Lvl: Dunno lol

Race: Anime Girl

Age: Elder inside, Eternally 14 outside

Gender: Anime Girl

Class: Wizard

Spells: Tentacle Beam

Strength: Varies. When a rock fell from the sky on me, I was able to push it off easily. Yet when I tried to punch said rock to pieces, there wasn't even a crack.

Dexterity: I didn't try rock climbing. On to-not-do list.

Intellect: I could read a book in writing I've never seen. Is this the power of an anime girl?

Wisdom: My tentacle beam spell would have killed me if I were not born from the magic egg as a concentrated vision of my soul's depravity. i.e. anime girl. Since I am an anime girl and 'No Longer Human', I must reassess what 'wisdom' means.

Who am I, if not human? An autist, and an anime girl. To be or not to be a girl, if I am indeed an anime girl, does this mean I am girlish?

Wisdom was intended for humanity, built for human experience. Not for an autist isekai. I was lucky I happened to be born into this world as an anime girl. I bounced off that rock like nothing. That fall would have killed me. I rubbed my butt, checked my hand as if I could see the pain in my butt there. I couldn't see it in my palm. As expected. I didn't acquire any isekai game-like skill like [Butthurt Resistance Lvl 1] or something. Now that I think about it, I kind of want it.

A river trickled by in serene obliviousness to the troubles of the autist wizard anime girl near it. I looked down and closed my eyes on the riverbank. The beauty of nature remains even in this world with a strange dawn.

And also, the river serves as a plot device in body change or gender bender isekai stories!

There must have been a story like this before where a character changes their body or gender and then they go up to a mirror or lake and go 'oh wow, look at me being different, now I am pretty/girl/ten years old.' It came to mind. Right before the rock squished me.

Fell straight from the sky. I felt pain. Yes, I did feel pain, but not enough to take an aspirin. Convenient. Despite my vision going black and feeling very tight against the riverbed, I feel undead. Very undead. This is good. Less pain than expected. Also good. Feeling in body reminded me of how I felt when running. Not that tough, but there. It's a nice feature. Go go Anime Girl body. Actually, the pressure felt strangely soothing. I was running around and reborn. Then, rock. I'm tired.

Under the pressure of the rock, I took a nap.

It's not like I got knocked out. It was comfy under the giant rock crushing me, is all. As I lost consciousness, it was like I fell into a river. Dark appeared far below me, blue surrounding my body. Floating there, I saw this girl. Small, white skin. Long sliver hair. She turned her head to me, blank silver eyes with no irises.

[Ohaiyo. Yoroshku.] (hi. please take care of me.)

It sounded, vaguely, like an anime girlish voice. Distorted. I sensed it came from her, even though her mouth didn't move. However, I noticed it. The 'Yoroshku' was wrong. It's 'Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu', which means 'please take care of me.'

Since I'm the soul of an Anime Girl, and not the Anime Girl herself, I realized it. As an autist and a wizard, I could understand from my long years of amateur mystery hunting on the internet. And porn/doujin hunting. Of course.

This 'Anime Girl' is a creation from my depravity of what 'Anime Girls' are. It what the mage tome said: magic eggs gather souls and use their depravity to create forms. So, my OC? Original Character?

It must be because my memories of anime aren't perfect that my creation of my 'Anime Girl' is not perfect. But hey, she's cute, she read that mage tome without my help and made sense of it, and most of all, she's my new body. I swum up to her.

"High five." I raised my hand out to her. My job coach did it, so I copied her. My face was expressionless as always as expected of an autist, but her face lit up in surprise. As expected of an Anime Girl. It's easy to read their emotions. It's important for anime to be easy to understand!

She stretched her slim white hand out. Frail, shaking. She's not old and weathered like me. A new born fawn. I really get the sense of responsibility imposed by her [Yoroshku.] looking at that hand.

[High fiv-vu.]

Five points to Gryffindor, Anime Girl. Five points to Gryffindor.

My eyes opened to pitch black. This rock blocked the sunlight out entirely. The size of this rock has my entire body under pressure. I was sure I couldn't move, and yet when I did—

"[Ei.]" (Translator's Note: anime girl noise)

Came out from my mouth. Sounded, japanese? I felt my spine tighten. Yes, this feeling, 'cringe.' I am embarrassed at my own voice coming out of my own mouth. I'll give Anime Girl a pass though, she's less than a day old, go easy on her, she knows nothing of the pain of judgement of a cruel and fickle society!

The rock rose. It lifted from the force emanating from my slim muscles. The rock sprung up from the meagre force and neatly hopped in the air to thud down beside me. Anime Girl Physics wins again. Nice.

Standing up, I ran my hand across my legs and body, searching for a bruise or fracture. No pain. I stretched, testing my muscles and legs. Did a exploratory squat. Now, russian dance. Rasputin, Rasputin, lover of the russian queen— never mind. So, this is the power of an anime girl.

I stood up, eyeing the boulder which gave me a nice nap. Nothing personal, Boulder-san, but—

"[Omae mo shinderu.]" (You Are Already Dead.)

Nice manly tone, Anime Girl. It wasn't my choice to say it, but I'll give her a pass. You and I, we're gonna make it. Holding a fist, I grinned like a kid with a new toy. Turning and twisting my body, I imagined this is how a pro boxer would punch with all his weight. I've never thrown a punch in my last life, so let's start this one off with a bang! I drove my fist forward with all my strength.

"[ittai.]" (it hurts.)

I heard come from my mouth. I looked at my hand. It swelled up, red, a tiny bit. Then, I watched as it decreased in size. Huh, so the 'cartoon damage' element exists for my Anime Girl body as well? I didn't know what to call it, when a cartoon character gets hit and their hand grows and glows red. When I was a kid I remember cartoon characters hitting their hands and having them grow big and red. This was much more muted.

However! I don't want to think of my Anime Girl in cartoon terms. I have my own sense of maturity! Anime is for adults. I may still look down on myself for watching anime as adult, but at least it's not like I watch cartoons! It's like that for me.

For those who enjoy cartoons as adults, I understand. We are not so different, you and I. I could have easily been lead astray from the path of anime and ended up cavorting in my dreams with many colored ponies. But! That isn't how I lived. I closed my eyes.

I breathed deep, then sighed out dramatically. I was acting it up for my own sake to release stress. It's not like this is a tv show, I reasoned. I flexed the hand. No pain, stroked my slim white fingers together, letting the fingers pass against each other. The only viewer here is me. I spent most of my life wishing reality was different. That I was different. Now, looking at my hands wove together, reality is clearly different. I ran a hand across the rock. Boulder-san, I...

"[Gomen-nasai.]" (Sorry.)

And Anime Girl bowed. That felt new. She took control a little more. Instead of just a voice, it was moving my muscles as well. Felt like a reflex, just like my voice. It didn't feel like I lost total control, it was more like when you have to piss or fap or sneeze. I could have easily stopped it. I didn't though. I'll keep it in mind.

I heard the trickle of the river water. Oh, yeah. Time to check the appearance. Cliches are important.

My heart pounded as I did. I didn't want to look. It was almost like I was saying goodbye to my former self and hello to another world. Anime Girl already felt like a part of me, and my new body was impressive. I was already here being alive and all, and I already almost died, and I'm in an much better body now, but still. I'm worried. As I crouched near the water, I got a good look at myself.

My body looked like it did in the dream I had napping under the rock. Dull silver eyes with no irises. Long silver hair. I ran my hands through the long hair and it tingled. It dropped and slid across my naked back. Girly. Should I cut it? I could cut it, for comfort's sake. Just because I am an anime girl now doesn't mean I can't make some compromises. Just because I am a girl doesn't mean I need to be girly!

I rarely cut my beard as one of the legendary Neckbearden of Earth. Not that rare these days, but the thought of cutting my hair reminded me of shaving. Such a pain, my hair grows, er, grew, super fast so it went out of control.

I caught sight of my own expression in the river. It looked curious. As someone whose face rarely changed even when I was in a dire situation on Earth, a feeling of disconnection from the image in the river surfaced. But, she's cute, so I relaxed. Big eyes, a small round face. Mouth in a tiny oh. Yes. I look like a cute girl. An anime girl. My manliness and manhood both have left me behind. This is, indeed, troubling.

For many years when I was younger I read posts on 4chan's anime and manga board along the lines of 'I wish I was a little girl!' or something. They meant young anime girls, not older anime girls like me. At one time I found that desirable, then my desires changed to older anime girls. It's not like I don't like loli, just, as I got older, my sense of taste became aimed more at 'older' anime girls. Which in anime terms means ~14.

I... think I look fourteen? I guess. My eyebrows lifted. It weirded me out seeing my own new face move, so my face turned to one of disgust. The sight of my face's disgust had me laugh, and as I caught a glimpse of myself in the river, I thought hey, she's cute.

I am. Yes. I am the girl I saw in the river. My fantasies ran wild over the years, but despite being an autist and escaping into my imagination whenever I got the chance, I never thought this would be reality.

From what the Mage Tome said, "souls are a great source of mana." My soul was harvested after death from wherever souls go to one of the Mage's magic eggs. My soul, therefore, ergo, is 100% MANLY. Even if I am a girl, I decided, I will keep my pride of my 100% MANLY SOUL ~separate~ /ita from Anime Girl. She's got a mind of her own, I have a mind- er, soul, of my own. I nodded. Yep.

Problem solved, for now. Then, my head snapped at a sound, a thunderous crack of stone echoed in the distance. As my head scanned up over the sight behind me, I surveyed all the damage my Tentacle Beam did.

A tentacle stretching far into the sky. It wiggled, blocking of the sunlight like a raincloud. Tons of tentacles wove through the face of the cliff, and as they did rocks shook, shot off into the distance, and flaked off. The size reminded me of a big city I saw in the distance out of a car window. Only this is just wiggling grey tentacles in a cliff.

Whatever charged me was very, very dead. That whole cavern must have caved in. I hope it did. I'm not going to dig in to check. I considered firing off a few Tentacle Beams just to make sure all those magic eggs were very, very dead. Those didn't look good. I may have been born from one, but some of those eggs had cthulu-like things in them. I'm sorry for all the other wizards who unable to be reborn into anime girls. I made a mock prayer, clasping my hands together, for their unfortunate death.

The Mage Tome flashed into my mind. No! My cheat item! Nyarko! I need to summon Nyarko! Without a cthulu-ish thing as my pet, how will I survive?! I've got to get that book back!

As the memory flashed, I set off running towards the cliff face into a nearby forest. Greenery and brown tree trunks slid around my eyes as I entered. I looked up through the treetops. Luckily the tentacle is stretching to the heavens. Good landmark.

Plus. Good landmark. Minus. anyone can see it and find the Mage Tome before I do! As I shot into forest I could see glimpses of grey and light from the sun peeking through the leaves. I need that book! Without it, I'm just an anime girl with a Tentacle Beam spell!

Charging through brush and trees, I caught sight of a large beast with antlers in the distance. I kept running and it took no note of me, so I minded my business too. I quickened my pace. My breath started to come heaving. Elation and sense of floating. My Anime Girl body got me excited. I'm gonna make it. I'm gonna summon a being out of the lovecraftian mythos and make it my slave! Okay! Let's see my all-out, 100% dash! My vision blurred. I am a leaf on the wind.

I ran straight into a tree. I felt my face emit a sickening crunch as my vision went black. I fell back, my voice moaning out. At least it's a cute pain moan. Then, I heard a roar from behind. Close. Bear? I swirled around on the ground using my hands as levers to twist my body round. Yes, I see something bear-like-ish.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

It stood with arms folded, staring down at me like a roach. I'd laugh, if it weren't the size of a small mountain. The bear stared into my eyes and let out a short growl. Bark? Do bears bark? Whatever. I didn't know what to do— searching around, I saw small bears nearby. Oh. cute. Wait, aren't you not sup—

A blunt hit into my face. The fur was nice and fuzzy, the punch was not. The bear punched me. My head and body knocked bad, I no feel good things. I caught a glimpse of a literal spray of blood come from my nose. My body knocked back against the tree trunk as my breath expelled from my chest. I slumped between the tree roots, hard. My butt hurt.

My fingers swished across the top of my mouth. It came away with a little red. But, it didn't feel like blood. My fingers were just stained a little red. I took another bear punch, my head bounced back against the tree. A memory of getting hit by a stray basketball during when I sat out from gym class flashed.

The bear punches hurt, but it's doesn't feel like I'm taking much damage. Having an HP bar would have been a nice feature! Fight? Test my power? Run? This was a clear chance. Fight the bear? Y/N

Y

"[Nai wa.]" (No way.)

Oh, it's our first fight. Anime Girl and Autist's first fight. I'll let her win. I'm the adult here. Another bear punch slammed face.

Bear punches can't be good for her, either, thinking it over. However, I'm backed into a corner. I talked directly to Anime Girl. This is just to get the bear to back off, alright? I'm not going to fire up my 100% MANLY SOUL and go all kung fu master on him. I swear.

Then, I stood up and imitated a guy I saw in a kung-fu film when I was little.

"haaaah."

I breathed out deeply, imagining my breath exiting my body like a cloud. Despite it not being cold, I saw a cloud exit from my mouth. Anime Girl Physics triumphs again.

"[Kuma, Anta baka! Shin-ne!]"(Bear, You stupid! Just die!)

Oh no. Not good. Anime Girl isn't as calm minded as I am. Since she said that, she must think she's going to die. The bear tilted it's head. Then it advanced. I felt the ground rumble under my feet. The bear raised its fist, tightening it.

The way the bear moves seems— intelligent? Glancing at the cubs nearby, I realized killing would be bad. From that bear punch, I'm not confident I can win without another Tentacle Beam, and that didn't go so well last time. And. I have a sense of ethics. It's a warped one due to being an autist, but murder = bad and cute = good combined. Maybe I can parley.

"Stop, O Noble Savage Of The Forests. Let Us Join Our Hands In Peace. There Is No Need For Violence. Love."

My voice came out a little weird. Must be the Anime Girl Physics acting up again. Anime Girl Psychology? Whatever, what matters is what the bear thinks about what I said. I'll have to trust the bear to understand. Communication. Communication.

The bear stopped, and crossed it's paws across it's bear chest. It spoke. It was growls and grunts, but my Anime Girl mind translated them somehow.

"Your speech strange. You not bear. You not threaten children. You leave. You die if you no leave."

I was all hyped up to fight, but now that the bear communicated it's intent clearly, I felt like the one at fault. My body calmed down. I retreated speedily.

My memory of this one time I got in a car accident with a pregnant mother sprung to mind. Ugh, the guilt. She was fine, but I remember the cop talking down to me, and I agreed! I'm a horrible person! I should never make a single mistake in my entire life! Even worse, how dare I make a single mistake driving! The cost of a single accident is a lot of money, and there's chance of injury, which is even more money! Do you even know the dire health costs in America? Oh, and death. I forgot. Ah, I even died driving later in life... I made another mistake.

To my surprise, my hand went to the back of my head, my eyes closed, and I said, "[Ehe~]" I want to die. I want to die right now!

Again, I'll give Anime Girl a break. Just because I took mental damage doesn't mean I should blame her. As I ran, I flexed my legs, picking up speed enjoying the wind. On my naked body. I'm an anime girl streaker, but—

[shoganai na~] (can't be helped).

Anime Girl chimed in to my thoughts. I want clothes. I want to pull off what Arnold Schwarzenegger did as the Terminator in Terminator 2. Mage Tome first though, if I lose that, I'm doomed to another bear punch situation.

Swiveling my head up, I checked the location of the tentacle in the sky, then did a quick instinctive finger swipe under my nose again to check for blood.

[kuma kuma.] (bear bear).

Yes, anime girl, bear bear. I was glad to see my fingers were clear of red now. I glided my fingers across my face. Feels intact.

Even my father never hit me! I never did anything hit-worthy on Earth anyways, so maybe this is improvement. Growing up without getting hit will never make you a man! Is that why I was able to attain the power of a Wizard? Eh.

I agonized over the bear punch as I sped up. I was getting a sense of how to move faster without running into trees, keeping a better eye on a point between the trees and letting my body feel out the rest. It felt more automatic than I thought. Maybe Anime Girl is providing some backup help, somehow. I didn't trust going all out, yet, even with the instinct she was supporting me. Caution will prove useful in the long run. At least until I get my cheat item back and get OP.

I'm going to get OP, right? This isn't going to be one of those isekai where it's a constant struggle to survive, right? Well, I did get punched by a bear... I have a bad feeling about this. Damn bear. At least we talked it out.

It's not like socialization was easy as an autist on earth, anyways. Mostly avoided. If it happened, I form changed to conversation assassin. How'd your day? Good. Consider your conversation dead on arrival. It's not like I couldn't talk if I put some effort in, but it's tiring talking. Maybe less has changed than I thought? Please, patience, me. It's just one bear. I survived. I'll switch my attention to Mage Tome. Eyes on prize.

Dodging more moose-like beasts I wound my way towards the cliff face. A boar charged me, only to run alongside me for awhile. I didn't know why, but I got the sense it was racing me. I outpaced it easily, leaving the boar panting. Even though my chest is heaving it doesn't feel anything like the exertion I knew with a human body. Grinning, I sped up.

The bottom of the cliff face was covered with cracked and shattered rocks. Trees were broken all around with boulders forming a maze of rocks walls. I entered, winding through the boulders. It had an eerie feel with all the tentacles winding through the landscape, as well as above. See, this is what happen when you imagine yourself as Vegeta when casting your Tentacle Beam spell. If I used Goku's image and did a kamehameha like a normal person, maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

I walked through. I looked up. Felt like standing at the bottom of a skyscraper. Couldn't see the top no matter how far back I tilted my head, just rock, wiggling tentacles, and sky. Winding further through the rock wall maze, I kept checking my position using the main tentacle as a guide. I fired it from the mouth of the cave, so there was a 'start' point. Large nub of flesh sat among a bunch of tentacles. Looked high enough to be from where I got sent flying. I circled closer to the cliff face. The sound of falling boulders and cracking rock and wiggling tentacles unnerved me as I wound further in through the rock maze.

The book lay neatly buried under a small pile of rubble. I dashed towards it, clearing the rubble away. Staring at the tome, I admired it's black and gold lined binding. I rubbed it against my face. Ah. Nyarko. Soon. I pulled the book away from my face and looked up.

The tentacles wriggled in the distance. This isn't the best place to read. I looked down at my body. Naked. Clothes would be nice. I feel like a streaker. No one humanoidish had seen me. I still have my own expectations of myself, though. Even if I am an anime girl, or moreover, because I am an anime girl, I need clothes. A nearby wiggling tentacle caught my eye. The skin did look tough... I looked down for a rock. Time to skin a tentacle.

There was a sharp enough rock that with enough bashing and pulling, and straining, I was able to tear one tentacle away and carry it off with me. The first few stones I tried broke too easily. Eventually I smacked some rocks against each other, sharpened up a decent one, then went to work. I think in the end it was more my anime girl context sensitive strength that did the majority of the job, rather than the improvised stone knife. Tentacles were harder to cut through then I expected.

I got worried about the increasing crashing boulders falling and wiggling tentacles, so I left. I tucked the still wriggling tentacle under my arm and tossed away the rock. I'd need something better to skin this damn thing. I just want clothes. Please, spare me my pride. Well, what's left of it. I poked my inner pride. It didn't twitch. At least I still have my 100% MANLY SOUL. Ok. Walking, now.

The tentacle wiggled under my arm. I'll seal it. The Tentacle Beam spell is sealed for now. From what I read about magic from the book earlier, I might have allotted too much mana, made too strong an image, or used too strong a trigger. Since I did an imitation of Vegeta and yelled the spell out loud, that might have upped its power. That, and I had no sense of 'mana allotment.' It just felt like it was there, in the body, somewhere.

No doubt I had to make some significant distance from this place. If there was anyone around for miles, they might come to take a closer look and find me. Me plus anyone not good. Not only that, it was growing. More and more of the tentacles winded across and through the cliff face. I ran.

My breath pumped out of my mouth as my chest heaved. The elation of running took my mind off of it. Cresting a hill, I looked back as I topped it. Looking at my mess, I felt like I spilled a drink across a girl's chest and now her t-shirt was see through. Guilt guilt. My eyes went to the Mage Tome. I could stop here.

No. Not now. I want a better place to stop and learn from the Mage's Tome. Further from any possible social interaction— er, dangerous encounters. Anyone could be in the area, and I'm strong, but I don't want more of what's behind me going on in this world.

The tentacle I cut off wriggled under my arm. What a world. Okay, time to move on.

I broke out into a run. I figured following the cliff face would be best. That way I'd have a landmark. I used to get lost very, very easily while driving in my past life, so this provided a security measure. I wanted to secure a way to get back to where I fired the Tentacle Beam. I had a bad feeling watching it grow. I'll kill it. I have no way yet, but I'll clean up my own mess.

I'm not an environmentalist. But, I don't like that it was me who changed this serene area into a place like 'that.' I could easily leave it behind and prioritize clothi— er, magic. I must really want clothes. My Anime Girl Instincts must be acting up.

Finding a nice cave, walked in, goblins appeared, walked out. They gave chase. I ran. I knew how it usually went with anime girls and goblins, so, no.

I kept to the cliff rock, running my hand along it. The texture of the stone felt smooth to my fingertips. Since its not my usual fingers, seeing the dainty slim white long ones sliding across the rock face filled me with calmness. I slowed down to a ambling stroll. Most of my will to continue onward was leaving me. The sun was setting. I'd have to wait for morning if I wanted to read. That, or chance trying a spell to make a light. Modern technology is great, huh. Night fell, and then it was darker than I liked. Cold.

I happened upon a waterfall cave. No goblins here. The rush of the waterfall was soothing. I'll move in right now, price: zero. A burned out campfire in the center, some supplies stashed in back. Bad signs of intelligent creatures. I thought of passing it up, but tiredness drained my will. And I usually gave in easily whenever I got tired in my last life. I dropped the wriggling tentacle, then lazily checked the supplies in the back. Cold. Night, cold.

I tore off the brown tarp covering them, ripping a hole in the center I threw it over my body. Clothing, check. Breasts covered, check. I felt the mental burden lighten. Wore like a long brown robe, the smell was musty and there were no arm holes, but warm. I took a close look at the uncovered supplies. Most of them looked too heavy to be carried. Hefty-sized pickaxe. Packs of food, wrapped up rope, a grappling hook. More bad signs. Snatching a pack of something foodlike and ripping it open, I discovered a hard white biscuit.

Sniffing it, I bit in. Chewing it, I worried anime girl would say— "Omoshiroi!" (yum) or something. I guess it wasn't worthy. I wonder what this is? Can I google this? Not that it would be on google anyways. There is no internet in this world. I have been abandoned by the internet, oh, my only truest friend, I mourn your loss. I kept eating, so it must be edible. That was my thinking. That and I wanted to eat, even if I wasn't sure if I was hungry or not.

I went to the campfire and inspected it. Munching on the biscuit, I poked the fire with a slim white finger through the ashes, very cold. I curled the brown tarp around my small body. Cold cold. Need need fire. I glanced at the tentacle wriggling near the mouth of the cave, thinking.

If I could cast 'that', then, maybe? Crouching near the campfire, I put the Mage Tome behind me, pulling back my new clothing to wield my slim long white arm. I'd try it. I put my palm facing towards the campfire. I kept my eyes open this time. From what the tome said, magic is stronger with a clear powerful image. So to make it weaker, I'd need a weak image. I don't want to fry myself just after becoming an anime girl.

More than my own life being lost, the thought of frying a less than a day or so old anime girl wasn't fun. My sense of value towards this body being alive rose. I'll have to try to put in more effort.

Image, super weak. Check one. I thought of a match. Now, mana allotment. Before, there was just a ton, everywhere. I could get a good sense of it, so I focused on my fingertip. Only the mana there, I thought to myself. I breathed in deep, keeping my focus taunt on my middle fingernail. Only the mana from there.

Now, finally, trigger. I'll set it to a finger snap. My thought went like this, "I'll snap my fingers, use the mana only in my middle fingertip, and cast the image of a match." Alright. I gave the mental order to snap my fingers, but instead my palm stayed where it was. A strange disconnect, again. My arm felt briefly numb, then my voice spoke up.

"[Hounou Ni Nare.]" (become fire?)

The campfire simmered silently to life. I twisted my hand free from it's frozen state, feeling the flame. It was a brief numbness, but it felt strange ordering my arm to be 'moving' and my arm not moving.

Since this body in a formation of my soul's depravity, it doesn't know more japanese than I do. And I didn't know much japanese. But, anime remains in my heart. Or is this a magic casting thing? Or an Anime Girl restriction? Because I believe Anime Girls don't speak english much, my body thinks it can't?

I was fine earlier talking to the bear out loud. Kinda. It doesn't fit. Ah, I don't know. I can't know. I'll check the book in the morning. The fire was enough to read by, so I could look. I could. Tiredness overcame me as I stared into the burning campfire. I stuffed the Mage's Tome back behind the supplies, making sure to wedge it tight.

Even if attacked and or dragged away in my sleep, I want to make sure it's there. I have an absolute certainty that I will be attacked. Could be paranoia. Could be magic senses. Could be Anime Girl instinct. Could be tired. I tightened the tarp around me. Do I really have to stay up all night just for one fight? It's not like I know when they are going to come. If they are going to come, either. Ahhh~ I wanna sleep~

I finished the biscuit, running my hand across my stomach inside the brown tarp. I still wasn't sure if I was hungry or not, but it felt like I did something satisfying. I went back to the supplies and searched for a weapon. I'm definitely tired, and I'm way too used to sleeping when I'm tired to think about keeping watch all night. It's not like I'd be any safer in the morning either.

Picking through the supplies, I grabbed the pickaxe. Hefting the thick wooden handle, I twisted it nimbly one handed. From tensing my hand and swinging it, despite it's size, I felt like I could swing it like a foam sword. This anime girl body sure doesn't have sense to it. Well, as an autist I never thought of myself as someone with 'common sense' anyways, so breaking the laws of physics or society were normal. I'm normal. Normal for an anime girl autist wizard. Since I'm 'No Longer Human,' I guess I get to pick what normal looks like. There are no rules for the existence I have become, so I'll have to make them. I smiled to myself.

Sitting in a corner near where I tucked the Mage Tome, I drew my legs up to my chest. I grabbed the hem of the tarp I was wearing, tugging off a stray frayed strip of cloth. I gathered my hair behind my head and tied it tightly. I always liked ponytails in anime, and twintails were treated with reverence. I never thought I'd be the one wearing a ponytail.

A memory surfaced. Oh yeah, my grandpa had a ponytail. That doesn't count though. I'm an anime girl now, things are different. This is a high ponytail, he had a low ponytail. I'm special. I grumbled to myself complaining about the memories of him being annoying during political debates when I was kid. Never let me win. Bastard. I laid the pickaxe across my lap.

Putting back my head against the stone, I let out a long, long sigh. Beleaguered sigh. Very beleaguered sigh.

"I'm tired." I said.

Drowsy and eyes failing to keep open, I realized. My voice said exactly what I wanted it to say for the first time. And in normal english!

[Oyasumi nasai~] (good night)