Let me tell you a story about Dan “Danny Sexbang” Avidan and the NSP fandom at RTX

So, I was at RTX this past weekend, which was a big deal. I’m Autistic, and it is hard for me in large crowds sometimes. And you don’t get bigger crowds than RTX, at least not anywhere I might actually go (the exception to that is Disney World, but that’s beside the point. ANYWAY…) Still, I went, with my friend Hannah by my side.

I did not have the best weekend. We got in a wreck on Thursday evening, so were without a car all weekend. In the Uber from our Thursday night hotel to the Hilton, the handle to my Neo parasol broke. I hadn’t managed to get a ticket to any signings I wanted, and had ended up giving my ticket to my fourth choice (Gray and Arryn) to my friend who hadn’t managed to get one. Then Friday and Saturday were just large crowds and panic attacks that I mostly kept hidden and to myself as best as I could. There were certainly bright moments–the Game Grumps panel was amazing, and watching the RT staff + Arin, Ross, and Ninja Brian play Werewolves was phenomenal. But the crowd pressing in on me to get to the GG panel was almost dehabilitating for me with my social anxiety, and I spent the 20 minutes leading up to the Werewolves panel nearly in tears from anxiety and frustration at my situation.

So Sunday rolls around, and I’m about ready to call the con a bust. I’m exhausted, mentally and physically, from the stress of the weekend, and our ride wasn’t due to arrive till about 6 pm. So we’re sitting in the Starbucks at the Hilton, and I decide to check my twitter. Which was apparently the correct thing to do, as the official NSP twitter had posted about a last-minute meetup at 1 PM that day. So Hannah and I refresh twitter anxiously until theypost the location, then high-tail it over to the Mariott. The whole time, I’m shaking and nearly crying because all I wanted out of the weekend was to give Dan a hug and thank him for being so wonderful. (If you haven’t listened to Game Grumps Wind Waker episode 19, he spills his soul about his struggle with OCD and depression, something with which I am extremely familiar). I’m one fo the first people to the meetup, and while we’re waiting, someone starts palying Road Trip on their phone. Now, I’ve worked damn hard to learn that dance, so I stood up alog with another girl and performed the dance in front of probably 100 NSP fans. ANd they cheered for us. That was heartwarming enough, to see that someone appriciated my hard work in learning that dance. And then Dan showed up. He beat Ninja Brian there and did an impromptu Q&A, where I was able to ask my question that had not gotten asked at the Game Grumps panel (Dan’s favorite Last Unicorn character–Schmendrick the Magician, for the record. He even said he’d cosplay him, which means I’ll probably make him the costume at some point.) Even though I could barely talk from nerves and my voice was shaking, he smiled at me and listened to my question without judgment or laughter, just an intent interest in what I had to say. And then when Brian got there and we lined up, I was one of the first people to get to meet them. And even though I was shaking so hard I could barely function, they were nothing but gracious. And when I asked shyly if I could have a hug, Dan smiled so big and said “Absolutely” and squeezed me tight. And I didn’t get to say everything I wanted to him–I didn’t want to be “that person” who hogged them for too long. But I hope he knows how much he mees to so many people, and what his story has done for me personally. And then I waited for Hannah to finish and so we could leave, and I barely managed not to cry because that one interaction had made all the stress and worry and frustration of the weekend totally worth it.

Dan is a phenomenal human being, and anyone who thinks he isn’t clearly hasn’t met him. He just exudes this energy and charm, and is more than gracious to his fans. I know they spent too long trying to get to everyone, because I saw the rest of the Grumps in the lobby later and Dan wasn’t with them, and they looked impatient. (I didn’t approach them, as they seemed in a hurry.)

TL;DR–Dan is a wonderful human being who deserves every good thing ever.