Open Diary Entries


JACON 2004

6/1/04

Went to an anime convention--now officially more than a freakin' week ago, but I figured I'd finally write about it.  It was JACON 2004, in Orlando, so Jeaux and I hit up my dad to put us up so we would not have to pay hotel fees.  Yay for freeloading.

On the way to Orlando we got lost.  No biggie, but he went in a gas station to ask directions while I sat and waited for him.  Some dude came to the open window on my side and said, "Hey, you got a light?"  Then he bent and got a better look at me . . . and recoiled, stepping backwards quickly.  "OH, I sorry, I sorry," he said, "you a little girl!  I sorry!"  Hmm . . . well, I did have my hair in braids, and I did have a stuffed animal on my lap, but I still fail to see how I manage at age twenty-six to be mistaken for a girl so young it's offensive to ask her for a light.

We arrived at my dad's and kinda rested, then decided to go 'head and go to the con.  Away, away.  We scouted the place out in our street clothes, looking/hoping for lockers (of which there were none) and checking out what there was to do.  We got our pre-reg badges and walked around admiring costumes, and decided to go change into ours. 

We wiggled into some choice aspects of our costumes in the car, and then brought some of our pieces into the bathroom with us.  After we got dolled up, we were immediately attacked by people with cameras.  Yay.  We walked around awhile, then watched some cosplayers act silly.  Someone imitated the chick from Ringu.  A guy dressed up as the chick from Space Channel 5 frightened us with his drag act.  A lot of people did skits we couldn't follow because they weren't talking loud enough.  It was not very entertaining.  We left, and ended the night by watching four episodes of the TV series newly made for Read or Die.  That was exciting.  We had to sit at the back, though, because of our gigantic hats.

The next day we went to the con and put the finishing touches on our costumes in the bathrooms again.  I hoped I would make it through the day.  I was wearing spiky heels, for one, and my shoulders were bare in a highly air-conditioned building, and my costume hair was made of--you guessed it--sponges.  And they had to be WET in order to get the effect right.  So, soggy head, cold air, spiky heels ALL DAY.  Jeaux's main complaint was that his fake earrings pinched his ears, but he didn't complain until later that night after he took them off. 

The Annoyance Highlight was this prick in front of us in line.  See, at a convention, a lot of people who attend are basically dorks--people considered losers by "normal" people.  This guy . . . well, he was enough of a loser for people at the convention to think he's a loser, and that's saying something.  Anyway, the dude was really snotty to Jeaux in answering some questions about registering for the costume contest--thanks for nothing, dickhead!--and unfortunately we got stuck behind him in the line to go on stage for the costume contest, too.  But I'll mention that at the appropriate part of this story.

We went through the registration and got a time to be pre-judged.  That means we'd go into a room with the judges, have them look at our costumes and ask us questions, and then when all the contestants actually went on stage it is merely for show, for the audience, because the prizes have been decided.  (That cuts down on annoyance for everyone involved; it allows prizes to be awarded directly after all the contestants have been shown.  No waiting for results!)  So.  We killed time 'til our appointment by walking around and getting our pictures taken, looking at some art, blah-de-blah. 

We went to our pre-judging appointment and it went well--we got to tell them I did the sewing, Jeaux made the props, you know.  One of them complimented our originality: "That's an all-too-rarely-done anime."  Yay.  We left, had some food, watched some AMVs and a contest, and went to the costume contest.

As mentioned, we were stuck behind the jerk again.  He was wearing a long black cloak with gold puffy paint designs in arcane symbols, and gloves with claws on the end, and this admittedly badass-looking mask.  Some other girl in the line said, "I give up, I can't figure out what you're from," and he said (snottily of course), "It's an ORIGINAL, that's why you can't figure it out."  Original?  You came as a character you MADE UP?  Wait a second, how did he even get in the contest?  (The rules specifically said you had to be from anime, manga, video games, or some aspect of Asian pop culture.  Coming to the con as your D&D character doesn't fit.)  So that means that everything about his costume becomes something he made up and probably thinks is spooky and cool--yes, puffy paint pentagrams and runes are very goth--and there's a lot less admiration to be had if he wasn't trying to emulate something.  Anyway, I was very pissed he won something for the construction of his mask.  The girl dressed as a giant box of Pocky should have won that.

And what's worse is he named his original character "Draven Darklight."  Dark . . . light?  Draven?  Okay, you're a loser.  Next.

We didn't win anything.  But I promise my animosity toward Draven there is not sour grapes.  Myahh.

After the contest we jumped to get out of our clothes, and went back to the con in plain clothes.  We watched a classical music group called Select Start who played music from video games.  At one point they played the music from Tetris, and everyone jumped up and Russian-danced.  After that they played the third DDR project--people's videos to a DDR mix--and I shook my ass to that until it was time to depart.  We went home tired.

In the morning we went out to breakfast with my dear sweet dad, and afterwards we went back to the con for the third day.  We caught the tail end of Anime Family Feud, and then we decided to kill time before the beginning of an anime we wanted to see by shopping in the dealer room.  Okay, despite the fact that I was NOT in costume, two dudes took my picture anyway.  One said he liked my shirt.  The other had no explanation.  Mmmwhatever.  I noticed that whenever Jeaux left me alone to do anything, some guy would come talk to me.  Anime cons are sausage parties.  Not enough dorky girls to go 'round. 

We ate some ice cream and witnessed a trash can catching on fire.  Then we went to the anime we wanted to see: Bottle Fairy.  It was supremely cute, kinda aimed at preschool Japanese girls.  Kawaii out the wazoo.  What was most disturbing, though, is that that Draven guy was in the room with us, and he was all bouncing and giggling to the cuteness.  That is just strange.  Yesterday you were spooky, but today you're all excited over Bottle Fairy?  Make up your mind, man.  Weird.

That's about it.  We had fun.  But now Jeaux is bugging me to go to another one already, coming up with costume ideas and all.  I already told him I'm NOT sewing any more costumes.  We'll see if he can wear me down, huh?

[me and jeaux]

(More pictures at here if you're interested!)


Notes:

You look cute, little girl :) [katqueen]


Did I mention you should have stuck your broomstick up that jerk's ass? [katqueen]


ees a cutie girl. :) [Meggie]

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