I'm not sure where to start.
There's one part of the story I want to get to in particular.
I guess I'll start with some back story.
Just to warn you, most of this is drawn from memory, so facts may or may not be accurate.
I had met Heather at the previous Otakon (my first).
8 months ago we began communicating regularly after having exchanged IM's.
6 months ago we decided we were in love with each other.
2 months ago My girlfriend and I broke up (who I had been with for a year and a half, during the time in which Heather and I fell in love)
I was quick to begin leaning on Heather for emotional support. However she gradually talked to me less, and it seemed we were becoming less and less involved in each others lives.
I hoped this would change when we would be sharing a room this year.
I arrived Friday morning and took my spot in the pre-registration line around 7. Heather arrived 2 hours later. 2 hours after that I got my Pass. I then waited with Heather for another in her line for her to get her Pass. I also waited in line with her friend Catherine and James. I was cosplaying as Naota from Fooly Cooly, expecting Heather to reprise her cosplay as Haruko from the previous year. She has lost some of the parts. I forgave her.
Things were rather awkward between us at first. We never mentioned that we were anything more than friends at first. And we never did that entire weekend. But more on that later.
After setting things up, we went to Artists Alley where I purchased a Gryffindor scarf. This becomes important later.
The previous year had not been as fun because my then girlfriend spent very little time with me and I was alone most of the time.
This year I knew what to expect, but I hoped Heather and I would be not unlike an actual couple.
Then we went to the hotel to set things up with the room.
The room was shared with 10 people.
Shawn and John, friends from another part of Pennsylvania (I live in Lancaster, PA)
Heather, James, and Catherine. All from the same part of Virginia.
Larissa, the person who booked the room.
Guy who cosplayed as old guy, whose name I forgot.
Christian, the guy who got mugged the day before and brought a switchblade (needless to say, I felt pretty safe with him in the room. Anyone who wanted to mess with me or anyone else had to mess with him)
And then Me.
They were all really good people.
However, I walked alone throughout the dealers room. Slightly upset no one wanted to show excitement over a Naota cosplay. After purchasing a Haruhi Suzumiya box set I sat outside of the exit to the room. After a few moments of being bored, hoping Heather would reply to one of my texts I met someone dressed as an "Aperture Science" scientist carrying a Companion Cube.
This was Elyse.
Elyse looked to be in about her early twenties. She had shoulder-length brown hair. Stood next to me and asked if I was Naoto, and explained how happy I was that someone recognized who I was.
You see, people trying to figure out my costume guess one of four things.
Natoa from FLCL
That was the correct choice.
The wrong choices:
Scout from TF2
Ness
or Lil' Slugger from Paranoia Agent
It's not that I had a bad costume, all the costumes just have Hats and Baseball Bats, so yeah.
She noticed I looked down and began talking to me. We talked about how ridiculous it was that people couldn't recognize me. She was a smart, intelligent, funny girl. We exchanged numbers.
We never talked. I texted her, but she didn't reply. I saw her the next day and tried to make eye contact. She just turned her head and looked down. I wasn't really sure why. Maybe she didn't recognize me as Neville.
Later that day I attempted to go to the rave but I chickened out after a few minutes, walked back to the hotel and fell asleep on the bed.
--Day 2--
I woke up early. Around 6. I went out and walked to the closest Dunkin Donuts and purchased two dozen donuts for my roommates. I figured it was the least I could do. I came back and waited for a bit. At around 9 I got into my costume (Neville Longbottom from Harry Potter). Heather was planning on dressing up as a companion costume, but left the dress part at home accidentally.
I strolled out, expecting to have the same type of day as yesterday.
I was pleasantly surprised.
On my way out of the hotel (the second time) two girls outside heading towards the convention asked if I was Neville, and I replied "yes", and they took my picture.
As did another person.
As did another.
It was pretty much awesome. The scarf really helped.
The two people I remembered most vividly as recognizing me as Neville was a couple, I believe late teens to early Twenties. She was dressed as Mikuru, he was dressed as a character from Naruto. We talked about how I deserved more screen time in Half Blood Prince razz . I wish I had gotten their contact information.
I met them later in the first half of my rave time when I was still in Neville garb. We joked around.
Later I purchased a wand that was about $30. It was being sold by the Pagan booth, so they probably enchanted it or something.
I spent some, but not much time with Heather and her friend Laura. We went back to the Hotel and I rested for a bit. I then went back to the con, walked around for a bit. Attended the masquerade, which didn't have as many good skits as I remembered. I left early to get to the rave.
I spent an hour there as Neville, before getting too hot (sweater vest + scarf = really warm) and going back to change.
I returned to the hotel room, got into a T-shirt and shorts, and got two glowstick bracelets.
I left and entered into the rave once more.
This is when the story gets interesting.
In a coalition with being in a kind of break up, the confidence of being recognized, and the advice my friend who had met a hot guy the day prior had given me ("Just dance with some random girl!" wink I decided to attempt just that.
I walked in, found a spot that was not too crowded, but not entirely empty, and started dancing.
I didn't know how to dance.
I swayed my hips to start, then I progressed to moving my hands around (glowsticks clenched to not look odd) to the beat, and jumping every now and then.
Then I saw the first girl.
She was tall, a few inches shorter than me (I'm 6'2" wink wearing black shirt, and a black skirt. She had shoulderblade length brown hair and if I recall wore black lipstick. I don't think so though. I danced behind her for a while, admiring her before trying to move closer. She had shot me a few looks that could've ment one of any number of things. During this slowly progressing quest I admired the people dancing around me, joined a group dance with people i didn't know, and who might not have liked me, and watched people wave their glowsticks around and people in circles admiring other dancers. After a while she and her friends moved to another spot to dance. I wasn't fast enough. Plus, other people were trying to make a move on her.
A few moments later I saw the second girl.
The second girl is the one I'll always remember.
She was about 6-12 inches shorter then me, full bodied, brown short hair with some of it dyed some bright color, and (at the risk of sounding unintelligent) curvalicious. I saw her with her friends and my eye went to her instantly. Her friends were all decked out in rave gear, but she was dressed in clothes she could've worn any day. A black and white checkered shirt and a skirt.
Then she looked at me when I was not too far away.
It was a smile with a suggestive kind of look in her eyes.
This look was what made this weekend change myself as a person.
I smiled back and she turned around, continuing to dance with her friends.
I knew then that she would be the girl I danced with that night.
I moved forward, admiring her as she danced. She was much more enthusiastic than the last girl, who merely swayed her hips. She shook, moved up and down, and somehow managed to not look like a ***** while she danced in such a...whorey manor.
I moved closer to her. Her friends looked at me and mouthed "NO!" to Girl #2.
This could've been any number of things.
But then she looked back at me, and smiled.
I felt slightly less confident, but still had some bravery in me.
I moved closer. Behind me a dance circle had formed featuring a guy in a giant Kirby outfit dancing. I took some time to tell him that he was my hero.
To my left I saw a guy who was attempting to preform a glowstick-on-strings dance where he preformed tricks. One of his sticks crapped out, and he messed up a few tricks. I told him "Don't worry man, you're trying. You're a hell of a lot braver than I am.". I said this while looking at her. She smiled again. Then I remembered "Kids" by MGMT came on. One of the only actual songs they played. I sang all the words, and she smiled at me as I did so. That was the single best moment of the rave.
I was literally inches from her at times before we were moved away for some reason. Over the course of about an hour I had many opportunities to make actual physical contact or grind with her (Or, if you will, Make Crocthtact). However, eventually her friends pulled her away, either to leave or to go somewhere else.
I was disheartened. However, I knew that there was meaning to this. I couldn't just sit there and wait for things to happen to me. This taught me that not only do I have to make things happen, but that I have the ability to. When she looked at me, I felt truly attractive for the first time in quite the longest time.
I left not long after, not wanting to settle trying to get a girl who would inevitably be less attractive than #2.
I stopped at the 7-11 and saw Girl #1, whose friend in a cat ear hat looked at me and whispered to her. She looked at me. I don't know if she thought I was creepy or what.
I bought some ice cream and went to the hotel to sleep.
--Day 3--
I didn't get any sleep that night.
The only space left to sleep was the closet, which I couldn't fall asleep in. I left early to go wait in line for the doors to open to Otakon, and ended up falling asleep in the ground in the middle of said line. I walked around dressed as Naota once more and found nothing to hold my interest. I eventually sat at the exit of the dealers room where I met Elyse and waited. Heather came and we talked. She left to go find her other friends.
I fell asleep once again on my suitcase, which I was carrying with me that day.
I woke up at around 12:15 and watched the people stream out of the Dealers room.
Then I saw her again.
Girl #2.
The only thing I remembered her wearing was a pair of green cat ears. She walked out and up the stairs. I stayed for a few seconds before getting up, trying to catch up with her to try and talk.
However, when I got to the top of the stairs I couldn't find her.
I left not too long afterwards for the train station.
It's a tad anticlimactic, but that weekend has changed who I am and my outlook on life, hopefully for the better.
If there's one thing I could do more than anything in the world, it would be to find out who Girl #2 was and thank her. She taught me a very important lesson and gave me the self confidence I needed then.
Aww well, she was probably drunk anyway.
Mapinguari Community Member 
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