Chapter Text
~FAN POV~
Pronouns. Gender. What does it all mean? I have had this question for as long as I can remember.
Hi! I'm Fan! If you couldn't tell, I'm, well, a fan. A Chinese paper hand fan, to be exact!
I was born as a boy and use he/him pronouns. But... Do I really want to be a boy?
I've thought about it for a while now, and... Well, it's all really confusing. So I've asked Test Tube to help me! She said that she's free today and can help me solve my problem.
I went downstairs in Hotel OJ for breakfast, ordering pancakes like I usually do. They're my favourite!
After getting my food, I sat at the Bright Lights table. Yin Yang, Paintbrush and Test Tube were already there, so I sat on my (yes, MY) spinny chair.
OJ and Paper kept bugging me about it, telling me that I should let them fix it, but I love to spin on it during mealtimes! Lightbulb broke her chair on purpose just to make it spin too.
As I ate, more people came downstairs until the whole cafeteria was full. At the table, everyone had arrived, apart from Tissues. Apparently he needs 2 hours more sleep than your average object just because of his 'cOndIshAwn'. I really wanna learn more about that...
Test Tube was sitting next to me, eating her usual fruit for breakfast. I've asked her soo many times why she would order fruit, of all things, but it was always the same response. 'Fruit is healthy.' Genuinely, who cares about being healthy?
Anyway, Lightbulb was happily devouring her egg, and Paintbrush was slowly eating their bacon. They were definitely crushing on each other! It was so obvious.
After breakfast, Test Tube came into my room.
"Soo... How does this work?" I asked her.
All she had brought was her notebook and pencil.
"Well, it's quite simple really. What gender do you feel like you are, first of all? A boy? A girl? Something else?"
I thought for a second.
"I dunno..."
Test Tube came up and sat next to me, on my bed.
"That's fine. It can take a while for some people to decide. What about pronouns?"
"I'm still unsure, Test Tube."
She wrote something down. I tried to take a peak, but she angled it away from me.
"If you're indecisive for now, you can call me later when you're ready to tell me."
She smiled then stood up and left my room.
Sigh... I guess I still had a lot to think about. Well, when it comes to my friends, Lightbulb was a pansexual transfem, Paintbrush was non binary and Test Tube was an omni girl with more of a liking to girls. But what about me..?
Well... Digging deep, I feel much more feminine than masculine. Why was I born a boy, in fact..? I'd much rather be a girl!
~TEST TUBE POV~
I walked off to my room. I couldn't believe Fan had tried to take a peek at my notes! No one gets to see my notes except for me.
Anywho, after arriving at my room I copied up my notes to my much bigger computer, then sat on my bed. Hmm, what should I do now?.. Maybe I should check up on my (not so) secret lab?
I went outside to the vending machine and put in the code. Maybe I should change it... Practically everyone knows it by now! It was literally found out on accident.
After landing in my lab, I put on my lab coat. What experiment shall I do today? Maybe a simple test of what food has the most energy in it, to see which brand of crisps are healthier... Fan keeps bugging me about eating fruit for breakfast every day. Doesn't he care about being healthy?
I got out my Bunsen Burner, and opened up two emergency packs of crisps from my actually secret pantry. I just hope Lightbulb doesn't get into there.
I turned on the gas and got a small Needle, then held one of the crisps above the flame. It burnt in about... 15 seconds. But once I burnt the second crisp brand, it burnt in 30 seconds! Exactly double the first result! Interesting...
After finishing my mini experiment I packed everything up and noticed that I had a message from Fan. After reading it I took off my lab coat and rushed back to Hotel OJ as fast as I could.
~FAN POV~
After alerting Test Tube, I lay in my bed and stared at the ceiling, waiting for her return.
Not even up to five minutes after I sent the message, she rushed into my room, panting.
"Fan, I came here as soon as I got your message!"
Test Tube sat next to me again.
"So, have you thought about it some more?"
I took a deep breath.
"I have, and... I wanna be a girl."
"Okay. And - this part could help - using percentages, how 'much' of a girl do you feel like?"
It took me a while to understand Test Tube's question. But eventually, I got it. And she was right, it did help.
"Umm... Maybe.... 75%?"
She wrote something down. Again, I tried to take a peek, but she angled it away from me once more.
"No, Fan, no peeks!"
I hmphed childishly.
"Anyway, you said 75%? So based off of that, what do you want your pronouns to be?"
I thought, and thought, and thought.
"Probably just she/any."
She nodded.
"Alrighty, Fan. So you're trans? Golly gee willikers! Congrats!"
I blushed slightly.
"Thanks... (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)"
Test Tube was helping me prepare to tell the others. First, just Paintbrush and Lightbulb, then all the Bright Lights, then everyone else on the Grand Slams and the people who aren't competing.
I was soo nervous! I know Paintbrush and Lightbulb were my friends, but still...
"Fan, you don't need to worry," she said, as if reading my mind.
"You've already told me, and telling people other than me isn't that different."
"Yes it is..." I whispered under my breath.
"Pardon?"
"N-nothing!! (⊙_◎)"
I could already hear Paintbrush and Lightbulb on the other side of the door.
"Ready?"
Test Tube held my hand, which made me relax a little.
"Yeah, I guess I am..."
She knocked on the door. Their conversation stopped, and Paintbrush opened it.
"Yes? ರ╭╮ರ" They said. I could tell they were slightly annoyed at our interruption.
Test Tube beckoned me in.
"Fan has something to tell you two."
I took a very, very deep breath. Come on, just say it now and get it over with...
"I'MTRANSAHHTHEREISAIDIT (╥﹏╥)"
There was a slight pause.
Then Lightbulb rushed up to hug me.
"You are?? Congratss! Just like me!! (≧▽≦)"
I hugged her back.
"Oh, you're trans (☉｡☉)!" Paintbrush said with a small smile.
"Well, are you gonna come in?"
"(ﾉ´･ω･)ﾉ ﾐ ┻━┻" -[REDACTED]