Post by Vapovile on Dec 16, 2021 22:29:30 GMT
Jane almost regretted setting up shop at the convention. Business was the best it could be, of course, with thousands of potential customers milling around at all times. Nerds with more cash than they knew what to do with were passing all the time, and once in a while they were intrigued by her wares or even already a fan, and in the latter case sales were nearly guaranteed. However, it also meant she missed out on a lot. Everybody seemed to be having so much fun, but she was stuck in one place. No other booths, no panels. She at least got to cosplay. Most of the pieces were bought and slightly altered. A pink straw hat and gardening gloves were easy to find after all. The rest of it was made by her younger, or perhaps older, sister Cosmina. Ridged pink rubber all over, a good deal snugger on Jane’s curves than it was on the one who wore it in the series it came from; Worm, from Magical Guardian Terrors. The yellow sash around her stomach completed the look, although few people could see it with her hidden behind the desk. She wanted to show off, but she was kinda stuck.
Thousands of people walked down the aisles of a Seattle anime convention, one particularly tall attendee following behind a beautiful woman who wore a similar costume to herself. Erin had on a pair of aviator goggles over a black dress top with orange stripes, the bottom flaring out with lightning bolts and speed lines. Under which she wore a pair of long black pants that went down to her ankles, and a foam spear strapped to her back in a collapsed position.
The woman in front wore a poofy green dress that had a strange red mouth-like design on the bottom laces, lined with fake spikes along the bottom. The dress had a set of long sleeves, and even a hood that had little white strings along the openings that looked like teeth as well.
“Soooo…see anything you like yet, Erin?” Caroline asked, stopping and glancing up at her friend. Erin nervously nodded her head. “Y-yeah…so many. You uh, still enjoying yourself?” “I’m with a cutie and seeing fancy stuff I never knew about, what’s not to love? I’m a fly trap!” Caroline spun her frilly dress, making the red fabric rise slightly more for a second. Erin let out a sigh of relief. She was so worried Caroline would be too cool to attend something like this.
Erin pushed her way out of the crowd and stumbled upon an artist’s stall that made her eyes light up. “Heeey…Super Star, I know this webcomic!” Erin said aloud, Caroline making her way out of the crowd behind Erin and looking at the stand. Various drawings of superheroes were displayed, and books were stacked on the table listed as ‘Super Star: Vol 1’. Caroline narrowed her eyes, but let Erin take this one.
Jane made herself look proper for customers, adjusting her hat and smiling up at the newcomers. “Hello, ladies, what can-” She stopped short when she took a closer look at their costumes. “Oh hey! Magical Guardian Terrors! Look, I’m Worm!” She smiled and pointed out her outfit before chuckling and shaking her head. “Sorry, heh. I’m Jane, writer and artist of Super Star! You two fans, or just browsing?”
Erin hesitated when addressed by the tiny girl, but her eyes lit up when she saw that her cosplay matched her’s and Caroline’s! “Oh, uh, hi! I er, love your cosplay. Big fan of Terrors, and uh…also your comic.” Erin rubbed the back of her head. It was always embarrassing doing something like this. “You didn’t want to cosplay one of your own characters?” Erin asked.
“Heheh, thanks! I thought about it, you know, but I draw my characters to my tastes, and well, I don’t really suit them.” Jane pointed out the prints of her characters, all impressive figures with lovingly detailed muscles. Then she pointed to herself. She was short and curvy, very little muscle to be seen on her figure. “I prefer to be cute… and Worm’s the cutest! Just like Wasp is the coolest.” Jane smiled at Erin.
The smile made Erin shift a little, feeling like the complement wasn’t just directed at Wasp. Caroline noticed this and leaned against the nearby shelves, giving a small smile. “Er, yeah! She’s pretty cool…and aw, you can uh, cosplay anyone you like! I’m hardly ripped either…and I still dressed like Wasp. You have the cuteness of Worm for sure though.” Erin froze when she realized what she said, looking like a deer in headlights. What had she said?!
Jane’s eyes lit up. Oh, what was that? Good taste in anime, good looking, and quite possibly a touch gay? That was one of the other great things about cons; you never knew who you would meet. “Why thank you. You don’t have to be ripped, just cool. And you are very cool.” Maybe that was a bit much for somebody she just met? Maybe, but Jane was bold in social interactions, if not anywhere else.
Ok, that was a direct complement! Caroline was now grinning at the interaction between these two. She stepped forward and placed her hands on Erin’s shoulders. “Hi hi! I’m Erin’s friend Caroline. I think Erin wants to buy something?” She asked, Erin relaxing. Right, they were here for a reason. Letting out a sigh, Erin took a poster and book from the counter. “R-right, thanks Caroline. Can I uh, buy these two please, er…Jane, was it? Yeah, that’s it.” Erin hated how she kept talking past the point necessary.
“You got my name, so can I get yours? Free autograph, just for your cosplay matching mine.” Jane winked. Heh, poor lady was tripping all over herself. She got nervous so easily! Was Jane wrong about her being tough? Well, she wanted to find out for sure.
Erin nodded her head. “R-right, my name is Erin! And this is Caroline, but she uh, already said that. She doesn’t know about this stuff, just wanted to attend the convention with me.” Caroline gave a wave from behind Erin’s shoulder, giving Jane a knowing smirk as she motioned her eyes to Erin. “Thanks for the er, autograph! I’m sure it’ll be super valuable when you’re famous one day, consulting on a movie of Super Star!” Erin looked into the distance as she wistfully considered the possibility.
Jane was prepared to laugh at the joke before she saw Erin’s eyes. She meant it!? That was incredible! Even Martha didn’t quite ‘get’ her work, as much as she tried to support it. Jane blinked away some tears of joy so she could scribble down her ‘autograph’ and hand it over. When Erin looked closer, she wouldn’t find her name but instead a number. “I think you just might be my biggest fan.” She sniffed, still trying not to cry.
The display made Erin’s eyes widen. Had she said something wrong?! Being called her biggest fan clued Erin in that these were tears of…joy? “M-me? But Super Star is…decently popular! I’m sure plenty of others are uh, fans like me! Ahaha…” Looking down at the autograph, Erin saw not a name…but numbers. Her eyes stared as she began to understand what this meant.
Caroline stepped forward and patted Erin’s shoulders. “Look at you Erin, barely an hour into the second day and you’ve already made a friend! Say Jane, I hear they have a maid cafe here. Care to join us later today?” Caroline asked, trying to send Jane a signal to agree.
Jane frowned. Caroline was helping her obviously, but there was a problem. “Welllllll, it depends on when you do it. I have to run my booth.” Dammit! She wanted to, but this was the curse of coming to cons professionally. She could move out if this got her a greater foothold in the market, but that relied on staying as long as she could.
Caroline narrowed her eyes, then nodded. “Well well, I think the dealers room closes at 6 tonight. I think that’d give us two hours before the cafe closes at 8, no?” Caroline lied. But one look to Jane told her that Caroline was going to make sure the cafe had a table stay open until 8.
“Well, I can definitely do that. If Erin wouldn’t mind me intruding…” Jane looked expectantly at Erin, the one whose opinion on this really mattered.
Erin nodded her head instantly. “You’re not intruding at all! I want to ask you so much about Super Star! And uh…you seem nice.” Erin shifted once again. Caroline nodded. “Then it’s settled! We’re just going to keep the cosplay on, so you bring that cute costume too, kay?” Caroline chirped.
Was Caroline trying to set up a kinky threesome? Jane would have to tell her off if that was the case, but otherwise, she was the best wingman Jane could ask for. “Well I would hate to not show it off some more. Of course I will!” Jane smiled. Next time, she hoped Erin would talk a little more. Well, she had ways.
—
The time was now approaching 6, and the amount of attendees had dropped significantly, no doubt back at their hotels for the night. The cafe was still open…but there weren’t any other patrons inside. Originally they planned to close at 6 as well, but Caroline bribed a cook and waitress to stay a little longer for them.
Erin and Caroline sat at a table, a nice white tablecloth in front of them with a cute anime cat sewn into the fabric. Caroline was facing the door, while Erin faced the kitchen. Erin shifted in her seat.
“Looks like it’s about time…” She muttered. Caroline nodded her head, eyes beaming when she saw someone at the entrance. “Don’t worry, this is going to be easy! I’ll be right back, don’t wait up~” Caroline chirped, heading toward the bathroom. She snapped her fingers toward the entrance, and winked at the girl approaching before disappearing around a corner.
It was just another minute before Jane appeared, checking out the room before locking eyes on Erin. Oh boy, here she went. She shifted a little, making sure her snug outfit didn’t ride up her rear. Maybe it was a little bold for a first date? She hadn’t had time to change, and hey, it was just cosplay. She winked back before approaching Erin. Good, Caroline was stepping aside. She could see how Erin was on her own.
“Heeey, my biggest fan! Good to see you!” Jane sat across from Erin. “This place is cute, eh? Didn’t think they were open so late.”
Erin tensed up when Jane approached. Why did Caroline have to go to the bathroom right now?! She relaxed a little at the joke, and the diversion to talking about the cafe.
“Er, yeah! Gives us people outside Japan to experience a maid cafe. It’s uh, nice to see you too!” Erin beamed. On cue, a girl dressed in a maid outfit appeared and dropped a plate in the middle, filled with tiny cookies shaped like cats with black frosting whiskers.
“Welcome to Nyat Your Average Cafe! What would you like to order, masters?” She peppily asked. Erin looked at the menu, then at Jane. “Can we uh, have a minute for her to decide? She just got here. Thank you though!” Erin asked. The waitress gave a bow and skipped away around the corner, back to her Nintendo Switch.
“I don’t really get maid cafes, but the name is cute.” Jane lit up at the platter dropped off. “And cookies before dinner! They really do love us.” She happily grabbed one and nibbled it like a squirrel, gnawing slowly down to the middle.
Erin grabbed a cookie as well and bit off one of the ears, giggling a little at the way Jane was eating the cookie. “Sorry, but that’s just so cute!” Erin chuckled.
“Hey, you gotta savor it! That and if I eat it any faster I’ll chow down on all of them and not have room for dinner, and wouldn’t that be a shame?” Jane blushed a little, but that laugh tickled something she hadn’t felt in a while. “You have a lovely laugh, you know.”
Erin paused and blushed a little herself, fixing her hair. “Er, thanks! Sounds a little dorky to me, but I guess if you like it…” Erin felt weirdly more relaxed now. “Ok, I have to know. Where did you get that Worm costume? I couldn’t find anything online! So I asked my sister to make something for myself and Caroline.” Erin asked, taking another bite of the cookie.
“Same, kinda. I made some parts myself but I’m not really much for that. So I got my sister to help out with the rest. It’s awesome, right? She’s good at that stuff. She even managed to make it resistant to my foam!” Jane was delighted. It wasn’t too much, it was just right!
“Oh, you have a sister who can sew too?! Whoa…wait a minute, foam? What’s that have to do with anything?" Erin asked, lowering an eyebrow, slightly confused.
“Oh, heh.” Jane glanced around, making sure nobody was listening in. “It’s my powers. They’re uh, a little dirty if you don’t wanna hear it.”
Erin leaned forward in interest. “D-dirty? Oh, you have powers too…what is it?” She asked with curiosity.
“I make foam.” Jane took off one of her gloves and held it out over the plate of cookies. A tiny patch of bubbly fluid, like soap suds, dripped down onto one of them. The cookie bubbled away like it was dipped in acid, a hole eaten right to its core. “It’s kinda an acid. Melts everything… except for untreated body parts. So I can’t really hurt anybody, just you know. Melt their clothes. It’s got its uses.” Jane winked.
Erin’s eyes widened at this information. Was she some kind of succubus? These powers seems oddly sexual for someone normal to have! “Oh uh, wow. Foam that melts anything not alive. Are you some kind of uh…demon?” Erin asked in a whispered tone. Jane’s wink clued her into her intentions here.
“Heheh, kinda. You uh, know what Caroline is, right? I’m one too. A doll. I’m not sure, but I think Marika put some succubus parts in me when making me. Not the most dignified origin, and I definitely didn’t get powers as good as my family, but I don’t like fighting much anyway. I leave that to cool people, like, say, Wasp.” Jane smiled up at Erin. “What powers do you use to save the day, Erin?”
Just as Erin opened her mouth, the waitress came over. “Have mew all decided, myasters?” She chirped with the cat puns. Erin looked up. “Uuuuuh…omelet rice please! Wasp design on it! Did you uh, find anything?” Erin looked over at Jane.
“Takoyaki, please. I have plenty of time to let it cool off.” Jane smiled and handed her menu over.
“Right away, myasters!” The girl skipped away, her attached tail bobbing up and down as she gave the order to the kitchen. Erin sighed and looked back at Jane.
She then recalled. Marika? She was a doll too?! Marika was in prison though, so this shouldn’t be revenge…right? “My powers…have you ever seen the anime Bleach? Well…” Erin held out a hand, and produced a shining cherry blossom that descended in the air, then disappeared seconds later. “Theeeeey’re really dangerous, haha…” Erin laughed.
“Wait… no, seriously, Byakuya!? That’s like the coolest!” Jane almost yelled but turned it into a hushed stage whisper for the sake of the restaurant. “Do you have a sword too!? Is it disguised as Wasp’s spear on your back!?” Jane bounced in her seat, eyes bright.
Erin beamed at the praise. “Haha, I wish! No, see this here?” Erin reached into her pocket and produced a small cherry blossom bud of her own. “It turns into a scythe! I think I’m ok with it. I uh, work for the HWIC, pretty much as a cop. I follow other agents around and help them arrest people, or break up dumb fights with drunk people. That stuff.”
“Woaaaaaah! A scythe is even cooler!” Jane gasped. “I would never be bold enough for that. That’s super scary! I thought you were cool just cause of your outfit, but it turns out you’re really, really cool!”
This stunned Erin. This made her…cool? A sense of pride began to well up inside her. “Hehe, well thank you! I never thought it was that cool, kind of terrifying really. But well, my sister’s the HWIC president. Yep, my full name is Erin Miyata. Sister to aaaaaall kinds of famous people.” Erin rolled her eyes.
“Oh, Miyata! I know Haruko and Aria. Haruko raises my sister Cosmina. Yeah, they’re cool but… Aria’s a stone cold super boss. Of course she can look cooler under pressure. And Haruko only gets involved in danger for her friends or for fun. You just admitted it scares you, but you still go to work every day. That makes you even cooler.” Jane put a hand across the table to rest on Erin’s, giving her a little squeeze.
“Right, your sister is Cosmina! She must have made that amazing outfit!” Erin deduced. She squeezed back after a moment of hesitation. Why did she feel so relaxed now? Was there vodka in this water?!
“But uh, thanks. Sometimes I wonder if I’m in the right career, honestly. I do art too, if you didn’t know. Just little doodles. I’ll bring my tablet over tomorrow if you wanted to see some of my work!” Erin beamed to her dinner date.
“Oh, I would love to! Actually, let's do something.” Jane grabbed two napkins and dug in her pockets, finding two pens. “I want to see something you draw right now, really quick! We’ll have a little contest, have the waitress judge us when she comes back. Want to bet something on it?” She handed one pen and one napkin over to Erin.
Fumbling the napkin for a second, Erin smoothed it out on the table and twirled the pen in her hands. “Uh, sure! Like 5 minutes or something? I can do that!” Putting the pen down, Erin began to carefully sketch out a man’s face, and adding a hood to him that had various arrows along it.
“However long it takes her to get back!” Jane clicked her pen a few times while she thought about what exactly to do. So many things she could draw, so little time to do it. No references, either. She glanced up and smiled. Well, one reference. With sharp angles and stark lines, she began drawing an insectoid hero.
It wasn’t long before the waitress came sliding in, depositing two plates in front of the artists. “It’s all ready for mew two! Is there anything else I can do for you, myasters?” She said in an overly cute voice. Erin nodded her head, looking at Jane.
“Yeah, actually. We want you to be a judge. Whose drawing is better?” She turned her own around to face the waitress. It was Wasp, at least in basis. She had made a more robotic character, with an armored metallic suit and a large, mechanical scythe in her hand.
On the other napkin was a more chibi style character, with the hooded face that had arrows on it. The maid hummed as she judged the entries.
“Hmmm…I don’t know who either of these characters are…but I like this one most!” She pointed toward Jane’s drawing, Erin blushing slightly when she realized what Jane had drawn. The waitress skipped away once more.
“...that was me as Wasp, wasn’t it?” She asked, face still red.
“Uh, not quite.” Jane herself blushed a little at that implication. “But sort of? I drew a different version of Wasp more like a tokusatsu character… and well, it was a little inspired by how cool I thought your scythe sounded.” Jane admitted. “What did you- oh it’s Seeker! And he’s adorable!” Jane grabbed Erin’s napkin to look at it closer. “I love him! Oh he’s so grouchy!” She giggled at the chibi’s face. “Hey, I know she said I won, but I’m willing to call it a tie.”
Erin blushed harder when she was incorrect, and now just seemed self centered. Luckily Jane seemed to take interest in her drawing. “Aaaaaaw, that’s fine. Yours won fair and square! But I really like yours too, Wasp is such a cool character. Trust me, I can do a ton better on my tablet.” Erin tried to reassure.
“Well then as victor, I declare that you have to show me your art tomorrow! Promise to visit me at my stall?” Jane held out her pinky. Erin smiled and reciprocated the gesture. “Promise.”
—
“Thank you so much!” Erin called back to the restaurant, finally closed. They stepped out into the empty convention hall, the large glass doors leading outside before them. Erin let out a sigh and looked at Jane.
“You know…I don’t know what happened to Caroline, but that was…really fun. You’re easy to talk to, Jane.” Erin said, trying to sound cool.
“It was great. You’re great.” Jane had drunk a little sake and wasn’t quite so articulate now. It was stronger stuff than she thought. “You know, cause I won, may I make another request?”
Erin stopped and stared at the doll before her. “Sure, what’s on your mind?” She asked, slightly worried after seeing how Jane was a little tipsy.
“I would like to give you a goodnight kiss, and to wish you sweet dreams until tomorrow.” The little doll held onto Erin’s hands to steady herself and smiled up at her.
This made Erin freeze. “W-wait…kiss? Like, on the lips?!” Erin was shocked to hear this. Did she…want to be her girlfriend?! Or was this a ‘I just want sex and cuddles’ situation like with Caroline? She shifted slightly.
“...I guess you uh…like me?” Erin asked nervously.
“I like you a lot. You’re cool, and you’re cute too, and you’re a lot of fun to talk to. I drank a little too much cause I was worried I would say something dumb and mess it up with you. Was asking for a kiss messing it up?” Jane genuinely looked a little worried now. The alcohol might have been a bad idea.
Erin waved her hands in front of herself. “No no no…I like you too. You’re cute, easy to talk to, into nerdy stuff like me…I-I want one too!” Crouching down, Erin leaned so she was on Jane’s level, ready for the moment.
Jane rose up to meet the dropping Erin, pushing herself onto her tip toes. They met at the perfect height in the middle, lips together for just a moment. Jane was gentle. She didn’t push, just brushed Erin’s lips. After a moment she fell back down to her level, absolutely glowing. “See you tomorrow?”
Smiling, Erin clasped Jane’s hands with her own.
“See you first thing in the morning. I am your biggest fan…remember?”
—
The next morning, Jane got back to her stand before the convention opened. Her only company was other artists hurriedly setting up their own booths, preparing for another busy day. Jane did her basics, unpacking her books and preparing her till, but at the end she added something new. Next to her prints, she placed a new piece of artwork, a chibi of Seeker drawn on a napkin. She smiled and turned it to face her. This wasn’t for sale. It was hers, from her biggest fan.
Thousands of people walked down the aisles of a Seattle anime convention, one particularly tall attendee following behind a beautiful woman who wore a similar costume to herself. Erin had on a pair of aviator goggles over a black dress top with orange stripes, the bottom flaring out with lightning bolts and speed lines. Under which she wore a pair of long black pants that went down to her ankles, and a foam spear strapped to her back in a collapsed position.
The woman in front wore a poofy green dress that had a strange red mouth-like design on the bottom laces, lined with fake spikes along the bottom. The dress had a set of long sleeves, and even a hood that had little white strings along the openings that looked like teeth as well.
“Soooo…see anything you like yet, Erin?” Caroline asked, stopping and glancing up at her friend. Erin nervously nodded her head. “Y-yeah…so many. You uh, still enjoying yourself?” “I’m with a cutie and seeing fancy stuff I never knew about, what’s not to love? I’m a fly trap!” Caroline spun her frilly dress, making the red fabric rise slightly more for a second. Erin let out a sigh of relief. She was so worried Caroline would be too cool to attend something like this.
Erin pushed her way out of the crowd and stumbled upon an artist’s stall that made her eyes light up. “Heeey…Super Star, I know this webcomic!” Erin said aloud, Caroline making her way out of the crowd behind Erin and looking at the stand. Various drawings of superheroes were displayed, and books were stacked on the table listed as ‘Super Star: Vol 1’. Caroline narrowed her eyes, but let Erin take this one.
Jane made herself look proper for customers, adjusting her hat and smiling up at the newcomers. “Hello, ladies, what can-” She stopped short when she took a closer look at their costumes. “Oh hey! Magical Guardian Terrors! Look, I’m Worm!” She smiled and pointed out her outfit before chuckling and shaking her head. “Sorry, heh. I’m Jane, writer and artist of Super Star! You two fans, or just browsing?”
Erin hesitated when addressed by the tiny girl, but her eyes lit up when she saw that her cosplay matched her’s and Caroline’s! “Oh, uh, hi! I er, love your cosplay. Big fan of Terrors, and uh…also your comic.” Erin rubbed the back of her head. It was always embarrassing doing something like this. “You didn’t want to cosplay one of your own characters?” Erin asked.
“Heheh, thanks! I thought about it, you know, but I draw my characters to my tastes, and well, I don’t really suit them.” Jane pointed out the prints of her characters, all impressive figures with lovingly detailed muscles. Then she pointed to herself. She was short and curvy, very little muscle to be seen on her figure. “I prefer to be cute… and Worm’s the cutest! Just like Wasp is the coolest.” Jane smiled at Erin.
The smile made Erin shift a little, feeling like the complement wasn’t just directed at Wasp. Caroline noticed this and leaned against the nearby shelves, giving a small smile. “Er, yeah! She’s pretty cool…and aw, you can uh, cosplay anyone you like! I’m hardly ripped either…and I still dressed like Wasp. You have the cuteness of Worm for sure though.” Erin froze when she realized what she said, looking like a deer in headlights. What had she said?!
Jane’s eyes lit up. Oh, what was that? Good taste in anime, good looking, and quite possibly a touch gay? That was one of the other great things about cons; you never knew who you would meet. “Why thank you. You don’t have to be ripped, just cool. And you are very cool.” Maybe that was a bit much for somebody she just met? Maybe, but Jane was bold in social interactions, if not anywhere else.
Ok, that was a direct complement! Caroline was now grinning at the interaction between these two. She stepped forward and placed her hands on Erin’s shoulders. “Hi hi! I’m Erin’s friend Caroline. I think Erin wants to buy something?” She asked, Erin relaxing. Right, they were here for a reason. Letting out a sigh, Erin took a poster and book from the counter. “R-right, thanks Caroline. Can I uh, buy these two please, er…Jane, was it? Yeah, that’s it.” Erin hated how she kept talking past the point necessary.
“You got my name, so can I get yours? Free autograph, just for your cosplay matching mine.” Jane winked. Heh, poor lady was tripping all over herself. She got nervous so easily! Was Jane wrong about her being tough? Well, she wanted to find out for sure.
Erin nodded her head. “R-right, my name is Erin! And this is Caroline, but she uh, already said that. She doesn’t know about this stuff, just wanted to attend the convention with me.” Caroline gave a wave from behind Erin’s shoulder, giving Jane a knowing smirk as she motioned her eyes to Erin. “Thanks for the er, autograph! I’m sure it’ll be super valuable when you’re famous one day, consulting on a movie of Super Star!” Erin looked into the distance as she wistfully considered the possibility.
Jane was prepared to laugh at the joke before she saw Erin’s eyes. She meant it!? That was incredible! Even Martha didn’t quite ‘get’ her work, as much as she tried to support it. Jane blinked away some tears of joy so she could scribble down her ‘autograph’ and hand it over. When Erin looked closer, she wouldn’t find her name but instead a number. “I think you just might be my biggest fan.” She sniffed, still trying not to cry.
The display made Erin’s eyes widen. Had she said something wrong?! Being called her biggest fan clued Erin in that these were tears of…joy? “M-me? But Super Star is…decently popular! I’m sure plenty of others are uh, fans like me! Ahaha…” Looking down at the autograph, Erin saw not a name…but numbers. Her eyes stared as she began to understand what this meant.
Caroline stepped forward and patted Erin’s shoulders. “Look at you Erin, barely an hour into the second day and you’ve already made a friend! Say Jane, I hear they have a maid cafe here. Care to join us later today?” Caroline asked, trying to send Jane a signal to agree.
Jane frowned. Caroline was helping her obviously, but there was a problem. “Welllllll, it depends on when you do it. I have to run my booth.” Dammit! She wanted to, but this was the curse of coming to cons professionally. She could move out if this got her a greater foothold in the market, but that relied on staying as long as she could.
Caroline narrowed her eyes, then nodded. “Well well, I think the dealers room closes at 6 tonight. I think that’d give us two hours before the cafe closes at 8, no?” Caroline lied. But one look to Jane told her that Caroline was going to make sure the cafe had a table stay open until 8.
“Well, I can definitely do that. If Erin wouldn’t mind me intruding…” Jane looked expectantly at Erin, the one whose opinion on this really mattered.
Erin nodded her head instantly. “You’re not intruding at all! I want to ask you so much about Super Star! And uh…you seem nice.” Erin shifted once again. Caroline nodded. “Then it’s settled! We’re just going to keep the cosplay on, so you bring that cute costume too, kay?” Caroline chirped.
Was Caroline trying to set up a kinky threesome? Jane would have to tell her off if that was the case, but otherwise, she was the best wingman Jane could ask for. “Well I would hate to not show it off some more. Of course I will!” Jane smiled. Next time, she hoped Erin would talk a little more. Well, she had ways.
—
The time was now approaching 6, and the amount of attendees had dropped significantly, no doubt back at their hotels for the night. The cafe was still open…but there weren’t any other patrons inside. Originally they planned to close at 6 as well, but Caroline bribed a cook and waitress to stay a little longer for them.
Erin and Caroline sat at a table, a nice white tablecloth in front of them with a cute anime cat sewn into the fabric. Caroline was facing the door, while Erin faced the kitchen. Erin shifted in her seat.
“Looks like it’s about time…” She muttered. Caroline nodded her head, eyes beaming when she saw someone at the entrance. “Don’t worry, this is going to be easy! I’ll be right back, don’t wait up~” Caroline chirped, heading toward the bathroom. She snapped her fingers toward the entrance, and winked at the girl approaching before disappearing around a corner.
It was just another minute before Jane appeared, checking out the room before locking eyes on Erin. Oh boy, here she went. She shifted a little, making sure her snug outfit didn’t ride up her rear. Maybe it was a little bold for a first date? She hadn’t had time to change, and hey, it was just cosplay. She winked back before approaching Erin. Good, Caroline was stepping aside. She could see how Erin was on her own.
“Heeey, my biggest fan! Good to see you!” Jane sat across from Erin. “This place is cute, eh? Didn’t think they were open so late.”
Erin tensed up when Jane approached. Why did Caroline have to go to the bathroom right now?! She relaxed a little at the joke, and the diversion to talking about the cafe.
“Er, yeah! Gives us people outside Japan to experience a maid cafe. It’s uh, nice to see you too!” Erin beamed. On cue, a girl dressed in a maid outfit appeared and dropped a plate in the middle, filled with tiny cookies shaped like cats with black frosting whiskers.
“Welcome to Nyat Your Average Cafe! What would you like to order, masters?” She peppily asked. Erin looked at the menu, then at Jane. “Can we uh, have a minute for her to decide? She just got here. Thank you though!” Erin asked. The waitress gave a bow and skipped away around the corner, back to her Nintendo Switch.
“I don’t really get maid cafes, but the name is cute.” Jane lit up at the platter dropped off. “And cookies before dinner! They really do love us.” She happily grabbed one and nibbled it like a squirrel, gnawing slowly down to the middle.
Erin grabbed a cookie as well and bit off one of the ears, giggling a little at the way Jane was eating the cookie. “Sorry, but that’s just so cute!” Erin chuckled.
“Hey, you gotta savor it! That and if I eat it any faster I’ll chow down on all of them and not have room for dinner, and wouldn’t that be a shame?” Jane blushed a little, but that laugh tickled something she hadn’t felt in a while. “You have a lovely laugh, you know.”
Erin paused and blushed a little herself, fixing her hair. “Er, thanks! Sounds a little dorky to me, but I guess if you like it…” Erin felt weirdly more relaxed now. “Ok, I have to know. Where did you get that Worm costume? I couldn’t find anything online! So I asked my sister to make something for myself and Caroline.” Erin asked, taking another bite of the cookie.
“Same, kinda. I made some parts myself but I’m not really much for that. So I got my sister to help out with the rest. It’s awesome, right? She’s good at that stuff. She even managed to make it resistant to my foam!” Jane was delighted. It wasn’t too much, it was just right!
“Oh, you have a sister who can sew too?! Whoa…wait a minute, foam? What’s that have to do with anything?" Erin asked, lowering an eyebrow, slightly confused.
“Oh, heh.” Jane glanced around, making sure nobody was listening in. “It’s my powers. They’re uh, a little dirty if you don’t wanna hear it.”
Erin leaned forward in interest. “D-dirty? Oh, you have powers too…what is it?” She asked with curiosity.
“I make foam.” Jane took off one of her gloves and held it out over the plate of cookies. A tiny patch of bubbly fluid, like soap suds, dripped down onto one of them. The cookie bubbled away like it was dipped in acid, a hole eaten right to its core. “It’s kinda an acid. Melts everything… except for untreated body parts. So I can’t really hurt anybody, just you know. Melt their clothes. It’s got its uses.” Jane winked.
Erin’s eyes widened at this information. Was she some kind of succubus? These powers seems oddly sexual for someone normal to have! “Oh uh, wow. Foam that melts anything not alive. Are you some kind of uh…demon?” Erin asked in a whispered tone. Jane’s wink clued her into her intentions here.
“Heheh, kinda. You uh, know what Caroline is, right? I’m one too. A doll. I’m not sure, but I think Marika put some succubus parts in me when making me. Not the most dignified origin, and I definitely didn’t get powers as good as my family, but I don’t like fighting much anyway. I leave that to cool people, like, say, Wasp.” Jane smiled up at Erin. “What powers do you use to save the day, Erin?”
Just as Erin opened her mouth, the waitress came over. “Have mew all decided, myasters?” She chirped with the cat puns. Erin looked up. “Uuuuuh…omelet rice please! Wasp design on it! Did you uh, find anything?” Erin looked over at Jane.
“Takoyaki, please. I have plenty of time to let it cool off.” Jane smiled and handed her menu over.
“Right away, myasters!” The girl skipped away, her attached tail bobbing up and down as she gave the order to the kitchen. Erin sighed and looked back at Jane.
She then recalled. Marika? She was a doll too?! Marika was in prison though, so this shouldn’t be revenge…right? “My powers…have you ever seen the anime Bleach? Well…” Erin held out a hand, and produced a shining cherry blossom that descended in the air, then disappeared seconds later. “Theeeeey’re really dangerous, haha…” Erin laughed.
“Wait… no, seriously, Byakuya!? That’s like the coolest!” Jane almost yelled but turned it into a hushed stage whisper for the sake of the restaurant. “Do you have a sword too!? Is it disguised as Wasp’s spear on your back!?” Jane bounced in her seat, eyes bright.
Erin beamed at the praise. “Haha, I wish! No, see this here?” Erin reached into her pocket and produced a small cherry blossom bud of her own. “It turns into a scythe! I think I’m ok with it. I uh, work for the HWIC, pretty much as a cop. I follow other agents around and help them arrest people, or break up dumb fights with drunk people. That stuff.”
“Woaaaaaah! A scythe is even cooler!” Jane gasped. “I would never be bold enough for that. That’s super scary! I thought you were cool just cause of your outfit, but it turns out you’re really, really cool!”
This stunned Erin. This made her…cool? A sense of pride began to well up inside her. “Hehe, well thank you! I never thought it was that cool, kind of terrifying really. But well, my sister’s the HWIC president. Yep, my full name is Erin Miyata. Sister to aaaaaall kinds of famous people.” Erin rolled her eyes.
“Oh, Miyata! I know Haruko and Aria. Haruko raises my sister Cosmina. Yeah, they’re cool but… Aria’s a stone cold super boss. Of course she can look cooler under pressure. And Haruko only gets involved in danger for her friends or for fun. You just admitted it scares you, but you still go to work every day. That makes you even cooler.” Jane put a hand across the table to rest on Erin’s, giving her a little squeeze.
“Right, your sister is Cosmina! She must have made that amazing outfit!” Erin deduced. She squeezed back after a moment of hesitation. Why did she feel so relaxed now? Was there vodka in this water?!
“But uh, thanks. Sometimes I wonder if I’m in the right career, honestly. I do art too, if you didn’t know. Just little doodles. I’ll bring my tablet over tomorrow if you wanted to see some of my work!” Erin beamed to her dinner date.
“Oh, I would love to! Actually, let's do something.” Jane grabbed two napkins and dug in her pockets, finding two pens. “I want to see something you draw right now, really quick! We’ll have a little contest, have the waitress judge us when she comes back. Want to bet something on it?” She handed one pen and one napkin over to Erin.
Fumbling the napkin for a second, Erin smoothed it out on the table and twirled the pen in her hands. “Uh, sure! Like 5 minutes or something? I can do that!” Putting the pen down, Erin began to carefully sketch out a man’s face, and adding a hood to him that had various arrows along it.
“However long it takes her to get back!” Jane clicked her pen a few times while she thought about what exactly to do. So many things she could draw, so little time to do it. No references, either. She glanced up and smiled. Well, one reference. With sharp angles and stark lines, she began drawing an insectoid hero.
It wasn’t long before the waitress came sliding in, depositing two plates in front of the artists. “It’s all ready for mew two! Is there anything else I can do for you, myasters?” She said in an overly cute voice. Erin nodded her head, looking at Jane.
“Yeah, actually. We want you to be a judge. Whose drawing is better?” She turned her own around to face the waitress. It was Wasp, at least in basis. She had made a more robotic character, with an armored metallic suit and a large, mechanical scythe in her hand.
On the other napkin was a more chibi style character, with the hooded face that had arrows on it. The maid hummed as she judged the entries.
“Hmmm…I don’t know who either of these characters are…but I like this one most!” She pointed toward Jane’s drawing, Erin blushing slightly when she realized what Jane had drawn. The waitress skipped away once more.
“...that was me as Wasp, wasn’t it?” She asked, face still red.
“Uh, not quite.” Jane herself blushed a little at that implication. “But sort of? I drew a different version of Wasp more like a tokusatsu character… and well, it was a little inspired by how cool I thought your scythe sounded.” Jane admitted. “What did you- oh it’s Seeker! And he’s adorable!” Jane grabbed Erin’s napkin to look at it closer. “I love him! Oh he’s so grouchy!” She giggled at the chibi’s face. “Hey, I know she said I won, but I’m willing to call it a tie.”
Erin blushed harder when she was incorrect, and now just seemed self centered. Luckily Jane seemed to take interest in her drawing. “Aaaaaaw, that’s fine. Yours won fair and square! But I really like yours too, Wasp is such a cool character. Trust me, I can do a ton better on my tablet.” Erin tried to reassure.
“Well then as victor, I declare that you have to show me your art tomorrow! Promise to visit me at my stall?” Jane held out her pinky. Erin smiled and reciprocated the gesture. “Promise.”
—
“Thank you so much!” Erin called back to the restaurant, finally closed. They stepped out into the empty convention hall, the large glass doors leading outside before them. Erin let out a sigh and looked at Jane.
“You know…I don’t know what happened to Caroline, but that was…really fun. You’re easy to talk to, Jane.” Erin said, trying to sound cool.
“It was great. You’re great.” Jane had drunk a little sake and wasn’t quite so articulate now. It was stronger stuff than she thought. “You know, cause I won, may I make another request?”
Erin stopped and stared at the doll before her. “Sure, what’s on your mind?” She asked, slightly worried after seeing how Jane was a little tipsy.
“I would like to give you a goodnight kiss, and to wish you sweet dreams until tomorrow.” The little doll held onto Erin’s hands to steady herself and smiled up at her.
This made Erin freeze. “W-wait…kiss? Like, on the lips?!” Erin was shocked to hear this. Did she…want to be her girlfriend?! Or was this a ‘I just want sex and cuddles’ situation like with Caroline? She shifted slightly.
“...I guess you uh…like me?” Erin asked nervously.
“I like you a lot. You’re cool, and you’re cute too, and you’re a lot of fun to talk to. I drank a little too much cause I was worried I would say something dumb and mess it up with you. Was asking for a kiss messing it up?” Jane genuinely looked a little worried now. The alcohol might have been a bad idea.
Erin waved her hands in front of herself. “No no no…I like you too. You’re cute, easy to talk to, into nerdy stuff like me…I-I want one too!” Crouching down, Erin leaned so she was on Jane’s level, ready for the moment.
Jane rose up to meet the dropping Erin, pushing herself onto her tip toes. They met at the perfect height in the middle, lips together for just a moment. Jane was gentle. She didn’t push, just brushed Erin’s lips. After a moment she fell back down to her level, absolutely glowing. “See you tomorrow?”
Smiling, Erin clasped Jane’s hands with her own.
“See you first thing in the morning. I am your biggest fan…remember?”
—
The next morning, Jane got back to her stand before the convention opened. Her only company was other artists hurriedly setting up their own booths, preparing for another busy day. Jane did her basics, unpacking her books and preparing her till, but at the end she added something new. Next to her prints, she placed a new piece of artwork, a chibi of Seeker drawn on a napkin. She smiled and turned it to face her. This wasn’t for sale. It was hers, from her biggest fan.