WeWriWa #12: 6 December 2015

I totally survived–and won!–NaNoWriMo! That said, I haven’t exactly finished my novel, and right now it’s probably only the halfway point, so further celebrations would have to go on hold until after I’ve actually followed through on this story.

This week, I’ve decided to branch out of Eirika’s POV and into Lan Dulahunty’s POV. Lan is suffering a bit of disillusionment with the employment industry and turns to drink–and philosophy–to find the crux of the matter. Not that he gets to wallow in self-pity for too long.

“We all know only a handful of the men scrambling to read the notices ever really get the jobs. And when has one commission ever done any good to a person? I think I gain more out of my day staying here than grappling with futility.”

“I think it’s about time I close you off the liquor,” Mikka said, “I can handle stupid, drunk belligerence. But when you’re sloshed, you spout depression with a wide array of vocabulary. It’s unnatural, Lan.”

“Woman, I’m paying you!” Lan sputtered.

Mikka laughed. “With what money, sir?”

Lan fumbled through his pockets and hesitated.

Story Notes: Amber and Tourmalines (working title, definitely not the final one) is a story of a black market dealer and her investigation into the untimely deaths of important colleagues. It is also a story of a man down on his luck and resorting to thievery to make ends meet. Only the man’s pretty bad at petty theft, but a rather decent clockmaker. The black market dealer has no problem pointing this out–and involuntarily recruiting him to a life of crime.