A metaphorical bunker. I live in my bunker, it's homey.
[He's got his little kitchen and his little fireplace and little recliner and also vast stores of food supplies.]
[Booby trapped air vents.]
I've been expanding my shelter in the tunnels in the walls and found this little reading nook and the other side of some kind of trick door. So I figured out where the other side of the door was and figured out how to pop it open.
I dusted it out and repainted it and fixed it up for him. Put in some lights. Stocked it with some books for kids his age.
[Just a nice little cubby hole for a kid to hide and read in. Even sleep in at times he's feeling unsafe. The little love seat has soft cushions and is more than big enough for him and he'd put lots of fluffy blankets in there.]
As for showing you where it is, uh...no, not until I ask if it's okay first. It's a secret hideout, he should get a say on who knows where his little clubhouse is.
But Miguel does quiet down to listen, trying to process why Lucky might need to hide for such a long time. The reassurance that he was at least still safe and within the walls of the Pole does assuage his stress...
There's a groan(growl?) of clear disapproval from deep in his throat, the not-very-comforting-to-small-creatures kind. He has accepted that hunting them down would only make everything worse. ]
...I imagine the kid must be thinking a lot about his father, after what Rex said to him. Can you at least let him know that I left something for him in his room?
[To his credit, Branch doesn't blow off Miguel as annoying or overbearing. Miguel's concern and care is obvious - and is something they have in common - and it must be hard to want to comfort and support the kid, only to have have the kid avoid him.]
Along with whatever you left him in his room, it might be a good idea for you to sometimes leave him stuff for his hideout. If he feels like you're supporting the idea too... that might be good for him.
And...it's not just his dad. There's some stuff there with the whole - what that guy said? That's making him feel unsafe right now. And I think it might be making him afraid of anyone he's been starting to trust.
Not because of anything we've done but because of what we might do, after he's started to trust us.
[He doesn't want to share everything Boba said, or more than vague ideas, because privacy is a way to build trust. But he recognizes Miguel's been pseudo-parenting here and the more he knows, the more equipped he is to help the kid.]
The only reason he's not hiding from me too is because of how much I've shown I'd take him away from danger, or given him safe places...
[The worry lines around his eyes deepen and he looks at the floor as he thinks about feelings long gone.]
When I was a kid I would've killed for someone who did things to make me feel safe. Instead, they told me nothing bad would happen and that I could trust them on that. I knew they were wrong.
And in the end, I was right. They came for us.
It made me push them away and made me want to hide from everyone even more.
[He looks up again.]
I know it probably doesn't make sense but I'm hoping that giving him a place to hide makes him feel safe enough to come out.
[He's not trying to explain it because he's worried Miguel doesn't understand, just looping him in on the exact thought process and how conscious the choice is. It'll be easier to coordinate...whatever they try to do to help the kid that way. Actually talking about it.]
[ there's a long crackle of inter-comm static as he sits with the explanation. It did sadden him to think the kid felt that way about them, but he was starting to place the pieces together based off what Rex said. ]
It does make sense.
[ Miguel remembers the times he was frightened and small and wished he could disappear. More often than not, he had to swallow these feelings to be the older brother. The troll creature will have to be that for him. ]
Well, if he'll hear you out: Tell him that I'll continue to leave things for him there. He can come check when he likes.
And remind the kid to eat, when he gets anxious he tends to forget.
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no subject
[He's got his little kitchen and his little fireplace and little recliner and also vast stores of food supplies.]
[Booby trapped air vents.]
I've been expanding my shelter in the tunnels in the walls and found this little reading nook and the other side of some kind of trick door. So I figured out where the other side of the door was and figured out how to pop it open.
I dusted it out and repainted it and fixed it up for him. Put in some lights. Stocked it with some books for kids his age.
[Just a nice little cubby hole for a kid to hide and read in. Even sleep in at times he's feeling unsafe. The little love seat has soft cushions and is more than big enough for him and he'd put lots of fluffy blankets in there.]
As for showing you where it is, uh...no, not until I ask if it's okay first. It's a secret hideout, he should get a say on who knows where his little clubhouse is.
no subject
[ he said the right species name! he's trying!
But Miguel does quiet down to listen, trying to process why Lucky might need to hide for such a long time. The reassurance that he was at least still safe and within the walls of the Pole does assuage his stress...
There's a groan(growl?) of clear disapproval from deep in his throat, the not-very-comforting-to-small-creatures kind. He has accepted that hunting them down would only make everything worse. ]
...I imagine the kid must be thinking a lot about his father, after what Rex said to him. Can you at least let him know that I left something for him in his room?
no subject
[To his credit, Branch doesn't blow off Miguel as annoying or overbearing. Miguel's concern and care is obvious - and is something they have in common - and it must be hard to want to comfort and support the kid, only to have have the kid avoid him.]
Along with whatever you left him in his room, it might be a good idea for you to sometimes leave him stuff for his hideout. If he feels like you're supporting the idea too... that might be good for him.
And...it's not just his dad. There's some stuff there with the whole - what that guy said? That's making him feel unsafe right now. And I think it might be making him afraid of anyone he's been starting to trust.
Not because of anything we've done but because of what we might do, after he's started to trust us.
[He doesn't want to share everything Boba said, or more than vague ideas, because privacy is a way to build trust. But he recognizes Miguel's been pseudo-parenting here and the more he knows, the more equipped he is to help the kid.]
The only reason he's not hiding from me too is because of how much I've shown I'd take him away from danger, or given him safe places...
[The worry lines around his eyes deepen and he looks at the floor as he thinks about feelings long gone.]
When I was a kid I would've killed for someone who did things to make me feel safe. Instead, they told me nothing bad would happen and that I could trust them on that. I knew they were wrong.
And in the end, I was right. They came for us.
It made me push them away and made me want to hide from everyone even more.
[He looks up again.]
I know it probably doesn't make sense but I'm hoping that giving him a place to hide makes him feel safe enough to come out.
[He's not trying to explain it because he's worried Miguel doesn't understand, just looping him in on the exact thought process and how conscious the choice is. It'll be easier to coordinate...whatever they try to do to help the kid that way. Actually talking about it.]
no subject
It does make sense.
[ Miguel remembers the times he was frightened and small and wished he could disappear. More often than not, he had to swallow these feelings to be the older brother. The troll creature will have to be that for him. ]
Well, if he'll hear you out: Tell him that I'll continue to leave things for him there. He can come check when he likes.
And remind the kid to eat, when he gets anxious he tends to forget.