[ussbansheec] "Mr Fibble's Flying Adventure"

  • From: Elizabeth Bethell <ejbethell@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: ussbansheec@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2006 00:24:19 +0100

Mr Fibble's Flying Adventure

Steven Hale, T'Liante and featuring Professor Jasmine Kumar

So it was him and the Diplomat, Stevie mused as he rummaged around in his trunk for something. At least the guy was quiet and not too obnoxious. He did have a snotty kind of a look though. Like he was always peering down his nose at everyone. Steven shrugged. Well, each to their own. He couldn't be bothered with worrying about him now.

Today was the first day of lectures and Stevie wanted to be there early. He glanced around but frowned when he didn't see what he'd been looking for. "Where is he?" he asked the empty room. Kneeling down, he started peering under the bed.

Half and hour later, there was a knock on the door and a soft, female voice asked him if he was okay. "I lost Mr Fibble!" Stevie shouted back desperately.

T'Liante blinked once then dared to open the door. What she saw made her wish she'd stayed outside. He appeared to have systematically taken the room apart. Clothes and books and any number of other things were in a pile in the middle of the floor. "Who is Mr Fibble?" she asked carefully. "And how did you mislay him?"

"He's my shark," Steven huffed as he sat back from the pile. "My toy. I brought him from home and if that... over-stuffed prick I share with has stolen him..."

"You do not truly believe that Sinon would steal a soft toy, do you," T'Liante told him, her dark eyes holding his. When he shook his head, she sniffed. "Then we shall go or we will be late."

Steven grumbled as he got to his feet but nodded. He moaned all the way to the lecture even when he saw BJ waving at them. "Hi," he grunted.

"Just thought I'd make sure my little brood got to their lecture alright. Have a good one," BJ chimed to them as he sauntered away.

"That was most considerate of him," T'Liante observed mildly.

"Hmph." As they walked in, everyone was taking their seats so Stevie and T'Liante quickly moved to the third row. Leaning back, he watched everyone around him, taking in all the new faces.

Today's professor was a small, Indian lady with pale eyes and a disarming smile. She introduced herself as Lieutenant Commander Jasmine Kumar and told them all that no one had ever failed her class yet. As she started to explain the fundamentals of the subject, a twittering of laughter started at the back of the class.

"Is there a problem?" she asked, fixing mildly irritated eyes on them. The laughter died but within minutes of her starting again it sprang up again to encompass most of the hall. "What are you all laughing about?" she asked, now clearly perturbed.

"I'm sorry, Professor," a girl in the front said, "but there's shark hanging from the ceiling."

Jasmine raised her head slowly and stared at the little stuffed toy that seemed to have been stapled to the ceiling. "Does anyone know who this shark belongs to?"

With a sinking heart, Steven looked up and flinched. In a voice that was only just loud enough to be heard, he called, "He's mine, Professor."

"Perhaps you would care to explain why your shark is hanging from my ceiling, Mr Hale," Jasmine asked, a smirk forming at the boy's clear embarrassment.

"I don't know, Professor," he admitted. "He went missing this morning and now he turned up here."

Oh but it had to be the freshman practical joker striking again for the fifth year in a row. Jasmine couldn't resist teasing the boy further as she asked, "And does this small, fluffy companion have a name?" When the boy mumbled something, she said, "Speak up, we can't hear you."

"Mr Fibble," Steven said, his face bright scarlet as he started to sink into his seat. There was a burst of laughter that made him cringe even more.

Jasmine looked up at the little shark as she said, "Well, Mr Fibble, I'm afraid you're going to have to stay up there for the next two hours or I won't get through everything I need to. Mr Hale, you may take him down when we are done."

The rest of the lecture seemed to go painfully slowly. He took notes and paid attention but every so often his eyes lifted to see his precious shark dangling from the ceiling. When Professor Kumar finally ended the lecture, she stepped over to him and gave him a smile.

"If you ask the janitor nicely enough, they'll lend you a ladder so you can get him down," she told him softly. "Then come and see me and we'll see what we can do to fix the hole in his tail."

"Thanks," Stevie mumbled.

"Would you like some help?" T'Liante asked softly.

"Nah, you go ahead, I'll be back in the quad for lunch." Without another word, he headed off to see if he could find one of those janitors.

Other related posts:

  • » [ussbansheec] "Mr Fibble's Flying Adventure"