“How about this?”
Asks Shinomi while showing me a drawing.
We’re still discussing the name, but now I’ve been asking about the country’s symbol.
Shinomi came up with a few sketches. I get excited looking at the wonderful things she’s showing me, even if they’re just drafts.
If this was up on a castle as a country’s flag… Yes, it would be really wonderful.
Thinking about building a castle, deciding a country’s name and flag, reminds me of that day when Gaius and I talked about creating a country.
Mister Athos died, and Gaius said he wanted to create a place where something like that wouldn’t happen. Where people could be together regardless of race.
Thinking about that place slowly taking form makes me feel emotional.
“You’re good at drawing, Shinomi. What would be best… They’re all good, so I feel like I want all of them.”
“I see. I don’t know which one I’d want either. I think it’d be good for it to be easy to understand, but… I’m wondering if you’re not the symbol of this place.”
“The spirits said a girl’s drawing doesn’t have enough gravity.”
“What about you riding Gaius in his wolf form? And everyone running next to you? And we could have you holding a sword to make it kind of cool.”
Shinomi shows me a simple sketch of a girl with hair like mine riding Gaius in his wolf form.
I guess when you change the style a little, it looks a little cooler rather than cute.
“How about an adult Lerunda?”
“Adult me?”
“Yes. You’ll be an adult lady in a few years. You might change your hair too, but I picture you with long hair anyway.”
“Yes, I’m not thinking about cutting it.”
Adult me… Like, taller and more composed?
I can’t see myself becoming like that in just a few years, but I wonder what I’ll be like.
I think about that while looking at Shinomi, who’s also taller than when we met.
When people become adults, they stop growing, but I wonder how big I’ll get.
I think it’d be kind of cool if I became a tall lady. But being a little short is nice too… I wonder… It’s exciting to think about.
And what would be better on a flag, me, or future me?
“But it shouldn’t be just me. There should be stuff about beast people and elves.”
“Then you and Gaius can be in the center, with those things around you. Like covering it with marks that show a lot of people live here. We can have the spirit trees faintly in the back too. There might be more races here, so maybe we can redo it then. And we can fill those spaces temporarily with stuff like feathers or leaves.”
She says while drawing around Gaius with stuff that symbolizes everyone else.
“You’re great, Shinomi. You just keep coming up with things.”
“It’s fun. I… can’t use magic or form contracts with gryphons like you. Or become a knight of the miko like Gaius. And I don’t have physical abilities that are as good as the other beast people’s…
But I can do something like this, so that makes me happy. If this place becomes a country, it will be thanks to you and Gaius. I think it’d be nice if in the future, I could point to the flag and tell kids I made it. And with that in mind, I keep coming up with things.”
She says with a big smile.
Shinomi is having fun thinking really far ahead. But yes, it’s really nice to know you were involved in making something happen.
As for the flag, we will have to decide after talking to everyone, so it might end up different from what Shinomi comes up with. But I imagine Shinomi will still be smiling anyway.
—Girl and Rezzed – Part twenty
(The miko looks at the sketches of a beast person girl.)
