Words I'll Never Say

Oh? Oh! This is yours?

Caeden snapped the volume shut, still putting away a chuckle. He formulated his Elvish reply in a lowly street dialect he'd originally learned in Ferelden.

Hey buddy, take it easy. Honest mistake. Books in libraries are for everyone to get an eyeful, (lowly agreement seeker)? he continued, wagging the book outward for the other to take. A tinge of envy speckled his thoughts, knowing this man had lived quite the life, adventure and romance around every page. Even if he had a self-absorbed, straight-up cocky way of putting it all down, Caeden would probably have felt just as smug with himself. This human deep in elf-country, was very green behind the ears, in relation to this fellow holding out his hand for his property with fire dancing in his mouth. Despite wagging the book out to be taken, Caeden's grip on it was solid.

Seems like you've been around the (here is a word that is Ferelden elven slang for slave pens) (The previous word is a common, wry phrase that means a sexually experienced elf, with a sex positive connotation among its Elvish speakers, albeit, also a low class connotation, exclusive to the slave population of Ferelden and also, sadly, a reference to the practice of studding, which still practiced but I expect is falling out of fashion. Making up the word might have been simpler than explaining all of the connotation instead. Dragon Age makes me lose my mind. Point is, Caeden is a fool about how he uses words, and this is casual racism. But maybe looking like an Elf at this moment will save him Ruth's wrath, for as a human, in this instant, an Elf he just met ought to smack him.) Why not publish it? Tell the world? What I'd give to have your life?

note: if the diary isnt self-absorbed / cocky, we can chalk it up to caeden forcing his own flaws on his perception of ruth, the classic "pot calling the kettle black".