For Reasons (Emily Suddenfield, Pillars)

[Richard Stock]

It had already been a busy few days. Simon was given the most lethal non-lethal glare of his life, seniority be damned. And apparently the mixer had been a total bust with the ratios completely lopsided 4-1, so it would've been a complete waste of time. More homework to catch up on and research for his proposition to the school had happened. But he was still on a mission, given to him by Mr. Asiv, and as an Englishman it was his duty to show that he wasn't a nancy boy.

On the front door of the Pillar Office, a knocking would be heard. Unless there was a line of people. In which case they would hear the groaning of the people waiting in line. Either way, Richard Stock would wait with his leather satchel in hand. His hazel eyes were steely, and although he was 4'9 feet, he stood tall (or as tall as he could), looking rather sharp with his freshly laundered long-sleeve white button-up t-shirt with the high collar, black jacket, black pants, and black shoes.

Clothes not suggestible for an Englishman in California in the heat of the afternoon after school.

...The jacket quickly came off to rest on his left shoulder.

"...Sodding sun."

[Emily Suddenfield]

Emily opened the door, her other hand clasping an ice cold soda. Her hair was wet, having finished showering a moment or two ago in the locker rooms. She wore her usual black sweater, her sweatpants gray and loose to provide easy movement. Her eyes caught on the kid, who did not have to wait in a line but found the outside of the office startlingly deserted- almost like people avoided it. Not without reason, of course.

She took a drink while watching him, her appearance relaxed though inside she was ready for an overwhelming assault. Yesterday, someone tried to barge in and lay the beat down- which was the reason for the broken table behind her. A mess his body had made after she put him through it. She didn't fashion herself a lover of destruction, but at the very least a fighter who enjoyed her craft.

She looked him over, taking him in as a fresh face with either something to prove or needing of assistance. Either way, her word would remain the same.

"Yes?"

[Richard Stock]

Richard stared up at the... tall girl. She wasn't as tall as Stevie-Rae, but even this girl had a good three inches on him. Nonetheless, he didn't come off deterred or bothered at all. Her hair was wet suggesting the office had a shower, or the girl's locker room was close. Or she had just done the ice bucket challenge (which was rather early-2015 of her).

She seemed tense at first---had she been expecting the Supervisor?---

He waved at her and then extended out his hand for a shake.

"Richard Stock. You are?"

[Emily Suddenfield]

She looked down at the hand, switching the soda to her other so she could reach out and clasp it firmly. Not many people greeted or spoke with a handshake here...it was rather civilized of him. Made her wonder what he did to get here. Or maybe he just decided to enroll? It seemed like a rough school for his type...though perhaps that first impression was wrong.

"Emily Suddenfield."

She let her hand drop back down to her side as she would open the door more, stepping out of the way and gesturing with the hand that held the can.

"Come on in."

[Richard Stock]

God, a shower sounded really good right now. How do Californians live like this? Everyday?

Nodding appreciatively at her gesture, he let himself in and looked around. Compared to the austerity of Mr. Asiv's room (omitting the goddamn luxurious mahogany desk), this room came off as less of an office and more of a... lounge. Although, given the nature of the US Student Hierarchy system, getting some level of reprieve for these high-burdened students must have been trying in itself...

...If the broken table wasn't enough of a hint.

Thoughts to himself, he clicked his tongue and shook his head, before heading over to the coat hanger to hang up his jacket.

He then went over to the broken table and started picking up pieces. It was no use, he wouldn't be able to talk with this... thing in the room. But at least the flooring was wood, so the GODDAMN SPLINTERS WOULDN'T GET LOST IN IT. He would look up at Emily, and slur a nod at her and then to the door.

"Open, please."

And thus, Richard started to clean the Pillar Office.

[Emily Suddenfield]

Emily opened the door and grabbed a stopper, sticking it under the edge to keep it open. Then, she put a hand on her hip and tilted her head a little to the side, taking another drink of her grape pop. This boy was a little strange. Why come into someone else's room or office and start cleaning? Was he OCD? After he came back from the first run of trash, she'd had set her soda on the counter and started cleaning up too. The janitor was supposed to be by later to clear it out but....she wasn't about to stand there and watch another student pick up her mess.

So, she helped, taking out the large pieces of wood to the dumpster without discussing it with him. The blaring heat of the sun never bothered her, as was evidenced by the sweater she wore. She'd grab a broom from the closet when she got back, offering it to the kid who seemed rather driven to clean it. She would lean against the wall and watch now, not being of much help in sweeping. Sort of a one man job.

"You're a little odd, aren't you."

More of a statement than a question.

[Violet Lockheart]

EVEN WITH THESE CHAINS

you can't stop me

The day would be deemed innocent enough, mild degree of fights on campus, milder even still amounts of students locked up in detention the only thing that seemed to be salsa quervo would be the degree of homework that had piled onto Violet's lap this afternoon as the girl combated a tower of stacked books in her grip from her homeroom class down the hall, up the stairs, and all the way to the Pillar's office unabated until the partially opened doors would give way to her bumbling buffoonery.

Breaking the plain of the office Violet would let out a small cry, "Aloonsy-mon amies!" Her attempt at poor French as she crossed the threshold with vision impaired still staggering forward for what she assumed was the table before hitting something hard afoot and stumbling head over heels forward splattering all her books to the floor her body flailing aimlessly to the floor atop the tripping target which would have more than likely been Richard had he not been more aware then she.

"Owww... who move the table?" Violet would slammer out having remained on an all out sprawl on the floor.

Emily Suddenfield Richard Stock

[Richard Stock]

He hefted out the large pieces of the wood to the dumpster and on his way back watched as she began to assist him. He said nothing, only silently pleased that work was being conducted. They would continue this until all of the heavy pieces of wood were out of the way, at which point Richard would begin looking around the room... before Emily seemed to read his mind rather immediately and handed him a broom. Nodding in gratitude, he began sweeping not just the splinters, but the entire floor. He moved the furniature out of the way, working meticulously, before shifting the pieces back. The janitors work was satisfactory, but he still managed to collect a fair amount of dust, on top of all the splinters.

Emily made a comment, to which the young Englishman did not reply, as he gathered the dust and splinters to where the table once was. He was bent over when some awkward French words busted through and he looked back and the MOUNTAIN OF BOOKS CAME TUMBLING DOWN ON HIM, A 5'4 FEET TALL LADY FLAILING AND FALLING ON THE SHORT 4'9 FEET SHORT BOY.

She sprawled and he felt the weight of her and the books AND THE BOOKS crushing him into the floor. Ordinarily this would have been a pleasant event, but Richard Stock was no masochist. Snaking his hands up through the wall of literature under which he had been buried, broke free. But instead of feeling the cool air of reprieve, with which he could begin to leverage himself, his hands felt something fire-hot and soft and...

"Fucking sodding shit."

[Emily Suddenfield]

As she saw what happened, Emily made no move to help either up. Their own fault for not being aware of their surroundings. She would, however, step forward when she saw what Richard's hands were gripping. Planting her boot on his his chest she would aim to press him against the floor, resting her forearm on her knee and bending down to look him in the eye.

"You looking for a broken arm, Dick? "

She meant that in both senses of the word. She didn't know what universe this kid walked out of that he was both lucky and balsy enough to reach up and cop a feel at that moment, but he was itchin' for an ass whoopin' now. Violet, however, would probably be the one to determine that, right? She looked back at the girl.

"You okay?"

[Violet Lockheart]

EVEN WITH THESE CHAINS

you can't stop me

Ugh. A momentary instant of discomfort rushing through her body as the clumsy part of Violet had taken full hold managing somehow to ignore her surroundings and manage to make a foolish fall over something or someone. Hands sprawled out to grapple the floor instead of the books she'd managed to keep her footing and remain somewhat upright all the same she felt as though something was off. A feeling she didn't much get outside of a fight as her chest seemed a bit heavier. Offset so to speak was her chest, her eyes slowly lowering to inspect the inconsistency catching the narrow glimpse of a body, neigh a hand posturing itself over her breast.

"YIIIIIP!!!!! Violet would let out a loud screech pouncing back with a great deal of force, like a springboard she'd bound back a few inches onto her knees spread a foot or so away from Richard's proned position grappling her own chest like it'd been advertant however managing to keep a small bit of composure despite her features giving off the queue that it was his perversions that'd been responsible.

"You okay?"

Violet would take a moment to size herself up, nothing broken nothing harmed. By all accounts it'd been an accident however that didn't speedily return a response as Emily had the boy in something of a pinned position as thoughts lingered on for a beat. "Yea, it was my fault really, I need to look where I'm going." She'd return a bashful smile trying to dissolve the situation albeit probably not helping considering Emily's case of tunnel vision.

Emily Suddenfield Richard Stock

[Richard Stock]

From the weight of the books all over his person to the white-hot sensations on his hands... well, it wasn't like he could retract his hands at the then and there. With a suddenness that left him breathless (because it pressed down on his stomach suddenly), the weight of the body was gone... and replaced with the quick stab of a bunch of books compressing over his chest. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on, considering how he had been stuck before.

He heard Emily's words and then presumably afterwards the other unfortunate victim's words, as his face turned blue---not that anyone could see him, though. From beneath the crevices of books, all he could see was the angry face of Emily, threatening to break him in unpleasant ways.

"I'm... buried in... books," he would manage to wheeze out from beneath his little concave literature shell.

[Emily Suddenfield]

Emily removed her foot after Violet said it was an accident, her hand plunging into the tomes to grip the front of the small boys shirt and pull him out of his dusty sortie. Standing him up, she'd point at Violet.

"Apologize for groping her."

She didn't care if it was an accident- he should have known better than to wildly throw his hands out and start squeezing things. What kind of kid was this? Assuming he did as ordered, she would crouch and pick up a book to read the front while asking Violet-

"What're these for?"

[Violet Lockheart]

EVEN WITH THESE CHAINS

you can't stop me

Then screech cut short and her notion to forgive rather than batter a poor innocent caught up in all this mess expressed to Emily the situation would hopefully come full circle and they'd come to an understanding but typical of situations like this they had the additional opportunity of getting further out of hand. And that very same notion would be expressed just as quickly with Emily raising up the boy from his tomb and posturing him in such a way that may be perceived to be demeaning.

Apology or otherwise Violet would raise her hands up defensively and wave them in front of her and wave them back an forth as if to imply forget the whole thing entirely. "No don't even worry about it!" She'd try to convey however her attention a it focused on handling this little mess seemed to falter as Emily picked up a spare book. While the large stack had been a number of her school texts from Algebra to Geography, the one she'd picked up was nothing of that sort. In fact its lacy lavender folds would reveal the title: "Serenade by Sunset" - A romantic novel of course. Violet springing to action when Emily's eyes would turn to the book speculatively.

"ITS NOTHING DON'T LOOK AT THAT!" Violet would go full pouncing Lynx over Emily atop her shoulders to attempt grappling the book free from her grasp.

Emily Suddenfield Richard Stock

[Richard Stock]

The young Englishman suddenly felt a great, sharp pull of strength as he was unearthed from his literature tomb and took a gasp of fresh air, catching himself on his feet as he was raised to the floor. And then a demand from Emily to apologize for the grope. For some reason, his mind drifted to thoughts he and a couple of other wankers expressed when talking about Japan. Given the reality of the situation, he felt his empathy rise. Still, his mother had raised him to do right by a lady, provided it wasn't tosser trying to bite off his head (she was a pretty sensible lady in her teachings, he figured), and would nod deeply at the... well dressed uniformed lady.

The blue-haired girl wasn't quite as tall Stevie, but Richard began to ask himself what sort of school this. Everyone on top was young and gorgeous. And while he wasn't a nancy boy, the lads weren't hard up for it either. It was like a gathering of them.

Still, priorities. He nodded again due to the delay in his distraction. He shook his head at the blue-haired girl's protesting.

"No, I'm in the wrong.
"Let me help by cleaning books.
"I insist. Please, miss."

Whether placing himself below someone or not, it didn't matter to Richard. His goal here was good relations, and he'd be damned if he be set back here. He was here for something that was more than him. He needed their help.

...So, after decidedly looking over and making sure not to read any of the titles, he began to heft up a wise number of books (having learned from others), and began placing them on the two chairs flanking the tele. That way they at least wouldn't have to bend over and strain themselves when picking up or organizing the books later. And if he had time to finish that, Richard would then finish the dusting and sweeping that he began, now even more driven with purpose to make up for his blunders.

[Emily Suddenfield]

She brushed her hand over it before standing, turning to her First Pillar and offering the tome to be replaced atop the stack. She would wait for the boy to assist and apologize, which he seemed to do through subtext but....he had an odd way of speaking about him. She folded her arms and spoke to him after he finished placing the books on the chairs.

"So...why did you come here anyway?"

He must have shown up for a reason- she doubted he had spidey senses that told him whenever there was a mess in need of cleaning.