One-year-long Braid
448, fall: Ceola falls sick. Alan worries until Caline says that she's with a child.449, April: The life seed is ready. Alan and Ceola spend days figuring out how to plant it. Ultimately they join their creative intent so much that a son is born.
A few minutes later: The child speaks. Right after he is born, the tiny wee baby greets his parents and refuses to bear the name they've prepared for him. He doesn't speak much, luckily. He's frail in health (family fears another Gred) and sleeps a lot.
Days later: Ceola starts braiding her baby's twin stems because they get in the way of everything. Family members start calling him braid. The child tolerates this name, so it sticks.
Days later: Closest family friends are invited for the christening. Bortor is chosen as godfather. Plekti says strange things to everybody (like the famed “someone loves you very much” to Nehmen) but sleeps through the ceremony.
Months later: Braid asks his mother to look up the word “braid” in as many languages as possible.
450, April: On his birthday Braid announces that he has chosen Plekti as his name. He then refers to himself as a “one year long Braid”.
468: In a fit of responsibility (insert a plot that makes sense), Ottoborg and the twins travel through their kingdom to see how their subjects are doing. They return very inspired and immediately begin reconstructing the Brokenhood mansion (again). Plekti, who dislikes the noise, picks up the habit of running away to the countryside. By an iron standard, he always comes back before sunset and demands a bedtime story before he goes to sleep.
479, April: Plekti is 30, which is the time when school begins for Brokenhood kids. Ceola finds tutoring him straining on her patience. Plekti does not want to learn letters, does not want to learn numbers, does not want to learn that three plus three make six. He is, however, eager to learn about nature. Other than that he's fascinated by supernatural stories (to Ceola's delight this includes religious stories), he likes to draw and build “fairy houses” in the forest.
Winter 482: Plekti does not return from the forest until bedtime. Upheaval follows and the entire family scatters into the countryside to look for him. It's snowing, so all tracks are covered quickly while everyone worries about Plekti's health. Eventually they must turn back and wait until morning light.
The following day, at dawn: A search mission is initiated. Clementine is being difficult (she won't get up from the stable floor), so Bortor leaves her and goes on foot. Plekti is not found.
The following day: Bortor grows concerned that Clementine still won't get up. While examining her he finds Plekti curled up in the hay under Clementine. The horse was unwilling to get up because she was keeping the child warm. Plekti claims that he didn't hear their calling because he was asleep, and he says in exhilaration that “he was resurrected on the third day”. Ceola is upset that he uses religious references like that and shares her worries with Alan.
The following day: Alan has a very serious talk to Plekti concerning his overall disobedience and reluctance to study. Plekti is left in tears but starts putting a lot more effort into studying. He's also made to swear that he will never get lost like that again.
486: Nehmen comes to the Brokenhood under some pretext and stays for a few months. He butts into Alan's parenting, calling it way too strict. When he spends time with his grandson, it's pulling pranks, playing games and being irresponsible. Needless to say, Plekti comes to love his grandfather. When Nehmen is leaving, Plekti begs him to come back soon.
In the following years: Nehmen comes to the Brokenhood on and off. He and Plekti have adventures that make Alan's stem stand at its end, but he knows that he'll have little luck if he tries to talk sense into Nehmen. So he grits his teeth and he's secretly glad when Nehmen finally leaves.
520: Plekti reveals a great plan to his grandfather: Next time Nehmen returns to the Neverhood, Plekti will go with him. There are no parents on the Neverhood and no school – it's going to be great! Nehmen panics. Spending time with his grandson is all good and nice, but he doesn't want to take care of a child. He tells this to Plekti in a characteristically Nehmen-y way (he isn't direct and he avoids a straight answer, but you can tell that he's very uncomfortable with it), which shatters Plekti's ideals about his grandfather. This marks Plekti's entering of puberty. He becomes progressively more broody, closed off and hard to manage. Alan hopes that now that Nehmen isn't around, he can compensate for it. It doesn't work well.
535, spring: Plekti runs away from home, leaving Alan devastated over his incompetence as father. A search is commenced but Plekti's never found (yes, they check the stable). Where he lives in the following months is unknown. Their only hope is that Plekti can take care of himself outside and that the weather is warm.
535, fall: With the first snow, Plekti comes back. He doesn't speak. It appears that he has gone mute. Alan and Ceola worry that he's been living with the animals for so long that he's starting to act like one.
535, winter: Fortunately Plekti resumes speaking, but only very little and never to his parents. Ceola and Alan are growing desperate.
536, spring: Plekti has not spoken a word to his parents for the whole winter. Alan and Ceola discuss what to do and come up with only one option – somebody has to help them bring Plekti up. A professional is needed.
536, April: Remag is invited to Plekti's birthday celebration. Ceola and Alan explain their request to him. Remag, always ready to help anyone in need, agrees.
In the meantime: Plekti refuses to attend his own birthday party and hides somewhere. Guided by his excellent hearing Remag tracks the boy down to the cellar. There he finds him trying to talk to a wasp. Or at least, to something that looks similar to a wasp. Remag, however, recognises that it's a fairy who isn't very good at keeping a physical form. He enters the room, asking “Do you need help?”. Startled, Plekti takes it entirely the wrong way and snaps at Remag that he doesn't need any help, he's perfectly fine in the head, he doesn't need any medication, thank you very much, and that everybody should leave him alone, especially doctors in white coats. Remag backs out, surprised at the outburst – Plekti is usually such a sweet boy!
Later that day: Remag talks to all family members. Bortor admits that he might have told Plekti scary stories about psychologists, while Alan says that Plekti reacted very badly when Alan suggested that he might need professional help. (Plekti has grown up always feeling the never-spoken assumption that he's retarded. He hates it. He flips a lid when it's even mentioned, even alluded. On the defence of his parents, while they do think that Plekti is an unbelievably difficult child, they've always loved him and they've never had a problem with showing it. Plekti will, however, never be “the perfect child” and he feels guilty for this. Hence his overreaction.) Remag thanks them both very much, because now he can't talk to the boy openly. At least Plekti doesn't know that Remag is the mentioned psychologist. He doesn't care very much for the blind dude who comes to visit every three years, so why should he remember his occupation?
The following day: Though he has intended to stay longer, Remag receives an urgent call from the Neverhood and he has to return at once. Before departing he promises to Plekti's worried parents that he'll do what he can.
A week later: Plekti receives an anonymous letter from someone who claims to be his friend. It's Remag, actually, who's trying to get to know Plekti. The boy doesn't know what to do, as he's never got a letter before. He shows the letter to his family, who guess it's Remag and advise him to reply. After a few days of hesitation, Plekti does write back.
536: A lively conversation is struck up between Plekti and his new pen-friend. Alan and Ceola are happy to see that Plekti's overall mood is improving, as he has someone to talk to now. Since it's summer he still spends a lot of time alone in the woods, but it's far from running away from home like last year. Ceola suspects that this is because Plekti doesn't want to miss any letters from his pen-friend, who (as the boy soon claims) is the only one who can truly understand him.
Spring 537: Plekti has come to trust his pen-friend with most of his thoughts and secrets. Finally he dares to write about his “imaginary friends” and he insists that they are real. He's pleasantly surprised that his pen-friend believes him, and it warms his heart in a way he's never experienced before. As he comes to trust his pen-friend entirely, this fond feeling only grows.
Spring 538: Plekti's pen-friend suggests that they should meet up. Plekti is caught unprepared; he doesn't reply for weeks. When he does, it's a careful, breathless yes.
April 538: Alan invites Remag for Plekti's 89th birthday celebration because he wants to learn how things are going. Remag accepts. While Plekti is busy eating cake, Remag sneaks into the boy's room and leaves a present on the bed. It contains a red ribbon and a note saying that Plekti should wear it on his wrist to the fireworks tonight. His pen-friend will come, too, wearing the same red ribbon; this way they will know each other.
That night: Plekti is insecure about wearing the ribbon. He doesn't know what to expect of the meeting and his heart goes all doki-doki. So he takes his ribbon with him, but he keeps it hidden. He plans on putting it on after he sees his pen-friend and has a chance to study him. However, he's completely flabbergasted when he finds a red ribbon – of all people – on the blind dude who is apparently a distant relative. In shock he forgets to put his own ribbon on. He tells his parents that he's very tired and they send him to sleep. Plekti goes to his bed, but he does not sleep.
In the middle of the night: Remag is woken by a knock on the door. In comes a very drowsy and obviously quite disoriented Plekti. He babbles about being sorry for being a scaredy cat, says that he's been in love with Remag for over a year and tries to kiss him. Thinking “Where have I gone wrong?” (and trying to tune out Rag's enraged screaming) Remag pushes him away and says that he isn't interested in Plekti like that. The boy refuses to believe him and continues trying to kiss him. Near panic Remag reveals that he's only been writing to him because he's a psychologist hired by Plekti's parents. Heartbroken and utterly betrayed, Plekti runs away.
Morning after: Plekti is nowhere to be found. A note left in his room says that he never wants to see Remag's face again. The psychologist is dejected and angry at himself – he has botched everything up even more than before he came into the fray. Alan and especially Ceola try to comfort him, saying that Plekti will surely change his mind. Remag agrees on the outside but he doesn't believe them. He leaves the Brokenhood some time later, convinced that this is the greatest failure in his career. Not only did he permit the boy to fall in love with him, he also handled the confession all wrong. He has been asked to help but he has made everything worse.
538: Plekti spends the summer Quater knows where.
Early winter 538: Plekti returns home with the first snow. He's even more closed off and kinky than before. Contrary to how he was after his last summer outside, he frequently talks to himself aloud. That is, his family thinks that he's talking to himself. Plekti's convinced that he's talking to fairies. His godfather Bortor takes it upon himself to pull him back from his daydreams. He succeeds, finding that Plekti still hasn't got over Remag's rejection. As Bortor has also experienced being sent to hell by his lover, the two quickly find common ground. Together they vent their frustration in hateful tirades which leave Plekti exhausted but always feeling a little better. The boy doesn't stop talking to himself but at least he's more invested in the life around him. He even talks to his parents, which is a relief, but he's quite disrespectful and defiant. In spite of their best efforts, he gets on their nerves a lot. They almost welcome it when Plekti says that he'll be out of their hair by spring.
539: Plekti assumes a sort of cycle. He spends the summer alone in the woods and the winter at home with his family. Alan and Ceola contact Remag about it, but the psychologist tells them that it's better to give up. Plekti won't ever be “normal” and Remag can't help. Alan is quite upset about this and he searches for Remag during a visit on the Neverhood. Remag avoids him completely. From talking to his friends Alan learns that Remag feels that this is his personal failure. The father decides that forcing Remag will get neither of them anywhere, and resigns to take care of his moody son himself. In the meantime Plekti never gets rid of the habit of “talking to himself” and he gradually becomes very invested with the fairies, who help him get away from the mundane world and who offer him a place where he “belongs”.
545: All that said, Plekti is a gentle soul who can't hate anybody for very long. (It helps that his mother has been talking nicely of Remag, not as a psychologist but as a friend who taught her Braille and who's always been there for her.) He writes a letter to Remag saying that he has forgiven him, that he misses their correspondence and asking why Remag hasn't come to the Brokenhood when it was due time.
Later that month: Words can't say how hopeful Remag is. He scraps dozens of letters trying to get his reply just right. He ends up sending a letter that is very similar to the first version; that he would love to restart the correspondence as well, not only because of his profession, but also because he's come to genuinely care about Plekti. As a friend. Remag hopes that he doesn't stress the word “friend” too much.
Later in 545: Remag and Plekti are writing to each other again. Remag is surprised at how much of Plekti's life now revolves around fairies. He's a little envious of this accomplishment, though in his sleep Rag tells him that it isn't necessarily a good thing to be this involved with fairies.
546: Remag resumes his routine of spending a few months on the Brokenhood once in three years. Plekti quickly warms up to the blind dude and they spend a lot of quality time together. Remag is amazed how much Plekti has learned about survival, nature in general and most of all fairies. He tries to keep his distance, though. The boy is nearly of age now (the age of “maturity” is 100 on the Brokenhood, roughly corresponding to human 17) but he's still damn young and a patient to boot. Both Remag and his alter-ego agree that a relationship with Plekti is something they can't afford.
Winter 549: Three years later, Remag promises to come on Christmas this time. Just before his arrival Plekti, giddy as fuck, runs off into the forest to get mistletoe. Unfortunately the tree upon which mistletoe grows is a secret fairy shrine, which Plekti doesn't notice in his excitement. When he damages it, he's struck down with… mental power of holiness.
In the meantime: Remag is travel sick upon arrival and asks for a short nap. While he's sleeping, Rag tells him that he's seen Plekti dead under a mistletoe tree. When Remag wakes up he's frightened as hell; he shrugs on a coat and runs off into the forest. Luckily it isn't snowing and he finds Plekti's footprints with the OPS soon enough.
30 minutes later: It's getting colder and the wind picks up. Remag hurries.
30 minutes later: Remag finds Plekti under a tree with a fairy mistletoe shrine, a branch of mistletoe in his freezing-cold hand. The Hoodian gathers his friend in his arms, thinking him dead. Plekti moans in pain, proving that he isn't dead. Yet. Just dying. Enraged Remag demands an explanation from the shrine fairies. To his surprise they are equally horrified. It turns out that Plekti has been found guilty in a fairy trial (which wouldn't take place if fairy laws didn't extend to him, in other words, if he wasn't so involved with the fairies). The punishment was to give up his physical body in favour of the shrine. To do the “driving” the head priest took over Plekti's body. Unfortunately the priest can't keep such a complicated physical form alive. And so Plekti is slowly dying, along with the esteemed priest, who is unable to leave the body.
After several seconds of stunned silence: Remag tells the head priest to let the fuck go of Plekti and let the Hoodian be in charge of his own body. He assures him that this won't make him disappear. “How can you know that it will work?” the fairies shriek. To which Remag replies… that he knows. Just so. From experience.
In the last minute: The head priest, thinking that he'll die anyway, gives up control over Plekti's body and lets the boy have it. Fortunately it's not too late. Plekti takes a deep breath and opens his eyes. He tells Remag that he's cold as hell. Remag gives him his overcoat. Plekti pouts and holds out the mistletoe branch. Remag takes it in confusion. “Put it higher,” Plekti tells him. “Higher… higher. Like that. Now… You know what the tradition is. When two people meet under the mistletoe...” Remag can't believe his ears. Plekti is usually not that flirty.
Minutes later: It seems like Plekti's personality is distorted. He keeps hitting on Remag. The Hoodian credits it to the presence of another consciousness in his head. When Plekti is fit to move, they start on a way back. Halfway to the Brokenhood mansion they meet up with Alan, who got worried and followed their footprints.
Christmas 549: Even after he gets used to the fairy in his consciousness, Plekti keeps making advances on Remag. The blind Hoodian doesn't know how to react. On one hand he doesn't want to refuse Plekti for fear of another catastrophe, on the other hand he still sees Plekti as a child and he feels too old for him. Rag seconds this opinion.
January 550: Despite himself Remag is giving in to Plekti's seduction. The boy has become strangely mature, which eases Remag's inhibitions about his age. He's doubtful, however, about how much of this maturity comes from sharing mind space with a priest.
Spring 550: Enjoying being with Plekti more than he would admit, Remag extends his stay on the Brokenhood for as long as possible. He's never been gone for longer than three months and his patients are getting anxious. Remag sets the day of leaving after Plekti's birthday.
April 550: Knowing that they won't see each other for a long time and this is their last chance, Remag and Plekti kiss on the evening before Plekti's 101st birthday. It's slow, sweet and really sloppy since both have zero experience. Remag leaves shortly after but they promise to see each other very soon.
