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Tenna goes to an anime convention. He's delighted to see so many copies of his face! If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, why, he could swoon from all the attention! And there's one cosplayer there who happens to be his biggest fan of all - Stormthedevil!
She's attending an anime convention with a facsimile of his ex-boyfriend, but a normal height. Lilly, was it?
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“Hey are you Storm! From the TikTok? You’re my biggest fan!” Tenna asked with a big grin and a flower blooming on his nose.
*insert storm dialogue here, please help idk what she would say.*
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watch this
"G'day mate!" Storm reached out a hand, grinning from ear to ear. "How's it hangin'?"
"Fine, thank you!" Tenna returned the handshake, avoiding eye contact, unable to help feeling awkward at greeting someone dressed up as someone he'd once shared a bed with. "So, uh, what drew you to dress up as.... um..."
"You!" Storm didn't let go of his hand, shaking enthusiastically. "You're the best! My favorite character!"
She always enjoyed a good roleplay.
"I'm... your favorite?" Tenna pressed, withdrawing his hand, a flower blooming from the tip of his nose.
This cosplayer was really good. Too good.
"How... how'd you do that?" She leaned towards the other Tennas face, trying to see with what limited vision she had. The flower looked so rea
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"Do what, my flower?" He asked curiously, wincing as he plucked it off his nose and offered it to her. "You know, I'm not really sure! I've just always been able to do that. Maybe there's a plant or something growing in my chassis." He suggested with a soft chuckle.
Storm reached for the flower, immediately missing due to her poor depth perception. She tried again, missed again, and Lily reached to help.
Tenna pulled his hand away from the Spamton cosplayer like he'd been burned with the touch. He laughed awkwardly and averted his eyes, shoving his hands into his pockets. If the flower had been still on his nose, it would have wilted and shriveled.
His little mailman. Ugh, he did not want to think about that guy right now. That Spammy little mailman had left him. He didn't owe him the time of day to even think about him, but here was was face to screen with his damned visage.
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"It'll look so good on you." The Spamton undid the TV time pinned onto Storm's suit, tucking the flower stem into it before re-securing the closure.
... Just like his Spamton used to. Tenna broke down into tears, pixels of faux-water falling down his screen. "You look just like him." He wailed, covering his screen with his gloved hands, shrinking.
"Who?" Lilly looked back and forth, trying to find who'd caused the Tenna cosplayer to break down crying.
"Hey, how'd you do that?" Storm asked. "I get the tears - but the shrinking. That's amazing!"
Tenna shrunk down further. Why were they asking him these pesky questions? He was clearly in the midst of a mental breakdown!
"Are you alright?" Lilly dropped down to her knees, immediately jumping to the aid of the distressed stranger. She tentatively reached out a hand.
Tenna crawled into it. Lilly lifted him up close to her chest, petting his box. "It's okay little one. Everything will be alright."
"Hey, uh... Lils... do ya think..."
"Think we should find his parents? Yeah, I think that's a good idea." It was irresponsible to leave a crying child alone at an anime convention!
"Uh... no, I mean... do you think he's the real Tenna? I mean, he can grow flowers from his nose, <i>shapeshift</i> -"
"Oh... Oh! Yeah." Lilly held Tenna up to her face, looking him in the box. She reached out a pointer finger, scratching the underside of his box. "He's so cute. I can't believe anyone ever broke his heart."
Tenna began to grow again, quickly growing too large for Lilly's hands. She gently set him down on the ground again, while he grew bigger. "You... you know about... him?"
Lilly nodded. "Yeah... It sucks what happened to you. If it makes you feel any better, Storm has a terrible ex too. You're not alone. #terribleexesclub
Tenna glanced at Storm once more. Her cosplay was really good. The attention to detail on her accessories, the animations on her screen... She clearly liked him! Maybe it wasn't too late for love...
On a whim, he asked. "Hey... I know this is sudden, but would you be interested on going on a date with me?"
"Yeah, sure, why not?" Storm responded. This wasn't the weirdest way she'd been asked out. Heck, she'd dated a vegan once!
So what if Tenna was a different species? They could make it work! She was over 30, it was worth a shot. "Yeah, I'll go on a date with you."
"Then it's settled! Let's Dating Time!" Tenna cheered.
... What had she just gotten herself into?