12 RPM

Yup and Yum were identical twins and best friends, but that didn’t stop them from having a bit of a friendly rivalry when it came to boys. Yup was always the more outgoing and flirty of the two, while Yum tended to be more reserved and intellectual.

One day, the girls were hanging out with their friend Zack, who they had known for years. Yup had been secretly crushing on him for a while, but had never gotten up the nerve to tell him.

As they chatted and laughed, Yup couldn’t help but steal glances at Zack. She had never seen him look so handsome, with his dark hair and bright eyes.

Yum noticed her friend’s gaze and nudged her playfully. “What’s up, Yup? You look like you’re about to swoon.”

Yup blushed. “It’s nothing, just admiring Zack’s good looks.”

Zack looked over at the girls and grinned. “Hey, what are you two gossiping about over there?”

Yum rolled her eyes. “Nothing important, just making fun of Yup’s crush on you.”

Zack’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? I had no idea.”

Yup felt her cheeks grow even hotter. “Yeah, well, it’s not a big deal. I’m used to being rejected.”

Zack looked genuinely surprised. “Rejected? Why would you say that? You’re a catch, Yup.”

Yup smiled, putting her hands over her flushing cheeks. “Thanks, Zack. That means a lot coming from you.”

Yum watched the exchange with a smirk on her face. “Well, I hate to break it to you, Yup, but I’m pretty sure Zack has eyes for me.”

Zack looked at Yum in surprise. “Me? No way. I mean, you’re great and all, but I’ve always thought of you as more of a friend,” his backpedaling was his dire attempt at keeping his head above water.

Yum shrugged, not thrown off by the overreaction. “Hey, I’m not the one who’s been crushing on you for years.”

Yup rolled her eyes. “Okay, okay, let’s not get into a fight over this. Maybe we should just let Zack decide who he likes best.”

Zack looked a bit uncomfortable. “Uh, I don’t really think that’s necessary. I mean, we’re all friends here, right?”

Yum nodded. “Of course, Zack. We’re just teasing each other. But seriously, if you ever change your mind about me, you know where to find me.”

Yup and Zack burst out laughing, while Yum looked exasperated. “You two are hopeless.” But deep down, she couldn’t help feeling a bit jealous of Yup’s easy charm and effortless confidence with boys.

One day, she wanted to see how it was to be like her sister. She dressed up in pastel pink, replacing her black lipstick for something awfully preppy and bright. Looking in the mirror gave her waves of dysmorphia, so she avoided eye contact with herself entirely. She attempted her sister’s smile, but it felt so fake. Being her sister was going to be harder than she thought.

Did Zack notice? If he did, he made no mention. Maybe he was intimidated by one of the twins hanging out with him alone. Or… And this made Yum feel so much worse… It wasn’t unusual for Yup to hang out with him alone.

She kept the conversation surface-level. She didn’t really know how her sister pulled off so much inane chatter. Chit-chat was not her expertise, and it was beginning to show. The awkward pauses were so unlike Yup; her voice always fills the empty space with something quippy.

Finally, after a brutally awkward moment, he broke the silence, “I really do like you more as Yum…”

He may have been referring to the act she was putting on, but RPM did not take it that way. Her skin turned white, fire alighting her feminine silhouette as the clothes burned off. The red flames shifted to blue as they ran out of textile fuel, hovering inches off her body as RPM took a defensive stance.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Oh, so I’m just supposed to front with Yum because you like her more?” She moved closer, her body sending off waves of heat.

“Holy shit, no! I meant that Yum was trying to act like her sister!!!” His mind churned, finally realizing what this meant, “wait… front? You’re a system? But… There were two of you in the same place!”

RPM let herself drop down from her tippy toes, giving him a bit of space, “If the server allows bifurcation, yes, we can show up as separate individuals. Anyone can do it with enough concentration, but for systems with DID, it… feels natural.”

The fire died down; the words settling into RPM’s mind. Zack had a lot to think about, too.

RPM started the conversation after some time, “So, you really could tell us apart? Even when Yum was pretending?”

Zack nodded slowly. He hadn’t met this alter yet, so they might not know how far back he goes with the twins. Even if they dressed the same, he could tell the identical twins, the alters, apart by how they acted.

“Oh. Sorry,” RPM looked almost embarrassed, a pink blush spreading across her blank white cheeks, “I would say it’s unfortunate that we met this way… But this is almost always how I meet people. I’m the overprotective big sister, RPM,” She sticks out a hand. It indeed was hot to the touch, so Zack made sure not to shake it for too long.

“That’s an acronym for something?” He asks, interested to get to know this potential new friend.

“My full name, but I prefer the initials,” her response didn’t make fun of him for the question, which he appreciated after the immediate wave of embarrassment from the obvious answer.

“And your pronouns? I’m Zack, he/him,” he was thoroughly entranced by her literally flaming body, although the flames had died down to a mere simmer.

“She/it, thanks for asking,” She seemed to be a bit more comfortable around him. The bright white surface of her skin almost seemed like a bodysuit, slimming curves like a spandex leotard with full coverage. The shiny surface was like a mech, but without visible seams or joints.

“I truly appreciate you protecting the system,” Zack was familiar enough with DID to recognize the significance, “it makes me happy to think they have a big sister there for them, like yourself.”

Even her flames flushed pink this time, “if you can tell us apart by how we act, then you must be an incredible friend. I guess I’ve never had to yell at you, so I haven’t met you all this time. It seems like you must have quite some history with them.”

Zack chuckled, “aw, they don’t talk about me?” and almost immediately regretted it. Was that a bad thing to joke about? RPM didn’t seem as much for jokes as the other two.

“Yes, the alters sit in a circle and introduce themselves, saying Hi, I’m RPM and I have DID. Hi, RPM,” she drawled dryly, and to his shock, she cracks a smile.

He laughs with her, glad she’s loosening up. That scared him for a bit. She wipes a tear of laughter that fizzles out from her heat, “No, yeah, Yup speaks about you quite endlessly. Especially recently. But I won’t make up my mind until I make sure for myself. Sorry if I’m really critical of you. Overprotective,” She points at herself as a reminder.

“Fair enough. Either way, I’m glad to meet you. I hope we can get along,” He says, beginning to get nervous for her approval. This will be a new journey for him, but he’s glad that it was comfortable enough to confide in him.