fracturedrp | Winter Wonderland

When: Master's Wardrobe Plot
Where: The Manor and perhaps eventually Farlorn
Who: Esther

iamnotbrokenyet

Esther was finding that the novelty of the past was wearing thin quicker than she'd hoped, but she was never one to complain. She sucked it up and kept a smile on her face despite the fact the Manor was getting less and less crowded and she was sort of lonely. She didn't think anything of it, there was just a wedding and people were probably off celebrating. That's what this trip was supposed to be about, after all. So what if she hardly knew any of the people she was on vacation with?

Esther found some treats and poured some lemonade from those strange taps and when up to the kid's room. She hadn't seen Jack's little brother since she'd found him, and she was worried about how he was adjusting. She clicked the translator on so they could understand one another and stepped inside the room.

"Hey. You hungry?" Esther asked sweetly, nodding to the tray of food.

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Gray looked up from the large sheet of paper he'd been color on as Esther came in and as she asked if he was hungry he looked at the tray before nodding shyly. "Yes, please?"

The boy was still very much quiet and jumpy but his wounds had slowly started to heal. There was still bruises and cuts but they were fading and the boy's arm was properly cast. He still had a nagging cough but over all the boy looked better, healthier.

She comes a bit closer, setting the tray near him. "What are you drawing?" Esther sits down next to Gray, inspecting him carefully will trying to look like she's not doing that.

"Big brother." He answers quietly, not really focusing on her but the food. She'd have to check his pockets later cause he'd probably squirrel some away when she wasn't looking. "He's all grown up now."

Esther looks down at Gray's drawing and smiles. "It looks just like him." Actually, for how old Gray is, it really is a great likeness. Her nieces couldn't draw that well when they were Gray's age.

She nods to the treats. "Go ahead. I think your brother's Doctor friend packed way too much food."

Esther nods. "Jack is wonderful." She says as her smiles grows. "He kept me safe during a really scary time of my life." Esther doesn't realize until after she says that how it may come off as bragging. "And he's going to keep you safe, too. I know he will."

"I like drawing." Gray murmurs. "It was one thing I could do and hide.."

He moves closer to the tray and takes several thing, when Esther isn't looking some of it goes to various pockets as he nibbles slowly. He's curled up as if afraid someone will take it. "Big brother is a good protector....I'm just clumsy." He bowed his head, closing his eyes tightly against the torrent of insults that released from memories.

Esther makes it a point not to look, she wants to give the boy his space but also doesn't want him to hide away forever. "I like to read when I need to hide." She says with a small smile. Sure, she used to read for a living, but she doesn't mean blogs.

"I'm clumsy, too." Esther's more than a little out of her depth here. She's dealt with neglected children, but Gray's situation is something she'd never seen before. "I got really hurt a few months ago and I was afraid and sure I was going to die." She absently rubs at the place she was shot. "But he helped me get back to myself again, just like he will for you."

"I wasn't allowed to read." Gray murmurs. "I could look at cook books but reading was forbidden cause we weren't suppose to be smart." His tone is soft but matter of fact as he nibbled. It just was what it was to him.

He looks up at Esther. "Big brother did that with me at home. Help me clean me up when I got hurt and helped mama put bandages on them."

"Then you'll have to learn how." Esther says with an encouraging smile. "You are allowed to do and be whatever you want here. Trust me, Jack makes sure of it."

"That's what family does." She moves a little closer to him and smiles as if they're both on the same page. Hopefully they are. "Rex was my family when my family fell apart. That was years ago but... now everyone here is my family, too." She tilts her head to look at him. "They're your family, too. We want you here, Gray. We want you to be happy."

He just shrugs a little. Gray wasn't going to ask. "I don't wanna bother anyone." He murmurs, stopping his furtive nibbles. "And everyone is busy.." As for doing whatever he wanted it made him nervous to think about and made his back burn in memory of the times he tried to act out.

He ducks his head when Esther said that they wanted him and wanted him to be happy. That he was with family but..."I'm scared." He admits. "I'm scared they'll come back...or that I'll wake up."

Esther frowns a bit at his reaction. "I can help you learn. I'm not sure I'm very good out there doing missions. The last time I did, it didn't end so well." She won't tell Gray she got shot, that she nearly died. He doesn't need to know that. "Jack will help. And there's a little girl here who's really smart. I bet you could study together."

She hopes this doesn't scare him. Esther reaches out and hugs Gray tightly, rocking him gently. "You're awake. I promise. We'll protect you." She mummers softly. "It's what we do, no matter what."

He glances away slightly. "Only if you don't think I'll get in the way of people." Gray murmurs. "But I'd like to learn." A lot.

Gray tenses at first but relaxes into the hug as the woman rocks him. "Thank you." He whispers. "Thank you. I'll try to remember."

"You won't. We want to help you." Esther smiles before she gathers him in her arms. "I'll remind you. Everyone needs to be reminded that they matter sometimes. Even grown ups like me."

The boy turns slightly to hug her back, silently basking in the maternal like attention as he made a soft agreeing sound.

((OoC: and done. I think these two should have another thread when I'm not so buried under others. They are adorables.)

Winter Wonderland

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