Femslash February 2020 Day 18: Shield.
Heroine in an Open World Shooter
"Yes, yes, if you could just-oh, a little more to your left, and you're perfect! Utterly perfect!"
Rapid fire camera flashes would have blinded an ordinary person, but the Super High School Level Soldier was used to such brightness. They reminded Ikusaba of the long, humid summer days when she would roll through flash grenades across a grass field in Europe. She would have had a hunting knife gripped tightly in her gloved hand, the screams of her comrades tittering out until they were silenced, blood gushing out of the wounds in their necks, but she would prevail as she always had.
Instead of a knife, she held a sword and shield. They were replicas of a video game character's weapons, the character's name escaping her. The deep green tunic she wore reminded her of the camouflage uniform she would have worn when Fenrir took missions deep in the Amazon. The material was cotton, soft and worn, but she would have preferred a coarser material on her body instead of the loose garb. The off-white slacks weren't much better, the scratchy fabric pleasant on her legs but seemed too casual to wear in battle. The pointed elven tips attached to her ears and the slouching hat crowning her head fit the character but certainly not her, their design too fantastical for someone who preferred to stay in the background.
And instead of death throes, Shirogane's squeals fill the cosplayer's dorm room. She spun around Ikusaba and took as many pictures as her camera would hold. She shot a bright smile at Ikusaba, who continued holding the sword above her head, the long tuft of blonde hair falling in front of her eyes.
"I knew you would make a wonderful Link! Oh, I'm sure you'd make an equally wonderful Vaati, too!" Shirogane exclaimed, clapping her hand to her cheek. She lowered her camera to her waist, marveling over her perfect recreation of one of her favorite video game characters.
Ikusaba dropped her arm and rested the tip of her sword on Shirogane's carpet. When Shirogane had approached her to model the outfit, she hadn't exactly agreed to it. Her sister had leapt at the chance to embarrass her, goading Ikusaba into accepting Shirogane's request in the courtyard during their lunch break. The sneer stretched in Enoshima's cheeks had compelled her to agree, even though Shirogane had complimented her toned, slightly muscular physique as suitable for the character.
"Really, I'm so glad Enoshima-san convinced you to do this for me. I really do appreciate it," Shirogane added, setting her camera down on her table. Her heels clicked as she rounded in front of Ikusaba. Tapping her chin, she tilted her head and examined the leather belt clipped around her waist. "Why, you even make the belt look good! I thought it would have been too loose, but your size fits it wonderfully."
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. It wasn't like Enoshima was doing Shirogane a favor. She just wanted another way to humiliate her sister, but she supposed she had to admit Shirogane knew what she was doing. When she glanced at the picture of the character, Ikusaba truly resembled him albeit a tad shorter. All of the details were present on the costume, right down to the seamlines. The stitching, the embroidery along the sleeves, even the boots she wore seemed to have the right kind of leather padding on the heels, it all showed how dedicated Shirogane was to her craft.
"Ikusaba-san?" Shirogane piped up, bringing the soldier's attention back to her. She fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "Ah, sorry, you didn't reply to anything I said, so-"
"Junko-chan asked me to help, so I am. That's all," Ikusaba curtly replied, silencing the cosplayer's meandering response. She narrowed her eyes. "Don't get any ideas. I'm not doing this because I have any interest in this stuff."
Disappointment crossed Shirogane's features, and she sighed. She clipped a lock of azure hair behind her ear and said, "Well, I know that. You don't care for video games, right?" She chuckled, emulating a sound Enoshima would make on her cheerful days. Tilting her head, she leered at Ikusaba over the rim of her glasses. "But it's so plainly obvious that you would be a main character in an open world adventure or a first person shooter."
Ikusaba leaned her head back, her eyes briefly widening before returning to their steely slits. It was almost as if Shirogane tried toying with her, but that couldn't be right. The mousy Shirogane who flitted from left to right chattering about character designs and sewing needles shifting into someone who resembled boldness made her dig in her heels.
Lines appeared around Shirogane's mouth as her lips lifted upwards. The many colorful posters featuring anime and video game characters adorning her walls were a sharp contrast to the composed girl in front of Ikusaba. Stepping forward, she bowed and cupped her hand over Ikusaba's worn one, dragging her thumb across the callouses dotting her knuckles.
Ikusaba watched, transfixed as Shirogane slid her fingers up her arm. Her featherlight touch electrified her body, reminding her that she hadn't felt the warmth of another person in years. The only hands that had touched her were the corpses she dragged out of the mud in search of weapons.
Shirogane pressed down on her shoulder and slipped her thumb to her neck. Ikusaba's pulse pumped against her in a rhythmic beat. Her other hand traced across the Hylian Shield, marking the golden painting and symbols. She cupped the shield and nudged it between them, blocking their chests from touching, and she reveled in the blank expression etched on Ikusaba's face. It was the look of a picture perfect player character.
"I really do think you suit the role of a heroine, Ikusaba-san," Shirogane purred, softening her gaze at the shorter girl. She brushed through Ikusaba's blonde wig and tucked the strays hairs behind her sharp ears.
Ikusaba tightened her jaw and gritted her teeth. She shifted her gaze at the camera, wondering where those photographs would end up. Sighing, she stepped backwards and raised her sword, setting the dulled edge to Shirogane's shoulder.
"That shy girl act of yours, it pisses me off," she announced, Shirogane chuckling.
"Oh, I wouldn't say it's an act. I really am that plain." She caressed the sword's hilt. "I just really, really love characters. When I see one like yourself, Ikusaba-san, someone who can be a true heroine, I feel like falling in love."
Balking, Ikusaba drew back, her cheeks burning. She snorted and huffed out her irritation as Shirogane smiled at her. Glancing at the shield, she lowered it along with her gaze and said, "Don't say things like that. I'm not interested in your fantasy."
"But sometimes-" Shirogane slipped her hand underneath Ikusaba's chin and tilted her head up. "-a fantasy is better than reality, right?"
The muscles in her arms twitched. Ikusaba drew in a quick breath, Shirogane's long locks falling over her shoulders. She found herself troubled, unable to reply. She searched for anything to say, but Shirogane parted from her and turned back to her camera. As Shirogane searched through her photos, Ikusaba wondered about the meaning behind her words and waited, cemented to the spot until she received her next order
"Ikusaba-san, I think we're done for the day. You can take off the outfit," Shirogane said as if reading her mind. She twirled a lock of hair between her fingers, reminding Ikusaba of her gambling classmate. Averting Ikusaba's eyes, she fixed her attention to the floor and tittered. "I, er, well, I apologize if I intruded in your personal space. I just-" She clenched her fists, her grip tightening around the camera. "-really believe you'd make a perfect game heroine."
"I'm not a...character," Ikusaba slowly replied, dropping her gaze as well. She pulled off the hat and twisted her fingers through the fabric, the heaviness and softness meshing well.
"Oh, I know, but perhaps imagining it is just as fun?" she questioned, her grin full of fondness.
Ikusaba remained quiet as she shed her layers. As silence gripped her neck and she dressed herself in her regular clothes, which Shirogane had neatly folded on her bed, she wondered what that world could have been like for her. Glancing back at Shirogane, who remained focused on her photos, Ikusaba stared at the sword and shield. The prospect of the fantastical world ignited her curiosity, and she asked about it, setting off Shirogane's passionate explanation and leaving her hanging on to every word.