Fame: Makes a Man Think Things Over

That Was Ben Solo

I really didn't want to go to The Star One convention. I thought Gwennie might be too drunk to remember our discussion at her Halloween party—and my stupid promise to consider going. I was wrong. In fact, she remembered me saying I would go with her. After some debate, I let her drag me off to the Silverdome for the Con.

"I heard that it's going to have the guy who plays Luke Skywalker and the one who plays Poe. You wouldn't know their real names, but you know those, right? Let's see." She consulted her list from the Internet. "Also, Holdo and Rose. But no Ben Solo or Daisy Ridley. Too bad."

Probably just as well. Gwennie was too much of a fan to handle the knowledge that Ben Solo lived nearby and knew who I was. Knew everything about me. Knew what my lips tasted like. Knew what I looked like naked...coming apart in his arms.

I also didn't tell Ben that I was attending this convention with Gwennie. He had made a big deal about me not being a fan to reassure himself and his security team that I was not a threat. I didn't see any good coming from telling him about the Con.

Gwennie and I wandered around and looked at all the exhibits. Vendors sold everything from books to dolls to toys. Some merch was autographed; some was not. Lots of people were dressed like the characters. Gwennie was dressed as a Kira of Jakku again, same as Halloween. I was dressed as Rey Jackson, secret lover of Ben Solo.

There was more than one Kylo Ren stalking through the convention center, holding lightsabers and wearing helmets. Some were dressed in homemade black tunics and pants. Others had more sophisticated versions with big swirling black capes and real boots, the whole business. The helms ranged from plastic to what seemed like actual metal. I was fascinated watching all the Kylos, though the scowling Ben Solo posters were giving me the creeps. I could see how this whole fame thing would make his life a nightmare.

I saw one Kylo stalking around who mimicked the Ben Solo walk very closely. He had the Ben Solo big dick energy and swagger, a bit awkward, one foot that turned in slightly. This guy had it down. He was tall and radiated the power that Kylo Ren projected onscreen.

Gwennie poked me. "Look at that guy cosplaying Kylo. He's pretty good."

"Yeah," I said, frowning.

Another Kylo cosplayer with an obviously homemade outfit stopped our guy. "Hey, great costume. Looks so real. Did you get that online?" His voice sounded muffled—but not modulated—through his helmet.

I strained to hear the answer of the one with the realistic costume. "No," he said, with a modulated voice. "I am the real Kylo Ren."

The homemade cosplayer laughed and slapped the "real" Kylo on the back. "Yeah, you are. You are more real than me. Great job, man."

"Thank you," the "real" Kylo said. His voice sounded a lot like the modulated tones of Ben Solo.

"Holy shit," Gwennie said. "He's good." She laughed and moved on.

"I'm going to look at these Star One books," I said, keeping an eye on the "real" Kylo. I wanted to see what he would do next.

"I'm standing in line for autographs," she said. "Over there." She pointed to a long line snaking outside an auditorium. I could see a row of tables up on the stage and people climbing up for autographs. Gwennie went to stand behind the last person in line.

The "real" Kylo aimlessly walked around. People continued to high-five him or comment on the veracity of his outfit. Every time he was stopped, he told them in that modulated voice, "I am the real Kylo Ren."

Every one of them smiled or laughed and made more comments about the realism of his costume.

I really wanted to talk to this guy. Why was he going around saying he was the real Kylo Ren? Was it a thing here at this convention to be so in character that people denied they were cosplaying? Perhaps.