Bronycon 2019: The Epic · 3:25am Aug 8th, 2019
So, here I am. Nursing a nice warm herbal tea (dandelion burdock eluthero, my own blend) to soothe my Bronycon-wrecked voice, and preparing the final Bronycon con report. Beware, this is longer than most people's stories, but it also has a story arc and drama and the classic Applejinx happy ending.
There's a lot to say, and many reasons to say it. Seems like the whole journey, and this final hurrah, was clearly touched by Celestia or something. This tale contains many nifty things that you'll be interested to hear about as an Applejinx fan, and other things you will NOT hear about just yet, and even has a twist ending like one of my stories. And it is all, totally, completely true.
Wednesday. I'm stashing stuff around the house, because I like to arrange things so that if the house is robbed and burned AND hit by a supersonic Rainbow Dash, I'll still have some of my life squirreled away safely. I admit it's a little weird as people go off to work every day without thinking twice about it, but I'm a weird recluse person so I'm not used to being outside my bubble (or, my spaceship through which I visit many things the work-goers know not of 
)
I've been keeping up with my Patreon, which is how I got my butt out of the rather scary downward spiral that accompanied the Trixieverse books so far. It's not the books' fault, I have no regrets there, it's just that running a software business serving the music industry got real dicey. I could, and did, end up with friends and fans like the lead guitar player of Blue Oyster Cult and the engineer of the best ZZ Top albums plus Led Zeppelin III and still wind up struggling to pay my mortgage. And so, I went over to Patreon (I think I've mentioned that here) and became one of its success stories in a small way. Now I know a lot of Patreon things, and make pretty-near minimum wage for my work, but consistently, and you can find that work at http://www.airwindows.com/ and download all my stuff over the last twenty years as free, open source software for your music or post-production needs. (AU and VST 2.4)
But that's where I've been at, and it's Wednesday. So, to get back to the con, I took Amtrak (the Vermonter) to Baltimore. Didn't have my usual railpony companions this time (they'd traveled on Tuesday!) so I read Trixieverse publically in Business Class on my kindle, which amused me greatly. Hey, I know what I like, and there are reasons why I might need to remind myself of what happened all throughout the Trixieverse story…
There was a sinkhole at the Convention Center light rail stop—you probably saw it, if you were there. Since Patreon has been working (I think it's like a Paypal at this point: however it acts, it can probably keep functioning so long as it wants to) I was able to afford cab fare (much less than in Los Angeles last year, for Patrecon!). In fact I was able to do more: I have a perhaps unusual way of handling riches. I had a room in the Marriott and was still able to have it after a room-share fell through, and my compatriot ShadowedSong that you know from Quills and Sofas was in a jam. There was no staff room for Wednesday night for him.
Thing is, my friend snores. So, for a moment, I panicked and made plans to roam the halls until morning, when I was prepared to buy him breakfast buffet at the Marriott (highly recommended! run ya 28-30 bucks!) This seemed kind of rough for the last Bronycon. Also, there was a risk that he'd get upset I was doing that and scramble for some worse option, and oh noes dramaz.
And then I checked my resources (thanks Patreon!) and the hotel bookings one more time. Nobody could get a room for the entire con at the Marriott, but what about just one room for Wednesday?
And so, I did. And my friend got a night of super luxury to prepare for staffing the final Bronycon, and I got a good night's sleep. If you can do this sort of thing, it is karmically good. But I don't have to tell a lot of you because I saw SO MANY ponies being helped to get to the con by their friends: I'm sure you get it. And this was a con to do RIGHT. With joy and ponies for all.
Oh, and lines 
Here's the thing: twice as much attendance, and half the space. And this is not all a bad thing: the energy level is unforgettable. I understand, though, that Security had a really really rough time because those who demanded to go to panels and signings were driven wild by the intense pressure and limited access. For me, I drank lots of coffee and had a big breakfast and then went into what proved to be a pretty big (how little did I know!) line for Registration. I asked about pre-reg: silly Jinxie, that WAS pre-reg. I'm not sure there was at-con registration at all! I was really worried I'd end up going like a racehorse in the middle of the line, but it turned out to be OK.
I caught Bookplayer's panel, which was heartwarming, and I think I caught GaryOak's comedy panel? Might have been kicked out due to the room attendance caps. Can't remember, because I made a new friend who's also an old friend: GAPJaxie. I've respected this pony for years because you couldn't ask for a better panelist if you're a writer liaison. What I didn't realize was, he's an entreprenurial type like me, and a personality a lot like my younger brother. I'd only seen the exceptional performance over the years, but never had a sense of friendship. That changed bigtime in a series of awesome conversations (and I think my spontaneous take on some of Jaxie's current life stuff may have had a heartening effect and served as a confidence boost: I feel that's a good use for me as a person) and I can say OFFICIALLY that Starlight Glimmer is best rabid leftist pony
I know the whole enslaving an entire town thing didn't go that well, but us Glimglam disciples will get it right next time
Friday! Nicole Oliver leads a neat panel in the Mane Hall, which I got to see once or twice. It involved vocal warm-ups such as going pbbbbbbbbbbpht with your lips. Since we're at a con and I've got a LOT of thoughts at the moment and am surrounded by ponies, there was no chance I'd be able to do that, so I kind of grinned through it. Then ran off, because other interesting things are happening…
The Bronycon Bookstore SLAYED it. Practically sold out the first day. I have to point out… this is not a data point you plan on, this is Xmas morning and a big morale-booster. Launching at the final Bronycon with the largest attendance ever, to an audience that has never been ABLE to buy Past Sins by RobCakeran53 before, isn't a thing you set inventories by, it's a cataclysm of awesome. I'm so happy to see my friends do well by that stuff. I would also have loved to get box sets of the complete Trixieverse books up there, but there were two problems with that and only one was 'getting them printed and having it be OK to sell that'. The other one is that word 'complete'… but no time for that, we're going to more panels!
Original Characters was wonderful. I'm almost certain I was there. What I'm very certain of is the two panels after that one. Bronycon Chair History was kind of quietly amazing. ALL the con chairs were there, and there was no table flipping or awkwardness: they told their story, consistent with all I know about it. Even including parts like the controversial turn towards being a Western Animation con. There was humility and a sense of history and it really felt good. And Josh Dean kept a close eye on me the entire time.
There's a funny story behind that, and a happy ending. Years and years ago, possibly before we even invented Quills and Sofas, I sassed Josh on 4chan. I don't really go there since things started working out for me and keeping me busy, but I'd posted, and I remember trying to play the insider while ALSO putting forth the message of 'here's the inside scoop: it will be FUN, it'll be fine, come and enjoy yourself, it'll be great!' And, all those years ago, Josh saw me sassing him, 'cos he was there too or knew folks who were.
And last year, I fessed up. Because if you're high up in a situation like the ever-unfolding Bronycon political situation, all these things matter, and you wonder who's the spy, who's your ally. I greeted him and Jenna, in my first year as just an attendee, and Josh hugged me and said, I didn't have to answer but had I ever posted on 4chan? In an instant I realised what he was asking. And I leaned in, smiling, and said YES. That was me. And it turned out I became a huge fan of how he ran things, and he totally got the last laugh, in the nicest way.
And so, I'm sitting in the front row of his panel at the last Bronycon, in my nice shirt and slacks, and a BIG CUP of… coffee. A Starbucks triple shot venti. And I swear to you, I watched him wonder if there was spaghetti in there for the entire panel, and still perform like a champ.
I drank the coffee and ditched the cup before approaching him, and told him how in my opinion he was best Bronycon chair. Not to diss any of the others, and in fact I also thought Jenna was best con chair, but I remain convinced that Josh Dean is best pony. He took on a job that is harder than most people can imagine, and did it exceptionally well, and then Jenna took over as con chair and things ran like butter… these folks can take a pile of drama, and turn it into love and ponies and friendship. I felt honored to hear their story. And now I've got Josh Dean's business card. With luck, I'll even have his respect, 'cos he sure has mine.
Writer's Perspective panel was super well executed, but then it was a Jaxie panel so of course it was
Saturday! Time to go to the How To Be A Furry panel. That ought to be good, since that was my first fandom. What could go wrong? I'll tell you what… STAMPEDE! That panel had a line that had to be TWICE the attendance cap, and it was Hall of the Moon! On the one hoof, very frustrating. On the other hoof, I'm telling you anyone creative or anyone wanting to put on fun conventions ought to be looking at that and licking their chops (or perhaps, paw, smugly) because that was a message. Furry is open creatively; you don't have to start with a property to create in it. It's huge and popular, and there's a bunch of pent-up demand for something to do post-Bronycon (or post-G4) and I expect to run into ponies at furry cons. Stands to reason, as there is a particular furry con where I discovered MLP G4… so you would not have Applejinx, if not for Mephit Furmeet. Take note of that name, you'll be tested on it later.
Quick lil' edit: I had the great privilege of giving the great Aragon some art supplies, to have fun with. And a cartoon of a pony crying 'Use natural media, you coward!' because that seemed like the thing to do. Might not amount to anything, but it was a graphite watercolor pencil and a little water-brush thingy: I've found those really nice for shading and making pictures, so I couldn't think of a better person to gift my spare art supplies to. May he emit tiny squees of delight, lost in play with these nifty (and convenient, and portable) tools.
Getting coffee at Starbucks (strangely, I didn't need to drink as much coffee as I expected: I must be some sort of reformed character) I saw someone out in the lake of tables to the side. Someone with a friend, and with an elaborate plush that appeared to have an orange and black mane. An OC? I wasn't sure, but I was increasingly sure that the pony hanging out at the table, not being bothered at all, was in fact Jenny Nicholson, youtube star and spectacular, uncanny voice actress. I stood there trying to figure out how I was gonna approach them while being nice, knowing that if I DID manage to talk to this epically amazing person it'd be only for a few seconds because you gotta give celebs space when they are trying to just enjoy the con. I didn't want to squee, but it's like… at Patrecon last year, I hung out and sang karaoke with Lindsay Ellis a little, and that was amazing and delightful, even though I sucked and derped up my song choices. Well, in some ways I admire Jenny Nicholson even more: she's just as good (a high bar) and her sense of humor and deadpan delivery are fantastic. She also guaranteed that I wasn't the pony at-con with the highest Patreon score, curse it, but that's well deserved.
She and her friend headed off, Jenny wearing her pog-like backpack, and I watched 'em go. But at least I got to see her, and that was pretty cool.
The writer dinner was amazing. I had a wonderful time hanging out with Horse Voice a lot (who is also best pony). I'm currently reading through all his writing (which is FABuloooous). Jaxie's next after that. It seems only fair, since I'd given him a bit of a summary of the first Trixieverse book: he glanced at it, bounced off the first chapter, but his true love is intense harrowing drama and soap-opera-like crazy shenanigans that wound and hurt you deeply to the point that you can't read the stuff as it's being posted, you must wait until it's done.
Muahahaha… so there's at least a chance I'll get him reading either TMB or Rarity's Worst Day Ever. If I'm understanding his true loves correctly and he does that, I've got the bugger for life and so, I'm reading his entire FIMfiction account as that seems fair, and it's incredibly rewarding. So worth reading, go and read it. Applejinx-recommended.
But that's not the only trouble I got into. See, RobCakeran53 doesn't only write Past Sins. He also was named a judge for a Feghoot contest. That's a thing where you write a whole story that leads up to a horrible pun. And he got an idea for a story, but he couldn't enter it because he was a judge. And I couldn't enter the feghoot contest, because back in 2011 or so I wrote the single worst feghoot in the known universe… and I couldn't possibly top that, so I was out of luck.
So me and him fought. Skeeter the Lurker watched, because he heard we were doing it and DEMANDED to be present. It was just us three, on the second to last day of the last Bronycon, surrounded by the clattering of Rob's typewriters and by writerponies all chattering to each other.
And I read Rob's feghoot out loud, off a phone. And facepalmed, unable to stop grinning, at the punchline of his story. I've never heard of a more meta feghoot. RobCakeran53 is a big meanie and cruel to brains and little ponies.
And then he read mine, out loud, as Skeeter watched.
I won by a facepalm and phone-fling and a fit of absolute consternation so if you'd like to see the story that won the last great feghoot duel of Bronycon 2019, go over to Doom Of The Snow Weasels and you have been warned.
We barely made it over to Writing After Canon. The word is, this ride is not over. If the wheels fall off we are going to get out and push. I'm down with that, more than ya know… but more on that later. It's still Saturday. Even at this moment, Eurobeat Brony's last Bronycon set might be getting cut real short because the preceding act is running over by 45 FREAKING MINUTES, or so I hear. I'm not going to tell you which act ran overtime that much and interfered with Eurobeat Brony, but some people will have guessed. For future reference it's not nice to do that at the last Bronypalooza of the last Bronycon, but like I kept saying all weekend, Bronycon gotta Bronycon. I had some chances to bring positivity to things but that was not one of them: I never saw any Bronypalooza at all.
Sunday! I managed to get a Baron Engel original drawing for a friend who was unable to go to the con. It wasn't too expensive, and I got it signed personally to her (she's a fixture in his livestreams and known to him). Turned out that the image I picked nearly at random, with Baron's prompting, happened to be deeply meaningful to my friend. I had no idea. Sometimes the universe just chooses to help you a LOT when you choose to help others. Remember this. I rediscovered it over and over, especially on that last day.
I was trying to do several things on Sunday, and burned the whole day doing it. One thing was this: I donated one of my white shirts to the Bronycon Shrine. Got writers to sign it, but on the collar I got it signed by me, ShadowedSong and Christina Wolf, the people who'd run Q&S for years. I even got RobCakeran, who's helped for years and brings the typewriters we love. And then I had two more signatures… and a problem.
I had to find Bleeding Raindrops, and Jenna O'Connell. They were both there at the birth of Quills and Sofas, both thought they had invented it (and perhaps, that I hadn't! I thought I had. Who knows, it's been so long. I certainly put the work into it, and had vision on it that I defended while I was there). And they do not get along. BR is a very strongminded fellow with some objections to how Bronycon had treated him. Jenna is also very strongminded and does not put up with drama. And I had to get 'em both on the shirt without them crossing each other out. And Bleeding Raindrops was there at the con, wearing the staff shirt from an earlier year and assisting congoers now and then with their difficulties, which would've made many security folks lose their minds, which of course was the whole joke he was making. (this is why con chairs and organizers get stressed out…)
When I found Bleeding, I explained. This was the shirt. I had all the staffers who'd committed to Q&S over the years, that I could get, on the collar. But I needed two more names. One was his. The other was Jenna's. And this was not negotiable… no matter what had happened in subsequent years, they BOTH belonged on there, for the shirt to be added to the Shrine.
And he got solemn… and he agreed. I feel that was a kind of closure: perhaps not of everything, but it was a bad feeling that'd lasted for years, perhaps laid to rest a little. And he signed, knowing that Jenna also had a place on that collar. It did my heart good to see it. (I then tried until Closing Ceremonies to find Jenna, and couldn't)
Closing Ceremonies was spent with best pony Horse Voice and best pony Reia Hope, in a line that became arena seating for big screens and speakers. They managed to have us all be present, in a sense, even though the Mane Hall was packed. MA Larson shouted us out, and you never heard such a cheer.
And then, the convention center tried to kick us all out IMMEDIATELY 
which was pretty nuts, but it was time to go to Fogo de Chao for a tinier, more meat-crazed writer dinner!
I needed it, and had a great time nomming amazing food with Horse Voice and Wanderer D and a tiny herd of other ponies, deliciously. Also, I dropped by the Trick Question room party and was given a book and spent a little time with good friends, which was much needed. After all, I'd spent the afternoon trying and failing to do two things. One was to get that shirt ready for the Shrine. The other was… the Bronycon Quills and Sofas sign. And here I must tell you the tale, the misunderstandings, and the ultimate fate of not only that sign, but all such signs past and future.
So.
That sign was getting auctioned off. ShadowedSong wanted it, because ShadowedSong is hot to begin migrating from con to con, bringing with him Quills and Sofas as an event. Seems legit. I don't know who else might want it, so that should work.
And then I catch up with some old friends and get word: someone else does. In fact, they're ready to go really high to get it. Like, saving up for years high. Like a thousand dollars maybe. Someone wants it REAL bad.
Time to tip off the writer ponies. They are beginning to get together a lil' collection to help Shadowed. Might go up even as high as a couple hundred dollars. They don't know they're walking into a wood chipper. And it's not supposed to be this way… this is not a thing to have a fight over, not now, not on the last day of the last Bronycon in the last Bronycon Quills and Sofas.
I'm trying to work out what to do. I can't reach the people who're going to win it. There's bound to be some way we can work together like good little ponies. I'd got the impression it was Midwest Furfest people doing this. I was wrong, it wasn't, so that was derped up too… Shadowed is figuring out how to offer himself as bonus Quills and Sofas content, perhaps in exchange for a con badge or being on staff to run the room. He's done it for years. The folks ready to win the sign don't know him at all.
The con's over. It's the staff Dead Dog party. I'm still trying to reach Jenna, to talk to the two folks winning the sign (there's no point trying to fight them for it, we want to join them if they love Quills that much). I can't go in, because it's current staff only: NO alumni. Bronycon gotta Bronycon, always (I wouldn't have done that, but it's very Bronycon to do that). I'm politely outside. Folks are kind and helpful, but they don't think it's nice to pull these two staffers out of their own dead dog party, the last one, just to deal with a problem. I'm getting seriously dehydrated and manage to get glasses of water, and I'm camping out trying to reach these people because I feel I can talk to them and make things nice. I've done that for five years at Bronycon, I have a five year pin on my badge to prove it.
ShadowedSong comes back out. He found them and spoke to them, since I couldn't… but it's gone horribly wrong. They're not MFF, they're MFM. They want to take the sign home, because they loved the room so much and felt welcome. There's a hint that this didn't remain the case… do they blame me for losing the spirit? They thought Shadowed was trying to shake 'em down for money or a free badge, and reiterated firmly to him that it's an auction, not a negotiation, and they're going to bid at the auction for the sign.
ROUGH outcome. I still can't go in. I'm gruff to ShadowedSong, like 'thanks a lot!' and I continue to camp out, forlornly. Shadowed goes back into the dead dog party.
Jenna comes out, and I scamper after her and I'm able to explain about the shirt. There's a shirt, a bunch of writers signed it, and the collar is for staffers who made Quills happen. I have the three room staffers and Rob, and I have Bleeding Raindrops, and I need her signature too. The shirt is in the Shrine, or wherever the Shrine was taken. There's a space there for her, and I snuck the Sharpie into the shirt as well. And everypony, including Bleeding Raindrops after all those years of angst, agrees that her name should be there, and we'd like her to find some way to do that and sign in the place she deserves… because we'll know, and because it's right. And she registers this, and Jenna is not easy to read but one thing is clear: she gets that we appreciate what she's done. And that's all that matters (I do hope she found the shirt and signed it, though).
I turn back and let her go, having interrupted her only a few seconds. Folks like that or Jenny Nicholson whom I saw earlier at a distance, you can't interrupt them for more than a few seconds. But I communicated what I had to… though I was still distraught. I'd written a note, of apology for the misunderstanding, to be given to the two folks after the Q&S sign. Since I couldn't get in to speak to them it was all I could do. I had no way of knowing they'd ever see it, or what they'd think of such a silly overemotional drama pony needing to angst about what to them was a simple transaction, as they didn't know a whole herd of writers felt THEY had a right to the sign for their room, to give to Shad…
And I realized ShadowedSong was leaving at 3:30 AM and was in the dead dog party, where I could not go. And the last sight I'd have of my friend at the last Bronycon was scolding him and being mad for his derpiness. In my mind, I'd been scathing.
Not good!
And then a pony came out the door from the Dead Dog. But it wasn't ShadowedSong… and yet, they recognized me. It's a Bronycon staffer, and she's distraught too. Why? It's the last year. She served five years. And she did not get her five years of service pin from Bronycon. A few other staff with her confirmed it. That event had passed. Bronycon's gonna Bronycon. It was too late.
Ponies, I awarded her my five year pin.
I said, this is yours now. I pinned it to her shirt as she began to cry. And I hugged her. And I feel that's my last act as a Bronycon staffer, either active or alumni. It's a kind of closure, and that is how I would wish to be remembered, that is the kind of good little pony I would wish to be. I'm retiring the badge it went on (my current FIMfiction user icon is what I'll be using going forward)
I don't want to cherish a shiny pin celebrating five years of love and ponies. I want to LIVE it.
And so I did.
Follow-up on the sign thing: what you don't know, and need to know, is that there is a strange rightness to what happened to that sign. I have the first one, all signed by writers. RobCakeran has always helped as an attendee, and he's actually on the Q&S shirt on the collar alongside us, and he's got the second, bigger sign. And the third and final sign, pristine, belongs to Alex and Amy, Alex being my friend for literally decades. They are personal friends with the artist who drew the sign. And they're tightly associated with Mephit Furmeet, known as 'home' to its attendees, and I'd ask you a question at this point…
Where do you think I learned the spirit of Quills and Sofas?
And where do you think I was when I first saw MLP:FIM?
Yep.
Mephit Furmeet. I learned it from THEM. That sign has gone to perhaps the most appropriate place it ever could have gone, and I'm satisfied with this outcome.
I mean, yeah yeah, it could go to me, but I don't have a wall big enough for it. It could go to Shadowed, but frankly I think we can get better signage made up: I know how, and it'd cost WAY less than fighting for the Bronycon one. And it's not going to be used at any con, so I hear: it's being treated like the piece of art it is, and I'll share a word from Alex who won it:
"Please champion the idea of Q&S, take it on the road to other conventions, and along the way we would be happy to help keep the flame alive."
They just wanted the room sign because they loved us and our home, so much like the spirit of their home-con that had inspired Quills and Sofas in the first place. That's what we did. We lit a spark that is a rare and precious thing, and we SHALL continue, with at least one fur-con that feels… well, Alex again (clearly stating his position as he always does, probably because he figures he'll get quoted):
"The idea and plan for Quills and Sofas to live on and even keep the BronyCon heritage is an AWESOME idea. We would love to see a Q&S like space at conventions all over the country and at every genre of fandom."
That's a chairperson of MFM talking, so I'd say there's a place you'll be welcomed as Quills and Sofas in oh… about three weeks. MFM is happening really soon, end of this month. I don't know if I can get there, but I'd love to: it's my home con too. I attended four years of MFM and like I said, where do you think I learned it? They're not going to literally use the sign at the con, but all the same that sign went to the best possible place. It went to folks who didn't always get to hang out in Q&S and who didn't always move in the horsefamous-writer circles we've been enjoying… and yet, STILL felt totally welcome in our home.
So there's that. I caught Jenna and told her about the shirt thing, and in the aftermath it turned out the sign thing was all good (granted, we might want to get another made, but it'll happen if we need it. I could get one like that made tomorrow if I had the art for it). And I'd just given a 5 year pin to a deserving staffer, because dammit, I am Bronycon in the best way. And I'm still trying to figure out how to get ShadowedSong out of that party, apologize, and hug.
And I remember, he texted me on the first day. I could text! I do everything face to face like some kind of retro pony, but I can send a message!
And I go to text him, and see a message from an hour before. No wonder they can't find ShadowedSong, he already left! I was only there to help the five-year-pin pony because I didn't know Shadowed wasn't there anymore! I start to head for the hotel and the street, vowing that I would walk anywhere right then to go say sorry and hug…
And I run into the Trick Question party (bits of it) coming the other way.
They're startled. I look really bad. I'm asked, are you okay? "Nope." Great concern. Are you safe? And I explain just enough… that I gotta rush off to make nice to someone I've hurt. And off I go. The room party sneaks past the Dead Dog, which is coming to an end, and takes a position at the end of the hall in an alcove that's private. And I'm off, trotting East on the road in Baltimore in the middle of the night (2:00 or so, but I can't sleep) to the Days Inn where my friend is.
And I'm greeted, still distraught, by Shadowed… who is fine. Hugs. I'm told that me being angry is like a teddy bear, there's no hurt, it's okay. I'm thinking, that's because you really did nothing wrong, just derped a complicated sort of negotiation best left to greymuzzles… but the bottom line is, I'm so grateful, and this is the way I wanted to end my last Bronycon.
But it wasn't, because I drift back to that writer party that snuck past the Dead Dog. I don't know what they're doing, but they're friends, and to hell with sleep, I need more ponyfriends. And they were worried about me, I need to show I'm okay now.
And so I go and join them. They're an empty-bottles crew, and there's Horizon and GaryOak and just a bunch of familiar faces, warm and friendly and sleepy. And they're doing a strange thing. Tarot card readings… using Twilight Sparkle's Secret Shipfic Folder decks to do it.
It's adorable. And strangely appropriate. Seems to work. And so, as my last experience of Bronycon, I have a TSSSFF Tarot reading, and I ask the cards about my future plans that you'll be hearing about. The answer seems to be 'Twilight Sparkle tangoing with Celestia, with great delight' which seems portentuous in the nicest ways. That and the 'Pony suiter removes head to reveal it's actually a wolf furry', which is hilariously appropriate.
But you might get to see it for yourself. Because someone wandered in, with a little camera, and hung out with us that whole time, happily watching the reading and politely filming it. And then we chatted a bit and I got to express my appreciation for the video-ing and the video-er's many talents, afterwards. Because the REAL last experience of Applejinx at the last Bronycon was being vlogged, up close and at length, by…
Jenny Nicholson.
*mic drop*
(Yes, really. The same one I'm a huge fan of and daren't approach. THAT pony. So, if there's a 'most epic final Bronycon experiences' contest, I win that too )
Oh, one more thing…
I have not one but two planned Trixieverse books yet to be written but thoroughly plotted out, and a friend has suggested a podcast (likely to be Patreon-backed) for reading all of Trixieverse, chapter by chapter. Not writing it, that will happen anyway, but making an audiobook of ALL OF IT, week by week. So when people say they'll get out and push to keep things going, I can tell you that I will be pushing too. We're not done, and the ride ain't over.
Love you all, and it's time for me to make my taco dinner and head to bed, so I can recover from too much epicness.
Good lord, talk about action packed!
And you gave up the pin to someone? That is honestly the most 'you' thing I can see happening.
And that phone toss will forever live in my mind.
~Skeeter The Lurker
It's not the most flattering image, but well...
i.imgur.com/N1uBvlU.jpg
It's alive at least. In our hearts, on the road, or in my cluttered hallway.
I'm glad you got your happy ending, Jynx.
It was good to see you there man
👏👍
Nice. :)
...
Dude, you fucking write free DAW plugins as your day job?
... Why are you so goddamn fucking awesome?
Seriously, it was great to see you again and hang out near you. You are a treat and a pleasure and I'm glad some of the last Bronycon was spent in your presence.
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It was always awesome hanging with you. I'll really miss this. Seriously. I can't wait until our paths cross again.
5101939
! 
5101944
Think of it as 'if it was your last chance to do something THAT magic, would you do it?' Honestly, it's both a nice sort of closure and a statement about who I've been all along. Bronycon wants you to value those pins but seemed not to even take care about bringing them to those who deserved them. I deserved to keep the pin, but I also got to decide whether I'd value it Bronycon's way… or MY way. That was one of the best-feeling, soul-warming experiences of the night INCLUDING getting filmed by Jenny Nicholson
5101962
And the final sign? Goes to a friend of the artist's and a furcon chair, who as far as I know did not make it into any of the Horsefamous Writer Inner Circles, yet STILL felt completely welcome. It's the 'completely welcome' part that mattered all along, and from what I hear we were able to hang on to that quality. Which is good, because we are not done using it. We will bring the spirit of Quills and Sofas (and likely the name, and typewriters) to new places.
Like I said, the signs went to ideal places. I still have the first. You got the second, and you represent so much about what Q&S is about. I remember meeting you and you didn't know ANYpony and you were honestly worried people wouldn't accept you
5101964
Many happy returns, old friend
Yes this is a tease about being nearly as much of a codger as me
5101976
woot!
5101995
…is a good way to be. I recommend it
5102004
why, do you neeeeeed any? I'll hook you up. It will cost only your immortal soul 
Why yes, yes I do
5102054
You know it. In fact I quoted it, that's YOUR line. You are of course right
5102074
Yeah he is! Honestly I'm closer to Terry Manning, but not all that much. Dharma has liked some of my plugins and may still be using them. Terry, on the other hand, that's also true but also I helped him run an exhibition of his amazing photographs of Cuba in a Boston MBTA station once. And after helping clean the whole thing up afterwards, I'd been so good and helpful that I got a hug. So it's ALMOST like hugging Led Zeppelin once removed… but it's also a constant reminder that no matter who someone is, they're still a person and also they might have treasured things that aren't part of their great fame. Terry's taken some wonderful photographs. There's a black and white picture of MLK the night before he died, that is amazing, you get chills.
5102201
Weeeee'll meet agaaaain… don't know where… not all that long… 'cos you know some of us are gonna have to figure that one out
Don't you live in the same town as Horse Voice and Reia Hope? Get ready for some road trips, there will be places to go :)
5102256
Yep! We all live 15 mins drive from one another.
5102256
Indeed. :)
5102288
Super envious.
5102484
Aye, it's good shit. We live in a nice city.
5101944 Yeah, giving her the pin was epic. Definitely worth more than the pin, IMHO.
5103178
It was worth everything to that pony.
Though you know, technically I was not a staff person so I had no business awarding a pin to anypony, so therefore it was a pretty meaningless exercise, yes?
Depends on which thing is REALLY the true spirit of Bronycon: what I did, or what the con did to that poor kid.
And THAT is why I did it.
When you noted you ended up at Sunday night Tarot...hee, I was wondering if you would mention her. I love the butterfly effect at times, so I hope the flutterings that sent her your way ended up as a joyful experience !