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no_true_pairTitle: What's that noise? Middles!
Fandom: Chalet School
Pairing/Characters: Nell Wilson, Gillian Linton
Content Notes: Set roughly around Highland Twins.
Prompt: September Nine - Nell Wilson & Gillian Linton "what's that noise?"
“Who’s there?” Miss Wilson asked sharply, as a dark silhouette appeared at the other end of the unlit passageway she was following.
“It’s me, Nell - Gillian Linton,” came the quiet reply. “I heard something downstairs.”
All this was spoken, incidentally, much more calmly than Gillian had felt at the initial question. For all that she had been a law-abiding girl in her own schooldays, to be called to by ‘Bill’ in that tone while wandering around long after Lights Out was enough to make any former student of hers mentally regress to her Middle days. From the twinkle in Miss Wilson’s eyes as they convened before a moonlit window, Gillian rather suspected that she knew exactly how she was feeling, but she said nothing about it.
“I heard something too,” was what Nell Wilson said instead, voice low. “Middles midnighting, perhaps? It sounded about right for their Common Room, as far as I could tell.”
“I would have thought Joyce and her pals’ awful experience would put them off it, but I suppose it’s been long enough for that to be forgotten,” Gillian replied, then paused, tilting her head, as another creaking sound caught her ears.
Miss Wilson raised an eyebrow, and Gillian nodded. It had definitely come from the direction of the Middle Common Room. Moving noiselessly on their slippered feet, both mistresses headed down the stairs. Before they had quite reached their destination, though, a new voice rang out - lowered in consideration for the sleepers upstairs, but carrying clearly to the two women just around the corner.
“What, may I ask, do you little asses think you’re doing?” it inquired, in Elizabeth Arnett’s iciest tones.
A single glance at each other, and by common consent Nell and Gillian peered stealthily around the corner, careful not to draw the indignant prefect’s attention. She stood in the doorway to the Middle Common Room, silhouetted by torchlight that glimmered on her red hair.
“We made sure the black-out was up, Elizabeth,” said a younger voice from inside the room, pitched so high with nerves despite the would-be nonchalance that neither mistress was entirely sure who it belonged to.
“I’m glad you had that much common sense at least,” Elizabeth replied grimly, even as the mistresses drew twin breaths of relief at the reassurance that none of the torchlight was shining dangerously out. “But that doesn’t answer my question. Or,” she continued with cutting sarcasm, “did you mean to say you all came down here in a body, hours after your bedtime, merely to make sure the black-out was up?”
As the Middles began vain attempts to explain themselves, Nell took Gillian’s elbow and gently drew her back. “Elizabeth has them well in hand, I think we can leave her to it,” she murmured. “Come to the library for a cup of tea? We’d better not be on the stairs if she decides to order them all off to bed at once, and I could do with one after this traipsing about.”
Gillian merely nodded, struggling too hard to contain wild giggles to trust her voice. Nell gave her a curious look but said nothing, leading the way to the library. As soon as the door was safely closed, Gillian collapsed onto a chair and started laughing - though, mindful of the sleeping school and the not-sleeping Middles, she did her best to do so silently.
“What's the why of that?” Nell demanded curiously, even as she busied herself with the gas ring.
“Elizabeth Arnett, of all people, being the one to take those wretched Middles to task for breaking dormitory!” Gillian explained once she’d caught her breath again. “Don’t you remember, back in Tirol, how you lent us your room so we could catch her and her little pals doing exactly that?”
Nell laughed too. “I’d forgotten it, but I remember now. Who else was it who did the catching? Louise Redmond, of course, as Head Girl.”
“And Paula von Rothenfels, who was at St Clare’s, and Ida Reaveley who’d been one of the Saints’ prefects before they joined up with us,” Gillian supplemented. “And Joey landed in on it too, of course - trust her!”
“Joey always does manage to be involved in anything going on,” Nell agreed, handing her a cup. “Well, this isn’t quite hot chocolate and buns, which is what I provided then if I remember correctly, but it’s better than nothing.”
“Very much so!” Gillian said, gratefully sipping at the hot tea. “I wonder how Elizabeth will deal with them?” She started giggling again. “Remember their play?”
“Don’t I! I was crying with laughter by the end of it. Well, if it’s anything of that sort I’m sure Elizabeth will remember very well how to deal with it.”
“It seems funny that such an utter nuisance of a Middle should have grown up into such a fine prefect,” Gillian mused.
“It’s often the way,” Miss Wilson remarked from her greater experience. “All that energy and creativity they put into thinking up things no-one in their senses would ever have dreamt of forbidding gets redirected to better ends. As for Elizabeth specifically, you had a big hand in that.”
Gillian blushed to the roots of her black hair. “I still don’t quite see why she latched onto me as she did, but I did my best to encourage her where I could.”
“And see the fine fruits we’re reaping now! It wouldn’t surprise me at all if she’s our Head Girl one day, and that’s something I never would have thought I’d say when she arrived.”
Talk of one former naughty Middle had sent Gillian’s thoughts in the direction of another, her erstwhile companion in mischief. “Do you think Betty Wynne-Davies will ever pull up as Elizabeth’s done?”
Nell frowned. “I wish she would. She’s got plenty of character, not to mention brains, but ever since she quarrelled with Elizabeth she’s seemed dead set on using them in the worst ways possible. I wish she’d develop enough sense to stop courting expulsion, at least… She’s a problem, and not one we’re likely to solve at this time of night. Done with your tea? We’d better try and get some sleep, then.”
“Yes, Elizabeth will surely have sent them off to bed by now.” Gillian rose and placed her cup in the tiny sink. “I do wonder what exactly they were doing…”
“If you ever find out, do let me know! Unofficially, of course - if it’s something so bad I need to know officially, I’m sure Elizabeth will report it.”
Gillian agreed, and did as requested after a quiet, and thoroughly unofficial, word with Elizabeth the next day revealed that the Middles had been up to nothing worse - or more creative - than a midnight feast. After reminding Elizabeth of Joyce’s experience with midnight feasts to pass down as an extra deterrent - and not saying a word about Elizabeth’s own night-time rulebreaking, though she could see by the girl’s slightly embarrassed look that she was thinking of it - Gillian cheerfully let the matter drop, content in the knowledge that this generation of prefects could handle naughty Middles quite as well as hers had.
Fandom: Chalet School
Pairing/Characters: Nell Wilson, Gillian Linton
Content Notes: Set roughly around Highland Twins.
Prompt: September Nine - Nell Wilson & Gillian Linton "what's that noise?"
“Who’s there?” Miss Wilson asked sharply, as a dark silhouette appeared at the other end of the unlit passageway she was following.
“It’s me, Nell - Gillian Linton,” came the quiet reply. “I heard something downstairs.”
All this was spoken, incidentally, much more calmly than Gillian had felt at the initial question. For all that she had been a law-abiding girl in her own schooldays, to be called to by ‘Bill’ in that tone while wandering around long after Lights Out was enough to make any former student of hers mentally regress to her Middle days. From the twinkle in Miss Wilson’s eyes as they convened before a moonlit window, Gillian rather suspected that she knew exactly how she was feeling, but she said nothing about it.
“I heard something too,” was what Nell Wilson said instead, voice low. “Middles midnighting, perhaps? It sounded about right for their Common Room, as far as I could tell.”
“I would have thought Joyce and her pals’ awful experience would put them off it, but I suppose it’s been long enough for that to be forgotten,” Gillian replied, then paused, tilting her head, as another creaking sound caught her ears.
Miss Wilson raised an eyebrow, and Gillian nodded. It had definitely come from the direction of the Middle Common Room. Moving noiselessly on their slippered feet, both mistresses headed down the stairs. Before they had quite reached their destination, though, a new voice rang out - lowered in consideration for the sleepers upstairs, but carrying clearly to the two women just around the corner.
“What, may I ask, do you little asses think you’re doing?” it inquired, in Elizabeth Arnett’s iciest tones.
A single glance at each other, and by common consent Nell and Gillian peered stealthily around the corner, careful not to draw the indignant prefect’s attention. She stood in the doorway to the Middle Common Room, silhouetted by torchlight that glimmered on her red hair.
“We made sure the black-out was up, Elizabeth,” said a younger voice from inside the room, pitched so high with nerves despite the would-be nonchalance that neither mistress was entirely sure who it belonged to.
“I’m glad you had that much common sense at least,” Elizabeth replied grimly, even as the mistresses drew twin breaths of relief at the reassurance that none of the torchlight was shining dangerously out. “But that doesn’t answer my question. Or,” she continued with cutting sarcasm, “did you mean to say you all came down here in a body, hours after your bedtime, merely to make sure the black-out was up?”
As the Middles began vain attempts to explain themselves, Nell took Gillian’s elbow and gently drew her back. “Elizabeth has them well in hand, I think we can leave her to it,” she murmured. “Come to the library for a cup of tea? We’d better not be on the stairs if she decides to order them all off to bed at once, and I could do with one after this traipsing about.”
Gillian merely nodded, struggling too hard to contain wild giggles to trust her voice. Nell gave her a curious look but said nothing, leading the way to the library. As soon as the door was safely closed, Gillian collapsed onto a chair and started laughing - though, mindful of the sleeping school and the not-sleeping Middles, she did her best to do so silently.
“What's the why of that?” Nell demanded curiously, even as she busied herself with the gas ring.
“Elizabeth Arnett, of all people, being the one to take those wretched Middles to task for breaking dormitory!” Gillian explained once she’d caught her breath again. “Don’t you remember, back in Tirol, how you lent us your room so we could catch her and her little pals doing exactly that?”
Nell laughed too. “I’d forgotten it, but I remember now. Who else was it who did the catching? Louise Redmond, of course, as Head Girl.”
“And Paula von Rothenfels, who was at St Clare’s, and Ida Reaveley who’d been one of the Saints’ prefects before they joined up with us,” Gillian supplemented. “And Joey landed in on it too, of course - trust her!”
“Joey always does manage to be involved in anything going on,” Nell agreed, handing her a cup. “Well, this isn’t quite hot chocolate and buns, which is what I provided then if I remember correctly, but it’s better than nothing.”
“Very much so!” Gillian said, gratefully sipping at the hot tea. “I wonder how Elizabeth will deal with them?” She started giggling again. “Remember their play?”
“Don’t I! I was crying with laughter by the end of it. Well, if it’s anything of that sort I’m sure Elizabeth will remember very well how to deal with it.”
“It seems funny that such an utter nuisance of a Middle should have grown up into such a fine prefect,” Gillian mused.
“It’s often the way,” Miss Wilson remarked from her greater experience. “All that energy and creativity they put into thinking up things no-one in their senses would ever have dreamt of forbidding gets redirected to better ends. As for Elizabeth specifically, you had a big hand in that.”
Gillian blushed to the roots of her black hair. “I still don’t quite see why she latched onto me as she did, but I did my best to encourage her where I could.”
“And see the fine fruits we’re reaping now! It wouldn’t surprise me at all if she’s our Head Girl one day, and that’s something I never would have thought I’d say when she arrived.”
Talk of one former naughty Middle had sent Gillian’s thoughts in the direction of another, her erstwhile companion in mischief. “Do you think Betty Wynne-Davies will ever pull up as Elizabeth’s done?”
Nell frowned. “I wish she would. She’s got plenty of character, not to mention brains, but ever since she quarrelled with Elizabeth she’s seemed dead set on using them in the worst ways possible. I wish she’d develop enough sense to stop courting expulsion, at least… She’s a problem, and not one we’re likely to solve at this time of night. Done with your tea? We’d better try and get some sleep, then.”
“Yes, Elizabeth will surely have sent them off to bed by now.” Gillian rose and placed her cup in the tiny sink. “I do wonder what exactly they were doing…”
“If you ever find out, do let me know! Unofficially, of course - if it’s something so bad I need to know officially, I’m sure Elizabeth will report it.”
Gillian agreed, and did as requested after a quiet, and thoroughly unofficial, word with Elizabeth the next day revealed that the Middles had been up to nothing worse - or more creative - than a midnight feast. After reminding Elizabeth of Joyce’s experience with midnight feasts to pass down as an extra deterrent - and not saying a word about Elizabeth’s own night-time rulebreaking, though she could see by the girl’s slightly embarrassed look that she was thinking of it - Gillian cheerfully let the matter drop, content in the knowledge that this generation of prefects could handle naughty Middles quite as well as hers had.
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Date: 2024-09-12 07:24 pm (UTC)But it ties together quite a neat lot of threads in one little thing.
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Date: 2024-09-15 12:54 am (UTC)