Back home from the comic con.

(The following Tuesday, at "Lionheart Images".)

"These new Funko Pop Figures are perfect for my collection!" Shannon tells you. "How did you know about my favorite shows?"

"You talk about it every time you have the chance, Shannon." You tell her. "Fortunately, the vendor had some left that Sunday, because I didn't have an opportunity to shop until late that Sunday."

"And you came back a little later than usual yesterday," Shannon tells you, "just so you can drop off 'Neko-Sana' & 'Rinoa-Sana' at LAX?"

"I saved them $100, and they gave me half of it for gas." You tell her.

"Neko-Sana...Neko-Sana...." Shannon pouts playfully at you. "How many times did she end up sleeping with you this time?"

"The whole weekend," you tell her calmly, "and Rinoa joined in last Saturday."

"Well, it's a good thing she still lives in Hong Kong." Shannon tells you, playfully pouting some more, as she gives you the weekend mail. "She'd never let you leave your home, much less your bedroom."

"At least she was able to stand and walk yesterday at the airport." You tell her.

"Better than you having to help her along, like you did in San Diego last summer!" Shannon tells you. "Are you really trying to get her to immigrate to the states?"

"Of course, not." You tell her.

"Well, since you love taking photos of cosplayers so much," Shannon tells you, giving you another playful pout, "why not find more locally-based cosplayers, or find someone that can help me get into it?"

"Mia comes here regularly enough, Shannon." You tell her. "You can ask her about it, the next time she comes in for a photo shoot. Though if you ask any cosplayer how they got their start, just start by finding the character from your favorite shows, that you like alot, and go from there."

"Maybe I'll do that," Shannon tells you, "after I get some fitness tips from those fitness models that's coming to the studio, to do those photos for 'Active Lives' magazine. You know I've been trying to get myself a little leaner, right?"

"Not really," you tell her, "given that you already have a nice body."

"I want to make it better, so I can feel better." She tells you. "If that helps me becomes a red-hot Black Widow or Black Cat, then it would make me feel awesome! (Pause) Now don't get too carried away with those retouching & imaging enhancements, Alex. You have some clients coming in later this week."

"I won't." You tell Shannon.

You watch as Shannon turns and heads back to the front desk, just as the bell rings. Sighing a bit, you take a look at the work-in-progress on the imaging enhancements you're working on for "Neko-Sana" in her "Ara of Jirni" cosplay from the previous Saturday. You had already shared other completed enhancement works, both on the company website, and on the social media pages of the corresponding cosplayers. The more you look at the image of "Neko-Sana", the more you remember the tears running down her face, before she hugged you tightly, then released you, when it was time for her & "Rinoa-Sana" to board their international flight. Then you strum through Neko's social media posts, to check for any of her latest posts.

"OMG!" "Neko-Sana" tweeted. "Alex of [company's twitter address] did an awesome job with this photo of my #Jirni cosplay! <3 ya, hon!"