Finally, here’s what I promised: the introduction drabble for Asbel! (my sunshine boy™) Enjoy!
(Land of Hope WIP intro, if you’ve forgotten what he’s part of)
*****
"What? Me? No, no! Not at all!"
Asbel was frantically waving his hands, trying to apologize in front of the merchant who was turning even redder by the second.
"It has to be your fault that my cargo hasn't arrived!" the big man thundered, pushing his finger against the young man's chest. "You were supposed to take care of the message, and the shipment should already be here if you weren't a good-for-nothing fool!
- But I can assure you, it's not my fault! I conveyed your terms to Rolven, she confirmed the deal and that's it! She never mentioned a longer shipping time!
- Oh really? Then what am I supposed to do with my clients that are waiting for their beams? If she needed more time than we agreed, she should have let me know! How do I know you didn't just forget to ask her?
- What? No, not at all! I'm telling you, I told her everything!
- And what about the time you forgot for Garmann's meeting, hm? Or the deal between Vance and Harril? It's not the first time you screw up a mission because you just can't remember what you're told! I don't even know why your father insists on keeping you!
-The mee- But that was- For crying out loud, I swear I didn't forget anything! She didn't say anything! She must have been delayed by the rain! It's not my fault!"
The merchant crossed his arms and glared down at him, frowning.
-"The rain. Whatever. But I'm still the one who's going to be stuck dealing with the angry customers. Let me tell you, the next time you get in the way of my business you can bet that your father will be hearing about you!
-But I didn't-
- Now get out of here! I have better things to do than listening to your whining!"
Asbel clenched his fists, gave him a brief nod and left. Behind him, the man was grudgingly undertaking to scribble something in a ledger already covered in notes.
"Perfect. Another problem. Like I didn't already have the worst record in town." Asbel stepped inside and put his errand bag down. "And one morning wasted!" he muttered, blowing against the blond hair that had strayed out of his braid.
-"So I take it you had problems with Verik?"
Asbel froze, then put his head out through the study door. He sighed, with relief this time.
His sister was seated in front of a sea of files and sheets, her sandy hair pulled in a tight bun. She was staring at him like she was waiting for something, but her eyes shone with an amused light.
-"Hell, you scared me! I thought Dad was here! The later he hears about what happened, the happier I'll be…" he said wearily. He took a few steps in the room and sat on the corner of a table.
-"Did it go that wrong? Verik should have expected delay, the upstream villages have been writing about the bad weather for the last three weeks. He's not the only one who's been having trouble because of it."
Asbel let out a strangled laugh. He was agitated, his legs swinging under the table.
-"If you want to go talk to him, believe me, I won't stop you! But it's so much easier to blame me… He even brought up Garmann's meeting! Even though it wasn't even my fault, he's the one who didn't mention he needed a interpreter! And an Ilmani, at that! Not the kind of guy you can find at any turn!"
His sister was staring at him, her gaze inscrutable. His hands fell back to his side.
-"I know that if I keep getting in trouble I'm gonna have to find another job again. But I swear I'm doing my best…"
His sister kept her gaze on him for a few moments more, then turned back to her desk, straightened up her already perfect pages and picked up the ink reed she had put down.
-"All trade with the villages has been cut for five days. It was time to send some people to see how they are doing and lend them a hand, anyway. I'll try to learn how Rolven's shipment is going, it might calm down Verik's clients." The light scratching of the reed on the paper now seemed to hold all of her attention. Asbel let himself slide from the table, his feet hitting the floor with a muted sound.
-"I… Sor- Thanks.
-Dad will surely leave the council late, Verik will have calmed down by then. In the meantime, pass by the archive to see if they need you. There are still people in this town who appreciate your work." Asbel raised his head, hearing the warmth in his sister's voice. She was looking at him again with a slight smirk and one raised eyebrow. He stood a little straighter and smiled at her cheerfully.
-"Well, it's a good thing the most fearsome penpusher in the city has my back! Beware, or she could bury you under paperwork and bills!" The only answer he got was a paper ball shot in his direction as he ducked out towards the exit. He saluted his sister one last time:
-"I'm going to try to make myself useful! See you later!"
Already immersed in her files once more, she waved at him vaguely. He tiptoed out of the house, grabbing his bag on the way.
-"Try to make myself useful. Mmh. Try, that's the word." he muttered, gazing at the city that stretched out before him.
*****
That’s it! It might be a little blunt and pretty unclear, but it’s normal! I’ll probably do more straightforward character presentations one of these days, but this is meant only as a way to introduce my characters in the first chapters.
You’re free to ask questions if you really want to know more, though! But be aware that this is the very beginning of the novel, so the things you see here are not gonna stay unchanged...
I’m adding the French version below for those who might be interested!
*****
"Quoi? Moi? Non, non! Pas du tout!"
Asbel agitait frénétiquement les mains en signe d'excuse devant le marchand qui empourprait à vue d'oeil.
"Si mon chargement n'est toujours pas arrivé, c'est forcément de ta faute! tonitrua le large homme en pressant son doigt contre le torse du jeune homme. C'est toi qui devais te charger du message, et la livraison devrait déjà être là, si tu n'étais pas un imbécile bon à rien!
-Mais je vous assure que je n'y suis pour rien! J'ai transmis vos termes à Rolven, elle a confirmé l'accord et c'est tout! Elle n'a jamais mentionné un délai de livraison plus long!
-Ah vraiment? Et comment je suis sensé faire, moi, avec mes clients qui attendent leurs poutres? Si elle avait besoin de plus de temps que convenu, elle aurait dû me le faire savoir! Comment je peux être sûr que tu n'as pas juste oublié de lui en parler?
-Quoi? Mais non, pas du tout! Je vous assure que je lui ai tout dit!
-Et la fois où tu as oublié le rendez-vous de Garmann, hein? Et l'accord entre Vance et Harril? C'est pas la première fois que tu foires une mission parce que t'es pas fichu de retenir ce qu'on te dit! Je sais même pas pourquoi ton père s'obstine à te garder!
-Le ren- Mais c'était- Bon sang, je vous jure que je n'ai rien oublié! Elle ne m'a rien dit! Rien! Elle a dû être retardée par les pluies! Ce n'est pas de ma faute!"
Le marchand croisa les bras et le toisa, les sourcils froncés.
-"Les pluies. Ouais. En attendant, c'est moi qui vais devoir me coltiner les clients furieux. La prochaine fois que tu me causes des problèmes, ton père entendra parler de toi, tu peux en être sûr!
-Mais je n'ai même pas-
-Allez, file de là ! J'ai autre chose à faire que de t'écouter pleurnicher!"
Asbel serra les poings, salua le commerçant d'un signe de tête et sortit. Derrière lui, l'homme s'attelait en grommelant à noircir un peu plus un livre de comptes couvert de notes.
"Parfait. Encore un problème. Comme si j'avais pas déjà le pire tableau de chasse de toute la ville." Asbel passa le seuil de la maison et posa son sac de coursier dans l'entrée. "Et une matinée de perdue!" marmonna-t-il, soufflant pour repousser les mèches blondes qui s'échappaient de sa tresse.
"J'en déduis que tu as eu des problèmes avec Verik?"
Asbel se figea, puis passa la tête dans l'encadrement de la porte du bureau et eut un soupir, de soulagement cette fois.
Sa sœur était assise devant une mer de dossiers et de feuilles, ses cheveux sable remontés en un chignon strict. Elle le fixait, l'air d'attendre quelque chose, mais une lueur d'amusement dansait dans ses yeux.
-"Bon sang, tu m'as fait peur! J'ai cru que Papa était là! Plus tard il apprendra comment ça s'est fini, mieux je me porterai..." dit-il avec lassitude. Il fit quelques pas dans la pièce et sur le coin d'une table.
-"Ça s'est si mal passé que ça? Verik aurait dû s'attendre à du retard, ça fait trois semaines que les villages en amont parlent des intempéries dans leurs missives. Il n'est pas le seul à qui ça cause des problèmes."
Asbel eut un rire étranglé. Il était agité, ses jambes se balançant sous la table.
-"Si tu veux aller lui en parler, crois moi, je te retiens pas! Mais c'est tellement plus facile de m'accuser moi... Il a même mentionné le rendez-vous de Garmann! Alors que c'était même pas de ma faute, c'est lui qui n'a pas précisé qu'il lui fallait un interprète! Et un Ilmani en plus! Pas le genre de gars qui se trouve à n'importe quel coin de rue!"
Sa sœur le fixait, son regard indéchiffrable. Ses mains retombèrent piteusement à ses côtés.
-"Je sais bien que si je continue à avoir des problèmes, je vais encore devoir trouver un autre travail. Mais je fais de mon mieux, je t'assure..."
Les yeux de sa soeur restèrent posés sur lui quelques instant de plus, puis elle se retourna vers son bureau, remit de l'ordre dans ses feuilles déjà parfaitement ordonnées et reprit le roseau à encre qu'elle avait posé.
-"Tous les échanges avec les villages sont coupés depuis cinq jours. Il était temps d'envoyer quelques personnes jeter un œil et leur donner un coup de main, de toute façon. J'en profiterai pour voir où en est Rolven avec la livraison, ça devrait calmer les clients de Verik." Le grattement du roseau sur le papier, léger, semblait maintenant attirer toute l'attention de la jeune femme. Asbel se laissa glisser au sol, ses pieds touchant le plancher avec un bruit sourd.
-"Je... Dés- Merci.
- Papa sortira sûrement tard du conseil, Verik sera calmé d'ici là. En attendant, passe voir aux archives si ils ont besoin de toi. Il y a quand même des gens dans cette ville qui apprécient ton travail." La chaleur dans la voix de sa sœur fit relever la tête à Asbel. Elle le regardait de nouveau, avec un léger sourire en coin et un sourcil relevé. Il se redressa un peu et lui sourit joyeusement.
-"Heureusement que la gratte-papier la plus redoutable de toute la cité couvre mes arrières! Prenez garde, elle pourrait vous enterrer sous la paperasse et les livres de comptes!" La seule réponse qu'il obtint fut une boulette de papier lancée dans sa direction tandis qu'il s'esquivait vers la sortie. Il adressa un dernier salut à sa sœur :
-"Je vais essayer de me rendre utile! À plus tard!"
Déjà replongée dans ses dossiers, elle lui fit un vague signe de la main. Il quitta la maison sur la pointe des pieds en reprenant sa besace au passage.
"Essayer de me rendre utile. Mmh. Essayer, c'est le mot." marmonna-t-il en regardant la ville qui s'ouvrait devant lui.
Hi, just wondering, have you stopped writing or something since shadowhunters was cancelled??? No hate just noticed you haven’t posted or updated anything recently.
Hey, sorry it took so long to answer this, I’ve been terrible about answering asks for…like months now. I appreciate this ask though and have been meaning to answer. Um. So. No. I have not stopping writing because Shadowhunters was canceled, I stopped writing before it was canceled. Just in the sense that I have not written fic in like at least two months? And for two months before that I was only writing a little. So… That’s not to say I’ve quit, because I haven’t, at least I don’t intend to. Just between being busy and completely uninspired when it comes to fic, I…haven’t written more than a few words here and there. I intend to get back into it, I intend to finish all my WIPs, it’s kind of just a matter of waiting until I’m inspired and have time. So, no, I haven’t stopped writing, I just haven’t been writing. I intend to though, so we’ll see.
the hardest part for me about separating from someone who i’ve been so close with since i was 12 isn’t “remembering who you were before them” or anything... I was 12. before him, I was 11. I was a kid. I was a different person. What’s so god damn impossible about all of this is trying to figure out who the hell I’d be if he had never been around to start with, if I were ever able to become my own person without him being such a big part of who i am.
