Episode 8: Accelerando
It had been a pretty good day. School was dull, as usual, but afterward, Naota hung out with Kitsurubami for the rest of the afternoon, as he had been doing for over two weeks. There hadn't been any new robot attacks, which was a plus. The two just let time flow as they walked around town. They ate at the Red Dragon Cafe and afterward, went to a nearby playground. Naota didn't really want to be there, insisting that playgrounds were for little kids, but Kitsurubami talked him into it.
Kitsurubami: What's so wrong with acting like a kid, anyway?
Naota: It's... (thinking) It's... immature... Yeah... (aloud) It's immature.
Kitsurubami: Well, what's more immature; a kid acting like an adult to look more mature, or a kid acting his own age?
Naota: ...
Kitsurubami: I wish I could have my childhood back...
Naota looked down at her as she plopped down on a swing and wrapped her fingers around the chains. A look close to disgust crossed his face.
Naota: Why...?
Kitsurubami: All kids want to grow up quickly. They think that being an adult is all about making up your own rules, doing what you want and not having to answer to anyone. But, it's not like that. You can never make up your own rules and you always have to answer to someone... Not to mention getting a job and paying the bills. Childhood is the only playtime you get... You should cherish it.
Naota: (thinking) Spoken like a true adult. Did every grown-up get a prepared speech on this, or what?
Kitsurubami: Sounds sort of cliche, huh?
Naota: ...
Kitsurubami: But no matter how old you grow, there will always be a trace of the child you once were...
Naota: I don't believe in that inner child stuff...
Kitsurubami smiled and leaned backwards, holding tightly onto the swing.
Kitsurubami: Being young makes you feel powerless, doesn't it?
Naota gasped in surprise. It was if she had plucked the thought from his skull.
Kitsurubami: Like there's nothing you can do. It;s always, "wait 'til you're older." For you, childhood is something to endure and leave behind, rather than experience.
Naota: (thinking) ...How'd you know?
Kitsurubami: I know because I was the same way...
Naota: ...
Kitsurubami: I didn't care much for being young, either. It always seemed that adulthood couldn't come quickly enough... (sitting up) But then my father left...
Her expression went solemn and the sparkle in her eye nearly faded away, completely.
Kitsurubami: Living in house with one parent ... you tend to grow up pretty quickly... With mom working all the time, I had to fend for myself...
She glanced over at Naota, who had taken a seat at the foot of the slide. His eyes were studying her closely, resembling distant thought.
Kitsurubami: Sorry... I'm probably boring you with all this...
Naota: No...
Kitsurubami forced a smile and looked back down at the ground. She was about to say something, but was promptly cut off by an explosive force vaulting her high into the air.
Naota: (thinking) What the...?!
Kitsurubami: WHHHHAAAAAAAAAAA!!!
Naota: Kitsurubami...!
Before he could move, a large figure shot through the air and caught the flying lieutenant. Naota stared up at it and immediately recognized the metallic humanoid.
Kitsurubami: Huh...?
Naota: Canti!
Kitsurubami: Cyborg...?
Canti: (across his screen/face) Robots are different from cyborgs.
Naota: Canti, get her to a safe place! I'll take care of this!
Canti nodded compliantly and rocketed away. Kitsurubami's voice trailed through the air behind them.
Kitsurubami: Naota, be careful!
Naota turned back to the mangle swing set crumpled under what appeared to be an enormous, mechanical, moray eel.
Naota: Right...
Naota drew Haruko's Rickenbacker from his forehead and leapt into the air. The thing darted off to the side, dodging the assault with lightning speed. Naota's guitar smashed into the earth, sending up a wave of sand and grass. He turned just in time to evade the robot's viper-like strike.
Naota: (thinking) This thing's fast...
Naota dashed off to the side and seemingly disappeared, The robot turned around, making sure the boy hadn't moved behind it. As it lifted it's head to check the air, a flash of blue and white shattered it's face into shards of twisted metal.
Naota: (thinking) ... But not fast enough...!
Naota landed on both feet, fully expecting the thing to drop and explode. To his surprise, it thrashed about and plunged itself into the sand below, like a burrowing worm. Naota's surprise was doubled when the "eel" shot up from below him and struck him heavily in the lower jaw. Naota flew backwards and landed on the slide. The force of impact dented the slide in. Naota groaned and tried to sit up.
Naota: (thinking) Hurt more than I thought it would...
As he finished the thought, another force from below blasted him into the air. The shock made him drop his guitar, which was just about the worst thing that could have happened at this point. Naota flew higher and higher into the air, unable to really DO anything. His eyes found the robot which had now taken to the air, after him.
Naota: (thinking) No!
The serpent slithered through the air, nearly headless. If he didn't think of something, Naota knew that he'd be in real trouble. He had to turn this fight around ... but how? The serpent had nearly reached him, when Naota used his weight to change to a feet over head position. As he expected, the robotic snake went for an aerial strike, which he countered by using both feet to push off from it's "face."
The force was enough to send Naota barreling back to earth.
Naota: (thinking) I hope this works...!
Then Naota saw it, the guitar. Closer and closer. This just might do it... Naota shifted upward and landed in a crouching position. Not wasting any time, he ran, snatched up his guitar, rebounded and leapt back into the air. As he'd guessed, the thing was only a few meters behind him. With the sudden change in direction, the robot had no chance to alter its own course before Naota drove his Rickenbacker all the way down its snakelike body. The body of the guitar split the monster all the way down. An explosion from below assured Naota he'd won as he drifted higher and higher into the air.
He landed shortly, only a few feet from the wreckage. As he turned back to look, the flames of the blazing remains reflecting in his eyes.
---------------------
RIDE ON SHOOTING STAR
ORANGE no SLIDE utsusu sora
SPONGE no PRIDE burasakete
SPIDER
kike totta sono yokan wa
kakusanakuta tte ii n da
iro no tsuita yume mitai na
Ride on Shooting Star
kokoro no koe de sandanjû no yô ni
utai tsutzuketa
GRUNGE no HAMSTER otona bite
REVENGE no LOBSTER hiki tsurete
SNIPER
fuchi totta sono sekai ni
nani ga mieru tte iu n da
nerau mae ni sawaritai na
Ride on Shooting Star
kimi o sagashite kindanshôjô chû
uso o tsuita
Ride on Shooting Star
kokoro no koe de sandanjû no yô ni
utai tsutzuketa
---------------------
Haruko: Little known fact; While most left handed guitars are mirror images of their "righty" counterparts, the Rickenbacker 4001 was manufactured in two separate styles; one with a lefty body and a right-handed neck, and the other with a lefty body and matching neck, not unlike Paul McCartney's Rickenbacker 4001S. See if you can figure out which type MY guitar is...! Next on Fooly Cooly; Episode 9: Another Trip Down the Rabbit Hole!
It had been a pretty good day. School was dull, as usual, but afterward, Naota hung out with Kitsurubami for the rest of the afternoon, as he had been doing for over two weeks. There hadn't been any new robot attacks, which was a plus. The two just let time flow as they walked around town. They ate at the Red Dragon Cafe and afterward, went to a nearby playground. Naota didn't really want to be there, insisting that playgrounds were for little kids, but Kitsurubami talked him into it.
Kitsurubami: What's so wrong with acting like a kid, anyway?
Naota: It's... (thinking) It's... immature... Yeah... (aloud) It's immature.
Kitsurubami: Well, what's more immature; a kid acting like an adult to look more mature, or a kid acting his own age?
Naota: ...
Kitsurubami: I wish I could have my childhood back...
Naota looked down at her as she plopped down on a swing and wrapped her fingers around the chains. A look close to disgust crossed his face.
Naota: Why...?
Kitsurubami: All kids want to grow up quickly. They think that being an adult is all about making up your own rules, doing what you want and not having to answer to anyone. But, it's not like that. You can never make up your own rules and you always have to answer to someone... Not to mention getting a job and paying the bills. Childhood is the only playtime you get... You should cherish it.
Naota: (thinking) Spoken like a true adult. Did every grown-up get a prepared speech on this, or what?
Kitsurubami: Sounds sort of cliche, huh?
Naota: ...
Kitsurubami: But no matter how old you grow, there will always be a trace of the child you once were...
Naota: I don't believe in that inner child stuff...
Kitsurubami smiled and leaned backwards, holding tightly onto the swing.
Kitsurubami: Being young makes you feel powerless, doesn't it?
Naota gasped in surprise. It was if she had plucked the thought from his skull.
Kitsurubami: Like there's nothing you can do. It;s always, "wait 'til you're older." For you, childhood is something to endure and leave behind, rather than experience.
Naota: (thinking) ...How'd you know?
Kitsurubami: I know because I was the same way...
Naota: ...
Kitsurubami: I didn't care much for being young, either. It always seemed that adulthood couldn't come quickly enough... (sitting up) But then my father left...
Her expression went solemn and the sparkle in her eye nearly faded away, completely.
Kitsurubami: Living in house with one parent ... you tend to grow up pretty quickly... With mom working all the time, I had to fend for myself...
She glanced over at Naota, who had taken a seat at the foot of the slide. His eyes were studying her closely, resembling distant thought.
Kitsurubami: Sorry... I'm probably boring you with all this...
Naota: No...
Kitsurubami forced a smile and looked back down at the ground. She was about to say something, but was promptly cut off by an explosive force vaulting her high into the air.
Naota: (thinking) What the...?!
Kitsurubami: WHHHHAAAAAAAAAAA!!!
Naota: Kitsurubami...!
Before he could move, a large figure shot through the air and caught the flying lieutenant. Naota stared up at it and immediately recognized the metallic humanoid.
Kitsurubami: Huh...?
Naota: Canti!
Kitsurubami: Cyborg...?
Canti: (across his screen/face) Robots are different from cyborgs.
Naota: Canti, get her to a safe place! I'll take care of this!
Canti nodded compliantly and rocketed away. Kitsurubami's voice trailed through the air behind them.
Kitsurubami: Naota, be careful!
Naota turned back to the mangle swing set crumpled under what appeared to be an enormous, mechanical, moray eel.
Naota: Right...
Naota drew Haruko's Rickenbacker from his forehead and leapt into the air. The thing darted off to the side, dodging the assault with lightning speed. Naota's guitar smashed into the earth, sending up a wave of sand and grass. He turned just in time to evade the robot's viper-like strike.
Naota: (thinking) This thing's fast...
Naota dashed off to the side and seemingly disappeared, The robot turned around, making sure the boy hadn't moved behind it. As it lifted it's head to check the air, a flash of blue and white shattered it's face into shards of twisted metal.
Naota: (thinking) ... But not fast enough...!
Naota landed on both feet, fully expecting the thing to drop and explode. To his surprise, it thrashed about and plunged itself into the sand below, like a burrowing worm. Naota's surprise was doubled when the "eel" shot up from below him and struck him heavily in the lower jaw. Naota flew backwards and landed on the slide. The force of impact dented the slide in. Naota groaned and tried to sit up.
Naota: (thinking) Hurt more than I thought it would...
As he finished the thought, another force from below blasted him into the air. The shock made him drop his guitar, which was just about the worst thing that could have happened at this point. Naota flew higher and higher into the air, unable to really DO anything. His eyes found the robot which had now taken to the air, after him.
Naota: (thinking) No!
The serpent slithered through the air, nearly headless. If he didn't think of something, Naota knew that he'd be in real trouble. He had to turn this fight around ... but how? The serpent had nearly reached him, when Naota used his weight to change to a feet over head position. As he expected, the robotic snake went for an aerial strike, which he countered by using both feet to push off from it's "face."
The force was enough to send Naota barreling back to earth.
Naota: (thinking) I hope this works...!
Then Naota saw it, the guitar. Closer and closer. This just might do it... Naota shifted upward and landed in a crouching position. Not wasting any time, he ran, snatched up his guitar, rebounded and leapt back into the air. As he'd guessed, the thing was only a few meters behind him. With the sudden change in direction, the robot had no chance to alter its own course before Naota drove his Rickenbacker all the way down its snakelike body. The body of the guitar split the monster all the way down. An explosion from below assured Naota he'd won as he drifted higher and higher into the air.
He landed shortly, only a few feet from the wreckage. As he turned back to look, the flames of the blazing remains reflecting in his eyes.
---------------------
RIDE ON SHOOTING STAR
ORANGE no SLIDE utsusu sora
SPONGE no PRIDE burasakete
SPIDER
kike totta sono yokan wa
kakusanakuta tte ii n da
iro no tsuita yume mitai na
Ride on Shooting Star
kokoro no koe de sandanjû no yô ni
utai tsutzuketa
GRUNGE no HAMSTER otona bite
REVENGE no LOBSTER hiki tsurete
SNIPER
fuchi totta sono sekai ni
nani ga mieru tte iu n da
nerau mae ni sawaritai na
Ride on Shooting Star
kimi o sagashite kindanshôjô chû
uso o tsuita
Ride on Shooting Star
kokoro no koe de sandanjû no yô ni
utai tsutzuketa
---------------------
Haruko: Little known fact; While most left handed guitars are mirror images of their "righty" counterparts, the Rickenbacker 4001 was manufactured in two separate styles; one with a lefty body and a right-handed neck, and the other with a lefty body and matching neck, not unlike Paul McCartney's Rickenbacker 4001S. See if you can figure out which type MY guitar is...! Next on Fooly Cooly; Episode 9: Another Trip Down the Rabbit Hole!