[Plot] Rules are Rules

[Ghost]

Ghost, with their companion made of utter darkness nowhere to be seen, is waiting in the classroom designated for detention. They're partially hoping not everyone who is supposed will show up so they can go chase them down.

[Samantha McManus]

Sam makes her way in sullenly, setting her books on one of the desks.

[Narrator]

Not present at the moment was a brand new chair. Ghost had been...well, ghosted.

[Ghost]

"McManus. Any clue where your fanboy is?" Ghosts asks as Sam settles in.

[Samantha McManus]

"How many people did they even end up giving detention to?"

[Ghost]

"You and McSpooky, Stanton, Winchester from first floor and Hollister from third. Now have you seen him or not?"

[Samantha McManus]

"Have you considered that he's already here and you haven't noticed?"

[Ghost]

"Unlikely. But you would know, wouldn't you?"

[Samantha McManus]

"Suppose I would, now wouldn't I?"

She looks around the room intently for a few moments.

"Aye, he's definitely here."

[Ghost]

"Riiight..." Ghost says, but they do glance around the room at the various pieces of furniture.

[Samantha McManus]

"I mean, you're welcome to point out where in the student handbook it says I have to make it easy on you."

[Miriam Bell]

"How petty. I like it." Miriam says from the doorway. She's wearing a frankly ridiculous outfit. Elbow-length white gloves with a lacey black dress she looks more like she's ready for the opera than detention. And the plain, folded up umbrella resting against her shoulder would seem entirely unnecessary considering the lack of rain outside.

[Samantha McManus]

"...I see you've got your wardrobe sorted."

[Miriam Bell]

"Well somebody decided I had to be in detention in the middle of the day so I had to get creative."

[Samantha McManus]

"For you it works," she shrugs and settles into her seat.

[Miriam Bell]

"Wow, that's almost a compliment." she says as she glances around the room and settles on the seat diagonally behind Sam on her left. Probably intentionally being mildly obnoxious.

[Ghost]

It's around this time that Ghost's shadowy companion bubbles up from the crack underneath the door, taking up a vaguely quadruped shape without much of a head, the bulk of it's upper torso splitting open in the approximation of a mouth and spitting out a green mouse in an arc onto the table in front of Ghost.

[Will Stanton]

The mouse bounced a couple times on the table, as it shifted back into a coughing and hacking Will.

[Ghost]

"How nice of you to join us." Ghost says flatly, arms crossed in front of their chest.

[Will Stanton]

"You know me. Places to go, people to be," he coughed again. "You'll have to explain to Professor Alworth why I'm missing my Computer Architecture midterm, though."

[Samantha McManus]

"Seems a bit excessive for detention enforcement," Sam quips idly.

[Will Stanton]

"'Extra' seems to define our benevolent overlords," Will quipped.

[Ghost]

"That's rich from the two of you. Now get to your coursework and stop whining."

[Will Stanton]

"What, they don't have to spent the day as a coatrack and a chalkboard or something?" Will quipped, growing back to his usual size. "That's reserved for yours truly?"

[Samantha McManus]

"And I think I have enough room to talk here. I'm not out there playing hall monitor."

[Ghost]

"I realize you guys have gotten used to having the run of the place, but that doesn't mean that's reasonable, safe or acceptable. You were living three to a dorm, popping into the Danger Room all willy-nilly using up ludicrous amounts of electricity, spending who knows how long sitting in a broom-closet instead of going to class, disappearing from campus entirely for over a week and showing back up in designer clothes and with some innocent man dead from irresponsibly poking around in somebody's head. But by all means, complain about the tiniest bit of punishment for breaking rules that are fairly reasonable and were clearly laid out." Ghost says, not agitated per se but it's the most they've heard them talk in one go.

"Now sit down and act like god damn students for once." they finish with bit of a huff.

[Will Stanton]

"Technically, I'm a professor at the university. I just left that ID card in my other pants, in my other universe," Will pointed out, 'helpfully'.

"And if I'm to act like a student..." he said, striding boldly for the door again.

[Ghost]

The Doggorilla shadow hops into the doorway and opens it's mouth, strings of darkness separating into estimations of teeth and it looks like it's snarling but it is utterly silent.

"I don't make the rules. If you have a problem talk to Lippincot."

[Will Stanton]

"I have talked to Lippencott," Will grumbled. "And let me tell you, his salesmanship's a rung or two above yours.

I'm just sayin'; you're treating our local telepaths, both Light and Dark versions, with just a modicum of more respect than you're treating poor lil' ol' me."

For all his bravado, Will HAD stopped at the door -- being chomped by the Doggorilla was not something he cared to repeat.

[Ghost]

"Because they showed up on time and didn't immediately try to leave."

[Will Stanton]

"Yeah, yeah," Will sighed, shooting a glance at Sam and Miriam. "Well, you can be the one to explain to Lippencott why my studies are being interfered with," he said, moving behind the desk and shoving the old chair out of the way. "I'm sure he'll be thrilled."

[Ghost]

"His rules." Ghost simply shrugs.

[Will Stanton]

Will took the mature and responsible response to this.

He stuck his tongue out at Ghost, before shifting into, frankly, an uncomfortable and rickety-looking chair, as requested.

[Samantha McManus]

"So, point of order," Sam says, raising her pencil.

"Where in the rules does it say you get to release the hounds on him?"

[Will Stanton]

Subclause 57.B, the "Mr. Burns Corollary" the chair thought towards the telepaths.

[Ghost]

Ghost, seemingly prepared to settle into watching the lot rolls their eyes as Sam raises her pencil.

"Finish your first detention before you try to come back for more. Aye?" Ghost says, dropping into a sarcastic imitation of Sam's accent on the last word.

[Miriam Bell]

"Sam, I appreciate you getting yourself into this mess for my sake, but maybe there's a better place and time to fight this battle?" Miriam's thoughts wash up against Sam's mind, betraying bit of truth without hiding it under a solid helping of sarcasm. She seems to notice because almost immediately her thoughts become more rigid and controlled again.

[Samantha McManus]

"Oh come on, Miriam. It's obvious they've got nothing."

"Oh, there's a rule against sass, is there?"

[Ghost]

"Just do your damn work. You're making this worse for all of us."

[Miriam Bell]

"Nothing but safe shelter and.... food for me, a place to ride our your girlfriends monthly bloodrage. If you can't let this go then you're going to get yourself expelled eventually..."