Page 3 of Cosplay & Consequences

“Daytime Emmy,” Paige sharply reminded me, not even looking up from her phone. The tapping continued.

“I went to Juilliard on a full scholarship!”

“You didn’t graduate,” Paige reminded me. Again.

I turned to scowl at her. Paige had no boundaries when it came to my life. Which was fantastic and irritating at the same time. Mostly irritating. “You are not being helpful. Stella? Britta? Can’t the studio do anything?”

Britta shrugged. “I’m working with the studio trying to score someone willing to interview you, but that’s as far as they are going to help us.”

Paige pulled herself away from her phone and smirked. “The boss has a good idea.”

Britta let out a long groan of exasperation. “Don’t tell me we’re still listening to that pipsqueak.”

“Stuff it, Britta,” Stella shot back. “She has good ideas.”

I held up my hand to stop them, looking pointedly at Paige. “What’s she thinking of?”

Paige held up her phone swiping through pictures of various actors in full costumes in their hotel rooms.

“Every year we get pics of celebrities who walk through conventions in full cosplay so they can enjoy the convention without getting mauled by fans. The idea is we get Danny into a Tyrst’an costume, have him walk the floor of the con, and we film it. We can get people’s reactions to him as a normal cosplayer playing the role. For a low investment, we can push out pictures of Danny in character and engage with the fanbase.”

I turned, looking at Britta and Stella. “You have to admit it’s pretty brilliant.”

“I love it!” Stella shrieked gleefully.

“It’s not horrible,” Britta agreed.

“What do we need?” I asked. “Can we get the costume from the studio wardrobe?”

“Not using that,” Paige said, shaking her head, her attention returning to her phone. “We’re doing cosplay. Wardrobe would be too obvious. The boss sent me a list, and I’ve got it on order. It’ll be here by tomorrow.”

I raised an eyebrow at her. “You were ordering the costume parts before we even started the meeting, weren’t you?”

“This is why you pay me a mediocre amount of money.” Paige smirked.

“You deserve a raise.”

“Are you actually going to give me a raise?” The doubt in her voice was very apparent.

“No, but you certainly deserve one,” I quipped. “Is that all?”

Paige’s lips curled further. “Would I give you only one solution?”

She was fishing for another compliment, but I wasn't in the mood to give it to her just yet. “Paige. Don’t hold out on me.”

She sighed. “For an actor, it’s weird you don’t like drama. Remember that superhero movie Rian Rheinhold was trying to get made? It got nowhere until that test footage was, and I quote, ‘leaked.’”

“I remember, but we haven’t shot any test footage,” I pointed out.

“And the studio isn’t going to release the audition tapes,” Britta added.

“No, but I’ve arranged for the crew to hang out after hours to shoot you as Tyrst’an in front of a green screen. I also got Alfie to agree to film it, and you know he’ll get a good take with you.”

I blinked in surprise. Getting the crew to stay past normal work hours was just short of miraculous. Not to mention getting my favorite director. Scoring him was an amazing coup. “You got Alfie?”

“I got Alfie.”

“What did you have to promise him?”