at the park (minna/elicia)

[stark]

The park! It was a place meant solely for fun times, fun things, and fun games. There were fun things to play on too... and swings! Selim just loved the swings. As long as he didn't swing too high, then they were good.

His mother wasn't far behind as he rushed across the green grass of the park. It was actually a lot like their yard that they had at home, but there was something about this place that just made it more enjoyable to play at. So much so that the boy would often ask his mother to bring him to the park to play, rather than staying home all the time.

"Can I play on the swings, mama?" too late, he was already running toward the pair of swings, hardly slowing down at all even as he asked the woman for permission.

[minna]

x x

What. A. Day. Of course, it hadn’t been much of a day so far, but already the Bradley matron was feeling her years and the hours take their toll on her, particularly as she watched her son race on the grass, far quicker than she could ever hope to keep up. The park was always a fun trip for the both of them, even if it was such a hassle. First, she had to make sure that she had everything in her bag, from her I.D. to her passport to her wallet (ever since the kidnapping she had tried to always be as prepared as possible), while keeping an eye on Selim, then they had to walk.

They could always take a cab, but the park wasn’t that far from their house, and considering that her son always had energy to burn, that was very conducive for that goal. So walk it was, even if Minna didn’t particularly like to get her old bones moving. Still, at least Selim wasn’t that fast when they were holding hands, mostly because she held him back, so it wasn’t that bad.

Though, the usual happened. As every time that they went to the park. He ran ahead, and she followed behind without running, trying to fast without killing herself. It was hard, being as on in years as she was and taking care of such a small and energetic child on her own, with only the occasional help from her family, but she managed, somehow. A smile blossoming on her face at Selim’s words, the mother nodded, not that he saw her. “Of course, dear,” she told him, following. “Do you want me to push you, or have you got pumping down yet?”

Some children were pretty good about picking things like that up. Hugh, for example, had been all over the climbing bars by the time he hit three. Others, not so much. Minna had yet to figure out where Selim fell. Either way, it didn’t matter. He was still fine, and still her son. If not biologically.

On that note, as she made her way slowly over to the swings, the woman cast her eyes about, trying to see if she could spot one of the guards that always inconspicuously trailed her (or rather, her son). Because they weren’t trying to stand out, they had to look normal, and not hide in bushes or anything, and seeing as she knew they were there, well… She was usually able to spot at least one of them (she had no idea how many there were, and, quite frankly, she didn’t want to know) by the end of the day.

Right now, though, none were in sight. Ah well.

[stark]

The swing was like this mystical object of a plaything. Selim was drawn to it. Always did he desire to play games and have fun, it was almost a constant thing, as if he never ran out of energy. But his mother, she did run out of energy a lot, she could hardly keep up with him whenever he ran anywhere now… it had to be because she was an adult! Then again, it was hardly as though the young boy knew whether or not it would be any different with someone younger… he’d never even had a friend before who was his own age, or at least close to it. There were no other kids that he truly knew.

This swing was sort of low to the ground, which meant that it was near enough to it that even Selim’s feet could touch down against the patch of dirt comfortably. He sat on the seat of the swing. ”I wanna try by myself. I think I can do it,” mostly all of the other times he had gotten onto a swing, it had been his mother who had pushed him until he was swinging perfectly back and forth, this time however, it was on his own that Selim wanted to attempt it.

The swing started off slow, he rocked back and forth unsteadily for a few uncertain moments before finally gaining momentum. At that point, Selim could feel the swing beginning to steady, he knew that he could do it! ”Look, look! I’m swinging high!” it felt high to the child at least. In reality, he couldn’t have been any more than two feet off the ground at the maximum point he was swinging at.

[minna]

x x

Smiling, Minna suppressed her laughter as she followed her obviously gleeful child toward the object of his current attention. It was very adorable, how animated he was about this, and she felt a small twinge of sadness that she never got to see these childhood days for her old Selim, for Pride. They likely would’ve been far more different, not just because of the child himself. The two incarnations of Selim… they were very different, and the woman found herself hoping and wishing, more and more, that it was simply because Selim was a child, that he acted this way. Though he had been exuberant and excitable before… It was about different things, and in different ways. Hopefully, hopefully, it was the age difference.

“’Want to’, dear” she corrected automatically, though she nodded at him. “Go right ahead, Selim. I’m sure you’ll do great.” Most other parents, at this point, especially ones her age (though those had mostly been ascended to the title of grandparents by now), would’ve gone over and sat down, supervised from the bench, but MInna remained where she was, right by Selim, though she did step back and lean against the support pole of the swingset, for some relief. She was far too paranoid, far too worryful to do that.

…At least Selim hadn’t complained about her watchfulness, so far, though that was likely a result of his age… She just couldn’t bear to lose another.

His statement, however, brought a chuckle out of her as she observed the scene before her. He really was so adorable, trying to rock himself so hard and barely succeeding, yet feeling like it was a massive accomplishment. The woman was certain she had never seen a cuter sight. “Good job, dear!” Minna praised him, meaning every word. “I think you’ve got the hang of it, wonderful!”

She smiled, genuine yet thinking. “You’re getting so big…” While the words were not sad, they were not delighted, either, more content and introspective. He was getting older, bypassing the two years that she had put forth into him, raising him as her first child for the first time… And yet she was happy.

Still, it was hard to decide whether she’d rather have him be his ‘old’ self all over again, or a new Selim. Thank god she wouldn’t have to make such a choice.

[elicia hughes]

She swung to the next bar, what muscle she had from years of fighting experience bulging as she gripped it. ”I love the monkey bars!” Elicia swung one hand to the next bar and the next continuing for a while, back and forth. Her muscles ached and her hands seared as the skin rubbed against the metal. Finally she dropped to the ground and sighed, Well, I guess that’s that, my arms are too tired to keep playing here, no matter how fun.

Elicia wandered around the park, she had played for a while on the monkey bars, but, her arms were tired and her hands were blistering. She skipped over to the swing set, her two brown braids bouncing on her back. There was only one seat left and it was next to a boy who looked to be about four or five. Elicia paused and looked the woman and the boy over again... They looked familiar, but, Elicia couldn't place it. She shrugged and walked over to the boy and his swing.

"Hi! I'm Elicia, What's your name!? She smiled and blinked her green eyes, "Can I swing with you?" She asked gesturing to the swing only a mere two feet away. She looked at the mother and smiled at her too, I’m Elicia, what’s your name?” She repeated, this time to the boy’s mother. She smiled, her dimples showing in her face. She pushed a loose hair out of her eyes and hopped up and down ready to play with her new friend, even if they had just met.

[stark]

Want to he thought to himself, that was the right way to say it. He tried to remember, to put it to memory. Gosh, he was still so new at this, every day he learned so many new things, made it difficult to keep track.

Smiling brightly at his mother's words of praise, Selim attempted to swing even faster. He did have the hang of it, didn't he? Pretty soon he would be the best ever at swinging, he was sure of it! Although the boy wasn't exactly sure of what his mama was getting at when she mentioned him being big. Selim felt so small, he always felt small, and he certainly was compared to everyone else he tended to see walking around. So, all that he uttered was a childish "Nuh uh," back at her comment.

Abruptly, Selim came to a halt, his shoes dragged against the ground briefly as he slowed himself into stopping. Another child, like him? And she was even talking to him! That didn't happen very often, not often at all. "Selim! I'm Selim, hi!" he was grinning happy as a clam. "You can if you wanna-- I mean, 'want to'. Mama can push you if you need, right, mama?"

[minna]

x x

Selim’s childish statement brought a smile to her face, and she laughed quietly, reveling in it. No, he was right, he wasn’t that big… yet. But for someone who had lived almost six times the life he had, at least that he remembered, his life would go quickly. It was sad, really, and seemed like just yesterday that she had been presented with his small form by young Edward…

Before she could delve into such depressing thoughts, however, Minna’s ears heard the young voice, and her eyes lit upon a familiar looking girl. Hm, had the two met before? Judging by the way she greeted her son, no… “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Elicia, I’m Mrs. Bradley.” And the name sounded familiar, too…

Ah! That was it! “Dear, is your last name ‘Hughes’?” she asked, substituting ‘surname’ for the more kid-friendly version as she smiled at the child. If so, then she had seen her picture many a time. Lieutenant Colonel Hughes, he was, always ready to share a picture of his family whenever she passed by or spoke to him when she was enroute to visit King. Her being who she was, she had been quite delighted to see such pictures, and so had gotten quite the exposure to them.

Elicia still looked very much the same, though she had definitely grown up from those old pictures, years ago. Still, it was nice to actually see the child in person, instead of just hear words about her.

Smiling at Selim’s good use of grammar, Minna nodded. “Of course I’d push you if you need it, dear,” she told the young girl, part of her wanting to bend down like she used to, but the other part worried that she might not be able to get up if she did so. “Or can you swing by yourself?”

Now, she was rather glad the two had decided to come to the park, even if it looked like a third would be joining them on their ice cream venture later on. Maybe four, if her mother was here… But a quick glance around showed her that this was not so. The Hughes’ home (and Minna was almost a hundred percent certain that she was correct with that assumption) must be fairly close by, then, as she knew that the other wouldn’t let her child go out that far.

…And if she would, Minna would have to have a talk with Gracia.

[elicia hughes]

"Hi Selim! Hi Mrs. Bradley!" She grinned at them happily, She turned and hopped onto the swing and started to swing her legs back and forth. Hughes? Daddy? She looked down cast for a second before going back to her happy grin.

"Yeah, my name is Elicia Gracia Hughes! It's my mommy's name and it's got my daddy's name! Elicia squinted at Mrs. Bradley "You are the fuhrer's wife aren't you? Did you know my daddy!?" Now Elicia remembered where she saw Mrs. Bradley, it was in the news paper one day, a few days after something all the adults called "The Promised Day."

"Don't worry Mrs. Bradley, I can pump on the swing all by myself now!" She smiled, obviously very proud of herself. "Selim, how old are you? I'm eight! For my birthday mommy gave me a doggy, I named her Rose! Maybe sometime you can come see her? I love her!"

She pumped her little eight year old legs. Forward, back, forward, back. She smiled as she moved from a stand still on the swings to go higher and higher. "Selim, do you want to be friends!?" It was a childish thing to say, but, she was a child, it was natural. She smiled at him and slowed the swing down by sliding her feet across and looked at Selim, her new friend, even if he hadn't agreed yet.

[stark]

Of course Selim didn't even remotely know how many people his mom knew and was acquainted with, but he was still taken by surprise that she knew the girl's name. If mother knew who she was, then why had they not been introduced earlier? Elicia could have come over their house, they could have played...! A playmate near his age. She... was near his age, wasn't she? Wait, that was weird, as it turned out Selim was actually quite a few years younger than her.

"Mama says I'm two now," he didn't need to look toward his mother for confirmation, she had already told him before how old he was currently. In fact, the boy was always asking things like 'how old am I now?', but the answer was always the same and he was still always two years old, every time. She said that he had to wait longer in between asking, soon enough he would be three... or something like that.

But oh, oh! Selim loved animals. Truly, he'd had a birdy once and everything not too long ago. It was hurt, but mama had made it all better and they'd gotten to keep it while it recovered well enough to fly back home. "A doggy, really?" he peeked his eyes over toward his mother. "Can I sometime, can I?"

Wow, it was fun business having friends. And here the boy was, so hyped up and excited, he didn't even realize that he was supposed to officially agree to be friends with somebody. Another thing learned! "I do! That makes you my first, hehe."

[minna]

x x

Ah, such a sweet girl. Very like the portrait her father painted of her with his words. At the question, she smiled, nodding. “My husband isn’t the fuhrer anymore, but yes, I am,” the woman replied, amused by the fact that Elicia was so on top of it. “And yes, I do, dear.” Minna always spoke of the deceased in present tense, regardless of how long they had been gone. “Every time I’d pass by him on my way to visit my husband in his office, he’d always show me pictures of you and your mother. Quite the delight to talk to!”

“Alright, dear,” she said, watching the two swing with a smile. It was nice, to have Selim be around someone that was remotely his age. After all, with the exception of Rachel and infant Adelaide, both of whom were the ones that lived the farthest away, all of Selim’s cousins were above the age of ten, and thus, didn’t usually want to play with the two year old. Minna understood their young thinking, of course, but it didn’t stop her from being disappointed in them.

The way he knew his own age (he should know, what with the way he impatiently pestered her all the time about it!) made her smile grow slightly bigger, but the way he phrased it… It was sweet, really. However, even with that thought on her mind, she didn’t hesitate in her answer. “If it’s alright with Elicia’s mom, I don’t see why not,” the woman replied, glad that the two were getting along so well.

In fact, now that they were getting along so well and all that, Minna was beginning to rethink not sitting on the bench, when their conversation continued, and her features softened. No, she could stay right here, just fine. After all, she had just witnessed her son make his first friend, a precious moment that she’d be sure to tell him about later on.

Not everyone could say that they knew that exact moment.

[elicia hughes]

Elicia smiled at Mrs. Bradley, Did papa really have pictures of me and mama everywhere? She looked down, her papa was gone, it didn't do to dwell about it. Thinking about sad things makes you sad and the people around you sad. I don't want to make people sad... She looked up again taking in the site of the park she was in and Selim, attempting to swing by himself. Elicia smiled, "You talked to him a lot? And he told you about me and mommy? I miss papa..." She said, sadness echoing in her voice. But, she had just made a new friend, she would not stay sad.

"I'm sure it'll, it will, be all right with mommy! She likes for me to have friends!" Elicia watched the boy swing some more, Selim, Selim Bradley, her new friend. Elicia grinned, her mom would be so proud, she was making new friends and Mrs. Bradley could be friends with her mom and Elicia could be friends with Selim and it would all work out. "Me and Selim could have play dates and you and mommy could have play dates?" She looked to Selim, "Don't ya, I mean you think?" Elicia was still fixated on the whole talk like an adult trick.

Rose was Elicia's best friend but, now she may have a new best friend, I hope Rose doesn't get jealous... Elicia went back to swinging for a bit. pumping her legs back and forth again to get back up to her normal momentum. She closed her eyes and felt the her stomach drop as she went backwards down, towards the ground and then up again.

Elicia liked to talk but sometimes her mother would get irritated with Elicia pestering her. So it was nice for Elicia to have a new person she could talk too. "I'm your first friend!" Elicia smiled, wow I am his first friend! Does that make me special or something? "I'm glad we can be friends then Selim!"

[stark]

Wow, his mom sure knew this girl's dad lots. Selim shone a bright smile as he swung back and forth, he didn't have much to think about aside from swinging, but he was certainly glad that his new friend Elicia and his mama got along so well. If it hadn't been the case, then she would've told him that he couldn't go to the girl's house, but he could go sometime, he could! The boy was so excited to have somebody to play games with. "Yay! Thank you!" even as he was overcome with joy, Selim still remembered to respectfully thank his mother before his mind drifted right back to swinging and having fun.

Play dates, play dates...! "Mhm," he smiled, so long as his mama agreed to having a play date with Elicia's mom. That was okay if their moms didn't like each other that much though, Selim was happy as long as he got to continue being friends with Elicia forever.

"Yep, the first. The fiiirst~" the words came out in a sing-song fashion as Selim swung up and down, and up again. "I love swinging!"

[minna]

x x

She smiled sadly, understanding the young girl’s pain and wishing that she hadn’t had to feel it at such a young age. The loss of anyone was hard to bear. She would know. “He loved to talk about you. It was ‘Elicia this’ and ‘Elicia that’ and ‘Have you seen my newest pictures?’” The woman’s imitation of Maes Hughes was passable at best, but she could clearly picture the moments in her mind as she did so. Had the girl not been swinging, Minna would’ve likely reached over and patted her head as well, but as it was, she simply continued. “Yes, it’s hard when they’re not there, isn’t it? I write letters to my husband sometimes, maybe you should try that. It helps.”

While maybe it wasn’t the best advice to give a young girl who missed her father, Minna had certainly gone through her own set of losses, so she could try and help the best that she could. Offering up what worked for her was a bare minimum.

The woman felt better, though, as the young girl cheered up, and watched the two of them interact with a smile, giving her son a “You’re welcome,” (to set an example) when he thanked her. Chuckling slightly at Elicia’s question, Minna nodded. “That sounds wonderful, dear. I would love to have a play-date with your mother.”

Ah, how young they were! It made the aged mother feel both youthful in their presence, as if it was rubbing off on her, yet old at the same time. Still, it was rather wonderful that they were getting along so well, and that Selim had made his first friend. “I know you do, Selim,” Minna replied with a chuckle to her son’s statement.

“Whenever you two are ready, we can go get some ice cream,” she told them both warmly, leaning back against the pole. “And then we can come right back.” While she did know young children, and that they’d most likely want to get it right now now that the offer was out in the open, she thought it would be nice if Elicia was to join them, and she wasn’t sure how long the young girl would be able to stay out here with them.

Better to get it now, when she could still go with them.

[elicia hughes]

"You write letters to Mr. Bradley? I talk to my daddy at the end of the day and once a week I go to his grave and talk to him some more." Again, the niggling sadness started to overcome. Tears sprang to her eyes as she remembered a blurry image of her father forming in her mind. Her memories of him were at times hazy but she knew he was good and she knew he loved her. Why did you leave me papa? She breathed in and out, focusing on that so she wouldn't burst into long held back tears.

Soon enough she calmed down enough to go back to enjoying the company of her new friend Selim and her moma's new friend Mrs. Bradley. Elicia smiled, the world outside was beautiful, 'don't dwell in the past' Elicia's mother would say, 'your father wouldn't want you to be sad. He'd want you to enjoy life.' Elicia had been told this many times, usually delivered with a bear hug and a kiss to the forhead. Elicia shook her head and continued swinging as she listened to Selim and Mrs. Bradley.

She started to space off again thinking about Selim and Rose and all her friends when the word 'ice cream' snapped her back to attention. They want to take me too? She smiled hugely and Elicia slowed the swing down. "I'd love to come with you! I like icecream!" Elicia grinned and then her smile vanished as she realized it would cost money, "Um, if you want I can ask mommy for some moneys to pay for the ice cream?"

[stark]

If his mother had thought they would end up getting ice cream a little while after she had spoken up about it, then she was dead wrong! The mention of the delicious desert alone had a delighted Selim rocking in the seat of the swing. "Oh-- I'm ready now!" the boy made sure to speak up loudly and clearly. For a short time, not a portion of his body was touching the swing nor the ground, he leapt through the air with the force of the swing behind the push off, landing on the ground a moment later.

Selim inched toward his mother. "Mama... Can't we buy Elicia's ice cream for her?" His small hand reached out and gently clasped at a portion of the woman's skirt. As would be expected from a child pleading in this manner, Selim tugged up and down on the portion of the skirt that he was hanging onto. Although he did avoid trying to sound too whiny, he was much too old for that.

[minna]

x x

As the other had paused in her swinging, Minna took a step towards them, and gave the girl a gentle pat on the head, not drawing attention to it aside from a simple “I understand,” before she returned to the ice cream conversation.

Just as she had suspected, though, Selim didn’t wish to wait, and though she wanted to take him carefully off the swing, just to make sure that he wouldn’t get hurt, he jumped. For a moment, she was terrified that her two-year-old would badly hurt himself that way, and though she knew, logically, that he really couldn’t get hurt that easily, she had far more motherly instincts than she knew what to do with, and so watched, and let out an internal sigh of relief as he landed safely. “Of course we can go now, Selim,” she told her son, smiling slightly. Had she suspected any different? No, not really.

However, Elicia’s second statement surprised her, before she could react with a ”Wonderful, dear,” and before she could even respond to that one, to let the little girl know that of course she would pay for her, her mother didn’t need to worry about that, Selim spoke up, tugging on her skirt, and she glanced in his direction. Oh, Selim… It was moments like that in which she felt reassured that she really was raising him right.

Nodding down at her son, she turned warm eyes and smile to Elicia. “Of course we’ll pay for you, Elicia,” Minna told her. “You don’t need to ask your mother for money.”

With that, she straightened up and offered a hand to either child with a smile. “Come on, let’s go see if we can track down that ice cream cart!”