"Derby of Hope, marry me."

Derby could barely believe what she'd just heard. To the point that she didn't do much other than audibly keysmash for a while, making strange noises as Brie returned to her feet from her kneeling position.

"Oh Derby, you are a gentle soul," Brie said. "This would not be a genuine marriage, merely one of convenience! The council of dark lords won't bother me as much if I am betrothed otherwise."

"I...er...wha...?" Even a marriage of convenience seemed like a lot for Derby. She had gone from needing money for her game to entering another world, getting captured by monsters or something, then rescued, to now getting proposed to by her rescuer?

"You don't have to decide right away," Brie said. "Take me to your abode first."

"A-ah...that's right..." Now Derby had to bring this girl to her house and figure out what to do next.

She tried to think of what they did with people from other worlds. Did she have to bring this girl to a government building or something? That sounded like something Derby would do if she wanted Brie lost in other dimensional bureaucracy. Did she end up in that void thing? Derby figured that was just for Cani, but she wasn't one, so that didn't seem right. In cartoons about this sort of subject it always just kinda worked out so Derby hoped for the same here.

Who knows, maybe she'll just get bored of me between now and home. That might be a relief, actually.

"Derby of Hope," Brie said. "Are you regarded as a hero in this world?"

"Who, me?" Derby asked, stopping in her tracks. Was Brie making fun of her now?

"Yes, obviously," Brie said. "You rescued me from quite the dilemma earlier, so I'm sure you're a hero here as well."

"I...I don't know if I'd describe myself that way..." Derby said. In Fantastical Fantasy MMO, her character was a hero. In real life she had decidedly less adventures. This last hour was probably the most exciting of Derby's life. "Did I even do anything to help out?"

"So humble, that's an admirable trait!" Brie said.

"Sure..." Derby said. She struggled to come up with anything at all to say about herself, but Brie didn't seem to mind.

Derby got a bit panicked when they approached her home. Would that big portal still be there, just about covering the front lawn? What if her family had fallen in? But it luckily wasn't present. Home looked just like it always did, a quaint, nice place.

"This is where I fell into that...whatever that was," Derby said. "My whole yard was like this big pit."

Brie stroked her chin, her eyes sparkling like rubies as she pondered.

"Hm, I wonder if you were specifically targeted," Brie said.

"Would someone really do that?" Derby asked.

"You're a hero, so surely some nefarious force would want that glory in captivity," Brie said. "Fortunately, they were thwarted."

"Do you think they would do that again?" Derby asked.

"Who knows?" Brie asked. "But if they do, I will defend you, my true bride."

"True bride?" Derby asked.

"Don't sound so shocked, I have proposed to you already, haven't I?" Brie winked. She waved her hands, and more glittering magic filled the air like dust, sprinkling around Derby's home. "There. Protective spell to ward off any funny business like that."

Brie looked very smug about that, which made Derby feel like she needed to clap. Whether it worked or not, it was a relief to have something to avoid another giant lawn consuming interdimensional pit.

"Now, as thanks, you may show me your home," Brie said.

"Er...sure..." Derby said. "Where are we gonna put you in the meantime...?" What if this girl had to spend the night? "I'd say you could use the guest room, but my aunt's been there so long it's pretty much hers…"

"That's alright, I'll just sleep in your bed." Brie said, so confidently that Derby feared she'd have no retort.

"Wh..." Derby felt her legs weaken hearing that, but she somehow kept her composure.

Derby hoped her mom and sister were still in their rooms, and that Aunt Emme was still out as she tiptoed into her house. The coast seemed to be clear to her room, but two steps into her house Derby froze.

"Actually...maybe we should...just stand here in the hallway!" Derby said. "It's fun...to stand. In places."

Brie couldn't see her room. It was messy and filled with nerdy anime figures and posters and other merch. If Brie thought Derby was at all cool before, that would be evaporated the second Brie saw her room.

"What is it?" Brie asked. "My legs are weary, where is your room? I wish to be seated."

"I...have chairs...somewhere..." Derby said.

Derby debated if bringing Brie to the living room would be safer than her own room. But if she did that there was a very high chance someone would find them.

"Derby Ofohp..."

"Eep!"

In her hesitation, the situation she'd wanted to avoid came to pass almost immediately. Derby's mother appeared seemingly out of nowhere, hands on her hips.

"Who is this?" Derby's mother asked.

"I...uh...this is Brie," Derby said.

"Greetings," Brie said. "I am Brie de Meaux, dark lord of the umpteenth realm. I have recently been betroth—"

"She's my friend!" Derby interjected. "From the...comic? Store? Who...does cosplay. And gets very into character."

"Hm," Derby's mom stared at the new guest.

"Brie, this is my mom," Derby said. She smiled widely at Brie, hoping she'd take the hint. Of what exactly, she wasn't sure. But she hoped Brie would get it nonetheless.

"I am a traveler from a far away land," Brie said. "I am seeking shelter, and Derby of Hope has graciously offered her home to me."

"Oh, is there a convention in town this weekend?" Derby's mom asked. "And you went all this way and didn't get a hotel?"

"Her...hotel was all booked up!" Derby said. "I...maybe...guest...room..."

"Nonsense, you don't want her in that mess," Derby's mom said. "We'll get the bunk bed ready, she can stay with you!"

"W-wha...?" Derby said.

Once Derby's mother decided something, that was it. "I knew I kept that thing for a reason, go tell Emme to set it up for you, and if she doesn't I'll make her."

"Is she back?" Derby asked.

"Mhm, she went to the gym," Derby's mom said. "Go check with her already, I'll see what Brie wants for supper."

"But...wait..." Derby whined as her mom pulled Brie into the kitchen. She didn't stop them, though. Whatever Derby was trying to hide with Brie was sure to come out soon enough, so maybe it was better to hear it from Brie herself rather than Derby trying to explain it when she barely understood anything that was going on. All she knew was that it was a Friday, she had no classes, and she was home safe now. Everything else she'd have to figure out later.

Aunt Emme had classic rock playing on an old boombox as Derby stepped into the basement gym. Emme was on the bench press lifting heavy weights. Derby crept behind her, making tiny noises until her aunt noticed.

"Sup Derbs? Wanna spot me?" Emme grunted.

"Not really." Derby said.

"No problem, I got this," Emme said.

Aunt Emme finished her set, then sat up, toweling herself off. Emme looked a lot like her sister in her face, but she was a lot more muscular than Derby's mother, who usually remarked something along the lines of "It's too bad with all that muscle she didn't train the most important muscle—her brain."

"So what's going on?" Emme asked.

"First off, don't steel Fantasy Bucks from my account," Derby said.

Emme laughed nervously.

"I'll pay you back for the FB, I promise," Emme said.

"You better," Derby said. "What did you even use with my money?"

"I just wanted a special kind of mod if you catch my drift," Emme grinned. "Special kinda skin for my character, with a lot of skin showing, if you know what I mean. An unclothed skin, even."

"I got it," Derby said. "Secondly, do you know anything about Dark Lords?"

"Like in Fantastical Fantasy MMO? Isn't that your character's class?" Emme asked.

"Yes, I know about them in the game, but like. In real life?" Derby said.

"In real life…?" Emme asked.

"Derby, how many times do I tell you that you need to be more direct?"

Derby let out a panicked noise that sounded like she was saying "Eyarp!" as her mother showcased her stealthy capabilities once more.

"S-sorry," Derby said.

"Emme, go get the bunk bed and set it up in Derby's room, we have a guest spending the night," Derby's mom said.

"For real? Who?" Emme asked.

Brie bounded down the stairs, waving.

"Dang, she's tall," Emme said.

"Greetings, I am Brie de Meaux," Brie said. "Dark lord of the umpteenth realm, so on and so forth."

"Right on, I didn't know the convention was this weekend," Emme said. "Lemme finish my sets and I'll get right on it."

"Just do it now so you don't forget," Derby's mom said.

"Nah, I'm in the zone."

Derby's mom and Aunt Emme kept arguing, so Derby waved for Brie to follow her back upstairs.

"Yeah, sorry, they're a lot," Derby said.

"Nonsense, your family is quite lovely," Brie said. "Your mother is serving us some sort of casserole for our meal."

"Heck yes!" Derby said.

Derby's glee at the meal was interrupted by Brie grabbing her wrist. "Now, show me where I'll be sleeping tonight. No further distractions!"

She didn't have a choice now. Derby let Brie hold onto her as she led the dark lord to her bedroom.

"H-here it is," Derby said.

Well, it was nice having her think I was cool for an hour or so, Derby thought as the two stepped inside.

Brie let go of Derby, which left Derby feeling a strange longing as the tall girl ran around like a puppy arriving at home for the first time.

"Oh, fascinating!" Brie said. "So much plunder! Bright and colorful!" She bent over to inspect a top shelf more closely, one filled with anime figures. "Trophies of your conquests, perhaps? Awards for greatness? Or conquests of a different variety?" She elbowed Derby. "I have heard of the third realm's princess commissioning statues of each partner she'd bedded, is this something similar?"

"N-no! They're just...anime figures," Derby said. "I collect a lot of...nerdy stuff."

"Hm?" Brie said. "Why do you sound so downtrodden about your treasures?"

Brie tilted her head at Derby, once again looking very puppy-like in spite of being a very tall warrior.

"It's just..." Derby said. "Brie, these are just my nerdy toys and comics and junk. I lied back there in wherever that was about being super duper strong. I don't have any powers. I'm not cool. I'm a loser. I'm a dork. I'm a weird trans girl with like four friends, and three of those are just my family so they have to like me. I don't really do much, I barely go outside except for classes, I'm shy and fat and stupid and ugly. There's nothing hopeful about me, I suck." She wiped her eyes, unaware when she started crying. "I just...I don't want to lie to you and have you think I'm cool when the truth is the total opposite."

"Derby of Hope..." Brie scowled. "I am disappointed."

And there it is. It was a nice afternoon, I guess. But reality sucks, and it just is another case of things going like this for me where—

Brie scooped up Derby in her arms, easily picking her up.

"Wha—? Huh?"

"I am disappointed to hear you speak of yourself that way," Brie said. "When from just a short time knowing you, I can see that you are magnificent."

"I'm not, I'm really not—" Derby said.

"Quiet with that," Brie said. "You are kind, you are sweet, you are cute, and just about every new thing I learn about you I like. "

"I...that's..."

"Your soul shines in a lovely hue, Derby of Hope."

Being held by a giant strong lady, looking into her gorgeous ruby eyes as she said that made every word hit harder.

Brie held up a single finger, still cradling Derby in her other arm like she weighed nothing. "Speak of yourself thusly: I, Derby of Hope. C'mon, say it."

"I—I, Derby of Hope..." Derby said.

"...am radiant in spirit and adorable in body, and a worthy bride of Brie de Meaux, dark lord of the umpteenth realm."

"I don't know if I can say all that," Derby said.

"Just the first part, at least?" Brie said.

"The first part's the bit I'm having trouble with." Derby said.

"Then say all of it! It's all true!" Brie said. "Come on."

"I, Derby of Hope. Am, uh radiant in spirit and adorable in b-body, and a worthy bride of Brie de Meaux, dark lord of the umpteenth realm." Derby said.

"Wonderful," Brie said.

For a brief moment, Derby wondered if Brie was going to kiss her. Right then and there, she wouldn't have stopped it. But Brie set her back down carefully instead, patting her shoulders.

"There, there," Brie said. "Tears are nothing to hide, let them flow!"

Derby did let her tears flow, not sure how long she took crying out everything she had bottled up.

"What the heck..." Derby sniffed. "Nobody's ever talked to me like that before."

"Well, I am both pleased to be the first and disappointed that no one else has appreciated your brilliance." Brie said. "You better be careful, or our marriage of convenience will turn into one of love." She winked again, giggling.

"Hey, watch it," Derby laughed.

Until suppertime, Derby gave a more in depth tour of her room, feeling a lot less embarrassed about her figures, posters, and games.