A True Cosplayer [Job | Terith]

There was no right reasoning for this, there really wasn't, but if he had to put one suspect as to why he'd find himself there in the first place was his tendency to get so extremely drunk at times that not even his spirits could save him. Perhaps, by chance, he acted carelessly on a whim one very cold night, having grabbed the job slip and found it later, in his pocket, crumpled so sloppily as it was matted with the scent of cheap sake. He really should put some sort of leash on his urges whenever he pined for warmth. Now that he'd have sobered up, it was clear that he, in the advent of his yearning for something to drink, found himself broke and that he was in dire need for something to replenish his stock for the journey proper, where the swordsman was determined to get from Crocus to Magnolia before next week.

Terith had already scavenged the remaining notice boards scattered across the expanse of Crocus with desperation coating his steps, but with most of the Wizards flocking to the capital for some odd, inane reason, the odd jobs were slowly diminished to a pulp, where nothing but menial chores were left to busy himself with. He wasn't prepared to scrub someone's bathroom for little pay that could barely feed him with a decent meal, not at all.

Hence, the blonde was present there, nervously shuffling from foot to foot as he approached the counter with a low, belittling tilt to his head. A number of times was the phrase 'The means justify the ends.' looped like vintage cassette tapes at the back of his thick skull, reminding him that this much was alright, he was filling his pocket with a source of sustenance and that would eventually eclipse his choice to conform to something as odd as...cosplaying, much less for a grown, 24-year old man like him.

The drawl of the lady behind the counter punctured his inner monologue, his attention drawn to her polite smile as she looked him over. "Hmm, alright darling, though we were expecting ladies, you're not too shabby on the face area either!" she giggled, adoring the minuscule pink blush that began to dust his cheeks, "I think I have something for you, it's out in the back, left coat hanger, and since I'm a decent woman, I'll let you dress yourself~"

She grinned, one that portrayed encouragement, a strong, confident smile. "It's the one with the red jacket, you'll know it when you see it!"

Even more flustered, the woman, who he presumed was the manager, ushered him into the changing room with the brightest of smiles, pushing him against the shoulder until he had his body shoved into a nicely lit room, where hangers lined the walls and with small coat hangers off to one side. Approaching the left most one as told to do so, he'd finger through the ensemble, fishing out a costume with a strikingly red jacket.

It was gravely familiar, and when he unhooked it from its place, a blonde, bobbed wig shifted free of its confines and unto the floor, near his unpolished loafers. He visibly deadpanned.

He had a fair idea of who he'd end up cosplaying as, and though he admired the character as child, Terith wasn't too sure if he could pull off the personality to go along with it. The swordsman breathed in, unzipping the plastic coating that hugged the outfit together.

"...For the food, Terith, it's for the food." he told himself, wanting to capture every ounce of courage that he possibly can.


At his departure from the costume storage was a tiny, girly squeal, where the manager raced up to Terith's approaching form with an excited tint to her eyes. She sounded elated at his manner of dress, even more so when she expressed it in words, "See?! What I tell you? Perfect! It suits you well dear~" she raised an arm one way, where a long-haired figure stood, fumbling about in his own strange attire, "Go join the other gentleman over there, I'm sure you two would make a great pair for today's business!"

Protest was anything but his strong suit, so the swordsman let her be, complying to her terms as he neared his presumably job partner, his flamboyant red jacket hanging off his shoulders as the character himself would wear. The wig atop his head was slightly itchy and hot, but he didn't need to let the woman acknowledge his little complaints, what mattered was performing the request well enough for a reward.

As he inspected the other individual, a memory seemed to phase through him, immediately prompting the blonde to address the boy with what Terith knew as his name.

"Mura Kensho?" he asked, his voice more questioning than declaring, "I haven't seen you in ages since our little exchange on Divide Island, with that uh...Bikini Treasure." Terith coughed, recalling his brief dance with disappointment as he unhinged the chest that contained that flimsy beach garment that was no use to him at all, "How's it going so far for you, good sir?"

To address what Mura just told him - the swordsman visibly hesitated as he mentioned how he never saw Miss Hana in the prized bikini, which ensured an ounce of manly empathy from the blonde. The spaces between their ages might've allowed little wiggle room for conversations that festered at the bottom of a young man's heart, but the brunette was male by definitive birth and it was only natural for Terith to assume that the growing boy held a little...admiration for the frothy white maiden, as per his observation during there escapade in the sandy beaches of Divide Island.

The older male chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest as the coat hanging off his person swayed to the movement of his shoulders, "Nice to see you haven't changed." he said, although he took ample time to manage the tone of his words, lest the brunette misinterpret them for mockery. It was admirable that Mura appeared largely unfazed by his choice of getup, but then again, it probably wasn't his choice at all. Regardless, however, he seemed to practice a personality that was uncanny for his age, where maturity was often short-lived.

As much as the vagabond had plans for the idle talk to rattle on, preferring it as opposed to entertaining whoever walks through the cafe doors, there were customers to arrive. And when they began pouring in like forsaken floods, he'd felt an ugly chill run down the length of his spine.

Especially, when a woman, not quite his age, or legal even, sauntered over to him with a very unrelenting intent swirling in her purple eyes. The swordsman visibly deadpanned, unable to find the right response to it apart from -

"If you'd like a table, young miss, I'd gladly show you to table thr-"

A long, languid arm stretched down the length of his as he attempted to escort her to the adjacent table, "Oh hum, why don't you show me to the changing room instead~" the girl giggled.

"Customers are...only allowed to access the lobby and uh...order from our menu, unfortunately, I'm not on it."

Terith sent a wry expression over to where Mura stood, although he appeared far more than preoccupied with the banter from two boys who...seemed to have mistaken him for an indecent young girl. As if in sync, he'd feel a sweatdrop linger on his forehead, unsure if he should pity the brunette or not. His level of composure in the face of such was admirable, though, jarring enough for him to consider looking up to the younger...man.

"Darnit...oh well, you got me~" the girl flipped her curls back in one, extravagant motion, her lashes fluttering at a rate far too quick for a normal human response. "So where's my table, hot stuff?"

A portion of him was going to die at the end of the day, he was sure of it.

Sensing the younger man's distress from a good meter away, the blonde hurriedly aimed for the notepad in his breast pocket, fabricating his best service smile to keep the lady at the table entertained, since her best interest kept the pay for the whole shenanigan in good, hefty amounts. Terith would come to largely ignore the woman's advances, the shade of her makeup quite endearing, he'd admit, if not for the plump of her bosom becoming far too constrained in her figure-hugging dress. It visibly made him uncomfortable, not as a nod to his hidden perversion - heaven's no! But the swordsman practiced proper decorum with two conservative sisters and...seeing a girl so exposed had him wanting to drape his coat over her entirely, if not to save her some decency.

But that would somehow come off as borderline rude, he thought, his automatic response to a situation being how his plans would backfire against him eventually.

Terith scribbled her scarce order of tea and a single slice of cake with a grimace to his smile, his thoughts drawn to his comrade's situation that wasn't the least bit savory as his, which even he had trouble coping with.

"Oh c'mon, hot shot, let me have some fun today, will you~?"

"I'm sorry miss but I have to go to the counter to process your order -" he paused, needing a breath between the rush in his words, "Your order will come in around 15 minutes, miss." the blonde swept the menu beneath the woman's nose, a smooth gliding motion that somehow managed to not appear ill-mannered, had it not been for his compliance to grace.

Edging one heel away, the blonde swiveled his body far from that particular table, taking the shortest way to the counter as he tore the slide of paper from his notepad. His aim was to resolve whatever conflict Mura tangled himself into on his way there, but prior to even reaching that objective came the ring of the bell at the door and the flash of a high-end camera.

"Ohhhh, an actual cosplay cafe!" one chirped, his unkempt, verdant green hair sticking out on ends beneath a battered cap that did little to compliment the yellow pineapple on his blue shirt. In his hand was a camera that immediately gave Terith the impression of wealth from its careful fixings and handfuls of buttons. "I can't wait to snap a good look of this place!"

"I'm so excited, honey~" cooed the other at his arm, a remarkably beautiful woman with large caramel curls and hazy brown eyes, strokes of long eyelashes batting playfully at her supposedly significant other.

"We're going to get so many pics - " his voice lowered to a pause, perhaps noticing the scarcity of the employees, though he'd harbor a smile still, regardless. "Hmm...not many female workers today...oh well!"

Pulling one chair aside for his beloved, the cameraman let the woman sit adjacent to him, setting a chaste kiss on the small of her cheek before returning to his seat - an action that generated a mental sneer from the blonde.

Honestly, the swordsman would have nothing to do with the new guests had it not been for his paycheck on the line.

The cameraman clapped his together, motioning over to his person as he held an indiscreet menu between his arms, "You there, with the red coat!"

Terith turned to the couple with indiscreet frustration lining his smile, though he was sure that the two were too bedazzled with the cafe to even notice his plight. "Yes, my good sir?" the blonde deftly hands the man the menu, managing to pursue flair despite being visibly irked, "What will it be for today?"

"Honey~" the woman said, a whisper to her words as if beckoning him over, "Why not take pictures of him as an entry for your blog?"

'Excuse me?' he mentally snapped, feeling the heat rising to his cheeks at the absurd request.

"Good idea love!" the man hollered, pleased with the suggestion as he breezed through the catalog of sweets presented.

'...OH NO.' his mind buzzed, sounding an alarm for the inevitable. God...if he didn't feel humiliated with the previous order, he knew that he'd be, without much doubt, lose the essence of his dignity with the duo before them.