Chapter 26: Afterword (Volume 1)

Afterword

I came up with part of this story in June of 2017 after I finished my college exams for that year when I spent the rest of that month binge-watching anime at a computer station in the school library. Out of the anime I watched, the ones that inspired me the most were Magikano and Prétear and Cardcaptor Sakura, and it was glorious. Especially Cardcaptor Sakura. I spent five days in the library binge-watching that show and its two movies. Anyway, the emphasis on family, siblings, and witch-like magical powers in these shows informs some of the events of this story. Okay, okay, I know what you’re thinking at this point: How the hell did I write something this dark after watching these cutesy anime shows? Didn’t you watch Puella Magi Madoka Magica, as well? No, and I’m not sure when I’ll watch that show, if ever. Anyway, I only said ‘part of this story,’ didn’t I?

In fact, three other influences were instrumental in forming this story. The first was a dream I had in June of 2017, in which I dreamed of two school girls kissing each other after school ended, the second was my reading of Lewis Carroll’s two Alice books, and the third was all the family drama of my life at the time. At the time, I hadn’t written GL before and wanted to explore something different to get out of my shell of straight male protagonists, and my recent reading of Lewis Carroll around this time got me thinking about mirrors and thresholds and hidden places, and my family life at that point was filled with endless arguments between my parents, giving me extra incentive to vent out my frustrations through writing this story. I know for a fact that if my parents were to read this volume, let alone this whole story, they’d be mortified.

Anyway, I started this volume a month later at the start of 2017's July Camp NaNoWriMo and wrote the first seven chapters of this volume from “Dreams” (July 5, 2017) to “Sister Trio” (July 30, 2017). Those were glorious days, in which I wrote every day of that month through bouts of writer’s block and arguments between my parents, putting words down like a madman. Then, after a month of creative glory, life kicked me hard at the start of August when my dad disappeared for three days, stopping my efforts for the rest of my summer break with a visit from the police and a week-long hospital stay after the cops found my dad and visits to the daycare to watch over my dad while my mom was at work and I was starting a heavy fall semester at school. It wasn’t until December of that year after I finished my exams that I began writing again. Thus, on December 23, 2017, I managed one more chapter before my dad's raging (due to his early dementia) stopped my efforts that winter. Then, in 2018, another heavy semester and more family drama due to my dad’s dementia prevented my efforts for over half of that year. Then in July 2018, I managed to capture a bit of that mad writing spirit, writing three chapters during that month's Camp NaNoWriMo, the first two chapters comprising the last two chapters in this volume: “Sister Cinco” and “Sister Zero.”

During the tribulations of my life, writing this volume was the one thing that helped me cope with it all. It was the one refuge in my life that I could look forward to, even when I couldn’t come to it for much of that time. And for those of you who have read this far, I thank you for sharing your time with my crazy creations in this volume.

Ever yours,

Foxy

[July 1, 2017–July 9, 2018]

Oshimai

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