Cosplay Shenanigans

7 - of tiniest smiles and screaming parents

Most importantly, she had also saved her eardrums from constantly being tortured by her screaming parents. They never bothered searching for a solution and sorting themselves out whenever they were together. It was like they were unaware of what being civil meant, and it didn't matter how much Mairi had taught them.

Gingerly entering her home, the door squeaked hard, followed by the creaking floorboards bouncing off the walls. They were fortunately the only noises she could hear, as the piercing, explicit conversations of her parents were no longer present, so her shoulders slumped as she exhaled quietly. This is the peace that I really needed.

Papa was all alone — thank the heavens — in the living room. Even from when she left, he still had his fatigued gaze affixed to his laptop screen, while his fingers punched the keyboard buttons. He was too absorbed with whatever he was doing; he didn't seem to detect Mairi's crystal clear footsteps until she was merely a meter away from him.

"Ah, Mai, you home," Papa greeted with a lopsided smile. "I've just cooked some chicken adobo and rice on the table, so they should still be hot."

"Thanks Pa," Mairi whispered as she leered at the steaming chicken. "Where's Ma?"

Papa's expression darkened as he scorned derisively. "In the casino or bar, probably? Not caring for her family back here as usual. How about you, how's your day at the convention? Did your cosplay manage to blow up?" he questioned, deflecting the original topic in a heartbeat.

No one could blame him though. Mom always vanished until the clock struck midnight, scrapping out every single problem from her hands. She would then show up staggering on her feet while mumbling vague comments. The depiction had Mairi clenching the poker chip inside her pocket.

"Yeah." She nodded, a little too fast. "I won the showcase too. It was fun."

"Wah, so good for you!" Papa laughed, albeit sounding so forced. "You deserved it. You always made your costumes by yourself."

Mairi hummed. "Also, I made friends with a guy called Abel. He's hilarious."

"Abel? Ah, like Cain and Abel?" Papa finally looked up, his exasperated face fairly brightened. Crinkling his nose made his fragile smile much more visible. "I'm so happy you got yourself a cosplay friend. Bet he's a humble boy like in the story."

"Not really, but I still like him." Mairi's limbs somewhat lightened. "He's a nice guy."

Aside from the acquaintance from high school and a few longtime fans, she avoided interactions with people at her convention. None of the cosplayers sparked her interest — she barely recalled their names — until that dude showed off his high confidence... as well as his massive ego.

She effortlessly defeated him of course, but the sheer determination engraved his face was something she would never forget. She remembered that burning blue eyes of his as he continued challenging her despite everything. It's cute to see.

Her complaining belly subsequently disturbed her musing. She subsequently went to the bathroom, but she allowed herself to relish on all those flashbacks once more.

Well, Abel never failed to reel in her attention, even before they gradually talked. She had seen this dude in every convention, never missing one at all. He always had a perpetual smirk as he held his head up high, brimming with pride. He had cosplayed countless characters Mairi undoubtedly knew, especially that detective Kaito today.

With their egos larger than the entire mass of Canada, those two were total doppelgängers. These types of people would usually suck up every compliment, so she gave this a try. Instead, Abel's cheeks flushed pink as he got all flustered. Exactly like Kaito when Midori applauded him.

Despite his self-centered tendencies, an unknown force pulled her towards him. Even if she had yet to uncover more about that dude aside from his cosplays, her instincts felt the need to unravel more about him. In the end, asking for his friendship after his great debacle surely wasn't the wrong move.

As the cold water pierced against her hands, Mairi peered up at the mirror, coming across her own muddy eyes and her... overall image. Her stomach heaved at the glaring blotches and scars adorning her skin, and she flinched at her thinning brows. No matter how much foundation, concealer and brow pencil she had excessively applied, they continued latching on her like vengeful ghosts.

Look at you. A tiny voice snickered in such a degrading demeanor. Even if you tried hiding behind your makeup and colored contact lens, you will forever remain hideous.

Stepping back, Mairi abruptly shut the sink and marched out of the bathroom. She didn't need to have her reflection hanging around her. She had to chuck those repulsive traits out of her sight. She was supposed to be Princess Charming, not some ugly ogre.

Confidence, Mairi.

It's all about confidence.

You were just caught off guard.

Well, at least the real Mairi wasn't what people actually saw. If only she could throw that side of her to the trash, she would have done that a long time ago.

I hate myself.

I really, really hate myself.

But this isn't the time to think about that. Hauling herself back to reality, Mairi shifted towards Papa, whose dinner was left untouched and sat quietly in the cold. Taking breaks never existed for him and as a result, his sagging eye bags were clear as day and his body was growing... thinner and thinner. It looked like he was about to drop dead.

"Pa. You need to eat," she nudged him. "Let's have dinner together."

"It's okay, Mai. I need to finish this first, then I can join you later," he argued.

"But you've been doing your work for the entire day."

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine!" He was firm with his statement.

Papa... seriously exerted on himself too much. Even if he was stripped off his energy, he would just push himself beyond his limits. Mama should have helped him too, but she was more fascinated in moping around, squandering their money and never batting an eye, even if they were in a pinch.

Papa had denounced her habits, but they ended up raising their voices and switching to their mother languages. In the midst of their vocal battle, Mairi managed to catch some Tagalog and Spanish phrases that weren't so pretty.

"Pa, really... you need to sto-"

"I'm fine, Mai. I'll figure this mess out on my own," interrupted Papa. "You should do whatever makes you happy. You love making costumes and cosplaying, right? You should just focus on that," he went on. "Just remember... I'm there for you."

Mairi's appetite suddenly diminished as she nearly lost her grip on her spoon and fork. Papa's gruff voice... was like a thousand knives continuously jabbing her heart, and it only doubled the moment he showered her with his support. Isn't he gonna realize the condition he's in?

And so, the next thing she did was to pull out the poker chip and shoot daggers at it as if it could do something to save Papa.

***

A/N: Thanks for reading! I'm going back to university this week, so updates are gonna be late and irregular :') Hope you enjoyed this chapter and have a safe week!