NewEden/Jobrrr-Ao3-Wata-Oshi-Fan-fiction-files

text stringlengths 0 1.06k

Pepi does not look convinced.

This is getting frustrating. “Maybe I just fell in love.”

The girls fall silent. I…should not have said that, as true as it might feel to me. But maybe I can make it work for this version of me, a princess awoken from slumber by true love. I might be able to weave a convincing enough tale. I hope.

“But Claire-chan, weren’t you already…interested in Bauer-san?” Loretta voices her confusion, face scrunching as she puzzles it out.

Thane again…I have to be careful to not roll my eyes. “No, not really. Bauer-san is a lovely gentleman, but now that I have truly fallen for someone else what I felt for him simply does not compare.”

“Who?”both girls ask in unison. Loretta looks upset, while Pepi just looks suspicious.

“If I tell you girls, I need you to know that I can’t stress the confidentiality of it enough. I trust you, but I need you to understand that.” Loretta just eagerly nods, and Pepi is apprehensive. “Please, Pepi-chan. I might need your help.”

She relaxes a bit and sighs. “Fine, Claire-chan, we won’t tell anyone.”

“Thank you. I have already told her about my feelings, but it’s been rather sudden for—”

“HER!” Loretta chokes and looks completely shattered and upset. I can’t help but think of when I would tell the twins they weren’t getting a dessert.

“No…” Pepi says quietly the realization dawning on her face. How am I already losing control of this?

“Yes, and I am trying to not—”

“Oh. My. God. Are you trolling that otaku?”—Trolling?—“It all makes sense now. Why didn’t I see it before? Of course , Claire-chan. We will help you with whatever you need. What are you going to do to her?” Oh no, not this again.

“HER!” Loretta chokes out again, now realizing who Pepi means. “Why her?” She sounds like she is about to cry. I don’t understand why she is so upset.

“Good question, why her and not someone else…” Pepi mumbles while looking between the two of us, completely unamused. What is she talking about? There must be something I am missing. She shakes her head, “No, Loretta-chan, she is going to dunk on that Otaku.” More slang, but given the tone I don’t think I need an explanation.

“Oh!” Loretta perks up instantly. “What are we going to do to her?”

There is a dangerous energy building between the girls. “Girls—”

“I bet she’s going to reject her in front of the entire class!”

“That'll teach her for staring like a creep all the time!!”

“I bet it’ill make her cry! She might even stop coming to classes, which would totally serve that les—”

“STOP!”

Both of them freeze.

“I am being sincere. I am not bullying her!”

Loretta and Pepi slowly turn to face me.

Silence hangs over the table. It seems the very idea that I might be interested in Rae has rendered them speechless. Was this Claire truly so callous? Would I have gone down such a path If I never found Rae?

“I love her.”

Loretta is the first to act. She looks like she is about to cry, or worse. Heavens, why is she so upset over this? “I don’t understand…” She mutters.

“Who are you?” Pepi asks, finally recovering. Her tone carries worry and suspicion.

“I don’t know, I changed. I woke up.” I sound more confrontational than I mean to.

Loretta looks confused. Pepi’s suspicion does not ebb away.

I sigh.

“Look, you two knew I wasn’t happy, right? Be honest. I was insecure, miserable and burdened with expectations. I was wrong about who I thought I wanted to be, and I understand that better now. After meeting Rae everything just makes sense. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life living up to the flawed idea I had when I was a kid of who I was supposed to be. I want to be better and I know I can be when I’m with her.”

“But…just last week you were…” Pepi is at a loss for words.

“I’m not that person anymore. I had a breakthrough.” It’s not a lie, but that breakthrough did happen a lifetime ago.

“People don’t just change so suddenly…this is insane.” I can’t blame Pepi for her hesitation. Any way I spin this, I am going to seem dramatically different.

“Yeah, last week all you were talking about was Bauer-san, and you tried so hard to be alone with him at that mixer.” Even Loretta is resistant to the idea.

“Would it make it easier if I said something fanciful, like I woke up with memories of a past life? I figured my shit out.” I hate the casual swearing, even if it hardly seems taboo here, but I have to do something to help sell my point. I am skirting dangerously close to the truth, but hopefully the outlandish notion makes this truth easier to swallow.

Pepi laughs. Thank God, at least that is a good start. “Fine, you don’t have to make up some anime crap.” Anime? That sounds familiar for some reason. Oh, Rae mentioned it, of course. Pepi finally relaxes a little bit. She’s not completely back to normal but it's a start.

I reach across the table and grab both of their hands. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but I don’t want to pretend that I am someone I am not, now that I understand who I really am. You're still my friends, and I don’t want that to change.”

Loretta blushes and smiles warmly, and Pepi smiles too. “ Fine , but I’m still going to be judgey about your taste in…well, women. Never thought you would be…” Pepi trails off, uncomfortable saying the word.

She wants to say gay, I can hear it. But I’m not, and if it wasn’t for Rae being worried I would be happy to announce my identity to everyone. “Queer. I’m bi.”

“I would have never guessed. I've never met someone…queer before.” Loretta says quietly.

Pepi’s attention snaps to Loretta with a painful grimace. She is clearly unimpressed with what Loretta just said. And it is a rather silly thing to say considering what I know about the two of them. “But aren’t the two of you…?”

“... Huh?” Loretta responds, tilting her head quizzically. Oh my goodness, she has no idea.

Oh no! Have I just—

Thwack! I feel a swift strike to my shin and it’s all I can do not to yelp in pain. Pepi shoots me a murderous stare. Loretta still looks lost, searching between the of us for an answer but coming up empty.

I rub my shin under the table. “Sorry, I must have kicked the table leg, please don’t worry about it, Loretta-chan.” I turn back to Pepi. I hope she can forgive me, it never even occurred to me that they wouldn’t be together. Oh, she is upset with me.

At least Loretta has moved on. “Are you okay, Claire-chan?”

“Yeah, Claire-chan. Are you okay ? How about the two of us go to the restroom and make sure you didn’t bruise yourself too badly.” Pepi rises from her seat and all but drags me away from the table.

Once we pass out of view she turns to me with a scowl. “What the hell!”

Pepi does not look convinced.

This is getting frustrating. “Maybe I just fell in love.”

The girls fall silent. I…should not have said that, as true as it might feel to me. But maybe I can make it work for this version of me, a princess awoken from slumber by true love. I might be able to weave a convincing enough tale. I hope.

“But Claire-chan, weren’t you already…interested in Bauer-san?” Loretta voices her confusion, face scrunching as she puzzles it out.

Thane again…I have to be careful to not roll my eyes. “No, not really. Bauer-san is a lovely gentleman, but now that I have truly fallen for someone else what I felt for him simply does not compare.”

“Who?”both girls ask in unison. Loretta looks upset, while Pepi just looks suspicious.

“If I tell you girls, I need you to know that I can’t stress the confidentiality of it enough. I trust you, but I need you to understand that.” Loretta just eagerly nods, and Pepi is apprehensive. “Please, Pepi-chan. I might need your help.”

She relaxes a bit and sighs. “Fine, Claire-chan, we won’t tell anyone.”

“Thank you. I have already told her about my feelings, but it’s been rather sudden for—”

“HER!” Loretta chokes and looks completely shattered and upset. I can’t help but think of when I would tell the twins they weren’t getting a dessert.

“No…” Pepi says quietly the realization dawning on her face. How am I already losing control of this?

“Yes, and I am trying to not—”

“Oh. My. God. Are you trolling that otaku?”—Trolling?—“It all makes sense now. Why didn’t I see it before? Of course , Claire-chan. We will help you with whatever you need. What are you going to do to her?” Oh no, not this again.

“HER!” Loretta chokes out again, now realizing who Pepi means. “Why her?” She sounds like she is about to cry. I don’t understand why she is so upset.

“Good question, why her and not someone else…” Pepi mumbles while looking between the two of us, completely unamused. What is she talking about? There must be something I am missing. She shakes her head, “No, Loretta-chan, she is going to dunk on that Otaku.” More slang, but given the tone I don’t think I need an explanation.

“Oh!” Loretta perks up instantly. “What are we going to do to her?”

There is a dangerous energy building between the girls. “Girls—”

“I bet she’s going to reject her in front of the entire class!”

“That'll teach her for staring like a creep all the time!!”

“I bet it’ill make her cry! She might even stop coming to classes, which would totally serve that les—”

“STOP!”

Both of them freeze.

“I am being sincere. I am not bullying her!”

Loretta and Pepi slowly turn to face me.

Silence hangs over the table. It seems the very idea that I might be interested in Rae has rendered them speechless. Was this Claire truly so callous? Would I have gone down such a path If I never found Rae?

“I love her.”

Loretta is the first to act. She looks like she is about to cry, or worse. Heavens, why is she so upset over this? “I don’t understand…” She mutters.

“Who are you?” Pepi asks, finally recovering. Her tone carries worry and suspicion.

“I don’t know, I changed. I woke up.” I sound more confrontational than I mean to.

Loretta looks confused. Pepi’s suspicion does not ebb away.

I sigh.

“Look, you two knew I wasn’t happy, right? Be honest. I was insecure, miserable and burdened with expectations. I was wrong about who I thought I wanted to be, and I understand that better now. After meeting Rae everything just makes sense. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life living up to the flawed idea I had when I was a kid of who I was supposed to be. I want to be better and I know I can be when I’m with her.”

“But…just last week you were…” Pepi is at a loss for words.

“I’m not that person anymore. I had a breakthrough.” It’s not a lie, but that breakthrough did happen a lifetime ago.

“People don’t just change so suddenly…this is insane.” I can’t blame Pepi for her hesitation. Any way I spin this, I am going to seem dramatically different.

“Yeah, last week all you were talking about was Bauer-san, and you tried so hard to be alone with him at that mixer.” Even Loretta is resistant to the idea.

“Would it make it easier if I said something fanciful, like I woke up with memories of a past life? I figured my shit out.” I hate the casual swearing, even if it hardly seems taboo here, but I have to do something to help sell my point. I am skirting dangerously close to the truth, but hopefully the outlandish notion makes this truth easier to swallow.

Pepi laughs. Thank God, at least that is a good start. “Fine, you don’t have to make up some anime crap.” Anime? That sounds familiar for some reason. Oh, Rae mentioned it, of course. Pepi finally relaxes a little bit. She’s not completely back to normal but it's a start.

I reach across the table and grab both of their hands. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but I don’t want to pretend that I am someone I am not, now that I understand who I really am. You're still my friends, and I don’t want that to change.”

Loretta blushes and smiles warmly, and Pepi smiles too. “ Fine , but I’m still going to be judgey about your taste in…well, women. Never thought you would be…” Pepi trails off, uncomfortable saying the word.

She wants to say gay, I can hear it. But I’m not, and if it wasn’t for Rae being worried I would be happy to announce my identity to everyone. “Queer. I’m bi.”

“I would have never guessed. I've never met someone…queer before.” Loretta says quietly.

Pepi’s attention snaps to Loretta with a painful grimace. She is clearly unimpressed with what Loretta just said. And it is a rather silly thing to say considering what I know about the two of them. “But aren’t the two of you…?”

“... Huh?” Loretta responds, tilting her head quizzically. Oh my goodness, she has no idea.

Oh no! Have I just—

Thwack! I feel a swift strike to my shin and it’s all I can do not to yelp in pain. Pepi shoots me a murderous stare. Loretta still looks lost, searching between the of us for an answer but coming up empty.

I rub my shin under the table. “Sorry, I must have kicked the table leg, please don’t worry about it, Loretta-chan.” I turn back to Pepi. I hope she can forgive me, it never even occurred to me that they wouldn’t be together. Oh, she is upset with me.

At least Loretta has moved on. “Are you okay, Claire-chan?”

“Yeah, Claire-chan. Are you okay ? How about the two of us go to the restroom and make sure you didn’t bruise yourself too badly.” Pepi rises from her seat and all but drags me away from the table.

Once we pass out of view she turns to me with a scowl. “What the hell!”