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I realized this evening that I'd neglected to explain why Sakura's mother was at home during "Friends and Neighbors." The answer is that she's an artist -- I think she does calligraphy and silk painting -- and she works from home, which is also why she has time to garden extensively. Sakura's father is a teacher at the civilian school -- the equivalent of a high school history teacher -- which is why he isn't at home when Yukiko, Iruka, and the kids arrive.
I gave them names a while ago. Sakura's father is Haruno Senzai, and her mother is Haruno Tanrei. From what I can tell, those translate roughly as "garden" and "grace."
Both Tanrei and Senzai are very intelligent, but Tanrei is the one from whom Sakura gets her backbone, while Senzai is the one who shares Sakura's belief in love. Despite being an artist, Tanrei is by far the more practical partner.
...
(Tangentially, I think that may be something of a pattern for me when creating original characters: the women tend to be practical and/or cynical while the men tend to be dreamers and/or idealists. I am not sure why I do that, but it's consistent for Ranna, Bren, and Talin in "The Sum of Things;" for Riam, Morgalen, and Zalir in "Ashes;" for Ekanu, Denifar, and Ain in some of my Firsthome stories; for Bluebell and Prince Ivan in "Bluebell;" for Svedanya and Tallo, Maranea and Daleron, or Efraika and Ammerdan in some other Firsthome stories; for Grace, Hope, and Ricky in "Beauty;" and so on. Actually, come to think of it, the pattern holds for Yukiko, Naga, and Iruka, too -- Naga is intensely here-and-now and Yukiko has her cynical veneer and persistent focus on business concerns, while Iruka is the one most likely to openly express his emotions and ideals. Huh.
Anyway, this is not to say I don't write women who live in their heads and men who have both feet firmly on the ground, but particularly when I'm creating women and men who are meant to work together and/or be foils, I go for that pattern. I wonder what that says about me?)
...
I need to go back and insert some more descriptive details, dammit. Right now Sakura's house is too much of a blank white screen, and her mother has no description beyond a hair color. That is insufficient.
Once I've gotten that fixed, then onward through the climax and winding down to some kind of conclusion. Also, I must bring Iruka back -- I shunted him temporarily offscreen to reduce the number of characters I was juggling, but he's been gone a suspiciously long time. *ponders options*
I gave them names a while ago. Sakura's father is Haruno Senzai, and her mother is Haruno Tanrei. From what I can tell, those translate roughly as "garden" and "grace."
Both Tanrei and Senzai are very intelligent, but Tanrei is the one from whom Sakura gets her backbone, while Senzai is the one who shares Sakura's belief in love. Despite being an artist, Tanrei is by far the more practical partner.
...
(Tangentially, I think that may be something of a pattern for me when creating original characters: the women tend to be practical and/or cynical while the men tend to be dreamers and/or idealists. I am not sure why I do that, but it's consistent for Ranna, Bren, and Talin in "The Sum of Things;" for Riam, Morgalen, and Zalir in "Ashes;" for Ekanu, Denifar, and Ain in some of my Firsthome stories; for Bluebell and Prince Ivan in "Bluebell;" for Svedanya and Tallo, Maranea and Daleron, or Efraika and Ammerdan in some other Firsthome stories; for Grace, Hope, and Ricky in "Beauty;" and so on. Actually, come to think of it, the pattern holds for Yukiko, Naga, and Iruka, too -- Naga is intensely here-and-now and Yukiko has her cynical veneer and persistent focus on business concerns, while Iruka is the one most likely to openly express his emotions and ideals. Huh.
Anyway, this is not to say I don't write women who live in their heads and men who have both feet firmly on the ground, but particularly when I'm creating women and men who are meant to work together and/or be foils, I go for that pattern. I wonder what that says about me?)
...
I need to go back and insert some more descriptive details, dammit. Right now Sakura's house is too much of a blank white screen, and her mother has no description beyond a hair color. That is insufficient.
Once I've gotten that fixed, then onward through the climax and winding down to some kind of conclusion. Also, I must bring Iruka back -- I shunted him temporarily offscreen to reduce the number of characters I was juggling, but he's been gone a suspiciously long time. *ponders options*
