{"id":89,"date":"2017-05-04T17:08:29","date_gmt":"2017-05-04T17:08:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-teaching-autoethnography\/chapter\/there-and-back-again-a-comic-con-tale\/"},"modified":"2017-05-04T18:15:34","modified_gmt":"2017-05-04T18:15:34","slug":"there-and-back-again-a-comic-con-tale","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-teaching-autoethnography\/chapter\/there-and-back-again-a-comic-con-tale\/","title":{"raw":"There and Back Again: A Comic-Con Tale","rendered":"There and Back Again: A Comic-Con Tale"},"content":{"raw":"
\r\n\r\n\u201cTARDIS?! Is that you TARDIS?! I have been looking ages for you, what is your name TARDIS? Vanessa?! It\u2019s been over a hundred years and I finally know your name!!\u201d\r\n\r\nHis first words, I almost cry with excitement at hearing the most fake British accent coming from the eleventh Doctor cosplayed by a 14\u201332-year-old boy (you really never know at these things). I try to catch a closer glimpse, to see the face that matches the voice, but the hoards of nerds push me through the entrance. \u201cI\u2019m here, I\u2019ve arrived.\u201d <\/i>Quest Log Updated.\r\n\r\n\u201cMaking My Way Downtown\u201d starts to play in my head as I go from fourteen to one on the elevator and I try to get into my cosplay character. I am King Thranduil of Mirkwood, son of King Oropher of Greenwood the Great (the former name of Mirkwood), and ada (father) to Prince Legolas Thranduillion (the blond elf from the Lord of the Rings<\/i> [LOTR]<\/span> movies), but you can call me Fab Thrandy. In other words, I am that elf in The Hobbit<\/i> movies who has the long blond hair and rides an elk, but not the blond elf that shoots a bow and arrow. My brows are as thick as two caterpillars and my elven [sic] skin is flawless, it\u2019s almost as if I was wearing pounds of foundation and bronzer. My ears come to perfect points with my prosthetic attachments, and my short hair perfectly matches the explanation that I lost a bet to Lord Elrond (king of the elven [sic] realm of Rivendell, or the elf with the brown hair in Lord of the Rings<\/i>) and in my drunken state he cut off all my long platinum locks. My beautiful silver robe is gleaming, and as I exit the elevator my face is beaming, my crown made of branches is straight, and my dress fits me like a glove. I am so ready. \u201cJust quickly walk past the security guard and he won\u2019t ask questions.\u201d <\/i>That is my thinking until I stop dead in my tracks as soon as I reach the door.\r\n\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s raining??\u201d I groan out loud to no one in particular. I should have seen this coming; it\u2019s been raining almost every weekend since I started college here in New York City. I turn to the security guard, he just stares, that plan turned out so<\/i> well. \u201cI\u2019ll be right back,\u201d I say before hopping back in the elevator to grab my umbrella. \u201cOK Hannah, just walk out, no convos.\u201d <\/i>I exit the elevator and pass the security desk, but I\u2019m abruptly stopped.\r\n\r\n\u201cYou going to Comic Con?\u201d he asks. I\u2019m surprised he knows, but then again I can totally imagine him sitting on a couch reading comic books. We begin to converse, he tells me tricks of the Con and I know now that my quest has begun. It\u2019s like in Lord of the Rings online (LOTRO, a computer game that has a virtual world even larger than World of Warcraft), he had the Flaming Ring above his head, I knew it would be bad to go in without a plan, to go into uncharted territory without any knowledge of the beasts and creatures that inhabit it, like those wretched Longbeard dwarves on the other side of the Misty Mountains\u2026I digress. In LOTRO the Longbeards are the first foes one must face as an elf, so for my own safety, I click accept and I\u2019m sent on my way.\r\n\r\nQuest Log Entry One: Walk to New York Comic Con in the pouring rain. Foes lie between here and the Javits Center, be wary traveler for 8th Avenue is treacherous. Before stepping out into the wild I put in my earbuds. I quickly scroll through my phone and find all three LOTR soundtracks. Soon the sweet sounds of \u201cLothlorien\u201d home to Lady Galadriel and her husband Lord Celeborn (pronounced Keleborn, this is the third elven [sic] realm in Middle Earth). I close my eyes as I make my way from 27th and 7th Ave. to 46th and 11th Ave. using my imagination to turn the buildings into trees and the sidewalks into the moss paved, winding pathways of Mirkwood. I am a king on a walk in my kingdom; all the stares are just my lovely red headed elven [sic] peasants astonished by my magnificence. The wind whips up my robe, my slit in my dress exposing my leg with each stride, I feel on top of the world, oh wait, I already am (I\u2019m really getting into character). I keep walking for what seems like hours\u2026wait I\u2019m an elf, I keep walking for what seems like thousands of years (elves are immortal, to quote Thranduil, \u201cA hundred years is a mere blink in the life of an elf\u2026\u201d) until finally I see someone. He too has a flaming one ring above his head. I look closer to see it\u2019s Jake from Adventure Time<\/i>, and a word bubble appears from atop his head, \u201cFollow Me,\u201d it says, and I do.\r\n\r\nQuest Log Entry Two: You have successfully made it to Comic Con; you get $100 coin, +2 in morale, but a -5 in confidence. Your next task is to establish panel locations and explore artists\u2019 alley. Be on the lookout for friends and foes. I am in cosplay and afraid. I really shouldn\u2019t have gone alone. Underneath my umbrella, I look up and see the five giant, inflatable teen titans, all greeting me with smiles, except Raven of course. I look around me and everyone is rushing to a bin\u2026\u201dDoes that say free lanyards?\u201d<\/i> I power strut (a king never runs) to the bin and grab one. \u201cWould you like to equip yourself with a basic black lanyard?\u201d <\/i>I select yes and attach my ticket\/pass to it and wrap it around my wrist. First rule of quests: Always good to leave as much room as possible in your utility pack. I finally open the doors and I\u2019m immediately met with the warmth of bodies, which actually feels nice after being in the chill of the air for so long, too bad I wasn\u2019t lucky enough to have been given one of the cloaks of Lothlorien (though paper thin, these cloaks are waterproof, warm as ten down coats, and can make you look like a rock). I take out my earbuds and close my umbrella, putting both in my utility pack. \u201cWhich way should I go?\u201d <\/i>I tried to find the map the security guard told me about, but no luck, they were all gone. Questing rule two: It\u2019s never safe to travel without a map, tracking skills required otherwise. Following the rule of Gandalf (The Grey wizard who is in the company of the ring, this is a reference from a scene in The Fellowship of the Ring<\/i> when they are lost in the Mines of Moria) I followed my nose and headed toward where it smelled less like middle-aged man sweat and that took me down the White Moving Stairs of Javits (it was an escalator) to where the panels occur. The line for the Walking Dead panel had already started two hours prior to the Con, but all I was concerned about was Video Game High School (VGHS) and The Hobbit (I mean duh, I\u2019m freakin dressed as Thranduil). Seeing that there was nowhere else to explore down here, I make my way back up the treacherous climb and there it was in front of me, my second questing location. I head straight toward the sign, staring in awe at some of the cosplays: you have your deadpools, spidermen, batmen, slutty superheroes, Bumblebee, Sailor Moons, Anime schoolgirls, shirtless Gokus, men as princesses, 1\u201312 Doctors, TARDISes, sexy TARDISes, the Avengers, anyone from Game of Thrones<\/i>, and of course anyone from the Walking Dead<\/i>. The time people have on their hands just amazes me. Of course then you have middle-aged men in way too tight fitting t-shirts\u2026I\u2019m just going to leave that at that.\r\n\r\nAs soon as I arrive in artist alley I see a familiar red head with a bow, and we make awkward nerd eye contact, it\u2019s sporadic and uneasy.\r\n\r\n\u201cTauriel!\u201d I say with open arms as I make my way toward her, \u201cYou\u2019re the first Hobbit person I\u2019ve seen today.\u201d She smiles and replies that there has been a Thorin also\u2026stupid dwarf princeling (elves and dwarves HATE each other, especially Thranduil and the Durin\u2019s Folk, it all dates back to the war, Thrandy not getting his precious gems, some lack of payment on both sides\u2026all the details are lost but the hatred remains). I smile and grab a quick picture before walking the aisles of artists. Quest Log Update.\r\n\r\nQuest Log Entry Three: You have gained +2 in conversation and +1 in morale. Explore the upper level, but be careful not to get lost in the winding maze of booths. En route with my quest I ascend to the Area Gateway, and I see him in the distance. That Pale Orc, Azog the Defiler, that very orc who killed Thror (Thorin\u2019s, the dwarf princeling\u2019s, grandfather). I strut, my exposed leg being shown to all those middle-aged men, but I don\u2019t care, I only care about The Hobbit<\/i>. The closer I get I soon see Smaug (the dragon who live(s\/d) in Erebor, the only creature to have more greed than a dwarf) with his fire eyes even mechanically blinking. I try, I try so hard to contain my excitement but I can\u2019t. I practically run to the Weta booth (New Zealand company that did everything from prosthetics to animation for LOTR<\/i> and The Hobbit<\/i>). Their display almost had me in tears as I examined the rock cutout of a door to Erebor (home of the Durin dwarf bloodline under the Misty Mountains, i.e. Thorin, Thrain, Thror) and Smeagol aka Gollum who was sitting quietly by himself on a rock holding his latest meal. I, in pure awe, take as many selfies and pictures I can of the props you can purchase and the miniature porcelain figurines. Once there was no one taking pictures with Gollum I swiftly moved in to capture the moment of Thrandy moving in to kiss Gollum, \u201cThis is going on insta.\u201d <\/i>I sadly leave the place where I felt at home to continue on with my exploration, vowing to the Valar (Middle Earth gods) that I will return to buy something. Quest Log Updated.\r\n\r\nQuest Log Entry Four: You have successfully encircled the entire upper level, you receive a +1 in your tracking skills but a -1 in agility. Do not forget about the VGHS panel at 5 p.m., but be wary, friends may turn out to be foes, travel with caution. I\u2019m not quite sure where I am, I\u2019ve wandered deep into the comic book section, and for being at Comic Con, I really don\u2019t know much about comics. Suddenly an arrow appears on the floor in front of me instructing me on which way to go. I follow it until I come across another Flaming Ring. I strut over to get a closer look as another word bubble pops up, \u201cFree Lip Makeover and Goodie Bag. Do you choose to accept?\u201d \u201cDid I read free?\u201d<\/i> I quickly click accept and get into line, a copper lip will be the perfect finishing touch to my cosplay. While waiting I insta my Gollum picture, minding my own business when suddenly, out of nowhere, I hear the second fake British accent of the day.\r\n\r\n\u201cExcuse me my Lord, but I believe your ear is coming off.\u201d\r\n\r\nI turn around and look down to see non other than a stereotypical member of the Slytherin House (doubt this needs a footnote, but Harry Potter<\/i>) with a tree branch for a wand.\r\n\r\n\u201cOh, thank you, yeah they\u2019re just not made for my ears, but they\u2019re definitely stuck on,\u201d I smile and turn back around\u2026\u201dIs this supposed to be my friend?\u201d <\/i>She speaks again, any English person would be appalled, and I answer back\u2026regretfully.\r\n\r\nIt has been two and a half hours and I\u2019m still stuck with her, at least she\u2019s dropped the accent, but she insists on holding my hand as we walk so I seem more \u201croyal.\u201d I have been dragged around to all these booths and at my current age estimation how is a fourteen-year-old girl allowed to buy throwing knives? I look to the ground and see that my quest arrow is pointing the other direction. \u201cHow am I going to get out of this?\u201d <\/i>I already tried once with the whole bathroom thing, but she waited for me. I look at my phone and see that it\u2019s almost three o\u2019clock. We line up for her to get her book signed, but I can\u2019t even go in because I didn\u2019t pre-purchase a ticket. This is my chance\u2026\u201cdon\u2019t screw it up now,<\/i>\u201d Hey, I realized I want to get that poster from the Weta booth. I\u2019ll go and then meet you back here when you\u2019re done.\u201d\r\n\r\nShe smiles and says ok, and I\u2019m off, trying my hardest not to look like I\u2019m running. \u201cI\u2019m free precious, FREEEEEE!!!\u201d <\/i>I\u2019ve now returned to my strut, gliding across the red carpeted floor to claim my Tolkien prize (get it, token\u2026Tolkien\u2026). I arrive at the booth and wait in line, why get a poster when I can get a replica of the Key to Erebor\u2026or is it the real key\u2026definitely the real deal. I finally make it to the counter and I\u2019m met with the beautifully charming, real, New Zealand accent of the woman, wife to the head of Weta.\r\n\r\n\u201cCan I get a picture of you?\u201d she asks and I, of course, agree, then as if it was written in the stars the other worker, who I\u2019ve seen on the over eighteen hours of extended LOTR<\/i> footage, says, \u201cLet me get Thranduil\u2019s staff out for you to hold.\u201d\r\n\r\nReader, I don\u2019t know if you will ever understand what this moment means to me. I shakily extend my hand out to grip the staff, \u201cthis feels so right.\u201d <\/i>I can\u2019t stop smiling, it\u2019s so out of character but I don\u2019t care, I physically and mentally can\u2019t care, I\u2019m holding the Staff of Thranduil, THE STAFF, I\u2019M HOLDING HIS STAFF!! I quickly give my phone to the first lady who offered to take my picture. It turns into a mini photo shoot with all the con goers taking my picture. By this point I\u2019m hyperventilating, I can feel my heart beating out of my chest, I think I\u2019m going to puke rainbows. I finally let go, a smile still on my face as I leave the booth after thanking the patrons for the hundredth time. \u201cI\u2019m here, this is my con.\u201d <\/i>I put my key in my utility pack, Quest Log Updated.\r\n\r\nQuest Log Entry Five: You have received a +10 in morale, a +9 in confidence, and a -2 in agility. Your day is halfway over, explore more booths (Star Trek and anything with plushies) and get in the panel line for VGHS (which I end up not getting in to, long story, but if you\u2019ve ever read A-Relief, it relates to that) and then get in line for The Hobbit: Battle of Five Armies Panel. (For a guaranteed spot, I go in two panels ahead of time to secure my seat in the second row. I know so many spoilers reader, who dies, when they die, how they die, it\u2019s great.) After panels, successfully make your way back to your dorm, be wary of foes, for the paths are not safe at night, don\u2019t follow the lights.\r\n\r\nCongratulations, you have completed Quest: First Comic Con. Your rewards: one Star Trek t-shirt dress, one cute pin, one free bag and lanyard, one iron on patch, three free stickers, one Key to Erebor, multiple cute pictures, and many compliments. I sadly click the log off button, \u201cAre you sure you want to quit?\u201d I sadly click yes and close my eyes. \u201cAnd she lived happily ever after, for the rest of her days.\u201d<\/i>\r\n
\r\n

Discussion Questions<\/h3>\r\n
    \r\n \t
  • Why would somebody want to read this piece (the \u201cWho cares?\u201d factor)?<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Can you clearly identify the author\u2019s intention for the piece?<\/li>\r\n \t
  • How well does the author support the intention of the piece? Cite specific details that support or take away from the author\u2019s intention.<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Is there information missing from this piece that would make its intention clearer? What else would you like to know?<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Does the author portray herself as a round character? How does she do this?<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Do you trust the author of this piece? Why or why not?<\/li>\r\n \t
  • How clearly does the author establish a sense of setting\/space in this piece? Cite specific details that support your claim.<\/li>\r\n \t
  • How clearly does the author establish characters other than the self in this piece? Cite specific details that support your claim.<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Did you learn anything new from reading this piece? If so, what?<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Are there particular passages with engaging language\/description that stood out to you? Describe the appeal of these passages.<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Would you read more writing from this author? Why or why not?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"
    \n

    \u201cTARDIS?! Is that you TARDIS?! I have been looking ages for you, what is your name TARDIS? Vanessa?! It\u2019s been over a hundred years and I finally know your name!!\u201d<\/p>\n

    His first words, I almost cry with excitement at hearing the most fake British accent coming from the eleventh Doctor cosplayed by a 14\u201332-year-old boy (you really never know at these things). I try to catch a closer glimpse, to see the face that matches the voice, but the hoards of nerds push me through the entrance. \u201cI\u2019m here, I\u2019ve arrived.\u201d <\/i>Quest Log Updated.<\/p>\n

    \u201cMaking My Way Downtown\u201d starts to play in my head as I go from fourteen to one on the elevator and I try to get into my cosplay character. I am King Thranduil of Mirkwood, son of King Oropher of Greenwood the Great (the former name of Mirkwood), and ada (father) to Prince Legolas Thranduillion (the blond elf from the Lord of the Rings<\/i> [LOTR]<\/span> movies), but you can call me Fab Thrandy. In other words, I am that elf in The Hobbit<\/i> movies who has the long blond hair and rides an elk, but not the blond elf that shoots a bow and arrow. My brows are as thick as two caterpillars and my elven [sic] skin is flawless, it\u2019s almost as if I was wearing pounds of foundation and bronzer. My ears come to perfect points with my prosthetic attachments, and my short hair perfectly matches the explanation that I lost a bet to Lord Elrond (king of the elven [sic] realm of Rivendell, or the elf with the brown hair in Lord of the Rings<\/i>) and in my drunken state he cut off all my long platinum locks. My beautiful silver robe is gleaming, and as I exit the elevator my face is beaming, my crown made of branches is straight, and my dress fits me like a glove. I am so ready. \u201cJust quickly walk past the security guard and he won\u2019t ask questions.\u201d <\/i>That is my thinking until I stop dead in my tracks as soon as I reach the door.<\/p>\n

    \u201cIt\u2019s raining??\u201d I groan out loud to no one in particular. I should have seen this coming; it\u2019s been raining almost every weekend since I started college here in New York City. I turn to the security guard, he just stares, that plan turned out so<\/i> well. \u201cI\u2019ll be right back,\u201d I say before hopping back in the elevator to grab my umbrella. \u201cOK Hannah, just walk out, no convos.\u201d <\/i>I exit the elevator and pass the security desk, but I\u2019m abruptly stopped.<\/p>\n

    \u201cYou going to Comic Con?\u201d he asks. I\u2019m surprised he knows, but then again I can totally imagine him sitting on a couch reading comic books. We begin to converse, he tells me tricks of the Con and I know now that my quest has begun. It\u2019s like in Lord of the Rings online (LOTRO, a computer game that has a virtual world even larger than World of Warcraft), he had the Flaming Ring above his head, I knew it would be bad to go in without a plan, to go into uncharted territory without any knowledge of the beasts and creatures that inhabit it, like those wretched Longbeard dwarves on the other side of the Misty Mountains\u2026I digress. In LOTRO the Longbeards are the first foes one must face as an elf, so for my own safety, I click accept and I\u2019m sent on my way.<\/p>\n

    Quest Log Entry One: Walk to New York Comic Con in the pouring rain. Foes lie between here and the Javits Center, be wary traveler for 8th Avenue is treacherous. Before stepping out into the wild I put in my earbuds. I quickly scroll through my phone and find all three LOTR soundtracks. Soon the sweet sounds of \u201cLothlorien\u201d home to Lady Galadriel and her husband Lord Celeborn (pronounced Keleborn, this is the third elven [sic] realm in Middle Earth). I close my eyes as I make my way from 27th and 7th Ave. to 46th and 11th Ave. using my imagination to turn the buildings into trees and the sidewalks into the moss paved, winding pathways of Mirkwood. I am a king on a walk in my kingdom; all the stares are just my lovely red headed elven [sic] peasants astonished by my magnificence. The wind whips up my robe, my slit in my dress exposing my leg with each stride, I feel on top of the world, oh wait, I already am (I\u2019m really getting into character). I keep walking for what seems like hours\u2026wait I\u2019m an elf, I keep walking for what seems like thousands of years (elves are immortal, to quote Thranduil, \u201cA hundred years is a mere blink in the life of an elf\u2026\u201d) until finally I see someone. He too has a flaming one ring above his head. I look closer to see it\u2019s Jake from Adventure Time<\/i>, and a word bubble appears from atop his head, \u201cFollow Me,\u201d it says, and I do.<\/p>\n

    Quest Log Entry Two: You have successfully made it to Comic Con; you get $100 coin, +2 in morale, but a -5 in confidence. Your next task is to establish panel locations and explore artists\u2019 alley. Be on the lookout for friends and foes. I am in cosplay and afraid. I really shouldn\u2019t have gone alone. Underneath my umbrella, I look up and see the five giant, inflatable teen titans, all greeting me with smiles, except Raven of course. I look around me and everyone is rushing to a bin\u2026\u201dDoes that say free lanyards?\u201d<\/i> I power strut (a king never runs) to the bin and grab one. \u201cWould you like to equip yourself with a basic black lanyard?\u201d <\/i>I select yes and attach my ticket\/pass to it and wrap it around my wrist. First rule of quests: Always good to leave as much room as possible in your utility pack. I finally open the doors and I\u2019m immediately met with the warmth of bodies, which actually feels nice after being in the chill of the air for so long, too bad I wasn\u2019t lucky enough to have been given one of the cloaks of Lothlorien (though paper thin, these cloaks are waterproof, warm as ten down coats, and can make you look like a rock). I take out my earbuds and close my umbrella, putting both in my utility pack. \u201cWhich way should I go?\u201d <\/i>I tried to find the map the security guard told me about, but no luck, they were all gone. Questing rule two: It\u2019s never safe to travel without a map, tracking skills required otherwise. Following the rule of Gandalf (The Grey wizard who is in the company of the ring, this is a reference from a scene in The Fellowship of the Ring<\/i> when they are lost in the Mines of Moria) I followed my nose and headed toward where it smelled less like middle-aged man sweat and that took me down the White Moving Stairs of Javits (it was an escalator) to where the panels occur. The line for the Walking Dead panel had already started two hours prior to the Con, but all I was concerned about was Video Game High School (VGHS) and The Hobbit (I mean duh, I\u2019m freakin dressed as Thranduil). Seeing that there was nowhere else to explore down here, I make my way back up the treacherous climb and there it was in front of me, my second questing location. I head straight toward the sign, staring in awe at some of the cosplays: you have your deadpools, spidermen, batmen, slutty superheroes, Bumblebee, Sailor Moons, Anime schoolgirls, shirtless Gokus, men as princesses, 1\u201312 Doctors, TARDISes, sexy TARDISes, the Avengers, anyone from Game of Thrones<\/i>, and of course anyone from the Walking Dead<\/i>. The time people have on their hands just amazes me. Of course then you have middle-aged men in way too tight fitting t-shirts\u2026I\u2019m just going to leave that at that.<\/p>\n

    As soon as I arrive in artist alley I see a familiar red head with a bow, and we make awkward nerd eye contact, it\u2019s sporadic and uneasy.<\/p>\n

    \u201cTauriel!\u201d I say with open arms as I make my way toward her, \u201cYou\u2019re the first Hobbit person I\u2019ve seen today.\u201d She smiles and replies that there has been a Thorin also\u2026stupid dwarf princeling (elves and dwarves HATE each other, especially Thranduil and the Durin\u2019s Folk, it all dates back to the war, Thrandy not getting his precious gems, some lack of payment on both sides\u2026all the details are lost but the hatred remains). I smile and grab a quick picture before walking the aisles of artists. Quest Log Update.<\/p>\n

    Quest Log Entry Three: You have gained +2 in conversation and +1 in morale. Explore the upper level, but be careful not to get lost in the winding maze of booths. En route with my quest I ascend to the Area Gateway, and I see him in the distance. That Pale Orc, Azog the Defiler, that very orc who killed Thror (Thorin\u2019s, the dwarf princeling\u2019s, grandfather). I strut, my exposed leg being shown to all those middle-aged men, but I don\u2019t care, I only care about The Hobbit<\/i>. The closer I get I soon see Smaug (the dragon who live(s\/d) in Erebor, the only creature to have more greed than a dwarf) with his fire eyes even mechanically blinking. I try, I try so hard to contain my excitement but I can\u2019t. I practically run to the Weta booth (New Zealand company that did everything from prosthetics to animation for LOTR<\/i> and The Hobbit<\/i>). Their display almost had me in tears as I examined the rock cutout of a door to Erebor (home of the Durin dwarf bloodline under the Misty Mountains, i.e. Thorin, Thrain, Thror) and Smeagol aka Gollum who was sitting quietly by himself on a rock holding his latest meal. I, in pure awe, take as many selfies and pictures I can of the props you can purchase and the miniature porcelain figurines. Once there was no one taking pictures with Gollum I swiftly moved in to capture the moment of Thrandy moving in to kiss Gollum, \u201cThis is going on insta.\u201d <\/i>I sadly leave the place where I felt at home to continue on with my exploration, vowing to the Valar (Middle Earth gods) that I will return to buy something. Quest Log Updated.<\/p>\n

    Quest Log Entry Four: You have successfully encircled the entire upper level, you receive a +1 in your tracking skills but a -1 in agility. Do not forget about the VGHS panel at 5 p.m., but be wary, friends may turn out to be foes, travel with caution. I\u2019m not quite sure where I am, I\u2019ve wandered deep into the comic book section, and for being at Comic Con, I really don\u2019t know much about comics. Suddenly an arrow appears on the floor in front of me instructing me on which way to go. I follow it until I come across another Flaming Ring. I strut over to get a closer look as another word bubble pops up, \u201cFree Lip Makeover and Goodie Bag. Do you choose to accept?\u201d \u201cDid I read free?\u201d<\/i> I quickly click accept and get into line, a copper lip will be the perfect finishing touch to my cosplay. While waiting I insta my Gollum picture, minding my own business when suddenly, out of nowhere, I hear the second fake British accent of the day.<\/p>\n

    \u201cExcuse me my Lord, but I believe your ear is coming off.\u201d<\/p>\n

    I turn around and look down to see non other than a stereotypical member of the Slytherin House (doubt this needs a footnote, but Harry Potter<\/i>) with a tree branch for a wand.<\/p>\n

    \u201cOh, thank you, yeah they\u2019re just not made for my ears, but they\u2019re definitely stuck on,\u201d I smile and turn back around\u2026\u201dIs this supposed to be my friend?\u201d <\/i>She speaks again, any English person would be appalled, and I answer back\u2026regretfully.<\/p>\n

    It has been two and a half hours and I\u2019m still stuck with her, at least she\u2019s dropped the accent, but she insists on holding my hand as we walk so I seem more \u201croyal.\u201d I have been dragged around to all these booths and at my current age estimation how is a fourteen-year-old girl allowed to buy throwing knives? I look to the ground and see that my quest arrow is pointing the other direction. \u201cHow am I going to get out of this?\u201d <\/i>I already tried once with the whole bathroom thing, but she waited for me. I look at my phone and see that it\u2019s almost three o\u2019clock. We line up for her to get her book signed, but I can\u2019t even go in because I didn\u2019t pre-purchase a ticket. This is my chance\u2026\u201cdon\u2019t screw it up now,<\/i>\u201d Hey, I realized I want to get that poster from the Weta booth. I\u2019ll go and then meet you back here when you\u2019re done.\u201d<\/p>\n

    She smiles and says ok, and I\u2019m off, trying my hardest not to look like I\u2019m running. \u201cI\u2019m free precious, FREEEEEE!!!\u201d <\/i>I\u2019ve now returned to my strut, gliding across the red carpeted floor to claim my Tolkien prize (get it, token\u2026Tolkien\u2026). I arrive at the booth and wait in line, why get a poster when I can get a replica of the Key to Erebor\u2026or is it the real key\u2026definitely the real deal. I finally make it to the counter and I\u2019m met with the beautifully charming, real, New Zealand accent of the woman, wife to the head of Weta.<\/p>\n

    \u201cCan I get a picture of you?\u201d she asks and I, of course, agree, then as if it was written in the stars the other worker, who I\u2019ve seen on the over eighteen hours of extended LOTR<\/i> footage, says, \u201cLet me get Thranduil\u2019s staff out for you to hold.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Reader, I don\u2019t know if you will ever understand what this moment means to me. I shakily extend my hand out to grip the staff, \u201cthis feels so right.\u201d <\/i>I can\u2019t stop smiling, it\u2019s so out of character but I don\u2019t care, I physically and mentally can\u2019t care, I\u2019m holding the Staff of Thranduil, THE STAFF, I\u2019M HOLDING HIS STAFF!! I quickly give my phone to the first lady who offered to take my picture. It turns into a mini photo shoot with all the con goers taking my picture. By this point I\u2019m hyperventilating, I can feel my heart beating out of my chest, I think I\u2019m going to puke rainbows. I finally let go, a smile still on my face as I leave the booth after thanking the patrons for the hundredth time. \u201cI\u2019m here, this is my con.\u201d <\/i>I put my key in my utility pack, Quest Log Updated.<\/p>\n

    Quest Log Entry Five: You have received a +10 in morale, a +9 in confidence, and a -2 in agility. Your day is halfway over, explore more booths (Star Trek and anything with plushies) and get in the panel line for VGHS (which I end up not getting in to, long story, but if you\u2019ve ever read A-Relief, it relates to that) and then get in line for The Hobbit: Battle of Five Armies Panel. (For a guaranteed spot, I go in two panels ahead of time to secure my seat in the second row. I know so many spoilers reader, who dies, when they die, how they die, it\u2019s great.) After panels, successfully make your way back to your dorm, be wary of foes, for the paths are not safe at night, don\u2019t follow the lights.<\/p>\n

    Congratulations, you have completed Quest: First Comic Con. Your rewards: one Star Trek t-shirt dress, one cute pin, one free bag and lanyard, one iron on patch, three free stickers, one Key to Erebor, multiple cute pictures, and many compliments. I sadly click the log off button, \u201cAre you sure you want to quit?\u201d I sadly click yes and close my eyes. \u201cAnd she lived happily ever after, for the rest of her days.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

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    Discussion Questions<\/h3>\n