Worlds Apart (or not!) | ONC 2021

Reunion

Their screams came loudly through the phone. Loud enough to get people's attention. . . on my side of the call.

One of my pet peeves, but I put up with it 'cause they're my friends.

"Please calm down. You know how much I don't like loud people," I told them.

"Yes, we do. But you still put up with it 'cause we're friends, right? You love us too much to hate us just for being loud!" Elizabeth said.

Tch!

"Look, just don't scream too often."

"Gotcha. We'll try," Keaton said. Then immediately after, "No promises though."

Wow. Soooo~ reliable.

"So. . ." Elizabeth said.

"So. . . ?" I repeated.

"So. . . spill," she finished.

"Spill?" I again repeated what she said.

"Yes! Spill!" she screamed again. "Tell us what's up with your dating profile! Prove you only got six matches today! Tell us why you've hidden it from us for so long! Help me with mine so I can pull some boys!"

I glanced sideways and I could see people from the corner of my eye looking at me and whispering to their neighbors. I really hate being the center of attention.

And what's up with the last thing Eli--that's what we call Elizabeth when we don't want to say her full name--said? Help her with her dating profile? Me? Like, I get it, I'm a guy, so I must know what guys want. Right?

No. This is different.

We're not only talking about Earthlings anymore. So many more males just got thrown into the dating pool ever since those portals opened up.

Males elves. Male dragonkin. Fairykind. Dwarves. Wizards/warlocks. Beastmen. Nature spirits.

Incubi, for crying out loud!

At this point, it wouldn't be crazy to throw in something like vampires in the mix. Heck, don't forget humans from other worlds! Magic practitioners, actual princes, kings, emperors, warriors, hunters.

How am I supposed to know what they want?!

"Eli! If you don't pipe down I'm hanging up!" I hissed at her.

"Eh~? Fine!" she whined.

Of course, knowing her, she wouldn't be able to keep silent for long. So, I decided to walk away from where I currently was, and to somewhere with less people, just in case Eli shouted again.

"So. . ." I began.

"'So. . .'" Eli repeated.

"Stop doing that!"

"Ok! Ok!"

I sighed. "Yes, it's true that I joined on launch day."

"How?" Eli interrupted. "The app wasn't deemed safe and cleared for use until at least a month after it was released."

"Stop interrupting and let me talk!" Now I was the one shouting. Again, I sighed. "The day of launch, I got a letter in the mail inviting me to download the app. It said I was one of the first 10,000 'Earthlings' to be able to use it. Of course, at the time I thought it was clickbait. But it sounded interesting enough, so I made a separate email just for the purpose of signing up for it. And, as you've seen, I haven't gotten any action until today."

And I also sent her a screenshot of the six notifications that said I get matched six times today.

We went silent as she checked the photo.