Page 16 of Cosplay & Consequences

“I see we have a full house this morning, so I’ll remind you all to play nice with each other. We’re all here because we love Valley of the Red Tyrant, and there’s always room for any fan here. I apologize for the delay. We had some technical difficulties, but everything is cleared up. Now, I know, you’re not here to see me, so why don’t we jump right in, shall we? Everyone, please put your hands together for the next Tyrst’an of Glen Orrin, Daniel Finnegan.”

As the applause started, I stepped back so Daniel could walk onto the stage. Whatever nervousness he had before seemed to evaporate as he moved forward and gave a small bow, only to receive a few boos from the crowd. His smile faltered for a second, and a pang of guilt hit me hard. I was the reason people were booing. As much as I disliked this man, I wasn’t about to endorse this behavior. I quickly stepped forward.

“Okay, enough of that. No booing please. If that happens again, I will gladly request security to boot you out quicker than Roderick Galfast at a wine tasting party.”

The crowd laughed. My guest gave me a grateful smile as he picked up his own mic. “Thank you, Ms. Richards, but that’s hardly the worst review I’ve had this week.”

He knew how to work the crowd as everyone gave out a little gasp as if he had fired shots at me. However, he was all smiles. He was teasing. For an odd reason, this whole thing seemed familiar, which put me at ease. I chuckled as I sat down. Fine. If he wanted verbal sparring, he would get it. “Well, I can’t imagine me calling you ‘meh’ was your worst review.”

“No doubt, but I’ve rarely had one word have such an impact on my career,” he said, his smile not faltering.

“I could come up with a few more disparaging words, if you’d like?” I shot back.

“I’m fairly sure any more words from you would put me out of a job,” he laughed.

His gentle laughter wasn't at all forced. I was beginning to understand what Bray saw in him.

“I’m sure you’ve had some positive reviews. After all, you've held on to one job for ten years. Not to mention you won an Emmy.”

“Daytime Emmy,” he said lightly and gave a little shrug.

I couldn’t decide if he was humble or self-deprecating. Either way I kind of dug it, in spite of myself. I realized my smile wasn’t forced anymore. “You also went to Juilliard.”

“Yes, but I never finished. I left early,” he said with a nod. “An opportunity came up and I had to take it.”

“Is that how you got the role of Tyrst’an?” I asked. “The opportunity just came along?”

“Not quite. When Brandon left the series, my boss told me I should try out for the role. I auditioned like anyone else would have.”

A loud snort of laughter came from off-stage. I glanced over to see the blonde woman having a good laugh at the comment.

“Is your manager a fan of the series?” I asked.

He nodded but the smile on his face made me think this was some kind of joke. “Huge fan. I honestly wouldn’t have tried for the role if she hadn’t insisted on it. I know there’s a lot of speculation with the fans right now on whether or not I’m up for the job, but I auditioned against some very good talent and managed to come out on top.”

He wasn’t lying. There were several other big names that considered the role. Each one was worse than the last. None of them even close to Brandon Quill, which wasn’t saying much. I thought about questioning him a bit on his feelings on the books, but there had been too many people over the years who tended to gatekeep the series. I didn’t want to be that fan and wasn’t about to go there. Instead, I took a different tactic.

“This isn’t your first time dealing with controversy. Weren’t you in the tabloids a couple of years ago? A torrid love affair with a famous pop star?”

The screen came to life behind me and the infamous picture of Daniel and Kismet at her concert appeared. I wasn’t the only one surprised based on Daniel’s reaction to the picture. I turned my head to see the blonde woman holding a tablet with a devilish grin on her face. I instantly loved this woman.

“I’m sorry, am I supposed to know her?” Daniel joked as the crowd laughed.

“You mean you don’t recognize Kismet Sizzle?” I asked, arching an eyebrow.

He gave a tight smile. “Yes, I’m very well aware of who Ms. Sizzle is.”

“Is it true she wrote the song Dead to Me about you?” I asked. I tried not to smile too much. As attractive as he was, needling him a little after making me and my audience wait fifteen minutes felt good.

He gave me a good-natured grin and shook his head. “No comment.”

The crowd laughed again. I didn’t.

“Maybe we should focus on current events,” he suggested, attempting to change the subject.

He didn’t realize that was going to be even messier than talking about Kismet Sizzle. Which was fine by me.

“Yes, let’s get back to you taking on the role of Tyrst’an,” I replied. “There are some people out there who think you have some big shoes to fill. I mean, not me. Everyone knows my feelings for Brandon in the role. How does it feel trying to step in and take his place after two seasons?”