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

[musacal]

[ ...aw shit.

Nana goes completely still, waiting to see if Hester comes closer or not before deciding if she has to bolt. Maybe she won't have to if she doesn't move! ]

[tailor_made]

[Hester takes a few cautious steps toward the bleachers. She's not sure if she really did see anything but it's only Wednesday.]

Hello...? Anyone there?

[musacal]

[ She could just. Pretend to be an inanimate mascot suit left outside. But that feels risky in its own way...

So she looks for an opening and then...

Bolts towards and into the corn field. ]

[tailor_made]

Wait-! [Is...is that a mascot suit? She knows she's not hallucinating so she's just going to book it after her into the corn.]

Hey! Hey, it's just me!

[musacal]

[ She keeps running, disappearing into the corn. Hopefully she can lose her in here--

But eventually she comes up to a little clearing where a scare crow once stood upright and finds herself overcome with the intensity of the bad vibes here. She stops completely in her tracks.

When the light is running low
And the shadows start to grow...

Man sometimes your boss' narrator powers rubbing off on you kinda sucks. ]

[tailor_made]

[Hester doesn't know the corn field, she's never actually been out here, but navigating it comes with a strange ease. Maybe because massive groundhogs running through corn leave a trail but still.

She skids to a stop in the clearing, staring down the Gershwin Groundhog as the sky gets darker and darker.]

...Farrah? [Because who else would put on a stupid mascot costume and take her on a chase through corn?]

[musacal]

[ Shit. Well now she's fucked up.

Maybe there's some saving this still though. She did want to learn more about Hester. And if she's really being used by the Wizard. ]

...Not exactly.

[ She turns and looks at her. ]

Hester-san, right?

[tailor_made]

[Hester stares, wide-eyed and slackjawed for a long few seconds before she can respond. She doesn't know who this is but something inside her twists uncomfortably, like she should.]

...Yeah. That's me. Who are- [Banana.] Are you Nana Daiba?

[musacal]

[ She doesn't reply right away, but she looks back towards the direction of the school. ]

...Is he watching right now?

I've wanted to talk to you for a while now. But not if he's watching. Not if he finds out I'm here or tries to get rid of me.

cw: slightly finger injury

[tailor_made]

...No. I told him to go to bed so he's asleep. I made sure before I came outside, I didn't want him to see... [She looks down at her hands, filthy and just a little bloody.] ...What you apparently saw.

[musacal]

[ She looks down at those hands for a moment... and then lifts the mascot head off so Hester can actually see her. ]

Then yes. I am Nana Daiba.

...Are you all right?

[tailor_made]

[Hester is, once again, stunned silent before she can answer.]

I'm fi- [She looks down at her clothes and hands again, caked in dirt, and swallows.] ...I don't know.

[musacal]

[ Nana walks closer to her and gently moves to take Hester’s hand in hers so she can look at them better which… looks INCREDIBLY silly with the mascot hands but hey. ]

What… what were you even doing out there? I heard you talking to the rock but…

[tailor_made]

[Hester allows it, uncurling her hands to let Nana seen the extent of the damage. It's not especially bad, though her nails and fingertips look like they should hurt like hell. She doesn't seem bothered, at least not by pain.]

...I wanted answers. And I stupidly thought they might be under that stupid rock with those stupid roses that randomly showed up.