Rising Shards

“A little bit about me?” Oka said, her innate theater kid energy gradually increasing in her voice. “I’m Oka Ohri! I like plays and musicals and acting, and um. I like all kinds of stuff, just I think theater related things are my favorites? I love to read, too. Oh, and of course all the shows Zeta and everyone has shown me. I’m also from Tesata, which was a really crappy time and kept me from a lot of the ‘modern day,’ so to speak. But thankfully I have the aforementioned Zeta and everyone to show me things I wasn’t allowed to see before! I’m also part of the Kilander family, technically. But like, I don’t consider myself part of the jerk side of the Kilanders. My favorite color is blue. My Cani power is plant life! I almost said flowers there, ‘my Cani power is flowers,’ that’d be kinda silly.”

“Hmm, hmm,” Stella said. “Lines up with the info I’ve had before, yes.”

Did she think Oka would lie about all that? Although it would be kind of troubling if she did give a totally different intro to herself than the actual thing. I hated to admit it to myself so soon after I was snarking at Stella about it, but maybe there was something to this. I knew Oka was great and great for me, and Stella mostly did, but after Jeans maybe it wasn’t the worst thing for my big sister to verify that greatness.

“Question the second,” Stella said. “How did you meet the Faleur you are currently romantically engaged with?”

Oka thought over her answer. “I met Zeta…well, I thought I met her first at orientation, but then I realized we met at the Cani dance! We didn’t know each other back then, but, ah heh…”

Stella nodded. “Suitably adorable. Evy, do you wanna handle the next one?”

“I…sure?” Dr. Diast said.

The closest thing I had to a job interview was a job that I quickly deduced was pretty sketchy and turned out to be a pyramid scheme, but in that the interviewers did the whole deal where they traded off who asked questions, so that made me feel very job interview as Stella slid the notebook over to Dr. Diast.

“Talk about a challenge you overcame together.” Dr. Diast read from the paper.

“Well, Zeta and I have overcome a lot of challenges. If you mean like in class challenges, hm.” Oka said. “I was gonna say when we got Feral Flu after we goofed up the Fang Fair presentation, but you already knew about that.”

“It counts,” Diast said.

“Yay!” Oka said. “And if you mean like a fight, we have our own way of getting through those. Talking it out is the most important part there. And in general if we’re having challenges. For example, when the sleepover at Kalei’s was taking a wrong turn, and I was dealing with all the bad feelings Clover was giving me, Zeta and I just…talked it out. We blew up and went off on our own to cool down, then…what’s a good word for like got back together to chat it out?”

“Hmmm,” Stella said. “Reconvened to peace keep, maybe?”

“That works!” Oka said. “Yeah, we do that.”

I nodded. “Am I allowed to talk, or is this all Oka? I don’t want to be rude, but I just am voicing my support for what she just said. The other ones so far too, but like extra emphasis on how I’m…” I tried to think of a job interview-y way to describe what I was thinking because that seemed to be really landing with Stella. “I’m greatly satisfied with Oka’s performance in resolving challenges.”

“Noted.” Stella said. She took the notebook back from Dr. Diast. “Is there anything about the Faleur in question you’d change?”

“Nothing.” Oka answered before I could even start to worry about it. “Well, sometimes I wish she wouldn’t stay up late reading negative internet debates about her Raina Starlight, or be on 3WMB so much, but for those I say that out of wanting you to always be happy, and those seem to be a drag.”

“What’s wrong with 3WMB?” I asked, then realized how dumb that sounded. “OK, it maybe gives me a bit of anxiousness sometimes but…”

“I’m backing Oka up on 3WMB,” Diast said. “I may not officially be your doctor right now, but that site is a hypochondriac nightmare.”

“I…am not entirely sure what that means.” I said.

“I’ll third those statements,” Stella said.

“Hey, why are we ganging up on me?” I whined.

“It’s out of love!” Oka said. “They’re really the only thing I’d change about you, and it’s just to take away negative things, ya know? The rest is all…let’s say I’m greatly a fan of Zeta’s.”

“Aww.” I said.

Dr. Diast handled the next question. “If you could take the Faleur in question anywhere in the world, where would you go?”

“Oh, easy,” Oka said. “I want to go see Bard Street! And take Zeta to a bunch of musicals in person! There’s so many I want to see. And I’m sure there’s sightseeing and such Zeta would enjoy there.”

“I would love to go to Bard Street, I’ve been close for a weekend on a college trip, but…” Stella sighed and looked over to Dr. Diast longingly.

“Is this all just a roundabout way for you to ask me to go on a vacation to Bard Street?” Diast asked.

“More that I’d love to go with you?” Stella said.

“Bard Street is super nice.” Dr. Diast said, causing Oka and Stella to immediately demand she tell them about her brief visit to the area. Diast overcame their jealous rabble to a point the two theater kids (Stella wasn’t a kid, but the theater kid never leaves no matter the age).

“If we plan that vacation Oka, we’ll see if we can bring you and Zeta along.” Stella said. “And Zeta, there is a ton to do in Bard Street that isn’t just musicals so you wouldn’t be bored.”

“I’d just be happy going anywhere with Oka.” I said. “And I guess you’re pretty alright too, Stella.”

I had a whole line prepped in my head for when Dr. Diast would ask why I didn’t say her, I’d be like ‘oh you’re cooler than pretty alright’ but she didn’t say anything. She had her shoulders hunched over a bit. I think the whole thing of this family get together was maybe emotionally a lot for her, and she seemed to be channeling her energy into doing it in a way that’d please Stella. It kind of reminded me of the day she took me to a mat ball game, where Diast was giving her all for something she wasn’t as experienced in. Her usual confidence was there, just a slightly more tense version of it. But not angry tense, just like Diast wanting to please Stella so much in spite of this direct guardian business being new to her.

That tension was interrupted when the pizza arrived shortly after. So maybe there was some hungriness in the mix there, too.

The pizza was fancier than any pizza I had before. With a crispy crust, it was a bit crunchier than I usually liked for my pizza. But it felt a lot less like I had swallowed a lump of cheese and grease than the delivery we usually got. The flavor was nice and zesty too.

“Alright Oka, just one more question,” Stella said. “Does the Faleur in question make you happy?”

“Incredibly so.” Oka said. “Zeta brightens my day, pulls me through hard times, is very cute, funny, sweet, and so much more. She has my back, and I have hers. She’s amazing!”

I sniffed. I tried to say something, but my words came out shaky and giving away that I was about to big cry.

“Hey, aww!” Oka said. I didn’t care if Stella was about to tease me for it or that I was sobbing in a public restaurant, but I let Oka hug me as my eyes watered from how much her kind, loving statement walloped me in the heart.

Once I had wiped my tears with pizza grease (metaphorically speaking, I didn’t clean my face with a greasy pizza, the fancy pizza wasn’t actually super greasy, I just ate a bunch to ease my crying), Oka looked pretty satisfied with herself. “So. Did I pass?” Oka asked.

Stella clicked her pen a few times. She tried to wait to answer to try and be dramatic or something. “With flying colors.” She said.

“That’s right!” Oka said.

“Thank you for playing along with her,” I said. “You probably just made Stella’s week.”

“That was fun!” Oka said. “I like being reminded of why I’m fighting for you.”

“I guess I can say thanks to you for playing along, too, Dr. Diast,” I said. “You probably just passed Stella’s test too.”

“Hey, wait,” Oka said. “I just thought of something. If it’s the Faleur tradition to question the new partner, shouldn’t we take those questions and give them to you?”

“Oh, that’s true…” I said, a sneaky grin spreading across my face. “Stella, it would be fair to the tradition if Oka and I got to ask your new partner the questions?”

“Hmrmgh.” Stella said, clearly knowing she’d been bested. She turned to Dr. Diast, who shrugged, then back to us. She slid the notebook over. “Fine.”