Chapter 19
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Drawing Character Designs
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“Whiiiing~”
“...”
The airplane soared through the air. A paper airplane.
I hadn’t folded it myself. Chabi was the one flying the paper plane, playing around.
“What did you fold that from...?”
“A letter.”
“For me?”
“Yeah. Letters don’t come to Chabi anyway.”
“You’re saying that, but are you insane?”
“Why? Don’t curse.”
“Folding letters from readers into paper airplanes?”
“They all said pretty much the same thing anyway. No big deal.”
She had a point. One corner of the room was already piled high with letters.
All of them asking when Senyora of the Back Alleys Volume 2 would come out.
“Still, that’s not cool. The readers wrote those.”
“This one says, ‘Why no Volume 2, Warrenberg you son of a—’”
“Toss it out the window.”
“Waa.”
Ride the wind all the way to the other side of the world...
“You sent the letter to Author Aren properly, right?”
“Yeah. Should’ve arrived by now.”
“Any reaction?”
“Probably folded it into a paper plane and flew it back.”
Shit.
Guess it’ll still be a while before Volume 2 drops...
In that case, there was only one thing I could do.
Hold out until then. From this onslaught of crazy letters.
“Chabi.”
“Yeah?”
“Want me to show you how to fold a paper crane?”
“Yes!!!”
I’d fold a thousand of them. Maybe a wish would come true around then...
[Mourning the Author Aren Who Won't Return.]
It's been ages since Senyora of the Back Alleys got published. You know, that long whatever.
That bastard Aren still hasn't dropped Volume 2.
Word on the street is he got done in by a stray cat during a duel to the death for more detailed cat beastkin descriptions.
Aren. Your masterpiece Senyora of the Back Alleys made me happy for a few days.
But now I'll be pulling all-nighters crying over the Volume 2 that’ll never get written.
I miss you for real. Only realized it was spring after the flowers fell.
Rest in peace now. R.I.P.
Bullshit.
Is this for real?
Lived your life getting fooled, huh?
It hasn’t even been that long since Volume 1 came out...
I don’t care, fuck, I want Volume 2 right now.
Aren you bastard, if you’re reading the board, get to writing.
Does that guy even check the board?
Don’t know? Other authors show up here a lot, so probably.
If he’s got time for the board, he should write Volume 2 and up to 3!!!
“How the hell did they find out?”
I’d seen the post while chilling in the morning and checking the bulletin board.
No way. I’d been writing non-stop for days without rest. Had no clue what was going on outside.
For now, I decided to quietly close the board.
Most of the posts up there were totally unhinged...
Who knew people were this desperate for my next work.
I hadn’t planned on writing right now.
I’d pulled an all-nighter finishing a deadline last night, slept it off, woke up, had breakfast, and checked the board on a whim.
Zero desire to pick up the pen at the moment... but after seeing stuff like this...
“Still not right now.”
Truth was, I had plans. Heading to Arwen’s place.
Time to try drawing some illustrations.
The novel was pretty much done already, except for the late Volume 2 parts.
Logic screamed to finish Volume 2 first before illustrations... but...
“Then I’ll finish it and come back later.”
I didn’t need some efficient workflow.
I just felt like it today, so I was going today.
I’d always been the type to live by my whims anyway.
Wanted to write? Wrote.
Wrote it and wanted to publish? Hit up a publisher.
Then wanted illustrations? Found an artist.
Got publisher approval, made a contract to pay Arwen handsomely.
‘Should I take a cut of the profits, or pay per illustration?’
‘How’s it usually done?’
‘Dunno. Arwen, you pick.’
‘...Uh, percentage?’
‘What percentage sounds good?’
‘Ah, should I throw out a number first?’
‘You’re making me ask again?’
‘...Is this even okay?’
‘Why not?’
The contract itself felt a bit half-assed, but I had the papers.
‘? Wait, why do you have contract papers?’
‘Brought one from the publisher.’
‘...Oh.’
‘Just tweak this and we’re good.’
‘Does this even hold water legally...?’
‘Probably?’
‘No, you can’t just say it like that. Isn’t this a slave contract?’
‘Then if I scam you, post about it on the board right away.’
‘What good would that do?!’
‘Plenty... People’d swarm my place.’
‘O... uh...’
‘Be honest, reveal you’re an elf and who’d doubt it.’
‘Fair point...’
Maybe this sloppiness and freedom only came from being amateurs.
What major publisher or veteran author would handle things like this?
Anyway, it started as a hobby, so I mattered most. Obviously.
Arrived at Arwen’s. Knocked.
“Oh! Aren! Come in!”
“Hey.”
“What’s up? Novel done?”
“Mostly. Bit left.”
“Go home then!”
“...I’ve got business with Miss Arwen.”
“Hmph...! Come in for now!”
Ranyori opened the door. I stepped inside.
“But who are you to act like the owner?”
“Nyaaak!!”
Suddenly it hit me how ridiculous that was, so I pinched Ranyori’s cheek.
Felt her grumbling and pawing at my back, but I ignored it and went in.
And there, unbelievably, was an elf walking on two legs!
“Uh, congrats.”
“Ack! You scared me.”
“Sorry.”
Voice too loud? The elf jolted and wobbled.
Thought she’d fall again. Gotta be careful...
“Ahem... Aren, right?”
“Yeah, hi—”
“Written Volume 2 yet?”
“...I’ve gotten that question from four people right after saying hi so far. Is this some law of the universe??”
“Ah, uh. Sorry. Hello...”
“Greetings!”
Starting to feel like my identity’s shifting from Aren to Senyora of the Back Alleys author.
“Yeah, on Volume 2... It’s almost done.”
“...‘Almost’?”
“Back half’s left.”
“Hm.”
“Here to ask a favor.”
“Aha.”
“Look, if I just flop down for a break, what can you do?”
“Lots...”
“...Won’t mess around.”
She’d underestimated my century of experience.
“Anyway... what’s the business?”
“Uh, one thing—wait, two actually. One for Ranyori too.”
“Huh? Me? What can Ranyori do?”
Ranyori reacted, slinking over from behind.
The favor was something I’d heard while writing the novel last time.
Figured now was a good time.
“Mind if I hug you once?”
“What’re you trying in my house?!”
“Just reference. There’s a hugging scene.”
“Why do you need to do it for real...?”
“This is how I always write novels. Most descriptions.”
“Ah, that’s why it felt so real.”
“It is real.”
Solved one of Arwen’s curiosities.
...But why’s Ranyori so quiet?
“...”
“Ranyori?”
“Yeah. She just froze up solid...”
“Breathe, girl.”
“This won’t do. Let’s leave her be for now.”
“Yeah...”
“So, what’s with me...?”
“Want some illustrations done.”
“...! Who?”
“Senyora and new character first. Might add more later.”
“Hold on!”
Arwen dashed to her room.
Came back with... a drawing. A cat beastkin with silver hair.
“What’s this...?”
“Fanart!”
“Of Senyora...?”
“Yup!”
“Hm...”
“What do you think?”
“You draw well... but...”
“Uh... something off...?”
She drew damn well. Better than the last one even.
Like she’d dropped her self-imposed limits...? Power packed in, didn’t even feel like plain fanart.
But problems. Two big ones.
Not the spiciness. Fanart made it tamer actually. Just...
“First, this looks less like Senyora and more like you cosplaying... y’know, cat ears and tail on.”
“Ah... I always base female bodies on myself...”
“Both silver-haired probably factors in.”
“That’s why I like Senyora!”
“Like her...?”
“Yeah?”
Really? Then why...
“Second issue: why’s she look so miserable in fanart so often?”
“Doesn’t our dress code fit...?”
“True... but there were some ‘wanna take care of her’ reactions. Why go this direction...?”
“I put bandages on all the hurt spots properly.”
“I don’t even know what to say.”
Hey, if the official artist does this, what then? Fans gotta love her even if others abuse her.
“So, what scene we drawing?”
“Hm, cover first? Cloudy sky, back alley. Senyora overlooking from above.”
“Detailed... Cool. But exactly how should I draw Senyora?”
“Like in the novel... Just reference Ranyori. Senyora’s Ranyori with hair tweaks.”
“...Ueng?”
“Don’t space out, c’mere.”
“Why!”
“You’re modeling.”
“Why why why!”
“You’re Senyora’s look.”
“What do I do...?”
“Just sit in the chair still.”
Arwen’d handle the rest.
“Let’s do character sheets first! Wow, first time, exciting!”
“Highest energy I’ve seen from you yet.”
“Gonna grind it all out at once! Then veg out dead for a bit!”
“...”
“One request though.”
“What?”
“I get it better touching and feeling than just looking.”
“Neeeng...?”
“...Ranyori, c’mere.”
“No! Nooo!”
“Calm down, Ranyori. Nothing big?”
“...Really?”
“Yeah. Just barely touch your hair... ears, tail.”
“Hmmm...”
“And cheeks? This much okay?”
“Yeeah... whatever...”
“Hands and feet too? Kinda important.”
“...I’ll endure.”
“Now for overall build, abs...
“That’s...!”
“But I can’t get it right without!”
“Hng...!”
“Need height proportion too, so calves and thighs...
“...!!”
“No no, no weird intentions!”
“...”
“Finally, cat beastkin tongue curiosi—”
“I’m out! No way!!”
Okay, that was pushing it too far. Sigh, what now.
“Can’t do it?”
“Nope!”
“What if I compensate with Aren free-use rights—”
“Handle me all you want!”
“Yes!”
“...”
Ah, fuck, duped again.