| Title: How to make purple olives.
(Recipe by Toby Darling) Time: Tuesday, March 16, 2004 The Thespians: Nadezhda Ivanovna, Toby Darling, Lien Nguyen, Elijah Cruise and Pascal Curio Location: Staff Building - Nadya's Office |
| +---[ Staff Building - Nadya's Office ]---------------------------------------+ | | | A fairly spacious room is here, hardwood floor gleaming slightly whenever | | light streams in from the large windows along the walls. Completely empty, | | the area awaits the entrance of a new professor, until then the lights | | around the room remain off, the windows bare, white walls undecorated. The | | room echoes slightly as all empty rooms do, giving a satisfying feeling to | | some of uncrowded, room places. | | | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |
| The new Russian teacher clomps in to her office, dressed completely in a black (with rather daunting black boots and a Russian fur hat to finish the look) that makes her look rather like a large, intimidating olive. Her bulk shifts with every step, and she seems to be making a certain effort to not look as though she needs a breather after the march here. Behind her ought to be whatever hapless student she had come across along the way - the poor creatures hadn't any idea what she wanted, for Nadezhda had merely pointed at them and barked, "You! Follow!" before continuing on her way. Her office is in complete disarray - nothing is unpacked, and boxes and crates of all sorts lie in assorted places, covering recently brought in furniture. Students, can you guess what you'll be doing? |
| Toby Darling timidly pokes his head into the office, looking both ways before crossing the threshold. You never know when there'll be traffic, you see. "Um... we'll be... helping you move stuff?" He sounds a bit nervous. |
| Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Pascal could have spotted the large olive come from a mile away, had she not been, concerned with other things. Still, this lack of environmental awareness could be the death of the girl someday. She's so far managed to keep from actually having to say 'Nadezhda Ivanovna,' but like many of the students in her dorm, she's been practicing. Not that she'll admit. She stalks into the office with a rather sour scowl on her face, but of course, that will turn into a 'smile' for the professor. A sigh, and her narrowed eyes scan the room and its contents. |
| When some who could squash you like a bug without a thought tells you to "follow", you follow, professor or not. Lien Nguyen scurries in after Nadezhda Ivanovna, one hand on her glasses to straighten them out and give herself a clear view of the cluttered room... and the professor's other victims. She isn't sure whether to be worried or not, but she is at least confused. |
| "Yes!" The massive woman is pleased that Toby was so quick on his feet. Such a smart boy. She gives him a rather patronizing look, much like the way one might look at a puppy dog who has just learned that the carpet is not the place to do his business. Methodically each window is hefted open, allowing in a breeze. "Ve vill be unpacking, und putting stuff where it should go. De boxes vith de red tapes are not to be opened - just move dem here and here," Sausage-like fingers gesture vaguely towards one of the walls. "De rest, I expect dat even zough [though] you are Amerikans, you vill be able to fidn places vor dem." |
| 'Even though you are Amerikans?' What's that mean? Toby looks hopelessly from Lien, to the other girl, then back to the professor. "But, pro... Um... Nahd-yeeeeeehz-da Eev-an-ooooooooh-vnaaa" he struggles slowly with the name, not wanting to land himself in detention. "We don't know exactly where you want things. I wouldn't want to upset you by putting something in the wrong place..." |
| This would probably be a good time for Pascal to point out that she's /not/ Amerikan, and that's she's Austrian. She stares at the massive olive again, and bites on her lip slightly. "What if you're Austrian, like myself, Nahd-YEHZ-da Eev-an-OH-vna?" Pascal asks, tilting her head to the side. Of course, a 'friendly smile' is plastered on her face, and she means no harm in her question, at least not on the surface. Look, she's already got a box in her arms anyway. She looks at Toby (child-yet-through-puberty from the library) and Lien, and then winks at the both of them. |
| Looks like Pascal's practice of that name paid off... at least when she said it this time. |
| Wince. Lien has heard rumors of what happens to the people who get the name wrong, and she returns Toby's look with an equally helpless one. Of course, she has no idea where anything should go either... but the new professor is Russian and does Potions.... maybe there'll be something interesting in the boxes! She has no excuse however; Vietnamese heritage or not, she's still a born and bred American girl. Oh, but look at Pascal show off. Weak smile. One day Lien will finish learning how to say The Name. |
| Aww. He was just so cute! With that remark, Toby moved half of a quarter of a notch up the Ladder of Regard, placing him roughly above the respect level that woman would give to a molded cabbage. A hand roughly waves this question off, laughing brashly as she plops down on to a chair (a chair that hadn't had the happy fate of being cleared off first. May the box that had made it its home rest in peace). "Ah, vell, I am not really caring vhen it goes vhere. Just as long as it goes." A brow raises slightly at the way her name is being drawn out, but hey, at least the brats weren't mangling it too horridly - she lets the topic slide in favor of Pascal. "Austrian? Damned Austrians, dey sink [think] dat zey are better den everyone -- oh no, vait. Dat is de Germans." Her lips purse in thought. It looks uncomfortable. "Vell - no matter. Zat is better, I suppose, girl. *You* can help open de boxes, too, den." Nod. Even though everyone gets to open them, but Nadezhda is all about shaking things up. |
| Toby Darling beams. He seems to have made at least a /decent/ first impression on the new professor. He wanders over toward the nearest stack of boxes and chooses one. He picks one up that just happens to be twice the size of his head and is sealed with red tape. He spins around slowly and sets it down at his feet and goes to work. |
| Don't even get Pascal started on the Germans. She forces a wan smile in Nadezhda's direction, still seething inwardly, and nudges a box slightly with her foot while she carries the other one towards the opposite side of the room. Setting the box down, she begins to open it. "So, what do we expect to find?" Pascal asks innocently, wondering if there are instruments of mass destruction and student torture inside the box. Her day might actually take a turn for the better if there was. |
| Uh oh. "Professor, there's a--" ....box. In the chair. And Lien said the P word. But, there wasn't any time to wade through 'Nadezhda Ivanovna'; she was gonna sit on the box! ...well, she -did- sit on the box. Lien cowers. "Uh, I mean.... Oh dear." And the poor box. |
| "Oh, dis and dat," The woman brushes this question away as well, clearly not wanting to delve too deeply into what she brought. The brats will find out soon enough, and besides, she doesn't exactly remember. It occurs to the professor eventually that she might want to help out a bit, and so she stands, leaving behind a decidedly flat, ex-corrugated cardboard box, and turning to an offending desk. With an exaggerated huff, she moves her bulk into position and shoves the desk, the boxes atop of it, and the boxes behind of it all towards where she wants it to go. Sadly, this happens to be in Pascal's general direction, meaning that if the girl doesn't move shortly she is going to be squished by the moving pile of things. "Huh?" Lien is stared at as she puffs along. Like a puffy, bloated train. "Speak up, girl!" Brow furrows darkly, a bead of sweat forming on it. "I can't abide muttering - vhat?" |
| -poke, riiiiippp- Toby tears through the red tape on the box. .oO("Did she say 'only open the red boxes' or 'don't open the red boxes?'")Oo. As he opens the box he remembers that it was 'don't open the red taped boxes.' Oh no. Quickly, Toby tries to close the box back up and put the tape back on, but it won't stick. It's already been used, of course. He tries to slip the box under the teacher's desk to hide it but it's just an inch too tall! "Damn. What do I do... I know!" -plop- Toby has a seat on the box, hiding as much of the red tape as he can with his 6th grade self. |
| There's something shiny in that box. It could possibly look sharp, but Pascal doesn't have it open all the way. She's been distracted by the sounds of something heavy moving, and for a moment, almost made a comment about how all heavy trucks must have those little beeping noise things installed. "What the hel--" she's cut off, and needs to make a quick escape. But not without the box! "Wait let me get tha---" she's cut off again as she pulls the box only part way. The other half is crushed by the pushing. "Hey!" She frowns and well, now she's been irritated. How /dare/ they, why she was going to... grr. "Well, rest in peace, box number 2," she says darkly, glancing at the squashed one in the chair where Nadezhda was seated. |
| Another day, another punishment. Begrudgingly, Elijah drags his feet into the Professor's office. Coach Chapman had caught him smoking in the gym... again, and this time was able to find a somewhat fitting punishment, work - the bane of Elijah's sad existence. With a sigh he glances at the boxes, then at the new potions professor, "Greetings Professor. I was sent here to help." Eli conveniently leaves out the part about this being a semi-creative punishment assigned to him for one of his many age-old habits. A glance is given to all the other students in the room, and he can't help but smirk at the sight of Lien, the non-green girl, followed by another at the sight of Toby. .A nod is given to Pascal in greeting. He crosses his arms over his chest, "Do you want everything unpacked?" He glances at the numerous boxes. |
| "Perfect!" Nadezhda beams at the placement of the desk, halting its forward movement *just* after she's finished demolishing Box Number Two. Why couldn't she have stopped an inch sooner? Why? Oh, but then, that insane light in her eyes is hard to hide too, isn't it. Too bad she didn't get the student in her plan either. Shame, really. Right about then, she would have turned around and caught Toby. In fact, she was in the very action of doing so, when Elijah conveniently made his appearance. "Vhat? Help?" The boy is eyed doubtfully, positive that he could aid little. But he probably couldn't hurt much, either. "Yes," She nods shortly. "Unpack it all." Run, Toby. Now's your chance! |
| Another one bites the dust. This is a high-casualty task, apparently. "N-nothing, Na... Nadezhda Ivanovna. There was just... just a box in the... in the chair, that's all." But the professor isn't paying attention, anyway, and she obviously doesn't care. And... Oh, JOY, look who just walked in. Lien doesn't say hello to Elijah. She just wrinkles her nose and scurries over to a box as far away from him--and the Russian Professor--as possible. Oh, look, books! About... oh dear. Maybe another box. |
| Realizing he has the perfect opportunity to hide his little oopsie, Toby quickly stands and rips off the rest of the red tape from his box and stuffs it into the pocket of his robes. "Phew, that was a close one." He continues unpacking the same box and makes a rather interesting discovery. It looks like... no. It couldn't be. |
| Pascal Curio really, /really/ wants that bloody box. She doesn't really care that the giant olive has just crushed it against the wall, by jove, she's going to get into that box, and find out what the heck is in there. She's seen Toby rip open the red-tape box, so hopefully he'll distract Ivanovna or something. Elijah is given a fleeting look and a very brief nod as Pascal now has more important things to attend to. She props one leg up on the desk, and her other one is planted on the ground. Both hands on either sides of the box, and she starts to tug. Slow ripping sounds of cardboard start to float through the room now as she struggles against the desk. |
| Nadezhda Ivanovna is completely, utter oblivious to Lien's little squished-box-in-the-chair speech. She grabs up her own box, and unceremoniously rips off the packaging tape and dumps the contents upon her desk. About this time she glances at Toby with a slight frown - didn't she have that box red-taped? Hmm. Obviously not. Perhaps it was a different box - and then proceeds to thumb through the assortment of trinkets. Pencils, pencils, 'Dear Nadya, I want to f...' - crumpled up love note, goes in pocket - a small wind-up duck, Bewitched magazine (follows the love note)... |
| He reaches into the forbidden box and pulls out... Toby is distracted by the ripping of cardboard across the room. It looks like that girl could use a distraction. Think, think, think. He pulls out a small ceramic dish and promptly 'accidentally' drops it on the floor. -CRASH- |
| Toby learns! A broad grin spreads over Pascal's face as she finally rips open a side in the box at the same time the CRASH rings through the room. She'll have to thank him later, or perhaps sooner, depending on Ivanovna's reaction. She reaches her hand into the box, and then pulls it out with a sharp yell. So Toby breaks a dish, and what's Pascal done? She holds up her hand carefully to the light, and yes... there's blood on it. Her left hand reaches inside carefully, and she starts to pull the culprit out... |
| Lien reaches tentatively into the box and pulls out the top book, with a lot of wispy curtains and wind blowing the hair of a wizard with no shirt and a nice tan on the cover. Ai.... Woah! "Toby!" The girl jumps and drops the book (gratefully). What did he DO? Nevermind Elijah, or even Pascal and her box of death.... |
| Rips and yells from Pascal's and Lien's sides of the room go unnoticed. Someone could curse the professor and she could not be distracted from her current life goal: Kill stupid American child. The second the crash rang out, Professor Ivanovna's head whipped about and her gaze focused upon the culprit blandly. "Stupid child, vhat have you--" Dot dot dot. You know those goldfish with the buldgy eyes? Picture that, only without the fish part. Her face purples, mouth partially open and she splutters. Bits of spit go flying everywhere, and when she finally does speak, it is a roar crashing down upon Toby as she rumbles his way. "Vhat - vhat - you - you broke it!" A shriek in painfully high tones could be used to call dogs. "My great great great great great grandmozer's - enchanted vith de Seeing Charms - for Divination - I never - " Toby should be well-covered in spittle by now, if he's even still seated. "Get - GET OUT! BEFORE I TURN YOU IN TO A TOAD!" Panting with rage, she grabs wildly at the boy's shirt, to contradict what she'd just said. Her free hand fumbles for her pocket, and thrusts at him a vial fo black liquid. "Drink dis first." Nasty snarl. "Schtupid boy, act like an Amerikan, pay the price, ach!" Then she trails off, muttering furiously in Russian, eyes never leaving Toby. |
| Covered in Russian saliva Toby tries to protect himself from the beached whale that is flopping in his direction. It's no use. She's 90 times his size. The vial of blackness is forced into his mouth and he has no choice but to swallow. A strange, tingling sensation rushes over his body. "What the heck did this whale just do to me?" Did he just say that? "Dang, I just said that." He looks up at the teacher, dumbfounded. "What was that I just drank? Probably some sick and twisted Russian something or other." His thoughts... not private. Oh, fun. |
| Pascal Curio has started a chain reaction with the first object she pulled out of the box. She doesn't really notice though, she's far too interested with Toby's little punishment, and of course, the potion that has been forced into his possession. With her left hand still on the object, she walks towards the now purple olive and Toby, the rustling noises of metal following behind, as out comes a barbed whip in her hand, followed by several nasty looking steel spikes, all covered in what could either be rust, or... dried blood. As Toby speaks though, her eyes light up delightedly and she claps her right hand over her mouth. This could get so interesting. |
| Scattergood needs to offer a new class. Why You Should Not Make Russians Angry, Especially If They Weigh 400 Pounds. "Toby...." Lien whimpers, cowering over the box of steamy novels, then looks past the enormous professor to Pascal and whimpers even even louder, eyes widening. "Toby, stop talking," she murmurs vaguely. |
| "Excellent," Says the olive nastily, eyeing Toby with something much like hatred. So much for earning that notch, huh? Her wand is withdrawn, and she flicks it at his head as an afterthought, letting the words 'I am a stupid Amerikan brat' form in lovely bright yellow letters, for all the world to see. "Come back later and maybe I vill take it off. Or maybe not." Smirk. "Now. Out." Glare. Does that mean for all the students, or just for Toby? Lord knows, but don't pick wrong, all of you. |
| "Insane, crazy, git. I'm not stupid. You're the stupid one. You just wait." Toby clasps his hand over his mouth and mumbles through it "Diih I jusss 'aay 'at?" he walks quickly out of the room, trying to get away from the Olive as quickly as possible before something ELSE happens to him. |
| Out? OUT?! Pascal looks slightly rooted to the spot, and for a moment doesn't look like she wants to leave. "And I was having /fun/," she mutters darkly, finally looking at what's in her hand. Her eyes light up, and she gives the whip a shake, relieving it of the steel spikes. They drop to the ground with a small clang, but hopefully madame whale is still fuming over Toby to care. She watches Toby leave with a smirk, and then slowly edges her way to the door with the whip behind her back, and then she's off too, with her new prize. |
| Fun? FUN? What IS this girl? Poor little Lien's eyes follow Pascal out of the room, wide. Then she too drops the book she's still holding and scurries away. Away from the Scary Big Russian Teacher and her Torture Devices of Doom. And to think, this is the child who once wandered alone through the forest. Maybe Nadezhda is scarier. |
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