The return trip to Lyre/Animalia didn't have as many stops as the flight out did, but then the flight from Ireland to North America for the refueling stop was shorter than the flight from North America to London on the way out. But the lengthy flights and the fact that the trip out was more business than pleasure, much of Animalia Ambassadoria was pretty tired by the time they got back. To Sophie it wouldn't be that much of a surprise if a good number of the group's members decided to rest and relax rather than get too involved with some of the other activities. They were High School students after all, but Sophie did have some energy and made her way with Roland, Pauline, and JC to the Claw Coliseum where the sort of comic convention was being held, mostly as it had the room for some of the other events that went along with it.
The weather had been surprisingly good and the four decided to fly in. It made for real "spring" weather, which felt better than the lengthy winter they'd had the year before, and Sophie relished being able to fly. It gave her a perspective that the rest of her friends couldn't have outside of a plane. The feeling of being able to defy gravity on her own, and the fact that her wing membranes were sensitive enough that a lot of her flight included making subtle adjustments to changes in air pressure and wind as she ran into it. It was amazing and she loved the days when she could fly. Glances over to Roland and her former pet also gave her the indication that they were enjoying the flight to, even if JC and Pauline's take off and landings as Microraptor Dinotopians were a bit more complex from where they'd been as mundane African Gray Parrots.
"There's Jessica and Roger," said Roland as he pointed to a spot on the curb outside the Claw Coliseum.
Sophie looked down as they began to circle to come in for a landing and could see Jessica standing there with Roger, as well as Codey Lightfoot, Roger's former owner and adopted brother. And the three were dressed up with Jessica a tight pink cotton turtle-neck with white diamonds stitched across the chest with a pink skirt, pink pants, white gloves and white knee high socks with pink diamonds at the top of the socks and near the edge of the gloves. She held what looked like a large fishbowl painted pink and white with a black visor under one arm. Roger was dressed similarly, though his color scheme was more green and lacked the skirt. He also had a gold colored vest on with added shoulder guards made of cardboard painted gold. Codey wore a suit that was red and was the most like Jessica's, only minus the skirt. Unlike the two Rabbit Animalians, he had on a pair of sneakers that stood out a bit.
"Dressing up, I see," Sophie commented to Jessica as she and Roland came in for a landing while JC and Pauline circled in behind them. "You okay with that? Not over heating."
"I'll manage," Jessica commented, "though we are doing this for Codey."
"This will be awesome!" Codey declared to the group that had just arrived, "I've been waiting forever for something like this!"
"What comics are these from...?" Pauline blinked.
"Not comics," Codey answered, "television... and the Power Rangers. We're dressed as the color coded heroes. And Jessica and Roger's characters were a couple for much of the series."
"Wasn't this convention supposed to be about comics?" JC wondered looking to Sophie.
"Much of it is," Sophie shrugged, "though... cosplay really isn't limited to that."
"I'm actually surprised you and Roland didn't dress up," Jessica commented, "your Halloween costumes would actually fit well with all this."
"Possibly," Sophie gave a shrug, "but given that much of this wasn't introduced until just before we left for covering the discovery on Lord Chumlee's estate, which would mean we didn't get the time to put anything together for a costume."
"We'll root for you guys, if you want," Roland offered.
"Thanks!" Codey cheered hopping up and down in excitement and then leading the group into the building.
The building was found to have its AC systems running already, which reflected some of the warming weather outside, but there was the fact that many of the Mammal Animalians who put on heavy winter coats in September to October to prepare for winter were now having that fur being ready to be shed for the shorter summer coat. Roger and Jessica were no exception and that would likely mean that sooner or later, they'd either need to brush themselves out or go to a groomer. The running AC gave those Mammal Animalians enough comfort that they were able enjoy things, even if they hadn't shed their winter coats yet.
"And you did all this for... Codey," JC asked softly to Jessica as they walked in, still getting his head around the concept of cosplay. It was soft enough that Codey wouldn't notice, as he didn't want to offend the Human teen, particularly as he'd learned that Codey had a fairly close relationship with Roger, not to different from his relation with Sophie. Of course Roger and Codey were more brothers and JC still saw Sophie as his mother, but the bond was still close.
"Yeah," Jessica nodded, "I've never really been a Power Rangers fan... but that doesn't make Codey a bad guy, and to a certain extent, Roger has been a fan too. And they're like brothers, so I'm more than happy to go along with it to make them happy. It's worth it. I do this for Roger and Codey because its something that they like, and by Halloween, Roger will then do something for me that I like."
A lot of that had more to do the fact that she could actually fit the role of "Jessica Rabbit" quite literally as a Rabbit Animalian. Roger didn't quite fit his namesake, as the cartoon rabbit had white fur while Roger had brown fur, but it was something she was looking forward to, even if Halloween 2019 was several months away. As she knew that both she and Sophie had their seventeenth birthdays coming up, and Sophie's sooner that her own, which would of course mean that many of the later stages of physical development in Animalians growing up, which would put them on par with their double dosed friends who'd gotten a short cut to maturity back in the initial outbreak. And a part of her really looked forward to filling out the shape and figure of the cartoon character she'd loved as a child, and part of it also related to things in her own mind of thoughts and desires she wanted to do with Roger in private, even if she actually hadn't gotten that far.
"Mating?" JC wondered.
"No..." Jessica blushed under her fur, though she knew that some of that was on her mind, "the costumes we'll wear for Halloween come October."
"Oh..." JC said slowly.
"And it isn't like this would be bad," Roger commented, as he could overhear the conversation, "and Jessica and I got to dress up as characters that were bond-mates in the series."
JC and Pauline nodded as they then made their way into the main gymnasium area. It was set up to allow for all sorts of sporting events and so on, with obviously the combat sports playing a central role for the Claw Coliseum, but it was also fully equipped to allow for basketball and other various sports themes. This then gave it the open areas that would allow for things that would relate more to what was part of the convention, and both Microraptor Dinotopians were fairly impressed by what they saw as they entered. Most of the booths were set up to show guides for various comic book characters and franchises. Iphis, Ianthe, Ty, and Lilly were set up in one booth near the door, which was larger than many of the rest with many of the comics that they had found on display.
There were also a lot of people that were present. Many were Lyre/Animalia residents, and in fact Roland noted Penelope and "Jen-Jen" at one both that was dedicated to Archie Comics, which showed that their group wasn't the only members of Animalia Ambassadoria to have come. Though with the crowd that was there, and with the fact that like Jessica, Roger, and Codey, many were in bright costumes from comics or television, Roland couldn't quite be absolutely sure on many of the human members that had come to the show. Much of the set up for many of these events had often helped serve to help uplifted Animalians with certain aspects of human culture and society, which Roland knew that converted Animalians or Humans wouldn't necessarily need. However, the rare comics discovery and the attached cosplay contest was something that might attract people from outside Animalia.
"How many do you think are from outside Lyre?" Codey wondered as they calmly walked onto the arena floor, though with the intent of making it to the table/booth near the stage to enter him, Jessica, and Roger in the cosplay contest.
"Most of those that are Animalians are probably from here," Sophie commented, noting that there were a few Animalians that were there, though not all of them were uplifted Animalians.
"Well obviously," Codey rolled his eyes, "Lyre and Animalia are the Animalian capital of the world. It's where all the fun stuff you guys do happens."
Roger chuckled and patted his adopted brother's back, "True... though with all the costumes, and the fact that some of the superhero ones include masks it may be difficult to see which Human guests are from Lyre and which are from outside of the area... Though... even with Spring Break giving us a few extra days off from school... I'm not sure on how many would be from out of town. After all... March Madness is going on right now too. Many are probably off to watch college basketball."
"And that the announcement for this was all very rushed," Roland added, "They didn't settle on a theme until after word got out of Lilly finding a collection of old comics. Comics conventions can be big... but the ones that are successful are usually planned months in advance, to get them time to get writers and artists to come. Even if guys from Marvel, DC, or anyone else wanted to come... they just wouldn't have time to fit us into their schedule."
"There probably are some people, though," Jessica commented, "as a fair number of people in the area might just come to talk to Iphis, Ianthe, Ty, and Lilly."