That Time When Twilight Cosplayed for a Few Extra Bucks
“I don’t know, you look awfully familiar…”
The pink puffball leaned closer to her. When thinking of her first case back at the job, this wasn’t what Twilight anticipated for. Quite the opposite, actually: this sort of predicament was exactly why she decided to take a year off and exclusively went to parties that were at least twenty kilometers away.
To be fair, she should’ve been more selective in choosing where she would go to if past experience was anything to go by. But it had been so long, and Twilight just wanted to get right back into things. So, when she was requested to a party closer than she would normally go to, she downplayed the risk in her mind.
That awarded her with getting stuck cleaning up the backroom on account of her late ride with a too- friendly and noisy Pinkie, while still in her outfit.
“Maybe. I do have a very ordinary face. It helps with the whole dressing up thing,” Twilight explained in her light and gentle voice – something she mastered after secretly studying Fluttershy for so long.
Pinkie nodded as she slowly backed off, seeing convinced for now. Popping another balloon, she continued her not-so-small talk. “So how popular is Sauna? I know the show was huge back in the day, is it still going on? I used to watch it with a kid I used to babysit but we never got past season one but then I saw it when I was flipping through the channel or at least I think it was the same show, the main character was there but Sauna was replaced with this new main female character so I’m not too sure.”
Twilight gave a nervous laugh and tried to answer Pinkie in order as she’s learned to do. “Yeah, it’s like the top five character I’m asked to cosplay. Yes, I used to watch Shield Heart Online but dropped it at the beginning of season two. I didn’t like where they were taking the story and the characters were starting to become contradictory. And I’m glad I did, because last time I checked on there were like two spin-off series and some convoluted plot going on; it was a mess bound to happen.”
“Wow,” Pinkie hummed, “you’re really good at doing the voice.”
“Yeah well, I can’t help doing it when I’m wearing this costume, I’m too use to it.”
Pinkie grabbed one end of the streamer that ran the length of the room and started rolling it up without so much as a hesitation. All the while still talking, oblivious to Twilight’s increasing panic.
“You know, I’m really good at doing voices, like really good. Like, I can imitate all my closest friends. Some of that has to do with them having such distinct vocal colour but a lot has to do with how I’m really good at doing voices. Okay, so for my friend Rainbow Dash, she has this rasp to her voice and it’s kinda pitchy, so you need to pull it from your throat like so.”
And Twilight had to hand it to her, Pinkie was really good. Scarily good at Fluttershy’s, which made Twilight feel slightly inferior. It seemed they weren’t exaggerating when they said that Pinkie sounded exactly like Fluttershy, squeal and all. But it was fair game to think the Pinkie’s impression of Applejack was a bit too on the nose with the whole ‘country gal’ thing.
“And my friend Twilight, the human one not the one who’s secretly a princess from another dimension–” Then Pinkie’s eyes widened, her mouth hitting the floor. Figuratively speaking of course, but needed to be specified anyway because anything could happen with Pinkie. “I know who you look like! You look exactly like my friend.”
Twilight gulped, smiling before carefully asking for her looming doom.
“You look just like my friend,” Pinkie repeated. “She’s not from here technically, but she sure isn’t a princess from another dimension. I met her once, her name was Starlight Glimmer, she was super cool with her beanie hat. Man, she had this funny joke where –”
Twilight zoned out as she tried to recalibrate her nerves after what just happened. Also, Twilight knew what joke Pinkie was talking about and it wasn’t that funny, so she wasn’t missing anything.
If anything was funny, even in an ironic way, it was that this felt like something that would happen to Sunset rather than Twilight: being tortured only to be saved by the world pitying her after what they almost put her through.
“Wow, that’s a funny joke,” Twilight said when Pinkie took a second to breathe.
“It really was,” Pinkie wiped the one tear from the side of her eye. “I burst laughing every time I remember it.”
Saved by the buzzing in her pocket, Twilight excused herself as she apologized for leaving Pinkie alone to clean up. Pinkie shook her head; the job was hers to do. Pinkie was getting paid to clean like Twilight got paid to dress up as someone’s fantasy girlfriend.
Sitting at the back of her brother’s car, Twilight couldn’t help but dislike the way Pinkie phrased her job, but at the same time couldn’t deny the validity of the statement. A job was a job, and what had to be done was done.
This was a bad idea. Twilight knew that. In fact, she knew exactly where this conversation was going to go before it started because she had the same conversation in her head on her way here.
But the dress in her hand and the impending date she had were becoming heavier for her to hold, which drove her to finally knock on the door.
At first it went well, nothing like what played in her head thankfully. Rarity quickly got to work inspecting the tear in the dress, her sewing glasses perched on the tip of her nose.
“Organza?”
“Yeah.”
Rarity hummed as she continued to examine the pink tutu dress. Looking up as she stared at nothing in particular, Rarity’s blank expression became one of satori. Walking to a shelf she pulled out the necessary materials as she reassured Twilight that she would restore this dress to it’s rightful condition, maybe even better.
“But I wasn’t one to think you’d enjoy ballet,” Rarity continued, casually leading into dreaded small talk, “let alone be a prima ballerina.”
“A what?”
“You don’t have to lie to me darling. Besides there’s nothing you can hide, I do have all the evidence I need,” she gestured her head to the costume she had.
This was definitely not the conversation Twilight had in her head.
“Oh, it’s not for me – I mean it’s mine but it’s not for ballet – well it kinda is but it’s also not.” This wasn’t making her seem less guilty. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Oh, I understand quite fine,” Rarity said, with too much enjoyment in her voice for Twilight to be comfortable.
Was it the less of two evils that Rarity thought Twilight was doing ballet rather than cosplaying as the pink-haired heroine from Doki Doki Magical Girl? For the most part, yes. But was she going to able to keep up the lie? Absolutely not.
“I’m just doing a favour for a friend,” Twilight explained. “I can’t go in details because its something of a secret but I’m not a ballet dancer and I’m not a prima ballerina.”
“Don’t worry, I believe you.”
“I’m telling the truth.”
“I know darling.”
“No, but really that’s really it.”
“And I believe you, I truly do.” And Twilight had no reason to suspect she didn’t knowing that Rarity just liked getting her riled up sometimes. In the past Rarity had claimed it, ‘wasn’t her fault Twilight went all cute when she was frustrated, hair ruffled to hide her blushing and all’.
All this bothering Twilight didn’t seem to slow Rarity down in the slightest; replacing the old layer with a new like it was clock work, within minutes Rarity was shaking the dress to ensure there weren’t faults in her sewing.
Twilight was right in one aspect of coming here, the dress looked even better than when she first got it. Even better than her personal tailor that specialized in cosplay dresses, who just so conveniently was at a family trip when Twilight needed her and her lack of conversation the most.
Twilight was usually never willing to take chances like this last minute, but with the influx of request for the Doki Doki Magical Girl the dress would inevitably find itself in some sort of trouble, knowing her recent luck – which may technically be the luck that lead to Twilight’s newfound Equestrian magic that truly makes it look like she’s shooting through her magic gun, that in turn brought her more requests.
“Thank you so much, Rarity.” Twilight said once she was handed her dress back. She reached for her back pocket to take out her wallet.
Her friend waved her hand dismissively. “Oh darling, there’s no need to pay me, we’re friends after all.”
“That’s really sweet of you,” Twilight gushed.
“Yes of course. But since we are friends,” Rarity maneuvered her way beside her friend, placing her hands delicately on Twilight’s shoulder, “that means we share secrets, don’t you think?”
Twilight walked into that – she had no one to blame but herself.
Conventions had a love-and-hate relationship with Twilight. She loved the fact that there were so many people gathered in one area with a similar passion towards an interest. Something like that, there’s nothing to explain how thrilling it feels.
On the contrary, Twilight hated the fact that there were so many people gathered in one area with a similar passion towards an interest.
Ah yes, the classic contradicting statements and yes, we are really doing this.
Currently, Twilight was enjoying the ‘love’ phase as she posed in various stock stances her character was known doing. Sailor Virgo was by far her favourite Sailor Scout growing up and her love for her has only grown since then.
That’s why she didn’t feel bad about shelling out around $570 to recreate the scout to the best of her ability. And that’s also why she felt confident that she would win the competition for the best recreation of each sailor.
At least, until she saw the three-year reigning champion Sailor Virgo signing up, who Twilight could’ve sworn previously stated they were taking a break. Yeah, more like taking a break at her heart.
That was bad, but you know what’s worse? Having your dreams crushed in front of your eyes right at your highest moment. One would be thinking why she was giving up so easily, and the answer is simple; the reigning champion quite literally spent a few thousand dollars to have only the top producers to create her iconic cosplay. Was that fair? Absolutely not. Did anyone care? No, because she was super pretty and had a nice pair of Virgos of her own.
“Man, I would feel bad for anyone who’s competing against her.” Twilight turned her head to face one half of Sailor Gemini, Sailor Gem to be specific. “Good thing I, the great and powerful Trixie, decided to cosplay as the best sailor.”
“Trixie?”
“Yes?”
“You cosplay?”
“Of course, there’s nothing wrong with dressing up as your favourite fictional character out of pure love and enjoyment. And you are?”
Clearing her throat, Twilight extended her gloved hand, “Twifu Cosplays.”
“Twilight! I knew you sounded familiar. Man, just your luck too, I mean that outfits looks expensive,” Trixie said as she studied the blue stone on her chest.
Twilight stepped back, both taken aback by the fact that Trixie knew who she was off the bat and was so nonchalant about it.
“How do you know –”
Trixie trilled her lips. “I only figured it out after you came back from your hiatus. I saw a few pictures and thought you looked familiar, then I put two-and-two together. I mean, Twifu, really? It’s like you want the world to know.”
Twilight nodded numbly, still on the edge. Of course Trixie would know, if someone figured out her secret it would’ve been Trixie. And it seemed that she hadn’t exposed her yet, but would that stop her from ever telling someone? She had the literal means to make Twilight’s life an anxious mess and Twilight did not like the thought of Trixie having something to constantly hang in front of her face.
She had to turn the tables, and she knew just the way how.
“Oh, please don’t tell anyone Trixie,” Twilight said. “How about we make a truce? Let me do you a favour so we can be on even grounds.”
Trixie took a moment to look up from the clothed nails, before sighing. “Well, because I can’t stand the sight of you grovelling.”
Trixie then led Twilight to a backroom before taking a seat. The two remained there for a while in silence before Twilight broke it. “So...?”
“I said I couldn’t stand to watch you grovel, and everyone knows the best way to enjoy a show is by sitting. While I would rather be on my custom-made throne, these padded folding chairs will have to do.” Gesturing to Twilight, Trixie prompted her to continue what she was doing before, to beg to her.
Sighing, Twilight placed her hands together, “Oh, please Trixie, please don’t tell anyone about my secret,” her voice drier than before.
A ringtone sounded out, and Trixie raised her hand as she stepped out and took a quick call. When she came back in a few short minutes later, her sour face made Twilight assume that she’d have to beg a bit harder.
Trixie spoke first. “Okay new deal, my friend who was supposed to play Sailor Ini got in a small car accident and can’t come –”
“– That sounds horrible, is she okay?”
“She shouldn’t be if she decided to bail. Anyways, you don’t need to beg anymore, instead I need you to be Sailor Ini. And don’t worry, she was supposed to change here because she had work in the morning, so we have everything we need here.”
As much as Twilight felt bad for Trixie’s friend, she was glad about the car accident. Her luck was definitely questionably unpredictable.
And for the most part, they made a good team as Sailor Gemini. Good enough to come in second place – they would be first, but Trixie had to squeeze in a small presentation of her ‘magic tricks’ during their showcase.
Holding on to the trophy that was almost as tall as the first place one, Trixie voiced Twilight’s thoughts on the situation. “I mean this sounds like something Sunset would go through.”
And if Sunset had to go through this on the regular, Twilight couldn’t blame her for turning into a raging she-demon, because girl, same.
Author's Note
Vaguely describe the character you would request Twifu to cosplay to without directly saying the characters name.
I'll go first, there's this one show where the main character who's a pony goes through a mirror and becomes human and in one season the main character gets an unpaid assistant and she goes through the mirror and wears this cute beanie hat.
