For Voidstar, who put the original idea in my head, a
long time ago now, and all others who need a little
nostalgia in their lives.
With this I can hold my head up high at Anime
North...sort of. I just hope I don't make an enemy of
any Newfies out there. Of course, it has less to do
with Newfoundland than MSU, but never mind that.
Think of this as a music video, using the tune of the
same title from the first (self titled) album by the
Newfoundland band Great Big Sea. If CDs by Great Big
Sea are hard to find in your country, a download from
the media piracy utility of your choice will suffice
for the purpose. Yes, I have the album, thank you very
much, and so should you.
Aside from the music, this fic is entirely silent. The
characters' "speeches" are merely lip-synched; there
might even be speech-bubbles appearing on screen.
Comments welcome.
Paul Corrigan
studio_poutine@yahoo.ca
---
What Are Ya At?
---
An _Azumanga Daioh_ songfic by Paul Corrigan
---
_Azumanga Daioh_ concept devised by Kiyohiko Azuma
---
[Bird's eye view of the lawns and red brick buildings
of a large land-grant American university--Michigan
State University--on a perfect summer day.]
[Shot of Grand River Avenue at Abbott, in front of the
MSU Union and the main entrance to campus.]
[Shot of the Art Deco plaque in the divider at the
head of ther boulevard leading inside, which reads
MICHIGAN STATE COLLEGE.]
[Close up of Osaka's face, blankly staring.]
Well I was walking in the mainland city
[Full shot of Osaka, standing at the steps of the
Union, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt emblazoned with
"Chiyo's father", with a purse over her shoulder and a
card in her hand.]
And I was feeling so alone
[Rapid shot of a picture of Chiyo, looking _very_ cute
in a pint-sized version of the MSU Spartan cheerleader
outfit...]
I was looking for someone or thing
[...then a wider shot of the picture and a postcard
written in Japanese.]
To remind me of my home
[Shot of two young college boys--this being anime,
both being obviously blue-eyed and blonde--walking up
Grand River, stopping short on noticing Osaka.]
What I wouldn't give to have somebody
[Shot from over the boys' heads of Osaka standing in
front of the Union.]
Nod or wink at me
[Close up of someone putting a hand on Osaka's
shoulder.]
Cause that's the way we say hello
[Osaka looks up to see.]
In my home down by the sea
[It is one of the boys. They are beside her now; not
threatening, but their intentions are obvious to
anyone.]
We never say
Boy 1: "hello," "how's it going"
Boy 2: "good day"
or any of that
[Osaka doesn't answer at once, but looks quickly at a
phrasebook, puts it away...]
We just look at them...
[The boys, no longer smiling, wait for her response
and nod our heads and wink...
[Osaka doesn't actually nod or wink, but she does
smile childishly, as is her wont...]
'n say
Osaka: 'What are ya at?'
[The boys look most confused.]
What are ya at?
(How's she going buddy)
What are ya at today?
[Osaka continues to try her extremely warped English
on the boys, greeting them as best she knows how.
Where she got the phrasebook of Newfie slang is
anyone's guess.]
What are ya at?
[The boys decide discretion is the better part of
valor, slowly backing away.]
(How's she going buddy)
[Osaka tries, and fails, to call them back.]
What are ya at today?
[Pan out to Osaka standing alone in the street.]
Yeah...
[Close up of the back of a green [MSU] baseball cap.]
[Pan out just a little, to show the baseball-capped
head frame by red ovalshaped pigtails.]
[Pan out more, to show a full back shot of the
pigtailed girl, a backpack on her back,
walking down a corridor.]
[Shot from the front of Chiyo--for it is she, though
she's a bit taller now--walking past the main lounge
in the MSU Union with two of her--again blonde and
blue-eyed--college friends, smiling and looking up at
them, not unadmiringly.]
But then I walked into a shopping mall
[Close up on Chiyo, whose eyes wander to the lounge.
She stops short...]
And much to my surprise
[Close up again of Chiyo as she looks left, clearly in
disbelief...]
An old friend from my hometown
[Screen wide shot of lounge, where MSU students
(almost all blue-eyed and blonde, of course) are
sitting, studying, chatting, crashing on sofas, etc.
etc. In the middle of it all a brunette is standing
still...]
Was a sight for my sore eyes
[Close up of Osaka--for it is of course she--standing
and continuing to stare, looking away from Chiyo for
the moment and not noticing her.]
And of all the people I met
[Shot of Chiyo standing frozen in the corridor a
moment between her American friends, who also are
looking at Osaka, wondering what the fuss is about...]
Down in the city or in the mall
[Close up of the American women, one looks down as if
to ask if she knows the Asian girl, but...]
I think I like my hometown friend
[Close up of Chiyo's face turning from disbelief to
delight...]
The best one of them all
[Camera follows Chiyo running like mad towards Osaka,
grabbing her in a bear hug and literally knocking her
down.]
[Brief shot of Chiyo clinging, beaming and blissfully
happy, to a disoriented and prone Osaka, from just
behind the American girls.]
Because he didn't say "hello"
[Shot of the American girls, still a bit confused,
blinking]
Or "how's it going today?" or any of that
[Chiyo quickly helps Osaka up, and leads her over to
her American friends, gesturing towards Osaka for
their benefit as if in introduction--or to show her
off...]
My old friend he just looked at me
[Shot of the Americans, now smiling; one offers her
hand in greeting...]
and smiled 'n said
[Shot back towards Osaka, who blinks, then smiles,
raises her hand in greeting and tries English
again...]
Osaka: "What are ya at?"
[The American girls turn to look at each other
confused.]
What are ya at?
(How's she going buddy)
[Screenshots: Osaka, Chiyo and Chiyo's friends on the
steps of the MSU Union...]
What are ya at today?
[Chiyo and Osaka at the MSU Clocktower, enjoying a
carillon concert apparently...]
What are ya at?
[Chiyo and Osaka outside the MSU library, Osaka
helping Chiyo with some heavy-looking books...]
(How's she going buddy)
What are ya at today?
[Chiyo and Osaka posing with the ceramic statue of the
MSU Spartan].
Yeah...
[Cut to a shot of a door, which opens to reveal a
suitably grumpy and utterly unchanged Yukari.]
[Rapid shots of her storming in...]
[...slapping the photo of Osaka and Chiyo posing with
"Sparty," the MSU Spartan mascot (not
the statue) on her desk, next to a copy of _Anne of
Green Gables_...]
[...writing rapidly on the blackboard
KANADA NO EIGO
in Japanese, and in English
WHAT ARE YA AT?]
Yukari: [turning to the class, scowling] Everybody
must say "What are ya at?"
[That could explain some things.]
[Shot from Yukari's perspective of her class--little
different in appearance from the one in Chiyo and
Osaka's day--staring at Yukari in all-too-familiar
confusion.]
Yukari: [all smiles, with a wink and upturned finger]
All together now!
[Cut to a screencap of Osaka, posing with Chiyo and
her friends--inevitably cheerleaders--at an MSU
football game.]
What are ya at?
[Wider shot: the picture is a photo being held in
someone's hand.]
(How's she going buddy)
[Shot of Nyamo sitting at her desk, looking at the
picture, smiling, enjoying a moment of nostalgia.]
What are ya at today?
[Another screencap, this of Chiyo and Osaka eating
icecream outside Melting Moments on Grand River
Avenue.]
What are ya at?
[Wider shot: the picture is a photo being held in
someone's hand.]
(How's she going buddy)
[Shot of Yomi, seated on the steps of her own
university's library, books on her lap, looking at her
photo...]
What are ya at today?
[Next screencap: Chiyo and Osaka posing with two MSU
policemen, one blonde and blue eyed, one black.]
What are ya at?
[Wider shot: once more, the picture is a photo being
held in someone's hand.]
(How's she going buddy)
[Shot of Tomo, sitting in a hotel lobby looking at the
photo, dressed as Fujiko from Lupin III. Two otaku
approach with cameras of their own; apparently she's
at an anime con. She immediately strikes a mock-heroic
pose.]
What are ya at today?
[One more cap. Chiyo and Osaka outside the MSU
football stadium. Chiyo is in cheerleader regalia
again; perhaps this was taken at cheerleading
practice.]
What are ya at?
[This a photo not in anyone's hand, but stuck to the
back of a locker...]
(How's she going buddy)
[...that of Kagura. Shot of her stretching in the
locker room. UNder the photo is a sign saying THINK
OLYMPIC.]
What are ya at today?
Yeah...
[Screencap of Chiyo and Osaka outside the MSU
Planetarium.]
[Shot of Kaori in her room at home, lying on the bed,
looking at her photo.
[Close up of the photo on Kaori's desk of Sakaki.]
[Shot of Yukari, pointing definitely upward as if
making a point.)
Yukari: Let this be a lesson
[Screencap of Chiyo and Osaka, posing with a horse
from the MSU experimental farm.]
[Cut to shot of Sakaki--for it is she--from the chest
up, as she walks past the wall where Kamineko used to
lurk, looking at her photo. She looks up, glancing by
change to her left to her left...]
To all our people who go away
[Brief shot of Kamineko's face.]
Remember if you meet someone
[Shot of Kamineko sunbathing on his old wall...along
with a cute female cat and a few kittens. All are
staring at Sakaki.]
The special words to say
[Shot of Sakaki looking back.]
We don't ever say "hello"
[Close up of Sakaki's mouth as she says "hello"]
Or "how's it going?", "good day"
[Sakaki raises her hand in greeting, unashamed of the
fact it's to a cat.]
Or any of that.
[We see for the first time Maya at Sakaki's feet, as
he looks up at Kamineko.]
You just look at them and nod your head
[Kamineko looks back; he doesn't nod, but cocks his
head at Maya, as if in greeting.]
Now wink 'n say "What are ya at?"
[Maya cocks his head back.]
What are ya at?
[Bird's eye view of Team Azumanga's town, as the sun
begins to set.]
(How's she going buddy)
[Shot of Yukari and Nyamo in a bar, Yukari being loud
and obnoxious as usual.]
What are ya at today?
[Cut to shot of Mr. Kimura slinking down a residential
street, slack jawed as usual.]
What are ya at?
[He looks to his left...]
(How's she going buddy)
[...to see his perfect wife and perfect daughter--now
in a junior high uniform--out in front of their house
waiting to welcome him home.]
What are ya at today?
(Shot of Nyamo hauling Yukari out of the bar, looking
irritated as usual, mouthing, as if to scold:)
Nyamo: What are ya at?
(Shot of Yomi and Tomo walking up the street
themselves, stopping short on seeing their old
teachers...)
(How's she going buddy)
(Shot from behind Yomi's and Tomo's heads of Yukari
and Nyamo quarreling like children. They look at each
other, smiling with embarrassment...)
What are ya at today?
(Cut of Maya dozing on a desk, being stroked by a
woman's hand.)
What are ya at?
(How's she going buddy)
[Shot of Sakaki, whose hand it obviously is, sitting
at her desk, staring out her window at the
fading evening, a smile on her lips.]
What are ya at today?
(Oh I said)
[Final shot is of a framed photo on the desknot just
of Chiyo and Osaka, but of the whole
gang, perhaps from Okinawa, but preferably Chiyo's
summer home of blessed summers past.]
What are ya at!
[Pan out very slowly. Fade to black.]
OWARI
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