NaNoWriMo day 2012, Day 13

Wordcount:  Daily = 2.437 , Total = 24,398 

Percentage: 48.8% (112% of target) (21671)

Story is marching along, and maybe going somewhere. I still need to go back and add some stuff, I think. Maybe develop Raweke and Totoa a bit more fully, and up the rivalry between Tiriki and Pakari. Now however, Tiriki has gotten himself separated from all his friends, so not sure if they'll come back into it or not.

Another interested faet about this tale is there is a story within the story. Everything is written from Tiriki's perspective - if he isn't in it, it isn't on the page, but there is obviously quite a lot going on in the background. I feel I should include Tiriki's mother, Niwha, I mean, I've given her a name and everything.

You may not be able to teach an old dog new tricks - but you can certainly teach a young kea some!
This is based somewhat on Alex the African Grey Parrot.

Tiriki tugged the pieces out of the tray and scattered them around the floor in a rather haphazard manner, with a few short, sharp flicks with his head and beak. Approaching the blue ball, he knocked it with his beak and watched as it rolled across the floor. That was interesting, he thought, and proceeded to push it in erratic circles around the floor. It amused Josh, who held the flat device up and held it between him and Tiriki, as though it were some sort of shiel, and made that funny sort of rumbly sound that humans made when they found something entertaining.

It did not take long for Tiriki to get bored, and he looked back up at Josh. Josh was holding up one of the brazil nuts, as though offering it to him.

Forgetting the ball, Tiriki jogged over to get the nut. It had been a while since his fruit breakfast.

Josh palmed the nut and drew it back from the bars, shaking his head. “No,” he said, “you have to bring me the ball. Push it to me.”

This made no sense to Tiriki. He sat back on his tarsus and quirked his head at Josh, questioning. Josh just stared at him, brazil nut hidden in his hand.

Well, if he's going to tease me like that, Tiriki thought scornfully, I'm not going to pay him any attention. He stood, and went back to investigating the other blocks. There was a yellow cylinder, which he could push along on the widest side; a green cube that he could tumble with his beak and a red pyramid, which didn't roll at all. The black disc, whilst he could not roll it anywhere, was quite easy to pick up and he chewed on it for a bit.

Josh made a noise, and he glanced over to see the boy was once again holding up a brazil nut.

Tiriki rushed towards it, forgetting in his hungry haste to drop the black disc. He carried it across to the bars and stopped in front of the tray, waiting for Josh to pull it out and load the nut into it..

The tray was slipped out, wooden disc removed and the brazil nut pushed through.

Hrm, he thought, he must want his wooden bits back. Maybe if I bring them all over, he'll give me more nuts. Although, if he wants them so badly to exchange them for these delicious nuts, then why did he put them in here in the first place? Still, he shrugged, humans have some weird little ways and hey – it really is good.