Intertwined Delusion

Everyone lives in their own worlds, and each encounter with another person causes worlds to overlap. When their eyes met that day, perhaps their worlds overlapped...Even if it was only a fraction.

The world seemingly stood still as both of them stared through each other's eyes, like black holes pulling you in with each flicker. It was welcoming and worrying, unsettling and yet oddly felt like home. Perhaps it was the delusional glaze on their eyes that made them feel this way, but within a matter of minutes, the girl who was standing there was no longer just standing there...

S..S..She's walking over to me!??!?!? 

W...What do I do? 

I definitely said that out loud! 

What if I offended her?!?!? T....

That would be the end of me~

With each step the girl took, Ori's mind spiralled even further into his delusional spiral. The sound of her heels piercing the ground echoed throughout his mind. For him, time stopped, his heart raced, and it looked like nothing could save him.

I....Is this how it ends?

The girl now in front of him lowers her parasol just enough to cover her eyes, takes a deep breath, and prepares herself to confront Ori.

"y...you know w...who Tsuks is?" She whispers, almost as quiet as a mouse, whether or not she's quiet or just as afraid as Ori is a whole different question.

Ori takes a deep breath and attempts to swallow his anxiety and fear while preparing an answer that will satisfy this gothic beauty.

"Y...Yes, she is my favourite character," he replies, with each word spoken becoming more and more comfortable with her. "She's the reason I watched the show," He continued, hoping that by adding to his reply, he would allow the conversation to continue.

The girl, seemingly happy with his reply, moves the parasol away, revealing her full face. Her eyes dart all around the place, struggling to find a place to stay; however, she musters up the courage to continue.

"M..my name is Hana, I'm a cosplayer." She pauses for a moment, almost as if taking the time to gather her thoughts. "W...would you like t...to spend the r.....rest of t...the day t....together?" She enquires, while making eye contact with Ori for 0.2 seconds before looking to the floor.

Ori stands there slightly stunned from what he had just heard, and it takes him a little while to register it fully.

A GIRL ASKED ME TO HANG OUT!?!?!?!?!

"I...wouldn't mind that", Ori answers Hana as a concoction of happiness and unfamiliarity begins to mix within him. "By the way, your cosplay is so great! It must have taken so much effort to make it look like this. Did you make it yourself?" He queried, pointing towards the seemingly never-ending frills of fabric that lay over her.

Hana's eyes widened at the question, almost as if she had been waiting ages to hear those words from someone. "I...I made it myself," she proclaimed. A small smile appeared on her face, and a glimmer shone through the glaze in her eyes.

"You Made it Yourself!" Ori exclaims, astonished at how much time she would have had to put into making something so elaborate."That's amazing!" He continues, further revealing the words Hana has long wanted to hear.

"Thank you", she replies, a shade of red appears over her cheeks, causing her to look away in an attempt to hide it. From her reaction, Ori can gather that she put a lot of time, sweat, and probably tears into making it, causing him to wonder just exactly how long she has waited to hear those words.

The two of them wander around the convention almost like it's a date; they spend time at stalls, getting food, even taking a break on the same bench. Who would have thought that liking one character enough to make them a part of your world would bring you closer to someone?

As the clock ticks, the day will soon come to an end, and both of them will have to return to their delusions alone. The two of them walk around the convention centre for one last time, each of their steps seemingly closer than before.

I've got comfortable around her

I'm comfortable around him

Both of them freeze in the moment of realisation that the time they have spent together is short, and the end of this pleasant delusion means the start of an unpleasant one.

Hana stops in her tracks and turns around, covering her face once again with her parasol. Whatever she wants to say, she's nervous about it.

"T...the days a...almost over and s....so I...I was wondering if y...you would let me have y...your n....number?" She asks, extending her arm with her phone in her hand.

Like a prisoner reaching out through the gaps in a cage locked from within, Hana reaches for something, someone, hoping they'll unlock it. To her surprise, Ori answers, taking the phone from her hand and giving her a reassuring smile.

"Of course, I w..would love to!" Ori reassures the slightly panicked Hana and swiftly enters his number into her phone. He hands back the phone and looks directly into her eyes. A slight sparkle could be seen within.

The two of them share this moment alone, the dim lights of the convention centre shining brightly above them like fake stars. They wave at each other and both head back alone, but this time with something new to call their own.

Both of them were happy for something they thought only possible in dreams. It may have been cold outside, but the warmth they get from this experience will keep them going until they get home.

Alone and surrounded by plushies of a character that both of them have built a world around. Two different worlds, shared through one lens. A delusion that two people share, each one, worlds apart, but perhaps today was the day that their delusional realities began to become a bit less delusional.