Claire’s been pretty into Dungeon Meshi… I thought she would have been asking more questions… but a couple chapters in and she is just getting comfortable. She has definitely been slyly sinking more and more into me… This is great. And it’s nice… cozy, I’m reading along with her over her shoulder on her phone, maybe it’s a bit harder for me to read but I hardly need to at this point. Oh, that’s the chapter done, a light chuckle from her for the silly last page. “So…?” “I like it, so far at least.” “Really?” “Yes.” Don’t nerd out. “Whatdoyouthink?” She laughs and stretches, then leans more into me… oh. “It’s interesting, I never would have really humored the idea of eating monsters in Bauer before.” “Monsters… what were those like? You kinda mentioned that before I think. You had magic too? What was… was it like this? I was expecting you to ask more questions while reading, but is it just familiar?” “Hmm? Oh no, this is nothing like Bauer… we had monsters to be sure, but a ‘dungeon’ was it? That’s what they are going through right? That’s not like anything we had, and the monster are similar, you had a slime familiar-” “I what?” “A slime, like from the first chapter, but she looked very different, and was very clever.” “I had a pet slime?” Really? That sounds so cool. “Yes, the girls more or less inherited her afterwards, she was adorable, here, might you have some pen and paper?” I reach over the bed to my desk and pull my school bag out, dragging back what Claire needs. She quickly sketches up a slime, it almost looks like one from Dragon Warrior, but still it's its own thing. It looks cute. “Daww, that would be so cool, she looks cute.” “Relaire was very cute,” She smiles and looks at the sketch, “She was such a good companion and did so much for us.” Ahh, I feel bad that I will never- Wait “Relaire?” Claire slides back into me and leans up to give me a kiss on the chin, “Yes, Relaire.” She smirks. “I didn’t.” “You did.” “No…” “Rei… “No….” “Plus…” “I didn’t” “Claire.” I can’t help but groan, are you serious? Of fucking course I did that. “It was cute, even if I couldn’t admit it at the time.” … “So umm, monster?” “Yes… there were goblins, orcs, demons, we even fought a chimera together while we were students… Undead… ” “Undead?” “Yes.” Claire’s voice is strained. “Is something wrong with the undead? Wait, do we mean the same thing, like a walking dead body right?” “Yes, just that. Nothing unusual.” “Okay…? I… nevermind, but what about ghosts? Spirits?” “Thereisn’tsuchathingasghostsReiwhywouldyousuggestsuchathing?” “What?” “What? Are there ghosts here?” “No?” “Oh thank goodness.” Wait…. “Claire are you a-” “I dare you to finish that sentence Rei ” Oh…. I lean into her ear and whisper, “ Ghosts ?” She shudders and turns, thumping her hands on my chest, “That isn’t funny Rei!” I can’t help but laugh as she lays a weak barrage on me, “Ghosts?” “Rei! It’s not funny!” “Okay Okay.” It’s kinda funny. “Hmmph!” She turns away and just pouts fucking adorably. I’m the luckiest lesbian in the world. I shouldn’t tease her too much about it though… I can wait till spirits show up in Meshi… “So how different was the rest? Like you said there was magic… you, uh we had magic?” Her pouting simmers down, “Well, yes… do you mean from Dungeon Meshi? I think it seems different. It hasn't really gone into magic theory has it?” “Oh… yah I suppose. It does later I guess. Sorry I just got it all in my head. How did your magic work, you said theory?” “Well magic would be aligned with one of the four elements, Earth, Fire, Wind or Water. I was a master of fire magic, you were a rare dualcaster, and could use Earth and Water.” “Oh… okay, yah the four elements are a common trope for magic, especially in games, there is the whole elemental weakness things too. Fire versus Water, Air versus Earth, sometimes there is Dark and Light too.” Claire looks confused, “What do you mean? That's not how it works, Fire trumps Earth, then Earth trumps Wind, which then in trumps Water and then Fire.” “What? That can’t be right? Fire should be good against Water too? How does that even make sense? Even Pokemon let's ice be weak to fire.” “Poke-what? What are you talking about Rei, of course that’s how it works. What you are suggesting doesn't make sense either, how would elements be both effective and susceptible against each other?” “Because they are opposite!” “Oh? And how is that supposed to help Wind beat Earth?” “How is Air more effective than Fire versus Water huh? Water just evaporates with enough heat, if something is made up of water heat can be very dangerous. And Air is light and hard to hit, Earth is slow, they attack each other's weaknesses.” “I lived it Rei, I’m telling you that’s not how it worked.” She looks a bit upset with me. “Sorry… Sorry Claire. I… it's just a video game thing and I can…” But like how is fire good versus a rock? “Get a little too into it?” She quirks her brow. She does know me, “...yeah.” She chuckles, “Don’t worry, I-” My phone starts buzzing on the bed, and we both stop to look at it. It’s a call. “Sorry, do you mind if I check, we can keep going after.” She nods, so I grab it. Oh… it’s Shiko. “Hi?” “Thank god,” She sounds exhausted, “I need help, my assistant bailed and I need hands to help sell at the event next saturday.” “What?” “Ami… that bitch flake just flaked out, Rei it’s a big event, I need to sell my doujins but I can’t man my both by myself. Come on, you have helped out before.” “Who is it?” Claire asks, it must be easy to hear Shiko. “It’s Shiko.” “Are you with someone?” Shiko asks. “Shiko?” Claire sounds excited, uh I- “Hey who is that-” “It’s Claire… uh my…” “Holy shit.” I barely register as Claire leans next to my ear with the phone, and answers for me, “Her Girlfriend, Hello Shiko.” “Oh fuck yes, my baby gay has grown up.” Claire laughs, “We can help Rei.” “What, I… are you sure, you don’t even know what you are offering.” “Your friend needs help doesn’t she?” “Yes I need help, listen to your girlfriend Rei.” Shiko’s voice comes from the phone again. Oh no, they are ganging up on me. “I… can you tell me more… where is it?” “Close to you, this one is in Tokyo, it’s easy for you to get there.” “Ughhh, is it going to be the whole day?” “Unless I sell out first, come on, I’ll pay you both, and I’ll treat you to dinner afterward. Please Reiiiiiiiiiii!” “We should help her, she needs it, and I want to be of help if I can.” “Fine-” “Yes!” “But Claire’s never been to one of these before so I need you to… not throw her in the deep end okay?” “Pftt! Who do you think I am?... Okay, FINE , but honestly we will probably be too busy anyways.” “Wait…” Oh god damn it, it’s not just normal doujin either is it? “What kind of doujin are we talking about?” “I’ll be selling safe ones, but I have a big stock of ecchi and hentai that needs to be sold too, come on you aren’t scared of your GF seeing some boobs?” Oh god, of course she is going to be selling those too. “I don’t mind.” Right Claire is here still. “It’s not a big deal for me, if anything I am a bit interested to see whatever Shiko makes.” “But….” aaaAaaaAaaaaaAaaaaaAaaaa “Sound like it settled, Thanks Claire-san, make sure she doesn’t flake like fucking Ami.” “Hey! I already agreed.” “We will be there, it was nice talking to you Shiko.” “Damn, your girl is hot and nice, Thanks Claire-san, I’ll talk to you later Rei, I got to make sure these are printed cause fucking Ami isn’t here…. Bye.” The phone’s line dies. Claire looks satisfied… but… there are… god am I being weird, I feel weird. Shiko’s stuff can be really…. Extreme… and umm… Claire seeing that… She’s going to think I’m weird or gross. “Rei, are you going to be okay? We are just helping her?” “Yes… sorry I just… in my head.” “What are we selling exactly, doujin? Ecchi? Is this like a manga?” “Yes… doujin are like fan made manga… sometimes it’s original stuff, sometimes it’s like fan made stuff of big things, of like, um, Dungeon Meshi.” “Ecchi?” Fuck…. “Thaaaat’s…. lewd stuff, um ecchi is really suggestive stuff and hentai… is um, well just sex?” “Oh, okay.” wait, she hardly seems bothered. “I thought it might have been something like that, Shiko makes it herself? Is it good?” Very “What? Really? I… yes Shiko is… good, I… she does a lot of…” “Yuri?” “Why do you know what?” She laughs and just tips her head towards me, “Of course it's because of me, god how shameless was I?” She laughs some more, “Enough to keep things interesting, it’s a good thing, It will be fun.” Wow, it really does not seem like a big deal for her, but of course… sex isn’t a big deal for her. She umm… has done a lot… with…. Look, I haven't done any of this. I don’t need to justify why I’m nervous to myself about this! And she says it’s fine, but she hasn’t seen it… Or what I have liked. “Rei, we don’t need to make a big deal about it… really. I’m sorry If I am making light of something you are uncomfortable with. I thought you liked this sort of thing?” “Yes!” Very , “No! But like… it’s different when I’m… reading it… and my… girlfriend is… the one…” “What’s wrong Rei, you can talk to me about it, I’ve talked to you about everything.” “But I haven’t!” Shit. Claire looks a bit surprised, almost ashamed, no... God damn it Rei just keep a handle on yourself. “Rei I’m s-” “No it’s fine, it’s just me. It’s not you, you're great. You're also so kind, gentle, and accommodating. You know all these things about me… and I… I don’t know?...” It’s hard to look at her directly. “Rei, I’m here for you, I’m not perfect. I’m pushing you too much aren’t I” “You’re not, I shouldn’t be so-” “Rei, there is nothing you need to do or be. Just talk to me.” “I don’t know… I…” I can't look at her… What if I’m not who you think I am? I feel a weight on my back. It's her, she is leaning on me and wraps her arm around me, it’s nice. I’m being dramatic. You need to tell her something. “I’ve not really talked to many people about this… stuff… just Shiko really and Misha a bit, and Misha probably thinks I talk about it too much, but like no one else really. I’m anonymous online about it. I’m not a loud and proud lesbian like…” her “it’s… scary.” “Is it scary that I know all these things about you?” Her voice is very level. “I don’t know… a little? Maybe? I… I trust you but I don’t get it… it’s…. It’s like…” I trusted Kosaki too… Her hug tightens, god I must sound pathetic. “Thank you for telling me Rei, I know it’s not easy.” Not easy for me, you mean. “Rei, I’m here for you, now, tomorrow, and the next time. It’s been a long day, a long weekend and you were there for me the whole time. But I am here for you too. It doesn’t matter what you need, I will help you too, okay?” It’s really easy to believe her when she says it like that. “Yah… sorry for being so…” “There is nothing to apologize for.” “But you have all these things to deal with, you shouldn’t have to be worrying about my hang ups, I should be the one helping you.” “We help each other Rei, you need help too and I will die before I ignore your needs. Promise me you will let me help you, that you will ask for help. You don’t need to shoulder it all yourself.” “I… really? Are…?” “Yes Rei…” She loosens her grip on me, and moves to bring us face to face. Her face is serious, firm, “Rei, swear to me, We are equals, we share each other’s burdens. You will let me help you as you have helped me. You won’t be alone.” “... seriously?” She just holds her stare. She means it. “Okay… I won’t?” “Rei, say it.” “Ah…. okay fine. I swear… that we are equals, we share and help each other.” “And you won’t be alone.” “And I won’t be alone.” I have to gulp as I finish saying that… wow saying it out loud… feels… a lot. Something very intimate. Our private oath. She smiles, and that makes it feel right. She leans in and gives me a chaste kiss, it’s short but something about it makes it feel so much more. With this, a contract is formed. God, I'm such an otaku. Okay, I won’t fuck this up.