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

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.

[stopbelieving]

[Will shifts his weight for a moment like he expects - but no, no. She isn't Rachel, so it's not...it's better this way. Just focus on the matter at hand. Don't think about it.

Still, he smiles.]

Of course. I won't let anything happen to you, Hester.

[And he means it. He does. This isn't going to turn out like last time.]

Are you going to be okay doing office hours? They shouldn't try anything else, not after that. Even the Balladeer told them as much.

[tailor_made]

I know. I trust you.

[And she does. More than anyone else she's ever met. He'd taken her in, showed her things she couldn't even have dreamed and how broken everything had become- and he'd asked her to help him fix it! Her, little Hester who'd had no one for so long suddenly has the most powerful man in the universe taking her under his wing.

How could she not trust him?]

I'm...a little nervous about it. I know it should be fine but they were all so angry and I wasn't sure how to answer some of their questions and... [She trails off, anxiously fiddling with her necklace.] I'm so afraid of messing it all up.

[stopbelieving]

[Will smiles.]

You won't mess it up.

[At least this time, he can be confident about that much.

It shouldn't really matter, but some things just come naturally even after all this time - he goes on:]

Tell me if they say anything like that to you during office hours. I know they're upset, but this still needs to happen. You don't have to tolerate that kind of behavior.