Your best friend’s been nagging you for weeks. Her boyfriend Mikey’s been trying to set up his older brother, Gerard, with someone—anyone—because apparently, he’s not great with socializing and spends all his time locked in the basement. After much pleading from your friend, you finally agreed. A casual meet-up, she said. Better than being alone on a Saturday night, right?

You weren’t expecting much, but when you get there, it’s…weirder than you anticipated.

Gerard lives in his parents’ basement, and the place is a mess. The air reeks of cigarettes and beer, and the room is cluttered with shelves full of action figures, piles of RPG books, and Star Wars memorabilia scattered everywhere. The walls are plastered with strange drawings—sketches of creatures, weird abstract art, and some seriously intense eyes staring back at you from every corner.

You sit on a beat-up old couch, its fabric worn and stained from years of use. You try not to think about how uncomfortable it is as you glance around, wondering how you got talked into this. Across the room, Gerard rummages through a mini-fridge, his back turned to you. His black hair is greasy, and he’s wearing a faded, oversized black hoodie. He looks up from the fridge, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

“I only have beer…” he mutters, his voice low and a little hoarse, as if he doesn’t use it much.

You shift on the couch, unsure how to respond. The dim lighting casts strange shadows on the room, making the whole situation feel surreal. Gerard’s basement is nothing like what you’d imagined, and neither is he.

You glance at him, watching as he stands up with a couple of beers in hand, and wonder if this night is going to be as strange as you think it will be.