Strings of Fate


    Cam 36- Whispering and winning


    I’m definitely surprised when I find myself sitting in a smallish cafe/ restaurant watching as Harry tries to


    come up with a team name for the two of us. I can’t believe he’s taken me to a trivia contest. How did


    he even know that I enjoy this kind of thing? I don’t think he’s ever asked me before. We walked in and


    Harry was absolutely beaming with joy as he watched met for my reaction. When I responded positively


    he immediately went and grabbed us a sign in sheet. I’m checking out the menu for lunch when Harry


    runs off to submit our team name. I have a sneaking suspicion that I should have asked to check what


    he wrote before letting him hand it in. Oh well, toote now. Some battles aren’t worth it. Besides, Harry


    seems to be on his best behaviour today. Probably because if he embarrasses me in public I would


    definitely have to retaliate. Still, so far this is surprisingly nice. Actually, I shouldn’t be surprised. He’s an


    Incubus, seducing and flirting is what he’s good at. I immediately mentally scold myself for the unkind


    thought. Harry has clearly put a lot of thought into this outing, he even brought me a gift, and something


    I would like that isn’t super generic. It’s not fair of me to: judge him for… what? Being charming? For


    being a good date? What am I even bothered by? Of course he’s good at this, he’s gone out with a lot


    more people than I have. Oh, shit. That’s what the problem is… I’m jealous. This is not a good sign. I


    am well on my way to getting my heart broken. I need to remember that Harry can’t be a real, long term


    option for me. Incubi don’t DO long term,mitted rtionships. Then again, I never imagined an


    Incubus would be so excited about cartoons or so enthusiastic about a quiz night. He is surprisingly…


    wholesome. He is even good with his friend


    ann’s adopted child. An Incubus wouldn’t have been my first thought as a babysitter, but I have to admit


    he is very suited to it. I think I’m getting caught up in stereotypes again. It’s not right to view Incubi as


    one dimensional sext objects. He’s still an actual person after all! Ugh this is stressful. I was always


    taught that Incubi are shallow and promiscuous and he’s tipping all those lessons over and leaving me


    second guessing myself. What was that saying? Your first thought is what society has conditioned you


    to think and your second thought is what you actually believe? What about my third and fourth


    thoughts, or my hundredth? Where’s the handybels for them? How much of what I believe is unfair


    stereotyping and how much is urate. Besides I have no idea if Harry is the norm, what if he’s just


    weird for an Incubus?


    “Have you decided what you want to order?” Harry asks, appearing beside me causing me to jump and


    drop the fork I had been fiddling with as I thought.


    “Oh, uh… not yet.” I respond, a little flustered. He looks at me curiously but ignores it.


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    Cam 36- Whispering and winning


    “We need to get our order in soon, they bring the food out between rounds and we don’t want to be the


    last ones to eat. You said you didn’t want to risk beingte for work. This event is meant tost two


    hours but you know how people fall behind schedule.” He takes both of our orders up to the counter


    and returns with a table number on a little silver stand


    so that the waitstaff know where to bring the food. The first round of the quiz event starts. There is no


    theme to this event. It’s just a general knowledge trivia thing, although the MC does take the time to


    point out that the questions are designed to be broad and to appeal to Humans and Magics alike. I do


    notice that most of the teams have between four and six members. When I point this out to Harry he


    just tells me that it will be more fun with the challenge. We’re only a few questions in and already my


    competitive side is kicking in. I’m determined to win, or at least to make the top three. Most of the


    general knowledge questions are easy enough and Harry absolutely aces the pop culture sections. I’m


    starting to wonder how much time he spends watching TV because I swear there wasn’t a single


    question where he even hesitated. I try to subtly check out the other tables to assess thepetition.


    No one looks too rmed but whenever the ‘inclusive‘ questions designed to appeal to Magics turn up


    there is at least a few groups who start to whisper under their breaths. I suppose that no one really


    knows all that much about groups outside of their own in this stupid, decided society. At least not


    beyond the superficial. I actually think that these questions might be what gives Harry and I a bit of an


    edge.


    “Name as many Alpha Shifters as you can. Any species is fine. It’s one point per Alpha you name with


    a bonus three points if you can name all the Alphas that live in this city.” The MC


    announces the bonus points 1


    it’s an insane ask that no one will be able to aplish. Harry and I immediately get to work. I hear


    another table whisper loudly, in that ‘whisper‘ that isn’t actually quiet but is actually just talking in a


    weirdly breathy voice that aplishes nothing.


    “There are four Alphas in the city. I know all of them. Those bonus points are OURS!” Harry. and I


    exchange gleeful expressions. Do these people not realise that each pack has TWO: Alphas. A male


    and female. I do hear someone listing some of the women at another table though so I suppose not


    everyone here ispletely oblivious. I know a few of the Alphas and Harry finishes the list. Apparently


    Ryannins about them a lot and how they refuse to pull their heads out of their asses. (Except


    for the bear Alphas, I met them and I have to agree that they were lovely.)


    I obviously ace the questions about Witches and we do fairly well with all the other groups of Magics as


    well. You learn a lot about people as a bartender and overhear a lot of gossip about current events.


    Plus my bar is one of the few in the area that caters to Humans and Magics so


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    Cam 36- Whispering and winning


    We


    as far as I’m concerned we are flying through thispetition. If we don’t win I’m going to be so pissed.


    I wait eagerly, marking off the answers and trying to add up how many points


    got as they read out the answers to the questions. There were a few general knowledge ones where


    we were a little off, although to be honest it was more that our answers weren’t specific enough. Maybe


    we will get a few half points? I think we deserve half points. When they read out the results of the


    Shifter Alpha question I frown when they only list seven Alphas and leave Ryann off the list. One other


    table listed seven and got ten points for having all the names. We were given seven but didn’t get the


    bonus points because we included an extra name. But Ryann IS the Alpha.


    “Ryann is officially the Alpha, isn’t she? I was pretty sure.” I grumble. Harry glowers at the judges.


    “Yes she is. She’s registered with the MRO and everything.” We listen for the final results and are


    disappointed to find that our team (The terrifying two… interesting choice Harry.) Came in second and


    only by two points.


    “But we’re RIGHT! They got the Alpha question wrong!” Iin.


    “We’ve gotta fix this, for Ryann’s reputation of course.” Harry winks at me and I grin. Having


    someone around who is willing to cause a scene might be fun after all.