Chapter Text
When Puk makes their way to the storeroom, it's just as much a mess as they expected. The professor's absence and the guy on the floor is more of a surprise.
Then, the professor arrives, and explains all the boring details of their punishment. Blah blah blah, clean the storage room, blah blah, menial labour, reflect on your actions, bleh.
The moment the professor leaves, Puk gets comfy on a pile of costumes in the corner. They sit themself down, lean against the wall, and prep themself for a nap, but…
"U-um, we'd get done a lot sooner if you helped, so…"
Puk cracks an eye open, immediately spotting a pair of legs before them. Looking up at the body attached to those legs, Puk recognizes her.
Like recognizes like, after all. Puk always notices the people that others avoid pronouns for, the people who need to whisper rushed corrections when someone genders them. Mera's had to correct more than a few classmates who looked at her tall frame and sharp jaw and mistook her for a boy.
That might be why Puk initially noticed her, but that's not why they remember her.
No, they remember her because she's one of those students that professors adore teaching. Always thinking their assignments, their classes actually matter, raises her hand during class with thoughtful questions, does her homework on time and well, always polite, albeit a bit shy… She'd be the perfect student if she could just quit sleeping in class.
She's the exact kind of goody-two-shoes that Puk has never meshed with.
Well, Puk has no plans to change anytime soon. They tell her and the guy on the floor to go ahead and do their thing and leave them out of it. She and floor-guy (Kim, apparently) hesitate, looking at Puk with their lost puppydog eyes, before giving up on convincing them.
Good. It's high time Puk's gotten a nap.
…or so they think, but…
"Ack! The painting's trying to eat me!?!"
"Kim!? Are you okay?!"
…jeez, there is absolutely no way Puk's getting any sleep in here.
For two quiet good kids, they sure can get loud when they want to. But, Puk's gotta admit, it's hilarious to watch.
They can't help but give up on their plans for the evening, instead commenting on the duo's actions like the snarky audience member they are.
Then, when Kim's trying to figure out what to do with the dolls on the shelves…
"I don't know but can you please put them away or burn them or something?!" Mera shrieks, looking like she's five seconds away from using Kim as a shield. "I hate how they look at me…!"
"You're afraid of dolls?!" Puk exclaims in disbelief, unable to keep themself from laughing.
Mera glares at them, but given that her angry expression ranks just below a puppy's in the scare factor, Puk's not feeling too regretful.
Kim, displaying a latent talent in diplomacy, offers to put all the dolls away in a box, out of sight and out of mind.
It's too perfect a set-up, really. How could Puk ever resist?
"Good idea!" Puk says, their exaggerated clapping drawing the duo's eyes towards them. And away from the bit of magic they slip into the doll behind them, as they add, "out of sight, where you can no longer keep an eye on them…!"
It's too easy to make the doll move, their magic causing its eyes to glow ominously.
Mera actually jumps, a scream ripping out of her throat as she clings to Kim. Her grip on his sweater's so tight, she almost pulls his sleeve right off of him.
Puk almost doubles over laughing, causing Mera to glare at them again.
"S-stop that!"
"Yeah, Puk, not cool!" Kim adds. "Not helping is one thing, but keeping us from cleaning is too much…!"
"Yeah, yeah, sorry. You kids can get back to your cleaning now," Puk says, smirk wide and smug.
Mera's still pouting as she releases Kim's arm.
Interesting.
Seems Miss Goody-Two-Shoes is a lot funnier than Puk imagined.