As Fukomi waited behind her desk, a man and a woman came in. The man was dressed in a business suit and sun glasses and his nationality was hard to guess. In fact, so was everything about him, no detail seemed to really stay in her mind as she looked at him.
The woman on the other hand had short pink hair, yellow eyes, pulled down transparent sunglasses on her nose, and was wearing a mismatched set of armor and gear. She had a sword on her back and a laser blaster on her hip that both seemed to just stick there like magnets. Unlike her super-bland partner, she was clearly an anime-person like Fukomi herself.
“Hello, and welcome to the The Loli-Kawii Hotel how many I help you?” She answered with her friendly face.
“Good day Fukomi-San, we’d like to see your Moral Omniscient License please?”
Fukomi felt relief, for a moment she thought there might be trouble. “Oh, is it that time again already? No problem.” She bowed and produced said License. Considering she had to be in a ‘years on the inside, hours on the outside’ barrier to keep from supposedly dying of old age to file out the paper work, she was rather proud of it. Compared to the paper work, getting it signed by a higher power had been easy.
The business suit man looked it over and handed it back to her. “Everything seems to be in order. Everything is up to date, and your License covers your guests, employees, residents, costumers, their pets if present, their luggage, those who commit criminal acts on your property, those who seek out or agree to your services, those with an immediate connection to all those mentioned above, but not solicitors, petitioners, religious figures, or heads of state, or medical doctors, and any police officers altered by you must be still be able to perform their duty. And any changes may not be done as an act of sadism.”
“Yes, that about covers it.” Fukomi had to memorize it before she got it, those who had their MOL revoked for stepping outside its granted privileges tended to find themselves in very hot water (nth degree burns hot).
“Thank you for your time.” The two left and two more entered. Unlike the last two, these two were new customers.
As the two men argued even before singing in, Fukomi could already picture them in her artist’s eye as a pair of twin Magical Girls.
++++
Derrick Anderson didn’t consider himself a jock, but only because of the negative stereo type associated with the word. He liked consider himself a young lady’s man though outside opinions varied. At fifteen years old, he had become a bit body proud. Which made his enjoyment of anime which he had roped his father into all the ‘stranger’ according to others since it didn’t fit the stereotype of the ‘jock’ which was another reason Derrick disliked the term. It didn’t fit with his ‘social circle’ of high school athletes, and the ‘japanime nerds’ felt uncomfortable around him.
Derrick did admit he didn’t dislike athletics, if only there was a way around the expectations that came with modern culture. Of course that was just a fantasy, since he knew in his science class that ‘vaccines’ ‘sanitation’ civil rights were part of modern culture too. Eating your cake and having it too was just a fantasy limited to anime. Right?
As he unpacked, Derrick didn’t notice a slip of paper showing a green haired anime boy looking like he had been raised by wolves and some sparse details on him slid under the door or the faint, “Kupo, get ready for some big revisions to your life kiddo.”
The drawing vanished into thin air.
Derrick didn’t notice anything as the room slowly got bigger at first. Fourteen years old and not much difference.
His hair shifted colors, from brown to black, to olive, to a bright green that existed only on a painter’s palette. Thirteen years old and he still didn’t notice but he clothes were feeling slightly looser.
He wasn’t looking into a mirror as his eyes turned red, so that escaped his notice too. He dropped to twelve years old and crossed the puberty line, his voice changed if he had been the type to talk to himself he’d have noticed by now.
Eleven years old and he finally realized the room had gotten a lot bigger. He also finally noticed how the carpet was green and saggy like grass and the walls had a jungle pattern theme. His hair also began to grow slightly longer and much more unkept.
He noticed his change in hair color as a few strands of his hair finally got in his eyes. “Huh?” He spoke, “What? My voice? One two, three. What?”
Ten years old he hurried into the bathroom, when he didn’t bother to notice was set up to resemble a ‘bamboo tech’ style home similar to setting where modern conveniences existed alongside tribal design styles.
He looked at the boy looking back with red eyes and green hair that looked like it had never seen a comb, or had a haircut for that matter.
He stared in open mouth shock noticing cute little fangs in his mouth. His hair was now spiky like most anime or video protagonists, long, and completely unkept. His mother would faint if she saw his hair like this.
“Am I going crazy? Is this a dream? Wait.” The nine year old asked and checked something, and felt relief to know at least he wasn’t changing into a girl.
He should have felt a headache at what came next, but three cone shaped horns poked out of his hair, the same color as his skin. He felt him, and he felt his hands touching them. His ears became longer, and longer, and pointed, like an elf’s would in an anime’s (or ogres or nearly any mythical creature).
He pinched himself, “OUCH! Okay I’m not dreaming. What if I regress into nothing? But why would I be changing so much if that was the case?” Derrick couldn’t believe he was trying to logic his way through something as impossible as this!
Derrick had been so focused on his changes on his head, he didn’t notice his shoes become sandals, then vanish completely, followed by his pants becoming shorts, and then nothing. His shirt became sleeveless and then he was only wearing his underwear.
“At least I’m not in front of the class.” Derrick thought dementedly. “I have to go get help but . . .won’t every scream at the sight of me?” Then Derrick remembered how everyone else had been dressed, and looked, how the girl at the front counter had looked. The eight year old thought. Had they all . . . been real?
His complexion and nose, now looked like something drawn in a manga or seen in an anime than in real life, he was practically a living drawing.
His hands and feet got dirty, and his fingernails and toes as unkept as his hair.
His underwear shifted form, becoming a loin-cloth with tiger strips. Derrick blushed in embarrassment. He couldn’t see over the counter as well and had to get a stole. He should have been running, going for the phone demanding to know what was happening sure this wasn’t dumb luck. But he felt entranced by his changes, wanting to see.
Seven years old, and he felt his spine grow, and saw a thin flesh colored tail emerge from between his behind, ending with a green tuff of fur. He felt it as a part of him, and consciously moved it. He slipped and felt on his tail, OW! That hurt!
The ‘spell’ broken Derrick got up, he felt a new weight around his neck. The six year old looked down and saw the necklace of fangs and canines from any possible number of predators. ‘Did I kill them myself?’ He wondered, but then pushed that aside. That was impossible and absurd. But so was this.
His body still felt in shape, even more than shape than when he was five years old before, like he had spent his short life entirely fending for himself and competing with the other beasts of the forest and proving his place among them as a predator and no prey, the entire jungle his dangerous playground and the animal knew to fear him.
Dirreck wandered out of the bathroom, feeling dizzy, looking at his own hands in confusion, unsure of what to do. Would his family accept him like this? Would his peers? Would he just change back when his family signed out of the hotel?
Then the little creature stood at attention, stared ahead, and blinked in a daze. Then got in a feral stance, and grinned.
Of course Mom and Dad love Derrick. Of course Sister love Derrick. They family! Family means love each other, family means protect each other.
Derrick think about family. Derrick love going to new places with Papa, seeing new lands, new peoples, fighting monsters, being big hero. Derrick going to be big brave hero just like Papa! Derrick be powerful! Derrick be brave! Derrick be cool! Derrick rock! Just like Papa rocks!
Deep down, Derrick in the back of his mind told himself that little boys of five years of age doing such things like fighting Fiends and Marauders was downright criminal child endangerment. But Derrick no worry. Derrick trust Papa, and Derrick brave and strong. Plus, Derrick cute! Cute kids never get hurt in anime!
While still biped, Derrick run on all fours back to bathroom, hop onto counter. Derrick look in mirror. Derrick grin at own face. Derrick make lot of funny faces. Derrick not feel ashamed, Derrick not feel modest. Derrick WILD. Derrick FREE.
Derrick was Derrick. Not very wild name. Not very anime name. Derrick have to fix that later. Derrick remembered remembering having second name, name of family, family important. But last name not important. Not worth remembering. Derrick know scent of Sister, of Papa, of Mama. Family was family.
Derrick remember leather pouch with plastic card with picture on it was in things Derrick wearing before. Derrick realize Derrick no care. Feel unimportant. Derrick think how not fit with setting anyway except as throw away gag.
Derrick remember coming to place bigger, without Derrick’s horns and tail, looking plain. Derrick remember place come from across big water. Big place. Lots of other kids. Learn boring stuff never use anyway. Derrick remember kids divided up into lots of little tribes, always divided, everyone fit in or no friends.
Derrick remember ‘vacation.’ Vacation? No care if ever go back. Derrick like being Derrick. Not want old Derrick.
Derrick hungry, Derrick hope over to bowl on table. Derrick find lady bugs, snails, nightcrawlers, and garden spiders. Still moving! Derrick favorite! Chow-Down! Derrick still love what Mama cook though.
Mama so soft and fuzzy, like big pillow.
Derrick remember seeing campfire in forest, taking meat on campfire and eating, and meeting Papa. Derrick ‘know’ that never happen, that have to be just story. But Derrick admit it just feel so ‘right.’ Derrick want story to be true.
Derrick like being Derrick who is Derrick now. Derrick not want old Derrick. Derrick strong and brave, Derrick alive, little Derrick mighty. Derrick protect Sister. Even if she drive him crazy. Really crazy. But Derrick love little sister. Even if Derrick not say so out loud when sister around.
Derrick have fun. Derrick wreck room. Derrick find little note saying it’s okay to do so. Derrick notice room lot bigger than before. Derrick see trees and vines all over place. Derrick still see door though even though Derrick can now see sky. Everything in room look painted and drawn. It cool! It rocks!
Derrick not split personality, Derrick simply new and improved.
Derrick have fun! Derrick run around like spider-monkey on sugar rush. Climb trees up and down, jump from branches so far away from each other with ease, run around like cheetah who had too much coffee. Derrick happy. Derrick go see how Little Sister, Mama and Papa doing after he done having fun, and maybe quick nap, Derrick figure that part out later.