#/I lit made my whole cosplay because I wanted to try to make her horns | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

schuneko · 7 years

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The Awesomeness that is John Barrowman/ Motor City Comic Con.

Friday:

Having had to fight with staff and then deal with broken wheelchairs.

Fight is really, the wrong word. The Con staff was, actually, quite, friendly and accommodating. Save for this one issue…

I was at my end and I doubt my friend was feeling much better. My first photo op of the weekend, was at 5:15. The scooter we had secured, wouldn’t be there till Six. Already having had to forfeit any time for Autographs, I wasn’t about to miss it. So, Kale got me up and into a chair, with at least one foot rest, still intact. Every time we hit a bump, my leg slid off the rest, because of the brace. Finally, I held it as best I could with my good foot.

For what it’s worth, being disabled does give you a few perks. We were treated like VIP’s even though we only had regular passes. Having to sit and wait for things, also means you make friends with the staff and they remember you!

Remembering your p’s and q’s to a fault goes a long way with people as well!

They directed us to the front of the line. We were literally feet away, when JB came out with a bull horn. Giving out rules and instructions for his photo ops; like always. He looked over, recognition flashed and he grinned. Now I may be a fangirl, but I’ve been taught, this little thing called, common courtesy. I have respect and limits. I honestly think it’s why people like him, seem to go the extra mile around me. Having an ultra-rare and super depressing disability, never hurts either…

Or you know, I’m being a fanciful idiot, but I like living that dream.

Anyway, instead of calling out to him, I just smiled back and waited, while he went behind the curtain. Kale wheeled me in and Kelsey, John’s PA smiled and was like ‘hey I remember you!’

I’ll try to keep this as verbatim as I can, but everything happened very fast, considering and a lot is my interpretation etc. Nothing here is fiction, but still. (Also I think there is one actual swear word, so apologies n stuff.)

I gave them my ticket and I think this was the one where he was busy, while I was getting up. I remember being standing already when he recognized me again.

“Hey it’s you, how are you!” John enthused. Or you know, something to the extent of that. I don’t know if it was the stress of the day or what, but I was fully honest with him. Told him about the crazy long day, can’t remember what I said. I imagine I looked absolutely shattered. He grabbed my arm so I would have to ‘hobble’ closer. With a grin, he said, “Well you just need a big old hug then!”

I’m thinking, ‘oh dear sweet baby Jesus, yes!’ (That brace fricken hurts! I deserve a hug.) Not even waiting for the camera, he flings his arms around me and pulls me in. It was only a few seconds, but it was enough for me. Not ready to let go, he told me to look at said camera, I did and they snapped the pic. Still not letting go, he shifted me, keeping at least one arm around me and apologized to Kale for forgetting him. He seemed just fine with the fact, I was attached to his side like a limpet, the whole time.

I can only assume he’d heard me tell my friend to ‘get his arse in there’ (the picture). Kale had totally gone to bat for me that day and I’d felt he should be in the photo. During the hug, I’d sort of went la la and forgotten I’d said it. Apparently, John hadn’t. The first picture was on him and we’d take another. They only charged like 10.00 for the print of the first shot. It was basically like getting a free photo op!

I’d turned back, squeezed him harder in goodbye and told him we’d be at his table tomorrow. “Good.” John stated, in almost a, ‘you better be’ tone.

Internally I was combusting. Outwardly, I smiled as he walked me over to the wheelchair. Exclaiming the whole time, that he was happy to see me, especially in Cosplay. I was like, “Well yeah, just because I’m in a chair doesn’t mean I’m not going to do it.” He seemed to like that answer. When John was sure I was ok, he turned back to everyone else.

We tooled around Artist’s Alley till they called to say the Scooter would be there soon. That was pretty much the end of Friday.

Saturday:

Turns out the scooter, like everything else, was made for people with working or bendable legs. Not willing to spend another day waiting. I found a way to deal, even though it made wearing the brace, extra, uncomfortable. I had made JB a gift and ended up having to put it in a plastic bag, because the other one had ripped. Did make it slightly easier to carry though. In my haste to get to the line I’d forgotten to grab my money and my phone. Kale rushed over with one after the other, then went back to guard the scooter. Arms full, I passed his sister and promised to be back later. I looked up and saw Scott behind a plethora of Barrowman merchandise. Told him I might get something tomorrow when I had less to carry. My arms were starting to shake and I didn’t want to drop anything. He pointed to the CD’s and told me those were the only ones left. I said I was planning on ordering a shirt. Then I looked right at him and explained my ‘fixed’ income. He smiled and nodded in understanding. Next was Kelsey who smiled and said hi. She was taking the money, I looked from my money pouch, to my full arms, to her. Dropped it in front of her and said, “I trust you, can you get it?” She grinned and counted out the right amount then held it up and recounted to show me.

I nodded, smiled and took the pouch back. I shuffled forward and John looked up, eyes beaming. “Hey girl! You’re walking!?” He looked so incredulous and happy.

I hated to burst that bubble…

I told him about the scooter, my worsening depth perception, and the Anxiety. He nodded, almost sagely, then looked around.

“They didn’t make you stand in this line did they!?” John growled. He looked pissed and ready to go beat on some people. I assured him they hadn’t and he smiled again. Seriously starting to shake, I held out his gift. Needing to get it off my arm.

Remembering our conversation in Atlanta. I’d decided to make him A ‘Bad Day Kit’ he, really, liked the chocolate. Giving me this wide excited grin, when he uncovered it. I, honestly, don’t think he got many gifts at this Con.

Next, I set down the prints I had, intending to get them out. He took the package and proceeded to help. They were commissioned prints from Kale, I had gotten awhile back and they’d turned out amazing! I’d therefor, wanted to show him and he said they were beautiful. He signed two! (I’d only paid for one signature) I now had a free autograph and a free photo op! My hand was shaking, as I fought with my phone so we could take the selfie. John grabbed my cell, exclaiming at my home screen. (It’s set to the selfie from Atlanta.) “Aww this is a great picture!” He gushed.

Me: *Durrrr* ‘I love you.’

“Here I’ll show you an easy way.” (Talking about getting to picture mode.) He leaned into me, like he was sharing a secret.

“Ok.” I stated, kind of dazed after all he’d already done. Stepping closer, practically leaning on him, while he got it to work. He turned around for the selfie and I’d ended up on the wrong side. Told him, a little sheepishly, I needed to make a ‘three-point turn’ to successfully get turned around. When John told me to make the silly face I, actually, made the ‘blah’ sound to go with it. He seemed to like that.

“Where is your scooter parked?” He asked and I blinked, pointing and telling him where we left it. “Can you make it there?” John asked seriously.

Despite having started to shake again, I told him yes, but then my brain betrayed me and I mumbled. “I think so.”

“Stay here I’ll get it for you.”

Me: ‘Whaaaa’ “You don’t have to…”

John was gone and every phone in a 10 yard radius was out. I barely heard the beep, as he seamlessly backed it into the exit lane of the autograph line. I stepped closer, only to have him speed forward and proceed to do a few laps up and down the aisle. Screaming like a lunatic the entire time! The line behind me was cheering so loud, people in connecting booths were pulling curtains back to see what was going on.

I was trying not to cry.

I can’t remember his exact words, but John shouted something like, “I bet I’m giving you Anxiety now!” The line erupted and I doubled over. He backed into the lane again. Noticing my purse was his noh8 bag. “Here let me fix this for you! So, you can all see me!” John crowed, moving the bag so it faced out.

I’m just watching in awe, as it’s been like 5 minutes already!

He gets up and motions me forward. Watching to make sure I get seated ok and Kale lifts my foot as I had to step in wrong. After overseeing that process. John sees the prints, taking them first, to make sure the signatures are dry. He hands them over and points. (Bad depth perception does not equal blind John. I’m not there…yet…) I tell him I have other photo ops; he’ll see me again.

“Of course I will.” John smiles and I, really, have no clue how I keep it together long enough to leave the line and get to a place we can stop for a moment. Finally, I can stop and think. I, really, begin to shake and I start to cry.

I, really, don’t know how Anything will ever top that!

I reign it in and it’s off to John’s panel, where we get front row! (See disability perks.) Turns out, its Kelsey’s birthday. We sing and then he brings in a cake. He asks us to raise our hands if we want a piece. I think, ‘what the hell’ and raise my hand. Scott is one of the people bringing out the cut cake. He smiles and heads for me. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a fork, so I ate what I could without one and had to throw out the rest. I never got to ask my question, but decided asking it the next day would be fine. All in all, it was still a really great panel.

My first photo op was a duo with John and Billie. For whatever reason, they never printed the right ticket. We were pulled off to the side while they fixed the problem. Finally, they directed us back inside the ‘booth’. John lit up and came over to help, grabbing my arm as I held his hand. There was a moment where everything just switched off and my muscles all locked.

“Nope.” I exclaimed, luckily I was still over enough of the chair to fall onto it. I shook my head a bit, apologized and got back up.

“Stop saying sorry, you’re fine.” John huffed and Billie came over as I explained my idea. She seemed to, really, like it. “Ok, do your three-point turn!” He stated, holding my hand, arm on my back as I awkwardly shuffled around. You’d think I’d be mortified and yet I couldn’t stop smiling, as Billie kept telling me I was doing a good job.

I love every one of my photo ops, but this is definitely, a favorite.

“I’m coming right back; you’ll see me in a minute!” I laughed as I headed out. He shook his head and said something to the extent of, ‘Ok, good.’

About 20 minutes later we were ‘rolling’ back into the booth. He was right there, helping me forward. “Girl you are just a glutton for punishment!” John joked as he wrapped his arm around me.

Very tactile, this one. (No complaints here!)

“I have another photo tomorrow so…” I think I managed to look proud and sheepish at the same time.

“Of course you do.”

He never made me feel like a weirdo for it. I never got that vibe from him. It was always a ‘you better’ sort of tone, rather than a, ‘seriously? More?’ one.

Voice shaking for some reason, I explained my idea and we took the photo. *insert more JB hugs here*

More tooling around the ally and thus ends Saturday.

Sunday:

Met Billie and she remembered me from the Photo Op. Asked so many questions about KTS and S/PWS that her PA had to step in. She is a real sweetheart! Even walked over, so I didn’t have to get out of the cart.

Next, it was off to the last Photo Op with John. He smiled and rushed over, I was trying to get out the guns. Without thinking I just handed them off to him and started working on getting up.

“These are so cool and I see the vortex manipulator, awesome!” John gushed. “Ok, what did you want to do sweetie?” He asks.

“Um, I was thinking hugging, but guns aiming out.”

“Perfect!”

“I need to be standing this way.” I said, wanting/needing the good arm to aim.

“Yes, right.” John replies, stepping up so he’s pretty much ‘plastered’ to my back.

Me: ‘Brain shorts out’

He wraps an arm around my bad shoulder, about to aim with the other. Somehow, I’m with it enough to reach out. He’s kept the Webly and given me the Enforcer. (What I call the larger of the Angel Makers.) John’s free hand, wraps over my arm and presses down, directing my aim.

I remember James Marsters telling me the same things, last year, but we posed back to back, he never had a reason to hold my arm.

Anyway, if you’ve ever seen Torchwood and the weapons training between Jack and Gwen...

It took me till Monday to, really, realize, I’d just gotten the equivalent of a weapons training session, with Captain Jack Harkness!!

I’m, fully, aware he’s known for grabbing body parts and people grabbing his; but that is just… …Advdhdtykugjfasrdhdn!!!! *Squees so hard it’s not funny…*

After, he’s still looking at the Webly. Aiming it, like a kid playing guns. “You want to keep it, don’t you?” I snicker.

“I dunno, you’re pretty protective of these.” John laughs, as he walks me over to the scooter.

“They’re my babies! I worked ‘very’ hard on them!”

I feel hyper and drunk, am I drunk? Come to think of it, I’ve been pretty much in some sort of daze around him from Friday on. Kale has offered him a gun again, noticing his interest.

“Are you kidding!? She’s looking at me like ‘you better give me the fucking gun back!’.” John grinned, glancing at me as he said it. I grinned at him as we were led out, looking back as. “I’ll see you in a minute.”

Carol, had ended up moving tables to the beginning of John’s so her booth was free for me to ‘pull’ in and wait. It was there, that my brain reconnected and I looked at Kale. *Giggle* “He just said he’d see me in a minute.” *giggle*

Kale looked at me, nodded wisely and said. “He’s a smart man, he knows.”

Again, it felt like he wanted to see me, not like my, continued presence was annoying. It doesn’t feel like an act either. It’s like he knows how important his interactions with me are. To me at least.

The Anxiety and Depression, are great at reminding me, I’m most likely being a sentimental twat. Then I remember every unprompted thing he’s said or done. I remember I, really, don’t care. It makes me happy and it’s not hurting anyone.

He makes it back to the table. Line filled, as always. I’m down to my last $20 for the weekend and I decide to get Carol’s autograph. Turns out Kelsey and Kale had talked about Carol loving cats and, really, liking my cat ears. So, I showed Carol a pic of my fur babies and she said they were very cute. Scott and Kelsey were together. I admitted to having found Torchwood radio plays and not having money for another autograph. She smiled, “Saying goodbye then?”

I nodded and smiled back. John had been crouched down, talking to a kid. Looking at Kelsey first before seeing me. She told him I was here to say goodbye. He started to say goodbye to me in every language he knew, his arms open wide. I shuffled forward and flung my arms around him. Turning my head, because I always feel like I’m stabbing him in the chest with my nose. We end the hug and he exclaims that I dropped something. I look down and it’s his pen. He bends down to get it and my bad hand ends up brushing over his spikey hair. Then he asks about the scooter. Part of me hopes for a repeat of yesterday. It’s not to be as it turns out Kale is bringing it over, but the lane is to small. I know now, a repeat would have made Saturday less special.

Blinking, I remember the question. I ask if I can ask him. I promise to make it fast.

Maybe he remembers me not getting to ask yesterday. (Good lord, do I, really, make that big of an impression on this guy?)

He grins, “Of course you can.”

So, I ask and he answers, while he moves the poles so Kale can get the cart in. I’m oblivious, as he is ignoring everything about introverts and personal space. (I honestly couldn’t care less.)

I remember I have a dollar to give him. (Watch the panel, it will make better sense.) My very last, every other is in change. He takes it and I tell him it’s my last one. He gasps and pushes it back into my hand.

“I can’t take that!”

I tell him, I have other money. It’s just the last for the Con. He’s holding my hand, squeezing it around the dollar.

“You have to keep it, it’s unlucky for me to take it.” John says seriously.

“Ok.” He’s turning away and it’s like he knows I’m still there. “Thank you for my Bad Day Kit, I’ll see you next time!” John throws back.

I’m grinning like an idiot as I drive away.

Fin.

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