Festival · 12:05am Aug 19th, 2017
I'd say my Bronycon retrospective blog is long overdue, wouldn't you? Let's get to it.
The trip to Baltimore was painless. I'm ten minutes away from an Amtrak-serviced train station with a direct connection to Baltimore, and I didn't even have to wake up any earlier than I normally do for work. The worst thing that happened was realizing I was wearing pants with lingering coal dust stains from mulching somewhere in Delaware.
Once there, it was a quick taxi ride over. If the Bronycon mascot plushies in the divider sections of the Marriott's revolving door hadn't made it clear that I was in the right place, the cosplayers in the lobby did. I got directions from a passing Celestia, asking, "Excuse me, Princess, could you show me how to get to the convention center?"
I'd be more embarrassed about that if it hadn't worked, though the convention center was only a few hundred feet away. It's weird how everything seems bigger when you don't know where to go.
Once I was at the center itself, signs told me to proceed to registration. They did not tell me where registration was, so that led to more asking directions and accidental exploring of the convention center. One thing I'll say about that place, it keeps your blood flowing as you move from event to event.
Turns out I'd manage to enter the center at the exact opposite end from where they were registering people. I people-watched and silently cursed those who allowed gaps to form in front of them as I waited. Three folks behind me had a playable version of Fighting is Magic, which proved a welcome distraction.
Once I had my badge, it was off to another line for the opening ceremonies, though that one was more of a formality than anything; it moved fast enough that no one ever really stopped. There were still a bunch of balloons to bounce back and forth, though. And I still wish I'd gotten a photo of the guy dressed as Q, bearing a staff topped with a plastic Discord.
When I took my seat, I noted the patch-festooned vest of the fellow in front of me, including a massive one of a horse skull. Then I thought back to one of the pre-con blogs.
"Excuse me, are you Horse Voice?"
"Yes?"
"I'm FanOfMostEverything!"
"No way!"
Yup. Completely accidental. We had a merry conversation until the festivities began.
(As a side note, those badges turn around with frustrating frequency. I can't count how many times I had to flip the darn thing over to show someone who I was.)
The ceremonies themselves were fun, especially some of the special guests. Cathy Wiseluck performing Spike live is just surreal. It looks like she's being possessed. And Vincent Tong was great ("When I say 'hey,' you say 'ho!' Hey!" "Ho!" "Hey!" "Ho!" "When I say 'Flash Sentry,' you say 'is awesome!' Flash Sentry!" Cue much booing and derision, though I shouted "Did nothing wrong!")
After that, I proceeded immediately to Quills & Sofas, where I met a whole bunch of people in person for the first time. Admiral Biscuit, themaskedferret, Archonix, and a bucketful I'm forgetting, for which I apologize. I couldn't stick around for long, though, since there was a panel on fight scenes that's actually given me some pointers for a story I hope to have out this weekend.
After that, I got burritos with Horizon at Chipotle—I'm fairly certain that green fluid was just salsa verde—and then I started making use of the typewriters kindly provided by ROBCakeran53, author of Urinals aren't Equine Friendly. The entire reason the resulting compilation exists is because people loved that first story with stoned-out-of-her-gourd Starlight so much. Well, that and it's viscerally satisfying to have to hit the keys that hard. You can take out your frustration on uncooperative prose as you write it! Of course, the ability to arbitrarily insert and delete text is also nice.
Then came perhaps the most fun I had the entire time at Bronycon: And That's How Equestria Was Made. This was easily funnier than both of the other improv events I attended put together, not least because after the third round, they switched to audience participation mode. I went up three times, once as Twilight desperately trying to explain why everypony in Equestria was now my clone and nearly strangling Pinkie in the process, once as Pinkie explaining how selling ad space on the sun should be just fine since Luna sold the moon to help Equestria recover from its economic collapse and resulting horrific birthday candle-standard dystopia, and once as Applejack admitting that the whole "everypony has a beard now" thing started as a drunken musing and spiraled from there.
Seriously. So much fun.
After that was the TF2 Analysis Anarchy panel, where this happened.
I missed out on a lot of Fimfic writer-oriented events, some because I didn't get there in time, some because I just didn't know they were going on, and once because I really wanted to do kareoke (which was full by the time I got there. 
) But Trick Question's party? That I was able to attend. And I got to kick Yamgoth's rear in a game of Vanguard Planechase Commander Magic, followed by my first ever game of Twilight Sparkle's Secret Shipfic, wherein the shipping grid quickly grew larger than the table. It was a lot of fun, but I had to duck out when things started getting a bit too loud for my comfort. I went to bed long before midnight, for I am a poop.
The next day, after two of the most beautiful words in the English language (breakfast buffet) I got to see a Boba Fett cosplayer with built-in soundtrack, an editing panel full of familiar names, and yet more people who I don't properly remember. Oh, and only then did Bad Horse learn that I was FoME.
After hanging out some, we went to Jimmy John's for lunch. And upon our return, sandwich in hand, I was introduced to Ether Echoes.
Cue me digging out my copy of Through the Well of Pirene and gushing shamelessly about one of my favorite universes. We attracted a good eight or ten people—surprisingly enough, authors are intrigued when they see a book on a table—including Keystone Gray, with whom I'd been playing Discord tag all morning. Few of them had actually read Pirene, though I assured Ether that most people meaning to read something but never getting around to it was the mark of a true classic.
The perspective panel with Pascoite, Axis of Rotation, GaPJaxie, Dubs Rewatcher, and Ether was insightful (Thanks to Pasco for correcting me on who was there,) as was the collaborative writing panel later that evening. The transformative art panel was literally the same thing I saw at Ponycon, but at least the presenter has a bigger audience this time.
Sunday is rightly described as where cons go to die. The schedulers had really front-loaded the events. Still, that meant plenty of time to hang out at Quills & Sofas, getting in more typewriting time and interactions with others, including an all-too-brief meeting with alarajrogers. I really am sorry I'm not naming more names, but I'm just not very good at retaining them. Though the lunch at the Inner Harbor where I sat with Pascoite and Horse Voice (I think) was very enjoyable.
I surveyed the vendor hall over the course of the weekend. I think I managed to find the cheapest possible plushie, an adorable little $15 Derpy whose head poked out of my backpack for much of the con. I got to meet David Silver at his booth, where I picked up an Everglow campaign setting and apologized for simply not having the room or funds for much else. I praised several of my Derpibooru favorites, discussed the importance of Twilight's snorkel with NCMares, and basically forced Earthsong to take my money for this amazing print.
After the numerous photo shoots (I'm the guy with the Derp on his head,) I had to go, since if I stayed for the closing ceremonies, I'd only have about fifteen minutes to get to my train. Of course, half an hour into waiting for it at the station, I realized that it wasn't on the itinerary. Turns out that I had bought a ticket for Monday evening, not Sunday. 
I briefly panicked, but ended up buying a ticket for Trenton and having a friend pick me up for the rest of the way. Got in a bit later than I expected, but it still went fairly well.
So yeah, that was last weekend. I think you can tell when I stopped taking detailed notes. 
Did every con decide to head to an aquarium that weekend?
It was a blast meeting you and why the heck didn't you come out sooner?
Some of us deliberately turn them over to avoid drawing attention to ourselves. I'm not very good at dealing with that.
Axis wasn't on that panel, but GaPJaxie and Dubs Rewatcher were.
I wish I recognized more of the artists. As I said in my blog, at least I got to say hello to SilentWulv. Though I expect Mr. Silver would be none too happy to meet me.
You were definitely one of the names that I anticipated encountering the most once you said you were going to attend. It was great to meet you!
Sounds like a grand time. I will have to finagle my way out there one of these years!
Shoulda talked to you more...
~Skeeter The Lurker
Arrgh, I missed Earthsong. Darnit, she's one of the first artists I used for a background. (with much begging) And Dennyvixen too. Darnit, I had to have walked by both of them twice. I did get to meet NCMares though, but only for a second.
I used a second lapel badge so I didn't have to worry about the flipping kind. Still, I'm horrible with names and faces, so many times I was happily chatting away with somebody I had *no* clue what their name was. Wonderful people all. Wonderful panels too, although if I had known how many of them were going to be on Youtube later, I probably would have rubbed elbows more (despite being a house-mouse).
I saw him last year! I was almost convinced he was actually DeLancie incognito, the costume was so good.
4639809
I'll take you up on that at some point, once I get my act together.
4639795
Fun fact: I think there were at least 3 GaPJaxies at the con. (I tried to return them to the mirror pool but kept missing.)
Good to meet you! Wish I could have stayed longer. We didn't really get much chance to talk at all, sadly.
alarajrogers was there?!?
Sounds like you had fun! Glad it went well.
4639839
Man it'll be as bad as Admiral Biscuit pretty soon.
Fun fact, I am not wearing my glasses and for a split-second I legitimately thought that was where the sentence ended.
4639778
Possibly. They did it on Thursday, so I missed out.
4639780
Prior to this year, my con-going situation could be summarized as, "Time, money, mental preparation: Pick two." I'm making up for lost time.
4639795
I wanted to see how many people recognized me. I find it gratifying to watch peoples' faces light up when they hear my user name.
Corrected and cited. Thanks.
Great to meet you as well!
4639811
There's always next year.
4639814
Yeah, the "smile and pretend you know who you're talking to" strategy usually works out. Maybe I can use this year's badge lanyard to make a double-sided ID for next year.
4639892
Some is better than none. It was good to meet you too.
4639899
Briefly, on Sunday. Sadly, I didn't get to do much more than say hi to her.
4640128
Coming Summer 2018: Jaxie vs. Biscuit: War of the Hiveminds.
Wow. That is two layers deeper than I usually go, and one deeper than I've had the opportunity to dive. Grats on the victory!
Does this mean I can yell at you again—
Wait, I'm getting ahead of myself here.
Fight scenes, eh? I one up very early in my writing career for the joke (Rarity vs. Giant Crab, because, you know...), but in all the writing material I have absorbed since, I am genuinely surprised how much wrong I had managed to avoid. Still, I hear you haven't truly learned something until you teach it to someone else, so feel free to wander back over to Discord (it has seemed empty since your laptop started dying) and talk our ears— uh, eyes off.
Ditto. And don't stop being awesome, FoME.
I thought there had been more I was gonna say when I started writing this comment. Ah well, on to the yelling:
Show up on Discord so I can repeat myself
, I sent you a PM which you've got to have seen by now (not to be a bother, but hint, hint), and Georg's story workshop could use some more momentum again.
It was short but hey I got to say hi! So that was good.
It was awesome getting to meet you, Fome!
It's little things like this that make the con such a blast for me.
I was there in spirit. ^.^
In reality, I forgot to bring enough bribe money. Those guys are expensive!