bakerstreet | ( picture prompt meme )

--Ah.

[ Mari's caught a little off-guard. One, because that proved a considerably shorter struggle than she had prepared for -- and two, because she may not have accounted for Kanan's face being quite this close once she'd turned around.

Close, indeed. Mari can swear she can feel the heat radiating off Kanan's cheeks, that close. Or maybe it's the sheer redness of her skin that's tricked her brain into creating that illusion? No matter! It's delightful either way.

While this particular concoction of embarrassment-anger is likely less than pleasing for Kanan, Mari, on her end, is reveling in it. She's wholly unapologetic in the way she's staring at her face, and in the broad, toothy grin that stretches across her own features in response. Kanan's order to return to her work might as well have gone unspoken. ]

Listen. [The glower rises in severity, no doubt prompted by Mari's expression.

Kanan is Very Done.

Figuratively, at least for the moment, but perhaps literally very soon, if the cooked-crustacean colour of her skin continues.]

You aren't gonna finish what you were doing, huh? Fine. Fine. Exactly what I came for. We're going home.

Kanan! [ She pokes her cheek with the tip of her forefinger, scolding. Oh-- it's exactly as warm as it looks. ] That's very rude, you know. First distracting me from my work, and then trying to take me away from it! Downright incorrigible!

Trying?

[Mari, wrapped round her middle, their faces in such proximity, is conversely easy to grab hold of. And so she does, fixing her feet on the floor, sliding off the chair and lifting Mari up in one movement.]

I don't have to try. I can and I will.

[Call her rude, incorrigible, so be it. The end justifies the means.]

[ --Okay, they all know Kanan's strong, but Mari is pretty sure she couldn't pull this off so effortlessly two years ago. Either way, congratulations, you got a squeak that wouldn't shame a rubber duck out of her, and now she has her arms and legs wrapped around Kanan not unlike a koala on a tree.

Once she gets over the initial start, though? Her face lights right back up. ]

Oh wow! Nice Beef, Kanan!! Are you going to carry me like this all the way back?!

[For the agitation and getting tree-ed without warning, Kanan feels she's taking the whole situation quite decently.]

I could sling you on my shoulder. [A la caveman.] But you'd puke.

[#logic

She'll regret this after the urgent burst of strength wears off. Enjoy it while it lasts.]

Don't be silly, I've got stronger tolerance than that!

[ Well, gut tolerance. But being a human koala isn't much more sustainable than being the tree, so after a moment she untangles her legs from around Kanan, followed by her arms, and goes back to standing independently.

Stretching her arms out over her head, Mari looks from Kanan to her desk, musing aloud as if the thought's only just occurred to her: ]

Ahh, should I pack up for the day after all...

Haven't I said that right from the start...

[She stretches, too, in an attempt to regain limberness. And to psych herself into staying grumpy. Still mad, koala or no.]

Are we done here?

Mm, well, there's no doubt the work atmosphere's totally evaporated... I can just take these to do at home.

But, you know-- [ She turns to Kanan again, her smile subdued. ] It'll be a little bit lonely.

[Another sigh. If the old superstitions of sighs adding on to your age were true, she'd be seeing her ancestors waving hi from across the river any day now, no thanks to Mari. Over the years. All the time.

Still mad, seriously.]

If you wanted me to go over, you could just ask.

[ The corners of Mari's mouth twitch -- like she's reining them in to keep from stretching further. ]

... But then I'll have been selfish twice in one day, right?

...?

[Dia would probably retort with something along the lines of how that isn't out of the ordinary. For Kanan, she simply does not get it.]

There was a first time?

Edited 2016-10-16 18:15 (UTC)

[ Mari blinks, then breaks out into a giggle, her shoulders hitching. ]

In that case, [ she grabs Kanan's hands between her own, ] please come over today! Okay?

[What even is so funny...]

Okay.

[Dropping the poor pretense of sullenness, she allows herself the smile brought on by Mari's own.] I'd rather hang out with you than sit around doing nothing, anyway.

Such high praise! You're spoiling me today. ♥ [ ... Mari's teasing, but at the same time, she sincerely is thinking it. The fond crinkling at the corners of her eyes might give that away. ] I only need a second-- let's see, hm hm hmm...

[ She considers a moment, then picks a select few papers off the table with the precision of a crane machine master, stuffing them into her bookbag. Next she plucks her coat and scarf off their hanging place, and tugs them on before turning back to Kanan with a triumphant whirl. ]

OK! All good to go!

[ A quick glance out the window-- ] Ah, it's snowing again...

[Looking up from her belongings at that -- yeah, it is, huh.]

The forecast said the snow would get heavier tonight. Did you bring an umbrella?

[Snowfall was one reason she was so adamant on leaving. The roads and waters would become harder to move on, and transport slowed or delayed as a result. She wasn't kidding when she said Mari might end up snowed in, what with campus located on a hill at that.]

Nope, totally forgot! I watched the forecast properly last night and everything, but left it right at home! [ P(≧ڡ≦)⌒☆ teehee! ]

[This person was intending to stay in the office until some godforsaken hour despite knowing the snow will be heavier.

This person.

Don't "teehee" her either, good grief.]

I wonder if the student council has any left to lend out.

[She considers her own umbrella, folded and rolled up. A dinky little thing which lets in more than it keeps out, which barely does the job covering one person, much less two.]

Ooh, nice thinking! [ An enthusiastic thumbs up, followed by a milder hum of contemplation. ] It'd be great if they were still here... [ Dia's meetings usually run later than this, but everyone seemed to be in a particular rush to get home today. Only Ms. Director here has remained wholly unfazed by this weather. ]

Well, let's go take a look!

Edited 2016-10-17 05:57 (UTC)

[She nods and follows Mari to the halls outside. The lights are on, but with most (if not all) other students and staff already gone for the day, their surroundings, although familiar, are quiet, almost too quiet.]

Hopefully we aren't the last to leave.

[From the look and sound of it, the likelihood is pretty high.]

[ Mari nods in assent, though it's the noncomittal sort of noise that indicates she's hardly counting on it. They keep walking. One fluorescent light flickers overhead, and Mari makes a mental note to have it replaced.

There's a chilly foreignness to these halls when they're empty -- when she'd just taken on this job, passing through them alone would make her stomach knot up. But just the same as everything else, it's something you get used to in time; as it is now, she really doesn't mind.

A short few moments pass, and they reach the door to the student council room to find it locked. Mari's lips purse in a little pout. ] Looks like an early finish after all. Oh, well.

[ She promptly goes on to produce a massive, dangly ring of keys from her schoolbag, flips through it with her thumb, and at last pushes the right key into its hole with a satisfying click. ] There we go. Pardon the intrusion! [ So she calls out as she walks into the empty room, and rather unapologetically begins rummaging about. ] Let's see, umbrellas, umbrellas...

Edited 2016-10-17 06:47 (UTC)

[Dia's definitely yelling at them once she finds out what happened to the student council room, Kanan thinks -- when she sees the aftermath, to be exact.

Doesn't count as breaking and entering if they unlocked the door properly to come in...does it.]

Any luck?

[The lost-and-found is next to empty, for once. She checks the cabinet beside it, taking things out and then putting them back where they came from. Probably should clean up after Mari, too, while we're at it. Minimize the impact they leave.

She daren't entertain the possibility of Dia not noticing traces of their unannounced visit; knowing her, she's probably memorized the exact spot of everything to be able to tell from a glace whether any of it was disturbed. A lot of disturbing is in progress already.]

Edited 2016-10-17 16:32 (UTC)

[ It's fine, it's fine! Dia will surely understand! (Or more like, it's not like there's anything she could do about it even if she wanted... Mari's not fussed, either way.)

But even though she is searching so passionately--!! (Translation: making a giant mess out of everything. ) ...it seems the umbrella gods are not smiling down at her today. ]

Mmmn... nothing! Not even one, single umbrella! [ She folds her arms over her chest with a frown, though her concern seems short-lived. ] ... Well, whatever! It was worth a shot, but a bit of snow's hardly the worst thing that could happen to someone. Let's go!

[To pack up further and risk heavier snow, or to hurry home while leaving the student council room in disarray...

The choice is tough. Then again, Dia's wrath is a given, so with resignation to the inevitable, she closes the door behind them. No point spending more time packing when they're short on it.]

You'll catch a cold. [As they walk, she fetches her umbrella from her bag, and pulls out the handle.] Share with me?

[A request in phrasing only.]

I'll have you know I'm sturdier than I look! It'll take more than some winter weather to bring me down! [ She reaches around the back of her neck, determinedly flipping her coat's hood on. See? That's at least as snow-proof as your umbrella. But dingy as it may be, Mari's the last person to complain, all-too-cheerily scooting over to Kanan's side. ] ... Though, sharing with you would make me pretty happy, hehe.

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