Page 1 of Cosplay & Consequences

Jess

This was my situation: I had not done laundry for a week, and I had ten minutes before my livestream started. There were no clean pants to be found and one clean top. As a result, I would be doing my show from the waist up. At least I had a nice Artizia top that flattered my neckline. However, the only thing I could pair it with was my favorite pair of spandex shorts that had ugly purple and black stripes and a giant hole on my right butt cheek.

I did a quick check behind me to make sure the corner was suitable for filming. It’s not that I’m a slob, but when part of your job is facing off to the internet, the tiny things can get you into trouble. Like the time my ex-boyfriend, Seth, left a bottle of lube next to his half-eaten turkey sandwich on my bookshelf. Some of my long-time followers would still post the image on my discord when I needed to be humbled.

I’m glad I checked. When I turned my head, I caught sight of a pair of underwear stuck to my top, thanks to the wonders of static cling. With my top free of underwear and my bookshelves free of lube and turkey sandwiches, I kicked off the feed and plastered a smile on my face.

“Good morning, Tyrant fans! It’s Jess Richards, your Queen of the Valley here to dive into this week’s Tyrant Talk! Before we start, don’t forget to like and subscribe to my channel. If you want the extra dirt, opinions, and rambling on Valley of the Red Tyrant, my Patreon link is at the bottom of the page. Also, my Patreon hosts a virtual book club. I’ve read the first chapter of our book for next month, A Court of Feathers and Leather, and it’s horrible. We’re going to have a good time trashing it. Anyway! We have seven days until the Mission Verde Fantasy Con and two weeks before the San Domingo Comic Con! Don’t forget: the SDCx2 will be hosting a Hall G panel for the cast members for season three of the Valley of the Red Tyrant! Of course, the big question everyone wants to know is… which actor out there is brave enough to take on the role of Tyrst’an after Brandon Quill’s controversial exit last season?”

As I talked, I glanced at the chat and noticed that the trolls had jumped into their inane chatter. I made a mental note to check the chat log later and block any of them that got out of hand.

“I mean, I get it. Who wouldn’t want to jump into a blockbuster superhero movie deal? It would have been better if he was in the Monolith Cinematic Universe instead of the Direct Current Cinematic Universe. Just my humble opinion. However, Brandon leaving puts the MaxFlick series in a delicate place. We all know they like to pull the plug on a series after season two if things aren’t going well. The fact they are still pushing ahead for season three is a minor miracle if you ask me. It probably has to do with the pay or play contract they still have for Isla Coppola. And let’s face it, with the way she’s played Fiona, she’s worth every penny. As for losing Brandon? Eh. No big loss in my opinion.”

And that’s when the trolls really kicked in. The Brandon Quill fanboys were still in denial and were getting nasty with other followers.

Bee’sBoy: I’m so tired of everyone blaming Brandon for scenes being eliminated. Not everything can be put into a limited series unless we want the entire show to take 80 years to film. There’s nothing wrong with basing it off the video games.

BrandonBr0: Exactly @Bee’sBoy! All the bookers should have alternative uses for those pages. Maybe tissues to dry their snowflake tears. Maybe toilet paper so they clean up all that shit they throw around.

I gritted my teeth, trying not to blurt out the insult I really wanted to say to these idiots. Instead, I took a breath and continued my forced grin.

“I’m going to remind everyone that people who leave rude comments in chat will be kicked and banned from the stream. I mean, if you’re here, you already know my opinion on Brandon’s performance. So clearly, you are gluttons for punishment. Let’s be honest: anyone can wear a white wig and grunt monosyllabic words. If you’ve only played the games, then you’re missing out on the details and spirit of the series. Brandon had some of the best scenes and dialogue cut from the first two books. Why? Well, in my opinion it’s because he has the emotional range of an overripe avocado.”

Sometimes when you’re live on screen, you need to taunt the fanbase to stir things up. It paid off as the Brandon Boys went nuts. I opened my mouth to say something to put them in their place, but noticed some of my more loyal followers were already on the job.

Quillfan37: There’s nothing wrong with Quill’s performance or the changes he requested.

Fayed2Black: He demanded key scenes be cut from The Gathering because it made him look effeminate. He turned Tyrst’an into a thug with a sword. He’s LITERALLY the reason we have no Roderick!

Quillfan37: He never did that! That’s just bookers complaining.

Fayed2Black: Oh, did you need receipts? He literally said this in his interview with The Condor during the first season wrap up. Would you like the full text or a link?

I tried not to smirk at the take down. Instead, I did a right click on Fayed2Black’s profile so I could add a free month to her Patreon subscription. She was one of my most active community members and deserved it. Plus, she was part of my virtual book club with brilliant insights into the novels we read.

“That being said, the MVFC is taking shape very nicely this year! I’m going to be cosplaying as Fiona, of course, and I’ve also got a space this year for my live broadcast. I’m interviewing cast member Peony Lizzenbaum who was the recurring character, Calliope, on the series before being killed off in the first episode of season two. I’ll also be hosting a panel for-”

In the middle of my babbling, I noticed a tone change in the comments coming through chat. “Hmm? Hold up. What’s going on?”

There was a long string of curse words from both sides of the fandom. The Brandon fans and haters were definitely having a fit. “Okay people, give me the situation. What’s happening?”

J0k3ster: Ugh. Marlin Sinbad is our next Tyrst’an? Really?

Fayed2Black: That’s his character on the show. The actor’s name is Daniel Finnegan.

“Ok. I’m guessing that the name of the next actor for Tyrst’an has been released. Hang on people, I’m pivoting from our topic and digging deep. Give me a second.”

A quick check on my social media and news feed revealed a leak had been released moments before my broadcast started. The name ‘Daniel Finnegan’ was already viral on multiple social media platforms.

“Okay, people. First of all, this seems to be a rumor. ‘Inside sources’ could be anything or the studio dropping hints for the main event in Hall G at SDCx2. So, let’s remember it’s not written in stone just yet. And second, the person in question is Daniel Finnegan, who I’ve never heard of until today.”

As the internet continued to spout opinions on the subject, I pulled up his entry on the movie database website and looked over his roles, sharing my screen with the feed. “So, I’m not seeing a lot of things here. A couple of guest spots on Crime and Punishment as a lawyer. A few cameos on Star Journey. He was ‘drug addict number two’ on an episode of Broken Badly, but he seems to be mostly known as… Marlin Sinbad on As The Minutes Tick By. For ten years? Wow. I didn’t even know that show was still on the air.”

I pulled up a promotional photo and took a moment to drink him in. He was handsome. That went without saying. Dark hair with blue eyes, which was always my weak spot for men. His facial features were sharp, but the smile on his face drew me in and made me lose my train of thought for a moment. He was far from the person I ever imagined to be Tyrst’an. Plus, his acting resume didn’t have anything truly noteworthy.

Then again, my experience with actors wasn't what I’d call healthy. I had been with Barry for three years and got dumped when he got a role in a pilot that would have catapulted him to stardom. Imagine his surprise when the network didn’t pick up the show and a box of his belongings was left outside my door. Then there was Seth, a brilliant actor who couldn’t land a job to save his life. The only thing he could land were female bartenders that he would visit instead of going to auditions.

Actors. You can’t trust them as far as you can throw them. My happiest moments were tossing them out of my life.