S.E. Nordwall's Photo Gallery from Otakon and the East Coast, July-August 2004
Hello there! This is S.E. Nordwall, aka "Lady Shadowcat", "Shadowcat", "Shads," and "Shadsie." Here is a photographic chronicle of my trip to Otakon and to other places around the
East Coast of America. R.A. Stott, aka "ArkNorth" paid for the trip, as he wanted to finally
meet me in person. He is the sweetest man in the universe. *Blows kiss.*
Anyhow, I shall try to chronicle my entire trip from beginning to end on this and on linked pages for your
browsing and enjoyment.
I begin my journey. This is the mural at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, Arizona. I prepare to leave the
desert for a land that's green.
Boarding the plane, a U.S. Airways flight. For those of you who've never flown before,
here you can get a glimpse of what small, cramped, flimsy tin-cans airplanes are. It takes a while for people to get seated.
I took a picture of myself in my seat on the plane.
"Portrait of Impatience." This is the plane after landing in Philidelphia.
We took a while to get to a gate. Everyone is impaitent after the 4+ hour flight
and wants off.
I am not drunk. I look drunk. This was taken by the old man who sat in the seat next to me
as I was waiting to get off the plane at Philly. I'm holding my Halo Mold for the Hikari costume I wore at Otakon.
Hikari is a character in the anime "Haibane Renmei," and gives the main character (Rakka) her halo via this large, donut-maker looking thing.
I made this Halo Mold out of simple materials so that I could have a cute prop to go with my costume - to be recognized by fellow fans of the anime.
I got a lot of questions from airport security and other people at the airport about it.
After I got off the plane, there was a lot of confusion as to my being met by my Robert (ArkNorth).
The plane pulled into the wrong gate. -_-. I had to borrow change to make several phone calls. Robert
wasn't answerng his phone... I called twice on the local airport phone to page him to meet me at
the baggage claim for the gate I got off on - stupid people sent him to a gate on the FAR SIDE of the airport,
so I had to page him again. I waited forever, but, finally, he showed up, and I got my baggage. Shew! Airports are obnoxious.
The service people there don't really seem to want to help people. I wanted to smack this one
snotty airport help lady upside the head for the tone she talked to me in. She treated me like a total idiot. I was confused and alone,
but did she care? No! Like I said, I LOOOOOOOOVE the airport. -_-. Blah.
MIDNIGHT on the Philidelphia expressway. When Robert drove me to his home, we got caught in a traffic jam. Fun!
This is Robert in front of the famous Geno's Steaks. This place is a national landmark. I've seen it
on the Food Network. This place, and the place across the street, Pat's Steaks, both claim to be the
places where the Philly Cheeseteak was born. We had to eat at one of the resturants. I had to have
an authentic Philly Cheesesteak in Philly!
MEAT! Here is Robert in one of his more dignified moments - eating a Philly Cheesesteak. Oh, the cheesesteak I had
was gooooooooood! I don't think I'll EVER become a vegitarian as long as that taste exists! It did give me awful heartburn later, though.
I guess no good thing comes without a price.
This is Robert's backyard, sort of. Well, this is the land just beyond his little house
in southeastern Pennsylvania. I, being from the Arizona desert, was amazed by all the green. By the way,
before we set off to his nephew, Matt's (Slagpit), we kissed. ^_^. It's sad to say that I got my first kiss
at the age of 25, but, hey, I was just waiting for someone to be worth it.
Robert's front yard and house. The night I arrived after driving home from the airport,
there were deer in the yard. It's a nice little house, isn't it? I liked it.
From here on out, the pictures are going to be kind of random. I don't remember exactly which pictures
I took the first, second, and third days at Otakon. I appreciate cosplay, so I took a lot of cosplay pictures, and
I don't remember things by the days I took them.
From here, we drove down to Balitmore, Maryland. We stayed at Matt's grandmother's place. She was a
super-nice lady. I got my own room, which was... palatial. It was like a nice, southern parlor - well, it was a southern style bedroom -
the house had a parlor, too. It was better than any hotel I've ever stayed in.
I think this was the first picture I took at Otakon that turned out well. It's Gandalf and Pippin from
"The Lord of the Rings!" Sure, they're not anime, but they're still darn fun. Pippin danced for the crowds. They appeared
later in the Masquarade, in which they were visited by Captain Jack Sparrow somehow getting lost in the caverns of Moria, then
by the people from "Stargate," who had their gate accidently set to take them to Middle Earth. Fun, fun, fun!
A very lovely Witch Hunter Robin, from "Witch Hunter Robin." There were quite a few Robins at the con.
A group of Nicholas D. Wolfwood's from "Trigun." Everyone's favorite terrorist-priest, in multiple!
There was a "Rabbi Wolfwood" there, too, but I didn't get a picture of him, unfortunately. ArkNorth did, I believe.
That guy was in the Masquarade. He was hilarious. These guys were cool, too, though.
Midvalley the Hornfreak from "Trigun." Look at his little saxaphone! Cute!
Sadly, this was the only Midvalley I saw there.
A random Vash the Stampede cosplayer.
Vash hugging a giant Kuroneko (Black Cat) at a "Trigun" cosplayer photoshoot.
Dominique the Cyclops of "Trigun," being molested by a scary Kuroneko-girl.
Alucard the vampire and Walter C. Dornez of the anime and manga, "Hellsing." This guy was such a great
"living corpse" Alucard - he even had fangs and red eyes! It's cool when people go out of their way like that -
getting contacts.
At the con on the first day, I cosplayed Hikari from my favorite anime, "Haibane Renmei."
I didn't see very many fellow Haibane there, so, when I did see fellow Haibane, I attacked them!
I found Rakka! So, here I am, as Hikari, with my Halo Mold, and Rakka, with her halo and the special halo-holder she had in the first two episodes firmly affixed upon her head,
holding my Haibane Renmei notebook. My halo didn't stay on my head well - the only way to keep it on was to have it smack down on
my head. At least it lit up.
I found another Haibane in the Dealer's Room! And my favorite character of Haibane Renmei at that!
I found Reki! Here I am, as Hikari, posing with my good friend from Old Home, Reki.
