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The Orden is truly evil (funny stuff, but so twisted! ;p).
We will protect Cardinal Sforza.
And, be reassured, I don't intend to be a flasher!
Hopefully there won't be any destroyed uniforms at Fanime....
;D

Avatar guidelines are posted in the profiles section.
Basically get your jpg picture for your avatar to be no larger than the required height x width dimensions and overall file size.
Post it on a photobucket type account and then paste the link into the avatar link.
And that should take care of it!

Kanzake: If you've got a week's time to put into it, (or of course, parts of a week's time--have to eat and sleep and goof off, too, right?), then I'm betting it will come out okay!!

As for directing a huuuuuge Bleach group?
Traffic cones could get kind of heavy to hold up.... ;p
If you can't get some kind of megaphone....
Maybe some kind of whistle to get everyone's attention?
A tall banner or some kind of sign to help identify your spot in the crowd so everyone knows where to direct their attention?
Someone from the military who's got the practiced Loud Attention Everyone Voice to help transmit orders for setting up shots?
A few second-in-commands to help you that are scattered around, and know your plan ahead of time to help transmit it to the people farther away from you? Maybe a couple walkie talkies with them to then spread your directions? That way it might be faster getting everyone in and out of the groupings and you won't have to rely on the "telephone" game of people passing the word along.

Yeah for an Isaak!!!
But wait...that's bad! Another Orden....
;)

As for Cain's costume needing a entire hotel room? LOL!
Yes, that sounds about right for Cain....
But Naked Cain? <shudders with horror>
Of course, I could see him with the wings on and a little fig leaf or vine thing or two twirled around trying to look his usual "I'm a perfect angel, love me while I burn up the place".

Actually, this is the other great part I love about cosplay, all the crazy 'backstage' stories.

Of course...the Abels have to stick together and help each other out!
It's a cruel cruel world out there. If the Orden isn't after you, or brother Cain (brotherly hugs? LOL!), it might be the T&E report to submit to the Boss. ;)
Yes, tell Catarina how much fun she'll have with everyone. Especially asking us if our receipts are in order.....
And at a convention with so many tempting goodies?
We're doomed!

;D

If I really let my bangs grow out, I could actually use my own hair for this...and I've used some temp stuff before when I only had 1 costume for a con and as I was just getting started into the fun world of cosplay.
But I'm heading into 'hard core' cosplay now, and going for the wigs. ;p
With 4 costumes and hair color changes, even though my own hair could suffice for the style, it's too much work to get a really good look for the color. The wigs will be a lot easier.
So I'll be sporting a wig!

If you are going to go with the temp spray route--because I would really suggest not using bleach on your hair--and for a "silver"/"silver blond" haired, pony-tailed Abel....make sure you get more than one can!! One can is not enough to get good coverage on long hair. Also be prepared that it might come off a bit on your collars and clothes. (And we AX Agents have some serious collars!! LOL!)
And for the spraying, I suggest the balcony of your hotel room--if there is one--to keep it from getting all over the bathroom or other stuff in your room. Or bring lots of trash bags to cover things. Put a hole in one and put it over yourself, too!!! (obviously with your head sticking out of the hole)
If you have a Sally's hair/make up supply store near you, they stock temp hair sprays. You can also try Manic Panic products that some Hot Topics carry. Look for the silvers or whites.

And it's great to hear you are coming with a group of TB cosplayers. It'll be worth the agony of changing costumes to hang out with everyone. Yeah for a Tres!!! And hopefully Caterina will be able to join us. :)
4 pm should work for Ion, right? Wouldn't want him getting fried by too much sun after all!
;)

It depends on your budget.....

For scarring, you can either get Halloween style latex and spirit gum stuff to make a scar.
Or you can get an eyeliner pencil and use that.
If you have any allergies to latex and spirit gum, the eyeliner is the safest and easiest method. Also cheapest. 

For zori....
There are a number of companies that sell Asian clothing or martial arts gear that carry these.
I'm not sure who currently has the best price. Most of them are not really cheap, but you could try a google/yahoo websearch. Try ebay?
I actually got mine in San Francisco's Japantown at Soko Hardware. A most awesome store that carries far more than just hardware and at usually very reasonable prices.
The flip flop option can certainly work for a cheaper budget.

For tabi ('socks')....
Again, depends on your budget.
Real tabi can be a bit pricey. My indigo blue ones I use for sword class are about $40.
You can always search the same places that carry zori for tabi, too.
However, if on the budget plan, you can cheat with some kinds of socks. If they are the right height and look, and you can get that notch to work between your big toes and other toes.
You could try: http://cooleastmarket.com/index.php for some options.

Good luck! I hope to see another Kenshin there.
:D

Helpful tip!
Get muslin!
Nice, cheap, wonderful muslin.
Make your costumes the first time out of the muslin!
That way you have no worries about wrecking and wasting your good fabric.
You get to 'practice' putting the costume together, and figuring out if you need to customize anything.
When you're done, if the thing didn't need any changes, then go back and do it again with the original pattern pieces. Now you can sew with complete confidence.
If you needed to make changes, you can take out the seams and use the muslin pieces as a new pattern piece.

Good luck and I wish you success with your Bleach costumes!

And I look forward to seeing Shunsui's shikai swords, too!

That's not a bad thought....
Okay, yes, pun on the bad...argh.
If you sew them to something and either use a zipper or snaps that are on the back, the coat would cover that. I agree you might need a fabric that has some stretch to it, so it stays up.

I hope you can get the Sano costume worked out!!!

Yes! With Esther, we outnumber the Orden!!!
(so far anyway!)
Cain asking us to go easy on him??? ha!

As for the heat, I have a little something in the works to help with that. ;)
And yes, Cain can't talk to us about layers! Of course, if we had a Swordancer, I'm sure he'd be happy to help you with some of those layers....
:D

I'll do my best to figure out my timing for everything to be ready as close to 4 as possible.
(And I sure hope there are no interesting panels on Saturday, I don't think I'm going to see much of the Con that day. Too much fun cosplaying.)

I also find it amusing Cain needs Dietrich to get dressed. I think there should be photos posted of that later...."Behind the Scenes in the Orden."
Kind of like the art piece where Cardinal Sforza has all those attendants getting her dressed.

I'm going to be debuting my Abel costume at Fanime. (It's in progress now.)

Saturday....
I'm in the Bleach gathering, and that group is planning extra events including a lunch run, lunch at the park, and some other fun games there.
I'm not sure what time that is going to wrap up, and I could change over after that. But then it'd be late afternoon, probably better around the 4 time or after....if that's okay?
Ukitake is an easy costume to change out of, but putting on the Abel is going to take a little time with all the leather buckles and bling. If I practice it enough to be able to speed dress maybe....LOL.

Sunday I've got the Rurouni Kenshin Gathering and Shonen Jump Gathering...but there's no extra events with those planned at this time.

I really want to get together with TB other cosplayers, it's been the most fun group of people online. :)

Le gasp!  Another TB cosplayer.

Look for me as Cain, with a Dietrich in tow. ;)

Sweet!!!! We shall have to meet up and take pics!!!!

I realize this thread is supposed to be about groups, but I'm coming to Fanime by myself.
:(
However, I'm hoping to meet up with others for a fun convention.
Because one of my costumes for Fanime will be an Abel (manga version)--and seeing as I've already encountered Vasher in another forum and it sounds like great fun--maybe someone could start a TB grouping thread??

Awesome to hear there was one!
I was only there for one day last year...

I'll hope there could be more again, in the future.

Because I train in iajutsu, I agree that it would be nice to have some various Japanese martial arts demonstrations at anime cons, including Fanime.
But I'm not sure you could ever get a group from a dojo to do it? Would need manga/anime/video game fans who'd be willing to go to a convention...and I know among the dojo I go to, there's only been a couple anime fans. (Very sad fact, I think!)
And then probably the group would have to get special permissions from the con for showing up with swords/weapons at a con, let alone what might happen if some people/kids got a little too inspired by the demos and tried to practice on fellow congoers...yikes! ;p

(Side note: all my cosplay swords are safe-as-I-can-make-them wooden props that would never hold up to sparring.)

So until there's a martial arts demo at Fanime....
If you live in the Bay Area, in June in Santa Cruz at the Japanese Cultural Festival, there's usually at least one sword school doing a demonstration, along with a number of other martial arts. Also usually an awesome display of Kyudo or the Japanese bow, too.
A number of Obon festivals in the SF region down to Salinas and Monterey have kendo or iado sword demonstrations, my dojo only does one public demonstration a year, at our area Obon festival.

This is shaping up like another possible challenge game....
Arrancar, Shinigami Captains, and Quincies: Who Can Keep Their Clothes Stain-free?!

Or if the stain remover sticks have to come out for use--the making of a possible Bleach commercial.....
"The real meaning behind the name Bleach!"

I'm thinking sushi sounds very yummy, and if some place had them, onigiri with pickled plums....

A Liar's Dice captain's game?
We know who's going to win that!!!
Aizen or Gin...
;)

ilovepocky: I have the art book and can't scan it, buuut, I can take a digital photo at high res, crop it down to Rukia and find a way to get it to you! It should work as a reference photo.
I'll get to it Monday morning, if no one else posts a better option before that.
:)

ROTFL on the soul burial idea on other cosplayers!  (the imagery I had was great fun) Of course, the hollows-side wouldn't be as nice, would they?
And awesome on the fact Bleach cosplayers could shop in Japantown for lunch. :D
The ideas with this group are great fun. It gives me something to look forward to.

Too bad we don't have someone that could just make a pinata in the group, rather than having to pay to get one made, then we could just contribute some cost of supplies and candy to that person.

Sometimes I wish I had access to a garage where I could attempt some of these truly messy projects, instead of a 1-bedroom apartment where that would be a bad bad thing.
It seems to me a hollow pinata of the sort we'd want might not be that hard to make?
hmm.....

And the trash in the park joke...yes! And there could be some fun photo with other characters that were in that scene.... (just in case of spoilers, won't go into the details).

Runewitt: are you planning on attending any other gatherings/events before Fanime?
Maybe some of us that are at these things that will be part of the Bleach pinata fun could contribute to the cause early?

Yukari: I loved the trash joke! That's awesome. I see a future photo opportunity here....
:D

As for sushi, sounds great! Something to consider for those of us that would have cars, to maybe organize a group lunch run, although I'm not familiar at all with San Jose for driving.
But would it scare the people in Japantown if Bleach cosplayers went there?

yeah! More Ruroken cosplayers!

Big groups can be fun. The Bleach group is going to have other activities besides just the gathering for photos.
But a smaller group is good, too. I'm thinking this gathering will be a lot of fun.