After The Dream—MAIN INDEX (and secret Hisao arc)

[brythain]

Haha, in that one where the women come and go, it was more subtle and I accepted the allusion easier. Figures.

I will show you fear in a handful of dust…

[inthewind]

The orbspider house you're building for your world here out of narrative threads works so well for many reasons, but I think that the references, whether direct or parallel simply due to familiarity, to enough pieces of literature that it plays enough familiar chords to strike true with someone out there. I enjoy that part of the reading and discovery process, for sure.

[brythain]

The orbspider house you're building for your world here out of narrative threads works so well for many reasons, but I think that the references, whether direct or parallel simply due to familiarity, to enough pieces of literature that it plays enough familiar chords to strike true with someone out there. I enjoy that part of the reading and discovery process, for sure.

I enjoy this part of the creative process too. It's why I've decided on this thread-weaving approach, and on the embedding of many 'Easter eggs' that have links to the 'real world'.

On the other hand, some of these characters are markedly literary, while some are just as obviously pedantic about their chosen areas of expertise… in such situations, they tend to take the work out of my hands!

"I hope you're not talking about my latest submission, colleague."

I flinch guiltily as I notice the dichromatic stare that is picking me apart from the corner of my room nearest the door, where her favourite white chair sits.

"Er, hello, Natsume. Well, yes, I've noticed you tend to write rather long pieces. Don't journalists try to be concise?"

"And here I was, thinking of you as a true colleague. I shall sigh at you, perhaps not as beautifully as Lilly Satou, until you realise the truth. Then again, with a World-Cup-addled mind like yours, it might be better to just say it. Journalists have limited space and time in the media, so we need to get our material as briefly and accurately as possible. But when journalists retire and write books, they try to include not only fact, but explanation and reflection—now that they have less of a limitation in those directions."

"I apologise, dear colleague."

"Well, how about a lemon-blueberry muffin then?"

[brythain]

"Who needs epaulettes?" I say mockingly into the dry, empty, cigarette-stained atmosphere deep below Tokyo. You think you have conspiracies, but you are all old men, even if you think you're new.

On my imaginary epaulettes are three little platinum buttons, each with five lobes. They are cherry blossoms. I name them Yuuko, Masako and Koji. They're mine. Mine to serve and protect.

My epaulettes are imaginary, because this is that innocent, unarmed organisation known as TRDI, or TL;DR according to our western counterparts. But what is technology? This was the title of my first official paper: 'What is Technology? A Sociocultural Reimagining of the Defence Forces in Japan'. To me, technology is the logos of techne: the ideas and structure of the way we think of something that is art, craft, skill and invention all at once, a conspiracy (my master says, 'breathing-together') of many things, none necessarily material and physical. And so a conspiracy theorist can be chief technologist, and a paranoid conspiracy theorist can be chief defence technologist; but now I am neither, and more.

Under the moon, I walk out through the abandoned sewer-shaft. Nobody sees me, because people who look like me are common. In my briefcase is a load of doom, and if you were to open it without the right combination, it would vaporise. Or not, because I specialise in telling stories, crafting memes, and you cannot know if it is true or not. The metallic smell of fresh garbage tells me I am moving towards the surface, the sprawl we call Tokyo, the heart of the Sakura.

Slowly, with every step, I shed my guise, shrug off the snakeskin of my working life, become a father and husband again. I pass from the glare of shadow, into the truthful night. Soon, I will no longer have to think about epaulettes.

[Serviam]

Holy shit, Author-san is Kenji?!

[brythain]

Holy shit, Author-san is Kenji?!

No, no, the man hijacked my terminal by remote access. The Japanese, they are into everything.

[brythain]

I'm dozing off as Argentina tries to get the better of Switzerland and is failing to do so so far. Then I notice my Glenfiddich is gone.

"Hey, man. He was like a younger brother to me, you know. I wanted to be like my big brother was, to joke with him but help him out at the same time."

"Kenji? What the hell, man, you startled me!"

"Heh. Good line, that. But yeah, it's always sad coming to August and thinking about what might have been. Did my best by him, though."

"I suppose so, but others did their part too, right?"

"Oh, of course. I was always never able to really help. Never allowed to, actually. But I got a good story, and he didn't get as much of one as I'd hoped. Makes me feel guilty, still."

"I guess that might happen, given the circumstances."

"But that's life. We all have griefs beyond endurance, but they come out right in the end as long as you're alive. Good job on the editing, anyway. Meant to tell you, but your Glenfiddich got in my way. Sorry I can only provide redacted stuff, but you should understand."

"Yeah, Kenji. Good night."

"Night. By the way, Argentina isn't supposed to lose."

His thick glasses gleam in the dim light, as if mocking me gently. Then he's gone.

[brythain]

I've realised that there have been many discussions about chronology, timelines, etc.
So this little post is an attempt to consolidate the known dates and assumed dates of the AtD/KS-verse.


‘After The Dream’ — Basic Chronology
(Work in Progress)

I've spoiler-protected the dates in groups, so that those who haven't had a look can have a fair chance of not seeing too much.

Births and Deaths

Parents
1959-03-07 Satou, Mayoi (d. unknown)
1961-11-20 Hakamichi, Jigoro (d. 2028-07-17)
1965-01-10 Kaneshiro, Goro (d. 2042-01-22)
1971-04-30 Mutou, Akio (d. 2030-07-06)
1974-09-20 Satou, Michiko (d. unknown)

Characters
1982-05-18 Satou, Akira Katharine Anderson (d. 2064-01-06)
1988-03-14 Ibarazaki, Emi (d. 2030-05-05)
1988-03-20 Shirakawa, Yuuko (d. unknown---)
1988-12-25 Setou, Kenji (d. unknown---)
1989-02-07 Satou, Lillian Alexandra Anderson (d. 2074-08-07)
1989-02-19 Miura, Miki (d. 2044-01-08)
1989-03-13 Tezuka, Rin (fate unknown)
1989-04-01 Nakai, Hisao (d. 2024-08-06)
1989-04-01 Enomoto, Saki (d. 2009-03-21)
1989-05-06 Hakamichi, Shizune (d. 2064-05-06)
1989-06-13 Inoue, Naomi (d. 2040-12-04)
1989-07-10 Ikezawa, Hanako (d† 2079-07-10)
1989-07-22 Kapur, Moriko ‘Molly’ (d. unknown)
1989-09-11 Ooe, Natsume (fate unknown)
1989-11-01 Mikado, Shiina ‘Misha’ (d. 2077?-----)
1989-11-04 Suzuki, Suzu (d. unknown)
1990-04-01 Katayama, Rika (fate unknown)
1993-06-06 Ooe, Matsuo (fate unknown)
1995-04-18 Setou, Sachiko (d. 2010-04-15)
1995-10-18 Hakamichi, Hideaki (d† 2084-07-10)

Children
2005-12-07* Mutou, Haruki (d* stillborn 3 months prem.)
2015-09-11 Setou, Masako
2017-01-04 Setou, Koji
2018-10-15 Shirakawa, Kaori
2020-08-08 Nakai, Akiko
2022-05-04 Nakai, Akira
2027-11-30 Ooe, Kinnosuke
2030-03-01 Hakamichi, Kitsune
2033-01-09 Hakamichi, Shiina

Lack of a death date implies (but does not confirm) that the person is still alive (or not known to be dead) in 2084, when the mosaic arbitrarily terminates.

Changes in Marital Status

1988-05-28 Hakamichi, Jigoro m. Satou, Mayoi
1997-12-18 Mutou, Akio m. Satou, Michiko
1998-06-30 Hakamichi, Jigoro d. Satou, Mayoi
2006-02-28 Mutou, Akio d. Satou, Michiko

2014-07-21 Setou, Kenji m. Shirakawa, Yuuko

2018-08-08 Nakai, Hisao m. Ibarazaki, Emi

2020-07-17 Miura, Miki m. Murata, Tomohiro

2025-04-22 Mutou, Akio m. Katayama, Rika

2026-01-01 Miura, Miki d. Murata, Tomohiro

2027-03-07 Ooe, Matsuo m. Inoue, Naomi

2029-03-18 Hakamichi, Hideaki m. Ikezawa, Hanako

2064-01-01 Hakamichi, Shizune m. Kobayashi, Shiina

[griffon8]

1989-03-13 Tezuka, Rin (fate unknown)

Daniel Simpson Day Whereabouts unknown

First thing I thought of when I saw that.

[brythain]

You're bringing me into the dark, that's what you're doing. But when you submit to authority, the power of the author, that is what happens at times.

I can feel the pain coming. I can feel the waves of hopelessness, but also the inmost will that fights against them. I will not succumb to that which is arbitrary, no matter how exalted the arbiter.

Work with me, author-san. Kenji is nobody's fool. We will tell the truth together, just not all of it.

[brythain]

It's a bare table in a bare room, with him on one side and I on the other.

"Welcome to my workplace," he says, the light glinting off his thick glasses. He is smiling, and his teeth are perfectly white.

"Well, we've done it."

"You certainly have. Damn, the pain. I still feel it after all these years." He's stopped smiling. I can't see his eyes.

"Our editor was OK with it all?"

"Yeah, she survived all that old-Kenji crap. Wasn't very happy about some of it, though. Ha ha." His laughter is fake, but genuine. How?

"I thought it was a terrible thing to do for my 100th fragment in the mosaic."

"It's really your fault, co-author-san. You split Year Four into three instead of two parts. You could have given the 100th fragment to the feminist conspiracy. They would have loved you for it. But it would really have boiled down to Lilly Satou or Shizune Hakamichi, right? What a choice to have to make! I think you are smarter than you look. Wait, do you look smart at all?"

"Stop it, Kenji!" I chuckle and pour another finger of Scotch for him.

=====

The first part of Sakura—The Kenji Saga is now complete.

The various sections of Part 1 so far are as follows:

Part 1: Five Years That Break A Man

20050404-20060402 — Year 1 — Kenji's second year at Yamaku
20060403-20070401 — Year 2 — Kenji's third year and some relationships
20070402-20070610 — Year 3 (1) — Kenji's third year (again) with a familiar face
20070611-20071007 — Year 3 (2) — Kenji's third year (again) with new friends
20071008-20080330 — Year 3 (3) — Kenji's third year (again) and graduation
20080331-20080727 — Year 4 (1) — Kenji enters university under strange circumstances
20080728-20081228 — Year 4 (2) — Kenji learns about wisdom and folly
20081229-20090329 — Year 4 (3) — Kenji learns about other people and is very sad
20090330-20090830 — Year 5 (1) — Kenji has dreams, and has one shattered forever
20090831-20100418 — Year 5 (2) — Kenji is broken, and broken again

2010 April — Year 5 (Coda) — Back in Saitama

[Serviam]

I've always wondered what Kenji's Hard Shit was. It's not Scotch, is it?

[brythain]

I've always wondered what Kenji's Hard Shit was. It's not Scotch, is it?

Mostly Scotch, 12- or 18-year single malt. When desperate, local stuff or sake.

[brythain]

"Nakai!"

"Oh, hello, Kenji. It figures that you'd be here. I never knew you had such a messy love life."

"Come on, you were the Master of Romance! Heck, you knew everyone so… intimately!"

"Errm, gentlemen?" I interrupt. "My problem is that Kenji's logs have big and suspicious holes in them."

"No, no! Hey, author-san, please no stuffing the holes with stuff about werewolves and other strange adventures!"

"I'd just got back in touch with Emi around that time, so no suspicious activity for me either."

"No?"

They look at me, Kenji with hilarity, Hisao with horror. I feel rather upbeat about my chances at the moment.

[azumeow]

Just finished Emi's arc. You fucking monster. I'm just sitting here, crying. No big deal.

This is gonna take a while, methinks.