Free stuff was great and definitely worth trying to get, but most of it ended up in a drawer somewhere or, eventually, in the trash. It was just a fact of life and nicknacks. There just wasn’t enough use for most little things unless you were a collector of them.

Snacks, on the other hand, had eternal use. They were always good, and there was never not a need for them. As Juliette munched on her chocolate bar, she was glad that they’d chosen to go there and grab that bag. Free food would keep them going so that they could find even more free things. It was an all around good situation.

Still, while Juliette had been sated by her candy bar, Booker had his eyes on more things. She narrowed her eyes at him as he stole and ate a piece of her chocolate and held the bar a little farther away from him as they talked. Now that they had the bags, they could visit any vendor and not have to worry about having to carry around little things or fill their arms with big ticket items in a room full of people. 

What they needed to do was make sure that they got to the good tables first so that they got the items that only came in a limited quantity. That made sense; they could do anything that was all day after they’d done the time-sensitive things. It was just good that they’d gotten there early so that they still had the time to do things like that without having to worry about the whole day being sucked away to that. There was no way that Juliette was putting on body paint and missing work two days in a row if they spent too long getting swag.

>>”…that one is for the anniversary of the musical space opera, the Sixth Element. I caught wind that the first fifty people get an exclusive cut of the soundtrack! Come on!”

She followed his line of vision over to a table not far away that looked to be boasting a display of a space scene with a splattering of famous actors and actresses on the poster. It was also where the music was coming from, it seemed. She’d known that she’d recognized the song that was playing, but she hadn’t been able to place it until that moment. She stared at it for about a second before she felt her arm be pulled along toward the table.

”Uh- okay!” she agreed with a bit of a squeak. It seemed like she didn’t really have much of a choice, which was fair, considering she’d turned over the navigation to him. Up until then, he hadn’t steered them wrong, so it was time to see whether that streak would continue or not.

Booker had led them over to the queue in front of the table, and the line moved quickly. It wasn’t long before they were nearing the front again.

Booker grinned cheekily at the woman whom he had just stolen a chunk of chocolate from. It was clear that she didn’t appreciate him snacking from her own treat, but he knew that it was just a momentary pout. He highly doubted that she would murder him over a piece of chocolate…right? For a moment he began to wonder but he just continued to smirk until she did the same in return. Maybe it was just the Glamora make up that she had on, but her glowers were all the more scarier for it. He would make sure to ask the next time he wanted to snag a piece of candy.

God, he could only imagine her around Halloween! The thought made him visibly shudder, but he couldn’t help but laugh when he spied the fact that she was now holding the chocolate just a little further away from him. Subtle. With a grin, he wrapped his arm around her waist, leaned down and planted a kiss on top of her head.

Someone nearby “Awww’d” and snapped a photo of the Star Baron and Glamora being cute, but he paid no heed to it. Rather, Booker was on the hunt for the next piece of swag. A con wasn’t a con without swag. He started to explain the rules of said hunting to Juliette, pressing the importance of going early and getting the good and exclusive stuff so that the rest of the experience could just be wandering around, having a fun, and knowing that they made off with some good and exclusive items.

That was when he saw it. The Sixth Element had to have been one of his favorite movies. It was not bad for its time but it was clear that it suffered a bit in the transition from the old way of film to Blu-Rays and HD TVs. Still, despite all that, it was an absolute classic that Booker couldn’t help but fall in love with. The music, the cheesy action, the amazing dialogue, it truly was a movie that denied Sci-Fi nerdom. Now that it was up for re-release, along with an amazing new edition of the soundtrack, he was totally on board.

>>”Uh- okay!”

His glee knew no bounds as he took Juliette by the arm and started to drag her over to the line. So far there was maybe twenty people already there…twenty five…thirty…and now…thirty two. He breathed a small sigh of relief as he glanced over to Juliette and gave her a sweet and appreciative grin. This really must be a change for her and he could only imagine what was going through her mind. His arm wrapping around her shoulders, he pressed her towards him in a half hug as he grinned.

”Thank you for doing this with me,” he said sweetly. ”I know it’s a bit of a culture shock, but…” he breathed a sigh as he looked around. ”I do love it.” He then turned his jade eyes back onto her as they moved up in line. ”And I’m glad I get to share it with you.”

Giving her arm a squeeze, they started to move up in line. The rest of the way to the front had been rather seamless. Booker shared a few stories of other conventions he had gone to, including the one where he had gone with Rebecca and had to pretty much carry her over his shoulder because her costume had gotten caught on his. Slinging her over his shoulder like that had been rather amusing to him, and embarrassing for Rebecca, but the two of them had gotten over it. It was just one of the many pitfalls and funny anecdotes to come from cosplaying.

Upon reaching the front of the line, Booker sighed as he lifted his camera and started to take pictures of the vendors. They were a couple of storyboard artists and one make-up artist who had a display of her work. Booker was all atwitter as he snapped photos of a realistic looking rubber mask. As he did so, Juliette and Booker were both issued copy of the limited edition, steel-cased cd soundtrack. However, the make-up artist was eyeing both Juliette and Booker with extreme interest.

”Oh my god! I love your work. Some of my favorite!” Booker gushed.

The make-artist, an older woman with died black hair and multiple piercing smiled sweetly. “Thank ya, hon. I have to tell you though…” she nodded to both him and Juliette. “If I didn’t know any better, I could have sworn you both stepped off the set of Protectors of the Cosmos.” She leaned over to Juliette and nodded to her costume. “Your make up is amazing, but you really sell it with your posture. Have you modeled this stuff before?”

Nothing could really beat head kisses. When Booker had bent down to kiss her after she pouted about the chocolate, Juliette softened a little. Her pout slowly turned into a partial smile as her eyes traced up to meet his, ignoring the sounds of the photographs behind them. Okay, maybe the thievery hadn’t been all that bad. She was one for second chances, after all. Silently, she broke off a piece of her chocolate bar and slipped it into Booker’s hand before continuing on. 

Before they knew it, they were in the line for the CDs. Her candy bar, sadly, was all gone, leaving her with an empty wrapper to stick into the tote bag. She shifted her weight from foot to foot as they stood, keeping her eyes forward until she felt an arm around her shoulders.

She looked up at Booker and matched his grin, leaning into him and wrapping an arm around his waist in response. ”I’m glad you wanted me to come,” Juliette admitted. She felt a bit special to be invited into that world like that, especially by someone like Booker, who was leaps and bounds ahead of her. It was rare that she felt that out of her element. ”It’s a bit crazy…” she added, figuring it might be fun to make him sweat for a minute if she left it at that, ”...but I’m having fun.”

They moved up in the line and Juliette listened as Booker told her a few more tales about cons gone by. There was even one story involving Rebecca that she was just sad that no one had caught on tape. She would have paid good money to see that. As they walked, she kept her arm around his waist, moving it every now and then so that the green paint didn’t rub off on his costume. ”Did you at least get a picture of you and Rebecca like that? It sounds like that needs to be framed for our apartment.”

Finally, they were at the front of the line. Juliette smiled as she watched Booker’s enthusiasm kick in as he took photos and talked to the vendors. She didn’t really recognize any of them, but she smiled politely and made some small talk with the guy that handed her the CD while he was busy. It was sort of strange to be standing there, nearly completely contextless. She couldn’t name a single person there or what they did. 

She turned to face a very pretty makeup artist(?) that was discussing she and Booker’s costumes. It was high praise, coming from a professional artist like her. ”Thanks,” Juliette responded. ”It was all him, though. I was just the all-too-gullible girlfriend that was willing to be painted,” she explained, her hand still on his back.

>>“Your makeup is amazing, but you really sell it with your posture. Have you modeled this stuff before?”

The brunette blushed bright red. Modelling was never something that she considered, especially if it involved costumes. It was, again, very high praise from someone like that. ”Uh, no I haven’t. This is actually my first time cosplaying,” she admitted. Was modelling this stuff actually something that people did?

>>”I’m glad you wanted me to come. It’s a bit crazy…but I’m having fun.”

…yeah that pause was pure evil. On the one hand, Booker understood her reasoning for doing it. The make up, the teasing, the theft of chocolate, all of it warranted her a chance at getting back at him. But, still, that pause was pretty harsh. For a moment there he truly feared that she was having a bad time, that maybe she got in a little above her head. But when she cracked him a smile and admitted that she was having fun, the relief poured over him like the cool waters of a waterfall. Okay, so he deserved that…but he would still get her back for it later.

With a sigh and calming breath he snerked at the young woman and shook his head. ”Good. For a second there I thought I was going to have trade you in for Authority Girl over there.” He really just had an unnatural need to tease. But, quickly, he grinned and raised his hand in submission. ”I’m kidding! I’m kidding. Heh. Besides…Glamora can totally take Authority Girl.”

At his news about his past experiences, Juliette seemed to be rather taken with them. They all had their own little bits of fun and sometimes horrifying. However, like any social thing, convention and cosplaying had its up and downs. It didn’t mean it was necessarily a bad thing, only that it was a human thing. After all, you put this many nerds together in a single space and things were going to happen. He still couldn’t get over walking in on Skydancer and a Balek from ‘Doctor What’ getting it on one of the men’s room stalls. That was a fanfic he didn’t need to see brought to life.

However it seemed to be the tale of his recent exploit with Becca that had drawn her attention the most.

>> ”Did you at least get a picture of you and Rebecca like that? It sounds like that needs to be framed for our apartment.”

She was actually holding back her laughter, praying that Booker had a photo or two of her best friend in said positions. It just so happened that he did. ”I’ll make sure to send you what I have.” An impish grin on his lips. He loved to embarrass the people he cared about, and that included Rebecca. Besides, her costume was fairly spot on so…there’s that.

Once they got to the front of the line, Booker was all grins and childish glee. He snapped photos of the technical people who worked on the movie, took selfies and engaged in friendly conversation. As their CDs were being gathered to them, the librarian found himself utterly beguiled speaking with the older make-artist who so happened to be enthralled with his own work as well. That was a compliment in and of itself.

>> ”Thanks…It was all him, though. I was just the all-too-gullible girlfriend that was willing to be painted,”

Booker chuckled. ”Make-up is only half the story,” he said with a grin. It was true, make-up can make or break a cosplay, but the other half of that was the attitude involved. Someone can come strutting in with a costume made of cardboard and still manage to steal the show from the more experienced professionals. It was just the way of the cosplay world, and something that his new make-up artist friend clearly knew.

She complimented Juliette on how she carried herself and even asked if she had done this kind of thing before. Booker was all kinds of excited as he watched the exchange take place, taking a moment to look at Juliette again and imagining what other kinds of costumes she could pull off. Her certain she could be a damn good cosplayer if she wanted to be.

>>”Uh, no I haven’t. This is actually my first time cosplaying,”

The make-artist smirked and nodded. “You should give it a shot. Sometimes these professional cosplayers can make some pretty good money. Especially if you get make-up and costuming like that.” She turned back to Booker and grinned. “You got talent. Room for improvement, but definitely talent.” Booker couldn’t stop smiling. The artist, meanwhile, turned back to Juliette and smirked. “Seriously, look into it.”

Booker turned back to Juliette, smiled and returned to her side as they started to pull away from the vendor. Reaching up with both his hands (bag hanging on his elbow) he mimed his mind being blown as he looked excitedly to Juliette. ”Did you hear that? That...was like…awesome! I mean, she doesn’t like anyone! And paid you a hell of a compliment. You should try it! Just imagine…” he grinned. ”Nurse! World Class DJ! Professional Cosplayer! I’d never have to work again!” He beamed. That last part was a joke, but, really, he did believe that if Juliette wanted to pursue a modeling career in this field, she could do it.

The pause had been mean, but she’d enjoyed it. After all, he had made her sit through all that makeup prep, and even if it had paid off, it wasn’t something that she’d been expecting. She did have to get him back somehow. Even if it meant that the comebacks would likely spiral. Still, she hadn’t been expecting him to fire back quite that quickly.

>>”Good. For a second there I thought I was going to have trade you in for Authority Girl over there.”

Juliette turned, put her hands on her hips, and glared at Booker as she opened her mouth and shook her head at him. That was a low blow, even as a joke. Authority Girl had a lot of, well… top half. The thought of being traded in for a tall, blonde woman with lots of boob hurt, even though she knew that he wasn’t serious. When he claimed that he was kidding, she turned back and softened a bit, but the words had still cut a bit. ”You’re damn right she could,” she muttered as they continued on in line.

Thankfully, they had changed the topic of conversation to something a little lighter: Booker’s past con experiences. Juliette was actually really interested in hearing all the crazy stories, especially ones that involved Rebecca being carried around over his shoulders. She was just sad that she couldn’t have been there to experience it. Unfortunately, pictures would have to do in that case, and Booker was willing to provide them.

They had moved through the line and up to the counter, where they had struck up a conversation with a professional makeup artist. Juliette was blushing bright red after being told that she should look into doing some modeling for cosplaying on the side of her other two jobs. It sounded a little absurd (maybe she was dreaming it or something?), but she just seemed to keep pressing on about it.

”Thanks, maybe I will,” she nodded, giving her a nervous smile. She’d known that her makeup looked good, but she really hadn’t expected that. At all. Maybe ever. It was definitely something to think about.

The two of them pulled away from the vendor with their new CDs in tow. Juliette rubbed the cases together absent-mindedly as she stared forward with glassy eyes. Had that really just happened? Beside her, Booker was making movements and noises that quickly brought her back to reality.

>>”Did you hear that? That...was like…awesome! I mean, she doesn’t like anyone! And paid you a hell of a compliment. You should try it! Just imagine… Nurse! World Class DJ! Professional Cosplayer! I’d never have to work again!”

She flashed a grin at him and stuck the CDs in the bag on his elbow. ”You forgot Educated Health Teacher and Kick-*** X-Man,” she joked. Had her life really become a series of that many titles? She needed to get a handle on the things that she was a part of or they would continue to spiral out of control. ”And that’s all assuming that I’m willing to share my riches, mister. Maybe I’ll make you cook for cash.” 

She stuck her tongue out at him and trudged forward through the crowds that were swarming the convention centre. With careful eyes, she surveyed the space in front of them for any good places to stop. After a second, she raised her arm and pointed at a little booth. ”How about over there? It looks like they’re giving away some sort of mask or something.”

Booker was still reeling from that interaction. The woman actually liked his make-up skills! And, better than that, she liked Juliette as well! He agreed, it wasn’t just the make-up that made the outfit, but it was the attitude and expression that Juliette could convey. Anyone could dress like a character, but they truly had to own it. As it was, Juliette and Glamora were pretty much one entity at this point. That was something that he knew the second he was done with her make up. She was definitely Glamora and the fact that she could sell it so convincingly really said something about her.

However, as he walked next to Juliette, gushing over the exchange, he didn’t notice how silent she had gone, or the fact that she was just mindlessly following him at this point. Rather, Booker just continued on, chuckling and talking about the experience. If Juliette had ever wanted to get into the professional cosplay modeling field, she could certainly add the title to her list of already growing ones. He demonstrated by pointing out she was a nurse, an amazing DJ, and profession cosplayer would only add to that list!

On top of that, he joked, it meant that he wouldn’t have to work another day in his life. Of course, it would never come to that. Booker liked to work. He spent his entire life trying to make it into the library field that it certainly wasn’t something that he was going to stop any time soon. Rather, he would probably be ill if he was ever told that he couldn’t work there again.

When Juliette finally did talk, she pulled him out of his thoughts and plastered a smile on his lips.

>> ”You forgot Educated Health Teacher and Kick-*** X-Man…And that’s all assuming that I’m willing to share my riches, mister. Maybe I’ll make you cook for cash.”

He laughed out loud at that, holding out the bag for her to place the CDs into, sticking his tongue back out at her to respond in kind. ”I mean if you’re only going to pay me for cooking, I guess that’s your loss, Lawson,” he smirked at her. He then leaned in, so he could lower his voice. ”I’m sure I have other, high-paying tasks that I could be utilized for.”

They moved deeper into the convention. It really was a good day for it. Everyone was in their best costumes and the vendors were definitely trying to give out their best stuff. As they maneuvered through, Booker kept his eyes open for the next best place to take Juliette to. The problem was that there was just so much to do at these conventions that it was hard to plan everything accordingly, especially when Juliette was still new to this and he wanted to make sure to go easy on her.

Thankfully, her eyes were better than his, at the moment, as she pointed out their next stop.

>> ”How about over there? It looks like they’re giving away some sort of mask or something.”

He nodded his head, clearly impressed. ”You, my dear, have an excellent eye. Let’s go!”

---

The convention floor had proven to be a treasure trove of items and information. Booker was in heaven as he moved about, getting swag, collecting an autograph or two, and posing for pictures with fans and other cosplayers. There was at least one picture of him now with a group of Star Barons, all of which were posing in an attempt to woo a bored looking Juliette (who was Glamora). He kept checking the photograph on his phone, chuckling at the comments he received on MyFace and knowing it was going to be one of his favorite pictures. However, now that they had walked a good portion of the floor, it was time for a sit in a nice, air-conditioned room.

It was panel time.

The auditorium was large, but not as large as one of the bigger ones. Rather it was medium sized one but every seat was filled out. Thanks to Booker’s timing and experience, he managed to snag seats for both him and Juliette up close to the front. Relaxing back in their seats, in order to get their feet a rest, Booker sighed as he balanced the bag on his lap, munching on a hot pretzel in his hand. Next to him, Juliette was seated as they waited for the panel to start, her own snack in hand. They could get a real lunch after this, but for now, this would see them through the panel.

Besides, the vendor food was always amazing because these guys clearly knew how to appease nerds. Taking another bite of his pretzel, he sighed contentedly as he turned to the green-skinned woman. ”How you holding up? Boots still okay?”

As Booker leaned forward, Juliette’s eyes grew wider. The quip about him cooking had been a bit of a joke, but he’d taken it to a different place. A place that they’d been many times already, but it still made her blush a little in that public space. ”My, Bookman. That’s quite the offer,” she teased, running a finger over the zipper on his jacket as he gave her an indecent proposal. ”But I’m sure you can tell me more about it later.”

It wasn’t long before she spotted an interesting booth that seemed to be giving away masks of some kind. From the looks of it, they were limited edition and the stock wouldn’t last long, so it seemed like the kind of thing that Booker had told her to look out for. She pointed it out quickly, checking back with him to make sure that it really was worth it.

With his confirmation (and even an impressed look), Juliette smiled and felt confident striding forward into the lineup. She even made sure to put a little extra Glamora swagger into her walk as she did so.

---

Her first Con experience was pretty all-encompassing. They’d hit plenty of booths and come across some really cool items that were up for grabs, as well as managing to nab a few autographs and selfies with some cool people. Many of them were more interesting for him, but she was still having a good time and learning lots of things. Including the fact that she was very glad that her costume involved pants when she visited the cringe-worthy bathroom.

Her favourite photo of the day so far had been the one where she’d gotten to put her foot on the floor-hugging Booker and point her gun at him. As promised, she’d had plenty of opportunity to pose in positions where Glamora was kicking Star Baron’s butt.

Eventually, the time had come for a panel to speak for the new show, The Protectors. Juliette sat patiently in a seat in the auditorium, her bag at her feet as she chewed a churro and rested her feet. It was nice to get a break from everything, really. There was a lot of visual stimulation there, so it was nice to have a moment of peace, even if it was hardly quiet.

>>”How you holding up? Boots still okay?”

”I’m doing well,” Juliette nodded. Instinctively, her eyes dropped to her boots as she rolled an ankle slightly to the side, displaying the height of the heel. ”They’re holding up well, too, but I need to have a serious chat with whoever designs costumes for superpowered women. There’s no way in hell that I would want to be fighting crime in platforms.” She had to admit, they were a little nice since they gave her a bit more height, but they were hardly practical or comfortable. The second they got back to his apartment, she was switching back to sandals, or better yet, her nursing shoes.

”How’re you doing?” she asked him, turning her head to look at him in his red jacket as she took another bite of her churro.

Booker really counted himself lucky. Not a lot of women, who weren’t already Uber fans, would put themselves through this kind of ordeal simply for the sake of costuming for a convention. While it wasn’t as sexist as it used to be (it was still plenty there but not as prevalent) it was still a rather shock to the senses if it wasn’t a world that you were used to. Juliette had never done conventions before and there was so much more to it than simply wearing a costume. It wasn’t Halloween, after all, and they could be a bit distracting for some people.

He did his best to prepare Juliette beforehand, sharing with her stories and tips for what it would be like, but there was only so much he could explain with her visualizing it. But, with that being said, she was taking to it all surprisingly well. It was encouraging to know that Juliette was actually enjoying herself (or seemed to be) at least. Still, being the concerned young man that he was, he wanted to check in on her.

Those boots were going to be problematic the longer that she wore them. It fit the costume so well and these conventions had a lot of walking. Juliette trudged through it all but he didn’t want her to think that she wasn’t thinking of her comfort. Therefore, he inquired – how was she feeling?

As she munched on her churro, she certainly seemed to be in good spirits – that was encouraging. Balancing his bag upon his lap, he turned towards her as she spoke.

>> ”I’m doing well…They’re holding up well, too, but I need to have a serious chat with whoever designs costumes for superpowered women. There’s no way in hell that I would want to be fighting crime in platforms.”

He grinned and nodded his head as his eyes trailed down to the platform boots that adorned her feet. He had to stifle a small chuckle. It was a common complaint from many of the female fans about certain comic character and their costume designs. She still had so much to learn so he pulled out his phone as he typed in something really quick.

”You’re lucky,” he teased. ”At least you didn’t come dressed in her classic costume” A beaming smile upon his lips. ”That surely would have been a whole new argument.”

He was only teasing, of course. He could only imagine what those shoes felt like after walking the convention floor, wearing them all day, performing in them for pictures. Probably the only time she got some rest was when they posed for a photo and she had planted her shoe upon him in an effort to pin him down (a favorite pose among Glamora and Star Baron shippers). Still, Booker had simply for her as he leaned over and nudged her shoulder.

”Trust me, I get it. I’ve worn some uncomfortable shoes for cons too.” He gave her a sweet smile as he kissed the side of her head, away from the make-up. ”When we get back to my place, I’ll give you good foot rub. After today, I’m sure you’ve earned it.”

Leaning back in his seat, he sighed as he wrapped his arm around Juliette’s shoulder and gently ran his thumb up and down her arm. Really he owed her so much more than just that. Coming here with him had certainly been a journey, especially if she’s never done it before. But she was hanging in there and he had to commend her for that.

>>”How’re you doing?"

The question turned back to him and Booker gave her a winning smile. ”I’m great! Good con. Great swag. Costume is comfortable.” he twisted a bit in his outfit, making his leather jacket squeak. ”Jacket still squeaks a bit. I should have broken it in more. But at least is wasn’t as bad as well I dressed up a Large Father a couple years back.” He snorted as he pulled up a picture of himself and Nessa on his phone and showed it to Juliette. ”THAT was a heavy costume.”

Platform heels sucked. They absolutely sucked. Sure, they looked cool from a distance, but they killed to walk in, and they would be absolutely useless in an sort of fight. Juliette’s mind had flashed back to running through the streets of New York away from some rift zombies and she shuddered to think of what might have happened if she’d twisted an ankle or busted a knee because of faulty footwear. If that had been the case, then there would be a good chance that Booker would be sitting at that convention all alone.

However, the rest of her costume was decent. In fact, it was fairly well thought out. There were many similarities between Glamora and Star Baron’s respective costumes, and sex appeal clearly wasn’t the only thing on the designers’ minds, thankfully. It was comfortable enough to walk around a convention in. 

Juliette blinked and looked over at the photo that Booker had just helpfully pulled up and then quickly looked away, putting her hand to the top of her head, careful not to mess with her makeup. All of the good aspects of Glamora’s costume had been replaced with what looked to be green body paint, and there was essentially nothing good about the outfit. Silently, she cringed for a good minute. ”Whoever designed that had never once worn clothing. I’m sure of it.” It was the only logical explanation.

At least Booker wasn’t rubbing it in or intentionally being a jacka** about the situation, though. He was actually being very sweet about the whole thing, and she very much liked the idea of a foot rub once they got back to his apartment. She was more than used to sore feet after working as a nurse, but she wasn’t about to let him know that. Especially not when there were foot rubs and head kisses on the line. Instead, she simply closed her eyes briefly and rested gently against him, careful not to touch any green skin to his jacket. ”Sounds good,” she replied simply.

The question was turned back on Booker, and it was clear that he had gotten the better costume out of the two. Nothing really uncomfortable about what he was wearing other than the squeaky jacket. Still, there were worse arrangements than the one that they were in. Juliette would have taken heels and body paint over something like Leelaa from the Sixth Element any day. Any. Day. ”Well, I’m glad that you’re comfortable. It means that I can exploit that fact and make you carry all the bags,” she teased and stuck out her tongue at him before taking another bite of her churro.

>>”But at least is wasn’t as bad as well I dressed up a Large Father a couple years back. THAT was a heavy costume.”

She had to put her hand in front of her face to make sure not to snort too obnoxiously when Booker showed her the picture of him and Nessa dressed up at a different convention. He looked… well, uncomfortable. If she was actually looking at his face, that was. She wasn’t exactly sure where he was under all that costume. ”That’s a good look. You should wear it more often, you know. Maybe tonight… when you give me that foot rub…” With a wink, she nudged his arm to make sure that he knew she was teasing about that. It was a good image, though. Even if she wasn’t sure she’d ever want to get a foot rub from Large Father.

”Oo, I think it’s starting!” Juliette announced suddenly as the crowd suddenly grew louder and there was a distinct sound of clicking camera triggers. 

>> ”Whoever designed that had never once worn clothing. I’m sure of it.”

The laugh that fell from Booker’s lips was mirthful and full of joy. He had to admit that Glamora’s original costume was not really idea. If anything, it looked more like elaborate body paint than anything that would actually be effective in combat. For someone as kickass as Glamora was supposed to be, she really needed to have more effective clothing. But considering the time of her creation, that was just the way of the world. He couldn’t blame the artists TOO much. Because, they were at least not making strides to change it considering her more battle-ready gear these days.

”I don’t doubt it!” he said with a laugh.

Booker was glad to know that Juliette wasn’t too uncomfortable with her attire. That much leather would normally be rough on a summer day but there was enough air conditioning in the whole convention center to help balance out any heat she would feel. These conventions always made sure to think of the people who put the time and energy into being here as it could easily prove to be overwhelming, even without a costume.

Except for the shoes, she seemed to be comfortable. However, he still wanted this to be a perfect experience for her so a foot rub was most definitely in order. Once they were back at his place, he would make sure to gently squeeze out any of the soreness from her feet. He wore a few uncomfortable shoes in his time during these cosplays and after an afternoon of walking around, all day, a foot rub definitely helped. Juliette seemed spurred on by the idea too.

When asked how he was fairly he admitted that he was really good. He broke in most of the leather parts of his costume so there were few annoying squeaks of protest.

>>”Well, I’m glad that you’re comfortable. It means that I can exploit that fact and make you carry all the bags,”

He giggled. ”Isn’t that a already a cross that boyfriends bear?” A smirk on his lips. ”Honestly I don’t mind. This is your first swag hunt so, yeah, you’ll definitely need help carrying everything. I’m only happy to oblige.”

However Booker did know the problems with having too heavy of a costume. He showed Juliette a photograph from the last con that he and Nessa had attended, where he wore the big, bulk diver’s suit. It was a massive costume and one that he actually needed to install a fan in the helmet so that he didn’t pass out. Nessa was fine with her costume, even if it resulted in a few pervy comments from convention goers, but Booker had been the one to suffer that day. Still, it was worth it...

>> ”That’s a good look. You should wear it more often, you know. Maybe tonight… when you give me that foot rub…”

”Oh yeah?” he grinned wickedly as he leaned in and kissed her temple, close enough for him to whisper. ”Maybe the helmet is all I’ll be wearing.”

Okay so maybe that wasn’t the HOTTEST image, and he was fairly sure that porn of that nature existed SOMEWHERE out in the vast darkness of the interwebs, but it was best to not consider such things right now. Shaking that thought from his head, he turned when the lights began to dim. The panel was starting.

>>”Oo, I think it’s starting!”

”Yaaay…” He grinned. He then whispered to Juliette just before the applause started. ”We’ll get lunch after this, okay?” He felt that the churro would get them passed the panel, but not much longer after.

Booker was an ideal boyfriend. Really, ideal. Even if he did the occasional terrible thing like make her think she would have to stand for an hour with her arms out. Other than that, he was just about perfect. She grinned widely and wrinkled her nose at the image of him being loaded up like a pack mule for the rest of their con experience and then put her hand on his cheek affectionately. ”You’re cute. I think I’m gonna keep you,” she told him before turning her attention to other things.

Other things like the costume that he’d worn to a convention a while earlier. Large Father was an intense costume, and it looked heavy, hot, and like it required a ton of prep work. Looking at that, she realized that the green body paint was not the worst thing that he could have made her wear. There were far, far worse things in the world.

The idea of him rubbing her feet while wearing just the helmet from his costume was a little unsettling. Sure, she wouldn’t mind looking at him below the shoulders, but the helmet… well, that would certainly change things. ”Mmm,” Juliette let out a seductive noise, trying her best to play along, ”and then you can…” She trailed off and then snickered once, covering her mouth with her hand as she tried to stifle the rest of her laughter. ”I’m sorry, I can’t! I can’t do it!”

Thankfully, the panel was starting, saving her from continuing to picture the head of Large Father pasted onto the very nice body of her boyfriend. There were certain things that… just weren’t right in the world, and that was one of them.

”Lunch sounds great,” Juliette whispered happily as she finished the last bite of her churro. (Wo)man could not live on candy bars and deep fried treats alone, after all. With her eyes locked forward, she quieted down as the event began.

---

The noise level in the room increased exponentially as the celebrities that had kept everyone’s attention for so long filtered out of the room. People grabbed their goodies and costumes and began to make their way back into the thick of the convention, chattering away about what they’d just heard and all the questions that they’d had answered.

Juliette had enjoyed it quite a bit, actually. More than she’d expected to. The cast of Chess of Crowns had answered questions that she didn’t even know that she had, and she was about to leave with a whole new insight into the world of Easteros.

”That was fun,” she said lightly, standing behind Booker as they waited for their aisle to file out into the crowd. ”Thanks for suggesting that we sit in on that.”

>>”You’re cute. I think I’m gonna keep you,”

He gave her a wide, stupid the grin. The kind of grin that only someone like Booker B. Bookman was able to producing. He didn’t know why, but it was nice to hear something like that, even if it was only said in a quasi-joking manner. Either way, he knew that Juliette was an absolutely sweet person and, in a sense, he did trust her when she said that. Maybe it was because the last time he heard words, even close to that, it came from Chris, his once serious ex-boyfriend. They had turned out to be lies, of course, because Juliette certainly wasn’t Chris; not just gender wise, hah.

”Well I would hope so,” he smirked. ”I dunno, but, I’m kind of amazing.” He was only teasing as Booker was in no way that self-centered, but he could joke.

Still, the man smiled like a fool as he leaned in and gave her a very soft kiss on the lips, just to be sure that he didn’t smear her very nice lipstick job. Once done, the two of them shared in a bit of banter, mainly centering around a piece of costume that Booker promised to wear, and only that piece of costume, while he gave her a foot massage. She attempted to play along, enticed by the idea, but soon she fell into giggles, clearly unable to get the image out of her head.

He grinned and as the lights began to dim, he moved back to his seat, but not after promising that they would grab lunch afterwards. There was only so long a man could live off of a churro alone…

---

The panel came to its inevitable end with a surprise appearance by the cast of Chess of Crowns, no less! The audience had gone wild, enjoying the banter between castmates, and especially enjoying the sneak peek at the next seasons filled with dragons, ice zombies, and even more incestuous relations! It was truly a panel that no one had expected to be as amazing as it was, but it would receive high marks from the reviews. Additionally, it was entertaining and information filled enough to have kept Juliette engaged. Perfect. The last thing he wanted was for her to sit through a boring one.

At the end of the applause, when cast and crew had stepped off stage, the pair of cosplayers stood up and stretched their weary bones. Happy to crack his vertebrae, Booker sighed as he turned and began to slip sideways out of the aisle, waiting to filter into the main line headed out of the room.

>>”That was fun...Thanks for suggesting that we sit in on that.”

He smirked as he turned back to her, nodding his head. ”That was! I’m glad you got to sit in on that.” He carefully shuffled to the side. ”They don’t always have surprise panels like that, but when you get to sit in on one, it’s pretty awesome. Definitely a good induction for you.” A beaming smile was tossed her way before he finally made it to the end of the aisle, stopped the flow of traffic enough for her to squeeze out and then guided her towards the exit. ”But, they are also tiring. I’m definitely good for lunch, if you are.” A sly smile as he waved around. ”Unless you want to continue immersing yourself in this amazing-”

Someone off in the distance belched the loudest and most unnerving belch ever heard. Booker cringed and shuddered a bit before looking back to Juliette, finishing his earlier sentence.

”...culture.” He hefted up both hers and his own bag of swag. ”Any ideas on what you’d like? We can either dine here or head out? I’m honestly good if you wanted to end your convention experience after that.”

The culture of the comic convention was a diverse one. There were people that went over the top with their costumes, people who showed up in t-shirts and jeans, and, of course, the people that would show up to panels and belch very loudly out in the open. There was a place for everyone, even if sometimes that place annoyed everyone else.

Juliette rolled her lips in and raised her eyebrows as she glanced over toward where the sound was coming from. ”Well, that’s just lovely,” she pointed out with a bit of a grin. Who didn’t love hearing that from across a room? It was the perfect end to the panel, clearly.

With the belch out of the way, she turned back to Booker and considered his offer. With her hip jutted and her hands on her waist, she thought for a minute, turning casually to the side whenever someone wanted to pass her. She was getting good at the art of being in a large crowd. ”Hmm… that’s a good question. Really, I’m up for whatever.”

That was the truth. Whatever Booker wanted to do, she would go along with. She was already far down the rabbit hole by that point, anyway. People who were unwilling to sacrifice did not paint themselves green. Still though, she knew how annoying it could be to have two indecisive people standing around, unsure of what to do, so she figured that it might make things a little easier if she narrowed down the options.

”We could… always go back to your place, if you’re up for cooking,” she suggested. It was certainly the most cost-effective option, and it gave them the most personal, one-on-one time with each other. Still, it was something that they did fairly often, and she couldn’t make him cook all the time, so it certainly wasn’t the only option. ”Or we could see what’s close… or stick around here if there’s something else that you want to see. Honestly, I want to do whatever you want to do. As long as there’s not belching or soggy food involved.”

He winced at Juliette’s reaching to the foul sound that occurred from out in the audience. While he loved his conventions, his fandoms, hell everything about the cultural life he chose to enmesh himself in, there were aspects that could be rather embarrassing. Thankfully nothing really bad had occurred to him or Juliette just yet. There were stories out there about persistent cosplayers, drunk attendees, who would harass some of the women as they were just trying to enjoy the convention. He was more than assured that Juliette could take care of herself, still, he didn’t want her to be turned off by the experience. This was important to him, after all, and so was she; he wanted both these world’s to mix...if it were at all possible.

Juliette just seemed to laugh off the incident, shaking her head at the disgusting display before she continue to move along the aisle at his side. As the pair of them walked through the auditorium, catching daylight from the massive windows out in the convention center, he waited for her to decided what they would do next. They could go home for lunch, call it a day, or try to enjoy the convention just a bit longer. There were always things that Booker wanted to do, he could quiet literally stay all day, but Juliette was still new to this and he wanted to keep her feelings under consideration.

>>”Hmm… that’s a good question. Really, I’m up for whatever.”

He would have taken the reins there, begrudingly, but Juliette seemed to sense that he was after her honest opinion on the matter as she still seemed deep in thought. Really he had the stamina to keep going, but it was her that he wanted to ensure was having a good time. She was an important part of his life and he wanted her to feel like she could honest. If she wanted to stay, awesome, if she wanted to head out, still awesome; he was just happy to have the time with her.

Besides, she looked amazing in her Glamora get up and he was all for spending more time with her dressed like that, but he still didn’t want her to feel like she had to. This was on her, really...

>>”We could… always go back to your place, if you’re up for cooking...Or we could see what’s close… or stick around here if there’s something else that you want to see. Honestly, I want to do whatever you want to do. As long as there’s not belching or soggy food involved.”

He snickered a bit. While her notions were still fairly up for interpretation as to what she wanted to do, the parameters she gave him actually helped. He nodded his head as he wrapped his arm around the small of her back, helping to usher her out of the auditorium and into the open light of the center again. He breathed in the non-stuffy air and swiftly moved her aside so that they weren’t in the way of people trying to exit to run off to the next thing (they could be rude, after all).

”Okay, how about this…” he said, after tapping his chin in obvious serious and deep thought. ”There is a little costume contest I wouldn’t mind partaking in. So how about we head outside for lunch, there’s a great Chinese food place about a block away that these guys never go to,” he gestured to the rest of the cosplayers around them. ”...then we come back, I appear for the contest, and we call it a day?” He smiled gently. ”Then Large Father Foot Massager is all yours. Deal?”

”I like that idea. Deal,” Juliette nodded. A nice, sit-down lunch followed by a competition that Booker would no doubt win, and then, of course, a grand finale of a Large Father foot rub. Who didn’t want to end their evening with a Chemrattle robot touching them sensually? It was every woman’s dream. ”To the Chinese restaurant, then!”

With a chuckle, Juliette linked her arm through Booker’s and took a step forward, waiting for the crowd in front of them to disperse so that they could get through the door. It took a few minutes, but eventually, they were able to make their way through the crowded corridors and get to the front doors.

---

”For two, please.” For a second, Juliette wasn’t sure why the hostess was staring at her. Didn’t they get people from the convention every now and then? After a second or two, she realized that they likely didn’t get all that many people with green skin. She blushed red as the woman gave her one final glance over before turning around to gather menus. It was very strange to be standing out in the open like that where she didn’t really fit, but then again, she realized that that was likely how people with physical mutations felt all the time. She could embrace their burden for a day.

The hostess led them through the lobby and through an area of table lit in distinctly red lighting. Gold accents and red lanterns decorated the rest of the restaurant, giving it a nice ambiance. It really was a gem, considering it was hidden in a little plaza and there were very few people there from the convention. Considering the crowd just a block from the huge crowd. Plus, the food would, without a doubt, be better than any hotdog that they could have picked up from the overpriced vendors at the convention.

The hostess set the menus down on a little table close to a wall and gestured for them to take a seat. She gave Juliette one last look before leaving them be. Juliette watched her go, doing her best to ignore her before sitting down at the table. She scanned the menu quickly and then looked up at Booker. ”Anything that you would suggest ordering here?” Much like the Italian restaurant they had first gone to, he had more experience with the menu than she did.