My Comic Con Morning Ritual

My Comic Con Morning Ritual or “The Way of the Con”

By: DC Rushton, AKA: “The Priest of Tao”

The assassin in my arms with parted full lips, wanting of mine, fade back to the domain of dreams. I awaken. No alarm needed this day. For it is MINE! The opening day of the San Diego Comic Con! Four and a half hours, solid sleep, is more than enough. ACTIVATE! Stumble to the kitchen coffee pot and punch the button. Continue the stumble to the computer. (I hate this part) Try to get in the password. Got it! Hit the DVD/CD player mode. Got it! CD pre-loaded. Why am I going through all of this with blurred morning eyes you ask? One word from anime is the answer. “SLAYERS”! The music and voice of Megumi Hayashibara, or “LINA INVERSE” is why!

Anime music too loud hits. The burred, morning, crossed eye vision clears! Cold hard “ANTI-REALITY” slowly begins to burn deep in the center of this cosplayer, science fiction writer’s physical being! I am suddenly standing, dress in my full, “Priest of Tao”, Cosplay Costume. A vision appears out of the corner of my eye. I look over. Lina Inverce herself, in human form herself stands there, with fists on hips. She smiles at me. I hear her say: “This is YOUR DAY!” A deep, long, laugh comes my other side. “Are you ready for YOUR DAY?”, Naga, the Feathered Serpent asks with her triple “D-CHEST” bouncing as I look over to her. My special verse I created for this day, and the voice of Megumi/Lina sings the opening song from Slayers Special: “Kagirinai Yo Kubou No Naka Ni”. (check it out on U-tube and FEEL the POWER)

"I……don’t believe what I’ve become. This is my day, for this is Comic Con……!"

GRAB A CUP AND HIT THE SHOWER!

Pre-shaved, shampooed from the night before, we are out fast, drying and singing as the last song playing. Mega doses of coffee are downed. Where the morning pipe? Got! Fight to apply with eyebrow pencil my Japanese eye brows. (I’ll find some helpful lady cosplayers to check them when I get there) A very special song of an anime series, comes to my ears. “Now and then, here and there”.

Frozen in place with a coffee cup to my lips, I time travel back to the Con of 2008. My personality, and the costume, won me the eye, and favor of a 38 year old cosplayer lady from Canada, by the name of “Kate“.(I was 54 years old that year) She invited me to her company’s “After Con Party“. AND, to her invitation of a, “Comic Con One Night Stand”! (I have so much to thank the Comic Con, and Canada for!) That night about 11:00 pm, I saw in the program schedule, that the series was to be showed in one of the “Anime Screening” rooms. “I LOVE THAT OPENING SONG TO THAT SERIES!“, she said with a woman’s smile. “Makes me want to dance with a lady”, I said smiling back. “Let us catch it my assassin!” We did. (we dance in the back of the screening room to that theme song.) NO ONE CARED! “For that is the way of the Con“. I must of made as much of a impression on her as she did on me.

By her “Professional Connections”, she got a “Guest” badge. Kate spent her big “40th” birthday here with me for last year’s 2010 Con. Five nights and four days of Comic Con loving… (oh so that’s where that dream came from!)

Kimono, I call! I dressed to the half way point in my “Priest of Tao” character costume I created. I call out the order: “GEAR UP!” (you can take the man out of the military, but not the military out of the man!) Check list is double check! Always on first day! The Slayers old song “Midnight Blue” begins to play. The chorus written by me from my heart and soul, comes to my lips:

“Oh darkness, oh rain, tell me now. Oh waves, oh shadows, answer me now…….Oh this, I ask, “What is my DESTINY?”

Gear check complete and I am at maximum charge. Last half of the costume dressing to be done. Top jacket is designed with internal stiffeners and front tie, makes for easy slip on, and cooled by the slightest movement or a outside breeze. Japanese hat, with the Taoist “Ying and Yang” symbol emblazed on the front, on and rigged to lock in place when indoors. “LOCK!” Accessories loaded! A properly dressed, “Japanese Taoist Priest”, would NEVER, be seen without his FAN! (something’s are simply, NOT done in Japanese society!“ Guzzle down the last half of the morning cup, and a last piss.

One last gear check: Badge, walking staff, hat, FAN, fanny pack/wallet on, and final adjustments. Conventioneer’s rolling bag is kicked to the door. Done! With keys in hand I make my final security check for leaving the apartment. I walk by the lap top and hit the last song. The full length mirror in the hallway calls my eyes. A living Anime Character stands there. I begin to sing from my soul. It come forth from me as if it were a “Warrior’s” battle song. Of course it is of anime! From the “Transformers Movie“. The first song:

"YOU GOT THE TOUCH! YOU GOT THE POWER………..!"

“Dragon!”, I order opening the blinds of the bedroom window. There before my window in it’s assigned parking space is my 2006 Red Toyota Tacoma Truck. “The Red Toy Dragon”, as “SHE”, is so named. Her viper alarm chirps in answer. “My Master!”, she say to me and kneels. (did she just speak to me and kneel?) “This is MY DAY, MY TIME, THIS IS MY COMIC CON!” “I shall, my lord, with honor, be PROUD to take thee to the trolley, and wait.” she answers.

And with that, I march out the door, head held high, and REALITY BE DAMN!

For you see this is, “The Way of The Con!”

DC. Rushton, AKA: “The Priest of Tao’