“So you are a reincarnator?” Kirby asks in wonder.

“Yup. You’re actually the first person I’ve told. I figured it would’ve been a matter of time with how close you were,” I tell her.

“What? Hey, hey!” Ava pouts. “How come you never told me?”

“Sorry, I just didn’t really want the extra attention,” I answer. “If I brought it up myself, people might think I’m just doing it for the attention, or even making it up.”

Come to think of it, I should tell my family. It probably wouldn’t surprise them since I haven’t bothered acting my physical age.

“I read all kinds of stories in my old world about reincarnators in different worlds, and they almost always end up at the center of some sort of revolution. Knowing that, I kept quiet about my memories. I just wanted to have a normal childhood,” I explain.

“So now that people know, does your plan change?” Kirby asks.

“Not really. I’ll tell my family tonight, but other than that, I’ll just keep living my life,” I say. “I probably will cause some change eventually, I guess, since I want to research magic, but that’s a while off still.”

“Why magic?” Kirby says. “Did your world not have any, like in the stories?”

“Yeah, actually,” I answer. “If all the accounts are of the same world, I’m probably from there. Plus, I want to see what I could do with my extra knowledge. After all, knowledge is important to innovation. What about you guys, though?”

“Oh, oh! My turn!” Ava starts. “I wanna get married three times, have a kid, and explore the world!”

I blink once, then a second time. “What do you mean, ‘get married three times?’”

“A husband and two wives, of course! Mom told me there’s nothing quite like sharing your man with the women you love,” Ava explains with a dreamy expression.

“Honestly, Lily,” Kirby says. “Did you somehow just forget about polyamory? I get that lamiae tend toward monogamy, but seriously. I mean, Ava has, what, how many moms?”

“Three!” Ava supplies. “I have Mom, and then Mamalissa and Mama Teresa. They’re all awesome.”

“Sorry, it’s just that polyamory was frowned upon for the most part in my old world. They’d hate Monster Girl society, actually,” I tell them. “Wait, did you say Mamalissa? Like, all one word?”

“Yep, yep! What, is something wrong with that?” Ava innocently replies.

“No, it’s cute,” I say with a soft smile.

“Aww, thank you!” Ava says, before turning to Kirby and stage-whispering, “She thinks I’m cute!”

Kirby gives a soft laugh and turns to me. “Better be careful with your compliments, otherwise she might want to marr—”

At that moment, the bell rings, forcing our attention back to our half-eaten lunches. Ava stuffs the rest of her ham in her mouth, while I take the more reasonable approach of taking a very large bite out of the flank of my second rabbit.

“Well, see you guys tomorrow then,” says Kirby while picking up her backpack. Ava and I pick up our own bookbags, and we all head back out into the hall.

It’s rather slow going to get to our Penmanship class, since I want to be careful about not tripping anyone with my tail. The three of us chat about our previous classes as we make our way there, and we arrive after a few minutes.

“Well, this is awkward, after I said goodbye and everything,” Kirby says.

“No, no, this is great! It means we get to hang out for, like, two and a half hours every day!” Ava celebrates.

We go inside and pick out a trio of seats near each other, and watch as the other students with nonhuman hands trickled in. It seems to mostly be harpies, but there are also a couple of werecats, some lizardmen, and even a hellhound in the class.

The class goes by without incident, excluding Ava complaining about how she isn’t allowed to hold the pen with her foot. We say our goodbyes at the door of the classroom, and I head off to my Math class.

This’ll be a breeze with what I know, I think. Unfortunately, it’s a required course.

I go through math class paying little attention, except for when the assignment is handed out; instead spending the time reminiscing on my conversation with my friends.

Yeah, I should tell my family tonight.

Another class ends, and I proceed to Lamia P.E. 

Alas, even in another world, physical education is a required course. I take a deep breath, my way of looking around the room. About a dozen of us. One Medusa, no Echidnas, but it seems like I’m the only Basilisk here. Can’t tell how many of the rest are Shirohebi, though.

Class once again passes quickly, with us doing some physical tests to measure our current strength and speed, and then we’re done, and school is over. I make my way to the front gates, joining my friends along the way. We chat some more as we continue, until we finally make it out of the building.

Waiting for me, just outside the gates, is my nervous mess of a mother.