Rising Shards

Lillia had hoped to have a nice evening out with Ko, but there was an immediate issue. The restaurant they’d chosen was beyond packed. There was an opening for two seats at a table, but Lillia and Ko found themselves in a stare down with some fellow classmates. Across from them stood Iris and Maia. Both groups were close enough to the seats that no one else would claim them.

”I’m just gonna come out and say it,” Iris said, breaking the silent battle. ”We saw the seats first, we should get them.”

”You can’t prove you saw them first,” Ko said. ”My reflexes are way better than both of yours combined, so it was probably me who did...see, uh, see them first.”

”Have you seen Maia when she’s off her gourd on catnip? She’s way faster than anyone in this whole freaking food establishment.” Iris held her hand out for Maia to high five, but Maia declined. Her ears were back, and her tail flicked around. ”Oh, now you really messed up. You might as well just give us the seat.”

”Nah, we’re not doing that,” Ko said. ”In fact...” She took a step forward, but stopped immediately at the threatening low growl coming from Maia.

”When she gets like this, she’s pretty much unstoppable,” Iris said, talking about Maia as if she was a mad scientist and her best friend was her murderous creation. ”She won’t strike if you don’t get any closer, but watch out.”

The family seated closest to Iris and Maia scooted as far as they could into their booth.

Lillia was content to let Ko handle the opening statements in this debate, but with things quickly escalating, she decided to take on the next round. She could attempt to intimidate them out of the seat, a method that worked on Ema Kari and Snake Riley in the past, but it could get her in trouble with the staff and generally upset everyone around them so that probably wasn’t the best approach.

”I believe we have a greater claim to these seats,” Lillia said.

”Because?” Iris asked. ”Because why?”

”Ko and I are on a date,” Lillia said. ”And I would imagine you two aren’t on a date.”

Lillia tried to hold back her smirk as she knew that was a powerful comeback. Iris started babbling out her defense immediately. Lillia had heard the two mention something they referred to as ”B.F.S.” on numerous occasions in and out of class. It seemed clear the two were a step above friendship, but neither was ready to commit to describing it as any sort of romantic partnership.

Iris composed herself a bit after her stomach growled, almost as deep a growl as Maia’s though not as threatening. ”Ah-ha! There!” She crossed her arms and nodded proudly. ”We’re hungrier. We win.”

”I’m super hungry, don’t play that card on me,” Ko said. ”Have you seen me eat? I could eat you under the table.”

”I would so take that bet! Winner gets the table!” Iris said.

”That doesn’t make sense,” Lillia said, holding the bridge of her nose. ”If you two get food in a competition, then Maia and I will just be standing on the sidelines while you eat.”

”Hm,” Iris said.

”Didn’t think about that, did you?” Ko said.

Maia hissed at her.

”What the hell...” Ko said, her bravado more than a bit threatened by an angry Kanibari girl.

”What if,” Iris said. ”I sit on Maia’s lap and you sit on Lillia’s, and we all have our contest that way?”

”What are you even talking about?” Ko asked. ”If anyone’s sitting on anyone’s lap, Lillia should be sitting on mine.”

Ko turned to Lillia and grinned, raising her eyebrows. Lillia almost lost track of what she was even discussing for a moment.

”Why don’t we do something more direct so we don’t have to wait for food?” Ko asked.

”With me?” Lillia asked excitedly, then remembered the whole debate thing they’d all stumbled into. ”Oh, right.”

”Let’s just arm wrestle,” Ko said. ”I can take Maia on, I wanna see those reflexes put to the test.”

Lillia wasn’t sure how much reflexes would help in a test of strength, but Ko knew more about sporty affairs so surely there was some point where they would come in handy.

”That’s stupid,” Iris said. ”Lillia, tell her that’s stupid.”

”Why are you asking me? We’re not on the same side here,” Lillia said, finding herself wanting to see this arm wrestling match. Ko sat down, placing an elbow on the table and waiting for Maia to sit down as well. With her ears still back, Maia sat across from Ko. But before they could begin, a waitress found them.

”Oh, do y’all need some more chairs?” She asked. ”Give me one second.”

”Ah, no, we were just...” Lillia started as the waitress quickly rushed to a back room. ”Hm.”

Iris puffed her cheeks out. ”I guess I can accept that. I’m so hungry I don’t know if I could have handled another competition.”

”We’re still gonna have to wait for food,” Ko said. ”But yeah, this probably would have turned into a best of seven series. You alright with sharing our table?”

”I’m fine with it,” Lillia said. ”I’m rather hungry as well.”

After the waitress returned with chairs and got orders in, the mood was still a bit tense, mainly because Maia was still growling.

”Is she going to stop that?” Lillia asked.

”Oh yeah, just give her a minute,” Iris said. ”And don’t reach your hand over to her or she’ll scratch you. But food will get her to chill out. Probably.”