Livin' it up when I'm going down

[bluesuit_handy]

Who: Handy and Jareth
Where: In one of the elevators
When: Late morning
What: Handy and Jareth get trapped in the lift.

Comments

[gobking_jareth]

Jareth left Rose's room after a leisurely breakfast in her bed and stepped into the lift when the doors opened, heading up to his room. He afforded the Doctor a brief glance that turned into a smirk when he realized who he was sharing the lift with.

"Good morning," he said mildly.

[bluesuit_handy]

Handy didn't really register who had stepped into the lift with him until the doors were already sliding shut and it was too late to act like he'd meant to get out on whatever floor they were on and leave. He gave a little start despite himself when he realized who was standing next to him, and couldn't keep the glower off his face completely, but resolutely turned his face toward the door and stayed silent.

[gobking_jareth]

"I see your manners are in as fine form as always," Jareth remarked. "How far up are you going?"

[bluesuit_handy]

"You're one to talk about manners," snorted Handy, crossing his arms and still refusing to properly engage with the Goblin King.

[gobking_jareth]

Jareth snorted. "Do I look inclined to manual labour?" he asked.

He watched as the Doctor looked for a way to open the control panel. He took a broach from his coat. It had a thin, flat metal edge. He held it out.

"Will that do?" he asked. "I'm assuming you want to undo those metal fasteners by turning them using something that fits the slot that run across them."

[bluesuit_handy]

What Handy really wanted was to use the sonic screwdriver to bypass the need to even open the panel in the first place. What he'd said about the doors was true, but if he'd had his beloved tool at hand he could have just used it on the lock for the emergency functions, like unlocking the doors. As it was, though, the screwdriver was in pieces on his desk, and he could probably spend another ten minutes going through his pockets without being sure to find something else that would work to get the panel open.

He eyed the broach for a moment, eyes flicking to Jareth's face and back, before he reached out to take it. "Right," he said in lieu of actually thanking the Goblin King, and he turned to slot the edge of it into the top of the first screw and get to work on taking it out.

[gobking_jareth]

Whatever Jareth thought about the Doctor personally, it was clear he knew about mechanical things and Jareth wanted out of the lift. He stepped back after handing over the broach and leaned on the back wall of the lift again, watching the Doctor work.

[bluesuit_handy]

Handy got the screws loose quickly enough, though it was difficult to use the broach to open them without stripping the heads while he was at it. He pocketed the screws as he went, less so that he could put them back later than so that he would have screws stashed away in his pocket. Useful things, screws. Finally, after several (blissfully silent) minutes of work, he was able to jiggle the control panel loose and pull it away to reveal the mass of wires behind the buttons.

[gobking_jareth]

"I'm glad you can admit to your shortcomings. Do you have any ideas that won't kill us?" Jareth snapped back.

[bluesuit_handy]

"The only thing I even touched was the controls for the door!" growled Handy, climbing to his feet. "If it's going to drop like that when I'm not even near the floor selector, there's not much I can do that won't set it off." He was convinced that the hotel had done this on purpose, and had dropped the lift as a warning to him.

[gobking_jareth]

"The controls for the door," Jareth snorted. "And the first time? Were you trying to ring the bell, or did you perhaps think you were touching the controls for the door?" he pointed out rather vehemently.

[bluesuit_handy]

"Bell's connected to the door," grumbled Handy, but he was slightly less confident about his answer now. He didn't think he'd done anything that could make the lift do what it had.

[gobking_jareth]

Jareth started laughing. "Oh, they're very good. Very good indeed."

[bluesuit_handy]

Handy gave Jareth a somewhat alarmed look before turning his attention back to the phone. "Alright," he said in a quieter, but no less tense voice. "You've had your joke. Let us out."

"I assure you that this is no joking matter," replied the voice. "You will be free to go in due time."

That was not helpful at all, was it? Handy dropped the phone, letting it swing by its cord. "Give me a boost," he said to Jareth. "I'm going to break the emergency hatch open." Never mind that he didn't have his screwdriver; he'd figure something out.

[gobking_jareth]

"You what?" Jareth said, looking at him like he was quite mad. "I most certainly will not." He looked up at the hatch, then looked at the Doctor. "You couldn't break bread with a knife," he declared, looking Handy's slender frame over.

[bluesuit_handy]

"So what, you just want to stay in here?" asked Handy, affronted at the insult.

[gobking_jareth]

Jareth shifted the Doctor's weight slightly with a scowl. "Yes, of course I have a hammer," he said sarcastically. "I keep it in my pocket, right next to my lathe."

[bluesuit_handy]

Handy, miraculously he thought, did not fall when Jareth shifted him around. "Careful!" he admonished him. "Bloody hell, ask a reasonable question...."

He thumped on the hatch again, but just then Jareth must have moved--if just a little--because the next thing Handy knew, he'd lost his balance and was flailing madly at the ceiling to try to get it back.

[gobking_jareth]

When the Doctor started to lose his balance, Jareth let go of his foot. Either that would help the Doctor land on his feet, or it would help him not fall on Jareth.

"You were getting nowhere anyway," he snapped.

[bluesuit_handy]

Handy let out a shout that was not girly at all, thank you, when Jareth suddenly dropped him. He landed on his feet but didn't stay on them, collapsing gracelessly to the floor a second time.

"A little warning!" he snapped, already running a hand down his bad leg to see if it hurt anywhere.