• Member Since 18th Jun, 2012
  • offline last seen February 16th

Rarity Belle


A Dutch gentleman of leisure, living for pleasure, since mirth is my measure. Writing stories that are (mostly) unique and psychological of nature and visiting conventions whenever I can.

More Blog Posts35

  • 393 weeks
    Expanding my horizon

    The time is now finally there. Finally there to do something what I've been saying to do for a long time. If you remember a previous blog of mine, I said that I was kinda done with MLP fanfics. Hence why I expanded my horizon of writing gibberish. The first story to see that light of day, is the story that I wrote to

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    4 comments · 837 views
  • 397 weeks
    Galacon 2016 aftermath

    So here I sit in my 23rd year,
    How I wish I was at a con right now,
    It's been five days since we drove away,
    and I just made home yesterday,
    Celestia damn them all!

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    6 comments · 771 views
  • 403 weeks
    Done with MLP:FiM fanfics?

    Well, kinda, sorta, maybe, not entirely... This needs a bit more explaining, I'm afraid.

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    10 comments · 682 views
  • 414 weeks
    BronyFair 2016

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    2 comments · 603 views
  • 420 weeks
    Hearth's Warming Con 2016

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    11 comments · 607 views
Apr
5th
2016

BronyFair 2016 · 9:00pm Apr 5th, 2016

Right, a new month, a new convention! While I'm sitting here with a fine drink imported from the wonderful country I got to visit, recalling everything that happened the past weekend over again as a tidal wave of emotions, all I can do is just smile. But first things first, BronyFair was held this year for the second time in Berlin, Germany. And it was awesome! It was my first time there (which is becoming a bit of a theme, missing the first time and than keep sticking like glue) and it went pretty much as you would have expected. Though I think it's fair to say that we start from the beginning.

Which means Friday, April first, or April Fool's day, way too early for my liking I had to start traveling as just (or only) three Dutch bronies would attend the con. Moontune, JohnSmith and I gathered at the station to catch the bus to Berlin. A trip of 9 hours just by bus and insanity at its finest, but 11 if you count everything else as well. Once arrived in Berlin after a not-all-too-interesting bus-trip, we had to find our hotel, which was close to an airport, a bit too close for my own comfort. Moon had separated from us to his own place of stay and Smithy would share a room with me. Long story really, really short, we got to our hotel somehow and dumped our gear. From there we headed to the venue to understand the route and collect our badges. We discovered that it was only one short bustrip away. I've never spend so much time on a bus in my life compared to the entirety of this con, not that that's a bad thing though. Anywho, having arrived at the venue, I got my badge and everything and had a look at the room where I would have my fanfiction panel (another? Yes, another). It was the largest room I've ever given a panel in so far. I was flabbergasted and terrified at the same time.

Having done that and everything around it, you of course meet people again from other cons and people that recognize you. Which means talking, talking and even more talking. At one point we just cut it off and would head deeper into Berlin. My mistake was that I was tired, and a bit drowsy...which meant that I wasn't in my usual tiptop fine mental travelling condition. Let's just say that we didn't saw that much of Berlin on Friday evening. We eventually just dropped down at a small restaurant and then went back to the hotel room. Mainly because it would be an early rise and shine for us both. Although just as we wanted to get on the elevator, (to my knowledge) the only Finnish people came out. We spoke a bit with them and during the conversation, Smithy just had to hit the hay, I continued to talk a bit longer with them, until it was time to go to bed as well. Early rise and shine, one thing I didn't like but didn't mind either.

Saturday

So with a shoulder bag and a cane in me hand, we kept right on travelling that German-land. Smithy and I made our way to the venue again by bus while wearing our costumes. We got some pretty peculiar looks from people used to the unexpected. I was ready for the panel and so pumped up! My panel was half an hour after the opening ceremony, for which I was fortunate. It meant that I had all the time in the world to wander the rest of the con without any form of mental stress.

So we were there and during the opening ceremony there was an amazing thing that happened and something that made me tear up. I don't know who it was, but somebody proposed to his girlfriend, on the main stage, and she said yes. I was sitting there with tears in my eyes, I'll be honest. Best of luck to them both! When that was over, the special guests were announced and brought to stage, Anneli Heed, Prince Whateverer and the Wasteland Wailers. In all honesty, I wasn't thrilled by all three of them. Mostly because my own personal taste. Although, it was good to see miss Heed again. After that, the opening was pretty much done and I disappeared for about 45 minutes into the room and preparations for my own panel. There were some hiccups, but the volunteers did an excellent job with all the technical equipment and got it all running long before the panel was about to start, for which I was just glad!

But with a bit more time to spare and the entrance door just a little bit hidden, it was time to farm some people! But not even I could delay the inevitable and the doors had to close eventually. It was my time to shine again and I could do what I have been trying to do right for the past four panels now: inform and teach people while throwing in a dose of humor in it as well. This time I decided to do something different and went with a 'villain creation panel', in other words: what does it need to create a good and interesting villain. In my eyes, the panel succeeded with flying colors, outside of me being nervous as well (nothing new there). I got some good reactions during the panel and afterward, I've the confidence that people enjoyed it.

An hour later was it all over and had to clean the room of my madness, during which some more questions were asked and answered. After that, it was finally time to just roam around the con for the first time! Vendor galore! So much merch and so many things that I wanted to buy, but I just couldn't. Money wasn't the issue, it was more the issue of: 'where am I gonna store it during the way back.' I kept that in mind for a lot of factors and variables. Which resulted in the fact of me not buying anything during Saturday.

All of it was followed by dropping in late for the panel of Anneli Heed, who basically told the same as she has told since Galacon 2013 (the con were we first met) and we heard from Moon that she had asked for (or about) both me and Smithy. I was genuinely surprised about that one, but she wanted to meet the other Dutchies crazy enough to come to Berlin as well. It was a long search to even find her though. At aound the same time, we also heard that Perrydotto was also looking for us. We met up with Moontune again and would head to her table, were a long lasting tradition was kept in honor. Moon commissioned a drawing of our OC's doing something silly. Apparently that's tradition between those two, okay! It works for me, tradition is tradition. I just went with it, it did became an awesome drawing though.

Yet during all of that, we had to eat. We needed some lunch, what did we do? We went to the maid cafe in our cosplays because we thought it made the most sense. No complaints whatsoever about that though. Yes, we were waiting a long time to be served even though it was almost deserted when we came, but neither Smithy nor I really cared for that. Had some glorious rainbow cake though, which made it all the better! Just, lovely if you ask me. Hope more cons will have a maid cafe. Or, not, to keep it just something for BronyFair. we'll see what the future holds. Clock was ticking and the hour already stood far in the afternoon and we still hadn't managed to speak with Anneli at that point, which was kinda working on my nerves. Somebody had asked for me, was perhaps even looking for me, and I wasn't there. I just can't stand that, so the only probable option was during the meet-and-greet. Low and behold, both myself and Smithy finally had the chance to talk to Anneli Heed. Lovely woman altogether and we spoke about thing I honestly can't remember. The whole of Saturday was just, a giant bank of fog at this point. Again, nothing new there for me.

Slowly (well, not that slowly, more like 'high-speed-trains-traveling-at-cruising-speed-fast', the day had come to an end and with some quick dinner and an evening ahead of us, Moon, Smithy and I decided to stay a bit longer and see where it would go. we dropped down again at the maid cafe which was turned into a lounge while the concerts of the Wailers and Whateverer was going on. Personally, I don't have a lot with Fallout Equestria (which is strange, because I love Fallout and MLP) and metal isn't really my thing so...meh. Never been a fan of parties really. Long story short, spoke again with a lot of people and about 10 in the evening, might have been later, Smithy and I returned back to our hotel to prepare for Sunday.

Sunday

The following day was of course a lot more quiet, most of the people were probably hungover from the night before, which meant a lot less people to get in the line. When we were allowed to enter, Smithy and I went to KnifeH's panel because he wanted to see it and I was like: 'what do I have to lose?' Turned out I had the cosplay contest to lose, but okay. It was interesting and no regrets from actually going there. It was rather informative and educative, and I don't even draw!

With the panel over, we headed again to the vendors and finally bought a couple of things left and right. Just a few little nicknacks that I wanted. Nothing too special at all. But soon afterward, the cosplay contest was there and I did wanted to see it, even though I was no part of it. Turned out that only three people had joined the contest. In other words, you would get an award no matter what. We had a gentleman Octavia, an Applejack and a Vinyl Scratch, in order of third to first. I'll admit, that Vinyl was good. Although personally, I did like the Octavia myself a lot more, mostly because we met each other at BronyDays a few months prior. It wasn't that interesting all together, on the other end, there just weren't that many cosplayers around and the host did an amazing job. And I do regret my decision to not have joined, oh well, next time more luck!

From the cosplay contest, we had some lunch after which the MLP quiz began. I had signed up for it and remained there for about 15 minutes, knowing most of the answers that came, but my name never came forth. Perhaps I was already disqualified (which was most likely the case), not that I really cared either. Times had changed during the entire con for me and I'm like glue when it comes to meeting people, I keep on talking and sticking... Which can be seen as a bad thing to some degree, thinking about it now. It was around that time we also heard that Perry had finished our commission. The idea changed a little bit since Moon had learned to throw the lasso and we went with that. His OC, having thrown a lasso around mine, who was holding a panel or writing something, while Smithy be like: 'the horror, the horror!' It has become an amazing drawing!

Time passed on and on and we roamed more and more through the venue. Until it was time for the charity auction! I still had some money to burn and I wanted to see just how far I could take things around and about. A lot of items were put to auction and on those that I began to bid, I got outbid really easily. But with just €170,- and a auditorium filled with Germans...you can do the math. There wasn't anything of real interest for me either. Outside of a BronyFair glass that eventually sold for €200,-. One of the last items up for auction was a cutting board with Rarity in her French outfit and I wanted it. I opened the bid at €50,- straight away. Somebody else went up to €100,-, I raised it too €150,- (it may or may not have gone like that, I can't quite remember). But I wanted to see who was bidding against me, so I stood up and stared the guy down to keep my bid. Only (and I was told this later by somebody else) when I turned away to reply to Perry on the stage, the counter-bid was made. €155,- and I was like: 'do I really want to pay that much for it? No.' And so, I let it slide. It was an honorable bidding war and we shook hands afterward. He had won fair and square, and paid way too much for it in the process. The auction is something I got used to in Germany, they are insane! Just, complete and utter, insane.

Closing ceremony followed up and with that, the end of the con had arrived for us all. It just went as you expected and a worthy closure for the con, a weekend on which I look back with a great feeling. Yet straight after that, I bought the only memorabilia of the con itself, a travel mug which I do intend to whenever I can. After the con, Smithy and I had the idea to take the metro to the center of the city (finally) and eat something there. Unfortunately for me, he was hungry and had to eat quick but people kept on coming to me...we made a compromise! We all went to the KFC to eat something and see how it goes. But again, as with people, I'm like glue, we remained there for far longer I would have liked to admit...

Which resulted in us having to go back to the hotel to pack everything for Monday, to try it again to head into the center of Berlin one last time. We had packed everything, made the plans that we wanted and we were off to bed, to mentally prepare after some outrageous ideas.

Monday

Enter Monday itself, we woke up early to head into the center of Berlin, just to finally see the sights we wanted to see. Smithy and I headed to the supermarket first to get some stuff, then headed to the metro station to catch the sub and...we were denied again. For the third time in a row, we were denied to enter the center of Berlin because of reasons that only divine entities might know! Like we had a massive denied stamped on our foreheads. I was done with it at that point and then just headed straight to the meeting point for Moontune.

Having arrived there, we waited and then continued our way to the Lego Store (because I really, really, really wanted too) and that store was a journey in and of itself. Bought a small little set because my addiction needed to be filled. From there, we would head back again to the bus-station. We got on the bus and would be heading back home early in the afternoon. Which meant another rather uneventful trip back to the Netherlands. My estimation of having arrived back home by midnight was about right. Which was the conclusion of BronyFair 2016 for me. An awesome convention, organized by even greater people, in a marvelous city. I may or may not have forgotten people and events, because my mind is a strainer.

A massive thanks goes out to everybody who has attended the fanfiction panel of course, but a much bigger thanks should to the entirety of the staff of everything. They placed a rock-solid thing and if 2017 is going to happen, I will be there without a doubt. It is worth the pain of sitting in a bus-seat that is just a bit too small for you. Or, you know, catch the train. BronyFair, thanks for the amazing weekend!

Comments ( 2 )

3851306 It was an amazing convention and so much yes! The world is dangerous, but if you keep your wits about and a sober head (and in general not seek out any trouble), everything is going to be just fine. But peeking over the shoulders every now and then, just for good measure, can't do that much harm, can it?

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