THE MOMENT
"You think so?" Joe asked with practiced modesty. He'd been to enough conventions to play the part just right. It began accidentally when he visited his first convention decades ago. He was only trying to get out of the Summer heat and blend in when some kind strangers suggested he enter the costume contest. He won easily and since then he enjoyed reenacting that moment.
He regularly visited all kinds of conventions, changed to an appropriate form, and waited near the event hall with longing glances at the stage every now and then. Fandoms of all kinds were welcoming and friendly, and he often met some kind souls willing to give him that 'final push' of encouragement. There had been fewer than a handful of times when he didn't get that friendly encouragement, and he always took it as a sign not to enter the costume contest. It was looking like this sci-fi convention would be another one of those until the last minute, when a group of friendly teenagers complimented his costume and got his scheme on track.
"Your costume's too good not to win!" Alice, a brunette, encouraged him with a shove toward the contestants forming a line.
"Maybe I will," Joe nodded with genuine glee. He'd gotten what he wanted and confidently joined the line as his new friends cheered. One by one, the line moved ahead until finally he reached the stage assistant. The brown-haired young man with blue eyes and stern features glanced at Joe, then looked past him with a shrug because there was no one else interested in joining.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"I want to join the costume contest," Joe nodded toward the group gathered up behind the curtain on stage.
"Can't without a costume," he shook his head.
"What? Do you see me?" Joe asked with a chuckle. If his guard wasn't so relaxed, he might have been more aware of what just happened. But, he'd gone through the motions so many times he'd forgotten he wasn't wearing a costume at that moment. "These wings...," he turned to show off the translucent insect wings growing out of his back. "My compound eyes? You're going to tell me this isn't a costume?"
"Guy, we're just trying to have fun," the stage assistant shook his head. "You look way too real to just be cosplaying. A shapeshifting ringer walking away with the trophy is pretty disrespectful to the people who put effort into their costumes."
"Shape-," Joe laughed. "-shift-what are you talking about??"
"Dude, you're not the only fae in the world," he said. "You're not even the only one in this room," he chuckled and nodded at the stage. "There's another shapeshifter up there; but, they actually made a costume. Maybe you should give that a shot."