Oh no– had she said something wrong? For a moment panic welled up in Ida’s chest, she knew she shouldn’t have gone so carried away daydreaming about research… that is, until she heard what it was that changed Professor’s expression.
A small giggle escaped Ida once she realized what this was all about. She looked down, covering her mouth to muffle any more tittering. Oh, so it was girls crying that stressed Professor Foxwood in this way. Noted. His discomposed reaction to it was equal parts unexpected, and hilarious.
“Ah, I’m not trying to make any face,” she admonished, as she tried in vain to restrain a new round of laughter and shrank further into her seat because the laughter now threatened fresh tears to spill. Ida hadn’t expected their conversation to take the course it did when she came into his office this afternoon, and she couldn’t be happier that it had.
“It’s–it’s fine, I’m fine,” she tried to explain, hastily taking the handkerchief he extended her way. Ida used it to dab at her eyes and momentarily cover her face to keep her shock-tears-turned-joyful-cackles in check. Only hearing his voice again helped her shove away the laughter, mind still a touch delirious in its happiness around what the implications of this offer meant for her future. Perhaps in any other context, Ida would have felt present enough to pick up and dwelled around a statement like the one Foxwood made - the deep affection that he had for her, so earnestly stated. But as it was, Ida skipped right over that sentiment and any of its prospective implications. Instead she considered herself deeply flattered that he appreciated her intellect. Thought of her as an equal, even. If she can just stay on track with her advanced studies.
“Well in that case. I will be available to help you for the foreseeable future,” Ida stated resolutely, face decidedly more chipper as she delicately folded up the handkerchief on the desk in front of her. Crying to him was only a smidge mortifying. But worth it, since it helped clear the slate and put at ease much of her first major stressor. Contending with her family – that was the next hurdle, and one that felt much more feasible to tackle on her own. It even granted her with enough optimism to level him a cheeky grin. “At least until I can break off and do my own thing. I’ll be sure to include you in my acknowledgements with my first book, too. You just wait.”
A small giggle escaped Ida once she realized what this was all about. She looked down, covering her mouth to muffle any more tittering. Oh, so it was girls crying that stressed Professor Foxwood in this way. Noted. His discomposed reaction to it was equal parts unexpected, and hilarious.
“Ah, I’m not trying to make any face,” she admonished, as she tried in vain to restrain a new round of laughter and shrank further into her seat because the laughter now threatened fresh tears to spill. Ida hadn’t expected their conversation to take the course it did when she came into his office this afternoon, and she couldn’t be happier that it had.
“It’s–it’s fine, I’m fine,” she tried to explain, hastily taking the handkerchief he extended her way. Ida used it to dab at her eyes and momentarily cover her face to keep her shock-tears-turned-joyful-cackles in check. Only hearing his voice again helped her shove away the laughter, mind still a touch delirious in its happiness around what the implications of this offer meant for her future. Perhaps in any other context, Ida would have felt present enough to pick up and dwelled around a statement like the one Foxwood made - the deep affection that he had for her, so earnestly stated. But as it was, Ida skipped right over that sentiment and any of its prospective implications. Instead she considered herself deeply flattered that he appreciated her intellect. Thought of her as an equal, even. If she can just stay on track with her advanced studies.
“Well in that case. I will be available to help you for the foreseeable future,” Ida stated resolutely, face decidedly more chipper as she delicately folded up the handkerchief on the desk in front of her. Crying to him was only a smidge mortifying. But worth it, since it helped clear the slate and put at ease much of her first major stressor. Contending with her family – that was the next hurdle, and one that felt much more feasible to tackle on her own. It even granted her with enough optimism to level him a cheeky grin. “At least until I can break off and do my own thing. I’ll be sure to include you in my acknowledgements with my first book, too. You just wait.”
![[Image: 5jMCu3I.png]](https://i.imgur.com/5jMCu3I.png)
stefanie made this beautiful set <3