A Dream in the Middle of a Nightmare
Friday morning began at 7:30a. As I knew I would, I woke up some surprisingly willing comrades. Then, I made waffles. Then, I ate waffles. Then, I made waffles. Ate waffles. Made waffles. Chugged syrup. Made waffles. Ate waffles. Didn’t share. I also made particular note to not shower, because that’s not what you do at a con.
The night before, I had made new wristplates, because the plastic-and-leather ones that I’d been using for two years were ….oh, come on, completely hideous! XD So, I got craft foam and metallic spraypaint and made a significantly improved model. I was pleased to see that my new wristplates had dried and set quite nicely! I rubbed them harshly with my fingers and the paint didn’t come off, so I happily changed into my newly vamped and cleaned costume and we all left my house, and got to the convention center at 10:00a. I didn’t see any of my friends, really, but I did see Vic Mignogna in the hallway! We hugged and laughed and talked about Youmacon. Goodness, he’s adorable.
At about 11:45a we’re hovering by the registration desk when Mai-Amanda points out that my newly spraypainted wrist gauntlets have, in fact, not yet fully set and dried. Surprise!! Mai-Amanda points out that, unbeknownst to me since 10:00a, silver spraypaint has been rubbing all over the side of my coat, and my clean white coat is now spectacularly, sickeningly gray. At about 11:46a I freak. the. hell. out. I panicked. Freaked out. Panicked. Shit. Bad mood. Beat up someone. Panic. Luckily, I had bought a box of batteries that came with a teeny Tide-To-Go pen (isn’t that incredible?). Seto starts stabbing my filthy waist with the pen and tries to get stain out. To an extent we succeed, but the pen’s juice runs out quickly.
At 12:00p we were able to pick up our badges, and then we grudgingly went to the Publix grocery store that was about two blocks away. I bought freaking oxi-clean spray, seran wrap and masking tape. Pie-Amanda and I had come up with the idea that, for now, we could wrap my stupid wristplates with seran wrap to avoid further damage and then later think of a more permanent plan on how to maintain them. All this while, I remain in a terrible mood. Great way to start a con. Back in the con’s bathroom, Seto sprayed the hell out of the coat and scrubbed the hell out of coat. ….I watch in amazed relief as it actually …kinda works; the stain gets lighter, and lighter….
Pie-Amanda and I wrap clear freaking seran wrap around the wrist gauntlets. …again, I find myself marvel at how it actually doesn’t look THAAAAAAAAAAAAT bad. Amazing how cosplay emergencies can actually be managed.
By 12:45p my coat is essentially dry, the stain is not particularly visible to cameras (although still quite present, don’t get me wrong)… I honestly feel confident that a RESOLVE STAIN FIGHTING ACTION treatment once I get back to Tallahassee will get the stain out for good before Youmacon. So, we resume regular con-going activities. By now, our friends from out-of-town are showing up. Stuart, in particular, brings a cure for my bad mood in the form of his unbelievable swiss roll cake and strawberry bread. I ceased being angry at that point!
The Dealer’s room opened at 2:00p. Sad that Mana didn’t get to come to the con, I found an opportunity to get her a goodie when I spot a bright green Yu-Gi-Oh poster at the first booth! I also tried to find posters that I might like to add to the impressive collection in my dorm, and found an adorable one of Trunks and Vegeta.
The first big event was the opening ceremonies at 5:00p. The room is large and crowded, but we get good seats- I immediately start looking to see where the guests are sitting. I find a row of them sitting fairly far from me- but, incredibly- there they are: Chris Sabat, Eileen Stevens, Mega64… and, the man who gave light to my best gaming buddy (and husband), Luigi- Charles Martinet!! Soon, the ceremonies start- at around 5:10p the con staff starts throwing stuff into the audience. T-shirts and stuff, sure (Mai-Amanda caught one) …and, um, Happy Meals. They are throwing full Happy Meals in their bags to the audience. I laughed as Seto and Stuart catch them. We have a little party of chicken nuggets and French fries. Con food. I preferred the swiss cake. Of course when the guests introduce themselves for opening ceremonies, they’re all freaking hilarious. I soiled myself, naturally, when Charles Martinet made Luigi audible.
After the opening ceremonies concluded at 6:15 or so, I ran over to the row where the guests were sitting, with intention of meeting a few of them for the first time. For the first time, I look into Luigi’s eyes- Charles Martinet stands before me, and I shook his hand while my knees shook even harder. I told him that you loved him and that I loved Luigi and that Luigi is cute and that it’s an honor to meet him. We took a picture with our action figures!
The official autograph sessions started at 7:00p. … the line is really bloody infuriatingly long, so I gave items to Stuart and Alex to help lessen my enormous signing load. Finally at 8:30p I manage to walk through the autograph line, walking down the long table of guests sitting there. I think I might have gotten, in total, 94089308530 items signed by everyone; naturally, my Mokuba plushie got beat up by every guest, too. It was amusing to watch how much Steve Downes (the voice of Master Chief), particularly, enjoyed himself.
I was among the last of my friends out of the line. I met up with Stuart and Alex immediately outside of the doors of the big autograph room. I specifically see that my friends have set all of everyone’s belongings on little table outside of the main events room, so I do the same. We wait by that table for our other friends to show up…. I watch, specifically, as my friends don’t walk away and don’t turn their backs. I watch as we take pictures with people right by the table. …I don’t watch as Mana’s poster completely vanishes.
It was utterly disheartening. I had gotten that poster signed by Eileen Stevens (the voice of Luna and Leo from 5D’s) and all of the Sunshine Duelists. Stuart and I immediately set out to see what may have happened- asked all of the nearby artists at tables if they saw it fall. Eventually it sickeningly dawns on us that someone may have stolen it. Stuart and I follow people around who have posters in their hands (and find them to be innocent hahaha) and register with the con’s lost-and-found. We were told several times that it was probably stolen. I got sad. I got disappointed in humanity.
At 10:00p we arrived back at my house. ….to find that my mom has baked chocolate chip cookies. Ehh heehheehehehehehh. 8D
SATURDAY
I woke up on Saturday morning and ate Swiss cake. Then, I ate strawberry bread. Then, I ate strawberry bread. Ate swiss cake. Ate swiss cake. …Ate the last of the Swiss cake. We arrived at the con in time to catch the end of Steve Downes’ panel; we stayed in this room because Charles Martinet started his panel at 11:00a.
Charles Martinet’s panel was phenomenal. He told stories of how he got the part of Mario to begin with: by making a ridiculously long monologue about spaghetti and meatballs. He told of how Luigi got a deep voice because he had to make it up on the spot when a child in the mall asked him to talk as Luigi, and he wanted to pretend that Luigi was in the kitchen, in the back, making spaghetti and meatballs, so he muffled his voice with his hand and said “no, I’m too shy, I can’t talk.” Wario and Waluigi were revealed to not be brothers; they are, instead, partners in crime. He said that children are hilarious to talk to because they ask things like “Mario, when you die, do you see God?”
I had sensed this the day before in the brief words I exchanged with Charles Martinet while getting things signed and while taking pictures, but Saturday morning was the time that I really realized what an unbelievably good role model he is. After he talked about how wonderful it is to meet Shigeru Miyamoto, he was led into speaking about how Mario has taught him things; that Mario’s unending optimism is a model for how everything- all of life’s hardships- should be mastered with a “Yahoo!” attitude. Tears nipped at his eyes and his face flushed.
This man preached about nothing but joy and happiness. His heart had no room for negativity, and through a character that says little more than “Yahoo!” and “Let’s go!”, he spreads this passionate cheerfulness. I believe that if you need to hear a message, it will be conveyed to you; I was fortunate enough to hear the perfect, right encouraging words from someone who is exactly what I was like two months ago; from someone who has, already, been nothing but a positive force in my life for ten years. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Mr. Martinet.
After his panel, we all followed him out of the room and he stood nearby to have another autograph signing. I got my last bunch of things -posters, plushies, etc- autographed; then, I took with him what I consider to be the best pictures that have ever been taken in the history of picture-taking.
Since our poster had evaporated, Stuart and I had a new mission: Mana had said that Soul Eater items were good, too, so we tore up the damn place looking for a Soul Eater poster for Mana. …would you believe that we failed?! I thought that Soul Eater was popular!! At a different booth, we found Soul Eater action figures and plushies. We realize that they’re just as easy to get signed, so we buy them for Mana. Then I ate a tuna sandwich because there was no more swiss cake. :/
The next autograph session was at 2:00p. I snagged Stuart’s level 50 pass and got to the front of autograph line so that I could do Mana’s voice requests and get her things signed. The rest of my friends are nearby: the Mega64 panel is just after the autograph session, in this room. Ultimately, it ends up delayed; so, we’re in line outside. This is where we run into Sarah, who had earlier told me that she had made a present for the Sunshine Duelists … in the form of a huge freaking amazing brownie cake woah holy crap. We shared it with worthy people only.
The Mega64 panel finally started at 4:45p. It was fantastic- we watched never-before-seen videos and skits that they’d made specially for conventions. They started off the panel by flailing around on the ground and running, screaming, through the aisles of the audience. I laughed a fair few times maybe kinda omgz. Afterwards, I changed out of my Kaiba costume. I don’t know why people are still surprised to see me with red hair. I guess I’m so used to my redheaded self that I forget that most people are like HUH?
Chris Sabat hosted his dubbing panel at 6:00p. I’d been to a similar panel at AFO in 2009 and it was fun; this time, it was even more awesome because we dubbed the first episode of DBZ: Kai!! It was amusing watching people hilariously poorly dub voices for Bardock and Freeza. I took a few more pictures with Chris Sabat after the panel.
By 8:00p I’ve complained about being hungry approximately 700,000,000,000 times. So, Stuart, Mai-Amanda, Pie-Amanda and Seto went to a local nearby Chinese restaurant. I ate General Tsao’s chicken with Pie-Amanda, but the most interesting thing that happened at the restaurant was that Stuart was so cheap that he wouldn’t pay a dollar for a can of coke in the restaurant; he’d rather go six doors down to Publix and pay only 75 cents. Then later, he got free wonton noodles. I’m not sure how he manages to do this kind of thing. “I am epic,” he claims as an explanation.
At 9:00p we went back to the con and just hung out in front of the rave room, waiting for it to start hours later. I’m, at this point, feeling really sexy in my high-five Mario shirt and the Mario backpack that Stuart bought me. As we’re sitting outside of the doors, we notice that the Mega64 guys are also hanging out around here. We got an awesome chance to shoot the breeze with them. I asked Rocco to be the flower girl at my wedding in ten years. He accepted.
Soon, the rave started. Stuart lent me his 3D glasses, saying, “It’s so trippy.” I put on the 3D glasses, and instantly, the flashing speckles of red and green light were dancing around me instead of stuck, plastered on the walls and ceiling. And, at that moment, I realized that the spark of bliss that usually lingered in my heart was back; EXP Con III was a dream in the middle of a nightmare.
SUNDAY
Sunday began earlier; we had to do the tedious task of loading the cars so that the out-of-town friends could leave straight from the con. I ate three cookies, a brownie and the last of the strawberry bread. I don’t know how I’m not dead, please stop asking
We got to St. Augustine at a little after ten. I had read in the bulletin that, for some reason, my name was listed under the “Lifetime VIP Pass” list- I had most certainly not paid that much money to get a VIP Pass! I ask the front desk what it means, and they hand me this pretty gold badge. Tremendously confused because it does have my name, I ask Ryan, the con director, what’s going on. He says, “Thanks for tutoring me in Japanese!” I said, “:O” about a hundred times.
Waiting for the voice-actor-allstar panel to start, I went to the Dealer’s room for the last time. One vendor has set out lots of attractive DBZ plushies. I considered getting a few of them, but then decided that I guess I don’t wanna ‘cause I already have some en route!
The Voice Actor’s group panel consisted of Troy Baker, Vic Mignogna, Ali Hillis and Eileen Stevens. Immediately, Troy Baker and Vic Mignogna noticed Stuart; they called him out on his awesome costume and made him come to the front of the room and dance for everyone. Then, Troy Baker asked, “What’s your name?” and Stuart responded, confidently, “Stu!” and that led to Troy Baker and Vic Mignogna making up a new 70’s TV show where the main character’s name is STU and he has a theme song.
At that panel, Jak gave me a slice of German chocolate cake that she’d baked (she also gave me brownies on Friday night!). Alex brought me a care package from her and Ben- I got three DBZ DVDs, including two Broly movies and the Bardock movie! Alex had bought me a Mario cap and a Luigi cap. As I type this on Monday, I’m at my coffeehouse, selling coffee, wearing the Luigi cap. Tons of people in my classes complimented me on it 8D
At noonish I crashed Chris Sabat’s part-two-of-dubbing panel. He looked over at me, and I could read it in his eyes: “Whatttt, you tremendously adorable pest” and I asked him if I could give him a kiss! He chuckled and said “maybe.” and I gave him a big kiss on his cheek and thanked him for signing all of my things and it was an honor to meet Vegeta. I now hunted for Charles Martinet; I spot him outside of the hotel’s lobby. I also tell him how honored I was to meet him and fulfill my dream of giving a big kiss to Luigi, too!
At this point, I’m starting to feel like I want to leave the con for good: the last thing I wanted to do being taking some pictures with Stuart on the yard. We have a few snapshots after we chill for the last time with some homies by the entrance to the main room. We compared things bought in the dealer’s room and ate strawberry pocky that Pie-Amanda had won at the dodgeball game. The con is over; too soon, I find myself leaving my hometown and getting on the road to Tallahassee to return to school.
Ohhhh, you guys, I needed this con so badlyyyyyy. How unbelievably, unbelievably fun- it was incredible meeting some of my biggest heroes, it was uplifting being surrounded by the energetic spirit that accompanies a convention, it was comforting to visit with my friends from all over the state and have that reminder that I have support and love no matter where I am. I can’t thank all of you guys enough for making this weekend one of the most memorable con experiences that I’ve had, so far (which is quite saying something).
Now, my attentions are, of course, turning to Youmacon. Pardon me while I actually… begin. to. wrap. my. mind. around that idea.