Chapter 51: The Convention
Hikari eyes peer over the passenger window. It’s the first time she’s ever been downtown in this city. The convention center slowly comes into view as they drive closer. Behind the convention center is an old fashion observation tower. Hikari had heard about this tower which was at one point one of the tallest structures in the state for a brief period but that was before anyone’s time as far as she’s concerned. Supposedly it is a dining area up there too. If only she was on a date with a boyfriend. To the side of the convention center are a couple of large hotels and right down the street is the well known river walk with plenty of restaurants, stores, and a mall. As Fio’s dad pulls up from the highway next to the convention center, Hikari can see groups of people all dressed in various anime and video game characters she could care less about. Fio would probably fit in with all of these sorts. “I don’t even have my cosplay on. What did Fio bring in that backpack for me to wear?” Hikari thought to herself, staring down at the bag between her feet.
“Alright, girls. You two have fun and be safe. If you need anything, just call me Fio.” Her father pulls up by the side of the convention center. He’s a friendly man, well dressed in high quality clothes and a wavy blonde yuppie haircut. Fio’s family is certainly well off just like Hikari’s. The car ride was surprisingly pleasant and comfortable. Her dad’s SUV is a Lexus with leather seats, chrome accents, and a large tablet like display on the console with self driving capabilities. A far cry from Emi’s old Mini or any of the crappy American and Chinese cars Hikari has seen parked on campus. “Thanks for spending time with my daughter, Miss Nakamura.”
“It’s my honor, Mr. Waters.” Hikari politely replies with her most genuine voice even though she’s feeling a lot of uncertainty right now.
“I’ll call you when we’re all done. Could be a while. Thanks, Dad. Love you!” Fio hugs her dad from the passenger side before getting off the car with Hikari. Once her dad drives off, Fio motions Hikari to follow her. “So...what do you think so far?” Fio is already in her costume, the same one she wore for Halloween weeks ago. She looks like a smaller version of Zero Suit Samus. Her suit is too tight for Hikari’s comfort.
“How aren’t you suffocating in...that thing?! Aren’t you worried about the guys seeing too much?”
“You get used to it, Hikari.” Fio waved her hand dismissively. “Believe me, I’ve done this for years. We’re going to be pretty busy today. The convention is just the beginning.”
“Wait, you’re talking about the Rivercenter mall aren’t you?” Hikari exclaimed with peaked interest.”
“Of course, we’ll do some shopping and maybe take some pics at the Alamo.”
“The Alamo is here too?” Hikari tries to look around, taking in the surroundings of the skyscrapers and bustling traffic. “You can’t be serious.”
“It’s literally four blocks away, Hikari. Not far from the mall either.”
“Americans…” Hikari mutters under her breath with a head shake. “So anyway...you said I had to wear a costume too.”
“Uhuh. It’s all in your bag. Look. They have changing booths right over there.” Fio points out the propped up tents for cosplayers to get into their costumes. There’s a few people in line and some walking out all decked out in various absurd costumes, some of which are more skimpy than Fio’s to Hikari’s disbelief.
“Fine...I’ll go and change” Hikari takes her bag and heads over to the line. “I seriously hope this costume isn’t too humiliating”
“I’ll wait right here, Hikari!” Fio waves as she walks away.
“Yeah yeah…” Hikari walks over to the changing booth and looks around at some of the cosplayers walking around. If she cared, she would probably recognize who some of these characters were. There’s a handful of western characters she heard about but also some basic anime characters that anyone who was born in this century would have figured out. Even for Hikari who wants nothing to do with that sub-culture. “Seems like they put a lot of work into their costumes.” Hikari thinks to herself as she observes some of the cosplayers taking photos. There’s a guy with clearly a lot of money who is walking around in one of those industrial exoskeleton suits used in the military and aerospace industry for lifting heavy objects but he rigged a crappy plastic shell over it to make it look like some video game character in olive green armor and a visor helmet. The hydraulics hiss with each step he takes, and a small crowd has gathered to film him as he walks with his prop futuristic assault rifle thing.
Hikari was too distracted to notice she was next as the lady administrating the booths called out to her. “Next!” A quick jolt back to reality and Hikari walks into the tent. She opens her bag once she’s inside, still able to hear everything going on outside and starts pulling out the clothes inside. “Huh...really?”
Fio waits patiently outside, gleaming with anticipation. A few guests come over and ask for photos with Fio to which she accepts every time. As a neet, it’s not often she gets to take photos with her kin like this. Some of them even praise her for having good tastes in classic gaming. But sure enough, Hikari is out of the tent, no longer in her tracksuit that she wore during the car ride but in a red headband, matching the color of her button up blazer sweater with a yellow sailor tie, her hair as long and as straight as Hikari could make it based on the note left behind in the bag courtesy of Fio. She has black tights and shoes all topped off with black and white checkered plaid skirt.
“Fio...why did you pack a fancy school uniform for my costume.”
Fio's face lights up and clasps her hands together, bouncing on her heels. I knew that Yukiko Amagi costume would work out for you!”
“Who the heck is Yukiko Amagi? This is just a Japanese school uniform!” Hikari gestures down at herself, baffled at what she’s wearing. “I feel like I’m going to private school.”
“Well...she’s from Persona 4. It’s a classic.”
“Persona...is that a dating sim?”
“Uh...well technically no, It’s a JRPG with dating sim elements and…”
“Oh god…” Hikari groans and rubs her eyes in disbelief. “What did I get myself into?”
“Hey, you wanted to buy my pistol.” Fio reminds her bluntly with her arms crossed. “You made a deal.”
“I know...I know…but come on...seriously?”
A couple of attendees of the convention catch sight of Fio and Hikari and are impressed by their cosplay. They approach them, though aren’t in cosplay themselves, appear to be well adjusted looking for their group.
“Wow, I love your Zero Suit Samus outfit!” The girl with ruby hair complements Fio.
“Yeah! It’s not often we see a Samus cosplay these days!” One of her female friends with curly black hair also mentions.
“Your friend’s Yukiko cosplay is spot on!” The one guy in their group mentions. He’s a tall guy with a reasonably athletic build.
Hikari freezes mid-groan, her hand still on her face. She wasn’t expecting the compliments at all. But she’s too confused about what to say at the moment.”
“Aha! Thanks! I made both of our costumes myself.” Fio beams and pulls Hikari over with her arm over her shoulder. I put a lot of work into them, you know.”
“So you actually hand made the outfits by yourself?” The girl with ruby hair asks.”
“Yep. I borrowed my mom’s equipment and bought the fabric only. Not just that!”
“Hikari zones out as Fio goes onto the painstaking details about the materials she used for her cosplay. It’s all jargon she can’t even comprehend. But once Fio’s boasting was over, she finalizes with it: “So that’s why we’re both cosplaying our favorite characters!”
“So...you’re a fan of Persona 4 too?” The guy asks Hikari directly which leaves her in a stunned state. She’s at a loss of words and stares blankly for a moment before uttering something resembling English.
“I…..I like…” Hikari blurts out. Fio’s face winces with cringe from Hikari’s poor response but it seems like the guy doesn’t push further than his surface line question. He thinks Hikari doesn’t understand English and just nods.
“Yeah. Me too. It’s one of my favorite games.”
“Is it alright we get a photo with you two?” The curly hair girl pulls out a cellphone from her handbag.
“You bet!” Fio gives herself space between Hikari and herself so that the group can get in for the photo. They huddle together with the curly hair girl holding her camera out in front of them for a selfie. Hikari blushes with the guy next to her on her right side. “Okay! Everyone! Cheese!” Fio’s leg reaches over and nudges Hikari’s foot to remind her to come back to reality. All it really did was make Hikari gasps in surprise once they took the photo. When the group of friends look over the photo, they seem ecstatic.
“That’s so cute!” The ruby hair girl comments. Hikari can briefly see the photo on the camera and she’s the only one with a shocked look in the group with her mouth awkwardly open.
“Thanks. Enjoy the convention you two!” The group waves back at Fio and Hikari as they move on to other things.”
“Bye bye! Thanks for hanging out!” Fio waves cheerfully as they leave but her cheerful expression shifts to one of disappointment when she starts to bark at Hikari. “What’s wrong with you? You just pulled a Chiara.”
“What. What do you mean?” Hikari stutters back to her old self. “What did you want me to do? I don’t feel right lying about the fact that I didn’t play that Persona game!”
“The guy was clearly into you? But all you can say is “I...I like.” Fio replicates her voice in a mocking manner.
“You can’t make a good impression if you’re lying about something you know nothing about.” Hikari crosses her arm with her skirt swishing with her quick movement. “I’d look like a poser if I said the truth and you know it.”
“Look, Hikari.” Fio sighs. “You wanted my pistol right? So all you have to do is loosen up and enjoy yourself while you’re spending time with me. We’re not training for competition or anything like that. We’re here to have a good time, buy some goodies, go shopping, take some pics, and maybe pick up some guys if we’re lucky.”
A couple of attendees passing by slow their pace, overhearing the girls arguing. Hikari is aware of this, catching glimpses of their snickering. “Can we just move on already?” She hisses. “We look like a bunch of clowns. More so than we already are.”
Hikari and Fio show their hand bands and ID cards to the receptionist before going into the main exhibit hall. Booths selling various anime, retro video games, and various other stuff you’d find on Etsy are all out in the open. Some booths have some meet and greets with various game devs, anime dubbers of dubious voice acting performances, and artists showing off their works and crafts. It’s like a flea market but for losers. “Hm...I can get used to this.” Hikari rubs her chin while taking in the view.
“Now you’re starting to get it, Hikari.” She grabs Hikari’s wrist and tugs her toward the nearest row. “I like to come here and pick up some manga and figurines for my collection. You know, since most of them are banned from being sold in stores.”
“What do you mean, Fio?”
“Media Content Act passed a couple years back. Anything rated for mature audiences has to be sold through licensed distributors, and most mainstream retailers just stopped carrying them altogether. These conventions are the only way to get them besides overpaying private sellers on Ebay to import them from overseas or state lines..”
“That’s…” Hikari trails off, unsure how to interpret what she’s been told. “That’s completely idiotic. What’s with the puritanism with your country?”
“It is what it is, Hikari.” Fio shrugs nonchalantly. “We’re going to work our way around it no matter what. If you’re a fan of this stuff, you’ll go to any length to enjoy your hobbies.”
“Hm...sounds similar to what Mai says when it comes to gun legislation.” Hikari thinks and snickers to herself. “There’s not a moment where she’s complaining about how much gun restrictions are encroaching on her liberties. She can’t even shoot on her property anymore because of the new apartment complexes they keep building around her.”
The moment passes quickly as Fio’s eyes catch something in the distance, and her grip on Hikari’s wrist loosens immediately . “Oh! They have the new reprints!”
“Fio!”
“Don’t worry, I won’t take long. Wait for me for just a moment.” Fio is already preoccupied with the manga booth, drawing up books from a cardboard box like it was Christmas.
“Well that’s that…” Hikari mutters to herself. “I’m not gonna wait an eternity for this.” Hikari takes the initiative and goes off on her own through the exhibit hall, checking out the different booths. “Might as well buy something cute.” She shrugs her shoulders as she strolls leisurely. She spots a retro video game booth labeled "Wizard Gaming". There’s an older gentleman with gray hair, round glasses, and a stubble. He appears to be on the short side too. He has a booth laid out with games in their original cases. The highlight is a mint condition copy of “The Elder Scrolls IV: Skyrim: Millennial Edition” for the PlayStation 7 which is cased in a glass container.
“People still play this old crap.” Hikari scoffs without a filter while staring at the jeweled case.
“You would be surprised.” The old man chuckled sincerely. “Everyone is into VR gaming these days but it’s not the same like it used to be when you had to use a keyboard or controller. Those were the days. Did you know that game is actually older than the 2030s! It's a re-release of a game that goes way back around the early 21st century!”
“Ew.” Hikari openly icks. “Why would anyone want to play something that old?”
The old man adjusts his glasses, clearly amused as opposed to offended. “Skyrim has been re-released over and over for a reason. People used to love this game.”
“Yeah...used to.”
“This particular copy is signed by the director himself. Not that anyone under fifty knows who Todd Howard is anymore.”
“Good riddance. How much is someone willing to pay for that.”
“It takes a special buyer to consider dropping the kind of money this copy demands.” The old man pulled out a price tag from behind the counter and the amount he was asking for was so outrageous, it even scared Hikari from even considering the idea of buying it for fun just to mog Mai.
“You can’t be serious!”
“I know what I got. The market value I'm selliing this for is lower than what's being asked online.”
“You’re insane.”
“I know. I’ve been gaming for decades.” The old man laughs out loud. “I should had done something better with my life but alas, here I am. "Perhaps you’d be interested in something else? I see you're a big fan of Persona. I have the re-remasters in mint condition. Or maybe you'd like to consider checking out some other classics like Dragon Quest, Tales, Ys? ”
“I….I’m good...thank you, sir...take care of yourself.” Hikari makes her leave from the booth, feeling slightly outraged but not discouraged. “I wasn’t interested in games to begin with…” Hikari pondered to herself as she moved onto a new booth. “Hm...this looks interesting.” It’s a booth labeled “South-West Customs and Jewelers.” and it’s all handcrafted necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. There’s certainly a lot of anime related stuff Hikari could care less about but there’s also some more wholesome and simple items like yellow rose earrings, cross necklaces, and other assortments of jewelry with stones like ruby, sapphire, and even emeralds. “Isn’t Emi’s birthday coming up soon? I should get her something. Those Yellow Rose earrings look cute.” Hikari waves at the woman behind the booth. She appears to be college age like her but a little bit older. “Hey, uh...how much for those?”
“Those are 249 for the pair. I made them with the highest quality materials.”
“I’ll take them.” Hikari pulls out her wallet and gives her international debit card to the woman behind the counter. “Do you do custom work too?”
“Sure do. Feel free to contact me if you’re interested.” The woman hands Hikari a business card.
“Thank you very much.” Hikari smiles and nods. “I’ll have you on call in case I get married or something.”
The woman behind the counter gives Hikari a heartfelt smile after transferring her payment and giving her card back. “I get that a lot. Congrats in advance when it happens.”
“Of course. Have a good day.” Hikari puts the paper bag containing the earrings into her backpack as she leaves. “Married…I wish.” But just as she was about to sulk about being single, something immediately caught her eye. A booth with a military theme, just as elaborate as the other booths at this convention. But the banner sticks out to her the most.
“I don’t believe it…” Hikari gasps. “Mil-Sim Story Official Store Booth”