Con Report!
SUP GUYS IT'S TIME FOR MY CON REPORT. YEAH! I have to warn you, my pictures are HUGE this year, because I cranked the quality way up on my camera thanks to my new SD card for it. So don't read if your connection can't handle it.
Here's a link to the album for all my pictures.
Before I begin, I would like to state two things:
1. I am a firm believer of Karmic Balance.
2. This weekend was fucking AMAZING.
You will soon understand why I tell you these two things.
Thursday
...Very soon. You see, Thursday was... special. It started out fairly okay. I had to work a bit, then I got to come home and shower and get ready. I had planned on hitting the road at about 1:45 so I could meet Vil at our designated meeting place to travel together. ...I didn't get to leave until about 3:30. So what was I doing all that time?
Car Trouble
So you see, our main car, a 1995 Chevrolet Blazer (so old) has brake problems. They randomly get really tight and if we keep driving when it does that, our tires will catch on fire. Not good. So we had to get a different car. So we have to borrow one of my brother's cars. He has two, a white one and a red one. I insist to my parents to take the red one, as it's newer and isn't a pile of junk. But they take the white one, even though it's old and I quite frankly didn't trust it to get us to Somerset.
BUT THAT DIDN'T MATTER because you see, by the time we make it to Richland, we discover something; THE CAR ISN'T INSPECTED. This is a major problem because we had to get on the turnpike, and if we got on the turnpike, they'd for sure see the car wasn't inspected, we'd get fined and our car taken away. Not good. So we turn around. I start cursing my brother's very existence for being a useless shit for not getting his car inspected. So we got to my other brother's house, to borrow his van. EXCEPT THAT ISN'T INSPECTED EITHER. What the fuck is with my family.
At this point, I was stressing out because I invested way too much time and money into my trip to NOT go. So after freaking out and forcing my parents to take the red car, we return to my first brother's house and demand he let us take it. He tries to get out of it, claiming he "was moving" and it "overheats", but we didn't give a fuck. We needed a car. By the way, the overheating was bullshit. The temperature gauge didn't even move. BUT FINALLY CAR. So we got on the road, and I made it to Somerset and I met up with Vil at about 4:20. We were running late. Really late. We got going, fought our way through the Pennsylvania and Maryland Turnpikes, watched idiot drivers in Maryland be dumbfucks, and got lost trying to find our hotel! But we made it! ...At about 8 PM.
So after getting to our hotel and sitting down for a couple minutes, we head out to meet with a friend of Vil's for dinner at Cheesecake Factory. We were originally supposed to eat at Hard Rock Cafe with everybody else, but we changed it. Dinner went okay. Then we headed to Hard Rock Cafe at about 10. We met Miken there just as she was leaving. Sadness, but we met her, at least! We'd have many more opportunities to see her. We ordered our drinks, but then the unspeakable happened! The blender broke there and we did not get our smoothies. ): Such is life. We take Unkie and Alex back with us and I get my hair cut.
Yes, that's right. I got my hair cut. Cue shock and horror. I was also supposed to get it dyed, but due to miscommunication, Unkie did not have the dye. Not yet, anyway. But we cut it. Then everyone went to sleep.
So Thursday really kinda sucked. But that's okay, because I believe in Karmic Balance and thus, because Thursday sucked, Otakon had to be absofuckinglutely amazing.
And, well... Read on.
Friday!
Friday, I woke up at 7. This is pretty standard fare for me, really. Con Mode makes me wake up early and require little sleep to be perfectly functional. Ahh... If only I could run on Con Mode all the time. Okay, so wake up, shower, get dressed. Meowzy tags along with me at 8 to go to CVS. She wanted food, I wanted hair dye. After acquiring hair dye, I depart from Meowzy because she wanted to get out of the heat and I needed to pick up Cam. I was in charge of her for the weekend because her grandma's crazy like that. But I picked her up and headed to Unkie's hotel to get my hair dyed. Yep.
Check it.
So after getting my hair dyed, it was time to get ready. This year... I was cosplaying. I was cosplaying Gold from Pokémon Special, no less. Really, do you expect anything less?
Had to take this pic just now actually, but oh well. Still shows it off.
It was hot outside, so... that cosplay was not the most pleasant. 112 degrees and I was wearing a hoodie? I don't even like wearing shirts in anything past 80! But at least my shorts were actually super comfy and easy to wear. After getting ready, I discovered KP had arrived and I needed to go pick her up and take her back to the hotel. I still hadn't been to the con yet. Ah well. Cam and I ran to the con and picked her up, and then we waited for everyone to return to the hotel room so we could go for lunch. Finally, at about 1, we went to the con. We chilled for a bit, Cam and I briefly met Lommy in her Crys cosplay, and then we went to the Dealer's Room. Found nothing I wanted (yet), and chilled some more. We had time to kill until the Photoshoots. Two of them. Both the Tales of and Pokémon shoots were at the same time, at the same place. What is my life.
Tales took priority, so I went to that first. I wanted to get pictures of the Graces cosplays, but apparently, fate had other things in mind. I was approached by a James cosplayer who asked me for a picture.
A really epic picture.
Yes, that is a set of Pokéball billiard balls. Why the James cosplayer had them, I'll never know. Guess he was being IC. As the real kicker, the cue ball was a GS Ball.
This was the James. He had cool props. Even if his Pikachu was trippin' balls.
Then I returned to the shoot, having missed Graces and took more pictures. I abandoned halfway to go to the Pokémon shoot, which I discovered was a smart move because the Tales shoot then was overrun with awkward Abyss shot requests. I missed most of the good stuff, sadly, but I got some decent shots, at least.
I also had a fightcloud with Cam.
Following the shoot, we did more wandering, including hitting up the Artist's Alley. I bought some pins. Then Tales panel time. Sadly, despite my threats, Luna and I did not troll the Tales panel with TOMODACHIIIIIIII. The panel was disappointing, though. But it's always disappointing to me.
After the panel, Stealthy kidnapped us for a party at her hotel room. I HAD A GLASS OF WINE! It was bitter and I didn't care for it. Went back to the hotel at about 12:30. Day End.
PIC SPAM
Sophie says NO, Pascal!
Gruuuuuuuune
Richter has seen something shocking!
It's that FUCKING LANCE from last year! His Dragonite was not trolling with gay pride this year, sadly.
This Joey was epic. They were chatting on the phone during the picture-taking and everything!
This Haunter just kinda popped in at the last second during this picture, sticking their tongue out.
James became Gyaradosman's sidekick. ...He wasn't very good at it.
Hoshit executives!
Crystal receiving a pokéball!
...And Silver trying to steal it.
Princessessssssss.
I did get this Graces shot, at least.
...Pascal, no. Bad Pascal. Put down the drink. You're wearing two hats already.
This is Richard and Hubert when drunk. (video)
....This is Richard when really drunk. (video)
/end
Saturday!
Saturday, we woke up later because we weren't in a rush. Triad showed up at the hotel early in the morning. We left at... some time? I don't remember when. I just remember KP and I left before the others to go retrieve Cam and we regrouped near the Hilton. Pokémon shoot was at 12, so Cam, KP, and I went to that while the others wandered off. KP was in charge of my camera, since, as I had to pose for pictures!
There was a Sird.
I heard a lot of people muttering about how this was a cool pose. I'm pleased.
As a finale, all the Dex Holders had a showdown with Sird.
Cam and I punched each other.
After the shoot, we chilled some more, then it was time for Luceti meetup.
Milla is rockin' those shades.
After meetup, it was Tales shoot time. My battery died halfway through on my camera. Then we went to the Dealer's Room again, where I acquired my big prize! Radiant Mythology 3 I also lost my camera! I got it back later.
I also met a Red.
Following that, I took Cam back to her hotel, and she, KP, and I chilled in the lobby there for a bit interneting. I returned to the hotel, had a short Skype video call with Griff, who wanted to see everyone, and then we crashed because we were exhausted.
PIC SPAM!
DOOD!
...Animal Crossiiiiiing.
Fear the Master Ball, Darkrai!
Classy Snivy.
This Yellow had Butterfree wings. That was cool.
Hoshi- a Helba.
Two Wonder Chefs, twice the recipes?!
Continuing my tradition of awkward shots of Unkie and Alex!
♥
I don't know what this thing was, but it was COOL.
Sunday
Sunday is always sad. It's when you have to say goodbye! After waking up, Vil and I took our bags to her car. We all later regrouped at the con for one last trek. We scoured the Dealer's Room and Artist's Alley for anything we might still want. I bought a shirt. Then we chilled for a while.
We met Chip Skylark. He even sang. I wish I recorded it. It basically made Sunday amazing.
We bid KP goodbye at some point, and then we all went out for Japanese food. We had a group of, like... fifteen. It was beautiful. After our epic meal, Vil and I hit the road. I went home. I was sad. SAD, I tell you.
CON SWAG!
I've already started planning for next year. Won't start prepping for a while, but hey, it helps to know what I want to do.
My plans are, from top priority to bottom:
1. Do HGSS version of PokéSpe Gold. I'll just be commissioning it because I'm lazy and don't want to fight that hoodie. I found good goggles, already, too. I do, however, plan to make a Pokégear prop if I can manage it, though. A cell phone case-type deal, most likely. Shoe covers too. Those'll be a nightmare.
2. Fix up GSC Gold. I can do it much better. Found a new hoodie to use which is 1/4th zip.
3. Tales, maybe??? idk what, really.
Here's a link to the album for all my pictures.
Before I begin, I would like to state two things:
1. I am a firm believer of Karmic Balance.
2. This weekend was fucking AMAZING.
You will soon understand why I tell you these two things.
Thursday
...Very soon. You see, Thursday was... special. It started out fairly okay. I had to work a bit, then I got to come home and shower and get ready. I had planned on hitting the road at about 1:45 so I could meet Vil at our designated meeting place to travel together. ...I didn't get to leave until about 3:30. So what was I doing all that time?
Car Trouble
So you see, our main car, a 1995 Chevrolet Blazer (so old) has brake problems. They randomly get really tight and if we keep driving when it does that, our tires will catch on fire. Not good. So we had to get a different car. So we have to borrow one of my brother's cars. He has two, a white one and a red one. I insist to my parents to take the red one, as it's newer and isn't a pile of junk. But they take the white one, even though it's old and I quite frankly didn't trust it to get us to Somerset.
BUT THAT DIDN'T MATTER because you see, by the time we make it to Richland, we discover something; THE CAR ISN'T INSPECTED. This is a major problem because we had to get on the turnpike, and if we got on the turnpike, they'd for sure see the car wasn't inspected, we'd get fined and our car taken away. Not good. So we turn around. I start cursing my brother's very existence for being a useless shit for not getting his car inspected. So we got to my other brother's house, to borrow his van. EXCEPT THAT ISN'T INSPECTED EITHER. What the fuck is with my family.
At this point, I was stressing out because I invested way too much time and money into my trip to NOT go. So after freaking out and forcing my parents to take the red car, we return to my first brother's house and demand he let us take it. He tries to get out of it, claiming he "was moving" and it "overheats", but we didn't give a fuck. We needed a car. By the way, the overheating was bullshit. The temperature gauge didn't even move. BUT FINALLY CAR. So we got on the road, and I made it to Somerset and I met up with Vil at about 4:20. We were running late. Really late. We got going, fought our way through the Pennsylvania and Maryland Turnpikes, watched idiot drivers in Maryland be dumbfucks, and got lost trying to find our hotel! But we made it! ...At about 8 PM.
So after getting to our hotel and sitting down for a couple minutes, we head out to meet with a friend of Vil's for dinner at Cheesecake Factory. We were originally supposed to eat at Hard Rock Cafe with everybody else, but we changed it. Dinner went okay. Then we headed to Hard Rock Cafe at about 10. We met Miken there just as she was leaving. Sadness, but we met her, at least! We'd have many more opportunities to see her. We ordered our drinks, but then the unspeakable happened! The blender broke there and we did not get our smoothies. ): Such is life. We take Unkie and Alex back with us and I get my hair cut.
Yes, that's right. I got my hair cut. Cue shock and horror. I was also supposed to get it dyed, but due to miscommunication, Unkie did not have the dye. Not yet, anyway. But we cut it. Then everyone went to sleep.
So Thursday really kinda sucked. But that's okay, because I believe in Karmic Balance and thus, because Thursday sucked, Otakon had to be absofuckinglutely amazing.
And, well... Read on.
Friday!
Friday, I woke up at 7. This is pretty standard fare for me, really. Con Mode makes me wake up early and require little sleep to be perfectly functional. Ahh... If only I could run on Con Mode all the time. Okay, so wake up, shower, get dressed. Meowzy tags along with me at 8 to go to CVS. She wanted food, I wanted hair dye. After acquiring hair dye, I depart from Meowzy because she wanted to get out of the heat and I needed to pick up Cam. I was in charge of her for the weekend because her grandma's crazy like that. But I picked her up and headed to Unkie's hotel to get my hair dyed. Yep.
Check it.
So after getting my hair dyed, it was time to get ready. This year... I was cosplaying. I was cosplaying Gold from Pokémon Special, no less. Really, do you expect anything less?
Had to take this pic just now actually, but oh well. Still shows it off.
It was hot outside, so... that cosplay was not the most pleasant. 112 degrees and I was wearing a hoodie? I don't even like wearing shirts in anything past 80! But at least my shorts were actually super comfy and easy to wear. After getting ready, I discovered KP had arrived and I needed to go pick her up and take her back to the hotel. I still hadn't been to the con yet. Ah well. Cam and I ran to the con and picked her up, and then we waited for everyone to return to the hotel room so we could go for lunch. Finally, at about 1, we went to the con. We chilled for a bit, Cam and I briefly met Lommy in her Crys cosplay, and then we went to the Dealer's Room. Found nothing I wanted (yet), and chilled some more. We had time to kill until the Photoshoots. Two of them. Both the Tales of and Pokémon shoots were at the same time, at the same place. What is my life.
Tales took priority, so I went to that first. I wanted to get pictures of the Graces cosplays, but apparently, fate had other things in mind. I was approached by a James cosplayer who asked me for a picture.
A really epic picture.
Yes, that is a set of Pokéball billiard balls. Why the James cosplayer had them, I'll never know. Guess he was being IC. As the real kicker, the cue ball was a GS Ball.
This was the James. He had cool props. Even if his Pikachu was trippin' balls.
Then I returned to the shoot, having missed Graces and took more pictures. I abandoned halfway to go to the Pokémon shoot, which I discovered was a smart move because the Tales shoot then was overrun with awkward Abyss shot requests. I missed most of the good stuff, sadly, but I got some decent shots, at least.
I also had a fightcloud with Cam.
Following the shoot, we did more wandering, including hitting up the Artist's Alley. I bought some pins. Then Tales panel time. Sadly, despite my threats, Luna and I did not troll the Tales panel with TOMODACHIIIIIIII. The panel was disappointing, though. But it's always disappointing to me.
After the panel, Stealthy kidnapped us for a party at her hotel room. I HAD A GLASS OF WINE! It was bitter and I didn't care for it. Went back to the hotel at about 12:30. Day End.
PIC SPAM
Sophie says NO, Pascal!
Gruuuuuuuune
Richter has seen something shocking!
It's that FUCKING LANCE from last year! His Dragonite was not trolling with gay pride this year, sadly.
This Joey was epic. They were chatting on the phone during the picture-taking and everything!
This Haunter just kinda popped in at the last second during this picture, sticking their tongue out.
James became Gyaradosman's sidekick. ...He wasn't very good at it.
Hoshit executives!
Crystal receiving a pokéball!
...And Silver trying to steal it.
Princessessssssss.
I did get this Graces shot, at least.
...Pascal, no. Bad Pascal. Put down the drink. You're wearing two hats already.
This is Richard and Hubert when drunk. (video)
....This is Richard when really drunk. (video)
/end
Saturday!
Saturday, we woke up later because we weren't in a rush. Triad showed up at the hotel early in the morning. We left at... some time? I don't remember when. I just remember KP and I left before the others to go retrieve Cam and we regrouped near the Hilton. Pokémon shoot was at 12, so Cam, KP, and I went to that while the others wandered off. KP was in charge of my camera, since, as I had to pose for pictures!
There was a Sird.
I heard a lot of people muttering about how this was a cool pose. I'm pleased.
As a finale, all the Dex Holders had a showdown with Sird.
Cam and I punched each other.
After the shoot, we chilled some more, then it was time for Luceti meetup.
Milla is rockin' those shades.
After meetup, it was Tales shoot time. My battery died halfway through on my camera. Then we went to the Dealer's Room again, where I acquired my big prize! Radiant Mythology 3 I also lost my camera! I got it back later.
I also met a Red.
Following that, I took Cam back to her hotel, and she, KP, and I chilled in the lobby there for a bit interneting. I returned to the hotel, had a short Skype video call with Griff, who wanted to see everyone, and then we crashed because we were exhausted.
PIC SPAM!
DOOD!
...Animal Crossiiiiiing.
Fear the Master Ball, Darkrai!
Classy Snivy.
This Yellow had Butterfree wings. That was cool.
Hoshi- a Helba.
Two Wonder Chefs, twice the recipes?!
Continuing my tradition of awkward shots of Unkie and Alex!
♥
I don't know what this thing was, but it was COOL.
Sunday
Sunday is always sad. It's when you have to say goodbye! After waking up, Vil and I took our bags to her car. We all later regrouped at the con for one last trek. We scoured the Dealer's Room and Artist's Alley for anything we might still want. I bought a shirt. Then we chilled for a while.
We met Chip Skylark. He even sang. I wish I recorded it. It basically made Sunday amazing.
We bid KP goodbye at some point, and then we all went out for Japanese food. We had a group of, like... fifteen. It was beautiful. After our epic meal, Vil and I hit the road. I went home. I was sad. SAD, I tell you.
CON SWAG!
I've already started planning for next year. Won't start prepping for a while, but hey, it helps to know what I want to do.
My plans are, from top priority to bottom:
1. Do HGSS version of PokéSpe Gold. I'll just be commissioning it because I'm lazy and don't want to fight that hoodie. I found good goggles, already, too. I do, however, plan to make a Pokégear prop if I can manage it, though. A cell phone case-type deal, most likely. Shoe covers too. Those'll be a nightmare.
2. Fix up GSC Gold. I can do it much better. Found a new hoodie to use which is 1/4th zip.
3. Tales, maybe??? idk what, really.