Post by shadou on May 11, 2022 1:58:27 GMT -5
A young elf sits morosely outside her parents' house, brooding. She was in her sixth decade, and while she was (in her mind) a fully grown elf, she would not be considered an adult for another four decades. Still unable to make her own decisions or choices, still having those decisions and choices made for her. Her parents considered her rash and impulsive, but she never did anything without thinking it through carefully. Was that not enough? What was she missing? Her parents wanted her to slow down and enjoy her childhood while she could... another forty years. Another forty years of her decisions being made for her, of her 'impulses' being curbed... it wasn't her fault that everyone else thinks so slowly!
"Rake! Come inside and have some dinner!" called her mother, and she groaned for two reasons. First, at her name. Rake. A garden implement. She HATED her name. All of the other elves in her age group teased her mercilessly about it, telling her to come over and take care of the leaves in their lawn for them. What were her parents thinking when they named her? Did they simply hate her?
The second reason she groaned was simple. Her mother was an AWFUL cook, when dealing with anything meat-based. And she could already smell the burnt pork. She had been subjected to her mother's cooking for her entire life, and while her mother was a fantastic cook when dealing with fruits or vegetables... she couldn't cook meat for the life of her. And now, she could barely stand the taste of any meat.
"Coming, Mother," she called, and sighed as she stood. 'Time to subject my sense of taste and smell to more torture', she thought to herself. Growing up was such a pain. It was going to be a long forty years.
"And you call this thing, a 'clock'?" she asked, fascinated.
Her father shook his head. "This is called a watch. But it performs the same function as a clock, only miniaturized."
She watched as the smaller hand continued to endlessly make its way around the face of the watch. "And this 'clock' thing, performs the function of a sundial?"
Her father nodded. "Yes. An incredible gnomish invention. It works all the day around, and is not dependent on the sun to be out. With this, we can know what time it is, no matter what time of day it is."
She looked at the small device in wonder. "Such amazing things come from outside Evermeet," she breathed. Her father had brought another amazing thing of the outside home with him. She loved seeing all these interesting relics of the outside, on those occasions her father came home to show them to her. He was a merchant dealing with traders from outside, bringing goods in and collecting things to be sold elsewhere. She dearly missed him when he was gone, and always looked forward to these moments, these wonders."
"Yes, and I have a present for you," her father said. He pulled a small spherical object from behind his back, and handed it to her.
She took it eagerly and looked it over. It was a smooth, coppery colored sphere, and there were some markings along one side. What looked like it might have been a button adorned the top, but it did not yield to pressure. She looked up to her father, confused. "What is it?" she asked.
Her father shrugged. "I haven't the foggiest. I guess you've got a little mystery to keep you occupied for a little while."
She groaned. "A present to keep me busy, doing your research for you? I take it Mother told you."
He nodded. "About your fight with your peers, yes. You are a brilliant child, and that makes you different. You think quickly. I do think, not rashly, but it has the appearance of such to others. You have grown quickly, but you are yet still a child. Maybe some purpose will temper your fire."
She sighed. "Purpose, huh?" She looked at the object, and the markings on the side, and the button. The mystery did intrigue her, but it stung that it was being given her just to keep her busy for a time. "If I have a purpose, will that make me an adult?"
Her father chuckled. "No, but it is at least another step along the path to adulthood. I do wish you would enjoy your childhood while you can. We are only children once."
((More to come))
"Rake! Come inside and have some dinner!" called her mother, and she groaned for two reasons. First, at her name. Rake. A garden implement. She HATED her name. All of the other elves in her age group teased her mercilessly about it, telling her to come over and take care of the leaves in their lawn for them. What were her parents thinking when they named her? Did they simply hate her?
The second reason she groaned was simple. Her mother was an AWFUL cook, when dealing with anything meat-based. And she could already smell the burnt pork. She had been subjected to her mother's cooking for her entire life, and while her mother was a fantastic cook when dealing with fruits or vegetables... she couldn't cook meat for the life of her. And now, she could barely stand the taste of any meat.
"Coming, Mother," she called, and sighed as she stood. 'Time to subject my sense of taste and smell to more torture', she thought to herself. Growing up was such a pain. It was going to be a long forty years.
"And you call this thing, a 'clock'?" she asked, fascinated.
Her father shook his head. "This is called a watch. But it performs the same function as a clock, only miniaturized."
She watched as the smaller hand continued to endlessly make its way around the face of the watch. "And this 'clock' thing, performs the function of a sundial?"
Her father nodded. "Yes. An incredible gnomish invention. It works all the day around, and is not dependent on the sun to be out. With this, we can know what time it is, no matter what time of day it is."
She looked at the small device in wonder. "Such amazing things come from outside Evermeet," she breathed. Her father had brought another amazing thing of the outside home with him. She loved seeing all these interesting relics of the outside, on those occasions her father came home to show them to her. He was a merchant dealing with traders from outside, bringing goods in and collecting things to be sold elsewhere. She dearly missed him when he was gone, and always looked forward to these moments, these wonders."
"Yes, and I have a present for you," her father said. He pulled a small spherical object from behind his back, and handed it to her.
She took it eagerly and looked it over. It was a smooth, coppery colored sphere, and there were some markings along one side. What looked like it might have been a button adorned the top, but it did not yield to pressure. She looked up to her father, confused. "What is it?" she asked.
Her father shrugged. "I haven't the foggiest. I guess you've got a little mystery to keep you occupied for a little while."
She groaned. "A present to keep me busy, doing your research for you? I take it Mother told you."
He nodded. "About your fight with your peers, yes. You are a brilliant child, and that makes you different. You think quickly. I do think, not rashly, but it has the appearance of such to others. You have grown quickly, but you are yet still a child. Maybe some purpose will temper your fire."
She sighed. "Purpose, huh?" She looked at the object, and the markings on the side, and the button. The mystery did intrigue her, but it stung that it was being given her just to keep her busy for a time. "If I have a purpose, will that make me an adult?"
Her father chuckled. "No, but it is at least another step along the path to adulthood. I do wish you would enjoy your childhood while you can. We are only children once."
((More to come))
