breakinglight11 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
breakinglight11) wrote2024-08-13 03:39 pm
breakinglight11) wrote2024-08-13 03:39 pm
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31 Plays in 31 Days, #13 - “A Fair Word”
This continues directly where yesterday's #12 - “Scrubbing” left off. I feel like there is something to this interaction, but this version is too cursory and moves too quickly over the ideas. But I’m confident that with some editing, this could be a really meaningful moment.
I really like the idea that Mary is graduating into the mentor position after the whole big journey she's been on.
Photos by Jacob LaRocca
Day #13 - “A Fair Word”
From Mrs Hawking part 8
By Phoebe Roberts
London, 1892
MARY SWANN, former apprentice, now society avenger, early thirties
BEATRICE HAWKING, current apprentice, mid teens
~~~
BEATRICE: Mrs. Swann… may I ask you something?
MARY: Of course.
BEATRICE: When you were learning with Mrs. Hawking… what was it like?
(Pause.)
MARY: What do you mean?
BEATRICE: When you were her apprentice. Was she… when you did well, did she tell you so? Or did she only say when you did poorly?
MARY: Ah. I see. Not only then… but I remember how hard it was to get a fair word from her.
BEATRICE: You do? Then, however did you come to impress her?
MARY: Sometimes I’m not sure that I ever did.
BEATRICE: Oh, but you did! She talks about it all the time.
MARY: Indeed? Ah, of course. Now she can, now that I’m gone.
BEATRICE: She’s never said anything to me like that.
MARY: Oh, my dear. She wouldn’t trouble with you if she didn’t see the talent in you. But she’s very hard on people.
BEATRICE: And she was hard on you?
MARY: She was. Someone tried to warn me, once. Just how hard she could be. I hadn’t wanted to believe it but… it was hard enough that, after a time, I couldn’t bear it.
BEATRICE: Oh. That’s… that’s so sad. I didn’t know.
MARY: There’s no reason you would. I don’t mean to— fright you off, or make trouble between you. But you asked, and… I can’t lie. She was very hard.
BEATRICE: I understand, ma’am. Only I’m sorry. That it was so bad for you.
MARY: That what was so bad?
BEATRICE: Your time with Auntie.
(Pause.)
MARY: Dear girl. It was the best thing that ever happened to me.
BEATRICE: It was?
MARY: Everything I learned, everything I became… it gave me my work, my life. Myself. I wouldn’t trade that for anything. And… I love her. I love her still, even now.
(Pause.)
BEATRICE: Then… why won’t you see her? If you care so much for each other?
MARY: Because those are the people who can hurt you the most. And I don’t know if I can do it again.
I really like the idea that Mary is graduating into the mentor position after the whole big journey she's been on.
Photos by Jacob LaRocca
Day #13 - “A Fair Word”
From Mrs Hawking part 8
By Phoebe Roberts
London, 1892
MARY SWANN, former apprentice, now society avenger, early thirties
BEATRICE HAWKING, current apprentice, mid teens
~~~
BEATRICE: Mrs. Swann… may I ask you something?
MARY: Of course.
BEATRICE: When you were learning with Mrs. Hawking… what was it like?
(Pause.)
MARY: What do you mean?
BEATRICE: When you were her apprentice. Was she… when you did well, did she tell you so? Or did she only say when you did poorly?
MARY: Ah. I see. Not only then… but I remember how hard it was to get a fair word from her.
BEATRICE: You do? Then, however did you come to impress her?
MARY: Sometimes I’m not sure that I ever did.
BEATRICE: Oh, but you did! She talks about it all the time.
MARY: Indeed? Ah, of course. Now she can, now that I’m gone.
BEATRICE: She’s never said anything to me like that.
MARY: Oh, my dear. She wouldn’t trouble with you if she didn’t see the talent in you. But she’s very hard on people.
BEATRICE: And she was hard on you?
MARY: She was. Someone tried to warn me, once. Just how hard she could be. I hadn’t wanted to believe it but… it was hard enough that, after a time, I couldn’t bear it.
BEATRICE: Oh. That’s… that’s so sad. I didn’t know.
MARY: There’s no reason you would. I don’t mean to— fright you off, or make trouble between you. But you asked, and… I can’t lie. She was very hard.
BEATRICE: I understand, ma’am. Only I’m sorry. That it was so bad for you.
MARY: That what was so bad?
BEATRICE: Your time with Auntie.
(Pause.)
MARY: Dear girl. It was the best thing that ever happened to me.
BEATRICE: It was?
MARY: Everything I learned, everything I became… it gave me my work, my life. Myself. I wouldn’t trade that for anything. And… I love her. I love her still, even now.
(Pause.)
BEATRICE: Then… why won’t you see her? If you care so much for each other?
MARY: Because those are the people who can hurt you the most. And I don’t know if I can do it again.