I'm delighted that the prequel short story has been successfully completed—what a fantastic journey it's been! I'd like to share some fun facts about the writing process. Hopefully, this will give you a deeper understanding of each character's design and their origins.

"Transparent"

When designing Tohru, I wanted to find a small herbivorous animal that had both antlers and fangs, yet wouldn’t seem too unfamiliar to readers. In the end, the muntjac came to mind! The surname Nara was chosen as a nod to the famous tourist spot.

This character design was indeed influenced by Beast Complex, but initially, I was simply pondering what kind of kink would be the most horrifying for a herbivore, and it led to this idea.

"Being attracted to carnivores" should probably be classified as a kind of fetish, because the preference for dietary habits outweighs the existence of the body itself (as long as there are fangs, it's fine). I once read a food fetish fic featuring Louis, Legoshi, and Bill on AO3, which expanded my understanding of the world, so I did some light research.

"Fetishism is the ability to feel love and be loved through certain objects (or body parts)"—I found that fascinating. So, in terms of sexual orientation, Tohru would be closer to pansexual.

With these elements combined, the first viewpoint character was born.

The setting of the story is in Valles Marineris on the planet Mars. I tried to depict a very oppressive world, including its societal facade, its darker sides, and a rough technological timeline. The character's personality, hints about psychics, and coded language were revealed in flashbacks. In the end, Tohru's helplessness under the transparent dome, yearning to touch the real starry sky and gain freedom, was the conclusion.

The tension and fear during the hotel scene might have been a bit lacking (since it was, after all, a budget hotel role-playing situation?), so perhaps I need to delve deeper into portraying the mentality of a character who feels powerless and weak. Overall, although Transparent was the shortest in length, I think the atmosphere at the end was second only to Pale Blue Dot.

"Fly"

Darkfang was inspired by Golden Treasure: The Great Green by Dreaming Door Studios, though the world itself isn't connected, so this isn't a continuation of the end of "Wheel of Fate."

Fly (The original title's meaning is closer to "Riding the Wind," but it felt too long, so I decided against it) is probably the most average story I've written. I’m not great at writing positive characters, and I didn't want to dwell too much on the isolated, lonely aspects of being ostracized. Plus, this is a reptile character who's also straight—yeah, I should have split up those unfamiliar elements.

Although I might have made Wingless seem like a tool to explain the plot, he does have his own important storyline!

The concept of the three names for the dragons reminded me of the naming conventions from a previous age in The Wheel of Time, but since it's not critical to the story, I decided to leave it as is.

The first name is a gift, a name given by a caretaker; the second name is an identity, reflecting how others see you; the third name is self, the truest reflection of yourself.

Thus, in intimate relationships, dragons tend to use the first name, while the third name is used to show respect.

Dragon songs are a part of their psychic abilities. If this were a fantasy work, I might take the poetry part more seriously. But since this is a sci-fi story (and what's sci-fi without faster-than-light communication and psychic powers?), capturing the general imagery is enough.

Because dragons sometimes communicate in a highly poetic manner, they are accustomed to conversing with hidden meanings and implications. They often require the listener to read between the lines or recognize double entendres.

By the way, Darkfang is super nerdy—hopefully, someone will catch that little Easter egg.

While Fly may be a bit average, I’m still reasonably satisfied with how it turned out.

"Promise"

I tried to avoid making the situation on the planet Pavor too much of a template, but since it's a reflection of real-world issues, some of these problems are inevitable.

Dahl and Ali are references to my own work, so let me indulge a bit here—feel free to check out The Wish, the first part of the Central City series (not translate and post here, it’s a 600k Beastars fan-fic).

There are still many mysteries surrounding Dahl, waiting to be revealed. The main function of Promise was to further expose the larger world, including the existence of the council, conflicts between factions, and political entities.

"Eyes"

The viewpoint character in Eyes is a tribute to Jack London himself. The setting of the high-speed track is a reference to Isaac Asimov’s The Caves of Steel. Strictly speaking, the knock-off New Colossus is also a "tribute" to someone—albeit a negative one.

Jack London, as a writer of animal literature, may have been the gateway for many furries. When I needed a place name for a character's surname, Jack London was the first name that came to mind. So, if you haven't read The Call of the Wild or White Fang, go check them out!

I’m a bit dissatisfied with how Asimov’s sci-fi series eventually turned into a mystical force-driven plot (although here I am, kicking things off with psychics). I prefer short stories like The Bicentennial Man. Nevertheless, Asimov's work is undoubtedly a sci-fi classic.

The high-speed track setting was a late addition. Originally, it was just a regular parkour scene, but I felt it wasn’t sci-fi enough, and lunar streets should be more unique. I once imagined, while shopping at a megastore, what it would be like if conveyor belts carried customers directly to the product aisles. That concept eventually made its way into the lunar streets and was influenced by the scenes in The Caves of Steel.

While low-gravity parkour would have its own unique tricks, I prefer using this method to share my favorite works with others. Although this part is a bit complex, I see it as a continuation rather than something that should remain static.

This scene, where Dahl and Jack escape the security unit, serves as a key moment for their potential future understanding of one another. For Dahl, it’s a matter of life and death, while for Jack, it’s just rebellion—but the shared experience creates a chance for mutual understanding. Of course, their identities and backstories hint at inevitable conflict, which is why such understanding is necessary.

" Pale Blue Dot"

I love this chapter! The scene of Luther and Richter watching Gaia, gently tapping on the glass, while Richter is left with only his reflection, should be spectacular.

The inspiration for Pale Blue Dot (The original chapter title's meaning is closer to "Dust.") came from the "Pale Blue Dot," a photograph of Earth taken from space. The story's conclusion also hints at why the solar system, as we know it, has now become a world full of anthropomorphic creatures, which is tied to the "Pale Blue Dot."

When the structure of this story (including the main narrative) was mostly done, I saw Rukis's illustration for the first chapter of Heretic, "Damning Confession," and my mind was blown.

After finishing the prequel short stories, I realized Rukis had posted the full text of Heretic, so I took a look, and sure enough, when writing this kind of theme, there are certain plot directions that won’t differ much.

This was incredibly awkward, so I changed the Canine Empire from a theocracy to a Scientific Council, and I also removed a main character who was a clergyman. However, Richter's original role as a captain was promoted to fleet commander because of this.

This was the first time I faced such a problem since my subjects have always been relatively niche. Though it's not quite "reinventing the wheel," the scene where the commander dies in the arms of his subordinate soldier couldn’t be removed. Following the principle of "detaching the homage parts without causing the plot to fall apart," the final result is what you see.

The names also presented a dilemma. From certain angles, changing the names might have seemed suspicious, so I kept them as an homage and used Luther and Richter—sort of a namesake concept.

Pale Blue Dot is the longest part, and since the supporting characters will appear again later, they are more vivid and fleshed out. Ian, Abel, and Jose's interactions are just adorable.

However, the interaction between Luther and Richter, because these parts of the memories are sealed, doesn’t quite match the tone of Pale Blue Dot. The playful "secretary and exasperated boss" dynamic will only appear in Richter's side story Storm Wolf, and since that will spoil the ending of Me, it won't be finished first.

As for Luther and Maya’s scene, writing it was incredibly uncomfortable. It turns out I care a lot more about "informed consent" than I realized. Consent under duress shouldn't be considered consent...

Pale Blue Dot is the part I'm most proud of. The meaning of the "Pale Blue Dot" will be a recurring symbol throughout the entire work. Naturally, Pale Blue Dot holds a higher place than other parts. It's also clear that I’m more comfortable and familiar with wolves, so species that are more different from them tend to receive less attention. However, I will strive to overcome this, and the viewpoint characters in the main story won’t have such a wide disparity in screen time.

Here are some of my thoughts after completing the prequel, which I’d like to share with everyone. I truly appreciate all of you for reading up to this point, and I welcome any feedback or discussion you’d like to share with me!