Lori still wasn't certain what had really happened a week ago at the convention. It had all felt so real, and she'd been convinced she really had become Fairymon. Maybe it had been a gas leak or something because other people had been acting strange, but the next day of the convention went normally and she had been able to remove her costume later on in the day...

But that was all done with, and the convention organisers had never said anything about accidents or gas leaks or anything else. On the plus side it had apparently been at the convention where she had caught the eye of the photographer who had commissioned her for the photoshoot today.

Her name was Eris Yorick, and she was someone Lori had heard of, but had never met before. She made cosplay costumes on commission, and was also a photographer. Lori was hired to model a recent order for a costume of someone's original character, plus three examples of what else the photographer could do. Lori had also been hired to try something quite new for her, to be a "living statue", less a cosplay role and more a modelling job, but it was some extra cash.

She had to admit it was an exciting prospect. Cosplaying as not one, but five different things. The OC character, she wanted to see what it looked like. She hadn't been told what two of the other costumes were but she knew one was to be Aika Sumeragi's ultranate version. And the living statue part was supposed to be quite messy given that she would be painted head to toe in white body paint to look more like a statue. True, the OC character apparently also involved facepaint but it was her face, not her whole body.

'Still, focus on the job at hand, Lori....' She mentally ordered herself as she pulled her car up to park by the right place.

She'd been to a few studios in her time. Some nestled inside office complexes, some in the back of photography stores, and once even just a white sheet hung up on a wall, but they were all professional studios and professional photographers - the white sheet guy had been doing a minimalist approach for his photography at the time.

But this, was impressive. It was either a large house, or a small mansion. It didn't stand out from the neighbours much, but it had a garden large enough for a football field at least.  Apparently, the studio was inside the mansion itself, the home of the client photographer. The woman who hired her said she shared her home with her two sisters.

After exiting her car, she rang the bell by the gate, and a pleasant female voice replied through the intercom.

"You must be Lori. I'll unlock the gate, dear. "

"Thank you." Lori replied, as the gates beside swung open. The car drove up the small access, and she put it in place beside the owner's car, a nice BMW, and she also looked at the the well-tended garden.

'Pretty nice. I wonder if we'll be shooting outside at all?'

The door of the house opened just as she exited her car, and a tall woman with black hair greeted her. She was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, casual enough gear.

"Good morning. My sister told me to show you in. She's in the studio setting up." The woman said.

"Okay, thank you."

"Oh, where are my manners? I forgot to tell you my name. I'm Pandora, Eris's sister. Our other sister isn't home just now so it'll be just us."

"Okay. Well, I'm Lori, but I guess you knew that..."

The woman simply nodded.

***

Lori was shown to the studio, and met her client proper. She was a blonde woman (though it appeared to be dyed), and like her sister wore casual clothing, a pair of grey slacks and a plain blue blouse.

"Hello, Lori, I'm nearly ready." Eris said. She seemed to be setting up a camera, checking the focus of the lights.

"Okay. Where do I change?"

"Just in there." Eris said, pointing to a door nearby. Lori walked over and saw it was a small room containing a stool, a shower cabinet with a mirrored door, and a towel rack, but it was roomy enough to change in and had a decent sized clothes rail as well. One costume was hanging up already on the rack.

"Pandora will bring the others along shortly, but why don't you dress and hang your normal clothes up? If you want you can shower again. I'm not sure how hot out it is today. You shouldn't have to though with the bodysuit part being replaced later, but I thought I'd let you if you wanted to."

Lori nodded. It had been kind of hot in the cab.

"Sure. I'll try not to take too long, just freshen up."

"Okay. Shout when you have the bodysuit on and Pandora will help you with the facepaint."

Closing the door behind her, she removed her shoes and put them below the stool. She then moved  to take her vest off. After laying it on the stool, she removed her t-shirt and hooked it onto a velvet-padded hanger, before looping the vest over it as well. She pulled her skirt down, folding it over the hanger, before pulling down her tights carefully. Once off, she carefully folded them over her skirt. She then removed her panties, unhooked her bra, and put them on a separate smaller hanger before looking in the mirror. Just a little ritual of hers to be sure she was in the right shape for the job.

She then showered, and dried off with the towel before looking at the first costume. The first to go on was to be a full-body slightly furry-textured undersuit, which apparently wasn't a part of the costume as such. When it was given to the real owner that portion was being replaced, and so Lori was told not to bother with any underwear to reduce any lines that might be made.  The first thing Lori noticed pulling it on was that the bodysuit was almost too small. She struggled to slide it up her legs and then wrestle her arms in. Eventually, it was on, and she summoned Pandora.

"Can you help me make sure there's no creases or wrinkles too?" Lori asked. Pandora nodded, and duly did so.

The facepainting only took a few moments to make her face slightly resemble a white cat-like appearance, and soon Pandora left to help her sister. Lori fixed two white fake ears onto her own real ones (noting they too felt a little warm when worn), and then she studied the rest of the costume, still wrapped in plastic sheets.

It seemed to be like a magenta leotard or one-piece swimsuit, and it had a small panel at the stomach cut away, plus a slightly smaller crescent panel below the neckline. It came with knee-length boots, also Magenta. It had no wig, as the character sketch had given her OC long black hair.

She pulled the leotard/swimsuit on, and then pulled each boot on before studying herself in the mirror. She looked somewhat like a humanoid white cat dressed in Magenta now, and that was apparently the goal of the costume, to become an original character named YukiNekomon. The downside was, the bodysuit didn't seem to breathe very well, and was a little warm to wear on a day like this. Apparently the one being sold on would be a little thinner.

"Are you ready in there, Lori?" Eris asked.

"Nice timing, I just finished." Lori grinned as she left the dressing room. The setup was complete, a few cameras all set up to a remote control, but there were also manually operated cameras on hand. A white screen and some studio lights ensured uniform and crisp white lighting that wouldn't overpower the film.

"Okay, so... What do you want first?"

"Just stand there." Eris motioned to the white screen. Lori walked onto her spot.

"Just stand relaxed and casual."

Lori did so, and Eris took a single photo. The red light on her camera blinked to green, and Eris nodded.

"That's good. We'll take a few shots... Can you kneel down now?"

Lori nodded, and knelt down, noting the bodysuit seemed so well fitting it wasn't moving much at all. It had felt a little clammy on her skin before, but now it was like a second skin, seemingly breathing freely now. Perhaps it had just been the slightly more humid dressing room after her shower... The ears felt less warm as well.

Lori had a number of shots taken, from varying angles in the same poses, slowly moving to slightly different poses at times, and into whole new postures at others. Facing the camera, facing away, hands on hips, standing in a fighting pose...

And the whole time Lori didn't feel nearly as hot as she had in the dressing room.

"Okay, that's a wrap for this costume." Eris said. She switched the camera off, the green light fading to red with a click noise, before switching off entirely. And suddenly, now she wasn't posing, Lori felt that little bit warmer, and the bodysuit a little looser.

Pandora then arrived, with the next two costumes, holding the very next one out for Lori to take as she hung the other one up. It was a mostly red skin-tight sleeveless catsuit, with a blue upper portion around the upper shoulders and breasts. Speaking of breasts, it came with two fake ones built into its cleavage window, since to say the least the character in question was a little better endowed than Lori, or, to be fair, most women who weren't animated. It was the 1994 version of Cutey Honey.

"This is one of our older designs, but we've never had a live model before. We did adjust it slightly for your measurements, but we hope the wig isn't too cumbersome." Pandora explained.

"I don't think it will be." Lori said, and went back into the dressing room.

***

Pandora had replaced the towels, and Lori took the Yukinekomon costume off carefully, removing the boots and wrapping them back up in the plastic. The leotard/swimsuit was gently taken off, hung up, and then wrapped also. The body suit was taken off with slightly less care given that it was basically surplus to requirements, and Lori looked at herself.

She smirked at the scene in the mirror, her in her birthday suit and with her face painted like a cat. She then pulled the ears off carefully, placing them in the pouch on the plastic they had been stored in, before taking another quick shower to wash the facepaint off, and cool herself a little after the bodysuit had got warm again.

After drying off, she had pulled on her underwear, only to realise that with the costume being tight it would cause visible lines. She sought advice on this subject.

"Well... I guess you could put the bodysuit back on. That should stop the lines. Oh! Wait, no, the next costume has a bodysuit as well, you could wear that and save time!"

Lori took a look. Sure enough, a skin-tone suit with markings like a white bikini was part of the next one, and she put that on. It felt a little cooler than the white furry suit, but it was still a little warm being so close to her skin. But it did mean she was able to swap costumes a little faster later, and removed the line problem.

Pulling on the Cutey Honey suit, Lori noted that it was going to get a lot warmer, especially at her chest, where the "enhancements" were made of foam rubber. The bodysuit on, she then tied the ribbon to her arm, put on the neck bracer on, and pulled on the boots. She then tied her hair up in a net, and attached the red wig. Apart from her lack of gloves, she resembled Cutey Honey closely. She pulled the gloves on, swished the small plastic sword, and smiled.

However, she noted that under the wig, her head felt warm now. Discomfort once more.

She went out, and posed again.

"Alright, Lori, same deal." Eris said. The light of the camera blinked red then green as it was switched back on.

'Wow. I must be getting into it today...' Lori mused.

As she posed, her discomfort of the bodysuit below and her hair seemed to vanish, like they had gone. She felt a little taller, and strangely the fake breasts felt... heavier. They were pulling a little more than she expected.

She struck pose after pose, and towards the end, was a little confused to brush the foam rubber enhancements and feel the brushing like it was really her own chest. She held composure though, as Eris finished up. The light went red, and off.

Lori prodded the fake rubber, as she felt the warmth of the bodysuit and wig return. Sure enough, it wasn't real and she felt nothing on her chest but the fake breasts shift slightly.

***

Back in the dressing room, the next costume required some adjustment of the bodysuit to put some other, slightly smaller, enhancements on directly below the skin-tone suit. Her hair was left tied up, and with the anatomy of a barbie doll or mannequin had it not been for the white portions, Lori put the two other foam rubber pads below and adjusted them in the mirror. In contact with bare skin, they were even warmer.

Still, it meant she could actually pull this one off. Aika Sumeragi's Ultranate version. Basically just  a necklace, and a long blue wig. Oh, and the bodysuit, but in the shots that wouldn't be visible hopefully. Well, apart from the markings to pull off the somewhat impossible "bikini" of sorts.

Lori pulled on the wig, feeling the fake breasts shift around annoyingly, but they stayed in the right places. The necklace was on, and she was ready.

'Record time for a cosplay switch... Well, apart from that time I was dared to cosplay Lady Godiva...' She joked to herself.

She went out, and started again. She was getting used to this routine as the camera's little red light came on, then went green. At least the single layer wasn't so warm, she thought, and miraculously she didn't have to adjust the enhancements once at first.

As she struck a pose aided by a fan to make the wig billow slightly, she thought she felt it shift a little. Before moving to the next pose, she gave them a gentle prod back into place.

Again, they felt... real.

"Huh?" She said. Eris noticed, and switched off the camera as Lori prodded again.

"Something wrong, Lori?"

"...No, nothing. Just adjusting." She replied. The enhancements were definitely fake.

Eris nodded.

"Yes, they do that. But gluing or taping never works forever either. Cleaner to not bother."

Lori agreed, and finished up.

"This next one is going to be warm, sorry..." Pandora said, carrying the next one.

Lori was both dismayed and pleased. Dismayed, as it would indeed be very warm.

Pleased, because it was Renamon. And what a Renamon. It was almost perfect... but what else from a professional manufacturer and photographer like Eris?

This time though, she could wear underwear, but decided to check first.

"Er, about this one... What do I wear below?"

"If you like, nothing. This is yours." Pandora smiled.

Lori, still dressed as Aika, stood with her mouth open like a fish.

"Wh... What?" She managed to say, overwhelmed.

She had been speechless at that, and the two sisters had just laughed. She had quickly went to change, removing the bodysuit and the enhancements with care.

***

The Renamon suit was almost perfectly measured. She pulled it straight on, up her legs and felt her feet snugly fit into the in-built paw boots. It was easy to pull up and to her neck, and she left her hair up. She looked in the mirror, the two padded thighs with the yin-yang symbol needing a slight adjustment. But from the waist down, she was Renamon.

The upper portion wasn't so complete yet. The sleeves ended at the wrists, letting her still be able to have five digits to put on the mane portion over her chest. It attached to some velcro looping below, and was a little loose if you moved too fast, but Lori could live with that. She pulled the gloves on, feeling how well her two fingers fit beside each other in them to become one, leaving her with a three-digit paw. It felt a little cumbersome, but she wanted to put the head on and see herself quickly.

And once she had her eyeholes line up... She saw Renamon looking back in the mirror. She squealed with glee, the irony of Renamon's standard icy glare making such a noise and pleased motions. She baffed the tail gently, noting it was quite light and well secured to the bodysuit. She already felt warm, but that was partly from her excitement.

'This is great!'

She padded out, practically jumping around inside her suit. The light of the camera went on and changed.

She posed. She swished her tail. She found herself trying to move her facial muscles, but knew of course the head would stay in the same spot. Eris claimed that she was going to photoshop some growls and other different expressions in, but show the plain fixed expression too with the original shots but Lori felt so pleased.

It felt like she was really Renamon. She practically imagined waving her tail in excitement...

Eris chuckled, and switched off the camera.

"I know you're pleased, Lori, but no need to wag your tail.

She froze. She realised what she had just been doing. She had been shaking her tail. Had she really been moving it or... No. She must have been getting too into it. Too excited.

"Take another shower. I bet that costume must be pretty warm." Pandora advised.

Lori nodded and spoke, but her voice was muffled. She pulled the head off carefully, and felt the blessed cooler air.

"Yeah. Is it the living statue next?"

"Yes. You can either wear this grey bikini bottom or just let us spray you straight on. You won't pose nude as the statue but it's up to you about this part."

Lori mulled it over.

"I'll just skip that. It'll get the bodypaint on it."

It was the same colour as it, but still...

***

Lori very carefully removed the rest of the Renamon costume in the dressing room. Eris pledged to wrap it in plastic for taking away when Pandora was "turning her to stone". The gloves came off, followed by the mane. The head was already removed and carefully laid down, so all that remained was slipping out of the main suit. Lori was careful, too pleased with this gift to yank it off and ruin it. Lastly, she freed her hair from the net, shaking it down. It was a little frizzled from its entrapment, but it would straighten out

She showered, dried, combed her now slightly less frizzled post-shower hair to straighten it, and told Pandora she was ready.

"Okay. Just follow me. The room with the spray is this way."

Lori realised that the changing room had been almost unnecessary. She wasn't shy about her body, evidenced by walking out of the room naked to follow Pandora, and by the fact she was about to get sprayed grey all over.

The spray room was another smaller room, but with air ventilation. Lori was given a small face mask to stop her breathing in the sprayed paint, plus goggles for her eyes. They would be removed and she would close her eyes and hold her breath later, but for now, that was just going to slow them down.

"This might feel cold..." Pandora warned. It did. Lori shivered as the spray went on.

First her legs were painted, lifting up her feet to gently spray the soles. She sat down, leaving them off the ground, as Pandora sprayed a small protective layer over her feet. It was invisible, but prevented scuffmarks.  The spray moved up after the feet dried, and Lori was quite amused by the ticklish cold spray that turned her pink skin to alabaster white.

The spraying rose, and Lori felt a little chilly, the extractor fans removing the airborne paint also cooling the room. But as it finished up and the last part, her face and hair (the goggles would have pressed down on the hair or risked some marks when removed) was done, she was relieved as Pandora switched on a heater. She waited for her face to dry, leaving eyes closed and standing silent for the okay.

"Well, we're done. Want to go take a look?"

"Sure." Lori said, and put on the first part of the costume that wasn't paint, grey sandals. The protective layer on her feet wasn't foolproof, and bare feet weren't impervious.

She saw herself in the mirror, struck a small pose, then had an idea.

"Can I get just one shot of me in just this?" She said.

Eris smiled.

"Certainly, though this shoot will be outside so you need to put the robes on to be a statue there. The neighbours, you understand."

Lori smiled too.

"Thanks."

She stood in place after removing the sandals, picked a nice statuesque pose, closed her eyes, and Eris took the shot.

Lori felt quite stiff and still for a flash, and felt like she had got cold suddenly. Like she was a real statue...

But that made no sense. A second later she opened her eyes.

"I'll load this one right onto the computer just now, Lori. Put the robes on,  then follow me. I'll give you a copy on a flash drive then delete it. For you only."

Lori was quite glad of that, even if she personally had little qualms about the photo. It wasn't of her, after all. Just her statue...

She put the grey robes on, which perfectly matched her skin, before the sandals went back on. She then followed Eris as instructed, and gasped to see the shot.

It was like a real statue.

"Wow... Looks like I belong on a pedestal." She said, impressed.

"We have one of those outside for you. It's just wood, but it looks like marble." Pandora noted.

Eris deleted the original, and Lori depositied her flash drive into her skirt pocket carefully back in the dressing room before she followed Pandora and Eris outside. Her pedestal awaited. The robes felt quite heavy and a little warm, especially outside where the sunlight was baking, but Lori was quite pleased by this. She ascended her podium, and Pandora gave her pose carefully nudged adjustments.

"Okay, Lori. Hold the pose..."

She did so, closing her eyes as instructed as the light came on, and then that strange sensation again. Stiffening, cooling off a little... And like the robes were attached now. Not heavy. She stood in place, not moving an inch.

'Wow... I really am getting into this'

She stayed still, the click of the camera all she heard, and even then it was oddly faint. Lori felt almost like in a trance, standing statue-still... Not even wobbling.

She was impressed with herself. She wasn't even cramping up. She was a natural-born statue!

"Okay, Lori. We'll film you with the video camera in a second, then you'll be able to go shower. You can drop the pose for now."

Lori tried. But nothing responded. Tried to speak, but couldn't. Tried to open her eyes... but could not.

'What... What's going on?!'

"Lori?"

Lori was about to panic, then heard a click noise, before suddenly she wobbled.

"Whoa... That was weird..." She muttered.

"Did you feel like you were a real statue?" Pandora joked. Lori was surprised, then realised the two sisters were smiling.

"A lot of our models find themselves getting too into it. It's almost like hypnosis, they say." Eris explained.

Lori nodded in agreement.

"Yeah... It's kind of trippy..."

But she was wondering. The other costumes had felt real too. The convention... Maybe she needed a break. She was starting to think she really was what she cosplayed as.

She stood back in pose for her last shoot, feeling herself getting back into that slightly less unsettling trance again. Even knowing what it was it was hard to break pose in the silence. Eventually, Pandora announced she was done, and Lori felt the trance-like state drop.

***

Back inside, she undressed of the robes and sandals, showered the grey paint off, and then dried herself. She then prepared her normal clothing, putting on her panties. Next, she hooked her bra back on, before moving to her tights, slipping them over her legs. She put her skirt back on next, sliding it up, before she put her t-shirt back on. She sat down to re-tie her laces as she put her shoes back on, and finished by putting her vest back on over her shirt. She looked in the mirror, and gave her hair one last quick brush.

Now redressed in her normal clothing, she picked up her Renamon costume, before heading back outside.

"Well, Lori, that's us. It's been a pleasure." Eris said

"Likewise... Say, this is going to sound weird but do you know anywhere to take a break around here? Like just to relax for the day?"

Pandora pondered this.

"Well... Our sister Atlanta said there was a nice beach about ten miles away. The Mermaid Beaches. Hang on, I'll get you directions, you can check it out later..."

Lori nodded, and thanked Pandora. The directions she printed off also had a photo of the beach in question, and it looked lovely. Crystal waters, shimmering golden sand... It looked perfect.

"This could be good. Thanks, and I hope to see you again!" Lori said, as Eris and Pandora bid her goodbye.

***

As Lori left, Eris grinned.

"So... Do you think she figured it out?"

"She did. But she convinced herself it wasn't happening. Still, she did the same with the convention hall one, didn't she?" Pandora replied.

"True. But maybe she'll feel more relaxed after she visits Atlanta's beach. It could do her good to have some time to relax... "

The pair went back inside, and Lori headed home, already mentally planning the trip to the beach...