#this is a fursuit! i almost thought it was a mascot costume

[windowsmillennium2000]

x

[panda-paco]

Take me out to the ballgame

This year Anthrocon was amazing for me. Many people were complaining about technical problems on this edition of Anthrocon, it is understandable that the staff should help to make this to be perfect, but in the end is us who make the con great. I had a blast, it was even more awesome (for me) this time than the last year or even two years ago, but this is a subjective opinion. I met many old friends who I didn't expect to see there, I also made new friends, met new incredible people, I used my fursuit SO much!! You could saw me on saturday in fursuit almost all the day, from morning to afternoon and also at the rave. I'll write a complete journal about all my Anthrocon experience, soon. I know that probably you are thinking it's too late to talk about Anthrocon when it happened 3 weekends ago, well... that is also part of my experience, that it didn't get over after Anthrocon, I continued a big adventure after it, all around United States and Canada <3 But about this picture... probably you know that this year's theme was Baseball at Anthrocon, or "take me out to the ballgame", and at the con we could see many furs with their baseball uniforms, baseball bats, caps... Personally I don't understand very well baseball, I just know the basic rules and that's for Wii Sports, haha. But for some reason I like that people get involved to a fanbase of any sport: baseball, soccer, football, basketball... (and specially I love mascots and costumes). Talking with a friend about what could I draw for Anthrocon, with baseball related, he told me about an experience between a family who are fan of a soccer team, and how they live that fanaticism, so I thought it could be a great idea to picture a family living the sport. I really love the result. It is completely done with color pencils (primsacolors). It was published in the Anthrocon's conbook, and the original was auctioned at the Anthrocon's art show. Thank you very much to the person who purchased it <3 The baseball team on the picture are not the Chicago Cubs as many thought, they are Los Charros de Jalisco. (The baseball team from my town)

[pilawforhire-archived]

🎃Someone thought it would be a good idea to fit their head inside of a freshly-carved pumpkin, but needless to say, it was not their best decision.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“N—”

“Too bad, Roo,” Ace chirped, sounding a little proud of himself. “Already well ahead of you.”

Before Law could protest any further, Ace disappeared into the kitchen and returned with one large pumpkin carried in his arms. He set it down on the dining table with a thud. Seconds later, Ace strode out with another pumpkin and smacked it down in front of Law. Ace snatched the hardcover out of Law’s hands like it was crude pornographic material and threw it over his shoulder in sharp disapproval. CRASH. A vase cushioned the hardcover’s fall — only for a split second before the vase shattered into smithereens.

“…I was reading that,” Law muttered, widemouthed in disbelief. His eyes flicked to the pumpkin and then back to Ace. At that moment, Law felt like the sulky and grouchy spoilsport father that told their kid ‘no’ to every single request, no matter how trivial. Even Law would tire of saying ‘no’ all the time and of being a generally stuffy person. Besides — the corners of Law’s lips curled downward slightly in defeat — how could he refuse Ace when Ace had that ‘excited puppy’ face?

Less than ten minutes later, Ace and Law were seated at the dining table, busy at work cutting a lid from the pumpkins before they scooped out the filling into a bowl.

“Why?” Law asked.

“Why? Why, Roo?” Ace repeated, as if Law had asked the dumbest question in all of existence. “Because it’s Halloween? Do you need a better reason?” Ace gesticulated wildly with his hands, inadvertently waving the knife in all directions.

“Hmm…” Law put down his knife and pressed both hands to his temples. “I’ve not consulted the Ouija board but I’m fairly certain I’ve got a strong premonition incoming… of the night ending with us in the A&E waiting area. Shall we bet on it? Say, a hundr—”

“Jesus Christ, Roo.” Ace gave Law a friendly kick under the table. “Don’t curse me like that! I’ve trained for this night, you know. My stomach’s ever-ready. Take that, diarrhoea.”

“Mmm…” Law tugged at the thick raccoon mascot fursuit he was melting and dying under. “Can I at least take this off…? I’m sweating my balls off. The kids are gonna run soon as they smell me coming from yards away.” Law fanned his neck with his hand. It wasn’t that warm, but he thought he must look absolutely ridiculous, even though he had not worn the costume out the door yet. “How do you manage?” Law swept his eyes over Ace’s flower piglet costume. However, it went without saying that Ace’s costume allowed his skin more room to breathe — his arms and legs were uncovered, for fuck’s sake. Meanwhile, Law was drowning in his own sweat — just a little, but Law liked to overexaggerate his discomforts all the time.

“Peachy,” Ace murmured, fully engrossed in tracing out his designs to be carved. He paid Law zero attention from then on out, while he worked patiently and meticulously on his pumpkin.

From the television, Martha Stewart said, “Pumpkin carving is a fun Halloween tradition that’s popular among both children and adults.”

Law casually and briefly flipped her off before he grabbed the remote and turned off the screen. For the following half an hour, Ace and Law worked separately on their own pumpkins.

“What are you carving?” Law asked.

“A face,” Ace said.

“What face?”

“A pumpkin’s face.”

“…Oh. Jolly good.”

Since his attempt at conversation died remarkably quick, Law concentrated on making his pumpkin the freakiest piece of shit anyone has ever laid their eyes on. He gave his pumpkin sharp jagged teeth, five angry eyes, and a heart-shaped nose, with tons of freckles (read: stab-wounds). On the backside, he carved ‘YOU WILL DIE TONIGH’ and then he ran out of space for the last letter, to his utter disappointment and chagrin.

Oblivious to Law’s brutal disfigurement of his pumpkin, Ace finished his own. In order to show off his design to Law, Ace, very boldly, to Law’s raised brows and unimpressed look, inserted his head into the pumpkin and wore it like a fashionable helmet. Ace straightened upright, and with the pumpkin (finely carved, by the way; expertly carved) over his flower piglet costume, Law snorted and snickered. Law pressed the back of his hand against his mouth to stifle his laugh.

Unfazed, Ace waved at Law in the same elegant manner the Queen would wave to the cameras and reporters and the public. Ace turned a full three hundred and sixty degrees and stood arms akimbo. To Ace’s modelling, Law only stared blankly. Then he clapped twice and turned back to his pumpkin before he reciprocated Ace’s wave.

For the first few minutes, all was good and peachy. Ace didn’t bother trying to remove the pumpkin from his head because it looked extraordinarily cool and amusing. Law finished the sixth eye on his pumpkin before he set down his tools and stood up. Glancing back at Ace, a number of ideas flitted through Law’s mind.

“Eh, might as well have some fun.” Law smiled at Ace, an impish smile. The same smile he pulled just before he would smash cake all over Ace’s face and then lick it up after. “Wait here,” Law instructed, “I’ll be a sec.” Law jogged away, almost cutting his feet on the glass shards of what was once a beautiful vase. He skipped over the mess — someone could sweep it up later — and dug through his room. Law returned a moment later with a bag of candies and his mobile phone.

“What’s that, Roo? You got me candy?” Ace could not see very well out of the pumpkin, but Ace thought he smelled the sweet scent of delicious candy. He could smell it from a mile away, that was how attuned his senses could be, if it was candy.

“Our Instagram’s been lacking,” Law said. “About time we gave our fans some new content, yes?” Law smiled genuinely. He put away his phone first before he reached his hand into the candy bag and grabbed a handful. “Okay, now—” 

Without launching into an explanation of what was going to happen, Law launched the candies one by one at Ace’s head. Law tried to aim for Ace’s mouth, but the carved-out hole in the pumpkin was relatively small, and Law’s aim was not sniper-perfect. Thus, many of the candies bounced off Ace’s pumpkin helmet and fell miserably onto the floor. Naturally, Ace did not appreciate being treated like a dog nor was he pleased by the wastage of precious candy. Law’s game lasted all of several seconds before he admitted it was a terribly bad idea. Instead, Law dug out his phone and snapped pictures of Ace from various and all angles. 

Law climbed onto the table for a bird’s eye view shot; Law laid on the floor for a worm’s eye view shot; Law pretended he was a sniper armed with the phone and shot many pictures of Ace from behind a wall. Finally, Law took numerous selfies with Ace, though his selfie game was disastrous. Most of the selfies had Law’s face cropped out. Nevertheless, moving on, Law made Ace do somersaults and dance moves to Britney Spears and all kinds of pop music while he observed and occasionally snapped a few photos. Law carried out Ace’s guitar and asked Ace to play a song as flower piglet with a pumpkin helmet. It went without saying that Law recorded the entire performance to look back on in future and laugh. Alas, the evening passed in the blink of an eye and the next part of the night would begin: the highlight of Ace’s night, Trick-or-Treating. There was only one problem. Ace was caught in a pickle.

“Uh… Roo?” Ace called out, waving his arms for Law’s attention. “Roo?!” Ace grabbed his pumpkin helmet but it would not budge. “Fuck. Okay, uh, little help? Roo, I think I’m… stuck.” A few beads of perspiration rolled down Ace’s brow, although those could be blamed on the intense workout and song and dance routine Law put Ace through. Ace took a deep breath and tried not to worry — Law was a doctor, after all! He could most certainly help with removing the pumpkin. At the very least, if he fainted, Law would know what to do. He was in good hands; Ace trusted Law. That was his mistake.

Law cleared his throat. He swallowed hard and pinched his lips together to keep from chuckling. “Huh, what?” Law said, feigning ignorance. He struggled to keep a poker face even though Ace could not see him clearly through the pumpkin helmet. “Don’t lie to me, Piglet. Your head’s not that big.”

For the next few minutes, Law bore witness to Ace running around the hall, doing all kinds of jigs in an attempt to get the pumpkin helmet off, to no avail. Ace grunted and pulled. He pulled, he pushed, he whipped his head back and forth, he ran his head under the tap, he pulled and pulled some more, and he twisted, but the pumpkin helmet refused to come off! By then, Ace was the one drenched in sweat. Worrying thoughts flooded his mind: What if he had to miss Trick-or-Treating? Son of a bitch, Law was a goddamned fucktard.

True enough, Law sat with his feet outstretched, lazying on the couch, observing Ace’s distress. Law managed to keep a straight face despite how he entertained and amused himself at Ace’s expense.

“Aren’t we going trick-or-treating?” Law asked nonchalantly. “Shouldn’t we go? It’s getting lat—”

Ace grabbed Law’s shoulders hard and shook Law with desperation. Ace hissed, “I can’t see shit, asshole! Help me, or so help me God!”

“Well, don’t you look handsome,” Law said coolly. He smiled and caressed Ace’s pumpkin helmet. He rubbed the pumpkin helmet like it was Aladdin’s lamp. “I’m sure others would take pity on your predicament and treat you all their candy for your suffering…?”

“I can’t really eat like this, can I?!”

Ace shook Law’s shoulders harder but Law remained unwavering in his decision to be an unhelpful bastard. Finally, when Ace sounded about to cry, Law snapped out of his uncaring demeanour.

“…Hey.” Law reached for Ace’s hand and pulled Ace toward him to sit in his lap. “All right, all right. I’ll help—I’ll call for help. I’ll call the fire department—or maybe the police? I’m sure they can do something.”

“Wh—What?!” Ace exclaimed. “Don’t fucking call the police for something like this! Are you serious, Roo? N—”

Law shoved Ace off his lap. He leapt from the couch and sprinted off into his room. To Ace’s fists banging on the unlocked door, to Ace screaming “don’t you fucking dare”, Law ignored all that racket and proceeded to place a call on his mobile.

“Roo?!” Ace pounded his fists harder into the door. “No, don’t call the police! These pumpkins are stolen!” There, it was out. He had stolen the pumpkins from their sons-of-bitches neighbours who shaved their poodle into a monstrosity. While they did not physically hurt their dog, they had made their dog a laughing stock! Heathens! They deserved to have their pumpkins stolen and their house egged and covered with toilet paper! Indeed, Ace had committed all those crimes, unbeknownst to Law while he napped like the lazy fucker he was. Ace banged his fists against the door until Law opened the door suddenly. Law very narrowly avoided having his eyes punched black and blue as Ace’s fist shot past his temple.

“…Calm down,” Law said, trying to sound as comforting as he possibly can. He failed and sounded indifferent instead. “I didn’t call the police, okay? But don’t you want help? How are we supposed to ever kiss again?”

Ace gave Law’s words some deep thought. Eventually, Ace nodded. “Okay, if the police suspect anything—”

“We kill the police,” Law blurted, finishing Ace’s sentence.

“…Not what I had in mind, Roo. Wouldn’t more of the police just be after us? Then we’d be wanted for murder, besides theft and… only theft.”

“Then we lie.” Law placed a consoling hand on Ace’s chest. “Don’t you worry, you can leave everything to me.”

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Without hesitation, Law went to answer it, and Ace lingered several steps behind.

“Whatever is the problem, lads?” boomed an officer. He had ginger-red hair, a sharp nose, and he wore a pair of tinted sunglasses despite that it dark outside. His partner stood by his side, wearing the most ridiculous afro that was the size of a truck’s tire. Both officers took one look at Law’s and Ace’s costumes and they burst into rambunctious laughter. They guffawed and giggled, they snorted and cackled, they clutched their stomachs, bent over, shoulders tremoring like an earthquake. Finally, they shut up when Law slammed the door in their faces.

Law turned to Ace with a look of regret. “I…” Law frowned, unable to continue his words. He had not meant to hurt Ace like that. It was… a bad joke. Law opened the door again. The two officers were still standing put, although they were both rubbing their noses and glaring.

“Dood, I dink eet’s brohken. Wha the fuck,” grumbled the ginger-hair officer.

“Ya gonna hafta call an ambulance,” muttered the afro officer.

“Call them yourselves.” Law slammed the door in their faces again. He grabbed Ace’s hand and pulled Ace to the living area. Law made Ace sit down on the couch.

“Hold still,” Law said. He grasped both sides of the pumpkin helmet and gave it a simple twist and a gentle pull. The pumpkin stayed stuck. Law twisted it in the other direction. The pumpkin refused to budge. Law mumbled, “Hmm… Hang on.” He jogged away and returned with the serrated knife. Law flopped down beside Ace. “I’ll have to cut it a little. Just sit still, and I won’t slice your throat by accident—It’ll be fine. I’ve done this plenty of times; You wouldn’t believe how often this happens every Halloween.” With that said, Law scooted closer to Ace. He took the knife in his hand and very carefully, he carved away at the pumpkin to widen the opening. Mere seconds later, Law placed the knife down and rose to his feet. He grabbed the pumpkin and managed to dislodge it from Ace’s head without further difficulty.

Law stepped back and let out a breath he had been holding. “…You all right?” He reached out and tousled Ace’s hair. “Sorry about those two… As you’ve guessed, they’re not real cops. Just friends… in costume. Anyway…” Law sprinted off. He came back with a large bag of candy. “So d’you want to go trick-or-treating or stay in and snack on these?”

@pxrtgasdace