Falling By Design

17 | Thalia's Night

Thalia's grand debut on Miguel's channel has the fanbase split right down the middle – a perfect 50-50 divide. Half of his subscribers are over the moon witnessing MiGimmeGamer unveil a life beyond the digital realm. The other half? Well, they're nursing a bit of a disappointment, especially the fairer sex. After a bit of online sleuthing by Thalia, it's become clear that some of these ladies aren't exactly gaming enthusiasts; they're just here for Miguel's occasional face reveal.

As she leisurely scrolls through the comments section, a cringe accompanies every label dubbing her 'too plain' or 'boring.' Admittedly, she didn't exactly dress to impress during her inaugural appearance, courtesy of Miguel putting her on the spot. But boring? Oh, please. She is anything but!

"I told you not to read them. Some are just trolls," Miguel insists, attempting to whisk her away from the gaming set up in his room. He sighs when Thalia merely waves her hand dismissively.

This is partly his fault for being brutally honest when Thalia asked about the aftermath of the livestream. He could've easily woven a fiction, knowing she'd likely never fact-check.

"This is on you," she scowls. "I was in my sweats, zero makeup, and you thought, 'Hey, let's introduce her to the world.' And voila, your female subscribers are having a field day tearing me apart." She clicks her tongue, rolling her eyes at a comment embellished with a puking emoji.

"Sorry. I didn't realize you needed to prep. I thought you looked fine," Miguel responds, his shot at pacification falling short.

"Clearly not!" Thalia seethes. "Excuse me for not being good enough for you."

Miguel groans, swiftly snatching the mouse and closing the browser. "Don't let it get to you. They don't know you, so who cares what they think?"

"Again, it's always easy for you to say when you're not the one being attacked." Thalia stomps her feet as she makes her exit, but Miguel intercepts, clutching her elbow.

"I'm sorry," he pleads, authentic remorse reflected in his eyes. "But honestly, I thought you looked amazing. You often do. Even when you're rocking oversized shirts and baggy pants, you're more than good enough for me."

She looks away. "I like it comfy."

"Exactly. I'm the one who's not at your level," he quips, trying to douse the flames again.

"What did they want me to do? Put some makeup on when I was only dropping something off? Wear a sexy dress? Strip?"

"Nope, not stripping when I haven't even seen any of it," Miguel jokes, a mischievous grin on his face, causing Thalia's cheeks to tint with embarrassment.

"Shut up."

He steps closer, enveloping her in his arms, his fingers tracing a subtle path along her back down to her waist, exploring her curves. Even though he hasn't seen what's underneath, Miguel is certain Thalia can make the naysayers eat their words.

Boring? Plain?

Without sex appeal? Hah.

"Thalia, forget about them. I won't ever do that again, I swear."

"No, do it again. I'll show up on your next livestream," Thalia mutters. "I want to piss them all off."

"Are you sure? Trolls gonna troll, and I don't want you dealing with that nonsense," Miguel cautions.

She looks up at him, a dangerous half-smile appearing on her lips. "Right now, I just want to make it crystal clear to those bashers that I'm the girlfriend. They can either deal with it or hit that unfollow button."

"I actually lost some subscribers."

"And?" Thalia is demanding an explanation as if daring him to complain. Miguel knows better than falling into that trap.