//------------------------------// // Epilogue // Story: Abstract Helps Kyo Date Gilda // by AbstractThought //------------------------------// Oh good, you’re still here! While I have your attention, I might as well wrap up this story with something awesome and unexpected! It was a late night of solo gaming. I was trying to get a higher score on bullet hell Radiant Firefly, and I was doing pretty well despite having lost all but one of my lives pretty early on. It was the last level, and I was in the zone! I was dodging every shot, shooting every enemy, mastering the score system! I was so sure I was going to set a new record! …Or I would have if there hadn’t been a knock on my door at the worst possible moment, throwing me off and causing me to get hit by a stray bullet. “GYAAAAAAAH!” I was so close! I started rambling an impressive collection of swears, and I might have continued for like an hour if I hadn’t heard another knock at the door. Oh, right, Sir Madam Interruptus wants something from me. I stormed over to the door (not literally, of course–though that would have been cool to do) and threw open the door, saying, “What do you waaaaaaaaaa…” Alright, now I knew I was dreaming. How else could I explain Gilda herself standing right outside my front door? Seriously, do I have a griffon magnet somewhere on me? Or has she been stalking me since I started to leave Appleloosa? My mind was too numb to puzzle that one out, and I was reduce to stammering gibberish in her presence. Smooth. “Heh, nice to see you haven’t forgotten me,” Gilda said snarkily. “So, yeah, I was thinking I could crash at your place for a while. Not cause of any money troubles or anything, of course; I just feel like it. That cool with you?” I could only muster a stunned, “Aaaghaghaghuuuuuuh…” “I’ll take that as a yes.” She quickly walked past me and closed the door behind her, which somewhat snapped me out of my daze. Her gaze was drawn to the TV that was still on, displaying my shameful 2nd place performance. “Huh, haven’t seen a TV in ages,” she remarked. “H-how did you even find me?” I asked breathlessly. “Oh, I asked around,” she replied casually as she plopped onto the couch and started flipping through the channels with the remote. I would have objected, but hey, it was Gilda; I would have let her eat my video games if it made her happy. “So, uh,” I said as I walked up next to her, “can I get you anything?” “Yeah, you got any sweets?” Gilda asked, her talon continuing to press the channel up button. “I could really use something sweet right about now.” I was tempted to recommend some kisses from yours truly, but I had a feeling she wouldn’t react too well to that. Instead, I replied with, “Sure, no problem! Let me just check what I have!” I took off to the kitchen and rummaged around in the drawers and such, eventually managing to find some chocolate chip cookies, some oatmeal raisin cookies (why did I even have those?), a few vanilla lemon drops that had leaked out of the bag I had brought for her, and a slice of cake left over from the party that I had been saving for myself, but again, Gilda. Gathering all of them so she could have a choice (or a buffet), I flew back into the living room, saying, “Alright, here’s all the sweet stuff I have! Hope you like…” My voice trailed off as I noticed that Gilda had fallen asleep on the couch, still sitting upright with the TV on some gardening channel for some reason. I stared at her for a little while, watching her belly go up and down as she snored and drooled a bit. Is it creepy that I’m watching her sleep? Of course not, she’s my girlfriend! It’s not creepy when it’s your girlfriend, right? …Well, anyway, I eventually decided to put down the sweets and head to bed myself. There’d be plenty of time to work out this new arrangement with Gilda, anyway. All I knew is that my life was going to be a lot more interesting from that point on. …Oh, and I ate the last slice of cake before I went to bed. Sorry, Gilda, but there are some things I’m not ready to sacrifice just yet! The End (Again)