The walk back home that afternoon held a certain air of awkwardness between Dorian and Reina. The moment Dorian had set his heart on going to Sacred Heart Academy, he had hoped, prayed even, that no one would find out about him cosplaying. And yet…here he was…walking home with the girl who had not only found out but asked him for help to get started. It left him with more questions than answers, but he wasn’t honestly sure how many he wanted to get.
“So,” he began, tentatively. “What’s gotten you interested in cosplaying all of a sudden?”
“It’s not a recent thing, but I don’t really have a specific reason, I guess,” she admitted. “I see how much fun people are having and how much they seem to love it and want to get in on it. Besides, I might find a lot of characters I’d love to cosplay and even look amazing as, right?” With a sigh and a smile, Dorian pulled out his phone, opened an app a few screens deep and handing it to her. “What’s this?”
“My profile on Cosmos,” he answered. Her expression was still a touch confused, but he also noticed she hadn’t looked at the phone. “It’s a sort of cosplayer’s social media. You don’t have to have it to cosplay, but there’s tons of people on it who don’t cosplay. It’s kinda fun to meet some people at events and I’ve been on both ends.” He waited as she scrolled down through his photos, not that there was a ton of them if he was completely honest with himself.
“You like to do villains, huh?” she finally asked. Dorian shrugged and tossed his hair out of his eyes dramatically.
“Villains are always the best characters, don’t you think?” he questioned. “Not bound by the same rules as the hero. Best songs outside of the intros, and just some of the most well-made characters.” He noticed her curious look and saw the picture she was looking at. “That’s definitely one of my favorites….”
“But who is it?” she asked, looking at him. “I don’t recognize him….” She handed him his phone back before he answered.
“Troupe Master Grimm,” he said. “Probably the best boss in all of Hollow Knight if not the best ever, really.” He was about to launch into a whole bit on Grimm’s fight and the story and lore but decided to spare Reina that torment. She’d just found out he was a cosplayer…might want to leave the rest of his geeky nature behind. “Anyway…he was pretty easy to do and pretty fun to get done.”
“I get that,” Reina shrugged. “I’ve actually been meaning to give Hollow Knight a try…maybe watch some gameplay first to see if I’d like it…just can’t find someone I’d really want to watch.” Dorian had to hold back yet again. “But what got you into cosplaying, anyway? I can’t imagine that you really just decided one day to go for it.”
“I guess it was quite a while ago,” he smiled, putting his hands behind his head. “My sister and I were little…mom and dad had kinda just started to let me help make and mend clothes for the store….”
“Your family owns a clothes store?” Dorian looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “I mean…that would explain why you’d be so good at making clothes…anyway, go on.”
“One of the first big things I did was make mine and my sister’s Halloween costumes one year,” he continued. “Got a ton of compliments, especially on my sister’s when she was about nine or ten. Mom kinda heard me mumbling to myself about it and handed me that book you got for yourself. I didn’t really start cosplaying-cosplaying unit I was about fourteen but I don’t really have a ton of pictures of those…probably for the best.”
“Don’t want me to see little Dorian?” Reina teased. Her smile kinda fell with his dour expression. “Sorry…I shouldn’t have….”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “And it’s not that…just a few things from then I’d like to forget….” He looked at her before offering a smile.
“Is what’s gotten you so down this week a part of that?” The question kind of came out of nowhere, but the look on her face told him she was serious.
“Maybe….” He didn’t look at her, but she grabbed his arm to stop him. “You’re awfully persistent, you know that?”
“If you’re not going to tell me, then at least let me try to keep it off your mind,” she offered, holding tightly onto his upper arm. The look in her eyes told him that she wasn’t going to let him go, but there was also something else behind her eyes. Accepting the fact he wasn’t going to get out of this, he sighed and offered a smile.
“Alright,” he conceded, immediately losing any will to fight her. “So, what did you have in mind?” Her grip lessened on his arm, slowly moving down to grab his hand and lead him…in the opposite direction. Dorian padding along after her, almost tripping as she started leading him back down the street. “Uh…where are we going?”
“There’s an arcade just down the street,” she answered. “I thought it’d be the easiest place to get your mind off of things….”
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When they got there, as it was later in the evening and a week day, the arcade was pretty much empty save for a few other students and other people. As they went to get a couple tokens, Dorian noticed a large bulletin board with pictures of various people with small notes under them. “Huh…wonder why this’s here?”
“It’s our sort of hall of fame.” An employee told her on his way back to the counter.
“So, these are contest winners?” Reina wondered.
“Every last one of them,” the employee beamed. “Not all of them for the same thing, of course, but each one as impressive as the last. A lot of them haven’t been by in a couple years, and I kinda wonder what some of them are up to….” Reina stepped a little closer to one of the pictures which Dorian had been praying she wouldn’t notice. It was a young man with wire frame glasses and short brunette hair and he was holding onto the waist of a rather attractive girl with red hair.
“Well, well, well,” Reina cooed, letting Dorian know how screwed he was. “I didn’t know you wore glasses….”
“I moved on to contacts when I change my look,” Dorian sighed. “It was around the same time I started growing my hair out….” He joined her side with a sad sort of smile on his face. “Things were a little simpler back then….” She looked at him before turning back to the picture with the girl, piecing a few things together but not saying anything. Not that she would’ve had the chance to as the employee interrupted.
“You say that’s you?” he asked.
“Yeah, it’s me,” Dorian admitted. “Providing that the guy in that picture’s name is Dorian Croxton….” The employee just kind of looked at him for a while. “I didn’t do anything wrong the last time I was here, did I? I don’t need to leave?”
“No, no,” he said. “Just didn’t recognize you. It’s only been about two years and I didn’t recognize you. You don’t live around here, do you?” When Dorian shook his head, the employee started to rummage around behind the counter. “That explains why you and that girl you were with didn’t come back for your prize….”
“Did I not?” The employee stood back up and offered Dorian a slip of paper.
“More like it must’ve fallen out of your pocket,” he corrected. “I guess didn’t use it then for some reason and it just slipped out of your coat.” Dorian took it and Reina peaked at it from around him.
“Good for one prize at the counter,” she read. “What’d you win this with?” Dorian mumbled something that she couldn’t here. “Sorry…what was that?”
“DDR,” he said. While he had maybe expected some laughing, Dorian wasn’t sure he liked the look on her face. “What’s that look for?”
“This little trip might’ve just gotten a little more interesting,” she said, smirking. “Are you a gambling man, Dorian?”
“Maybe,” he said, tentatively. “Depends on the bet….” She moved to stand in front of him.
“Why don’t you and I go head-to-head?” she offered. “I’ll even do a hard one with you. If I win, you have to use that little voucher on something I want….”
“And if I win?” Dorian pushed.
“You know that favor I owe you?” she asked. “I’d say that I might be willing to…add some extras onto it….” As much as Dorian tried to be as gentlemanly possible, especially when it came to girls, something clicked in the back of his head. “I can see that you’re excited….”
“I’m surprised you’d agree to it,” he smirked. “How about I add a little. If you win, I’ll drop the favor altogether. But since you’re offering, and I have no reason to doubt myself….” She moved closer to him.
“Then put your money where your mouth is, Croxton….”
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Dorian grumbled all the way down the street, hunched over with his hands in pockets and a sucker poking out of his mouth while Reina skipped a little while cuddling a giant plush orca. “Thank you so much, Dorian….” He gave a noncommittal grunt in response. “Aww…is something wrong, Dorian?” Another grunt. “What was that? Speak up….”
“I’m happy for you,” he growled through gritted teeth. There was a very audible crunch from his sucker as he bit down on it and tossed the stick into a passing bin. Reina chuckled lightly but what she said next relaxed him.
“Good boy….” It was bad enough that his body relaxed but then Reina noticed. “Hmm…someone seemed to like that….”
“Please don’t,” he pleaded. “I’ve already been embarrassed enough this afternoon….” She laughed but didn’t press the issue. At least she wasn’t the type of person to kick someone while they’re down. After a short while and they passed Sacred Heart, Reina spoke up again.
“So why didn’t you want anyone to know you’re a cosplayer?” The question sounded a bit random, but he guessed she’d wanted to ask it back before they went to the arcade.
“Cosplaying doesn’t have the best reputation,” he admitted, sighing. “From people thinking that girls only want to cosplay as slutty versions of characters to the guys who go to cons being basement-dwelling creeps who just go to perv on the girls….” She raised a teasing eyebrow at him. “Hey, don’t give me that look, you’ve seen my work…the girls are just an added bonus. Besides, the cosplayers in general are the best reason to go to events.”
“Because you get to see the product of days of work and people loving what they do, right?” she asked, hefting her plush. “I imagine it’s wonderful….”
“And that’s the attitude you need,” Dorian praised. As they were passing by his house, a sudden thought struck Dorian. “We’re going to need to get your measurements….” He grabbed his chin before continuing that thought. “Why don’t you come over this weekend? We can get your measurements, head down to the mall and just hang out….” Her look was almost a teasing smile. “Yes, yes, I know that I said I’d drop the favor if I lost, but that should just tell you I’m genuine.”
“I think I’d like that,” she answered. “I’ll pack an over night bag tonight and be around tomorrow, then?”
“Sounds like a date,” Dorian agreed. He walked her home and slumped against the door after he got back to his own home, sighing. Two little mewls came from the dim light as two tiny kittens padded over to him, batting his shoelaces. “Felix…Gizmo…we’re gonna being having company tomorrow so I want you on your best behavior.” All he got in return was more mewling. “And you two are just hungry…shocker….”
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