Find a vendor selling cheap clothes or accessories so he can blend in better
The New World of SwapTech
chapter 8
by
deleted_user
The convention center hummed with life around him, a sea of costumed bodies flowing between booths and stages. Jonas stood in the middle of it all—barefoot, in yoga pants, a woman with no plan.
I need clothes. I need to blend in.
He started walking, scanning the booths as he passed them. Artist alleys. Merchandise tables. A stall selling hand-painted D&D miniatures. A booth offering custom embroidered patches.
And then he saw it: a clothing vendor.
The booth was called Cosplay Closet and it was packed with racks of fabric—dresses, cloaks, tunics, accessories. A sign read "Pre-Made Costumes & Mix-and-Match Pieces." A girl with bright pink hair was manning the register, ringing up a customer dressed as a Final Fantasy black mage.
Jonas approached, trying to look casual. The pink-haired girl glanced up and smiled.
"Hey! Welcome. Looking for something specific?"
"Yeah, um—" Jonas gestured vaguely at himself. "I just need something to wear. Like, anything. I came here through a SwapPort and my stuff's locked up."
The girl's eyes widened with recognition. "Oh, shit, the SwapPort thing? That happened to my friend last year. She ended up wearing a trash bag for the first three hours." She laughed. "What size are you?"
Jonas blinked. "I... I don't know. This body's new."
"Okay, stand still." She grabbed a measuring tape from around her neck and, before Jonas could protest, wrapped it around his chest, his waist, his hips. Her fingers moved quick and professional. "You're about a 34-26-36. Small frame. I've got a few things that should fit."
She turned and rifled through a rack, pulling out a simple black dress—long-sleeved, high-necked, falling to mid-thigh. "Here. This is from our Widowmaker line—not the skin-tight one, don't worry. It's stretchy, comfortable, and it covers everything. Pair it with these boots—" She grabbed a pair of black ankle boots from under the counter. "And you're golden."
Jonas looked at the dress. It was simple. Covered. Not a "sexy" costume by any stretch.
"How much?"
"Forty for the dress, thirty for the boots. But I'll knock it down to sixty if you let me take a before-and-after photo for my Instagram."
Jonas let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "Deal."