| Details for Lowe Weight |
| Summary: | After missing dinner again Esther is brought some dinner and bribed rather cleverly to not continue this unhealthy string of behavior. |
| Date: | November 28th 1938 |
| Location: | Slytherin Common Room |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
    |
Esther has skipped dinner again. It's an unfortunate habit - But she's aware that while Alphard isn't here, it's a good chance to be able to rest and think. Her robe is off, folded on the floor beside where she sits on the couch. It leaves her underweight form in a thin blouse, long skirt, holding a framed mirror high up, while she peers into it. Her wand is tucked into her skirt, while she wonders just what she could do to make this mirror into the perfect gift. The sleeve of her blouse has ridden up, leaving the perfect bruise imprint of Alphard's hand visible. It might be familiar, should he wander in.
Exhaustion from a long and active day had muted Alphard's usual overpowering aura of selt entitled arrogance and superiority. In other words, the recipy for making him less obnoxious was to plain wear him out. He trudged rather than strode like a king through his realm, trying hard to stifle a yawn with his knuckles. His shirt was untucked and a bit rumpled; a combination that was rare to extreme to witness on him. He liked to be tidy.
"Cousin," it too was yawned out in greeting. He glanced at what she was doing. "Hurt yourself?" Had he done that? It didnt' seem like he was making the connection at all.
Only one person lays claim to royalty in Slytherin house. "A petty misunderstanding. I hope that it will be resolved eventually; Arguments besides." Esther tilts her head to the side a little bit, looking at him. "Not like you to look untidy, Dearest Cousin. Don't tell me that rigid Black personal regime is suffering from exhaustion. While I'll happily aid your causes, I'm neither mother nor wife enough to tuck your shirt in." Her mirror is lowered, placed atop of her cloak. "Anything on your mind?"
Soleil is just returning from the usual after dinner walk around with Gerald. She's in full winter wear and she as usual as well looks in a rather good mood after the walk. A Slytherin spirit knitted glove is waved to her Housemates as she heads for the girl's dorm. "Evening, my friends." Though she does slow when she overhears Alphard's question. "I've got some bruise balm…" She reaches into her robes and pulls out an ointment jar of her family produced bruise balm and gives it a slow wag in offering arm extended out towards Esther.
"Careful with those. Can get out of hand if you let them." Again Alphard yawned, and again there was absolutely no sign of him being aware of the fact he was self-referencing. "Hrm?" His eyes flowed down the front of him, taking in his state. It wasn't exactly an unusual state to find a student in, this late in the day. Even so, he grimaced. "Nothing at all. And thank Merlin on all those accounts." Of her not being neither wife nor mother.
"Hey Sunny." She got a friendly bob of his head as he went to the closest couch and FLOPPED. His limbs went everywhere, like the archtypical teenage boy he was. "You know it's a bit weird to carry that stuff around with you everywhere, don't you?" But he was bemused rather than malicious in his little tease.
"Indeed. Heaven forbid someone love you." Esther offers by way of teasing - Of course, bruise balm gets her attention, and she shoots Alphard a smirk. "I'd ask my dear cousin to apply it… But I couldn't allow a man with an untucked shirt within a few meters. But if you'd be so kind, Soleil?" She's not familiar enough to apply shorthands, but she's never so distant to use a last name. "Weird, perhaps. Eerily useful as well. Would you be so offended if I were to carry an iron?" She's really teasing. Perhaps she's in a good mood. Or she's baiting him again.
Sunny gives Alphard a playful if dry sneer. "I don't hear you complain when it saves you from a trip to Spleen after a practice or game." She all but pokes her tongue out at him, but it's there in her tone. She slides to sit on the arm of Esther's chair and she spins open the jar. "It's only a little jar. It's not like I pulled out some vat of the stuff. Always good to be prepared. Especially with all my housemates getting banged up. They really should stop it." As she gently rubs the balm into the bruise she is looking right at Alphard as she comments about stopping it.
It is about then that Tom Riddle makes his entrance and he's got with him a plate covered in a linen napkin. "It is a shame to see so much trouble going on between members of our own house. We are the luckiest of houses because we all belong in Slytherin." He must mean 'we are all Pure-Bloods'. "We are lucky in that we don't… or at least shouldn't have to weed out those that don't belong. We should stand united. Lift up the more troubled in our ranks and help them to become their best. Not beat them down." That bit of wisdom from the future Dark Lord is punctuated by settling the plate down before Esther. "Miss Lowe. This is the last time I will bring you food. I will not eat the next time you do not. If you forget to eat, you will be condemning a growing gentleman such as myself to miss a meal as well." His look at her says it all 'we wouldn't want that now would we?
"I get lots of love! Sunny here's full of it. Look at her. She's.. well, that's some sort of loving expression I'm sure!" Every other word contained a yawn, or suffered from him being in the process of stifling one. It even bled into his chuckles. "Depends. Would you use it to clob people over the head with, or just straighten their shirts? Mind, there's plenty of people in need of both here at Hogwarts."
"Well, Riddle, aren't you an inspiration." Again he chuckle-yawned-chuckled, wryly bemused.
Esther isn't gloating. "It would seem she's patching my wounds, not your style." But, aside from a brief moment of shock when the ointment is touched to her bruise, she watches Alphard. The cause of her misfortune. "I'm sure that we'll find a way through any conflict. After all, we have Alphard - All the protection a girl could need." Of course, the real protector of Esther emerges, complete with dinner. "I… Tom, you are too kind." She slowly sits up, and gestures to the end of the couch for the boy to sit. "I'm sorry, I was caught up with a gift." She gestures to the mirror, but she reaches out to gently ruffle his hair with her un-healing hand. "I promise, I won't deny you dinner tomorrow."
Sunny gets cheeky and blows a kiss over to Alphard. But it's ever so sarcastic. She eyeballs the little Snake Guru as a twelve year old talks about House Spirit and unity. She gives the older kids a bit of a 'this kid for real?' expression but she does also look impressed when she gives Riddle a smile. "There you are darling." She pats Esther's hand far below the injury. "I'll rub some more before breakfast tomorrow. That should remove any remnants." The jar is then wagged in Alphard's direction, "Need any for your Ego, darling?" Saccharine sweet smile accompanies the half playful, half not barb.
Riddle sits down besides Esther and he lifts the napkin and then lays the things clean side down over Esther's lap before he slides to sit back on the couch. One leg lifting so an ankle rests on his other knee. "I do hope you like the lavender honey glazed chicken, a spot of prime rib, mash, and some bubble and squeak. A little slice of spotted dick for dessert."
"Don't you just know it, cousin dearest," Alphard told Esther with a smirk. He let his lean frame stretch with a lazy ripple of motion, like a big old feline getting comfortable. "UGggggh.. Darn but I'm bloody worn to bits. I think I'm going to head to bed." It took an inordinate amount of effort to eek himself inch by inch out of the deep couch, until he was finally on his feet again.
To Soleil he murmured: "When all else has failed, Sunny, you can always just try to kiss it better. Isn't that so?" As for his opinion of Riddle's 'inspired' speech, he just shrugged. What could you do with kids? As long it was all directed towards Slytherin and purebloods, he wasn't going to mock it. Much, anyway, because he did add: "Feel free to come by with refreshing drinks at our next Quidditch practice, pal. Nothing quite builds Slytherin spirit and pride like winning a match, eh?"
Esther offers Sunny a radiant smile, "You're too wonderful for words, Soleil. Thank you." She's even set up with a napkin, and then confronted with a plate that's literally full. She teases back at Tom, "So as punishment, I must eat until I explode. Hmn." She takes her wand, points it at the table and murmurs. "Accio cutlery." Knife. Fork. A spoon that she hadn't asked for but got anyway. "Thank you, Tom. I don't suppose you'll offer me a little help? I'd ask my eternally hungry cousin, but it seems like he needs to sleep." A pause. "Goodnight, by the way."
Sunny smirks at Alphard, "I would but you would only get more bruised up in the end for it." That's her way of saying, 'Not a chance.' with a bit of 'My boyfriend would kick your arse even if I did'. "Good night Alphie. Sweet dreams." It's said genuinely and she wiggles her balmy fingers at him. At the big reveal she ooos and reaches over to nab Esther's spoon so that she can get a bite of everything. "My cost for my medical services." She winks at Ether and then takes the heaping spoon towards the dorms. But not before leaning over to kiss the top of Esther's head. Esther she'll give a 'kiss all better too' with a taunting look at Alphard as she does. The taunting look ends in a bit of a glare. She doesn't /know/ that the bruise she's tended is from him. She just knows it's a good possibility.
Tom hmms and then politely shakes his head, "I am afraid that I have eaten til sated Miss Lowe. But yes, please eat. If I had known you were bruised I would have gotten a rarer section of the prime rib." The quaint muggle raised boy shows a bit of those colors in his knowledge of the steak on a bruise muggle remedy. "I can ask Calig to bring you something cold to lay over it? It doesn't hurt does it?" He then offers her a genteel smile and a subject change, "What gift was keeping you so distracted from me?"
"Goodnight." It was a friendly enough farwell, with a lazy handwave that took in all of the Slytherins present.
Esther looks relieved that a part of her meal is gone. The kiss upon her head has her chuckle with delight, and a wave is given to Alphard as he goes to bed. "Goodnight, Soleil." She speaks, before she's left alone with Tom - The young, introspective Slytherin so cute she just wants to cuddle him. "Please, Tom. Call me Esther. I received a small injury during a negotiation earlier… But I got what I wanted." A reaction. Esther gestures to her mirror, for a gift. "I… I had heard tell of a mirror that would show the viewer what they wanted to see… And I couldn't help but wonder if the magic behind it were so difficult."
Riddle would probably melt away into a pool of something if cuddled with. Like splashing water on the wicked witch of the west. While he's not so proper as to come across aloof. There is that thick fortress of propriety around him that he's erected since coming to Hogwarts. Fortress complete with warning signs 'No Trespassing' 'Beware of Crup!', etc. All metaphorically hovering around him so thick in the air it's almost tangible. But those walls don't keep him from being charismatic and charming towards his Housemates. "The Mirror of Erised, I believe? Intriguing bit of magic, indeed. If I remember correctly it is a one of a kind relic. So that probably is quite advanced enchanting. Or there would be more than one if it was easy."
"Erised is a special case." Esther muses, deconstructing it in her head. "It… It shows you what your hearts deepest desire. I don't care to reveal to someone what they truly want, nor rule their soul. I want to show someone what they want to see, when they look within." The wild-haired girl smiles. "Would be that I could give the whole mirror to this friend.. But I'm afraid I'd never see him again." She takes her knife and fork, and very slowly begins to cut, and lift foot to her mouth. Speaking, after her first mouthful. "Surely it would be possible to… Tone it down.
Riddle hmms and his elbows lift to rest on the couch arm and the back of the couch, his fingers steeple together and he rests his chin on top. "Perhaps there's some way for you to capture what ever is reflected and store it in the mirror. Then on command repeat that reflection? I'm not very certain, to my chagrin." He laments his inexperience. He is only 12 and that seems to frustrate him a touch.
"It couldn't work. This…" Esther smiles softly. "I want this to be a picture of me… Of what our family could look like." She struggles to find words. "But only for use by one person… I couldn't bear anyone else coming to see it." Tom becomes the second person to learn that Esther isn't as single as she might appear. She continues to eat slowly. "Don't feel down. Your knowledge, for where you are, is impressive.
Riddle gives a grateful bow of his head for her encouragement. To this new bit of information a bit of a change in his expression, one of enlightenment. A proverbial light bulb clicking on and shining bright above his head. "I know there is a way to enchant a piece of paper to reveal the drawing or writing only to the person that know the secret password. You are an artist. Why don't you draw that picture and enchant the painting. Then share with the person receiving the give the secret password?'
Esther is slowly but surely making her way through dinner, although she seems to be struggling with a 'fine young mans' portion. "I hadn't thought about that, actually…" She admits, not having that level of faith in her own painting. At least, not yet. "I might give it an attempt. That's a very clever solution, Tom."
Riddle bobs his head in gratitude humbly accepting it. "Thank you. It would perhaps be ever more sentimental that way as well. I would think. Something that is created by you, specifically for…him?" He doesn't really wait for affirmation. "I know that I would prefer something drawn by you over some bought mirror."
Esther eyes Tom with great curiousity, all while trying to force herself to finish off the plate. "You're startlingly good at this." She notes, "Him, yes." It's hard to wonder if that was confirming her sexuality or not. Esther's still young and impressionable afteer all. The wild-haired girl manages another mouthful, and then pulls a face at Tom. "I couldn't manage another bite; am I off the hook?"
Riddle once again gives her a slow but decisive nod. "Calig." He waves his friend over from the gobstone game he was playing with Niles and gestures to the plate. The rather…well fed…Rosier boy smiles gratefully and takes up the plate and returns to the gobstone game, one hand kept free to pick eat at the food. "It takes some time for a stomach to stretch out and be able to accommodate health portions. It was a few months before I was regulated myself. I will let you get to your drawing. See, eat first, draw with vitality /after/. I have some gobstones to win." With that he stands up turns and gives her a proper bow of his head arm sweeping before himself and then he turns to join his friends in their gobstones game.