Sunday, November 21, 2010

London Expo

Since you haven't seen me around these parts in a while, I guess you probably didn't know that I went to London Expo over Halloween weekend. Well, now you know. And you can continue reading to find out all about my wonderful adventures into geekdom across the pond.

Friday-
Friday started out not quite so bright and oh-so-painfully early with a 5:15am alarm to get my lazy ass out of bed. Last minute packing was done, and I trudged out into the wind and rain to make a 6:15am train to London. For those of you who are curious, 6:00 am looks a lot like midnight. I got on the train okay, and proceeded to pass in and out of consciousness for a little over 3 hours to get to London.
Once I got to to Euston station, I had a couple of trips on the Tube to do to get to the Liverpool street station to then catch the train that stops at every station in creation between London and Shenfield. The tube was the part I was worried about, because I'm not familiar with public transport or London, or just life in general. But I got through okay, got to Shenfield, and met Cerys (Or Twin, has she shall be known from here on) without too much fuss.
Once we got to Twin's house, there was some last minute packing on her part and general getting ready until her friend Hollie came with her grandpa and her grandpa's cab. Until I had gotten to Twin's I had no idea we were actually driving to Expo. In a legitimate London cab. Fuck. Yes. The ride was uneventful, only midly annoyed by Hollie (What? I get annoyed by new people pretty quickly, and I was really tired. Sue me.), and soon we were at the Novotel, our home for the next two nights.
Major kudos and love to Twin. She knows how to pick a hotel. We were right next to the Expo center, it was clean, and our room had enough room for the 3 people who were staying there. Only iffy thing was the fact that there was no lock on the bathroom or the toilet. Granted, the room is made for two people, but still...
After we dumped our stuff in the room, it was time to go get Twin's friend from last Expo who was staying in the room with us. So we hopped on the DLR, then the Tube, until we got to Victoria station. After a little snafu where Twin's phone wouldn't work and we couldn't get a hold of her friend, Twin finally spotted him. I was kind of nervous. I was really worried that he wouldn't like me, he'd be really annoying, or that he'd bring drama into the room. Looking back, it's really hilarious that I had these worries because Mätti is one of the nicest people I have ever met. We didn't have a problem the whole weekend and holy balls is that guy funny. He's fast becoming one of my close friends. You should see the late-night antics we get up to on MSN. BUT ENOUGH SAPPINESS! I was talking about Expo.
Right, collected Mätti, hopped back on the tube, and made it back to Expo. We then went up to the room so Cerys and Mätti could get changed into costume and we could go wander about. Expo's a bit different to conventions I've been to in the U.S., where the Friday is only open to people who bought full weekend passes, and it's not technically one of the Expo days. For me, conventions have always been 3 day weekends where everything is in full swing by 1pm on Friday. Even when the convention wasn't in full swing, there were still plenty of people wandering about in costume. And also shouting dead and gone memes and holding free hugs signs. Ugh. I was hoping to escape the weeaboo-ness over here. In fact, it seemed to be worse here the U.K... Hmm...
Costumes were put on, and out into the thick of it we went! Twin looked gorgeous in her Courtesan outfit from Assassin's Creed II, and Mätti look awesome as Link from the Legend of Zelda ( I think it was the Minish Cap? Or maybe Wind Waker... I'm sure he'll correct me if I get this wrong.). I didn't feel like being Canada quite yet, so I simply tagged along with my camera and my TARDIS bag to carry everyone's things. We met Hollie's group again when we got outside (or did we go to their room? I don't know anymore...) and that's when the drama started...
I just have to say, I hate drama when it happens outside of the internet. It's really hilarious to watch DA journals and deviations spin out of control or  threads just devolve into stupidity. But I do not want to deal with it/watch it/experience it outside of a computer. And you know what? The people involved in this drama are just so stupid that I don't even want to type it all out. So there. All you really need to know is that it was drama and stupid and people need to grow the fuck up and tell each other what they feel and listen and not ruin everyone else's fun times.
But anyways, drama started happening. I started getting annoyed because, well, I'm kind of selfish in the fact that I wanted to spend time with Cerys outside of this ginormous group. I was really uncomfortable, I didn't know anyone really well, and I was in an unfamiliar place. Cue the "Of course everything's fine! You can't tell but I am so scared and annoyed on the inside I want to punch a baby" attitude. It's the one that got me through sea-level traversing and a Tyrolean traverse without a major freak-out. And it was how I was dealing with this group of people I didn't know.
And I did try to talk to people and get to know them and be really comfortable. I really did. But everyone but Twin and Mätti were really loud and that just puts me off. And I did attempt conversation with Mätti at that point if I remember correctly. But we were still in the iffy "We've known each other 2 hours stage" and it was just... Blah.
I don't remember how it happened, but Twin, Mätti, and I ended up on our own again and it was like BAM! Instantly better! Now that I think about it, I fairly sure that they wanted to go change into their other outfits so we flounced away. We were just walking along, Twin graciously trying to keep both me and Mätti in a conversation because I'm so painfully shy sometimes I just don't talk. Ever. But then I think Mätti made a comment about a shitty cosplay and I responded with something witty and it was like my attitude about the whole weekend changed and I was like: "Fuck yeah, this'll be the best weekend ever."
So, flounced back to room, changed (I ended up putting on Canada and Mätti borrowed my derpy Gilbird since he left his at home), and we flounced back down to walk around some more. We met back up with Hollie's gaggle of people. I was now fortified against them because I felt I had another ally against the craziness in Mätti. Drama continued throughout our time together with this group. It followed us to the convenience store, back up to their room and throughout ordering pizza. Speaking of pizza, someone didn't pay and I put like 15 quid in there and got paid back by the person I paid for but still... (At least I think that's how much I put in. When I write blogs I am apparently awful with details.) Those fuckers... I bet it was Smelly or 'Stache or both of them. The drama cows. I ended up taking over the money for Twin because no one was helping her and wouldn't listen and just sat there playing their games systems and being dumb titfaces. Mätti and I helped Twin salvage dinner and we got the best fucking Dominoes I had ever had. I think only eating a breakfast roll the whole day had something to do with it...
The drama group proceeded to then fuck about when we tried to go back outside. Took them forever to get their asses in gear, and then they ditched us twice. Not fucking cool. Not cool at all. So the three of us in the awesome room went back and settled down for the night, after Mätti declared his pull-out bed had a "tramp blanket" (erm, hobo blanket for anyone from the States. Not a whore blanket.) and that he was going to make his sheet into a toga in the morning. Then we slept.

Saturday-
Saturday dawned bright and early for us. We meant to wake up at about 8:30 I think and didn't start moving about until 9:30. We all got into our costumes after a general flail about. (3 cosplayers or more in a room and there will suddenly be a shortage of space to walk and put on costumes.) I went OCD with an iron on Mätti's costumes, Twin burned herself with a curler, and Matti talked about how his face looked orange after doing his makeup in the promised toga. Oh god how I love being friends with cosplayers. The shit we do makes me giggle. We were almost out the door, we were so damn close, when Hollie dropped in for Cerys to do her makeup and to get help with her friend's wig. I went a little "THIS HAIR WILL OBEY ME!" on the wig, causing us to be a little later to the con. Oops.
You're probably wondering what we were doing rushing about like chickens with their heads cut off. Well, we were worried about lines for wristbands. Expo is huge and we didn't want to wait in line all day. Luckily, the weekend pass line was easy-peasy-lemon-squeesy and we got out of there in no time. Seriously. After waiting up to 2 hours in a line at Anime Iowa I was kind of floored by how quickly they can process people. With our shiny new badges we went straight to the dealer's hall and derped about. Mätti and Cerys found the Assassin's Creed booth and flailed about. I got a Canada from Hetalia coin purse. We found cute things, saw scary cosplayers, and derped about. Sometime before lunch we went back to the room and Twin changed into her amaaaaaaazing Mr. Stripy Pants outfit. For serial, it was kind of intimidating to hang out with those two all weekend because their cosplays are awesome. Anyways, the nerdiness had us famished, so we grabbed some yummy chinese/japanese/mongolian food. I don't know what exactly it was, but it was delicious and there were noodles.
During lunch Mätti got assaulted by a frying pan. I am not fucking shitting you. A failtacular Hungary cosplayer came up and whacked him on the head out of no where. We all just kind of sat there, stunned. I could go on and on about the failure of Hetalia cosplayers, but I have that rant all typed up and ready for a different post.
So the majority of the day was simply spent hopping in and out of costume, being catty bitches and elitist cunts, and having the best time ever. There was a mild snafu with ordering supper for everyone and the drama was getting worse, but the drama-llama room smelled awful because of Smelly and his not-wearing deoderant or showering. So the awesome trio camped out in our room and laughed and derped until Hollie came down in tears. Well fuck. We were sitting there, trying to get her sorted out and all of a sudden Twin shoots out of there like a bat out of hell. We sat there staring at each other like 'tards for a couple minutes and then Mätti and I had a mutual "OH! FUCK!" moment and chased after her. So it was up to the drama room, where we found Cerys scolding the drama llamas like the children they were. Hollie tore up the hallway in tears again. I went after her. I don't know why. I'm not good with people I barely know, but I have this incessant need to try and fix broken people, even when I can't stand the arguing and the behind closed doors drama. It was like when my parents split. There was a lot of arguing behind closed doors, when they thought we were asleep, etc. And then the "It's fine, go away." responses I got from them. Eugh. Can't deal.
Got Hollie calmed down, chatted with the cosplayers who lived next door about the drama, had a generally awkward time. Eventually had Hollie and the Smelly one sit down to sort shit out and we went back to the room. We talked about a lot of things, but TL;DR the extra hour of sleep we were supposed to get got absorbed by drama. Eventually all non-residents of the room left. Twin fell asleep pretty early, but Mätti and I stayed up late talking about all sorts of things. It was a good time. Yay for insta-friends.

Sunday-
Sunday was our "lazy" day. We had to be out of the room by noon, so we dropped our bags in the drama llama room. We then derped about the convention in Hetalia for a bit, got pissed at more Hetalia people, and then went back so Twin could change into Stripy Pants. We wandered about the dealer's room and Twin and Mätti hung about and listened to the Assassin's Creed people talk and I bought souvenirs. There was a little snafu where Twin needed to be at a photoshoot and I got separated from her and Mätti. When I finally found them, they had met up with and Ezio and Leonardo and were standing in line. We didn't know what we were in line for at first, and then found out that we were waiting to meet Ezio's voice actor. I'm not a fan of Assassin's Creed (Haven't played the games, can only really identify the main characters, etc.) but I have a friend who's crazy about it and I wanted to get an autograph for her. Ezio's VA was super nice, joked around with us, and my friend got her autograph and the other two got pictures taken with him.
Sunday was a lot of fun and I didn't want it to end. But, all too soon I was standing on a platform with Cerys and Mätti as they waited with me for the DLR to take me to the Tube and then eventually back to Euston. I was trying really hard to not cry my eyes out. It sounds silly, but Expo was amazing, and it hit me that I don't know if I'll ever be able to come back. I had gotten so close to Cerys and Mätti and I didn't want to leave because who knew when we would see each other IRL again? I fly back to America in December and it feels like I'm going to the freaking moon. Soon enough the train pulled up, I got squished in with a bunch of Expo-ers and waved goodbye to two of the best people I know. Managed not to cry until I was at the next station. By that time the train was literally packed and no one really noticed the sniffling American who had tucked herself into a corner of the standing area.
The trip to Euston and then home was relatively uneventful, just a bunch of silly stuff happened in the station which isn't important. It didn't seem like it was long until I was stepping back onto a dark Bangor station platform and walking back to Ffriddoedd site.

So that was Expo. It was drama-filled, it was crazy, it was tiring, and I loved every fucking minute of it. Major thanks go out to my Twin, the loverly Cerys, for letting me come, putting up with me for 3 days of hilarity, staying on the phone with me so I didn't end up in the Thames, giving me food, and being an amazing friend in general. Her DA is here. And also a huge thank you is due for the hilarious Mätti, the BAMF, who contributed many lulz to my trip. His awesome art esta aqui. Go check 'em out.

And I have now written a waaaaaaaaaaaay too long blogpost.

Hwyl rwan,
Cynical Pie

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

You wanna see awesome?

Stormtrooper at Euston station. Taken by moi
THAT

That is freaking awesome.

-Cynical Pie

(This was supposed to be my Expo update, but I'm being awful and waiting until tomorrow when I can fully look back and ask people questions to get the whole thing right. Expect lots of drama.)