The Con
By Melanie Ezell
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The choice of costume at an anime convention can have wider reaching side effects than one might imagine.
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Josie looked over her shoulder at the couples out on the dance floor as she tried to shove her way through the crowded room. She had to get out of there, and fast. It had been a fun idea, and an opportunity she couldn't pass up, but there had just been too many close calls already tonight, and she wasn't sure if she could handle another.
"Hey, catgirl, wait up!"
'Oh, no.' Josie did her best not to wince when she heard the voice calling her, but all hope of escaping before someone she knew spotted her vanished when Greg popped up in front of her. 'Great, just what I needed,' she thought as she looked up into the eyes of one of the few people she could honestly call a friend in her other life.
"Hi!" Greg smiled down at her, holding out his hand. "I'm Greg! Love the costume."
Josie's breath caught in her throat as she realized he didn't recognize her. Then again, this was a fairly big convention, he probably wasn't expecting to be able to recognize anyone. Gingerly, Josie took his hand and shook it lightly. "Uh, thanks. Yours is pretty cool, too." It was. Greg had pulled out all the stops this year, devoting hours of work and research to create the most accurate costume possible, until now he was the spitting image of Onizuka from 'GTO' as 'Doraemon'. Josie knew exactly how much effort had gone into his costume- she had been at his house most nights working on the parts of it with him for the past week.
Her costume, on the other hand, was another issue entirely. 'Golddiggers' had been a favorite comic of hers for a long time, that was true, but what had ever possessed her to dress as a catgirl like the ones in the manga?
"You leaving?" Greg's voice caught her attention again, drawing her back to the here and now.
"Oh! Yeah. It's, ah, a bit crowded in here."
Greg nodded. "Yeah. Come on, I know a place where we can cool down." With a shock Josie realized Greg was still holding her hand from the shake, but it was too late for her to jerk it away as he began to lightly pull her towards the doors.
"Where are we going?" She asked, mentally screaming at the fact that he was holding her hand while silently hoping wherever they went was very public and very easy to escape from.
"Out on the balcony, it's right over here." With one more gentle tug Greg pulled her through the glass doors and out onto the second floor balcony overlooking the pool and hot tub of the hotel where the convention was being held. As soon as the door closed behind them, Greg dropped Josie's hand and walked to the railing, looking out into the stars. Not sure what to do, Josie crossed the balcony to one of the benches and sat herself down, wrestling with the tail of her suit for a moment before wrapping it around her waist. Greg gave her another smile, and she felt herself start to blush under his gaze. "That really is an awesome costume. I bet it took a lot of work."
Josie just sighed and nodded. As much time as they had spent together working on Greg's costume, she had spent at least twice that in the privacy of her room at home getting the costume she was wearing ready. She had even had to suffer the embarrassment of ordering several of the items in person at the local costume shop just to get the right pieces. The leopard print leotard, the corset, the breast forms...
They stayed together in silence for what felt like forever to Josie before Greg finally turned around and offered her his hand again. "Ready to go back in?"
Not knowing what else to do, Josie took his hand and stood up. "Okay."
Together they returned to the dance floor, where the DJ had changed the tempo from the fast paced rave-esque music of earlier to a softer, slower tempo beat perfect for couples. Greg asked the question with his eyes, and not seeing any other choice Josie nodded. She had thought of this kind of thing happening before, but never imagined it would actually happen. 'I'm going to slow dance with Greg. Oh god.'
Greg lightly placed his hands on her hips, and knowing what was expected of her Josie raised her hands to his shoulders. Slowly, they began swaying to the music. Greg never made a move to pull Josie in any closer, a small favor that Josie was very thankful for.
The dance gave Josie a chance to think, and as the song ended she worked up the courage to speak again. "Thanks for the dance, Greg, but I really have to be going. I'll, uh, see you some other time?"
Greg took his hands from her hips, and walked her to the door. As she turned to leave, he leaned in close enough she could feel his breath on her shoulder, sending shivers down her spine, before speaking softly into her ear. "Good night. I'll see you Monday at school- Jeremy."
***That's all, folks. If someone else wants to continue from here, feel free though.***
Sometimes friends can surprise you... all it takes is a little trust.
Note: This is a pseudo-sequel to my short story "The Con." While it isn't necessary to read the first story to understand this one, I would like to recommend that you do.
"Hey, you asked me if you could come; I just told you the requirements."
Jeremy grimaced, but didn't argue. Greg hadn't made him come, it was true -- but why had this been part of the bargain?
"I still don't get why you didn't wear the other costume again," Greg complained, not for the first time.
"I told you, it was uncomfortable and I didn't like it." Jeremy said, partially truthful. While it had been uncomfortable, he would have happily worn it again, if his parents hadn't found it and thrown a fit. Not that the rest of the contents of his "stash" had helped any.
It had taken him over a month to build up the courage to start collecting bits and pieces again, rebuilding his wardrobe. And Greg HAD been a good friend and kept his secret, ever since the last convention. But still...
"Come on, Josie, we're gonna be late for the special preview of the new Kampfer game if you don't hurry."
"Hey! You try walkin' around in platform heels and tell me if YOU can go faster!" Jeremy stomped his foot in anger. No, she was definitely Josie at the moment, she reminded herself, and her Princess Ai costume shouldn't let her forget it.
"Nope! 'Sides, it's your own fault. I said wear something girly, not flash your panties at every guy in the room. Aren't you cold in that getup?"
"Greg!" Josie screeched. His grin was infuriating, all the more so because she couldn't argue with him. It HAD been her idea to do Princess Ai, and now she was stuck in the middle of a hotel two cities away from home in a black gauze petticoat, a ton of jewelry and another horrendously expensive corset. November was the wrong time for that kind of outfit.
"Alright, sorry!" Greg raised his hands in surrender. If any of the passers-by thought it was odd seeing a ninja cowering back from a frail-looking goth girl, they did a good job of hiding it. "Sorry."
"Sigh. No, it's alright." She shrugged her shoulders in defeat. They would be sharing a hotel room for the next two nights; the last thing she wanted was to make her best friend mad at her. "I'll try to speed up."
"No problem. You sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
A look of concern came over Greg's face, as she fought the urge to pull away when he took her hand. "Come on. I can check out the game online. Let's go sit somewhere and talk."
"No! Greg..."
"Now."
She should have known this was coming. She'd been dodging his attempts to get her to talk for three months, and this was the breaking point.
It wasn't long before the two friends were set one to each side of a table in the dining room. With the number of panels at the convention, the dining room was temporarily abandoned by almost all the guests and staff, and would be one of the safer places for them to talk.
Josie looked down. Greg was STILL holding her hand.
"Okay. We're alone. Spill."
"I don't know what you want me to say..."
Greg frowned. "Well, the truth is a pretty good place to start." He closed his eyes. "Just tell me something, alright?"
His grip on her hand tightened, and she relented. "I... I like to dress up sometimes, alright? But that doesn't mean I'm weird or anything, I mean, it's just... it was too good a chance to pass up?"
Greg was silent for almost a minute, with a far away look in his eyes, before he finally nodded. "Okay."
"Okay?"
"Okay," he said again. Josie thought for a moment that he might be done, but he quickly dashed that hope. "So why are you so nervous around me?"
"I'm not nervous around you, I just-"
"Yes you are," he interrupted, and squeezed her hand just a little more. "You look like a girl. You can sound like a girl. You act like a girl. If you can do all that, then I can treat you like a girl. So, why are you nervous around me? Is it because I know Jeremy?"
"No!" Josie denied. "Not at all. Well... okay, maybe." She sighed. "It's just...."
"Just?" Greg grinned. "You seem to be saying that a lot."
"Shut up." Josie couldn't fight the smile that pulled at the corners of her mouth, as she felt some of the tension drain away. A question occurred to her. "Why ARE you so okay with all this?"
Greg shrugged. "You're my friend. Of course, the fact that you look pretty cute as a girl doesn't hurt either -- do you have any idea how many points I'm scoring being seen with you here?"
That was too much, and they both started laughing loudly. Josie felt tears running down her face, though whether they were from laughing or from relief she couldn't say.
"Thank you."
"What for?" Greg asked.
Josie stood, and Greg rose as well. "For being my friend." She stepped forwards and wrapped her arms around Greg, hugging him close.
"You're welcome," he whispered next to her, returning the hug. Then he backed up out of her reach. "Now go fix your face, and we might be able to catch the DDR tournament."
"Alright," Josie smiled, and headed towards the ladies' rooms. For a moment, she regretted not packing more regular girl's clothes in her bag as well, instead of her boy's clothes, but she contented herself with the fact that there would always be time for that at the next con.
Another Con
By Melanie E.
It's con time again! Another short adventure with Josie and Greg.
While this story can stand on its own, check out my stories "The Con" and "The Next Con" for more of Josie's adventures -- all conveniently bite-sized, of course.
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"Where is he?" Josie mumbled under her breath as she stood on her toes, scanning the crowd for the form of her long-time con partner Greg. "There he is! GREG, OVER HERE!"
"Coming!" His voice echoed from across the crowd. Josie bounced up and down while she waited for him to finish cutting through the many attendees to reach her, anxious to get started. At last he reached her, a triumphant look on his face. "Our room's on the third floor this year. Ready to go up and change?"
Josie nodded, and together they made their way towards the elevators. It was a short ride to the third floor, and soon they were in their room. "Finally, time to change into my costume!" Josie exclaimed excitedly as she pulled the schoolgirl outfit from the garment bag she had brought. This year she had chosen Tenma from "School Rumble" as her character to cosplay, and she hoped desperately that the little motors she had rigged would work right when she wanted to twitch her pigtails. Across from her, she could see Greg busy pulling out the flight suit and helmet for his "Gundam Seed" Zaft forces pilot outfit. He looked up and grinned when he caught her eyes.
"I don't think my girlfriend would appreciate you looking at me like that," he teased her, laying out the suit and giving it a final check to make sure everything was in order.
Josie blushed. "Well, we both know she's not got anything to worry about," she whispered. "I'm just happy to be here."
Greg nodded. "You look nice," he added, before grabbing his outfit and heading for the bathroom. "I'll change in here, you can have the room."
"Thanks," she said as the door closed behind him. With a sigh, Josie gave herself one final glance. The girl's jeans and baggy button down shirt had been boyish enough to slip past her parents in, but once at Greg's house it had taken only moments for her to pull on her bra and do a quick dash of makeup. Jeremy had disappeared, and for the next two days Josie would have free reign to be herself. Sneaking the rest of her stash of clothes past her parents had been a bit more difficult -- they tended to watch her a lot more closely now than they had before they found everything the last time -- but the payoff of not having to be in costume for the entire convention would be worth it, she had no doubt.
Once in her costume, however, the doubts began to settle in again. What if someone saw through her disguise? What if someone they knew were to show up? What if Greg accidentally said her old name, or someone tried to look up her skirt, of her voice slipped or--
"Hey! Stop worrying!" Greg's voice cut through her thoughts, breaking her downhill slide. "You'll be fine. You've done this before, now's no different." He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed, comforting her as best he could.
"I know, but this time... it's not just a costume any more," she said through her sniffling. "I'm going to be Josie all weekend, nonstop, and what if somebody sees me?"
Greg grinned. "Lots of people will see you. And all they'll see is a cute girl with weird pigtails." He flicked one of the pigtails in question with the tip of his finger. "Do they work?"
Josie tapped a button on the small radio controller strapped to her wrist, and felt the pull as the pigtail on her left bounced twice. She tapped it again, and both bounced in unison, causing Greg to laugh. "I think they'll work okay." After all the hours she had spent figuring out how to wrap her hair around the plastic rods they had better work, she didn't add.
"Nice. And once they hear how badly you sing, they'll really know you're Tenma."
"Hey!" Josie shrieked as she pounded Greg in his well-padded shoulder. "Seriously, though, I mean... what if we see someone we know when I'm out of costume? I'll get picked on enough if they find out I did cosplay as a girl, but if they see me in my normal clothes, I don't know what to do."
"It'll be fine," Greg said, wiping the tears she hadn't even realized had been falling from her cheeks. "Tell them I dared you to or something. Or, don't say anything at all." He took her hand. "If you can't handle it now, you'll never be able to do it."
"Well it's not like I'm ever going to be a girl all the time."
"Why not?"
"It's just for fun," Josie said defensively, but inside she wondered. It was just for fun... wasn't it?
Greg shrugged again, but said nothing.
"Okay," Josie sighed and straightened her skirt. "Give me a second to fix my makeup and we can go, alright?"
"Sure thing," Greg agreed. "And, Josie?"
"Yeah?"
"Next time, you change in the bathroom, I nearly fell in the tub three times trying to put this thing on."
They both laughed, and with a lighter heart Josie made sure she was ready to face the world. Was it really just a game to her? Or was it something more? She couldn't be sure, but she knew that at the very least Greg would support her.
And maybe, for the moment, that was enough.
The Final Con
By Melanie E.
Greg and Josie have been going to conventions together for years, and Greg has always been comfortable with who she was. Why have things changed now?
NOTE: While this story is written to stand on its own, it is highly recommended that newcomers read the first three Con stories before diving into this one, if simply to see what has happened between the characters in the past.
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Silence.
Silence in the car on the way over. Silence in the room while getting dressed. Now, silence while they stood in line to turn in their tickets, in exchange for the green or purple wristbands that would indicate their permission to enter the convention for the next three days.
What was going on?
Josie shuffled her feet in nervous tension as the stared at the back of her friend Greg's head. What had changed? Why was he nervous about her now, when for the past five years they had been doing this regularly?
If she were honest with herself, it had started several weeks earlier, when they had first made plans to attend the convention. Well, Greg had made plans with her alternate identity, Jeremy. The two of them shared an off-campus apartment, and Greg had made it well known from the get go that Jeremy/Josie was free to dress and be however she wanted while there.
It had started out with just occasionally wearing a skirt, or a pair of her girl's jeans, but it hadn't taken two months before she was spending all her time outside of classes as Josie. Never once had it seemed to bother Greg, not even when they would go out to eat or to visit the parks or whatever else they decided to do to pass the weekends.
That was before Greg's girlfriend had found out about Josie, though. Pamela had always been the jealous type, and Josie knew that she had complained to Greg more than once about his fairy of a friend, and later roommate, but it had only taken Josie forgetting to change before answering the door for her once to set her off completely. There had been yelling, mostly one sided, until Greg had arrived to break things up, and that was exactly what happened.
One week later, after hardly speaking to one another since the ordeal, Josie was surprised when Greg mentioned the latest con, and asked her if she wanted to go.
Now here they stood, and she was starting to regret her earlier eagerness to come.
"Name?"
"Josie Arnold."
"Nice costume."
"Thanks."
She was proud of her costume, to be sure. Dressing as girl-type Ranma was perhaps a bit cliche, but it spoke to her a lot more than some of the other costumes she had considered, and the usual outfit had been easy to duplicate as well. Greg's Kuno costume had been almost as simple, leaving the two plenty of time to work on more complicated costumes for later in the weekend.
If she even stayed, Josie told herself sadly as she watched Greg walk away without even looking back to see if she was following.
For the briefest of moments she considered abandoning him and doing her own thing, just to see how he would react. But no, she told herself, he was her friend, and she wasn't going to leave him like that.
Even if he was acting like a jerk.
With a little jogging she quickly caught up to the boy as he walked away from her, seemingly oblivious to her own internal struggle.
"Where are we going?" She asked, trying to get him to talk to her.
With a shrug he continued walking, not even turning to face her.
This wasn't like him at all.
Greg seemed determined to ignore her, but with a sharp tug on his arm that nearly sent him tumbling to the floor she knew she finally had his attention.
"What was that about!"
"We need to talk," Josie answered back, just as angrily. "Now."
"Can't it wait until--"
"NOW."
She watched his eyes grow wide in surprise before he nodded his assent. Without waiting for any further answer, she began to drag him back toward the elevators, angling for the privacy of their rooms.
Five minutes later, she had him cornered.
"Alright, so what's your problem been?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Greg said with a grimace. Since his initial look of surprise, he had not even looked her in the face again.
"Greg, you've been avoiding talking to me for weeks now! What's going on?" She felt her anger lessen as her sadness at the situation took over instead. "I thought we were friends, and now... I didn't mean to mess things up for you and Pam, but--"
"Huh? Oh, that! You think?"
The two of them stared at one another for a moment, neither sure how to continue.
Finally it was Greg who broke the silence, one of his smiles breaking his face for what Josie could have swore was the first time in weeks. "I really screwed this up, didn't I?"
"What?" Josie asked, more confused than ever.
"Jose, things were going south there before she ever saw you. Well, you know what I mean," he said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "We've been growing apart for a couple of years now, just neither of us had the nerve to break it off. You did me a favor."
"Then... why haven't you been speaking to me? I thought you'd decided you hated me because I--"
"No," Greg said, cutting her off with a hand on her shoulder. "Josie, why would I hate you? I'm sorry if you thought I -- wait. The reason I haven't spoken to you a lot is because there's something I wanted to say, but I didn't know how."
"Huh?" Josie lowered herself to her bed, no longer knowing which way was up or down. What was going on?
"Josie. No, I've gotta do this properly." With a shake of his head and shoulders the normal Greg was gone, and Josie could almost believe she was looking at Tatewaki Kuno himself, overblown posture and all. "Pigtailed girl," he said, waiting a few seconds for her giggles to subside. "You are the most beautiful flower to have bloomed in these lands in many long centuries. Like a cherry blossom caught upon a spring breeze, you--"
"Okay, okay, stop it!" She was laughing openly now, all sense of hostility gone. "I wanna talk to Greg, not The Blue Lightening or whatever he's called now."
With a twinkle of his eyes the normal Greg was back. "Alright then, honestly?"
She nodded. "Honestly."
"When you and Pam ran into each other, and things blew up, it made me think about a lot of things that have been going on in my life. See, I realized something, but I didn't want to do this wrong."
"Do what wrong?"
"This." With that, Greg reached within his robes and withdrew a small black box, cracking it open to reveal a glittering emerald ring. "Josie," he said, lowering himself to one knee before her, "you're the only girl I want in my life. So, please. Will you marry me?"
Josie felt the color drain from her face as she stared at the ring in her best friend's hands. She tried to speak, but nothing would come out as she did a very un-Ranma thing, and fainted on the spot.
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NOTES: Welp, I never thought I'd end up posting another one of these things, but like with my last story "It's The Little Things," I was sitting here, and it occurred to me, and, well, here it is. Unedited or proofed, so if it reads badly or doesn't make much sense, well, screw it, that's the way it's gonna stay, 'cause I've got too many other things to work on to worry about it :P
Other than that, I hope ya'll enjoyed it!