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"...that you\'re better…"

Tonight, midnight, I\'ll be going back again. Walking through those woods, overlooking that dreamy landscape. In the heat of the moment, didn\'t really pay much attention to the environment all around, but looking back at it - it really was a sight to behold.

"...be on the weekends, think you\'ll be…"

Tonight, midnight. I\'ll have that chance to take in that sight proper… and have a talk with her proper. Mmm, I say that, but… do I even know where to begin? With what I know now, the things I\'m up against… just what do I do, what do I say? 

"...if not, it\'s fine, I just wondered if…"

Tonight, midnight… if not then, then the midnight after as well, if nothing still, then the midnight after that, and so on and so forth, until I finally knew just what to do, just what to say. How many midnights would that take, I wonder? Out-talking Ria… perhaps I should just instead take my chances of summoning for her the universe\'s best shrink, probably get more headway with that.

"Mmm, yeah… so, are you interested?"

A red light at an intersection slowly ground the car to a halt, and out of nowhere suddenly my texas-cowgirl Amanda had anticipation shimmering in her shades.

I met it with a frown. "Sorry, you were saying something?"

Her unamused silent expression was her \'Yes,\'.

Amazing how inner monologues can drift you so far away from present time. Think an atomic bomb could go off and I\'d still contemplate the meaning of life while my body disintegrates away from the resulting blast.

"You don\'t seem like you\'re on the verge of death at the moment," Amanda said, her inflection loud and slow. "So I\'m inviting you out to have some fun."

I understood well and clear up until the last syllable. \'Fun\'. The hell is that? Never heard of that word before? Is that spanish?

"And yes, I know you got your other things you\'d rather be tending to," She continued. "But come on, live a little for your sake. Life isn\'t just for dying, you know? You get to enjoy it too sometimes."

"Well, I dunno about that, last time I tried enjoying myself, the world kinda nearly ended so..."

"Aww, come on," Amanda shook her head. "Even heroes need some time off every once in a while... society isn\'t gonna immediately collapse in on itself just cause you looked away for a moment."

Thanks for raising that flag. Now that\'s another scenario for me to add to my doomsday catalog.

"See? the fact that you\'re even reluctant already proves it," She said, eyeing me from the side. "You need to unwind. I mean what\'s the point in saving that day if you can\'t even enjoy the day you just saved?"

Good point.

"Alright, fine, I\'ll bite," I said, conceding to curiosity. "What are you proposing?"

"Wow, you really weren\'t listening, were you?"

For brevity\'s sake, Amanda opted to fling her brick of a phone at me again and focus instead on driving us past the green light.

Caught it in my hands just in time to prevent another case of blunt force trauma and what met my eyes next was not another video enticing clicks, but a webpage filling the screen with the biggest boldest banner it was capable of displaying.

That, and plus the dozen or so photos of a ginormous crowd littering a space brimming with outlets and stalls alike made it plainly obvious what I was staring at.

"A convention?" I asked, turning towards her.

Suddenly, the cowgirl attire she was dressed in made much more sense now - that and the skimpy outfit from yesterday too.

Artist, college prodigy, internet star, and now also a devout cosplayer. Just what isn\'t this girl?

"Ever been to one before?" She asked, wearing a smile.

When I shook my head, that smile just grew wider. "Guess that\'ll change on Saturday."

I read on, apparently, it\'s a week-long convention a year in the making, created by some prominent figures in the internet space.

It\'s mostly video game-oriented, touting itself as a celebration of the medium. This year was to be their second year running.

Frankly, I\'m surprised they\'re still going along with it even after the Blight has happened.

"Says here tickets are all sold out."

"Ahh," Amanda hovered a hand over the display and gave it a large swipe. "That can be easily sorted out."

The web page scrolled down far and fast until it gradually slowed and landed onto a list of figures hosting said convention.

Five faces, five names... all of them unfamiliar save for one, and her face took center-frame before all her colleagues.

Should have guessed...

Okay, how about we also add event hostess to Amanda\'s ever-expanding list of professions.

"Since when?" I asked, genuinely impressed this time.

"Since Wednesday, which was yesterday," She said, with a not-so-subtle flaunting tone to her words. "They asked if I wanted to host this year, and I thought why not?"

"And you\'re only sharing this information with me now?"

"You were cooped up trapped at home, I didn\'t wanna be... uhh, rude. But now, since you\'re looking better, I thought why not share the fun?"

Fun, indeed. Swiping through the photo album of last year\'s convention, it certainly does feel like it\'ll be a great time guaranteed.

"That\'s not the only thing too," Amanda said, her finger on the screen again. "If this won\'t sell you on coming, then I don\'t think anything will."

She loaded up a list of events that\'ll be eventing in the event, many of which she\'ll both be participating and commentating on.

You got your typical standard affair - cosplay competitions, game show quizzes, even have indie panels for up-and-coming titles.

Then on Saturday, a little something titled: "Fantasy Weekend".

Goes without saying, my interest was peaked.

So Saturday and Sunday was a fantasy-themed occasion, and everybody was to dress in their best otherworldly attire.

Orcs, Dwarves, Humans, Slimes, Beastmen, and yes, even Elves. It was an open invitation to all kinds mythical.

"I was thinking, you know..." Amanda nudged her head over to the figure slumbering in the backseat. "Saturday, you bring her there... make her feel at home for a change in this world."

That line of thinking was something I can get readily behind, really sounded like something I\'d do myself, but here\'s the thing...

"Not sure if she\'d even want to..." I muttered.

"Well," Amanda shrugged. "Can\'t hurt to  try."

"I suppose so..."

I continued reading. These two days were packed to the brim with attractions, but the main event was what sparked my intrigue further.

<<Champions Of Asteria>>

A one-on-one tournament where \'champions\' would compete in a makeshift arena under the cheers and jeers of spectators to see who comes out on top.

Whoever ends up being proclaimed the victor of the tournament would earn him or herself a prize most lauded and sought.

The hand, and the companionship of the beloved princess to the kingdom of Astra for the whole day.

Apparently, there\'s a princess present for the entire event too. Would anyone like to take a guess just who exactly would be having the honor of fulfilling that prestigious role?

Amanda\'s list just keeps on getting bigger and bigger, doesn\'t it?

Is her companionship really that desired to base an entire duel to the death around it?

Okie Dokie then, I suppose.

"So, yeah..." Amanda turned to me again with that same shimmer of anticipation. "Interested? Will I see you there Saturday?"

I took a moment to think about it... there were so many things to think about nowadays.

Ria was still the only thing front and center on my mind... closely followed by Jay and whatever other antics he\'s got planned in the future.

But one was a problem I could only do something about in the dead of night, and the other was a problem I flat out couldn\'t do anything about at all, so...

There was plenty of downtime to be had wedged between these two problems.

I mean, I did say my life could do with a bit more stimulation... so...

"A guest to one of the hosts in an event whose ticket had sold out fast," I squinted my eyes at her. "Just sounds like even more unwanted eyes on me."

"You forget," She said, smirking, pulling her shades away, revealing an overly affectionate gaze being thrown my way. "Boyfriend, remember? Can\'t get more infamous than that. I\'m just doing what any lovey-dovey girlfriend would do."

"Which also means there won\'t be any unwanted attention from the more romantic side of the crowd," I said, nodding profoundly. "You\'re really riding this fake boyfriend thing for all that\'s it worth."

"It\'s a nice passive benefit, yes, can\'t believe I\'ve never thought of it sooner."

"You know, in time, you\'re gonna have to get a real one eventually," I said. "I can\'t be your fake forever."

"Don\'t you worry, you won\'t be," She said, brushing it off with a wave, "So, that out of the way... shall I go ahead and put you on the list?"

Screw it, a bit of this \'fun\', couldn\'t hurt in the long run, right?

"Alright, count me in."

Right?