Chapter 3
“So, like I was saying…” Yagami repeated for the fourth time, her speech slurred almost beyond comprehension, “Just who does Hazuki think she is, sicking this stupid competition on us? I mean, just what does ‘A character beyond the design’ even mean? How is anybody supposed to make sense of that?”
The bartender smiled in the way patient parents did while waiting for their child’s temper tantrum to calm down.
“Perhaps she meant you should think more about the depth of your character.”
“Depth?” Yagami yelled out, before slumping on the counter, “I’ve been drawing characters for eight years now! What is there about characters that I’m not getting?”
“I don’t know.” the bartender exclaimed with a tired expression, “But I must retreat for the moment. Please excuse me.”
“Fine, leave.” Yagami grumbled, “Not like I’m getting any ideas anyway, being the idiot I am.”
The bartender flashed a sympathetic smile before exiting the room through a door hidden in the back, leaving her and the man from before. He hadn’t moved a muscle since they first saw each other, resigning himself to some activity on the counter while occasionally glancing at her. Yagami ignored him, too preoccupied with her troubles to bother.
“Damnit!” she complained loudly, slamming her hand on the counter, “Why am I having so much trouble?”
Realising the futility of arguing with empty space, she slouched on the counter, nearly knocking over her glass. The quality of the alcohol here was superb, Yagami had to admit, making her wonder why no more customers arrived at all this night. A quick glance at the nearby clock on the wall, also decorated to look like a small pond, showed it was nearly two in the morning. She groaned as she remembered she still had to wake for work in six hours.
“Great, look at me.” she mumbled, “Drunk beyond help and on a work day no less. I’m an idiot!”
She tried to muster the strength for another slam on the table, only to let her hand hang limp in the air. She sighed deeply and raised herself up from the counter, halfway to reaching her wallet when paper and pen slid into her view.
It was largely empty, with the exception of a familiar mascot drawn in one corner. A speech bubble extended from its smiling mouth, stating:
- You look stressed. Want to talk about it with me?
Blinking at the drawing, she looked up to find the man from earlier a few seats from her. Too upset to bother about the proximity, she grabbed the pen and drew a simple stick figure without details, adding her own speech bubble and content:
- Why are you interested? All I’ve done is come in and complain for the last few hours.
She slid the paper back to him, who examined the writing with an unusually deep gaze. He quickly added something to it before sending it back, who noticed the same mascot again with the writing:
- Because you’re here. People don’t come here unless there’s something important missing from themselves.
Yagami gazed at the writing with squinted eyes, her doubled vision making it difficult to read the characters. She rubbed her eyes before drawing an answer, this time however absentmindedly adding a few dots to the stick figure as a substitute for a face.
- Are you the one who drew that figure on the sign out on the street?
The man’s eyes lit up slightly. The mascot this time had an overjoyed expression, the design itself uplifting for her:
- No, I’m the guy on it! I didn’t want to but Maria told me I looked perfect and had me put on the sign. Do you like me?
Yagami gave a small smile.
- A bit. I knocked the sign over by accident and noticed you. You look really weird though.
She was greeted with a distraught face on the mascot, something which she couldn’t help but giggle briefly at:
- What’s weird about me?
- You look really out of shape. Why do you have such long arms?
The mascot came back with crossed arms and a drawn huff, which made her giggle even more.
- Because I have long arms! Why should me having long arms make me ‘weird’? That’s rude!
- Sorry, sorry.
Yagami thought for a moment, before adding:
- I work with a lot of human characters every day, so seeing one like yours is unusual.
- Is that so?
Feeling a little disappointed by the short response, she said:
- Yeah, which is why I wondered why you’re like this. Most people who draw try to improve their drawings so they’re more realistic. Why don’t you try that now?
Feeling significantly more sober than before, she made it a point to have him look at her before handing him the paper. He shrunk back slightly from her gaze, which confused her at first until she resigned herself with letting go of the sheet. He took more time to finish his response, biting the end of the pen gently before erasing whatever he had made and restarting. This process repeated itself twice before his shoulders slumped and he gave his answer, only this time without the mascot and simple text:
- I don’t want to change him.
Surprised by the sudden change in perspective, Yagami decided to work with it:
- So you can talk without your mascot. Why don’t you want to change him?
- Because he’s who he is.
She scratched her head at that.
- Who he is?
- Yeah. I don’t want to change him because he is special in his own way. He may not have arms as fitting as ‘other’ people, but he’s still his own self.
- That’s an odd way to think. Shouldn’t you want to improve your skills always so you do the next one better?
- I haven’t drawn anyone else but him before.
She felt her eyebrows raise at that.
- Really? Then why him specifically?
As she watched him write, she noticed him struggling to come up with an answer before coming out with:
- Because he’s someone I based off a certain character from a game.
- A game?
Yagami swore she saw a smile dance on his face.
- A character called Boldur. Specifically, Boldur Woodsing.
Shock ran through her as she saw him give a bad attempt at hiding his joy at being correct. Boldur had been one of her own characters, back when she had just entered the company as Lead Character Designer. Boldur had never actually made it into Fairies Story 1, only being shown in a published art book with unused sketches despite her protests. She had never disliked Boldur for how he looked. She just thought that he hadn’t been good enough to actually implement for what was her first big job. Aware that she’d been outed, she wrote:
- How did you figure it out?
- I recognised you the moment you came in. I hope I don’t sound like a creep, but I’m a big fan of your work, Yagami Kou.
She glanced at the man, displaying a smile that appeared genuine. She didn’t believe it for a second however. Back during her first year as part of Fairies Story 1, she was asked to take part in a number of events to promote their game. She had done it if only to help push her standing in the company, even Rin having been supportive. Yet, a number of fans she came across had honestly disgusted her. During one particular event, a brutish individual tried to pull her into a kiss. He had been escorted out by security, but the gross feeling had left her unable to draw anything for days afterwards. She therefore had a lot of apprehension against meeting fans. The harassment she had suffered from other co-workers had not helped either, only making her more reclusive of others. She had no trouble conversing with other men, but having a fan approach her was only waking up bad memories. As it happened though, something stuck out from his words that didn’t make sense.
- I see. But how? I never appeared like this in any magazine.
This was the truth, as Rin never allowed her usual self to appear in the interviews. She recalled the especially gruesome experience when Aoba and the others had caught her looking like some princess. While they had supported her look, she had only felt embarrassment from being so well-dressed. Hence, the chance of him being a stalker rose substantially. She unconsciously hovered her hand over her phone, when he quickly wrote an answer with a relaxed expression:
- Because it takes more than make-up to hide a person’s true face.
His expression as she looked over to him was devoid of intent, instead filled with respect and acknowledgment. A flash of inspiration brushed over him, producing a small stack of cards and handing one to her. She accepted it and read the writing on it, revealing him to be a branch manager at Kerzo Marketing, a name she recalled seeing more often as of late. She focused her view on the name embedded in the thick paper underneath his age of twenty-nine.
“Anders Tansuke, huh?” she said out loud, “I knew it, you’re not full Japanese, are you?”
The silent nod her gave was all he provided at first, before quickly picking up the paper and adding:
- Correct. My mother is Japanese but my father is European.
She read the last word with a raised eyebrow when he grabbed the paper.
- It means he comes from a number of countries, like Germany and Norway. It’s too long to explain in detail, so I just say European as a shortcut.
“I see.” she said while refocusing on the paper, “Explains why you have that weird blond hairstyle going for you.”
- It’s called ‘dirty blond’, thank you very much.
She gave a light giggle at that, causing him to look worried.
“No, don’t mind me. I just thought it sounded funny.”
That gave her food for thought however, following it up with:
“That reminds me, how come you haven’t said a word to me since the beginning?”
A flash of pain passed over him, before he grabbed the paper and wrote with movements that were evidently difficult for him. Eventually, he produced an answer, a simple line with few words:
- I’m mute.
Yagami felt like slapping herself. It should have been obvious that he had some good reason for not speaking out this whole time. She had dealt with timid people like Hifumi before, yet they always let go one or two words during a conversation, no matter how stuttered or slow. Anders however had never made an attempt at speaking, as if the idea itself was foreign to him. She gave a deep bow:
“I’m really sorry, I didn’t think.”
The sound of something flying through the room echoed in her ears, only to find a surprisingly large hand raise her up by the shoulder. She recoiled from the touch at first, yet he let go as soon as he had fulfilled his purpose of bringing her to sit upright. He gave an apologetic smile and scribbled onto the paper:
- Sorry for doing that. I don’t have much to catch your attention otherwise.
Yagami felt slightly bad for having been so negative of his action in the first place.
“No, don’t worry about it. It was just...unexpected.”
The look he gave her showed he was more than familiar with her response.
- I’m used to it. I tend to clap my hands to draw attention, but you surprised me so much I reacted without thinking. Please forgive me.
“You have nothing to apologise for!” she argued.
- I guess. But still, I do wonder why you would be in a bar by yourself.
Sensing the discrepancy, Yagami decided to use fairer means and wrote:
- Did you not listen to me over the last few hours?
- I understand an artist needs a break every while or so, but you made it sound like you weren’t having trouble drawing but rather thinking.
- Thinking?
The word perplexed her, contemplating what he meant as he jotted his answer down:
- I often had moments where I couldn’t produce what my bosses wanted regardless of urge or pressure. I would sit there, failing over and over again until I wanted to rip my hair out.
Yagami could empathise with him on that end.
- I can understand that.
- Yes, but I managed to overcome it. What helped me deal with it wasn’t stubbornness however, but a change.
- Change?
- Yes. If you struggle with a concept, you need to try and look at it as if you were a complete rookie. Forcing your experience on a topic sometimes ends up warping the intended result. So try and look at things from a different perspective.
She noticed the page being full on both sides with their conversation. Anders didn’t falter though, producing a fresh sheet and adding something with a pleased expression:
- I’m happy however to see that you’ve recovered somewhat.
“Come again?” Yagami said out loud.
- What do you mean?
- Look at the first page.
Now fully confused, she turned back to the original sheet before freezing up in surprise.
At the beginning, she had simply drawn stick figures to converse with him, not having bothered in the least with the quality. Yet as the conversation continued, she saw that she gave more and more effort with each drawing, slowly moving from stick figures to a complete face with details that became more and more pronounced with each comment. She had not even registered the shift.
As she reached the end of the page, she almost gasped as she saw a nearly complete portrait sketch of a character she had been struggling with just before leaving the office. Only, this one felt more whole, like a fresh attempt without hesitation. Yagami was reminded of Aoba’s success a year ago when she was designing 3-D characters for the first time.
Glancing up from the page, she saw Anders give a sincere smile while holding out the fresh page.
- Oftentimes, we need to distance ourselves from our environment to fully understand the bigger picture. When we work ourselves into a corner, digging a way out becomes painful. That’s why we simply need to step back for a bit.
She read the text once, then twice, then once more. A warm smile spread itself on her face as she recognised the meaning in his words.
“I finally get it.” she said feeling more at ease than she had felt in weeks. Taking the pen from him, she wrote:
- Thank you. I needed that.
- Nonsense. You did it all by yourself. I’m just glad to have been there to see my favorite artist return in full glory.
“Favorite artist, is that so?”
The phrase tickled her somehow, but Anders gave a nod with complete seriousness.
- For a few years now. Playing Fairies Story helped me recover from a difficult time in my life. Since then, I’ve been doing my best to support your work.
“I see. Well then, you have my gratitude regardless.”
A sudden wave of exhaustion swept over her, causing her to yawn loudly. Looking at the clock, she was shocked to find it being past three in the morning.
“Well great.” she mumbled, prompting a confused look from Anders.
“The time. I might as well go back to the office to sleep at this rate. Sorry to cut it short, but I need to get some rest. You as well, Mr. Branch Manager.”
Anders gave a sour smile as he added a quick comment to the sheet:
- Heed your own advice, Ms. Art Director. Do you want help getting home?
Yagami scrutinised the paper, before giving Anders a cautious stare.
“Thanks, but I’ll be fine.”
While she had enjoyed the chat, she refused to be so easily lulled into letting a stranger escort her, even if he had been entertaining. She pulled out her wallet and paid her bill before attempting to stand up from the stool.
As her feet touched the ground however, she became fully acquainted with gravity once more, beginning to topple forwards. Before she hit the floor though, an arm shot out from underneath and caught her, revealed itself to be Anders himself with a concerned expression. Before she could speak up however, the bartender’s voice rang across the counter:
“Oh dear, I was right in summoning that taxi.”
Yagami quickly collected herself as she recognised the embarrassing position she found herself in, struggling free of Anders’ grip and achieving a successful, yet wobbly standing position. The bartender flashed a knowing smile as she contemplated something.
“Forgive me, Ms.Yagami, but you seem to be in need of assistance. Would you like a hand in getting to your taxi?”
For a brief moment, Yagami understood her as being the escort herself. Without thinking, she gave a solemn nod. The bartender’s face lit up as she turned to Anders, who had stumbled back a bit to provide space.
“Anders, would you be so kind to take her? I’m sure she would appreciate it.”
Yagami’s jaw nearly hit the floor. She ushered in a flurry of hands, blustering out at the same time:
“Wait, wait, wait! I didn’t agree to that! I thought you were…”
“Ms.Yagami.” The bartender’s tone was absolute, shutting her up instantly.
“Y-yes?”
“I would prefer it if you didn’t doubt the integrity of my customers. Anders has been a regular at this establishment for many years and never provided me or anybody with trouble. I can vouch for his good intentions. With that being said, I would like him to help you in getting to the taxi safe and sound. Should you have any…’problems’... then here.”
The bartender produced a card herself, highly decorated with forest-themed objects and floral writing that carried a decorative number. She moved over and pressed it into Yagami’s hands.
“Do not hesitate to contact us if anything should be. We value those who enter our establishment.”
Yagami opened her mouth to retort, but knew she had little room to maneuver without coming across as extremely rude. Her intoxication wasn’t helping either with her decision-making.
“Fine.” she mumbled in the end, causing the lined face of the bartender to relax.
“Wonderful. Then, Anders, I leave it to you. The taxi should be just at the exit of the alley.”
Anders gave a confident nod, quickly returning to his original seat to collect a generic strap bag and some papers he had spread out. It occurred to Yagami that he must have been working, raising her opinion of him slightly. As he stood next to her, she failed to subdue a gasp as she recognised just how tall he was. While she wasn’t particularly tall, she still stood above the Japanese average. Anders however destroyed the status quo, towering nearly a foot above her. Had it not been for the ambient lighting, she would have mistaken him as a pillar.
He extended an arm out for her and produced a card with a single sentence on it.
- In your own time.
Quietly chuckling to herself, she gingerly grabbed hold of his arm and began the trip to the door, quickly calling out into the bar:
“Thank you for all the help. I apologise for having been such a nuisance.”
“Not at all, Ms.Yagami. I wish you a quiet rest.”
The bartender’s voice proved she held no grudge. Hopeful that she hadn’t made too much of a fuss, she slowly exited the bar with Anders, him proving to be an excellent support stand.
As they turned and began to exit the alley, Yagami let her mind run free with thoughts. It struck her that the white, bleak landscape she had seen too often over the last week had been replaced with a more vibrant one, the blank figures from earlier replaced with clearly defined individuals. She knew how they looked like, how they dressed, how they moved. It was as if she had awakened from a harsh winter sleep into spring.
“Hey, Anders?” she murmured as they reached the taxi, the driver already holding the door open for her. Anders gently guided her into the back seat, looking at her expectantly. Yagami leaned in and pecked him on the cheek.
“Thank you for tonight.”
To her amusement, a bright blush adorned his cheeks. He looked like he wanted to say something, only to make a sour face as he was reminded of his limits. Yagami didn’t mind though, giving a light giggle. Anders made sure she was comfortable before closing the door, herself barely registering him pressing a few notes into the driver’s hand and watching as they left, waving to her with a cheerful expression. As Yagami gave her address and waited for the unfamiliar sight of home, she mumbled:
“What a week.”
