Diary of a Young Griff

by Isuvyw

V: Entries 16 to 19

7^th of Miremonth

Harreg Eabha, linad ta bhoi?

Today Sven and I had some fun teaching each other insults from our own languages. I’d rather not tell you yet, because I think you’re not ready for it.

I know, you are quite disappointed, but I think you’ll be happy to know instead that Sven can read and write much better. He can read the signs and labels around our workplace, and he can write a good amount of words. Here, I’ll let him say hi to you.

Hello Eva, Sven I am. I know not how to write well, but I will try hard. My name is Sven, like Matilda has been saying. Ekveska I can speak well, but writing it is not very good. I hope you can be understanding of my writing. I hope to learn more in order to talk to you better.

Kjust Eva!

His language has interesting sounds. He says that “J” is not pronounced like in “jam,” but it is pronounced like a “Y,” like in “yay.” I find it really cool, but it is a bit difficult to speak the words properly. It feels like my tongue and throat are going crazy. I think that’s why his accent is so strong.

I think that’s all for tonight, because I’m really tired, and I’m finding it hard to concentrate.

Daren lew.

***

8^th of Miremonth

I’m quite sick of how the colts look at me while I am taking my shower. It’s quite scary, Eabha. I try to shower as quick as I can, and try my ABSOLUTE hardest to cover myself, but they still try to find a way to look at me.

I’m not that attractive, really. I mean, Sven and Collier say I’m pretty, and that’s fine, because they’re my friends. But these colts – wasteponies and chimney-sweepers mostly – they don’t find me pretty. They find my parts pretty. It’s disgusting.

Sometimes they will huddle in the corner and whisper amongst themselves about me. I know that they’re talking about me because they will try to look at me or point a hoof at me. They must be talking about my body.

I can’t understand why Miss Hawkrose doesn’t separate the fillies from the colts. I heard from Miss Penny that we are separated according to our jobs, not gender. Don’t you find that GROSS?

Sven doesn’t feel safe either. I’m more worried for him than for myself. He doesn’t know how to defend himself, and gets hurt easily. I just really really hope that it will NEVER happen to him. He’s too young, much too young.

I have to hug him sometimes, because he cries. He is truly scared. I don’t know how to help him other than hugging him and telling him that I’m there.

Sometimes I wish somepony was there for me when it happened. But, I can’t turn back time, can’t I, Eabha? But now, at least I have somepony to be there for, somepony to comfort. It’s really sad.

I guess this is it Eabha. I know you understand, even though you’re always silent. Daren lew.

***

9^th of Miremonth

Hi, Eva. How was your day?

I am sad towards Matilda. It is now very late, and she is sleeping, but I cannot sleep tonight, so I want to skrif to you.

I come from a land called Snjorjord, and my tongue is called Snjorjordska. It has complicated laws to speak it, and its hearing is strange to Ekvestr. But, I am happy that Matilda likes my tongue, and so I taught her some words.

Snjorjord has many potatoes, but we also have much fish that we harvest from the cold sea and nuts we harvest from the tall trees. Snjorjord has many woods and hills, so our dwellings are built of wood. We like to dwell within hills. We make big dens under them, and make it firm with wood, so that we can have safety from the cold snow.

Snjorjordrek like to hunt sea beasts, and land beasts as well. We take their hide to make coverings for the cold, and we make their bones into forks and spoons, and pens and sidepipes.

My mother likes to blow the sidepipe. It has a low and fair sound, and everytime she blows it is as if the wind is singing. I miss it very much.

I am now tired. I must go and sleep now, otherwise sleep will go from me again. Juva.

***

10^th of Miremonth

Harreg, Eabha, linad ta bhi?

Nic ma linad, idw terrible i.

A pipe broke loose and slammed into my cheek. Good thing Miss Hawkrose didn’t check on us, because she always sends us to Miss Syringe if we are hurt or sick. And Miss Syringe does a nwil job. She is not gentle when she bandages a wound, and she does not clean her hoofs properly. I really don’t want to imagine what kind of dirt is stuck in her fetlocks.

Sven was really helpful, he helped bandaged my wound. He said not to shower until the wound is healed, so that the water does not disturb the healing process. It’s good for me too, because it means I won’t have colts looking at me.

Anyway, I see that Sven had a nice talk with you last night. I was really tired, so I did not write to you. His land is an interesting one, isn’t it? I just read it before writing to you, and I think it was beautiful. Sven’s writing is much better, don't you think?

Other than the broken pipe, today was a normal day. Wake up early, stoke the fire, and watch the boilers from morning till night. Sven’s body is getting darker and darker from shoving coal. I wonder if he will become as black as the night?

I’m just kidding. He’s really cute. Like a little brother. Yeah, I think I can consider him my little brother, since I have no siblings, at least that I know of.

I wonder if mother and father are still in Gryphonia? I was too young to remember what they really looked like, so I can’t give a proper description of them. I feel that mom is sweet and kind, while dad is strong and determined. I think I am both. I hope that I can make them proud, at least in spirit.

I wonder, do books dream? They must be dreaming about all the things one writes on them, maybe?

Goodnight, Eabha.

Author's Note:

Sven and Snjorjord is based off of Nordic stuff, if it wasn't obvious enough.

For the record, "nwil" means something like "piss." It's quite a rough word

Comments

[Kendallonian]

Why exactly is Matilde nervous about showering? Does she normally have clothes on? Does the water just make her fur/feathers stick to her form more?

[Tycser]

11160147
Male/female thing, I imagine. Like how boys and girls don't generally shower together(unless in a relationship.

Loving the story so far, reading these snippits! Very neat idea! Carry on!

[Scyphi]

But these colts – wasteponies and chimney-sweepers mostly – they don’t find me pretty. They find my parts pretty.

Way to live up to the stereotypes, boys.

I heard from Miss Penny that we are separated according to our jobs, not gender. Don’t you find that GROSS?

Well actually, (and not to say I at all approve of the behavior of the creatures in question first of all--I want that particularly clear) considering that, in their culture, they don't normally wear clothes anyway, gender segregating things like bathrooms probably wouldn't be seen as so necessary. Given that, in OUR world, such gender segregation is done here so to both respect said gender in practices where they'd be exposing things to easy view that wouldn't normally be, and also to remove the temptation of "acting upon it" while its exposed for the other gender by keeping them separate.

Since in the MLP world they're "letting it show" in nearly all circumstances is the norm for them, then the above wouldn't apply (because reasonably "acting upon it" could be done just as easily anywhere else as it would in the showers, so it wouldn't stop it from happening). So Equestria (at least) not practicing gender segregation here actually doesn't surprise me all that much, at least from the intellectual point of view.

Granted, that still does nothing to solve Matilda's problem here, but then gender segregating probably wouldn't either, because there'd logically still be moments elsewhere where the same problems could and probably would arise.

Sven and Snjorjord is based off of Nordic stuff, if it wasn't obvious enough.

I was actually starting to surmise as such myself, so nice to see I was on the right track.

I'm sort of regretting we lost that glossary now--it probably could've been used to provide translations for whenever Matilda or Sven write something in their native languages...ah, but so much for regrets.

[Isuvyw]

11160520
I see your point. But then, I was also thinking about how the absence of such segregation could lead to libertine activities. Colts, I guess, are more "free" to do as they please in the bath than anywhere else where miss Hawkrose would be watching.

because there'd logically still be moments elsewhere where the same problems could and probably would arise.

She even implies that it has happened to her before

[Scyphi]

11160539

Colts, I guess, are more "free" to do as they please in the bath than anywhere else where miss Hawkrose would be watching.

...though, that would imply that Miss Hawkrose actually cares...

Honestly, I've gotten the impression that so long as the assigned work still gets done and she's not bothered, she otherwise wouldn't give a hoot.

She even implies that it has happened to her before

Yeah, I didn't miss catching that.

[Isuvyw]

11160546

...though, that would imply that Miss Hawkrose actually cares...

Lol, you're right. Miss Hawkrose probably has some sort of dignity, but I think she doesn't care about the dignity of creatures lower than her.

That said, you could say that Matilda is pointing out that she hates the way they look at her, not the fact that they do. You're quite right that, given they don't normally wear clothes, seperation wouldn't be too necessary. So I guess it's more fitting to say that Matilda hates the fact that they ogle, not look. That's the difference there, I guess

[Logarithmicon]

This fic certainly has my attention! I got it linked to me, and so far it's definitely been worth reading. A nice little mix of character development and worldbuilding-via-showing.

[Isuvyw]

11160762
Thank you! God bless

[Isuvyw]

11161183
Hope you enjoy reading it!

[Silentwoodfire]

What are they using? Clay pipes?

[Isuvyw]

11172183
No, metal ones.

[Truthseeker]

Sometimes I wish somepony was there for me when it happened. But, I can’t turn back time, can’t I, Eabha? But now, at least I have somepony to be there for, somepony to comfort. It’s really sad.

From the way this is written it wounds as if she was forced into something horrible. Please tell me I'm wrong.