This is mostly to get me in the mood of ACen... and the fact that I read DramaCon for, like, the five hundredth time this week. Great trilogy, if you haven't read it by now. You can buy all three separately or buy all three in the Ultimate Edition, that comes with a bonus chapter at the very end. Svetlana Chmakova is hilarious, if you haven't ever read any of her series. I recommend anything she wrote, really.

I'm rating this T, by the way, almost an M (so OT if you go by manga terms) because of some of the things mentioned within the first chapter. You'll get what I mean by the second paragraph, trust me.

Anyway, I honestly didn't know what to call this. It was either "Anime Conventions 101" or "Cosplay 101." I chose to go with the first.

Sorry, for making everyone wait for everything else. I just had to write this.

Anyway, check out my dA. I have somethings of CAFÉ EVANS up. My profile has a poll for Stages of Life. I have four amazing people who already voted. (Hugs an muffins for you.) I'll be getting around to everything real soon, so expect something pretty soon (Stages of Life chapter 4, maybe?).

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater or my soul (apparently). Atsushi Oukubo owns the first and my sister owns the latter. How she got a hold of it... -.- All I can say is, blackmail.

Anime Conventions 101

by infidelityONcrank

Chapter 1

"Oh, dear god." Maka Albarn said, shielding green her eyes from the horrific sight. Her round cheeks were red from embarrassment. Her blonde pigtails swayed as she shook her head, trying to rid her mind of the image she had seen. "There was not just a guy with hairy legs in a sailor suit. It was the lights. Totally the fault of the lights."

It was her first anime convention. Like any con virgin, she was not expecting... well unexpected things like a grown man in a sailor suit. Of course, anyone who had ever been to any sort of convention knows there are those queer few who you wonder about.

Maka was with her friends, getting ready to set up for the Dealer's Alley booth. It was a small, online business that was looking to make it big. She, though, was mostly going as a tourist to take pictures (like of the girl lugging her boxes up and down the parking garage, with permission of course), create fond memories (though that wasn't going so well as of right now), and make new friends (like the guy giving early people directions).

Her blue-haired companion and the girl with fuzzy cat ears clipped to her hair chortled. The naiveté of the poor girl was going to get her in trouble here. The last of their companions gently patted the blonde on the back to comfort her.

"There, there," she said in her most soothing tone, "it happened to all of us our first year, too. A lot of guys dress in drag. Most, though, look really good and have the courtesy to shave their legs."

Maka froze and paled considerably, almost to an unhealthy color. More guys in drag? This was not what she signed up for when she said she wanted to go to the anime convention.

"I'm going home now." she said shakily. The cat eared girl stopped her by yanking the hood of her hooded sweatshirt.

"Nyaa~! Maka-chan just got here. We're going to stay, so Maka-chan has to, too, whether Maka-chan likes it or not. Besides, Maka-chan's Papa wants Bu-tan to take care of Maka-chan this weekend." she said, crushing Maka to her large chest. Maka struggled to be released from her grasp, even calling to a few cosplayers for help. They snapped photos or recorded the group.

"Blair, let go of me!" Maka gaspingly cried. She did. The blonde fell to the floor, almost hyperventilating as she greedily breathed in the luscious element her lungs had so missed.

"Nyaa~! Tsubaki-chan, Maka-chan's a big meanie face." Blair wined, pouting. To the group it was not out of the ordinary to see the twenty-four year old woman pout; to anyone else, however, they thought she was either the hottest and/or cutest thing they ever saw, or the most ridiculous thing.

Tsubaki, the kind mother figure of the group, sighed and looked over at the blue-haired boy... who had disappeared from their side and had somehow gotten to the rather modern chandelier's hanging from the ceiling, belting out how amazing he was. She was surprised that security wasn't already swarming in the area to figure out how to get hit down.

They'd probably throw rocks at him and hope he falls, she thought amusedly. It would be a rather comical sight. But she worried nonetheless.

"Black Star, get down from there!" she cried. He kept on ignoring her.

"Woah, hey!" said a cosplayer. "Are you Japanese?"

"Huh?" Tsubaki blinked at the girl and her friends, who were leaning over one another expectantly. "Yes, I am."

"Can I take a picture of you?"

"Can I take a picture with you?"

"Can I have your babies?!"

The dark-haired girl flushed and allowed a picture. They crowded around her and took a picture of them with her smiling politely. They left, saying their thanks.

"We got a picture with a real Japanese girl!" one of them cried to several other groups. One or two people bolted over to look at the picture.

Tsubaki sighed. This was going to be a long weekend.

After they had their corner secured, they began setting up. The opening ceremony wasn't for another two hours or so, but it was nice to have everything organized and planned out for the next three days they would be there.

Tsubaki Nakatsukasa and Blair Katt had started an online business for cosplay wigs and little hair pieces three years ago called Cat and Flower Cosplay. They handmade each and everyone of them (which they did with surprising speed). They were going to be starting up a skirt section soon (which Maka was going to help with the designs). Black Star, being a long-time friend of Tsubaki's and eventually getting to courage to ask her to be his girlfriend, had set up the website for them in their earliest stages. Maka was the photographer for them. She knew how to make things suitable for sale and how to capture it with a simple press of a button. She had joined the group earlier this year.

This was the second year they had managed to get a spot in the Dealer's Room. They had asked for a larger space this year and had been granted the corner closest entrance before you really entered the Dealer's Room.

The set up was quick and didn't take as long as their Artist Alley neighbors who seemed to be bickering over how the light caught the glossy cover of their manga and how the prints and bookmarks should be laid out (darkest to lightest or by character).

Maka glanced over at them. The female was short and on body hidden under a large green military jacket and brown cargo shorts. Her (obviously dyed) red hair was chopped into a bob that curled in to brush her freckled cheeks. The male was in a cannon character's outfit of some kind. His hair was hidden under a white wig, but he was obviously as Japanese as Tsubaki.

"I like the color idea myself." the blonde said, trying to compromise for them. They looked over at her. "Color tends to lead the eye from one thing to the next. It'll look better and draw more attention."

"Ha!" the red head said. "Told you. Neener neener neener, Ali's got no weener."

"I do to!" the male cried. "...It's just tucked away."

"You stuff!"

"I do not!"

Maka could only watch as they bickered once again.

"Are you two, like, dating or something?" Blair asked boldly, flipping through the displayed volume.

"Huh?" Ali asked. "Oh, no, Sarah and I are best friends. We have been since we were, like, this high." He judged their height to be around his hip level. "Besides, she's not into girls."

Wait, what? Maka asked herself.

"I'm Leonhard. Alison's my birth name. Yeah, I'm a girl biologically. I make such and awesome guy, though, you've got to admit. This is Sarah, she's the writer for our baby. She also created our property bible in case any major publishing groups get interested. I draw."

"You bring it to life." Sarah said, swaying her hips as she crossed her arms.

"Yeah, but no story's a good story without an amazing plot to go behind it. By the way, you're not going to pull that Doubt bull, are you? I'd hate to have to do that."

"No freaking way! I know the best way to end it, now that I've mulled it over. Besides, do you think someone as tiny as Jane could take down Ben? I don't think so!"

"I think we'll leave you two alone." Maka said, pulling Blair back over to Tsubaki and Black Star.

"Sounds like we have interesting neighbors this year." Tsubaki commented on their return.

"The girl's Sarah and her friend is actually a girl named Alison but as a male she's known as Leonhard." Maka said, reaching for her bottled water next to her personal backpack. "They seem nice, when they're not talking about their manga or about how they're going to organize things"

"Hey, what hotel are you guys staying at?" Sarah called over to them, straightening out the table.

"Motel 8." Blair answered back. "We're on the second story at the very end of the hall."

"Sweet, we're on the second story, too!" Leonhard cheered. "Evans can take that and shove it up his already—"

"Ignore his foul language. He's just mad because he didn't get his way."

"Can I ask you a question?" Black Star asked, walking over to Leonhard.

"Sure, go ahead." the white-wigged person answered.

"Are you a guy or a girl?"

"Biologically, I'm a girl. Right now, I'm a guy."

"...You're weird."

"...If I wasn't gay, I'd totally go for you."

"Okay!" Sarah said, clapping her hands and interrupting the rather awkward moment. "Ali, can you carry in the last box from the van? It's full of our Pocky and survival stuff that we'll need for today."

"Which one is it? We have, like fifty boxes in there."

"It's the last one that says 'Friday' on it."

"You labled the boxes?"

"...Where were you before we started packing?"

"In the kitchen taking inventory of the Pocky, chips, and soda."

"By the way, was my Ranume among those things?"

"Huh? No we drank all of it two nights ago." Leonhard said, shuffling out the doors to the parking garage across the street.

"Rats tails! I need to go to the nearest Too Cool or Suncoast." she turned and looked at Maka. "Are you guys locals?"

"No, we're out of state." Maka answered, flipping through a magazine she brought.

"Frick. I'll have to find a local. There's got to be some sort of store that sells them cheaper there than they do here. Well, if you spot one, let me know."

What does a local look like? Maka thought, tilting her head and going back to her magazine. She shrugged it off and waited until they had to get to the opening ceremony.

The air hummed with excitement as everyone waited to get in. People who were cosplaying and just regular folks who came in their normal attire were lined up, wrapping around the block. Cars honked and people cheered and waved to other as they drove by. Everyone now and again, you'd come across someone dancing or playing rock-paper-scissors.

Maka bounced up and down, impatient to get back inside. The spring air was slightly nippy from the previous nights rain despite the fact it was now the hottest time of day. The Goth Loli dress she had been forced into moments before they had to go get in line wasn't the warmest of outfits. However, when you compare it to some of the others that cosplayers wore, it was as good as a winter coat during a snowstorm.

Black Star was dressed as a ninja of some sorts and was bouncing around more than she was. He was doing it mostly out of excitement.

Tsubaki was in a Wa Loli dress with bright cherry blossom print against the black.

Blair had been amongst the ones with the least amount of clothing possible. She was drawing the eyes of several males and interested females, including the police officers who were acting as crossing guards for the convention, and she was causing a few trickles of blood from some noses.

Maka rolled her eyes and looked over the crowd once again. A lot of people stood much higher than she did, even on the tip toes of her platforms.

"Sorry to bug you again." she said to the guy in front of her. He was much taller than anyone else that she could see, he towered over six foot at minimum (or it seemed to her). And he was nice enough to answer her when she asked. He smiled down at her. "Are we any closer to the door?"

"We have about half of a block before we turn the corner." he said. "I don't think anybody was prepared for it being so cold here. I mean, yeah, us locals are used to it, thick blood and whatnot, but we got a lot of people from out of state that are used to warmer climates."

"Wait, you're a local?"

"Yeah. I live in town. Why?"

"My neighbors, well, my group's neighbors, their looking for a Suncoast or a Too Cool, whatever Too Cool is. Do you know if there's one nearby?"

"Yeah, a few towns over. What, they run out of Ramune or something?"

"How'd you guess?"

"You'd have to be a moron to buy Ramune, Pocky, or any other Japanese snack here. The exception is on Sunday, when things are discounted. Nobody wants to bring back as many things as they brought, so most places will have things on sale. That's the best time to buy a sword or something.

"Oh, and Too Cool is a Sanrio store. It's found in a few malls in the Chicago area. There were rumors going around about how everything was a cheap knock-off with a ridiculously high price a while back. But they were just rumors. They were authentic Japanese pieces. Businesses need to make money to stay open. People are idiots."

Maka blinked.

"Soooo... Is there one around here, yay or nay?" she asked, confused on his ramblings.

"Yay. Like I said, there pretty much at any mall in the Chicago area. They've become really popular lately. My friends and I get a discount because we go there so often. The woman who works at the one we go to is a really sweet old lady. All smiles and laughter."

Maka simply nodded, shuffling forward like everyone else.

Waiting in long lines sucked.

They all eventually got in and smooshed themselves against everyone else, who was just as giddy as they were.

The MC began talking, mostly going over the rules for the convention and who to go to if you need help and whatnot. Then the guests were introduced, including voice actors and J-Pop artists Maka had never heard of but cheered for nonetheless. She was finding herself as ready for this as anyone else and as pumped up as the other surrounding her.

They were all dismissed. Vendors and dealers were allowed to go straight to their tables and booths to wait for everyone else to be filed up once again before they got to enter the showroom.

"I sweating and about to faint from the sight of him!" Sarah squealed to one of the girls who was across from her. Her short hair had been pulled back into tiny ponytails that jutted out fiercely from the top of her head. And she now wore a gingham skirt and cropped jacket including a basket with a Beanie Baby dog and red shoes that glittered in the light. She reminded the blonde of an older Dorothy. "He was absolutely gorgeous!"

"Hell, I don't like guys and I found him hot." Leonhard pitched in.

"Who are you guys talking about?" Maka asked.

Leonhard, Sarah and the girl across the way gaped at her.

"Um, Soul Eater Evans. he was, like, the hottest guy of the freaking century." Sarah said sassily. "How did you miss him? He had the gorgeous hair, the daring smile, the fierce eyes. Uh, I could melt in pure bliss right now."

People started filing in excitedly. The first ones in had no time to gape but had to move on if they wanted to look at anything.

Maka's first anime convention had officially begun.

My friend and I make a cameo in this chapter. We'll probably continue to do so until it ends. The manga that we "created" is actually based on a mystery I've been working on for a while now. I'll let you folks know when it gets up. Lawl.

Anyway, this is a very basic story of boy meets girl thing... only at a convention like DramaCon. There'll be some similarities, but hopefully not many.

Sorry that this wasn't edited. I was pretty much asleep by the time I finished up and I got lazy after that. I'm off to bed (it's only like 11 PM here, lawl). Ah, being a college student's kind of funny sometimes. 2 AM is an early night, really, anything before 5 AM is early, but I'm tired because I woke up early for a class and I typed this pretty much all day, so (yawn), goodnight folks.