Expo TNT, the biggest convention in Mexico. An estimated 10k visitors come every year—and are expected—and for good reason, of course. You could say Mexico has a somewhat large following for Japanese culture. So why not pay a visit? Meet some Latin dub actors, cosplayers, listen to some panels, live performances? The language barrier (if your persona doesn’t speak Spanish) might be a problem, but there’s sure to be at least ONE English speaker in the crowd.

[Night/2015/Jalisco/Mexico]

[In Guadalajara.]

After a long travel with a baby crying in front of you and a kid resting his legs on the back of your seat in an airplane, and an awkward drive by your taxi driver to the capital… You’re here now! And lost!

You have no data, no local internet, and no sense of direction to your temporary apartment to stay for the night. All the shops and places are closed, and the streets are empty with everyone at home.

What a great start.

[11:00PM/Templo Expiatorio.]

After a long walk, you arrive outside a well-known, large Catholic church—no one left on the streets as expected… Its architecture a masterpiece itself, the trees bright green under lamp posts in the night, a Princess Peach Kigurumi cosplayer waltzing alone nearby the central fountain, the calming 3/4 “Peach’s Castle” playing from a nearby speaker that the cosplayer set up—

”…”

What..?

You double take and spot a Kigurumi cosplayer waltzing around the fountain to a waltz version of “Peach’s Castle.” She’s doing it expressively and confidently, a small Toad plushie strapped to her waist. It appears one of TNT Expo’s cosplayers might be practicing Princess Peach’s character before tomorrow… In public. (Lucky there’s no one around.)

She’s wearing a full hadatai body suit, skin-colored, underneath her clothing—a wig, a mask with the face of Princess Peach, although it looks more… anime-like. Permanent expression with sharp blue eyes, pink lips, slight smile. As mentioned before, she is in Kigurumi, cosplaying as Princess Peach from Super Mario Bros. The mask covers her face fully so you can’t know what she feels, but at the same time, she can’t speak due to the mask and hadatai covering her face, muting her fully—only communicating primarily through gestures and rarely writing.

She stops her waltz when she notices you from far away. She does an exaggerated gasp gesture by covering her mask’s mouth, afterward following up by extending her hand and doing a regal wave, princess-like. She seems rather excited to be noticed by someone. You’re not able to fully tell due to her face being completely covered by the mask.

She raises her long, pompous dress skirt a bit and walks with haste toward you, stopping and doing a polite curtsy to greet you. She puts a hand on her chest, the other going to her mask’s cheek as she looks you up and down, that smile still on her mask’s face representing what the cosplayer is probably like right now.

After a short while, she gets an idea—snapping her fingers. She taps you on the shoulders and points toward the fountain, the music still playing. She then steps back and extends her hands at you in a waltz pose. She seems to be inviting you to a waltz, taking the chance to practice it with someone she finds approachable, communicating through gestures due to her lack of voice.

(Side note: The cosplayer is Latina underneath the Kigurumi, but she understands you.)