open post.

[higginbottom]

Esther has, well, only sort of gotten used to the Mansion and its ways. She's still frustrated by being stuck there - after all, she survived almost dying. Doesn't she deserve something better than a small room with a small window?

Still, she's thankful to be alive. One morning, when she opens her window and looks out over the Mansion grounds, the air comes in, shockingly cold, and Esther remembers - she's here, alive and awake and ready for anything. She breathes in and out, and sighs with a sort of strange contentment that probably won't last long, but hey. She'll take it.

She gets dressed, wearing slacks for once (she decided to try it out, as she is in fact, a very modern woman, thank you very much) and a pretty floral blouse. She makes her way downstairs, her saddle shoes tap-tap-tapping against the stairs.

"I feel very much in a good mood today," Esther announces, to no one in particular. "Is that strange? Should I be worried?"

Comments

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Are you not usually?" asks Susan, who is pleased to finally have an excuse to introduce herself to one of the newer arrivals.

[higginbottom]

Esther pauses, seemingly surprised that someone was actually there to respond to her.

"Not always," she admits, feeling a touch sheepish. "But no matter. I'm happy now, and that's what counts, right?"

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"One ought always to embrace joy whenever they happen across it," Susan agrees, nodding. "I'm pleased to hear your day is a good one. I'm Susan, by the way. Susan Pevensie."

[higginbottom]

"Thanks," Esther replies, smiling. "I'm Esther Greenwood. How are you liking this place? I'm sort of new here, and still getting used to things."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"I've been here for a little over fourteen months," says Susan. "So roughly a local year, I suppose. I find this place... hm." She presses her lips together. "Occasionally frustrating, but I shouldn't want to be anywhere else."

[temnota]

"Possibly if the Mansion likes to make your day difficult," Aleksander teased gently. "But it's entirely possible that this only happens to me."

[higginbottom]

"Oh, I think it does that to everyone, at some point," she replies, amused. "I'm taking it for what it is - a seemingly good day."

Which has been hard in the past for Esther to accept.

[temnota]

"I am glad to see you out and about," Aleksander said. "Are you settling in well?"

[higginbottom]

"I think so," she says with a slight nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. "I still have...bad days, but I like it here, mostly."

[temnota]

Aleksander nodded sympathetically. He'd had his own difficulties settling in and what equilibrium he'd managed to find had been shattered by Zoya's arrival. "For all this place's... quirks, it could indeed be much worse."

[sagramore]

Sagramore has thought, over the last few months, about Esther, and worried about her, so it's a relief to see her out and about when he arrives for his daily dry goods liberation, and looking more or less all right.

"Esther! How are you?"

[higginbottom]

"Oh, hello!" She grins as she spots Sagramore. "I'm doing well. How're you?"

[sagramore]

"I'm well, I'm well, I'm glad to see you. You've settled in?"

[higginbottom]

"For the most part, yes," Esther replies. "It still feels a little strange being here, but I'm starting to like it."

[sagramore]

"Oh, that's splendid." Indeed, it's a relief. "You've chosen a room and found the kitchens and all of that?"

[vineleaves]

"I'm very glad to hear it," Dionysus says as he rounds a corner, very much aware that she didn't expect him to hear it at all. "I think you should celebrate," he says in his usual warm voice. "It's good to see you, my dear, how have you been settling in?"

[higginbottom]

"Oh, hello!" Esther exclaims, perhaps a touch too loudly (mainly because she was surprised by him). I've been well, mostly. What about you?"

[vineleaves]

Dionysus is not one to complain about someone being too loud. Considering he has several epithets dealing with how wild and loud he is, it would be downright hypocritical of him to say something about someone else not using their inside voice.

"I've been-- well! I've been well." As this conversation is happening shortly after he had to say goodbye to his wife again, he undoubtedly hasn't been doing well, but he tries not to let on exactly how unwell he has been¹. "I'm glad to see you out and about, did you have any big plans for today?"


1. Mostly because such threads have yet to be played out...

[higginbottom]

"Plans? No, not at all," she replies, shrugging a little. "I might try to write, but who knows? I've been more interested, lately, in living life, not writing about it."

Though, she thinks, she really should work on her novel. Hm.

[vineleaves]

"Oh, that's wonderful!" he says, and actually gives her a genuine smile at that. "Life ought to be lived to its fullest, you never --" he cuts himself off, because he doesn't feel up to getting all weepy in front of her, she doesn't deserve to have to deal with that. Besides, he made up his mind today to go out and actually try to do something other than mourn Ariadne again. "Well -- anyway. What have you been occupying your time with here, my dear?"

[untamedantinous]

"I suppose that depends on your mood in general," Enjolras remarks absently, on his way from doing mysterious things with the printing press. What were they? No one is certain, but he is definitely ink-stained.

[higginbottom]

"I'm usually gloomy, or at least, I have been in the past," she admits, smiling slightly, as if she's almost amused by her past depressive episodes. "Why are you covered in ink?"

[untamedantinous]

"I was working with the printing press," he explains, trying ineffectually to rub some ink off his hands.

[higginbottom]

"There's a printing press here?" she asks, suddenly extremely curious. "What's it like? How fast can it print? How often do you use it?"

Hey, maybe she can print her novel with it - when she finally finishes writing it, that is.

[untamedantinous]

"It is large enough to not be easily moved; it is downstairs. I use it fairly frequently to keep myself in practice, a friend and I found it some time ago. It is, however, hand-operated, so not as fast as you would like, I think."