To the big autumn comic con in L.A.

(Note: This takes place during Mia Rocha's "cosplay adventures". See thread 176880 for details.)

It has a long, formal name to it, but people simply call it "Comikaze". It started as a small convention in the basement of the Los Angeles Convention Center, but it has grown exponentially into a premier convention, now spanning one big hall. You've witnessed it yourself, and you've come prepared, with a hotel reservation a few blocks up Figueroa St., and more than enough batteries and memory cards for thousands of photos. There's also a portable charging kit for your smartphone, which holds the social media & the occasional phone information for all the cosplayers that you plan to do extensive photo sessions with. You also have a copy of the programming guide on your smartphone, complete with a listing of which cosplayer has a booth--although most of the ones you know are scheduled to share one big booth. But while there are a number of cosplay photo sessions to do over the course of the weekend, there are a handful of cosplayers--particularly the women--that you've circled in your head, and the first one comes up even before the exhibit hall opens for Day 1.

"Alex!"

You hear someone call out to you as you check your smartphone for social media alerts. Putting the smartphone in your pocket, you turn to see who it is. Next thing you know, you're embraced in a big hug by.....Mia Rocha! You hadn't seen Mia since San Diego the previous summer, and you had other commitments that prevented you from seeing her at another convention in Long Beach. Sometimes, you've done studio photo shooting with her, but you haven't scheduled that with her since the previous June.

So when she steps back after that big hug, you take a good look at her costume for the day. It's a "Steampunk Black Widow", a steampunk-spin on the very familiar Black Widow character seen in those Marvel movies and comic books. It starts with the black leather steampunk corset that has red lace ruffles on them. It goes over a one-piece bodysuit of a black color, and is cut at the front to allow her to conceal or reveal her cleavage, using the metallic buttons from the top of the corset, to the neckline. She has a large leather belt at her waist, with the Black Widow symbol at the front, and pouches attached to it. She has a pair of thigh holsters that hold her steampunk pistol props, and she is wearing a pair of steampunk-style, Victorian-era knee-length boots of a black leather base, with red trimming, and white laces. A pair of matching bracers and gloves don her forearms and hands, and there's a patch on her left shoulder, depicting her interpretation of a steampunk-era "S.H.I.E.L.D." symbol. Completing her costume is a pair of steampunk-era earrings, and a set of matching goggles complements her redhead wig. The only modern thing on her, of course, is her convention guest badge.

"Wow, long time no see, Mia!" You tell her. "How you've been, hon?"

"I'm doing great, now that I'm here at my last convention of my two-month adventure." Mia tells you. "Long Beach, New York, Montreal, and now here in Downtown L.A.!"

"That's not even two months, Mia." You ask her next. "What are you doing afterwards?"

"I'm traveling to Australia for that special Kickstarter cosplay project that met its funding goal." Mia responds. "After that, I'm going to spend the rest of the year resting at my mother's native home in Thailand." (See thread 183635)

"Sounds like a good plan, Mia." You tell her. "That's alot of traveling and conventions to go to, so you definitely deserve a long break."

"Yep, I do." Mia says with a smile, then she laughs. "I can't wait to see all my friends in cosplay.....after the photo shoot, of course. Now don't get me wrong, I love dancing on stage or in private for men and women--that's how I get some of my cosplay and convention money, but I love dancing with great friends."

"Of that, I am sure." You tell her. "Well, then, are you ready?"

"You know I am, Alex!" Mia replies with a smile.