"...I thought I'd find love. Guess what, sweetheart? We don't all get what we want."

That was the first message I ever sent Bricen. I was still speaking in-character in an online roleplaying server we were in at the time (and still are today).

Bricen and I met over Discord in the year 2021. We had both joined a server ran by a couple of Youtubers, but neither of us knew the other existed until... the Masq. The Masq is an online roleplaying game in which participants play as whatever character they want. Seasons evolve through games and events, which eliminate players until there's a winner.

A couple of mutual friends had created the Masq around February 2020, which helped stave off much of the boredom of being inside during the pandemic. I'd played in the second season of it, but found difficulty in participating due to my work schedule and later dropped out. After that, I didn't join another season until a year later. This season's theme was the first (and currently only) one revolving around "dating" another character. Needless to say, I was knocked out early because clearly I didn't learn the first time that Masq and work do not mix. It wasn't all for naught, though. Bricen had joined the server before season seven started, sitting back in the audience chat to observe the drama. After my initial message to him, we started chatting back and forth in the audience chat, mostly about the game and its characters. We, however, didn't learn much about each other during this time.

About nine months later, a friend of ours asked us separately if we could help him with a project he was working on. We both agreed and would often spend time in voice chats together working on said project. Over time, Bricen and I discovered we had a lot of the same interests. At some point, Bricen had told our friend that he liked me, and so our friend decided to act as wingman for both of us.

Soon, it was April 2022. Bricen and I (along with a couple other friends) watched Disney's Hercules together in a voice chat one night. Once the movie was over, our friends left after chatting for a little bit, which left Bricen and I alone in the voice chat. By this time, I'd started really liking Bricen for more than just his interests. I found his personality delightful, and it always seemed like we were on the same wavelength. I really really wanted to tell him how much I actually liked him, but I was super nervous to do so. It took about two hours of mostly awkward silence before I admitted it. Much to my relief, Bricen reciprocated my affection, and we started dating.

Online dating, as you can imagine, is not easy, especially when you're over 700 miles away! Bricen and I spent almost every night in voice chat, talking about our day and streaming movies together. I even got into Fortnite so that we could do something together! In September 2022, Bricen flew up to Michigan to meet me for the first time in-person. Both of us were really nervous, and being that I had just come from work, I drove us to a nearby Wendy's for dinner. We then sat in the car talking for about two hours. By the time I dropped him off at the airport a few days later, I knew that we were meant to be.

Fast forward to November, and I flew down to North Carolina to spend Thanksgiving with Bricen's family. I'd never been around a real Southern family before, so it was fun to get to know them! He then flew back up the next spring, after graduating college, for Memorial Day weekend.

Finally, in September 2023, Bricen got a job and moved to Michigan! It was an adjustment for both of us now that we could spend all our time together in person, and we quickly got closer. We both knew each other was the one, so it was only a matter of time when the big question would be dropped.

The day after Christmas, I'd gone over to Bricen's place so that we could go after-Christmas shopping together. I noticed an extra present under his tree, so I opened it and it was a puzzle. After putting it together and reading the message on the back, I found a second clue in the pantry in an empty cookie bag. The next clue was in the dryer, and the one after on a new bookshelf in the spare room. Finally, the last clue was in the copy of Interstellar I had given him some months ago, telling me to look up. Naturally, I looked at the ceiling because who wouldn't? I quickly realized my mistake when Bricen got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I melted into tears and said yes.

A day hardly goes by now without me thinking about spending the rest of my life with this handsome man. We adore each other and would do anything to make the other happy. Neither of us thought we'd find love online, but through perseverance and persistence, we have weathered many hardships that have affected us as a couple. We have certainly found our best friend in each other.

Registry

We would also like gift cards to the following stores: TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Wal-mart, IKEA