Strange Stars
Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/63716053.
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: F/M
Fandom: Star Wars: The Acolyte (TV)
Relationship: Osha Aniseya/Qimir | The Stranger
Additional Tags: cosplayer au, Rivals, One-Shots, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting,
mermaid au, Humour
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2025-03-09 Words: 4,177 Chapters: 2/2
Strange Stars
by FairyRingsandWings
Summary
A collection of Oshamir one-shots
1) Rival Cosplayers AU
2) Mermaid AU
Notes
This was inspired by a prompt from the lovely Tera_bytess!
Prompt: Two popular cosplayers who are rivals accidentally dressing as characters who are a
couple, so everyone keeps asking to take pictures of them. (I edited the prompt sliiiightly so
that Qimir was doing it on purpose lol).
Tags: #Alternative Universe-Modern Setting #Rivals #Cosplay #Humour
Cosplay and Crushes
"Unfortunately, we've run out of time, so I won't be able to answer any more questions
tonight. Big day tomorrow!" Qimir says, winking at the camera. "Your guy's gotta get his
beauty sleep. But don't worry, I'll answer more questions during my next livestream after I
win tomorrow's cosplay competition."
The comment section to the right of the livestream blows up with best wishes, a flurry of
heart and thumbs-up emojis, and excitement over potentially seeing Qimir at the upcoming
event. Some beg to know what character Qimir plans to cosplay for the convention, while
others take guesses and place bets. A few commenters remarked that if anyone needed beauty
sleep, it certainly wasn't Qimir, followed by winking emojis and flames.
"I look forward to seeing you all at Olega Comic Con 2025," Qimir says as he reaches
forward, ready to turn his camera off. "StrangerCosplayer66 out."
Osha rolls her eyes as the livestream ends. If she were lucky—and she seldom was whenever
it concerned him—she wouldn't cross paths with Qimir, other than fleetingly having to see
him at the cosplay competition, as she always did.
Those brief moments were bad enough, having to endure that insufferable smirk as he won
again or his attempts at small talk, which were nothing more than a cover to rile her up and
rub salt on her wounds. More often than not, the two ended up bickering, heedless of where
they were or who their audience was. Their mutual disdain for each other had become
legendary in the cosplay community—something that certainly wasn't helped when they had
nearly thrown hands at Jabba Con 2018.
With a sigh, Osha looks down at her not-quite-finished costume and the needle and thread in
her hands.
As usual, she had underestimated just how little time was left until the convention and was
now working overtime trying to get the finishing touches done. It was already eleven o'clock
at night, and she still had to make the choker, adjust the too-tight gloves, completely re-do the
eye mask, and she had misplaced her whip—though she had a suspicion that Mae had run off
with it again, gods only know why.
"Mae!" Osha shouts. "Where did you put my whip?"
Mae pops her head into Osha's room. With a grin, her sister asks, "Your what now?"
"Don't act innocent," Osha scowls. "My cosplay prop. Where is it? I need it for tomorrow,
and I don't have time to tear the house apart looking for it."
"How should I know? I don't go in your disaster zone of a room," Mae scoffs. "I'd never
make it out alive."
Osha's cheek burns, but she ignores Mae's judgemental gaze around her room, keeping her
focus on sewing. She knows her room looks like a bomb had gone off in it; all her clothes
had been torn from her wardrobe and thrown on the bed, there were scraps of fabric and
thread strewn about the floor, her vanity table was buried under accessories and make-up, and
her craft supplies were scattered everywhere. She wasn't usually this disorganised, but nights
before cons were always chaotic.
"Though I will say your hair is looking amazing!" Mae says with admiration. "How long did
that take?"
"Too long," Osha sighs. "If Qimir beats me again this year, I swear-"
Osha yelps as she accidentally stabs herself with her needle. With a curse, she puts her
bleeding finger into her mouth.
"Why do you let him get under your skin?" Mae asks, leaning against the doorframe. "I
thought this dressing-up thing was meant to be fun. You get yourself so stressed out about it.
Especially when he's involved."
"I can't stand his smug face every time he beats me," Osha mutters, stabbing the needle into
the black fabric more harshly than needed. Great, now she was angry sewing. "And it's his
whole attitude! He thinks he's a master cosplayer who everyone should be taking advice
from."
"Is this because he mistook you for Jigglypuff when you were dressing up as... what was her
name again... the pink cat girl? Meow Meow Girl?"
"Mew Ichigo from Tokyo Mew Mew," Osha corrects with annoyance. "But he did that on
purpose! The next convention he went to, he dressed as Kisshu, the villain from that show. So
he knew who I was!"
Osha scowls at the memory. After that encounter, his little band of minions— sorry, followers
—had teased her relentlessly on her Instagram and YouTube channels. She dreaded the day
when he finally reached his long-coveted million subscribers. He would be unbearable after
that.
As if he isn't already, Osha grouses.
"He does that a lot, doesn't he?" Mae points out, a little too innocently. "Cosplaying
characters from the same franchise that you do."
"Hate him though I may, he at least has good taste in shows."
"Or girls," Mae says. "It is a little too coincidental after all."
"Excuse me?" Startled, Osha's attention snaps to Mae. Carefully, she asks, "Are you
suggesting that he's doing that on purpose?"
"You don't think he is?" Mae laughs. "Oh, come on, Osha. Want me to make a list? You
cosplayed as Padme, and he came dressed as Darth Vader. You went as Peach, and he came as
Mario. You go as Katara, and he came as Zuko. When you were Sophie Hatter, he was Howl.
And oh yeah, let's not forget the time you went as that princess character, and he just so
happened to be Zelda."
"I was Zelda. He was Link."
"I don't care. You should be proud I remembered the rest of their names."
Osha smiles at that, but that smile quickly sours when she considers Mae's theory.
Osha always announced who she would be dressing up as during her livestreams, as well as
on her Instagram and Bluesky; she does this months in advance because sometimes she likes
to make tutorials of her cosplays. Therefore, it wasn't impossible for Qimir to find out who
she was dressing up as and plan accordingly. It made more sense than Qimir coincidentally
almost always dressing up as the counterpart or love interest to whatever character she was
cosplaying.
"Even if that is what he's doing, it doesn't mean he's got a thing for me. He's probably doing it
to mess with me," Osha mutters. "He hates me, Mae. And I hate him."
"If you say so," Mae shrugs. "What'll you do if he dresses up as Spiderman tomorrow?"
"If he does, then that confirms it's all a big coincidence because I haven't told anyone that I'm
dressing up as Black Cat tomorrow."
When Mae leaves, Osha cannot help but scoff.
What a ridiculous thought.
Qimir having a crush on her.
The only crushing between them would be Qimir being crushed at tomorrow's competition
when she won.
"In second place, with her purrrrrrfect Black Cat cosplay, Verosha Aniseya!"
It takes every piece of willpower known to man for Osha to force a smile on her face and not
rip out her hair in frustration.
The crowd below the stage erupts into applause. On the jumbo screen behind her, the camera
zooms in on the details of her costume; a skin-tight, black body suit with white fur sewed
around the edges of the sleeves and the low collar, a black mask on her upper face that
surrounded her eyes, her shoulder-length locs dyed white, and in her hands a coiled whip that
she was trying her hardest not to fidget with.
"And in first place, with his incredible Batman cosplay, is... drum roll, please... Qimir
Rwoh!"
The camera pans over to Qimir, taking in the intricate details of his Batman cosplay, an
almost perfect replica of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Batman. Even Osha had to admit it
was jaw-droppingly good. The amount of money he must have spent on fabrics was enough
to make Osha's purse cry out in despair.
When the attention finally moves off them—the announcer busy with congratulating
everyone else's efforts—Qimir takes the opportunity to turn to her and offer her his hand.
Osha grits her teeth as she accepts it, squeezing it far too tightly to be considered friendly. All
it does is make Qimir smirk.
"Retract the claws, kitty," Qimir whispers.
"Then stop baiting me," Osha discreetly hisses back, releasing his hand.
"I'm being friendly."
"Sure you are," Osha scoffs.
Not wanting to start a bickering session in front of a crowd of hundreds, Osha takes a deep
breath, relaxes her muscles and softens her smile. She could pretend that her pride hadn't
been wounded again. She could suck it up and be a good sport for a few minutes as Qimir
prattled through his victory speech again. She would ignore all the teasing his followers
would throw at her on social media again.
Next time, she would win.
"I thought you were cosplaying as Catwoman today."
Qimir's voice is warm against her ear as he leans over her shoulder. Although Osha is startled
by Qimir's sudden appearance, she refuses to look at him, pointedly picking up an anime
badge from the stall in front of her to examine.
"What made you think that?" Osha asks lightly.
"You said so in one of your livestreams a few months back," Qimir replies, moving to stand
beside her so he can idly flip through the seller's portfolio.
It took Osha a few puzzled moments to figure out what he was talking about.
Originally, she had considered going as Catwoman to this comic con, though she had
ultimately decided against it. She could vaguely remember mentioning potentially going as
Catwoman in one of her tutorials, but it had been a throw-away remark with zero true
commitment to it.
Mae can't be right, Osha thought with growing unease. There's no way...
"I said that I might cosplay as Catwoman, not that I would," Osha drawls, trying to play it
cool. "Interesting that you know about that. I didn't know you were a fan of my channel.
Looks like you have some good taste."
"Don't get excited. I overheard someone mention it at the last con," Qimir murmurs. "I have
more important things to do than watch your how-to guides."
"You make tutorials as well."
"Mine are a better quality."
That makes her finally end their little 'I refuse to look at you' standoff.
She wishes she hadn't. Despite her utter loathing of the man, Osha isn't blind. Qimir is—
unfortunately—an attractive man.
He wasn't wearing his mask, and the heat from the convention hall had plastered his hair to
his face and made the black makeup around his eyes run—to Osha's horror, there was
something about the look that made Qimir look more enticing than he normally did. The
Batman suit, with its well-defined muscles, appealing curves, and dark brooding hero vibe,
was not helping to settle the fluttering in her chest or the warmth pooling in her belly.
Behave. This is the enemy you're drooling over, Osha scolds herself.
"What made you decide to cosplay Batman?" Osha asks casually, not rising to his bait.
"He was one of my favourite characters growing up. I've been wanting to cosplay him for a
while, but couldn't find the motivation."
"What motivated you then?"
"Someone special," Qimir drawls, his gaze sliding towards her.
That sounded a little too close to flirting for Osha's liking. It was also another tally in favour
of Mae's theory that Qimir was indeed matching up his cosplays with hers on purpose. And if
Mae was right about that, what if she was right about-
"Oh my god! Dad look! It's Batman and Catwoman!" A little boy shouts excitedly.
Osha winces, realising the boy was referring to her as Catwoman. If there was one thing that
made a cosplayer recoil, it was being misidentified. It happened at least once at every comic
con, no matter how popular the character you dressed as, there was always someone who
would get you confused with another character.
Normally, Osha would laugh it off—people could be rather funny with how wrong they were
in their guesses- but for it to happen in front of Qimir? That was just embarrassing, especially
after having just lost to him. She didn't want to look at his face, knowing full well he was
grining at her expense.
"I did not spend all day dying my locs white to be mistaken for Catwoman," Osha mumbles,
once the child and his dad are out of earshot.
"He's a little kid. Cut him some slack," Qimir chides.
"I look nothing like Catwoman!"
"To be fair, Black Cat is a Catwoman knockoff," Qimir remarks. "Can't blame the kid for
getting them mixed up."
That made Osha bristle like a feline whose fur had been petted the wrong way. She whirls
around to glare at him, one finger raised in warning.
"She is not!"
"She kinda is."
"Is not!"
"Is too-"
"Oh my god! Catbat! I used to ship you guys years ago!" An over-energetic voice cuts in. A
young woman dressed in a red Star Trek uniform runs up to them with a camera in hand.
"You guys look amazing! I would kill to have my boyfriend do a cosplay couple with me.
He's too shy, which is unfortunate, as he would make a killer Anakin Skywalker. Looks just
like him. You know, before the whole fried to a crisp thing."
Osha snorts, taken aback. "Oh, we are not a couple!"
"No need to be embarrassed! I think you guys are cute!" The girl assures them with a smile.
"Would it be okay if I get a picture?"
Internally, Osha winces. She does not want to take a photograph with Qimir, but the girl
looks like a ray of sunshine and is staring at them with such wide eyes full of excitement that
saying no to her would feel as bad as kicking a puppy.
"Sure thing. If Qimir's okay with it?" Osha says, hoping Qimir will spare her and say no.
"Of course," Qimir agrees with a one-shoulder shrug. Because, of course, he would. Saying
no would have been a mercy. "How would you like us posing?"
"Oh! Could you do a shippy pose?" The girl asks eagerly.
Before Osha can ask what the girl means by that, Qimir has bent down and swept her into his
arms, hoisting her up into a bridal carry with surprising ease.
Osha shrieks, completely caught off guard, and immediately wraps her arms around Qimir's
neck for support. She looks at him with wide eyes, her mouth dropped open, stunned by his
audacity.
"What do you think you're doing?" Osha demands, her voice jumping several decibels higher.
"What's more romantic than a bridal carry?" Qimir points out. "I mean, I suppose a kiss
would be, but I figured you weren't up for that yet."
"Yet? As if I would ever kiss you!"
It was so subtle Osha almost missed it, but Qimir physically flinches at her words. There is a
shift on his face, like a mask falling into place. The playfulness in his eyes dims and his smile
loses its vividness. If Osha didn't know any better, she might even say she saw a flicker of
hurt cross his face. But surely not. Why would Qimir care if she wanted to kiss him or not?
He would... if Mae was right about him having feelings for you, a voice in her head warns.
His voice is quiet, almost dejected, when he says, "I know."
The camera's flash is blinding. Once the light fades, Qimir's hastily put-in-place mask is
gone, replaced by one she cannot find fault with. Qimir grins at the girl as she offers up her
thanks for the picture; his cool demeanour back, with no traces of distress or upset.
"Qimir?"
"Yes, Osha," Qimir asks, returning his attention to her.
"You can put me down now."
For far too long a moment, Qimir looks at her without saying anything. There is a conflicted
look on his face before he finally seems to come to a decision.
"And if I don't want to?" Qimir says quietly, his eyes dropping to her lips before returning to
her eyes. "What if I want to keep you?"
Osha is taken aback by his words and finds herself completely speechless. The worst part is
how her traitorous heart skips a beat. How she almost lets herself fall into his gravity and
leans closer. It was his eyes that were his true weapons, fathomless and dark voids, alluring
as they were beautiful and painfully easy to stare into.
It takes more strength than Osha cares to admit to rip herself free from his gaze.
He was messing with her. He had to be. Screw what Mae said. Osha refused to believe that
Qimir had feelings for her. That his weird behaviour right now was anything other than a
game, a means to torment her, a way to throw his competition off balance. It was a devious
ploy that she would not fall for.
"If you want to keep your family jewels intact, you'll put me down," Osha threatens sweetly.
That brings a smirk to his face.
The moment Osha's feet touch the ground, she wastes no time in melding in with the crowd,
leaving Qimir behind without a glance back.
It's on the train ride home when Osha gets a call from her best friend, Jacki.
"Osha, what is oshamir and why has it exploded all over your social media?" Jacki asks.
"Excuse me?"
"Well, some people are saying oshamir. Some prefer oshmir. It's your... ship name? That's
when you want two people to be romantically involved, isn't it? Personally, I prefer oshmir,
but I think I've been outvoted. Shame."
"My ship name? My ship name with who—Oh my god. No!"
"I have to say that the bridal carry pic is cute. Ten thousand likes in an hour is impressive,"
Jacki remarks. "I thought you hated him?"
"I do!" Osha cries. "Send me the link. I'll call you back once I figure out what's going on."
A few seconds later, Osha's phone beeps with a link to the Instagram post. It was the photo
the anime girl had taken. Over 10,000 likes, 2000+ shares, and 50,000+ views.
Osha braces herself as she looks at the comment section.
SithWifey13546: "I knew there was something between them!! Every comic con they go as a
couple!!!"
Fairywingsrings: Oshmir! Not Oshamir! >:(
Reylo4ever24: Oshmir doesn't roll off the tongue as nicely. Deal with it! Who calls
themselves fairy, anyway?
NightYord: Two individuals taking a photograph together doesn't mean they are a couple
¬_¬
Hi_Hi_Hellox2: Can we please give them some privacy? I don't think it's right that people
are making all these assumptions. If they are a couple—which, congrats if they are!—it
should be up to them whether or not they reveal that information to us.
NotaDudeBro: They both suck. Who cares!
Qimirs_Future_Wife: Noooooooo!!! I won't believe it until Qimir confirms!!!
SeaPrincessLover101: Omg!!! Do u guys think that playlist Qimir shared on insta was about
JediGirlCosplayer?!
GirlWithAThousandShips: What playlist?
SeaPrincessLover101: I'll dm u, babe xxx
GirlWithAThousandShips: OMG!! Accidentally In Love?!! Hey Juliet?!!! Say You Like Me?!!
Omg!!! OMG!! SeaPrincessLover101 I think ur onto something!!!
SeaPrincessLover101: I KNOW RIGHT!!!
NotAScam: Have you recently been in an accident? Call this number to find out if you are
eligible for compensation!
Too_Old_For_This_Nonsence: Why does everything have to be a ship? Dear God, can't
people just be friends? Ugh.
Osha cringes. All of her social media are the same. Hundreds of questions, speculation, and
dozens of DMs. There were even photograph and video compilations of Osha and Qimir at
previous cons alongside people's analysis of their past interactions, as well as one or two fan
videos with Cascade songs blasting over them.
What was it about that one photo that set them off? Osha wonders in utter astonishment.
A new message pops up on Osha's Instagram. A message from Qimir.
Qimir: Would you consider cosplaying as Rey and Ben Solo for the next convention? ^_-
She was going to murder him. There were no if, buts or maybes; his days were numbered.
Osha: Only if we get to re-enact Rey stabbing Kylo xx
Qimir: Is that a yes?
Osha: No!!!!
Across The Ocean
Chapter Notes
Mermaid AU. A small one-shot gift for anonymousmink, inspired by her beautiful
mermaid AU!
https://www.tumblr.com/unknownmink/757729040932192257/it-is-very-important-for-
all-good-ships-to-have-a?source=share
Tags: #Mermaid AU #Attempted Drowning
A storm is coming, Pirate.
Qimir smiles at the sound of her voice. Like a message in a bottle, it has been carried to him
through ocean currents, winds and tides.
Maybe this time you'll heed caution and stay on land, where you're supposed to be.
Are you worried? Qimir asks.
For you? No. The mess your ship will leave on the seabed? Yes.
Then put an end to this and let me find you, Osha.
She gives him no reply, but he could feel her irritation through their connection, how it
prickled at her scales. She severs the connection with a huff.
Where once the world had been silent as they communicated, now Qimir is flooded with
sensations. The roar of the wind as it slaps against black sails. The waves, much rougher than
before, breaking against the ship and rocking it with increasing wildness. The worried chatter
of his crew as they scramble about the deck, securing everything not bolted down.
Qimir hangs off the edge of the ship, one arm wrapped around the rigging. He opens his eyes,
taking note of the ominous clouds darkening the horizon.
Osha had not lied; she never the did when it came to this. It is a salve on his aching soul, for
it assures him that despite all her rejections, she does not want him dead. She flees from him,
only because she knows that should they meet again - no, when they meet again - his silver
tongue will lure her to his side, as surely as her voice had led sailors to their watery doom.
But not me, Qimir thinks confidently. You could never bring yourself to do that to me, could
you, Osha?
Oh, she had certainly tried.
He remembers the day that he had corned his little mermaid in a lagoon at Olega. How in her
desperation to escape, she had sung a song so achingly sweet all of Qimir's reason and logic
had fled his mind, pulling him into a dream that vanquished all the loneliness, the anger, and
the hurt that festered in his heart. It had been utter bliss. A euphoric feeling that consumed
him body and mind.
His feet had moved of their own accord. His actions not his own. He had plunged from his
ship into the ocean, his lungs filling with salty water that burned, burned, burned.
Then it stopped. Arms had slipped under his and pulled him from the ocean's deathly
clutches. He remembers spewing water as he lay on his side on the sandy beach. He
remembers coming to his senses, horrified when he realized what had happened... what had
almost happened-
But then she was there.
Osha. His Osha. Her webbed fingers light on his forehead, pushing aside wet strands of hair.
Her beautiful face stricken, guilt forming tears in her eyes. She had laid on the beach with
him, her tail painted the colour of emeralds and seaweeds, lying half-submerged in the low
waters of the tide. Glistening pearls had been draped across her upper body, catching the
sunlight. Woven into her long locs were colourful seaflowers, pieces of coral and sea-carved
jewels. In that moment, with water droplets clinging to her skin like diamonds and the sun
gleaming gold around her like a halo, she had been as ethereal as a Sea Goddess.
Whether she would be his reckoning or salvation, he was yet to learn.
"You need to stop chasing me, Pirate. Next time... I won't show mercy," Osha had promised.
"Liar," Qimir had whispered in return, his chest heaving with every painful breath.
Before he could regain his strength, Osha had slipped back into the waters, vanishing below
the waves.
It has been months, nearly a year since he last saw her in the flesh. And now this storm will
ensure he will have to endure another night bereft of her presence. He and his crew will need
to make landfall, robbing him of even the simple company of the ocean, the closest thing he
has to being with her.
There have been many storms these past few months. He wonders if it is Osha's doing, if she
has sought a boon from an auld sea deity to make his quest as difficult as possible. Grimmer
still, what if it is the ocean herself, trying to keep them apart? Wanting nothing more than to
tear his ship asunder and toss his body into its depth, food for its children of the deep.
That might not be the worse fate, Qimir thinks with dark amusement.
Osha could find his skeleton then and make a pretty trinket to wear around her neck. At least
then they could be together. His bones comforted by the beating of her hearts.
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