“Okay, so you just dip it a bit in the soy sauce… yah, and good to go.” Rae guides me through the process. I stare at the piece of sushi. White rice now soaked with soy sauce. Wrapped around bright red, raw fish. Package within a paper thin seaweed. I like rice, soy sauce and fish… It's just raw. Manaria eagerly dips another roll, mixing in the wasabi; Rae very much cautioned against that for now citing it would be very spicy, and then downs it in quick fashion. Humming in delight. I can stomach string beans… In it goes. Oh… that… is different. “You don’t really like it?” Rae is perceptive, it's always hard to hide my displeasure from her. “It’s… not entirely unpleasant?” “I can’t believe you’ve never tried sushi. In Tokyo of all places. You’ve been here for ten years.” Manaria grins and eyes me, waiting for a response. “Ahh.. well yes. It’s been a while hasn’t it? I was just wary of trying raw fish… I prefer it cooked.” Would it be rude to have it cooked? Of course it is, I can’t even believe I entertained the notion of asking. I can’t let it go to waste either. I hesitantly bring another to my mouth… Oh that is not better the second time is it… “You don't have to force yourself, Claire-chan. We can easily finish your portions.” “I apologize… Thank you Rae.” This is rather embarrassing. “My, aren’t you two cute? How long have you been together now?” Manaria’s tone worries me though I can't quite discern why. “A few weeks now.” Nothing elaborate Claire. “Could have fooled me.” Manaria teases out, then she casually plucks another roll from the plate and eats it. “I thought you would have loved the taste of seafood .” Rae blushes, profusely, at that comment. “Manaria. Please. That's rather uncouth.” It's up to me to control Manaria. “Oh?” She grins. Rae was right. She can be infuriating at times. “Did I say something?” Rae grumbles something under her breath, she really didn’t have to subject herself to this. Let’s try to steer the conversation away from that. “So Manaria, how are you enjoying your stay so far?” She savors another portion of sushi as she ponders her response. “Well it was nice to finally go out and do something. Your mom has been insistent that I try to avoid too many appearances till more time passes… so that's fun . It's been a mostly boring week so far. Your con was a nice change of pace even if I felt like a tourist.” “Oh, I’m sorry it’s been so hectic with everything.” I should have reached out sooner. Manaria shrugs and grimaces. “It’s not your fault.” She doesn’t say it, but I can hear the implication that it is hers. “I really don’t need to be chased around by more cameras and mics shoved in my face so I should be careful. ‘ Have you always been gay? Are you rebelling? How could you do something so heinous? ” She sighs. “That bad…?” Rae asks, I guess she doesn’t really know much about Manaria here this time. “Well when you are royalty, even if it's very distant, people think too much of you.” “Wait, you're royalty?” Rae brings her voice to a hush as best as she can and still be heard. Manaria rolls her eyes, “Technically, nobility is a better way to describe it. In some world I could have a path of succession to the throne of Belgium but I really doubt that will ever happen. Especially after this scandal. You know Claire is technically nobility too. Or have you failed to mention that to your girlfriend?” “No, she told me.” Rae is quick to answer. I did tell her in our previous life I was nobility. I never got quite around to figure out the minutiae of it all here though yet. “Her mom runs their business right? Francois? That’s like a french lamborghini?” Lamb what? Manaria is watching me, is she waiting for me to answer? I can't . Then she turns her attention back to Rae. “Not quite. Lamborghini makes cars first. Francois is a brand, and that’s sometimes on a car.” “Sure, I just mean it’s high end stuff. Fancy right?” Manaria laughs, “ Fancy , I think Melia would not enjoy it put that way, but sure. Fancy. I’m sure even Claire here would attest to the quality.“ “Ohh, of course. We wouldn’t use our name on anything less than perfect.” It feels nostalgic to play up a haughty laugh. “Oh I’m sure.” Manaria grins, “Say Claire , what would be your favorite product? I’ve always been partial to the watches , but I’m sure Rae loves the lipstick.” “Oh-” Rae clears her throat, bless her. “Wow, so a scandal huh?” She glares at Manaria, some things never change. “What exactly was so bad that you had to run to Japan?” Manaria rolls her eyes and looks unimpressed, but then her face shifts into something more sly. “Well imagine something like what Melia and I walked into, except my father didn’t take it in good humor, and there was more of an audience. With cameras. Caught sexually assaulting my own maid of all things. I’m such a disgrace to the Sousse name. I’m a monster.” “You weren’t and aren’t” Manaria scoffs at my comment, “Oh I’m sure you're the expert of what happened.” “You didn’t mean to hurt her.” Manaria’s surprise catches her for barely a moment before she schools her face again. She narrows her eyes. “I know you wouldn't.” “I’m sure you do. Would it matter? She’s gone now.” “Then find her, make it right.” Don't take this lying down. “When did you become so idealistic?” She sounds so sardonic. Since I found Rae. I can’t help but look at her, our eyes meet. She knows my answer is her, I can see it in her blush. “Would it be cliche if I said since I fell in love?” Manaria mocks a gag, “Oh god you have turned into a sap. Stop before you cause your toy to explode.” She rolls her eyes and stuffs another piece of sushi in her mouth. Rae is… looking a bit uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, was that too much.” “Ahh, no, well, maybe. I don’t know. It’s not like I’m the interesting person here or anything…” Rae is not being fair to herself. “That’s not true.” “Well apparently you're royalty.” Rae remarks. “Distantly!” “Not me. I’m a princess.” Oh, Now you're proper royalty Manaria? “Manaria, you are not helping.” I say through gritted teeth. “I’m not any better or any more interesting than anyone else because of my birth. That includes you Rae.” Rae doesn’t look quite convinced however. What's wrong? “So when did you two meet?” Another question from Manaria. “Well… just a week…s before we started dating?” Rae grimaces, oh come now. Surely it wasn’t that bad? Surely? “I had seen her around for a bit before we talked the first time. We share a bunch of classes.” Rae is quick to try to control the topic. “Oh, so quickly? Such a fast pipeline. Can I ask what sparked this little flame?” Little? “Oh, well I always thought Claire-chan was… pretty…” Rae is trying so hard to not, but is blushing so much. “Rae is very wonderful and charming. It would be inconceivable to not fall for her.” Oh Rae is turning very bright. And staring at the table. Adorable. I wish this wasn't in front of Manaria though. “Okay, but like how did you get there? You don’t just, y’know, know that without something first.” “I…” I can’t say… what do I say? “She needed some help with tutoring.” Rae is quick to interject, she pulls her face back up trying her best to will down her previous blush. “She asked me for help, and then… um well…” “You’re dating your tutor?” Manaria gives me the side eye, her tone does not sound impressed. “She’s very charming.” “It’s a bad look Claire.” Is she judging… the nerve. “It’s not as if I… we started dating after the fact.” Manaria hums, “Still moving very fast. Do you feel it’s been moving too fast Rae? Claire does seem to be rather possessive of you.” “Well, she is a… a lot has happened.” “Hmmm, have you ever been with another woman before?” She's questioning Rae. Rae is on edge. “Well not really…” “She’s not pressuring you into-” “Manaria!” “No!” Rae shouts in unison with me. The nerve of her. “Look it’s been fast but I like her too okay? Like what are you even trying to get at?” Rae sounds genuinely frustrated. Manaria sighs, “ Fine , I’ll drop it. I don’t know what you two are being so defensive over.” An uneasy silence washes over the table, and Manaria decides to sample a few more rolls. I wish I could just cut through all the pretense and get to the root of whatever is going on with Manaria. And why is she trying to rile up Rae… it feels different than before but I can’t discern why. But this isn’t the same Manaria I have talked to before many times. She is couched in old self loathing again. She is blaming herself for whatever this scandal is… I’m skeptical. I know there is more that she isn’t saying, her relationship with Eve was always complicated. If they would talk then maybe things could move towards repair. But I can’t force Manaria to have the conversation can I. I try another different piece of sushi… oh that is worse , and harder to swallow isn't it?