My Sudden Monster Convergence

Walking around in cosplay felt so….

“She’s so cool!”

It felt kinda-

“The rose of fate?! The lord of gore?! Is this a couple crossover cosplay!? Best day ever!”

Heheheh, worship me more~. Taking a step only to pose and swipe my arm through my cloak like characters do with capes got me several Oohs and ahhs. Even Steph posed, raising her fists or tail into a fighting pose, her helmet’s face forming an aggressive snarl or a teasing smirk whenever we made a pose leaning near each other. And the best part was acting rough and silent got people to cheer instead of run! Of course I could hide my wings on the cloak, seeing as they were coated in the same cosplay goop. This made them effectively blend in with the cloak of dreams as they displayed the same misty cloud in front of a starry night. BUUUUUUT, pulling out a wing or two during another pose was hell of a thrill! It was like the cloak was transforming into wings! I was so into it that I almost tried to take off with only a single wing OH FUCK! How could I forget about the other best part!

Night of the Hexlock is big in this world! The game my character comes from even has four sequels here! AAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNND A NEW TITLE COMING OUT LATER NEXT YEAR! It really shocked me when four people rushed up to me with the four games in their hands begging for a picture. I couldn’t believe a game from a small studio grew so big here. Back in my world it was a fun hack and slash with frankenstein like monsters in the streets in britain. “It was a little weird and unfair the farther you went in, you could even stunlock the final boss but it let you play as the monsters with a cheat code. That’s what I loved most but my character did have super jumping and super strength……and could kick enemy heads off, sometimes a kick could make them explode…….”

“I didn’t know you could do that in the game.” Steph said, her helmet face raising an eyebrow.

“Well, it was more of a glitch with the limb removal part of the game. Get their health low enough and aim for the spot between the arm and chest and booom! All their limbs came flying off in a bloody mess. It was so fun to do that, that I even made a line of monsters before cutting through them. Let's just say it was like someone set off a giant explosion there.” I said with a wide almost manic smile.

“Heheh, I can see where the Lord of gore comes from now.” She said as we made our way to the smith.

“By the way, what’s the rose of fate?” I asked as I nervously rubbed my neck.

“She’s the warrior that brought the end to the human, lamia war. She saw the destruction the war brought and began a one woman campaign. She used everything she knew and learned to throw off the zealous human paladins. Ambushes, sneak attacks, crass humor and when in battle she only wounded her foes that didn’t want to fight.” She shrugged. “Probably so they had an excuse to go home. Point is, she saw what she wanted, raced after it and refused to let go even when they turned her back into a pincushion.” Steph raised an arm like she was showing off muscle. 

“That sounds pretty cool. Well not the pincushion part but, I think I get why you’d want someone like that to cosplay.” I pointed out but her helmet’s face wore wide eyes and a slight frown. She even closed her shoulder inward and slouched, her tail falling still.

Maybe not the right thing to say….”But I won’t assume that is the full picture. Everybody does have their secrets and mysteries.” I said with a small smile. 

She seemed to calm down at that, well at least she wasn’t slouching now, her shoulders were still tilted inward though.

“Y-yeah….we all have our little secrets.” She mumbled to herself, disappointedly.

Riiiiiiggght…….. Man, let’s hope the beetle guy fixed her shirt……damn, I gotta go back there and face the guy and his little nosey assistant? Actually who even is that girl? She’s human but I didn’t see any similarities between the two.  But would I even notice if they were related? One’s a big bug man for crying out loud! Maybe she’s just some assistant? Well whatever, hope I don’t see the girl otherwise my luck really is cra-

“Hi kissy tornado!” 

 Damn fuck bistcits! 

That peeper was waving at us as we entered the smithy with a wide shit eating grin. Steph didn't remember what happened so she smiled and waved at the brat like she was a cute little cat. A cat that shit the bed.

“Hi, I didn’t know the smith here had a cute baby-faced assistant. What’s your name?” Steph asked like she was talking to a five year old. That made the girl’s wave freeze, her smile even twitched.

“Wha and I thought your lover told you everything.” Rosie raised an eyebrow, eyeing Steph.

“Everyone needs their privacy, cutie pie. Can’t have friends if you don’t respect that, can you.” She said as her eyes narrowed and her pupils became slit like. 

Rosie’s eyes widened, her cocky smirk fell into a frown. A deep frown. She clicked her tongue. “I’ll get Mr. Gem.” She said quickly walking away with a grumpy face.

“W-w-what? Uh I didn't think you’d be that pointed with someone you don’t know.” I said. Did she remember what happened after all?

She shrugged. “That little mouse just makes my instincts scream in anger. I think it’s the way she smiled at you, it looked like an asshole’s.” She said as her body shivered and her tail drew a c and s in the floor. A sign of crawling disgust. She didn't seem to remember like I thought but her instincts did, better not say why. Don't want her repulsion to become pure hate or rage.

 

Luckily, we didn't have to wait too long. Any longer and Steph might've started asking why I was covering myself with my wings like a thick towel. Srvantus can into the room alone, that nosey little girl didn’t follow him here. Thank god.

Srvantus whistled as he looked at the door he came through. “That’s the first time Rosie was quiet.” He leaned closer to us. “What’d you do to achieve that?” He asked with a serious look as if we found buried treasure.

“Just said the facts.” Steph said with a shrug like it wasn’t that big of a secret. I could just see the anger rolling off her as she tried to play it off.

“I see… Well here’s your shirt, lucky I had just the right materials laying around to fix it up.” He slid the shirt over the counter, it was neatly folded in a blue box with a red ribbon holding all together.

While Steph stared at her repaired shirt that sparkled like it was brand new, I began to pull out my wallet from my bag.

“No cost. It was a pleasure to work on something that nice.” Srvantus quickly said, raising his smaller hand in a dismissive wave.

I raised a brow at that. “What do you want?” I asked, eyes locked onto his.

“Well…” He looked over at Steph who was checking for any obvious seamlines, sliding her fingers along the fabric. He walked over to the other side of the counter. “Could you forgive the issue with Rosie?” He whispered. Immediately I grimaced at the thought, giving forgiveness was the same as saying it was ok to do that again and she gave the impression that she’d do it again. At this point Emily was a thousand times better, at least she asked and helped me out a few times.

“Don’t be too hard on the girl, she means well. She’s just a little excited about new situations.” He quickly added.

“Why though? She’ll definitely do it again and the way you handled her earlier doesn’t show otherwise.” I questioned.

“Well, it has to do something with the shirt. I couldn’t perfectly do threads and she pretty much made that a none issue. That’s also why she was waiting for you two, she wanted to apologize but she messed that part up.” He said, sounding a bit disappointed.

I sighed, Steph was getting her important shirt fixed for free, it sounded like the girl wanted to show she was sorry and I'd probably never see the girl again. But just accepting it was still a go ahead and mess with others. I wanted something more solid than an, ‘ok sir’. “I’ll only accept if she promises to be more aware of the situations she finds herself in.” As I said this my scales started to feel like pop rocks but I ignored the odd feeling to eye the man-beetle-guy…….to show Srvantus I was serious.

His eyes widened as he looked at me, he looked almost nervous to me. Yet he held my gaze as he seemed to consider what to do, his face looking more anxious as he thought. He closed his eyes and opened his mouth, was he going to say no? Why’s that?

“Sure thing mister.” Without realizing it Rosie snuck up on us, even Steph was giving a double take, Rosie seemed to just pop into existence in front of us. No way she had something like the stone I got from Amanda, did she? But then again magic existed so she could’ve just as easily cast some spell, one that my mana might leak through if I used it or would it?

She held out her hand and stared me straight in the eyes like she was about to make a sale, an expensive one. “I’m….” She looked over at Steph, eyes narrowing before she shook her head. “I’m sorry for being an ass.” She said half while looking at me and the other half looking at Steph. “I promise to be more aware, like you asked and try not to make a butt of myself.” She eyed me as she finished, her hand still stretched out to me.

I couldn’t help but smirk at her actions, I might not want her near my house but she was making an effort here. It was an easy decision. “Good.” I took her hand in mine, more like my hand swallowed her small hand. Being bigger was something I still wasn’t sure I’d get used to but I couldn’t do much about that.

After we shook hands in agreement, Rosie rushed up to Steph and handed her a small red box before quickly rushing off through a nearby door. Steph looked at the door with a confused face on her helmet, shrugged then opened the box. Her tail tapped the floor once then slapped it almost seven times like she was trying to smash a roach. She quickly closed the box and buried it in her bag then turned her back to us but her tail still twitched and tapped the floor.

“What did she give her?” I asked Srvantus whose own face was question marks.

“She didn’t say anything about that but from the looks of your friend, I’d say it’s something very important to her.” He said with a small smirk.

 

 

I tried asking Steph about it but she'd shrug, say, ‘who knows’ and move her bag away from me. I began worrying that maybe Rosie gave something lewd to Steph, she was an artist and I've seen some pull out a detailed sketch in only a few minutes. She didn't do some porn comic of us did she? The reason my mind went down that path was because I realized too late that I didn't make her promise not to do art of us.

I was about to ask Srvantus about this when a familiar bee flew in. “Steph! Oliver!  Are yo-” She stopped, her eyes grew four sizes and sparkled at the sight of us.. “Uh…did you guys try out the cosplays?!” She shouted excitedly. Steph and I looked at each other before she dashed up to us in a blur. “OH MY LORDS! You two are so cute! Deadly but cute….” Mrs. Molly’s upper hand tapped her chin. “Cutely deadly-no,no, Dead cute!” She cheered before zooming around us, a giggling black and yellow blur.

“Hi, Mrs. Molly.” Steph said as her helmet’s face smiled cutely like an anime girl. How the hell did you go from serious realistic to giant eyed anime girl?

“Wow-wow-oh my! You got one of those fancy ones too!? I'm so Queen Jelly!” She laughed, buzzing up and down like a jumping baby rabbit.

“MOM! What happened?! You were supposed to get Oliver and Steph! Not talk to random cosplayers!” Penny shouted as she rushed over to her mother. Penny was wearing a flat plate like headband with bunny ears and what looked like a white puff of dandelion seeds hovering between the rabbit ears. “Emily said she wanted to see the passion front with everyone.” She added quietly as she got closer.

“Emily? I haven't seen her all day! How'd she find you?” Steph asked excitedly.

“Oh she bumped into us and mentioned you Steph………” She said before doing a double take. “Hu-Steph?!” Penny shouted before jumping back.

“In the flesh and armor~.” Steph turned her body to the side and even curled her tail upward to show off more of her cosplay. “We got these from a little place called the Cosplay Wardrobe.” Her helmet’s face gave a teasing smile while she motioned with her arm and tail to me. The moment Penny looked at me, I crouched into a fighting position with my black inky arm ready to swipe and a wing folded to look like the cloak moving out of the way. Both Penny and Mrs. Molly looked on with awe that their eyes even sparkled.

“How'd you guys get one of those cosplays?! They're not selling them to anyone without a paid reservation!” Penny asked, sounding a little jealous. “Also is that one the iron throne?”

“No, Rose of Fate actually~. And we got a voucher for free cosplays from a certain smith here.” Steph said while trying to sound like a rich noble’s daughter before leaning closer to Penny. “Apparently if you do something the shops and stands like, you'll get one.” She whispered like it was the scandalous sex life of a celebrity while looking over at Srvantus. He just turned away and began reorganizing his shelf, ignoring them. 

Penny's eyes glowed at the info, nodding her head at every second word Steph said. It was kinda cute with the bunny ears and hovering seeds bobbing with every nod she made.

“Cute.” I absentmindedly muttered.

“I am not cute!” Penny shouted as she faced me with a blushing face and stomped her foot. Mrs. Molly giggled as she hovered above my right shoulder.

“My-my. Penny you should just take the compliment, cuties deserve to be praised~!” Mrs. Molly said, like she was a cheerleader. 

“MMMMMMMMMOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM! My personal code doesn’t allow just anyone to say that to me!” Penny whined in irritation. 

“You’re not a warrior yet sweetie.” Mrs. Molly said with a shrug. “Bet you’d be a cute one when you are though.” She whispered under her breath while Penny glowered at her.

Penny turned her head to face me but she still gave her mother side eye. “Please don’t call me cute or anything like that UNLESS you want to face responsibility!” She almost shouted at me then quickly cleared her throat. “Let’s just go to the Kernel Grounds.” She said, trying to sound calm. Without another word she turned and started to leave.

The three of us just looked at each other, shrugged and followed.