My fellow readers! I am in need of your assistance! The first convention will end in a few chapters, and then I will skip to the second, where the real plot will begin. BUT. In the time between the first and second conventions, several characters introduced in previous chapters will leave.

THIS IS YOUR CHANCE.

I need cameo cosplayers who would be willing to take either a bit part or a longer-term position. Nyotalia cosplayers are welcomed with open arms, as are fetish-type (for lack of a better term) cosplayers such as Snapped!Canada, Police!UK, Superhero!America (Captain America XD), Britannia Angel, Medieval! or Revolution!France, Chibitalia anything, ect.

Those who are asked to stay on longer will be brought into the chapter-drafting process via PMs, as well as the overall plot discussion, and each cameo will be credited to the volunteering author/authoress in the opening notes of the chapter. Call me lazy or call me desperate. I think it would give this story unparalleled flair to have cameo players.

The dealer's room was unusually busy for a first day.

Most people there weren't in cosplay, and some were even shopping for it. There were countless tables selling figurines, toys, art books, DVDs, posters, trading cards…anything anime-related there was to sell, really. A pair of security guards hung back by the doors, talking to each other just out of reach of the chaos they had to keep an eye on. The room itself was relatively small - maybe a conference room or a lounge when the convention wasn't in town. Tables lined the walls, and a square of them took up the middle of the room, leaving just enough space for a walkway around it. On the far side of the room was another door - propped open, though only a few people came and went through it.

"Eliza and Jaeger are through there," Richard raised his voice to be heard above the noise. "They've got one of the bigger tables, in the side room." He pointed across to the door. Roy had somehow already wriggled through the crowds, and waved at them from across the room. "Watch your toes, and remember to duck-" Richard demonstrated as he dropped low to avoid being whacked in the head by a foam replica of a bankai being toted about by a not-so-vigilant Ichigo. "People don't always pay much attention in here."

"Bloody hell…" England muttered as they began the fight through the crowds. How on Earth could such a tiny room be so busy! It took then almost five minutes to fight their way across a room that would normally only take a few seconds to cross. A grinning Roy was waiting for them at the doors, and gestured them inside. Across the threshold, it was much, much cooler - fewer people in one space lent to a lower overall temperature - and there were only a few tables, all circling the walls. These tables were much larger and much more lavish than those in the first room - obviously, a lot of care had gone into their setup and presentation. No simple marker-and-cardboard signs here - they were all woodwork, metalwork, excruciatingly hand-painted or woven…

"Such craftsmanship~" France smiled as the humans began leading them across the significantly less crowded room. "C'est tellement beau!" (It's so lovely!) England silently agreed as they passed by a booth where an artist was sketching out a rough commission idea with a client - something to be done in stained glass, with an iron boarder, from the looks of it. The people who came here had to be passionate about their ideas.

"Richard!" A cheery voice cut across the room as a brunette woman in a Hungary cosplay started waving. "Over here, honey!" Richard smiled and waved back, then gestured for the other three to follow him over. The woman hurried around the end of the table and rushed out to hug her cousin with a bright smile. "So glad you could come this year!" She stepped back, then moved to hug Roy. "It feels like it's been years since AmeCon!"

"Only one year, love." Richard corrected with a cheeky smirk as his partner struggled to extract himself from his cousin's exuberant hug. He turned and gave England and France a quick shrug, one meant to say 'family - go figure' before turning back. "Is Jaeger around?" He asked as Eliza finally released Roy and stepped back. The woman nodded.

"Oh, he's around here somewhere, I'll bet. We just finished setting up the last of today's display. Come, come! Have a look!" She hurried back around the table, hiking up her dress momentarily to hop over an errant box in her way. "I see you brought some new faces, so I'll do a little introductory speech." She smiled brightly. It was always a good thing when her cousin brought people specifically to her - either they were willing to spend a lot for something they wanted, or they'd done Richard and Roy a good service (and she knew from experience that those two needed the help, God bless'em).

Fine by her. Any business was good business.

"My husband and I make most everything by hand, though we occasionally collaborate on metal and woodwork details with another convention-going booth." Eliza explained. She waved her hands over the displayed objects on the table. "We specialize in historically themed replicas of items and clothing, both wearable and for display…" She gestured to the other half of the table, where the crowns and scepters and ornately decorated weapons shifted from a base in reality to fiction. "We also take commissions." Eliza turned so they could see the costumes hung on a tall plastic mesh behind the stand.

"These are the cosplays we sell. Jaeger does all the base work, and I add all the details. We also take commissions for these, but we love doing cosplays with fine detail." She added. "It makes the project much more fun and - to throw modesty out the window for a moment - we like to show off." Eliza grinned. "So! I'm assume R&R promised you their discount?" She chuckled. "Go ahead and pick whatever you like. We can apply that discount to commissions, too! We'd love to get an early start on work this weekend."

"Ce serait merveilleux, madame." (That would be wonderful, madame.) France returned Eliza's bright smile with one of his own, already browsing some of the historical replicas (recreated belt buckles and hat badges, diadems, wire-work pendants, etc). Richard smiled proudly for his successful customer wrangling, then waved to Eliza.

"Keep an eye on Roy for me, will ya? I need to go find someone to get that side door open again in the auditorium. Damn thing locked itself." He griped. Eliza shook her head, but smiled.

"Sure, I'll be your partner-sitter. But only if I can use him to draw in new customers." She added. Richard made a face, but quickly relented. He really did need to get that door opened up again (he wasn't too keen on getting into a yelling match with security about safety violations).

"Only if they aren't super-yaoi France fangirls…" He muttered, turning to walk away. She could use him as a poster, fine. Just no touching.