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“Aw yeah!  We’re so ready for this!”
Raven did a little dance in the passenger seat as Soba drove.  She was a short, stubby little person, with light brown hair dyed with peach highlights, and was currently wearing a shirt that read “No Batman?  No Problem!  See if Robin is Right For You”.  Soba, on the other hand, was tall and skinny, with dyed aqua hair that was shaved on the sides, and was wearing a gray sweatshirt and red sweatpants, along with a pink baseball cap.
“Heck yeah we are!” Soba replied, grinning.  “I’ve been hyped for this weekend for /months/.  I still can’t believe it’s finally happening.”
“Me too!” exclaimed Raven.  “I mean, isolation was so hard and lonely.  But I’m just glad that’s all over now, and things are safe again, so now we can go to Brooklyn Comic Con!”
“Same,” Soba said.  “Definite same.”
He pulled into the parking lot of the hotel and stopped the car in a spot.  “Well, we’re here,” he said cheerfully.  “Think Isaac and Laura are here yet?”
“Hmm. . . Let me check,” Raven said, pulling out her phone.  After checking her texts, she said, “Nope, Isaac says they’re still on the road.  But they’ll be here in about ten minutes!”
“That’s good,” Soba said, getting their suitcases from the trunk.  He handed one to Raven.  “Ready to go inside?”
“Yep!” she said cheerfully.
The two of them walked into the hotel and went to the front desk.  After a brief check in process, they had their keys to the room—but instead of going up there, the two of them settled into some comfy chairs in the front area.  They had promised Isaac and Laura that they’d all check out the two-bedroom suite together—and so, they waited patiently for their friends to arrive.
“So, how’d your costume turn out?” Raven asked Soba.  “Any hiccups?”
“Well, I’m not the best seamstress in the world,” he admitted to her, “so I think my sewing work was pretty shaky.  Getting the patch on was the hardest part: I had to iron it first and /then/ sew it through the thickness of it!  But I was still able to put it all together—that’s an accomplishment, right?”
“Totally,” she agreed.
“And how about you?  How was your costume?”
“Went off without a hitch!” Raven exclaimed cheerfully.  “I thought the cape would be a bit of a challenge—I’ve never had a cape on my costume before!—but it turned out to be no biggie.  I really enjoyed making it, and I can’t wait to show it off at the convention!”
“Same here,” replied Soba.  “I feel that.”
As they talked, a few more people walked inside to check in.  Raven and Soba could tell they were also probably here for the Brooklyn Comic Con, based on their geeky clothing and bags.  There would be no end of seeing fellow nerds this weekend, and that was a beautiful thing.
“So what panels are you looking forward to?” Raven asked Soba.
“Um, the voice acting one,” Soba said, feeling a little embarrassed—voice acting had always been his dream, though he’d never told Raven that.  “The one that discusses diversity in superhero films, the one on Batman vs. Nightwing, who’d win in a fight. . .”
“No way, I want to see those ones too!” Raven exclaimed, making Soba perk up a bit.  “Tell you what.  What if we spent tomorrow morning looking at panels, and then went to Artist’s Alley in the afternoon?”
“That would be great!” Soba replied, smiling.  “That sounds awesome.”
“Then it’s settled!” Raven exclaimed.
There was a brief pause.  Then Soba said, “I’m a little nervous.”
“About what?” Raven asked.
“About meeting Laura and Isaac in person for the first time,” the aqua haired human explained.  “What if they don’t like me?”
“Aw, I’m sure they well!” Raven assured him, putting a hand on his shoulder.  “You’re great!  And things went well when /we/ met offline!  I’m sure it’ll go great this time, too!”
Soba smiled.  “You’re probably right.”
“Of course I am—oh!”  Raven turned around.  “There’s Laura and Isaac!”
Soba turned around to see their friends walk through the door.  Laura, an orange-haired woman currently wearing pearl earrings, was with her partner Isaac, a blond-haired person with a stud in his nose.  The couple looked dashing, or at least Laura did: she was wearing a light purple dress, while Isaac wore a light brown camo shirt and jeans.
Laura looked around the room, and once she spotted her friends, a smile broke out on her face.  “Hey guys!” She exclaimed, walking over with Isaac in tow.  “Looks like y’all got here before us, huh?”
“Well, you had a longer trip,” Soba pointed out shyly.  “So that’s not a surprise there.”
Laura laughed.  “True, true.”
There was an awkward pause.  Isaac was the one who broke it.  “It’s great to finally meet you both in person,” they said to Raven and Soba.
“Yeah!” Soba exclaimed.  He scratched his head.  “Man, I can’t believe it’s been five years since we first met on that superhero forum.”
“Really?  It’s been that long?” Laura asked.  Soba nodded shyly, and she said, “Wow, I can’t believe it.”  She smiled.  “Well, I’m glad to be friends with such nice people.  It’s an honor.”
“Aw, you’re so sweet!” Raven said cheerfully.  She stood up.  “How about a group hug?  What do you say?”
“Sure!” said Isaac.
“I’m down,” Soba added, standing up too.
“Absolutely,” replied Laura.  And so the four friends embraced in the lobby, getting close to one another for a few wonderful seconds.
When they let go, Laura said, “We should probably check in now.  Then we can all check out the two bedroom suite.  What do you say?”
“Sounds great!” Soba replied.
“We’ll see you soon!” Raven said.
Laura and Isaac went over to the check out desk, and Raven turned to Soba.  “Told you it would go well,” she teased, elbowing him gently.
Soba laughed.  “Ok, ok, you were right,” he admitted.  “They seem really nice.”
“Yeah,” Raven said, smiling.  “They do,”
At that moment, Laura and Isaac finished checking in, and they returned to Raven and Soba.  “Ready to check out that suite?” Isaac asked.
“Heck yes!” Raven exclaimed.
And so the four of them piled into an elevator and went up to the third floor.  After exiting, they made their way to Room 313, which Soba opened with his keycard.
The group stepped inside the room.  The first area was a bedroom with two beds, where Soba and Raven would be sleeping.  Then there was a bathroom, and after that, a second area with a single bed, where Laura and Isaac would be sleeping.  “This place looks nice,” Laura said as they examined the room.
“Yeah,” Soba said.  “Cozy, too.”
“Agreed!” Raven said.  “So, Laura, Isaac . . . how was the trip?”
And so the four friends started chatting.  It started out as small talk, going over how their journeys had been getting here, but it quickly flowered into a wider discussion: talking about memories from the five years they’d known each other, talking about various superheroes, and covering what they were looking forward to about the convention and why.
“I can’t wait to see the Artist’s Alley,” Isaac told everyone.  “My friend Sammi is supposed to be tabling there, and I really hope that I can see them.”
“That’s awesome!” exclaimed Raven.  “Honestly, I think the best part of the convention for me is going to be just walking around and seeing all the costumes.  People always pick such good ones, you know?”
“Totally,” replied Laura.  She rubbed her chin.  “I’m excited for a few panels, but walking around with my wonderful partner will never /not/ be the best part,” she said, squeezing Isaac’s arm.
“Aw, that’s adorable,” Soba said.  “I guess my best part is probably gonna be the panels.  I’m hyped for, um, more than a few of them.”
There was a brief moment of silence.  Then, Raven pointed at the clock.  “Holy crap, it’s getting late,” she said.  “We should probably get to bed if we want to stand in line early tomorrow.”
“Good point,” Isaac noted.
“I call first on showering!” Raven said quickly.  “It’s been a long drive.”
And so the group got ready for bed, unpacking their things along the way.  Soba managed to sneak out his costume while Raven was showering, and hide it behind a curtain in the room—he wanted it to be a surprise for tomorrow.  While he was showering, Raven looked in her suitcase and checked her costume’s parts, but didn’t remove it yet.
Meanwhile, Isaac and Laura unpacked their costumes freely in their rooms.  Isaac took out his and put the parts on the desk in the room, while Laura took out hers and laid it out on a nearby chair.  Then they covered their costumes up with other clothes—they wanted to surprise their friends with them tomorrow, after all.
Soon enough, it was time for them all to go to sleep.  “Good night, everyone!” Raven called, peeking in the bathroom and shouting into the room where Laura and Isaac were staying.
“Good night,” Laura said.
“Night!” called Isaac.
Raven returned to her bed and dove into it.  Next to her, Soba closed his eyes.  In the other room, Laura and Isaac were closing their eyes, too.
And so, the group drifted off, and fell asleep.
__________
Soba’s phone alarm woke him up early the next morning.  He groaned and turned over, stumbling out of the bed and switching it off.
Raven stirred.  “Is it morning already?” she muttered, climbing out of her bed.
“Yep,” Soba said.  “Good morning.”
Raven smiled.  “Let’s make sure Laura and Isaac are up, then change into our costumes!”
“I think they’re up already,” Soba pointed out.  “I can hear some commotion in the room next door.”
“Good point,” Raven said.  “I’m going to let them know that we’re up too.
She disappeared for a moment, and when she came back, she gave Soba a thumbs up.  “We’re good!” the pink haired human exclaimed.  “Let’s get ready to go!”
Teeth was brushed, faces were washed, and costumes were put on.  Soba and Raven faced away from each other as they changed.  “Ok, I’m done!” Raven called to her friend.  “Can I turn around now?”
“Not yet!” Soba said, quickly getting his cape on.  “Ok, /now/ you can turn around.”
The two friends turned and faced each other, looking over their costumes.
Raven was a flawless Batman, with a perfect black hood, cape, and utility belt, along with a muscle suit that made her physique copy the character perfectly.  Soba’s mouth dropped open.
“What do you think?” asked Raven, flexing.  “Cool, huh?”
“Very cool,” Soba replied.  “It’s practically perfect. . .”
“So is yours!” Raven exclaimed.  Soba had chosen to be Robin this year, and had picked the variant of the character from the /Teen Titans/ cartoon series, with a yellow cape, blue and green outfit, and yellow utility belt.
“Is it?” Soba asked hesitantly.  “I know it’s not perfect like yours—like I said, my sewing skills need work.”
“Perfect smerfect, it’s fantastic!” Raven assured him.  Soba smiled, happy to hear that.  “Now let’s go check on Isaac and Laura.”
They went over to the room to their friends’ door, and Raven knocked on it.  “How’s it going in there, lovebirds?” she called inside.
“Great!” Laura replied.  “Just one second, and you can come in and see our costumes. . . Ok, you can come in now!”
Raven opened the door, and she and Soba stepped inside.  Once he saw his friends’ costumes, Soba’s mouth dropped open again.
Isaac was a flawless Iron Man, with plastic and foam applied to fabric to create the “iron” suit.  It was the classic red and yellow suit, with a glowing apparatus in the center, on Isaac’s gloved hands, and in the eyes of his mask.
Laura had made a costume to match that: she was Pepper Potts.  Her orange hair already made her perfect for the role, but she had done makeup on her face to make her appearance flawless.  She was currently wearing overalls and a white shirt, along with black high heels.
“Wow, you both look great!” Raven squealed.  “I love how you did a couple’s costume, too!”
“Thanks,” Isaac replied.  “It was Laura’s idea.”
“And you executed it perfectly,” Laura said to her partner, giving them a quick smooch.  “Now, we should probably get going before the line gets too long.”
“Good idea,” said Soba.
The group grabbed their things—bags, purses, room keys, convention tickets—and headed out the door.
When they reached the lobby, they were pleased to find other people in costume were also here.  Some were wearing superhero costumes, like they were, while others wore costumes from animated film, anime, and much, much more.  The lobby was full of people heading to Brooklyn Comic Con—and it was glorious.
The convention center was just around the corner—it was a two-minute walk from here, which is why the group had chosen this particular hotel and booked early.  And so they made their way across the parking lot, walked briefly on the sidewalk, and were soon there.
As they suspected, the line was already quite long: everybody was waiting to get into the convention center.  The four joined the line and committed to waiting.

And then, at long last, the doors opened.  Upon seeing this, Soba reached into his bag and passed out the convention tickets; they were wearable badges, which was how one got in and out of the center.  “Here,” he said, handing one to each member of the group, and keeping one for himself to put on.
“Thanks buddy!” Raven said.  They all put on their badges, and made their way to the front of the line.
When they reached it, they were allowed clearance to enter—those without badges had to buy tickets at the side, but they already had them.  And so, the four entered the Brooklyn Comic Convention.
The room was huge, full of people walking around in costumes, chatting and laughing and having fun.  There were exhibits all around the area, along with a whole corner dedicated to the Artist’s Alley portion of the con.  Various doors were on the walls, which led to the panels Soba had been so excited for.
“Alright,” Raven said.  “Let’s split up, and meet back here at 3pm.  Deal?”
“Deal,” the others replied.
And so the group parted ways—for now.
__________
Laura and Isaac walked around the room, looking at the various exhibits and tables.  More than once, photographers and onlookers spotted the couple and asked to take a picture of them, which they happily agreed to.
Then, they walked down Artist’s Alley.  The corner had a wide array of artists, from photographers to painters to digital artists to comic creators, and even more than that!  As they walked, Isaac searched for Sammi.  “I don’t see them yet,” they muttered to Laura, carefully looking around the room.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll find them,” Laura reassured them, putting a hand on Isaac’s arm.  “They have to be around here somewhere, after all.”
Isaac laughed.  “That is true. . .”
The couple rounded the corner—and there Sammi was!  “Sammi!” Isaac exclaimed, running up to their friend.  “How are you?”
“Doing well!” Sammi replied with a grin.  “It’s so good to see you, friendo.  Tell me how things are going.”
“Well,” Isaac and Laura exchanged the look, and Isaac said, “So I’m here with some internet friends, actually. . .”
__________
Raven and Soba, on the other hand, went to panels.  First there was the voice acting panel, which Soba approached with a feeling of glee.  “Are you sure you want to come with me?” he asked Raven as they sat down.  “You can go do other stuff if you want to. . .”
“No way, I want to come with!” Raven insisted.  “Voice actors and actresses are so cool; I want to know their secrets too.”
Soba laughed.  “You have a very good point.”
And so the two sat at the panel, listening to various voice performers discuss their craft in great detail.  Soba had brought a pen and paper, and took many notes as they spoke.  He wanted to improve his voice enough to be good at it one day—he was very determined.
After that panel, they moved onto the Diversity In Superhero Films one.  This one was more of a roundtable discussion, where five non-white panelists went over seeing themselves in movies, how movies can help paint a diverse perspective, and more.  Then there was a live Q&A from the audience.  Soba was too shy to ask a question, but Raven asked one.
Finally, there was the Batman vs. Nightwing Panel.  Here, two Batman writers and two Nightwing writers debated which of the heroes would win in a fight.  At the end , audience member could contribute their own points for or against a hero.
And so, the day came to a close.
__________
At 3pm, the group met back at the front of the building.  From there, they returned to their hotel, and ordered in some lunch.
“That was amazing!” Laura exclaimed as the four munched on burgers.  “Man, I really loved that.  It was so much fun.”
“Agreed!” Raven said cheerfully.  “So many cool panels and artists. . . Oh, Isaac, did you get to see you friend Sammi?”
“I did!” they replied.  “So cool that e can table there—and e was having a great sale day, too.”
“That’s fantastic!” Soba said, smiling.
There was a moment of silence as the three ate their food.  Then Raven offered, “So . . . want to do this again next year?”
“For sure,” Isaac said.
“Totally,” replied Soba.
“Absolutely!” exclaimed Laura.
“Sweet,” said Raven, grinning.  “Now, let’s go over what to expect at the convention tomorrow. . .”