200 Words with Paul Dini #51 – Cosplayed

It’s an odd feeling riding in an elevator alone but for someone dressed as a character you created. As the floor numbers slowly beep by, your mind is prone to all sorts of gymnastics:

“Just be cool… no need feel awkward, hey, she has more guts than you do to dress in costume… It’s kind of flattering she went to all that trouble… I hope she didn’t spend too much money… I should have drawn those boot heels shorter. It probably hurts to walk in those things… I wonder if George Lucas has ever wound up alone in an elevator with a Stormtrooper or a Wookiee? Of course not, fool. You know George never appears in public… twelve floors to go… hurry uhh-hup! I can only fake interest in the sports bar poster so long… be cool, idiot… she has no idea who you are, and if she knew, she wouldn’t care. Get over yourself. I’m sure this happens to Neil Gaiman a dozen times a day… my floor at last… ”Hmm?… Oh, thank you. I’m glad you liked the book. That’s sweet of you to say. Nice outfit, by the way. Sorry about the boots. They probably…”

And at that point the door closes in your face.

Cool. Very cool.

Paul Dini is the Emmy and Eisner Award winning writer of Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Detective Comics, Countdown among many, many other things. You can find him online at either kingofbreakfast.livejournal.com or http://www.jinglebelle.com/.