WHO: Clio and Martin [NPC] WHEN: Friday afternoon WHERE: Her office WHAT: Yoink! WARNINGS: Drugging
Martin had been bringing Clio Hazelnut lattes from Starbucks for weeks now and there was no reason to assume today’s offering was anything different. She accepted the drink, wrapping her hands around it gratefully. “You’re such a sweetheart,” she told her TA, a wide and genuine smile on her face.
Martin sat down at his desk in her office, and Clio heard his desk chair squeal as if in pain as he leaned back in it. “You looked tired,” he commented, not looking directly at her.
“End of the semester,” Clio sighed. She sat the coffee aside and turned to her computer to at least take a cursory look at her emails. She had a feeling her inbox was going to be full of messages from students who were desperately seeking an extension on their essays and final reports. Since her eyes were on her computer, she missed entirely the way Martin watched her under hooded eyes, waiting for her to drink the damn coffee.
“Ah just as I suspected, a dozen new emails since this morning. It’s not like deadlines are new to university students,” she groaned. She reached out idly for the coffee just as another email came through from the dean. She pulled her hand back to reply to it and missed the look of pure annoyance on Martin’s face.
“Are you looking forward to your break?” she asked Martin absently as she tapped away at the keys.
“Not especially,” Martin said, his eyes glued to the coffee cup. That damn Starbucks mermaid was judging him-
“That’s too bad. I think I might take Ella somewhere nice this summer. Not sure where, but a trip just sounds good.” Getting out of this goddamned city sounded good. “Maybe England! My boyfriend is from there.” Martin glowered, and Clio still didn’t see it. “Of course then Ella really will come back speaking nothing but Notts.” She reached for the drink again, and then spun around in her chair instead, “have you ever heard a Nottingham accent?”
The pleasant look which was now affixed to Martin’s face totally belied the amount of annoyance he felt. “Haven’t had the pleasure,” he said honestly.
“I should look it up on Youtube for you,” she grinned.
“You should drink your coffee before you fall asleep at the keyboard,” Martin suggested, airily. Easily. As if there was nothing sinister behind his words at all.
“Oh right, ha!” Clio reached out for the cup and took a huge sip. “Damn that’s good. They have Starbucks in England right?” She took another sip feeling the coffee warm her from the inside out. She turned back to her email and sighed. “Or maybe just Canada, though I’d like to take her somewhere with more history. We could try Arizona to learn about the indigenous American history, but I don’t know how Will would do in the heat-“ as she spoke, the emails she was reading started to blur. “Ugh, maybe I’m more tired than I thought,” she said, grabbing the coffee to take another large sip. Then she turned to see Martin watching her with interest. He was blurry too.
“You feeling okay, Professor?” he asked, though his tone of voice didn’t sound too concerned.
“I- I don’t know,” Clio said, shocked at how slurred her speech was. “I dunno-“
“Just breathe,” Martin rose from his chair with another squeal, and he crossed the room to her, his arms out. “It’s going to be alright, just keep breathing,” he said.
“Whuuu?” she asked him, her head spinning. The room spinning. Martin spinning. Her stomach swooped and heaved and even though her mind felt mired in quicksand, she understood. She’d been drugged. “Wha’dd you do?!” she cried out, trying to pull away from him, but his hands were around her wrists now and her arms felt made of lead. “Leemee ‘lone!”
“Come on, professor,” Martin said, his voice calm as ever. “Let me help you.”
In a last-ditch effort to escape, Clio just threw her entire weight backwards, pulling her wrists from his grip. She spilled to the floor and rolled onto her side, immediately trying to pull her body towards the door with limbs which refused to cooperate.
“Professor,” Martin said, his voice changed now, sounding like he was scolding a child, “really? Come on,” he bent down, and Clio felt her body lifting, even as she felt consciousness start to drift.
“No,” she mumbled, but a second later her head was against his shoulder and he was carrying her out of her office as the world faded to black.