Key:
"Talk" Out loud speech.
'Talk' Thoughts thought towards mental voice.
Talk. Thoughts that are private.
"Talk" Mental voice talking.
'Talk' Mental voice thinking.
You know all those fanfictions that have fanatics dropped into their favorite anime/book/movie etc.?
Yeah. It's not as great as those stories make it sound like.
Here's my story. How I was dropped into an anime I had just started to watch, and how the deal had some unknown strings attached.
It was every fangirls' dream. To be dropped into their favorite anime. Don't get me wrong. I normally would've been thrilled too. Except for one little thing...
"You know, most people would be thrilled to be in their favorite anime." the annoying little voice in my head chirped. The voice was male, probably around my age, and extremely perky. It annoyed the hell out of me.
'And I would be if it wasn't for you.' I thought back. I had replied to the voice out loud at first, but after getting a dozen odd looks I had decided it was better to just think my answers back. Least the citizens of whatever town I was in decided that I needed to be taken away to the funny farm.
Did they even have funny farms in the One Piece world?
Eh. Who really cares? At the very least I would be arrested by the Marines for disturbing the peace or something like that.
Back to my little problem.
"I resent that. I'm not little nor am I a problem." the voice replied.
'Yes, because hearing disembodied voices was something all normal nineteen year old women do.'
"I thought so."
And it doesn't even get sarcasm. I wonder if I can trade this little voice in for a better little voice. Maybe a female voice. Having a male voice in my head just made me feel like he was perving on me.
"I also resent that."
'No you resemble that.' I thought back sharply. 'Why are you in my head again?'
"Sub clause 8-3 of the contract you signed." it returned unhelpfully.
'What contract? I didn't sign a contract.'
"Whoops. Too late now. I've already fulfilled my end of the contract. Thus you have to fulfill your end." He replied before shutting up.
'Wait a minute. That's not legal or binding! I'll sue you!'
"Good luck getting a lawyer to take this case on. Girl vs Disembodied voice in her head. You're sure to win."
Now he gets sarcasm. I grumbled to myself making sure not to project the thought to the entity who was now sharing attic space with me.
'What are you good for anyway?' I demanded irritatedly.
"Awwww. Don't be like that Komi-chan!" he cooed.
'I told you a million times. It's Shannon. Not Komi, not Komiko, not Nakomi, not Sakomi, not Kokomi. None of those. It's Shannon.' I groused.
"No can do. You need to have a Japanese style name or you'll stick out like a sore thumb here."
Like I don't already?
I was wearing my pjs so I wasn't exactly dressed up to normal person's standards.
And to think my day had been going so well before the little voice popped up.
It had been the usual Tuesday, except for the fact my only class of the day had been canceled. I should've realized right then something bad was going to happy. The balance of Karma dictates that should something good happen to you, you need to have earned it or else something bad will happen to even the good event out. Unfortunately I hadn't done anything deserving of such good fortune this particular day.
I had lazed around my dorm room most of the day only going out three times. Once for lunch, once for dinner and once for Karate Club practice. I had joined the Karate Club at the beginning of my first semester of college which I was still currently in. I was okay at it. I mean I could get through the kata without forgetting much but I wasn't fast or anything.
Then I had retreated to my room sore and smelling like body odor of the worst kind. I had then made a strategic retreat to the showers where I quickly removed said body odor.
After that I returned to my room smelling like "Everlasting Sunshine" shampoo, and "Energizing Citrus" body wash. I was also in my pjs. I was just lucky I had decided to wear my winter pjs so I had on a pair of soft white pj pants with multicolored hearts, and a white t-shirt instead of a knee length nightdress.
"See ya." My roommate called out as she left the room closing the door behind her. My roommate's name was Kaylee. She was a bit taller than me, had short blond hair that she usually straightened, and blue eyes. She also wore thin framed glasses. She was a year older than me, exactly. We had the same birthday and everything. She was a sophomore. I was a Freshmen.
"Bye." I returned easily.
Then quickly grabbed my laptop and retreated to my bunk, I was on the bottom bunk. Which had both good points and bad points. Good that I wasn't up in the air, because I was terrified of heights. Bad that I usually got my hair caught in the springs supporting the mattress above me, which was extra annoying because I usually wore my hair in a ponytail and it constantly pulled it out of said ponytail.
I quickly moved to my favorite site, FanFiction dot net, and began my usual leisure time activity-reading fanfictions. I had found the site when I was twelve. I had been irritated that I wasn't able to have my own account until I was thirteen, but I still read the fictions. I had started with Naruto then moved onto other stories such as Harry Potter, Twilight, and my current obsession, One Piece.
"Let's see." I mumbled to myself out loud to fill up the silence. I hated silence. I always felt lonely when it was completely silent. I usually listened to music to feel the emptiness but I hadn't wanted to bother my roommate while she was in.
"How about this one." I thought as I clicked a link and soon immersed myself in the world of One Piece.
Luffy was like most protagonists in anime. He had an overwhelming dream to be the best of the best (Pirate King), he was disliked for something that happened to him as a child (He ate the Gumu Gumu no Mi), and he was a loud mouth who was obsessed with the food of his choice (which happened to be meat).
Zoro was the bad-ass of the team but he had some quirks that made him funny as well as cool.
I didn't really like Nami all that much though. I hardly liked any of the females in anime. They were all portrayed horribly. Either they're weak as hell, violent to their comrades, so two dimensional it should be a sin. Or a combination of all of those. Nami was the weak as hell and horribly violent to her comrades.
Plus she was greedy and that just didn't sit right with me. I was the sort of person who felt stealing from someone was reprehensible. If you needed something you worked for it or obtained it honestly.
If I was a woman in One Piece I wouldn't be as bad as the rest of the women in anime. That was for sure.
Ussop was all right. He was cowardly, sure, but he could make a stand when he needed to protect someone or something important to him. And that made him cool in my books.
I really didn't have an opinion on Sanji. He was a horrible womanizer but he cared for the crew in his own way. I didn't mind him.
Like I had said before. Normally I would've been thrilled about being dumped into one of my favorite anime, except for the fact I didn't know this anime as good as I knew Naruto, or Pokemon. And yes Pokemon is an anime. I don't want to hear any arguments about it.
In addition to the fact I had a little voice in my head. One that was pretty much useless.
"Aww. Come on Komi-chan..." he whined.
'Not Komi!' I mentally yelled beyond irritated. 'If I have to have a Japanese style name I'm going to pick my own.'
The voice stayed silent. I vaguely wondered if he had a name before pushing the thought away.
'Either Hikari (radiance), Mai (dance), or Maki (true record).' I finally conceded to the voices demands of a Japanese name.
"Hm. Hikari fits you better than the others." he cast his ballot.
Hikari it was.
And no. Hikari isn't a drink. You are thinking of Bacarty. Emphasis on the bah.
I sighed and looked around. Where the hell am I?
"You're in Shells Town, about a week before Luffy arrives..." the voice replied.
'Do you have a name? Or am I just going to call you voice for the remainder of the time you reside in my head?' How long was that going to be anyway?
Damn. I feel like a nutcase. I was talking to the voice in my head and asking him if he had a name.
"You can call me Rai." he replied.
Lightning? I made sure my thought was to myself.
'So what am I supposed to do? I have no money, I'm wearing pjs, and I have no place to stay?' I asked Rai, curling my bare toes into the dirt gently. Oh and I'm bare foot.
"Steal some money. You're going to be a pirate right?"
'Yes because it's a really smart idea to commit a crime in the town that's practically a marine base. Plus I have no stealth skills at all. And I don't feel like trying to mug one of these guys.' I wearily eyed a fisherman. He was about six-three, and almost completely muscle. Probably from handling heavy sails and nets.
"You should find it easier to be sneaky now. I mean with your new body and all."
'New body?!'
"Didn't I tell you?" he asked innocently.
I growled at him then turned and ran to the nearest reflective surface. It was a window for a small pawn shop. I looked at my reflection in shock.
I was wearing my pjs like I had thought, but now they hung of my petite frame. The tee-shirt was dipping almost low enough to show my chest and my pants were extremely baggy. My hair was a mess, it looked like I hadn't even bothered to comb it and it was fire engine red, of all colors. My eyes were a startling green, the color I had always wished they were. Usually my hair was dark brown and my eyes were a muted hazel color. My face was also thinner, more angular and I blinked. I had a small scar underneath my right eye in the shape of a D. Weird.
I reached up and ran my hand through my hair several times gently untangling knots and setting it to rights as much as possible without a brush. Then I stared at my face for a while longer memorizing it.
I blinked staring at the beautiful girl in the reflection of the store window. I had never really been vain. I had no reason to be. I was practically the definition of Plain Jane, well except the fact I had been slightly overweight. But I could easily admit I was now hot. Which was a word I had never thought I would use about myself.
My chest was larger than it had been too. Probably because Eiichiro Oda drew most of the females in the anime with huge chests. It probably didn't help that I wasn't wearing a bra. They were really uncomfortable to sleep in so I never did, sleep in them I mean.
"Hey, Girl. What are you doing?" A male voice demanded. He was wearing a marine uniform.
I hide a smirk. Time to use my new looks to do what I had always seen other girls do. Flirt/Cry to get out of trouble.
I took a breath making sure it sounded shaky. "I-I-I don't know where I am." I fake sobbed. "I was just in my room when everything went black and I woke up here."
The marine officer was obviously new. He didn't know how to react to a seemingly hysteric woman.
"Uh. There, there?" He tried halfheartedly to sooth me.
I took another deep breath and let out a fake wail of sorrow, covering my face so he couldn't see that I wasn't actually crying.
I could hear a lot of civilian women grumbling about men not knowing how to be sympathetic. Finally one of the women came over and gently grabbed me by the shoulder pulling me to her side.
"Shh. Let's go get you cleaned up then I can help you find out what happened." She soothed before throwing a glare at the floundering male.
I was led to a small house on the outskirts of town. I used the sleeve of my shirt to wipe my face to make it seem like I was brushing away tears.
"Here dear." She said as she gently pushed me into the bathroom. "You get cleaned up and I'll find you some clothes you can have."
I felt sort of bad for tricking her along with the idiot marine but I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. I nodded silently and jumped into the shower as soon as the door closed. I scrubbed my skin hard working a thin layer of dust and dirt off, and made sure to scrub my feet extra hard because they were filthy from going around bare footed.
"Here dear." The woman said once more setting a small pile of clothes on the closed toliet lid.
"Thank you." I said gratefully.
"No problem hun." she replied easily. "Just come down stairs when you're done."
I dried quickly then pulled on the clothes she had left me.
The bra she left was a little loose but it was better than nothing. She had also gotten me a pair of underwear with the tags still on them. They were white lace and I felt embarrassed just holding them and I had no clue how I was going to wear them without flushing horribly anytime I thought about them. There was a pair of black capris, with a dozen pockets all over the legs. I wouldn't ever have a problem finding pocket space. The shirt was an emerald green three quarter sleeved shirt with a vee-neck that dipped to show my collarbone. She had also left a pair of sandles that were a couple sizes too small for my feet. I had always had big feet for a woman. I had even resorted to wearing men's shoes before because I couldn't find any wide enough in the women's section of the store.
I shrugged and grabbed the shoes and walked down the stairs, still bare foot.
"Oh." The woman said looking at me shocked. "Are the shoes too big?" She asked.
I shook my head. "They're too small." I admitted sheepishly.
"Oh." she looked startled. "I'll try to find you something bigger." She said.
"You don't need to-" I started to protest.
"Nonsense." she stated with a sharp tone. "You obviously don't have anything but what you were wearing early. It's no problem."
I had nothing to say to that. It was true. The only things I had were the clothes I had been wearing. My glasses had even disappeared. Good thing I only need to read things at distances. I could live without them. Or I could get new ones somewhere. I knew several characters in the anime had glasses. There was Silvers Rayleigh and Tashigi for example. So there had to be an optometrist somewhere in the world. Logue Town seemed like a safe bet considering it was the largest town that they pass through.
Why was I acting as if I was going to go with the strawhats? It wasn't like I had any talents I could really offer the crew. I could barely do the katas for my Karate Club and I was acting like I was going to be on the strawhat crew. Not likely.
"Says who. You're going to join the crew whether you want to or not. It's in the contract."
'The one I didn't sign?'
"Too bad. Coming to this world was considered consent."
'I didn't even get a choice in that. For all intents and purposes you kidnapped me.'
"Yeah that will go over in court. The voice in my head kidnapped me and took me to another dimension in which anime is real."
I was really wishing Rai hadn't learned to use sarcasm. Because it was now a pain in my ass.
I growled at him and then ignored whatever he tried to say afterwards.
The voice definitely wanted me to get murdered. I had no combat experience and I would probably be killed in the first fight. I couldn't be a marksman, er woman, I didn't know how to wield a sword, I couldn't use my legs to kick ass, and I didn't even know how to use a staff. I only had my fists. I didn't even have a devil fruit power to help.
"Here." the woman's voice broke through my thoughts. I accepted the sandles she handed me wordlessly.
"I never caught your name. I'm Hikari." I said.
"Oh. I'm Aiko. It's nice to meet you." she replied easily as if she was used to talking to ackward strangers.
I smiled softly at her. It was odd to find people so helpful in my world so I wasn't used to people being so helpful. And happy to help for that matter.
"So what do you think happened to you?" she finally asked.
"I was kidnapped. I don't know why he just dumped me here but I really need to find a way to make some money and get home again." I told her.
She looked upset on my behalf. "I know the owner of the bar down the road. I'm sure she would hire you if I asked her."
"Oh. You've already done so much for me though..." I protested halfheartedly. I really did need the job.
"It's no problem. Follow me." Aiko led me down the street right to Ririka's bar. The bar where Zoro was arrested by Helmeppo. The woman appeared just as she had been in the anime. Brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, a light green dress over a dark green tee-shirt.
"Ririka. This is Hikari. She was kidnapped from her home and dumped in town. She needs a job for a while." Aiko explained. I pushed a strand of fire engine red hair behind my ear, so I could see her clearer.
Suddenly I was bumped from behind. I stumbled slightly but quickly caught myself. The person who ran into me apologized profusely. I just smiled and told her it wasn't needed softly.
"She's rather soft spoken." Ririka said to Aiko, unaware that I could hear her.
"Is that bad?" Aiko asked.
"Just strange. Most teenagers are outspoken. So much so that they're rude. She seems different. I'll take her on. I'll only be able to pay her 200 beli an hour, less than minimum wage." Ririka stated.
"If you include meals and housing, I'm sure she'll be happy with it." Aiko said.
Ririka nodded. "Sounds fair."
"Hikari. You start now." Ririka stated throwing me an apron. I quickly tied it around my waist. Searching the pockets and finding a notebook and a pencil. I quickly flipped the notebook to the next clean page. I quickly mentally numbered the tables. In clockwise order from the door, one through eight, then the four center tables were numbered nine, ten, eleven and twelve also in clockwise order.
"Go and take orders. They pay when you deliver the food." Ririka stated. "It cuts down on the dine 'n dashers." She said with a small grin.
I gave a nod and quickly went on my way.
Soon the page of the notebook was filled with many orders. A lot of it was for sake and other alcoholic drinks but there were quite a few who wanted food as well.
Soon I had gotten into a rhythm. Take orders, deliver food, take payment, dodge the occasional drunk who decided to grope me. The first time it happened I didn't see it coming and had to retreat with a red face after slapping the drunkard who had grabbed me.
Several hours later it was closing time and I was exhausted. I accepted my pay from Ririki. Most of it would be going towards new clothes, and maybe glasses. The rest would be put in my own savings. I slipped the apron off and hung it on the hook set in place just for that. Then I let Rika lead me to my room. I dropped onto the bed after toe-ing off my sandles without even changing clothes.
I was woken the next morning by an insistent knocking.
"Hikari get up!" Rika ordered bossily as she continued pounding on my door. I groaned pulling the thin pillow over my head and clamped it down around my ears. The sound muffled slightly but not enough.
"Alright I'm up." I grumbled as I rolled out of bed landing on my hands and knees before quickly standing erect.
I looked at my rumpled clothes with distaste. But since I didn't have anything else to wear...
I straightened my clothes as much as possible before getting to work. I went with my new routine and soon my shift was over.
"Ririka, I'm going to go shopping. I'll be back in time for the dinner shift." I called over my shoulder as I deposited my apron on its hook.
"Alright." Ririka called back. I hurried through the town and found a small clothes shop. I bought another three outfits like the one I had currently then I bought a coat too.
Then I looked at the meager funds I had left. I had worked for eight hours yesterday. Two hundred beli an hour for eight hours only gave me sixteen hundred beli. I had spent fifteen hundred on clothes. I shrugged and pocketed the rest. I could earn more and buy the rest of the stuff I needed tomorrow.
I had already worked for five hours today. Plus the rest of my shift would be another five hours. I would make twenty hundred for the day, plus whatever tips I received. Tomorrow I would get myself a dagger or something sharp for protection. That would probably take all of the money I had.
I drifted into thought as I headed back to my job. It wasn't a bad job. Not a good job either. It was just a job that I needed for the money. Ririka and Rika were all right, except for Ririka's xenophobia. I just didn't quite fit in with the small time bar owners. They were too stiff, too formal, too... not real. They acted like normal people it just seemed they wanted to keep everyone at a distance.
I shrugged that thought off and took my stuff up to my room before getting back to work.
Later that night after I had gotten paid I laid awake and wondered why I felt caged. I had a stable job, I had a place to sleep, I got three meals a day, and I even had some clothes to call my own. So why did I feel like a tiger in a zoo? Trapped with people watching for me to do something to amuse them.
I sighed and fell asleep wondering...
Day three was much the same as day one and two. Woke up, ate, worked, took my lunch break as a chance to buy something, worked again, dinner, then sleep. Rinse and repeat.
I had bought a dagger like I had promised myself. It was simple in both design and style. It was about half a foot long, made of a mix of bronze and steel which gave it a gold-ish brown glow in the light. Its pommel was just the right size for my hand to wrap around it easily and comfortably. On the very end was a small black onyx looking like an eye staring out of the pommel. I had the sheath on my belt but tucked into my pants. The handle resting gently against my stomach under my shirt. Invisible to most people. And within easy reach.
Day four found me using my lunch break to practice drawing my dagger in the privacy of my room. Making sure I could draw the dagger within seconds. Just in case. I had also went through my kata to make sure my reflexes were still up to my level. I didn't want to lose any skills I did have. It would be bad in a place where your life depended on your fighting skills.
Rai hadn't bothered me since he had warned me that I would be joining Luffy, whether I wanted to or not.
I wondered vaguely if I missed him before shrugging it off. No I didn't miss the annoying voice that made me feel like I was less than sane.
My peaceful routine was ruined on day seven when one Monkey D. Luffy barged into the bar and started ordering food like it was going out of style.
Holy shit. I stared as he ate his seventh plate of meat. It was like watching a train wreck. You wanted to look away and cover your ears but you just could build up your will enough to turn away.
"Hikari?" Rika asked me.
"Holy shit." I whispered reverently. That was amazing. It was like watching a magician. One second the food was there, the next it was gone.
"Ooh you swore." Rika gasped.
I rolled my eyes. Shit wasn't a swear word. She needed to get out more.
"If that's the worst you've heard and you live here, you obviously need to get out of your room more kid." I stated.
"I'm telling mom."
I shrugged. "If your mom was worried about the language you would be exposed to she would've hired a babysitter and kept you away from the bar when it was opened." I said easily as I took the pile of empty plates from Luffy's table.
I returned with two more filled plates of meat. And he inhaled those too. I accepted the money from the pink haired boy with him, I think his name was Tobi or something. He certainly reminded me of that annoying bastard from Naruto.
"It's Coby." Rai inserted, annoyingly I might add.
'So you've finally returned' I thought. 'I thought I was finally rid of you.'
"Nope you're stuck with me. Mwhahahaha-." he cut off his maniacal laughter half way through and hacked harshly.
I nearly felt a sweat-drop form on the back of my head. And I was stuck with him in my head. I must've done something evil in my past life to deserve this. I probably kicked a puppy or drowned a kitten or something. That's the only thing that would deserve punishment like this.
That or I had pissed of some higher power by just existing.
I was leaning towards the pissing off a higher being. No amount of kicking puppies or drowning kittens would account for this annoying thing.
"Pay attention." Rai snapped at me.
I blinked and focused on Luffy once more.
"Two more plates!" He cheered.
I nodded as I accepted his empty plates bringing two more plates. Accepting pay from Koby again once I brought the plates.
He was looking at his wallet mournfully. It was getting emptier each time I came back. He was obviously thinking he shouldn't have offered to pay for Luffy's meal.
Finally Luffy stopped ordering food. And I cheerfully bid them good bye. I got paid commission after all. I was sure to get a good amount from serving their table.
I was only smiling until noon.
Helmeppo and his bodyguards came in just after lunch and demanded food and booze for free. I hid my disgust and quickly dropped the food and booze on his table before turning to walk away.
Before I got a few feet I was stopped by an arm around my waist.
"Come on sweetheart. Stay with me. I have just the entertainment for you. You know that Zoro guy? I'm going to execute him tomorrow. He's become boring."
I felt my face flush in anger and disgust. I yanked myself away from him.
"You disgust me." I spat on the ground at his feet. "You aren't worth the air you breath."
"How dare you talk to me like that. Apologize before I tell my daddy." The pompous snot ordered.
"Do the letters F O mean anything to you?" I asked. After seeing his blank look I spoke really slowly so he could understand. "Fuck. Off."
"Guards! Make her apologize!"
"But-" One of the men started to protest.
"Now! Or I'll tell my daddy on you." Helmeppo demanded like a child throwing a temper tantrum.
The one guard stepped forward with an apologetic look on his face.
"I'm sorry." he whispered as he reached for me.
"I am too." I answered then launched a side kick at his unprotected side. My foot hit him hard winding him. Then, before he had time to react, the same foot came back up in a front snap kick after only touching the ground briefly.
With a loud "OOF" of air the marine tripped backwards, off balance, and hit the edge of the table knocking him out cold.
Most of the bar was now staring at me with their mouths dropped open. I could practically hear many of the men thanking whatever god they worshiped that the hadn't managed to make me mad enough to kick their asses.
"Guard!" the second one came forward more cautiously. I waited for him to get close enough then launched a snap kick. As expected he tried to block. While his hands were crossed across his chest I threw a punch at his jaw. With a yelp and a click, he stumbled back. Then he spit out a wad of blood and saliva. He had obviously bit his tongue when I had hit him.
There was a terrifying silence all through the bar. The marine had his head down. His face was shadowed by the brim of his hat, hiding the majority of his face instead of just the eyes like the hat normally does when facing straight.
Then he launched himself forward, drawing his katana. I reacted instinctively. My practice had paid off and I had my dagger in my hand within a second. The katana was blocked three seconds later, in the middle of its downward arch.
"She's had a dagger this whole time." muttered whispers echoed in the tense room.
The marine looked stunned. I took the time provided to launch a front snap kick. But this time I didn't aim for the chest. With a whimper the marine slid to the ground, dropping his sword and holding on to his "family jewels" as the pain hit him.
Without a second thought I threw another kick hitting him in the temple and dropping him like a sack of flour.
The bar was silent in shock. Then Luffy who up until then had been a silent spectator punched Helmeppo...hard.
And I think that's a good enough place to end this. This is the first chapter of my attempt for NaNoWriMo this year. (It's 11/12/12 incase anyone wants to know.).
