Page 17 of Cosplay & Consequences

“It’s daunting,” he admitted, “but I think I’m up to the task. I think I have a solid grasp on the character and can help propel the series forward.”

I successfully managed not to roll my eyes. Of course, his ego would make him say that. “Well, then what do you say to the fans who don’t see you in the role?”

I don’t know what I expected but he smiled at me. “What about the fans who seem to think I’m ‘meh’?” he teased.

I didn’t smile back. “I’m sure they’re waiting to be impressed.”

Everyone laughed, shouting out comments here and there .

He paused for a moment, chuckling a bit more than I thought he would. “It’s funny you should say that because I spent a good deal of time at the convention yesterday dressed as Tyrst’an.”

I heard the crowd start to murmur and an unpleasant prickly sensation crept up my spine.

“In fact, one fan told me she wished I was Tyrst’an instead of, and I quote, ‘that Marlin Sinbad.’”

My throat tightened and all the blood drained from my face as the crowd roared with laughter. I froze in panic. A memory of my lips on his neck popped into my head. When my vision cleared, all I saw was Daniel Finnegan in his suit staring at me. He wasn’t smiling. If anything, he looked apologetic. Really? Apologetic? How dare he do this! My gut clenched, and a flash of anger surged up in me.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” I spat out.

He bit his lip and slowly nodded. “Not at all,” he said, calmly. “I have some pictures if you’d like to see.”

The crowd cheered in encouragement as perspiration beaded on my forehead. My right shoulder burned with an intense itch, and I forced myself not to claw at it. They took pictures of him with fans. Did that mean…?

“Don’t worry.” I snapped out of my fearful thoughts to see Daniel looking at me in a surprisingly reassuring manner. “Unlike the show, these photos are family friendly.”

There was more meaning behind his expression than just his words. He was trying to tell me something else. I looked into his eyes. They were no longer crimson, but the smile was there. A quiet smile like he had a secret he wanted to keep with me. I don’t know why, but I knew I could trust him. I heard his voice in my head echoing a line from The Alliance of the Cauldron.

I will not betray you.

I nodded and the first picture of him on his own in his outfit appeared on the screen behind me. I heard literal gasps from the crowd, including from Bray and Bennet. Photos began to cycle through, showing pictures of Daniel in dramatic poses with other cosplayers. In one image with another Fiona, he held hands with her, and an irrational surge of jealousy seeped through. I heard a shriek from the crowd. “That’s me!”

The crowd and Daniel laughed. “Hi Sheila!” he called out. “Shouldn’t you be studying for your exam tomorrow?”

The woman shrieked again. “He knows my name!”

The crowd laughed again, and my anxiety subsided but inside I was fuming. Had he planned this? Done this all to somehow black mail me? I took a breath, trying not to show my panic on stage. No. I was the one who made the move. And yet… I silenced my thoughts, focusing on the little display he had put together.

The next picture was of him and another cosplayer dressed as Tyrst’an. “Oh, that’s Robbie!” Daniel exclaimed. “Great guy. He said my cosplay was almost as good as his. I’d have to agree. He actually made that entire cosplay from scratch, while mine mostly came from Amazon. Now, the sword he has there is a prop, but he showed me pictures of Tyrst’an’s sword that he forged himself using iron ore he collected. Very impressive man.”

Each picture seemed to gain more and more momentum with the crowd and Daniel shared a little moment with each fan he took a picture with. And with each picture I became more annoyed, my jaw and neck starting to hurt from the tension. When the slideshow finished there wasn’t a single picture of me and the crowd roared with applause.

Daniel smiled at me, obviously feeling victorious.

“Not bad, right?”

There was no way I could argue with him. Which annoyed me even more. My shoulder burned, begging to be scratched, but I ignored it. “Well, it’s one thing to interact with fans. It’s another to portray the character,” I said, forcing a smile.

“Very true,” he agreed. “Would you like me to audition for you?”

His eyes met mine. Damn it. I left myself open to that suggestion, and he went for it.

The crowd went nuts. I bit my lip and gestured for him to go ahead.

He put the microphone down, which surprised me. Instantly, his posture changed. The smile fell away and his expression shifted. Despite the fact he wore a grey suit and a white dress shirt, I could imagine him in that dark red tunic and leather vest. The crowd fell silent.

“In these dark times, we must not let the world fall apart.”

Ugh. That voice. Somehow it reverberated through the hall louder than with a microphone. I closed my eyes, and I could feel his arms around me when I tripped.