“Oh.” I look the dragonkin over who is definitely on his way here. So this is her dreamy CFO boss that she totally doesn’t have a crush on.
Yeah. I believe that.
“You want me to run interference? What do you want me to do?”
“Go on and double check the AV. I need to face this like a grown up.”
I’m not fully convinced, but she gives me another bracing nod and I leave. Whatever’s happening between them looks serious, and I’m not about to third-wheel a moment that’s been building for months. Besides, Sunny’s right. She needs to handle this herself.
I check the AV and everything is cued up and ready to go. The tech guy gives me a thumbs up, and I settle into a spot near the stage where I can watch without being in the way. I use the time to grab food (convention pizza that tastes like cardboard with extra salt) and send Tovek periodic updates on the judging. His responses are brief but engaged, asking questions that prove he’s paying attention to the details I’m sharing.
Tovek
And the dragon guy is her boss?
Mei
CFO, technically. And yes. Very much her “we’re so professional” boss who she has a massive crush on and who definitely feels the same way given how he locked onto her from across the convention floor.
Tovek
Sounds complicated.
Mei
You have no idea.
The costume competition starts up, and I hustle back to get a better view. The other competitors are great, beautiful pieces and videos. The judges all give respectful applause and cheers throughout each display. When I see a glimpse of Sunny’s outfit backstage, I edge toward an unobstructed spot, phone ready to capture Sunny’s show.
A notification buzzes on my phone. Crimson Financing’s automated system, reminding me that another payment is due in a week. The number on the screen is larger than I expected, not just the minimum payment but a significant chunk of the total, enough to make my stomach drop.
I dismiss the notification and put my phone away, determined not to let financial reality intrude on Sunny’s moment.
We’re building something real, Tovek and I, but Rome wasn’t built in a day, and debt collection agencies aren’t known for their patience.
Sunny’s name is announced, and there she is. Gone is the frightened girl who got caught by her boss. She truly wields the sword well.
And then the Dragon Knight appears behind her, as if completely rehearsed, and the crowd erupts in applause. He poses in perfect sync behind her, and if I hadn’t been privy to her plans, I would have thought this entire thing was on purpose.
I cheer as loudly as anyone else when her set finishes, the flush on Sunny’s face so gratifying to see.
“Sunny Adlawan as Warrior Priestess and Dragon Knight!”
The applause for the Best in Show announcement is deafening.
On stage, Sunny’s face does something complicated (surprise, disbelief, joy) before she turns to Khanner with an expression so raw that I have to look away. He says something I can’t hear, his face softening in a way that makes my chest ache, and then he’s lifting her. Actually lifting her, her feet leaving the ground as he spins her in a circle, her laughter bright against the noise of the crowd.
I record it all: the lift, the spin, the moment when Khanner sets her down but keeps his hands at her waist, his wing curving around her back like he can’t bear to let her go. It’s perfect, exactly the moment I hoped to capture when I agreed to be video tech for this competition.
What I didn’t expect is the feeling that rises in me as I watch them. Not jealousy, exactly, but something adjacent to it. A longing, maybe. Or a recognition. The understanding that what I’m seeing isn’t just two people in costumes but two people who’ve found each other, who fit together in ways that transcend the characters they’re playing.
Sunny catches my eye across the crowd and grins, her free hand raised in a victory sign. I grin back, pushing thecomplicated feeling aside. This is her moment. I can examine my existential crisis later, preferably with a drink in hand and Tovek’s stupidly perfect noodles in front of me.
The rest of the ceremony passes in a blur of congratulations and photo requests. Sunny and Khanner are everywhere at once: accepting their trophy, posing for pictures with fans, answering questions about construction techniques with the particular enthusiasm of people who love what they do. I hang back, letting them have their moment.
Tovek
They won! I saw your story. Sunny’s crying?
