The fact that this was happening spoke volumes about how much things had calmed down sihe initial fsh. Monster sightings were dropping and more and more light-touched were stepping up as the world prepared for Hero Day. It was incredible to think that a Lurker had been outside the building just a few days ago and there weren’t even signs of battle in the courtyard. It was even more impressive that the staff hadn’t celed the event. To some, there were things way more important than monsters.

  Marta hummed merrily to herself, it was the first day off she’d had in a long, long time. In fairness she had resisted at first but Sonya had insisted that she go and enjoy herself. The disability ward turned supervilin had made it pretty clear that she wouldn’t be leaving ASTA bs for a few days and it was a good arta to get some fresh air and do what she loved. She smiled at herself in the mirror as her appearance shifted and ged.

  Her hair stayed the same length but it warmed a little into a chestnut color. Her eyes turned a muted violet, close to a vender. She slimmed down a little, her body being a bit smaller than her usual frame. She adjusted the red tie around her hat rested on the white dress shirt tucked into her bck shorts. She shifted a bit, the bck tights a little more than she was used to wearing. It had been a long time since she’d cospyed something like this. She stretched her arms a bit and tried to rex her shoulders, she o look thoughtful but uned with her surroundings.

  She her refle, “Perfect.”

  She let her arms fall to her sides as she walked out of the small room that Sonya had re the ventioer for her to use for her many es. She’d had to e in with a different face so no one kly who she was, but that didn’t really matter. The goal was to revel in it. She titled her up a bit and strode down the hall, passing a few empty rooms before arriving at the elevator. It opened and she swept inside, leaning against one of the rails. She swallowed and looked up at her refle again, a pang of guilt washing through her.

  Is it really okay to have this much fun? She thought.

  Then the doors opened, and all those thoughts washed away. There were hundreds of people milling about the open space, dressed in colorful es and talking to eachother. It was noisy, musiing from all over the pce. People were taking photos, ughing, dang, some were even singing a theme song with one another. She felt her heart swell and stepped out onto the ventioer floor, Where do I go first?

  “Oh my god!” Someone shouted nearby and she whirled, instinct cultivated from numerous violent enters kig in before she spotted a trio of vention-goers hurrying up to her, their eyes sparkling. One of them, a boy half her age slid to a stop and stared at her in awe, “Holy shit that’s amazing! You look just like her!”

  “ I take your picture?” A girl asked to his left.

  “I want a selfie, please?” The third, another boy asked, holding up his phone.

  She rexed and smiled at them, keeping the expression trolled in order to stay mostly in character, “If you must,” She said and they gaped at her.

  “A-are you the VA?” The young man asked.

  She blushed and held her hand up to her mouth, “Oh, no, just a talent.”

  “Like right out of the show, unreal,” The guy to the right breathed.

  She quickly let them take a few selfies with her and even posed a few times before they hurried off. She let out a breath and looked up, rooting herself to the spot, Oh dear, She thought as a small line had formed. This… might take a minute.

  It was the most fun she’d had in so long, she shook hands, ughed, talked about the show, and even did a few lines with someone who was cospying her character’s terpart. The man in the bcoat threw his head bad did the ugh as best he could. She gave out hugs, and was even offered a few times by a staff member to e and talk about her cospy. Everyone wao know about her social media handle. I haven’t used it in forever though, maybe I should. One person was insistent on knowing how to see more of her work and she finally relented.

  “I… haven’t put any cospys on it, yet, but um…” She scratched her nose and gave out the information. I’m gonna have to ask Amos for help ter, aren’t I? She chuckled at the thought and finally turo see that the crowd had thinned enough for her to excuse herself, she made a beeline for the vendor room, slipping inside and taking in another deep breath of the many sts and atmosphere that came with the pce. “Paradise.”

  She went to nearly every stall she could, dy, toys, pillows, a figures, media in the inal nguage, a few side purchases for her friends bae, and of course some more explicit reading material for her ow enjoyment. She stuffed her bags, not eveiest paycheck from Sonya. She stopped at one booth where a voice actor was giving out autographs and mao snag one for herself, her heart swelled.

  There were pao go to, and acc to one person who passed her she absolutely had to go out to the courtyard in an hour as there hotoshoot featuring people from her show. She felt the jitters in her legs as excitement swept her away, more dy, look at that mask! Oh my gosh is that a box set? How much I carry before people start to notice I’m strohan others? Aaaaaah! Look at her outfit! This is heaven!

  Marta’s world was rainbows and starlight, her heart finally lifting after months of stress aache. She wandered outside after a while and spotted the small group of cospyers including the man in the bcoat and waved at them, walking over with a digride. Do it like Sonya does, that’ll work. She thought as she approached, stopping in front of the small gathering. They all seemed to already know about her sihey immediately rushed over and the guy in the coat gave her a smug grin.

  The photographer was quick to rein everyone ba, though, and soon they were in a line and making all sorts of poses and victory signs. They re-enacted ses, including one particurly romantie between her and the guy in the bcoat. It was so embarrassing.

  That was when a old schoolbus drove up to the courtyard and stopped. The small group of cospyers looked over and a few frow what was written on the side. It articurly famous churown for its unpleasantness. There was a murmur in the group and a few started to leave, Marta rubbed her arms and watched as the gregation of cruelty filed out of the bus holding picket signs while wearing matg t-shirts.

  ‘There are monsters among us! Repent!’

  ‘Sinners will go to hell!’

  ‘Demons possess the flesh of men, touched by the devil’s light!’

  ‘Punish the heroes for their devil pact!’

  ‘Your debauchery will send you to the pit!’

  More and more signs that railed against those looking for a small amount of happiness and fun in this dangerous world and accused the light-touched of being possessed or worse. She felt her stomach twist as she watched their disturbingly handsome pstic-looking leader step out in front of the gathering and began to lead them in a t. Voices raised, they shouted awful things. One voi particur caught her ear as she turned away. She froze and looked back.

  There he was, standing there with a sign; ‘Freaks and Monsters don’t deserve to live on this earth! You will be damned!’

  Her fists ched.

  Why did you have to ruin this for me? She croaked inwardly. Why couldn’t you have just disappeared forever that day?

  Murder came to mind, but she reigned herself in. She chewed her lip, it was so easy to turn away and block it all out. But she couldn’t. She just couldn’t.

  She marched towards the gathering of animals masquerading as people and stopped right in front of him. He gred at her, unize her, he only saw another one of the people at the vention e to front him. She altered her voice back to normal, keeping her ged appearance. She looked him in the eyes.

  “So this is where you ended up,” She said.

  He froze, his eyes going wide.

  “Marta?” He gasped in time for her to grab him by the shirt and hoist him off the ground. There was a shout nearby as he struggled to get out of her grip. She looked him in the eyes and then dropped him.

  “No, you aren’t worth it,” She spat and turned away, she walked back to the gathering of other cospyers, quietly picked up her bags, a. I’ll e back with a new faorrow, I’m not letting him take this from me…