The 2nd Thrilling Thursday of Talking to...

It's that time of the week again...Tessa's going to interview one of the protagonists of her WIPs. Today, it will be...

*drumroll*

Silence

*applause*

Tessa walks into the interview room, wearing dark jeans and a light-blue sweater, both liberally covered in red spots*. She's muttering to herself, trying to wipe away the worst of the stains with a damp tissue. It doesn't help. She looks up and lets out a very unprofessional shriek. There's someone there already, lounging in one of the chairs, both booted feet up on the table. He's dressed almost completely in black, though it has a rather washed-out look to it. 

Tessa: (thumps her notebook down on the table) Well, good day to you. Nobody told me you were here already. 

Silence: (shrugs, waves a hand in greeting)

T: Right. So now that you're here, we might as well start. (raises an eyebrow at him) Why don't you get comfortable on that chair? 

S: (corner of his mouth kicks up briefly; he gets the hint and takes his feet from the table)

T: Let's start at the beginning. Why did they call you Silence? 

S: (grins and shakes his head)

T: (mental #headdesk) Alright, stupid question. Do you just not talk or can you not speak at all?

S: (smiles, tilst his head from side to side and makes a waffeling so-so gesture with his hand)

T: A bit of both?

S: (nods)

T: So how did that work for you? Do you speak sign language?

S: (shakes his head, looks puzzled)


T: Sign language. When people pronounce words with their hands?

S: (shakes his head again, shrugs his shoulders)

T: So no sign language, then?

S: (this time the shrug looks like a confirmation)

T: You grew up in Castle Keep?

S: (nods, smiles at T)

T: I've heard you were the leader of a small band of pickpockets and little hooligans. Is that true?

S: (broad grin now; his teeth are shining white, in spite of his apparently unconventional childhood)

T: There's no such thing as Social Services in Castle Keep? People who take care of abandoned children?

S: (shakes head; then he pulls a leather thong from under his shirt; it's a crude necklace, strung with several coloured tokens)


T: What's that?

S: (points to a red one and pretends to eat something) 


T: You get food with that?

S: (nods; points at the blue one and rubs his hands together, then combs them through his hair) 


T: Washing? That's for access to washing facilities?

S: (nods approvingly and shakes the necklace a little; the tokens make little chink noises as they touch each other; there's at least five more of them) 


T: I see. This is a social system? If you need them, you get tokens that equal some service or another which is then for free?

S: (grins and makes a clapping motion)


T: Interesting system. So are you still a thief?

S: (shakes his head and pats the sword and baldric he's wearing) 


T: A fighter? A soldier?

S: (nods) 


T: And do you like it?

S: (nods, shrugs, points at the captain's stripes at his shoulder)


T: Oh, I didn't realize. You're an officer? But how does that work? How do you give orders if you can't speak?

S: (makes dramatic gestures, pointing left and right) 


T: (incredulous) You order your men around like that?

S: (nods)


T: Wow. (looks at her watch) Oh dear, I'm afraid I have to go now. I have a cake in the oven, you see?

S: (gets up and bows over T's hand) 


T: It was nice to meet you, Silence. (giggles a little) Captain Silence.

Silence leaves. Tessa looks through her notes. Her favourite fountain pen is gone, along with one of her rings.


T: Why that little thief! (runs out of the interview room to catch the smug bastard)


So, that was Silence. Do you like him? What impression did he make on you? Let me know so I can box him into shape.  

***

On a different note, in case you care:


It's been a busy week. I've written three blogfest entries (all scheduled to be posted at the correct time), am still struggling to write the fourth and also started a short story provisionally entitled 'Red'. 


Which kind of goes with what I've been up to today...

No, seriously. I made JAM.

*this is where the red spots come into play, in case you were wondering... #clumsytessa