[ OFFICE ] Guidance Counselour : OPEN

[Lucyal]

Where was Mot when she was about to do something rash and impulsive?

Oh yeah. Not here.

Hel scowled at the sing song voice. She didn’t like coming to others for help…what was she thinking coming to him? Especially after all the things everyone said? But now that she was here, and now that he was mocking her, she just couldn’t turn around and leave! He’d win if she did that.

She’d get his attention. She wasn’t leaving until he saw her. She was going to win, and she’d most certainly leave an impression.

Hel reached out and grabbed the filing cabinet, and with a hard tug and a push, she tipped it onto its side.

Consequences be damned.

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

Something large thumped in the cabinet and this time the cursing was definitely not quiet. Suddenly the cabinet grew two skinny legs that wobbled as it maneuvered itself back up. The top drawer popped open to reveal Hyde's apathetic, slightly morose gaze. "I was just testing out some costume therapy."

Lucyal

 

[Lucyal]

HA!

Hel felt pretty satisfied to see the elusive counselor now, standing on her tiptoes as the top drawer popped open to level a nosey and curious look back at him.

“Oh, is that what that was?” Hel rolled back a bit on the balls of her feet, resting her hands on her hips. “Filing cabinets do not talk. Much less sing. Just so you know…” She paused. “…I am here for your uh…assistance.” Obviously.

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

There was a long pause. And then, "Assistance sounds a lot like work. Wouldn't you rather have ah...uhm....guidance, instead?"

Lucyal

 

[Lucyal]

Hel shrugged her shoulders.

“Assistance, guidance, are they not the same thing? But, whatever. Yes, I would like your guidance.” She paused, shifting her weight from foot to foot. “…I do not have solid grasp on a goal or…a career path for after I graduate. I do not know where to look…somewhere they would be good for me.”

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

Hyde nodded along at first, but once the ghoul mentioned career paths, his expression froze, eyes wide. "Hm...that's...give a moment, I have just the uh...thing, so um...help. You." He took a small step to the side. The cabinet drawer abruptly shut and it's base was lowered to the ground. It once again looked almost like an ordinary filing cabinet, except for the sound of papers shuffling within it and the way it rocked from side to side a bit.

The cabinet finally stilled. Had he found what he was looking for?

Silence.

Nothing.

Should Hel pull the top drawer out, she'd find a small piece of paper, reading: Out to lunch! No guidance counselor in sight. Should she check beneath the cabinet, she'd find a small trap door, leading down into the basement's Other bathroom.

Lucyal

 

[Lucyal]

Hel perked up. Just the thing to help, huh? Maybe coming here wasn’t a bad idea after all!

The ghoul waited for a few minutes while the sounds of shuffling filled the air. It grew quiet. She tapped her foot. Another few minutes went by…uh… She reached out and knocked on the cabinet again. “Hello?” She waited a moment, and her brows furrowed.

“Oh, not this again!” She cried, exasperated. “I know you are in the—“ She reached to yank the top drawer open, and look incredulous to see the sign. Out. To. Lunch.

…

He just ditched her.

…

A shrill cry filled the office as Hel tipped the cabinet over again and with more force this time. “Ugh!” The ghoul huffed, and right at the tips of her feet found a door. She paused again. That had to be where he went. Had to be. Where else could he have gone!? She wasn’t going to let this go, either. Hel knelt, and pulled the small trap door open, and peered down into it. She wasn’t sure exactly what she was looking at…but it really didn’t matter. She leapt through the door.

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

There was a loud splash as Hel hit the water (probably water...maybe...it was a little green...) of what appeared to be a giant toilet bowl. Eventually she was able to hop out and...actually she was looking a little green too. Had the toilet water stained her?

When next she tried to speak, what would come out was a hoarse, croaking, "Ribbit."

At some point during her fall through the trap door, Hel had turned into a small frog, half green, half white. She would remain in that form for an entire day.

Lucyal

 

[Lucyal]

Now, she couldn’t exactly blame being turned into a frog on Hyde…but she could reason that if he didn’t ditch her, it wouldn’t have happened in the first place. It was probably a good thing Hel could only say rabbit that day, or some very colorful language would have been heard all around Amityville. Hel, of course, would be back thought. The next day.

What did Hel learn from that visit? To be somewhat wary of trap doors.

Her face was twisted into a sneer and she whipped around the door frame into the office. “I CAN NOT BELIEVE YOU DITCHED ME! What kind of counselor are you!?” She cried, and looked around the room immediately once more.

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

A piece of sandwich plopped out of Hyde's mouth as he froze, stunned by the ghoul's sudden, violent entry. Slowly he reached down under his desk and a small click sounded before his chair shot up and out through a door in his ceiling. Exhaust from the rocket chair filled the room with smoke and a strange, sweet scent that made the Valkyrie feel a little bit...giddy. When the air cleared, Hel would find herself very much alone and...laughing.

In fact she wouldn't be able to stop laughing for an entire day.

lucyal

 

[Lucyal]

Hel learned two things that day. First, it was one of the few times she briefly entertained that maybe being an undead wouldn’t be too bad, since they didn’t need to breathe. Second…she would have much rather been a frog for another day than be laughing the entire day. Laughing all day was suffering. Hel wondered if she could have laughed herself into dissipation…

It certainly would have been more merciful.

She wasn’t deterred though.

The next day, a raven would soar into the room and drop a note on Hyde’s desk before it dissipated.

Hel would then be in the doorway, both of her hands covering her mouth and nose, as if it would protect her from being gassed again, and glared at him. What she lacked in intelligence she made up for in persistence.

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

Hyde stared at the note and then glanced around, when he caught the look in Hel's eyes he gave her a small, nervous smile. Still smiling, as innocently as possible, he began to sink low in his chair. "Of...of course I'll help you. Sure just um..." his expression turned cagey. By this point, only his head and shoulders were still visible behind the desk.

lucyal

 

[Lucyal]

Hel’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, but that proud valkyrie nature seemed appeased by the fact he was seemingly cowering behind his desk.

Unfortunately, she could not hold her breath forever, and eventually had to lower her hands. She stayed in the door way for a bit longer before squaring her shoulders and coming back in again. The reaper approached his desk, placing her palms flat on the end as she leaned to peer at over from across it.

“…Well…?”

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

"Umm...I have just the thing right uh...here...one moment...ahhhh...."

There was the soft snkt of a trap door opening, and only the top of Hyde's head was visible.

lucyal

 

[Lucyal]

Hey wait a minute…

Why did he need something to talk to her?

Hel’s eyes widened as she heard the sound of something opening. “Oh, not again!” She cried, and immediately tried reaching over the desk to grab him.

lizbot