"I cannot believe you did that." Lexi growled at the pirate, dragging him by his sleeve out the door of the lecture hall. Behind them, students were calling out in approval to Law. He smirked, trying to turn to look back at the others, but Lexi pulled harder at his arm. He allowed himself to be guided towards the centre of campus, though she suspected that if he'd been really intent to, he could simply dislodge her grip from his hoodie.
"I don't understand what you could be mad at. I taught your class quite well, didn't I?" He boasted, to which Lexi pouted. Silently, she simply kept walking.
He was right. His class had been the most intriguing and the most easy to remember that she'd ever had in the medical anatomy category. If Law hadn't been a pirate Captain from another world who most likely had a criminal record and was not someone who she shouldn't be associating with, she'd have recommended he be a teacher.
The whole class had been engaged; laughing, smiling, asking questions-albeit, it took a while for them to start raising hands and shouting out their questions before too long-and altogether learning. Law made it a point of repeating information several times for emphasis, then turning right around and quizzing the students to be sure they understood. It was the ideal teaching technique, an engaging setting, with a rather unique instructor.
Now, praying wholeheartedly that no one would say anything about the impromptu substitute, Lexi dragged the pirate towards the union building, glancing around for an administrator coming to expel her from the college.
"What is your hurry, Lexi-ya?" He asked, and she turned around, satisfied that no one was coming for them.
"Are you serious? I asked you not to do one thing. One thing. And the first thing you do is turn around and make a scene! I could get kicked out for what you did!" She ignored the curious glances of those walking by.
"I would think they'd thank you for bringing me along. I was rather effective at instructing your fellow students." He crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes down at the brunette. She shook her head, gesturing angrily.
"Why in the hell would they thank me for bringing someone along who stuffed one of their staff into a broom closet?" She sighed, walking inside of the union building, hearing Law follow behind her.
"It's your fault for bringing me along, then." He said, and she almost didn't resist the urge to punch him. She figured he'd stop her before she was able to anyways.
"Just don't do anything else. Don't talk to anyone. Don't touch anything. Just…don't." She gritted her teeth, shouldering her bag once more before finding a table with two chairs. Setting her stuff down, she sat and pulled out her laptop, all the rage of a thunderstorm about her. Law sat opposite, glancing around the building with interest.
"What is this place?" He asked, seeing the stairs doing up to the floor above. On both ends of the wide, high-ceilinged hallway were cafe-type stores. One looked like a store, with various food items lining the shelves. The other looked like a small restaurant.
"It's the union building. Like a general meeting place. People study and eat here." She distractedly input her password, navigating the home screen and documents she already had popped up. She still had an english essay to finish before the next day.
"What is that?" Law asked, inspecting her laptop curiously. She glanced up, still mad at him, and pulled the electronic towards her, out of his reach.
"It's a laptop. I'm not even gonna begin to explain what a computer or internet is right now. That's a long explanation for another time. All I can really say right now is that it allows me to access any sort of information in the world."
He narrowed his eyes, looking at the strange device in a new light. "Such a device would be much sought after in my world. How did you come to have it?" He tried to reach for it but she pulled it closer again, raising an eyebrow.
"I bought it. Almost everyone has one." She gestured around them, and Law saw dozens of others with similarly looking devices, eyes focused on whatever it was they were watching on the front.
"And these things are just sold at any regular market?" He leaned back in his chair, disappointed that he couldn't get his hands on it right at that moment. In fact, he'd been letting Lexi control what he did since they'd arrived. Perhaps once they returned to her home he would start throwing his weight around, now that he'd come to terms with the way her world worked.
"Yup. But we don't call them markets. They're just stores. Markets usually sell produce." She explained, eyes trained on the 'laptop.'
"Fascinating." He mumbled, and that seemed the end of the conversation.
After another hour or so, Shachi and Penguin were thoroughly bored of the tv. They'd flipped through numerous shows, not seeing anything that made any sort of sense or anything remotely entertaining for them. Sighing heavily, they sunk deeper into the cushions.
"Now what?" Penguin asked, glancing around the room for anything they could occupy themselves with.
Bepo had woken up by that time, and he stretched out his arms. Settling again, he also glanced around…and spotted the stairs to the basement.
"I wonder what's down there?" Bepo said, pointing towards the stairs. Both engineers looked where he was pointing, their curiosities suddenly shifting into overdrive.
"Bepo, don't you remember what Lexi-chan said?" The bear shook his head. Shachi poked the first mate's head with a finger.
"Baka, she said, 'You are not allowed in the basement at all. Don't even think about going down there.' Lexi-chan would be mad."
"But…what else are we supposed to do? We already watched tv." Penguin argued, rubbing his face with his hands.
"Yeah, we're pirates. We do what we want." Bepo added, standing to go over to the stairs. Shachi shifted from foot to foot, nervous about the implications of disobeying their host.
"I don't know guys. Lexi-chan can be pretty scary…"
"Come on, Shachi. You gotta man up. This is the defining line between being a boy," Penguin puffed out his chest, "and a man. So, what's it gonna be?"
Once his manhood came into question, the decision basically made itself. No one would be calling him anything less than a man, Shachi thought, and so the three headed towards the stairs that lead to the basement.
The door wasn't locked, surprisingly. It was several degrees cooler than in the living room, and a shiver went down their spines at the cold air.
The first room they saw wasn't really a room at all. In fact, the entire basement seemed to be just the skeleton of rooms. The walls weren't finished, only wooden frames for support, and the floors were a cracking cement. Lightbulbs with strings dangling down were the only source of light, and the three looked around at the illuminated mess.
"Woah." Penguin said. Woah was right. The basement looked like a giant storage area; boxes were stacked at the corners, sometimes three or four high, there were large bags of different sorts scattered about the floor, newspapers everywhere, and at the far wall sat a large gun display.
They spread out, curiosities leading them their own separate ways. Bepo went to the gun case, wiping away the layer of dust that covered the glass. Inside, there were two or three guns, though what kinds were hard to distinguish. Weapons in Lexi's world were foreign to the bear.
Shachi fingered through the various piles of newspapers stacked on the floor. They all seemed to be dated from around the 1940's and 50's. The only obvious thing he could tell was that there had been a war, which matched up with Lexi's story.
Penguin had gone over the one of the boxes, opening the cardboard flaps in hesitation. He didn't want a next of spiders or rodents jumping out into his face. Nothing sprung him, and he peered inside.
"I think we've hit the motherload." He said, earning the attention of his nakama. They wandered over to him as he held up a magazine with several women on the front cover.
"What's that?" Shachi asked, and Penguin held it out.
"This, my friend, is exactly what we needed."
"Lexi! Don't pretend you can't hear me!" Brittany's voice floating across the courtyard where Law and her had been eating. She stopped chewing her sandwich, frozen with that feeling that a disaster was imminent. Brittany's excited form was weaving through the crowd of people that floated through the large spacious area in the middle of campus.
Lexi sighed. She'd been able to avoid her friend through medical anatomy, but now it seemed luck was not on her side. When asked, Lexi had pointed out the men's bathroom, in which the pirate was still absent. He'd been gone for several minutes, and she assumed he'd be back at any time. Hopefully, he'd stay out of sight for a few more minutes.
The black-haired beauty readjusted her bag on her shoulder, sauntering up to Lexi with that natural swagger of a confident young woman.
"Lexi, could you believe that guy in anatomy today? And oh my god, did you see his tattoos? Talk about a major turn on." She sat in the chair facing her, and Lexi swallowed the bite of her sandwich.
"Huh? O-oh yeah, that was pretty insane." She looked away nervously. Her friend didn't seem to notice.
"Anyways, the guy."
"What guy?" She asked curiously, causing Brittany to roll her eyes in exaggeration.
"You know. The. Guy. The one who had your cellphone." She stared at her intensely, loosening Lexi's resolve second by second.
"Oh, right. That one. Well, you see-"
"What is he like? How do you know him? Is he as hot as he sounds? Does he have piercings?"
"Slow down!" Lexi held up her hands, calming the storm that was her friend. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched the entrance to the bathroom, hoping beyond hope that Law would still be a few more minutes. If she could get Brittany to leave quick maybe they could avoid a meeting.
"Wait, didn't you date that guy for awhile?" She pointed to a guy walking by, recognizing him vaguely. She glanced his way, giving him no more than a dismissive wave of her hand.
"Todd. Lasted four days. Addicted to porn, pass." She leaned forwards. "Now, tell me about this guy."
A flash of bright yellow caught Lexi's attention, and she saw Law making his way over to the table. With a rising sense of panic, she sighed deeply.
"Why don't you ask him yourself?" She muttered, rubbing the bridge of her nose with one hand. Brittany frowned, not understanding. At that moment, Law approached rom behind her, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.
"And who might this be, Lexi-ya?" Brittany turned in her seat, staring up at Law with wide eyes. After a moment she flipped back to Lexi, giving her a wide-eyed, shocked look. She mouthed the words 'That him?' and Lexi nodded. Turning back, she continued to stare.
"Is it considered socially acceptable to stare at someone for extended periods of time?" He asked Lexi, and she sighed, figuring that if she didn't do something Brittany would continue with this train wreck of a first meeting.
"Law, this is my friend Brittany, the one you talked to on the phone. Brittany…this is Law."
"You taught our class." She blurted out, and Law smirked.
"Indeed."
"So, you're a professor?" She asked, and he glanced to Lexi.
"Actually…" Behind Brittany's back, Lexi frantically nodded her head, trying to get him to agree. If Law started going on about how he was a pirate Captain, everyone would start asking questions that none of them had the answers to. Luckily for her, he got the message. He raised an eyebrow, deciding he would get back at her for all this. "…Yes, I am. I'm a professor."
"That's pretty hot." She said, and Lexi looked away from embarrassment, though her friend didn't have any such qualms. "Nice tats, too. Who did them?"
"A small shop in…California." He said, remembering Lexi mention the word before.
"Damn. Whoever they are did an awesome job. Do you have more?"
"Yes, though they are hidden."
"Show me sometime?" She asked lowly, a seductive smirk on her face. Clearing her throat, Lexi glanced at her watch.
"Well, looks like I gotta go to class. Law, are you coming?" She gathered up her stuff, rising from her seat and gesturing towards the hall at the top of the hill. Law grinned, looking back to Brittany.
"A pleasure meeting you, Brittany-ya." Hearing her name being uttered from his lips seemed to be the tipping point, and her cheeks showed a hint of a blush. Waving goodbye, timidly, she blew a kiss on her fingertips.
"Oh, hun. I'm sure I'll see you soon." Giving a little wink, she watched them leave in a hurry, though her eyes were trained on Law's back unwaveringly.
"Check this one out!" Shachi pointing to a page of a woman wearing some kind of military uniform, leaning suggestively over a stack of strange ammunition-looking objects. The saying, 'Ladies, join the fight and support our brave. They'll appreciate it!' She winked from the page, tipping her cap to the engineers, whose nose began to trickle blood.
"I wonder why Lexi-chan had these in the basement." Then, a thought seemed to dawn over Shachi, and his eyes widened. "You don't think that…"
"What?" Penguin asked.
"Maybe Lexi-chan is…into…girls?" He whispered the end, as if she'd hear him from wherever the university was. Penguin seemed to consider the questions, then shook his head.
"Nah, no way."
"How can you be sure?"
Unbeknownst to the two engineers, but not escaping the notice of the polar bear, the door to Nana's room opened slightly. The engineers were too engrossed in the images of the ladies to notice, and Nana silently entered the living room all bleary-eyed and confused.
"Ah, this one's my favorite." Shachi said, holding up the page of a girl with a thin nightgown on, hair done up in extreme curls. Their noses began to bleed profusely, and unfortunately for them, Nana saw.
"By the gods, you're bleedin'!" At the sound of the old woman's shout, the three looking up in shock. Nana, who was very obviously not in a lucid state, rushed into the kitchen as fast as her legs would carry her, digging through the cupboard for something. She took the first aid kit and grabbed a kitchen knife from the drawer, and rushed into the living room.
"Stay calm and breathe deeply, soldier. The medical camps are more than seven or eight miles away, so we can't do much more than an improvised surgery! Hold steady now." She pinned Shachi down to the floor and began positioning the knife over his shoulder, and everyone began to panic.
"I'm fine! I don't need a surgery!" He called, struggling in vain against the surprisingly strong grandma. Penguin tried prying her arms off of him but she wouldn't budge. Angrily, she pointed to Bepo.
"Soldier! Keep his friend back and remaining calm. I can't work in these conditions." Fearing for the safety of his friend, Bepo stood and bear-hugged the grandma, forcing her to drop the knife onto the ground.
"This is insubordination, soldier! I'll have you reprimanded! A man's life is on the line!" She flailed and struggled to get out of Bepo's hold, but the bear wouldn't let go. Shachi scrambled away rom the frantic woman, clutching his nearly-amputated arm with relief.
"What are we gonna do?" Penguin asked, eyeing Nana with both fear and confusion. The intensity with which she had charged his friend was alarming, though since they'd seen her in a lucid and docile state before, they knew this wasn't like her. This wasn't normal.
"Should we lock her in her bedroom?" Bepo asked, getting a better grip on the old woman.
"We should keep an eye on her. We don't want her accidentally escaping. Can you hold her like that for a long time?" Shachi asked, and Bepo nodded.
Penguin sighed. "Now we just gotta wait till Lexi-chan and Captain get back."
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