Dorm halls, meeting the new math prof

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Finally done with his editorial for the school paper, Angelus turned it in and wandered the dorm halls. He needed to stretch his legs, and the sun had not yet set to make a stroll outside something that would either be fun or long-lasting.

So, the hallways then. They were big enough, and it'd been a while since he'd taken the time to reach out and touch his fellow students.

Which reminded him that he needed to pay a visit to Angela.

Tomorrow, though. Today was a day of rest. Rest, relaxation, maybe a little date fun with Bel later and -

And being stopped by a blackboard blocking the hallway.

A blackboard with legs.

Granted this was not unusual for Fandom High, but it did make him pause.

"Uh, hello?"



Charlie was stuck. No two-ways about it, definitely stuck. He yanked at the blackboard again, just as someone spoke.

"Hey!" Charlie said eagerly. "I'm stuck. Help?"

"Out of curiosity's sake," Angelus said, running his hand along face of the backboard itself, "the problem here is that this thing is in your way too and not, as for example, that you're asking for a spell to make you entirely human, or entirely made of chalk?"

This made Charlie pause as he tried to work out the mathematics of such a transformation. He decided to think about that later, however, and focus on what was important at the moment, which was to get the blackboard away from the hallway and up to his new room.

"Not in my way, more.. I need to carry it up to my room, except now I'm stuck."

"And now we share this problem," Angelus rolled his eyes at being put into a position where his own actions, however inadvertantly, were helping someone. On the other hand the thing was in his way too.

He grasped the blackboard by the edge near the right side wall and tugged. Human strength might not have done it on the first try. He, however, did not have human strength.

As the blackboard gave after, Charlie fell with it, stumbling. "Hey, thanks!"

He tilted his head and studied his rescuer. Tall, black-clad, strong. Strong.. Just what Charlie needed. There were more blackboards to haul in, after all. Getting stuck here every time could get annoying. "Are you a student here? Want to earn some extra credits and some good will from a new professor in need?"

Angelus opened his mouth, closed it, then cocked his head to the side. He hadn't been looking for yet another member of faculty to seduce over to his side of the fence, but if one was just going to fall into his lap...

"Yes. Yes, I would."

"Great! I have about seven more of these in the van outside, I need them all moved to my room which is up there. Somewhere." Charlie glanced up at the ceiling. He frowned. "Not really sure where, but the housing... woman? said I'd know it when I saw it." He thought of something else. "Oh, and I need at least three whiteboards in my classroom, and a couple of blackboards."

"Van," Angelus repeated. He looked at the necrotempered windows. "Yeah that's gonna be a problem for me. Unless it's in the shade?"

"It's parked right by the enterance," Charlie said absently, thoughts already racing away to how he would arrange the blackboards, and what he'd start with once he'd done that.

Locker 327 sounded like an intriguing place to start.

After glancing around to make sure that nobody saw him acting like a good guy - a ruse was one thing, but the appearance of charity made people apt to ask you for stuff - Angelus nodded. "Yeah. Sure. Lead the way. You said you were a teach?"

"To the van or my room?" Charlie asked, torn back to reality and away from his ponderings about locker 327. "Oh, my room. Right. It's this way. I think." Charlie eyed the stairs a little doubtingly. "And yes. I'm the new math professor. Apparently the school wasn't able to get one, so it's Charlie Eppes to the rescue."

"Math... I think I'm in that," Angelus said. He dimly recalled putting his name down on a class sign up sheet simply to cover his ass on the odd chance of yet another teacher disappearing on him. He then immediately dropped the cautious attitude and projected one of eagerness to help. "Guess I'm sucking up to the right teacher then."

As for the question on the table - damn, sometimes it was so easy he could almost feel sorry for them.

If, you know, he ever felt sorrow or regret.

"Your room, teach," Angelus said, lifting the blackboard one handed. He gave Charlie a friendly grin. "That is, if you don't mind me coming in."

Charlie looked bemused. "Why would I mind? Is this some rule I don't know about yet? Are students not supposed to be in the teachers' rooms?"

"At most schools, yes, at this one?" Angelus rolled his eyes. "You can have sex with them and it's a-okay. Which makes for the occasional disgusting imagery let me tell you."

Charlie cast his mind back -- way back -- to his high school days. After shifting through some interesting mathematical problems, he finally recalled what his teachers had looked like. "...I believe you. That's unusual for a high school, isn't it?"

"Little bit," Angelus said. "But this would not be your usual high school. For instance, I'm a vampire."

"Oh, is that why you can carry my blackboards so easily?" asked Charlie interested.

"Super strength," Angelus said, hefting the blackboard up higher still using only one hand. "Kinda useful."

"I can see that. How much can you lift? Maybe you could carry two blackboards at once," Charlie said, then did the calculations. "No, no, wouldn't fit. But in theory?"

"In theory probably could," Angelus said. "Not that I lift them in my spare time to check."

Charlie grinned at that. If this kid was in his class? They would see about that, oh yes, they would. "Oh! I live in 148/150. ...Are we even vaguely headed in the right direction?"

"We are if you like the long way 'round," Angelus jerked his head back the way they came. "In theory could walk the globe until we hit it again, but shorter route would be three doors that way."

"While the first option is tempting, I think we'll go with three doors that way this time," Charlie decided.

"Probably take less time," Angelus agreed. "So what brings you to Fandom High?"

"Oh, I was asked to come. Apparently you weren't able to get a math teacher, someone here contacted someone at CalSci, and here I am." Having explained this, Charlie asked what he was wondering about, "So, what do you know about locker 327?"

"Interdimensional portal with no control whatsoever," Angelus shrugged. "I've seen worse. You're from LA? I used to spend a lot of time there. I need an invite to get into your room, by the way."

"Why? A school thing or a vampire thing? Either way, sure," Charlie nodded. "As long as you're hauling blackboards for me, anyway. Would be pointless to leave them in the hallway. Besides all the others living on that floor probably wouldn't appreciate it."

"I could always throw them through the door but that might break things you're fond of," Angelus crossed the threshhold, looking the very picture of helpfulness. "Where do you want it?"

And doesn't that sound dirty out of context?

"Over by that wall there." Charlie walked in after Angelus, pointing towards the wall without windows. "I thought I'd bring them all up and rearrange them then."

What ever are you talking about?

Charlie just invited a vampire into his room! He needs Don to look after him! See what happens when he doesn't have Don?

"You need that many?" Angelus asked, his tone curious rather than complaining about the implied workload. "How come?"

Don will be so disappointed in him! If he were here. And in any way protective of his brother either in an appropriate or totally inappropriate fashion.