This is to show you what my creative brain does

[sessifet]

It gives me snippets and then does not tell me how the linking bits work. I have to hammer those out and believe me, it usually feels like pulling teeth with someone else's fingers. I've huge tracts of story which fit somewhere in the whole thing, but I don't know where. Still having fun writing and jigsawing, though, and I suppose this is reasonably coherent.



Plink sighed. 'Well, that was useless.'

'So what now?' She asked as she made her way back on to his shoulder.

'I think it's time we spoke to Grandmother.'

Salamanca looked at him. 'That sounds ominous. And important. Is she another Elder?'

Plink laughed at that. 'Grandmother? An Elder? Never.'

'Ah. Your females can't be Elders either?'

'Oh, no. No, they can. Grandmother's been asked several times, actually, but she's always refused. In fact, I think the last delegation was a bit upset when she laughed in their faces. She says she doesnt want to get involved in rules and politics. She thinks it slows you down.'

'Ooh. I like her already,' Salamanca said.

He smiled. 'Thought you would,' he replied.

As they walked down the narrow corridors, Salamanca pondered.

'Plink?'

'Yes?'

'What's she like?'

'Grandmother? She's...Grandmother, I suppose.'

She poked him. 'That is not exactly informative.'

'Oof. Sorry. I just don't know how to explain her. She just is. Like the shop. But smaller.'

'Yes, but is it a title? I mean, the way you say it makes it sounds like it is.'

Plink thought for a bit. 'I suppose she is everyone's Grandmother. Everyone comes to her for advice. Even some of the Elders, though they pretend to just come to visit for tea.'

'But she's not just that to you, is she?' Salamanca insisted.

'No, she's not. She is actually my grandmother. My dad's mother.' Plink thought some more. 'She is nice. She will listen to you and to what you want to say and not go on and on about rules and how things should be.'

'Sounds sensible.'

Plink chuckled. 'She taught me a lot of the old stories. And she also said that rules are made to be broken. And that you should always follow your dream.'

Salamanca grinned at him. 'Well, that explains you, then.'

He grinned back. 'Oh yes. It drives father mad.'

--------------------

Plinked cleared his throat politely. A few moments later, a wrinkled face appeared. It peered at him.

'Plink! Come to visit your old nan then, have you?'

'Hello, grandmother,' he replied.

'Come in, come in,' the old book lizard said, smiling at him broadly. 'I can have tea ready soon. Black's still your favourite right? I've just got a new nice batch in.'

He hesitated, as he made to follow her into the house. 'I'm not here just for tea, grandmother.'

'Oh?' She turned back and looked at him. 'What are you here for then? Not for old stories, surely?'

'To be honest...' he turned his head and motioned for Salamanca to step forward. She shuffled out from behind him, clutching her staff nervously. She waved shyly at the old book lizard looking down at her.

''lo,' she said nervously.

'Oh my word,' Grandmother breathed as she stared at the small silverfish in front of her.

'This is Salamanca, grandmother. I thought you two should meet.'

'Oh, indeed,' she replied. 'Nice to meet you, Salamanca. Do come in.'

-------------------------

'That is a fine staff you have there, Salamanca.'

'Thank you?' The silverfish answered, looking a bit flustered.

'It is very nice. Could I...see it?' Grandmother said, stretching out her hand.

Salamanca looked unsure and drew back a bit, holding her staff close to her body. 'I...er. I'd rather not, if you don't mind. It was rather a lot of work and...well, you have big hands and you might break it and then I'd have to make another one and I really like this one. A lot,' she finished at a rush.

Grandmother withdrew her hand quickly. 'Oh, of course, of course. I do apologise. It was rude of me to ask in the first place.'

Plink looked at his grandmother. What are you doing?, he thought. She normally wasn't this...forthright.

'I am curious as to what it does, though. Could you...'

Plink started waving frantically at her behind Salamanca's back.

'...show me?' She finished, staring hard at Plink.

Salamanca's eyes lit up. 'Oh! Yes! I can.' She started fiddling with the staff.

'Oh no, not again,' Plink muttered and rolled his eyes.

'This is for grasping things. It's really handy. I can't reach very far very quickly, you see. And this one gives light.'

Grandmother nodded and drew closer. 'Interesting.'

Salamanca fiddled and twisted and 'That one...well, that one stabs things.' She looked a bit sheepish at that.

'It is quite effective, I found,' Plink chimed in drily.

'I did say I was sorry,' she snapped.

Grandmother looked at them. 'I see there's a story to that one. But,' she interrupted as both Salamanca and Plink opened their mouths to explain, 'it can wait for now. What else can it do?'

'Well, there's one that helps me look around corners, but this one is my favourite. It helps me climb walls.' She touched a carving near the top and twisted the bottom end of the staff.

There was a *shnickt* noise, followed by a small *thunk*.

'Hang on, that's not right. I wonder what I did wrong?' She peered at her staff closely.

Plink whimpered. Salamanca turned around to look at him, as did Grandmother. Plink was sat bolt upright, clutching his hands to his chest. He stared in horror at the small yet very sharp knife *gloioioing*ing to a standstill in the table in front of him.

'Oh dear, I'm sorry! That wasn't supposed to happen!' Salamanca exclaimed.

'Really?' He squeaked.

---------------------

'I think I've seen enough,' Grandmother said firmly.

'Really?' Salamanca deflated a bit. 'There's more, you know.'

'I'm sure there is, but I've only one grandson and I really don't want to have to explain to his father why his only son turned into a gibbering wreck. I'd never hear the end of it.'

Salamanca hung her head. 'I'm sorry.'

'But you can show me more later, if you wish. Though I hope you don't mind if I ask you do so somewhere with fewer fragile items. Such as my grandson.'

'Grandmother!'

'Now, I think I know why Plink has brought you here,' she contiued, ignoring Plink. 'I need to make sure, though. Would you mind waiting outside for a while, dear? I need to talk to him.'

Salamanca glared at her. 'You're going to talk about me, aren't you?'

Grandmother chuckled. 'Yes dear, but it won't be for very long and once you're back, I'll tell you everything.'

Salamanca thought for a bit. 'Promise?'

'Yes,' Grandmother replied.

'Really promise?'

Grandmother crouched low and looked her in the eye. 'I promise. I know you have no reason to believe your own elders and heavens know ours aren't that much better, but I can tell you this: I never lie.' She thought for a second. 'Except when I told Plink I could make his head explode if he stole anymore sweets.'

'Grandmother!'

'Hush.' She offered Salamanca her hand. 'I promise. By all that I hold dear and the souls of our ancestors; when you come back into this room, I will tell you the truth.'

Salamanca thought for a bit and then shook Grandmother's hand. 'I'll be outside,' she said.

When she had left, Grandmother turned to Plink. 'So. You have found an artisan, then.' She stated, not even bothering to make it a question.

Plink looked at her, relief and shock on his face. 'I don't know if she is, grandmother. I think...'

'Oh, shut it. You came to me with her. You had to have an idea. I know you know the histories better than the Elders. After all, I taught you most of them.'

He nodded. 'I don't know what to do,' he said, staring into his mug. 'Elder Marak was,' he paused,' unhelpful,' he eventually finished lamely.

'Of course he was. Did you tell him about her?'

'No, we didn't even get that far.'

'Let me guess. He refused to even entertain the notion that there could be an artisan, right?'

He sipped his tea and nodded.

She sighed. 'Stubborn old fool.'

----------------------

'Well, you've done it now, my dear boy.'

'I didn't do anything!' he protested.

'Oh, but you did. You found her, which means you are as important as she is. But only just,' his grandmother added quietly.

'But....that means,' he said and fell silent as realisation dawned on him for the second time that day.

'Yes, my boy. You are going to get your wish. You will have your adventures.'

His grandmother silently pushed the plate of food towards him as he stared at her, completely dumbstruck.



It still needs polishing and gluing and possibly shuffling about and things, but that whole collection was written in bits and pieces all over the place. I think I don't write from A to B.

Comments

[bunnyk.livejournal.com]

Ooo... I like it. More, please? :)

[cat63.livejournal.com]

Yay! More Plink!

[ciciaye.livejournal.com]

Joining in the general chorus for more!

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

Very enjoyable. This piece seems to be less about explaining the world, and more about the characters. The first piece did emphasise that this world was quite quite different from the normal human world. This one doesn't really comment on that so much, it just focuses on the story. It leaves me feeling that there is definitely a place it is going :)

I like it :)

I think it could benefit from a few other bits about the world differences being thrown in to more ease the style as you begin to focus on the story more.. does that make sense?

[arkarian-kamui.livejournal.com]

Plaatjus!!
*Gaat kijken hoe ze tijd kan kweken komende week*

[martinoh.livejournal.com]

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