Rising Shards

Going one at a time didn’t really seem to work, as Anastasia going first meant her rejecting most of the potential picks (following Chumbler was Z.O.K., Kyre Krista, and a girl from Wildfire Hearts who introduced herself as ’Rock Solid Dropkick Stevi’ who made a horrible impression on everyone) before anyone sneaking from their seat to here could even sit down. So instead we each got to review the candidates. The frequent seat shuffling proved to be an annoyance as well, so we stuck with me sitting by myself with Zeta and Oka in front of me, Tay by herself to my left with Iris and Maia in front of her, and Anastasia and Sai behind me with an empty seat to their left.

”We got a point already, so we basically already won,” Iris said. ”Worst case scenario, we get second place, because no way Anastasia’s getting anyone at this rate.”

Anastasia growled.

”You could just like humor one person. You don’t wanna let Iris and Maia win, do you?” Sai said. ”Or Zeta and Oka?”

I could sense Ana crossing her arms and grimacing without even having to see it.

”OK, so this is really stupid and it is potentially playing with sensitive emotions in a very uncool way,” Oka said. ”But my competitive side is starting to take over, too.”

”That’s the first sensible thing I’ve ever heard from—” Anastasia started, then growled further.

Oka’s eyes lit up. ”Ah, was my future sister-in-law about to pay me a compliment?”

”Holy crap, that’s crazy,” Zeta said. ”She’s never said anything remotely that nice to me.”

”And I never will,” Anastasia said. ”And stop talking to me, we’re enemies in this game and outside of it.”

”You’re the one who responded to me,” Oka shrugged. ”Well, anyways, Lillia, try to win this next person over.”

Esther approached next. I hadn’t spoken to her much, but she seemed kind. She was very pretty, her emerald hair almost sparkling as she passed us by.

”I knew I had to play this when Iris explained it to me,” Esther said. ”I missed out on the dating game day, so this sounded fun!”

”Green hair solidarity!” Iris said, high fiving Esther. ”Maia and I highly suggest our girlie Tay here, she is an avid studier, of, um, people! And...yeah!”

Tay waved.

”Yeah, I’ve...run into Tay before,” Esther said, her words carrying an attempted politeness and a sense that Tay had been a bit much with her ’research.’ ”Who else do we have here? Well, you I know.”

”You can’t reject Esther,” Sai said to Anastasia.

”Obviously not!” Ana said. ”We’re already going to the dance together, so!”

”So point for us!” Sai said. ”Sorry, Esther, I should let you talk.”

”It’s fine,” Esther said. ”I guess I don’t need to introduce myself to Ana or Tay, but you...” She smiled at me and sat down next to me. ”I’m Esther, I know we’ve had class together, and I’m sure you already have a lot of opinions about me, but just know that initial thing with Penteldtam wasn’t my doing! I may have horns and a tail, but I like to think I’m not that scary. What else, I’m from a world in the void that was pretty much nonstop chaos, so I’m still getting used to this one being...well, it’s still nonstop chaos here, but in a more manageable way? I was the team leader back home before we were devils, so if you need someone who won’t debate endlessly about where to go to dinner, I’m your gal.” She winked.

”Wow,” Iris said. ”Did you have that prepared in advance?”

”I maybe rehearsed it in my head a bit on the way over,” Esther said.

”So forward,” Oka said.

”I...yes, that was...” I was a bit tongue tied, I was confident in myself to an extent but I felt like I was talking to someone way out of my league. If I was actively looking for someone, Esther would have jumped up in my rankings just with that wink, and even higher with her confidence.

”I think Esther gets the points here,” Zeta said. ”All three candidates? Speechless.”

”I’m not speechless, just!” Anastasia scoffed.

”I as well, am...” Tay giggled excitedly, a laugh that was puppy love turned to sound.

”You won em all over, Esther,” Oka said.

”Now I wish I did go with to that void dating game if it’s this easy,” Esther said. ”What do we get if we win this?”

”Well, we wingmen are the ones getting points, Zeta got that wrong,” Iris said.

”It’s not like this game has any logic or rhyme or reason to it, so why can’t Esther get the points?” Maia said.

”Yeah, points for me!” Esther said. She decided to stay in the seat by me. ”And, er, sorry about the ’easy’ comment, that might’ve been insulting. More just...easier to introduce myself than I expected.”

”I see,” I said.

”You wanna...introduce yourself?” Esther asked. ”I guess we’ve talked already before, but that time at the theater I spoke more to your little sister than you, I think.”

”That’s right...” I said. I’d almost forgotten about that. Lilith decided to introduce herself to the devils in her loud and obnoxious way. ”I’m Lillia Cadence, I enjoy literature, theater, and gaming, to name a few of my hobbies. I take my education very seriously.”

Oka and Zeta clapped politely for my introduction.

”Don’t clap,” Iris said.

”Why not?” Zeta asked. ”We’re hyping up our girl here, back off!”

”Lillia is worth the applause,” Oka said. ”She’s a great catch, just saying!”

”You should just let them talk,” Iris said.

”We’re doing wingman stuff, stay out of our team’s business,” Oka said.

”No, wingman stuff is all about the points,” Iris said.

”I don’t know if Iris actually knows what a wingman is,” I said. I was surprised when Esther, Sai, and Anastasia all laughed at that. Did my joke actually land?

”I can see why they’re always talking about you,” Esther said. ”I’d certainly like to get to know you better.” She somehow managed to dramatically flip her palm up, fingertips approaching my chin as though she were going to kiss me. She stopped before actually touching me, but I was effectively stunlocked for a moment until I thought about what she just said.

”Huh? Who’s always talking about me?” I said.

I didn’t get an answer to that, as the next candidate approached.

”They’re playing some zoo cartoon on those tiny screens and I can’t hear it at all,” Charmaine said, gesturing to the small TVs above the seats. ”So I guess I’ll try this whatever game. I missed the dating show thing too, you know.”

”You can’t still be mad we didn’t recognize the fake you,” Anastasia said.

”Well, I can,” Charmaine said. ”Just for that, you’re out of the running for whatever this is, Ana.”

”Way to go,” Sai said.

This game had absolutely zero stakes, but the way the others were talking about it had me strangely invested. I wasn’t even sure how to win this, but I felt like I had to.