NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 46. A Determined Catgirl
Lucy was happy for a while because Rina and Yara had turned their attention away from her and started to resolve their issues on their own. It was really stressful for Lucy to play the mediator between them, and not even her so-called experience from yuri dating sims seemed to help much, mainly because most of the love interests in those games were innocent schoolgirls, not like her situation, where she was dealing with two girls capable of acts of violence worthy of an R-rated movie.
But how could she continue to enjoy the peace when, right in front of her, an alliance was forming that aimed to suppress her freedom? This was something she couldn't ignore, so Lucy found herself forced to intervene, even though she knew she would once again be the center of attention and would likely not be able to withdraw until a compromise was reached between Rina and Yara.
"Tatakae, Lucy! Tatakae!", Lucy tried to muster her fighting spirit, determined that this time she wouldn't let herself be intimidated by Rina and Yara and would put them in their place.
"...Lucy, is something wrong?", Yara asked, slightly confused by the sideways glance Lucy was giving her. Why was she upset? Weren't things going in the right direction?
"Well, Yara, don't you think that instead of finding ways to keep me under control, it would be better to think of ways to make me happy? And specifically, what do you think I did that was so inappropriate? Was it because I teased you a bit during the fight? If that's it, I assure you I wouldn't have gone any further with a girl I wasn't in a relationship with, no matter how attractive I found her. As for what happened afterward, that was your fault, not mine..."
Even though Yara didn't entirely agree with Lucy, the fact that she herself had bent was the best proof that Lucy's actions were extremely provocative, she was smart enough not to contradict Lucy; as long as the cat wasn't yet in her arms, she had to tread carefully, or else the cat would run away.
"I’m sorry if I didn’t express myself clearly. I wasn’t criticizing your actions, but rather acknowledging that your natural coquetry makes it difficult for anyone to resist being swept away when they're around you..."
Remembering her interactions with her clone, Lucy couldn't say that Yara was exaggerating. The truth was, she was very tempting—sometimes just a single flutter of her eyelashes was enough to make someone feel provoked.
"Oh, yes... You're right. Seeing the two of you in front of me, who are extraordinarily beautiful, I forgot how attractive I am myself...", Lucy said with melancholy in her voice, not just because she was craving her own body, but also because she remembered how easily she could resolve misunderstandings with her clone, and how pleasant the process was.
Both Rina and Yara found Lucy's expression a bit odd, and they couldn't help but wonder if Lucy was suffering from a touch of narcissism; they looked very good themselves, but they never spoke about themselves with such fascination.
However, in Lucy's defense, Rina and Yara had their entire lives to get used to their bodies, not just less than a week like Lucy, and their minds hadn't been poisoned by countless manga filled with taboo subjects, including selfcest, as had happened to Lucy in her previous life. That being said, it can't be argued that Lucy was narcissistic—rather, her relationship with her body was a bit different from that of others, as she hadn't yet managed to see herself as a whole. In that sense, Lucy's situation was somewhat similar to that of the main character in the movie Avatar.
"Anyway, now that we've cleared this up, let's try to reach an agreement...", Lucy said, drawing Rina's and Yara's attention. "Tell me first, Rina, what do you think of Yara? Is it true that she's very attractive and very powerful?"
Being asked directly by Lucy what she thought of Yara, Rina could no longer evade the question. She didn’t want to lie to her lover.
"...Yes..." Rina said reluctantly, avoiding looking in Yara's direction so she wouldn't see her triumphant smile.
"So, don't you think we should be proud of ourselves that someone like Yara is courting us? Probably anyone, whether man or woman, would give half their life to be in our place...", Lucy began to persuade Rina not to see Yara as an obstacle but as a prize, a kind of proof of her own excellence. "Honestly, if Yara hadn't proposed to become our girlfriend, I wouldn't have even considered the possibility of her joining us because I've never doubted for a moment that you're enough for me. Not only are you incredibly beautiful with an amazing body, but you also have an extremely warm personality that makes me feel like part of a family when I'm around you. Even when you get angry, I don't find you cold; instead, I think you're incredibly cute..." Lucy continued to soften Rina, showing her how much she appreciated her. "But now that I've heard Yara's proposal, I don't think it would be a bad thing if the three of us were in a relationship because I believe we'd look great together. Yes, people will probably be jealous of us because we'll have not one but two amazing girlfriends. And what about Yara if we refuse her? Could she really find two better girlfriends who could make her happier than we could? I think the chances are very slim, if not nonexistent, so I can't help but feel guilty if we don't accept her, cutting off her chance to find true happiness...", Lucy finished sharing her opinion, making the acceptance of Yara seem like an act of spreading goodness and beauty in the world.
".........", Both Rina and Yara were left speechless, as Lucy's ability to change the perspective from which things were viewed was more than they could manage. How could they hope to control Lucy if they joined forces? When Lucy was motivated enough, probably not even four people could suppress her in a discussion.
"...So, are you saying that the main reason you're okay with Yara joining us isn't because you want to mate with her?", Rina thought to bring up the thing that was obvious to everyone, a bit irritated that Lucy was trying to pose as a saint when it was clear she had impure thoughts.
Lucy wanted to say yes, to maintain the effect of her speech, but she was aware that she would seem hypocritical if she denied having the desire to get Yara into bed at that moment.
"Well, even you admitted that she's very attractive... Tell me, Rina, what would you do if a delicious cake appeared in front of you? Wouldn't you be tempted to eat it?", Lucy decided to explain the situation to Rina in terms she was sure she would understand.
"Oh, so she's like a cake to you? Then what would you compare me to?", Rina asked, not necessarily out of jealousy, but more to put Lucy in a difficult position. She didn't want Lucy to start thinking she was someone easily influenced; otherwise, she wouldn't be taken seriously in the future.
"Uhh... still a cake, but with different ingredients...", Lucy tried to give an answer that wouldn't upset anyone. She didn't want to start another fight between Rina and Yara, this time to determine who was sexier.
'Though if I think about it, maybe such a competition could be quite an interesting experience. We could have something like a Wet T-shirt contest...', Lucy thought to herself, as the possibility of seeing Rina and Yara in thin, transparent clothes soaked with moisture was a nice consolation prize in case she couldn't maintain peace.
"Oh... then I guess it’s fine...", Rina said, surprising Lucy by not continuing the discussion about cakes as she had expected. Lucy had been mentally prepared for questions like, "Which one is better?" or "Which one do you want to eat first?".
"Umm, what's fine?", Lucy didn't quite understand what Rina was referring to.
"That you get to enjoy both cakes...", Rina clarified. Although she had initially intended to tease Lucy a little more, she changed her mind after seeing how Lucy was trying again not to hurt her feelings. Rina was quite confident that even if Yara joined them, Lucy wouldn't make her feel left out.
Even though the cake metaphor originated from Lucy, it took her a few moments to fully grasp the meaning behind Rina's words, her mind racing with possibilities.
"...Seriously, Rina? So you're okay with Yara...", Lucy still hesitated to finish the question, fearing that maybe Rina wasn't suggesting she was ready to accept Yara joining them; perhaps she was just talking about two literal cakes.
"Yes, I'm okay with her entering a relationship with us...", Rina confirmed, slightly amused by Lucy's cautiousness. She didn't think Lucy was the type to be intimidated by success.
"Yay! I knew Rina wanted to make me the happiest catgirl in the world!", Lucy jumped into Rina's arms, and in her excitement, she captured Rina's lips in a kiss, not minding that they were salty from the crackers Rina had been eating.
"Did you hear that, Yara? Come join us too!", Lucy then beckoned Yara to join them for a group hug.
"Okay! I'm very happy you accepted me!", Yara approached them with a big smile and wrapped her arms around both of them. "Do you think I could get a kiss from each of you too?", she asked after a few moments, wanting to be treated equally from that moment on.
"I don't see why not...", Lucy replied a bit dizzy, unable to stop herself from swallowing nervously a few times as she caught sight of Yara's voluptuous lips, now just centimeters away from hers.
