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sutepri[Content Notes]
[Disclaimer]
Epilogue
"Come on, how much farther to the next town?" Pacifica asked, sticking her face out from the passenger compartment.
"Dunno," Shannon answered, sitting on the coach box, leisurely gripping the reins. Beside him, Raquel was sleeping while sitting up--she snored gently and seemed quite cozy.
A cloudless blue sky that seemed to go on forever. Several birds' shadows traced spirals as they danced.1
Spring was just around the corner.
Sunlight rained liberally down on the high road, and the faces of the people they passed now and then were just as calm and leisurely. Surely anyone would feel serene on such a day as this.
The weather was good today as well.
"Don't give me that 'Dunno'! You're so halfhearted and vague all the time, Shannon-nii! . . . you're, just, a total slacker, basically. Girls hate that type the most, you know. Serves you ri~ight, heheh."
"Yeah, yeah. I know, I know," Shannon answered wearily. That would only provoke Pacifica further, but, well, it was just more of the same old thing.
Keeping his back to Pacifica as he listened to her verbal abuse, Shannon gazed leisurely at the sky.
The Day of Fate . . . Pacifica's sixteenth birthday--the day she would come of age--was one year away.
However it turned out, it would mark the end of their journey.
Which had been mistaken: the oracle, or Shannon and his family? Speaking purely in terms of the odds, they had made an overwhelmingly bad bet. They would probably need a miracle to win.
But.
". . . what?" Pacifica asked, seeming bewildered that Shannon had abruptly turned to stare at her.
"Nothing, really. You've got a funny face."
"Grr. You think you're in any position to say that about someone else?"
But . . . if they had faith, a miracle just might happen, right? Not faith in anyone else. Faith in themselves. Faith in the feelings they had inside, for others.
That's what Shannon thought.
"Anyway, how about doing a better job of combing your hair, Shannon-nii?! Seeing you looking so ratty, it just, it makes me feel depressed!"
"Yeah, yeah. Sorry about that."
"It's, like, perfect nesting material! If some bird ends up warming its eggs in there, I'm gonna laugh my head off!"
There, as though she had worn herself out yelling, Pacifica fell silent.
The clatter of the earth being beaten down into wheel ruts echoed in the warm sunlight.
A time of boredom and tranquility.
It was a temporary luxury. A time when they could return to being--not the Guardian and the Scrapped Princess--but an ordinary family. The vestiges of those innocent days that they had once believed would last forever.
Struck by a sudden thought, Shannon smiled wryly.
In time . . . perhaps they would look back on this journey just as longingly.
". . ."
Seeming to have something on her mind, Pacifica glanced left and right, tapped her index finger against her cheek, and looked worried. Making sure that Raquel was still snoring, she let out a rare sigh.
". . . Oniichan."
Shannon grasped the reins, paying her no particular mind. Leaning her body halfway through the window, Pacifica brought her mouth close to his ear.
"The thing is . . ."
A momentary pause.
And then, in a shy voice, she told him, ". . . I love you a lot."
". . . I know," Shannon promptly answered, stifling a yawn.
The silence stretched for an absurdly long time.
. . .
All at once, Pacifica flushed crimson, and she started waving her hands around and yelling, "AAAARGH! Act a little embarrassed or happy or something, you closet pervert! I swear, you're not charming at all!"2
Pacifica's shrieks resounded into the blue sky.
They still had a long way to go.
Keeping his back to her as he listened to her verbal abuse, Shannon let out a sigh.
Afterword
The ringing of a phone. Before long, the soft sound of the line connecting.
". . . yeah."
"Helloo. Good evening. It's Sakaki."
"Ohh. Good evening. Speaking of, I read 'em. The January and February issues."
"Hahaha. So you saw? From now on, call me 'Ryuuou-sama3.'"
"Mm-hm. I'll do that."
". . ."
"If we go get something to eat together, I'll ask, 'And what will you be having, Ryuuou-sama?' And if I call and your mother answers, I'll ask, 'Would Ryuuou-sama happen to be in?'"
"No, uh--"
"Now then, Ryuuou-sama. On what business may it be that you have so graciously deigned to call my humble abode this evening? For my part, this is the very highest of privileges. Now now, please do grant me your kind instruction, whatever the matter may be."
". . . I'll never say it again, so please don't tease me."
Which is to say, helloo, I'm Sakaki.
Prelude of the Stray Cat Princess--the first volume of my little series, Scrapped Princess--has arrived. If this is the first Sakaki Ichirou work you've read, then it's nice to meet you. To everyone else, long time no see.
Well then.
To start things off, an explanation for those who don't already know . . . As mentioned above(?), Scrapped Princess--which has since become the foundation for this series--started out as an entry in a short story competition, the Dragon Cup, which ran in the September 1998 issue of Monthly Dragon Magazine. From there, I corrected and revised it to suit a full-length work, and the result is this book. More specifically, it's the first four chapters, in accordance with its being a novella.
The Dragon Cup was a project geared toward reader participation--six young writers from Fujimi Shobou4 submitted their work to the competition, and all the readers selected the most interesting one. The grand prize was half a year's worth of serialization rights for publication in Dragon Magazine.
On the one hand, for writers stuck in the bargain bins, the chance of getting name recognition is extremely seductive; on the other, it's also possible that you could turn in a piece of crap and end up getting zero votes. For a timid writer like me, this sort of project can be bad for the heart5.
In reality, every one of the submitted short stories was absolutely bursting with personality--a powerful collection of works altogether--so I ended up writhing around, thinking, "Dammit, I've been had! 'Interesting,' my ass, goddammit!"
Incidentally, I was blown away by Azano Kouhei-shi's6 D Crackers. This thing is freakin' awesome! I want it put in book form!
Setting that aside.
Looking at the results--whether you call them unexpected or whatever--all of the other writers' works weren't given due regard, and my Scrapped Princess ended up winning and getting the serialization rights, which brings us to the present. Uhm. I'm grateful and awed, among other things.
By the way, apparently the Dragon Cup project--which produced so many experimental works--was fairly popular, and there are already plans for a second. As someone who wrote one-shots before getting into novels, I'm looking forward to finding out what sort of works I'll be able to read in the next round.
However.
This serialization thing--now that I've given it a go--is tough on a part-time writer's health. This is probably obvious, but the deadlines come every month without fail, and it is fundamentally impossible to revise previously published stories, so it makes you feel alive . . . would be the cool thing to say, but, I mean, it feels kind of like having a fuse on your back. *laugh*
Moreover, to be perfectly honest, with Scrapped Princess there are parts (including the last installment) where I, the author, still find it very difficult to make clear decisions. And sooo, today, once again, I'm sitting in front of the computer, hemming and hawing and agonizing away.
"How about this idea: Pacifica is actually a robot, and she transforms into this super-huge space battleship?"
"Sakaki . . . do yourself a favor--go home for today and get some sleep."
. . . be that as it may, even the really difficult parts are fulfilling.
Every month, even as I trembled in fear of the deadline, I was saved by the critiques from my bizarrely trustworthy friends and the advice from my PIC, Y-shi, and I was able to continue my work as a writer . . . and by the time I realized it, half a year had already come and gone, and the three members of the Casull family were still doing their best in DraMag.
"In actuality, the Scrapped Princess's true form is that of a creature from outer space, who came flying in on a wandering planet, but she used mimesis to take human form and--"
"GO HOME."
And finally.
The customary(?) "thanks, guys" roll.
To Kusano Gurima-jou7 / 8, for signing "Sakaki Dragon" ("Ichirou" has been dubbed "crocodilian" or some such) on the flood(?) of author's photographs that have gone out in New Year's cards and letters and so on.
To Okakita-shi, for his precise and detailed critiques.
Similarly, to Famicom Tsuushin's9 Gal Game10 specialist, Kissy Arashiyama-shi, for his valuable advice.
To Shimada-shi, for troubleshooting my computer without giving me a single dirty look.
To Wakana-jou, for drawing me so many adorable pictures.
To Nakajima-shi, for always giving me great inspiration as a novelist.
Similarly, to Tsushima Masaharu-shi, my senior in fiction writing, for always giving me good advice.
And . . .
To my PIC, Y-shi, who patiently puts up with me and my general weakness for digressions.
To Azumi Yukinobu-shi, who takes my random, inflated prose--which is difficult to visualize because it's full of abstractions--and turns it into beautiful illustrations.
To everyone who has sent me fan mail, and to everyone who voted for Scrapped Princess in the Dragon Cup.
This series exists because you were there for me. Really, thanks, you guys.
And best regards for the future.11
1999/2/14
Computer: Panasonic Let's Note AL-N2
BGM: LEMON no Yuuki (by PSY・S)
P.S., Kusano Gurima-jou is the webmaster for the Official Sakaki Ichirou Website, which is now up and running. Anyone who's interested, please look it up on Yahoo or something. The password is "Ugo Ugo12 Sakaki-kun." *laugh*
[Next][Previous]
Notes:
1) I resisted the urge to say that they carved their arabesques. Praise me. Back
2) I have yet to hit upon a translation for 可愛くない (kawaikunai) that works. Anyone? Back
3) "Dragon Emperor," basically. In reference to his winning the Dragon Cup, as explained later. Back
4) Fujimi Shobou (富士見書房) is a publisher of light novels, manga, RPGs, magazines, etc., including Monthy Dragon Magazine. [Official Website] Back
5) To be clear, he uses shinzou (心臓), which refers to the organ rather than the "center of emotion" concept. Back
6) 氏, which is an honorific that is usually used only in formal writing. A status-neutral suffix. Back
7) 嬢, which is an honorific for an unmarried woman, much like "Miss." Back
8) Kusano-san and Sakaki-sensei would marry in October of the next year. Awww. Back
9) ファミコン通信, now called "Famitsuu" (ファミ通). A Japanese video game magazine line. Back
10) ギャルゲー, a computer game genre aimed at men and featuring attractive female characters. Usually hentai. Back
11) そして、これからも、よろしく (soshite, kore kara mo, yoroshiku) and its ilk are among those words and phrases I never know how to translate. Back
12) Probably a reference to ウゴウゴルーガ (Ugo Ugo Ruuga). The title is "Go Go Girl" after swapping the syllables of each word. Back
Man, I thought I could get this one knocked out yesterday since it's so simple, but the afterword took so many notes. Also I have a terrible track record for reading people's names, so--as always--if you know better, kindly leave a comment.
For clarity's sake, all the (?)s are Sensei's.
[Disclaimer]
Epilogue
"Come on, how much farther to the next town?" Pacifica asked, sticking her face out from the passenger compartment."Dunno," Shannon answered, sitting on the coach box, leisurely gripping the reins. Beside him, Raquel was sleeping while sitting up--she snored gently and seemed quite cozy.
A cloudless blue sky that seemed to go on forever. Several birds' shadows traced spirals as they danced.1
Spring was just around the corner.
Sunlight rained liberally down on the high road, and the faces of the people they passed now and then were just as calm and leisurely. Surely anyone would feel serene on such a day as this.
The weather was good today as well.
"Don't give me that 'Dunno'! You're so halfhearted and vague all the time, Shannon-nii! . . . you're, just, a total slacker, basically. Girls hate that type the most, you know. Serves you ri~ight, heheh."
"Yeah, yeah. I know, I know," Shannon answered wearily. That would only provoke Pacifica further, but, well, it was just more of the same old thing.
Keeping his back to Pacifica as he listened to her verbal abuse, Shannon gazed leisurely at the sky.
The Day of Fate . . . Pacifica's sixteenth birthday--the day she would come of age--was one year away.
However it turned out, it would mark the end of their journey.
Which had been mistaken: the oracle, or Shannon and his family? Speaking purely in terms of the odds, they had made an overwhelmingly bad bet. They would probably need a miracle to win.
But.
". . . what?" Pacifica asked, seeming bewildered that Shannon had abruptly turned to stare at her.
"Nothing, really. You've got a funny face."
"Grr. You think you're in any position to say that about someone else?"
But . . . if they had faith, a miracle just might happen, right? Not faith in anyone else. Faith in themselves. Faith in the feelings they had inside, for others.
That's what Shannon thought.
"Anyway, how about doing a better job of combing your hair, Shannon-nii?! Seeing you looking so ratty, it just, it makes me feel depressed!"
"Yeah, yeah. Sorry about that."
"It's, like, perfect nesting material! If some bird ends up warming its eggs in there, I'm gonna laugh my head off!"
There, as though she had worn herself out yelling, Pacifica fell silent.
The clatter of the earth being beaten down into wheel ruts echoed in the warm sunlight.
A time of boredom and tranquility.
It was a temporary luxury. A time when they could return to being--not the Guardian and the Scrapped Princess--but an ordinary family. The vestiges of those innocent days that they had once believed would last forever.
Struck by a sudden thought, Shannon smiled wryly.
In time . . . perhaps they would look back on this journey just as longingly.
". . ."
Seeming to have something on her mind, Pacifica glanced left and right, tapped her index finger against her cheek, and looked worried. Making sure that Raquel was still snoring, she let out a rare sigh.
". . . Oniichan."
Shannon grasped the reins, paying her no particular mind. Leaning her body halfway through the window, Pacifica brought her mouth close to his ear.
"The thing is . . ."
A momentary pause.
And then, in a shy voice, she told him, ". . . I love you a lot."
". . . I know," Shannon promptly answered, stifling a yawn.
The silence stretched for an absurdly long time.
. . .
All at once, Pacifica flushed crimson, and she started waving her hands around and yelling, "AAAARGH! Act a little embarrassed or happy or something, you closet pervert! I swear, you're not charming at all!"2
Pacifica's shrieks resounded into the blue sky.
They still had a long way to go.
Keeping his back to her as he listened to her verbal abuse, Shannon let out a sigh.
Afterword
The ringing of a phone. Before long, the soft sound of the line connecting.
". . . yeah."
"Helloo. Good evening. It's Sakaki."
"Ohh. Good evening. Speaking of, I read 'em. The January and February issues."
"Hahaha. So you saw? From now on, call me 'Ryuuou-sama3.'"
"Mm-hm. I'll do that."
". . ."
"If we go get something to eat together, I'll ask, 'And what will you be having, Ryuuou-sama?' And if I call and your mother answers, I'll ask, 'Would Ryuuou-sama happen to be in?'"
"No, uh--"
"Now then, Ryuuou-sama. On what business may it be that you have so graciously deigned to call my humble abode this evening? For my part, this is the very highest of privileges. Now now, please do grant me your kind instruction, whatever the matter may be."
". . . I'll never say it again, so please don't tease me."
Which is to say, helloo, I'm Sakaki.
Prelude of the Stray Cat Princess--the first volume of my little series, Scrapped Princess--has arrived. If this is the first Sakaki Ichirou work you've read, then it's nice to meet you. To everyone else, long time no see.
Well then.
To start things off, an explanation for those who don't already know . . . As mentioned above(?), Scrapped Princess--which has since become the foundation for this series--started out as an entry in a short story competition, the Dragon Cup, which ran in the September 1998 issue of Monthly Dragon Magazine. From there, I corrected and revised it to suit a full-length work, and the result is this book. More specifically, it's the first four chapters, in accordance with its being a novella.
The Dragon Cup was a project geared toward reader participation--six young writers from Fujimi Shobou4 submitted their work to the competition, and all the readers selected the most interesting one. The grand prize was half a year's worth of serialization rights for publication in Dragon Magazine.
On the one hand, for writers stuck in the bargain bins, the chance of getting name recognition is extremely seductive; on the other, it's also possible that you could turn in a piece of crap and end up getting zero votes. For a timid writer like me, this sort of project can be bad for the heart5.
In reality, every one of the submitted short stories was absolutely bursting with personality--a powerful collection of works altogether--so I ended up writhing around, thinking, "Dammit, I've been had! 'Interesting,' my ass, goddammit!"
Incidentally, I was blown away by Azano Kouhei-shi's6 D Crackers. This thing is freakin' awesome! I want it put in book form!
Setting that aside.
Looking at the results--whether you call them unexpected or whatever--all of the other writers' works weren't given due regard, and my Scrapped Princess ended up winning and getting the serialization rights, which brings us to the present. Uhm. I'm grateful and awed, among other things.
By the way, apparently the Dragon Cup project--which produced so many experimental works--was fairly popular, and there are already plans for a second. As someone who wrote one-shots before getting into novels, I'm looking forward to finding out what sort of works I'll be able to read in the next round.
However.
This serialization thing--now that I've given it a go--is tough on a part-time writer's health. This is probably obvious, but the deadlines come every month without fail, and it is fundamentally impossible to revise previously published stories, so it makes you feel alive . . . would be the cool thing to say, but, I mean, it feels kind of like having a fuse on your back. *laugh*
Moreover, to be perfectly honest, with Scrapped Princess there are parts (including the last installment) where I, the author, still find it very difficult to make clear decisions. And sooo, today, once again, I'm sitting in front of the computer, hemming and hawing and agonizing away.
"How about this idea: Pacifica is actually a robot, and she transforms into this super-huge space battleship?"
"Sakaki . . . do yourself a favor--go home for today and get some sleep."
. . . be that as it may, even the really difficult parts are fulfilling.
Every month, even as I trembled in fear of the deadline, I was saved by the critiques from my bizarrely trustworthy friends and the advice from my PIC, Y-shi, and I was able to continue my work as a writer . . . and by the time I realized it, half a year had already come and gone, and the three members of the Casull family were still doing their best in DraMag.
"In actuality, the Scrapped Princess's true form is that of a creature from outer space, who came flying in on a wandering planet, but she used mimesis to take human form and--"
"GO HOME."
And finally.
The customary(?) "thanks, guys" roll.
To Kusano Gurima-jou7 / 8, for signing "Sakaki Dragon" ("Ichirou" has been dubbed "crocodilian" or some such) on the flood(?) of author's photographs that have gone out in New Year's cards and letters and so on.
To Okakita-shi, for his precise and detailed critiques.
Similarly, to Famicom Tsuushin's9 Gal Game10 specialist, Kissy Arashiyama-shi, for his valuable advice.
To Shimada-shi, for troubleshooting my computer without giving me a single dirty look.
To Wakana-jou, for drawing me so many adorable pictures.
To Nakajima-shi, for always giving me great inspiration as a novelist.
Similarly, to Tsushima Masaharu-shi, my senior in fiction writing, for always giving me good advice.
And . . .
To my PIC, Y-shi, who patiently puts up with me and my general weakness for digressions.
To Azumi Yukinobu-shi, who takes my random, inflated prose--which is difficult to visualize because it's full of abstractions--and turns it into beautiful illustrations.
To everyone who has sent me fan mail, and to everyone who voted for Scrapped Princess in the Dragon Cup.
This series exists because you were there for me. Really, thanks, you guys.
And best regards for the future.11
1999/2/14
Computer: Panasonic Let's Note AL-N2
BGM: LEMON no Yuuki (by PSY・S)
P.S., Kusano Gurima-jou is the webmaster for the Official Sakaki Ichirou Website, which is now up and running. Anyone who's interested, please look it up on Yahoo or something. The password is "Ugo Ugo12 Sakaki-kun." *laugh*
[Next][Previous]
Notes:
1) I resisted the urge to say that they carved their arabesques. Praise me. Back
2) I have yet to hit upon a translation for 可愛くない (kawaikunai) that works. Anyone? Back
3) "Dragon Emperor," basically. In reference to his winning the Dragon Cup, as explained later. Back
4) Fujimi Shobou (富士見書房) is a publisher of light novels, manga, RPGs, magazines, etc., including Monthy Dragon Magazine. [Official Website] Back
5) To be clear, he uses shinzou (心臓), which refers to the organ rather than the "center of emotion" concept. Back
6) 氏, which is an honorific that is usually used only in formal writing. A status-neutral suffix. Back
7) 嬢, which is an honorific for an unmarried woman, much like "Miss." Back
8) Kusano-san and Sakaki-sensei would marry in October of the next year. Awww. Back
9) ファミコン通信, now called "Famitsuu" (ファミ通). A Japanese video game magazine line. Back
10) ギャルゲー, a computer game genre aimed at men and featuring attractive female characters. Usually hentai. Back
11) そして、これからも、よろしく (soshite, kore kara mo, yoroshiku) and its ilk are among those words and phrases I never know how to translate. Back
12) Probably a reference to ウゴウゴルーガ (Ugo Ugo Ruuga). The title is "Go Go Girl" after swapping the syllables of each word. Back
Man, I thought I could get this one knocked out yesterday since it's so simple, but the afterword took so many notes. Also I have a terrible track record for reading people's names, so--as always--if you know better, kindly leave a comment.
For clarity's sake, all the (?)s are Sensei's.
