Takara looked at herself in the mirror with a beam that could fill even Achlys’ heart with joy. Her turquoise wig was carefully combed for meticulous accuracy. Her makeup made her look just like the character and he violet and bright blue costume was made out of the most exquisite materials her money could buy. Suddenly the hours spent working in a restaurant did not seem so gruelling after all.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNr2Li6Moe
She prayed that no one would make fun of her for cosplaying as a light-skinned character despite having African heritage.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3EMvny8eAM
She looked at the image of her favourite anime character on her laptop. “Oh,” she said. She searched her vanity table for her red pendant. She eventually found it underneath a beanie. She hurriedly fastened it around her neck as she heard her mother call out to her.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡws2xl5vsJ2
She raced down the stairs, tripping every few steps. She slammed her head in the door before opening it. Her mother laughed, placing a dark-skinned hand over her own mouth.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡn3PUVq70pd
“Is that part of your character?” she asked. Takara pouted, entering the car at the same time as her mother. “So what anime’s this from?”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡuoxmGTa0Ya
“Can’t you tell? It’s Megumi from Merry Merry Megumi.”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBnVZH26al
“How am I supposed to know that? I don’t watch the stuff. So what’s it about?”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9JyyALtbZ
“An angel falls down from the sky and loses her memory. She is looked after by this nerdy girl and they both can change into magical girls. They fight the monsters made by the person who pushed Megumi from the sky. Megumi has cloud powers and the other girl has earth powers.”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVxirnrlZc
“That sounds like a children’s show.”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMvNibmyfU
“W-well, it is, but it’s really good. A lot of adult men watch it.”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAuojedrCm
Takara’s mother almost spit in her coffee. “Why would a grown man want to watch it?” Awkward silence filled the car. Takara peered out the window as the buildings appeared to push themselves backwards, occasionally revealing a clear sky.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡMyZ5LBewUz
The air inside and outside the car was pleasantly warm. As if Tawhiri decided that the day was too perfect to not throw some chaos into the mix, the wind outside her window blew with infuriating strength.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0XkuXtLO9
Half an hour passed before the car arrived at the Tokyo International Exhibition Center. Takara’s mother laughed. “Nope, there’s no way I’m going to find a parking spot here.”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡT78QNaXd1Z
Takara frowned, her chin rested in her hand, as her mother drove several blocks until she found a spot. “Bye, sweetie. Ring me when you’re ready to go home.” Takara nodded and inhaled slowly, preparing to walk all the way to the convention from the spot with heels that whichever god created her did not intend for her to wear.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5QlYNmWCff
“Damn you, Mum.”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3WtNiQQcD
She tripped over no less than three times. The third time was when she had almost reached the building. She closed her eyes and prepared for her face to hit the concrete. When her face felt no sensations, she opened her eyes and looked up.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡF83mKgXHsA
Her arms were being held by a girl in a similar but different costume to Takara’s. It was green with traces of gold. The girl’s wig was long, black and in a princess cut.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6A7Vorcvo
“Are you okay?” the girl asked in a deep and smooth voice. Takara nodded. “I thought Megumi was light on her feet.”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTUaodrd6C
Takara blushed and gritted her teeth. “Well, isn’t Junko supposed to protect Megumi without asking questions?”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡqY8gqSCOf0
“That’s not official. Did you make that up?”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡuh0arUGLV4
“Huh. I must have read a lot of Megunko doujinshi.”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtabWclPcU
The girl laughed and Takara smiled. “So have I. Isn’t that pairing the best? That moment when Junko says that she’s glad she knows Megumi and Megumi blushes is just the cutest!”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡkF9nRpUJes
Takara was taken aback by the girl’s sudden change in demeanour to a coolheaded young lady to a bubbly fangirl. She smiled, hoping that the girl would keep showing this side of her.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9cnZZ5866
“Not as cute as that episode when the two have a sleepover and sleep in the same futon!”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KWZzPtTMW
“How could I forget?” The girl took Takara by the arm and began lightly pulling her into the building. “I wish the pairing was more popular. Why on earth would people support Megumi and Hotaka? He’s the villain!”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdhzOkZffX
“I always thought that was weird. So what doujin are you planning on buying?”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6yvjTt5BZ
“Lots and lots of yuri,” the girl replied with a small but genuine laugh. “Oh, we haven’t introduced ourselves, unless you want us to just call each other by our character names. I’m Tsubaki.”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡoddT46Klf1
“Takara.” The two shook hands.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡrOPFXEmf0v
The lines were long and the judgemental eyes on Takara made the experience tiresome, but the two new friends were able to pass the time by chatting about anime, especially yuri. “Everyone at school thinks it’s weird that I like yuri so much,” Takara said.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35lnSnBFJD
“What’s so weird about it?” Tsubaki asked. “You shouldn’t care about what they think. Well, I guess that’s hypocritical of me since no one else knows about me liking it. Everyone assumes I’m not into anime.”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡmaEMKtAZ9M
“So what do you talk about with other people?”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡJanlf0iHYm
“Sport, usually.”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡBIZ1bq9zLr
Takara scanned her eyes up and down Tsubaki, noticing her well-defined arm and leg muscles. “That makes sense,” she whispered.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxn9Uh8Nre
Tsubaki stared at her with an amused smirk. “Are you done looking at me like that?” Takara nodded.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡRjaOQ4K3tM
“Sorry.”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzICM7qfso
“Don’t be.”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQknZbx1Sl
Takara began to sweat underneath her costume due to the bodies pushing past her to enter lines. Tsubaki appeared to be unfazed by the rising heat of the building, much to Takara’s admiration and jealousy.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hEoz0AFqf
The two decided to have a food break. “Why is everything so expensive here?” Tsubaki asked as she sipped her ice tea. She tapped her fingers on the table and leaned forward so as not to spill anything on her long dress.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RAowVLKZu
“Haven’t you been to a convention before?” Takara responded, taking a doujinshi from her bag. Tsubaki shook her head. Takara began reading the doujinshi in her hands.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCPgHqHGS8
“Haven’t you ever talked with another human being before? You’re not supposed to read when having a chat with someone.”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡWbQUvhQXRl
“Sorry.”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbzTD2nxom
“Don’t be.”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡddaDX4TK0L
The two ate their food and continued to discuss the merits of magical girl anime. Out the corner of Takara’s eye was a man wearing a chillingly precise cosplay of Hotaka. She grabbed her camera and ran to the man. Tsubaki followed her, asking her where she was going and receiving no immediate answer.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKXucyMOTK
“Can… Can I take a picture with you?” Takara requested. The man nodded and Takara gave the camera to Tsubaki.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡm72Ma2t1Y0
Takara froze in a fighting pose. The man leaned back, his hands up in surrender. Click! The two changed their poses to Takara pointing at the man as if giving him a speech. Click! The final pose was another battle, but Takara struggled to keep balance on one leg as she pretended to be kicking Hotaka. She quickly toppled over.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXfllv9QZI
Tsubaki honked with laughter before hastily covering her mouth. “I have the worst laugh,” she said softly.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8yEFMvDQc
Takara gave her a reassuring smile as she was helped up by her new friend. “I think it’s fine.”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cfgI0ZUmc
The man sniggered when he saw how close the two were and suggested they take a few yuri cosplay photos together. Takara asked Tsubaki if she’d feel comfortable doing this and the latter nodded her head. Takara handed the camera over to the man.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡfYTrb3sTus
The two girls were unsure of what poses to do. They started by holding hands and facing the camera. Click! They turned towards each other and looked in each other’s eyes, raising their hands upwards until they were at the same level as their chests. Click!copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wpHJeq9km
Tsubaki decided to risk embarrassment and touch the other girl’s cheek. Takara put her hand on Tsubaki’s and leaned into the latter’s hand, closing her eyes. Click!copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzmLO8zY0L
“I’m sorry,” Tsubaki told Takara. “That was rude of me.”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡp0yp1fiFVe
“Don’t be.” The two chortled and the man remarked on how beautiful the photos were. Takara thanked the man and took the camera, taking a look at each image. “He’s right. These are really nice. Can I put them on World Cosplay? I can include you in the description if you want”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDGu0vWVXX
“Of course. I don’t have a World Cosplay account, though. I haven’t even heard of that site. Sorry. You can just post these photos without mentioning me.”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡlM927J6bnD
“If you insist. I can at least get your email address so we can chat some time, right?” The two exchanged emails.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXvbRJVRr0
Tsubaki heard her cell phone ring and walked outside to answer the call. Takara followed her. Tsubaki’s smile transformed into a gloomy long face faster than Hermes could deliver a message.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡm6k5RWvrPV
“I’ve got to get home. It was nice meeting you.”copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Avl4oyJO0
The two gave each other a quick and uncomfortable embrace. “Bye,” Takara muttered. “I already can’t wait to see you again.” Her whisper died in the wind.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8Qrn4T2V0
As Tsubaki wave goodbye, Takara stood, shivering in the now cool air, with crimson cheeks and a rapidly beating heart.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡHz5v3qUc1F
“So this is how main characters in yuri anime feel,” she said to herself, her chuckles swirling around the air with nowhere to go.copyright protection457ＰＥＮＡＮＡAmJc2jkPwF
ns18.215.62.41da2
