The Principal's Office

[tailor_made]

The door to the principal’s office is open at all hours, although you will only find Hester at the receptionist’s desk from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. This is primarily where you can have private conversations with her. Though there’s an actual office in the back, it is always closed and locked.

Comments

[mayavericks]

[Maya enters the office early in the morning, likely not long after Hester has "arrived." She clears her throat politely, though there's a clear level of distrust in her eyes at this whole thing.]

I have a question, if you don't mind?

[tailor_made]

[Hester, seated behind the high secretary's desk, looks up from the small pink compact mirror in her hand and gives Maya a friendly smile. It looks like she was in the middle of touching up her make-up in case of any visitors judging by the mirror and lip gloss wand in her other hand.]

Of course, Maya. [She carefully freshens her lip gloss before sliding it back into the tube and snapping the mirror shut.] What can I do for you?

[disharmonizes]

[It's the afternoon and Discord's not so much announcing himself as just sort of, ah, leaning on the receptionist's desk all casual. Looking over Hester's way with a smirk.]

So, how does this work, do I just have my people call your people to set up a meeting, or do we play it by ear?

[tailor_made]

[Hester, busily typing up something on a pink-cased laptop behind the desk, glances up from her document.]

Playing it by ear works for me. What can I do for you, Discord?

Tuesday Morning

[violentenvies]

[at 8 AM sharp, Salieri will show up at the Principal's Office, and politely knock on the door, waiting for permission before entering. Hello he's here to ask about supplies for short mead]

[tailor_made]

Come in! [Hester's voice rings out from behind the door and with a soft click the door audibly unlocks.]

Week 1

[mcfife]

[Angus knocks on the door before entering (she's been polite so far) and stops a few feet from the desk.]

Did you find out what sort of wizard he is?

[tailor_made]

Oh, Angus! [Hester snaps her powder compact shut when he enters, setting it down next to her open laptop to look at him.]

I did, actually. We had a long talk last night and when I asked he said he was specifically a Wizard of Order? If that makes sense.

Week 1, Tuesday

[tellthestory]

[Knock knock! It's your favorite cast member!]

Hi, uh, Hester?

[tailor_made]

[Oh joy. When he opens the door Hester is seated behind the receptionst's desk, typing away at her little pink laptop without looking away from the screen.]

Hello, Balladeer. Did you want something?

Week 1, post-intro

[stopbelieving]

[That could've gone better.

He had known to expect some theatrics, obviously. It seems to always go that way. But that doesn't mean that seeing Hester get threatened like that wasn't...frustrating. Let's call it "frustrating". It can't have been anything worse, because he really shouldn't get attached to her. She's just an echo of other people, people who never really existed themselves. He shouldn't dwell on figments. He really shouldn't. The past is the past.

Will waits in the office for her to return, anyway. He did this with the SQUIP too, when it was still around. It never appreciated that; in this, at least, he can comfortably say he's glad to have Hester.]

Are you okay?

[tailor_made]

[The introduction had been...a lot more than Hester had anticipated. She'd been warned they wouldn't take to her right away, that something might happen but that she'd be protected if it did.

The knife, to put it mildly, had been a surprise and despite how well she'd pulled herself together in the moment she can still feel a weakness in her knees. But coming into her office and seeing a familiar face calms her ragged nerves she hadn't even known were on edge.

She quickly closes the door behind her, her face- Rachel Berry's face- brightening instantly.]

Mr. Weidman! [She takes a step forward, her first instinct to hug him, to thank him for saving her from a thrown knife of all things, but she hesitates. Would it be weird? Would it make him uncomfortable? She settles for clasping her hands in front of her.] I'm fine. It was scary but I'm okay. Thank you so much for stepping in like that. I'm not sure what I could've done otherwise.

[brokeforgood]

Good news, H. [Farrah's sweeping into the office on Friday AM, looking extra pleased with herself.]

We're now both Assistant Directors.

[tailor_made]

[Hester looks up from her pink laptop with a small startle when Farrah makes her entrance, blinking several times in surprise while she tries to register the words coming out of her mouth.]

What? But the Wizard didn't mention anything about that to me- [One hand moves from her keyboard to the gold chain around her neck, nervously fiddling with the pendant there.]

Friday Morning

[violentenvies]

[again, promptly at 8 a.m., Salieri will be there, knocking on the door. Hello he is here to make what is possibly the worst life choice.]

[tailor_made]

Come in, Monsieur Salieri! [Hester's ever-perky voice chirps from behind the wooden door.]

Saturday; close to 6 pm

[feudalladyshandmaid]

[Near the end of the day, a sharp rap of knuckles on wood at the principal's office reveals... someone who hasn't been here yet!]

Hello? Hester? "Principal"?

[tailor_made]

[The door opens after the second knock. Hester blinks in surprise, her dark hair neatly braided just as it was the last time Cass saw her and a mint green shawl wrapped around her shoulders.]

Oh, good evening, Cassandra. You're here awfully late, what can I do for you?

Sunday Afternoon

[wanderlusttitania]

[Well, at least she's much less panicked than her last foray into the principal's office.]

Mademoiselle? May I have a minute of your time?

[tailor_made]

Mmhmm-? [Hester looks up from her little pink laptop, a half-eaten sugar cookie hanging out of her mouth in a terrible undignified way.] Madame, wha' c'n-? [She swallows, carefully wiping away the crumbs from her cheek.] What can I do for you?

week two; monday

[howtheworldwas]

[ Eurydice shows up at 8am sharp on Monday, and it looks like she means business. ]

Hello, Miss Hester. May I speak with you?

[tailor_made]

[Hester is a little preoccupied behind her desk when Eurydice comes in, busy patting a powdery foundation across her nose and cheeks, but she looks at her with a bright smile nonetheless.]

Eurydice! Good morning, I was wondering if you'd come to see me. Come in, come in- would you like some tea? I have some extra.

Monday Morning

[violentenvies]

[Monday morning, once again promptly at 8am, Salieri will be knocking on the door again.]

[tailor_made]

Good morning, Monsieur~! [Hester's voice sing-songs from behind the door. There's a momentary pause and, before he can open the door himself, she opens it for him. She looks genuinely pleased to see him this morning, even holding a fancy-looking black and white tea cup on a saucer in her free hand. It's steaming gently.]

I recognized your knock so I went ahead and poured you a cup of tea.

[disharmonizes]

[So, the motive announcement happened and that was... something. Discord wasn't going to visit the office. Mostly he's been going with the assumption that the pictures they got were very fake. And why even dignify it by complaining about it to anyone?

...Yeah, Wednesday he's settled away from denial and more into seething rage. And now, here he is, with a not at all pleased smile on his face.]

Got a minute?

[tailor_made]

[Hester looks up from her laptop when Discord enters and immediately her smile falters when she sees his face. She clears her throat a little, straightening her posture to try and hide the fact that she maybe might be a little nervous. It's fine, everything's fine.]

I always do.

[barberic]

[Benjamin tries to peer in the glass window for a moment before pushing the door open.]

Hello?

[tailor_made]

[Through the glass window he'll see Hester seated at her desk, typing away at a little pink laptop on her desk. Not that he knows what a laptop is but y'know. She looks up when he pushes open the door and gives him a sweet smile.]

Hello, Mr. Barker. What can I do for you?

Wednesday Morning

[employeeoftheyear]

[Hey Hester, at 8 am sharp there's gonna be an annoyingly constant knock on your door!]

[tailor_made]

[Oh! Well, that's certainly a new knock but she has a good feeling who it might be.]

Come in! It's unlocked.

Thursday AM

[brokeforgood]

[Farah's much less enthused when she waltzes in on Thursday morning-- In fact, she doesn't even try and look for Hester, her gaze locked on the tips of her braids, as she searches for split ends.]

Hey, H!

[tailor_made]

Farrah, good morning! [Hester chirps from...across the room? She's still behind her desk but looks like she's in the middle of hanging some kind of framed poster on the back wall of her office. Her back is to Farrah but it's still noticeable that she sounds...less authentically upbeat than usual, even a bit strained.]

Do you want some tea? It's still hot and I have honey and oat milk and sugar- or I can probably find some coffee if you'd prefer that. Or I can get some ice and make it iced tea. Or iced coffee. Hot water with lemon?

Week 2, Thursday Evening

[sugarlumps]

Heeeeeey Hessie.

[LSP is making her presence known in one of the fancier dresses to be scavenged from the costume shop, and a pair of long red opera gloves she got out of the vending machine, because this is going to take every advantage she can get and we're so sorry about that.]

I know we got off on the wrong foot so I thought I'd stop by and- hup- oof-

[She is boosting herself up to sit on the desktop.]

-talk.

[tailor_made]

[Hester just blinks, very slowly, and carefully starts to pull a few pieces of paper from under LSP's butt.]

Um...of course, LSP. What did you want to talk about?

[ [lucrecia voice] this is the nightmare scenario ]

Wednesday later afternoonish, post cryptid-club

[violentenvies]

[knock knock, Hester]

[tailor_made]

It's open, monsieur~! [Per usual, Hester knows his particular knock.]

Backdated to like. Thursday probably

[mayavericks]

[Yes, she's already been here. Yes, she's already tried this. But uh... Here's Maya again. She's taken a little more care to come dressed nicely. LSP said she was going to be handling the flirting but, look... Maya doesn't like to lose.

Besides, she told Benjamin she'd ask another question.]

Hester-san. May I bother you again?

[tailor_made]

Mmhm? Sure, Maya.

[Hester closes her little pink laptop, turning in her chair to look at her. Her eyebrows rise a little when she sees the change in Maya's dress, immediately having vivid flashbacks to her meeting with LSP but she still smiles in greeting.

As for the office itself Maya will immediately notice a new poster hanging on the wall behind Hester!]

Post Trial, mid-afternoon

[violentenvies]

[sometime between fixing his make up with Farrah, comforting Varian, and pulling the ale out for the party, Salieri will make his way to the office. Once again, he knocks on the door]

[tailor_made]

[For once Hester doesn't answer his knocking right away. There's a long pause before he hears Hester call out in a surprisingly even tone:]

Come in, monsieur.

Week 3 Sunday afternoon

[employeeoftheyear]

[Hey Hester enjoying a nice Sunday moping? Well too bad because suddenly Spongebob is gonna burst into her office with no regard for privacy.]

HeyHesterdoyouhaveatapeofmyshow?

[That sure... is a string of words he just said.]

[tailor_made]

[As it so happens, Spongebob busts in on Hester staring intently at her laptop screen looking very much like she's reading something. Her focus is completely broken with his sudden appearance and she yelps in surprise, slamming her computer as quickly as she can.

She turns to look at him with wide-eyed surprise and her cheeks slightly pink.]

S-Spongebob! Uh- do I have a what now?

Week 2

[mcfife]

Hester! First thing:

[He holds up two lizards.]

Can the lizards survive in the wilds of this land?

[tailor_made]

[Blink blink.]

I...don't think so? I don't really know a lot about lizards unfortunately. [Oh god, do they have lizard food anywhere? What do lizards eat? She should ask the Wizard. Does the Wizard know about lizards?]

...Oh! "The Lizard and I", now that makes sense.

[whatyouwant]

[Elle slides into the office right before closing on Monday, a tiny dog tucked under her arm.]

Hi I don't think we've had the chance to talk yet. I'm Elle Woods. [She sticks out the hand not holding a dog for a shake.]

[tailor_made]

Elle! [The moment Elle walks through the door Hester's attention is on her. She snaps shut her little pink laptop and jumps to her feet to reach over her desk to take Elle's extended hand in both of hers.] It's so nice to finally talk to you face to face-

And Bruiser too! I must've missed when he popped out.

week three; monday

[howtheworldwas]

[ Look who’s back bright and early on a Monday morning! This time, Eurydice doesn’t bother with pleasantries. Instead, she marches right up to the desk, determined, and immediately starts with: ]

Tell me how to keep him safe.

[tailor_made]

[Hester, who's in the middle of pouring one of two cups of tea, blinks in surprise but it doesn't take her more than a few seconds to sus out what she means.]

My first suggestion would be a buddy system. Or a couple system in your case.

[mayavericks]

[Between how their time in the dance studio ended, and the motive today, Maya thinks it best to check on Hester. Subtly, of course.

If Hester's watching any cameras, she'll probably see Maya making muffins and making sure to hand them out to everyone. Only... she's somehow ended up with an extra? That certainly won't do. Guess she'll just have to go out of her way to the Principal's office with said muffin, just a little after lunch hours.]

Hester-san, do you have a moment?

[tailor_made]

[Hester is in her usual place behind her desk, chin resting on her hand while she watches something play on her laptop. She turns her head when Maya enters and gives her a light smile. At a glance she seems completely back to normal from Sunday.]

For you? Always.