My first ever cosplay photoshoot with my best friend…
The time I dressed as Ahri...
We’ve all purchased stupid geeky shit one point in our lives, right? The rare Pokémon card, the limited-edition lightsaber, the collectors edition steelbook. Well that’s exactly how it was for me when I clicked the “add to cart” button a few weeks ago. Maybe it was the wine, maybe it was a desire to dress a little slutty, just for fun. Either way, the cosplay ended up in my basket and I hit the order button.
A week later, I was typing on my laptop, looking at the listing for the costume, trying to find the refund terms. Like…what was the point? Who was it for? I’m thirty years old; the idea of dancing around my room on my own all dressed up was far behind me.
“Ugh. So annoying,” I said, slouching deeper into the couch as my friend Peter handed me a cup of tea.
“What’s up?” he asked, settling into the spot next to me.
“Ugh, it’s kind of embarrassing.” I sighed.
“So?” he said. “It’s only me.”
“Okay, don’t laugh, but…” I hesitated, feeling the blush rise to my cheeks. “I bought a cosplay.”
“Seriously?” he smirked. “Okay yeah, that is a little embarrassing.”
“Hey!”
“Sorry,” he smiled. “What character?”
“Ahri,” I admitted, cringing slightly, expecting him to laugh. But he didn’t. Instead, he nodded thoughtfully.
“Yeah actually I can see that. Ahri would suit you for sure…”
“Yeah, well. I’m trying to get a refund for it, actually.”
“What? Why?”
I shrugged. “I’m just not sure why I bought it, you know? I think I was just a little tipsy.”
He shrugged. “You should at least try it on.”
“Really?”
“Sure,” he said. “I’d like to see it.”
“Hmm…” A thought popped into my head. “What about if we did a little photoshoot? I always love the shots you put on Instagram.” Peter scowled but I sat up straighter, warming to the idea. “Oh, c’mon! You’re a good photographer! And I’d feel more comfortable with you than a stranger.”
“Fine,” he said. “If it helps you feel better about it, I’m in.”
“Really?”
“Really,” he said, smiling.
And just like that, there was no turning back.
***
When I finally stepped out into the living room, Peter was fiddling with his camera. “Wow,” he said after a moment. “You look…amazing.”