Booker was just a little on cloud nine. After the second date with Juliette, things just seemed to hit a stride that the librarian hadn’t expected. There was something about the nurse / X-Man that just seemed to click with him. She was pretty, she was sweet, she was funny, she was everything he was looking for in a woman and, best of all, she actually seemed to tolerate him and his crazy life. Admittedly, his life was not as crazy as most people’s, but it was crazy enough that he feared things would not bode well. Thankfully, Juliette proved time and again to be able to go with the flow.

They had seen one another a few times since then. More dating, a few movies and dinner, a lot of phone calls and texting. It was the highlight of Booker’s day to receive a text from the woman, whether it was a just a random “Sup?” or a goofy faced picture. It was enough that Booker was actually feeling really good about his prospects with this woman. Really she was the breath of fresh air that his humdrum life needed right now.

However, as the summer crawled on, there inevitably came the one question that he had been desperate but terrified to ask. That one thing that he knew could also make or break a relationship. There were more important things in the world, he guessed, but for him, in his life, this was what mattered the most – would she cosplay?

See, Booker was a big fan of cosplaying. He put months of thought into his costumes and selected his partners carefully. It took a lot to be a cosplayer and, if you weren’t really ready for it, it could prove to be quite hellish. There was a clear difference between those people who merely wore Halloween costumes ordered off of Amazon, and those who actually tried to make theirs from scratch. Not be preachy, but Booker always appreciate the attention to detail that most of the serious cosplayers put into their works.

Booker was up there, with some of those truly dedicated, but he lacked the ability to make it a full-time profession. Still, he was skilled and talented enough in the art that when it came to his own costumes, he went all in. That…could scare off some people. So when Booker had broached the question to Juliette, he did so with the smallest bit of trepidation. He really did like her, after all, but what if she said no?

That wasn’t the case.

Oh how the angels sang and the sunshine lit up the world. She had actually agreed, and with perfect timing too! The coveted sci-fi and superhero comic convention, The Wrath of Con ‘17 was upon them! Booker had only the smallest ideas for costumes but now that Juliette had agreed to go, he had the perfect idea in mind! She had asked if just a superhero t-shirt would be sufficient and, when Booker stopped laughing, he immediately quelled her fears by stating he would handle the costuming. She just needed to show up at the apartment early for…prep.

---

So maybe he should have clued Juliette in more on how much time actually went into cosplaying. When she had arrived at his apartment, Booker immediately set to work. His costume would be the simplest, consisting of just some black slacks, boots, a tight grey shirt with some alien text on it, and a red leather trench coat. Juliette’s on the other hand, well, it was going to take a bit more work. He would understand if she were slightly annoyed with him, but, she agreed and he took promises like that very seriously. But, deep down, he knew if she were truly uncomfortable that all she had to do was say and they would be done.

Booker grinned as he sat in front of Juliette at the kitchen table, making funny faces at her as he sat incredibly close. A sponge in hand, he was applying her green make up to her face, being carefully that he did it just right as to ensure that it didn’t smear or break. However, his making funny faces at her wasn’t going to help the matters any, but he was enough of an imp to try and make her smile.

”You have to stop flinching,” he chuckled as he dabbed at her forehead. ”Otherwise this won’t set.” Dressed in just his black slacks and boots with a white tank top that was smeared with paint from earlier, Booker was almost done dressing as his character Star Baron. Leaning back at dabbing another spot on her forehead, he grinned wide. ”Not bad. You’re almost the spitting image of Glamora.”

Cosplay. That was not something that Juliette had imagined herself doing. It wasn’t something that had really crossed her mind or come up in conversation. Sure, she had friends that did it, one of those being Rebecca, but it still wasn’t something that she would have really jumped at the chance to do.

That was until Booker suggested it.

Maybe it could be blamed on the fact that she was in a new relationship and she wasn’t always thinking entirely straight, or maybe the fact that she would really do anything if it meant that she could get more one-on-one time with him, but it didn’t matter. She had agreed to it blindly and then had to deal with whatever it was that she had gotten herself into.

And, really, she had gotten herself into something much bigger than she had anticipated. Sure, Booker had told her how much work he put into his costumes before, but to be fair, she was a little bit distracted by the shirtless picture of him, and it hadn’t occurred to her that she might be privy to a front row seat. Or that it would come so soon.

She had thought that, since it was her first convention ever, that she might just be better off going in a nerdy t-shirt or something. She’d asked Booker about it, he’d laughed, and then told her that she needn’t worry about the costume. He would be handling it. That sounded like a great thing since she wouldn’t have to worry about any of the prep work. She could just show up at his apartment, step into the costume, and then they would go do… whatever people did at conventions. Easy as pie.

---

They were already at least forty-five minutes into the painting, and they were only just finishing up. She might have gotten an inkling about what their couples costume was going to be from the pink manic panic that she’d been told to put into her hair, but she still hadn’t clued in. Now, she was sitting at Booker’s kitchen table, trying to sit as still as possible while Booker applied green paint to her face with a sponge.

She had been a little annoyed that he’d picked a costume that required her to wear all the crazy stuff while he got to walk around in a t-shirt and slacks, but she did have to admit that it was a cool costume. She’d kept her annoyance (mostly) to herself as he set to work, but she had shot him a glare or two when they first started.

She was dressed in black pants and a white undershirt with the straps off the sides while they painted her. Her hair was up and off her face as much as possible, but she had to keep making sure that no strands wound up in the paint. Her hands and chest were done, so it was only her face left to finish. All the rest would be covered by the costume, thankfully. At least he hadn’t asked her to dress up as The Mystic.

>>”You have to stop flinching. Otherwise this won’t set.”

”Well maybe,” she replied, her voice dripping with sass, ”it would be easier if someone would stop making funny faces at me!” She lifted a green hand that she had dipped in some fresh paint and smeared a little on his forehead. She tried to keep her face straight as she did so so as not to wreck anything finished.

It wasn’t just the faces that had made it difficult to keep her face straight. The paint was cold and she’d been sitting for a long time. It was just a good thing that they had done her chest before her face.

>>”Not bad. You’re almost the spitting image of Glamora.”

Juliette stood up and walked across the room to look in a mirror. He was right; it was pretty dead on. ”Okay, I have to admit, this is pretty cool. Worth the prep. Mostly.” She turned and smirked at him after the last comment, her eyes glimmering. ”But next time, we paint you.”

The brunette turned back around and put her green hands on her hips. ”So how long until I can change into the costume?”

>> ”Well maybe…iit would be easier if someone would stop making funny faces at me!”

Booker grinned. The sass was strong with her today. Admittedly, he probably should have given her just a tab bit more warning about the cosplay process. Booker rarely did this small. He always tried to do as much as possible and to make things as realistic as possible. While he didn’t have the exact same artistic edge as his sister, Booker had developed a skill for body paint over the years as he found himself more and more enmeshed into the world of cosplay. Oh how he loved it so, to become someone else, to take on a role of some of his favorite heroes and villains. It was precisely what the man so enjoyed about reading.

But, now that he and Juliette were dating, he probably should have been just a bit more forth coming with it all. Granted, he did warn her that he was a pretty heavily into cosplay but, still, more warning the next time. Now, he tried to make light of the situation, making odd faces, making her smile just so that he could redo her make-up. It was the pestering side of him that was shining through. Luckily she took it like a champ.

”I can’t help it,” he finally said. ”I mean, I’m just compelled to make funny faces at you.” As he said this, a series of at least three funny faces were thrown at Juliette to show just how serious he was about his inability to control himself. Again, she took it in stride.

When he had dabbed on the last of the face paint, he sat back, looking over his work and nodding his head in an impressed manner. She had dyed her hair perfectly and, with the green make up and prosthetic scarring, she looked damn near identical to Glamora. All she needed was the rest of her costume and a few props to make it complete. But not yet, clearly, as the paint needed to be sealed and dried.

Sitting back and marveling at her, Booker watched as she stood up and made her way over to a standing mirror in the room. As she looked over herself, he couldn’t help but smirk, reaching into his make-up case and pulling out a larger water spray bottle that wasn’t filled with water. He shook the bottle up a bit as he stood and made his way over to her, smirking with delight in the mirror. Already they were making quite the pair.

>>”Okay, I have to admit, this is pretty cool. Worth the prep. Mostly. But next time, we paint you.”

He held up his hands defensively, chuckling a bit at her glare. ”Fine, fine! I promise. Next time, head-to-toe make-up, and I’ll even let you apply it.” He gave her a wink after that.

>> ”So how long until I can change into the costume?”

She turned, hands on her hips. It was clear she wanted to get this show on the road but if she didn’t want to have to go through all this all over again, he was going to have to impart that patience was a virtue. He continued to shake the bottle of clear liquid.

”Almost. I just have to seal the paint job. Otherwise, if I have to put you through all that again, I’m certain you’ll break up with me.” He double checked how much liquid was in the spray bottle before he nodded to her. ”Okay. Stretch out your arms, lift your head, and close your eyes.” He lifted the bottle towards her, but stopped. ”Oh, and hold your breath. This…doesn’t smell the best, but it dissipates quickly.”

Only when Juliette did all these things (he really didn’t want to get it in her eyes or up her nose) did he finally lift the bottle and started to spray. The cool liquid was spritzed all over the parts of her flesh that had paint on it. Her arms, her chest and neck, and finally her face, which he tried to make as quick as possible. As he did this, he made sure to stay extra careful as to not get the liquid anywhere sensitive. When he was done, he stepped back, admire the woman for a tick and then nodded with a satisfied smirk.

”Okay! Nice!” he beamed. Before she moved, though, he stopped her. ”Now, you just need to stand perfectly, and I mean perfectly still for the next forty-five minutes so that the sealant will mix with the pigment and last, okay? Otherwise, the whole paint job is ruined.”

Turning his back to her, Booker smirked to himself as he carried the bottle away and set it inside of his make-up box. In actuality, the sealant didn’t take that long as it was fast acting. But he wouldn’t tell her that just yet. Moving around the apartment, putting things away, not letting her in on the fact that she was already safe and dry, Booker made his way around her, behind her back. Tip-toping up, he suddenly reached down and pinched her rear left cheek, just enough to make her jump. Giggling Booker backed, hands up defensively when she whipped around to face him, a cheeky grin upon his features.

”What? Like I was supposed to resist doing that?” Still laughing, Booker continued to back away as he clued her in. ”And yes, you are dry already. I was only teasing.”

With the promise that next time, she would have her vengeance, Juliette felt a little more validated in her annoyance. She intended to collect, too. She was not going to suffer through body paint and the torture of looking at funny faces while being told not to laugh all on her own. No, she was going to make him feel all the pain that she had felt.

Thankfully, the worst was over. The paint had been applied, and she looked almost exactly like the reference picture. He had done a very good job.

Juliette stood straight in the apartment, no longer Juliette. No, she was the mysterious Glamora, daughter of Theymost, and deadly assassin turned rogue. She looked damn cool, even if she’d had to suffer through a ton of prep to get there. She did a quick turn for her boyfriend to take a look at his handiwork before glancing in the mirror again.

They weren’t quite finished, though. There was one more step before they could take on the comic convention: sealing the paint. Juliette waited for him for him to approach and then nodded at the instructions. She raised her arms, closed her eyes, and stayed as still as she could while she waited.

The liquid hit her and she had a hard time not wincing. It was cold on her skin, and it smelled just as terrible as he had promised. She coughed at the smell, doing her very best to remain still and not open her mouth or her eyes. It was a lot easier said than done. All she wanted to do was open her mouth and cough out the scent. Thankfully, he was also being truthful when he had said that it dissipated quickly.

When the spraying stopped, Juliette opened one of her eyes a crack to see what was going on. Booker had dropped the spray bottle to his side and was now giving her a once over, so she figured that he was finished. It did feel like all the painted areas had been covered, anyway. She blinked both her eyes open and rotated her jaw, feeling the pain move with her skin. It was a weird feeling.

>>”Okay! Nice! Now, you just need to stand perfectly, and I mean perfectly still for the next forty-five minutes so that the sealant will mix with the pigment and last, okay? Otherwise, the whole paint job is ruined.”

If Juliette’s falling expression could have been measured in physical distance, it would have been miles. She looked at him with the most hatred that anyone had ever looked at someone with in all of human existence (absolutely no exaggeration). ”You have got to be kidding me,” she deadpanned. There was no way that she was standing around for forty-five minutes with her arms up like that. ”I guess I’m not going then,” she decided. Nope, not worth it.

As much as she had claimed that she wouldn’t be waiting the required time, she didn’t move. They had already spent a long time painting her, and it seemed like such a waste to go wash it all off at that point. Plus, she really did want to go to the convention.

She sighed heavily and kept her arms up, relenting to the fact that she was going to get some serious cramps going. Booker had moved away, putting things in their rightful spots in the apartment, almost as if to make it more obvious that he was able to move when she wasn’t. It was infuriating, and she was so getting him back for it.

All of a sudden, there was a sharp feeling on her rear. She yelped and whipped around, abandoning her post to glare at Booker. Funny faces were one thing, but expecting her to stay still through that was next-level.

>>”What? Like I was supposed to resist doing that? And yes, you are dry already. I was only teasing.”

”You are the worst!” Juliette announced loudly, real annoyance on her face. She was not pleased, to say the least. She kicked him in the shins as hard as she could, which wasn’t all that hard, considering she was barefoot and still trying her best not to ruin her makeup, despite knowing that she was dry by that point. She was still afraid that if she moved the wrong way, she would wreck it all. ”You, mister, had better watch your back. I’m going to get you for that. Maybe not now, but it’ll happen and you won’t know what hit you.”

She shook her head and turned back around to the table. Carefully, she picked up the rest of her costume and put it on, being especially observant of any areas with paint on them. She was not about to sit through another round of painting and spraying. ”Alright, if you tell me that there’s anything else that we have to do to this costume still, I will scream. And then I will deny everything when the neighbours come knocking.”

Okay so she didn’t seem to be all that enthused when he told her that she needed to keep still for at least forty-five minutes. Truth was that it never took that long for the sealants to actually seal body paint. But, Booker was being particularly playful and while Juliette seemed to utterly dislike the idea for not being able to move, as well as pronouncing that she just wasn’t going to go, a glance at her proved that she was stubbornly refusing to move. She really was a trooper.

Of course, Booker should have probably let her know right then and there that she didn’t actually have to hold that pose for as long as he said she needed to. She was being a good sport, going along with everything so far, that it would have been cruel for him to keep it up. Sadly, as stated before, Booker had a hard time (sometimes) with knowing when to end a joke. That was how the brilliant idea popped into his head of how he could actually let the woman know that she didn’t need to hold the pose for as long as he had initially stated.

He pinched her, he giggled, and backed away, proclaiming innocence as he was spurred on by forces beyond his control. However, the woman turned out to be just a little more annoyed that he could have guessed as she whipped around to face him.

>> ”You are the worst!”

The shin kick came fast. The only good thing was that Juliette was much shorter than him, she didn’t have shoes on, and Booker was actually wearing his boots. As he toes collided with his shin, he felt it but not as much as he would have if any of those other factors were differen.t Still, the sucker hurt, so he winced and hopped on one leg a bit comically.

”Ow! Ow! Pain…” he hissed as he hopped around. Setting his leg down, finally, the librarian hissed again but tried to walk on the injured leg in hopes of pushing through the discomfort in his shin.

>> ”You, mister, had better watch your back. I’m going to get you for that. Maybe not now, but it’ll happen and you won’t know what hit you.”

Booker stopped when Juliette had issued her warning. Oh he fully believed that she was 100% serious about it, but part of him had hoped that she would have understood that it was just a joke. Still, the woman hadn’t left in a huff and her responses could just be chalked up to her really getting into character. But, Booker wasn’t that diluted. He knew that he had heaped a lot on her when he had asked if she wanted to cosplay with him, kept a lot of the process unknown to her, and, really, she had been amazing with dealing with all the craziness.

Watching as she stepped back towards the table to finish putting on the rest of her costume, Booker chewed on his bottom lip thoughtfully for a few moments before he too finally stepped away, peeling the white, stained tank top from his body. Walking towards the living room couch, his shirt held in his hand, he tossed it onto the couch as he grabbed his gray shirt with the alien writing, and the red leather jacket that was draped over the arm of the sofa.

Slipping the coat on, he moved back toward the table where his prop ray guns and other knickknacks of his costume were waiting. As he approached, Juliette finished up her own costume before she spoke.

>> ”Alright, if you tell me that there’s anything else that we have to do to this costume still, I will scream. And then I will deny everything when the neighbours come knocking.”

A small smile cracked his lips. He really did hope that Juliette wasn’t too upset with him. He had been joking but it had seemed that he may have pushed it just a tad far. So, with large, puppy like eyes, Booker approached the nurse, his hand gently placed upon her hips as he gave her a sweet, and apologetic smile.

’No worries, you’re done.” he said. ”You really are amazing…and I really am sorry. You’ve been a champ and I shouldn’t have teased you like that.” he said. Leaning down, he kissed her gingerly upon the lips before he leaned back. ”You’re going to knock ‘em dead at the convention. And, as an apology…” he smiled. ”…there’s usually a lot of request for pictures of Glamora kicking Star Baron’s butt.” he gave her a slight bow. ”You will be free to do so.”

As Juliette put on the last part of her costume (a long, red leather trench coat), she turned to face Booker, who was already finished dressing. She narrowed her eyes at him as he claimed that she was done, not entirely sure if she believed him or not. At that point, she wouldn’t have been all that surprised if he turned around and told her to glue on some weird body parts or something. Sure, she was already the spitting image of her character, but she still questioned it.

It did seem as though he was telling the truth, though. She was finished and didn’t have to worry about putting any more aspects onto her costume. That, at least, was good to know. She looked up at him with her brow slightly less furrowed as he leaned down and kissed her. As he pulled away, she noticed that a little of the green paint on her lips had rubbed off onto his, but she didn't say anything. Served him right to be walking around with a bit of green on him.

>>”You’re going to knock ‘em dead at the convention. And, as an apology… here’s usually a lot of request for pictures of Glamora kicking Star Baron’s butt. You will be free to do so.”

”Well, I can’t say that I don’t like the idea of those pictures,” she smirked, imagining the poses that they could come up with. Already, she could see several. ”But don’t think that I wouldn’t have done them anyway.” She would have done it with or without permission. If people requested it, of course… probably.

She ran her hand through her hair and took it out of the ponytail that it had been kept in to keep it away from her face makeup. Carefully, she did her best to get the kinks out of it and make it look like Glamora’s did in the picture. Once it was as close as it could be, she turned to Booker. ”Alright, ready to head out, Star Baron?”

---

Once they had reached the convention, Juliette felt a lot less strange in her costume. They were surrounded by thousands of other people dressed as their favourite comic and movie characters, and many people that actually were their favourite comic and movie characters. It was a lively, exciting event that Juliette was actually a little sad about having missed out on until then.

All around them, people were moving to get toward different lineups and areas of interest. There were food booths, swag booths, and booths to meet people. Really, there was very little that you couldn’t find in there. Glamora-Juliette turned around with wide eyes as she took in the surroundings, a little awestruck by the various things.

”So what do we do first?” she inquired, turning around to face her boyfriend. As a convention newb, she figured that it would be best to lean on the experience and wisdom of Booker.

Now a kiss wasn’t going to solve all his problems but in this particular instance it seemed to do the trick. As an apology, he leaned down and gave her a soft and tender kiss on the lips. He really was sorry for having deceived her like this, especially when she looked so utterly amazing in her costume. He wanted her to have fun at this convention, not just because they were fun worthy, but because he honestly felt like she was could have a good time. The last thing he wanted was to start it off on a bad foot.

But it seemed that his apology must have done something because Juliette had gave him the smallest flash of a smile; that was a start. He then sweetened the pot by explaining that there would probably be a lot of pictures of her kicking his *** so that had to be a plus, right?

>> ”Well, I can’t say that I don’t like the idea of those pictures…But don’t think that I wouldn’t have done them anyway.”

He smirked and then chuckled brightly. ”That’s the spirit.” He beamed. With that settled, it was time to get back into the swing of things. After he was sure that she was indeed fine, Booker turned and started to prepare again. He had most of his equipment for his costume already, and all he needed now were a few odds and ends.

Moving throughout the apartment, he grabbed his plastic plasma guns, his Star Baron mask which he would switch in and out of throughout the day, even a classic Walkman. Attaching that to his belt, he looked the orange headphones around his neck, just in time for Juliette to finish the last bits of her Glamora costume. Again, she looked absolutely amazing.

>> ”Alright, ready to head out, Star Baron?”

”I think so! Let’s head out, shall we?” he beamed as he moved off. He was just grabbing his keys when he passed by the mirror and gave himself on last check. Noticing a spot of green on his lips, he quickly grabbed a tissue and wiped it off, turning and smiling good-naturedly at Juliette. ”Good thing I checked. How embarrassing would that had been?”

---

Wrath of Con ‘17 was well underway by the time that Booker and Juliette got there. They had arrived just in time to snag the last parking space in the closest parking structure, and the walk to the convention center had been surprisingly calm. Then again, it wasn’t like this was Comic Con, which was packed to the brim. This convention was specialized to more science fiction / superhero related stuff and didn’t have nearly as many guest speakers or panels. But, it should serve as an excellent first introduction to the world of cosplay and cons.

Booker didn’t say much as he led Juliette through the front doors, pointing down to the badge that he wore around his neck, the same pass that Juliette had. As they marched through, he just stood back and let Juliette smile and marvel at the whole thing. There was really little else he could say that could do it justice. He remembered the first time he had come to one of these things and it was best to not mar the experience with a lot of talking off the bat. He would just let her stand and observe until she was ready.

Still, the look on her face was more than endearing. With a grin he finally walked up, his hand placed on the small of her back as he looked at the same banners and vendors she was looking at. Looking down, she turned to face him, clearly knew to the experience and with no idea where to start.

>>”So what do we do first?”

’That…m’lady, is a good question…” he lifted his wrist, pulling back his sleeve in order to check his watch. ”The Visionaries of Tomorrow, Writers of Sci-Fi Panel is in an hour-and-a-half, and the cast of Space Trek: Beyond is signing autographs most of the day. Buuuut…” he said pulling down his hand. ”Since this is your first, maybe we can walk around and collect some swag? Pose for some pictures? I wouldn’t want overload you for your first time.” He grinned.

And, as if one cue…

“Hey! Check those two out!”

“OMG! Totally awesome Star Baron and Glamora costumes.”

Booker smirked as he turned, watching a trio of people walking up, cameras in hand. It was picture time.

Everything was a tad overwhelming, and Juliette wasn’t really sure what to do with any of it. She had decided that it would make the most sense to lean on Booker for some support and guidance, even if he had already proven several times that day that he was not afraid to steer her wrong. 

>>”Since this is your first, maybe we can walk around and collect some swag? Pose for some pictures? I wouldn’t want overload you for your first time.”

Other than the costume, Booker had decided to take things easy on her since it was her first convention. Juliette was thankful for that fact. As much as everything was very cool, she wasn’t entirely sure if she was ready to be waiting in lines and screaming lines from movies (other than The Princess Bride) just yet. She still needed some time to adjust and take everything in before she dived headfirst into the world of the nerd.

”Swag sounds like fun,” she nodded at the idea. Who didn’t like free stuff? It sounded like a good way to get integrated into the event. She wasn’t entirely sure what they would get, but it sounded like a good way to go anyway.

She scanned the area and the various tables that were set up around them, trying to see which ones would be good to stop at first. She had spotted one that had a whole bunch of t-shirts and posters that she was going to point out to Booker when someone interrupted. 

Glamora-Juliette turned with her mouth slightly open to see a trio staring at her and Booker with excited faces. The costumes had apparently turned out as well as she thought they had, since more people had called them out for it. She grinned awkwardly and looked at them first and then Booker. It was go time.

”You guys want a picture?” she asked, feeling a little put on the spot. It seemed like now was the moment that Booker was talking about; they had the chance to take a photo with Glamora beating up Star Baron. She wasn’t exactly sure how they would go about such a pose, even though she had more than wanted to try out a few things earlier that day.

“Definitely!” The guy on the left, who was dressed liked Hands Solo, nodded enthusiastically. His two friends, the first of whom looked like Princess Leila, and the second like Luke Skydancer, agreed quickly. 

Juliette gave them another uncomfortable smile and then tried to give her best Glamora smirk as she turned her back to Booker and pulled out one of the prop guns that she had strapped to her leg. ”How’s this?” she whispered to Booker/Star Baron. 

Booker knew what cons were like, especially when it was your first time. The librarian’s first one had been so overwhelming, he had gone every day it was in town, and he paid for it in the days that followed. Blistered feet, not wanting to talk to anyone, not even wanting to look at his cool swag because of how much he had collected; it was an experience that was not for the faint of heart. However, Booker was a glutton for punishment and simply kept going until he grew to actually love it. It was a hell of an experience and not something to be easily missed.

Juliette was in his life now and, as this was a big portion of his life, he wanted to introduce to her easily. Of course he already had a minor setback with his choice in costume and the fact that he had already put her through some make-up torture. But, she was still here and she was willing to suffer through it with him. That alone told the man that he should keep things simple. As much as he was immune to standing in long lines for unfinished footage of a new movie or TV show, Juliette wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment.

To go in the vein of keeping things simple, he offered the idea of swag to her. Swag was one of the best things about these conventions because a majority of the time, it was exclusive to those people who were willing to brave the tedium and annoyances of the convention floor. These were things that rarely were giving on the outside and therefore, Juliette should take some pride in that. That was, if she were into it. But these things tended to have something for everyone.

>> ”Swag sounds like fun,”

He nodded encouragingly. ”Perfect!” He said. ”Let’s find a good on—“

Booker didn’t get to finish his sentence. Before he knew it, both he and Juliette (or rather their alter-egos as Glamora and Star Baron) were suddenly beset upon by a trio of Space Wars cosplayers. The roguish Hand Solo, the regale Princess Leila, and the brave Luke Skydancer all ran up to them with big smiles on their faces. They seemed a little younger than Booker himself but no less dedicated to the experience. They immediately started to gush and ask about taking a picking of the two of them. Booker was all grins and nodded enthusiastically while Juliette herself seemed a little unused to the request.

>>”You guys want a picture?”

All three of them were clearly enamored by the work that was put into their costumes. This was one of the highs that Booker got whenever he attended these things. It was the appreciative looks he got from others, not because of his physical appearance, but because of the work that he had put into his costumes. In a way, it was almost like validating all the work that he did and it was something he greatly enjoyed and it put a smile on his face.

It was a smile that Booker could have sworn he saw upon Juliette’s face too, or, at least it would be once she got used to this.

”We’d love to!” Booker said brightly.

Stepping back, he watched as Juliette took on a pose. It was pretty basic but definitely carried the weight and expression that Glamora was known for. Gun out, hand on her hip, flirty, yet dangerous, scowl upon her lips – she practically was her character. Booker bounced with excitement.

>> ”How’s this?”

“Perfect!” one the trio shouted.

Booker himself took position next to her, standing with his back to her. He took on the expression of a brave space pirate, one of his plasma guns held up in a mirror image of Glamora. His eyebrow lifted and a cocky grin upon his lips, he definitely fit the picture of Star Baron if there ever was one. Their combined posing immediately caused the trio to start snapping a few shots excitedly. Once that was done, however, they seemed to have ideas for another.

Luke immediately stepped up, grinning at the two. “Can you two post like Star Baron and Glamora when they were dancing? You know? With your headphones on?”

A wide smirk pulled at Booker’s lips. He knew exactly which scene the cosplayer was thinking of. He glanced to Juliette, pulling up his orange headphones from his belt (which did work) and held them up as he approached her. However, he stopped before he got too close and smiled gently.

”Are you okay with this?” Never force a cosplayer into a shot they didn’t want to be a part of; rule number one.

Juliette held her pose until she was sure that the three had taken a sufficient number of photographs, making sure not to let her face fall. It was a simple enough pose, but it felt sort of foreign to her. She wasn’t an actress by any means, and pretending to be someone she wasn’t was a little ways out of her comfort zone. Still, she was committed to it, and she wanted to ensure that everyone around her had a good experience too. Especially Booker.

When it seemed like they had enough photos, Juliette dropped her arm and stood straight, fixing her hair as she looked back around the convention for their next destination. When she turned her head back, it seemed like they were expecting another photograph from the duo.

The next pose that was asked of them gave Juliette a moment of pause. She was pretty sure that she knew which pose they meant, but she wasn’t entirely certain that she was remembering it right. ”Um, sure?” she agreed nervously, looking at Booker to get the headphones. 

She took the device from him and slipped the headphones over her ears, careful not to mess up any of the body paint. It would be a shame to ruin it on the second photo. Once they were on, she pressed play on the tape that was set up already and grabbed Booker’s hand, pulling him into a slow dance position. On the quietest setting, Fooled Around and Fell in Love played through the headphones; a fitting song.

He had stopped before they got too close, but she’d ruined it for him. She had the image in her mind that they were going for, and she wasn’t about to stop. She was going for it, whether the situation was ideal or not.

>>”Are you okay with this?”

Momentarily, Juliette broke character and gave him a grin. She leaned her head up and pulled close to him, making sure that their faces were just inches from each other. ”With almost kissing you?” she asked. ”Yeah, I’m okay with this.” As much as she could, she tried to keep her face like she had seen Glamora have it in the film. It was simply difficult when she wanted to lean up and close the distance between them.

“That’s just perfect. Thanks so much!” The voice of Princess Leila reminded Juliette what exactly they were doing, and no, it wouldn’t be appropriate if they took things a step further right there. She turned back and flashed the little group a smile before stepping away from Booker.

”Alright,” she began as she watched the trio leave the area. She clapped her hands together and looked back down the way. ”So. Swag?”

Posing could be difficult, especially if you weren’t used to it. The first few times that Booker had to pose for photos, he always had a devil of a time doing it. Trying to ensure that he had the best footing, the best expression, and a smile upon his lips, well, it was one of those things that the man could only learn via trial and error. However, Booker had done enough of these where he had become sort of an old pro. He wasn’t a model, or anything, but he knew how to ham it up for the cosplay fans who appreciated his costuming.

Juliette was not used to this, yet, but she seemed to immediately dive into the idea. She claimed her positioning and she had done it with such skill that he was already impressed with her. He had to nod his head in an appreciative manner, but he quickly turned back to his own pose. He didn’t want to ruin the shot, especially since it could be exhausting work. Holding still for many photos could be pretty time consuming and the tension required made the body sore the longer it lasted.

The two made their pose worthwhile as the trio immediately started to take snapshots of them. They seemed to draw enough attention that a few others who passed by took a second to take a picture or two before moving along. When all was said and done, it was a pretty easy introductory shoot and he was glad for it. So, when the last shot was taken, Booker loosened his limbs and smiled bright. This was good.

However, just as he and Juliette were about to continue, one of the shutterbugs had a request. One of Booker’s favorite scenes in this move was when Star Baron and Glamora were dancing to a classic by Elvin Bishop. The tension was immediately present as the two of them almost shared a rather sweet and passionate kiss, spurred on my one of the most irresistible voices imaginable. It was an amazing scene – and now they were being asked to replicate it.

He agreed, of course, as Booker was a bit of a ham, but would Juliette be okay with it. He was already handing his Walkman over to her and she carefully placed the puffy headphones over her ears. However, he did stop her to ask if she was okay with this. He didn’t want her to take part in a picture that would make her uncomfortable after all.

>> ”With almost kissing you? Yeah, I’m okay with this.”

Oh he certainly knew why he was head over heels for this woman. A sly grin swept across his lips as he waggled his eyebrows at her. Of course, he wouldn’t take it too far but it would prove to be difficult, especially with how close Star Baron and Glamora get in that scene. But he would make sure it worked.

Stepping up closer to the woman, Booker placed his hands upon her waist, holding her closer to him as they started to slow dance to the song he could hear slowly being crooned out albeit somewhat muffled. As he held Juliette, Booker slowly danced with her, much like they did in that night in Central Park. They turned, the music built to its zenith, and Booker leaned in, slowly and carefully. Juliette did the same until the both of them were staring longingly into one another’s eyes, their lips so gently and so carefully about to touch.

God…it was agony. How much he wanted to just close that gap and press his lips to hers. It was almost as if they hadn’t just kissed that morning. Really he needed to have better control of himself, and he did, but his strength was quickly waning. Finally, when the last picture was taken, and a thankful uttered, Booker blinked and shook himself out of his daze. Glancing over to Juliette, then to the trio who were escaping back into the mix, he breathed a short sigh of relief.

Juliette too seemed a little flustered but she managed to knock herself back into the swing of things.

>>”Alright, So. Swag?”

He blinked and nodded his head after a moment. ”Oh! Yeah! Of course!” he beamed. Replacing his Walkman on his belt, he adjusted his coat as he moved to Juliette’s side so that they could start strolling amongst the various tables. There was a lot of swag to claim but there were rules to these things. ”Okay, so, a lot of this stuff looks amazingly cool, but your first stop has to be at one that will offer you a free tote bag. Otherwise you’re carrying everything by hand.” His eyes swept over the scene until he found a vendor that was handing out Xenomorph piggy banks with a tote bag for the newest comic series “Xenomorph Wars”. He grinned and clicked his tongue as he pointed to the vendor and steered Juliette towards it. ”Score.”

With the first round of pictures finished, they could officially move to take on the convention. Juliette looked down the long row that they had started in, keeping an eye out for their first target: swag. Who didn’t love getting free stuff from an experience? It was probably one of the most endearing reasons to go to one of those things. For a complete comic newb, anyway.

What she wasn’t aware of was the fact that there were rules to collecting items at places like that. According to Booker, their first stop had to be getting tote bags, since otherwise they would be forced to carry items by hand. That would, without a doubt, make things difficult when trying to navigate a busy convention and pick up other items. His rule made sense, so Juliette nodded and changed her mental criteria as she scanned the room.

>>”Score.”

It was Booker who spotted the table first. Juliette blamed her failure on the greater amount of convention experience that he had under his belt and made a mental note to be sure to be the first to spot the next thing. ”Looks good,” she nodded. Xenomorph Wars was something that she’d heard of before… she was pretty sure, anyway. ”Let’s go grab it.”

She slid her hand into his and pulled him along through the crowd, making sure not to hold too tightly in case any makeup decided to come off. They weaved through the mass of people and before long, they were in the queue for the Xenomorph Wars table.

”So we just grab the things and keep going? Is there an autograph or something that we should be aiming for?” Juliette asked as they watched the people ahead of them slowly trickle away. It was a relatively fast moving line; faster than Juliette would have imagined the convention lines being.

Before long, they had reached the front. On the table, tote bags, pens, piggy banks, posters, and more were laid out for their viewing pleasure. Three men and one woman stood behind the table. “Nice costumes,” a man behind the table whistled. “What can I get for the lovely Glamora and her comrade?”

Juliette grinned at the compliment. If even people from the convention were complimenting them, then Booker had really done a good job. She looked to him to dictate exactly what they were taking first. For all she knew, there were more rules that she wasn’t informed about.

Booker had an eye for these things. It was easy to see, with enough experience, which vendors usually had the best swag. Sometimes they only had flyers or a little trinkets that could easily be bought online, but there were those that had some of the absolute best stuff. Exclusion comics, Punko Fops, and even a few pre-autographed posters, that were quick to go; one of his favorites had been a Bi-Face piggy bank that cackled every time a coin was dropped into it (classic). He could only guess what this year’s con was going to provide.

>> ”Looks good…Let’s go grab it.”

Juliette readily agreed and the both of them walked, hand-in-hand to the vendor who was waiting behind their table. Xenomorph Wars was a great franchise but the last few iterations had cause it to suffer some. Lackluster films, predictable comic run, they were in desperate need of a win now. Still, he had to respect their moxie for continuing to show up at these cons, ready to win back the fans.

The line moved quickly enough and it helped to have someone to talk to. Juliette was, of course, great company as she was like a sponge, ready to listen to whatever he had to tell her about the con and the various unspoken rules that ran throughout. Booker, deep down, liked being able to share information with people, any information; but it helped when it was about something he was passionate about.

>>”So we just grab the things and keep going? Is there an autograph or something that we should be aiming for?”

”You can chit chat with the vendors,” he said with a grin. ”Good way to not make them feel like you just want the free stuff. But yeah, you can just ask for the free swag and they’ll happily hand it over.” He paused. ”Unless you get an ornery vendor at the end of the last day of the con. Understandably, they’ve had enough of us nerds by then.” He chuckled lightly. ”As for autographs, depends. Some actors and really popular writers will have autograph signings but those lines can be long and usually have their own set ups for those.”

By the time that Booker had finished explaining, it was already their turn. It seemed that the majority of the people in line were only there for the free stuff and, upon collection, went off on their merry way. The duo, however, seemed to elicit a reaction from the men behind the table, who immediately commented on their costumes! Well…Glamora’s, more specifically.

Ahem.
”Nice costumes…What can I get for the lovely Glamora and her comrade?”

Booker would take the lead on this one. So, stepping forward, he nodded towards the tote bags behind him that already had a few of the items inside. ”Oh, just two of the mystery tote bags, my good man!” he beamed proudly. ”This is Glamora’s first Con and I wanted to start her off right.”

The man behind the counter nodded his head, chuckling. “A good man with good taste,” he said to them both. “Hold on. I’ll get you a couple of the really good ones.”

Booker bounced on his feet. Vendors sometimes randomly gave out extra special mystery bags to random patrons. He could only wonder what was in store for Juliette and himself.

The vendors likely got very sick of dealing with lines of people just wanting free stuff rather than actually wanting anything to do with them all day. Juliette could imagine that it could get rather frustrating to feel that invisible compared to their product, so she nodded along to what Booker was telling her. It was better to make sure that they weren’t just treating other human beings like cardboard cutouts. It was a fair thing to ask without a doubt.

She had grinned at the compliment given by the guy behind the table, glad that their effort hadn’t gone to waste. People were noticing their costumes (and her body paint) and taking note of it. It was a good feeling; a little different than when she was out in her X-costume, but a little similar too. People looked at you differently when you weren’t dressed like everyone else.

It was the tote bags that they were really there for, though. Juliette stepped a little to the side and let Booker do the talking for the both of them. She figured that he would know the tricks to get them the best experience possible, considering she knew exactly nothing about what they were doing. It was a new experience for her, and he was her guide - just like in the library, but they didn’t have to worry about it not being acceptable. She liked that bit best.

“Hold on. I’ll get you a couple of the really good ones.”

”Ooh, that sounds exciting,” Juliette grinned and then turned to face Booker with an expression of anticipation. It sounded like they were getting special treatment, which was always something to look forward to. She wasn’t sure what factor about them had made them look like good candidates, but she was glad that it did. Although, if it turned out to be how low-cut her shirt was in the front, then she was a little less thankful. 

She smiled at the guy as he returned with two tote bags that looked to be a little more full than the ones on the table. It was exciting to be receiving something like that, just like that. No strings. ”Thanks so much,” she said with a wide smile.

“Anytime. Enjoy responsibly, ya hear?”

Juliette stepped away from the table and opened the top of the bag to take a peek inside. From what she could tell, there was actually a bit of thought put into the bag. There was a little Xenomorph bobblehead figurine, a poster, two chocolate bars, and a lanyard. It was free stuff that wasn’t actually complete crap!

The green woman took out one of the chocolate bars from the bottom of the bag and unwrapped it carefully. ”Okay, so I’m digging the swag so far,” she told Booker after taking and swallowing a bite. ”I’m going to let you direct us again, because that was a good - delicious - call.”

So far this was turning out to be a rather amazing stop. The vendor seemed very nice. Clearly he appreciated the costume work that both Booker and Juliette had done, and they had managed to carry the outfits fairly well. That’s what made this cons all the more amazing, to feel the appreciation that people gave them whenever someone wanted to take pictures or couldn’t help but gawk. It was a rather rewarding feeling – especially when it got you some pretty awesome swag.

The man had seemed so impressed with them that the stepped away, saying that he was going to get the two of them some of the “really good ones”, and that was awesome. Their first vendor, and they were already getting a tote bag to carry their new swag and some extra awesome things? Why wouldn’t he be excited? He bounced a little, smirking as he watched the man gather their things before he glanced over to Juliette who seemed to be grinning just as much.

He smirked as he leaned in towards her. ”Oooh this is always the best part. You never really know what you’re going to get sometimes. So exciting.”

It was true. When you got the mystery bags, you never really did know what was going to come in them. Oh they had some good items that were out front and ready to be collected. He got some of his favorite Torch Rings like that, all the colors of the rainbow. But the mystery bags really were the best part because it was almost like having a second Christmas. Of course it wasn’t anything as expensive as a new MP3 player or gaming headphones (most of the time) but they were exclusive items and, usually, weren’t completely useless.

As their way came to an end, Booker gave an excited smile as he reached out for the one that was handed off towards him. Juliette took hers and, as she did so, Booker pulled up his cellphone and snapped a quick, candid photo of her taking her merchandise. Perfect shot for the digital photo gallery, yo!

>> ”Thanks so much,”

After she had taken her own bag, Booker held his up and ushered the man over so that they could have a selfie together. Leaning slightly over the table, Booker turned his phone around and snapped a photo of the two of them making excited faces for the lenses. A couple flashes of his camera’s light and they were saved forever. With a nod of appreciation, he shook the vendor’s hand before he turned and rejoined Juliette as they left the line.

Already she was digging into her bag of swag, much in the same way that he was. Bobblehead figurine, a rolled up (and seemingly signed!) poster, candy with the Xenomorph Wars logo upon it, and a lanyard with the name of the franchise emblazoned upon the surface. Already this was an amazing bag of swag, a testament which Juliette herself seemed to believe as well.

>> ”Okay, so I’m digging the swag so far..I’m going to let you direct us again, because that was a good - delicious - call.”

He threw back his head and chuckled it utter mirth at Juliette as she dug into her chocolate bar. These vendors really knew how to attach themselves to the fans. It made since. The conventions could be draining and handing off some snacks with their merchandise was a good way to build up an excellent connection with the fan base. It showed that they cared – even if they didn’t. However, at least this guy seemed like he cared some, which was good for Juliette’s first time.

With a dip of his head, Booker, deciding to save his candy for later (but not without breaking off a piece of Juliette’s when she wasn’t looking and popping the chunk in his mouth). For now they needed to find out where their next stop was going to be. At the moment Juliette seemed to be on the swag hunt, so a swag hunt they shall go!

”Okay…” he said, munching on the piece of chocolate he had stolen from Glamora. ”We are not armed with a bag so that means we can get the smaller things. Some vendors will have little random knick-knacks, some will have the better stuff. The key is how early you start.” he explained. ”Swag doesn’t last all day and vendors, and us, know that. So we need to make the hard calls. We wander, he find those tables of franchises and things we like and wouldn’t mind swag from. If there is a really, really long line, best to just give up on that one and try for another choice. There’s a slim chance you could get something if you wait, but it’s highly unlikely. Buuut….” his eyes swept over the scene until they stopped at a table that only had a small to moderate line. ”…that one is for the anniversary of the musical space opera, the Sixth Element.” He grinned. ”I caught wind that the first fifty people get an exclusive cut of the soundtrack! Come on!”

He beamed as he grabbed her hand and almost dragged her towards the table. Swag was good.