The complete Bronycon 2019 Post... · 8:52pm Aug 7th, 2019
...which I might update later with pictures if I find the strength. Warning: IT'S LONG.
RobCakeRan53 loves Trotcon.
This is a statement that resonates true to anyone who knows the man; it's his con. His stomping grounds. He knows the people, the venue, the mood and swing of things. Ask him about Swaglacorn
Bronycon was my con.
I grew to know the area fairly well, find my way to restaurants, greet the staff and even remember what they served me the previous year. Some of them actually remembered me too! (can't decide if that's good or bad) I knew a couple of the servers at Fogo de Chao, and most of the team in our section of Tir Na Nog. The bar guy remembered when we all started singing "Piano Man". The lady behind the bar at Saturday Morning Cafe was the first to greet me there three years ago, but that first time I ate in the lower level area, then the next and this year she served me directly at the bar, although I sat down in opposite ends of the bar.
D & K, (to respect their privacy) remembered me from previous years of organizing the Writer's Dinner. I recognized other con-goers who I had never spoken to, but saw every year, vendors and staff members… in short, just like Trotcon is Rob's con, Bronycon was my con.
And now, it's over. Yeah, I was never staff, although I got to meet several higher-ups due more to random circumstances than any merit of my own, I'd think. I want to emphasize that these guys and gals worked their asses off. ALL of them. Top to bottom. I see people complaining about decisions made (perhaps in haste), or the lines, or whatever. The convention ran as smooth as just about any other. I've been to AnimeExpos, international comic book conventions, etc. It was on par, every year.
Nothing is ever perfect, but empty complaints by people that never stepped up to help or join the staff, or even admitted to the tremendous effort of everyone involved should be dismissed outright. "LineCon" is memeing around like some sort of disease that only goes to show the lack of gratitude some individuals encourage with their condescending lack of contribution.
ProTip: It's fine to be a con-goer that doesn't contribute anything to the experience other than CO2, smiles, smells, and money. No one expects anything from you, and generally speaking, people hope you'll have a good time and bathe occasionally. However, when you express sanctimonious judgement with a dismissive attitude, and you can only complain about things you couldn't do yourself (or solve) to save your life, keep that shit to yourself. Check your goddamned privilege.
Maybe being a moderator makes me appreciate more what people do behind the scenes, or maybe it's just a certain maturity. Who knows?
Anyway, so my first shout-out goes to the imperfect, but very competent group of people that worked behind the scenes to make this happen and run as smoothly as was humanly possible under the circumstances. You know who you are. I want to say names, but should I? 
My second shout-out goes to Razalon the Lizardman. You know why, and I am glad I got to talk to you, man. It was a real pleasure to make your acquaintance IRL.
There is so much to talk about this last Bronycon. Attendance record, amazing guests, etc., but I'll limit it to my personal experiences.
From the beginning.
Wednesday
My trip started on Wednesday morning, at 7 am. I packed all the stuff into the car, pulled my snacks and drinks out of the fridge, threw them into my cooling bag and, after a brief stop at Tim Hortons, I was off to Delaware, Ohio.
There, I met with Corejo and Sammi, and we waited for C2, since the dude was busy coaching and couldn't take the day off like a responsible adult. Once the team was gathered and Sammi demonstrated her mastery of Tetris by packing everything in the trunk with a zeal that would make any UPS employee green with envy (inside joke), we were off.
Did you know I had never eaten at a Cracker Barrel? That changed on Wednesday. Although the drive was really long, the views were amazing, I love the freeway drive to and from Bronycon. Sure, it's a bit longer, but man. It's beautiful. Mountains, lakes, forests, distant storms out of a Miyasaki movie, the Lion's Den in the distance, rising like a beacon of hope for all truck drivers...
Through the day I was kept up to date via text messages (or discord) on who was already there. Cyborg Samurai, Nyronus, Pen Stroke, Fangwarden, GapJaxie and others all checked in at some point or another. One of my coworkers informed me she wasn't going to make it to work that day. Already my day was building up the anticipation for the convention, but it was a LONG trip.
By the time we arrived, and I was dropped off at my hotel (I stayed with Pen Stroke, El Oso, and our friend Gamma this year), I barely made it to the registration line and the staff member politely told me that there was no way in hell I could get in at this time. Seeing the solid cube of people in front of me, and that they had every person on deck working on that, including the panelist registration, I pretty much agreed with the man and decided to, instead, high-five the next staff member and waltz into the Marketplace with Out of Work Derpy on my arm. (Not literally). RobCakeran53 called out because I greeted just about everyone else but him, so I gave him the courtesy of the middle finger and a smile, which he returned with equal eagerness.
We're cool like that.
Dusty Sculptures hadn't made it yet, but NCMares had. Booths were being set up left, right and center, and I only had a general idea of where the bookstore would be, so I made my way there and found Aquaman, Jaxie and others (my mind blanks on this stage, I was tired). It was late, and staff members swept the grounds, calling out for everyone to get out like a live re-enactment of Semisonic, only without the music and less whining about getting laid. I think.
So naturally I tried to cling to the safest thing I could find, and when I didn't find a safe thing, I told Jaxie we should eat! And possibly bring Petrichord with us. But first, Bloons and I needed to help drop his bags in his room, and he needed to make a personal call. While there, Bloons was kind enough to gift me a little Rarity memento, which I'll use as an xmas tree decoration.
So we agreed that the best place to go at this time would be Hooters. I seem to remember there was a logic to this decision, but I'm not too clear on the details, other than "beer and wings!"
Jaxie and I love to talk about writing. Shocking, right? But it's true, and it is one of the things I appreciate the most about Bronycon: this rejuvenating sensation of being with and around people that LOVE what you do. And also specifically the area of interest that you particularly care about, and without limiting it to the fandom.
We said hi to other fans that were sitting nearby, finding out one of them was somewhat a fan of the Sweetie Chronicles before we ordered food and started to talk. Petri joined us soon after and ordered whatever I was having which was a surprise for me… I didn't know he could eat 3 Mile Island wings. But he could! And he did!
After that, I went back to the hotel room and passed out.
Thursday
I got up at 8 and discovered to my pleasure (and dawning horror - more on that) a text message from Cap'n Chryssalid. He was back in Baltimore, one more time, and did I want to meet him at the con.
I made my way to the convention center, mostly because I was anxious about my pass and wanted to be around for the Bookstore, then sort of waited around for Cap'n to show up.
So, a small admission—when organizing the "ultra-secret-ultra-elite" Writer's Dinner for Bronycon (a tradition started by accident and initially secured by Sunchaser) we have always had a cap of just how many people we can put in the same room at the restaurant, and also relied on word of mouth and a first-come, first-listed kind of approach.
So, it's less of an elite gathering of writers, and more of a "hey! I made it to the list!" kind of lucky thing, but, this year, Cap'n's unexpected appearance reminded me not just of how many people I had wait-listed… but also how many people I hadn't heard were coming would.
A solid bit of anxiety started there, and my mind started listing everyone I had seen around that just now I realized wasn't in the list and goddammit they all should be and… deep breaths, Wanderer. For now, we have the 60 people cap. Follow the plan, see what you can do.
But first, we needed to find others. After waiting in line with Cap, which is actually fun since we talk shop all the time, we went in search of the legendary fanfiction writers of Bronycon. And found a few of them sitting on the floor in a loose circle while we figured out where the hell Quills and Sofas was. (More on that later)
A voice called out: "Friend!" and I got a hug from Mono, and we saw Aragon, and we spoke Spanish with each other for all of 30 seconds before we were all pulled to other people.
There I found Present Perfect, Gray Pone, Razalon, and many others. I saw CyborgSamurai approaching. "Cyborg! I had no idea you were secretly this other dude!" I pulled out my book and started gathering signatures from authors and readers alike, basking in the sheer energy that gathered from meeting old and new friends.
Eventually scuttlebutt let it be known that Quills and Sofas was, in fact, part of Pastel Pastures something I had known for a while, then second-guessed myself into forgetting. I didn't admit it to anyone there.
While the others went off there, I headed down to the Marketplace which was still closed to the public and which had a line that was starting to spiral out of control. I didn't have the vendor pass we were supposed to share, so I skipped past the people in line, high-fived the staff member at the door and went in.
Once I got to the bookstore, I reported in to Aquaman who was tidying up the last few things, and took my place behind the books alongside Monochromatic, trying to orient myself as to where everything was located. Then the doors opened and everything else is a blur up until security showed up. At some point in sales, PaulAsaran had also arrived and while our meeting was happy, it was quickly deviated by the sheer amount of people and while we were at it, I saw a pair of staff members from security come in and try to figure out how to unclog the marketplace, because apparently we had managed to block a good piece of access to huh… everything.
So I pulled them aside and asked wtaf what the actual problem was, then suggested that we could split the line, and therefore allow people not interested in the bookstore passage. After some consulting and studying the area, it was agreed that we would split the line that was in the area where other vendors were, and we'd continue the line down by the columns next to the wall. How to do it?
Grab your nearest Cap'n Chryssalid, who is pretty tall, and use him to handle that side of the line. Go back, herd everyone into single file, cut off the line just as it reached the end of our display area, and again herd everyone to where Cap would keep them entertained. We improvised two signs to identify the start of the line and the continuation of it, and prayed to Discord it would work out.
Return, sell books until line was reduced (all the while telling newcomers where the line started), go get 5 to 8 people, rinse, repeat. I did recognize a few people on the line; shook hands, signed books, etc. but it was mostly a rush of searching, recommending, picking up books, and calling out "next!" Also desperate text messages and discords for people to bring more books because we sold out of what we had almost immediately.
This went on for a few hours. Mono had to leave because she was expected at the opening ceremonies, and had later returned with a friend to keep fighting the good fight.
At some point someone dragged me away because apparently my shift had ended a few hours earlier and something or other involving things called food and water. I believe it was Valkyrie Boss. I passed on the vendor badge to Flutterpriest, who was already being helped by Tangerine Blast, and I went out, met with Dusty briefly, said hi to other vendors, including the ever-awesome Harwick, who I promised I'd return the day after to secure some art.
After that… I'm sort of blank on any specifics, but soon enough had my first panel.
Fanfiction Foundations - Root Your Story in the World Thursday 8:45PM - 9:45PM Hall of the Moon
Fanfictions can take us on grand adventures in breathtaking locals, but they all start from a passion for the source material. Come learn tricks and tips to root your next, or current, story in the canon that inspired it for stability, practicality, and success. (Panelists: Pen Stroke, Wanderer D, and El Oso.)
It was nice to see a packed room. We talked about the importance of making certain things recognizable and solid for readers to identify and relate to the content of the story, among many other things. Doing panels with Pen Stroke is always fun, and Oso is very knowledgeable about storytelling and selling a message, even if he's not readily recognizable in our fandom.
After that… did I ever have dinner? I can't remember.
Off to bed with Pen Stroke! [spoilers]We all paired up the beds, you dirty-minded deviants! I expect fan art of this, though.[/spoilers]
Friday
I met up with Mono early in the morning and took her to Saturday Morning Cafe even though it was Friday. Do you know how nice it is to have her all to yourself? I do. Seriously tho, we hadn't had breakfast/brunch since like… two years ago? I ordered the French Toast to end all French Toasts and I believe that Mono ordered the Eggs Benedict. While we waited for the order, Pen Stroke and Oso shuffled in, and after a brief wave, went downstairs, and Olden Brony showed up, and we chatted a bit about writing and friends while they were seated. Mono was wearing her crazy Pikachu hat of which she can control the ears with little presspads and did so to amuse and entertain a lady that walked in and gushed over how cute it was.
I feel the paragraph above reads a little like Silver Glow's Journal.
Anyway. After breakfast, we briefly explained bronies and bronycon to a gentleman and his daughter, then headed over to Quills and Sofas… which was basically two tables inside of Pastel Pastures.
Now, I've heard some people bitch about this, and granted, it wasn't ideal, but it was damn better than last year when the convention took over the whole room every time instead of just asking us to step out for a moment while they organized how the next Pastel Pastures event would take place.
There I saw, hugged, and begged for signatures from many other friends, including, but not limited to: RobCakeran, Jake the Army Guy, Horse Voice, Bad Horse, JediMasterEd, MitchH, and got a free Dashie plush from Yamgoth and Pascoite gave me some pascoite before I had to head down to the Marketplace to sell books.
The line was predictably insane. So I pranced past them, high-fived the staff member on turn, and got in.
I made a beeline to the bookstore and checked on pre-orders and such, then the madness began anew with PaulAsaran at my side. This time around though, someone had thought ahead and made proper signs (Well, you know, printed "line starts" and "line continues" onto two pieces of cardboard) and pretty much stayed there until close to dinner time, leaving the team in the capable hands of others to head over to the hotel.
Gamma, Pen Stroke and Oso were already there, and we were expecting Petrichord to show up soon… but I had a mission. I asked if anyone wanted to come with me, and then with Gamma at my side headed over to Tir Na Nog. the restaurant, not the island Once there, and a manager meetup later, I am assured that I can bring more than 60 people to dinner, but only 60 can be guaranteed in the same area.
I counted that as a win, so I really, really tried to reach out. And I still missed the mark, and left a few people wondering if they had been ignored. You were not. The Writer's Dinner was for you all—I just couldn't reach everyone. So, if anyone felt like you were ignored, please accept my apologies.
After that, I got a Glimglam and Rarity from Build a Bear, and headed back to the hotel, picked up Petrichord, Gamma, Pen Stroke, and Oso, and we all headed over to Fogo de Chao, while explaining to Pen Stroke why the story series: Reserve Stock came to be, and why it was related to the Dragon's Milk that Petri left for us in the hotel. At Fogo I got to introduce Petri to the wonderful world of excessive amounts of meat and the delightful flavor of Caipirinhas.
Cap'n Chrys texted me to check if I wanted to hang out, I said yes and that I'd check in with him later, returned to the hotel on the edge of a food coma, then watched the new season of She-ra with the others. It's awesome.
By the time Cap'n checked in again, I was unconscious.
Saturday
I slept in. Until 9.
Then Nyronus reached out, asking if I was up for B-fast. We agreed, and Oso was going to go with us, but decided to join Pen Stroke at the center. So we checked a couple of places before settling for the Cheescake Factory.
Yeah, yeah. Roll your eyes. Food was good.
I got the huevos rancheros, and I think Nyronus had waffles and eggs, then headed back to the con. I had an event to focus on, and people to wrangle. We went to Quills and Sofas hanging out for a bit with Jake and a few others, then headed out to check on the bookstore and coordinate with Dusty.
After that, I met with Pascoite, TheHatMan (who I intend to discuss Digimon with at some point) and Jaxie for the panel later that night. It was mostly just touching base on content and planning the flow of the panel while munching stuff at Jimmy John's.
What We Do Saturday 3:00PM - 4:00PM Hall of the Moon
Do you love the MLP Creative Fandom and how we interact with each other, what makes us unique, or what we have in common? "What We Do" is a multi-platform panel, consisting of members from our fanfiction, artistic, musical, voice acting and even youtube community. Join Cloud 9, Cyril the Wolf, Dusty Sculptures, Obabscribbler, and Wanderer D in a talk about our influences in each other's medium and, ultimately, what we can do if we all work together.
Scribbler thinks I'm lovely
So Cloud 9 is incredibly talented which is readily apparent, and terribly anxious about being in front of large groups of people… which was not apparent. I have to admit that I admire her steely resolve and professionalism when she sat up there, especially if—as I was later told—she was truly as nervous as she didn't seem.
One of my most enjoyable moments was making Dusty feel even more self-conscious of his skills and self-consciousness. Dude is a saint, and an incredible artist.
It's apparently a mark of being horse-famous to sit next to Scribbler and Cyril the Wolf. I think I'm just lucky to have been surrounded by such amazing talented creators. Everyone in the panel had something to say, and I really regret that I didn't get the 90 minute slot I had requested even if Scribbler had to run and interview Lauren Faust before we finished… but really, who would have blamed her? We still covered a LOT of things and I think got one of the most varied mix of panel goers out of the non-MLP-staff ones. We had artists, musicians, writers… it was a good mix, reflecting the variety of the panelists' skill set.
We all talked about the challenges we had, how the other's passions inspired us, and even about how we handled commissions. It was a loosely structured panel where we provided content based on our own experiences.
It was a treat and an honor to do this with all of them.
After that, I hung around for a while with others in Quills and Sofas before I headed out early to Tir Na Nog with Valkyrie Boss and Lise Eclaire. To my surprise, K told me as soon as I arrived: "We added fifteen seats to the area we reserved for you, I'm sorry we couldn't do more."
I mean. Damn.
I'll be honest. I was afraid no one would come for a bit there, because the 15 minutes I waited seemed eternal. But then, Valkyrie informed me that Admiral Biscuit had just texted her with a message: There's a large herd headed your way.
And just like that. BAM.
Full room. I did the rounds, making sure everyone had a seat. Valkyrie, Eclaire, Gary Oak and Cap'n Chrysalis sat at my table, I introduced Scribbler and Neighrator Pony to Cold in Gardez and GapJaxie. I checked on Dusty. Patted Applejinx on the back. Promised Jake a beer, checked seats and availability. Coordinated with waiters and kept the communication flowing whenever I could help and there was a snag.
JediMasterEd celebrated Bad Horse's birthday with his impressive attention to detail, and Shakespearicles gave a rousing speech about the supposed "end of the fandom"; we all ate, we laughed and shared stories. I met with Captain Unstoppable, and he told me some horror stories from his OC booth, I introduced Skeeter to ObabScribbler because he felt nervous about it. Scribbler thinks he's lovely
And it all went well, with a full-house and good service. Sure, it got a bit slow, but as I liked to remind anyone that might have maybe complained about it… they were serving over 75 people with every single person having a different check.
When people started drifting off, K asked me to stay a bit longer, and K treated Jaxie and I to a free drink of our choice on the house (I got a Glenfiddich), where I got to meet and also drink with their COO who is a lovely lady that enjoys good wine, used to live in England, started as a nanny, likes to trade mythological knowledge and—hey Jaxie, what do you mean "I'll see you later, good luck?"
After a cup of wine with lovely H, I headed back to the convention center to catch up with the others, and attended the Panel: It's in Our Hooves Now: The Importance of Fanfiction After the Series Ends. (Which was pretty amusing to watch as part of the crowd, with plenty of fun being poked at several of us, both on the panel, and in the crowd.) For me it was a reaffirmation of things I had talked about before, but apparently some people needed to hear it to really internalize it. Jaxie even referenced my blog! (I was very proud of this.)
Distant Worlds: Writing for Non-MLP Settings Saturday 12:45AM - 1:45AM Hall of the Stars
Friendship is Magic has produced incredible fanfiction. But as the end of MLP G4 draws near, authors wonder -- what happens next? In this panel, four popular fanfic writers discuss how to write equally good fanfic for other universes and settings. (Panelists: GapJaxie, Pascoite, TheHatMan, Wanderer D)
So, once the crowd had been assured that the fandom would remain strong in their writing, we started on our panel about how they could write about, y'know. Different shit. Since the whole thing was over anyway there was a lot to learn from MLP that could be applied to any writing. From other fandoms, to original creations. There was a lot of good content, and I think we did well covering several aspects of writing and establishing characters.
After that, time for be—
Sunday
Ah, Sunday morning. What to do? Well, let's go check on the Bookstore and make sure they're not in desperate need of help (they had everything under control), go grab Jaxie and Petri, and go get drunk. It's 10PM in Japan anyway.
So we escape to have that chat we've been wanting to have, Petri pulls out the Dragon Milk, and we start talking about life, the universe, and everything. It was pretty fun. With nothing else on the book for me until later that day—100% honesty here, I don't like going to closing ceremonies and didn't feel like getting more sentimental—I stole Valkyrie Boss and we went out for cake, then met up with Fangwarden and Noble Cause for life updates, and then went to Fogo de Chao (I like that place, alright) with Gary Oak, Corejo, and several others.
After that? Trixie's party, where I talked for a while with Kalash and we discovered we actually had a mutual friend in Russia! So, we sent her a selfie, and Kalash wished her a good morning, then we went to the party itself. Trixie hugged me, I hugged her back. It was kind of packed, and I was feeling a bit tired so I gave a short speech to all gathered, which I'm sure they immediately forgot about—but it doesn't matter, it was heartfelt, and that's what's important—and then headed out with the full intention of passing out… except that life had plans and Cap'n invoked me to hang out with a couple of friends. So, I picked up Valkyrie Boss again, and we dragged Oso with us to hang out for one last hurrah.
I signed and dedicated a copy of Gunsmoke for him, and he did the same for my copy of Best Night Ever, we all had fun, lighthearted and witty, then Oso and I escorted Valkyrie to her hotel and well… it was the end of Sunday and Bronycon.
Monday
4:30AM. Barely any sleep, but Pen Stroke needed to leave roughly at this time to get to the airport in time. I said goodbye and shared a good hug, then we finally got some sleep… until 7 for me. Sammi, Corejo and C2 came over to drag my sorry ass back to Delaware. We packed up and set out.
It was a smooth ride, we stopped at Bob Evan's to eat breakfast and then got on the road again. We talked about a lot of things. Our experiences at Bronycon, what to do next, which con would replace it, FedEx, Dragonlance, bluetooth, and Dungeons and Dragons. It was a really fun drive, I didn't stay long at their place, other than to write a Gunsmoke dedication for C2, and then I headed back home to Detroit.
It was a blast. The whole thing. I'll miss Bronycon and the perfect excuse it was to see all of my dear friends in one place, at the same time, but I'll keep contact, and we'll figure something out.
And with this, my tale ends.
Good bye, BC.
~Wanderer D
I heard it was "Everyplace else is probably closed because it's so late at night." Then again "Wings" is also a perfectly valid reason.
I'm a sucker for the kind of wings that are (spice-wise) hot enough that i start to tear up and my mouth feels dragon-like, but which are nevertheless delicious. Whenever I go to a place that serves wings and "Mango Habanero" is listed as a sauce type, i reflexively brace myself: I know I'm gonna get 'em, and I know it's gonna hurt, but unless the sauce is somehow incredibly badly made then it's still going to be worth it. 3MI wings also fall into that category, but with garlic taste instead of fruit taste, and are similarly worth it.
And so spread the word of what I guess has become my greatest literary contribution to the horsefic writer's canon: fetish porn.
derpicdn.net/img/2018/3/28/1693066/large.png
Don't forget the grilled pineapple. I would eat, like, fifty pounds worth of the grilled pineapple they served there if given the chance, and fuck even just talking about this made me hungry for more of that grilled pineapple damn it
But yeah, holy shit it was an incredible con. I think, without hyperbole, it was the best convention out of any i have been to, ever. And I've been going to cons since i was...twelve-ish? Pretty young, anyway. But yeah, everything about BC2019 came together completely magically, to the point where I can't even be sad the con's over with a sendoff as good as it had: you don't get goodbyes that are any better than this (though that's a blog post for a different day.)
Also I'm pretty sure I went to every panel that you and Jaxie were in, so that's pretty cool I guess. Given how good those panels were, I'd say those were some pretty solid judgement calls right there. (And am I right in thinking that Shakespearicles' passion made the Distant Worlds panel seem a lot more uplifting than the panel description made it seem like it would? or is that just me?)
In any case: love ya, dude, and can't wait to chat with you again - face-to-face or otherwise.
As always, it was a fucking honour. I hope our paths cross once again.
Ah yes, the great American interstate. Lion's Den billboards right next to church billboards.
Thank you for your work on and dedication to your panels and the dinner! It was awesome.
Bronycon may be no more but excuses to see friends are easy to make. And there are a plenty still.
It was great meeting you again, brother, even if only two other people on this site know who Fangwarden is
I'm gonna miss those 8 hour car rides, man. I'm gonna miss 'em.
Anyway, come to Trotcon.
It was great to see you again, D, even if we didn't really talk much (aside from me telling you I finally got around to starting Ranger and was loving it), and I enjoyed both of the panels you were on that I got to attend on Saturday. I don't know how I missed the one on Thursday (everything still feels like a blur), but I'll be sure to look it up when/if it gets posted on YouTube.
It was great to meet you, man. I shall forever remember the grueling hours spent together in the muck and blood and doom that was the first and only Bronycon Bookstore.
Your memory of the details of the con is far sharper than mine. That was a detailed retelling.
Still super bummed that I entirely forgot about Whinny City this year...
The only interpretation of this I can imagine is Sweetie Belle and Nyx having a slumber party.
Great seeing you, however briefly. And yeah, Monositcon was a great way to kick things off and gather folks together. And given the space constraints, the convention did probably go as well as it could. (Especially when compared to one particular instance of piss-poor event management. I have stories of that Magic draft in Stabletop Games...)
We'll always have Baltimare.
5101668 I still plan on using that in my Farmer Bruener stories. Picture a pony wandering around the store, just looking. "Hey, excuse me. Where are the lions?"
Proudly upheld my tradition of wandering aimlessly around and winding up too late for far too many of the panels and events. In short, had a wonderful time with wonderful people. :)
5101674
Those are awesome! I've done con-pilgrimages like that. Last year for me it was over 18 hours of driving with close pony friends
Glorious Tir Na Nog dinner, and a delight to spend that with Horse Voice and Reia Hope, and then Fogo de Chao with Horse Voice… and you
Be seeing you…
I swear I was listening in your panel, even if I was drawing raritwi.
You forgot the part where you took me by the neck to do so. The best part, in my opinion.
~Skeeter The Lurker
It was never for very long, but I did really enjoy getting to meet you
And the Writer's Dinner was one of the highlights of the con for me, so thanks for putting that together!
5101726 I honestly felt like I was chasing you around too much, but I really, really like your writing, so it was a real treat to get your signature in my book.
5101665 Hey Gary! You definitely don't suck! Keep being awesome!
5101671 Thanks for putting up with my running around like a headless chicken!
5101673 I will always carry the memory of when I met you, but I really should start changing this habit of calling you that.
5101696 You sir, are awesome in person. It was really great to meet you.
5101723 I did do that! Damn. LOL
5101718 Oh yes.
5101660 but still a perky and fulfilling contribution!
5101674 I don't know if you heard Sammi but she actually asked my why I teased you so much.
5101681 Been there.
5101700 I still feel like I missed some things.
5101703 I mean. Sure. Although Art Inspired once shipped me with Alextrasza and himself.
5101708 Oh man, Georg! It was nice to actually meet you! I forgot to mention you specifically in the blog, but I remember distinctly the times I said hi in Quills and Sofas, then interrupted you when you were talking to Bookplayer.
5101719 It's all cool Hap, you were drawing something important.
5101738
Wait, she did?
What was your answer?
5101739 I was kinda out of it, but I believe it was along the lines of "he's an easy victim" followed by an awkward pause and then, "Okay, it's because he gives as good as he gets and I think that's hilarious."
5101742
That sounds about right.
5101738
It was awesome meeting you dude :) I feel bad we didnt have the chance to talk or hang out more :(
5101755 I'm always a message or call away on discord, dude!
5101738
Why, thank you! I dunno why, but I’ll happily take the compliment. You were quite awesome, yourself.
Man, it sounds like you really lived this con. :D You partied like the rockstar you are!
I'm sorry I didn't attend your panels, but the con book didn't say who was running what and I never wrote any of it down beforehand because late registration and all. D:
It's always a pleasure to be in your company, though, for however long that may last! :)
So, about that Trotcon...
Never did manage to find you, I think you were just about the only person I didn't meet.
5101738
Do feel free to drop me a line sometime if you ever want to chat!
I didn't feel too chased at all, and I was spectacularly flattered to be asked for a signature like that, so I think it would all balance out regardless
I really appreciated the way you made sure everybody was introduced to each other at the author's dinner. You were an excellent host.
Oh, I didn't realize that "LineCon" was seen as showing a lack of gratitude to staff; I don't recall talking about it a lot but hopefully no one took it the wrong way. Though I did explicitly thank a number of staff members.
(I mean, what are they supposed to do about the lines, for a start? Wave the magic wands they're issued to make the rooms bigger and/or the people smaller? Seemed to me like they were doing pretty much the best they could, certainly not badly. And I met with some interesting people standing in line whom I might not have spoken with at all otherwise!)
5101738
Aside from the closing ceremonies snafu, and Q&S having to share a room, I didn't have much to complain about. For me, the con this year was all about the people and community. I've already met all the big names, gotten their autographs, and bought all the vendor hall swag I wanted. This year was more of a big meet-up than a convention. A chance to see everyone I know from online again, and for some to meet for the first time. And in that regard, it truly was wonderful to see you and everyone else! It was the experience of a lifetime, and a memory I will treasure always.
I do indeed know the joy of having Mono's company. At Everfree this year, she read the first six chapters of 'Crimson Lips' to a small group us. It was a special memory that I will forever cherish.
Thank you, D, for all you have done and continue to do. It was a pleasure to meet you (sorry for interrupting your breakfast!) and to share in your thoughts at the panels.
5102043
Yes. Wave that wand and make everyone tiny. Then reform the line through one of those hamster tubes.
(As someone who's done line wrangling at a crowded furry con before, there's only so much that can be done, and everyone including the staff complains about the lines.)
5102366
Heh. :)
Yeah, why didn't those incompetent con staff just think of an obvious solution like that? Why, then we could have even used most of the volume of the line space instead of just the floor area! :D
(But aye, yeah, I don't imagine it was anywhere near easy for the staff, either (harder, in fact; after all, we only had to stand in the lines; they had to try and organize them), and even if people were all perfectly behaved (not a given, of course), completely aware of their surroundings, and will and able to pack really tightly together, they still take up a certain minimum amount of space.
Much applause to the staff who kept the herd pretty much in order and not chaotically stampeding all over the place.)
It actually didn't hit me till Sunday afternoon that was the last moment I'd see all yall in that contiguous space again. I'd actually teared up thinking about it.
I was so nervous that I'd called you during something important. Turns out I was 😰 but it seems to have worked out anyway~ 😉
I don't regret it tho. Calling you was the best way for me to overcome my feelings and physically leave that con. You're good at that: reminding me of what I'm capable of.
Now I know for sure that's not the last time I'll see you but it was a good send off.
Till next time~
You know. I keep hearinng about this epic speech by Shakespearacles but never any real details on it.
You happen to know if anyone recorded it for posterity?
This train will keep going, and when the wheels fall off, fuck pushing, build new wheels and weld them on, friends
5103633 You know we will
5103635
It was awesome to meet you in person and to shake your hand. Thanks.