Epilogue: I'm Still Here

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Author's Note: This chapter is another semi-serious "chat-style" scene and probably will make more sense with context from the prologue.

Virgil's leg bounced relentlessly as he stared at the countdown on the screen, though the dwindling numbers were doing nothing healthy for his anxiety. He just needed to get it over with, like ripping off a bandage. It wasn't even like he really cared if his viewers saw his face; he was just trying to be a good boyfriend and not give any paparazzi another avenue to annoy Roman. Although that wasn't even touching on the fact that despite being almost completely anonymous, Remus was still apparently a major draw to his stream. Who even knew what would happen if people realized一he was sure some people had guessed by now, but he'd been careful not to confirm or deny anything一that he was dating Roman Prince of all people?

God, why did those two have to be so dramatic?

Virgil took another calming breath. It was only the one stream, and then he could go back to being a disembodied voice on the internet. He double-checked his display settings a final time, then hit the button to go live.

Livestream starts in 3...2...1....

He kept the stream on the intro screen. "Hey, chat, welcome back. If, for some reason, you don't know what we're doing today and have missed my last few updates on the App-That-Must-Not-Be-Named, here's the deal. You know how Gremlin went AWOL, again, a few months ago and we went all 'Around The World In 80 Days' to find him, again? And then I said I'd do a face reveal if it turned out he hadn't even left town? Three guesses what happened, and the first two don't count."

ColorDelight: GASP

Notquitebettlejuice: Wait does this mean gremlin is actually back!? Where is he Lydia? WHERE ARE YOU HIDING HIM!?

C00kiem0nstr: Omgomgomgitsreallyhappening!!!

Hex9400D3: LYDIA FACE REVEAL!

Artistrieshardest: You don't have to if you don't want to Lydia, we still love you!

"Yeah. So, I promised you a face reveal." With that rather lackluster pronouncement, Virgil switched over to his facecam. "Here I am."

ColorDelight: OMG you're so pretty!

5hundred25thousand6hundred: Congrats on the face!

Wutduztehf0xs@y: Face routine drop when?

Thankfully, everyone was distracted enough by complimenting him to not immediately drown his notifications with Gremlin-centric donation alerts.

"Thanks, guys."

And then the goddamned animation of a green Carmen Sandiego with a mustache popped up on his streaming screen, accompanied by the jingle of, "Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?" There were already three more of the same queued up after it.

"Oh, and by the way, today's the last day you can spam that fucking Carmen Sandiego alert, capiche? I'm doing what I should have done ages ago and deleting it. You have five minutes. So, go on, get it out of your system, because after that, no more Gremlin Sandiego." Thus began the endless stream of gremlin alerts. Virgil pulled up his stream manager and waited.

Hex9400D3: Aww I love that alert!

VaticanCameo: Wait, is gremlin not coming back? Are he and himbo okay?

deadnotsleeping: Thank god, it was getting annoying. I thought we were here for Lydia and art?

G!zmo: Where is my husbando, Lydia? I want answers!

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