Chapter 18: Geek's Paradise

Looking around, they were all amazed by what was happening in front of them. They were still on the con's entrance, and they felt like they were in a whole other world. There was a sea of people around them, some wearing cosplays, others wearing plain ordinary clothes, and others wearing accessories or wigs, while carrying all kinds of memorabilia. Some would say that they were pilgrims in unholy lands, but that would be too negative. Therefore, they all preferred to think that they were explorers in unknown lands. And for the most part, they felt like explorers, hoping to find out more about that place and everything that was happening in it. It was both exciting and thrilling, with a little dash of mystery to it. On top of that, there was a sort of incredible energy in the air. The kind of energy that only exists in that kind of events, sort of like a mystic and upbeat aura, which infected anyone who was there, with positive vibes. It was almost like magic. Either that, or perhaps it was the merging of happy music with an upbeat atmosphere, and people with a positive attitude. Whatever it was, it was enough to make a person feel good about being there. And if they felt that way, when they were still at the entrance, they could only imagine how they would feel, once they had made their way inside.

"I know I'm repeating myself, but… welcome to Japan Expo, people." -Max repeated himself. –"Welcome to my domain!" -he said, with a cocky smile on his face.

"Your domain?" -Alix asked him.

"You're not the only who has attended this event before." -Mylene reminded him. –"I've come here before, as well." -she said.

"I know, I know, but… well, you all know how I am." -Max said. –"I wait the whole year, just to come here and commune with this place and with everyone attending this event." -he said. –"Entering here, and surround myself with everything and everyone that attend this, it's quite the experience, especially for those who already know what they're in for, or for those who are coming here for the first time."

"The way you're saying it, it's almost like this whole thing is a bit like a religion." –Alya said.

"Well, you're not that far from the truth, if we think about it, Alya." -Max said. –"Because if see this through the right perspective, this whole place is like a church, or any other place of cult, where people gather to celebrate something they believe in, the same way Christians gather in a church, Muslims in a mosque, Buddhists in a temple, and so forth." -he said. –"I know I might be pushing it, but to many people, anime, manga, movies, TV series, videogames, books… in sum, pop culture is like a religion. There's nothing real about it, but believing in it, it makes a person feel good about it. It provides reassurance, comfort, among other positive feelings, which to be fair, society desperately needs nowadays, thanks to just how crazy the world is today."

"Did you rehearse that speech? Because it was really good." -Adrien said.

"No, I didn't." -Max said. –"But I might have said something in front of the mirror, from time to time, whenever I'm having one of those days, when my parents think that I spend too much time in front of my laptop or playing videogames." -he admitted.

"If any of us happened to be a religious nut, it would be telling you that you would burn in Hell for comparing religion to pop culture. In fact, my grandmother, from my mom's side of the family, who's probably the most religious person I know, would definitely do that." -Alix joked. –"But I guess you're kind of right, in a way." -she said.

"So, you're going to be our master of ceremonies and show us around, bro?" -Kim asked Max.

"Nah, not really." -Max said. –"I may be a veteran around these parts, but I'm not going to be that guy that tells you where you should go and what to do, just because in my head, I think it's best." -he told Kim. –"I'm more of "Go ahead and explore for yourselves, and find out what you think it's good around here" guy. And that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to let you find out and discover this place, on your own."

"Well, I accept the challenge." -Sabrina said.

"Me too." -Nathaniel said. –"Though, I know where I'm going to go from here." -he declared.

As the cheerful conversation between the group continued, more and more people passed by them, some of them cosplayers. More importantly, cosplayers with Miraculous Team cosplays. Some more elaborate, some simpler, but all of them very cool. And that spiked Alya's attention. Seeing so many people cosplaying her and the rest of her friends, gave her an idea for the Miraculous Blog. Not wasting another moment, she grabbed her cell phone and started to make a video.

"Hey, Miraculeurs! This is Alya Cesaire, your favourite administrator of the Miraculous Blog, reporting to you, live from Japan Expo!" -Alya talked to the camera. –"It's my first time at this convention, and I'm here with my classmates and friends, who decided to share this experience with me and have an awesome time! Say hello to everyone, guys!" -she said, as she pointed her cell phone's camera at the whole gang.

"Hey! How's it going!" -they all waved at the camera.

"You're probably wondering why I decided to share this with you, right? Well, the answer is really simple." -Alya said, as she continued to talk to the camera. –"We've just arrived, and I've already lost count of how many cosplayers are cosplaying the members of the Miraculous Team. From Ladybugs to Forest Does. From Chat Noirs to Dragonflies, it's hard to keep up with them all." -she said, before pulling Nino towards her and putting her arm around his shoulders. –"And that's why, with the help of the handsomest boy I know, my boyfriend Nino, I decided to go around and see who has the best cosplay of each of the team members. So, without further ado, let's go and check who manages to look like the real heroes."

When she finished recording that video, Nino gave her a look she knew quite well. It was the "You're biting more than you can chew, and you're going to drag me into this craziness, just because" look, which he gave, every time she decided to go on one of her crazy quests for the truth, or something similar. But like always, the holder of the fox miraculous, knew just what to say.

"Oh, come on, it's only for a little while, Nino. And it's going to be great to have this kind of content on the blog." -Alya smiled at him. –"I promise that we won't stop to film each cosplayer we see, because if we did that, we would be doing this during the rest of the say." -she promised him. –"And I also promise that we'll stop to check other things on the way. I'll even let you choose what you want to check. How does that sound?"

"Alright, foxy fox. Whatever you say." -Nino smiled. –"But I insist, that you'll let me pick the best Carapace cosplay. It's only fair for me to do it." -he told her.

"Deal, turtle boy." -Alya said, before kissing him. –"Now, let's get going. I'm already seeing a Dragonfly there that could very well pass for a certain pink-haired superheroine we both know." -she commented, which earned a smirk from Alix.

"Hey, hey, hey! Before you two go, gallivanting in search of the most awesome Miraculous Team cosplays, we have to come up with a plan." -Marinette said, as she checked her cell phone. –"It's 5 pass 10. How about we decide where we're going to meet up for lunch, before everyone decides to spread?" -she asked the others.

"And who says we've got to split up?" -Rose asked. –"Why don't we hang out together and watch the whole convention together?" -she suggested.

"That would be a nice idea. But from what I'm reading in this pamphlet, if I don't go now, I'll miss the beginning of the first panel I wanted to check." -Max said. –"And I don't think all of you will want to go to it. It's about a new Indie videogame that was developed through Kickstarter, and that I helped by donating a few Euros to its development." -he said.

"He's right. We shouldn't drag each other to things we don't want to do, when some of us want to explore the convention, and others want to participate in one of the various activities they'll have." -Nathaniel said.

"Why don't we hang out together, after lunch?" -Adrien suggested. –"Right now, it's like Sabrina is saying. Each one of us wants to see or check something, or just walk around. So, why don't we do that? We'll split up and when we get together for lunch, then we'll go around as a whole group." -he told them.

"I'm up for that." -Kim said.

"Yeah, I think it's a good idea." –Ivan agreed.

"It's too bad that we can't invite Miss Bustier to have lunch with us." –Mylene sighed.

"I know. But it's totally understandable, why we can't." -Marinette said. –"Still, I'm going to text her and tell her to meet us somewhere, so we can talk to her for a bit, before we go to the auditorium, to watch her compete." -she said.

"Do you think she'll have time?" -Adrien asked her. –"She's going to participate in the cosplay contest, this afternoon. And from what I was told, in this kind of competition, some cosplayers tend to stay on the backstage through most of the event, getting things ready." -he said.

"She told me she's got a few hours before the show, so she's going to be walking around, and it will be easy for us to grab her aside and spend a little bit with her." -Marinette answered him. –"Hey, Max, what's a good place for us to meet her? And while we're at it, what's the best place for us to have lunch?" -she asked him.

"Regarding the food, we can all go outside. It's sunny, so it'll also give us the chance to catch some fresh air. Or, we can all gather in the food court. It's also a good place for us to have lunch, and it's also where we can find some of the Japanese and Chinese delicacies they will be selling there." -Max said, as he checked the pamphlet, they had given him and the others, with the map of the event. –"It's right here, on that corner of the pavilion." -he said, as he pointed to it. –"As for a good place to meet Miss Bustier, well, not wanting to repeat myself, but outside is a great place to do it."

The group continued to make plans to enjoy that day, and they were not the only ones. Other groups of friends that had decided to attend the con, were also standing at the entrance, making plans, for what they were going to do, now that they had arrived. But among all those groups, there was a person, who had arrived by herself, and also had plans. Those who would look at her, would mistake her for someone cosplaying one of Hawk Moth's lieutenants, Madame Romani. But she was not a cosplayer. She was the real Madame Romani. Using her powers, she managed trick security and snuck into the pavilion, where she hoped to fulfil the reason that had brought her there; a new victim for her master's Akuma Butterflies. Though looking around, part of her was beginning to regret having the idea that brought her there.

"Don't know what came over me, to think that I would be able to find any victims in a place like this. Just from looking at all this cheerfulness and listening to this infernal song is making me nauseous." -Madame Romani asked herself, while being bothered by the incessant melody that could be heard in the air. –"Still, Reptile has had better luck in finding victims in the strangest of places, so why shouldn't I be able to do the same? With thousands of people here, I'm bound to find someone who's having a bad day. I just need to look around. And if there is one good thing about it, is that I don't even have to change my appearance, because all these cretins think that I'm one of the idiots that put on an outfit and a wig and think they have become a character." -she thought, as another thought came to her; a thought that had given her the idea of coming there. –"That idiot Rapier claimed that he was going to outwit us all, but he has been perfecting his skills, while we're out here, looking for new victims. I don't know why the master has allowed him to do such a thing, after that disaster… If it had been me, or that lizard or even the brute, he would've punished us and force us to go back outside…. I'll prove to the master that he doesn't need any new lieutenant to kill those brats, when he has me, as his devoted lieutenant in the battlefield. I will find a proper victim in this sea of people, and then, those kids will show up and I will chop off their heads and place them in a silver platter, just for master Hawkmoth's amusement."

She was about to begin her search, when she was approached by a group of people, who had caught eye of her, and wished to photograph her, after mistaking her for a cosplayer.

"Awesome cosplay! Can I take your picture, please?"

"That's got to be the best Madame Romani cosplay I've ever seen. Can I take a photo?"

"Oh, for the love of Hawk Moth! I don't' have time for this... No, don't be stupid. Don't do anything rash. You don't' want people to suspect you. Otherwise, you won't be able to keep a low profile." -Madame Romani thought to herself. –"Fine, but hurry!" -she sighed, while looking at the cameras. –"If people start to do this to me, I'll have to resort to my powers and become invisible. I can't lose my time posing for photos. Not when the master expects me to find him a new victim."

Splitting up, they all went in separate directions. The convention was divided into seven different main areas, and each area was distinct from the others. And all of them had a name related to the activity that was taking place in it. The first was the Gaming Zone, where one could find all kinds of arcades and videogame booths. The second one was the Artists' Land, where the Artists Alley was located, which itself was split into professional and non-professional areas. The third one was the Action Ground, where music was always being played, and a person could dance to the beat of one of the many DJs that were there. Or if they felt like it, they could try one of the numerous extreme activities the event was offering, like zip lining, rock climbing, among others. The fourth one was known as the Learning Grounds, and it was there where one could visit the booths of numerous organizations, including the Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese and South Korean ambassies, and learn more about those countries and their respective cultures. It was also place where many auditoriums and rooms were, and where one could take a workshop, or sit down and watch a panel. The fifth one was the Meeting Plaza, where one could meet the various VIP guests, and where most cosplayers were. The sixth one was the Merch Market, and like the name said it, it was where one could find the merch booths; and it was also where the Food court was located. And finally, the seventh one was Exhibit Dome, where each year an anime, a manga, a comic book, a television series, or even a movie was honoured with an exhibit in its honour. This year, the lucky recipient of such honour was the cult film "The Fifth Element" from French director Jean-Luc Besson.

With so much to see, it was hard to choose where to go first. But Mylene knew just where to go, to start her day at the convention, and she took Ivan with her to help her. Unlike Marinette, who kept it a secret from most, she had a huge collection of horror movies, Mylene was not afraid to tell anyone she had a huge collection of movies and series, which covered a panoply of genres. She had admitted that she was quite the movie buff. And it was at conventions like that one, that she managed to find some rarer items for her collection. Arriving at the wing where the stores were, she wasted no time in finding new acquisitions for her collection. As for Ivan, he was happy to see his girlfriend that excited, and was also happy to help her finding new movies and series to add to her collection. The only problem was that they were not the only ones who wanted to find good things, so they had to try their best to get to the front of the counters and booths.

"So many bargains! I'm in bargain paradise, Ivan." -Mylene smiled at her boyfriend, as she checked all the boxes in front of her. –"Let's see, I already have this one… this one I have it too… oh, this one here I don't!" -she exclaimed. –"Oh, I'm taking this one, for sure! My dad is going to flip, once he sees it."

"Shouldn't you wait until a little bit later to buy things, Mylene?" -Ivan asked her. –"Because if you buy them now, you'll have to carry them, the rest of the day." -he said.

"No, Ivan. Now is the perfect time." -Mylene smiled, as she grabbed another case to inspect it. –"If we wait until later, the best bargains will disappear, faster than an ice cream on a sunny day." -she told him. –"And it's not just when it comes to DVDs and Blu-Rays. It's the same thing with the videogames. That's why we have to check these fast. I know you'll want to check the videogame aisle for anything good, and if we don't hurry, when we get there, all good things will probably have been sold."

"Well, you'll know it, better than me. It's not your first rodeo here." -Ivan said. –"And it's okay if I don't find anything on the videogame aisle. As long as you get to find

"Oh, that's sweet of you, teddy bear." -Mylene told Ivan, with a smile on her face. –"But I insist that you find something you like too. And I'll help you look for it, since you're helping me

"You're one in a million, you know that?" -Ivan said, with Mylene giggling. -"And if you want to help me at the videogame aisle, then I better help you with this." -he said, as he grabbed a couple of DVDs. –"What are we looking for, exactly?"

"American TV series. Two in particular." -Mylene said. –"I'm missing the last season of Breaking Bad, and I wanted to see if I could find this old TV show from the 90's called Sliders." -she said, as she saw –"Oh, score! Look at this, teddy bear! The first season of Bakugan! I love this show!"

"Sliders?" -Ivan asked, curious.

"It's a show about a group of people that jump from one parallel universe to another. I found two episodes online, which got me hooked on it, but that was all I could find. So, now I want to find the whole series to check it out." -Mylene said.

"Sliders, huh?... I don't know if we'll find it here." -Ivan said, when he spotted a DVD box that caught his eye. –"What's this? Joss Whedon's Firefly?" -he asked out loud, which caught the attention of one of the sales people behind the counter. –"I think this is one of the series Alya is a fan of."

"Oh, excellent choice there, my friend." -the man said. –"That one is one of those TV shows that didn't get enough love, when it first came out. And a shame really. Cancelled after just one season, if it had been given a little more love, if would've been as big as Star Wars or Doctor Who." -he said. –"You seem like a guy who enjoys sci-fi. Why don't you take it, and see what I'm talking about?"

"Uh… I don't know. Is it that good?" -Ivan said. –"I mean, if it only lasted one season." -he pointed out.

"Hey, quantity doesn't always mean quality. A lot of excellent series only have one or two seasons, while there are others that run for fourteen and even fifteen seasons, and end up becoming a mediocre version of their former selves." -the man told Ivan. –"I'll tell you what. If you take it, I'll give you the movie that's the sequel to the series, for free. And for the price that's in the box, it's a steal. What do you say?" -he offered him.

Ivan looked at the DVD box and saw that the price was not that high; 15 euros. Plus, the cover looked cool, and if that was one of the series Alya was a fan of, then it had to be good, because she was not someone who was a fan of bad series. Thinking about it, he decided he was going to buy it. Even if he ended up not liking it, it would give him an excuse to ask Mylene to come over to his home, and to spend an afternoon together, watching it.

"I'll take it, then." -Ivan said.

"Excellent choice. I'll go get the movie. I know I have a couple of them, here in the back." -the man said.

"Guess I already got us something to watch on one of the following weekends." -Ivan told Mylene, who smiled back at him.

Nathaniel was in heaven, as he stepped into the artists alley. If there was a place in that convention, where one would find all kinds of art, it would be there. Everywhere he looked, he saw every kind of possible art. And all of it with different styles. It was hard for him to decide which was the best, as it was all different. But he knew one thing. He knew he would talk to every artist he could, buy some stuff they had for sale at their stalls. And more important than that. To those he saw who had a talent equal to or greater than his own, he would try to befriend them, and perhaps even show them his work. That was one of the reasons why he had taken his sketches with him.

Accompanying him, were Rose and Juleka, who had also decided to check out the artists alley. Like it happened with Nathaniel, the two of them were mesmerized with all the beautiful things their eyes saw. Everywhere they looked, it was an explosion of colours. Some brighter and more cheerful, while others were darker and more sombre. But all of them had been used to create beautiful art. From original art to fanart, there was a little bit of everything for everyone. On top of it all, some artists were taking commissions on the spot, which people could ask for and take home as a remembrance of their visit.

"Look at all this, Jules." -Rose said, as she looked at the stickers on display on one of the booths. –"They're so cute." -she smiled, as she admired them.

"Do you want any of them?" -Juleka asked her. –"If you do, I'll buy them for you." –she told her.

"No, it's okay." -Rose told her, not wating to impose

"I'm buying you that one with the pink baby llama on it, as well as the rest of that set." -Juleka said. –"I can see it in your eyes, that you really want it. And don't try to stop me." -she said, as she pulled her wallet from her backpack.

"Jules, don't! There's no need." -Rose sad, realizing her girlfriend was going to offer her the stickers.

"Too late, I'm already paying for it." -Juleka said, as she was handed the stickers. –"Here. You can put them on your laptop, right next to the others you already have." -she smiled.

On one hand, Rose was a little bit mad at Juleka, because they had both agreed that they would not spend money with one another. But on the other, she was happy that her girlfriend had broken their agreement, and had gotten her those little cute stickers. And that was enough for her to smile at her, while deciding that she too would be breaking the agreement and buy the Goth something she wanted.

"Thanks, Juleka. It's really sweet of you." -Rose smiled. –"And since you got me this, I'm going to get you something as well." -she said. –"Just pick it, and I'll buy it."

And that was what she did. It did not take long for Juleka to find a really cute handcrafted necklace on another booth, which she fell in love with. This one was a beautiful silver and purple skull with purple eyes. Upon seeing it, Juleka told Rose that if it was not too expensive, that she could buy it for her.

"Now, we're even." -Rose smiled at the Goth, as she handed her the necklace.

"Hardly." -Juleka smirked. –"As long as you have that beautiful smile, I won't be able to repay you, for every time you smile at me." -she told her, as she put on the necklace. –"So, what do you think?"

"It looks beautiful on you." -Rose answered her. –"And by the way, I think we're really even, because you get to repay me, for allowing me to see you smile every day." -she smiled at her.

The girls continued to walk around the artist's alley, always keeping Nathaniel in their line of sight. Because he knew, he would lose track of time. while chatting with the various artists whose booths he would go to, before entering the artist's alley, Nathaniel made the girls promise him that they would force him to move and accompany him. That way, he was sure to check out at least half of the artist's alley, before lunchtime. And that was what Rose and Juleka did. More than once, they went to grab him and force the redhead to accompany them.

Dropping him on another booth he liked, the girls then proceeded to check other booths themselves as well. And while Juleka checked a booth, which was selling customized sneakers, with decals from Dragonball, Sailor Moon, Madoka Magica, One Piece, Naruto, among others, Rose went to check on another booth.

"What's this?" -Rose asked herself, as she stopped in front of an artist's table.

The booth she had stopped in front of, had numerous fanarts from the Miraculous Team, all of them quite beautiful. But what caught Rose's eye was a little booklet that was stacked up on top of others like it. On the cover, you could see a beautiful drawing of Flamingo and Corbeau Noire kissing. You could tell it was self-published by the binding. But that did not diminish its beauty, which lead Rose to check it.

"A comic book about me and Juleka? It must be some kind of spicy love comic. A quick peek won't hurt..." -Rose thought to herself, as she picked up the comic and open it, only to quickly pulling away from it, blushing brightly. –"Whoa! That's me and Juleka… Doing THAT!?" -she thought, shocked.

The comic book depicted a love scene between Flamingo and Corbeau Noire. A very explicit love scene, where the only thing the heroines kept on were the masks. Rose, who was not used to reading that kind of comics, could not help but to blush like a red tomato, as she read the comic.

"This is… really explicit. I mean, I love Juleka and all, and I really want to take that next step with her, but I don't think we can physically do that." -Rose thought to herself, as she turned the page.

She wanted to put the comic book down, but her curiosity was getting the best out of her. As she turned the pages, Rose continued to blush more and more. The love scenes became more and more explicit with each new page, and the blonde just could not divert her eyes from them, even if she wanted to. She had become mesmerized by it.

"WHOA MAMA! She'd, she'd tear me in half with that monster!" -Rose thought to herself, as she looked at the pictures. –"I know I should stop looking at this, but at the same time, I can't! I'm not the kind of girl who likes these things… or am I, and I just didn't know it, until now?" -she asked herself, as she flipped the page. –"And there they go again, or better, there we go again… whoa, the artist really knows how to draw Juleka. She looks super sexy in that pose… What am I saying?! I feel like a perv, right about now. And yet, I don't feel it's wrong to think this, because I'm basically seeing something that happens between me and my girlfriend."

"You like it?" -a voice asked her. It was the booth's artist, who seemed pleased that Rose had stopped to check his work.

"Uh…" -Rose mumbled, still red as a tomato, and without knowing what to say.

"It's only 10 Euros, if you're interested." -the artist told her.

"I… I…" -Rose stuttered, not knowing what to answer.

"Whoa… that is… different." -Juleka giggled, as she stopped behind Rose, and peeked over the blonde's shoulder to see what she was reading. –"I didn't know you were into hentai, Rose." -she whispered to the blonde's ear, chuckling.

"H-Hentai?" -Rose asked, not knowing what was that word her girlfriend had just said.

"Yeah, it's anime and manga porn." -Juleka told her.

"Oh, I see. I just didn't know there was a name for it." -Rose clarified.

"This looks cute." -Juleka said, as she took another peek at one of the pages. –"And spicy, too… no, make that extra spicy. Both Flamingo and Corbeau Noire look super hot." -she said, with a casual voice. –"I like how she made us look like we're girls… Rose looks particularly delicious in this panel."

It amazed Rose just how at ease Juleka was talking about certain subjects, while she herself was making a Herculean effort not to blush even more than she already was. She was quite shy by nature, and only felt comfortable talking about more sensitive topics when she was alone with her girlfriend. And right then, in that sea of people, she did not feel comfortable at all.

"Are you going to take it?" -Juleka asked the blonde.

"I… uh…" -Rose stuttered. –"I don't feel like it's… my kind of comic." -she said, practically squeaking the last part.

"Well, if you don't take it, I will." -Juleka said. –"I like the cover. And the content also seems good." -she told the artist. –"How much is it?"

"!0 Euros, and thank you." -the artist said. –"It took me forever to get it right. I didn't want them to look too innocent, but I didn't want them to look sluttish." -she said.

"I think you did a really good job." -Juleka said.

"Well, they're my favourite pairing. I had to make them justice, no matter what." -the artist confessed. –"I don't know why, but they're so shippable, like Ladybug and Chat Noir, as well as Rena Rouge and Carapace." -the girl said. -"Oh, and if you're interested, there's a friend of mine, on the other side of this aisle that is also selling hentai comic books, but hers are more softcore than mine. Her specialty is also her guilty pleasure: Chat Noir and Queen Bee, and Grizzly Bear and Antelope."

When hearing her say those last two ships, both Rose and Juleka had to force themselves to hold back their giggles, as those were two ships they knew would never happen in real life; in particular the second.

"Really? Well, I guess we have to go and check it out, as well." -Juleka said, as she paid for the comic. –"Thanks." -she said.

"My pleasure." -the artist said.

Leaving to check out the following booths, the girls ran into other works of art that caught their eye, but decided not to buy them, because they did not want to spend all the money, they had brought with them right away. And it was not easy to do it, because the further they went, the more awesome the art became. Juleka even had to pull Rose away from one of the booths, where she saw the cutest Macross Frontier-inspired gloves she had ever seen, to prevent her from buying them. But unlike them, Nathaniel was not afraid to spend money on what he perceived as beautiful. So, when they went to get him from one of the booths he was, they were surprised to see just how many things he had bought from it.

"Wait, what happened?" -Rose asked Nathaniel. –"We leave you alone for fifteen minutes, and when we come to pick you up, we find you with all that?" -she asked, stunned, as she examined all the things he had bought.

"What can I say? I went a little overboard." -Nathaniel admitted. –"I admit that I shouldn't have bought this new personalized sketchbook with the characters of Persona 4 on the cover, or the pillow with drawing or Panda Roux in it, but can you really blame me? They both look amazing. And they were totally worth what I paid for them." -he said. –"I think I'm going to offer the pillow to Marc. He couldn't come, so I might as well get him a souvenir, so he doesn't feel so sad about not being able to come. And I know he's going to love it. I'm his favourite superhero, after all… oh, stop thinking like that. You haven't even asked him if he's into guys! For now, just give him the pillow, and see where things go from there."

"Hey, it's your money. We're not going to judge you for buying cool things." -Rose said. –"We're just going to tell you that you're going to have to carry all that, during the rest of the day." -she told him.

"I'll leave some of these things in the cloakroom, before lunch." -Nathaniel said. –"That way, I won't have to carry them all day." -he added. –"But what about you? Have you bought anything yet?

"Oh, we did. But it's nothing much, really. Just a few stickers, this necklace which Rose gave me, and a romantic comic that isn't exactly suitable for our age." -Juleka chuckled.

"You bought hentai?" -Nathaniel asked her.

"She did." -Rose said.

"Yeah, I did, so?" -Juleka said.

"Nothing, nothing. I was just making an observation, that's all." -Nathaniel said. –"Is it any good?" -he asked, curious.

"Check it for yourself." -Juleka said, as she pulled comic book from the bag and showed it to Nathaniel.

"Oh, I get it why you bought it." -Nathaniel smirked. –"I like the art on the cover." -he stated, as he opened it and examined its contents. –"You're right, this isn't exactly suitable for our age. But it's beautiful, nonetheless. The art is top notch."

"Wait until the others find out… especially Kim, or even Chloe. They're going to say that girls don't have any business buying porn." -Rose commented.

"Do you really think either one of them will do that?" -Nathaniel asked her, while rising an eyebrow at her.

"I don't know, maybe?" -Rose said, shrugging her shoulders.

"No, they won't. But I bet that at least Kim will ask if you intend to do what's on the comic book." -Nathaniel commented, while chuckling a little.

"Well, if he does ask us that, I'll just say that I know at least one artist, who's selling Yaoi comics featuring Antelope and Grizzly Bear as a couple." -Juleka smirked. –"That will be enough to shut him up." -she said.

"Yaoi?" -Rose asked, not recognizing the word "Yaoi".

"Yaoi is a genre. It's what you call an anime or manga where the romantic protagonists are gay, Rose. And before you ask, the name for a lesbian anime or manga is Yuri." -Juleka explained to her.

"Oh, I see. Well, then if you tell Kim about that, I bet that will give him a heart attack." -Rose laughed. –"That, or at least teach him to keep his mouth shut." -she chuckled.

"You're saying there's an artist who's selling Yaoi comics between Antelope and Grizzly?" -Nathaniel asked Juleka.

"Yes. The artist who I bought this one from, said that she had a friend who was selling them." -Juleka said.

"Well, then let's go and find where that booth is. I might just buy a copy, just to throw it at Kim's face." -Nathaniel laughed.

And while Rose, Juleka and Nathaniel went looking for the booth that was selling Yaoi comics of Antelope with Grizzly Bear, not far from the Artists Alley, in the Merch Ground, Adrien and Marinette had stopped, so a girl, who was a fan of Adrien, could take a picture with him. She had recognized the blond, and being a fan, she asked him for a photograph. When this happened the first time, Adrien did not mind. But that was already the sixth person who recognized him and asked for a photo.

"We can't go on like this." -Adrien sighed, as he saw the girl disappearing into the crowd. –"That was the sixth person who recognized me." -he said. –"At this rate, I'll never be able to enjoy this, without having someone asking me for a photo or an autograph."

Marinette silently agreed with her boyfriend. Due to his career as a model, from time to time, Adrien was approached on the street by some fans, most of them girls. Some wanted a photograph with him or even an autograph. And others, who could be put in the obsessed fans category, besides a photo and an autograph, they sometimes also asked him if he could give them a lock of his hair, and tried to get his cell phone number.

"The price of fame, huh, my silly kitty?" -Marinette asked him, as she smiled at Adrien. –"But you're right. This can't go on… and I think I have an idea." -she said, as a devilish smile showed up on her angelic face.

"What are you thinking, Marinette?" -Adrien asked her, after noticing her devilish smile. –"She's got one of those smiles that Plagg does, whenever he comes up with a plan to force me to get him more Camembert, after eating a whole wheel of that stinking cheese." -he thought to himself.

"If you have a credit card with you, leave the rest to me." -Marinette said, as she looked at a booth, where they were selling wigs and other cosplay related things. –"Let's see if I can make Adrien invisible to everyone in this convention." -she thought to herself.

This chapter had me going down memory lane, you know? I still remember the first cosplay convention I attended, back in 2010. It wasn't exactly a very big convention, but at the time, it felt huge, especially for somoene who wrongfully believed that there weren't many people like himself, who were still into cartoons, anime and other stuff (at least, not as many as I thought there was). It was nice getting to know people my own age, and even older that were still into that sort of thing. And of course, that's where I also found out about cosplay, even though I only started cosplaying two years later. So, writing this chapter made me go down the rabbit hole and remember what it was like attending a convention for the first time. Oh, and by the way, this chapter was going to be longer, but I decided to split it into two, so we still have a lot more to see, or read in this case, on the following chapter.

Oh, and I also decided to raise the rating of this fic to T, instead of K+, because of a few things that are said in this chapter regarding something Rose and Juleka find in the Artists Alley. They're not exactly bad things or very mature things, but better safe than sorry. You might see a couple of more things like that during the rest of the fic, but that's it. Don't expect anything harder than that. Also, part of the action that takes place in the Artists Alley is based on a couple of ideas and dialogue that my good friend Cupidcomet77 at DeviantArt (thanks for the help, man).

Anyways, in the meantime, feel free to comment, fav and leave suggestions to improve this fic or its following sequels.