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“Jesus, I hope we can find a seat,” I muttered. Hundreds of people had filed in and were claiming chairs already. A stage much like the one I had seen initially in San Diego was in front, a table off to the far left with three name badges on top.
E ignored me and pushed through the masses where she found two available seats that were decently close. I was beginning to realize that E was a con ninja. Her knowledge and navigation skills were not to be trifled with.
Suddenly, the lights cut and a spotlight shone on the stage. It followed a man who had emerged from the right.
“Heroes and heroines,” he exclaimed in a commanding voice, though he was speaking into a mic. “Are you ready for theultimatecompetition…the one that showcases immense talent, ingenuity, and creativity?” He took his time walking and talking, drumming up the theatrics and drama. “Because let me tell you, folks,” he boomed, pausing in the middle of the stage, “I’ve seen these cosplayers up close and by the beard of Zeus if they’re not some of the best I’ve laid eyes upon!”
The crowd went wild, applause and whistles drowning him out momentarily.
I leaned over to E, enthusiasm buzzing through me. Or maybe it was the caffeine finally. “This is exciting!”
She said nothing, but I saw her mouth upturn at the corner. E was happy I was into this. And I was happy to be here with her.
The emcee announced the three judges: a former costume designer for the showOnce Upon a Time, the second, the social media manager for the con, and the third who designed patterns for McCall sewing. A hush fell over the crowd.
E leaned over to me. “They announce each category and then have the cosplayers come out and strut around.”
The first category was Video Games. A total of nine people came out, each of them in character and doing either a pose or a little ten second skit that would enhance their presence. Judge number two made it clear that she was looking for authenticity and a large part of her scoring would be based on performance.
“I had no clue who any of those people dressed up as,” I yell-whispered to E, “but they were amazing.”
“Cosplayis the proper term, Luce,” she corrected with a bit of an exaggerated tone. “And I can’t imagine you would recognize any of them; most of them are from online gameplay, not Mario and Princess Peach.”
I scrunched my nose at her while feigning annoyance, but we both laughed it off.
Next up was the Animé and Fantasy groups followed by Movies and TV.
I recognized some of the characters from the Movies and TV category. The Disney princesses I had taken pictures with yesterday came out as a group. They were well received and a definite crowd favorite.
The last category was Comics. Thinking back to the panel I watched of Jake and Liam last week, I wondered if there would be anyone dressed as Koil or Wingman. Excuse me,cosplayingas them.
“Let’s hear it for our first contestant for the Comics categorrrrrrrryyyyyyyyy!” The emcee was using his best WWE voice. “José M. from MythicalCosplay spent ninety-six hours on this interpretation of Koil’s famous outfit. The shoulder plates are made from EVA foam, aluminum bolts add detail down the arms, the jacket is made from handcrafted leather that has been painted with dry and airbrushing techniques. Give it up for Koil everybody!!”
The contestant was hamming it up to the audience, bolstering the applause and cheers. He looked incredible and it was obvious how much time and work he put into the outfit. It was movie quality.
Before leaving the stage, he turned to the judges. The tempo of the music increased. All of a sudden, the leather jacket illuminated, softly at first. The contestant crouched and got into position and finished with a perfect execution of Koil’s signature move. By the time he punched the stage floor, the jacket had gone from a soft glow to a bright, vibrating intensity, matching the full strength of Koil’s harnessed power.
I shot out of my seat, cheering along with the rest of the audience. He freaking nailed it. Much better than when I starred in Boobgate.
When the last contestant had finished, the judges excused themselves to deliberate backstage.
“I take it you’re enjoying yourself?” E prodded, checking her phone without looking at me.
“Duh,” I deadpanned. “I know you know how to sew a little, but damn. I can’t believe these people make their costumes.”
“Don’t be jealous; you have other talents,” she reminded me.
“I’m not jealous at that—I’m jealous that dude was way better at doing the Koil fist smash than I was!” I chortled.
E smiled, neither confirming or denying the fact. Then she eyed me skeptically. “So. Speaking of Koil—or Jake—should I say…”
“Oh, you mean Jake that is best friends with Liam?” I deflected.
I knew what she was going after, and I decided that every time she’d bring up Jake, I’d mention Liam.
She ignored me. “What happened after we got back last night? Did Jake walk you to your room? Did you go for a nightcap? Did you go back to his room?” she purred softly so as not to draw attention to the people surrounding us.
Though I kept my face impassive, I cursed my body for betraying me; heat rushed to my cheeks and I hoped that the combination of low lighting and my tan would help hide it.
