Onwards to Baltimore
Standard.
That was the most painfully obvious word you could use to describe me. Standard and normal as can be….but yet, that could only be said in front of the general public that I face nearly every day. For when I’m behind closed doors and out of sight, my mind erupts with a thousand different thoughts of all matter of mythical events at once and lays it out in front of me to enact like a one man live action roleplay. A young man with a brain that is just begging to be unleashed upon the masses and all it’s twisted glory.
Imaginative, crazy and a little bit stupid. That’s who I really was and I wouldn’t have it any other way, damn whoever for making me someone I’m not. Not even becoming a magical purple girl with a split personality will change that.
========================
“Grrr” I grumbled into my pillow, now I wouldn’t say I hate mornings, but when you usually start for work early in said morning, you begin to build a growing distaste for them that was not waning in the slightest today. The sun creeping its way through my blinds wasn’t doing me any favours either.
After finishing my secondary schooling, I didn’t set upon a specific next step into life. I more just walked on through like if I was stepping through your everyday mundane door. Not everyone had a set goal in life and that was practically fact, until I found my footing in something I truly could see myself working at everyday, I was stuck with your average fast food restaurant job. It’s too bad ‘extreme dreamer’ isn’t a career, I would of taken that gig faster then people rushing to the store on black Friday. But I’m going off on a tangent, so let’s get back to my slowly waking self.
My grumpy mood eventually simmered down to mildly annoyed - and progressively more hungry- in a matter of seconds at the sudden realization of my lack of a shift. With a silent cheer of joy, I rolled out of bed and went about my usual morning wake up routine, do my business, head down stairs, let my pain in the neck cat outside to do whatever she does and then finally obtain breakfast.
As my mind started to wake up halfway through a piece of toast and a cup of coffee, I remembered a particular event that was happening in a few days time, Bronycon 2018. If my currently booting up brain was to recall, today was when I fly out for Baltimore to attend. Bronycon, like other conventions, was devoted to a particular subject that resulted in a major following by fans all across the globe. Bronycon was about the kids show My Little Pony: Friendship is magic, a bizarre thing for an entire convention to be devoted around right? Well I never expected such a show to even have such a huge cult following when I began to watch it several years ago. I expected to be an outcast, one of a minority that enjoyed the show and all it had to offer, yet I discovered that a huge fan base was born from this show and eventually the convention was created.
As I stood gazing out at the early morning light, I heard the telltale sound of a nearby door opening and closing behind me, turning around, I noticed my mother stepping out from her bedroom decked out in a dressing gown and her worn down slippers that I bought her a few years ago, just like me, she was half asleep and only half acknowledged my presence as she made a beeline for the kettle. Fortunately the kettle was still hot due to my recent usage, which meant she had to simply add in the contents of some simple instant coffee and the boiled water for her to start waking up 100 percent.
With a yawn, she greeted me “Morning Grant, sleep well?”
“Up in till the sun tried to blind me, pretty much” I grinned.
“I’m assuming you’re all packed and ready to go? I don’t want to be worrying that you’ll miss the bus because you forgot one shirt” My mother replied, briefly peering outside she smiled “Especially when said shirt has ‘Testament’ written in bold letters up the top”
I inwardly groan at the mention of ‘that shirt’, it was a great shirt and mum couldn’t see how much I liked it, her teasing's were all just fun and games, but it got to the point where it annoyed me greatly. I liked Metal, that was clear as day, and it felt weird saying that while I also enjoyed a show about colourful ponies with magical powers. Although that being said, the joke with Brutal metal fans liking cats was definitely a needed mention “Mum, I love that shirt and all the others I have of my favourite bands, if I’m travelling somewhere for a certain period of time, I will be taking at least one of them”
Mum just giggled to herself “I know you do, but must you take one that has such an...extravagant design?”
I paced about, pacing was one of my most prominent traits and it was so common of me to just pace, it became as instinctual as eating and sleeping “I have no idea what you’re talking about, the cover for ‘Dark roots of earth’ is a brilliant design” I proclaimed, admittedly too proudly, but I wasn’t letting her get away with dissing my shirt.
“If you say so, but in all honesty. Are you ready to go? Remember you need to be at the Airport by 12 and it’s half past 6 now” Mum asked, switching from ‘joking mode’ to ‘mother mode’.
With a nod of certainty I responded “Yeah I’m all set, just need to be dressed and we can go whenever you’re ready” I finish up my breakfast, rinse my cup out in the sink and head up for the staircase.
Mum goes over to the kitchen table and begins rummaging through the haphazardly placed newspapers “Don’t take too long getting ready!” she yells.
Rising up the stairs I joked back “I don’t want to hear words like that from the likes of you”
“Shut up”
I briefly catch as I trudge down the hall, a grin plastered on my face the entire time.
With all the usual steps at getting ready in the morning, showering, teeth brushing, fussing with my hair for longer then I intend to and finally dressing up, I double checked all my gear and stepped down stairs again with several bags in hand and setting them by the front door ready to go. Noticing Mum was surprisingly all set as well, I made the effort to tease her once again, just because I had reason too, “Wow, I think you beat your record. Maybe you should get Guinness to come out and we'll see about getting that as an official one”
She first looked up at me with a puzzled, look as if I had spoken complete gibberish-which isn’t completely farfetched- before rolling her eyes and pushing herself out of her chair. She didn’t need to say anything, the look on her face was alI it took.
Without any delays, we headed outside for the car. The cool morning air was delightfully chilly on my skin and the dew upon the grass blades was always a welcome sight to behold in this early light. Popping the boot, I stuffed my luggage in with as much care as I could muster while shaking in excitement. Giving the all clear to mum, I closed the boot and got inside the passenger side. “Oh I forgot to say bye to Dad” I said over to Mum as she sat down behind the wheel. With a raised eyebrow, she asked me with all sincerity.
“Do you want to wake him up this early?” I froze, Dad was never the most pleasant human being to be around come daylight and I wasn’t about to gamble with the chance of a good outcome, it just wasn’t worth it.
“Good point” I responded quickly, that answer seemed to be enough for Mum, as she started up the car and we quickly drove off for the bus station.
=======================
“Did you pack your boxers?” Mum asked with slight worry as I removed my luggage from the car and placed it in the storage compartment under the bus amongst many other soon to be passengers.
“Yes” I answered back with an almost completely monotone voice
“How about your spare pants?”
“Yep”
“Your extra spare pants?”
“Absolutely”
“Toothbrush?”
“....”
“Grant I swear if we drove down he-”
“I’m joking I have it all here. Don’t worry I’ll be fine Mum. It’s just a couple of days and I’ll be back in no time”
With a relieved sigh, Mum gave me a quick hug and a kiss before I was ordered to step onto the bus and depart for Perth.
================
After an uneventful two hour ride and a long ‘not going to bother mentioning except it involved a child in the seat behind me flight’ I had arrived in Baltimore, USA. To say that it was different, was the understatement of the millennium, cars were all about in the streets and people walked in massive droves that I could easily get lost in without trying. It was an overwhelming thing being here and I would’ve walked aimlessly if it wasn’t for the Taxi drivers holding cardboard pieces with names written in black marker standing out before me. Scanning the names, I came across one that I knew all too well. Walking up to the man donning a red beanie he asked “You Grant Starsa, young man?”
“The one and only, are you my Taxi driver?” I replied
With a smirk he replied back “Sure am, now let’s get going. The hotel is expecting your booking today”
Wasting no time, he helped me with my luggage and we sped off for the hotel. The city was fairly large, tall buildings were dotted here and there and I was constantly gazing at advertisements on billboards and the odd random event that seemed to always baffle me. Even the USS Constellation was moored in the harbour, which my inner ship fanatic was going nuts about.
This was my first time ever in the United states and I was constantly at awe, the taxi driver smiled away in the front seat, he probably saw the same expression on every tourist that stepped into this city and I didn’t blame them for it. “Enjoying the view I take it” he called to me.
I didn’t tear my gaze from the scenery outside as I responded back “It’s different from what I’m used to, I’ll give you that”
He chuckled at my response “If I had a dollar for everyone who said that exact line, I wouldn’t need to be driving a Taxi anymore”
“But then you wouldn’t be able to see anymore faces of joy from the excited tourists” I countered.
“Haha that is true. Never thought anyone would respond to me like that”
“Trust me” I said “I’m not just anyone”
=======================
Eventually I had arrived at the hotel, I checked in and went up the overly lavish elevator to my room where I flopped down exhausted due to my jetlag. With a sigh I pondered to myself ‘Bronycon starts tomorrow’ what was I going to go see first and who was I going to meet there? Normally these thoughts would run deep and into bizarre detail while I enacted one of my many imaginary characters, but with my tired mind and tired body, I opted to just get some rest for the big day tomorrow.
Rising the following day to the cacophonous noises of traffic and construction sites, I jumped into the shower with a giddy smile upon my face. Today was it, the convention was going to be absolutely chock a block full of fans all aiming to get in as quickly as possible and I was no exception to that.
Donning my trusty testament shirt and some simple shorts, I stepped outside the hotel and made my way downtown using a map I had pinched from the hotel lobby to find the convention centre. However despite using the map, I was not certain of where I was going and after 10 minutes of passing the same Donut shop and a very helpful Drag Queen, I made it to my destination.
Bronycon 2018.
As I stepped inside the convention centre, I was immediately stunned by the numerous stands, events and very dedicated cosplayers, I even noticed one guy in an outfit that I swore was meant to be the Equestria girls variant of Apple Bloom. It may of seemed strange, but this place in itself was well beyond viewing crossdressing as a bad thing, the drag queen that helped me from earlier was fairly convincing-the voice was a dead giveaway mind you-so more power to him I suppose.
I will hand it to the people that set up Bronycon every year, they don’t mess around with the floorplan. The map I acquired after paying my entry had everything from events, to food stalls, shops and even locations of panels all intricately displayed. I didn’t have a set plan of attack, but I knew I was going to begin with a walk amongst the merchandise stalls, check out the starting events and even listen in on some interviews by some well known Brony Youtubers. I could always check out the panels a bit later and I didn’t feel rushed. I had the whole day and the following one after all.
It didn’t take me long to be caught up in a sea of cosplayers, vloggers and the occasional party animal doing their own thing. Songs from the show was in abundance everywhere I turned and so was the poor, but admirable, singing of the usual fan as they let their love for the show be known. After passing a store selling pastries and other baked goods, I started to feel the pangs of hunger and If I knew my stomach, I wasn’t going to pass on a pie.
But that’s when I noticed something rather ‘out of place’, I thought to myself ‘What’s that doing here of all places in the convention?’ Nestled in a basket of buns was a purple geode amulet, pulsing faintly.