FANPORT OVERFLOW LOG

[maskormods]

WHO: ImPorts!
WHERE: Heropa's Convention Centre.
WHEN: April 14-16, from 9 AM - 12 AM every day.
WHAT: Registration is in motion alongside FanPort, the most popular imPort convention around! Come on in and see imPort-led panels, the artist's alley, cosplayers, and more! If you have any questions, or wish to amend the way we have written up your characters' panels, let us know here! The original log can be found HERE.
WARNINGS: None anticipated; please let us know if this should be changed.

Comments

Jeffrey Winger

[wizzardly]

((continued from here))

But -! But he - ! But it's my - !

[Rincewind gapes between the two of them, fists shaking at his sides in frustration. None of them understand, he realizes. None of them have even an inkling of what a wizard's hat means to a wizard; how much it means to Rincewind. And sure, maybe there's some mutual ignorance, because he certainly doesn't understand all of this either, all this fan nonsense, but what does that matter? It can't mean as much to them as it means to him. Rincewind's very sense of self is tied up in his hat. Seeing it sold, copies or not, so people can pretend on and off to be what Rincewind has fought his whole life to prove he has a right to call himself -

He shoots Jeff a sharp look, turning away so he at least doesn't have to look at the damn things anymore.]

Fine. Fine. Bloody well have it your way then. People usually do.

[textualhealing]

[That hat, to Jeff, is nothing more than an easy method of identity, something fans would obviously cling to for cosplay. It's easily recognisable, so why wouldn't there be copies of it for all to purchase? There's nothing wrong with that, as far as he can see.]

Hey, c'mon, it's just a hat. Look on the bright side, at least if you lose yours, there's another one right here for you to buy.

[Turning with Rincewind, just glad to have the situation diffused, a hand moving to touch his shoulder as if encouraging them to both walk away.]

[wizzardly]

[Rincewind flinches but allows Jeff's hand to settle as they walk away.

...For about three seconds. Then he's shrugging it off with a sharp look, struck with the terrible urge to grab Jeff and shake some understanding into him.]

Just a hat? Just a hat? You have no idea! You don't have any actual respect for wizardry, don't pretend otherwise. To you this all just a bit of - bit of costuming!

Well do you know what it is to me? It's my life. It's twenty years spent in University. It's the only bloody thing I have to prove that I am what I am. [to himself and to others.] A wizard without a hat isn't a wizard at all.

And that man - [with a dark glance back over his shoulder] - is selling them for sixteen dollars a go.

[textualhealing]

[Welp, apparently that wasn't the right thing to say. Just a hat might not be just a hat after all.]

Alright, fine. Fine. It's not just a hat. I wasn't aware it meant so much where you're from, okay? [He's meeting the irritation with a level of understanding, a vague attempt to diffuse the situation before it kicks off again. There's no need for shouting and punching natives at a convention.]

You get that these guys probably don't know that either though, right?

[wizzardly]

Well, now you know. [still sour, but tempered a little by the acknowledgement. At least he's getting that much; it's more than he expected. There are simply some things non-wizards will never understand.

But Rincewind doesn't see why that means he has to educate the whole bloody lot of them.]

Does really none of this bother you? [he asks, exasperated and turning the conversation sharply.] Nothing? Not the art they draw of you with other people, not the little key-chains with your face or the ridiculous stories?

[textualhealing]

The fans? Nah. Why would it bother me? These are people showing their appreciation for us in whatever way they know how. We're muses to them, bringing out creativity and emotions in ways they might have never tried before, and yeah, maybe some of those methods are a little creepy at times, but people find themselves in all sorts of weird ass ways. [He wants to be wanted just as much as these fans want him. As far as he's concerned, it's a symbiotic relationship of people wanting to give him attention, and him receiving it in all it's glory. No harm in that.]

Have you never been a fan of anyone before? Never had someone you've always wanted to meet, to talk to, to spend time with? Someone you aspired to?

[wizzardly]

"In ways they never tried before", oh yes, I'd say that's a safe bet. [with a disparaging glance at the nearest booth, which is plastered post-to-post with imPort erotica (and little of it tasteful).]

Me? A fan? [Rincewind scoffs - and pauses. Because, well, actually...]

...As a child, I suppose. Once. But you grow out of it, don't you? That's the whole thing. You grow up, you get knocked about, and you learn.

[textualhealing]

You don't grow out of enjoying something. Sure, you'd never catch me dressing up at a convention, but that's because I'm not lame. But I get it.

[His inner nerd would love to dress up at conventions, but he's got an image to maintain. An image that apparently involves wearing expensive clothing and being 'ttly cool'.]

It's sharing appreciation with others, of belonging to something. These people aren't just here for us, they're here for each other. For some of them, this is the only time in their lives that they can just hang out and be themselves and actually get approval from it. They can dress as their favourite hero and have others actually giving them compliments for it rather than laughing in their faces.

[wizzardly]

[that's a good little Winger speech, Jeffrey.

Rincewind makes some low, disgruntled noise, arms still folded against his chest. Valiantly trying to pretend none of that got through to him.]

...Yes, well, there are a dozen other heroes out there. Real ones, even. I wouldn't care if it weren't my hat they were doing it with.

[he kicks at some invisible dust mote.]

You're lucky the only way they can imitate you is through hair gel and tight shirts.

[textualhealing]

[Jeff hides any smile that might be trying to tug at the corners of his lips. That defensive arm folding and grumbling means he's won, and winning is what Winger's do best.]

Well styled hair is still a trademark! You can spot the me cosplayers a mile away because they all look good. [Obviously his cosplayers are the best because they're dressed as him.]

Y'know, speaking of trademarks, I might go buy one of those hats...