A/N: Hello all, this is Yumi here. Since I failed to do so on the first chapter, I'll explain this here. A Fairy's Tale will be SIMULTANEOUSLY posted here and on deviantART, and I will alternately reveive votes as to which of the two next chapters will be uploaded. Mind you, your choices do end up affecting life or death, so be careful when something sketchy comes up. For Chapters 2,4,6,8, and 10, you here on will vote! For odd number chapters, my Deviant friends will vote!
Izzie: Yo! Yumi may own Arlene and I, but she doesn't own any item or character anywhere here! Damn... and I wanted to watch Arlie get drunk too...
Arlene: IZZIE! (snarls)
(EDIT): DAMN, forgot to LINE. LINE is now FAIL.
It was pretty common for her to wake up fuming mad, especially on days where it would help her out to be so. Today was definitely one of those days where she just wanted to rip someone to pieces, and oddly she felt rather proud of that fact. The covers were torn off her bed as she aggressively pulled on her costume, scowling at the mirror and inwardly smirking at the perfection that resulted in being mad while cosplaying Ratatosk.
The shower was nasty, and as she growled out curses at the messy, irresponsible, 22 year old Izzie she inwardly thanked her lucky stars she didn't have to shower that morning.
As it was she growled to herself and stomped out the door to where Izzie was making breakfast. The smell of bacon and eggs brought her halfway to her normal, friendly self, and the first glass of orange juice did the rest of the job.
"Dammit, I hate realizing I've been a bitch all morning…" she slammed her head down in front of her plate as her roommate grinned and poured another glass of orange juice.
"Honestly, Arlene, you're overreacting. It's just the normal routine." They both ate breakfast, after which she felt a lot better. Then it was costume nitpicking time, and they helped each other make sure every minute detail was in place, down to the colored contacts and fake glasses for Richter. That odd sparkle still lingered at the edge of her vision, but she just swatted it away.
"Ah, Symphonicon. I'll drive, okay? Don't forget the bags, we have to check in at the hotel across the street." Being the favorites at the convention, they always got a room in the hotel closest to the action. It didn't take long to get there, and with the bags in their room they made their way into the center itself, where people were just starting to drift in.
"Good morning ladies! Nice costumes this year, I almost thought Richter and Emil were walking in to our convention. Good thing you got here early, got find a place to set yourselves up. You'll be wanted for a photo shoot at one and until then there is a yaoi gathering in the upstairs lounge. Say, what happened to the epic Lloyd costume? Zelos is going to miss you." The Kratos cosplayer in charge of setting things up was always rather chatty, but he had been her friend here for a good long time. Because of that, she only half snarled at him.
"I'm not Emil, I'm Ratatosk! Oh, and I got tired of Lloyd, too much molestation by everyone. Now at least I have my Richter to beat them off." It was her version of a friendly greeting, and with that said she dragged Izzie up the stairs and away from the cosplayer who she swore was OOC enough to start prancing around amidst rainbows and unicorns. It was yaoi time.
He had a very hard time hiding from all the inquisitive stares, and eventually retreated to the Kratos cosplayer he had earlier seen as a sanctuary.
"Hey little buddy, what's wrong?" it startled him, but then he reviewed the point that this man was insane, along with most people here. He shrugged and hid under the cosplayer's wig on his shoulder, crossing his arms over his aching chest, hurt from being attacked this morning.
"How is it that you can see me? Most adult humans can't… oh never mind. I have to hide here for a while, if that's fine with you, hun?" he drawled off into his normal mask, noticing the fact that the cosplayer seemed to be blushing.
"Y-yeah, you can hide there. You're… you're Zelos aren't you?" the question was a whisper, and the fairy replied with a sarcastic laugh.
"You're the first one to guess right, hun. Say, do you have a mint or something?"
Fanservice meant Arlene had to do things for other people. Not to mention, she was requested for fanservice as both Emil and Ratatosk and had to keep removing and replacing her colored contacts.
One of the yaoi crew's members was a very convincing Yuan that was all-too familiar to her. She was the one taking pictures…
"Kaitlin! Do you mind prying this Lloyd off me for a minute?" freed of the glomping maniac by her friend, she gave the girl a hug.
"Hey, nice Yuan costume. But… why Yuan? Are you going out with THE doorKratos?" the blush on Kaitlin's face was answer enough, and Arlene went back to the fanservice, pinned to the floor by Izzie.
"Go talk to him! Make that crazy Lloyd girl take all the pictures."
Zelos watched from his perch as the girl Kaitlin flirted with the man he was sitting on. She had noticed him, but only smiled and continued on her task.
He had to admit, they made a convincing window into the real couple, or would if the man cosplaying Kratos were just a bit more quiet and composed. As it was, they were too hyper.
"So, you can both see me?" he was mildly confused, seeing as the girl was somewhat less insane than the man on whose shoulder he sat. He wasn't prepared for the adorable squeal from the girl.
"OMG, you're actually real! Kevin, where'd you find him? I thought fairies were shyer than this!" Her voice was quiet and loud at the same time, and he could feel Kevin looking for an explanation, so he stepped on him hard.
"Hunnie, talk to someone and not about them… I'm not really a fairy."
At one o clock, the photo shoot commenced. Arlene was subjected to posing with various people, including a Marta cosplayer that had the annoying love of Emil down pat. She was glad when the next picture was of her and another Emil, herself wearing a smirk and her red contacts to denote Ratatosk. The shoot ended with a spectacular image of all the characters from all the games, no repeats, in which she was Ratatosk again and she was flanked by an Aster and an Emil, with Izzie standing creepily behind all three of them like the pedophile Richter was.
Then she noticed the fact the THE doorKratos (Kevin, Kaitlin's boyfriend) and Kaitlin were both staring at what looked like a sparkle to her. And talking quietly to it.
"OI. Calling all renegade angels… Snap out of it!" the guilty look from the two as she came stomping up was odd, as well as the way Kaitlin quickly stuffed the object of their attention in her overly long wig.
"U-um, Hi Arlene! You're channeling 'Tosk again… you might want to take the contacts out and go green." Surprisingly, Arlene found herself following the girl's advice and calming down. No need to be so angry…
"I'm sorry. Anyway, what were you two just looking at?" she unconsciously tugged at the strap over her collarbone, feeling an odd itch there over her scar. Kaitlin and Kevin shared a look and then Kaitlin removed the 'sparkle' from her hair so Arlene could clearly see, for the first time, what it was.
A tiny figure tried to hide behind one of her fingers, but was unable to and so crossed his arms with a sigh. No more than 3 inches tall, he was still visible as a person dressed in pink, black, and white with fairy-like orange/red wings and long red hair held back by a white headband. On his chest was a red orb crystal surrounded in gold…
"No way… this can't be real. Zelos?" she reached out a hand and gently plucked the tiny man from Kaitlin's palm, interested to say the least. He seemed afraid of her, but she just smiled a smile that reached all through her green-hazel eyes. It took a minute, but he calmed down.
"Yes, my beautiful giant, I am Zelos Wilder." Unable to kiss the back of her hand, he simply did a bow (much to her amusement). She grabbed him by the jacket and brought him to eye level with her.
"Now, I want a good explanation as to why you're a fairy and why you're molesting THE doorKratos and our favorite blunette Kaitlin." The closer the fairy got to her face, the more fear was clear in his eyes. In truth, she was surprised at the amount of pink radiance he gave off, almost enough to obscure him. He fidgeted and then finally spoke up.
"I'm supposed to be guarding you. Please, don't eat me…" then came the surprising part. She was used to her MPD now having lived with it her whole life… and she could change on a dime.
"Eat you? Hmmm… I might just do that..." Shadow Link crept into her tone and her smirk reached her eyes in a terrible way.
He watched, shivering, as her hazel eyes reddened on their own and contracted to slits like a cat. He knew the tone to be evil as it was, and he knew she was perfectly capable of simply eating him in one bite. But no… she was being a terrible tease and all she did was lick him in a very uncomfortable manner that left him soaked in spit all down his front.
"You aren't really going to…?"
"Nope. I'm no cannibal… besides, that might prompt people wanting a photo op or wanting to put a camera and a tether on you. It is a popular fetish after all. And I need a fairy for my costume tomorrow." He noted with relief that her eyes were green/hazel again and began to wring out his coat, blushing feverishly. Not every day do you get half your body licked at once… he might have to change his clothes.
"Your costume?"
"Link from Legend of Zelda. Though I know you could be wearing something a bit more… well, yeah… for my benefit." Seeing her point, he crossed his arms and waited till she let go of him before taking off into the air. He wasn't about to get caught and licked again.
It was odd knowing that his fears were for nothing. It made him braver, gutsier, and visible.
Visible to the whole damn convention center. Well, at least they accepted his presence readily enough, seeing as they themselves thought it would be cool if such things existed. Still, he had to be careful.
After spending his day on Izzie's shoulder again, the trio retired to their room only to find the one connected to it held THE doorKratos and Kaitlin. There was a party, and the party included cameras and a good deal of uncomfortable situations with him, including the infamous set of internet games.
"So, Zelos. Would you tap… Kratos."
"I would get my ass handed to me. No, hunnie, and especially no at this size." This game assumed the cosplayers to be the characters. "Emil, Richter."
"U-um, well, that is to say I- um…" Arlene was good at staying in character, and so was Izzie, who play slapped her upside the head.
"Are you a dog or a man? Answer the playboy fairy." She could even take on the cool tone, if not the deep male voice. He watched in amusement as Arlene fake stammered her way through a yes and an apology followed by a hug from Izzie.
"I'm sorry Yuan, but… Mithos?" Arlene's quizzical glance sent Kaitlin into a scowl.
"NO. I am not a pedophile." And that was the end of that. "Emil… Ratatosk."
This one warranted silence before Arlene sighed and pulled out the big guns, her natural multiplicity.
"Y-Yuan… you want to know if I-" there was a natural change in eye color "Of course he would. He doesn't get a say in it." The eyes changed back and a very real blush rolled across Arlene's face. Zelos wasn't sure why she didn't accept her talent, but apparently it made for a big mess when questions came up.
"He already picked so my turn. Richter, would you tap… Zelos?" THE doorKratos was a funny guy, but capable of being serious when he wanted to… which seemed to be almost never. It was sad that he looked so similar to the real Kratos.
The muscle on Izzie's left eye twitched as she looked at him, and Zelos was suddenly uncomfortable. He was too little to defend himself…
"NO. I would much rather have Aster than some idiotic fairy any day."
"Richter, what about me?"
"I was thinking out loud, don't take it personally. Kratos… I'm going to leave the Symphonia crew and suggest Asch." Even in petty arguments that managed to fool him into almost thinking he was at 'home'.
"Asch, hmm? Actually, I'd have to say yes. He and I play similar roles."
Zelos could see where this was going and so he shut off the camera as they began discussing their personal views of the Abyss characters. It was time for them all to call it a night.
"Bedtime for my darling hunnies. Go on, shoo! You don't want to be tired tomorrow."
Because tomorrow was a BIG day, and he could feel that in his blood something was about to happen. He took but a moment to think of which costume/personality would give Arlene the best defense… Lloyd? Or Link?
After writing a note when he had decided he settled himself down to sleep in a torn open tissue box donated by the kind and odd Izzie.
Yeah, ignore that line down there. Document edit fail. The question this chapter IS: Lloyd or Link? Who should Arlene be cosplaying as?
Izzie: Review for more fairy bashing!
Zelos: (glares)