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Re: After the Dream—Hanako's Arc (Part 6 up 20140322)

Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 8:48 pm
by dewelar
Mahorfeus wrote:
bhtooefr wrote:Not canon, but there is this: http://www.katawa-shoujo.com/secret/san ... l.Fink.jpg
Not canon indeed, but I confess that the fact that it was drawn by Mike Inel has given me a certain... bias in its favor. :oops:
Well, sure, insofar as all the girls seem to have similar facial features in that picture (which is fairly typical of Inel's work, IME - just check out deIz if you don't believe me). Of course, if it's all a dream, then of course all the girls are going to look like Iwanako :D.

Re: After the Dream—Hanako's Arc (Part 6 up 20140322)

Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 9:17 pm
by bhtooefr
Mind you, I don't think she's a mere palette swap on Hanako, either - I believe she's quite a bit shorter than Hanako, plus the aforementioned body type differences (although I think they're not that major - the same basic shape, just a little more curve on the hips, a little less on the chest.)

There's bigger differences, though, between... say... Akira and Lilly.

Re: After the Dream—Hanako's Arc (Part 6 up 20140322)

Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 9:20 pm
by brythain
I think the main point wouldn't be to do with our perceptions of the two, but with Hanako's self-perception vs her perception of the other as they come together at Hisao's grave… :)

Re: After the Dream—Hanako's Arc (Part 6 up 20140322)

Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 9:39 pm
by dewelar
brythain wrote:I think the main point wouldn't be to do with our perceptions of the two, but with Hanako's self-perception vs her perception of the other as they come together at Hisao's grave… :)
Yeah, my comment wasn't directed at anything in the context of the story. Poetic license, unreliable narrator, seeing through the fog of emotion, a sense of connection due to shared experience, etc. -- take your pick, there are any number of reasons why Hanako might see a lot of herself in Iwanako.

Re: After the Dream—Hanako's Arc (Part 6 up 20140322)

Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 12:21 am
by Helbereth
Iwanako can look however you decide. The only canonical feature is her long, dark hair, and modern cosmetology can alter that extensively, so she's a blank slate. Aside from being female, you can pretty much make up whatever appearance you want, which you can then wield as a literary device to meet whatever end you desire, and that's why I've been disappointed by the lack of iterations on her design.

In my little fanonical world, she's an allegory of Aiko, except she's decidedly more feminine in personality. Leaty took her dark-haired design and added some skunk stripes, then made her thin and frail enough nthat even Hanako wasn't intimidated. Bry took the idea of having Iwanako look like Hanako to a new level, barely distinguishing the two through some distinctive blemishes.

Aside from those, I haven't read many descriptions for Hisao's near-murderess.

Re: After the Dream—Hanako's Arc (Part 6 up 20140322)

Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 9:48 am
by brythain
Helbereth wrote:Iwanako can look however you decide. The only canonical feature is her long, dark hair, and modern cosmetology can alter that extensively, so she's a blank slate. Aside from being female, you can pretty much make up whatever appearance you want, which you can then wield as a literary device to meet whatever end you desire, and that's why I've been disappointed by the lack of iterations on her design.

In my little fanonical world, she's an allegory of Aiko, except she's decidedly more feminine in personality. Leaty took her dark-haired design and added some skunk stripes, then made her thin and frail enough nthat even Hanako wasn't intimidated. Bry took the idea of having Iwanako look like Hanako to a new level, barely distinguishing the two through some distinctive blemishes.

Aside from those, I haven't read many descriptions for Hisao's near-murderess.
I think what I saw in my mind's eye was first the original scene, where you've got Iwanako facing Hisao in a midwinter scene—and then juxtaposition through time, in which you've got Hanako facing Iwanako across Hisao's grave in a midsummer scene. Given that, I had to go for psychological symmetry.

Re: After the Dream—Hanako's Arc (Part 6 up 20140322)

Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 8:40 pm
by Leaty
The simplest answer to this is that you can dismiss any aesthetic differences between Iwanako's sole CG and Hanako's general appearance as being an artistic quirk. if Iwanako actually had a sprite in Katawa Shoujo, even if her design was identical to Hanako sans fringe and scarring, she would look distinctly different from Hanako (particularly in the context of an anime-inspired work) solely by virtue of the fact that her sprite would be probably be illustrated by a different artist. (Consider, for example, a Hanako sprite drawn in the style of either the beta or final Emi sprites.)

Iwanako in my story has black, black, black hair. Not purple like Hanako's or blue like Shizune's, but the deepest black. Which is why it's so obvious when she begins to go grey. Color theory is important to me, and I didn't want her to share a palette with any of the Main Five.

Re: After the Dream—Hanako's Arc (Part 6 up 20140322)

Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 9:00 pm
by brythain
Leaty wrote:The simplest answer to this is that you can dismiss any aesthetic differences between Iwanako's sole CG and Hanako's general appearance as being an artistic quirk. if Iwanako actually had a sprite in Katawa Shoujo, even if her design was identical to Hanako sans fringe and scarring, she would look distinctly different from Hanako (particularly in the context of an anime-inspired work) solely by virtue of the fact that her sprite would be probably be illustrated by a different artist. (Consider, for example, a Hanako sprite drawn in the style of either the beta or final Emi sprites.)

Iwanako in my story has black, black, black hair. Not purple like Hanako's or blue like Shizune's, but the deepest black. Which is why it's so obvious when she begins to go grey. Color theory is important to me, and I didn't want her to share a palette with any of the Main Five.
That's an excellent point. It would be headcanon to me. But I still think Hanako would initially see a doppleganger and be psychologically convinced. It's like those images which you think are identical, until you take a very careful look and see they're not at all.

AtD—Hanako's Arc (Part 7-1 up 20140324)

Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 9:07 pm
by brythain
This begins the final part of Hanako's arc in 'After the Dream', my post-Lilly-neutral-end mosaic.

Minor edits incorporated, thanks to several members of this wonderful community.



Hanako 7: Findings (T +55)

When I tell people that my aged husband Hideaki has killed a bear and eaten its liver, it is of course a joke. But they believe it, for the large, strong, handsome man who is holding my even more aged hand is a great man of his times.

With those precious few of you who actually knew him in his youth, this is still cause for incredulity. After all, he used to dress up in—hush, husband, we have not long, and you will let me say these last things—unusual clothing and pretend to be somebody else. And he was thin and looked soft, besides.

To those who come after me, and wonder at these primitive records of our simple 21st century lives: call up the works of the Nakai Foundation, and try to understand that what I have done requires courage, and above all, a faith I have kept for many, many years. For it is more than five decades since my friend Hisao died, and I have still never let him down.

Lastly, to those of my readers who have faithfully followed me on my journey, remember that I have always been your shy Hanako, despite the many other things I have been. I have also kept faith with you.

*****

7-1: Family Matters

Picture this. There are two people sitting in the old, timeworn Shanghai café. They have clearly just come from a funeral. He is a big man in a charcoal-grey suit of Parisian cut; she is slender in a long black dress with a deep purple-black sash. The nervous waitress has poured their tea, their meals lie before them in the striking lacquer of a traditional dinner set.

“I love you. Have, for quite a while, really. I am quite sure I want to make you happy all my life,” he adds, to a long string of words that she is not really listening to in her confusion. For dinner after a difficult day is one thing, but a proposal is quite another.

“N-no,” she replies. She is grateful for his company and his thoughtfulness. But he is so young, so foolish… so. So. She realizes that maybe she has not really looked at him properly in a long while. She might have to look again, but that will take a longer time than this.

He smiles bashfully. There is an oddly appealing blush creeping over his neck and face, above the formal dark suit and black tie of the recent mourner.

“Ah, sorry, Hana-chan. It is the wrong day for such things. I don’t know what came over me. Let’s just enjoy dinner.”

“O-okay. No m-more of this, Hideaki. Besides, I am too old for you and your father will wreak a t-terrible vengeance. And if not, your sister will.”

I look back at that particular moment with a sense of irony, at times. I remember it well. Yes, husband, I am sure you do too. Yet, there will be other kinds of humour in this evening as well, personal and slightly charming, so my wise old self will share more of it with you.

His face falls. Truly, his father is an uncomfortable person to be with, which is why he spends so much time with his cousin Akira and me. I’m not sure what his sister will do, though. We’ve known each other a long time, and have shared some confidences, so maybe we’re friends.

What an odd thought: ‘maybe’ friends. But that is the way it is with Shizune Hakamichi, always. It is so easy to not be friends with her, I think ruefully even as I scold myself for being unfair.

“Thank you for listening. Let’s not allow the food to get cold,” he says, still not looking at me.

Maybe I have hurt him a bit. I wince, thinking of my own past experiences and fears of rejection. But I pick up my utensils anyway, giving a small nod of agreement.

It’s been a tiring day, and warm food in a light teriyaki sauce is always welcome. The sensations of crunchy pickles, smooth meat and sticky rice engage us for a while. There is a certain sensuality in eating, and sometimes, it is dominant over all else. So we eat, and take some pleasure in just being human together for a while.

The saké arrives. I take some of that time to look at him again. He has grown into his father’s build, his sister’s determination, and his own offbeat grace. It’s not a bad combination; I think perhaps Akira and I might have had some responsibility for that last element.

He catches me staring at him, and gives me a crooked smile. That disconcerts me, and I find myself saying something without my usual caution.

“Hide-kun, do you think your sister is b-beautiful?”

His heavy brows crease as he ponders both the question and the questioner. Deliberately, he finishes a sip of his miso soup before answering.

“Who, Shizune? She is a small piece of beautiful, but she is terrifying also. You might wake up in the morning and look at her and she’d be staring lovingly at you and you’d wonder what poison is in your breakfast.”

I laugh very softly into my hand. It takes some control.

He grins and continues, “Yet I do love her. She’s family. She and I, we fight sometimes, but very politely and not to kill.”

“H-how about your cousins?”

His grin broadens. It is incongruous to see this on a dangerous-looking man in a funeral suit, I realize. I wonder what the other patrons must be thinking.

“Oh, Lilly is without doubt the more dangerously beautiful of the two! Many have fallen, but few are chosen—perhaps only one. She is like a Valkyrie on the field of the slain, the one that hovers above the fray looking good in her armour. Or maybe like Bardot, the face of France.”

Now I am forced into placing a morsel of eel into my mouth just to suppress laughter. I have often thought of Lilly as a Valkyrie, but not so amusingly. I wonder how he’s become so literary—he’s a lawyer, and used to be such a robot. I’ve never heard him talk so much.

“Akira, on the other hand, was the love of my life. Until one day she broke my heart by saying, ‘Kid, I’m thirteen years older than you, I love you like a bro, but enough with that kissy-face.’ I was twenty, and still hopeful—I thought she would wait for me to grow up. It’s why I wanted to become a lawyer.”

That would have been about ten years ago, I think. Any more of these confidences, and I will split my sides. I put on a serious face.

“Is that all? Y-you have such interesting views on your relatives!”

He suddenly looks much more sober. Maybe he thinks he has been too irreverent. In Japan, family is still family, after all. And the young do not mock their elders.

“I did not wish to give offence.”

“I have t-taken none.”

He cheers up a bit, but there is clearly something nagging at him now.

“I think that when I have ideas about beauty, they come from my faint memories of Mother.”

This is dangerous territory, very personal. I breathe in sharply, but without showing it. In almost two decades that I’ve known him, he’s not said anything about this matter.

“She was quietly beautiful, and she was older by a few years than my father. A political arrangement, I think it was—the kind of business deal that only certain Japanese institutions make with each other. Father loved her completely; I think she came to love him too. But something… happened.”

He drinks his cup dry.

“Well, there’s almost nothing about her in Father’s famous autobiography, and my cousins were the last to see her at the end.”

He looks at me squarely, not favouring either side of my face. Perhaps he is looking through me, rather than at me.

“I also have a sister who is sitting in front of me, and she is beautiful to me like my mother was. That is all.”

*****

It’s been two years after that fateful dinner, and we have grown comfortable in our friendship. But there are still some very large and uncomfortable obstacles, and I am not talking about the natural relations that come with sharing a bed.

“No, no, ten thousand times, no!” roars the man with the katana.

“You’re being unreasonable, Father,” growls the man with the book.

I have thought at times that being in the Hakamichi house is like wandering around a den of fierce and arbitrary animals that might choose to turn on you at any time. Both the men are like bears, and if Shizune were not naturally incapable of speaking aloud, she’d possibly be more dangerous.

[Let’s go outside. We need to talk.]

“Stop waving those fingers at me!” hisses my potential father-in-law.

[Not at you!]

Shizune signs so emphatically that there is a moment of silence.

Her brother cuts into the gap with a few well chosen words—none of which I choose to repeat here—as Shizune pointedly turns her back on her family, seizes me by the wrist, and ushers me out of the front door. I willingly comply.

We are some distance away from the house when she finally turns to look at me. There is something else in her face besides anger, and it is not aimed at me. I am grateful for that, but as she releases a heavily-burdened sigh, my feelings change to concern.

[What do you need, Shi-chan?] I sign. The one thing that has really changed between us is that she accepts me as her sister in all but name.

[You know, Hana-chan, things have not always been simple between us. I am a person who is often bad for those around me, but you are the reverse. One must know one’s own shortcomings to progress.]

[All we did was ask your father’s blessing.]

I am surprised at how much sadness, how much longing, enters my heart as I sign this. The Hakamichi clan is very traditional in certain matters of custom and culture, despite the individually quirky behaviour of some of its members, and Shizune’s father is proving no exception.

[You know why he objects, Hana-chan. It is not just that you are older, but that…]

[I’m scarred? I’m not good enough for the family? I bring no advantages, nor prestige?]

Shizune’s face is glowing with angry embarrassment, I think. I immediately regret my outburst, but she sees that and waves it away. I subside and let her continue.

[No. Not that. It is that you remind him of Mother. I am sorry, but I myself have been silent on this matter, even though we have shared much friendship.]

I don’t know what to say. Maybe I will never know, and I certainly cannot ask Lilly, even though she is one of my closest friends and probably knows the tale. Family secrets are not for the outsider; that is my firm belief.

[I do not mean to intrude on your family’s business.]

[No. I know you. I know my brother. Some say I am a busybody, but I think you will be happy together. I will bless it, but it is not my blessing that you want.]

Her fingers are shaking, but she forces herself to continue. It is painful for me to watch, because she is doing this for me.

[One. Mother was older than he. She left him, went to live with her brother. It was an insult to the clan. Both his relatives and hers blamed him. He was hurt, blamed the foreign woman that this brother-in-law had married. This made matters worse.]

It’s like watching someone extract kidney stones with chopsticks. The sick feeling as I watch decades of history open up—this is something I can hardly bear. To judge from her expression, it is the same for Shizune. My instinct is to hold her. She lifts one hand, and I wait.

[Two. Father has a long-term illness. He looks well, but he has… a serious problem in the lungs. The doctors say even our current medical ability will not remove it. I want him to be at peace when his time has come.]

There seems to be nothing I could say, even if we were indeed sisters. What is the word for the feeling you have when nothing seems to be right?

*****

Hideaki and I were married the year after Jigoro Hakamichi passed on. The old man, as the poet wrote, blessed and cursed us with his fierce tears. He did not go gently into that good night. But he let us move on, and that made all the difference—we have now had many good years, and been blessed in many ways.

And Shizune became my sister. From that day on, though we quarreled over many things and sometimes most bitterly, we were always allies in trying to make the world a better place, through our words and acts. It was like this until she died, at the table next to mine, on her 75th birthday.

=====
This is the first half of a long post (see next post).

AtD—Hanako's Arc (Part 7-2 up 20140324)

Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 9:14 pm
by brythain
This is the second half of the final part of Hanako's arc in 'After the Dream', my post-Lilly-neutral-end mosaic.

Notes: For those interested in Kojo No Tsuki, the song can be found in many places — here's a more English-friendly YouTube link. This half-part has also been edited a little, with thanks especially to hotkey.



I have never wanted to live to be so old. The Nakai Foundation has found many cures for many things over the long decades, and they do good work. But there comes a time when, one by one, people have fallen away and the last tree stands naked in the winter snow.

I remember the leaves falling. Hisao, finally losing his valiant fight. Emi, because her race was run. Shizune, happy at last. Lilly, five years ago, remembering her one lost love. Misha, two years ago, at peace. Rin? Who knows, with Rin?

And so, before I make use of the Foundation’s last gift, let me make use of what’s left of my own gifts to bring you back to two moments. They are both very real to me, and yet so far apart, so far away. Then my husband will have to let me go, because he loves me and time waits for nobody.

*****

7-2: The Moon’s Great Circle

There is in Sendai a ruined castle on Mount Aoba. It was built by the great lord Masamune Datē in the year 1600. Over time it crumbled and part of its land was converted to Yamaku Academy. In 2011, the Academy and its surroundings were closed to normal traffic for months after a mighty earthquake struck from the sea and tumbled a few of the old castle’s remaining walls.

It is this place that the classic lyrics of Kojo No Tsuki describe. The song is about times of youthful happiness as the cherry blossoms are seen from the height, and how things fail with the inexorable coming of night and doom; only the moon over the castle is left as a mute witness. It plays in my head, in May 2064, as I rise to speak—to say my feeble goodbyes to Shizune, who was my sister and friend.

When the circle closes, who knows who will be caught within, and who is left without? I look with eyes no longer mine at the people assembled here, but the shining letters in my head tell me that there are only two left here who can feel my sadness.

I dismiss the work of the Foundation quickly, but kindly: it was really her child and I was only its conscience. I have little to say about her time as Yamaku’s leader, for she never led me. I do what I must do: I cut to the heart of the woman, who was always so badly misunderstood, whose love was too great for her words, and whose desire to set things right gave me back a face.

I do not tell them that by the time I received this undeservedly beautiful skin, I had lived long enough not to need it. I do not say that love cannot always be tamed by the heart, and can break it to pieces. But I speak of the Shizune who held me when times were hard, who shared her sorrows, who stood up for an orphan and helped her find a home.

Many of them know the benign dictator, or the stern overseer. I describe the shy girl who wanted friends, but who was teased and made fun of by her peers. I bring to life the angry girl who was befriended by the tired teacher. I use my words to give them the Shizune I came to love, and not the Shizune I sometimes hated.

The Shimbun flash-streams my words across the little universe of humanity. I do not care who receives them. I have been faithful to my friend’s memory.

In my heart, however, as I return to my seat, I remember another time. In that time I am already quietly sitting down with a glass of ginger beer before me.

*****

It is Graduation Day at Yamaku, many years ago. Shizune’s commencement speech is being translated to voice and text by Misha and Hisao, for the benefit of those who don’t sign. She is surprisingly gracious to her peers, and says many encouraging things. Perhaps the translation favours her. I detect a poetic gloss from Hisao and an exuberance from Misha that is slightly suspect.

To be honest, I don’t remember much of the speech verbatim. I am anxious about whether I will obtain a scholarship, and afraid I will not see my best friend again, and I am coming to terms—as much as a young girl can—with being desperately unlucky in love.

Hisao leaps down from the stage at the end. I remember thinking to myself, “Ouch! Did he hurt himself?”

He seems unharmed, and it’s with stoic acceptance that I see him smile and make his way through the noisy tables of graduating students. With resignation in my heart, I see him walk past Miura, a profane but interesting friend of ours, and towards Emi, whom he will one day marry anyway.

Momentarily, I lose sight of him as he twists through a narrow gap. Now, he’s closer to the table I share with the school newspaper gang. I’m about to congratulate him on his fine translation, but I probably won’t be heard in all the noise. Then I realize how near he is to me.

I shrink away, as he reaches out, holds my face gently in his hands. And there, in front of the whole class, who will never let me live it down, he whispers to me, “Thank you, Hanako, for all you’ve done.”

The touch of his lips on my right cheek is what that day will always mean to me. It shapes my life in many ways. Thank you, Hisao Nakai.

*****

At a meeting many years later, during which the Nakai Foundation decides it can and will someday make humans live perfect lives forever, I remember the boy who kissed a scarred and ugly face because it did not seem so to him. It is now beautiful to all, but only because I’d decided to give my husband an anniversary present. It is not the face of the Hanako I know I am.

But life, the promise of immortality—ah, what a difficult thing it is to think about. Tennyson’s restless warrior at least has his friends with him as he decides to seek a better world. I have my aged king, warlord of Mars, sword of the Hakamichis—and he wants me to stay.

I’m sorry, husband, my lover, my closest companion. Dear readers, I have forbidden the integrative-data process that will make me one with the man in the wind and the west moon. I was old and dying before they developed Upload, and I do not want to be old and dying forever.

The one thing I dread about immortality is the endlessness of it all. How dull it is to pause, to make an end / To rust unburnished, not to shine in use!

I feel my thoughts fail. Faith in my hands will snap in two, for I am Hanako Ikezawa, keeper of memories. Though much is taken, much abides.

Thank you, Hide-kun, for your love and affection. Thank you for letting me go. Good night, sweet prince!

*****

Diari d’Andorra (Local Streaming), 10 July 2079 — Andorra La Vella, Andorra.

Zelazny Process (Terminal): Hanako Ikezawa (Hakamichi), from her home. M Ikezawa, of Japan, had been resident in Andorra for twenty years. She was formerly Director of the Nakai Foundation and Vice-President of Hakamichi Industries. An accomplished writer and academician, she was modest about her many achievements and gracious to all who knew her. She leaves behind her husband Hideaki and two children—Kitsune (b. 2030) and Shiina (b. 2033)—and their own children and grandchildren. Her body will be laid to rest at the Church of St Stephen, at 3 pm on Thursday 13 July, in accordance with her wishes.

=====
first half of this post | prev | end

Re: After the Dream—Hanako's Arc (Part 6 up 20140322)

Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 3:49 am
by Mirage_GSM
brythain wrote:That's an excellent point. It would be headcanon to me. But I still think Hanako would initially see a doppleganger and be psychologically convinced. It's like those images which you think are identical, until you take a very careful look and see they're not at all.
Hanako has a very low self-image.
There's no way she would compare herself to another (good-looking) girl.

Re: After the Dream—Hanako's Arc (Part 6 up 20140322)

Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 5:45 am
by brythain
Mirage_GSM wrote:
brythain wrote:That's an excellent point. It would be headcanon to me. But I still think Hanako would initially see a doppleganger and be psychologically convinced. It's like those images which you think are identical, until you take a very careful look and see they're not at all.
Hanako has a very low self-image.
There's no way she would compare herself to another (good-looking) girl.
Not the older, more mature, Hanako here - who has lived to be 55 years old and is fully aware of young Hanako. This is the kind of response that I think is plausible, given that the Nakai Foundation has just restored her face. It strikes to the core of her being but she can just about handle it.

Re: After the Dream—Hanako's Arc (Part 6 up 20140322)

Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 7:08 am
by Helbereth
Leaty wrote:Color theory is important to me, and I didn't want her to share a palette with any of the Main Five.
This is among the reasons I gave Aiko mid-range brown hair, Amaya and Tadao jet black, Kenta sandy-brown, Yoko fiery red, and Naoko forest green; not one of them shares hair color with the original cast.

I'm confused about something toward the end of this Hanako arc. Is she having her consciousness put into a computer? That seems like the case considering the context, but... that can't be right, can it?

Re: After the Dream—Hanako's Arc (Part 6 up 20140322)

Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 7:36 am
by brythain
Helbereth wrote:
Leaty wrote:Color theory is important to me, and I didn't want her to share a palette with any of the Main Five.
This is among the reasons I gave Aiko mid-range brown hair, Amaya and Tadao jet black, Kenta sandy-brown, Yoko fiery red, and Naoko forest green; not one of them shares hair color with the original cast.

I'm confused about something toward the end of this Hanako arc. Is she having her consciousness put into a computer? That seems like the case considering the context, but... that can't be right, can it?
There's a little deliberate ambiguity there. But it's a consequence of the scenario—her knowledge is being dispersed into the world-spanning cloud. Does she survive that? Nobody is sure. Is there after all a… Ghost in the Machine? :) (No, no not gonna provide spoilers.)

Interlude (20140511)

Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 4:54 am
by brythain
The presence that sits at the edge of my desk, just out of the circle of my light, is the one that haunts me the most. She knows it, and she takes pains not to turn the right side of her young face to me unguarded. It's not that she can't use the lovely, unblemished face of her old age; she prefers to remain Hanako Ikezawa, although she signs herself otherwise.

"Hello, author," she says, slowly and without her youthful stutter. Her voice is like a gently-aged old single Islay malt.

"Warm greetings, fellow author," I reply, eliciting soft laughter. "How may I be of assistance?"

"Just a couple of minor details, if you don't mind. First, it does embarrass me a little to see what overly kind stories my friends have been telling of me. I'm not sure I've d-done them justice in my own."

"Don't be embarrassed, Hanako. By all accounts, you grew into sainthood the hard way."

She giggles unexpectedly.

"Dear author, have you realised how you mirror whoever you're speaking to? But that's just by the way. More important is the second point: remember to give me some editorial control over Hide-kun's memoirs. That man, after all we've been through together, can still be as infuriating as his father!"

In the distance, I hear a pleasantly good-humoured sort of roar: "I heard that, wife!"

I nod assent, smiling. "Hanako, you've been a good co-editor on this series. Thank you so much for your help."

"Ah, no, no. If you hadn't asked, I would never have thought of it. See you on 10th July?"

"Perhaps sooner?"

"Why not? Bye for now!"

And my light shines emptily on through the night.