| Details for Cocoa Mugs Close Calls and a Snag |
| Summary: | Deciding to go exploring, Myrus and Elizabeth find themselves in a bit of a snag.. and then another snag |
| Date: | 1938-11-15 |
| Location: | Great Hall, Entry Hall, Workshop Classroom |
| Related: | (1938-11-15) Malten Train Wreck (PREV)(1938-11-15) Wonderous Beast(NEXT) |
| Characters |
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It was chilly, on the walk back to Hogwarts. And it was cut shorter than
expected (didn't even get any candy), but at least there's a few more days to
enjoy of Hogsmeade. Hopefully they'll be a little less drama-filled, but there's
no guarantee on that. Not when it involves one or both of the Lowes.
Speaking of Lowes. One of them is walking beside Elizabeth right now.
She turns to faintly glance at him, quiet while her steps gently sway the loose
raven locks around the curve of her face.
Myrus wasn't bundled up against the cold this time outside. His face was
open to it, but his hat was pulled down and his hands were in his jacket pockets
as he walked beside Elizabeth. He likes this. Even just walking together.
Physical proximity was.. comfortable. He wouldn't say anything though. WHo knows
what a comment like that would lead to. SO he remains silent, probably to her
chagrin, but how many times had he messed it up? He didn't want to mess it up
again. But he did steal a few looks at her in the cool(cold… frigid) evening
air.
A few glances are exchanged between them, but otherwise there's a
comfortable silence. Far more comfortable than Elizabeth is normally accustomed
to. When it involves people that is. She wonders on that briefly, but then
decides against analyzing it too closely. The corner of her lips faintly tugs
again as she glances away, looking forward again while they approach the gates
of Hogwarts.
He saw her look away, and that made him grin like a idiot, at which
point he looks away as well, and through the gates they go a few moments later,
walking up the front walk towards the front courtyard that would lead to the
entry hall.
Elizabeth could feel the warmth wash over her as they enter the castle
proper, granting relief from the chill outside. With a shrug of her shoulders,
the cloak falls back from her shoulders. She gives Myrus a small glance, but
doesn't say a word as she continues walking to the Great Hall. She didn't get
candy, in the very least she deserves to get some hot chocolate to warm herself
up.
Myrus lets out a sigh of relief from the bite of the cold outside,
pulling off his hat and stuffing it in a pocket, pulling off his scarf and
letting it hang simply over his shoudlers and hang in front of himself instead
of around his neck. His nose and cheeks were red, along with the tips of his
ears.
He would follow her into the great hall as well. Hot chocolate was
understandably the target. At least that's what he assumed. So he'd follow her,
but stay beside her as they walk.
Elizabeth reaches up to loosen the blue scarf around her throat, quiet
still as they slip inside the nearly empty Great Hall. No doubt the majority of
the students now are in Hogsmeade. She settles at the Ravenclaw table, in front
of two mugs of hot chocolate teased with melted marshmallow and a faint, visible
sprinkle of cinnamon on top. Once hand smooths the front of her pleated skirt
while the other reaches for one of the mugs, pulling it closer to herself.
Myrus moves to sit next to her, reaching out to take the other mug that
was waiting there, pulling it to himself and adding no extras to it that were
offered there on the tables, and takes a small sip. Perfectly nestled between
warm and hot, not burning the lips and tongue, but warms one up from the inside
out. He looks at Elizabeth, catching himself looking at her stockings on her
legs, but looking back to his cocoa quickly. Eyes close and he shakes his head
at himself.
She closes her eyes (definitely not looking) as Elizabeth lightly
presses the rim of her mug to ther lips, slipping steadily but deeply. The rich
taste of chocolate mixed with marshmallows the perfect temperature. Just a touch
beneath scalding. She couldn't help the corners of her lips tugging with an
absent smile as she drinks for a moment longer, before lightly pulling the mug
away. The tip of her tongue lightly licks at the chocolate that might still be
there.
Tongue of bubblegum lapping up the chocolate from her pale rose lips.
Myrus was lucky her eyes were closed, because he was staring as she did that. He
turns to look out the window. He can't help but huff out a chuckle to himself.
So faint maybe she wouldn't notice. He lifts his mug and takes another sip. This
was awesome.
"Even just sitting here with you. I could stay here all night." He
didn't realize he was thinking out loud. His words were probably the most
sincere he's been around her talking about spending time with her. And it was
just spending time together. Companionship, not that stuff he pressed too hard
for earlier, or running away.
Elizabeth lightly lifts a brow before she opens one eye, turning her
raven head just slightly to glance at him as her locks fall away from her
shoulder. Revealing an inch of skin. "There's a few complications in that." she
murmurs in reply, though there's a bit of humor in her voice. And though she's
reluctant to admit this to herself, she's almost feels a little self-conscious
when he's like this. Quiet, mysterious.
That same kind of chuckle comes out again, but this time a little
vocalization behind it. Somewhat rumbly. Coming into his manhood past puberty,
maybe.
"I said that out loud, didn't I?" He smiles warmly, and shrugs, leaning
forward to tilt his mug of cocoa around in circles to watch what was left of the
foam on top swirl and cling to the edges in various patterns. He looks up at
her, "But, I still would all the same." Same tone with those words as he had
unconciously started this conversation. Somehow he'd become companionable after
she grabbed his scarf in the candy shop.
"A little bit." Elizabeth admits, gently shrugging a shoulder as she
gazes into her half-drank mug of hot chocolate held between both hands. Subtly
turning to glance at him out of the corner of her eye, she takes a peek, though
he looks back with a steady gaze. "And I know you would." The compromise being
to just stay up as long as they can. Tapping her fingertips on her mug,
Elizabeth looks back to her drink, "I didn't not like it. The kiss I mean." she
murmurs, before she takes a sip.
He nods, scrunching his lips and nodding. "Ah," in response to how much
he said that out loud. He was looking right at her calmly when she peeked, and
confirmed he would sit here basically as long as allowable.
But her talking about the kiss makes him look down to his own mug.
"Yeah?" he asks quietly.
Then, a little lower than that, "The next one is yours to initiate.
Promise." He holds up his hands, as if he was letting go of the opportunity to
kiss her even if it presented itself. His tone was a little humored, like he was
making light of it, but still the offer was there.
He retakes his own mug and finishes the latter half of it in a long slow
draught. Licking his lips of the excess chocolate and setting his mug down where
it began. He sighs contentedly.
His reply was a little unexpected, but Elizabeth faintly shakes her head
to herself as she stares into her mug, freeing a hand only long enough to
absently brush back her raven hair from her face. "You're assuming that I
could." she murmurs, before closing her eyes to take another sip from her mug.
He probably didn't realize yet. That in actuality she's shy. And in moments like
this when he puts her on the spot, she knows she couldn't do something like
that. Elizabeth my have some guts, but not for something like this.
He narrows his eyes at her, "Ok, let me back up. -Could- you if the urge
strikes?" Now he was getting into uncharted territory. Asking her personal stuff
without being the forward rawr tell me nao kind of attitude. His tone said more
than just his words, that she didn't have to answer if she didn't want to or
couldn't, pending what he was now assuming from what she just said.
Elizabeth pauses for a brief moment before turning her dark head,
glancing at Myrus as if trying to decide something before returning her gaze to
her chocolate. "I'm not sure. I've never been in that kind of situation before."
she admits. He was her first kiss after all. Myrus seemed to do it so easily,
she wondered how he could have gotten up the courage. Elizabeth frowns gently to
herself, uncertain. She didn't know if she even liked Myrus ins this way, but
this new side of him did leave her allot to consider. "I do not believe it's as
easy as others try to make it look like."
He pushes his mug with his fingers extending the last few inches to the
middle of the table, and he turns to the side on the bench to face her, and he
leans on an elbow on the table. He scooted to give her some space, leaving maybe
a half a foot from his knee and hers. "Eh, for me it's like.. an urge to do
things sometimes. I can't help but do things because I want to be accepted." He
lowers his head and rubs his forehead with his wrapped hand, "I can't believe
I'm saying this, but," he looks over his hand to her. "For some reason talking
to you makes me comfortable and nervous all at the same time." And now he was
looking at her with that look. The calm, slightly butterflies-in-the-stomach
look. Because sitting like this gave him just that.
Elizabeth instinctively turns her head to glance at Myrus as he shifts
in his seat, turning on the bench to straddle it and face her more openly than
before. 'Sometimes'. More than once he means. Several times on occasion?
Something flickers in her pale eyes as she pulls her gaze from his, looking to
the last of the melted marshmallow in her mug. "'Accepted'…" she says the word
quietly. It was no ordinary word. It was /the/ word. It was the goal of life
itself. Acceptance. Money, power, even attracting the opposite gender, it's all
in the pursuit of being accepted. Myrus isn't the first, nor will he be the
last.
But what about her? What did she want from this connection? Elizabeth
has never really bothered the other students, not really. She knew the names of
everyone, students and staff alike. And she answered every single question in
her first year before she realized that everyone else needed to be given the
chance to answer too, regardless if they were right or wrong. Was it because she
wanted acceptance also that she did this? And every year since? "Isn't… that
the way it's supposed to be? That feeling?" she asks softly. "I mean… I've
read it often enough in books…"
"Like, I lack some fear when it comes to standing up to people. That has
gotten me into trouble before but as far as -that-…" he reaches up and
scratches his cheek, muttering, "And.. like that being my first time too.. but~"
He trails off there.
Then Myrus realizes something from what she's saying. "Books. You can
live in a book. But it's already written. That's why I'm glad I gave you the
journal. You can write one from your own experiences. I always see you with your
nose in a book. And with your.. ei-ded-ic.. memory," he says the word slowly so
he says it correctly this time, "reading a book is probably easy for you. I'm
sure a lot easier than it is for me." He noticed her before this. Always
studying.
He smiles again to her, and holds his hand out to her. "Let's go write
your story." -Her- story. He wanted her to have something that she didn't have
before this? Maybe? Something she was getting out of it that he could help her
with. At least he hoped it came off that way.
"Now do not say that." Elizabeth says softly, gently shaking her head at
her mug. "You don't want to resemble me after all, becoming 'bothersome'." She
uses the word with a little bit of a mocking tone, since it's been used on her
only a day or two ago. Quietly setting down her mug, she turns her dark head to
give him a sideways glance. "An eidetic memory only help with instant
memorization. If written down after the fact, how could it be of use? It
wouldn't give me answers. Like… you know. The kiss." For some reason she felt
a little awkward mentioning it now. A kiss that has yet to be. And one she's
supposed to initiate. Myrus extends a hand out to her, though she shakes her
head at it again. "I'm not an author."
"You're not -bothersome-." He blatantly disagreed. "Sometimes honest to
a fault," he knows that from personal experience. "You're smart. You have a lot
of stuff up there," he reached up to put a finger on her forehead when she
looked at him after clarifying what an eidetic memory is.
"Besides," he brings his hand back again after she doesn't take it,
"there's no way I could resemble you.." a pause for just a moment, "You're far
cuter than I am," he mumbles.
A glance up to the grandfather clock in the great hall. Still a few
hours before curfew tonight. He looks at her again. "You don't have to be a
writer to write. Besides," he remembers what Andromena told him when he tried to
tell the story about the three heroic wizards and the evil wizard, "If anything,
just ask me to write it then you can fix it. Like my storytelling." He smiles
wider, "Also… I'm up for another malt. My treat." His hand offered to her
again, but he retracts it.
"Um, we don't have to hold hands though if you don't want to."
Elizabeth frowns at his finger as Myrus points at her forehead. In turn
giving him a mildly flat glance, just before he said that she's cuter than he
is. "Well I wouldn't say that…" she mumbles. "Your point of view is different
than mine after all…" A hand reaches up to lightly brush back some of her soft
hair behind her ear, pausing a full moment before giving the boy another
sideways glance. Hesitating. "Alright…" Elizabeth eventually relents, "Though,
could we make it something warm instead? Braving the cold twice now, then a
third?" Already she was regretting the cold. There's no way of doing another
malt on top of that. Her fingers quietly clutch in her lap before she carefully
pushes herself to her feet, rising.
He nods, "Well -I- would… will… I do." And he stands up, "Okay.
Maybe some hot tea at the three broomsticks.. if they let us in. If not I think
the candy store has hot… cocoa.." he hmms. Now seeing how little good this
idea has. But he smirks. "Unless you want to stop by the bookstore before it
closes." Nudging her as he passes her getting himself off of the bench and
walking up the aisle towards the doors of the great hall.
If they're let in. Elizabeth didn't like that 'if'. The thought of
having to be out in the cold longer than she should already leaves her feeling
cold. Suppressing a shiver, she pulls the cloak forward over her shoulders,
letting it cover her front as her arms part the front enough to adjust he rich
blue scarf. The teasing about the bookstore makes her mildly narrow her gaze at
in him return. "You act as if I would find something new there." She wouldn't.
Myrus walks down the aisle between the tables, out the door of the great
hall and a quick turn to the right they are at the doors to the outside, and
instead of pushing the door open he stops and turns around abruptly to ask her,
"Do you want to go? If not, we can go tomorrow, or just head back to the common
room.. or go our separate ways for the night." That last sentence said
reluctantly.
Elizabeth followed Myrus to the point where he pauses at the doors,
before turning around suddenly to ask again. She blinks with some surprise
behind her frames, though his last suggestion gives her hesitation. Enough so
that she glances away instinctively. The school is nearly empty of students
right now, so it's nice and quiet as she prefers. "Is… there somewhere else in
Hogwarts you would like to visit?"
Myrus tilts his head when she offers the question. He thinks for a
moment and says, "Yeah." And he tilts his head to the side as he moves past her,
pulling his scarf back down that he had just put up and putting his little hat
away again into his big fluffy coat. That thing looked really warm. And towards
the main area of the entry hall he goes. "Exploring time," he states with some
level of excitement.
The bookworm couldn't help but give him a curious look, seeing him so
excited. Like he had a secret that he kept to himself and no one else. Elizabeth
wonders on that for only a moment before she follows him quietly out into the
entry hall, her thoughts quickly shifting on where he might lead them.
Down the hallway and long corridor of the castle was the pair of
classrooms, the club room, all three of which Myrus had been in before. But the
workshop, he hadn't been there quite yet. To the door they go, and his look back
and forth up and down the hall to check and see if anyone was there before he
opened the door. Maybe he was just giving it a little flare and suspicion that
they shouldn't be here after hours. But either way, he opens the door, and holds
it open for her so she can come in.
He certainly was giving it a little more flare, though Elizabeth merely
lifts a brow at him as Myrus makes such a big deal over whether or not there was
anyone around that could see the pair. But the way she figures, its a classroom.
Who would figure there to be students in a classroom after hours when they could
be in Hogsmeade? The corner of her lips tugs faintly, but Elizabeth doesn't
hesitate to step inside first, her pale eyes already curiously looking around
them at the works in progress that students have yet to complete. And doubtful
they would until the end of the semester. Ideas flow through this room. A source
of thought that has yet to be written down in a book. She can appreciate that.
Myrus was already walking around the room's shelves checking out the
different apparati that were housed there. Larger ones on the bottom usually,
smaller ones further up so in case something fell, it wouldn't do as much damage
to someone's head. Well, maybe not, since there's some larger ones on higher
shelves, too. Either way, he's enamoured and peeking at various ones, getting
particularly close when peeking at a certain few, but steadily moving along.
"Wow. Lots of interesting stuff here," he notes passively. "I've never
been in this room before unless we were required for something.. I can't even
remember what we did in here."
"It's usually like that." Elizabeth replies, her fingertips brushing
along the smooth surface of one of the shelves, avoiding touching any of the
projects directly as she steps lightly towards the long windows. They're heavily
shielded by magic, a safety precaution it seems, though she's more curious to
see what part of the gardens this particular classroom overlooks.
Myrus turns to look at her, his eyes keeping on the item he was looking
at that moment for a second longer then his eyes catch up to his head turning to
look at her walking by the window across one of the workbenches from him. He
leans on the workbench with his elbows, clasping his hands together and watching
her intently with a small smile. "Find something interesting?"
Myrus turns to look at her, his eyes keeping on the item he was looking
at that moment for a second longer then his eyes catch up to his head turning to
look at her walking by the window across one of the workbenches from him. He
leans on the workbench with his elbows, clasping his hands together and watching
her intently with a small smile. "See something interesting?"
Nearing the long window, Elizabeth cants her head in order to see what's
beyond. The courtyard? The garden? Its too dark out tonight though that she
couldn't make anything out. And when he asks, she turns to glance over her
shoulder at him, loose, dark locks falling away from her shoulder. "Quite the
opposite in fact. It's so dark that nothing is visible."
Myrus moves around the table for a moment, having to pass by a larger
object near the corner covered in a cloth sheet for some reason. He stands next
to her and attempts to look out the window, getting up close to it that his warm
breath causes some fog on the window.
At that moment, the latch on the door is undone, causing a low thud
resonating through the heavy wooden door. Myrus' head snaps to look at it, and
he looks around, whispering, "Hide! Quick!" And the only place he can see, he
points to, the tarp-covered apparatus, and he starts moving as the door opens
and two sixth-years hand in hand busy staring at one another would enter the
room with muffled giggles and whispering in the dark room.
Elizabeth hears the sound of the latch but glances back at the door a
fraction slower than Myrus, with only enough time to realize that they might be
found out. There's no thought, only reflex as she slips behind the tarp-covered
statue (she assumes), trying to press herself as close as she physically could
to allow him enough room to hide with her.
They don't both fit there quite enough as the couple ends up against the
bench nearest the door, quite.. engrossed with one another as they ignore the
door to shut by itself with a resounding thud that echoes through both the
hallway and the room. This catches the attention of a prefect down the hall who
starts towards the classrooms. Both of the couple Hufflepuff, and the prefect
Hufflepuff as well.
Myrus sinks down behind the apparatus as well, about the size of a car,
but from the looks of how he impresses the sheet it looks like it hangs over a
wire frame of some sort, with enough height where they are to easily get under
that. Myrus sneaks a finger below the sheet where the end crumples at the floor,
and lifts, revealing a sort of tent-ish setup how the wire-frame of something
still in it's infancy of creation rests. He shuffles to move halfway under to
give her more room, looking like there was enough room for both of them, leaving
the sheet hanging on his shoulder with his head outside of the sheet. He holds a
finger over his lips looking at her.
The two against the table are giving off the sounds that teenagers who
aren't talking to communicate would give off. Hormonal communication, if you
will.
Kissing sounds, more or less.
Elizabeth softly bites at the inside of her bottom lip, but she quietly
moves just enough for Myrus to position himself against he wire-frame object,
partly covering his shoulders with the sheet. And when he lightly presses his
finger to his lips to signal to keep quiet, she dips her chin subtly, though
wondering to herself if it's really necessary. The couple seem to be lost to the
world, more engrossed with one another than to worry about anything else. And
the noises they make… The sighs, the hitched breaths, and hums of approval
mixed with desire…
She could feel the heat in her cheeks as they are forced to listen,
unable to fully look at Myrus now while the sounds continue, averting her eyes.
Elizabeth could even feel some tightening in her chest. Was it from the
possibility of being found out? Or was it the unconscious influence from the
couple? Or perhaps both?
Her fears of being found out were probably the first on the chopping-
block for examination and stressing.
The door opens and a gasp from both of the liplocked sixth-years emits
as they part from one another, looking to the prefect in the doorway that spills
light into the room on the far side from where Myrus and Elizabeth now hide.
"You two.. you know /this/ is why you can't leave to Hogsmeade right
now, you keep breaking curfew because you're always.." she waggles a hand at
them to gesture what they were doing when she opened the door. "Come on, let's
go back to the dormitories before you have the chance to get.. distracted and
break curfew. Again." That last word stressed as the two depart first. The
prefect stops before letting the door close, "Anyone else in here?!" She says in
a light, flitty commanding voice.
Myrus reaches to try and gently lift Elizabeth's chin while he holds his
other hand still that finger over his lips and shakes his head in very short and
quick motions.
Elizabeth instinctively holds her breath as she hears the door open
again with some force, becoming perfectly still as they both listen to the stern
exchange of words, before the Prefect asks aloud if there's anyone else in the
room. While she isn't intending to speak out and reveal herself, Myrus still
touches her delicate chin and gently lifts her gaze up to him as he once more
places a finger to his lips, shaking his head in short motions. She can feel the
heat in her cheeks again, but she doesn't make a sound, not a word and the
Prefect is only met with several long moments of silence, proving its emptiness.
The sound of the door closing and latching as three distinct sets of
footsteps and voices arguing down the hall fade with distance from the door,
Myrus exhales, proving that he too was holding his breath for that duration.
His hands fall from his face and her chin, moving to his knees that are
bent up to his chest. He had more room to stretch out, but he just chose not to
for now.
Though he did lift the sheet with a hand up over his head to expose what
was under it. "That was close," he says before looking under the sheet directly,
peering up and around at what was there. Wire frame and a few metal rods making
what looked like it might be a vehicle, with a simple seat supported by the
sturdier pieces of metal in the middle. Maybe a vehicle, maybe an extravagant
lounge chair. One could only guess.
The Ravenclaw girl almost felt as relieved as Myrus when the Prefect
left, closing the door behind her and basking them in shadows once more. He
moves first though, his curiosity pulling to Myrus to see just what was beneath
the sheet. And Elizabeth admits to herself, she's a little curious too. He holds
up the sheet enough for both of them to glance inside. "Huh." Curious indeed.
She isn't sure what it's intended purpose, but at least it looks interesting.
While she's looking as well, once he scoots himself fully under the
covering sheet, he says "This looks like it might be comfortable.." as he
dissappears behind the sheet and turns to his hands and knees, edging towards
the seat and getting himself into a kneeling position further in, just past the
sheet he had just dropped between them. There were a few hand controls to either
side of the seat that looked to control different parts of it. Now if one were
to look at the whole structure, it looked to be some sort of spider-like walking
contraption? Some of the controls didn't connect via wires to anything to
mechanically pull something here or there, leaving it open for further work, as
well the frame around the seat seemed to be set up to fit more things around it.
"What do you think it'll be used for?" He asks, looking back at the sheet (or if
she poked her head in, looking her in the eyes and he hadn't moved -that- far
from the 'entrance'.
As he crawls inside and the sheet falls, Elizabeth catches it and holds
it up in turn while Mryus settles into the apparent seat in the center. He
discovers the controls before she does, through when he does her pale eyes
curious look them over. She frowns subtly, leaning forward to get a better look.
"Whatever it is, it looks complicated." she murmurs softly, uncertain.
In the seat, he lays a finger on each of the sticks that appear to be
used for each appendage, his eyes following the wires until she speaks up. His
curiosity for it wasn't enough to completely take his attention from listening
and he looks down to her from the seat. It prompted him to slide down from the
seat, sitting cross-legged in front of her. "Yeah," folding his hands in his
lap, plucking gently at an edge of a part of the stretchy wrap around his hand,
it springs back into place with a light sound each time. Looking up and around
them, and reaching up to touch one of the legs with his hurt hand, "It looks
amazing though.. at least at this point of construction."
Her leaning forward put her closer to where he expected to be in front
of her. He cranes his neck to the side to act like he was looking at something
that caught his eye. Maybe she didn't see him blush being such close proximity
and in the darkness. Though his breathing did get a little faster, causing
breathing through his nose to become faintly audible.
Maybe she had noticed. Or, maybe just instinctively could sense
something was off as a pause lengthens. Elizabeth has to take a small breath
before she leans back, placing a little bit more space between them as she sits
back against the wall, holding onto the end of the tarp still. The quiet lings,
and she looks up at the door, another moment lingering. "This is probably the
most fun I have had in a while." And it's true.
He as well rolls from his sitting position to lengthen the space between
them, propping up a leg and resting a forearm on his knee as he looks from under
the sheet at her moving to the wall. He smiles. "Yeah? Heh, me too." He smiles
and looks down at the ground between them. "So.. what did it feel like?" Eyes
raise to her, then back down again, "When I kissed you-" voice going uncertain
at the end there, maybe like he feels that's do-not-touch territory, only
catching himself too late and having to finish the question when he didn't want
to make her uncomfortable. Quickly he adds, "You don't have to answer that if
you don't want to."
"Hm. Well…" Elizabeth absently reaches up to brush back her raven
black hair, her pale eyes glancing away regardless of the thin barrier between
them. Once more she wanted to mention what she's read in books, but is that
really fair? Books, at least fictional books, are meant to be enjoyed by the
reader, not an exact instruction manual. "The kiss was rather sudden, out of the
blue. And because it caught me by surprise, I suppose I didn't have that
anticipation that I know should be there." Elizabeth isn't sure how else to put
it. And that's the most she can figure out in any case.
Also… she could think of a few things that could have been done, but
as the thought enters her mind, she falls quiet. Thankful that the classroom
shadows would be enough to hide whatever blush she might have.
His embarassment was as well hidden by the fabric draped between them.
He looks down further, short locks of hair in the front doing nothing of his
hope to hide his eyes should she lift the veil to look at him right now.
"Well.." he starts to admit, "I -was- quick about it.. maybe shouldn't have even
done it at all," picking up a little pice of fabric on the floor and attempting
to toss it to the side in some internal frustration at himself. The gush of
moving air from his overly used arm movement making the cloth bend and give
slightly towards her side before falling still again. he sighs, the breath as
well pushing on the sheet for a moment, and it sways and shifts gently from his
breath.
He adjusts, straightening an arm behind him to start taking off his
jacket. The mild temperature in the classroom made the heavy wear unbearable
after so many minutes. After he gets it off and lets it sit behind him, he lifts
the sheet up and sets it over his shoulders, almost making it look like the
apparatus behind him was some contraption strapped to his back like a giant
turtle or hunchback or whatever the mind could conjure up of him to be.
"So how would you have done it?" His brows furrowed a little in an
inquisitive manner. The innocence of the question shown in his face in the dim
light, but for anyone listening it might have sounded like a challenge for
something further.
She could hear the little bit of regret in his voice, which elicits some
uncertainty in her gut. Her fingers softly curl at the pleated skirt in her lap,
hearing the cloth gently move, just a few inches away from her. And his sigh…
Elizabeth softly bites at the inside of her bottom lip as she glances at
the shift of the tarp again, catching his eyes while he pulls the material
behind him. When he asks how she would do it different though… She
instinctively takes a small breath, holding it as she holds his gaze before she
feels compelled to look away, feeling heat once more in her cheeks. If she says
anything, it'll mean that she's thought about it. Could she admit that? In front
of him?
"Well… If I were you…" saying it like this feels odd. "I would have
moved closer, leaned in with… just a little bit of space between. Enough to
feel a little bit of breath" By building up anticipation, Elizabeth must have
meant this. "Then… well… just quietly leaning in. Just like that."
Myrus listens to how she would have done it if she were him. He could
feel his breath bating a little, and his own face turning warm as he smiles.
"That sounds a lot better than what I did." He pulls the sheet over him to fall
between them again. Too embarassed to even let her see him right now. "You know,
we should probably be heading back to the dormitories." He says in a low volume.
Running away again? The sound of him putting his jacket on could be heard under
the sheet, and where he was sitting the sheet shuffled and wriggled as he moved.
Inside one of his sleeves, a button on his shirt's cuff caught on the
liner inside the jacket sleeve. The other sleeve? Well, the metal hook that held
the wrap on his hand had snagged the inside of the shoulder, basically keeping
him from taking it completely off again, and his arms stuck at his sides as he
tries to shake off the jacket. "Bugger.."
And with where and how he was sitting, turning around got the end of his
sleeve snagged on a cross section of metal gear that was interconnected to just
about anything else below the chair.
"A little…" Elizabeth admits softly, though she isn't trying to berate
his attempt. Not at all. But he makes it sound as if he had as Myrus allows the
sheet to fall again, separating them once more. His next words make her
hesitate, becoming a tiny bit apprehensive. She exhales a small breath and nods
to herself. "We probably should…" she quietly agrees. Since he wants to.
From her side of the sheet, Elizabeth can hear the shift of him pulling
on his jacket, though his muttering earns a small frown. A hand reaches up to
pull up the tarp and lean forward, inspecting just what's bothering him. And she
blinks. Somehow he had gotten both his arms stuck in his jacket. "That… takes
talent." she admits.
The way he turned put his right side towards her, and his legs by that
time had kicked out, leaving him to have to lean a little sideways against the
front of the seat portion, his arms stuck behind him with the jacket now
scrunched up and basically knotted up under the seat, probably caught on a few
more places that would be easy enough to get to and undo if he weren't in the
bloomin way.
He smiles sheepishly at her, his legs kinda wiggling a little in some
vain effort that did nothing to help his predicament. "It apparently takes less
talent to introduce ones self into such a spot, than it does to get out." He
sighs, looking rather helpless at the moment as he looks at her. "Some help
please?" His voice raises with that question, almost begging for her to help him
from the embarassment more than the predicament.
Elizabeth faintly lifts a slender brow at him, pausing. "I can, it's
just…" She doesn't want to say it, but it'll mean she's be incredibly close.
And at that angle, trying to reach in? What's the likelihood of /not/ falling
into his lap? But it isn't as if she can just leave him there… "I'll try to
assist as best of my ability." she quietly promises.
The tarp is brushed behind her as Elizabeth leans forward, half inside
the wire frame and gently angled into him. Her small hands are agile enough as
she reaches for the closest snag, attempting to tug at it so that at least one
part would come free.
Boy she was -close-. His breath hitched again as she leaned in, and her
hand.. did her hand just touch his injured hand in the shoulder of his jacket?
She would be able to pull the snag easily enough, and his right hand would come
free. But him turning to reach for his left hand would mean he'd have to push
her out of the way.
Which leaves the option of reaching behind himself to try and get at the
other sleeve. Simple enough. Until the natural reaction of reaching behind
himself makes him lean forward.. Right towards her.
His head would be right beside hers. Almost touching cheek to cheek.
That whole breath thing she talked about a moment ago? Well, with trying to
wriggle his left hand a little his head reactively turns to the left, which is
where her cheek was. "I'm not trying anything," a quick breath, "Promise." But
talking his breath would be on her cheek and if her hair wasn't in the way, her
neck and shoulder, too. Since her sweater was leaned to that side.. wasn't it?
Oh, that put his face right next to her shoulder, too.
One snagged gently tugged free, Elizabeth exhales a small breath. Now to
work on the other one. And if Myrus can't get it she'll have to figure a way—He
shifts his weight, leaning forward instinctively to try to undo the snag in his
other sleeve. She has no choice but to pause, sure that if she moved there might
be an accidental collision. The warm breath touches and trails teasingly along
the curve of her throat and over her shoulder. Taking a breath, she closes her
eyes for a small pause before leaning back. "I know." Elizabeth says quietly, as
she leans back and returns her gaze to his. "Can you get the other? I don't want
your arm to be injured any further."
She shifts her weight backward from where they were so very close, and
he's looking at her as his mind's eye tries to figure out through tactile senses
what's wrong with the other sleeve. The button was inside the sleeve, but the
jacket itself was so wrought between things under the chair with gears to the
levers, it was stuck. He couldn't get it with his bad hand, and his grimace
proved her words a moment later. He lets go with what few fingers he could get
on it from his wrapped hand, and his right arm goes just about limp in front of
him, sitting him up a little and back from her. Though, that just tightened a
few muscles in his shoulder, so he leans forward again. "You think you can get
it, I can try to shift.."
"I think you'll have to reach into the sleeve.. I don't know where it's
stuck."
Worry lightly flickers through her expression as she catches his
grimace. Obvious pain from his injured hand. Her attention focuses more on the
sleeve that's still caught partway, and for a pause Elizabeth hesitates,
thinking its doubtful that she could do anything without accidentally causing
more pain. "Um, I can attempt to…" she says quietly. Once more she leans in a
few inches, reaching out for the other sleeve and turning it around in her hands
so that she can slip her right hand carefully up into the sleeve, making sure
she's careful in the process of searching for the snag on the inside.
Her arm into his sleeve was a snug fit, but since his arm wasn't all the
way in there it wasn't a complete failure. The button on his shirt cuff was the
only thing stuck, and it had caught itself somehow inside a slit meant for a
button that was sewn inside the sleeve of the outer jacket material to keep the
lining in place. Since the button at the end of the sleeve that dose the same
manner of duty was still correctly set, it kept his arm stuck inside the sleeve
by that one button.
Her leaning in this time put her not as close as last time, and he tried
to lean to the right to give her a better angle at it. "I can feel my shirt
sleeve is caught. He reaches up, and in true Myrus strange-choice fashion, pulls off his tie and
unbuttons two buttons of his shirt, giving him room to slip his arm up through
the sleeve of his shirt partway to give her more room to work with. But, it exposes part of his chest in
the process, and the shirt pulling to the side offers his shoulder into view as well. "There,
should be easier now.."