OK, admittedly the title is a bit of a Shinkansen in size, but I try to be as accurate as I can. This post continues where the Very Early Edition left off, which is to say, right at the moment when the Maid Café of the second day opened its doors (well, curtains) to the astounded visitors. As it turned out, the day I was most worried about (which worry I kept to myself), for a number of reasons (somewhat alienating for otaku to see maids in the flesh, fear of getting arrested for having so many and so sexy girls on public display and a number of other, weirder things), had the most impressive net attendance of the three days (remember, Day 3 was 8 hours versus the 3 hours of Day 2), somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 people.
When we first opened shop, it was very funny seeing the reaction of bystanders, from both inside our community and out, as was watching them trying to work the courage to enter the café and / or talk to the maids. I suppose quite a few girls looked doe-eyed at the butlers too, but their reactions were not as impressive (with the exception of realizing that one of the butlers was Marilou-chan).
Before going any further, some acknowledgments are in order: to Samuryan for going through Traffick Hell in order to help us with a number of things, such as materials, transport and ice, to Estorial for pimping out the electronics in the DJ booth, so that we could mix songs from the second day onwards and to Malvaggia for lending the Maid & Butler team a much needed hand of help. Last but not least, great praise goes to the team itself, who probably spent 3 of the most difficult hours (more in fact, since they had to come earlier, get ready, etc.) of their lives, fun though they may have been and were quite terminally beat by the time we closed.
As for me, well, I believe I have never before been that exposed to lenses of all sorts, the result of which exposure I have seen crawling around the net: well, so be it. I still think I come out horrible in most pictures but the Neko hat and RayBans DID help (once again, thanks to Nerethil and Samuryan respectively). Enough babble though. We all know why you’re here, so have at it!
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“Irrasshaimase, goshujin-sama!”
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Having presented the gals in the last post, it’s the boys’ turn: Raziel…
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…here with the head-turning Mai-chan.
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Nerethil, a.k.a. “The Crowbar”, looking mighty serious…
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…here with Samuryan, a.k.a. “Herc Ksylikis”.
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The most corss-dressed of them all: Marilou-chan or as I prefer…
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…Yamino Ryusuke, a.k.a. Jormugand from Metantei Loki Ragnarok, but what has he/she spotted…?
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He… she… Well, IT goes closer to Velvet and…
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Oh my! …Yuri Alert! Wait no, one is cross-dressing so… does it count? Gaaaaah!
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Well, enough messing around: curtains up, maids to the fore and here we go!
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The first (reluctant) attendees welcomed by Aya-chan…
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…start getting seated and served.
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Progressively, apprehension is replaced by anticipation…
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…and some take a few bolder steps…
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…although Didi-chan is constantly protected (and this Pluto-kun DOES bite).
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Raziel mans the bar with Camus, Misa-chan and Malvaggia…
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…while the rest of the team scrambles to get and fill orders.
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Befuddled looks except for one: guess who the happy camper is?
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Pretty soon tables start filling…
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…the team goes on rotation…
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…more and more guests arrive (one having made an escapade from a school group)…
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…familiar faces start showing up (Kon and Glastenen)…
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…and within the first 40 minutes, there’s less of a queue and more of a crowd!
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Velvet Vortex with Nerethil the Butler – a calm before the storm.
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Wabbit and Fireroses, the usual suspects. Hey lasses.
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Among the multitude of people, I even spotted the unthinkable…
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…Child Prey’s die-hard J-rock company…
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…WITH Teddy! I guess there IS a soft spot in there somewhere.
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By the end of the first hour we are having a bit of a situation with the crowd…
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…and Amu Hinamori (Shugo Chara) just MAY be having a fit soon…
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I turn my attention to the much safer subject of our guests…
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…Zalismeno Koutopoulo (nice outfit) and her… niece and nephew? Brother and sister? None?
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At any rate, it seems that their age has entitled them to special treatment from Mai and Aya (I feel so old)…
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…as well as my friend Korina.
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Now that’s what I call Bella Mafia: Yakuza and Tarantino girls to die for (a2a, Kawaiidoberman, Tasoula, Glastenen, Kirenahana).
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And this is what I call really disturbing: Thank God Usagi is in the pic to lighten the shock.
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Wait a sec… What’s this huge thing lumbering through fnac?
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Is it a bird? Is it a– Well, no, it’s a bird alright, but not just any bird…
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…Elisabeth from Gintama!
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The huge duck instantly snatches the hearts of our two young fans…
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…but who’s underneath? Xaos? Gaara of Sound?
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Nuh-uh! It’s Atridis! Atridis who almost got detained by security. Kudos man!
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In no time at all, it’s a full house and then some: although moving takes SOME maeuvering, Estorial diligently records with Kyoshiro’s camera.
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Ah, familiar and wonderfully crazy faces: Force Impulse, Vegetasmate and Six Winged Angel.
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Didi obediently keeps taking orders.
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Speed: “Everything OK dollie?” Didi: “Well, I cannot help being loved, now can I…?”
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Meanwhile, Marilou-chan is subjected to some magic tricks while serving…
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…and Memole experiences a rare moment of immobility.
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(I couldn’t very well take your picture if you moved, now could I?).
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The crowd keeps pouring…
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…more friends show up, like Lapis here, dressed as Mana…
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…and all the while Namida faithfully mans the decks…
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…immersing us in… caramel-flavored, strawberry and vanilla mix, cherry-topped POP!
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Regardless of my severe brain bleeding, one has to create an enviroment akin to that natural to lollies, I guess…
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“Megi-chan hug-nyaa!”
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Velvet Vortex with the best patron ever: her dad.
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xEllonexx and Lady A.C. (meganeko!). The former has recently premiered her MySpace loli shop (and the latter, as I was informed, is in fact Julie! Gomen, but you look terribly alike!).
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Xander and um… sorry, no idea…
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Eventually, otaku spread out all around fnac…
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…during an event that the GTO (Akihisha) could never miss!
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“Course m’man but see… you don’ really get it. I ain’t here for the sissy tea party…”
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“I am here for the HAWT maid chicks. Word!”
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“Kyaaaaaa! Hen-ta-iiiiiii!”
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Have no fear, for mighty Kyoshiro is here!
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Force Impulse trying to decide between momentary bliss and a longer lifespan. Mai is not helping…
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At the same time, Nerethil is taking his job very very seriously.
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“Feeling ill sir? Right this way sir. I daresay you look mighty pale sir..”
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Korina and Euthimia, imitating…
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…THIS. You do realize how awfully perturbed this is, right?
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“Come now, Speedy-san: the Neko thing is so you.”
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Not really, no. But you give me a nice, big smile and I’ll consider it. There you go.
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Ayami: “Would you please hide those? People feel threatened!” Mai: “Wha-aat…?”
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On Day 1 it was Mary, now it’s Christina. I won’t even talk about Joanna. You three never show up together anymore! *pouts*
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Just when I thought Atridis had made the most shocking appearance…
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…Road Kamelot from D.Gray-Man appeared… costume, striped stockings…
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…Melo and everything, including great make-up…
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…accompanied by Adam Blade…
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…as the notorious Rob Lucci from One Piece!
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Wabbit was tasked with cataloguing the cosplays (I might be needing that list sometime)…
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…while GTO found a rival in Phoenix Wright!
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“Back-off suit-ape. Those tender girlies WILL be mine!”
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“Like Hell! OBJECTION!”
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While the two self-important men were busy, Zauk slipped in and had the most eloquent thing to say about the situation…
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“Mmmmmm…!”
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In any event, the team did the poster full justice but hold on to your hats because there is lots more to see… next time!
I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did and look forward to the tons of material still in the works.
Over and out,
Speedgrapher
