Sinclair

Sinclair Keddy was a name that puzzled Clair Keddy whenever the others used it. They tried to be quiet about it, especially Pearl, but Clair knew. She figured it was just a joke on her name but she was ready to put her detective goggles on, like Yumeko in that mystery spin-off to the space princess series. She had been tempted to dress like Yumeko but Sayo was cuter. And Sayo wasn't actually a magical girl, so she wasn't stepping on Suzy's toes about her theme. Sayo was a mana knight, so that meant she got a totally better outfit. 

Clair posed with her outfit in the mirror before the competition. Sayo was tough but not like smack-someone-with-a-sign tough. She never gave up, not even when reality was unwoven by the Cruxist. She'd scribbled a lot of notes from the show about stuff Sayo should say because she knew the judges would be rough. She couldn't memorize the big speeches but she had several lines about justice and "perseverance" (she had to triple-check the spelling on that word). She had to pitch up her voice even more for Sayo. 

When she was done, the applause was awesome and she rushed over to hug Pearl in the crowd and ask, "You think I did good, big sis?" 

Biting into a faint smile, Pearl answered, "I think that was really good. Better than me."

No. WAY! Clair could not let such a self-put-down pass! Pearl had Tsubasa! Her hair was just right! Her clothes were so cute! If anyone deserved to win then Pearl totally did! Clair wrapped her arms around Pearl, who finally stopped flinching from embraces. That was another mystery for her noggin to turn over. Pearl always totally had a quiet girl thing going on. It was HER thing. But she loved Clair's hugs, at least as far as Clair figured.

It had to be nerves, Clair told herself. Maybe she should lay off the big sister stuff? Pearl wasn't her actual-by-birth big sister but when Clair joined the group, she was the first one to welcome her! She was like the big sister she wished she had and wanted to be like. She was sooo soft! Clair was determined to catch up to Pearl someday but resting and snuggling Pearl was the best!

Sharing a bed reminded her of the sleepover they had like two years ago where Pearl got her into Yumeko for the first time and all the spin-offs. Pearl even let her read a few pages of her fanfic. It was awesome! She wanted to get so much better at her little scribbles and then they could find someone really good at colors and she could make Pearl really happy. She practiced in her notebook covered in happy kitties shaped like colorful beans. 

She wanted to get a new notebook, like a real planner from Japan, but no one at the convention sold them. Mira, as Clair liked to call her, did her cosplay yesterday along with Nick and Suzy. Now it was the three of them. Whispering lightly, Clair encouraged Pearl. It was just like the games they played as a group around the big table. Slipping into Forsylia, an acolyte of the Fallen Order, was something Pearl could always do super easy, same as Clair could just become Trogyllis, former handmaid to the Horse Queen. 

Adjusting her clothes, Pearl sighed. "That's just....it's well it's just a few hours around a table. This is...there's more to it here."

Clair blinked and cocked her head. Sure, it was tough on the spot with all the words and being someone she wasn't but it was fun and she did it all the time anyway. But she didn't want to hurt Pearl just because she was having troubles, so she reassured her it would be awesome and she would get it. She definitely had to do better than May, who looked like she was trying to play a tomboy or something.

When Pearl's turn came, Clair had to silent scream and wave her arms like she was underwater. It was the rules. Any less excitement showing would be like illegal. She totally roared when the bit was done. For all the worry, she thought Pearl did great. May, however, kept it totally weird. Clair knew her character was a delinquent, like usual. And she tried to watch and cheer with both arms and eyes but it felt like it was missing something. If she were up there then she would probably do like a comedy bit with May.

Afterward, Clair stalked the helpless little animal candies at a vendor and gobbled them all up. Her mom texted her about how the weekend was going. Writing back with lots of kisses, she focused on how Pearl was totally taking care of her and everything and was awesome. And Mira had everything organized. No telling on the die, cross her pie and horse with fly. And she said Suzy was...getting really really close to being sure of herself. And she didn't have to mention May. 

More than anything, she said again, but in stronger words, what she'd been saying to mom for ages, this group made her better. She was always a kinda small and not that bold girl. School was tough. No one really looked at her. Some days, no one even really said hi to her. She just existed in that space, even though she might as well have been a ghost left behind to haunt it. 

Meeting Pearl changed her life and not just because it led to meeting Mira, who could pull bits of reality and fantasy things out of her purse. Also, Clair understood that the die had given her this crazy-pink hair to help with her cosplay, although she thought real mana spell powers would be even better and flashier. No, her life changed because talking to Pearl meant talking to someone who really wanted to talk to her, not just because she was family or because she had to.

The hot, smothering fears ignited between her ears that Pearl might not be Pearl was crazy but she still had a lot of questions for Mira about the die and how come others said what and why. If she could have just one minute with the die, one minute alone, she knew just what she would wish for, if it worked like she imagined it did. 

Mira spent most of the weekend in her room with Nick, making really excited noises. May said a lot of adult-sounding things about it and Clair totally knew some adult things. Yeah! Like taxes and insurance. She knew they existed. Pearl made sense of it to her that Mira and Nick loved each other very much and they were happy. 

She loved big sis Pearl very much and she wanted her to be happy too. Not like the weird 'happy' May was way too much or the ditzy kind of happy Suzy did when she blanked out and thought about stuff she should've known. Really real happy, like she deserved. And that hope, that desperate idea, burrowed into her head like a gopher and didn't want to leave, especially as they met up with Mira and Nick before an early dinner. 

As Mira went on about a movie she saw in one of the main halls and glanced at Nick a bunch, Clair had a thought which made her swoon. She took a breath and excitedly asked, "Ohhh...Mira! You have the best perfume! Can I please please have a squirt?"

Suzy leaned forward to sniff and silently nodded. Mira fumbled around in her purse and frowned before answering, "I don't have it with me." Yeah, Clair knew that but she didn't say so. 

Mira gestured to the elevators and said, "I think I left it in the hotel bathroom this morning. Want me to get it for you?"

Flapping her hands like that might be enough to lift her into the air, Clair laughed and declared, "That's Okie-Dokie! I can just grab it! Please please!"

With a sigh, Mira agreed and handed her the card for the hotel room. Before Clair could scamper off though, Pearl called after, "I'll come with."

Rabbit sharts! She couldn't say no to Pearl, especially without it looking super-weird. Pearl held the card for her and unlocked the door when they got there. Fortunately, Pearl waited at the door. 

Peeking carefully, Clair held her breath and scanned the bathroom. The perfume was there but bunny toots for her outfit not having sleeves! She snuck it under her pit and made a show of looking before saying, "Aww...not there! I'm gonna look around!" Pearl said a simple, "Alright" without questioning her further.

Sneaking over the other bags, it didn't take her long to find the sealed case for the die. Unfortunately, she found Mira had been smart and not only connected the case to a bag but also the bag to a table. Made sense to her, the die was too valuable to just leave around in something a dishonest maid might steal. But she just needed to undo the case lock. 

Stretching it towards the floor lamp, she squinted one eye at the dials. Time for that detective hat on her noggin. She had only seen the case a few times but she knew Mira didn't spin all the dials when she closed it, usually just one or two. Bringing it as close as possible, she worked out that two had been turned because they were at the edge of the number. The center number nine was also more worn on the bottom, so she gradually rolled it back up. From there, she just turned the first number a few times before it came to rest on three. Click! 32913. 

Staring at the simple-looking die in the case, Clair took a deep breath and thought about exactly the wish she wanted to make on it, so she and Pearl would be happy forever.