Chapter nineteen: 8/3 Anime Convention
8/2 Thursday: After School; Ylisstol High School, Conference Room
There was a conference room near the Ylisstol High secretary office which normally was used to hold meetings for the school staff, and people like the district superintendent or even the monarch (which, obviously, Chrom and Lissa were part of).
However, the room was so big that its use could be multipurpose and there wasn't quite a room like it in the entire school. And it was conveniently at the school entrance. As a result, it was a popular place for school clubs to use, provided they got themselves a coveted one-hour booking in the room.
The anime club managed to secure use of the conference room for one hour a week every Thursday for the term.
This was where Robyn and Robin went to after school to participate in the club. Frankly, the past night was anything but restful. Even after the study session and they technically had the rest of the week to prepare, the fact remained was that the first final exam was next Monday. On top of that, there was anime convention to go to this weekend! So that was this afternoon's topic of discussion.
And sadly, with this being pre-exam week and finals coming up, it was also the last session of the term.
"Don't look so down!" the club leader said. "We'll always have another session next term. It just might not be the same time as now. Anyways, for those of you who haven't been to an anime convention, it's really straightforward! Go check out the panels, booths, and games there. Personally, I would go there to check out the awesome cosplays. You'd be impressed at what others can pull off."
Robyn and Robin exchanged glances. This was, after all, their first time to cosplay at a convention. They had been to last year's convention (although duly noted that Robyn went to 'her' version of the convention) and had seen the many cosplayers. That inspired them enough to have a crack at it themselves this year.
"But here's a tip," the club leader said. "I know we all have finals next week, so make use of every hour you can to study before and after the convention! But remember to have fun at the convention while you're there." She smiled. "Robin-kun. You and Robyn-chan have stars in your eyes. What's on your mind?"
Robin straightened up. "Oh, it's nothing. Robyn and I are cosplaying, so we're looking forward to that."
Robyn added, smiling, "Yup. We're going to cosplay as the player characters of Pokketo. No idea how it'll turn out but hey, it's worth a shot."
"Ooh!" Lissa said while clapping her hands. As it happened, she and Stahl were occasional participants in this club. "Which player characters?"
"Black and White, if you know the Pokketo manga." Robin couldn't contain his smile.
Robyn balled her hands into fists in excitement. "It's our OTP. We might even grab some Tepig dolls to go with them if we find some!"
"And if you have read the manga, they do imply the ship in there," Robin said, as if to build on Robyn's thoughts.
It was as if the two of them were speaking with the same mindset and train of thought, which certainly amused Lissa, Stahl, and the members of the anime club. Then again, if they were cosplaying as their one true pairing anyway, that would make them the perfect pair. (That was despite their appearances looking so similar that their clubmates found it laughable their personalities might as well be the perfect pair.)
8/2 Thursday: After School; Aritia, Convention Centre
Although the convention was starting tomorrow, the anime club advised that there would possibly be a huge lineup of people tomorrow. That is, although buyers had already paid for the convention, they still needed to show their receipts to pick up the convention passes necessary to enter. Since it was still Thursday and the convention staff were already present, the club advised members to pick up early to avoid lineups tomorrow and possibly saving time better used in the convention.
So that was what it came to. Robyn and Robin walked to Iris-shi Station and caught the next train to Aritia. The train wasn't full and they grabbed two seats for the commute. To make use of the commute time, and the beautiful scenery while they were at it, they got their books out and studied. Chrom and Lissa accompanied them as Lissa had also bought a pass (Chrom didn't). Lissa loved conventions, after all.
And felt like a good use of time because by the time they arrived at Aritia Station, they had clocked many precious minutes of studying. After they had disembarked they walked from the station to the direction of the convention centre. The convention centre was a complex with multiple floors and glass exteriors (except the roof) and took up a great deal of space on the Aritia waterfront. It had amazing views of the ocean in the distance.
"Aw, I haven't been to Aritia in ages!" Lissa said enthusiastically as she carried her books and bag with her. "I should have worn something other than the uniform, honestly."
Lissa did have a point. She and Chrom were wearing their Ylisstol High uniforms as did Robyn and Robin with their Plegia City uniforms. Neither uniform was a familiar city in Aritia, but to the city's credit, Aritia was a popular destination for its neighbours including those from other schools. So seeing school uniforms of different kinds was not uncommon. Nevertheless, two pairs of uniforms from two different schools did stand out in its own right.
"Ha, I would have brought a handbag along for the trip," Robyn added, smiling. "Of course, we'll be here for the weekend, anyway!"
Chrom and Robin smiled together. They soon enough had walked past the big glass doors of the convention centre and made their way up the escalators to a mezzanine with carpet flooring. It was here that the anime convention had set up reception, where ticket buyers could receive their passes, or where people could simply come to buy day passes instead should they choose not to attend all three. Below the mezzanine was the concourse for the booths and games, to name a few things.
"Right! Let's get to it," Lissa said, having saved her receipt on her smartphone.
Robyn and Robin had elected to print their receipts instead on the same sheet of paper. To them, for some reason, it was more comforting to print their receipts knowing it was physical. Who knows what sorts of issues might happen if they went electronic? They had once seen an advertisement for a camera company which made a joke of people being overdependent on their smartphones such that the one guy on that commercial failed to attend his concert because his phone crashed. It was an exaggeration, but it got the point across.
Minutes later, Robyn, Robin, and Lissa met up with Chrom at the top of the escalators near the entrance. They each wore an orange lanyard around their necks to which their convention passes were attached. Plus, they also got decent-sized grab bags, each with the image of the convention's mascot (which was a red-haired girl with pigtails who could have looked like a teen idol in some anime).
"Oh? What have you got there?" Chrom asked them.
"It's good stuff, Chrom! It's a real shame you're not joining in the fun…" Lissa remarked, poking at her brother's arm. "Let's see… It's got strawberry flavoured Pocki sticks…" She pulled out the popular snack in a pink box, and then pulled out a booklet (again, with the convention's mascot) and a map. "The convention programme and floor map, of course, with event schedules! We'll need these."
Robyn dug into her bag excitedly too. "We also got fan posters as a pre-order bonus!" She held out the poster – still in good condition and free from wrinkles or folds – and put it back in her bag.
"And coupons too," Robin added, showing the many leaflets in his hand. "Some of them are for local restaurants, including those in Aritia Station, and we could use some of these tonight, actually. Anyone craving burgers? This one particular shop is promoting." He held up one of the coupons.
Chrom, Lissa, and Robyn exchanged glances. "Why not?" Robyn said. "I'll let Morgan know not to wait for us, then."
They eventually spent dinnertime at a burger restaurant about a block away from Aritia Station. It was anything but a fast-food place and its portions were filling. It was said that this particular burger originated from a village further inland and had a good reputation. But that was another story.
8/3 Friday: After School; Aritia, Convention Centre, Entrance
It was a shame that the convention occurred on the same day as school and this Friday – the last day of classes before finals – wasn't a holiday. That didn't stop Robyn and Robin from dressing up in cosplay to school though. Robyn was dressed up as White, the female protagonist of Poketto who ran a talent agency, and Robin was dressed up as Black, the male protagonist whose aim was to win the Poketto League in the story.
That went without saying they wore wigs which contrasted with their usual hair colours. Instead of white, they had chestnut brown. Robyn had her wig tied up in a ponytail under White's signature pink-and-white cap while Robin's hair (shorter than Robyn's, obviously) was under Black's red-and-black cap. It also went without saying their costumes looked great, from White's white tank top and black vest with short shorts to Black's blue hoodie and bag.
"You look really good!" Robin remarked.
"You too!" Robyn said back.
So after school, they immediately caught the express bus with Lissa to the convention centre. Even though it was afternoon, the convention would go on for another six hours into the night, although there was no way any of them would stay that long. Besides, going on Friday was worthwhile. But as excited as they were, the three of them had to study for finals.
After the relatively quick commute and having focused on two chapters of a certain subject, Robyn and Robin felt more knowledgeable for their next final. On the return trip, they would have to review the next two chapters. Now they were on their way to the convention centre from Aritia Station, walking from the bus terminal to the waterfront. As they walked, they couldn't help noticing other cosplayers on the street walking to and from the same direction. It made the three of them excited.
And by the time they got to the entrance of the convention centre, there were many people already outside taking photo shoots!
8/3 Friday: After School; Aritia, Convention Centre, Vendor Hall
After they had shown their passes to the staff guarding the escalators to the main hall, Robyn, Robin, and Lissa made the descent to the entrance below. After all, the main hall was just as high as the mezzanine but had to be entered from below.
For the purposes of the convention, the main hall was designated the vendor hall where dozens of booths with merchandise had set up shop. Without needing to say much, Robyn, Robin, and Lissa walked around together. The glanced at the booths as they walked, with many independent artists having created fanart of popular games, anime, and titles and displaying them.
Then there were vendors selling dolls, figurines, video games and board games (including games for collectors whose prices were way out of whack, Robyn thought – even Generals of Hyrule was selling for four times its original retail price!).
"Anything catch your eye?" Robyn said to Robin and Lissa.
"There are so many posters… I'll really need to look again to find something I'd like!" Lissa said.
"I'm just looking for a genuine Eevee doll…" Robin said.
"Oh right! You're Pokketo fans!" Lissa laughed. "You two are dressed as Pokketo trainers after all. It's perfect."
And that said, some girl with a Pikachu hat came up to Robyn and Robin and asked if she could shoot a picture of the pair. Just the mere request brought an instant smile to their faces ("For sure!" Robyn replied), so Robyn and Robin stood and posed for the girl (who replied, "Thank you!"), and then she was on her way.
Lissa couldn't help smiling either. "Looks like your cosplay is becoming a hit already!"
After they walked around the booths a few times, they went to check on the tables. There were fans playing trading card games, portable video games, and board games. There were so many of them! Then not too far from the tables, there was an arrangement of miniature televisions with fans playing competitive console video games. They ranged from fighter games to racing games.
The three of them together went to watch one of the fighting games. There were four players battling it out using their characters on a stage, and trying to knock them off stage to claim victory. Although Robyn and Robin knew how to play that game, they were nowhere close to being competitive. Neither did Lissa. From the looks of it, this particular setup was an in-convention tournament, for players who knew how to play the game.
8/3 Friday: Evening; Aritia, Convention Centre, Panel Room
In addition to the main hall which was almost exclusively used for vendors (plus a stage), the convention also made use of seven other rooms in the convention centre. These seven rooms, including the ballroom being used for opening and closing ceremonies, were situated at the mezzanine level. Like the escalators leading to the vendor hall, there were staff stationed at each panel room door to admitting in people who showed them their convention passes.
Robyn, Robin, and Lissa had spent a great deal of time in the vendor hall but decided to leave their purchase decisions for tomorrow. After all, fan merchandise was not cheap, since they were run by independent retailers and artists. Neither was official merchandise cheap as there were many costs built into the price of the products too. Unfortunately, they were unable to find an official genuine Eevee doll at the booths but were told there might be a fresh shipment tomorrow. They would have more time, so maybe they would have better luck by then.
So that left them with a little time to check out a panel before it got too late into the night. There was one panel of interest where the voice actor from the popular anime series Demon Slayer was visiting the convention.
Multiple fans (with at least a third of them dressing up as the protagonists) had gathered at the panel room, hoping to get a decent seat while knowing the panel would be popular. In other words, this would probably be the highlight of the night before the fans would head home.
After they had shown their own passes, the three of them went to find some seats.
"I didn't know you kept up with Demon Slayer too," Robin said to Robyn.
"Don't be surprised! I've kept up with every episode ever since Lissa…"
Robyn trailed off. She realised she was recalling a memory that didn't apply to this reality now.
Even just by listening to her voice going quiet, Robin could tell Robyn was saddened from just thinking back to her previous reality. Could there be any doubt that Robyn wasn't crazy? Lissa introduced Demon Slayer to Robin, so if Robyn's past was this similar to his…
It was so hard for Robyn.
"Robyn…" Robin said.
Robyn shook her head, suddenly wearing a smile. "It's nothing. Let's go watch the panel!"
Lissa nodded back with a smile too. "Alright. Let's go!"
They walked into the room and sat in the middle rows of seats near the back. Arranged at the front of the room was an elevated stage with tables, microphones, and banners. Robyn's eyes lit up when the voice actor – the voice actor – of the Demon Slayer protagonist showed up on stage, to thunderous applause from the audience.
The panel involved the host asking several questions for the voice actor, including questions about his previous careers and what led him to voice acting. And then there were insights he shared from behind the scenes in recording. There were jokes and laughs shared between the voice actor and the audience while also making references from Demon Slayer. He even re-enacted a few lines! (A good one was his insight on how his literal facial appearance in studio would transform while recording. He said a famous line from the series to prove his point.)
Then after the panel was officially over, it was time for Q and A from the audience, using a microphone set up before the stage. A lineup had quickly formed at the microphone and fans asked multiple questions. One that stood out to Robyn was a certain girl dressed up as the protagonist's younger sister who asked for advice on getting into voice acting. The answer? The voice actor replied that taking acting classes was a start.
Then the panel was over and Robyn, Robin, and Lissa left the room. They felt refreshed, as if that was the highlight of the night. But as they left the convention centre to go home, they knew they had to study to prepare for finals next week. Given the trains ran much less often at this time of night, the express bus was faster. So then, the three of them got on the bus, travelled back to Iris-shi, and got off together at Ylisse Street. Lissa got picked up by her driver, whereas Robyn and Robin walked home.
8/4 Saturday: Morning; Aritia, Convention Centre, Ballroom
The Saturday was even busier than Friday, and this time, still dressed in their Pokketo cosplay, Robyn and Robin had the whole day to enjoy the convention. This of course exempted the study time they clocked while on the commute. They walked to Iris-shi Station early to catch the train so they could be there for today's highlights.
For today's session, it was the cosplay contest, a live concert from a video game music artist, a live recording with a voice actor, and autographs from the Demon Slayer voice actor from the other day. As far as Robin was concerned, it was hunting down for the Eevee doll that Morgan wanted. But that had to wait as he, Robyn, and Lissa had arrived in time for the cosplay contest to start.
And this time, they got better seats closer to the front as they entered the ballroom after showing their passes to the staff. The lighting in the ballroom was kept to a minimum to allow maximum lighting on the stage. Amusingly enough, even as Robyn and Robin took their seats, the fan sitting beside them recognised their cosplay immediately.
"Oh! You're Black and White from Pokketo! Can I take a picture of you two?" she said.
Lissa smiled at the two. Robyn wrapped her arm around Robin's shoulder and leaned forward to so she could get in view of the fan's camera. Then after the photo had been taken, the fan thanked the two and turned her attention to the cosplay contest stage. Some theme music was playing in anticipation of the show starting, with the hosts getting on stage to welcome everyone.
Then after the introductions, the music changed to a familiar music tune that Robyn and Robin knew well.
"This is…" Robin started, his voice trailing off.
"It's the Generals of Hyrule theme song!" Robyn whispered excitedly.
Two cosplayers walked on the stage which Robyn and Robin recognised as the hero in green and the king of evil who was the hero's enemy. From the looks of it, the cosplayer dressed as the former had done a decent job. He had the shield and sword as part of his appearance which looked really well-done, and was that sword made from actual metal? Robyn saw it shine under the lights. Then there was the cosplay as the kind of evil who looked like he had put a lot of work into the costume. And it looked like he dyed his hair just for the occasion too, and had this giant claymore to complement the look! They did a pose as if they were in combat, pausing to allow time for the convention staff to take photos of them (as did the fans, including Robyn and Robin).
Then after that was done, they walked offstage. The theme song changed drastically to a more upbeat and contemporary theme, like dancing. A single cosplayer walked on the stage dressed as the main idol of a well-known music game. First she did a post, and then a few dance moves to the tune of the music to match the game, for those who had played it. After that was done, she received applause for her performance and then walked off too.
Robyn couldn't help smiling the whole time. This was going to be an entertaining day at the convention.
8/4 Saturday: Afternoon; Aritia, Convention Centre, Food Court
It was well into the afternoon by the time the cosplay contest ended. Robyn, Robin, and Lissa eventually went to get some food at the food court which, unsurprisingly, was crowded with fans and cosplayers. They managed to get a table and were snacking on fried chicken and strawberry crêpes.
"So! Where shall we go next?" Robyn said.
Robin looked through the program. "Live recording… Music concert… We could check those out before heading home. It'll be late by then."
"Say! Didn't you two want to check on that Eevee doll?" Lissa said. "Let's do that first!"
8/4 Saturday: Evening; Aritia, Convention Centre, Vendor Hall
And, much to their disbelief, the genuine Eevee doll had escaped their clutches by a whisker. The girl at the vendor said the whole stock of Pokketo dolls had sold out just an hour ago. Since she recognised Robyn and Robin as the Pokketo protagonists in Black and White, she promised to hold onto one for them tomorrow, which was some comfort. Being there also reminded Robin to buy some Tepig dolls to match his and Robyn's outfits, so they bought a pair from a different vendor.
Then, unsurprisingly, Robyn, Robin, and Lissa spent the better hour wandering around the vendor hall. This time, they knew what to buy. Lissa went to buy some Demon Slayer posters (there was an incentive to buy two and get the third one at fifty percent off). Robyn and Robin bought a poster each of a Pokketo landscape. Robyn's showed the city, and Robin's showed the countryside.
Even as they walked around aimlessly, they saw a crowd of people line up at the vendor hall hoping to get an autograph from the Demon Slayer voice actor. There was a fee they had to pay the staff in order to get one, but for them, it was worth it.
"We'll get that Eevee doll for sure! I'm so glad she was able to save one for us," Robin said.
"Agreed!" Robyn nodded.
"It's probably because she's in to shipping the two characters," Lissa said.
"Hey, they're our OTP too!" Robyn replied.
They spent the rest of the evening watching the live concert with the video game music artist. In fact, a full band had arrived to perform tunes familiar to those who played the games or watched the anime films.
Then by the time they had gotten on the express bus, Robyn and Robin were simply too tired to study. They caught a catnap while on the busy and rested their heads against each other without realising it. Lissa was no less amused as she too got some sleep.
8/5 Sunday: Morning; Aritia, Convention Centre, Vendor Hall
The following day was a stressful one because although it was the last day of convention, meant to be relaxing, the first final exam was tomorrow. After a good night's rest, Robyn and Robin were dressed up in cosplay once more but were near silent on the comment as they diligently studied. Lissa joined them once more, also bringing her books to study too.
It was also a hot day and well into summer. It felt like they were getting cooked alive in their cosplay and sweat was building in their hair. This was in contrast to Lissa, who was wearing summer clothes as if she was out in the sunshine. So it was extremely welcome when they got into the air-conditioned premises of the convention centre.
They quickly went to the vendor hall to meet the girl who promised to hold onto an Eevee doll for them.
But unfortunately there was a big turnout of people in the vendor hall and, to Robin's disbelief, they had all lined up at the doll vendor. Everyone was waiting to get in and make a purchase, and because there were so many, the girl at the booth had to call in the staff to help control the volume.
"You… You have got to be kidding me," Robin said.
Robyn too facepalmed. "Are genuine Pokketo dolls that desirable? I would think they would…" She looked at the Tepig doll in her hand. "Or maybe it's just the Eevee?"
"It could be just the Eevee… Or other things, of course," Lissa suggested. "I'm going to check the book shop, so meet me there!"
After what felt like a long time, they managed to get into the vendor and spoke with the girl from yesterday about the Eevee doll. She was more than happy to get it for them and afterwards Robin paid the amount owed. He held onto the Eevee doll as if it were gold, knowing how much effort was spent throughout the convention to get this. He put away the doll in his bag.
Then he and Robyn went to find Lissa at the book shop, which was a relatively big vendor in the hall considering it was a walled and, like the Pokketo doll vendor, needed volume control by convention staff. Unlike the former vendor, the volume was controlled by staff from opening to closing.
As they waited in line, another fan asked them if she could shoot a picture of the two with their Tepig dolls. She also said she shipped the characters and wondered if they could, for lack of better word, cuddle. A little nervous, Robyn asked Robin if he was okay with it, and Robin replied by saying if she was okay with it. So there seemed to be common ground between them on not knowing how to answer.
In the end, they leaned against each other's heads, their hats touching each other, while holding up their Tepig dolls. The fan squealed and she shot a few pictures, and it seemed her squeal got the attention of passing-by Pokketo fans who also wanted to shoot a picture too! Although embarrassed at first, Robyn and Robin were delighted that plenty of people recognised their cosplay.
Not too far away, Lissa was finishing her purchase of several volumes of manga and had walked out in time to see the pair. She had to chuckle at them. Robyn and Robin were having too much fun together, weren't they? Never mind if they were the same person… So Lissa shot a picture of the pair just for fun.
8/5 Sunday: Evening; Robin's Residence
Lissa then shared the picture to Robyn and Robin via their phones. Upon looking at them, Robyn and Robin were delighted. Their cosplay really looked as good as others said it was!
After watching an episode of Demon Slayer in one of the panel rooms, Robyn, Robin, and Lissa took the train back to Iris-shi while trains were still at their peak. They had to be back home early to prepare for finals tomorrow, so the commute was just silence between them as they continued their diligent studying. But as far as Robyn and Robin were concerned, they had gotten very familiar with the material now.
And most thankfully, Lissa offered to give them a ride home in the armoured SUV that normally took her home. The driver agreed, seeing it was Lissa's request, after all. Robyn and Robin ended up buying dinner from Anna's (at fifty percent off since it was clearance hour) on the way before they were dropped off at home.
"Welcome home, Big Bro! Big Sis Robyn!" Morgan greeted them at the top of the stairs.
Robin was relieved to see there were no falling tomes to greet him when he walked in. Then he removed his shoes and walked upstairs with Robyn following suit after she closed the door. Robyn got to the top of the stairs in time to see Robin give the gift to Morgan.
"I brought you a present," he said, handing the Eevee doll over.
Morgan's eyes lit up. "Aw… Thanks, Big Bro! Did you really get this for me?! Thank you thank you!" Then she hugged Robin tightly, and then the doll.
Watching that made Robyn smile.