3Cosplay: Literally "Costume Play." Dressing up and pretending to be a fictional character (usually a sci-fi, comic book, or anime character). Source: urban dictionary dot com
I based this story on my experience at Comic-Con '07. These are some of the actual booths and people that I saw, though I own none of the superheroes or companies that are mentioned here. The story and characters, though, are purely fictional. Enjoy!
Comic-Con is a convention for geeks. And yes, I am a geek. I love reading manga, stalking artists on Deviant Art, buying anything and everything to do with Ugly Doll, cosplaying, Spiderman, and Batman...all that jazz.
So do I have a boyfriend? If you saw me in person, my answer would be "L-O-L, no!"
It's not that I'm ugly, or anything. I mean, my acne isn't too bad, and usually I just wear jeans and t-shirt (can't go wrong with that combination, right?). I wear glasses, but they're not super-thick or anything. But I guess the type of guys I like don't prefer that sort of thing (that has to be it, right? It's not that I'm a total loser?). But whatever, it's not as if I'm heartbroken over being single.
So yeah, I'm at Comic-Con. And I'm walking around, wearing a Giant Robot t-shirt and some regular jeans, when my friends decide to ditch me for a Superman cosplayer. I'll admit, his costume was pretty cool - he has his hair gelled like Clark Kent and he is ripping off his shirt to display the "S" underneath - but, he isn't my type. For one, I like my boys scrawny. He is too built and muscle-y. He also has fake glasses, is too tall for my five-foot-one frame, and is cosplaying Superman, for God's sake! I'm not a Superman gal. I prefer the Peter Parker type.
Anyway, my friends are off ogling the Superman, and I'm left to be consumed by the crowd, so I push away and start looking at other exhibitor booths. Before I can reach the Shonen Jump booth, I catch a glimpse of a halo – a neon glow-in-the-dark halo pasted onto a stick mounted on a mid-thirty-year-old's head. And the white cloth wrapped around the thirty-year-old is held by rope, while his sandals go "clip-clop" on the floor. There's another lady, dressed in a Star Wars (?) costume walking beside him and a younger boy in regular clothes trailing behind the Jesus cosplayer. I gasp. IT'S THE INFAMOUS JESUS COSPLAYER! He's got a beard and long hair and everything! So I whip out my phone and start texting Annabelle.
"i just saw jesus and im gonna follow him"
Sure enough, right as I slip my phone back in my pocket, I get a reply from her, saying "LOL! xD omg youre so weird. ok then we'll meet u back at the front when youre done. take pics!" I put my phone back in my pocket for reals this time and take out my small digital camera, ready to stalk the Jesus cosplayer.
I get so far as ten feet when a sudden crowd WHOOSHES out of nowhere and swamps the poor guy. Oh, what a disappointment. I try and shove my way to the front of the crowd before tripping over a slippery plastic bag and land a successful face-plant on the feet of Jesus. Holy Crap! Literally!
I'm hyperventilating until I notice a large hand picking up my small ones and trying to lift me to my feet. Slowly, I stand up, my face burning. I take some deep breaths and check the hand that's got my camera and see a crack on the screen. Crap…
"Are you okay?"
I look up, willing my flaming cheeks to subside, and find myself glancing for a second into some hazel eyes before looking back down again. No, I think to myself, my camera just broke and I've totally just embarrassed myself in front of a dozen strangers. But outwardly, I mumble in the affirmative and jerk my hand away, having finally noticed that his hands are still around mine. I catch a ghost of a smile out of the corner of my eyes and I straighten myself out, ready to leave, until a different, deeper voice speaks up.
"Did you want to take a picture, hon?" It's the Jesus cosplayer, and I can't help it, but my face breaks into a grin before realizing that I just broke my camera. Then my face drops into a pout.
"Um. Yeah. But uh, my camera just broke." I hold up said object, frowning. "It's okay, never mind. I'll just, um, go. Thanks though. Bye!"
I break into a sprint and head for the front lobby, but not before tripping on yet another bag from the crowd and blushing before picking myself up, ignoring the shouts of the disgruntled crowd.
I'm not usually that clumsy, nor do I blush that easily. But I couldn't help it! If only the guy that helped me up weren't so darn cute, I would have had the guts to take out my camera phone and take a picture with Jesus.
Did I just say he was cute? Crap! No, he wasn't! He totally wasn't my type. He wasn't scrawny, dorky, and didn't wear glasses. He wasn't a geek. I didn't even see a generic Star Wars t-shirt on him. It was some funky band design instead. Aargh!
I spot my friends when I make it into the front lobby, breathing in some fresh air after being in a huge exhibit hall crowded with all those bodies. They wave and I join them, eager to get some lunch.
"The Black Angus Steak sounds really good."
"Mm, how about a Honey Bacon Club?"
"Ohh, that sounds good too…"
"Shirl, what do you want?"
Upon hearing my name, I whip my head around, staring at my friends. We're in Quiznos getting a submarine, and they are practically drooling over the menu. I glance indecisively at the menu, and then mutter something like, "a classic sub" or something. When I turn back around, I still can't believe my eyes.
I'm seeing the Jesus cosplayer, in the flesh, with the younger dude again sitting across in the cafe. I feel my cheeks slowly redden, tearing my eyes away and hoping that he doesn't see me, even though he is chatting with Jesus while facing me.
"Hey, we got you a classic Italian sub, is that okay?"
I nod vigorously, trying to pretend that I am not seeing the familiar blob of messy brown hair approaching me, out of the corner of my eye. Then I conspicuously search for my purse, pulling out a five dollar bill and pushing it into my friend's hand. All the while I am trying to deny that there is the same boy standing next to me in line, and I feel my face flush in embarrassment at our previous encounter.
Then I freeze. He's poking me, asking which sub I bought and wondering which sub is the best. I ignore him (unsuccessfully) as he keeps poking me in my ticklish spot, telling me to eat more meat to get some fat on my bones. My mouth is twitching. Then I crack out a raspy laugh, finally succumbing to the evil boss-boy and am forced to acknowledge that the boy is indeed real as I turn to face him, a malicious smile on my face and ready to take revenge. But he grins back, momentarily dazzling me and distracting my thirst for revenge, and announces he's going to get the Prime Rib Ranchero.
Then he goes back to the table with the Jesus cosplayer. I am still too embarrassed to ask the guy for a picture. And I don't see the boy for the rest of the day.
It's the next day, and I'm parading around happily at the Heroes booth. Oh, what joy! I had received a lunch box and a pin that said, "Vote Petrelli." I hug both items to my chest and my friend Annabelle laughs, while she entwines her arm around mine in a friendly gesture. I notice that I like Annabelle a lot; she is not your stereotypical nerd. She's a medium height, curvy, with curly blonde hair and bright green eyes. I didn't even know she knew what the Mutant Ninja Turtles were; she's only 15, after all, and that is way before her time. But she told me she loves Leonardo and has a special place in her heart for all things mutant-related, like X-Men and Spiderman and Heroes. I feel old when I'm with her. I'm almost 19.
My other friends are fake glaring at us, pretending to be angry that we lagged behind. But then we burst into giggles at their faces and we proceed to the next interesting booth.
"Oh my gosh! Look! A Golden Compass booth! C'mon, let's go take pictures! Ooh, I love the Golden Compass," another friend gushes, and she drags all four of us with surprising force.
When we reach the Golden Compass, it's a photo booth where they allow us to take a picture and pose as the girl on the front poster, underneath the shadow of a polar bear. I don't understand the pose, as I haven't read the book, but it's a free photo with my friends. Annabelle and I exchange grins, and we allow the cameraman to attempt to squash us all into the photo.
Finally, he's succeeded and we head out to the exit and wait while the film develops. The moment we step out, I see sandaled feet and a white cloth… Uh-oh. Next to Jesus, a similar pair of ripped jeans and a skater t-shirt are leading against the wall. I'm afraid to look at the boy's face, but it's too late. He steps off the wall and comes towards me. I'm staring again at the floor, but at least this time I'm not blushing.
"Hey."
"Hello!" my friend squeals. I glance at her and silently thank her for the diversion.
Surprised, he looks at my friend. "Um, hi." Is it just me, or did he just drop the husky voice?
"What's your name? I'm Yvonne."
"Uh, I'm James."
"Ooh, that's a cute name!" A flutter of the eyelashes, and then, "Are you a fan of the Golden Compass too?"
"Sure…?" Then he looks at me, startling me, because at the moment I had been studying his features. "Are you?"
My friend Yvonne (whose name I could not, for the life of me, remember… or pronounce) frowns and looks at the direction of his stare. "Who, Shirley?"
He smiles. "Yeah, Shirley. I've met her before."
"Nohehasn't." I breathe in a nervous voice to Yvonne.
"What?" She doesn't hear me.
"Yes, I have," James says in a firmer voice. "She tripped and fell on my brother's feet while she was trying to take a picture of him."
At this, Yvonne bursts into laughter. I am too indignant to reply, and am too slow-witted to retort, because at the moment the photo guys come out and hand us each a card with the Golden Compass on it, our photo inside. Taking advantage of the diversion, James grins at me and leaves with Jesus (his brother?).
Yvonne leans over and places a hand on my shoulder. "Shirl, I didn't think that guy was your usual type…" Her face erupts into a wolfish grin. I leap away, shaking my head.
"I-I, uh, I mean… Um, he's not… I don't know him or anything!"
"Didn't he ask you something at Quiznos?" Annabelle raises an eyebrow. Bemused looks appear on my other friends' faces, as well.
I blush, caught in my lies, and snatch my Golden Compass photo into my hands, stomping away and leaving a proud smile on my friends' faces.
Five-hundred… Six-hundred… Seven-hundred… Where's the Broccoli boo—
BAM.
Disoriented at the sudden interruption in my thoughts, I blink rapidly only to find that I am facing the ceiling, on my back after having fallen onto the ground. I hear some loud grunts across from me and lift my eyes to find a huge brown mass on the floor. I think I must have crashed into him—wait, no, according to the theories concerning momentum, the impact must have been caused by the brown mass, because my own weight is too small to move such a large person, though I would have been traveling at a fast speed if he was also impacted by me—
"I'm so sorry! My friend must not have seen you. Are you all right?"
Oh my goodness. Déjà vu! I feel a hand grip my own (softer, this time, not as rough and calloused as my previous encounter with James yesterday) and lifts me to my feet. Upon standing upright again, I turn my face to the friend of the giant brown mass.
Oh. Em. Gee.
He is gorgeous! A pale, pimply face with an adorable braces-laden smile; bright blue eyes covered by a tinted yellow pair of thick glasses; messy, red hair sticking up in all directions and a fantastic Spiderman t-shirt adorning his thin frame. I have just fallen in love. I don't even notice the thundering footsteps of the brown mass as he stalks away.
"H-hi. Um, I'm okay. Thanks. I'm Shirl, by the way." I stick out my hand and he takes it, giving it a firm shake. He says something that I don't hear because I'm too busy going weak in the knees and give him a smile. Ooh, we could make the cutest geeky babies, raised on X-Men and Spiderman comics…
"Hey Dennis, give me a hand?"
My jaw drops, and so does his as I turn around. What, I accuse, Are you doing here?! You are ruining my soulmate moment! Why did you have to interrupt?! Wait, his name's Dennis? Oh my god, that's a beautiful name… But in reality, I wrench my jaw back into place and stare at him. He smiles at me before turning back to the gorgeous geek I have just fallen in love with. I vaguely wonder where Jesus is.
From behind me, Dennis goes up to James and promptly takes a box lying on the ground. Shooting me an apologetic look, he starts moving boxes back and forth between booths near us that sell t-shirts. James notices my awestruck face and his smile goes wider. My nostrils flare in indignation as he makes a little heart sign with his hands and breaks them apart behind Dennis's back.
"What," I hiss. James doesn't say anything; he just points to a girl that my future husband is talking with. Actually, he is also standing very close to her… And then takes her hand?! My eyes widen as she plants a kiss on his cheek. Heartbroken, I almost want to collapse on the ground.
"So," he begins conversationally, after seeing my face drop. Is it just me, or does he seem more cheerful after letting me know about Dennis's girlfriend? "What were you doing before you crashed into that other guy?"
I pause. What was I doing? Oh! "I um, was looking for the Broccoli Publishers booth? I dunno."
He laughs at the name of the booth. "Oh, you mean for the stamp hunt from Square Enix?"
"Yeah! Whoa, you know about it? Have you found it?"
"Yeah. I won one of those little blue slime key chains."
"Really? Aww, I wanted that. It's so cute!" I can't help but smile now. James's smile is too contagious. And I love Dragon Quest.
Then he unexpectedly moves closer to me, holding out a small blue plushy in his hand. "Here," he says. "You can have it, Shirl."
I blush at the mention of my name. "Thanks, James." Going against all my inhibitions, I lean over and give him a slight hug, swinging my hands around his neck. He's tense at first, then eventually relaxes but all the while I can feel the heat from his neck and gives me a little pat on the back.
When we pull away, his cheeks are redder than mine. "So did you still want to take a picture of my brother?"
Finally. After a, what – 2 year break? I've finally written something! Yay! And yes… a fluffy romance fic instead of the usual angst. I'm just too excited for Comic-Con, and I couldn't wait until after this year's convention to write this!