here, one that's out of his depth.

[he corrects her and-- ughhh]

Great...

[throwabookatit]

You mean this is really supposed to be a school?!

[ becca is that really the thing to take note with, of everything-- ]

I- I mean. H-how am I...supposed to believe you?

[foo_bar]

It was, at some point. Now, I'm not sure at all.

I have proof-- had proof. I guess, after my code stopped working, I really have been trapped.

[throwabookatit]

What "code?" You're- you're saying you're also completely stuck here?

[foo_bar]

Has my story ever changed about that part? Yeah, I'm definitely stuck her. Sorry, didn't realize that wasn't coming through.

[throwabookatit]

Well, excuse me, after the both of you just- just left the grounds and were immune to that freak thing, which, by the way, neither of you informed us about- it was a little hard to not immediately resort to distrust, hm?!

[ ...the temper riseth, again ]

[foo_bar]

[he gives her a look.

and rests his chin on his palm.]

I guess, but you didn't seem that keen even in orientation. And I was undercover.

[throwabookatit]

Of course I wouldn't be keen!

[ She throws her hands up in the air. ]

I just woke up to find myself bloody kidnapped, after the worst day of my life, when I should've- sh-should've been--

[ Not now. She won't let herself show weakness in front of him, even with the sound of Ashton's fist at the wall, the scent Isabella's blood choking her-- ]

Wh-when I had s-so many other things to work with!

[ Unresolved arguments. Every time she sees that, on her profile, it's like a knife twisting in her stomach. ]

And now he wants us to-- [ Just. Turn away, turn away to compose yourself, Rebecca. ]

[foo_bar]

[he notes the change, and... well... he feels a little bad now. yes, he was dealing with his own things. but so were they.

their lives were all in danger but... He stands up, and holds his hands up in mock surrender]

Hey... I- yeah. I know. I'm sorry, I just. I don't know. I don't know how to stop it-- or even how to get through to Hale. But I'm working on it.

[throwabookatit]

[ She glances at him, just out of the corner of her eye, but keeps trying to look away. She doesn't want him to see them, the tears pricking at her eyes. ]

I just want to get home to- to be able to mourn my best friend properly. If- if you can get me there, then I- jeez, I've nothing to do but hope--

[ No, she doesn't want to be spilling her guts to him. Not him. She shuts her eyes tightly. ]

Th-that we're all really on the same side.

[foo_bar]

[he... takes a step closer to her. he isn't sure what to do-- he wasn't sure what he was expecting. but this wasn't it? It was like earlier... With Max.

He exhales softly, and then places a hand on her shoulder, letting the pressure sink on slowly.]

I'm sorry-- this is... this is really awful.

[he doesn't even know what about, but he knows it is, just from a base perspective.]

[throwabookatit]

[ He'll find she's tense, but also that her shoulders are shaking. That everything that's happened has started pressing down on her, and she hates it.

Her voice comes out in a hushed rasp. ]

You don't even know the half of it. [ And an eye opens, almost critically. ] You don't, do you? Not about us.