"I changed my mind, I don't think I can go through with this," Kyuu Yeoung mutters. His hand holds his mouth as if preventing vomit and he pretends to make exaggerated gagging motions. "I don't know the first thing about cosplaying, what makes you think that I can pull this off perfectly the first time?"

The question is aimed at Tai Meii, his most trusted female friend and as of right now, his hair stylist, make-up coordinator and costume designer. She pats his shoulder to calm him and turns the stool he is sitting on away from the mirror. That way, he can't see what's happening. She twirls some of her loose hair in her fingers and bites her lip. Kyuu is truly a fascinating canvas, she thinks. His skin is so fair, his eyes the perfect almond shape for all those anime cosplayers, his straight dark hair easy to manipulate. What bogs down her appraisal is his lanky frame and unsure stature; he tends to slouch and avoid eye contact.

He is perfect just the way he is, is what Tai thinks. Just a dash of blush and a thin black eyeliner to bring out the gray flecks, a little gel to slick his hair and he was a dead ringer for Rain. Of course, her opinion has some bias from being Kyuu's friend since the fourth grade but he is cute in his own way. 

There isn't much Tai could do to help Kyuu get ready for Anime Conji. She had promised to help him get a costume, but it proved harder than expected. She remembers when she brought it up, two months ago...

 

 

"Oooh Kyuuuuu-chaaaaaan," Tai called in a sing-songy voice. "Oooooooooooooohhhhh KYUUUUUU-CHAAAAAAAN~"

He finally noticed her from behind his computer and gave a small wave. "Tai, over here," he called. "I'm just working on this progamming label that I'm gonna release for my website. It's called ToolWare and it basically sets up several panels that allows for easier set-up for other website creations. Or a simple photoshop."

She nodded in understanding. He had been working on this program for the last few months and she had been wondering when he would be done. She looked around his table and said "Ro'Ky's not here? That's strange."

"Oh yeah, Mr. Merunda called him in a while ago. He said it shouldn't take long."

Kyuu tapped in several more letters and hit enter with a finality that rang in Tai's ears. "Done."

She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean done? Done, as in everything is done? Done as in you're free from all your intensive labor done?"

He laughed and pushed the hair that was falling into his face back. "Yes, I'm done done,"  he said, and looked at his watch. "About time too, I was worried I wouldn't finish in time for IB testing. Now I can just relax and stu-"

"YOU CAN COME TO ANIME CONJI WITH ME AND RO'KY!" Tai shouted with eyes that put the stars to shame. Kyuu almost fell out of his chair and Tai made a conscience effort to lower her voice to human cadences. "I mean, we were gonna invite you regardless, but we thought you wouldn't go because of your programming. But now you're done! That means you can totally go!"

"What, no I can't..." Kyuu began, nervously pushing his glasses back up his nose.

But Tai wasn't listening. She was already breaking down Kyuu's apperance into what would be the best cosplay for him and she wouldn't take no for an answer. For the next few months she and Ro'Ky dogged Kyuu to come to Anime Conji, and when he finally agreed, Tai almost died and went to heaven. The only problem was figuring out a cosplay that would fit Kyuu...

 

 

She applies a final white powder and settles back to see the effect. Okay, she thinks. Kyuu looks hot. She would've been blushing under any other circumstance but she gazes at him with a professional eye. Kyuu blinks like a lost dog and turns his head from side to side, still not used to the starched white polo she had forced him into.

"So," Kyuu begins and pulls at his sleeves. "How do I look?"

Faced with an immediate question of his appearance, Tai appraises her work and a blush warms her cheeks. "Kyuu, I have turned you into a hot male Asian model. You can now be a K-Pop star and mention me as your stylist in all your advertisements. You're welcome."

"Okay, then," he laughs. "I can turn around and see myself now, right?" even before Tai answers, he rises from the low bathroom stool and faces the mirror. Tai involuntarily shrinks into a corner, suddenly conscious of her inferiority. Kyuu is actually really handsome and tall. He just needs more confidence. And after what she's done to him, he is gorgeous.

The only thoughts running beneath her pink face were that she is a goddess for creating this creature of glory.

"Wow," Kyuu begins. "I'm...wow. What are these in my eyes?"

"Silly, they're called contacts, so you can see and have amazing demon eyes," Tai chastises and starts to put all the make-up away. Since she wanted to make Kyuu's first anime con memorable, she abandoned her own cosplay and focused all her energies on him. Maybe if he liked today, then he would go with them to more conventions. That's what Tai hoped for at least.

Kyuu bends towards the mirror with an impressed look on his face. Red eyes gleam from his obviously lengthened eyelashes. His normally rugged hair was split down the middle and styled to look like Sebastian Michaelis. Tai had used just the right amount of powder to turn his face a shade paler and give him that antiquated look.

He straightens up and looks to Tai, holding out his gloved hands for her opinion. Of course she isn't going to bash him. This is his first time and he does look amazing. 

"Ooh, wait here," she says and runs out of the bathroom. He blinks twice and she's back, handing him a silver platter with small dragons eating the preceding dragon's tail. "Sebastian usually carries this around, so just hold this throughout the con, okay? But don't lose it, that was my grandmother's favorite serving dish."

Kyuu holds the platter delicately, like it might break. Tai's heart almost pops out of her chest. With his tall frame, the immaculate suit, and his constant, almost knowing looking, he really does look like a butler. Kyuu clears his throat. "If your grandmother really loved this platter, is it alright that I'm using it? Don't you want to preserve her memories at the very least?"

"Kyuu you baka," Tai sighed. "My grandma's still alive and kicking. You practically saw her last week. This was her favorite dish, but then she got a newer one with pandas etched in the surface. So we're fine, we're probably doing her a favor, putting a use to this old thing."

Kyuu gives her a doubtful look, but after knowing Tai for more than 8 years, he's learned to go with the flow and something interesting will happen.

Ro'Ky's head pops in with his hands over his eyes. "Hello, you guys done yet?" He asks, peeking through his slim fingers at Kyuu and Tai. "You guys were taking so long, I thought you were making out or maybe that Kyuu was impossible to convert."

"Ha ha you're so funny Ro'ky, maybe you should just abandon school and be a mime. That way you can save up your jokes and maybe someday, somehere in the distant future, someone can laugh at your jokes," Tai says and pushes past Ro'ky to her room. She shuts the door and hollers through it "You better be done when I get out so we can leave."

"Already done, sweetcheeks," Ro'Ky replies. He looks at Kyuu and whistles. "Well I'll be damned. We got ourselves a looker here."

"Oh don't be so hard on yourself, Ro'ky," Kyuu walks over to his friend and pats him on the shoulder. "Not everyone can be as good-looking and naturally amazing as others. But you try, that's all that matters."

Ro'ky smirks and pushes his green wig back. He's wearing a tight white shirt and a green sash over loose black pants. Three swords hang from his belt and the fake earrings tinkle as he throws his head back to laugh. "You're right! I face off the dangers of the world on a daily basis and my chiseled features are wonderfully tanned from all my time on a pirate ship. Sorry how you got the short end of the stick Kyuu. God isn't so forgiving to people who make deals with the devils."

"At least my profession has a steady income and a flexible employer," Kyuu retortes, ever the scholar.

"At least my profession has all the booze and freedom a man could want," Ro'ky says.

"My job fights for the righteousness of the queen (mostly)," Kyuu mutters that last part.

"My job embodies the dreams of countless children," Ro'ky throws out.

"I can make amazing fruit parfaits that make the ladies go ga-ga!"

"I have three swords that they can't get enough of!"

Kyuu and Ro'ky glare at each other. Tai bangs her door open and steps into their line of fire. They look at each other and back at Tai. "What the hell are you supposed to be?" Ro'ky asks.

"Isn't it obvious?" She tosses some hair over her shoulder. "I'm Azula from Avatar."

"Yeah, we know that," Kyuu says. "But that's not an anime."

"What do you mean it's not an anime? It's like the American version of anime. The style and plot draw from anime!"

"Girl, just cus you used the word anime in your defense does not make it an anime. It aired on Nickelodeon. Not Japan. Hence, therefore, and notwithstanding, it is not an anime," Ro'ky says while maneuvering out the front door with the car keys. "Hurry up, we needa get there before the lines get long. And I will not be seen with you."

"Kyuu, help me," Tai turns to her creation but he answers with a shrug.

"I don't really consider that an anime," he says.

"What do you mean you don't consider it an anime? It's not an opinionated matter, it's a statement of fact, Avatar is an anime!"

Kyuu's eyes get wide and his contacts almost fall out. He edges out the front door after Ro'ky and says "Suuure Tai. Suuure it is."

He jumps into the car and tells Ro'ky to gun the engine.

Ro'ky cackles and pretends to start the car. Tai jumps into the backseat though and harumphs to herself. Her fire-nation uniform is nice, very well made and with the crispness of being new. She had actually bought this outfit on eBay and hastily cut up a spare wig. She was prepared to gamble everything on Kyuu but she wasn't going to the con entirely empty handed.

"Now that we've settled that, off to Anime Conji!" Ro'ky roars and barrels down the suburban street. It's still early and the dawn hasn't even reached her fingertips over the horizon.  But the casual gray of daybreak lights the sky and promises a bright, bright day.

The three of them cruise along singing to the radio until they reach the Sheraton Hotel and Marina.

Kyuu looks up at the fancy Sheraton insignia placed above the entryway. He gulps but turns to smile at Tai when she punches his shoulder. This is it, he thinks. This is it...

Kyuu fingers his silver platter around the dragons over and over and over again. He, Tai and Ro'ky wait at the back of the hotel, watching the clock for when the registration opens and the con begins. Tai and Ro'ky chatter happily about some anime Kill La Kill that Kyuu hadn't gotten around to watching and he continues to fidget in the line. It was still thirty minutes till the fair began but the line was fairly long. It was a good thing they got there early because the line filled up quickly behind them, stretching down the parking lot and just beginning to wind back. 

Ro'ky slams his fist into his back and lobs some spit over the railing. A chorus of complaints comes from the cosplayers below them but Ro'ky turns a disdainful eye on them. "Loosen up Kyuu, you just gotta enjoy this thing. It's not like it's gonna come to bite you in the or nothing, just have some fun."

"Yeah," Tai nods. "You've been standing there with such a worried look on your face I almost slapped the powder right off your face. Just relax."

Easier said than done. Kyuu doesn't usually go out to events like this and Tai and Ro'ky know that. It is only because they had gotten to know Kyuu that they love and laugh with him, but most people don't take the time. Awkward, yes. Unsociable, a bit. Bitter, absolutely not. Kyuu was smart enough to know that he wasn't going to be the social butterfly flitting from clique to clique, and he learned to live with that.

Those who know Kyuu, understand that this is a boy who's going places, but that once you got to some form of communication with him, he is unforgettable. 

People say it's his smile, slightly shy but hopeful like a child's. 

That smile is absent from his face as he shuffles in place and casts a wary glance around the crowd. 

Kyuu tries to smile and manages a weak twitch of his cheek. "Oh yeah, I know, there's just so many people here..."

"Don't worry about it man," Ro'ky says, putting on his best Zolo imitation. "No matter what, I've got your back. And these people can't hurt a fly. I mean, look at them! They probably can't even open up a can of Spam without serious injury to themselves and those around them! Ah, I mean that in the best way possible," he adds when several cosplayers shoot him venomous glares.

Tai slaps the back of Ro'ky's head. "What this dunderhead means, is that this is going to be fun. You just have to let yourself go." She holds her hand out to Kyuu and he takes it tentatively. She pulls him along with their Zolo-impostor following in a bowlegged strut. 

If you think about Kyuu as a turtle, then Tai is able to pull his head out of his shell and get his midget arms waving by the time they reach the front of the line. His laughter is genuine now, full and attracting the attention of several girls around them.

They get their badges but before they move on, Tai tucks Kyuu's pass into his suit's pocket, it hanging out like a pocketwatch. He gives her a quizzical look and she bashfully says, "It kinda ruined your cosplay. You still have to show it to get into certain rooms, but this way it looks like it's part of your outfit."

"Wow. You are a perfectionist," Kyuu whistles. Tai begins a forceful rejection and Ro'ky laughs like a demon, throwing his head back to cakcle.

They begin to walk around the Anime Conji floor. They barely pass the first door leading to the Grande Ballroom labeled Anime shops when they get stopped by a gaggle of middle-aged ladies, asking to take a picture with Kyuu. He staggers back beneath their onslaught of praise and looks to Tai for guidance. 

But like a mother hen knowing her little chicklings need to defend itself against the wolves before they can grow up, she ducks into the girls bathroom as Ro'ky swivels behind a leafy green plant. 

"C-c-c-c-c-can we t-t-take yourr-r picture?" the ring leader asks breathlessly. She holds up a beaten Sony camcorder and Kyuu nods wordlessly, trying to imitate how he thought Sebastian would act in this situation.

"If it so pleases the lady," Kyuu murmurs and gives a little bow, one hand on his lapels the other securely holding the silver platter. His friends abandoned him, so all he has left is this silver platter, and he will not let it go. 

They squeal a little and surround him. Kyuu feels a blush creeping up from their proximity but he smooths out his features and gives a knowing smile. They snap five pictures and are gone in the next whirlwhind of visitors. Already the halls are crowded and people decked out in all forms of cosplay, from wig to clothing to accessory, all of them happily waiting for the events to begin.

Tai peeks out from the bathroom and sidles up next to Kyuu. Ro'ky does the same thing but spins into Kyuu. 

"So," Tai begins looking up at Kyuu's passive face. "What happened when I was gone?"

Kyuu looks down at Tai quickly but shrugs. "Nothing much," a grin gathering at the corners of his mouth.

"Oho! See! That's what we want! Give us that smile more man," Ro'ky pumps his fists in the air and accidentally elbows an Eren Jaeger and Armin Arlett in the faces.

"Only if you pay me," and his eyes blaze with his newfound confidence. He leads the way away, even though he has no idea where he is going and Ro'ky looks at Tai one more time before cackling and catching up to Kyuu.

Tai stares at them dumbfounded. "My creation..."

She runs to catch up to them, is beautiful, she finishes in her mind.

They walk to the Starbucks (surprisingly there is a small little cafe in the middle of the hotel) and waste time inhaling the caffinated air before heading over to the Open-Mic Karaoke. By the time they find the staircase leading down from the "Snack On Titan" bar, Kyuu had been stopped a total of eight times for a photo. Kyuu himself beamed with the attention that he often lacked and Tai felt a satisfaction at seeing her handiwork praised. An inflated little devil boasted on her shoulder and fueled her ego.

They meet a life-size Alphonse Elric in his armor and pose with him, and see Ace and Luffy in front of the Maid Cafe entrance. They sidestep them and enter, grabbing a seat at the back near the DJ.

There are a few groups milling around the tables already and the noise level is just above a murmur. Tai beams at her two friends and jumps up quickly. "I'm going to go sing something."

Ro'ky feigns a drawn out sigh. "Really Tai? You could've warned me, I didn't bring my earplugs."

She makes a face at them and disappears so Ro'ky turns his -holeness on Kyuu, who is oblivious to Ro'ky's attempts. "Looks like you belong here Sebastian."

"Aw, thanks Ro'ky. Too bad you look like my pet here. Maybe you should sit on the ground so they don't kick us out."

"Haardy-har har," Ro'ky laughs. "Still as verbally brutal as always, ain't ya? Anyways, how you holding up with all these giggling girls running up asking for a picture?"

Kyuu is taken back by Ro'ky's straightforwardness but gives some thought to the question. "Well," he says pulling off his gloves. "I admit, it was intimidating at first, having all these strangers come up to me and ask for a shot. I mean, I'd be in their photos forever and they'd never be able to get rid of me. That was a daunting idea."

"...Not talking about that..."

"But I like it." Kyuu's honest smile peeking beneath Tai's make-up. "It's really fun and gratifying that these people want to take a picture with me, me of all people!"

Ro'ky liked seeing his friend like that and he nodded. A rock ballad started up in the background and people started chanting for "LEWIS LEWIS LEWIS" when Tai walks back. 

She slides into the seat between them and has trouble containing her beaming smile. 

Ro'ky's eye twitches and he kicks her chair. "What are you looking so happy about?"

"They have Megumeru," Tai bubbles out. Ro'ky looks at her blankly and she sighs, flicking her hair back at him. "It's the opening theme to Clannad. Of course you wouldn't know, you shounen loving brute."

"Hey now, I've watched Clannad before," he begins defensively. "It actually made me cry! I just don't memorize lyrics or song titles or tunes. Or plots or characters."

"Oh yeah," Kyuu interjects. "What happens in Clannad then? Your tears should've left some mark on you." He had watched it with Ro'ky before and the latter fell asleep on the first episode, leaving the rest of the series to Kyuu to finish.

"That one kid dies. Y'know the freaky haired cockroach looking one? Er, maybe it was the starfish girl?" Ro'ky says.

"Shut up before you embarass yourself anymore." Tai gets called up to the stage and she flashes them both a wink and runs up.

Even when Tai comes back Kyuu and Ro'ky are still arguing about Clannad and she decides to end it before they descend to very lame physical blows. "How can you guys still be fighting about that? We've already established that Ro'ky is an idiot, what more could you want Kyuu?"

"I know that, I just want him to admit it," Kyuu responds, a little huffily. 

Ro'ky begins to rise from the table, his mouth opening in protest when the DJ says "Heeeeere's Ro'ky and Kyuu, singing Part of Your World! Give them a round of applause everybody!"

Ro'ky looks at Kyuu and Kyuu looks at Tai and Tai looks back at both of them with an innocent expression on her face. 

"You..." Kyuu starts.

"Didn't," Ro'ky finishes.

"Go on up boys, your fans are waiting for you," Tai waves them up.

Stiffly, they stagger up and stand awkwardly on stage waiting for the lyrics to start. There are several screams for Sebastian that makes Ro'ky's nostrils flare and Kyuu gives off a shallow wave to them. "I don't think this song is even a freakin' duet," Ro'ky whispers out of his mouth.

"It isn't? Oh. Uhm, how about you sing the first couple minutes, and I'll join you in the end?" Kyuu asks hopefully, watching his friend grip the mic.

"I don't think so, bub," Ro'ky snarls. "You better be moving your lips from the beginning of the song to the end."

"Roger," Kyuu says.

Ro'ky cracks his neck and sends his naughty boy smile to the crowd, earning several more ear-splitting screams. He flips back what usually would be his thick black hair and winks. Kyuu watches in fascination. He'd seen Ro'ky perform in school festivals before, but this was the first time he was up close to see The Performer take over.

The song begins.

"Look at this stuff, isn't it neat?
Wouldn't ya think my collection's complete?
Wouldn't ya think I'm the girl
(They got a few laughs here)
The girl who has everything..."

Ro'ky is a natural K-Pop idol. He has the dance moves that he immediately busts out and the face and the hair to boot. Kyuu is noticeable as very bad back up and for his looks that Tai created. Ro'ky rules the stage and Kyuu tries to stay on it.

The finale has Ro'ky pink-faced and doing the splits with Kyuu standing behind him and slightly to the side, trying to be as invisible as possible. When the final note fades and the fangirls start batting themselves Kyuu slips his mic into the holder and trips off stage quickly. Ro'ky is having trouble getting his swords and pants off the ground, but the fans don't seem to mind.

Tai comes up to Kyuu like a little elf helper but he just shrugs her off. Her hopeful expression falls and she looks chastised, even though he hasn't said anything. "I'm sorry Kyuu, I thought you guys could--"

"I know you did. It's okay Tai, really," Kyuu smiles a little hopelessly. Ro'ky is just picking himself off the stage, welcoming in boquets made of napkins and colored wigs that they'll probably come back for. "He doesn't know, so it's okay. No harm, no foul, right?"

Tai is almost reduced to tears and she tries to pick up her expression before Ro'ky comes back. She turns her featues into a frown and glares at Kyuu to keep her eyes from leaking. "Do I look like Azula now or what?" she comments.

Ro'ky finds them walking listlessly to the door outside and he stops them, breathless. "The least you could've done," he pants, hands on his knees. "was choose a better song. Disney? I mean really? I don't even know what movie that song was from!"

"And this is why I call you the shounen brute," Tai says, leading Kyuu back up the stairs and into another room labeled "Programming."

"Tai," he says and makes them stop to look at him. Tai just glares at him but Kyuu looks and he sees his friend, from head to toe. The sweat light on his face and a "come-on listen to me" expression making his body rigid. A small pang hits Kyuu's chest but he shrugs and enters without them. Ro'ky looks after Kyuu then turns to Tai. "Please don't do that. You just can't throw people up on stage and expect them to do well. And yes, I'm talking about Kyuu."

Tai's mouth puckers, ready to deliver an angry retort, but Ro'ky holds up his hands in surrender. "You know he isn't used to being in front of people. You know he doesn't even like interacting with people at school. Why would you do that to him?"

Because he got to do it with you! Tai wants to scream. Because you were up there with him! But she holds her tongue and accepts that some of what Ro'ky was saying makes sense. So she decides to be condescending. "He needs to be able to put himself out there. We won't always be together, and what will happen if we're not with him? High school's almost over. We can't always be his protectors."

Ro'ky just laughs and Tai bristles. "What are you talking about? Me and Kyuu, we can take on the world together! Nothing's ever gonna change that."

Ro'ky shakes his head and follows Kyuu into the programming room, leaving Tai outside bewlidered. He pops his head back out and says, "We'll always be friends. He can count on that." and his head disappears.

The tears are back in Tai's eyes. "But that's not what he wants," she whispers to nobody. Steeling herself once more, she struts to the door and enters, finding Kyuu and Ro'ky murmuring over a computer's monitor while the panel drones on about C++ and Adobe.

"...and that's why my program took so long to make. I couldn't adjust the settings properly and the home page kept crashing on me..."

Ro'ky answers with something equally unintelligible to Tai and she walks away from them, letting them have their geek moment after the stage failure. She walks over to a chubby middle-aged man typing furiously into a keyboard. He has long sentences of code loaded on a black screen and it all means gibberish to her.

She turns back and sees that Kyuu and Ro'ky are laughing again, Ro'ky holding his stomach and doubled over laughing with Kyuu looking off as if embarassed to be seen with someone so rambunctious.

She snaps a shot of them like that. This is their final year in high school. After this, they're going their separate ways. She didn't want to think about that, but she had said it earlier and the thought stuck in her head. Kyuu is going to Yale all the way on the east coast to become a bio-engineer. She herself is going to UCLA to study scriptwriting. But Ro'ky...He didn't apply. For anything.

He kept telling them that he was taking a year off from school and then he was gonna hit the books, but they knew better. Ro'ky couldn't afford to go to college.

His mom had six other kids to look out for. His dad had been jailed for so long that Ro'ky doesn't remember him, the only memento of his father a long scar stretching from his right shoulder, across his chest and around his left side. This is an uncomfortable topic for all of them.

He could take out loans, but he has a sister who's a junior in high school and he says "has far more potential than me." If anyone in his family was going to college, he had decided, it would be her. She would be more successful, he reasoned. She would make more use of her opportunities.

He always had a wistful look in his eye when he said that.

And Kyuu...Tai thinks. Kyuu can't stand up for himself. It was an effort to get him to go to Anime Conji, how would he fare in the real world? With vicious criminals and rapists lurking around every corner? He's so vulnerable. He can't express himself properly, Tai knows that. How would he ever find love if he is too afraid to say anything?

With an effort, Tai brings herself back to the present.

Tai claps her hands together and gets the attention of everyone in the room. Everybody's converstaion dies off mid-word and the only sound is the whirring of computers and dry beeps of the overhead monitors.

"Let's go my peasants! Time's awasting and we've only been to the Maid cafe and he Geek cafe," Tai hollers. She parades herself out of the room and Kyuu and Ro'ky follow after a moment's hesitation. 

"We're not with her," Ro'ky calls over his shoulder at the blank looks of everyone in the room.

Kyuu looks back at them too. He stops in the doorway and gives a small bow. "My master has so rudely disturbed you. Please excuse us."

They line up shoulder to shoulder and walk down the hallway back to the anime shops. Ro'ky raises his eyebrow to Kyuu. "Really? You really felt the need to apologize to them?"

"It is in my cosplay," Kyuu says.

"Meh," Ro'ky replies.

"Let's go in here," Tai says, and the day progresses smoothly. Tai struggling beneath her fears of the future, Ro'ky enjoying every moment in the present, and Kyuu wishing for things of the past. When they were always together like this, and things weren't so awkward with him and Ro'ky.

 

 

Several hours later, Ro'ky has the Anime Conji event booklet opened up on his knee and the three of them rest by the whale fountain at the back of the Sheraton. "Well." he says. "Well."

"What is it?" Tai asks. She's fanning herself with her booklet and squinting at the sun's slow descent.

"I just realized we forgot to eat lunch," Ro'ky says. "I feel my abs shriveling up from lack of nutrient."

Kyuu makes a few ripples in the water. The afternoon light casting crescents over the surface. "Let's go find a place to eat."

"Where, that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous hunger--"

"Yes yes Ro'ky, we know you're hungry," Tai interrupts. "We're by the airport. Is the food there any good?"

"It's airport food," Ro'ky says. "That stuff is prepared to go twenty thousand feet in the air. And it's expensive. Vetoed."

"Any McDonald's nearby?" Kyuu asks absently, admiring the sautering done on the whale sculpture.

"I'm amazed Mr. Five-Point-Oh GPA finally spoke up. As for McDonald's? You've gotta be kidding me! I am not going to a Mickey D's with my badass swords," Ro'ky snorts. Kyuu blushes because he hadn't been talking since some girls had come up to Ro'ky and asked for a photo. 

"Fine, where else is there?" Kyuu mutters, looking away, but Ro'ky doesn't notice anything different.

Tai's hand slips over Kyuu's to comfort him. She looks across the boats floating in the docks behind them. The dark green water still sparkled and she could barely make out the name on the distant harbor. "Panny's...Pan's...Pop's... Er, there's a shop over there I think," and she points the direction. 

Kyuu and Ro'ky squint in the general area of her point. Ro'ky shrugs noncomitally. "Better than nothing. And even better: it has the spirit of adventure!"

The three of them walk lazily over the boardwalk until they reach a tiny pizzeria located between the two Sheraton hotels. The sign reads "Papanini's Deli" and several cosplayers are inside ordering a late lunch. The shelves are stocked with drinks and wines, a menu of baked goods, with bathroom necessities and Kleenex's beneath it. The cashier holds a small Mexican lady with a broad smile. 

Ro'ky nods his approval at the little family-run restaurant. "Now this is better than McDonald's."

Kyuu orders a Tuna Melt, Ro'ky four slices of pizza, and Tai an Italian sub. 

They claim seats outside on the deck. The table is black iron and creaky, the chairs likewise. The sun hits that low point on the horizon and their only shade is the patio umbrella encompassing them in its darkness. 

"It's pretty hot out here," Tai remarks, still fanning herself with a brochure for kayaking.

"Don't worry," Ro'ky replies. "Since we're by the ocean, It'll cool a lot faster than you think."

Kyuu stares out at the boats bobbing in the water. They move so tranquilly in the water. The know their place and they happily allow the flowing waves wash over their names. He leans back in his chair but hits the trellis. A small fence encloses the deck and vines creep up its side. "Pfft, I don't think butlers are allowed to be as relaxed as you are Kyuu," Ro'ky laughs.

Just hearing Ro'ky say his name causes a blush to crawl up his neck. He slams his chair legs into the deck the same time they call his name for his Tuna Melt. He gets up quickly as an excuse and goes to pick it up. Ro'ky oblivious as always.

He sets his plate next to the silver platter he's been carrying around all day. His face looks back at him in the unburnished relfection. Eyes made red by contacts, skin made clear by make-up, hair made sensual by careful handling. Compared to Ro'ky, Kyuu is nothing.

Tai goes up to get her order and so does Ro'ky. When they all sit down, a silence envelopes the group as they all dig in. 

Ro'ky wolfs down his food and Tai is more careful about her sub but almost inhales it too. Only Kyuu doesn't stab into his Tuna Melt with as much gusto. It tastes like ashes. And the air around them feels so...tense. Maybe it's just him though.

But Ro'ky notices that something is wrong with Kyuu. He doesn't say anything because he knows Kyuu is a silent kind of guy, but the tension he feels is real too. He just doesn't know why.

They finish up relatively quickly and are soon heading back to the Conji. Tai walks ahead briskly, hoping to make it back in time for the first viewing of Irresponsible Captain Taylor. She turns to look back at Kyuu and Ro'ky and sees their elongated shadows stretch out behind them. Dark bars from poles set up along the way intercept their inky forms.

Almost breathless they arrive at the room for Irresponsible Captain Taylor. Tai flashes her pass and Ro'ky does too, but Kyuu stands outside the door, patting his pockets. The bouncer is looking impatiently at Kyuu and at the line forming behind him. Kyuu realizes his predicament and mumbles something about looking for his pass while stepping out of line.

He doggedly stares at the floor. Ro'ky and Tai follow him out against the flow of people but they just brush the grumbles aside. "What's wrong Kyuu, the opening just started," Tai says.

"I think I lost my pass..." Kyuu says.

"What?"

"Yeah, like what?"

"It must've fallen out sometime between the Johnny Bosch Interview, when they last asked for the passes, and now." Kyuu reasons. 

"Excellent," Ro'ky says, rubbing his hands. "That means we have a six-hour time frame that this could have happened. Gentlemen (and Tai) this calls for a detective."

"Ha ha nah, it's okay guys. Go back inside. I think I have an idea of where it should be," Kyuu says. Ro'ky and Tai look doubtful, but Kyuu shoos them inside and heads out by himself. In the chilly room lit up only by the video monitor, Ro'ky and Tai can see the concern in each other's faces but they decide to trust Kyuu. They settle in seats at the very back so they're close to the door and can stop Kyuu when he comes back.

"Is it really okay to just leave Kyuu? This is his first con, we shouldn't separate like this," Tai frets.

Ro'ky lifts up a shoulder. "Like you said earlier: He's not a child anymore. He needs to be able to fend for himself." He says that, and Tai reluctantly agrees but inside he worries just as much as her.

The first episode drags on slowly. By the time the show is half over Ro'ky stands up. "I think it's time to go looking for him."

"Okay, you cover the whale fountain and I'll--" Tai says getting up in the near darkness. 

"No no no, lil' missy," Ro'ky says, pushing her back into her seat. "If he comes back and we're both gone? You needa stay here, I'm gonna go find him."

"What about his phone? We can try calling him," Tai suggests hopefully but Ro'ky just snorts and gives her such a demeaning look that she retracts her words and sighs. "Okay, yeah. He never has his phone. But maybe he wouldn't leave it this time since he was going to a con?"

"Please guuurl," Ro'ky adjusts his swords and rolls his shoulders. The people behind him whisper in irritated undertones but Ro'ky just looks at them sideways. His silhouette is a smudge on the screen for them, but he doesn't care. "I have my phone on me. Call me if you catch him back here. I'll do likewise if I find him."

"Yessir," Tai harrumphs. She watches Ro'ky's stocky form exit the room and then slouches back into the padded chairs.

 

 

Kyuu sits in one of the hotel's couches by the concierge's desk. He hadn't found his pass and couldn't go back. He also did not have his phone (which was bad planning on his part) so he wasn't in the mood to go on another hunt for his friends. Despite the feeling of loneliness threatening to overwhelm him, he stays glued to the couch, seeing nothing in the arched ceiling. 

Why did he have to go and ruin this day? It was going perfectly fine until he started acting up when those girl's asked for Ro'ky's picture. It's not like he owns his friend or anything, why should he be so possessive? Kyuu closes his eyes and rewinds through the day. He has to admit, it was like nothing his parents had ever allowed him to do. It was actually fun when they weren't around. 

Guilt washes over him as soon as he has that thought. His parents are both scientists and had been transported overseas for some research. They'd been gone since he started high school, so it didn't bother him so much. It was only when he met Ro'ky and Tai that he remembered what it was to have friends and family to talk to. What it was to be lonely without them.

And it had been so much fun. All the studying had gotten to him, and he truly enjoyed his day at the Conji. But he ruined it halfway through and finished off the camel's back with losing his pass. 

The absent thought hoping that at least Ro'ky is having fun crosses his mind and he smiles. He always wonders what would happen if he told Ro'ky how he felt about him. Would their friendship be salvagable? Would he even talk to Kyuu anymore? Would he love him back?

But he doesn't want to chance it. He loves Ro'ky, but he values his friendship even more for being so dependent and constant as the north star in his life.

And Tai is just amazing, Kyuu thinks. She knew. She knew since they first met, but that didn't change how she acted towards him. In fact, it seemed like she was always trying to set him up with other guys or to protect him. 

But now he's separated from Ro'ky and Tai. This day just couldn't get any better, could it?

"Kyuu, you , where the hell have you been?" Kyuu's eyes snap open and he sees a breathless Ro'ky standing in front of him. "I've been looking all over for you, do you know how hard it is to find one guy among all these cosplayers? I mean, you're pretty noticeable, but still, that's a lot of work for one Ro'ky."

"Hey."

"Don't you ing 'hey' me man," Ro'ky growls. "We were worried about you. Where the hell have you been?"

"I told you guys, I was looking for my pass."

"Oh right, looking for it with your eyes closed facing the ceiling. That looks like you're working real hard man," Ro'ky practically spits out at him. Kyuu flinches at Ro'ky's harsh tone but doesn't say anything.

After a moment of silence Ro'ky sighs, relenting. "Come here."

Kyuu looks up and sees Ro'ky walking out of the sliding doors leading to the harbor. Robotically, stuffing down his raging emotions, he follows him out the door.

They walk together in silence for a few minutes. Ro'ky leading the way with Kyuu slightly behind him. The gray twilight ushers in a gentle breeze that makes Kyuu shiver. When they reach the docks where most of the boats are loaded Ro'ky leans against the railing and stares out at the moving surface. 

Kyuu counts the seconds they stand there and cherishes them.

"We're friends, you know that right?" Ro'ky asks.

Of coures I know, of course I do, Kyuu's mind strangles out. "Of course, man. What's making you so sentimental right now?" Kyuu says.

Ro'ky just stares out to the blurred horizon. The night is creeping up on them. The moon shining in its own corner and the stars gently winking into existence one by one. 

"We'll always be friends, and I'll always have your back, no matter what," Ro'ky continues, still looking at something far in the distance that Kyuu couldn't see. "You'll always be my best friend, no matter what college you go to or what you do with your life. That is the Ro'ky guarantee that you can count on."

Kyuu is speechless. He didn't expect Ro'ky to take him out here and say such emotional things to him. It's so out of character for him. 

"When school ends, and we all have to leave each other, do you think we'll ever meet up like this again? Will you swear on your life, that one day, we'll be able to come together and hang out just like we are now when we have to be adults?"

"I do," Kyuu answers confidently. He doesn't know how, he doesn't know when, but he swears to himself that they will meet again in this life. "We will."

For the first time since they came out here, Ro'ky looks away from the churning water and looks at Kyuu, really looks at him. His eyes glisten with unshed tears and his mouth is turned in an angry little pout. "Thank you for having my back. Thank you for taking all of my BS. Thank you for being my friend."

And Kyuu knows that in all his life, he will never be able to tell Ro'ky how he feels about him. He will never be able to ruin the trust they have built up. "Sure man, no prob. We'll be waiting for you at college, you know? So hurry up with your vacation so we can hit up some sororities," Kyuu jokes.

Ro'ky smiles. "Yeah, when I make it there..."

But they both know that's a long shot. 

Kyuu had never felt so powerless before in his life. 

"Let's head back. Hopefully, Tai hasn't gotten lost either," Ro'ky says playfully. Kyuu nods silently and they retrace their steps. 

The stars twinkle above sadly as the darkness fully descends and shadows everything in a cool blanket.

Kyuu's pass hangs out of Ro'ky's back pocket, unnoticed.