When We Were Young (young Ceylian & young Elsy)

Badger and I are doing the cutest RP ever via Facebook, so I decided to post it here so everyone could read. It's still progressing, so I'll update it as we continue it. Also, art by me. Woo.

This is a story from Elsy's childhood.

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Two young mer raced their way through the streets of Alinor. A tiny Bosmer in her uniform dress, and a just as tall Altmer in his uniform shirt and pants. The Bosmer was nimble and it was clear she knew the path they took better than the Altmer. She would stick her tongue out in a taunt as they ran, her just a few steps ahead.

They raced up the road out of town, ascending the cliff. Not too far up the road a house could be seen nestled into the cliff-side. Entirely stone and Altmeri in architecture yet a small garden of typically Valenwood native plants grew near the door. A laundry line would run from a small anchor in the side of the house and wrap around the nearby tree branch. Thrown over the laundry line would be many exotic looking fabrics with beautiful patterns and textures, some of which just dyed.

Elsy skipped ahead of the Altmer. "I'm gonna get there first! Just you wait!" she exclaimed between hurried breaths as she ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She could see the house growing in size as she drew closer to it.

Ceylian started to see that she was slowing down as they ascended the hill, breathing much more heavily now, but he used his longer stride to his advantage as he climbed after her. The all too familiar house started to come into view as the distance between them closed up. Ceylian came within grabbing distance of the Bosmer's hair that danced behind her, and he went for the back of her shirt, but his lack of attention to what was beneath him became a costly mistake as his right foot hit a rock that was jutting out from the path they ran on. He tumbled through the air in the short distance to the ground, landing with an "Oof!" as his hands and chest hit first, doing his best to scramble up again.

She heard Cey hit the ground and let out a gasp, coming to a stop. She whirled around to see how badly he may have been injured. When she saw he had just tripped, she began to giggle, her hands flying to her mouth to try to stifle her laughter. She knew it was rude, but she couldn't help it.

"A-are you... o...k...?" she asked between her laughs, her words muffled by her hands.

Ceylian was only a bit scratched up on his elbows, hands, and knees, and had managed to get himself stood up when she was laughing and coughing. He blushed in embarrassment in his failure, turning his head away as he rubbed at his neck, "Y-yeah...I'm fine, El..."

She quieted herself and took his hand. "Good! Now c'mon let's go! I'm hungry." She took off running again, this time pulling him along.

She would slow as they approached the house, taking the little path in through the garden and stopping at the front door.

He winced as he was pulled forward again, doing his best to keep up with her as he ran towards the house on his sore knees.

As they approached the house, he tugged back on her slightly, speaking in almost a whisper as they neared in hopes of not being heard by anyone but her, "Hey, um, I've been meaning to ask...why does your mama talk funny?"

She stopped and turned to look back at him. "Talk funny? Ma doesn't talk funny!" she whispered back.

She thought a moment, tapping her finger on her lip. "She says the other mer here talk funny though." She tilted her head and furrowed her brow, looking to Cey. "Maybe we talk funny.

He tilted his head back as she turned towards her, still keeping his gaze on her with downshifted eyes, "But she does talk funny! She doesn't even sound like you! You're telling me you don't hear it?"

He crossed his arms and tapped his foot towards her, then tilted his head to the side, "But how could we talk funny? You sound normal!"

"Ma says I don't talk normal either. She says the school teaches me to talk funny like the Altmer." She took her tongue between her thumb and index finger with an, "Aaaahhhh." She tried to look down at it, then talked, still keeping her tongue caught. "Or naybe iz na tung." She let go if it and shrugged. "I think we're the ones that talk funny. But that's ok. Ma says it's ok to talk funny because the others will think we sound smart!" She stuck her chin out proudly.

He reached out as she tilted her chin up, a frown on his face as he placed his fingers on her chin, "No, Elsynia! Mama says that doing that with your face isn't proper! It makes you...how...does she say it...do the Altmer stair-e-o-types! 'Be humble,' she says..."

She frowned, putting her chin back down. "But I'm not a Altmer..." She shook her head, "Can we just go inside now? I'm still hungry." She wrapped her arms around her stomach and rocked from her heels to the balls of her feet and back again.

"But you're still El...my friend. I don't want ya to get hurt, even if you eat leaves...or don't eat leaves? Let's...yeah, let's just go and eat delicious meat. I can smell it from here," He stepped forward, taking her by the wrist and pulling her forward towards the house.

She pouted but nodded anyway and went along with him. She was about to open the door but uttered an, "Oh." She knocked. "I almost forgot to knock." She waited with her hands folded behind her back, rocking on her heels.

The door opened to reveal a light haired Bosmer, her hair such a faded brown it was nearly grey. Her hair was long, nearly to her waist, neatly braided and decorated with a few feathers woven in. She leaned on a bone walking stick, intricately carved with patterns and animals. She wore a dress that seemed to be layers of fabric, each layer beautifully dyed, some with exotic patterns and others carefully embroidered or decorated with beads. A leather belt kept the fabrics in place. The woman wore sandals and had a jewel on her forehead along jeweled earrings, both Altmeri in style. Tribal-esque Bosmeri tattoos were faint along her worked fingers and up her arms, climbing higher still up her neck. Her eyes were green, Elsy's almost an exact copy in shape size and color, barring the fact that this mer's eyes were a shade darker green. Her skin was darker and she would be very short, if the pair knocking weren't children.

A soft smile grew across her face and she spoke with a sweet, gentle voice, "Good, ya remem'ered ta knock, El." She added emphasis by tapping the door with the walking stick. Her green eyes flicked to the little Altmer and her smile deepened. "Ah, an' ya brought Ceylian wit ya!" She leaned down to ruffle his hair. "It's good ta see ya." She looked over to Elsy. "Now wot are ya two here for?" she teased, leaning again on her walking stick.

Elsy looked back to Cey with a troubled expression, before turning back to her mother. "I thought you had dinner..." she said with a pout.

Ceylian giggled as his hair was ruffled, scrunching his face and shrugging his shoulders to pretend to not like the older woman's treatment. He folded his hands in front of him and stood looking forward, peering his head around the taller Mer before him in search of the food he so clearly could smell. The Altmer sidestepped towards Elsynia, leaning his head towards hers, and spoke through the left corner of his mouth as if to make it only such that she could hear him, "El, maybe if ya ask nicely..."

He caught the mother's gaze on him as he did this, and clumsily went to right himself, standing with arms folded in front of him and a big, bright, open eyed smile.

Elsy looked over to Ceylian and gave him a subtle nod. She looked back to her mother with her hands folded behind her back and a sweet smile. "Ma, may we pleeeeeeaaaaase have some dinner?" She grinned widely and batted her lashes.

The woman let out a laugh, her voice melodic and soft. "There ya are. Now, that wosn't so diff'acult wos it?" She gave a quick wink to Ceylian, as she could have guessed his whisper was to tell Elsy what to do.

The woman stood up straighter, taking a step back. "Right then, come inside ya dears." She tilted her head to the table. "Take a seat."

Elsy giggled and took Ceylian by the wrist, bolting inside.

Elsynia nearly gave Ceylian whiplash as she pulled him inside, cringing at the pain in his sore knees again, trying to brush off the dirt from the clothing that covered his knees and elbows. "Why do ya have to pull me everywhere, El? I got legs...and feet."

As they get away from the mother, he turns his head towards hers again, and whispers, "Even though your mom sounds funny...she has a really nice voice!"

"Because you're slooooow..." she said, but loosened her grip on him and moved a bit slower so she wouldn't hurt him.

She turned to Cey once they'd got to the table and smiled, "My Pa says she does too. She sings to me sometimes, but only when I'm good." She turned back around and slid out the chair. Just as she was about to sit on it, her mother scolded.

"Ah, ah, El. Wot do we do when we've got a guest?"

Elsy looked at the chair then back to Ceylian, "Oh, yeah..." She hopped back down. "Here, Cey, this chair's for you. You have to sit down first otherwise Ma won't lemme. It's impolite."

Her mother let out a little laugh as she strolled to a cupboard by the fireplace and pulled out some plates. "That's right dear."

Ceylian crossed his arms with and looked to her with a face that did a childish mimic of a scolding parent, shaking his head at her as he tried to act all serious, but then broke into a fit of giggling as he climbed up into the chair while raising a pointer finger to her and rocking it left and right from its knuckle.

"Thank you, Ellllllllllllllll," He stuck his tongue out at her at the end.

Elsy crossed her arms and was about to open her mouth to rebut, but quickly shut it to the sound of her mother's walking stick on the chair leg.

"'ush now Ceylian, else I'll let 'er 'ave at ya with me walkin' stick." She gave him a warning look but couldn't help a smirk at her hollow threat.

Elsy quietly snickered and skipped to the other chair across from Cey, pulling it out and hopping up on it. She waited for her mother to turn away and take the pot from the fire before sticking her tongue out at Cey.

He huffed indignantly at her, crossing his arms and sitting back in his chair, making an angry and displeased face as Elsynia's mother had taken up her side. When Elsynia gave him her tongue, he stuck out his again and leaned forward over the table, doing his best to hold the mean and serious act, but it would soon devolve into a fit of laughter.

Ceylian gasped excitedly as food was brought in, looking to Elsynia expectantly, "What should I do, El?"

Elsy tried to stare right back at him, narrowing her eyes, but soon burst into laughter along with him.

She too formed a grin as the food was brought over to the table. She looked over to Ceylian. "Well, Ma always makes me say a prayer before I eat, but I don't think she'll make you do it."

Her mother nodded as she placed the pot down on the table. "That's right, dear. Ceylian ya don 'ave ta if ya don want ta, but please keep quiet until El is done." She leaned he walking stick against the table then took a ladle and fished out a hunk of stewed meat then plunked it onto the plate in front of Ceylian. She placed a fork down in front of him then looked over to Elsy expectantly.

The little Bosmer clapped her hands together and bowed her head. She took in a big breath, reciting quickly so that she may eat sooner, "Wesingsongsand-" her mother shot her a disapproving look. Elsy sighed and slowed her prayer. "...and spin tales for the lessons you have taught us, and for the Pact. May we continue to reside in the now." She peeked up at Ceylian when she had finished.

Ceylian closed his eyes as they begin to pray, but then opened one slightly to peer at Elsy and watch what she was doing to do his best to mimic what she was doing. He copied the motion of his hands, lowering his head in respect for the short event. At the end of it, he opened his eyes wide and looked towards Elsynia, catching her gaze in the process.

He spoke quietly to her, eyeing the good food out of the corner of his eye, licking his lips, "Sooooo can we eat now?"

Ceylian felt the mother's gaze fall on him, catching his more than obvious question at this close of a distance. He tried to put on an inconspicuous expression, looking away, but soon finding himself giggling, "Please, miss Elsynia's Mom?"

The woman chuckled. "Aye, Ceylian. Go ahead." She looked to Elsy. "Ya can go ahead too dear."

Elsy began to shovel food into her mouth before her mother scolded her. "Slow down deary, it's not goin' anywhere."

Elsy nodded and began to eat a bit slower before huffing a little. She looked to Ceylian with a little pout and put her fork down, then leaned her head against her hand. "Why are there so many rules? We didn't have this many rules when we lived in a tree, Ma." She looked at Ceylian again. "Are there always this many rules here, Cey?"

Ceylian dug into his food, deliberately using his eating utensils as much as possible to eat with all the cleanliness that a young Altmer could offer. Even after Elsynia slowed down, he still found himself eating more slowly than his friend, and he perked up as he talked to her, making sure he chewed and swallowed completely before turning to open his mouth and speak to her.

"Mom and dad always tell me 'because I said so,' and 'it's what 'proper folk' do.' I question it, and thier answer is always different! 'What if the Queen were to walk in right now and see you eating like that? Would you think she would be impressed?' At least, they say, 'it makes you look good." He offered a smile to her, digging in for another bite of food.

She sighed, "The Queen wouldn't care about something like that, would she? And besides... what's the point of looking good anyways? Why can't I just eat like how I want?"

Her mother wore a little smirk as she pulled a chair up next to Elsy. "I know ya don't like tha rules dear. I don't either, but ya know tha mer 'ere 'ave been kind 'nough to lemme work for 'em, and for good money. And they give ya a good education." She took Elsy's hair and began to comb it out. "Ya should consider ya'self lucky. Not many Bosmer get ta learn like ya do... So we should learn from 'em here, be respec'ful of their customs 'n all that. Just like they would if they were ta be visitin' us in Elden Root."

Elsy sighed again and picked up her fork, trying to match the speed of Ceylian's eating. After the first bite of slow chewing, she gulped it down and gave up. She rested her head on her hand again, pushing the meat on her plate around with her fork. "I wish we still lived there. I miss Pa..." she uttered quietly.

Her mother paused her combing a moment and looked down at Elsy with solemn eyes. "I do too, deary," she said to her daughter just as quietly. She resumed her combing and put on a strong smile. "Now, why am I not sa'prised ya gone and messed up ya hair? Ya wiggle so much, it's no wonder I've gotta redo it by dinner time." She started to twirl Elsy's hair into a braid. She looked over to Cey with a smile, "Does ya mum comb ya hair too, Ceylian, or do ya do it ya'self?"