Well this going to be a interesting weekend

They left the info booth and drifted into the main hall. The whole place felt different now that they knew the score. Almost everyone moving through the aisles had that same slightly off walk people still figuring out new balance, new weight, new proportions. A lot of the costumes looked like they’d been pulled straight out of the same system: tight, well-fitted, and clearly not what the person had arrived in.

A small stand near the edge of the artist alley had a simple sign: New Body Orientation – 5 Minutes. A couple of staff in plain black shirts were handing out folded cards. Miles shrugged and steered them over. The woman at the table barely looked up as she passed one to each of them.

“Basics,” she said. “You’re in these bodies until Monday morning. Drink water your new systems run hotter. Costumes are designed to stretch and breathe, but if something digs or rubs wrong, there are adjustment stations marked on the map. Bathrooms are gender neutral this weekend; pick whatever feels less weird. Don’t panic if you’re more sensitive than usual. That’s normal. The gas leaves you reactive to the opposite sex, especially if the costumes line up. It’s intentional. Enjoy it or ignore it, your call. Everything else is on the card.”

John unfolded hers. Short bullet points:

Stay hydrated

Suit feels tight at first loosens with movement

Height/weight changes affect stairs and crowds

New IDs work for food, merch, after-hours

No pregnancy risk either direction

Monday 8 a.m. revert is automatic

Miles read his in silence, then tucked it into a pouch on his belt. “Clear enough,” he said.

They kept walking. A guy in a Captain America suit passed them, still adjusting the fit across his shoulders like the muscle was brand new. Two women in matching Harley Quinn outfits laughed too loudly at something, both of them clearly still getting used to how their voices sounded. Everywhere they looked, people were in the middle of the same adjustment.

John felt the suit shift against her with every step. The fabric stayed pressed between her legs, and every time Miles walked close enough that their arms brushed, the low heat under the costume got sharper. She could tell he noticed the same thing his stride kept tightening for a second, then he’d force it to relax.

“You good?” he asked after a while.

“Yeah. Just… weird. Like my body’s louder than it used to be.”

“Same.” He glanced at her, then away. “Matching suits don’t help.”

She huffed a quiet laugh. “Yeah. Noticed.”

They kept moving through the hall, both of them still learning the new balance, both of them aware of each other in a way that had nothing to do with the maps or the orientation cards. The weekend stretched out ahead of them, and for now neither of them seemed in a rush to put any real distance between them.