Gillian snuggled deeper into the pastel quilt. Just like every Friday night, he was scrolling through the latest chapter of Star Terrestrial. It was getting super hype in the latest arc. A notification pinged.

roni: gil gil gil
gil: ?
roni: ello
gil: hoi yes whats up
roni: you wont believe it
roni: natalie kelway is conming to my city
gil: !!!
roni: for a comvention
roni: anime convention
roni: shes doing a panel
roni: i can ask her ANYTHIGN IN THE WORLD

Gillian mashed his thumbs against the screen to google something real quick.

gil: wait wait
gil: are u in memphis?
roni: yah!!
gil: omg im in little rock
gil: roni
gil: i could go
gil: its 2 hr drive

He hugged a pillow, heart bumping.

roni: !!!
roni: u HAVE TO
gil: okok
gil: i will
gil: i guess ill meet u there ^^
roni: :3

Towns slid by: Carlisle, Hazen, Brinkley. His dad yapped about the Delta blues the whole drive, but Gillian was too busy rereading the entire Star Terrestrial comic start-to-finish to prep. He already knew what he wanted to ask (what else could it be?), but it wouldn’t hurt to brush up.

They parked in a multi-story garage before splitting up. Gillian’s dad wanted to visit Sun Studio or the Stax Museum or whatever the heck. “Call if you need anything!” “Sure dad.”

It was a short walk to the convention center, and he could tell because there were total weirdos everywhere with crazy colorful outfits on.

gil: here
gil: just got in
gil: where are u?
gil: im waiting at the hot dog stand
gil: white shirt

Looking around the crowd, Gillian kinda wished he’d been brave enough to wear a costume. Maybe next time … it’d have to be Gyges Three, obviously.

“Gil?” He turned around. A stranger was waving his phone. He was slender, and sorta fey, with a cat ear headband that matched his brown hair. Green eyes. Nervous, but cutely so.

“Wait, Roni?”

“Omigosh Gil! Found you.” He beamed.

It was surreal to talk offline. He talked differently from how he texted, and Gillian probably did too. Once, when grabbing milkshakes, they slipped back into messaging through phones, glancing at each other with smiling eyes between each message.

roni: so…….
roni: what will u ask her ??
gil: aha
gil: well
gil: youll see

The panel crept closer, and they sped up to get there early.

Gillian should’ve been paying attention to what the other people were asking, but he was too busy thinking of his question. He hoped he wouldn’t stutter.

Then the moment came. She was a little older than he expected, but had really bright eyes.

“Um, hey, HUGE fan … so I was thinking.” He thought about everything he wanted to say and decided just to skip to the end. “… Gyges Three is, like, gay, right?”

“You know, I think that’s really up to the reader.” She smiled. “I wrote him the way I wrote him, and if that’s what you see in him … I mean, who’s to say that you’re wrong?” She winked.

“What’s wrong? It sounded like a good answer to me.”

“I dunno, she couldn’t just say yes or no?”

“I guess.” Roni tilted his head, then shook it. “Actually.” He leaned in to say something.

Gillian snuggled deeper into the pastel quilt. Just like every Friday night, he was scrolling through the latest chapter of Star Terrestrial. It was getting even superer hyperer in the latest arc. A notification pinged. He hugged a pillow to his chest, beaming.

He had a date next week!

look I can do this too! It’s not just weirdo things…