37.txt

 

Mother believes me.

Or she at least believes that I’m not lying. I think.

Gracious, why did it have to happen right now…

“So…” It’s Manaria, I… what is she doing here? “Ravaging?” Oh fantastic… She heard that too.

She has her usual smile, mischievous. This feels like the first time it's been directed at me … Rae might have had a point about her…

“Yes. She is my wi-girlfriend.”

“Reeeeally…? Well she is pretty cute. “She rubs her chin as she looks at the door…

“She’s mine.”

The curt declaration causes her to laugh, “Ohhhh? Well, university has certainly been treating you well.”

“I suppose it has… how long has it been Manaria, since we talked?”

“Hrmmm, I don’t know a few years, but I’m not surprised you don’t remember. You never seemed like you were paying attention before.” She finishes the statement by observing her nails, I don't like being on this end of it.

“Well, like you said. University has been good to me.” I don’t need to make this more of a mess than it already is by letting something slip around her too.

“I’ll say, all it took was you getting the stick out of your ass and start kissing girls.” She laughs.

She’s not wrong. 

Just one girl though .

“So how’d that happen? Hmmm?”

“I told her I love her, and then we started dating.”

“That’s it?”

“Yes.”

“Come now Claire, where’s the fun in that?”

I can’t help but sigh. “Manaria, please… I wasn’t expecting any of this, can I just tell you later. What are you even doing here? I thought… Mother was away… and then she shows up with you in tow.”

“Fair, Fair. Well If you must know I might have been in a similar predicament, I was caught ravaging poor defenseless ladies and then your Mother allowed me tag along to avoid the paparazzi.” She makes a mocking performance of putting her hand to her head, like a fainting lady in waiting.

Pa-pa-what? Hmm, I suppose this must be similar to the scandal she went through before coming to the academy.

“You don’t seem surprised.” She comments.

“I don’t think it’s anything to make a fuss over.”

She smirks, “I suppose not, not when you are also ravaging poor defenseless girls.”

“I… I’m not taking advantage of her.”

She raises her brow.

“I didn't mean to say you were either.”

“Hmm, and how would you know that?” I know that tone, she is being cruel to herself.

“Do you think you were?”

“Who's to say?” There she goes, deflecting…

“Manaria, I really don’t have the patience to play-”

I am interrupted as the door swings open. Mother is there, she looks… tired.

“Manaria, I’m sorry but I need to talk some more with Claire, and I expect it will take a… while. Can you go down and have Lene take you back to the apartment?”

“Oh, trying to get rid of me already?”

Mother sighs, “Manaria, that's not the case. Something came up… that is complicated and I need to sort through this now. I’m sorry it worked out this way and I didn’t want to send you home alone. It seems none of us were expecting all these surprises this morning.”

Manaria drops the aloofness finally, she looks curious enough to ask but must decide it's not worth it. “Well I suppose a choice between that and standing out here alone is not much of a choice. I’ll see you later.”

“Let Lene know I will contact her when I know I am ready for her.”

“Will do.”

“Oh, Manaria, sorry if I came off…. Curt. I missed you, we should catch up while you're here.”

She looks a little surprised, then smiles, “Don't worry about it. I was being a bit of a shit. Of course. I need someone to show me around Tokyo after.”

Oh… well that’s a problem for another day. “Thank you.”

“Good, see you later than Manaria, again sorry, please let Lene know if you need anything in the meantime.”

Manaria makes a show of a mock bow and then goes down the hall to the elevator.

“Please Claire, we have… much to discuss.” Mother motions me back into the room.

This feels ominous, does she not believe me? Does she think me a liar? Or worse, does she believe me and want to get rid of me now that I’m not her daughter.

Rae and Catherine are sitting on the sofa and both look nervous, at least Rae tries to smile.

The door closes and Mother guides me to sit down.

“So I understand you have a lack of… an education then?”

“Well technically I do, it’s just from a different world.” I’m not uneducated .

“And that would mean?”

“Her history and general know-how with technology is not there.” Catherine replies.

Rae follows up, “Yah but she is still good for all the Math, and she’s better at writing than I am.”

“And how has that affected your ability to continue your classes?”

“She’s still-”

“Oohashi, I am asking my daughter.”

Rae shrinks, “It’s fine Rae, It’s been a challenge. For me it’s been a while since I was taking courses myself, but I was a teacher and professor for many years. Rae has been an excellent tutor and has been very diligent in helping me relearn, or well… learn.”

“She passed her first test.” Rae chimes in.

Mother raises her brow at Rae's second interruption, but makes no further comment at her. “We could hire tutors, you could postpone your education till we-”

“I can do this.”

“Are you sure ? You don’t know what you don’t know. It’s one thing to cram and pass a test and it’s an entirely another thing to have no context of everything around you. You don’t know technology ?”

“Rae has been showing me how to use my phone and-”

“Claire, it's much more complicated than using a single device. This world is powered by technology. This world is connected by technology. I can make a decision that could make headlines across the whole world. If I make a comment the whole world could hear about it in seconds. The scandal that Manaria embroiled herself is plastered all over the world even though it should have been a private matter. We came here to Japan to create some privacy for you girls to grow up in but you will be adults soon. What happens next? What will you do when you graduate? What will you do when someone expects an opinion from you? A political one? A social one? Even a simple question about a film. Do you know what the Titanic is? The Roman Empire? The moon landing? The Milky Way? What an atom is?”

“I, I…” I have no answers. This is how I'm going to lose it.

“Francois-sama, She isn’t a child. And She is incredibly clever!” Rae stand ups.

“Clever or not this can’t be ignored!”

“I know! We know! But you have to give her a chance to try. You are acting like everyone has perfect knowledge of everything but I had kids in my school who didn’t know what fucking Hiroshima was!” Rae is breathing heavily, a shaky breath she collects herself and continues. “Give her a chance to learn before deciding she can’t do it her way. She can do it! She is smart and aware. She is kind and deeply empathic. She understood Misaki, she knew what that meant. I didn’t tell her anything but she knows. She understands her privilege, your daughter is incredible, you just have to give her a chance to prove it!”

Rae’s strong proclamation leaves me feeling fragile, she is always coming to my rescue, she has always been the fist to champion me. “...Rae…”

Mother sighs, and looks like she is about to collapse into the sofa. “And you think the best way is that she stays here, keeps doing this?”

“I do…” I answer this time. “It has been difficult but I know I can do it. I won't be bested.” And I won't leave my friends and family here. I won't leave Rae.

Mother looks surprised, and her eyes get watery, she has to give them a wipe.

“What’s wrong? I can do this Mother.”

“It’s just… you remind me so much of when you were just a child, before the accident. So ready to take on the world…” She has to wipe her eyes again.

“Mother…” I… I move to her and give her a hug again. Every embrace is so precious to me.

“Oh my Claire…”

She places a hand on my cheek, this is how I must have looked when I looked at May or Aleah…

“You were hurting for so long…”

“I’m sorry-”

“Sshh, there is nothing to be sorry about.”

“I… do think she can do it, Francois-sama. She is working very hard already.”

“And you will help her?”

“Yes, whatever she needs I will help her with. But even without me I think she could do it.” Don't say that Rae. 

“I’m helping too.” Catherine throws in, “Claire is working very hard, and we have been walking her through all the basics and are working up.”

“You said you did a test already Claire?”

“Yes… I got just under seventy percent…” If I got higher maybe this would be easier-

“Okay… Fine. We will see how this goes. But I need to know how things are going. We won't rush into something more drastic such as taking you out of classes for private tutelage but when this first semester ends I want you to take an exam. Something that would amount to highschool education. I want you to have a grasp of the sciences, math, literature, history…” She sighs, “And I want to be kept in the loop with your current grades. This isn’t going to work if they dip too low.”

“I… Thank you Mother.” I grab Rae in joy.

Mother doesn’t elate though. “This will be very difficult.”

“I’m aware. I’m not a child. I can do this.”

“Please tell me if it is too much, it’s fine if it is.” She says. She is still worried.

I nod, it won’t. I can do this. I am Claire Francois.

I saved the world with Rae by my side. I can do this with her by my side. We can do anything together. 

“Girls, it's been a long day…” Mother slumps into the sofa, “We just arrived this morning and the flight was very long. This was the last thing I expected when I heard you were acting odd from Lene, or that you finally got a new leg Catherine.” She laughs softly.

“Uhh… thank you for the leg again,” Catherine says softly.

“Catherine, you are family, I could do no less.”

Catherine looks a bit taken off guard, but smiles. I send her a smile as well. And I find Rae’s hand.

Mother said yes.

She said yes.

“Are you girls hungry? It seems neither of you got far into your day. What’s open at this time? I don’t feel much like sitting down, but take-out would be nice. Even if it’s greasy.”

“Oh, most places don’t open till eleven but I think there are some breakfast places… are you feeling picky?” Catherine answers. 

“Something with Western options is preferable, I don’t want to think too much.”

“Yah, sure, umm, give me a sec…”

Catherine gets up and starts to go over choices with Mother with her phone.

“Thank you Rae.” I say once we have a degree of privacy.

“Oh I didn’t do that much Claire-chan.” Rae gets a little shy.

“Shush, don’t be modest, just accept it.” I tease her.

“Oh, well thanks. I do think you would be able to get by without me.” That’s nonsense, besides…

“Where’s the fun in that?”

“Yeah…” She doesn't really want that either.

I can’t help but grin, “We will be busy won’t we?”

“Oh, yah, for real. Prepping for that exam is not going to be easy. We won’t have a ton of time.”

“Yes, especially with all the ravaging I need to do.”

She reacts just as I expect, “Claire!”

“Oh..?”

“Your mom is right there.” She shouts a whisper at me.

“And she interrupted us.” I can’t help but pout, it’s very effective against Rae.

She whines, “But we have to be serious.” 

I suppose, I’m just trying to calm myself down after everything.

“Of course. But I’ll need you to help recharge, with that I can take on even a demon, three even.” I can feel the cheeky smirk on my face. 

“I don’t doubt you,” she laughs.

“Claire, is there anything you would want?” Mother's voice comes from across the room.

“Anything is fine.”

“And you Oohashi-san?” 

“Huh?”

“What would you like?”

“Ah what do you mean? You don’t have-”

“Nonsense, both of you come and look at the menu, you too Claire.”

Rae is trying to be too polite, “But-” 

“Come on Rae, please?” Her resistance dissolves as I ask her, breaking down into a soft smile.

“Okay … Sure.”

 

 

“Sick, leftovers.”

Catherine is right. Mother ordered a lot of food, even with four of us. Even after serving out the first round, I can’t imagine finishing it with another sitting. It was good, and a bit of everything. Mother seems to not have had a proper meal in a while.

“Mother?”

“Hmm?”

“Where were you? Before you came… you said… flew?” She can’t have meant literally… right?

“Yes, it’s the fastest way to get to Paris and back… have you two not told not explained planes?”

“There has been so much…uh, Melia.” Catherine looks a little sheepish.

“Yah, we were going to build up to it, we started small with cars and trains, and we can see those easily around here too.”

“Wait, you actually flew? You were flying?”

Rae looks apologetic, “Yah, we were going to get there-”

“How?”

“Oh well.” She gets an intense look as the gears in her head wind up, “Okay, you know that some animals fly right?”

“Birds? Yes, we had birds, we saw birds at the zoo. Come now Rae  I'm not so removed from this world.”

She looks a little sheepish, “Right, so, birds fly by creating lift with their wings, they are pretty light creatures so it’s easy for them to push themselves up from the surface area of their wings, and once in the air those wings keep them aloft, they can ride air currents… err wind and such. We haven’t got to the deep physics yet but air is made up of stuff, gasses, and most things can sorta turn into gas with enough heat, that’s not the point, but rather that air is made up of stuff and it’s that mass that birds are using to push against. If there was literally nothing there, they wouldn’t be able to fly, so like in a vacuum.”

“Okay… so you mimic that?”

“Well yes, and no. We have some machines that mimic it more closely, but the main vehicle we use for flying is called a plane. Here, give me a sec.” She pulls out her phone, types away for a second and turns the screen showing me an image of something that looks long, sleek and a pair…. of wings? “This is a plane, you mom probably rode in something like this, it’s big, and heavy. So birds are light. This isn’t and it requires a lot of power. Force specifically. It creates this push with,” she points to small cylinders on the wings, “with these, they are called jets, they create a lot of force, like a lot a lot of force. They push the plane forward and with that speed the wings can pick up enough resistance against the air that they stay afloat, or fly. It also makes them really fast. If you had to travel by car it would take you weeks or more to make the trip your mom made, umm how long was your flight Francois-sama?”

Mother has been listening to Rae, I hope she is impressed with her general knowledge. “Please, just Melia is fine, or Melia-san if you must, our flight was 18 hours, exhausting, but she is right, it would probably take the better part of a month by car and that would be miserable to say the least. Would you prefer Rae or Oohashi?”

“Oh, umm just Oohashi-san, umm… Melia-san”

“Of course, Thank you. You will get a chance to ride by plane too Claire.”

“Oh.” I can fly ?

“Oohashsi-san, I just want to say, despite the circumstances of the situation It has been nice to meet you. I wasn’t expecting Claire to have a… partner… let alone them being a girl. I hope I haven’t scared you off. It’s obvious how much Claire cares about you.”

Rae gulps, “Oh… um yah, thank you.. I, um yah I really… like her… too. I um… 

Mother Laughs, does she like Rae? Oh thank goodness, “That’s good, If I am to understand correctly you are the reason for my daughter awakening .”

Rae blushes, “I… I guess. It’s not like I did anything…”

“Shush, you've done so much.” I chide Rae, “You saved me, I wouldn’t be here without you.”

 Rae looks a bit overwhelmed and opts to eat more food instead of responding.

“So Oohashi-san, you also go to the same university then?”

She swallows, “Uh, yah, Claire-san and I have several of the same classes-”

“Not all,” we really should. It would make everything more pleasant. 

“Uh, yah, not all the same but just a few different ones, the overlap is big thankfully, for Claire I mean. Not me. I mean I like having classes with her I-”

Mother laughs a bit at Rae’s verbal stumbling, “Oohashi-san, calm down. This hasn’t been affecting your studies too much has it? How often have you been helping her?”

“...Like everyday… I get my stuff done at the same time, it’s been helpful for me too I guess.”

“Hmmm, so are you from here?”

“Chiba.”

“Ah, and you came here? Did you have an aspiration? You are also studying economics.”

“Ah… we sorta?... I… well… you get a job… and do that right?”

“Mother, you don’t need to worry about that, I’ll make sure she is happy.”

Rae looks puzzled, “Huh?-” 

Mother cuts her off however, “What do you mean Claire?”

“Oh…” I can’t just say I am trying to make sure Rae doesn’t work herself to death again right? “I just… I’m going to be here, I’ll help?”

Rae has a look like she wants to say something, but doesn’t, just takes another bite of her food instead.

She knows I am omitting something.

“I… see.” Does mother suspect the same?

“Rae is very capable, she was a genius in our past life, and a hero. She taught me so much and we lived our life together… I hope we can do that again… as long as you want to Rae…”

Rae blushes and her eyes dart between me and Mother, “Claire, please don’t rush into things… you have only known each other for a few weeks.”

“But I have known her for-”

“ Then , and this is now, it’s different Claire… I just want what’s best for you Claire, and I don’t want either of you two to get hurt along the way. I’m happy that you are… so happy that you are here. But we don’t know exactly what is going on. It could be a coincidence, I can’t completely rule out a more mundane answer but I don’t want to lose you again Claire. You’re here, you're present for the first time in ages, you’re you again.”

“Mother…”

But it isn’t like that… It's not a coincidence. 

But I am rushing it. It hasn't even been a month for Rae. And I.. don’t want to hurt Rae. Rae does have a problem saying no to me. I… I know she wants to help me, but is doing this just for me? She is different now, I love her all the same, love getting to see this younger side of her…

Love being her first…

But these are all her firsts. These first should be special for her, and I shouldn't be so greedy with them.

“... I understand. I have no intention of going anywhere. This is…” second does not sound right , “another chance, and I want to make the best of it.”

Mother nods, “I… I’m glad to hear that Claire. And please let me know if you remember anything new. We don’t know what has happened, but whatever it is, you will always be my daughter.”