Sammy_Sketches_543 has posted an in-progress rough of her in the same pose she sent over! It's cute, and they're paying a lot of attention to the expression, trying to convey the feeling-cute-and-happy-but-embarrassed look on her face!

Otherwise, the internet is interneting. She has a LOT of random spam and responses. The interest in 'new super, huh' seems to be dying down somewhat though, without any actual Crime Stoppings to her name. 'Garuda' seems to have caught on properly as her name, though.

Aha! Take that greyhawk people!

…. Andrea ends up spending sunday buying a bunch of cuter clothes on amazon, now he has a better idea of girl birds sizes. Something cuter than Fred Meyer store brand stuff. He… probably shouldn’t… he can’t really afford all this. But the high of social validation is a strong drug to someone who’s been too awkward and shy to get positive attention before.

He is noticeably happier in class the next week, though the only people who notice are his professors (who are all really great actually). Evenings are spent being cute online. And following cute cosplay girls to get ideas for pictures and photo tips.

During the middle of the week he hears about a anime con in Spokane Washington. Thats not too far. He thinks about going but crowds bother him… except they didn’t bother him much in the park as bird girl… he could go as bird girl… 

With the anime but real life kind of looks that bird girl has… and the pink hair… she would fit right into the cosplay crowd… and attention is nice instead of scary as bird girl…

Andrea fights back his usual anxiety and decides to go to the con this weekend. Especially after the clothes from amazon arrive and he feels a lot more confident when he tries the cuter clothes on as Garuda for twitter.

@realbirdgirl

Hey, is anyone going to the con in spokane this weekend? 

He is going to need help if he goes… due to the lack of hands he will have. Hopefully someone nice can go with him.

Tiny con, wasn't going to bother

Yeah actually I'm selling my classics collection - rare classic manga, rare opportunity! Listing here - [link]

I'm cosplaying as Asebi from Karasu wa Aruji wo Erabanai!

I think it's gonna be a good one. Looking forward to the Japanese vs Western Religion comparative. Ever notice that you always end up killing God in JRPGs?

@realbirdgirl
Could someone do me a massive solid and go with me and help me with hand related stuff? I want to go but the lack of fingers might make it hard to do stuff. There’s downsides to being a bird person. I’d appreciate the help sooooo much.

Andrea basically counts as disabled without hands! Hopefully someone will help.

killing god is such a cool final boss though. Imagine if narnia ended with killing aslan to stop the apocalypse.

The comparative religion talk sounds cool.

She has A FEW offers for con help, soon enough. And by A FEW we mean dozens and dozens.

(One of them is Sammy_Sketches_543, who finished the illustration based on Andrea's wing pose a couple of days ago.)

I think it's basically a Christianity vs Not That thing! In Christian tradition God is immutable and eternal but in Asian myths gods die all the time.

Eeeeeeeee the art is so gooooood. The bubbly new part of them has decided sammy is the best person ever despite knowing almost nothing about them.

private message: Ohmygosh thank you! I hope i’ll be in good…hands :D

Reply to religion post

unless you get gnostic about it, lets kill the demiurge! Go all Nietzsche on his ass. :P go team lucifer.

I hope so anyway! Are you going to need a hotel room and stuff? Or just visit as a daytrip? I think I'm not going to cosplay and I'll just say I'm a fan if people ask. I bet you're gonna be POPULAR. ...Might want to ask the event staff about flying indoors. I predict they'll be really nervous about it.

(The religion posts wend with more jokes and hot takes, as internet does.)

I was hoping to go both days, but I can do that with day trips. I’m pretty sure I can fly faster than the bus :D I wasn’t planning to fly inside? I could probably hover indoors but my takeoffs are still not the smoothest, I’d worry about bumping into someones stall.

Did… did they offer to set up hotel for them? Would they share?… would they expect something to happen? Sammy has seen the pretty spicy pics for that sketch… Andrea knows he's pretty cute as Garuda and that most guys would wanna try their luck but he does not know how to feel about maybe being creeped on. Wait if he did get a hotel he would need hand help there… it was probably innocent.

Do you really think I’ll be that popular? >.< A lot of the girls there will be way cuter than me, with full costume and makeup and everything. I guess theres not that many supers with animal parts tho.

You will be that popular. You're an actual super, practically out of an anime besides, and you have enough of that super-supermodel thing going that I can tell. Did you put on makeup before you took that pic you sent me as a reference? Because it looks like you did! I'll plan on daytrips and no hotel arrangements, then. Meet in the line to get in at around 8:30 AM? We should choose passcodes or something so you don't wander through the con with some random creep.

Eeeee compliments. Andrea wishes they could do makeup, feels like a useful thing to know when you can turn into a girl, they just have no idea how. Plus, you need hands to do that. 

Makeup is something you need hands for :( thanks for the compliment though! My passcode will be being the only girl with bird wings :D Do you have any clothes no other con person would have so I can spot you? Or maybe a colourful umbrella so I can see you from the sky?

Nothing I could guarantee? I'll probably be wearing a green raincoat. Passcode that you demand of me can be 'calliope'?

Sure! It’s not supposed to rain I don’t think ,so that should be eye catching.

As long as your account doesn't get hacked now I’ll know if its you, don't click on any suspicious links! :D

The rest of the week passes with Andrea in a very good mood, excited for the con. Even the landlady comments on how he seems happier.

He ends up falling asleep in girl clothes after taking pictures in Garuda form more than once during the week. He tells himself its because he’s too tired to care to take them off. But really he just likes feeling cute in them.

The day of the con approaches. Andrea goes to the same park as before to change clothes and shift. Then decides to fly to Spokane, or at least go as far as he can before he gets tired. It’ll be a good flight test.

Turns out the Garuda form has excellent flight stamina, he makes it all the way there.

He never noticed but his long range eyesight is pretty freaking good in this form, makes a huge difference from shortsighted in human form. Green raincoat… where is the green raincoat…

Green raincoat with hood up, wearing a red backpack, facing away from her, down there in the milling crowd in front of the conference center.

“Excuse me I need to land!” He yells out at the crowd below, hoping they will make some room near sammy_sketches.

A super?!?

This crowd is a lot slower to disperse, and a lot quicker to start bringing out phones for pictures. Cosplayers wave at her, grinning.

Green Raincoat turns around to reveal - a man? Short, messy dark hair, big glasses, but still a distinctly masculine face, in a dignified nerd sort of way.

"Ah! I'm Garuda's volunteer helper today, everyone. Please don't crowd! We're just going to the con same as you! Garuda! Callsign: Calliope!"

Andrea lands and bird waddles over to (presumably)Sammy. Holding out their wings to offer a hug. They aren’t usually a hugger but but the new bubbly part of them that they feel when they are in Garuda form wants to offer a hug. “Hiiiiiiii! It’s so cool to meet in person!”

Sammy will hug with a gentle smile. "Likewise! I hope my fanart was acceptable."

The hug is very very fluffy what with the wings being involved.

“It was SO GOOD! I’d go back to it all the time just to be impressed all over again! Im glad I worked up the courage to send those refs. Your art is amazing!” There might be some excited hopping while Andrea gushes over the art. “If I ever get famous you should be the one to design the merch!”

Oof, big hug.

"Ahaha, I'm really just an illustrator, not a product designer. I don't know that my art would look good on mugs or T-shirts. It's a different skill! Maybe posters?"

Sammy_Sketches looks like they maybe want to not be the center of attention a little bit. Luckily, a group of Magical Girl cosplayers comes up to them to compliment Andrea and wonder if she dressed up specifically for the con or not.

“Haha no these are my normal clothes, I don’t really have any cosplay outfits.” Spinny skirt, tank top, and crop top. Just randomly bought from amazon. Andrea is lucky they look decent and fit because you never know with buying online. But they didn’t want to deal with the INCREDIBLE awkwardness from buying girl clothes in person again.

If the magical girls think the wings and claws are cosplay its very obvious from close up that they are real. Where would you even hide human feet in those talons.

"As Magical Girls, we approve of looking cute no matter how or why!"

"Pff, Leah."

"Who's Leah? I'm Princess Triphone!"

"Fine, fine, your highness."

"Maybe someone will cosplay as you next time," the one in red comments. "That would sure be a thing, huh?"

Andrea demonstratively raises a birb talon. “I know cosplayers are actually users of impossible eldritch magic to make such good outfits, but how would they do the claws! Plus not having hands is actually SUPER inconvenient for con going, I needed a helper.” Grateful smile at Sammy.

The fact they think he is cute is making his cheeks go a little pink. Being Garuda is great, he gets so many compliments. Nobody ever calls him cute when in normal body.