The blurring of the line between the cosplayer and the hero can be a horror element. In some stories, the cosplayer feels like they are losing control and becoming the hero in a very negative or scary way. They might start to exhibit the hero's traits in a distorted and dangerous manner, like a hero known for strength suddenly having uncontrollable bursts of violence. And there's also the element of the unknown, not knowing what is causing these strange occurrences and feeling like there is some dark force at work related to the hero cosplay.
One common element is the distortion of the hero's appearance. For example, a cosplayer might see a warped version of the hero they are cosplaying, which is really creepy. Another is the feeling of being followed or watched by something that looks like their cosplayed hero. It gives a sense of unease.
One more common horror story is dealing with the accessories. Homestuck cosplays often have a lot of small and detailed accessories. A cosplayer could lose one of these important accessories right before or during the event. It might be a small charm or a unique piece that really completes the look. Without it, the cosplay just doesn't seem right and the cosplayer is left feeling disappointed and a bit self - conscious.
A common one is misrepresentation. Sellers might use photos of really nice cosplay items but send out something completely different. For example, a beautifully designed sword prop in the picture could turn out to be a flimsy plastic thing in reality.
A group of cosplayers were doing a photoshoot in an abandoned building as heroes of cosplay. They thought it would add an edgy look to their pictures. But once they got deeper into the building, they started to feel a cold presence. Equipment started malfunctioning and they heard whispers that seemed to be saying the names of their hero characters in a menacing way. It was a terrifying experience for them.
One cosplay horror story is about a girl who cosplayed as a popular horror movie character at a convention. A strange man started following her around, believing she was the real 'evil' character from the movie. He got too close and made her feel very uncomfortable.
Well, one common thing is the effort to replicate the heroes' signature outfits. However, differences can arise in how accurately the cosplayers imitate the heroes' poses and expressions. Also, the quality of the costumes can vary a lot.
One horror story is when a cosplayer's expensive and carefully made costume got ruined by someone accidentally spilling a drink on it at the convention. The cosplayer had spent months on it, and it was a real heartbreak.
I heard of a case where a cosplayer bought a very elaborate cosplay outfit from eBay for an important convention. The seller promised fast shipping. However, the package got lost in transit. When the cosplayer tried to track it down, both eBay and the seller were not very helpful. So the cosplayer had to scramble to put together a new cosplay at the last minute.
Food quality issues are common. For example, finding bugs or foreign objects in the food.
Another is the discovery of strange or disturbing behavior during the date. Like the person having extreme mood swings or being overly possessive. For example, suddenly getting angry for no reason or acting like they own the other person right away.
One horror story I heard was at a cosplay event. A cosplayer was approached by someone who seemed friendly at first. They started chatting about their cosplays, but then the person got really pushy about getting personal information like their phone number and address, saying they wanted to do a photoshoot together later. It was really creepy and made the cosplayer feel very uncomfortable.