CHAPTER EIGHTY ONE – A NERD CONVENTION

The convention floor was pandemonium. Elaborate displays, flamboyantly dressed guests, and cacophonous sounds of commerce and fan enthusiasm assaulted Jasmine's senses. Everywhere she looked, sensory overload awaited - a trio of human canine characters play-fighting, a heated discussion about whether the Star Wars expanded universe was still canon, even a man earnestly debating the physics of superpowers with a gender-flipped Thor. "Terribly sorry, excuse me! Artiste coming through!" Gary would periodically pause to let out a proclamation, simultaneously shooing fans aside while basking in their admiring mutterings. At last, they reached her designated spot between a larger-than-life manga display and a booth selling deliciously nerdy baked goods. Gary allowed his assistance to carefully unpack Jasmine's artwork with utmost reverence as she surveyed the space with mounting trepidation. "Here we are, your sanctum of beauty to inspire the maddened masses!" He draped an arm around he