Help! I'm asexual and trapped in a dating sim!

Chapter Twelve

"So anyways, what did you guys get?" I asked.
"What do you mean?" Garnet queried.
"For your familiar," I explained. "What did you get?"
Garnet grimaced, and pulled out a small clam from the folds of her dress. "This clam. I know why, but it's not exactly the most powerful or engaging familiar."
I wanted to know more, but she seemed unwilling to expand so I left it.
"What about you, Caleb?"
He grinned, and from his hair leapt a tiny kitten made from flame. "My pet flame cat from home, Sparky. She's flaming."
Yes, I could see.
"Felix?"
He reached into his pocket, glancing nervously at Sparky.
"Barley. He's a harvest mouse."
He brought out the cutest bundle of fur.
"Aw, he's adorable!"
"Right?" Felix said, beaming at me through his hair. "He's the cutest."
Barley squeaked, his tiny, pink nose snuffling at the air.
"What about you, Ryan?"
The beastman shrugged. "I got a stoat. Don't know where she's at, though."
"I got a miniature horse," Meg chimed in from across the circle. I turned to the faun.
"Yeah? Let's see!"
From across the courtyard trotted a tiny horse. Like, not Shetland pony size. I'm talking smaller than Lord Edric.
"Oh my god, I want one."
"I think everyone does," Caleb chuckled.
There was silence for a few moments, and then I turned to Garnet.
"So what do we have to do now?"
The sea nymph flopped back onto the grass. "Nothing."
I blinked. "Nothing?"
"Nope," she confirmed, popping the p. "We're all done for the day. You've got all your books and uniform, found your room, and summoned your familiar."
I glanced at the sky. I was no expert, but the sun was high overhead, and considering we'd just had lunch I was pretty sure that it was about midday.
"That seems like a bit of a waste of a day, doesn't it?"
"Well, for us scholarship students, sure it is. But the nobles are still holding their trials, so that's expected to take the rest of the day. At least."
"So... What?" Felix asked. "We're just meant to hang around here?"
"I mean," Caleb cut in. "If you have something better to do, then go ahead. I'm not going to stop you."
He edged closer, until his leg pressed against mine. I moved away an inch or two, and he followed.
"In fact," he continued, as if we weren't shuffling sideways. "I'll even encourage you! Go ahead."
His voice dropped to a mutter. "Or even better, go away."
Slightly intimidated by the menacing whispering, I shuffled away again, until I crashed into something. I yelped in shock, turning to see Ryan. Well, more accurately, Ryan's eyes. Our faces were a little too close for comfort. In fact, we were a little too close for comfort in general, considering I was practically sitting on his lap.
"Oh, sorry, Ry," I said cheerfully, sliding off him. Unfortunately, during the time I'd been on top of Ryan, Caleb had scootched even closer. I chuckled awkwardly, crushing myself into the small space between them.
Ryan stared at the place where my thigh touched his for a moment, before snapping out of it and shooting me a disgusted look and budging away.
"Thanks, Ry!" I said, moving a little further from Caleb into the space made. Caleb followed me, and I resigned myself to the fact that he was going to sit right next to me, no matter what. Perhaps it was something to do with his race. Maybe ifrits liked heat? Well, obviously they did-- it would be strange if a fire spirit didn't-- but, like, body heat. Though I'd noticed that I ran a little cooler than most. Elf blood, at a guess.
"Not the reason I moved," Ryan muttered.
"Still," I replied. "Cheers, mate."
"Mate?" Ryan asked, his voice rising to a squeak. His eyebrows rose with it, so far that I thought they'd fly off his forehead. "I'm not your mate! I'm not! I don't have or want a mate!"
I blinked. "No, I meant like friend. You know, your mates?"
"Mates?" Ryan squeaked, leaping to his feet while missing the point. "As in plural?!"
"You're misunderstanding me, Ry. I don't mean mate, like soulmate. I mean friend. It's what we say in Amer- In the deep forest."
"Oh." Ryan said, relaxing back into the grass. "That's alright, then."
He glanced around at everyone watching him, and blushed as his ears flattened back against his head in embarrassment.
"You're so cute," I said affectionately, unable to resist ruffling his hair.
"No I'm not! I'm menacing!"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," he huffed. "Idiot. I'm a wolverine. We're the most terrifying beastmen."
"If you say so."
"What's that meant to mean, you halfwit?"
"Why are you always so mean to me?" I whined, pouting. I had meant it as a joke, but Caleb seemed to take it seriously.
"Don't be mean to him, Ryan."
"Nah, I'm just joking," I said easily, but Ryan was already glaring. Surprisingly enough, not at me.
"Really, Caleb? You'd value someone you met only a few hours ago over years of friendship? No matter how beautiful his piercing grey eyes are, or how regal his indigo hair makes him look when it falls over his forehead, or how desperately you want to run your hands up his perfect cheekbones and along the points of his ears and-"
Ryan cut himself off, and Caleb scowled. "Sure I would, Ryan. Because I'm not scared to admit it when I find my mate."
They were glaring so hard that I could practically see the sparks shooting between them.
"Aw, you're both my mates!" I said, slinging an arm around their shoulders and pulling them closer. "We all are, aren't we?"
I couldn't help smiling, wide enough that I squinted. "We're all friends."
We're not.
"Yeah, well, I wasn't talking to you. You're my familiar, so we're more than friends."
Ew.
"Oh god, not in that way!"
You really need to watch your words, especially when you're flirting with these guys.
"I've already told you that I don't flirt!"
The rabbit snickered.
"What? What is it?"
Well, you remember how I told you how the translation skill works on non-human beings?
"Yes."
Well, the gesture for flirt is... a little suggestive.
I groaned. "Stop! Is that all you think of?"
I am a rabbit, Lord Edric said.
"Ew."
"Why do you keep making those strange squeaking noises?" Meg asked curiously. I looked at Edric.
"Why am I making squeaking noises? I thought you said that it translated in your head!"
Yeah, it does. But you still see me talking to you via body language, don't you? It would be creepy otherwise. The skill is fluid and adaptable, but it is tongues, not some form of mental communication or body control. You're speaking the language of rabbits, and it's translating it for me into something legible.
"That makes zero sense."
Yup. I'll be honest, I think it was that the goddess wanted to have some fun, and she thinks it's funny for you to squeak like a bunny.
Ah. That seems a lot more plausible. I glanced up to the sky. Was she watching me right then?
I suddenly realised that I'd ignored Meg's question.
"Ah, sorry Meg. That's my skill-- I can speak any language."
"You can?" she asked, leaning towards me, a fire lighting in her eyes. "Can you speak Faun?"
"Probably?" I said, with a shrug. "I don't know, because I haven't tested the limits yet, but I don't see why not."
She squealed excitedly. "You can! You're doing it right now!"
I glanced around to see the rest of the group watching us with confusion in their eyes. I chuckled awkwardly. "Just... Testing my skill."
"I can't believe this," Meg said, shaking her head. Her ears flapped wildly. "Someone else who can speak Faun."
She looked as if she were about to cry.
"Hey, are you alright?" I asked, leaning towards her. The sound of Faun set her off, so I hurriedly crawled towards her and pulled her into a hug.
"Hey now. What's the matter?"
"I just..." she sniffled. "It's nothing. I haven't heard it in such a long time, that's all."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"No," she said, looking up at me with tear-filled eyes. "It's fine. I'm being silly."
"Okay." I petted her head, feeling two jagged nubs of bone where I imagined horns should have been. I was itching to know more, but if she didn't want to talk about it then I wouldn't make her.
"Hey, Lee!"
I froze. Oh no. Please.
My head turned almost robotically, and I felt my face fall at the sight that met me.
"Hi, Kitty."
A head of blonde hair bobbed up behind her. "Wassup, Lee?"
"Hey, Karie!
The mermaid collapsed into the grass, while Kitty bounced up to me, latching onto my arm again.
"Hi Lee! Can you believe that we're really here? I can't! I've been waiting for years to summon my familiar, and I finally have! Look, it's my cat from home, Annie!"
She brought out a fuzzy ball of orange.
"It's a hard nut life," I said, nodding sympathetically before giggling to myself.
"Hm? I don't get it."
"Don't worry. I didn't expect you to."
I sat back on my haunches, turning back to Meg. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," she said, giving me a smile.
Kitty was oblivious. "So what familiar did you get, Lee?"
"Oh, I got a rabbit."
"That sounds perfect for you!"
"He is definitely not perfect for me."
I looked around. "Lord Edric? Where are you?"
'm over here.
I looked over to see him stretched out on his back, eyes closed in bliss as Karie idly rubbed his stomach.
That's right, baby. Tickle that tummy.
"Oh my god, you're so disgusting."
I snatched him away, holding him around the ribcage.
"Don't do that," I told Karie. "He's a pervert."
She shrugged, rolling onto her back and pulling what looked like a small sloth from somewhere in her dress. Her familiar, at a guess. It fitted her.
Tucking Edric under my arm, I sat back down between Caleb and Ryan. "What do we do now, then?"
Garnet looked thoughtful. "Why don't we go to watch the trials?"
I perked up. "We can do that?"
"Yeah, sure."
That would give me the perfect opportunity to see what kind of skills and magic were common in this world.
"Then what are we waiting for?!" I jumped to my feet. "Let's go!"