A/N: It was so long it went into parts. ^^ I really loved this whole little arc with the convention. Later in the story there will be another convention. Costumes are quite funny too. Those will be changed at the later one though. Anyways, onto the story!
Read, review, and enjoy!!

Chapter 9: Convention Fun (part 1)

(Tori POV)

Tori snickered as she watched Ashley pulling Griffin by the arm around the corner. "Why must we all dress up?" he moaned.

She struggled with pulling him and said, "You can't not go to the comic-con and not dress up. And you lost the bet."

Tori smoothed her dress down and fixed her ears she had on. She knew if she went to the convention, she wanted to dress like Freya from Chobits. She had on a long black dress that stopped right below her knee, that had lace trim around the hem and some ruffles on the sleeves. Tori fixed her persocom ears she bought special for the occasion that she had in her bag, along with the dress of course. 'It's a good thing we're not gunna miss the convention.' The two planned on stopping on their way home after their vacation, but Paladins had ruined the plans.

She looked over at the bathroom door, which was opening. David stepped out, wearing a purple and black monk's robe and holding a golden staff. He also had a glove and blue beads on his right hand. Tori clapped as he stepped out. David smiled and asked, "Do you really think I can pull off Miroku?" It was shocking at first that he knew of the Inuyasha series, but she simply nodded with a huge smile.

She glanced over at Ashley, who was still struggling with Griffin. "Please Griffin?" Ashley begged as she let go of his arm.

Tori heard a scoff and Griffin stepped out from around the corner wearing brown cat ears, a plain black shirt, and a pair of dark blue jeans. She also took notice of a tail and black collar around his neck. Tori's eyes lit up. "Oh my gosh, Griffin! You look so kawaii!" she squealed as she ran over to him and bounced slightly.

He glared at her. "What's that mean?"

"It means you look cute," she said as she ruffled his hair a little. She turned to Ashley and gasped. "You go change now!" Tori pointed at the bathroom with a stern look. Ashley gave a nod and dashed over to the bathroom, grabbing her bag in the process. Tori walked over to the couch and sat down next to David. She sighed and said, "This will be the best convention experience yet." She watched Griffin walk over to his desk and sit on the chair, looking down right pissed off. "Don't be mad Griffin, you make a cute neko."

Griffin scowled at her and shook his head. "I would've have rather been dressed as a game character," he groaned slightly as he spoke. Tori made a small smile and poked at the staff David leaned against the couch.

---

(Ashley POV)

Ashley was thrilled to be getting to go to the convention. It was one of the biggest in the United States and she would get to cosplay finally. She snickered to herself as the word "cosplay" ran trough her mind. 'Griffin makes a wonderful neko, yet he's pouting… His fault he lost the bet.' She clipped the gun holster to her waist and smoothed the blue half skirt tied like a belt on her dark shorts. Ashley fumbled with the long pink braid hairclip she had. She grumbled and walked out of the bathroom. "Tori, can you help?" she asked, holding up the braid.

Tori gave her a nod and she turned around before handing the clip to Tori. She felt the clip against her head and Tori said, "All done."

Ashley turned and stood with her arms spread out. "I don't think I make a good Yuna," she mumbled as her face blushed slightly.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Tori asked loudly. "Your hair is a little long and too dark, but you look great!"

Ashley fixed the yellow tied bands on her arms and then smoothed the white top a little. She felt the pink hood on her neck and she hopped in place, the black symbol of the Zanarkand Abes bumping against her chest as she began to break in the dark lace up boots. "David, what do you think?" she turned her head towards David, who looked very much like Miroku in the monk's robe.

"I don't know who you're dressed as but you look nice," he said with a small smile.

Ashley turned to Griffin. "What about you Griff?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

Griffin turned and looked at her, looking a bit shocked. "You look fine. Stop complainin'," he said, looking away quickly.

She frowned, but accepted his answer. 'Well that's the most I'll hear out of him about it…' Ashley turned to Tori. "Ready then?" Tori gave a nod and David was at her side in an instant. Ashley watched Griffin get up slowly.

"Do you think we can grab my jacket before we go there?" he asked, sorta of sounding like he was whining.

Ashley exchanged looks with Tori, then David. "Alright," she sighed. "Tori, you know how to get there, right?"

Tori nodded. "I'll explain to David," she said as she gave Ashley a salute. Ashley nodded as she walked towards Griffin and grabbed his hand quickly. She jumped them to David's living room and she dropped his hand instantly.

He caught eye of his jacket on the coffee table and picked it up. He put it on and said, "So this place is in San Diego, yeah?"

"Yep. I've scoped the place out so uh," she trailed off.

He sighed and put a hand in his jacket pocket as he walked over to her. Griffin took a hold of her hand with his free one and said, "Go on then. Let's get this over with."

Ashley shot him a look of annoyance and tried to concentrate on the building. She couldn't grasp the image in her mind right. Ashley shut her eyes, trying to focus even harder, but the image was just a blur. 'Why can't I get it?' She tilted her head down and caught sight of her hand in his.

Ashley swallowed hard as she heard him groan. "Oh c'mon. It can't be that hard to get in your head if it's fresh."

Ashley grumbled and said, "Be quiet so I can concentrate." She shut her eyes again and pressed her lips into a thin line. She felt his hand around hers jostle slightly.

"Is this is? Am I making you lose your concentration?" She could hear the amusement in his voice as he spoke.

"No," Ashley growled. She caught the image in her mind and jumped. 'Good job anger. I officially love you.' She looked around and found herself outside the convention building. "See, I just had to get it right, that's all." Ashley heard Griffin let out a small laugh as she turned, seeing David and Tori waving at them from the large doors. "Let's go neko boy," she said over her shoulder as she ran over to the door.

---

(Tori POV)

She watched Ashley sprint over to them and Griffin wasn't far behind. 'They both look so cute in their costumes. David looks good, too.' Tori glanced sideways at David quickly. She smiled as Ashley approached them. "Ashley, the fanboys are gunna love you," Tori said very matter of factly.

Ashley smiled. "Okay, enough." She held out a hand. "You got the passes?" Tori nodded and gave her a lantern necklace with the pass in the plastic around the bottom. Ashley let out a squeal as Tori handed one to Griffin. "I'm so excited. Can we go in now?"

Tori nodded as Griffin put his pass around his neck. She frowned. "Didn't you bring a thinger for his," she trailed off and pointed at her neck as she looked at Griffin. Ashley made a look of surprise and pulled something out of the one gun holster. It was a short leash and she hid it behind her back. Griffin walked past them and walked aside of David, talking to him about something. Tori motioned for her to go and Ashley clipped the latch around the back loophole on Griffin's collar.

He stopped and turned around, with an irritated look. "The hell is this?" he practically yelled.

Ashley grinned, "It's your leash."

Griffin yanked the black leash, causing Ashley to stumble. "I never agreed to this rubbish," he growled.

Tori watched as Ashley looked him over. "Why is it we give you cat ears and a tail, yet you act like a dog?" she asked sweetly. Griffin groaned, throwing up his hands and letting go of his grip on the leash. Tori watched Ashley smile, taking great amusement of having Griffin on a leash.

They walked onto the convention floor and saw loads of people. Many were dressed up, but other weren't. A blond girl in a sailor fuku passed David and he approached her. "Excuse me," he said. "But would you bear my child?" Tori's eyes grew wide and she slapped him on the arm as the girl giggled and ran off. "What was that for?" he asked, rubbing the spot where she hit him. Griffin and Ashley were behind them, laughing at the incident.

"Don't do that," Tori warned him. "You'll scare someone."

"I was just trying to get into character," David trailed off. Tori spotted a close by booth selling manga. "I wanna go look over there," she pulled David by his sleeve towards the semi-crowded booth. When she looked over her shoulder, she saw Ashley and Griffin surrounded by girls. 'Uh oh… Fangirls.'

---

(Ashley POV)

Ashley had lost sight of Tori and David among all the girls surrounding them. She felt a bit scared and held tightly to the leash connected to Griffin. 'Damn it. Fangirls…' They were cooing and gushing over Griffin's cat ears and tail. She watched as he swatted one girl's hand away from touching his jacket. Ashley smirked as the girls pet him and took pictures of him before dispersing.

Griffin turned around; looking pissed and said, "What the hell was that?"

Ashley shook her head and motioned towards a hallway. She walked over, slightly pulling him along, and whipped around to face him. "Those were fangirls," she told him. "When they come up and do that stuff, just let 'em. They'll go away quicker."

Griffin was glaring at her. "I really wish you were a guy so I could hit you right now," he grumbled.

Ashley narrowed her eyes. "Griffin just play along, okay? It's only for a few hours. What can it hurt?" she asked softly.

He rolled his eyes. "Fine, but only because you won the bet." Ashley smiled and scratched at his cheek playfully. "And don't be like those girls," he growled as he pushed her hand away.

Ashley nodded. "M'kay Griff," she smiled at the fact he was willing to play along. "Let's go see if we can catch up with David and Tori then." The two turned and began towards the booth where David and Tori were.

---

(Tori POV)

They were already nearing the opposite end of the convention floor. "Shouldn't we find Griffin and Ashley?" Tori asked, trying to keep up with David in the crowd.

David looked back at her. "They'll be fine," she barely heard him say over the crowd noises and music.

"David," Tori whined as she squeezed past some people to catch up with him. She ended up bumping into him. "Sorry," she muttered as she took a step back.

He turned around and took hold of her hand. "We won't get lost now," David said as he smiled and held up their linked hands. Tori blushed a little and nodded vigorously. David began to pull her through the crowd as he weaved his way through. He stopped abruptly and she proceeded to bump into him again. He moved to her side, still holding her hand, and said, "Keep doing that and I'll start to think it's on purpose," he said with a smile and small chuckle.

Tori shook her other hand. "No it was an accident. But why are we stopping?" she asked. David pointed at a stage and there were cosplayers on the stage performing. Her eyes lit up. "They don't do this at the usual convention we go to," she said as she glanced at him, beaming.

He smiled down at her and said, "We should go up there."

She shook her head. "We don't have costumes that go together, plus I don't like stages," Tori told him.

David shrugged. "Oh well. You do a good Sango, even if you're not dressed like her. Let's go," he motioned towards a table visible through the gaps of people.

She sighed as he pulled her over to the table. "Excuse me," she said. The man at the table was dressed in a full out Darth Vader suit. "Can cosplayers go up there to perform?" 'Please say no. Please say no.'

The person nodded. "Yes," he said in a non-Vader like voice. "We give you a number and call it, and then you go up and do your thing. Would you like a number?"

David answered before she could say no. "Yes, we would please. We're together."

Vader handed David a number and said, "Good luck."

"May the force be with you," Tori squeaked out nervously before following David off to the side where the steps to get onstage were. "What are we even gunna do up there?" Tori questioned.

David sat down on the floor like Miroku often did in the anime. "Do a small Miroku Sango thing," he said with question in his voice.

Tori sighed. "I guess. Let's just improvise though. It's been a while since I actually watched Inuyasha," she laughed. David nodded and she began to think try and think like Sango.

---

(Ashley POV)

She was walking aside of Griffin when someone tapped her on the shoulder. "Excuse me," the person said, "But can I get your picture?"

Ashley looked at Griffin who gave a reluctant nod. "Do you want us to pose?" she asked. The person nodded as they held up a camera. Ashley bit her lip. Griffin looked at her, obviously not knowing what to do. "Just get on your knees quick Griffin," Ashley instructed Griffin. He snarled and did as she told him. Ashley pulled out a gun like Yuna's from her second holster. She aimed it at a wall across the room and held onto Griffin's leash with the other hand.

"That looks great!" the person said as the flash went off.

A few more flashes went off and she noticed other people were taking their picture. "Goddamn it," she heard Griffin grumble. Ashley held a straight face along with her pose until a few people uttered thank you and turned away. She put the fake gun away and saw Griffin shooting her an angry look. "Why did they take our picture?"

Ashley shrugged. "Some people like to have costume ideas and memories, why else?"

Griffin shook his head as he rolled his eyes. "Let just find David and Tori. I wanna get out of here." He tugged at the collar and said, "This is irritating my neck."

An announcer's voice boomed over head and said, "Next up is number 7: David and Tori!"

"I found 'em," Ashley grinned and looked towards the stage.