He plants his legs in a wider stance and crosses his arms. “My geekdar is top-notch. I’m confident there’ll be plenty of people who know what our costumes are all about, and for those who don’t, I’ll be able to proselytize to them about the glory that isThe Princess Bride, which everyone should watch at least once in their life.”
A rush of warmth fills me as I study River. He always finds ways to make the ordinary extraordinary, the mundane magical. I’m so damn lucky to be along for the ride with him, and I’ll always follow him wherever he wants to go. He’s my sun, bathing me in his warmth and brightness, and I simply want to stay forever in his orbit.
I clear my throat, feeling the fake mustache attached to my upper lip pull in a strange manner that I haven’t gotten used to. “Don’t worry, darling. I trust your geekdar implicitly. As for our costumes, I won’t complain. I’m just thankful we’re not wearing onesies to this event. Almost anything would be better than that.”
He narrows his eyes. “You should be grateful that I didn’t go with my original idea, which was to have us dress up inJurassic Parkinflatable dinosaur costumes. I’d be the velociraptor and you’d be the T. rex with little arms. It would be so fun!”
“Sweet galactic gods, I narrowly escaped a fate worse than onesies.”
Given the alternatives, I’ll take our Princess Bride costumes any day!
River smiles smugly. “Don’t even front, boo. I know the onesies are starting to grow on you. It’s but a matter of time until I make you a onesie convert.”
My lips twitch, and so does the infuriating mustache. “I live for the day.”
“It will happen; I’ll make sure of it. Now, let’s get going. We don’t want to miss a single moment of this grand occasion—a superfan celebration of little old me!”
Arm in arm, we head toward the part of the resort that houses the main ballroom. I have to admit that even I’m rather curious how this opening ceremony is going to play out.
When we arrive at the entrance to the ballroom, I hand over our digital passes, procured by the ever-resourceful Nirblob, to the bored-looking security officer who scans them with barely a glance and then ushers us inside.
The space is far bigger than I expected, and instead of a massive chandelier in the middle of the room, there’s a stunning dome of colorful mosaic glass illuminated by the soft glow of strategically positioned accent lights.
River appears gobsmacked as he stares at the dome. “Wow. This is totally speaking to my childhood Disney princess fantasies. This place feels fit for royalty.”
It is decked out in a far more elegant fashion than the average convention. All the tables have red satin table runners, sparkling glassware, and luxurious floral centerpieces. An open buffet against a side wall is replete with gourmet food offerings. The organizers clearly spared no expense.
The ballroom is already crowded, and I find myself going on alert automatically. After everything we’ve been through lately, I suppose it isn’t surprising, but I’m not taking any chances where River’s safety is concerned. I’m all the more relieved that we’re attending this event incognito.
As River predicted, all around us convention goers are dressed in a wide range of attire, from casual to formal to elaborate costumes. A few passersby even give us comments of approval on our own costumes.
River winks at me and whispers, “Supersecret undercover agents. We’ve got this in the bag.”
Charmed by him, as I always am, I follow River while he wanders around the ballroom only semi-covertly eavesdropping on various conversations taking place. No doubt he’s “people watching,” as he likes to do, and also basking in the enthusiasm his superfans have for his work.
I trail along in his wake, keeping a careful eye on him and our surroundings. Despite the costumes, it’s always possible someone might recognize him.
It’s also possible that some fool might try to hit on him, like that guy at the lagoon earlier. Just the recollection makes me scowl, and I can’t hold back a growl of irritation. Inside, my tentacles writhe with displeasure. I understand River’s irresistible appeal, but witnessing others lusting after him threatens to shatter my tightly wound control over my emotions. I’m not some uncouth barbarian who thrashes such loathsome individuals within an inch of their life.
Although a part of me would deeply relish doing just that.
But I know I have nothing to worry about. River may be small, but as he likes to say, he’s scrappy. He can take care of himself against such pathetic advances. Besides, his Quintharian superpowers, as he calls them, offer another layer of protection against danger.
However, that doesn’t stop me from shooting ice-cold warning glares at anyone who even attempts to move in his direction with obvious interest, scaring them off quite effectively. My husband remains oblivious and decidedly dashing in his outfit.
My tentacles pulse inside me, eager for the next time we can have him to ourselves.
After a time, the main lights in the ballroom turn down, and the stage at the far end is brightly illuminated. The chatter around us quiets and everyone’s attention turns in that direction.
The emcee for the evening makes his grand entrance… on roller skates.
Even though he didn’t tell us, I’m not the least bit surprised when Nirblob glides forward, his ever-present red capebillowing around him, and hops up on the stage with panache. He lowers the mic stand to his level and addresses the audience.
“Good evening, my tentacular friends! It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the opening night of our second Tentacular Tales Con.”
Enthusiastic claps and cheers fill the room.
Nirblob continues. “During the next few days, you can set aside your worries and indulge in the pleasure of celebrating the amazing world ofTentacular Taleswith fellow fans and die-hard enthusiasts. Most especially, we’ll share our love for our favorite main characters, Lord Vardox and Captain Starblade!”
