Chapter 17: Welcome to Japan Expo
The rest of the week took its sweet time passing. But finally, Saturday arrived, and that meant the beginning of two special days for a lot of people in Paris. And among those people was Ivan Bruel. Waking up early, he got started on his usual morning routine, which began with a series of exercises. Despite his large build, Ivan had always been one to practice physical activities. After he got his miraculous, he made sure to train every morning, for at least 15 minutes, doing push-ups, pull-ups and sit-ups. Just enough to get the boost he needed to start his day. And his trainer was a tough one; his own kwami, Muria, who made sure that he did not skip a single training.
"77, 78, 79… come on, one more, and you're done!" -Muria said, encouraging Ivan. –"80! There, 80 push-ups. Not bad, not bad at all." -he said.
"I-I think I'll skip the rest of the morning training." -Ivan said, puffing, as he got up.
"What are you talking about?!" -Muria asked him, not liking what he was hearing. –"You know the drill, big guy. You always begin your day with your morning training, and not doing it, means you're slacking off." -he told Ivan.
"Hey, I'm going to a cosplay convention. I'm going to need all the energy I can get to walk around all day." -Ivan said.
"All the energy you can get? You've got the stamina of a bull, or a bear in your case, remember?!" -Muria pointed out, as he raised an eyebrow at him. –"You could do five of these morning workouts in a row, before you cracked some sweat on you." -he said.
"Well, maybe I'm not in the mood to train today." -Ivan said, shrugging his shoulders.
"And you call yourself a superhero!" -Muria told him, in a sarcastic tone. –"From all the
Ivan loved Muria, but there were times when the bear kwami had the natural ability to push his buttons and make him lose his patience, even if it was not his intention. And right then, that was one of those times. Still, he tried to ignore him, and put what he had just said behind his back.
"Whatever. I'm not going to argue with you this morning, especially because today is going to be a fun day, and I want to be on my best disposition." -Ivan told him. –"Mylene is coming to pick me up, and her dad is going to drive us to the convention, where we'll meet up with the others." -he said, as he opened his wardrobe.-"I better take out my backpack too."
"Why would I do that? You never choose the ones I recommend." -Muria grunted.
"That's because you've got bad taste" -Ivan said, as he took out his backpack from the wardrobe.
"Now, you're sounding like Chloe, when she's on a bad mood." -Muria told him, upset. –"And no, I don't have bad taste. You're the one who wears nothing but black t-shirts. The only thing that changes in them is the drawing stamped on them." -he said. –"I can't even remember the last time you wore a shirt that isn't black."
"Black is my colour. And I happen to have worn a couple of shirts that weren't black, not so long ago." -Ivan told him, when he heard a knock at the door, which startled him and Muria.
"Who are you talking to, Ivan?" -the voice asked. It was Ivan's mom, Yana.
"Huh… I'm talking to Mylene on the phone, mom!" -Ivan answered her, by saying the first thing that came to his mind. –"She called to tell me that her dad is driving us to the convention, and that she'll be here shortly." -he said, making up as he went.
"Oh, okay. Well, then you better hop into the shower. You don't want to keep your girlfriend waiting, when she arrives." -Yana told him in a playful tone. –"By the way, how many sandwiches you want me to make you?" -she asked Ivan.
"Just three, mom." -Ivan said. –"I'm planning to get something to eat at the convention, with the rest of my friends." -he said.
"Only three? I better make you six. I know that you tend to eat a lot, when you go out." -Yana said. –"And that way, you won't have to waste money on food." -she said.
At the same time, at the Couffaine residence, things were anything but quiet. On that morning, Juleka and Luka's mom, Anarka, woke up even before the sun rose, her mind swarming with ideas for a new sculpture. She knew she could not waste time or energies, so she woke up her husband and dragged him to her boathouse studio, so he could pose as a model for her, while leaving a note for her children on top of the kitchen table, wishing them a good day, and that she would see them at dinner. It was not the first time this happened, and both the Couffaine siblings knew it would not be the last one either. Being an artist, Anarka made a rule never to let her inspiration go to waste, which meant working on her art either before the sun rose, or right into the night. And her children knew that and understood her. But on that morning, Juleka wished her mom did not have those times, when she needed to put her inspiration to work. Thinking her mother would prepare her things for her to go to the convention, while she was still asleep, Juleka stayed in bed a little longer. And when she woke up, and realized that her mother was not home and that she had noy prepared anything for her to take with her, she cursed the fact that she herself had not prepared things the night before, before going to bed.
Looking at the clock on the kitchen's door, she noticed that Rose and her dad would be there to pick her up in half hour. Opting not to take a shower that morning, she quickly put on some clothes and started to get things ready to leave, quite noisily. So noisily, that Luka woke up. Still in his pyjamas, he decided to see why Juleka was making so much noise, running around the house. Unlike his siter, he did not plan to go out that Saturday, and had decided to stay in bed until it was time for lunch, which was not happening, thanks to Juleka making all that noise.
"Where's my backpack?! Where's my backpack?!" -Juleka exclaimed, as she looked for the darn thing. –"Why can't things show up, when we need them the most?!" -she thought to herself.
"Which one?" -Luka asked his little sister, startling her. –"You have five different backpacks. Which one are you looking for?" -he asked her.
"The one that has the Nirvana keychain!" -Juleka exclaimed, as she continued to check the wardrobe for it.
"You mean the purple and dark cerise striped one with the head of a tiger chain-stitched to it?" -Luka asked her.
"Yes, that one! Have you seen it, Luka?" -Juleka asked him. –"Please, tell me that you saw it, and you know where it is!" -she begged him.
"I saw mom washing it earlier this week. It's probably still on the clean laundry basket." -Luka told her.
Hearing him, Juleka ran towards the room where the basket was, to see if Luka was right. Following her, the teal-haired teenager wondered why his sister was looking for that specific backpack. When he got to the office, which also served as the music room and the ironing room, he saw Juleka going through the clean laundry basket, emptying it.
"Come on, where is it? It's got to be here… Found it." -Juleka sighed, relieved.
"Don't get me wrong, Jules, but why that particular backpack? I mean, you've got others. Why do you want to take that one with you?" -Luka asked her, as they both walked to the kitchen. . –"And did you have to make all that racket, while looking for it?" -he asked her. –"I was having the greatest dream ever… I was playing guitar alongside Jagged Stone, in front of a crowd of millions."
"Sorry if I woke you up, Luka. I didn't mean to." -Juleka apologized, as she exited the room. –"I guess after reading mom's note, I sort of panicked in a way that I must have sounded like my friend Marinette, who tends to freak out a bit over the smallest thing" -she said, chuckling.
"It's okay. I know you didn't do it on purpose." -Luka smiled at her. –"But you still haven't told me why you were so desperate to find that specific backpack." -he said. –"Why were you looking for it?"
"Because I like it, and it's the one that I like to take when I go on school fieldtrips, and this is sort of a school fieldtrip." -Juleka answered him, as they entered the kitchen and she –"Okay, let's start making some sandwiches. I better make a few extra, in case any of the others forgets to pack snacks." -she said, as she went to get the ingredients for them.
"A school fieldtrip? Juleka, you know I love you, more than anything else, sis, but you're not making any sense, right about now." -Luka told her, hoping for an answer, as Juleka raided the pantry and the fridge.
Luka did not understand what Juleka had told him, but she on the other hand understood it perfectly. In a way, attending Japan Expo was like a school fieldtrip, because she and the rest of her class were going to cheer for their teacher. She and the others worked on a cheer for Miss Bustier, and she could not wait to use it. Juleka was not one to do those things, but for the best teacher in the world, she was willing to make an exception and cheer for her, as loud as her lungs allowed her.
"I'll tell you everything about it, later. I promise." -Juleka smiled, as she placed all the ingredients on the table. –"Right now, I need to make these sandwiches, before Rose shows up, and I'm running out of time. Could you get me the ketchup and the radish sauce, please? I forgot to bring them." -she asked Luka.
"Ketchup and radish sauce? I know you love ketchup, but radish sauce? I thought you hated radishes." -Luka said, as he went to the fridge to get both things.
"Not anymore. Turns out, I actually like them a lot." -Juleka told him, as she sliced the bread.
The truth was, she hated radishes, but Tamara loved them and she had requested that the sandwich Juleka was to prepare for her, had extra radish sauce. And so, Juleka poured enough radish sauce to choke a horse, along with a little bit of ketchup, on a cheese and ham sandwich. Checking the time, she quickened the pace, with Luka giving her a hand. When they finished, the Goth looked at the clock on the wall one more time, and saw that Rose would be arriving in five minutes.
"Rose is almost here. I better go and put my shoes on." -Juleka said.
"Okay. I hope you and your girlfriend do have fun there." -Luka told her.
"You want me to buy you something at the convention?" -Juleka asked him, as she finished making the last sandwich. –"And if you want to, you better give me the money for it, because I'm on a relatively tight budget. Anything I might buy there will either be food or something cute for my girlfriend." -she warned Luka.
"Well, if you see any cool t-shirts there, bring me one." -Luka said, as he went to his bedroom to get his wallet. Coming back, he pulled out 20 euros from it. –"I think this should cover it." -he said, as he handed the money to his sister.
"You better give me 40, instead of just 20. According to Max, any merchandise in that event is a little bit expensive." -Juleka stated.
"Alright. But if you end up buying a shirt for me, make sure it's a cool one." -Luka told her, before handing her another 20 euros. –"And now, if you don't mind, I'll be going back to bed. My pillow is calling me." -he smiled, before hugging Juleka, and kissing her on the forehead. –"Make sure to be careful, and enjoy yourself, baby sister."
"Thanks, I will. And for the record, I'm not a baby anymore, big brother." -Juleka chuckled.
"I know that, Jules. Because if you weren't, I highly doubt that Rose would have ever been attracted to you." -Luka playfully joked.
"Oh, you!" -Juleka laughed, as Luka exited the kitchen. –"Luka, sometimes you're impossible!" -she chuckled. –"Just you wait until you get a girlfriend! I'll make sure to tease you, as much as you tease me about it!"
If there was one thing, she knew her brother loved to tease her about, was her relationship with Rose. Ever since he had found out that the two of them were dating, he had been supportive of them, while at the same time, teasing Juleka about it, every time he got the chance. Juleka knew that was Luka's way of saying that he was happy that she had found the girl of her dreams in Rose, and that no matter what, he would be supportive of them. Still, she wished he would not tease her like that so much.
After he went back to his bedroom, Juleka hurried to tidy up everything, so her parents could not complain that she had left the kitchen a mess, before leaving. She was finishing putting the bread back in the pantry, when who ought to pass through the box of her favourite cereal, but her kwami, Tamara. The raven kwami had been hiding, since Luka showed up, and decided to wait until she felt it was safe for her to show herself again to Juleka.
"I was wondering where you had gone to." -Juleka smiled at Tamara.
"I decided to leave you and your brother alone, for reasons we both know." -Tamara smiled back at her. -"As always, your brother was in a good mood." -she said.
"I know, and I can't understand how he does it. When I wake up against my will, I always get grumpy. But not Luka. He's always in a good mood, whether he wakes up against his will, or not." -Juleka declared.
"Your mom always wakes up in a good mood too." –Tamara said. –"I guess you are more like your dad when it comes to that."
"I am. He's always grumpy and doesn't say a word to anyone, before his morning coffee. And me, I'm always grumpy, before I drink my chocolate milk." -Juleka giggled, as she closed the pantry's door.
"Did you put enough radish sauce on my sandwich?" -Tamara asked her.
"I did." -Juleka smiled at her kwami. –"I would never forget about it, Tamara." –she said.
"Thank you, Juleka." -Tamara smiled at her, when Juleka's cell phone beeped. –"Oh, I bet it's a text from Rose." -she said, as Juleka checked her cell.
"You're right. It's from her. She's saying that she'll be here in two minutes." -Juleka declared. –"I better put on my boots, grab my backpack and get ready to go down." -she said.
"Don't forget the bottle of water. You don't want to end up dehydrated." -Tamara told her, before getting inside the backpack.
"Paradise on Earth, Ari." -Max whispered to his kwami. –"If such a place exists in this universe, then this has to be the closest thing on Earth to it." -he declared.
Max and Ari had just arrived at the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre, the second-largest convention centre in France, where Japan Expo was taking place. All year he had been waiting for this event, and it was finally happening. Having started back in 1999, it was the largest event of the kind, outside Japan. Not only that, but it was also known for getting better with each passing year, and Max had been one to see such a thing happening. The attendance increased, and so did the quality of the event. Just from standing outside its entrance, one could already feel the energy that transpired from it.
It was said, that to a pop culture fan, it was as important to attend Japan Expo at least once in its life, the same way a Muslim should visit Mecca, at least once in its life. And each year, people all over Europe, and from other continents as well, would join the French in this event, which was just as known as Comic-Con in San Diego.
"You are really excited about this, aren't you?" -Ari asked Max.
"You bet, I am. I was afraid my mom would forbid me from coming this year, after what happened. But luck was on my side, and here I am." -Max said, as he looked around and saw the lines that were forming in front of the convention centre. –"Let's hope the others get here soon. I don't feel like ending up on the end of the line." -he commented.
Waiting for the others to show up, Max decided to see what kind of cosplays there were around. As always, there people cosplaying all kinds of characters. But like every year, there were characters that were in fashion, for one reason, or another, and that instantly became fan favourites of a lot of cosplayers, whether they were just beginners or veterans. And on that year, the characters of Overwatch were among the favourites. But so were characters from other media, like Sailor Moon, One Piece, Dragonball, Attack on Titan, Naruto, . And last, but not least, there were a lot of people cosplaying the Miraculous Team heroes.
"Looks like Overwatch cosplays are still the rage this year." -Max commented, as he saw at the distance a cosplay group, where you could see a Lucio, a Reaper, a Sombra, a Soldier 76, a Tracer and a Reinhardt. –"And as always, you have people wearing massive cosplays that require armours." -he said. –"It must have taken whoever is wearing that Reinhardt armour months to put it together, not to mention that war hammer."
"But there are also a lot of people dressed up in Miraculous Team costumes." -Ari said, as he peeked from inside the backpack. –"Those over there look really cool… oh, and look at that Arachnid there! He looks almost like you." -the spider kwami pointed out.
And he was right. The cosplayer wearing an Arachnid cosplay that was passing by did look a lot like Max, when he transformed. The level of detail of some of cosplays was almost uncanny. Some of them could even pass by the real deal.
"He does indeed." -Max whispered at Ari. –"Oh, there goes another one, though that one's cosplay is a little simpler than the other." -he said, as he noticed the colours did not fully match, and that the lasso was hanging on the wrong side. –"Still, it looks cool."
"I bet that you're feeling important, right about now." -Ari commented.
"Why is that?" -Max asked the spider kwami.
"Oh, because you're seeing people wearing costumes like yours. If they're doing it, it's because they like you." -Ari told him.
"I admit that I would be lying, if I said that my ego isn't liking what it's seeing." -Max admitted.
Time went by, and one by one, everyone in Miss Bustier's class showed up. Some of them looked excited to be there, while others refrained their enthusiasm, because of how sleepy they still were. The only one missing was none other than Marinette, and Adrien and Alya quickly tried to find out why she was running late. Unfortunately, when they called her, it went straight into her voice mail.
"Chloe!" -Juleka exclaimed, feeling the blonde had gone a little too far with her statements.
"What?! It's the truth. She tends to be late, every single time we do something together." -Chloe exclaimed, in her defense.
"We know that, but it's still not nice to say those things about her, especially when Marinette's not around to defend herself." -Sabrina said.
The conversation regarding Marinette's tardiness went for a few more minutes, with Chloe complaining that Marinette knew they had agreed to meet early, so they would not end up being the last ones to enter, and the rest of the gang either ignoring her complaints, or telling her to calm down, and saying that if she was running late, she would have a good reason for that. Finally, Marinette showed up, looking like she had run the marathon, carrying a box from her parents' bakery in her hands.
"Sorry, my parents' car got stuck in traffic on the way here, and I left my cell phone on silent mode by accident." -Marinette apologized. –"But I'm here, and I brought something for us all." -she smiled, as she opened the box she was holding in her hands. –"Fresh croissants for everyone. And that includes our little companions. Go on, help yourselves to them, everyone."
"Don't mind if I do, milady." -Adrien said, as he took two croissants, but not before he kissed Marinette on her forehead, making her giggle. –"Also, you're not late, just fashionably late, like the star in the sky you are." -he whispered at her, making her blush lightly.
"If you're offering, who am I to say no to it, girl?" -Alya laughed, as she too took too croissants, quickly sliding one inside her backpack, where Trixx was hiding.
"Fine, I'll take one." -Chloe said. –"But just so you know, and before you find out through any of them, yes, before you arrived, I was criticizing you for being late, but I was only saying the truth. You're always running late, Marinette." -she confessed, as she grabbed two croissants.
"I prefer to say that I'm fashionably late, like my boyfriend just told me, Chloe." -Marinette told Chloe, nor holding any kind of grudge against the blonde, with the two sharing a smile with one another.
"These look so good, Marinette." -Rose chirped.
"Rose's right. They look good enough to be featured in the cover of a culinary magazine." -Nathaniel told her.
"Oh, you know me too well, Marinette." -Kim said, as he grabbed two croissants; one for him, one for Imp. –"You can consider yourself forgiven. There's nothing like a second breakfast, to cheer me up." -he declared.
"Always practicing the good teachings of the Hobbits, Kim." -Max laughed, as he helped himself to two croissants.
"Hobbits?" –Chloe said. –"What is that?" -she asked.
"They're characters from the Lord of the Rings, Chloe." -Adrien answered her.
"They're really small creatures, they walk barefoot, and they are known for living Hobbit-holes, and for having seven different meals, instead of our usual four, which would be breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner and supper." -Max explained. –"Essentially, they are the main characters of the Lord of the Rings saga."
"Oh, so that's what those little guys who are carrying that ring are called." -Chloe said.
"You're telling us you know where the Hobbits are from, but you didn't know what they were called?" -Alix asked her.
"I never watched the whole movie, okay? Just parts of it. Don't blame me, if I'm not much of an appreciator of that saga." -Chloe said, as she nibbled one of the croissants, while slipping the other inside her pochette, where Pollen was hiding.
"Well, then I think it's time for at least one of us to teach you to appreciate it." -Alya said. –"I'm more of a Whovian myself, as well as a Potterhead, but I also consider myself a Ringer, so, I know a few things about the Lord of the Rings, and what to say to convince someone that it's amazing. I'm up for the challenge." -she said. –"Unless, Sabrina wants that responsibility, of course."
"Sorry, but I'll have to pass it. I'm not a very big fan of the Lord of the Rings." -Sabrina said. –"But I'll be more than happy to turn her into a Tribute." -she chuckled.
"A what, now, Sabrina?" -Chloe asked her girlfriend.
"A Tribute, Chloe. It's what we, fans of The Hunger Games, call ourselves." -Sabrina said, as she made Katniss' three finger salute. –"I just love Katniss' story of love, sacrifice and friendship. Also, Jennifer Lawrence looks badass in that costume of hers." -she said.
"And here I thought you were only going to try and turn me into a fan of one of those crime dramas, you like so much." -Chloe said.
"You say that as if that was a bad thing, Chloe." -Sabrina chuckled. –"Besides, we all know that at heart, you're also a geek, like all of us." -she said, winking her eye at her. –"And by the end of the day, we're all going to make sure that your geekier side comes out to play."
"Yeah, that's not going to happen, sorry." -Chloe said in a serious tone, before an impish smile showed up on her face, meaning that she did not mean what she had said.
"Alright, everyone, it's time for a selfie." -Marinette said, as she pulled out her cell phone. –"Let's gather around, you know the drill. This one is for the books… we're here to support Miss Bustier and to have a fun weekend." -she joked, as Adrien put his arm around her shoulders. –"Okay, is everyone ready? Okay… say croissant, people!"
"Croissant!" -they all exclaimed in chorus, as Marinette snapped the photo.
With that photo taken, they officially considered their weekend at Japan Expo to have begun. Waiting in line, they all observed what happened, while hoping to not have to wait too long to enter and see how things were inside. So, to pass the time, like everyone else, they started to talk, and it did not take long for the main subject to be one of the things that convention was all about: anime.
"Okay, favourite anime… must I only pick one?" –Nino asked.
"Not this time. You've got to pick only one." -Ivan said. –"Just like I picked One Piece and Kim picked Dragonball, you can only pick one as well." -he said.
"Fine… I like… Vocaloid." -Nino said.
"Vocaloid?! You like Vocaloid?!" -Kim asked, as he burst into laugh. –"That's a girls' anime, dude!" -he laughed.
"And what's so wrong with my boyfriend liking an anime that is aimed at girls, Kim?!" -Alya shot at him. –"For your information, my favourite anime isn't a girls anime. It's more of a boys' anime." -she said. –"There's nothing wrong with Nino liking Vocaloid. It's a music anime, after all."
"Then, what is that anime you say you like so much, and it's not a girls' anime?" -Kim asked, daring her to say it.
"Cowboy Bebop, of course." -Alya told him, with a smirk on her face, which wiped Kim's smirk off his. –"See you, space cowboy!" -she said, quoting the anime, while also holding up her fingers in a gun shape. –"It never gets old, and it has the best intro ever."
"Never was a big fan of that one. I don't know why, but it's probably because I'm not really a big fan of sci-fi animes." -Alix said. –"But my favourite anime has got the best protagonist ever… Air Gear. Awesome manga about roller skaters. Too bad the anime only had one season." -she said. –"Still, my second favourite anime, has more seasons than that one, and it's easily one of the greatest animes ever… Captain Tsubasa. People are always saying that Inazuma Eleven is good, and that the same thing goes for Kuroko's Basketball and Haikyu!, but that's because they never watched Captain Tsubasa. Just the intro, gives me goosebumps, every time I hear it."
"You mean the one that feels like a football game takes forever to end, because the field looks like it's a kilometre long?" -Nathaniel asked.
"Yeah. And it's also the one that seems like they're running on top of a watermelon." -Alix laughed. –"The anime is far from perfect in many ways, and it's also the source of countless memes, but I love it." -she said.
"Why am I not surprised you would like things that are about sports?" -Chloe asked, while raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, and what about you, Chloe? What's your favourite anime, huh?" -Alix asked her.
"I don't watch anime, or whatever! So, I don't have one." -Chloe declared.
"Chloe, that's not true." -Adrien told her. –"You used to, when you came to visit me. We would sit on my bedroom watching anime all afternoon, when it was raining outside." -he said. –"And I remember that you were particularly fond of some, not even allowing me to choose which to watch."
"That was a long time ago, Adrien. I don't watch it anymore." -Chloe declared, feeling a little bit bothered by the conversational topic.
"That's not true, Chloe." -Sabrina said, with a mischievous smile. –"I know you still watch an anime you love, from time to time. And you also love to say the characters catchphrases and attacks out loud, while mimicking their moves." -she said.
"Sabrina! You swore to me, you would never tell that to anyone!" -Chloe exclaimed, embarrassed.
"Oh, now I really want to know which anime is that one." -Alix said. –"Come on, tell us! I demand to know!" -she exclaimed.
"You better say it, Chloe, or Alix won't leave you in peace, until you do it" -Marinette advised her.
"Uh, fine… I like Sailor Moon…" -Chloe sighed.
"Which one? The new one, or the original one?" -Mylene asked her. –"The original one is my favourite anime, and my favourite Sailor Senshi is Sailor Chibimoon. What's yours?" -she added.
"Both." -Chloe declared. –"I like the original one better, but the new one is also very good." -she said. –"And my favourite Sailor Senshi is Sailor Moon."
"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" -Adrien asked her. –"Why didn't you just say that you were a Sailor Moon fan?" -he asked her. –"I also like Sailor Moon, but I prefer Digimon. I think it's because the story takes place in another world. I always liked animes where the characters end up in another world, and then have to find a way to go back home."
"I… I don't know." -Chloe sighed. –"Maybe it's because, I'm not supposed to like animes and cartoons anymore, because we're not kids anymore." -she said.
"That's your mom talking, and we had agreed that you're not her and that you are your own person, Chloe." -Adrien told her. –"Heck, your mom's even trying to not be that person anymore either." -he said, smiling at her. –"It's okay for you to love anime or anything else you fancy. And this is the place to show it. So, as some people would say, no more stinking-thinking. If you like something, then like it away, and don't be afraid to say it. I mean, you're a big fan of yourself, if you know what I mean? And you like to say it, over and over."
"Y-Yeah, but that's different… or maybe it isn't." -Chloe said. –"Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm letting what my mom taught me to think, to get to me and I shouldn't." -she said.
"Then, don't think about it anymore." -Adrien said. –"And changing the subject, besides Sailor Moon, what other do you secretly like to watch?" -he asked her, before looking at Sabrina. –"And no, Sabrina, you're not allowed to say it. She has to say it, herself."
"I wasn't going to." -Sabrina said.
"Well, I also like to watch Pretty Cure and Little Witch Academia." -Chloe admitted. –"Oh, and I also like Cardcaptor Sakura."
"You're a fan of Cardcaptor Sakura too?!" -Marinette asked her. –"Who's your favourite character? Mine's Tomoyo, because she's always making those cute outfits for Sakura." -she said. –"And yeah, before you, or anyone else asks, it's my all-time favourite anime."
"I like Rika. I'm not much of a fan of the romance she has with her teacher, but I like her personality." -Chloe admitted. –"What about you, Sabrina? I know you're a fan of detective and criminal series. So, your favourite anime must be about something that resonates those themes." -she said.
"You're right. Guilty as charged." -Sabrina said, coyly. –"My favourite anime is Lupin the 3rd. I just love the characters and how they manage to pull the craziest heists ever. Sure, they are thieves, but they are thieves that only steal to those who can afford to lose something." -she revealed.
"I also love that about the anime. It's a timeless classic." -Marinette said. –"I even made puppets of the main characters, because I love them so much." -she said.
"Really? You've got to show them, when you can." -Sabrina begged her.
"Since nobody is asking me, I'm going to say mine." -Nathaniel said, with an upbeat voice. –"It's Blue Exorcist." -he said.
"Never heard of that one." -Rose said.
"It tells the story of two twin brothers who find out they are the sons of Satan himself, and end up training and finding a way to get revenge on their father, after this one killed the man who raised them." -Nathaniel told her. –"I wasn't very keen on the story at first, but because what got me to watch it was the art style. But I ended up loving the story." -he said. –"And like I said, I fell in love with it because of the art style, which made me also love my second favourite anime, Fullmetal Alchemist, which also has a brutal art style, and a very good story."
"My brother Luka and I also love that one." -Juleka said. –"I remember him telling me that he had seen an ad on television, about a series that had a guy in a red jacket and a guy in a suit of armour and that it looked cool, and that we had to watch it." -she reminisced about it. –"Who would ever think that we would end up glued to the screen, because of those two brothers and their story?"
"I get what you mean. It's a really cool anime." -Nathaniel said. –"I don't know about you all, but I usually fall in love with the art styles of the animes, before falling in love with their stories. It's one of the reasons why I also like a few magical-girl type animes, with Sailor Moon being my favourite of those." -he confessed. –"The art in them is beautiful."
"I get what you're saying. There's something about Sailor Moon, that makes the anime and the manga, look so magical." -Mylene commented. –"And I bet that you also are, aren't you, Rose?" -she asked the blonde. –"Don't get me wrong, but you just have one of those faces that says "I am a Sailor Moon lover", Rose."
"Well, I like Sailor Moon, I won't lie about it. But that's not my favourite anime." -Rose declared. –"My favourite anime is something completely different from what you and everyone else here, thinks I might like." -she said. –"It's not about magical girls with beautiful transformations, or talking cute animals…"
"No magical girls and no cute animals? Okay, you had my curiosity. Now you have my attention." -Alix said. –"What is that anime? Do I know it?" -she asked her.
"I don't know if you ever heard about it, but the name of it is Berserk." -Rose said.
"Berserk?" -Alix asked. –"What is that?"
"It's an anime, and also a manga by Kentaro Miura, which is set in a medieval Europe-inspired dark fantasy world. The story follows the adventures of the characters of Guts, a lone mercenary, and Griffith, the leader of a mercenary band called the "Band of the Hawk"." -Max told Alix –"It's quite good actually. But I never thought you would be into that kind of story. It's the polar opposite of what you usually read and watch." -he told Rose.
"Okay, I was not expecting that." -Alix said, baffled with what she had heard. –"How in the world did that anime became your favourite, when it has nothing to do with you?" -she asked Rose.
"I found out about it, by accident, when I was in a bookstore. I don't know why, but I really like reading it. And when I found out that there was an anime, I binge-watched it all." -Rose told her. –"Like you said, it has nothing to do with me. And I think that's why I like it so much. It's exciting to read or watch something that has got nothing to do with me, because I didn't really know what was going to happen to the characters."
"It's true. She's always saying that to me, when we watch the whole anime, from time to time." -Juleka said.
"Well, it shouldn't have been too hard for you. That anime sounds like it's your cup of tea, Juleka." -Alya said. –"I wouldn't be surprised if that anime that Rose likes so much, would also be your favourite as well." -she commented.
"True. I did like it. But just like Rose, my favourite anime isn't one that you would expect it to be." -Juleka declared. –"I'm a really big fan of Ojamajo Doremi." -she said, which made almost everyone's jaws drop.
"You girls are messing with us, right? I mean, both of you have favourite animes that are the polar opposite of what you two usually like?" -Alix asked them. –"You're pulling our legs, right?" -she asked them.
"No, we're not." -Juleka said. –"Just because we both look and act the way we do, doesn't mean that our tastes have to completely reflect our personality." -she said.
The conversation went on, as the line continued to advance. By then, it was impossible to know just how many people were still on the line, waiting to enter. But one thing was clear. Many of them were cosplayers, who were beginning to sweat under a Sun that was particularly hot that morning. The music that was coming from inside the exhibition centre became louder, with each step they got closer to the entrance, and that just made everyone more eager to step inside. Most of what was heard was either bubblegum pop, or J-Pop or K-Pop. They recognized some of the songs, from bands like BTS, BlackPink, EXO, AKB48, BabyMetal, Versailles, among others. But from time to time, they would hear the iconic soundtrack of one of the numerous movie franchises, like Star Wars, Marvel's Avengers, Lord of the Rings, among others.
"There are a lot of cosplayers around." -Alix said, as she saw a group of Sailor Moon cosplayers at the distance. –"Never thought there would be so many people into this hobby." -she said.
"You're right, there are a lot of them." -Mylene agreed.
"Yeah. I'm starting to feel a little underdressed for the occasion." -Adrien said. –"Maybe I should've come wearing my special outfit so I wouldn't feel this way, if you know what I mean." -he joked.
"Yeah, but if you did that, it would be pretty hard for us to recognize you among all the other black felines that are out here." -Nino told his best-friend. –"I mean, have you counted how many Chat Noirs are here today?" -he asked Adrien. –"I've already lost count of how many I've seen this last half hour. And I'm not just talking about Chat Noirs. I'm talking about Ladybugs, Flamingos, Grizzly Bears… the whole team."
"Yeah, there are a lot of them, though only a handful of them would pass for the real deal." -Adrien said.
"Well, not every cosplayer has the time, the money, the sewing skills, among other things, to create perfect outfits. And there are those who buy their costumes." -Marinette said. –"Still, as long as they're having fun, that's what counts, in my opinion."
"Couldn't agree more with you, girl." -Alya said. –"After all, what's the point of having a hobby, if you don't have fun doing it?" -she asked.
"By the way, have you had any news from you know who?" -Nathaniel asked her, referring to Miss Bustier.
"Oh, yes, I have. She texted me saying that she hopes to see us all inside." -Marinette said. –"She also asked me to tell you all that if possible, to remember to address her by her cosplayer name." -
"We can totally do that." -Kim declared.
"Provided you don't forget that." -Alix said with a sarcastic voice.
"And why would I forget something like that?" -Kim shot at Alix.
"Because you tend to forget the things you're not supposed to." -Alix shot back at him
"Would you two stop bickering with one another, for five minutes?" -Alya asked them. –"The way you too bicker with one another, it reminds of Princess Leia and Han Solo bickering with one another." -she said.
"She's right, guys. You do sound like that famous couple." -Nino laughed.
"We do not!" -Kim and Alix shouted in chorus.
"They totally do." -Alya thought to herself.
"Just out of curiosity, Alya, how many fandoms are you a fan of?" -Nathaniel asked. –"I'm asking, because you seem to know a little bit about every show, series, movie or book out there." -he said. –"Max is usually the resident nerd, who knows about these things, but you yourself seem to know just as much about this kind of subjects, as he does."
"Yeah, how many? I know you're into a lot of them, but even I don't know how many." -Marinette told her best-friend.
"She already lost count of how many she is." -Nino joked, which earned him a playful bump on the head from her. –"Ouch, but it's true, foxy fox. You really lost count." -he smiled at her.
"I haven't. I'm in a lot of fandoms, and I most certainly haven't lost count of how many I'm in. And to prove it, I'm going to name them all, right here." -Alya said. –"I'm a Whovian, a Ringer, a Demogorgon, a Moonie, a Warsie, a Truebie, a Gater, a Ghosthead, a Walker Stalker, a Firebronie and a Shellhead." -Alya said, with a proud voice.
"A what now?" -Chloe asked Alya. –"Other than Moonie, who I know are fans of Sailor Moon, I don't know any of the others." -she said.
"A Whovian is a fan of Doctor Who. A Ringer is a fan of Lord of the Rings, but only from the movies. A Demogorgon is a fan of Stranger Things. A Warsie is a fan of Star Wars… sorry to those who thought I was a Trekkie, but I'm not. A Truebie is a fan of True Blood. A Gater is a fan of Stargate. A Ghosthead is a fan of the Ghostbusters. A Walker Stalker is a fan of the Walking Dead. A Firebronie is a fan of Firefly, and finally a Shellhead, who happens is a fan of the Ninja Turtles, which I only became recently, because of Nino, who was already a Shellhead himself." -Alya answered her. –"Oh, and I almost forgot, I'm also a Miraculeurs, which we all are, for reasons we all know, and a Potterhead." -she said.
"Yeah, you don't really need to remind us that we're all Miraculeurs." -Ivan said.
"That is a lot of fandoms." -Rose chuckled. –"I, myself am also a Moonie and a Potterhead." -she said.
"I think that other than Miraculeurs, all of us here are also Potterheads, Rose." -Alix said. –"Some of us may haven't read the books, but we all watched the movies, and we all love the characters." -she stated.
"Oh, and who happens to be your favourite character? The way you usually act, I bet it's one of the Weasley twins." -Kim asked her.
"Sorry, but no. My favourite character in Harry Potter is Remus Lupin. I like his story, and also the fact that he was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Harry and his friends had." -Alix said. –"What about you? Who's your favourite character in Harry Potter?"
"You-Know-Who" or "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." -Kim said, casually.
"Your favourite character is Voldemort?" -Alix asked him, while raising an eyebrow. –"Why would you like the bad guy?" -she asked.
"I like the bad guy, okay? He's got charisma." -Kim said. –"But I like the book version, more than I like the movie version. In the books, the guy is scary, while in the movies he sometimes acts a bit like a clown, especially on the last movie." -he pointed out.
"Yeah, he does act a little bit like a clown. But you aren't the only one, who likes him. I also like Voldemort. He's a villain, but you actually feel sorry for him, because unlike Harry, he grew up without any kind of love. But my favourite character has to be Bellatrix Lestrange." –Juleka said. –"What's even more dangerous than a villain? A minion who's willing to sacrifice itself for its master or its cause, and Bellatrix is just that. Also, she's insane." -she added.
"Yes, I like her too. It helps that Helena Bonham Carter did such a great work portraying her in the movies." -Marinette said. –"But I can't say she's my favourite character." -she said. –"My favourite character is Hagrid, because he somehow reminds me about my dad. They're both jolly giants with a big heart… plus, when I was little, my dad read the books to me, and he made a really cool impersonation of Robbie Coltrane's voice. That alone is enough to make him my favourite character."
"That's sweet." -Adrien said. –"In my case, my mom was the one who read the first books to me, when I was little. She managed to make Professor McGonagall even more badass than she is, because when she read her lines, she used a Scottish accent for her." -he sighed, as he remembered that memory of his mom.
"You got lucky on that department. My parents didn't read the books to me, when I was a kid. Instead, I ended up being the one to read them to the twins, and they demanded that I made all the voices the way they sound in the movies." -Alya said. –"And let me tell you, doing Umbridge's voice isn't easy, let me tell you."
"Oh, Dolores Umbridge, the old toad!" -Mylene laughed. –"I think there isn't a character in Harry Potter that is more hated by the fans." -she said.
"Definitely." -Nino said. –"That character is way worse than Voldemort or any of his Death Eaters." -he said.
"She is the worst, yeah. But she's not the most annoying character in Harry Potter." -Alix said. –"I think that honour belongs to Lavender Brown. Though Ginny Weasley in the movies is just as annoying as she is." -she said.
"Agreed. But at least Ginny did have a happy ending in both the books and the movies. My favourite character, Cedric Diggory wasn't so lucky." -Max said.
"Yeah, he died as a wizard, to be reborn as a sparkling vampire!" -Kim joked, which made most of them laugh. –"I'm telling you, that joke never gets old." -he laughed.
"Robert Pattinson will never be allowed to forget he was in those movies." -Sabrina laughed. –"And he's such a great actor:" -she said.
"You're right, he is." -Chloe agreed. –"I mean, he did a very good job in most of his movies, and he did a great Cedric Diggory. Although, his Cedric doesn't hold a candle next to my favourite character in Harry Potter, played by a favourite actor of mine, Tom Felton… Draco Malfoy." -she said.
"And why is that, Chloe?" -Mylene asked her.
"Because Draco is practically the ultimate misunderstood bad boy." -Chloe said. –"Plus, he's handsome, he's blond, he comes from a rich family… in sum, he reminds me a lot about myself. Or better yet, my old self." -she said, practically whispering the last part.
"I can see the resemblance." -Adrien said. –"But there are two things where you two are different. First, he's got green eyes, and you have blue eyes. And second, you had the courage to reach out for help, when he didn't. And that makes you a lot stronger and badass, Chloe." -he smiled at her, feeling that she needed to hear those words.
"Adrien's right. You are way stronger and badass than Draco Malfoy." -Sabrina said. –"And much prettier, by the way." -she whispered to Chloe's ear, which made her giggle.
Soon after that talk, they all entered and what they saw baffled them. Even to those who had attended similar events, what laid in front of them was amazing. It was hard for them to focus on only one thing at a time. And because of that, they all felt a little bit like a little kid would feel, when entering a candy shop.
"So… this is happening." -Kim said, as he looked around.
"Alright, I have this to say, everyone, and you'll forgive me for this cliché, but I have to say this to all of you who are stepping foot in this place, for the first time… welcome to Japan Expo." -Max declared, with a smile on his face.
And after this jumbo-sized chapter, I'm going to need a little break. It wasn't easy to write it, because I didn't know how to address the arrival of Miss Bustier's class to the event. So, I had to pull out a rabbit out of the hat with this one... luckily, I have some very good memories of waiting up in line to enter a convention, and used those memories to come up with part of the dialogues.
In the initial plans of this fic, I was going to have Luka tagging along with the rest of the gang, when attending Japan Expo, but then I thougght that it would not make much sense for Chloe to get him a ticket, because he doesn't exactly hang out with the rest of the gang (that will change in the near future, but not just yet), and maybe he would not accept it because, though Chloe made amends with Juleka, Luka might not believe it himself, after the way Chloe treated his little sister in the past. Still, I had to put him in the chapter, because I felt the chapter needed a brother-sister moment between him and Juleka. We also saw Ivan's mom, Yana, for the first time. I decided that Ivan would have Russian-blood from his mom's side of the family
But the hardest part of the chapter, was definitely the part where I had to give everyone a favourite anime/manga, and that wasn't easy, because I had to have into account the characters' personalities, while also improvising a little bit on one or two. Still, I had a little bit of help from a few frends, who were kind enough to help me with the list. I think I managed to get them right, regarding their personalities and all, with one or two exceptions, which were done on purpose like Rose and Juleka's choices. And we're about to see our heroes going into nerd and geek mode (even Chloe, who's not a fan of these things, believe me), so the next chapter will see that happening. But as always, danger lurks in the shadows. You'll see what I mean, soon.
As always, feel free to comment, fav and make suggestions to improve this and other future sequels.