Sunday at a con may be the slacker day, but damned if we weren't exhausted. And hungry.
Actually, it's funny thinking back, every time someone asked for a hug from "Flynn", I remember I'd always just let all my body weight rest on her for a couple seconds because it was so much nicer than standing up all by myself. Just one of those funny things you remember, y'know?
Okay, so where was I . . . kiddo got out of her Punzie cosplay and into a kigurumi. I noticed I had voicemail on my phone. We left the con, went to the hotel for the car, said goodbye to kiddo's two friends who were bussing back to Vancouver . . . they thanked us again for taking the overflow of their cigars back over the border for them . . . oh, did I mention that? The two boys bought a ton of cigars for friends and the like, and then suddenly realized they were way over their three-day limit. Silly friends.
Oh yeah, we saw the catuar that was the summon for B's team also loading up their car. I shouted over to him that his summon was awesome. I neglected to tell him, however, that the top of his costume really, really looked like a penis. Actually, now that I think about it, we remembered seeing him check in to the hotel back on Thursday as well . . . huh, I guess we were both running on about the same schedules. Neat.
I geared down a little myself once we were at the car, and took off the green vest and the satchel. I kept the extra large belt on because it had my money in its pouches, though it was annoying because I didn't have the vest's belt loop to keep it up. But whatever, I was gonna be in a car the whole time. So off we went back home . .
So it finally hit us that we wee crazy hungry because we didn't really eat lunch (or breakfast, for that matter). We resolved that we'd eat on the way home, and that we'd stop at the first Denny's we saw.
Once we were on the I-5, I'm pretty sure it took all of about half an hour to find one. It was probably about 5 or 6pm or so when we got out of the car and into the restaurant.
And yes, we were a spectacle. A fully-dressed (albeit unarmed) assassin, a girl in tiger pajamas, and a piratey-lookin' fellow in the boots, a white shirt and a dog tag. Enjoy the view, old people, you might not get another chance for a whole year . . .
Sat down, ordered drinks and food . . . Jed' was talked into every extra you could convince a guy to get (extra cheese, blueberries in the pancakes . . .), I was only talked into the strawberry lemonade and an extra side of toast. Kiddo, she got out mostly unscathed, I think. She just looked like a tiger, was all.
So while waiting for our food, I finally checked that message on my phone from the restricted number.
It was Abby, telling us that they had to bounce quickly so they couldn't say goodbye in person . . . also, that we were "totally robbed" in that fight by the judges who voted for "Team Internet Meme" over people who actually played off of their cosplay series. I didn't even hear the whole thing the first time around because I stopped it to replay it for kiddo beginning to end first, then to Jed' and finally to myself.
Won't lie, being exhausted and drained from a whole weekend, then just sitting around hearing those sorts of supportive words from some great friends . . . like, manly tears potentially could have shed just then. Potentialy, anyway.
So thanks again Abby, Ducky, Ace. That was a great capper to the con'.
Food was delicious and I almost wish we had gotten dessert as well, but whatever. Everyone took a bathroom break; Jed' and I got out first, ostensibly because a one-piece kigurumi likely makes girl-bathrooming extra complicated.
Also, side note that I didn't mention for Friday that for some reason popped into my head just now . . . okay, remember that whole thing with the girl deciding that Flynn and Ezio were now "[her] new favourite pairing"? Well, at one point while walking around, I heard our friend 'Manda rev up a really long, really high-pitched laugh suddenly. Suddenly out of nowhere there was this really loud "aaaaaaAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!"
"What?!"
".....you two are sharing a bed right now!!!"
". . . oh. Right."
Fun times. Anyway, back to Denny's.
Outside, this old lady comes out of her car and shouts to Jed' and I, "are you two in a play or something?!"
"No, no," I said, "it was a convention over in downtown Seattle."
"A pirate convention?"
"Anime convention. Japanese animation, video games, stuff like that . . ."
So I show her a little video of the crowds and stuff, she talks about some story about how she got her face all made up by some band or group called "The Three Horsemen". Sounds like they had KISS-like make-up or something . . . I dunno, but I get the feeling we kinda made that lady's day.
Once kiddo was out and we were all back in the car, Jed' asked me, "You knew who she was talking about?"
"Nah, man. Just faked it."
Back on the road, mostly quiet. Since we had the car in parking all weekend we didn't really need to gas up again and we just drove and drove. Kiddo was mostly asleep in the front seat and at one point got a really nice double-take from one car that drove past us - Jed' and I laughed. I dunno, maybe we discussed PAX or something . . . but yeah, legit', we didn't really stop until we got back to the border.
It was also raining. I feel like it's a rule: when you come back home to Vancouver, it will always rain to remind you that indeed, you are back home in Vancouver.
And the 70 minute border wait. Oops.
Well, during that time, Team BRS called us to say they were back in civilization and were going to go eat, and wanted to know if we wanted to join them. I said I'd call him back once we were over the border to see how things were looking. I also called my mother to tell her I was back, as did kiddo and probably Jed'. Actually, I think Jed' messaged some other friend of his.
That friend of his messaged back that Vancouver lost in overtime 3-2. For fuck's sakes, Vancouver . . .
Anyway, I was an idiot and queued up in the right lane instead of the left. I forgot that the right lane has to put up with the idiots who cheat by flying down the empty Nexus lane and then cut into the normal line at the end. They pissed us off.
Finally at the border, collected up the passports, rolled up to the guy . . . significantly less interesting this time around.
"Where are you all coming from?"
"Coming up from Seattle."
"How long were you gone?"
"We left on Thursday."
"Purpose of the trip?"
"Animacon-- . . . blah . . . it was an anime convention."
"...how much stuff are you bringing back?"
"About two hundred dollars."
"For all three of you?"
"Yes."
"Are you bringing any alcohol back with you?"
"Yeah, two big bottles of beer."
"Any drugs, tobacco...?"
"Yeah, about fifty cigars." (And then I silently cursed kiddo's friends again.)
*Guard hands the passports back*
"Have a safe drive."
"Thank you, have a good night!"
Painless. That guy was probably tired and bored, really. No complaints.
Anyway, called Team BRS to see how they were. They were still just eating in the restaurant but were almost done. We suggested maybe just chill a bit, or grab some bubble tea or something. Really we had to do something because it was likely going to be the last time kiddo would see them for a long while. Jed' was done for the night, though, so I told Team BRS that I'd call them after we dropped Jed' off.
Also, we were listening to the Tangled soundtrack again.
About half an hour after the border we got to Jed's place. Helped him unload his stuff a little, asked him when he was gonna work next . . . normal stuff. Kiddo came around for a hug, also being that this was the last time she'd see Jed' for a while. Jed' then looked to me, I said to him, "this was a good trip . . ." and other stuff like that. And I even closed my eyes slowly as I said it to milk the moment and make it all cinematic and stuff . . .
. . . and then when I opened my eyes I saw Jed' had his fist up for me that whole time. Kiddo found it hilarious that I totally left that poor, sweet bastard hanging that whole time.
Oops.
Fist bump, back in the car, kiddo got her hysterical snorty-type laughs out of the way . . . and I got back in touch with Team BRS. They just decided they'd meet me at my apartment. Fair enough.
So it's probably about 10pm or so when we all get back to my home, where the air actually smelt quite clean for once (and not like bacon or other foodstuffs). The mess is still amazing and truth be told the others actually kinda wanted to start cleaning up right then and there. I said "ahh, we can do it later." They were impressed that I was willing to live another week in total squalor. Meh.
So we chilled for an hour or so, just talking about the con', about the Fantasy Fight Tournament and how the crowd despised the judges and that other team . . . haha, there was actually a guy a couple rows behind me at the event. The MC asked if we were enjoying ourselves or something, and this one dude shouts, "needs better judges!" Felt good, man. We also tried to find some quick pictures of us online, but that wasn't gonna happen that fast . . . still, I think we found a few things here or there.
Well, Manda of Team BRS had work in the morning, so we all deemed it time to go. Outside, kiddo (still in kigurumi, mind you) got some more solid hugs from "her babbies". It's funny, just thinking about how close we have all gotten these past few years. Kiddo just fit right in with everybody, and now I just can't imagine us without her.
Well done, white girl!
Ahhhhh . . . home stretch of the trip story . . . . . drove kiddo back to the UBC residences, helped her get her stuff in . . . I knew I was likely going to see her the next day or so since I still had to give her a couple things and she had to give me all her cool stuff that she wasn't going to bring back to Edmonton or Korea. Also, she had a bunch of my games. But that was all for another day.
One more big ol' hug.
"Good con'."
"Good con'."
Went back home. Slept. Enjoyed it immensely.
Here endeth the traveller, his tale!
