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gamebird · 5 months ago

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The Soonercon Convention Report

I went to Soonercon this last weekend and I wanted to share what it was like in an attempt to encourage others to attend similar local events, for those who don't know what they're missing.

It’s a science fiction/fantasy convention held in Norman, Oklahoma every year. It has what I take as the standard scifi/fantasy convention events including: Dealer’s room where people sell stuff, gaming room where scheduled and pickup games are held at all hours of the convention, art show where you can buy fandom-related paintings, prints, or sculpture (or commission an artist if you have something special in mind), a costume contest, panels by authors, artists, media guests, and other folks, and various socializing events (a dance, a burlesque show, a drag show, a Star Wars parade, a philosophy discussion den, a cartoon watching event, crafting events, etc.)

The only thing Soonercon didn’t/doesn’t have that I’ve seen at other conventions is a con suite where snacks are available either at all hours or specified hours, and a designated media room playing classic shows 24/7. Plenty of other conventions also have party rooms or even a party floor of the hotel. Some will have live action role play events. Some will have a few big-name guests. Soonercon’s guests were smaller names like voice actors or the guy who played the hero of NeverEnding Story. If they had hardcore partying, it was kept well clear of the convention areas. I heard nothing of it.

There's a lot for everybody! I go to attend the panels. My son goes for the gaming room. My nephew goes for the cosplay. My spouse/partner goes to be supportive and present (also he meets up with a friend of his from that city who volunteers at the con or at least likes fandom). My daughter likes the merchandise, the gaming, and cosplay.

It’s a very relaxed vacation for us. We get a hotel room at the convention and all go our separate ways from that safe home base.

I thought I’d go over the various things I went to and some of my thoughts about them, to give a window on what a person might do:

Friday we arrived. I went through the dealer’s room in detail by myself, which was nice to do instead of speeding up or slowing down at someone else’s pace, or having them there calling my attention to whatever they wanted me to see. I bought some delicious pomegranate gummy fruit. I made preliminary arrangements with a leatherworker for some items.

I went through the art show, which I have never been to at the beginning of the show. The previous two years I showed up at the end and rushed through. I took my time again.

I also wandered the halls at liberty, with no agenda. I didn’t think much of the panels available that day, so I did other things. I did attend an author’s reading of horror fic. One of the stories was titled ‘Grindr’ by a gay man, featuring a gay character. As soon as he went over that, two of the six in his audience left. It was a good story. The other author read a bit of theirs (also good). And then we discussed. One of the things discussed was how this was Oklahoma and the very mention of gay sent two people out of the room. It was good and thoughtful conversation.

Later that evening, I attended a comedy panel that was ‘Am I The Asshole?’ with various heroes or villains of popular fan movies discussing if they were the asshole for their role in the plot of their respective media product. It was funny and a light end to the first day.

Saturday, we got up in time for ‘Cartoons with Cereal’ panel where we ate a couple weird over-sugared cereals while watching an 80s cartoon that featured transforming vehicles and masked/helmeted action figure type characters. After that, we went to a better breakfast, complimentary at the hotel plaza.

My first regular panel of the day was ‘Essential Sci-Fi Television’ where I was hoping to see if there were important shows I haven’t seen. Maybe? Maybe not? They talked a lot about the different flavors of Star Trek and the different ways people get into fandom. I didn't add anything new to my list, but I did get more emphasis that I really ought to watch The Expanse.

At 11, I went to a panel titled ‘How do I put THAT on my resume?’ about how to translate fan interests and skills into marketable descriptive terms that can get you hired. I attended not so much for myself, as I hope to never work again after my current job, but for my son and daughter and my attempts to give them advice on how to present themselves in the business world. I’d encouraged my son to go to this panel, but he went to the gaming room. It wasn’t a great panel – I think he made the right choice. But you don’t know these things until you attend them.

I had lunch and then attended a panel titled ‘I ship it!’ thinking it would talk about the range of shipping in fandom circles. And maybe it did, but mostly it was the panelists talking about rare pairs in anime fandoms – both fandom and characters unfamiliar to me. They were excited to talk about it. I managed to steer them into sharing their thoughts about why antagonists are often more interesting to pair with a hero than the designated side kick or another hero, and then a little about what fueled ship wars/fandom drama. It was good to hear, as always, that totally different fandoms have the same problems.

After that was ‘Libraries, Intellectual Freedom, and Book Challenges’ about what books were banned, why, how, and what efforts were going on or the attendees could undertake to oppose book bans. Afterward, I approached one of the panelists for her advice on finding a good Ursula LeGuin book since I hadn’t liked Always Coming Home, but did like Left Hand of Darkness. Turns out she was a core convention organizer. I sent her an email so she could send me a rec later and separately, I filled out a form to volunteer at the next con.

At 3 I went to early dinner with my spouse/partner and his local friend, who was the one who told me the panelist I’d talked to was high up in the convention hierarchy. At 4, I roamed the dealer's room again, finalized things with the leatherworker, and bought a bunch more delicious candy.

At 5 I had a panel titled ‘LGBT+YOU, Discuss the Plus’. Given the conversation the day before with the gay horror author, I was particularly interested. Also, the panel was focusing mainly on the queer identities other than LGBT – asexuals, aromantics, pansexuals, polyamorous, etc. I found it something of a relief to see them stumble and fail to define an aromantic relationship in a way that differentiated it from non-aromantic ones. The panelists varied from early-30s to mid-60s, some partnered, some not. It was lovely to hear people’s experiences with living queer in Oklahoma.

At 6 I attended ‘Fandom Life vs Long-Term Illnesses’ but found it not super helpful. It was mostly about arthritis and diabetes, neither of which are issues I have. But I listened and learned a bit. I enjoy these authentic little windows into other people’s lives.

I attended the costume contest for the rest of the night, which was a big event with a stage show and a music act. My fave costume won! Even cooler, someone I knew was announced as winner of the Fashion Show which was an informal or less formal contest they’d had earlier in the day. I was thrilled for them.

That night at 1:11 am, someone set off the fire alarm, but it was quickly squelched. Still, everyone woke up. Later sleuthing turned up that it was a person attempting to smoke inside their hotel room.

Sunday! We had a nice breakfast again. My first panel of the day was ‘Hollow Humanism?’ talking about utopia, dystopia, and the philosophy of humanism – what were the things that prevented us from making a better world? I had hoped for stuff I could incorporate into my headcanons for Preservation or the Corporation Rim. Not so much.

Then I went to ‘Fandom – The Next Generation’ which was not about Star Trek but instead about the intergenerational fandom experiences of the panelists. I found this not very helpful. Those weren’t my families. It wasn’t about how to interest my kids in fandom (not that I needed that – they’re into it) or how I could better relate to their interests (something I was very interested in). I asked a few questions trying to guide it toward what I wanted, but the panelists really wanted to tell the audience about their lives. So. I listened.

At noon my group packed and checked out of our rooms.

But we hung around as there was a panel at 1 pm I wanted to attend, ‘Neurodivergent Characters in Fantasy and Anime’. Alas, they did not discuss Murderbot. In fact, they didn’t discuss specific characters or genres at all. Instead, they discussed neurodivergent representation in general, mindfulness, coping strategies, dealing with negative social pressures to conform, masking, exhaustion, career intersectionality, disabled rep, and a lot of things I was equally interested to hear about. So that was neat!

At 2, there was a panel about ‘Oklahoma in Fandom Media’ that I attended half of. It was fun to hear the various filming projects and other media mentions Oklahoma featured in. I left halfway through to help our group depart.

And so we drove home. It was a delightful, low-stress vacation. Lots of viewpoints. Lots of experiences. It was lovely seeing people face-to-face and getting such different impressions. It’s a very different experience than Tumblr or discord or streaming. I would very much recommend it to all of you! Get out and meet people in person in your area. Talk to them. Listen to their stories. Find out what they have to share. Share a bit of yourself in turn.

#fandom

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earthbovndmisfit · 4 months ago

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11, 12, 19, 21, and 24!

Fandom/fanfic asks! - @icouldbemoreclever

11.- Most unique merch you have for a fandom? That would probably be my old Captain Commando figure from the MvsC series by Toy Biz. I don't know how "unique" it actually is, but I've seen it going on sale for waaayyy more than I paid for it brand new at the time, so it kinda looks like it's not too common. Plus, other than the games and the 2 volume manga, there's very few official merch of that franchise! :c

12.- Craziest thing you've ever done as part of a fandom? I've mentioned this one before, but I once attended to a Megumi Ogata (YYH's Kurama's seiyuu) concert in my country while wearing a Karasu (YYH) cosplay lol. I was also on the second row! Just about 2 meters away from her. It was quite the experience lol. It was also not that planned really! ((Story time ahead)) The concert was held inside an anime convention and which was also located in another city (around 4 hours from where I live). Said anime convention used to give free entrance to most cosplayers at the time. I went with my sister, a couple friends, and a bunch of guys we met during the trip and also met with an online friend I had at the time and her girlfriend. At the time, my sister and I were kinda broke bc we had just attended to that con the past November (this one of the concert was on February, just a couple months later), so we'd had many expenses already from then and also from buying bus tickets to get there this time, local transportation tickets (bus and subway), food, etc so any pennies we could save to buy merch would be great! I also used to cosplay every time we went to those cons, plus, I already had the Karasu cosplay ready since that was the first cosplay I ever made and I also still had my hair long by then since I was planning to cosplay as Kuronue at some point too (spoiler: The Kuronue cosplay never came to fruition :( ). I also had a hunch they would have Kurama merch on sale for that con due to Megumi Ogata's concert (YYH merch was difficult to find, and even more so Kurama's because it would be sold out before we even got there), and I was right because that's where I managed to snatch a Kurama Banpresto keychain I'd wanted for years! So it was a win/win all around with the moneys I saved from that free entrance lol

19.- Fanfic you read again and again? I don't have a specific one that comes to my mind tbh, partly bc I haven't read any fanfics in a good while and partly bc my memory is awful. I like plenty that I occasionally re-read every now and then tho! Most of them were written by HamonHugs because I really like the way they portrayed and stayed true to Jonathan and Speedwagon.

21.- Favorite fic trope? I'm a simple man who loves Friends to Lovers stuff (bonus for "Enemies to friends to lovers" which, coincidentally, pretty much fits Jonawagon lol). "Fix-it" fics where some of the characters with canon deaths survive the horrors (like the "Jonathan lives AU" stuff in Jojo for example). Romance stuff, fluff, stuff like Mutual Pining, a bit of Drama and Angst here and there (pretty sure the Hurt/Comfort thing fills this bill but idk?), bits of humor sprinkled here and there to give the story a wider range of emotions (thus making the sad and the fluff feel much more pronounced too). Some whump and violence can be good too depending on the story. AUs are also nice when done right. I like some of the "Modern AUs" I've seen for Jonawagon. Same with reincarnation stuff and so on. I suck at naming tropes tbh, so I totally missed stuff here.

24.- Funniest fandom-related story? Probably the story I mentioned earlier about the Megumi Ogata concert lol. Other than that I can't remember anything in particular, save for the times Reki Taki-sensei (one of Araki's former assistants for the manga and also part of DavidPro's art staff since Stardust Crusaders) drops some likes on some of the art I retweet or on some of the random Speedwagon posts I make on twitter. As a bit of a side note: He also sometimes likes some of my Jonawagon ship-ish posts too 😁

#thank you so much for the ask! ❤️#answered #icouldbemoreclever

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lungthief · 4 years ago

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me? watching old convention vlogs from cosplayers i loved in middle school just to feel something again? it’s more likely than u think

#yes this is about nyxrising and vandettÄcosplay #i miss my local cons and cosplaying so much...i miss cosplaying with friends...i can and will live vicariously thru others #oh to be a swedish or british cosplayer with a group of friends who have access to an open field and a camera to film skits and cmvs #the marauders stuff nyx produced is still legitimately some of the best hp content ever made #shut up riley

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lovehotelreservation · 4 years ago

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Skintight

Summary: It’s a beautiful day to go out and cosplay at your local anime convention!

But it’s a horrendous day for Joseph to get some Artist Alley shopping done when he’s too buy being mesmerized by your stupid sexy cosplay!

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: F!Reader/Joseph

I MISS ANIME CONS SMH

I NEED MY FIX OF SEEING FRIENDS, MAKING NEW ONES, AND GIVING ALL MY DOUBLOONS TO NEW ACCESSORIES FOR MY ITABAG ; v ;

IT WAS WHY I WAS APPREACIATIVE TO @spaceispeachy FOR SUCH A FUN COMMISSION PROMPT!!! THANK YOU LOTS FOR SUCH A FUN TIME!!!

ANYWAY PLS ENJOY!!! OWO

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It took a lot for Joseph to hate sweets.

After all, how could he ever be in a bad mood when he had a mouthful of brownies, or cracking open a cannoli to lick out the cream filling while Caesar looked about ready to suplex him for his crimes against Italian cuisine?

But there was one dessert that was taunting him.

A treat that he could not easily have while he meandered through a bustling Saturday morning at the local anime con Artist Alley.

Pudding.

When anime con meals tend to run from convention center French fries, to food truck curry bowls, and freebie Pocky for subscribing to a streaming service, his craving for such a simple treat was rather odd.

But the allure of creamy pudding called to him nonetheless.

Literally.

“Aww, that’s sweet of you, but I already have a puddin’, see?”

The sweet chime of your voice.

Paired with the cheeky point of a foam prop hammer sent towards his direction.

Immediately, his concentrated expression from trying to calculate the value of getting a Fire Emblem Awakening key charm set for $35 turned into a menacingly cheerful look as he quickly turned around to wave at yet another Joker cosplayer who approached you for pictures of your Harley Quinn cosplay.

God, what was it with these Persona 5 fans hitting on you today?

The poor lad immediately shrunk back after realizing you were taken.

In retrospect, this issue could have been easily resolved if he decided to complement your Harley Quinn as a genderswapped Poison Ivy prior to the convention, but today was to be dedicated to Artist Alley and he did not want to be restricted within the busy crowds by someone stepping on the vines of his cosplay.

But with him dressing casually, admirers of your form-fitting outfit seemed to be blissfully ignorant to the way his hand protectively held yours, or the kisses shared between you both whenever you stopped at an open area for you to reapply your lipstick.

Not that he could blame them.

Even though he really did.

Your honey colored overalls alone were enough to get him sweating, the tight-fitting fabric hugging your curves and accentuating your ass, which made watching each step you took as you led the way a mesmerizing taunt.

And he did not want to get started on the cheeky peek of your cleavage thanks to the unzipped front of your overalls, your pink bralette looking to be more and more of a nuisance as they obscured your breasts from his grabby hands eager to rip your clothes right off--

“Shall we?”

Your fingers intertwined with his while your lips met in a kiss, the warmth of your palm putting his senses at ease.

“Lead the way, babe!” He grinned with an affirmative nod and wink, even if his self-restraint was looking to be in tatters.

There were still a ways away to get through the rest of Artist Alley, and he didn’t know if he was going to keep himself calm all the way back to the hotel.

As the two of you passed by an artist table selling Gintama-inspired soap, Joseph minded himself to stay calm with steady breaths and quell the heat that was spreading within his loins to hold on until later tonight.

For now, he found relief with his imminent purchase of a set of Yorozuya soap bars, his mind already racing to when he could use them to rub your body clean during a nice long shower once you both returned to your hotel room.

He just needed to have you retrieve his money from your wallet, given the inevitability of him losing something.

You were just about ready to, your back facing him as you reached into your bag.

Up until a group of passing cosplayers bumped against your side, causing you to stumble forward while dropping his money onto the floor in the process.

Alarmed, you immediately bent over to pick up the dropped bills.

While it was instinct for Joseph to bark out an “Oi, watch it!” to the oblivious group, the sight of the fabric of your overalls becoming taut as they stretched over your ass perfectly served to leave him speechless immediately afterwards while eviscerating whatever remnants of his self-restraint were still intact.

The look on your face was sheepish when you turned around, offering him a “sorry” and his money.

But instead of taking his dollars, Joseph was taking hold of your wrist as he quickly dragged you along and out of the Artist Alley crowds.

“J-JoJo! What about your soap?” You yelped, doing your best to keep up with Joseph while stuffing his money back into your bag.

Though he barreled on ahead without any intent to stop, Joseph quickly turned his head back towards you, his face hot and red as he remarked, “The soap can wait, I can’t!”

You knew what that urgency in his voice meant, your heart fluttering upon realizing his intentions.

With those words uttered, he quickly faced ahead, his eyes scanning around for any place that would provide the best discretion.

Thankfully, the search for privacy was not prolonged into a grueling endeavor upon coming across an empty panel room. A peek at the schedule taped on the entry door showed that there was supposed to be a showcase for the upcoming anime season, but the large “CANCELLED” that was scribbled onto the itinerary was all that he needed to see.

But not as much as he needed to see your breasts springing free from your clothes.

From a massive space packed to the brim with costumed attendees to the quiet, dark solitude of this single room.

With the lights off and not a prying eye around, Joseph felt nothing short of liberation as he hauled you right onto his lap after he sat down on one of the provided convention chairs. His lips smothered yours while his hands reached for your ass for a few firm needy squeezes, his voice in a grumble,

“Stupid sexy overalls that hug your ass! Only I’m allowed to do that, damn it!”

As much as he wanted to tear your clothes right off of you, he knew you’d manage to make a swing from your prop hammer lethal if he dared to tear apart your cosplay. So while he was mindful to help you with shimmying out of your overalls and tugging up at your bralette, he held no restraint once your nude skin was finally revealed.

The moment he caught sight of the bounce of your exposed breasts, his mouth was all over them for hot kisses, his suckling lips making it a point to leave red marks that would be difficult to hide.

By this point, he already unbuckled his belt and freed his cock out of his pants, his hands gripping your hips as he guided you to grind your slick core right onto the blunt thick tip of his dick, only sheathing himself fully inside once you began to mewl for him to move.

And move he did.

HIs hands returned to your ass for more indulgent gropes, holding tight as he had you bounce up and down his cock at a brisk rate, his need for your slippery wet heat too intense for him to even think to be slow.

You didn’t see or feel a problem with this, reciprocating his rhythm by the shake of your hips, all while your arms wrapped around his broad shoulders while your lips fell onto his neck, red kisses left in their wake--it was only fair for you to mark him up, after all.

Not to mention, while it was only the two of you alone in this room, the murmured chattering in the hallway outside the panel room served as a constant reminder that the two of you wouldn’t be private for long.

But with how riled up that Joseph had become from being utterly entranced by your alluring costume to how delightfully fierce that he was pounding up into your core, it did not take too long for the two of you to reach your climaxes. The hot spill of his cum poured inside you as your walls squeezed around his cock, your mouths met to muffle each other’s moans in a kiss

Your lips parted once Joseph fell back against his chair in a satisfied slump, his arms still hugging you close.

As you caught your breath, you looked up to him with a flustered expression, your lips pouting. “Now I’m gonna be all sticky walking through Artist Alley.”

A grin just cracked onto his lips as he leaned forward, kissing your forehead while reaching down to give your ass another squeeze as he affectionately teased,

“Don’t worry about it, puddin��. I’ll wash you up real nice with some Gintama soap tonight!”

He would happily make good on his word.

#Joseph Joestar #joseph joestar x reader #JJBA #reader insert #Fic #super freaknasty writing

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midnatt-heronweather · 3 years ago

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my blah about Cr3

Crossroads three is the stake in the demon that has been... almost 2 years without Starfury events (or any tbf)

I wanted to start a new review post for each convention but always seem to get back and feel like i've been hit with a freight train (is it bad I've missed Connui/Con Flu???)

So this is going to be the same stream of conciousness it usually is.

I'll start by saying I wasnt there for any guests after Lisa Berry cancelled, and strangley didnt have any cosplays, but i thre together my old s2 dean and went for it on.

So I spent the weekend helping out stewarding where I could and catching up with people, you could see the bone deep relief on the faces of the Starfury regs at being back.

From where I was I could hear the talks and it al sounded really fun (and sometimes blue, as per SF) but i've not watched Supernatural religiously since aprox end of s6, so i was happy where i was.

alien to me and rather sacrilegiously I was only able to attend Friday and Saturday party, i missed the final party and so wasnt part of the Survivors photo, but the two I attended were awsome enough to keep me going to Enchanted. especially when someone randomly ('m guessing) requsted Shinedown be played.

I know in the grand scheme of things i'm no Convention vet, there are still those who've been to more cons and different cons than me, but some things just make you feel like you've made it, and one of those things for me happened on the saturday night - I helped lead a con dance I always see one for the vets - its called Joe 90 and despite the 'status' i attatch to it, i'm amazed i managed it with my DCD co-ordination issues and didn't seriously hurt anyone lol.

When I decided to go I didnt think many of those I knew or those regulars I'd know would be in attendance, but stood on that door on Friday was like a whose who of Starfury minus a few (who i hope to see at upcoming events) One pair i was suprised and delighted to come across were Kai and Harry, serving cosplay awesomness as alway.

I later found out the duo had brought 'paint stripping' mead with them (morrisons own as it turned out, the non fizzy one) and I think i over did the mock-scolding....see.. Mead is something Ally (and me to a lesser extent) is known for, just like we know we can count on Taz (and Lou, and Gareth) to help us drink it lol, so I ribbed them both and I messaged Kai a link to Ravens Forge mead hall when i had wifi, and reminded them that if me or her were around, there would always be mead offered :D.

During lockdown i'd gotten to know two members of staff better than i'd done before, thats not to say i ignored them before and takes into account the fact w had been at a few none sf cons with them in the past..Taryn and Dean who are 'local' to me (Manchester) have become sort of addicted to a city I love very much (York) and like Taz, Ally and Myself, Dean loves mead and York is.. well its the best place in the county of Yorkshire for mead, even if Hull makes one lol. Dean however has taken his love of mead further than any of us and actualy started making his own, which he brought with him to CR3, apparently they'd made too much so I got a bottle given :D it was delicious but didnt last the first night, because, (and yes i know i'm a fool) for the sake of saftey i thought it would be best to leave anything glass with someone staying at the con hotel. namely Taz and Gareth, but they enjoyed it so i'm sur Dean wouldn't mind lol and it was better for me not to have to carry glass back from Birmingham.

one of my favourite moments of the weekend has to be seeing Julian Riching (Death in SPN) lighting up when I asked him about Murdoch Mysteries and then elbow bumping me (not sur eif it was just precaution or bcause my voice on the mic sounded like i was talking through gravil and Sean, Mr Starfury himself, had to translate for me. SEAN OF ALL PEOPLE lol

I love detective shows and Victorian things and Murdoch is both (though I guess now its Edwardian lol) , and if i'd had the werewithall to remember I could have brought out a cosplay which won me 2nd place at the masquerade the last time one of the cast came to an SF, as it was i just wnt up and asked him his memory of the show, which was pretty sharp I have to say.

It was a short one for me, like i said i didn't stay for the final night (£££) bt it was sooo worth the time I did get there. I will not go into detail but the week previous had been enough to test the patiences of someon a hell of a lot more saintly than me, I regret that there was a moment when i let the other world (the rl world) slip under my barrier and cause me to freak out a few people with unusual and what I hope others would consider out of charactar bhaviour. Awesome weekend. i feel like i've been hit with a freight train and my voice still sounds lik gravel (Connui/Conflu).

Pictures:

Pictures taken on Camera: 577 Pictures taken on phone: 360 Selfies Taken: 5

see my insta or Livejournal for pics (or Fb if your a friend)

#starfury conventions #crossroads 3 #supernatural #murdoch mysteries

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cosplayinamerica · 4 years ago

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ARTIST ALLEY : BurntGreenTea

Here at Cosplay in America, I am expanding who I interview to those in the convention scene. Today we will talk to BurntGreenTea who I met in artist alley at Ikkicon, an anime convention in Austin, TX. BurntGreenTea is from Northern California and as stated on his Deviant Art “Hey, my name is Nelson! I like to draw waifus”

EJEN : My first question is why BurntGreenTea?

BURNTGREENTEA: That’s actually my second handle I came up with, I had an embarrassing name before so I wanted to change into something more ironic and more “me” in a name. so I’ve been going as BurntGreenTea ever since. I do drink matcha alot!

EJEN: Tell us how you got started in artist alley, what was your first one and what was that experience like?

BURNTGREENTEA: I started getting interested in doing artist alley at my first Fanime Con back in 2007 as a one day attendee when I was still in high school.

I went with my best friend at the time and it blew my expectations of what a convention was, especially the artist alley since it completely opened my mind that there’s artists actually selling fan art. But I didn’t commit to it until 2012, just when I was in my 2nd year of college.

By that time, I had enough digital art and felt confident that I could do it. Fanime still had the application process of first come first serve (meaning those who apply the earliest will get a spot), so I was fortunate enough to apply fast enough to get a table!

For a first time experience it was nerve-wracking before, during and after the con. But there was something to it that really sparked my interest; and I think there were people that legitimately liked my work and bought them.

EJEN: Was there a point that you went “yeah, this could work” and you made the jump to traveling out of state for artist alley?

BURNTGREENTEA: It was about one and half years after I graduated from college, between that time I worked in a job that was soul sucking but I had many of my colleagues working at, and then after I was applying to animation studios, gaming companies, etc while I was doing commissions and artist alleys at the same time.

It went on like this for almost a year. By this point I felt like I really hit my lowest and felt a great shame that I couldn’t find “stable” work. My parents didn’t really support me doing artist alley during this time since it’s not legit work and it’s more like a fun hobby I can do on the side, all the while I have colleagues and friends who have jobs in the animation or gaming industries. I felt extremely lost, and wasn’t sure the direction I wanted to go in life, so my parents encouraged me to go back to school to get a “safe” degree or trade.

But there was something I knew in the back of my mind that I couldn’t see until I had a meet up with an old friend. She was confident, happy, found her dream job that paid well and she enjoyed the work, and she was completely honest and blunt. When the topic came up of me being lost in life, she asked me, “what did you want to do then?” and I told her honestly, “I really just want to do artist alley and make that work.” “Then just do it.” So I did.

EJEN: After all the time you spent in artist alley, what’s the most important factor that an artist must understand to do decently in sales

BURNTGREENTEA: Research research research. It’s basically “knowledge is power” but breaking down as knowing your audience, yourself (what you enjoy, your strengths and capabilities) and learning new trades while breaking old habits.

EJEN: Can you go more in detail about research, research, research?

BURNTGREENTEA: So this reflects back on my previous answer, so know the convention you’re going into, what you can offer, what’s your budget, everything that would make your experience at the convention you’re getting into a great experience.

I have heard many stories of artists not breaking even and even I had bad experiences due to inaccurate/outdated information or inexperience. For example, there was a first year event that had a $1000 table price tag and promised to bring in 5000 attendees.

This was going to be my second event/convention to table at, so I had no idea what it was going to be like and decided to go for it. It ended up having less than 100 attendees, and I lost a significant amount of money. So now I have to get as much info as I can get to make the convention viable to go to.

EJEN: How do you describe your style and how has it changed if any over the 14 years you’ve done art? What were some of your earlier influences.

BURNTGREENTEA: Right now I can say it’s pretty much anime style, but I can say there were several phases I went through. Looking through my Deviantart gives a great timeline all the way back to middle school until recently.

When I initially started I was getting into anime thanks to friends, so I was very much influenced by Naruto, Full Metal Alchemist, and Gurren Lagann. Then in high school I started to do more digital art, eventually creating artwork bigger and grander just like the artists from Fanime I admired.

When I finally started my education in my art program in college, I started getting the proper training in lighting, form, and composition. This time period my pieces were more western-influenced, like more realistic faces and body proportions, but there was something missing in it that I wouldn’t understand until after I graduated. It’s around the same time when I wanted to do artist alleys full time that I was more true to myself in the style and got more flashy, more colorful and composition.

EJEN : How do you decide what Alley to apply for. What’s your personal criteria for conventions to do artist alley at?

BURNTGREENTEA: Local cons are usually easy for me to decide to apply for due to the cost being low(transportation, housing, etc). If there’s anything that involves flying out of state, I have to factor in much more information about the con, personal experiences from other artists, and if it is viable for an anime fan artist to break even and also turn a profit. Usually big conventions like Anime Expo and Otakon are the must go to conventions for their huge attendance numbers.

EJEN: Describe to me a typical day in the Alley!

BURNTGREENTEA: Due to the times right now, it seems like almost a dream to be in an artist alley, haha. Here’s a usual day of being in the Alley: Waking up early to get ready, getting breakfast and caffeine before heading inside a convention.

Usually getting there early, either me or some art friends would walk around the Alley and check out other artists before it’s open to the public. There would be some art friends I made along the way that I can catch up with briefly, chatting about the next shows or projects. I would have probably stayed up kinda late working on physical commissions and would need to go back to my table to continue finishing them up.

When the Alley opens up, it’s mostly engaging and talking with familiar customers or friends, while also working on commissions during the down times. Friends would go on food or snack runs, and I would get an hour to go shopping during the day somewhere as a break.

By the time it ends, it would have felt like it had gone in a flash. But with heavy eyes but our hearts full with a day accomplished. If we had the strength, we would check out an event or explore the convention hall abit more to absorb the atmosphere. Getting dinner with friends after a job well done, while we have another day to look forward to spending time with fans alike.

It’s really nostalgic to reflect on a typical day to be in the Alley, and having to have that all stop for almost a year now.

EJEN: Since the pandemic, how are you coping with this change both personally and business-wise?

BURNTGREENTEA: I was honestly hoping conventions would come back around at the end of May, but that never happened so I had to approach things differently. Luckily I had a freelance gig that I was working part time, so I had a semi-regular income on the side while I applied for virtual conventions and commissions.

It was tough since I wanted 2020 to be the year I would do the most conventions ever but that plan derailed. I also focused on my online shop and my social media presence, which so far is paying off!

Like everyone this year took a mental and physical toll, but I also ended up working on more projects and digital work to help keep me distracted.

EJEN: What are your plans for the future, what are you working on?

BURNTGREENTEA: My goal is still to go back to doing conventions, but at the moment I’m going to give that a pause. Currently I have a contract job that’s ending soon, and I have something that’s NDA that might come up, crossing my fingers! That’s the near future, but for the time being I want to refocus on learning new things and refining my art since I’ve gotten rusty.

EJEN: Finally who is your waifu?

BURNTGREENTEA: My waifu is Lucina from Fire Emblem!

Visit BurntGreenTea’s Etsy!

#artist alley #artist alley interview

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morethanaprincess-a · 4 years ago

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@galaxybeginnings said: ✨Effervescent

Pretty Word Asks (Please specify if this is for the mun or muse! Otherwise, it’ll be answered by the mun for Munday)

✨Effervescent: What would make you happy right now?

I really had to think about this, but the small things that would make me happy all kind of revolve around a bigger thing: finding a vaccine for COVID-19 and opening up the world again.

I’m not really excited to go back to working in an office (I’m much more productive at home, I’m an extroverted introvert, I’m very blunt when colleagues don’t do things the right/best way), but everything else? I’m really missing right now.

I miss seeing my RL friends, I miss going to conventions and traveling, I miss being able to plan my courthouse wedding with my fiancé (and the honeymoon, which is the real draw besides just being married to each other. Neither of us are wedding people), I miss doing cosplay and fashion photoshoots (especially now that I’m feeling much better, emotionally and physically). But all of those are contingent on a light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, really.

So I guess in the short-term, having all of my recent cosplay purchases arrive would be wonderful. I’m waiting on a new ballgown that I’m so eager to embellish for an upcoming con, as well as the corresponding wig, and starting to work out props I can carry as well. My RP hobby crosses over into my cosplay hobby, because why not just write the muse when you can dress as them too? Not that I know when I’m going to wear my upcoming outfits next, but I’ve had cosplay groups for Danganronpa, Castlevania, and Mobile Suit Gundam put on hold for over a year now and that just makes me sad. I’d also be thrilled to finally attend some cons out of my city/area for the first time in years. I love my local events, but in the past I’ve been to Otakon, Anime Central, Anime St. Louis, and some other now-defunct events. I’d like to say I’ve attended Katsucon at least once in my life (and likely have to drive to it, because flying with all of my outfits is near-impossible. So many skirts).

And Christmas cheer. I love Christmas RP threads, terrible Christmas romcom movies (and recycling such plots over here), decorations, music, presents, staying cozy and comfortable.

Instead, I’m just taking advantage of all the weekend sales and trying to ignore the temptation to do IG stories unboxings.

#more-than-a-princess answered #more-than-a-princess musings #galaxybeginnings #(Pretty Word Asks)#(I miss seeing friends in person and cosplay shenanigans and traveling)#(That's the tl;dr)

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better-half-vani · 5 years ago

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Guess Who’s Back

So I guess I should explain myself and some things. I’m finally back here again. The reason why I initially disappeared was because of KH3. I didn’t want to be spoiled, so I went on a hiatus (without realizing that I had, but I didn’t want to risk seeing something I hadn’t wanted to yet and hadn’t put it on here---oops).

And then Tumblr became anti-nsfw and that just furthered my reason not to come back because I figured this blog would be nuked. This coupled along with the deaths of a few close friends during the time had me regressing further and further from really socializing (because my mental state at the time was...why should I make more friends, if all I’ll keep doing is losing them...?)

I know.

It was a pretty messed up thought process and a way to self-isolate, but I didn’t know how else to cope.

That coupled with being so work driven (because I was pretty poor and was trying to sustain my lifestyle and help my family) that I hadn’t even played the very game (KH3) that I had waited about 13 years for. That and my drive to play video games was shot to hell.

...what really almost killed me inside was the loss of a very close friend of mine--someone who was my best friend that I had been friends with for basically a decade @verticalfrontalsomething leaving me and this world on the first of November last year.

It was rough to do anything KH related because they were the Riku to my Vanitas. They never made that Riku blog on here that I kept pushing them to do though we roleplayed that pairing all of the time (along with some Ansem/Vanitas) on Discord after the craziness of Tumblr.

It’s still hard for me to play KHUx because months later they’re still in my party and their Riku avatar always walks with my Vanitas one.

We wouldn’t talk daily. I won’t sit here and lie that it was consistent like that, but we would literally drop off the face of the earth with each other for days to weeks to months at a time and just pick up like nothing had gone wrong.

We’d check on each other and the like. And we both understood that life would get in the way or that we would get busy.

And then...things were finally going well for them. I didn’t know that because I had moved into my new apartment about a month before they passed and was getting used to life on my own with my partner and roommates. That and FaceBook’s algorithm for showing the latest posts sucks ass.

I didn’t get a chance to congratulate them on getting that job. To scold them about not going to the convention when they just had kidney problems, or to visit them in person again like I had promised over and over.

...but their parents were kind to me. I cancelled my shifts for work during the time of their funeral and just worked four or maybe five days straight, went negative in my bank account to book the flight, and asked local mutual friends of ours in their state to house me (to which no one could).

And finally, after gaining an ounce of courage and growing a pair, I reached out to their folks to stay with them.

I hadn’t seen their parents since 2014 and I’d changed a bit since then. My voice deeper. My hair not as spiky. And maybe a little taller. ...but they housed me and shared their memories of my friend that I never would have had. Never would have known.

It was painful going up into their old room that I hadn’t been in in years. Seeing the stuff they’d send pictures of to me. Some stuff I had sent them some years ago and given to them at a con.

I was allowed to take their Saix cosplay jacket for KH3 (the last cosplay they made) along with the wig and a jacket. As well as their Kanji wig that they cosplayed with me as I did Naoto with them.

It’s been months and my heart still weeps and aches. The tears still come and eventually they halt. I miss them so much. I really do.

...but they wouldn’t want me to stop my life and the things I love to do because they left me alone temporarily.

If there’s reincarnation or another life, you can bet your sweet ass I will find them again and be friends again.

...so yeah.

I’m back and even more emotional as your feelings monster. Stay safe out there with that new virus and be kind.

-Your Vanitas.

#Mun Update

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tenacityblitz · 4 years ago

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☀ , ☾, and ♣

mun related

☀ ━ how long have you been roleplaying? how did you get into it?

This July 28th will be 9 years I’ve been RP’ing. Just for a cringe time machine you all can see the very first post I made on my first RP blog HERE. It’s bad.

I got into RP’ing completely unintentionally, I got introduced to deviantART through a friend I made at college (who I’m still friends with to this day) and I got into writing fanfictions, and two girls who started reading my first fic regularly began talking with me and I got introduced to the concept of having and using a roleplay blog and the rest was history.

☾ ━ how many pets do you own? if none, what kind of animals do you like?

Currently I don’t technically own any pets. My roommate has a brat of a cat named Ginger (picture HERE for y’all to get a cute cat pic for your day, that’s my roommate holding her) so she’s kind of like my cat by association. But I’ve had everything from carnival goldfish to hamsters to an insane rabbit to a plethora of cats, all the way up to a horse.

♣ ━ share five random facts about yourself

-I’ve been out of the country multiple times for traveling. Four times to Canada, mostly for cons but one trip to Ikea, and I also went on a cruise once when the aforementioned college friend’s father got remarried and she was allowed to bring one friend for the family honeymoon trip and she picked me, and I was in Germany when I was 8 to visit family, so unless I manage to get over there for a second trip it’s possibly the closest I can say I’ve been to @shinvcho and @heterochromatica lol. -I used to act in a local drama program and I was in play adaptations of several Disney films such as Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Narnia. (I played Scuttle, Aladdin’s mother, and Miss Beaver respectively) -I went through a big acrylics nails phase where I got them touched up every single month and was anal about having nice nails. -I only ever lied to my parents once about where I was, because my friends and I wanted to go down to a club in Baltimore (this was while I was still living in Maryland) so I lied and told my parents that we were simply gonna restaurant bar hop much closer to home in Timonium instead and she believed me and to this day has no idea I went into the city to a seedy club lmao. -My first anime convention was Otakon 2014. Ya girl learned hard that you don’t do cosplays that involve leather jackets to a summertime convention, and I haven’t done Nezumi since then LOL.

#ooc #punkedhero

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agl03 · 5 years ago

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Hi. I was wondering if you know when the Wondercon tickets are going to go on sale, and if you have any advice for flights/hotels/anything else related? Thank you!

Hi Anon!

Ohhh this is so up my alley.

@jewishfitz and I were trying to remember last week and we both agreed it was possibly sometime in December last year. Maybe. I just kept my eye on the Wondercon Page and grabbed a 3 day Pass when they went on sale. It’s a couple weeks later this year so that could push when they put the passes on sale back too. You can go in now and get your account all set up though and save a little time.

The huge disclaimer to go in here is there is NO GUARANTEE that AOS is going to be there. My family decided to take the gamble as we feel like last season its going to be a great point for them to kick off the promo again. We know full went they might not go and that chances are super slim on getting the whole cast. That being said we’re going to have great time no matter what and are okay with whatever surprises await.

Flights:

The Anaheim area has many airports that service it so my personal and professional recommendation is to avoid flying into LAX if at all possible. Its crowded, busy, takes 60-90 minutes to get to the convention center, and transportation is double if not triple from the other area airports. However for sometimes LAX is the cheapest option.

My preferred Disney/Wondercon Airport is SNA Orange County. Its only a 20 minute or so cab ride and you can grab a flat rate cab, you just have to ask for it. As a mom traveling with kids this airport is much more manageable and for us worth the extra money in many cases to fly in and out of.

Another alternative, especially if you are flying Southwest, is Long Beach. Just know this is a small airport, like parts of it are outside small. But sometimes you can score an awesome rate and the flat rate is around $55 each way and its a 20-30 minute ride.

The Con starts on Friday but I do suggest coming in on Thursday so you are all ready to go. If you need to pick up your badges or need to get your kids passes you can do so at this point. If you want to visit Disney like us we are coming in on Wednesday. Though the con does often sell “twilight” Disney passes for evenings if that is your jam. Just know we are toying with Easter Weekend and the crowds that come with it.

The con wraps up pretty early on Sunday so many people fly out that night. But its up to you and how far you have to go. We have kids to get back to school on Monday.

Pricing out airfare can be maddening at it’s best. google.com/flights kayak.com and southwest are all my go too. I personally will track air for a little bit to get an idea of the prices and points. I will also price out one way to one way vs round trip because sometimes you can save flying a different airline home. The absolute best advice I can give on airfare is when you find a fare you are happy with....book it and never look again. When booking fares watch what kind of fare you are booking and any restrictions it might have. IE can you have a carry on and how much are bag fees.

Hotels

The Con is in the Disneyland area and as such will share many hotels. Meaning booking early is always a good idea. Easter is an incredibly busy time for Disney and the hotels will fill up. You can book a refundable rate now (make sure its refundable before booking it) to secure your choice hotel. Then when the con drops their hotel rates a few weeks out you can see if its worth making the move.

What you need to be careful of is distance. I like to keep within .3 miles and still check the map to make sure you aren’t crossing a streets, it can add like 10-15 minutes to your walk. Other factors I personally take into account is does it have a free breakfast, that is a huge thing for our budget. I know other people don’t care and just bring a box of power bars.

Here are my favorite Con area hotels. I own I am a hotel snob, I like a nice hotel for me and the family. I also like to be close, so like airfare I’m personally willing to pay more to do so.

Hyatt Place

Cortona

Residence Inn Anaheim Convention Center...especially if you need multiple bedrooms.

Courtyard Anaheim Convention Center

Springhill Suites Convention Center

Hilton *official con hotel

Marriott *official con hotel

Clarion: This is the closest of the budget friendly options, but know its older and in desperate need of a refurbishment.

If you drive do know most of the hotels will charge at least $15 a night to park.

Note a lot of these hotels have multiple locations in the same two block area. those with Maingate in the name will usually be closer to Disney. So once again check the map.

Other

One of the big items is the signings put on for the various casts and panels. The last two years they’ve used a ‘lovely’ lottery system where you get so many tickets to enter each day. I have yet to get into a signing via the lottery and I’m curious to see if they change it. I know it hasn’t been too popular but its also a lot easier to do. Once you purchase your badge keep your eye on the page for when this lottery opens up and you can enter. They don’t email you or anything its you going in and its there.

The schedule starts getting announced usually in January and AOS is notorious for being a last minute add so be ready to wait. Start tracking the panels you want to see.

Familiarize yourself with the rules of the con. Wondercon typically doesn’t clear rooms after panels so that is something I plan for when working out our day. IE I live in the AOS room and am prepared to suffer through some crazy weird panels before. I still have no idea what happened in that Batman Ninja one.

Know that many on here are happy to offer their own help and advice. I’m also okay if you want to come up and say hi to me if you see me there. I’m hard to miss with the herd of mini cos players. I’m very nice in person I promise.

In that same vein I know we are talking about doing a bigger more formal AOS fandom meet up. Once I can get an idea of how many people are going I can coordinate with local fans on a spot.

If you are Cosplaying do a test drive of your costumes before. There are lots of amazing cos players in the fandom who are always ready to share their knowledge.

Its always best to arrive to line up for a panel or other event too early rather than risk missing out.

If you are there alone make friends with who you are by so you can help each other out saving spots for food and potty breaks.

The Expo/Shopping area has lots of awesome goodies and can easily take most of the day to get through. I do suggest shopping at some point on Friday for the best selection.

Keep an eye on some of the Expo booths for Special Signings, this was how we got Gabrielle Luna’s autograph our first Wondercon, he was at Golden Apple comics with the illustrator. We had to pay for it separately but it was a great little meet n greet.

The food trucks outside offer a wide variety of offerings if you don’t want what they have inside. I also like to Uber Eat Dinner to the hotel if I’m not going down to Downtown Disney or the Garden Walk.

Most importantly have fun. You have a lot of control over your experience just with the attitude you go in with and how you react to the situations. IE not all fans are nice and will gladly run down your child to get into a line before them. So be ready to roll with the punches and make the most of the situations you find yourself in.

Every Con we’ve gotten a bit of Magic one way or another but I don’t expect it. Every Con we’ve met other fans that are just amazing in person and only make the experience better. Also being polite goes a long ways. Polite to other fans and polite to the con staff.

Well that turned into a small novel but I hope that helped!

#wondercon here we come #sorry went full on mom there

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snow-slayer · 5 years ago

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A Bunch of Good Things from 2019

*I don’t do things consistently, so there’s chunks of time I just forgot to write. So the blank spaces are days where I could not recall the exact good things that happened.*

January 1: Started the year off right by hanging out with @nah-young, eating some delicious leftovers from New Year’s Eve and working on a puzzle. Also caught a shiny Delibird in Pokemon Go as the first catch of the year. 2: Had a headache at work, but went home to take care of myself. Dad and I talked for a long time about money and taxes without arguing. I have also discovered a future hobby I want to get into: 3D printing. 3: I cranked out four solid hours of studying. I’m going to ace the Auditing section of the CPA exam. I feel it in my bones (especially when I finally stood up and stretched). 4: My ‘other mom’ (one of my best friend’s mom) took me out for a belated Birthday lunch to our favorite Thai food place, and I enjoyed more mango sticky rice. It’s one of my new favorite desserts. 5: Did some epic New Year cleaning. Caught up on laundry, filed away my 2018 paperwork, and did some 2019 taxes. Finally on top of things! 6: A puzzle day! I connected a big piece of the sky to the side on the Lion King puzzle. I’ve still got a lot to go, but progress is being made. 7: As usual, I both surprised and pleased the teller at the bank when I moved some money from savings into my IRA. They wanted to know if it was for tax year 2018, but I could tell them last year was maxed out and it was for 2019. 8: Got to practice my training and supervising skills with @arrowhearts. 9: Spent the night at Lucy’s (she’s a cat). She’s the sweetest cat though, and was cuddling in my lap for so long! She even held my finger with her paw for like ten minutes. I love her. 10: It’s been forever, but I finally sat down and played some video games. I’m replaying Arkham Asylum again and really just exploring every nook and cranny I can find. 11: Might have started a new Francis story line ... Whoops :) 12: Helped Jane clear an apartment and acquired many new tools and art supplies to use. 13: Snow! It was snowing before bed, but I still woke up at 5 am to about 4 - 5 inches. Activated my dad gene and started shoveling at 5:30 am (sorry neighbors to the house I was dog sitting at). It’s so pretty out! 14: A quiet day, but I did some work for Jane and gamed some more. Can’t wait to start Arkham City when I get 100% on Arkham Asylum! 15: I took my coworker a basket of fun snacks from Lotte for her Birthday. She’s so excited to try them all! 16: Donated blood today and when I went to get dinner on the way home, I got a free salad! The entree was already free and I ordered a side salad. I pulled out my wallet to pay, but the coupon covered it, too! 17: Treated myself to breakfast on the way into preschool (my new volunteer place since the teacher I followed to several elementary schools is now at). Also ate some amazing home cooked food for lunch with @nah-young before going out for ice cream. 18: Did some very early spring cleaning to prep for my next yard sale and straighten up a bit. 19: Beat the storyline and finished gathering all of Riddler’s trophies in Arkham Asylum. I do still need to finish up the additional content for 100% completion. 20: Working with Jane to help clean out an apartment again and got stencils to use for my art (the ones with shapes of different sizes). I had wanted to get me a set, so I really lucked out. 21: Started reading a book for fun. Lol, I forgot that I can still read non-accounting things for fun. 22: Sent out 1099s at work. It’s always a dreaded part of the year, but it’s taken care of! 23: I started uploading my old Franmouche stories to AO3. I forgot that I’d written 185 pages of them. At least if someone else likes my rarepair, they have lots to read. No guarantees on the quality, but there is quantity. 24: Made fun penguin cutouts for the preschool class I volunteer at. Then studied for nine hours on campus. A busy, yet productive day. 25: Finished watching all my lectures for the next portion of the CPA exam! So much auditing knowledge!!! 26: Panic alleviated. My check engine light had been on for a few days. Usually it’s just a gas cap issue so I was worried, but after readjusting the cap again (which usually fixes it) and an oil change, the light went out! 27: Played some Pokemon Go for four hours with @arrowhearts and Lyla. No Kyogre, but at least we each got a Groudon. Plus, the weather was beautiful for this time of year. 28: I found a dollar today while sweeping the parking lots with my dad! I’m gonna be riding this wave for a week. (Fun fact: my dad and I used to go bike riding on Sunday afternoons/evenings in the local parking garages and look for pennies. We’d always get bragging rights when we found a quarter or more. We still get excited and tell each other of the day’s finds when we find a few coins while we’re sweeping). 29: Had a bit of a headache, but managed to get through it so I could finish the workday. Then I get some well deserved rest. 30: Met up with @nah-young for some fries and ice cream! 31: My annual physical went well! Took care of a couple test we’ve been putting off, too, and they weren’t quite as bad as I thought they’d be.

February

1: I had such a productive day in the office, even for a Friday. Special thanks to @arrowhearts for helping me move all (24 years worth) of our files. 2: Started off the day a little rough and feeling low, but I decided to go up to campus, and I’m so glad I did. I was able to help a bunch of people get to their destination. Also hung out with @nah-young and @arrowhearts in a sketchy room. 3: Technically today (starting at 1 am). Had a great talk with @nah-young about a lot of things including our friendship. Successfully avoided the Super Bowl (which I heard sucked, so that was a good use of my time). 4: Had a really good conversation with my dad for almost an hour. We had some fights earlier in the year, but it was nice to be able to connect some. 5: It’ll be silly to look back on, but I thought I lost a reference letter for a scholarship applicant, but realized I could find it on our shared drive. Such a relief! 6: I tried Duck Donuts for the first time today. One of our board members brought me and a coworker a half dozen each. 7: Caught a Miltank in Pokemon Go! I thought I missed my chance, but there was a special running, so I got it. 8: Just heard we got a new boss at work, so it’ll be nice to be full staffed again. 9: Started working on a painting for @arrowhearts. It might be my first completed artwork of the year. 10: A lazy day, but I flipped through a book on home decorating. You know, to plan for my future house. 11: Officially started working for Jane’s business. We’ll see how it goes, but at least it’s an extra couple of hours per week. 12: Finished a dog sitting job, and I’m super thankful to be sleeping in my own bed again. 13: I gave Lucy, the sweetest cat ever, a piggyback ride and it was the cutest thing ever. I was on my knees and forearms trying to get Lucy to boop my nose when she just climbed on my back and sat down. I rose up on my knees and hands and she did the “i’m not so sure but I’m going to stay here” stand and let me crawl across the floor a while before finally jumping off. I love this cat. 14: Took the auditing section of the CPA exam. I feel much better about this one than I have about the other two. We’ll see on the 26th. 15: Such a busy day at the office! It was productive, but just a lot of work. 16: Even though I just too the other exam, I managed to get a lot of studying done. 17: Mamaw and I got to chat and work on the puzzle for a while. It was nice to hang out with her since I haven’t done son in quite a while. 18: We had some really good food at our investment club meeting today. Sheppard’s pie (like meat and mashed potatoes), salad, this great cracker dip (I have no other details other than feels like sharp cheddar finally shredded with a hint of spice in some sort of sauce). 19: Our new executive director started today. I think I made a pretty good first impression! 20: Started playing Arkham City again. We had a snow day and even my office closed, so I made the most of my day. 21: Lol and today I finished the main storyline of Arkham City. Accidentally, because I was doing side quests, but Batman got mad when I tried to go finish some before the last mission. 24: I am obsessed with Excel, but I figured out a formula so that it would total certain categories even if they weren’t in order. Plus I learned how to make a drop down menu (on two versions of Excel). Guess who’s budget looks beautiful! 25: I caught a Latias in Pokemon Go. Not having much luck with the water legendaries. I wonder if they don’t like me because we picked the grass starter. 26: I passed the Auditing section! (and instead of keeping it quiet, I made a point to tell some people). Then @nah-young and I went to dinner to celebrate our successes of the day and just have a nice chat. 27: Good news: I starved off a migraine that was starting on Feb 26. Maybe this new method will help them from getting bad. Just took an Aleve with some hot tea. 28: Went on a Pokemon run, and I found $20 blowing across the yard when I got home! A nice find for the year.

March 1: I’ve been really getting into “Ghost Story” by Peter Straub and had so much time to just sit and read while it rained. 2: I watched “Spiderman: Enter the Spiderverse” today. An epic movie and I highly recommend it! I also have several new costume ideas... 3: Officially started working on my Library Comic Con cosplay. There’s not much to show, but it was nice to start costuming again. 4: Hiked up to the nearby bubble tea. It was good! I got a mango green tea creama. Next time I know I have to mix it up before I start drinking it. 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10: Started replaying Castlevania IV. It’s been a while since I beat it, so hopefully I can still finish it! 11: I have proven myself an Excel deity. Well, at least Jane thinks though. She needed a spreadsheet for something and had some ideas so I whipped it out in five minutes flat with a bunch of formulas she didn’t even know were possible. I’m quite proud of it. 12: Lol, speaking of excel, I was geeking out over my budget with one of our board members. She was showing me how she built her itinerary in excel for her next trip and I got to show off my budget. 13: 14: 15: It was fake St. Patrick’s day at work, so I got to show off my green Riddler suit. Apart from being mistaken as dressing like a leprechaun a few times, I received a bunch of compliments on it. I’ve gotten a lot of use out of that suit jacket. 16: Tagged along with @nah-young to her grandfather’s birthday party and watched Bohemian Rhapsody. Apart from the timeline inaccuracies, I really enjoyed it! Look at that: two new movies in one month. 17: First big leaf job of the season. I guess the first major landscaping job. Dad helped out, so it made life easier. 18: Investment club meeting went well, and I ended up staying late to chat and help clean up, but it was enjoyable. Also had some great tiramisu from Trader Joe’s. 19: 20: 21: It was a downpour today, but I also made a 20 minute Costco run. Parking was great, the lines were short, and I managed to balance everything without a cart. Success! 22: Finally got around to doing invoices. It’s such a weight off my chest to take care of them. 23: I had the house to myself, so got ample studying done, played some pokemon, and treated myself to some bubble tea. Got myself a bunch of good pokes from Community day. 24: Another lovely day to sit and hang out with @nah-young. I always enjoy our hour long conversations just sitting in my car in her driveway. I also finished the lectures for the BEC portion of the CPA exam. 25: I found a gift card loaded with $30 today. It had been thrown into the dumpster, so a little gross, but it washed off nicely. 26: Ran up to the local library to turn in my books (look @arrowhearts, I did it the day before they were due and didn’t have to make a midnight run). I wasn’t going to check out more books since I already had some checked out from another library visit (I go to many branches due to my job and often check out a book or two, resulting in cycles of books due at different times), but I did anyway. I started reading Area X, too, and so far, I’m really enjoying it. 27: Our family’s accountants think I’m a bit weird because I was so excited to get my tax papers back even though I owed money. I was just like “cool!” to all the facts and things on my sheets, which is apparently not what they’re used to, but one of the new tax laws works in my favor as small business income is taxed at a lower rate or something. 28: 29: 30: I love Annihilation in the Area X series! I haven’t plowed through a book that fast in years. 31: I was catching up on my business spreadsheets and it turns out I had the most profitable March since I started my business :)

April 1: No April Fools jokes, which is always a huge plus. 2: 3: 4: Took the BEC section of the exam and then clocked in a bunch of hours for the Foundation. Jubilee is almost here!!! 5: 6: The Jubilee is over!!! What a relief! A lot of things went well, and I heard it was a lot of people’s favorite. Not sure what actually happened because I was stationed at check in/out all night, but hopefully the silent auction results are good. Huge shout out to @arrowhearts and @nah-young for getting me through the night! 7:A quiet morning of returning the Jubilee to the Foundation. Plus some other landscaping. 8: I know everyone at work is saying I should take time off, and I didn’t, but I’m actually feeling blessed that I have the physical and mental stamina to keep working on things. Plus, I need to catch up with post Jubilee stuff. 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: Got to talking with my art dealer for a long while and we exchanged headcannons and ideas. 20: Had a nice Pokemon run with @arrowhearts‘ dog. Plus, enough work to keep me out of trouble X) 21: A very busy Easter. I moved a huge mound of mulch. It was half the size of my car. Hopefully the home owner will like it. 22: 23: 24: 25: 26: 27: 28: 29: 30: 31: I’ve been feeling behind, but I finally knocked out a really important thing at work today. Got our annual applications in!

May 1: 2: 3: My gauntlets for my comic con costume look so cool! They’re a little stabby (there’s staples on the inside, although I should be able to tape it down for safety), but overall look cool for a first draft. 4: A long day, but I feel like I was really able to help my friend and her family, which is nice considering how much they do for me. 5: The event that happened wasn’t good, but I’ve been humbled as to how well our house was kept and motivated to try and become more organized. 6: Dad and I were chatting today, and we could even touch on topics in a civil manner. It was quite nice! 7: Just found out I passed the BEC section of the CPA exam! I’m 75% CPA!!! And no cavities were found after my dentist appointment :) 8: Frantically working on my costume, but my head piece looks really good! 9: Mom even chipped in to help. We rigged up a steampunk mask I have (which doesn’t fit on my head right) so that I can actually wear it. 10: I’ve been fasting for Ramadan and I think my body and I are finally on the same page. It was a rough start this year, but I’m looking forward to focusing on being thankful for what I have and working on self discipline. 11: Library Comic Con! My costume is a bit rough, so no final pictures, but I have plans to make it better! 12: It was a busy Sunday. Lots of lawns, but thankfully the weather was cool. 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: Had a nice meeting with my boss. I keep feeling like I’m not on top of things or she’s disappointed, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Plus, she said I did great at the finance committee meeting, so that was nice. 18: Although I scared everyone I worked with all day, I was able to donate blood even though I had been fasting. 19: I saw the tiniest inch worm while I was pulling weeds today. It was more like a quarter inch worm and it was just trying so hard to climb up my arm when I found it. I also saw the first lightening bugs of the year. As a bug type Pokemon trainer, I’m quite pleased with all of this (less so with the mosquitoes though, as I got my first bite of the season). 20: I have found a nice way to keep cool at the property Dad and I work at. I’m allowed to douse my head, neck, and hat with the hose, and man does it feel good! 21: I received many compliments at the executive committee meeting for all my hard work on the budget, the Jubilee, and finance committee. 22: Caught up on reconciliations at work (finally). It’s been just a nightmare, but I’m happy they’re done. 23: Another me day. I’ve been taking Thursdays off and got to game for a bit but also accomplish a lot of laundry and studying. 24: Had a good meeting at work to discuss the future of the nonprofit I work at. Plus I finally made a phone call I didn’t want to make. 25: Went to a foam helmet making class with a coworker. I’m super excited to start trying out this style, and I think the sample we made in class can easily be used to make a helmet for Vile. Might have purchased a few things to go with it :) 26: Found a new drink that I love from Kung Fu Tea! Also got to rewatch Coco, which is always good. 27: Part of my afternoon spent working with Jane was changing her screen saver. It was set up for one photo of pictures, but some were so fuzzy, so we set up new pictures and I got to add my fuzzball to the reel. 28: I visited one of Jane’s friends to discuss dog sitting and we had such a nice conversation afterwards. 29: I found a four leave clover today while mowing lawns. It’s been years since I’ve found one, so that was exciting. 30: I plowed through about 6 hours of studying for the FAR portion of the CPA exam. Only two more lectures and then onto multiple choice! 31: Filled out a form at work (finally). Now I just have to hope my boss will sign it and have it notarized.

June 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: Took the (hopefully) last CPA exam. It was nice as I spoke to an elevator engineer before the exam and it helped to calm my nerves a bit. 7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: Wasn’t sure what day to put this on, but @nah-young and I hung out for hours just sitting and chatting on the cats’ back porch. 15: Successfully navigated into DC with the help of @arrowhearts (and had an interesting laugh about her being my son...? Oh well, at least we got to give the people sitting outside a show as we left the building with two rollie office chairs each). 16: Started working on my Halloween costume. I’ve abandoned the idea I originally had and will be switching to a different Mega Man X character (fun fact: it was a costume I originally intended to make before being introduced to Scaramouche back in 2017) 17: It was a scorcher, but had a slurpee for the first time in almost a year. I’m so thankful for the 7-11 within walking distance of where my dad and I work on Mondays. 18: I’ve officially passed the CPA exam! Now onto the next steps... 19: I have been struggling with telling people good news, but I did make an effort to inform some people about me passing the exam. 20: Told some more people about the CPA exam and just trying not to stress. I got celebratory milkshakes for my family after dinner. 21: My coworkers are so sweet. They brought me in a cake and we had a mini celebration. 22: 23: 24: 25: 26:Found a praying mantis while mowing. She kept standing where I wanted to mow, so I got to pick her up and put her somewhere safe (with lots of snacks for her!) 27: 28: 29: So glad I went to see Detective Pikachu with @nah-young and @arrowhearts! I really enjoyed it! 30: 31:

July 1: A new fiscal year! I did manage to get a good bit done on my latch hook. 2: A sudden thunderstorm took me off the weed pulling job early (i.e. a perfect opportunity to read). 3: It was quiet in the office. Too quiet ... yet super productive! I processed so many gifts and letters. 4: I don’t really celebrate, and spent a lot of it working, but played some pokemon in the rain. It was a warm day, so the cool rain felt so refreshing! 5: A jammed packed day with trashrooms, a bank run, and more pokemon quests! I completed another 15 and hatched a new pokemon. Plus I finished another book: Dr. Death. 6: A busy day, but I was able to finish everything so I can take the next day off completely (for once). Again, apologies to @arrowhearts for dragging you out and getting caught in a downpour so I could get some bubble tea! 7: 8: 9: 10: Unboxed my unicycle! Not sure when I’ll ride, but it’s ready when I am. 11: 12: 13: 14: The vanity is back in my bathroom! Dad’s renovating it, and it’s been a slow process, but I finally have a sink! 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: 20: Spent a few hours working on cleaning the basement, and I’m finally seeing some of the fruits of my labor. 21: 22: 23: 24: Officially finished the Vile helmet! 25: Just started a new dog sitting job, and the house is right on top of a pokestop. Guess I’m going to have a full item bag again! 26: Finally got myself a memory stick for my PSP. I’m replaying the Maverick Hunter X game ... because I can! 27: Got three team rocket grunts in one day at the one stop. 28: Plowed through the Vile portion of Maverick Hunter X. Lol, I probably make it harder on myself since I only use my favorites, regardless of if they’re good against the boss. 29: Had a huge crab and shrimp dinner at Jane’s house. 30: Hung out and ate delicious homemade butter chicken with my best friend’s mom (she’s basically like my other mother). We laughed and chatted, showed off our latest projects, probably kept the neighbors up, and just had a good time until like 2 in the morning. 31: Welp, it wasn’t a raid day for armored Mewtwo, but @arrowhearts and I did defeat more Team Rocket Go grunts in the rain.

August 1: Chatted with @nah-young for a few hours and I’ve got a new place to eat on my radar! 2: I kept feeling like I was letting my boss down because I couldn’t answer her questions/didn’t understand, but she insisted I was handling myself well, and found the information she needed later. Plus, she’s very complimentary of my work and appreciates my transparency and work ethic, both of which I work hard on and value. 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: 20: 21: 22: 23: 24: 25: 26: 27: 28: 29: 30: 31:

September 1: 2: 3: It’s official! We’re having a Halloween party at work. If my new schedule turns out, I’ll be at work on that day and will show off a costume. Not sure if it will be the one I’m working on, but I can always recycle an old one. 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15: I had such a good ripstik run. @nah-young and I practiced for a good while yesterday (and she did her first trick, too!). I guess it’s nice to see the fruits of our practice since we’ve been working off and on for about a month. 16: Had the investment club meeting at my house. I didn’t get to cook everything, but I picked the recipe and it turned out well! 17: I finished “Every Tool’s a Hammer” by Adam Savage (from Mythbusters) and I really recommend it. It’s such a great book for anyone who makes or creates. It’s a fun read and chocked full of helpful hints. 18: I decided to start reading the Naruto series. I’m enjoying it so far! Now I just have to wait for the next to volumes to be available from the library. 19: I started replaying Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase. It’s amusing, although I’m a little rough. 20: 21: 22: 23: I’d been on the fence about taking a vacation early next year because I want to save up for a down payment, but after talking to my dad, I decided I’d do a little something. I still need to work out the plans (and make sure the people I want to visit are free), but I’m looking forward to it! 24: 25: 26: There’s a chance I might be going full time at my office job, so dad encouraged me to take the day off from trash rooms. I still got up early, but knocked out a bunch of chores, finished Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase, finished a drawing, and cleaned in the basement a bit. 27: Lol, I just realized I have three cycles of books checked out again. I started reading The Wicked Years series. I’m trying to set aside time each night so I can read a chapter or two before bed. 28: I made the pattern for my gauntlets! I’m actually trying to do it the right way and making measurements, creating an accurate template, and just generally taking my time. 29: Part 2 of the gauntlets: They’re made! My template worked and I spent a couple of hours slowly forming and shaping them. I still need some practice on the gluing component, but at least they feel sturdy. 30: Started replaying DK 64 again. I really love this game. Besides Gauntlet Legends, it’s probably my favorite N64 game we own. 31: Got rained out at work, but managed to take it easy in the afternoon and just generally keep ahead with laundry.

October 1: Today officially marks the first day of working full time at my office job. They added ten hours a week, so now I’m working 4 days at 10 hours each. It’ll take a little adjusting. I’m happy for the extra hours! 2: I sent out invoices on time for once! 3: It was my fuzzball’s 16th Birthday today! Someone also brought in some really yummy snacks to work that were leftover from a meeting. I also managed to create templates for the leg gauntlets and cut them out of foam. I’m just rolling with the motivation now, and would like to have Vile finished by Halloween (keep reading to find out if it was finished). 4: Really just having a good time playing DK 64. Knocked out Gloomy Galleon, so all that’s left are my favorite levels! 5: 6: 7: I have leg gauntlets formed. Lol, I guess I should look up the name... All that’s left is the chest plate and cape! 8: I lucked out! My coworker can’t go to a book signing even this weekend and asked me to get her book signed since I’m going. It was the perfect opportunity to get my hands on a copy of “Where the Crawdads Sing” which I wanted to read before this weekend. 9: Making some headway on the costume again! Arm and leg gauntlets have the plating and base coat of plastidip. 10: I finished “Where the Crawdads Sing” within 48 hours of having it my possession. That’s such a huge accomplishment to read something so quickly and eagerly! 11: I was plowing through my to do list at work. I knocked out 11 items. Woo! 12: 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: 20: 21: 22: 23: 24: 25: 26: 27: 28: 29: 30: My Halloween costume is finished *gasp* before Halloween! Barely, but it counts. 31: I won the most creative costume at work! Well, tied for first, but that’s cool.

November (whoops, I really forgot to write this month) 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: 20: 21: 22: 23: 24: 25: 26: 27: 28: 29: 30: 31:

December 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: My coworker is back! She had been on extended leave for a while, but now she’s back. She bring such a positive and fun attitude to the workplace. 13: 14: I’m officially 25! I worked a few hours in the rain, but got a lot done (and saw Lucy, my favorite cat I cat sit). Instead of going to a steakhouse for dinner, which I’m not a fan of, we ended up going to somewhere I did enjoy. Overall, it was a nice and quiet celebration. 15: 16: 17: I finished the Naruto series today! It was a good series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Going to take a manga break to work on a few novels I have checked out and then decide which series to start. 18: 19: A busy day again. Knocked out two leaf clients for the year and went to see three bands perform at a local music club. I stayed out way too late, but had a great time hanging with a friend, one of the performers, and the performer’s friend. 20: 21: 22: 23: 24: Hung out with my brother and grandmother. I crushed them in several games! 25: Went to my coworkers in the afternoon and dueled for the first time in quiet a while. They wiped the floor with me, but I had fun with my deck destruction deck. 26: 27: Ended up hanging out with Jane for a while and just chatting about everything. We’re seeing eye to eye on a lot of things, so it was nice. 28: Finished my leaf jobs for the year! Time to relax. 29: 30: 31: Welp, ended up being sick and missing out on the intended New Year plans. I guess I did start the year with a migraine, so here I am ending it with one. After I rested up, I did start playing my favorite video game. Plus, I frantically read “Hey, Kiddo!” before the end of the year

Notable stuff

Highlights: Passed the CPA exam Officially hired full time

Books read: “Ghost Stories” “Every Tool’s a Hammer” “Where the Crawdads Sing” “Wicked” Naruto series “Hey, Kiddo!”

Movies watched: Spiderman: Enter the Spiderverse Mary Poppins 2 The Princess and the Frog Pokemon Lucario

#2019 in review #2019 #a year in review

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lintmaster1989 · 5 years ago

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wait all these years ive been following you and i didnt know you were doing cosplay ?? D: how did i miss this

Yes, I do indeed! I even help out one of my friends who hosts cosplay gatherings for local con. I have cosplayed both Aoba, Clear, and Konoe back in the day and I am now cosplaying from Touken Ranbu and Mo Dao Zu Shi. Funnily enough, I found a large white lab coat for Clear at a flea market for 25 cents. I also made Konoe’s tail out of a wire hanger and this cheap fuzzy wash cloth from the Dollar Store. I really do like making stuff, so I tend to try to make the cosplay items if I can. I am also not financially stable so it works out LOL.I don’t really talk about it much honestly, so it is entirely possible you missed it when I did LOL. I have posts under “my cosplay” tag if you wish to take a look. Though now that I am looking through it, I haven’t posted any of my Touken Ranbu pictures on here, whoops LOL.

#ive been sewing my own cosplays now too #I still really like how I looked like as 707 too #replies #haku-buntaicho #linty's drunken ramblings

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unexpectedreylo · 5 years ago

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The Straight Dope On Galaxy’s Edge

I went to Disneyland Aug. 7-10 for my birthday because where else would I rather be than in the GFFA?

It’s amazing! It’s like a Ralph McQuarrie painting come to life. Even though it is “set” during the ST, it tries to have a little bit of something for every Star Wars fan. And maybe even for your friends and family who aren’t into it as much as you are.

Don’t believe the hype that it’s not doing well. Disneyland has had annual passholder blackout dates to keep attendance below crazy levels and while overall attendance is down 3% (probably due to fears of massive crowds as well as higher ticket prices), I can safely tell you that there was a great deal of interest in Galaxy’s Edge by attendees. On Thursday and Saturday, everyone made a beeline for it just as the park opened in the morning. I was doing the Griswold family dash to Wally World myself, power walking the best my middle aged/out-of-shape self could as kids and teenagers went past me. Requiring reservations for Oga’s Cantina and Savi’s Workshop (where you build the lightsabers) prevented hellacious hours-long lines for those attractions. Smuggler’s Run has had waits as long as three hours over the course of the summer. It reached its 1 millionth rider in mid-July. On Thursday, the longest I wait I saw was 80 or 90 minutes and that was on a weekday blackout date. The section of the park was busy both Thursday and Saturday mornings. For what it’s worth, it seemed like half the people at Disneyland overall had some kind of Star Wars t-shirt on. It was like a Celebration with rides.

Attendance isn’t the only metric. What really matters is whether people are spending money there and I can vouch that people were buying. The lightsabers are $200 a pop alone. There were merchandise I wanted to get but weren’t available, such as the japor snippet necklace and the Rey vest (sizes XS-L were sold out). White kyber crystals are still sold out. I saw signs everywhere limiting certain items to one per person. People were packing the cantina and all of them got drinks. Ronto’s Roasters did pretty steady business.

Just bear in mind that parks play the long game and it probably serves Disney’s long term interests to allow paying attendees and not just local APs the chance to experience Galaxy’s Edge. Hell crowds would just make people angry they spent all of that money and couldn’t see or do a thing.

Now, here’s where I’m going to dish some advice to those of you who are planning to go either to the one in Anaheim or at WDW. The WDW version is at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, so some of this won’t apply to the Mouse House East but I think a lot of it will.

Tip #1--Your best bet is on a weekday, first thing in the morning as the park opens. If it’s an AP blackout date, that’s even better. Remember, Disney is like con...you don’t come to sleep.

Tip #2--Stay at a Disney hotel to take advantage of Magic Hour. I know, I know, they’re $$$ while there are many cheaper alternatives but if you really want to beat the crowds this is the way to do it. Galaxy’s Edge will not be accessible during Magic Hour (at DL it’s just Fantasyland that’s open) but you can start lining up at the ropes in front of Frontierland and Adventureland. While GE at DL has three entrances, they will send you the looong way through New Orleans Square and Critter Country when the park fully opens. If you’re at WDW, stay at the Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach, or Pop Century resorts...they’re the ones closest to Hollywood Studios though you’ll still have to take the Disney bus to get there. (The Swan and the Dolphin are on Disney property but are NOT Disney resort hotels, so no Magic Hour.)

Another perk to staying at a Disney hotel now is that as part of our travel package we all got free exclusive Galaxy’s Edge lanyards with a pin!

Tip #3--Ladies...I think with the exception of the First Order boutique and the cosplay items, I liked the a lot of t-shirts and stuff for kids more than the ones for adults! So if you are on the small side, you might be able to fit in the bigger kids’ wear. For instance I got a great Black Spire hoodie for $40 at Jewels of Bith...the adult hoodie was like 20 bucks more. My mom liked it so much she got one for herself and my niece. Note: the merch you buy inside GE don’t say “Galaxy’s Edge” or have Star Wars logos. If you want those, you’ll have to buy them in the regular Disney stores.

Tip #4--Oga’s Cantina. Reservations are required so as soon as you plan your trip, go on the DL/WDW app and reserve right away. I think now you can reserve up to 60 days in advance...if not, definitely 14 days in advance. You are NOT guaranteed a seat. You are given an area to hang out in (at the bar, at a table, or at a booth) and you are to remain there. You can’t run and grab a booth for instance if a party leaves. Your limit is 45 minutes and two drinks. I will say though that service is fast (I guess most drinks are pre-mixed) and in our case, we didn’t even need to stay the entire 45 minutes. I got the Cliff Dweller (I don’t drink) while my brother got whatever they call the beer and my dad got the teal-colored “white” wine. My older niece got the blue milk with the Bantha cookie. She gave rave reviews for both. The younger niece got the stuff that came from the creature tank. It sounds gross but she liked it. There are no restrooms inside the cantina btw.

Tip #5--Savi’s Workshop. Again, reservations are required and they should be made as soon as possible. The lightsabers are $199 and you pay when you check in. The day I went they were running behind, so while my reservation was at 3:00, I didn’t actually get in the building until like 3:30. The process takes about 20 minutes. You are ushered into a shop and there’s a whole narrative and everything. The “gatherers” have harvested scrap metal and kyber crystals and crafted lightsaber parts. Based on the “theme” you selected at check in (stuff like “power and control” or “peace and justice”) you are given trays with parts to choose from and a crystal (blue, green, purple, or red). Your guides are in character and sometimes it’s all earnest af, but then again so are the movies. I found it surprisingly easy to put these together. The “gatherers” put the blade in for you then you step forward, turn on the switch, and yay, you got a new lightsaber! You get to wave them in the air and stuff. On the way out you are given a free sheath bag to put it in. If you don’t want to lug your new lightsaber on a plane or have to check it in, you can have it shipped home for $17 at the First Order boutique (though I don’t know if other stores will do it for you too).

Tip #6--Smugglers’ Run. The best time to go on the ride, since to date there are no fastpasses, is right when the park opens. Thursday morning at 8:10 a.m. had the shortest wait, 15 minutes but I pretty much walked right onto the ride. The next best option is going single rider, which is what my brother and I did the second time we went on it. It was about half the regular wait time. Have your camera ready to get that chess table photo op because you will get called right away for your “boarding group” (assigned with a color). Two pilot, two shoot, two “engineer.” The light up buttons make it easy to figure out what you have to do but accuracy is tough. I piloted the first time, shot the second time. The good news is I did not crash either time. Which is miraculous.

Tip #7--Other food and drink. Unfortunately I didn’t get the opportunity to eat at Docking Bay 7 or Ronto Rosters. I’m told the breakfast wrap at Ronto Roasters is phenomenal. Don’t expect typical Disney fare in Galaxy’s Edge; the closest it comes is the Star Wars popcorn. No galactic churros or Mickey ice cream pops here. In fact an in-character cast member and Chewbacca were really curious about our churros when we went into Galaxy’s Edge on Saturday. My younger niece even tried to give Chewie a piece to try, LOL. What you can get is blue milk and green milk. We got one of each on Thursday to try. Both were better than the notoriously sweet butterbeers at Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Tasty and refreshing on a hot day. But I kinda think we all leaned more toward the blue milk. In fact the nieces insisted on another round of blue milk when we returned on Saturday. You can get the Aurebesh label soda and water at a variety of stands and at Docking Bay 7. (Maybe Ronto Roasters too.) They’re pricey but everything at Disney is 30-50% more expensive than they would be anywhere else. And the Aurebesh bottles make for low cost souvenirs.

Tip #8--Characters. Chewbacca and FO stormtroopers were around quite a bit. I saw Vi Moradi twice and Kylo a couple of times (Chewie and Kylo get treated like rock stars), but I totally missed Rey. My parents saw her though. Characters here do NOT sign autographs, something my nieces found out the hard way when they tried to get them from stormtroopers. LOL.

Tip #8--Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities. This is where you buy your holocrons and loose kyber crystals (only with purchase of a holocron). They were still out of white crystals so I bought a red one. When you put a red crystal in your Jedi holocron, Yoda warns you about the dark side. Bonus: the kyber crystals you buy here can be put in your lightsaber from Savi’s Workshop. So if you buy both a holocron and a lightsaber, make sure you get a different color crystal for each so you can switch them around! Here you’ll find a lot of Jedi cosplay, Leia cosplay, and the headdress Padme used in AOTC as part of her peasant disguise, among other goodies. The stained glass portraits of Leia and Queen Amidala were stunning but they were kinda big and 95 bucks apiece. They had a set of ceramic busts of everyone’s favorite mother-daughter duo for $55 but I didn’t feel like lugging those around at the time. For older Star Wars fans, this is probably going to be your favorite store.

Tip #9--Other merchandise/shopping. The First Order boutique is located right next to Kylo’s parked shuttle and across from the “milk” stand. The Resistance has two carts at the entrance in front of the (unopened) Rise of the Resistance ride. I kinda like that the underground Resistance is on the “outskirts” of the outpost while the conquering FO is right there in the center of town. Makes sense for the narrative. Savi’s and the store where you can build a droid (no reservation necessary...this was a hit with kids) are next to each other. Everything else is in the marketplace in a series of smallish stalls. Keep an eye out because nobody has signs. (Note: layout might be slightly different at WDW.)

Tip #10--Wear a hat and sunscreen. The marketplace is the only area in GE with shade. The rest of it is out in the sun, so be prepared because in CA it’s easy to get a sunburn and in FL, it’s easier still. Bring a rain poncho if you’re at WDW because of those hit and run thunderstorms.

Tip #11-- You don’t have to be a passive tourist. Some cast members get into it more than others but you’ll get more out of Galaxy’s Edge if you play along. As Star Wars fans, you’ll get the lingo (for instance they do call kids “younglings” and talk about money as credits) so that’s no problem. When you’re inside of Galaxy’s Edge you can go on the DL/WDW app and activate your “datapad” and scan stuff at various locations. My brother did this with his phone while we were poking around and you can earn rankings and stuff within the different factions.

Overall I think what Galaxy’s Edge is now is just the beginning. Rise of the Resistance opens this winter at both parks and from what I’ve heard, more attractions and shows are in the works. Personally, I’d love a hair braiding station where you can get your hair done like Leia or Rey or Battle of Geonosis Padme since that’s probably her easiest style! I want a Reylo night time show! But it’s absolutely worth visiting as it is. You can easily spend half the day or longer there, depending on how much you want to do. Few Star Wars or Disney experiences will ever top entering Galaxy’s Edge, huffing and puffing from having to go up and down hills, hearing the music over the loudspeakers and the cast members and various characters coming out to wave hello to everyone. Even the stormtroopers. I felt like I’d just finished the Batuu 5K! And then seeing everyone gawk at the Millennium Falcon in front of Smuggler’s Run.

#galaxy's edge #star wars #disney #reylo #geekylife #geek travel

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theregoesjodariel · 5 years ago

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Supergem: Writer’s Notes, Chapters 1-10

Hey gang! It’s a long time coming, but I finally got off my ass and finished the full notes for chapters 1-10 of Supergem, my big huge SU fic. I’m just about to finally get to work on the next batch of chapters, so I figured now would be a great time to look back on what I’ve done so far and provide some hopefully interesting commentary. Read on for that stuff!

Chapters 1-5

Right off the bat, chapter 1's title is a reference to the now-famous single-page retelling of Superman's origin story from All-Star Superman #1. There, "kindly couple" was used to summarize Clark Kent's crashlanding on Earth and discovery by the Kents.

Chapter 2 features what I feel would be the natural result of trying to fire bullets at a Gem: absolutely nothing. While Gems are obviously made of hard light and have been shown to be capable of being hurt by conventional means-- see Peridot getting Wile E. Coyote'd by the corrupted Gem in Beta-- I like to imagine that bullets are simply so small and so high-velocity that they'd pass through Gem bodies harmlessly. The science is probably wrong, but let me have my Rule of Cool.

Aside from sporting the amalgamated personalities of Lapis and Peridot, the two superheroes Turquoise takes the most inspiration from are Superman and Spider-Man. She shows at least some compassion for all people, even bad guys, like Superman, and she throws plenty of quips, especially when getting it handed to her, like Spidey.

As stated in the notes, I do not have a set design in mind for Turquoise, but I DID end up canonizing elements of a couple of designs I really like within the story. She sports the unique five-pointed hairstyle and orange suspenders of ahhween's design, as well as the cool cyan color scheme and water cape of cheerkitty1410's. Those two are just fantastic.

Axinite is a Gem OC of mine, a gladiatrix who fights in arenas on Homeworld, which function as the world's equivalent of recreational sports. A lot of the lore I have for her is regurgitated in the narration.

There are, of course, a couple of lines from "Stronger Than You" in chapter 4. There's the title, plus Turquoise correcting Val that the fight is one-on-two.

When I created the character, I actually completely failed to notice Val's considerable resemblance to Jasper, both in appearance (big, bulky and orange) and personality (haughty, judgmental). Naturally, when it hit me, I wrote in a nod to it in chapter 4.

Chapter 4 sees Turquoise and Val's fight spill into a mall, the very same one from Pearls' Night Out, currently my only other multi-chapter work. Rhiannon and Diane, both OCs from there, also make cameos (Rhiannon is the employee who points Turquoise in Val's direction, Diane is the journalist who interviews her on the street).

Pearl and Jasper handle city planning like military tacticians, because, well, they are military tacticians. They're also very overdramatic about it, natch.

Amazonite is a close friend of mine's gemsona, a former Crystal Gem who retired to become a seamstress after the corrupted Gems were all cured.

A couple of things involving Jasper take inspiration from the excellent Back to Beta. Pearl acts as Jasper's parole officer of sorts, rewarding her with Pearl Points for doing a good job and Jasper has an attachment to Earth music for its ability to say what cannot be said through simple speech, just like in there. Go read Back to Beta if you haven't, it's outstanding (it's also Jaspearl-- look at me go).

In one of many instances of Jodi Doing Too Much Research Into Things That Don't Matter, I actually broke out my copy of SU: Art & Origins to study its map of Beach City to determine just how nitpicky Pearl and Jasper were being.

Why do the Nephrites want to talk to Pearl? Maybe we'll find out....

Garnet "borrowed" Andy's plane to go to Empire City. That's a step up from "finding" a phone, don't you think?

I like to imagine that Bismuth has been rooting for Lapis and Peri to get together since the moment she met them. Her gaydar is just that good.

Believe it or not, I genuinely considered having Turquoise adopt a secret identity at one point during planning. I call myself out on it through Steven in chapter 5.

I knew I just couldn't do this story without Jasper since she is, in a way, the villain (or at least a villain) in Turquoise's origin story. As an abuse survivor, showing the ramifications of her and Lapis' time as Malachite as best I could was tantamount to the main storyline.

Chapters 6-10

The foreshadowing in chapter 6's identity should make Ms. Knight's identity a no-brainer for seasoned SU fans. No one spoil it if you figure it out, though!

Ronaldo is absolutely, positively, 100%, one of the guys who doesn't shower before the convention. That's so him it hurts.

The generally meta premise of chapters 6-9 were the result of me drafting them right after I got home from my city's local big convention, which I had a wonderful time at. I did my first ever cosplay (I was Pearl!) there and managed to hold decent conversations with Zach Callison, Deedee Magno Hall, Michaela Dietz, and Estelle. The layout of DelmarvaCon is even copied from the layout of that convention center.

In one of many moments of narrative intersecting with reality, I did some sleuthing and found that Paulette was, in her very brief on-screen appearance, voiced by Deedee Magno Hall, Pearl's voice actress. As said above, I met Deedee at the con I went to. You know how everyone on and off set never stops talking about how nice she is? They're not exaggerating, she's a fantastic person. Kim Tan is fully based on her, taking her name from a couple of Hall's other roles (Kim in Miss Saigon and a bit character named Lori Tan from an episode of Third Watch) and Lapis and Peridot's encounter with her is based on my own; while she didn't usher us ahead of the line to meet her, she did take pictures of my friend and I's cosplays for free when she was supposed to be charging for them. Seriously, nicest celebrity I've ever met.

Chapter 7 has Peridot riff that she can "observe 800 moving objects and compute their direction of travel," a phrase long used to describe Prowl in the Transformers franchise. It has no character significance here, I was on a Transformers kick at the time of writing.

The uncomfortable pulling sensation mentioned in chapter 7 is called an "itch," a callback to The Itch, the oneshot serving as prelude to this fic. There, "the itch" is used to refer to the deeply unsettling feeling a Gem gets when fitted with limb enhancers-- think the feeling you have or would have felt from a dentist fitting you with those awful rubber bands to help with the braces process, it's that kind of feeling. The feeling being given off by Ronaldo's control device is similar, "adding" to a Gem when nothing need be added.

The long opening narration in chapters 8 and 9 were inspired by the writing style of comic book writer Scott Snyder, who has a tendency to start, end, or intersperse his comics with long, expositional comparative musings on seemingly simple or mundane things (seriously, count the number of times one of his Batman comics opens with narration explaining the philosophical meaning behind the rocks used to make buildings in Gotham City).

The cost of Connie's sword is, as stated in the story proper, a rough estimate borne from around half an hour of research. While there are other pink stones that could've been used, I picked pezzotaite because of its extreme rarity, just to drive home how absurdly all-out Bismuth went on it.

Give Jasper a metal-style song in Season 6, Crewniverse!

I like to think Jasper and Greg would be good friends. Think about it: you've just found out your former moral enemies were not only led by, but had close relationships with, the person you spent your whole life idolizing. Who do you talk to about it? Why not the person who knew her more intimately than anyone else?

At the end of the Turquoise and Steven segment in chapter 10, the two sit down to watch Crying Breakfast Friends' extra-length season finale, in which a number of characters get new outfits. Now what could that be referencing?

The narration of Jasper's thoughts makes reference to the exiled Hessonite, antagonist of Steven Universe: Save the Light and a criminally underrated character.

I'd like to preface this point with a content warning for abuse, as I'll be discussing that a bit here.

So, as I mentioned briefly in the 1-5 notes, I'm an abuse survivor; I broke up with my abuser, who I had been with for just about 3 months, in February of this year. An acquaintance of mine has since drafted a document exhaustively detailing all of the bad shit they did for which receipts could be found, and my abuser has reacted with avoidance, victim blaming, and a refusal to apologize. I wasn't yet aware of just how in denial of her own mistakes they were when I wrote chapter 10, so I tried to write Pearl and Jasper's conversation as how I wished the conversation my abuser had with themselves would go, in a perfect world.

To get reflective for a moment, writing that has taught me, in a way I hadn't seen before, how Steven Universe's real, heartfelt redemption arcs, as fantastically-written and just generally good as they are, don't always apply in real-world scenarios. My shitty ex is not Jasper and they never will be.

#imadethis #intel files #su #lapidot

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heartforheart532 · 6 years ago

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THOS2: A weekend to never forget

So I promised I would give a coverage of my weekend at THOS2 as soon as I would get my HD pictures in. I just got them today so I’ve decided to share my story with you guys finally! It’ll be quite a long post so if you’re interested in hearing about me meeting the best cast there is on this planet feel free to continue reading! :)

So this was my first convention ever so I was very curious to see how things would turn out. I was also very, very nervous to finally meet the amazing people who bring these characters to live so amazingly. So Saturday, our first day, started with an opening panel where the casts greets us and everything and shortly after the OPS were beginning. So the first block was Matt, Harry, Jade and Will. I had Matt and Harry first (and to be honest I was the most nervous to meet those two so that didn’t really ease my nerves. xD).

Meeting Harry Shum Jr So I was told to go to Harry first and boy, I was shaking in my shoes about how nervous I was meeting him. Photo ops go very quick so in no time it was my turn to take a picture with him and my heart was just beating out of my chest but when I saw him, he just smiled at me and greeted me with a hug and immediately asked me “Hi! How are you doing?’’ and I could talk with him without even stuttering. Like, one hug and all my previous worries about being nervous just flew out the window. He was so sweet and patient with me and I am forever thankful I got the opportunity to meet this man. They day after I met him at the autographe and I had bought him an omamori and I’ll never forget our little conversation we had when I walked up to the table for the autograph session. He asked me how I was doing, if I still had some energy after these tiring two days and even danced with me a little! (Well he danced a bit in his chair but still, AHH) His reaction when he saw the omamori was the cutest thing ever. “An omoari! Oeeh, thank you so much!’’ (Also when he saw our picture he casually said, “Oh yeah I remember you!’’ and I was screaming on the inside.)

Meeting Matthew Daddario So, after my photoshoot with Harry on the saturday, I immediately queued for Matt’s line in the room where the photo’s were taken. At this point I was a little nervous again because... hello it’s Matt. When I was behind the curtain where Matt took his pictures I could hear him go; “Guys I look ridiculous! I am gonna look ridiculous in these pictures!’’ And at first I thought maybe it were some girls wanting to do some cosplay with hum but NOPE, he was worried about his hat hair! (He wore a cap when he came in during the opening panel and clearly was asked by the crew at the beginning of his photo session to take it off. He later but it back on. xD) So, it was my turn and I walk up to him, give him a hug (which holy shit they all give amazing hugs) and the usual “how are you doing chat’’. So we take out picture and as I’m about to leave (you’re not allowed to hang around for very long) he turns to me and goes “Does my hair look ridiculous to you?’’ and I blink at first and then am like; “What? No! No you look fine, Matt!’’ And he continues to be like “I should’ve done something with it.’’ and I literally stare him dead in the eyes and say: “Matt, you look beautiful.’’ and he FUCKING SMILED AND SAID “Aw, thanks!’’ Yeah no, I was an emotional dead mess after that. Later on this day I had an autographe session with him where I gave him a self made omamori. He was very clearly tired and had a long day behind him so I didn’t want to take up much of his time. I gave him the omamori (which he loved by the way) but forgot to tell him I actually had made it myself. So the next day I had another autographe session and op with him. Because the queue for his op was so long this time there was not much time for small talk, I gave him a hug again and we did the parabatai op which I loved because OH DAMN HE STARES STRAIGHT INTO YOUR SOUL AND THEN HAS THE AUDICITY TO SMIRK AT YOU. ANyways so later on that sunday I had my last autogrpahe session which was him and got my friend an autographe from him. So he asked me about my friend and I told him about her where after I gave him the letter I asked him if he remembered me giving him the omamori. “Yeah! The tiny one right?’’ and so I explained that I made it myself and he was very surprised about that and when I gave him the letter I said that everything was written in there and he went like “Wait, lemme write omamori on it. That way I know it’s from you!’’ after that I said my goodbyes to him and a friend of mine who was stillin line offered a shoulder to cry upon because I was so emtionally overwhelmed :’) But yeah, Matthew Daddario is an angel and I feel so blessed I have met him.

Meeting Alberto Rosende OKAY THIS HAS GOT TO BE ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOMENTS OF THE ENTIRE EFFING WEEKEND.

Let me start off with the fact that Alberto is a Gryffindor and I am a Gryffindor. Last Christmas my friend had gifted me a Gryffindor scarf so... I took that with me to the con. So when I had my op with him (I had two in one row) I wrapped the scarf around his neck and told him “You can borrow it for today.’’ And his eyes just... widened in surprise and he was like “Oh, thank you. This is so cool.’’ So we did a pose with the scarf and then a regular hug pose afterwards. Later that saturday I also had an autographe with him so naturally, I decided I wanted him to sign the gryffindor op! This entire exchange owns my heart. Alberto Rosende is the kindest soul I have ever met and I only love him more after this convention. So when it was my turn for his autographe he was eating some sweets and I playfully asked him if they were good. He was like “Yeah! Do you want some?’’ They were lemon napoleons AND I DO NOT SAY NO TO SOUR CANDY. So I gave him the picture of us and at first he wrote my name; “Anja. That’s a really pretty name. I love that name.’’ I think I blushed bright red at that lol. Then he saw the op and he gasped and before he even started writing I was like; “Gryffindor’s for life!’’ he stops all movements and was like: “I WAS GONNA WRITE THAT!’’ And we high fived and aahhh my heart was screaming with happiness. So when he had signed my photo I gave him an envelope with a letter and a tiny gift. He looked at me and was like; “Can I open it now?’’ And I was like, yes of course! So he opened it and he smiled so big when he saw the bas guitar keychain I got him. It reminded me of him as well as of Simon so I figured it would be a perfect gift for him. He told me he loved it and honestly, he made my entire day with this exchange. :’’)

Meeting Emeraude, Kat and Dom + the autographes with Jade and Will So these three ops and autographes went quite fast so I’ve decided to put them under one headline lol. With Jade and Will I only had an autographe.

I had two autographes with Kat on the saturday, one for me and one for a friend. Her throat was very sore from when she was in Australia so I talked and laughed about that bit with her and then she was asking me how I liked the convention and such. Her op was super rushed, it was in and out in the snap of a fingers but she was an angel.

Emeraude was an absolute sweetheart. I talked a bit at the autographe with her about the con as well and then sunday we had our photo op. So I wanted to do the parabatai pose with her and Eme being Eme she was a bit confused which one it was but I showed her and she was like “Oh right! Well as you know I don’t have a parabatai but now you are my first one!’’ “Well I’m very honored to be!’’ She was gorgeous in real life and such a joy to talk with and see at panels.

Dom’s ops were a bit rushed as well but I had the chance to talk to him a bit and gah, his accent in real life. fuck man. Will’s accent too by the way. Shit. I’ve had my doubts about meeting Dom after everything that happened and had been struggling with this decision for the remaining eight months but decided to just do it since I already spend money on the photo op. During his autographe we talked baout my name and The Netherlands and how our J’s sound different, I found it funny he picked up on that xD.

Will was such a fucking pleasure to talk with and he was adorable. Hours before the autographe session he had a panel with Harry that I witnessed and so I had something to talk about with him. That panel was seriously everything.

Jade was a real sweetheart. He was talking in French at first but when he noticed I spoke English he did that (which I think is amazing, speaking French with the local fans) this was on the sunday and at the end of the event so we just talked about the weekend we had and that he was such a sweetheart.

For the rest I have an op with the Lightwood family and the Shumdario duo with one of my best friends and parabatai!

And basically that was my weekend! i ha the most amazing time with this incredible cast and met the best firends and mutuals in real life that I could’ve ever asked for.

And no matter how much I miss them at this point, I know I’ll see some of them back again at THOS3! (Whihc I got a pass for again and I can’t wait!)

If you read this far I applaud you! xD Thank you for your time and I hope you enjoyed this story!

#Shadowhunters #Shadowhunters Season 3 #Matthew Daddario #Harry Shum jr #Katherine McNamara #Emeraude Toubia #Dominic Sherwood #Will Tudor #Jade Hassouné #Alberto Rosende #Shadowhunters cast #THOS2 #The Hunters of Shadow #THOS2 con #THOS3 #Story time

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