Author's Notes- This is the 4rd. Chapter of Adventures In Cosplay, and it features Japanese Cosplayers Barbie Tsukino & Kaie Tada as well as Tristen Citrine and the people of Sailor Jamboree.

Confidence Boosters
By Dale Speer

With 37 members leaving for Anime North in Toronto, additional hardware had to be bought for them to keep going. The team bought 2 Sony Mavica FloppyDisk-style Digital Cameras- one being at home for the group to photograph Dale while she was being transformed, the other for the group on the go to send photos back from when they're up there.

"Don't worry, Dale," Maureen was telling her, "I can take care of the Notebook while we're up there. And besides, how am I going to send you the pics when I don't have a puter available." "You're right, Maureen," she replied, "But are you sure you want me to be a Cosplayer? I'm happy just being a costume & prop manager as it is."

"Because you need to experience what it is like when we step into the costumes and the roles," Gina told her, "We want you to experience cosplay from our viewpoint." "I'll accept your explanation for it, Gina," Dale said, "But I may not like it." "You don't have to like it," Maureen said, "all we want you to do is experience it."

Then, the 38 left for the airport... and left Dale alone with 3 who wanted to change her entire outlook on cosplay.

Later that day, Tristen hit the internet and made contact with Barbie over a private IM while Chrissy and Kerri worked with Dale, doing RolePlay situations. She informed them of the situation with Dale and asked if they could come over early, before Anime Expo, and if they could bring any extra costumes and people that they can spare.

2 days later, Barbie and Kaie arrived at the airport at San Francisco with 2 wardrobe crates of costumes varying from Sailor Moon, Magic Knight Rayearth, CardCaptor Sakura & Tenchi. No other members could come because of their commitments in the MotherCountry- but they did talk to someone before they left... and she was going to send her a letter and some gifts.

Once the crates were in the Costume Room, the 3 went in to see Kerri and Chrissy having fun with Dale as they roleplayed a situation from SM. When Chrissy's eyes met Barbie's, she leaped onto her friend and hugged her. Both Kerri and Dale rose from their seats and stood facing them.

"Dale, Kerri," Chrissy said, "These are Tsukino Barbie & Tada Kaie." Immediately, both of them knelt at the feet of these 2 lovely Japanese Cosplayers. "You do not need to bow before us," Kaie said in broken English, "We are here to help Dale achieve a point only she can make."

At her questioning look, Barbie said, "Tristen told us of your situation, Dale- that you didn't get to do a lot of what most of us take for granted. You couldn't act, do music, even participate in sports. When she said that her, Chrissy and Kerri were helping you become aquainted with cosplay from their points of view- and that they needed help- we were only too glad to fly over early, with most of our surplus costumes, and help you do that."

"Thank you, Barbie," Dale said.

For the next 3 days, the group of 5 tried to help Dale with her problems. Dale's face had shown years of an acne problem, so they did some brainstorming to find out how they could make her face lovely again. Finally, they started her on the products of the ProActiv Solution line- and within a few days time, her face started clearing up. Dale was pleased with the beginning results.

"Now, we need to get her to start wearing makeup to look beautiful," Chrissy said. "But that may be impossible," Kerri said when she got back in from sending the photos of Dale's problems to Maureen & Company, "Dale has never used makeup, even in dramatics because she couldn't act. How do we get her to start doing that." "But we need to change that," Tristen said, "Dale needs to be made beautiful."

"And there's not a moment to speak of," Kerri said, "Because the Saturday after finals is the Jr/Sr. Prom for them." "But what has Dale's situation been in the past when it came to finding a prom date?" Chrissy asked. "Everytime she asks a guy for a date, she always gets a 'no' or she gets stood up and doesn't go," Kerri replied. "Can't she afford to go stag?" Tristen asks, and Kerri shook her head no.

So they decided to not get Dale to attend the prom. But what they did do is tell Maureen of the situation. "It may work for the better if all of us CosplayGuard members not go to the prom," Roxanne said, "because of the simple reason being that we can boycott it- for Dale's sake." "Roxanne, you're one smart cookie," Kerri said.

So the girls in the group from Westside, after coming back from Anime North and when asked if they wanted to go to the prom by some of the best guys, said no. The Principal thought that it was smart for Dale to stay home until Wednesday- when she came back from the treatments, she wore baggy clothes that made her look overweight... and told Maureen and Roxanne to have Dale go with them shopping afterschool on Tuesday, to buy some better looking clothes for herself.

Maureen even gave Dale half of her wardrobe- and when they went shopping, no one could notice her because she was wearing clothes that made her look slim. Dale had to wear Women's sizes before because she was overweight- now, she could wear Misses to Petite sizes. On this day, she was wearing a completely pink outfit- pale pink capri pants with a hot pink crop-top and sandals. For her hair, they just gave it a good brushing then put in a red hairbow.

Just about everywhere the group went, teens from the high school turned their heads to see who this slim blonde was- for she was gorgeous. But now, the biggest surprise came the next day- when she went to school for finals.

When she got into her first class, she took a seat way in the back and let the others sit up front. Many of the guys were still looking her over, dazzled with her radiant beauty. But when the teacher asked for Dale- she surprised everyone by saying, "Here." Now, even her teacher was looking for the one who said that... so she walked up, turned the teacher's head towards hers, and said, "Here" again. The guys in there were not believing what she was wearing...

Dale was dressed in a short-sleeve jean jumpsuit with stylish leather boots- all in black. She had on a pendant, a pair of earrings and a bracelet. What made their eyes bug out was that the outfit was designed for a petite size 10... and originally, she had to wear women's sizes.

"You mean to tell me that Trash Compactor was in History this morning for finals," Robert said incredulously, "and she wasn't even dressed like Trash Compactor?" Robert was the Senior Varsity Football captain... and the one who made the sick jokes on Dale, calling her by the names she was heaped with.

"That's exactly what I mean," Michael told him, "She was dressed in black- jumpsuit and leather boots. Plus, she had on gold jewelry that made her even more gorgeous. Even I had a hard time deciding if she was Trash Compactor or Marilyn Monroe. She's in the library... or wait a minute, here she comes now!"

Walking up the Senior Ramp, Robert and his goons blocked her progress to her English Final. "So here's the Trash Compactor," he said with a snide look on his face, "going to her next class. Maybe you should go to Weight Watchers and have that body replaced."

Looking at the principal, who was standing a good 10 feet behind the group and nodding his head, Dale said, "I hate to break your attitude, Robert- but if you don't open a way for me to get to my English Final, I'm going to have to break more than just your heart." Cracking his knuckles, he said, "Bring it on, Twinkie Girl." What happened next surprised his friends- and brought a smile to the principal's face...

All she did was point her finger behind them. Robert thought she was pointing to somewhere else- but Michael tapped his shoulder and whispered, "Look behind you." Robert took a glance behind- and noticed the principal standing there. They broke apart and let her through. Smiling to the man as she walked by, Dale went on to class... and the boys joined a few minutes later.

Dale was given the option of getting her diploma during Commencement Exercises or receiving it when her grades were confirmed Friday afternoon. She chose the second option- and walked out that day with her diploma cover and the one treasured document to her.

"I didn't believe you would choose to get your diploma without doing Commencement?" Chrissy said, with surprise in her face. "Well, when you were harrassed a lot during your High School years," she replied, "the Administration has to give you a break." "They're right in that, Chrissy-chan," Rei said, and all shared in a good laugh.

It was the Saturday before Commencement Exercises for the members of the CosplayGuard and a month before Anime Expo. One thing SJ loved doing was going there... for they didn't have to enter a team, they could do Hall Cosplay all weekend. But this year, they wanted CosplayGuard to perform in the Masquerade- and that meant all 20 of them. So they had to push for Dale to become a cosplayer. But they would get an unexpected assist...

That same day, Dale got an unusual letter- one from a person she would never expect to hear from. This letter came from the creator of the Moon Princess- Naoko Takeuchi- and here's what she wrote...

Dale-chan,

I know of your reluctance to get on stage and play in a production. You've been more of a person to hang in the shadows, helping others more than getting on there and playing your heart out.

Please consider giving your heart to stepping onstage and playing... for in many ways, you and Usagi-chan are alike in them. What I have included in the box will also give you the inspiration to play for the top...

Takeuchi Naoko

Opening the box, what she found in there were gifts to be treasured...

The first item was a toy replica of the Moon Article- the locket that Usagi uses to henshin into EternalSailor Moon. The second opened her mouth... it was a toy replica of the original Moon Prism- the first locket that she used to henshin into Sailor Moon. She held both of them to her chest as she treasured them.

Later that night, she was sitting in the back yard looking at the night sky when a shooting star winked past her. Casting a wish on that star, she then went to bed and slept soundly through the night.

But someone saw her enter... and she wondered why Dale was out back at such an ungodly hour.

TO BE CONTINUED IN THE NEXT CHAPTER...