Morganton-Con Spring 2016!!!

                         Morganton-Con:
           The place where heroes go to play.

Seriously though, Morganton-Con was full of cosplayers and vendors. I think it was the strongest con front yet! (For them)
The heroes that I spotted were:
Deadpool (there was maybe 3 of them)
Spiderman
Captain America (Captain Attractive depending on who you ask)
Link (from Legends of Zelda. He is a hero, Epona too!)
Army "brats" (Military uniforms represent many real heroes)
Wolverine!!!
There were tons more cosplayers there but the single merchants hall was way to packed to get good pictures. I felt bad asking for pictures because there just wasn't room to pose.

I have always been a huge X-Men fan so I was ecstatic to see a Wolverine, his claws were craftsman divine.

Also, Link was very fun to talk to and it turns out that he works at a game store a town over... I might be going to Hickory more often.

Alright, Cosplay photos below. After that is merchants.

My camera and computer doing what they do best. Hating me and not functioning the way I want them to.

 

There are 2 different types of people. You got your hack saws and your Katana's.

 

(My rotten camera/computer doesn't want to flip the photos. Notice how I put Wolverine by the fluffy plushies?)

 

 

Just take all my money.

 

                                                           Yandere Love is always the sweetest.

That is a line. There was one for every booth.

                                                      
                                                      JACK, THE COOKIE KING!

All of those totes are filled with buttons that have different names and characters on them.

 

 

Amazing splatter art. It was just truly awesome.

Take my money now.  

 

The always beautiful art at Grells table (the owner dresses as Grell sometimes. Today she had a Sebastian with her... I must be honest, I didn't get a picture of him cause I was a little bashful and afraid to ask.)

    JEEP

<3

It was a true beauty.

            Da' lorian. Today it wasn't raining so it was opened up. He had the almanacs and the hover board. All the notable props from the movie basically :P 

 

Thats all from today! I wasn't feeling all that great today and got a little scared from first glance of the con room. The good news is I survived all day with ears and a tail! Next time I am just gonna be a low maintenance admin. Phew...


~Aki Ame Okami

Cosplay Struggle #1

Hey there,
There are a lot of cosplay struggles but the first one that I always think about is waiting.  Waiting for supplies, waiting for measurements, waiting for the convention and waiting for hot glue to dry (or you could be silly like me and poke it while its still super hot and basically have your entire hand be made out of hot glue burns).  
Currently the icey roads are keeping me inside so I cannot do any supplies runs. There is a little voice in my head screaming "Use what you have here! That brown headband you have is kinda like the black one you were getting and that hat totally wont fray and isn't too short!" I keep trying to ignore it.. That's how I ended up here :P
The con is this weekend and I was gonna get my costume reviews tomorrow but uh... that might not happen for obvious reasons. I also have to complete the concept for another character and finish ANYTHING she may need with basically 1 day with the model.
Not stressful at all....

Oh well, I am gonna go finish an anime or something... ;)

~Aki Ame Okami

We Hit 500 Views!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dear Reader,
Thank you to everyone who has read something on this blog!!!!
I don't know what we have written that has enticed, entertained or amused you but we will keep on writing, probably more than ever now :P

Small update on costumes for Morganton-Con this weekend: I made a tail and an ear last night, I still have to finish the other ear and make the rigging to keep the ear on, I also have to try something with his hair...

As always, Thanks for the read! :)

~Aki Ame Okami

Plans For Morganton-Con

Morganton-Con is next weekend!!! I got to thinking... last time I went as the rough Kiba Inuzuka and by rough I mean that was my cosplay in its basic stages. I have refined some of the key traits of Kiba since then and I was dying to wear him again however I plan to enter Kiba in Marion-cons cosplay contest in March so now I have a conflict of schedules.... My soulution?
(get it, soulution) Lets rock Soul!  Why not? He may be an OC but he has some devilish charms. It will also be some good publicity for my new blog soooo....

For all of you who wanted to see Kiba I am very sowwy :(
I promise to do something special for you in Kiba's next photo shoot...
Should he play fetch or beg for a treat?


~Aki Ame Okami

Conventions To Hit In 2016

So many cons but not enough time! Now these are all subject to change because I cannot guarantee things like health, weather or transportation. I really want to go to some big name cons this year and if anime has taught me anything it is to believe in the impossible. Hopefully these big name conventions will take kindly to me wanting to do a review of their events. I really want to write about all of them. (If you don't see a con on here its because I don't know about it so please let me know! )

CONVENTIONS!

February(20): Morganton-Con
STATUS: Going

March(5): Marion-Con
STATUS: Going

March(11-13): Triad Anime Convention
STATUS: Pending (Really want to go but it pretty close to my Birthday so I'm not sure what the plans are.... )

April(30): Hickory-Con
STATUS: Going

May(27-29): Animazement
STATUS: Pending. Anyone want an arm and a leg for a weekend pass? (Really want to go to at least the Naruto photoshoot on Friday, would love to go to the entire thing but that's pretty pricey knowing I might not make all 3 days. I also might want to meet Fordy Cosplay just a little too much :P )


June(11-12): Magmacon
STATUS: Pending (Gonna try to go. Its a gaming convention and I love my games!)

June(17-19): Heroescon
STATUS: Pending (Lets see how Magma turns out)

July(15-17) Hoshicon
STATUS: Possible

July(30): AARC
STATUS: Pending (I'm working on it....)

November(11-13) NC Comicon
STATUS: Possible

December(2-4) YAMACON!!!!!!!!
STATUS: NO FORCE OF NATURE COULD KEEP ME AWAY!!!!!!!!!!

December(29-Jan1) Ichibancon
STATUS: Willing to sell soul for weekend pass.

Soul Thief: Souls Story (Part 2) **Used with Permission**

Soul Thief Part 2
When we last looked in on our little demon he was passing out to the sound of a demons cackle.

I come to but I am in a bit of a haze. I open my eyes and everything is a little fuzzy, I see people in white jumpsuits everywhere. I hear them talking and running back and forth but I feel like I have my head in a fish bowl. I try to move a little and realize my head is throbbing. Instantly I become nauseous and have to lay back down. The figures around me notice my movement and everything goes still. While its all quiet my head clears a little and I hear a few solid words.
"Get the cops! The boy is alive!" I ponder these words not really able to process what's going on until a person yanks me up by the collar of my shirt and puts some handcuffs on me. The sudden movement makes me throw up all over myself. I am disgusted, exhausted and confused. I black out once more.


                             The world as I knew it was over.

I wake up to the sound of beeping. Its a slow high pitched beeping, I open my eyes to find myself in a hospital room. Instantly I panic and try to sit up. The amount of force I use to pull myself up is thrown back at me, I am strapped to the bed and can't move.
"Nu.. Nurse?" I barely ask. My throat is incredibly dry. Somehow a nurse must have heard me because one comes into my room a moment later. She doesn't look up at me and just checks the machine. I hate being ignored.
"Nu.. Nurse?!" I ask, my voice feeling a little stronger. She jumps and backs herself into the wall. She stares at me wide eyed then runs from the room in a panic. That was odd. I twist my head to get a better look around the room. The window is really small and everything is white.. This doesn't look like a hospital... Just then someone comes into my room. A male doctor and a man in a police uniform.
"Now Coal, I am going to undo one of your restraints so you can sit up and talk to the officer. Don't try anything too active yet." The doctor says with a hint of warning in his voice. I nod my head and watch him undo the straps. I feel a sense of freedom after he lets me sit up. The officer sits in a chair beside my bed and the doctor stands at the end of my bed. No one is talking. What the heck, here goes.
"Where am I?" I ask. I might as well always be the ice breaker. The doctor glances towards the officer and the officer nods.
"Well you see, this is a mental institution. You have been unconscious for about a week but you were deemed too dangerous to be kept in a hospital after.. certain circumstances." The doctor says with an ominous tone. I process this information slowly...
"What 'circumstances'?" I ask. Though it is probably the wrong question. I should be asking why he knows my name. Suddenly a horrible noise rings in my ears, the noise from that monster laughing. That entire night floods back into my memory and it clicks. The doctor opens his mouth to answer my previous question but I interrupt him.
"Wait, this doesn't have anything to do with my family does it?" I can't resist asking. The officer takes out a pen a writes on a little note pad. The doctor drops all of his fake bedside manor.
"Yes. In fact, it has everything to do with that. I am not the one who is going to ask questions about that though. While you are here and under my care I request that you behave yourself, anything less than polite and I will have you sent straight to jail. I am trying to be your friend Coal, don't make me be a bad guy." The doctor says in a serious tone. I can't help myself and I fail to stifle a laugh as he says the last part. The doctor slams his fist on the rail at the end of the bed.
"Coal! I am serious! You are in a lot of trouble here. What happens next is up to you." He says and then leaves the room shaking his head. 
"Alright. This isn't an interrogation, if you don't want to say something you don't have to. Do you understand?" The officer asks. I nod my head in response, Oh geez. What have I done to end up in here?
"My name is Ryan, do you mind if I call you Coal? Or would you prefer something more formal?" Ryan asks me. I consider this and decide its harmless to let him use my name.
"Coal is fine." I say. It sounds weird saying my name out loud. I have always hated it. 
"Ok good. Coal, what is the last thing you can recall from before this morning?" Ryan asks while opening a new page in his notebook. I stumble through my thoughts. How am I supposed to make that night sound plausible...
"I am going to be entirely honest with you because that's just how I work." I say, faking confidence.
"I remember getting into a fight at school. Some jerk got mad 'cause I got the better of him and started a fight. I won because brains over brawns am I right?" I say trying to lighten the mood a little. The officer arches an eyebrow at me. He doesn't think it's funny.
"I remember the long ride home. My mom wasn't very happy with me so I got an ear full all the way home. When we got home she brought something up that struck a nerve." I hesitate. I don't like to think about my Grandpappies funeral.
"So you killed her and your father?" Ryan asks in a flat voice.
I do the manly version of a gasp and then retake control of my emotions.
"No way! No flipping way! Are you telling me that they are dead? They really are dead? It wasn't just a horrible nightmare?" If my parents are dead that means that monsters actually exist. That means That monster exists.
"Slow down Coal. Are you saying that someone else murdered your parents?" Ryan asks me, clearly not believing a word of it.
"Well yeah, at least something did. He came in through my window that night. He came for my soul except I had something to offer him instead. I had my grandpappies watch, it was priceless. That schmuck from school stole it though. So instead I gave it a picture of my family.. He took me literally though. So he stole my family's souls." As I utter the last few words rage takes over, everyone is going to blame me for this. I can't control myself.
"I AM GOING TO KILL THAT SCHMUCK AND THAT BEAST TOO! " I yell despite my best interests. The cop jumps a little, surprised by my outburst.
"If that's how you are going to act the I am going to leave you here to rot. You are a monster that killed your family, I don't know why I even tried to get your side of the story." The officer says, not in the yell that I expected. He says it in a serious, quiet way. You know he means every word of it. That hurts me... How could he think I was a monster?.. Sure I am pretty sadistic and don't mind a ton of blood but that doesn't mean I want to steal souls and eat flesh! The more I think about it the angrier I get. I can't help but be furious, I am in the middle of a mental fit as the nurse walks in. Perfect. I remain calm as she checks my vitals and such.
"Alright young man, you have made an amazing recovery. To think that when they first found you they reported you as dead for a full 2 hours." She rambles as I lay there motionless. I display a look of helplessness. She glances at me then at the door. She leans in and whispers to me,
"I am going to undo these ridiculous straps for a little while. I don't think you are dangerous." She winks as she finishes her sentence. She hurries as she undoes the straps and I can't help but let a smile creep onto my face. Not a meek smile, a smile worthy of the devil.
She sits up and looks at me as I stretch my arms. Instantly she reeks of fear.
"What- What are you?" she asks in a terrified stupor. I laugh as I stand up. Slowly I walk towards her and before I realize what I am doing I have her pinned to the wall by her throat.
"I guess I am a monster after all. Now tell me, what do you have that contains some value?" I ask already knowing the answer that I seek. She digs her hands into her pockets and retrieves a cell phone, pack of cigarettes and a set of keys. Perfect. She starts to sputter so I loosen my grip just a smidge and I retrieve her items.
"Tell me, am I a monster or a human?" I whisper in her ear. 
"Human." She spits out at me. I lose the smile of pleasure. 
"Liar. We both know I am a beast!" I yell into her face. I dig my nails into her skin and the sounds of her screams fill my ears. I throw her to the other side of the room, she is nothing but a corpse to me now. As I head towards the door she presses the emergency button on the wall. Dang it. I turn and walk back over to her with a vicious smile on my face, she is going to die. She looks up at me with a defiant smile.
"You shouldn't have done that. Now they are all going to die." I say in a flat tone. She whimpers a little as she tries to back away. Her leg appears broken so she can't run. I grab her hair and start bashing her face into the wall until she leaves bloody marks. I laugh sadistically as I turn her over and rip her throat open, just incase she was still alive.  Blood pools around my feet in a familiar way. My head aches as I remember That night. The pool of blood, my parents and the monster. I remember the flesh in his teeth... I wonder what humans taste like... I raise the nurses arm up to my mouth. I am crazy. I take a bite out of her and let the blood fill my mouth. I have never tasted anything like this before, its hard to describe. The meat is chewy and the veins are stringy but the blood... It is iron-y... Irony. That's the perfect word for this situation. I never knew I was surrounded by such delicious beings. I turn and walk outside of my room which is now a bloody mess. I stride down the hall as I see guards running towards me. I twirl the keys and smile, this is going to be fun.

Clips from local news and journals.


"Bloody massacre at the mental institution: A patient under investigation for murdering his family got a hold of a set of keys and tore the place to pieces. 114 people confirmed dead, another 100 unidentified bodies.
In all 214 victims and they still don't have a lead except for one sentence written in blood.
"My name is Soul" What does it mean? Will the cops find the murderer? Will we live long enough for them to do so?" ~Aki, The Local PastaShop  

"I have never seen so many bodies or so much blood. Half of the task force had to leave within the first few minutes from stomach sickness. I tried to take pictures but was escorted off of the property. I will never know how something can kill so willingly. I am going to find this monster and I will bring justice to all of these people, with or without the police's help." ~Hanran, a local detective.  





                                                                                      The monster is born.

Anime For Singles!

Are you single this Valentines day? Me to! No plans? Same here!
So instead of going out and being surrounded by happy couples I have decided to compile a list of anime that can keep me company instead. So lets get started! :D

1.  Yahari Ore No Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru

This anime features a strong male lead and decent female support characters, though they are arguably main characters as well. It is a romantic comedy that is sure to make you smile and scratch your head at the same time! (good for male or female viewers)

     2.  Ouran Highschool Host Club

Now I know I write about this anime a lot but that is because it almost always can cheer you up or give something to help you with a life problem. This is also a romantic comedy, though mostly false romance and more comedy. Watch this and fantasize about which host you want to be yours! (Mostly for female viewers, I think)

   3.  Silver Spoon

This is mostly a comedy about an agricultural highschool in Japan. The main character isn't from a farm and doesn't have a life goal but everyone else does! Now he has to figure out his life and get use to the dusk till dawn life style of a farmer. Not to mention his friends like to get him in trouble.... (Good for male and female viewers)

  4. The Devil is a Part-Timer!

This anime is something else... Its not like all of the other supernatural shows. This is a comedy where you watch King Satan, Ruler of all that is evil! try to manage a McRonalds fast food restaurant. He eventually has some trouble with the neighboring Sentucky fried chicken, what will Satan do? (Good for male and female viewers)

  5.  Avatar The Last Airbender

I know, I know. "That's not anime!" Well guess what! Its animated, its fun to watch and tackles life problems and its on the list! Watch the avatar, master of all elements, get shot down repeatedly by the girl of his dreams. There is so much more going on than just the failed romantic wishes though. There is war, sarcasm (Lots and lots of sarcasm), strategy, comedy, sadness and so many feels!
(Good for male and female viewers)

   6. Black Cat 

This boarders on the mystery/comedy genre mix. (Rare, am I right?) The main character has a lot of character development in just a few short episodes and you instantly fall in love with this chivalrous rag tag group of friends. I cannot give any other description or I will spoil everything. (Good for male and female viewers) 

  There you go! 6 companions for the month of singles! I will probably post more in the future however for right now I think its best to stop otherwise I might get bitter and become very, very sarcastic. ^_^

~Aki Ame Okami   

...Uh So That Happened

Hey,

So remember when I wrote about Hickory-Con last year? You do! Thanks :)
Anyways, One of the last pictures we took from the con was of the "Army Brat" and "Knight in Shining Army".... Well its a small world. Heiwa and I ended up in the same dance class with one of them! I don't think he knows that just yet.... Hopefully we make it through the class with out him finding out. I might die of embarrassment.

~Aki Ame Okami