Cause that would just be silly. Basically, I got the idea for this one kinda piecewise, combining my love of steampunk, the Napoleonic Era, and a few books/webcomics/songs I drew inspiration from. As such, the plot is also in pieces all over the place and I keep adding characters and situations as I research the period, but it's still all my baby and I love it love it looooove it.
Anyway. Was listening to my favorite writing music today (this) and the emotion that I got from it led me down some weird passageways, from a cowboy to a dance floor to person falling, and from falling I turned to Franny's story and got this.
Franny flexed her fingers and concentrated. It had been difficult when the glove slid off, the smooth leather slipping off her delicate fingers. But her uncle James had just chuckled, and Mr. Pimms had been dispatched to the manor to fetch some ribbons to tie around her wrists, holding the two together. She'd twisted her wrist this way and that, admiring the contrast of the bright pink and shiny leather, and the way they fluttered in the spring breeze, until her uncle had harumphed loudly.
"Come on now, gel. Haven't got the time to be fussing over fripperies all day."
"Yes, uncle," she had said, and assumed a loose stance as she had been taught.
"Do you remember the position?"
"Yes." She flexed her fingers into a claw, then twisted her wrist so her palm was pointing toward the sky, and stared intently at the small patch of ground Mr. Pimms had ringed with stone. Thinking as hard as she could, she raised her hand over her head, making a dramatic twisting gesture as she did so. Nothing happened.
"Did you use your head or your feet?" James asked, grinning. Her crestfallen face reminded her of his own the first time he'd tried to use his father's glove. "Remember what I told you now, Franny. Picture a line from your feet to the ground and feel the connection inherit in it." Franny nodded, her face flaming. Edward had told her he was sure she'd do it first go; how embarrassed he'd be if she couldn't do it at all!
She squared her feet again, this time closing her eyes and transferring all her thoughts to her feet. It wasn't hard, seeing as they'd been practicing in the courtyard for hours and her plain brown boots were wet through. She reached further and felt through the soles of her shoes to the earth underfoot, softened by the previous night's rain. She imagined the feel of it, good solid dirt that broke into thick clumps under your fingers, and felt an odd shuddering sensation run up her spine and back again. Seeing this, James nodded, though Franny couldn't see him.
"Go on, then."
She nodded, still holding the thought of earth in her mind, and slowly opened her eyes. Placing her hand in the proper position, she slowly, ever so carefully, raised it, and in front of her, the ground rippled and rose, in a perfectly straight line, until it reached the circle. Her hand shook and the strain began to show on her face, but Franny held the position until the small circle rose as well, then clenched her fist. The earth fell in soft showers back to the ground as she raced toward her uncle, who swept her up in his arms and spun her around, laughing madly.
"Ahhh, who says a girl can't earthshift?!" he shouted in her ear, and heaved her to his hip. "Come on, then, let's go tell your cousin."
Gotta go see Scott Pilgrim again; I'll post more of this when I get back.
No comments:
Post a Comment