Recollections: Perfect Spin Off Cosplay

2004

Anime Expo, July 2-5
Location: Anaheim Hilton and Convention Center, Anaheim, California

Another year at AX. This convention so almost didn't happen. But I am a gambling man. So I bet on Henry to make it down to AX even though he told me 2 weeks in advance that he was a big IF. I bet on him bringing over a battery from the other side of the country without security hassling him. I also bet on the soundtrack since a second copy mysteriously appeared. Sometimes you lose. Sometimes you win.

Friday: I am the commute king! I came over to park at the Marriott at about 2 PM. "Parking lot full" So I swing over to the Hilton "Parking lot full" OMG WTF BBQ. So where did I park? Disneyland. I took the Mickey & Friends Tram to the main gate to find out about the second godsend tram. The Lion King tram makes a stop right outside the ACC! Woot! That saves me like 20 minutes of walking time. Obviously couldn't bring anything along prop wise with all that transport so no fan, no costumes. They all just stayed in the car. Made contact with Rice and Ramen (RNR). So I decided with my pre-registration slip, I'd just waltz in and get my badge. Kitsy got such an awesome location at the artist alley! Right up in front. And no admission needed to go there. But registration.... 2 hours later, for having been Pre-Reg/Pre-Paid, I finally get my badge. Head back over to Kitsy's to trim off the excess junk off my page and make it transportable. Now it's 4 PM and I'm in normal clothes, I go to RNR to inspect their costumes and book. Today was talking day as I met up with the likes of Yaya, Kyle, Sarah, Lillyxandra, Haruka, Ming, and a host of other regulars. Hai was prancing around in Hughes with his perfect goatee. About 5 PM, Kitsy was packing up and assigned me to go find Twinkle so she could get her wig. I told her I hadn't seen Twinkle all day but would try my best. I go cruise the dealers room and see Darryl, Gina, Wayne and some other friends. 15 later I see a cute Asian girl next to Lindze. I take a chance and tap her shoulder. Twinkle turns around and stares and I say, Jackie Chan. :D Twinkle only knows me by my LJ icon which is Jackie Chan but yay! I got it right. I meet Jeff and we head back to her room in the Marriott to hopefully retrieve the wig. She doesn't remember if she brought it. Another gamble. She wins tho as she manages to find it. And just at that time, Kitsy calls. Woo! She's still in the artists alley so we all head back and the wig works! Awesome! After I completed that mission, I get a call from Darryl to go eat at Claim Jumper. But almost right after I get a call from Tiffy to go to meet her and Chris at Disneyland. I come back and see Tiffy on route. So we walk across the ACC to take the Lion King Tram back to meet Chris at the A of California. We were all starving and went to try and go on some rides but due to the huge lines went to eat at the Boardwalk. Tiffy had a craving for a cheese dog so she went over there while Chris and I ate at Pizza Oom Mow Mow. I had my typical chicken fusilli and he had a hawaiian pizza. Of course Tiffy made it back and finished before we even got our food. But then we got our food and she was thirsty from eating potato chips so she went to get a beer. Irvy and I decided that beer goes best with delectable lightly frosted cookies. So in the time it took Tiffy to get a simple beer, we almost finished dinner. Tiffy got a bright green toxic looking cup. Dean met up with us and we went to California Screaming. Tiffy managed to wash out her cup so she could keep it for the dance. I left early when Karrie called but when I arrived at her room, it was just full of drunken Mexicans (Matt). We chilled for a bit but then I went back to RNR's room for some costume questions. After that bail out at 10 PM.

Saturday: Early in the morning, get a call from Henry "Hey, I'm not sure if I can make it, July 4 looks pretty booked. Even so, I can't get white hair spray because they won't let me bring aerosol on a plane" So I go hunt down all around town for white hair spray. The Halloween store was sold out X_X. Luckily my second stop, a hair salon, had cans for $3. Today I managed to come in around 1 PM and parked in the Hilton as Tiffy let me store all my stuff in their room. So nice! And they have a big patio. I lugged all my FMA + trenchcoat + fan over to room 5245 when I get a call that it's actually 5241. A room is a room! Set up camp in the corner. Since Tiffy was getting ready into Kanoe I changed into Funeral Roy Mustang for lack of anything else better to do. We went out for some pictures, I made contact with Lance. Al was around and was awesome in helping me get some pictures. I met up with Hikkles who went to Stellas to point out stuff. I wanted to change out so we headed back to the room. The tentatively scheduled rehearsal at 5 PM was a flop as RNR had a performance @_@ and Kitsy was still in the artist alley. She also had a dinner to go to, so couldn't come afterwards. But Bucca time was coming up at 6 PM so we invited Lance along. Hikkles and Tiffy had changed into Love Machine and thank goodness they didn't get their costumes dirty from all the pasta. The dinner was good. And only cost $16 a head. After Bucca we all hung out at Tiffy's room and checked out the fireworks. I hung out with Hikkles and we both had to go home we I walked her out. I got the room key for tomorrow tho! So nice and convenient! Yay! Did tell Lance however that Henry still hasn't shown up. Informed him about the odds of this gamble and that it was a decent gamble. Lance wasn't so sure about that.

Sunday: 5 AM. Get a buzz on the cellphone "Oh hey, I got on the plane, see you at 11". In the morning, I paint the head to the staffer on a McDonald's bag and I get on over to LAX, Terminal 4, Departures. After 2 trips around finally pick up Henry and head off to LAX with a small detour at Burger King. We arrive at AX around 12 and park at the Marriott. Since I have the room key I was able to get into room 5241 with no problems. Tiffy and Annie and Hikkles were all getting ready for the Peace photoshoot. Henry and I went to work on the Staffer. Lance was nice enough to represent the group for the 2 PM mandatory masquerade meeting. 2 PM rolls around and I meet up with Kyle for the Peace girls photoshoot. 2:15 and I run back into the room to get changed into Roy with Phone. 2:30 and I'm out right on time for the ACP photoshoot. Things were looking a bit bleak as it was just me and RNR but in about 10 minutes they gathered a nice crowd and Al and Rey Rey took the shot. I got some nice pictures of Roy with the phone afterwards with Al too before retreating and changing back. The FMA group assembled and rehearsed a bit in 5241. But then while we were in Tiffy's room when she got the word that there was an error in reservation and we all had to move out. Luckily Lance was just down the way in room 5220 so the FMA group relocated there. It was 4:30 before we knew it and the girls went off for intermediate judging. They didn't get back until 5:30 and that's when Henry and I had to leave. While they were gone though, I managed to freehand draw Scar's tattoo on Henry's arm. We went over to expert craftsmanship at 5:30. Henry and I got #1 and 2 to be judged, but they wouldn't let us out to confirm our soundtrack. 6:00 rolls around and we have to be back at the room at 7:00 or else the doors are shut. So in some judging confusion Henry and I secretly departed and headed back to help everyone bring up our loads of props to the LP2 3rd floor ACC. We are #14 and still are #14. And by the way, we still haven't confirmed if our soundtrack is the right one. Kenji tell us that there was a second CD submitted that said AGSMA use this track on it. None of us sent that mysterious CD. *prays that it's not Chokotto Love* 45 minutes after 8 PM, the masquerade finally starts. I don't know exactly when we get on stage, but it happened pretty fast. All our cues are set. Ed, Al and Scar are planted on stage and the super nice MC reads our proper introduction. The music starts.... It's the right one! YAY! no HAHAHAHAHA! And everything progresses nicely. Henry and I are kings of ad lib when things go wrong. We make them right. And off goes Kitsy's skirt. YAY! And like every other convention AGSMA's been at, we make a mess of the stage and have to go back and clean up all our props. :D For the rest of the masquerade we much on food that Lance brought us and schmooze with iPLAY and the other cosplay groups. iPLAY's skit came out so good! "If you were a booger, I'd pick you!" Ami-kins came by and told us that we actually won something. So we got in line behind this super nice One Piece group. Al came over and took pictures with Al in a box. That was so awesome. Backstage, we heard the One Piece group get runner up presentation. And next.... Best Presentation goes to AGSMA Full Metal Alchemist! OMG WTF BBQ! Super cool! The trophy goes to RNR and we take tons of pictures. Come midnight we head back to the room to change out. Kitsy's lucky that Kon's still around and he's able to take her home. RNR retreat to nap, but not before taking their equivalent trade pocketwatch. Henry and I gather all our stuff from Lance's room to head to Hikkles two room suite 6305 which the Hilton gave to her because of the error they made with Tiffy (they shared the room). So big and roomy! I hung out for a bit then moved all my stuff back out to the Marriott and left without paying the $13. Met up with Steve before getting there and we talked YGO for an hour before I actually left the con.

Monday: Clean up day! First thing is to pick up my missing leather jacket from Jenny. Then went to Ami-kins and picked up the random DVD awards for the Best Presentation. Also picked up a ton of copies of the AX Times that printed the masquerade winners to hand out to group members. I took a CCS and Angelic Layer DVD. Lance took Nightwalker and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. Kitsy took the KOF GBA game and City Hunter and the stuff that Henry left at her table on purpose. Left the telephone with RNR so they can take pictures with Hughes. Said my farewells to the team and thanks for the great experience. Of course, Henry was still around until 7 PM so we hit up Downtown Disney to watch Spiderman 2 with Hikkles. Very cool movie!