The Laterano squad is causing chaos at the speed of light—today was all about the element of surprise. Let's start with a rundown of the day: the four of us put a lot of effort into our makeup and styling. I cosplayed Lemuen, sporting the iconic short reddish hair. It's very easy to wear, though the ends need careful styling to keep them from looking too bulky. The outfit featured a black-and-white sporty jacket with a cinched waist and black gloves, which instantly gave the upper body a crisp, capable look, paired with black shorts on the bottom. The sharp color contrast was comfortable and great for running around the venue. Add to that the blue-haired character's black coat and hairstyle, plus the pink-haired character's sweater chain accessories, and everyone had a distinct visual focus. Standing together, the Laterano squad vibe was unmistakable.
I must say, once the four of us gathered at the convention, things spiraled out of control at breakneck speed. We originally brought a wheelchair as a photo prop, but lo and behold, a certain mysterious blue-haired lady hijacked the pink-haired disabled girl's wheelchair without a word and coerced me into taking a cheerful photo. Meanwhile, Lemuel standing nearby looked completely dazed, with a face that practically screamed, "Who am I? Where am I? Why am I posing for this?"—it was hilarious. Then came an even more absurd turn of events: the mysterious, carefree girl not only stole her disabled big sister's wheelchair, but also swiped the senior operators' heavy firearm props, striking a fully-armed victory settlement screen pose. Prop guns were tossed around like trophies among us, and the venue staff watching probably thought these girls were on quite a wild trip.
The ultimate highlight where nobody could keep a straight face was the ongoing tragedy of "the wheelchair-bound pink-haired girl always sneaking food." When we took a break outside the hall to eat, the pink-haired character sat on the ground scarfing down a bento box with immense gusto, completely oblivious to her white skirt, with a blue tote bag resting beside her. We seriously doubted whether that costume would make it home without a stain. Then things took a dramatic, chaotic turn: the three of us somehow ended up having this "disabled" girl princess-carry us! We laughed more and more uncontrollably, resulting in Polaroid shots where everyone's face was distorted with laughter, facial expressions totally unhinged. The most surreal moment was watching the wheelchair-bound girl "stand up" in front of the lens, sprint around at full speed, and attempt to princess-carry everyone in sight—a full-blown, theatrical "medical miracle" live on the scene.
There was an extra episode, though: when that mysterious blue-haired lady tried to carry the other three of us, she found herself completely powerless. Even the lightest pink-haired girl weighed around 35 kg (77 lbs), and adding the rest turned into a genuine stress test. The blue-haired character gave up on the spot, sighing that life was too tough. As for the subsequent mysterious "Breaking Ice" scene, that remains our inside secret from the convention—leaving some suspense for everyone to imagine.
Besides the high-res location photos, we took a massive stack of Polaroids this time. At the event, I love gathering the Polaroids and spreading them across a black round table or a wood-grain table for a flat-lay collection; the unique grain and tactile atmosphere of instant film are hard to replicate with digital filters. The pictures show our instant photos spread out layer upon layer, capturing all our chaotic, goofy moments. Although the Laterano squad's schedule was a bit chaotic—four people messing around, playing with a single wheelchair for hours, and the pink-haired bento gag—our chemistry was running on all cylinders and everyone had a total blast. Putting on these costumes and wigs, running around wild in the hall—that is the purest, most authentic joy of going to a convention. Even with limited costumes and props, our wild imaginations carried the day. Both the final photos and behind-the-scenes bloopers turned out incredibly fun, truly bringing these characters vividly to life in reality.