Art Archive

I don’t know what got into me, I suddenly had an urge to draw these children. It took longer than I expected. “The Road Home” is the working title for my ongoing original novel. It’s currently just at 60% when I decided to write and finish Sparks first. These kids are my fave side-characters.

Left to right: Aiden, Helen, Page and Lian. These four are all apprentice librarians (in the novel, librarians do more than sort books and help people in the library, they also do magic stuff).

Aiden, Helen and Page were childhood best friends. Aiden is a farmer’s son and he balances his time between helping out on their farm and studying in the library. Helen is the daughter of their next-door-neighbor. She lost her right leg on an accident when they were children. She is trans, and some of the townspeople discriminate her for it, but her friends and family are really supportive. Plus, Aiden has made it really clear that he loves her no matter what. (And I’m really fond of this sketch of them aaahhh). Page is their biggest shipper although he won’t say that out loud.

Lian came from a foreign country and joined them shortly after they started their apprenticeship. She and Page consider each other as rivals; mostly in the sensei-please-notice-how-much-better-I-am sense. Because their teacher is Page’s mother and Lian’s long-time role model. They tried to date once but just ended up almost killing each other.

Page setting off on his own after finishing his apprenticeship, on an “errand” for his mother, is what kicks off the main storyline of the novel. He goes on a road trip and in parallel tells the story of his mom and her band of friends on their own trip when they were younger.