All right...
The explanation...
(Oh, and hello, I r alive! I surviveded ACen intact! More or less...)
The first night I got to Chicago, I started having really vivid dreams of wolves. All the way from obviously anime inspired dreams of one of my personal characters in a ronin outfit with a storm wolf embroidered on the back to very "natural" wolf fantasies of being one, loping through a snow-capped forest with a pack behind me. Every night I was there for the convention, it was a new wolf dream over and over again.
On Sunday, I was walking past a booth dedicated to furries when the man working behind the counter asked me straight up, "Where's your tail?" I told him I'd left it in my other pants (trying to be funny). He gave me an amused look and handed me one. "People like you shouldn't be without one." I nodded, not really knowing what to say, and reached for my wallet but he waved me on.
That's right. A thirty dollar wolf's tail, a really nice faux one, for free. o_0
Ten minutes later (I had the tail in a bag; it wasn't visible because I wasn't sure what to do with it), I decided to ask a couple of questions to the theatrical custom contacts lady at her booth. I'd always been curious about them and never had the chance to inquire. I asked her how comfortable they were, how hard were they to put in and take out... probably the sort of questions she hears day in and day out. She was really friendly and answered them all so nicely that I decided to buy a set.
This is when it gets odd. She reached behind her, took out a pair of vials (one contact each) and put them on the table. "I'll let you have them at cost, sir. $40." I was a little surprised but when I asked to see the selection she shook her head. "Trust me, you don't want anything else. These are yours."
So ooookay, I paid her and took them. The lenses are called 'blackwolf" and they make your eyes look lupine. According to their own website, these are custom lenses and normally run ninety dollars on sale. To say I got a bargain would be an understatement. But the oddest part is yet to come.
I made sure the merchandising booth was running all right, sent two of my people on lunch because one was having a low blood sugar reaction and headed into the bathroom to change. I put on the robe I'd been given, attached the tail with a safety pin I found on the floor and struggled for ten minutes to apply the contacts (I've never worn any before).
From the moment I stepped out of the restroom, things felt strange. People started getting out of my way, I was on edge but not really tense and I got a LOT of looks. Folks at booths were doing a lot of talking to my chest; no one would meet my eyes for longer than a few seconds. I've never been called "sir" so often in my life. I can't really explain it but it was like someone turned the Respect dial all around me to 10 and snapped off the knob.
I have to admit, it felt ~good~. The eyes, the tail.... I've never felt anything like it.
On my way back to the booth, there was a lady in Artist's Alley giving tarot readings. I was going to sit down and pay for one (if only because I like to support my fellow pagans where I can). The woman touched my hand, practically jumped out of her chair, stammered "wolf!" and that she couldn't read my cards, and left with her deck. She looked terrified out of her mind. Later, Jessica (the DH in charge of the Alley) told me that Beth, the lady in question, didn't come back to the convention. She checked out of her room and left.
The HELL?
Ummm.... I am awfully confused...
-A
(Oh, and hello, I r alive! I surviveded ACen intact! More or less...)
The first night I got to Chicago, I started having really vivid dreams of wolves. All the way from obviously anime inspired dreams of one of my personal characters in a ronin outfit with a storm wolf embroidered on the back to very "natural" wolf fantasies of being one, loping through a snow-capped forest with a pack behind me. Every night I was there for the convention, it was a new wolf dream over and over again.
On Sunday, I was walking past a booth dedicated to furries when the man working behind the counter asked me straight up, "Where's your tail?" I told him I'd left it in my other pants (trying to be funny). He gave me an amused look and handed me one. "People like you shouldn't be without one." I nodded, not really knowing what to say, and reached for my wallet but he waved me on.
That's right. A thirty dollar wolf's tail, a really nice faux one, for free. o_0
Ten minutes later (I had the tail in a bag; it wasn't visible because I wasn't sure what to do with it), I decided to ask a couple of questions to the theatrical custom contacts lady at her booth. I'd always been curious about them and never had the chance to inquire. I asked her how comfortable they were, how hard were they to put in and take out... probably the sort of questions she hears day in and day out. She was really friendly and answered them all so nicely that I decided to buy a set.
This is when it gets odd. She reached behind her, took out a pair of vials (one contact each) and put them on the table. "I'll let you have them at cost, sir. $40." I was a little surprised but when I asked to see the selection she shook her head. "Trust me, you don't want anything else. These are yours."
So ooookay, I paid her and took them. The lenses are called 'blackwolf" and they make your eyes look lupine. According to their own website, these are custom lenses and normally run ninety dollars on sale. To say I got a bargain would be an understatement. But the oddest part is yet to come.
I made sure the merchandising booth was running all right, sent two of my people on lunch because one was having a low blood sugar reaction and headed into the bathroom to change. I put on the robe I'd been given, attached the tail with a safety pin I found on the floor and struggled for ten minutes to apply the contacts (I've never worn any before).
From the moment I stepped out of the restroom, things felt strange. People started getting out of my way, I was on edge but not really tense and I got a LOT of looks. Folks at booths were doing a lot of talking to my chest; no one would meet my eyes for longer than a few seconds. I've never been called "sir" so often in my life. I can't really explain it but it was like someone turned the Respect dial all around me to 10 and snapped off the knob.
I have to admit, it felt ~good~. The eyes, the tail.... I've never felt anything like it.
On my way back to the booth, there was a lady in Artist's Alley giving tarot readings. I was going to sit down and pay for one (if only because I like to support my fellow pagans where I can). The woman touched my hand, practically jumped out of her chair, stammered "wolf!" and that she couldn't read my cards, and left with her deck. She looked terrified out of her mind. Later, Jessica (the DH in charge of the Alley) told me that Beth, the lady in question, didn't come back to the convention. She checked out of her room and left.
The HELL?
Ummm.... I am awfully confused...
-A