After Hunter fumblingly managed to put the blue-tinted contacts in, he called out to Z. “Uh, Z, I got them in. What are we doing next?”

“Great!” Z rushed over. “Let me grab the costume pieces and we can get them on, and then work on the wig.”

They grabbed several blue, green, and purple pieces of fabric hanging on the nearest clothes rack, and handed them to Hunter. “You can get changed here, or the bathroom is through that door if you want to change in there. There’s a lot of pieces, so let me know if you need any help figuring it out.”

“Okay, th-thanks. I’ll try my best, lol.” Hunter walked over to the bathroom clutching the pieces of clothing. They all felt soft and silky draped over his hands. 

He managed to get the pants and shirt(?) on before almost immediately needing help. “Hey, uh, Z? How do I tell which of these arm things goes on which arm? And how do I get the face mask to stay on?”

“Just a moment, love, I’m coming!”

Hunter backed away from the door as Z came through. There was barely enough room for both of them in the small bathroom. “Okay, so this gold part is supposed to go on top, then your thumbs go through the holes here, and I can tie those off to help keep them from slipping.”

Hunter sat down on top of the closed toilet lid and handed the four remaining pieces over to Z. “Okay, please hold up your arms… Just like that, yes. Lean forward… Okay, got it!” 

“Alright, before we take care of the mask and veil, we need to deal with the wig. Let’s get you back in the chair for that, kay?”

He followed them out of the bathroom and got back into the spinny chair. Mel was hanging out nearby, munching on a bag of Takis she had mysteriously produced from somewhere. “Aw! Hunter, you look adorable!”

Hunter felt his face grow warm, and hoped his blush would be covered by the makeup. He wasn’t exactly used to people calling him adorable, let alone cute girls. 

Z brought over a mannequin head wearing a shortish blonde wig. “Alright, Hunter, just hold still for a little and I’ll get this situated.” They briefly ran their hand through Hunter’s short-cropped hair before declaring, “Eh, I think we can get away without a cap.”

Hunter watched in the large mirror as they gingerly lifted up the wig and carefully placed it onto Hunter’s head. They adjusted it with their fingers before sliding in some bobby pins to keep it in place. “Alright, perf! Let me just get the mask and veil on you and I think we’ll basically be ready for the shoot!”

“Wait! W-what shoot?”

Z shot a look at Mel. “Mel, did you not explain this to him?”

“Oh, sorry, I assumed it was obvious? Anyway, Hunter, Z here likes to take photos of clients both as a form of advertising and to give the client something lasting. Besides, you need some kind of photographic evidence for your fans, right?”

“I guess? I kind of thought today was just, like, a trial run before I do this when I reach the actual sub goal. And I knew I’d have to take photos, but I didn’t think it would be a whole big production like this.”

“Oh, sweetheart, we don’t have to take any pictures if you don’t want to. I just thought you might enjoy them, given what Mel said--” 

Hunter saw the reflection of Mel acting out zipping her lips shut behind him.

“--Anyway, it’s fully up to you. Before you decide, let me just finish up with these last few touches.”

They tied the mask with a knot behind his head, and settled the veil on top, securing it with more bobby pins. “Okay, stand up?”

Hunter obliged. Z circled him for a moment, before producing some safety pins from a pocket. “I think I want to pin the top a bit, just so it matches the tightness of the original.” He stood still as they pinched some of the shirt fabric behind him, pulling the front taut, and pinned it with a few safety pins. “Alright, lovely! And with that, I present the finished product.”

Hunter backed away from the vanity, trying to get a look at the full picture. From what he could see, it all looked really good! Like, professional cosplayer level. Even though he couldn’t quite get his face and body into view at the same time, he ended up staring for a while anyway. If he hadn't known better, he almost would've thought that was a cute girl dressed in a convincing replica of the Gerudo outfit from Breath of the Wild.

As he was ducked down to get a better angle, Mel commented, “Z, you should really get a full-length mirror in here.”

“You’re right as always, darling, but I’m just not sure if we have room for it. Besides, the CAM-EH-RAH is my full length mirror!”

Hunter straightened back up. “Actually, yeah, could I get some photos? If that’s not too much to ask. Don’t want all your hard work to go to waste. Also, wait, should I pay you? Is that how this works? I’m sorry, I’ve never done this before.”

“Aw, no need to worry about financial compensation! I did what I did for the love of the art.”

“Also, trust me, they’re just fine on money,” Mel added. “If anything, they should be giving us money.”

“Ah, Mel, my favorite socialist. You know I would in a heartbeat but my parents wouldn’t approve.”

“Photos?” Hunter asked.

“Yes, of course! Please, position yourself in front of the white backdrop while I prepare the equipment. Mel, could you perhaps look for apropos props?”

“Promptly,” Mel said, and went over to start rummaging through the box of assorted items. Hunter stood in front of the white sheet, feeling awkward, his hands hanging by his sides. Should he be doing something else with them? What did he usually do with his hands, anyway? He suddenly couldn’t remember.

“Hunter, relax. You’re among friends and there’s really nothing that can go wrong. Just try and loosen up,” Mel said from the side, startling him. “Also, Z, where do you want these?” She waved the light wooden bow and fake apple she was holding.

“Just put them down by the tripod, please, and then come back here where you won’t be blocking the lights.”

“Oops, sorry,” Mel said before doing as Z said.

“Alright, Hunter, I’ll try and talk you through some poses. Just try to have fun with it, mmkay?”

Hunter nodded stiffly.

“Alright, turn to your left… no, a little back to the right. Move your left leg back a little… yes, perfect. Put more weight on that leg… no, but leaning forward… turn your shoulder towards the camera… alright, hold that!” He heard the camera click several times as Z took a rapid succession of photos.

“Alright, now hold that approximate position, but take this bow. No, don’t just hold it, act like you’re going to use it. Mel, can you get him an arrow.”

“Oh, whoops, sorry. On it.” Mel ran in and grabbed an arrow out of the box, handing it to Hunter before scurrying back.

“Alright, because your lower face is covered, all the emoting is going to be from the eyes. Try and look fierce, like you’re focused on an enemy in the distance while you draw back the bow.”

Hunter imagined his shift manager was standing behind Mel, and pulled back the arrow.

“Perfect! Okay, if I can get you to sit down now… like that, but at an angle. Great. Okay, pull one leg in… turn your head a bit… look longingly… Got it!”

They tossed the apple to him. “Alright, can I get you to sit with your legs folded under you… no, I mean where your feet are under your butt… okay, and hold the apple up as if you’re inspecting it. Fantastic! Now squat… yes, like that… and try to smile with your eyes…”

This went on for a while. By the end, Hunter was shocked by how tired he was. Modeling was no joke!

He yawned and stretched as Z went over to their computer.

“Hey, Z?” Mel said. “Instead of immediately getting started on editing, we’ve all been here a while, so can we go get something to eat?”

“Hmm… Oh, sorry, got a bit hyperfocused there. I’m actually doing intermittent fasting right now, so my next meal isn’t for a while, but you two should go! Let me just get Hunter cleaned up real quick.”

He sat back down in the chair, where Z removed the veil and wig and mask and makeup. “Alright, I assume you can handle the rest?”

“Yeah,” Hunter said.

“Let me know if I can help you take your clothes off,” Mel said before stifling a giggle. Hunter blushed again as he returned to the bathroom to change.