Ambiguous Opus

Doug had really been hoping he wouldn't see Coco today, but of course, that was a wish that wouldn't be granted. Just yesterday she had told him to clean up his appearance. Coming home to a surprise interview, he had no choice but to look as good as possible, and this morning he took a look in the mirror –if this wasn't taken as following her advice, her expectations were a lot higher than he could even fulfill, and both outcomes would be awkward anyway.

He was somewhat content with his weekly schedule between both jobs now, despite working like a dog between them both; Beacon shifts consisted of Tuesday to Saturday from either noon to eight, or one to nine o'clock, leaving an hour or two to scamper home and drive over to Omeghis for his eleven-PM to six-AM's. This meant Mondays belonged to his night shift, Saturdays were for his caretaking, days in between were hectic jumps back and forth, and Sundays were thankfully clear. Even if he were undercover so to speak, these were still paying jobs, so his bank account was seeing some serious improvement. Today was Saturday, so it was devoted to the school and his cleaning duties, no night watch later.

The dorms where students stayed on Academy grounds were their own responsibility, but the halls and rec rooms within the dormitory building were his zone to oversee; today, he was to shine up the spacious network of paths and check out a vending machine reported broken. Doug wasn't entirely sure if he could even fix it, but he would find a way eventually, seeing as he wasn't letting a stubborn dispenser of drinks get him canned. Pun intended.

Reaching the intersection near the entrance where the machine was, he found it somewhat surrounded; It took everything in his power not to flinch when he saw the little red kid from the dust heist gone wrong, and the blonde from the club demolition, standing with two others in front of it. Around the time blondie kicked it, he was forced to take a chance and step in;

"Oi, watch it. That's school property... I'll, uh, see what I can do." The four of them turned around at the voice, and he pegged the third instantly as Weiss Schnee, which made him nearly flinch upon sight as he had just disclosed vital information about her to a nutjob the other day. She gave him a look like a princess trying to remember which butler was addressing her, which seemed fitting. The fourth, a taller girl with black hair, yellow eyes, and a bow, was utterly foreign to him. Just making eye contact was giving him a pretty strong and unexplainable unease.

The blonde backed off as instructed, and the rest of them parted to give him access to the vendor. "Sorry. I wanted a Grape Crash and it ate, like, five bucks already."

The 'People Like Grapes' brand was pretty popular, so he wasn't surprised that she had been so persistent in getting one. Standing before the machine, he looked it up and down for a way to open the whole thing. Sadly, nothing jumped out at him, and the four students were getting impatient already.

"Are you going to fix it or not?"

He sighed. "I started this week, and they never really told me what I was supposed to do with the appliances. I have the tools, but ah... You need to know where the screws are to use a screwdriver, and so on." Weiss threw her hands up in exasperation, trotting off rather than watch the useless janitor fumble with the machine. The one with the bow and Red both chased her, which was relieving, but the Blonde was still giving him an odd look.

"Have we met?" She asked. He instinctively gulped, making himself look suspicious before even replying.

"Nah. I don't get out much; I've got two jobs. You're probably mixing me up with some other average joe." He still couldn't find a way into the object, and the blonde just continued to wait for her soda, making him nervous. Suddenly, a voice behind him;

"May I borrow your tools?" Another student, a sandier blonde, this one with a denim hat and gloves with his uniform. He looked almost as if he was obscuring his own features on purpose with the extra attire, kneeling next to the box of assorted janitor stuff nearby.

"I kinda need 'em for this thing, if that wasn't obvious."

"There is an impression two inches above your right hand; press it, push the faceplate of the machine in to get it off the pin hook, and then pull to open the vending machine." Both Doug and the blonde girl quirked a brow, but he did as instructed and the vendor popped open.

The monotonous student continued, like a tape telling him how to do his job; "The workings are locked, as you can see at the right hand side; you should have the key for the padlock on your person."

As the lock was removed, the kid in the hat held the box out to Doug, and in taking the toolbox back he backed away from the machine. The kid used the chance to move in.

Doug watched him reach inside, twist and push things for about two seconds, and then three Grape Crash cans dropped into the slot at the bottom. Taking one of them, the ambiguous opus simply walked away with a nod. The other two were claimed by the blonde girl, who had been laughing until the rest of the non-dispensed beverages tumbled out of the machine; well over a dozen, some of which dented or even broke open on the floor. He and the blonde were both sprayed with soda, though not much.

"Thanks for the warning..." She said sarcastically, the boy not having heard as he stepped around the corner. It looked like she wasn't too annoyed when she still had the others, and only wanted one in the first place. The Janitor was right there, after all... she took her leave, bidding him goodbye while she went to probably wash the bottom of her uniform and get the liquid sugar off her legs. He simply used the rag he was bound to have on hand.

Doug went reverse through what the kid had told him to do, shutting and locking the now working machine. Next was to clean up the faulty merchandise, maybe keep a few for the fridge at home; what the school didn't know wouldn't hurt it, and Doug did in fact like grapes. After a few minutes of mopping, another familiar voice popped up, drawing his attention from his work –Velvet sauntered over from the entrance, followed by Coco. '...Dammit.'

"Doesn't look like he fixed it." Velvet said, Doug shaking his head.

"No, it works now. I sorta fixed it." He had opened the thing to be fixed, so he had done his part, more or less. Velvet sunk some change into it and acquired some flavor he didn't think moved from the slot it occupied, which made him blink.

Coco was eying him up and down like a date shark might, rating someone of the opposite sex at the bar. It was a lot like last time, except judging by her smirk, he scored higher than he had in class yesterday. "Lookin' sharp, Dirk."

The comment was both a bad pun, and threw back to unpleasant memories of his encounter with a jungle cat previously. "I'd say so. Interview lady last night probably would've ousted me before I got a word in, if I hadn't."

She looked like she hadn't even heard a word of that beyond agreement. Instead, she'd gotten uncomfortably close, and had a hold of his collar. "What is this?"

Doug glanced down, and then back up, face blank. "... my shirt?"

She let go of him, wiggling her fingers like something had gotten on them and she were flicking it off. "More like cloth. Ugly, cheap cloth."

"Wasn't aware I should wear my Doc Marvin's to work." She ignored the comment, instead holding out her hand again.

"Hand me your phone."

"I'm faculty and the adult here, you know." She looked even more stern, and not wanting to get smacked by a Grimm-killing purse, chose to do as she said anyways. She fiddled with it and tossed it into the air for him to catch.

"Don't be late." Coco said, taking her leave with that swagger she always carried in her stride. All the while, Doug glared down at the phone, the number for all members of team CFVY now registered. There was already a text from Coco Adel, with a time and location...

He closed it and set it away, not sure what that was all about so instead turning his attention to Velvet. She seemed to be liking whatever drink she'd gotten from the machine.

"I'm sure she just –ACK!" She went to say something to him, but a team of students passing by her cut her off mid-sentence when one reached out and togged one of her ears, hard enough to nearly floor her. She soothed the feature atop her head, looking as the broader fellow and his three punkish-looking team members made to leave just as quickly; bullying was apparently just that casual.

Doug looked at Velvet, back to the kids, and down at his hands. Shaking the hell out of one of the sodas, he called after them; "Hold on, hold on. Ear-puller, come 'ere for a sec."

The redheaded boy nodded the others on and came back, giving Doug a defiant look and Velvet one of detest. "Is there a problem?"

Smirking, the Janitor nodded in an approving way. "What's your name?"

"Cardin Winchester." The name rolled out with pride –Doug didn't recognize it.

"From me to you, kiddo." He pressed the can into his hands, turned him around, and shooed him toward the exit. Doug and the Faunus beside him got to watch purple spray up all over the guy's chin and chest just as the doors shut behind him, and his cries of surprise and anger were muffled as they closed.

Velvet actually smiled, stepping around the caretaker but being sure to face him as she did. "Well, I have to go, but I was saying that Coco probably just wants to help you in some way. So...See you soon, Dirk."

He waved to the girl, and dealt with an enraged Cardin re-entering the building as the girl left, who lost all his fight for the time being when Doug asked if he was threatening beacon staff over a poorly handled pop. Just how soon he would see Velvet again was something he hadn't quite realized at the time.