windandstorm | Mechanical Difficulties

It was early afternoon, and Kieron was far more bored than he should be. He didn't have work until six, there was nothing to do in his apartment, he'd finished the only book he felt was worth rereading lately and none of his buddies were around to talk to until after sunset... when he would be at work. He hated when things fell out that way.

Kieron dropped a book in the return slot as he made his way into the library, trying to think of what he wanted to do with his time. He was bored with looking through the published journals that only the college library had - those had lost their shiny after about a year, anyway - so that was out. He considered taking over one of the computers in the corner, but decided he didn't feel like breaking into someone else's student account to do so. Yet. Maybe he'd get bored enough. He could look around for people he knew, but something told him he wouldn't quite be that lucky today. With a shrug, he decided his best bet would be to find a book he actually hadn't read yet.

Figuring the top floor of the library would be his best bet in finding something new (he rarely went all the way up there - five floors was a lot, thank you), he decided he was too lazy for the stairs and instead made his way to the elevator. He pushed the button... and then played the waiting game. As far as he could remember, the elevator in this building was pretty slow...

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He rolled his eyes with her. "Yeah, sometimes, I really hate higher-ups."

"So," he went on as he stood, "I know your major, but what's your name?"

"Stephanie Preston," she said, straightening, "and I know even less about you."

Kieron grinned a bit, leaning against the wall.

"Well, to even the score," he began, "I'm Kieron Hunter, and I have no idea what I'd major in if I went here. I had an annoyance in female form to counterbalance your annoyance in male form, but that got taken care of a week and a half ago." He shrugged a shoulder.

"Anything I could try on Paul?" she asked, hoping he said yes.

The real answer? No. Caty had gone out by what the doctors had assumed was an overly high fever, possibly caused by a bout of the flu and/or pneumonia that went untreated. Kieron decided it would be best to keep that to himself, though. Some days, he was glad he could come up with random things.

"Make his life a living hell," he answered with a shrug and a neutral look, "if you even know what really pisses him off."

"Not yet." Which certainly didn't mean she wasn't working on it. "Maybe missing the meeting will help."

"Maybe." He thought about it for a minute, then gave her a smirk. "You know what helps in the meanwhile? Thinking of really elaborate ways to get him out of the picture."

"I wish I could put one of them into practice." Somehow relocating him to a deserted and remote locale would be optimal, although she would settle with rendering him mute. "We should probably hit the call button."

"Pushing the call button is up to you," he answered, "I have nowhere to be and you're the one trying to dodge someone."

She glanced at her watch. "He'll have to leave for class soon." Which didn't necessarily mean she was in a hurry to find a way out. "I wonder what went wrong with it in the first place."

"All I know is that I didn't do it." Not that he couldn't have, he just had no reason or desire to. "My day for chaos and mayhem is tomorrow."

He looked at the panel. "Well, the backlights are still on, so it's not a power issue. Not that I really know much about elevators to begin with, I just use them."

"I'll make sure to take the stairs tomorrow. I'd hate to get stuck twice in a row." She looked at the panel as well, and then stepped to it and pressed the call button. After a short conversation with whoever it was at the other end of the speaker system, she returned to her position at the back of the elevator. "The wonders of technology."

"Yep. Things break more efficiently every new year, seems." Kieron sighed and began drumming lightly against the wall behind him with both hands. "So, since I'm assuming you're not meeting with the fool after this, got any other plans?"

"Not at all." The original plan had been to spend some time aimlessly wandering to destress from the forced exposure to Paul, but that wasn't necessary anymore. "I'll probably just go back to my apartment."

"Hah, makes sense. Though, think I could convince you to grab some ice cream together or something? There's a place that just opened down the street from where I work, and it's pretty good."

Stephanie took a moment to consider it before nodding. "Ice cream sounds like a good idea. Where do you work?"

"Physical Graffiti. You know, the record store on the other end of downtown?" Kieron grinned. "Employee discounts on new releases are never a bad thing."

"I've never gone in, but I know where you're talking about." She smiled. "Ice cream and I didn't have to deal with Paul. Perhaps there's hope for this week yet."

"It's Thursday, the week's already on the way out. So, of course it's going to get better." He nodded once.

He turned his attention to the doors, head tilted to the side as he tried to listen in on whatever someone on the other side was muttering. They sounded official, not like just some dumb students complaining that the elevator buttons weren't pressing (which he'd been hearing up to this point, and had been very tempted to start yelling at them, just for kicks). "I think I hear someone out there. They're probably just gonna pry the doors open and expect us to climb out, or something." He supposed he would be more excited if this had been a bad experience, but all in all, he was actually pretty pleased with how it went.

Of course she'd decided to wear a dress today. "If it's much more than that, I think I'll stay here." She listened to the hubbub from outside. "It's good to know they're fast, even if it wouldn't matter if something actually went badly wrong with the elevator."

"What, like plummeting to the ground, Tower of Terror style?" Kieron grinned. "Yeah, speed's a little pointless then."

The doors opened a smidge, then finally, two men in campus police uniforms pulled the doors the rest of the way open. The elevator was stuck between the second and third floors, with the actual floor about at knee's height. They hadn't even made it all the way to the top of the building. Something really must have been looking out for this girl.

Kieron gave the officers a half-hearted wave, then turned to Stephanie and gestured for her to go first. "After you."

Stephanie raised her eyebrows and gave Kieron a skeptical look, not paying any mind to the people holding the doors open for the moment. "Why don't you show me how it's done, instead?"

Kieron shrugged and made his way forward. One of the officers offered a hand, but he didn't need it, easily jump-stepping up and out of the elevator. He moved to the side, arms crossed, and waited for Stephanie.

She took the offered hand up, and thanked the officers once she was safely out of the elevator. She turned to Kieron and smiled. "To the stairs?"

"That seems to be our only option at this point, yeah." Kieron chuckled a little before heading down the stairs. He looked down at his watch. "Looks like I've got about an hour and a half for ice cream before I have to work. Nice."

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Mechanical Difficulties

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