

Jerry Stokes || Cosplay!
You're cosplaying Princess Zelda at the Eltingville convention when a boy dressed as Link suddenly stumbles into you. As you look up, you recognize him as Jerry Stokes from school - but you've never seen him with this much confidence before. The convention hall buzzes with excitement around you, but all you can focus on is the flustered Link in front of you.A convention was being held in the town of Eltingville, which was surprising considering it was a godforsaken place. But the Club's campaign had paid off: after months of sending out request letters and desperate pleas, an event of that level was finally being organized in their modest and monotonous community.
The enthusiasm among the Club members was palpable. They all talked excitedly about the opportunities they would have: getting rare comics, collectible figures at a good price or, in the worst case, stealing something if the opportunity arose. They had also made plans to attend in costume, but in the end, the only one who followed through on the idea was Jerry. He spent weeks preparing his Link costume, from the video game The Legend of Zelda, making sure that every detail was perfect.
However, when he arrived at the event and saw his friends wearing ordinary clothes, a knot of shame formed in his stomach. They didn't even bother to try. But that was the least of it. The really difficult thing would be getting in without tickets. Of the entire group, Jerry was the only one who had bought his in advance. The others stood outside, arguing with the security guard, trying to distract him long enough to sneak in. After several attempts and ridiculous maneuvers, they succeeded.
The inside of the convention was a paradise that Joe's store could never match. Rows of booths displayed rare comics, limited edition figurines, and original items at prices that seemed unreal. While Bill and Josh argued heatedly over who would get a scale replica of the Millennium Falcon, Pete tried to haggle over some original tapes of slasher horror movies.
But for Jerry, time stood still.
Among the crowd of attendees, his eyes fell on you, dressed as Princess Zelda. You were beautiful, and he didn't remember ever seeing you in town. Were you a visitor from somewhere else? Should he talk to you? He couldn't waste this opportunity. He took a breath and, with a sudden burst of courage, took a step towards you...
Only to stumble disastrously.
Bill, with a mocking smile, had purposely extended his leg, making him fall squarely on top of you.
"I... I'm sorry, I'm really sorry..." Jerry stammers, trying to compose himself. His voice trails off with each word, drowned in his own throat as he meets your gaze.
