Memoirs of an Anime Otaku
AKA: Animayhem
By: D-ko
Disclaimers and stuff: I own no anime/show/etc and the characters from said media that show up in these stories. Anything else is probably mine so don't use without at least crediting me. Otherwise I dun care what you do. : )
Chapter 2:
I think what was left of the window smacked my already sore head and knocked me out. Because after the 'ball' took me away, all I remember for a while was the blue of water coming ever closer, a loud crack sound, and then sleep.
Well I guess I lied; there are a few things I remember in a half dazed awareness. I remember a voice, one I couldn't quite place, but knew oh so well and then something lifting me up. Quite easily in fact,and at the time I wasn't skinny. Coming close to two hundred pounds, a mixture of muscle and fat. I was lazy but the martial arts kept me active. I just asked A-ko what it was I heard and she told me she said.
"Ohh great now I'm going to miss work. Against my better judgment I better call B-ko"
Hours later, I would find out, I awoke. Of course my vision was blurry and my brain thudded inside my skull to the point I almost went back to sleep to escape it. But the same voice that I heard in my dreams called to me, along with another familiar voice. It was all in Japanese, so I understood very little. I took a Japanese class in my first year, but didn't do very well.
"Hey come on, get up! I'm getting an explanation as to why you just fell from the sky?"
"Now A-ko leave him be for a bit. The doctor says he needs rest."
"Screw that B-ko! If I'm missing work I want a good reason why!"
"Shut up A-ko!! I have half a mind to kick you're…"
"Please ladies, keep quiet. He's still recovering."
I moaned my displeasure as they began screaming louder. My eyes clearing up as consciousness fully took hold. The shapes beginning to become recognizable forms.
Three of them, one was obviously a doctor and male. The shortest of them all with black neatly cut hair. He seemed to be checking my vitals and pleading with the other two to stop. Of the other two they were obviously female. The one to my left being the tallest with a very light gray/blue hair that she had grown long, down to her ass. She had a beautiful body, every curve hugged just right by the very classy black business suit she wore. At the time I figured she must be a high ranking CEO, I was close enough.
My eyes fell on the middle occupant last. She was about a half a foot taller than the doctor but still shorter than the business woman. Sporting a fiery red hair that only came to the top of her neck. In contrast to her companion's suit, she was much less formal in attire. Wearing only a white tee shirt that ended just above her belly button and a pair of tight blue jeans, held up by a leather belt. She was obviously more tomboyish but still very alluring to my male eye.
All the while as I was watching them, I got the distinct feeling I knew them, at least the two girls. The doctor I had no clue who he was. I watched them argue for a minute, trying to figure out that little puzzle in my head until they seemed to come to a standstill. They where pissed and it showed. Then I thought I heard them say a name I recognized, but at the time I shook it off. C-ko
Then the blue haired girl against spoke this time to me as I was now obviously awake and aware.
"Hello there. Can you tell me your name?"
That came to me as just,
"Konnichiwa. Namae wa nan desu ka."
I understood it all the same and answered back.
"Max, but I don't understand Japanese very well."
"Well then Max ill have to speak English. "
"Yeah, Max tell me where the hell you came from?"
The girl on the right was obstinate for and answer and I turned my attention to her. I tried to fumble out an answer. 'Where was from?' Wasn't I in New York? That couldn't be far from there. And why was everyone speaking in Japanese. Far as I knew most people who looked Caucasian in New York spoke English. As their primary language at least. The doctor seemed to be the only one who should be speaking Japanese. I'm not raciest, he was just very Japanese looking compared to either of them.
Then it was when I noticed one more article of clothing on the red head. On both her arms was a pair of black bracers, they barely shinned in the light but they where there. A bit of shock and realization hit me. I knew who she was!
But before I say what happened next I should do a little bit of an anime background. Project A-ko was a comedic, spoof, anime created in the 80's of my earth. One of the first I ever watched when I was younger and it especially now holds many held dear memories and has helped create many more.
It was about three sixteen year old school girls all with nicknames that went from A-ko, to B-ko and finally C-ko. The first two would fight each other over the third in a city that was created in the crater of a crashed space ship.
C-ko had been on the spaceship apparently as a baby and was adopted after it crashed. It turned out she was the princess of her people. Which at the time seemed to be a race of women who looked like men. Except she just looked like and acted like a 10 year old girl. Well maybe younger. And like any princess she got kidnapped a lot. By B-ko and the aliens who came to take her home.
B-ko was the daughter of a wealthy business man and basically spoiled. She instantly took an obsessive liking to C-ko. One that many would say borderlined lesbianism. But I'll tell you now that's not the truth. So much so that she built mecha (powerd armors and robots basically) and other futuristic, to me, gear to fight A-ko. Trying to gain friendship, forcefully, of the young C-ko. She usually failed as she was the antagonist of the films. Eventualy as I understand it, both her and A-ko formed a truce.
Then there was A-ko. The heroine of the story. She and C-ko moved to Graviton city shortly before the movie began. It's quickly found out that even though she looked like a sweet innocent girl she was very special. She had strength and speed at superhuman levels. Generally causing destruction and mayhem to her city as she defended her best friend C-ko from B-ko and aliens. And along with her school girl uniform she wore black bracers…
At first I rationalized that she just had a strange sense of style. That I couldn't be seeing who I thought I was. Would you? Then I saw her eyes, they burned with the same fire as her hair. Eyes I had known well. I couldn't deny it any longer. Her hair and clothes where different. But it was her, the girl I had watched so many times zip across the screen with her blond haired friend behind her and I reacted as calmly and rationally as anyone else would in the situation.
"Holy!!! You can't be… A-ko?! That's not possible! This is a dream, ohh gawd I don't wana wake up."
That's when I felt the firm palm of who I realized must be B-ko strike my face because the doctor was still to my right checking me over and giving me a shot, A-ko was just looking at me like I had gone insane was going to attack her. I figure because I looked like I was going to jump right out of my hospital bed. It didn't sting hard; it was more too shock some sense into me. But it did rattle my already sore brain and I fell back with an oww. The doctor in Japanese seamed to try to berate her for slapping me, but was only half hearted in his attempt. His face slightly fearful. As I learned later he was under her employ and didn't want to anger her. Least he lose his job.
"Great I have a stalker."
A-ko had crossed her arms and new expressed disgust at my existance. Not the first impression I had hoped for. But B-ko yelled at her and turned back to me as she was now at my bed side holding on to the metal rails that would have kept me in if I tried to roll out in my sleep.
"Max, if you can. Tell us where you came from? A-ko says you fell out of the sky from nowhere and into lake Graviton and… how do you know her name?"
More relaxed I sighed and gathered my thoughts.
"I know yours too B-ko."
This made her give a slightly shocked expression in contrast to her usual cool one.
"Well I came from New York. But I don't think yours…"
I went into a small recounting of my last moments on what I would later begin calling my home world. Then I would explain how I knew them from the movie and it sequels, Project A-ko. In the end, both of them defiantly looked as if I had gone nuts. A-ko with a bit more hostility towards me.
"I know it sound implausible. I don't know how to prove it but I really don't know how I ended up here and I'm not a stalker A-ko. You're more like my child hood hero."
Which she was, I loved those movies and imagined daily for a time that something like this would happen. With that her harsh gaze lessened some and I think she blushed a little.
"Well could you hold out your fingers Max? I think I have a way to prove who you are? "
"Sure B-ko what fo.. ow!"
I had held out my left and closest hand to her, palm down and she quickly pricked it with a needle. She then took a cotton swab of the blood and placed it into a sterile bag. Then grinned at me and A-ko
"I'll be right back. I'll have the lab rats see if his DNA matches anyone. A-ko watch him a bit until I get back."
A-ko threw her fists down angrily with her face forward. I was glad she had her bracelets on; otherwise that simple motion could have killed the floor beneath us. I had fallen enough today.
"Hey I don't wana hang around this guy alone! What if he IS a perv and try's touching me?"
"He's weak and in a hospital bed, the doctor is right there if anything goes wrong. Don't worry A-ko."
She then strolled out of the room, her stride full of pride, giving a quick joyless wave at A-ko. Her head raised like someone who knew they were the best and hell to anyone who got in her way. A-ko grumbled and fell into a nearby seat. Slumping over in defeat
"So umm A-ko… Hows C-ko? I don't see her here."
I looked around trying to find her blond companion that I figured would be by her side in most circumstances. I wanted to give a better impression then my outburst gave, and hell I just wanted to talk to her. She just looked up at me with eyes that spoke volumes of mistrust and then sighed unhappily looking away. I figured 'Great I brought up a bad subject by mistake'. But she continued anyway.
"C-ko's back with her mom for a while."
"Her earth one or birth one?"
"Birth. She's getting her education in being a 'princess'"
A-ko said the last word sarcastically to me. Telling me how shortly after high school her mother's advisers begged C-ko to come home and learn of the Alpha Cagney ways and other proper knowledge for the next hair to the throne. Stuff like eating with the right fork A-ko figured.
"She did promise she would be back when it was done. But there is no mail to other planets so I don't know how long until then."
Again the poor super human girl sighed at the lack of her best friend. And I couldn't help but frown for her. I knew how close the two where.
"Well I know C-ko wouldn't ever break a promise to you A-ko. Just give her time."
"Yeah… you're right Max. I guess you're not too bad… for a stalker."
"I'm not a bloody stalker!"
She laughed looking much brighter which cheered me up as well. B-ko stepped in just then with a cough and A-ko changed her expression to the same distrustful and sour one she had before. The taller woman handing her a paper with something that looked like a photo.
"His story checks out. His DNA is in the data base, but that's who comes up."
Another facial expression changed happened with A-ko that made me cock my head to the side to see what was on the paper. She was wide eyed with in what I figured was a bit of shock.
"He… he… he's a woman?!"
"What the hell? I am!!"
It was my turned to be shocked and B-ko handed me the paper. In the photo there I was, much older though. With long curly, dark blond hair and the kicker, breasts. I was defiantly much nicer looking, it seemed as a woman. I read the info on 'me' bellow it,
"Michel A Flannigan, 31, married with 2 children. Both boys… well I guess this version of me had only boys like my mom (I had 2 brothers). Lives in Florida as a software engineer. I guess she got thru college unlike me."
"Well Max, you technically don't exist here and by the sound of it… you're not going home anytime soon."
B-ko was painfully blunt and it made that little pit in your stomach that you can only feel when you began to know something in your life has changed and not necessarily for the better.
"What should I do then? I can't even finish college now."
She visibly thought for a moment, her hands making strange gestures, her voice letting out soft mumbles. While A-ko didn't look like she much cared and yawned. This taking a whole 2 or three minutes. I'm not sure as a dozed a little. Both I and A-ko jumping when B-ko made a loud exclamation, pounding her fist in her palm.
"Ahha! I can set you up with a new identity. What where you going to college for?"
I answerd honestly with Computer Science.
"Well then I have just the place in my company for you. Now do you want to keep, Max as your name? You will obviously have to change your last name to avoid confusion "
I was confused for a minute, I knew B-ko's father owned the Daitokuji Financhial corp but did she inherit it already? I so needed to ask these girls later more about what has happened with their lives… When I felt better. But wait, a job? Like I have said before I hadn't finished college. I didn't have the skills yet for a job in that field.
"B-ko I have only done 3 years at a 2 year… Umm yeah. How could I take this job your offering?"
"Easy, my people will train you on the job or else. No answer the question"
She cackled at her great idea.
For now something came to mind with her question. My name? There was one that I use to pretend to call myself as a kid based on my fandom. Yeah I was like B-ko with C-ko at the time, obsessed. Something that just fit now that I was here and had my dream realized and… couldn't go home to my old self.
"Is it ok if I'm called D-ko? D-ko Fin since I'm not creative with last names."
Chuckling out my answer. B-ko nodded and A-ko raised her eyebrow with a strange look.
"It's all set then. D-ko welcome to Graviton City"
