Grounded

25

Veera had loved mountain climbing.

Part of the reason why had been Veera's father.

He would often grump about how mother wasn't as outgoing as him, and then he would drag Veera and older brother with him to hike up a mountain.

Este can remember many things from Veera's parents.

Veera's father was truly a symbol of tried and true pure love. He had been a man who would do anything for his wife, and she likewise.

He would often tell Veera that there was no perfect partner for anyone. Sometimes you just fell in love, and even if they couldn't satisfy all your hopes, you would appreciate them for what they could do.

His outgoing and extroverted nature made him adventurous, and Veera's mother's reserved nature held her back from joining him. And even though he was sad they couldn't do things like foraging together, he would smile and not force her to do such things.

Instead of doing something her mother couldn't they did something they both could enjoy.

They had been wise parents. They'd been good.

One of the things Veera's mother had liked to repeat was a quote about siblings, as she had a sister herself and could understand the meaning.

A sibling is the longest and most important human relationship in your life, she said and Veera believed so too.

Brother had already been there when Veera was born, and he was nearby when Veera died too.

His son had been the one to cause the death, even accidentally.

Veera would never blame the boy for it. Brother only forgot to impress the importance of fire safety on him, and Veera also neglected to tell him.

The blame was on both of their shoulders.

Este was just a tiny bit envious of Barbara in that way.

She's a younger sibling, like Veera.

Este missed being in that position.

He wanted an older sibling he could trust his life and secrets with, because sometimes, just his mother wasn't quite enough.

Diluc was in a way similar. But the biggest barrier there was that Diluc already had a brother, and Este couldn't dare take that away from them, when the sibling relationship was already in danger of being severed in the future.

Jean is only a year older than Este, but he often didn't really feel that way.

He felt older than her, easily.

She was reserved, and often shy, much unlike the outgoing Barbara Este had an easy time socializing with.

Kaeya was easier to see as an older kid, he had a tendency to be a mother hen.

When Kaeya acts like a middle aged wife worried after her kids it was hard not to see him as someone older.

Regardless of all the people around him, Este would still have liked having a sibling.

But it was far too late for Ester and whats-his-name to give him a younger sibling. Their relationship had long since started to deteriorate over the years.

It was quite mollifying to realize they slept in different bedrooms nowadays.

Este pops a wolfhook into his mouth.

"Ah! Razor wants too!"

Este giggles. He had found that the 8 year old had taken to hiding away in one of his favorite wolfhook spots.

Razor was a little feral, and bad with language, but he was a good boy. Este had barely known the boy personally for a week, but he had already carved a very special place for himself in Este's heart.

"Here you go!" Este giggles and chucks a piece of the berry into the air.

Razor leaps, and nabs the piece out of midair.

He lands with the grace of a cat on all fours, and Este giggles.

Razor chews a little, his face slowly morphing from wide eyed curiosity to blinding awe.

"Anot'er!" Razor grins a toothy smile, and Este is blinded by the radiance.

He doesn't have a biological brother this life, but the people around him fill in the hole left behind by Ville.