Who: Elizabeth and Margaery When: Beginning of Oct Where: Elizabeth and Sam's house What: Elizabeth comes clean to Margaery Rating/Warning: G / none Status: Complete
Elizabeth had decided to bite the bullet. She couldn’t put off telling Margaery any longer and had invited her round for some tea and an explanation. Placing the tray with the cups and a plate of biscuits down on the table in the front room, Elizabeth took a deep breath to prepare herself. Sam was right, three gift baskets was the point at which she needed to act.
Margaery was concerned for her professor. Whilst she didn’t mind teaching the classes, in fact she rather enjoyed it, she respected Professor Weir a lot and was worried that things were worse than she was saying. So armed with flowers she walked up to the door and knocked, waiting patiently for an answer.
Elizabeth looked to the door and closed her eyes to put her mental guards up before heading to the door. “Margaery,” she beamed at the girl as she opened the door. “Thank you for coming, please, come in,” she stepped to one side and gestured inside to the girl.
“Thank you for inviting me, I hope you are feeling a little better” Margaery said as she entered her professors home, “I bought these for you, I thought they might cheer you up a little, if you are feeling down”
“Oh thank you Margaery,” Elizabeth smiled and accepted the flowers from her. “Please, have a seat while I put these in some water", she indicated the couch and shut the front door. “I’m feeling a little better thank you,” she spoke louder across the open plan kitchen as she sorted out the flowers and poured the boiling water in the teapot, bringing both over with her as she came to join Margaery in the front room. “I do have something I need to admit to you though,” she grimaced a little as she set them down on the table and sat on the couch.
A miriad of things ran through Margaerys mind everything from terminal illness, to moving, to quitting and none of them were anything she wanted to hear. Were anything to happen to her tutor she would be most upset, she held her in very high regard. "I'm glad you're feeling better" she said politely as she sat and waited to be told.
"Thanks, so um, I guess I should just tell you," Elizabeth gave a nervous little laugh then folded her hands together in her lap to stop her fidgetting. "Now, please remember I'm the same person and I would never harm you, so I hope you won't...freak out when I tell you this," Elizabeth watched the girl carefully. "Do you remember those meteorites that landed a few weeks ago?"
Margaery listened closely, "I will try my best not to" she said before nodding in answer to the question, "I remember" how could she not, talking animals and killer plants.
“Right, well, a number of people developed powers from those rocks, myself included,” Elizabeth told her. “Most people’s faded away after the rocks were removed, but my...’power’ seems to have become more of a permanent fixture,” she explained. “I’ve been off work so much because I’ve been trying to learn how to cope with it.”
Margaery’s gaze ran over her professor, “You look okay, Professor Weir” she said, “What power did you develop?” Maybe she could talk to animals too, but then why would she be off school for so long?
“I uh...I became telepathic,” Elizabeth told her anxiously. After a few of her fellow members of staff had run practically screaming in the other direction she had found it harder and harder to tell people. She wasn’t malicious with her power, she just couldn’t control it completely yet.
That was not what Margaery had been expecting to hear, she was surprised and slightly skeptical but she didn't run screaming. "Right" she nodded slowly, "You can read my mind?" just for clarification.
“Yeah, not really in any useful way yet, like I said I’m still learning, but I’m really starting to get the hang of controlling it,” Elizabeth explained. “Blocking people out, focussing on a single voice in a crowd, showing other people my thoughts,” she quirked a little smile as she remembered her encounter with Leonard the other night.
"I believe I understand why you have been off now" Margaery said, "A room full of students would not have been fun for you"
“No, crowds have been a particular challenge,” Elizabeth grimaced a little. “I’ve been building myself up, from small groups to being out and about, but it takes a lot of energy and if I slip up in that kind of situation...it’s so easy for the voices to come in and harder to shut them out,” she looked up at Margaery. “I’m not sure if I’ve explained it very well,” she apologised.
"I believe I understand" Margaery replied, "I imagine it is like being in a crowded room with everybody talking, it would be hard to teach or focus in that situation"
“Exactly,” Elizabeth let out a relieved sigh and leant forward to pour the tea. “How do you take your tea again Margaery?”
“Usually little milk and no sugar but maybe one sugar might be a good idea right now” she smiled, “My goodness, I cannot believe it”
Elizabeth laughed at that, sugar was probably a good idea. "So, what do you think? You're not...scared of me, are you?" she asked, handing over the cup to her.
“Scared of you?” Margaery queried taking the cup with a smile of thanks, “Of course not. A little worried you may overhear something I think which could be embarrassing but unless this ‘power’ has changed your personality you are still a good person. I cannot believe you would ever purposely use it against someone”
"I wouldn't," Elizabeth relaxed a little. "It's still a little...wild," she said with a hint of a smile. "But I think I'm really making progress in controlling it now. I'm coming back to teach next week, but I could still do with your help if that's ok?"
Margaery nodded, “Of course Professor. Anything I can do please just ask. If things become too much let me know as well. I do not want you to put yourself under undue pressure”
“Thank you Margaery,” Elizabeth smiled. “Your support means a great deal to me. I was hoping that, if I start to struggle in a lesson, probably in the afternoons as that’s when I get tired and it gets hard to keep control, you could step in and finish the lesson. Only until my stamina builds up after a week or so I imagine, would that be alright?”
“I can do that” she agreed, “I think they are getting used to me now” she smiled, “I think I am getting a reputation as being a bit strict” much like Elizabeth herself, though it was rarely said in complaint.
“Rather too strict than not in my opinion,” Elizabeth grinned. “At least that way you don’t tend to get as many people acting out,” she told her, taking a sip of her tea. “This is only as a contingency, I want to try it out anyway and see how I do, but I didn’t want you to be caught unawares.”
“Precisely, I thought that would be what you’d want Professor” Margaery nodded, “Like I say it is not a problem. I am still being eased in gently with my law classes so I am not yet feeling overloaded” Post-Christmas however and she felt that may change.
“That’s great, thank you Margaery, you are an absolute star!” Elizabeth complimented. “Speaking of which, I got you a present,” she got up from the couch and put her tea back on the tray before heading over to her desk to pick up a wrapped gift. She handed it over to her as she came back to the couch. “I’m a little biased, but I think it could be an avenue you would do well in. Knowing multiple languages is always a help,” she shrugged.
“Oh my, thank you. You did not have to do that you know” she said, taking the gift with a grateful smile. She opened it and smiled as she saw what Elizabeth meant, “It is wonderful, and thank you for the vote of confidence”
“It’s nothing compared to all the hard work you’ve put in on my behalf,” Elizabeth smiled, and it was true, she wasn’t sure she could ever repay the other woman adequately. “You’ll always have me as a backer, Margaery, you’re hard-working, dedicated and enthusiastic. All I ask is that you give it a read and see what you think. It would be a good use of all your talents,” she smiled gently.
“Oh I will, I promise. And thank you for trusting me to handle things for you. It really does mean a lot” Margaery said, she had thought she knew the direction she wanted to go in but maybe Elizabeth was right. At the very least it was something to consider.
“You are most welcome,” Elizabeth replied, picking up her cup of tea before sitting back on the couch. “So, tell me what’s been happening in my class lately…”