.:Con Report:.
Aug. 3rd, 2004 12:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jateshiOtakon 2004
My Otakon adventures began on Wednesday when I went to the airport to pick up Ashleen and nab her for the adventurous weekend. Leaving a bit later than I wanted, 12.30 for a 1.05 flight, I am -so- glad I left later because, after circling around 7 times I was ready to be pulled over by the airport security. I'm not sure how well "Honest officer, my friend is just delayed! She's got...no, I don't...um...I know this is the wrong side for pickups but it's much easier this way..." would fly with them.
Getting lots of errands done, as well as Last Minute™ packing, we headed out for Mae's house at about 7.15 or so. Arrival went well but she said one person who was going to join us was a guy named Keith from one city over to where I live and...more on Keith later. DDR'ed and sucked, with ants crawling all over the house and meeting Karen and the other people (or at least about half of them...) that we spent all weekend with. Kinda.
Heading out for Baltimore the next day with Rachel (I'd met her two weeks earlier at a movie with Mae so I knew I liked her), Ashleen, Karen, and Michelle, we got there at about 1.30 in the afternoon. Parking in the hotel lot, we gave Mae a call to find out when her half of the group was going to arrive, since they'd have left a few minutes after we did and...
Me: Where are you guys?
Mae: ...My house.
Car: o0
Some of the boys, minus Keith (who'd sworn that it was only 30 minutes to Otakon from his house when I know that's a lie based on where he lives) got fed up with waiting and headed up about 30 minutes after we did. Mae and her lot, on the other hand, were waiting for Keith since suddenly his Jeep was not allowed to make the Con trip. (Which screwed us over later.)
Well, after feeding ourselves at BK (cosplayers were already taking over the Inner Harbor at that point so it was funny...Cloud ordering a #5 with fries...cracked me up) we immediately set our arses down in the line to pick up our badges. Even though the Pre-Reg line wouldn't open until 5PM, by the time we'd arrived at 2.45 it had wrapped around two sides of the incredibly large Convention Center of MD. If you've ever been there before, we were about two city blocks away from the front doors- just to give you an idea. As we sat in line, I saw the first problem with our group... Michelle started to complain about the heat. Now, mind you, it's about 95 Fahrenheit and we're baking under the sun but there's always a solution. Mainly giving Rachel money, holding her place, and beginning the many water runs we did while waiting.
Talking with the two girls and one guy right in front of us proved a good idea as well, because she dug out an umbrella and we began to rotate it for sun shade. :3 And he got a commission from me...but that comes later. ^^ I'll skip the LONG wait in line and summarize it like this: It was HOT OMG SO FREAKIN' HOT. If my slipping into netspeak there doesn't tell you how hot it was, Ashleen and I ducked out for 30 minutes to wait under some shade while Rachel and Michelle sweated for our sakes (we'd also done it for them...)
Finally getting inside the Convention Center, Ashleen and I showed our FMA, crack-riddled brains by getting the FMA badge. Rachel also got it while Michelle complained about not knowing all but two of the animes of the 12 badges and getting Gravitation.
Another call to Mae, after we got our badges, and we discovered they still weren't here - she had made a detour to pick up her boyfriend from the airport for reasons still unknown. We headed off to a semi-mall called Harbor Place (they had good Chinese...gooooooood food there, though the lines were horrible >< ) and got food before, near 8PM, we found out that they were all here and got their badges. So then we had to leave our seats (footsore at this point, and I was ready to find our hotel and collapse) and head to the Convention Center to get them since they wouldn't come to us. -Irked at that still-
The group, as of the night before, had vanished. I was right that I knew Keith and after he hugged me, my comfort zone went down to the point that ....urgh...if he does call me, I'm not going to answer him. Either that or Lesbian Love (TM) needs to be done to get him off my back. Instead of the group of about ten people, we were up to about 15 with the promise of another three by the end of the night. I could only imagine shoving all those people into small hotel rooms.
After they eat, since - as we reminded them - we've been here since 1.30 and have obviously fed ourselves, we broke off to find cars and head out. Stuffing five people into a car meant for four made the ride interesting but at least Mae gave us directions (after a point) to the Hotel. Getting to the rooms we plopped our stuff down, people divided up beds, and I ended up on the floor. Six girls in one hotel room made it tight and after another person arrived, we were up to seven. None of us got to sleep early though since Mae stayed down in the lobby cuddling with her boyfriend until after 1AM, and we were all getting up at 7 to leave for the Inner Harbor, since the hotel we stayed in that one night was 30 minutes from Con.
The same group that had piled into Rachel's car once more headed out with Kristen, the girl who arrived at the hotel late the past night, adding to our mix. I was heading in early to get into Artist Alley and set up, since I needed to do that at about 10AM, Rachel had given up her Pre-Reg for Mae's boyfriend and had to stand in the really long line to buy an At Con badge, and Ashleen and Michelle were with me for moral support, Kristen helping as well. After parking and dropping our luggage off at the hotel we'd be staying at for the rest of Con, we went to stand in line.
We got in line at about 9 or so and only made it into the Convention center at about 9.45. Getting utterly lost as I tried to lead my impromptu crew to Artist Alley to set up, we found that the Otakon staffers were all snarky bastards. With major attitudes. Let's see...if I could tell, by the map, where I was, would I be pulling you aside to ask for directions? I think not...so don't tell me to get out my freaking map and then walk away!
Well, set-up was a blast since it took me only about ten minutes – not including the time it took to get my markers out though. ^^ Ashleen, who was cosplaying as Hawkeye from FMA (Full Metal Alchemist, my favorite anime crack) got assaulted (in a good way) by a Hughes. :3 He’d saluted her in line while we waited and then when he came over, he basically attacked us both, especially her.
It was priceless. He was the soul of Hughes, complete with going “HAVE YOU SEEN MY DAUGHTER HER NAME IS ELYSIA-CHAN AND SHE IS THREE!!!!” at the top of his voice. And when he said ‘three’, he shoved his hand in my face and it was PERFECT! He was doing the right movements and his uniform was spectacular and accurate – Hughes after his promotion but before his death. *sobs for Hughes-sama* He also mistook Ashleen for Roy Mustang originally which made me laugh, since I told her that would happen. >3 If Hawkeye is blonde, Roy has black hair, and she refused to ye her hair from dark brown to blonde…it would happen.
I had some questions so, after hearing one of the girls while setting up say this was her third Otakon, I gulped down my nerves (yes, Jate got nervous) and went over and introduced myself and asked her for some help. When she – Novablade – answered all of my questions, I think I got a bit starry-eyed. It turns out I already paid taxes to the state of MD with my license fee ($22.00) and because of that, I didn’t have to charge taxes! That took a load off me since that was going to be a pain…and I was going to chicken out and eat the taxes if I had to since it’d be more trouble than it would be worth, but I didn’t have to!
Well, when Con opened, I was a nervous little twitching gal. Both of the artists who were supposed to be next to me didn’t show up by noon, when we opened, and I was panicking. Here I am, a newbie to Cons, and I’m all alone. And Keith kept on coming by and hugging me. –stabs-
I’d started out with 60 cards to give out because, as everyone right before Otakon heard, I was not going to do well. By 12.30 I already had one commission on my plate (Eternal Sailor Uranus) and had to put a call in to Mum for an emergency supply of paper, sine after I unpacked, I discovered mine was still on my bed – at home. Three hours away. I got the commission done thanks to Novablade, who spotted me three sheets of cardstock, which I repaid once I got my papers, with three sheets of my own cardstock from home.
By three o’clock, the booths next to me were filled with two awesome artists – DigiNeko and Laura. DigiNeko was an awesome artist who I’d spotted around DevaintArt and being next to her all weekend… It was spectacularly awesome. Laura made buttons (I am now the proud owner of a Xelloss button which rocks my socks to my hotel room and back) and also an original picture she did for me of Xelloss as a Jell-o box. Xell-o. Mazoku dessert. Scans will come. I get paper brought to me by one of Mum’s friends who was coming up to supervise her daughter for the weekend and shared with them, thus causing all three of them to declare undying love for me. So, while I was happily ensconced with artists (when Digi went off to go shop and get food with her buddy on the other table, they brought me back soda for watching their booth!) I got visited by Ashleen (who sat with me and covered so I could make a quick trip to the dealer’s room on Friday) and Michelle and Karen and Keith.
Now…if I’m stationary at Artist Alley, let me clarify one thing for all people, future and past: I am NOT YOUR DUMPING GROUND. Because I can’t move and don’t want to, this does not mean I will watch your bags and every last purchase and if you LOSE SOMETHING no, I did not see what happened to it because I am focusing on customers, not your fucking stuff. If you’re so worried about your things, take them back to the HOTEL and then come back to con. Don’t bitch that it’s sweltering outside luvvies – at least you can leave the fucking Con and go outside. No one except Ashleen realized that my only shot at getting food was one of you bringing it to me. When I did more than a 100 in sales the first day, did you think I wasn’t busy? I drew three pics IN CONVENTION – does that sound like I had time to take a break and get food?
For those who clamor with “Continental Breakfast” and why I didn’t eat there, it’s quite easy. There was none, at either of our hotels. So on Friday, I had part of a Frappacino and then, at about 12.30, some garlic bread and less than half of some fries. I spent the night finishing two pics for people to be able to sell them the next day and hence got little sleep. It prolly didn’t help that I spent the night on the floor – I’d been sleeping on the floor since Wednesday, when I spent the night on Mae’s couch, and I slept on the floor all weekend long.
Saturday morning was a rush with Ashleen and I and others getting up early; by that time I was already sniffling beyond what cold medicine was helping and my temper with my suitemates was down the tubes. Especially as when the HUGE CONCERT came around, the first time I saw Mae outside of the room was her asking for my badge (since I’d gotten mine stickered for the concert) so that her boyfriend could go with her. And Karen and Michelle came by to drop their purchases from the Dealer’s Room with me. Because, obviously, I would watch them. So when Karen lost her gloves to her Kaitou Kid costume, she asked *ME* where they were.
What part of “I drew three pics in Con, and spent the time selling my artwork as well as prostituting myself for future business” didn’t get through to everyone? What part of “I sold more than $100 in commissions to begin working on” didn’t make sense and translate to “I cannot pay attention to your stuff” in your mind? Ashleen I was fine with – she barely had bought anything and also, she was lending me two bags to carry my art stuff in. I have known her for a lot longer than you but I’m supposed to watch your things too?
No.
The first food I got on Saturday was five pretzels from Laura at about 10 AM, right before the Alley opened to the public. The second food I got was three spring rolls at 10 PM from Rachel, and Ashleen gave me a much needed potty break at 10.30 PM. I drank less than an inch of my Frap and got maybe an eight of the soda Digi bought me down. The soda she’d bought me the day before was untouched except for Mae drinking some of it. Ashleen was in the same boat, basically, having drank about half of her mocha and eaten a tad of some food that morning. We decide to order take out, like I’d done the night before and Karen pipes in saying she hasn’t eaten anything since the pizza at about 3PM (and the soda she’d gotten as well as things in the morning) so she’ll come with us to order food.
I’m ready to murder her. I think the only thing keeping me from doing so was it would make our hotel costs go up and Mae and the other girls would be pissed. That and she got a commission from me. Otherwise, I’d have strangled her. Or hit her with the bokken Mae lent me for the weekend. Ashleen and I order a pasta dish and some garlic bread, and she gets cheesecake. Sooooo…you’ve just complained that you’re hungry and starving and you order dessert?
Sadly enough, Ashleen and I split the pasta dish and neither of us can finish it, or our bread. By this point, both of us are suffering from what I deem the “Con Diet” – eating so little and at such odd intervals you lose the ability to be hungry. I also ended up going cold-turkey on caffeine because of the “Con Diet” which, after a few days, was okay. I’ve had a frap every now-and-then but you know…I long-ago passed off the shakes, the quakes, the jitters, and the horrible headaches.
Of course, as soon as I finish eating, I had to move things around because there were two commissions I needed to finish for pick-up the next day. So, while the rest of the room goes to sleep, Ashleen stayed up with me as I worked on my first-ever commissioned slash pic. Ashleen got free usage of my markers and I worked with her on technique (we’ll have to set down and have a formal lesson outside of Con so I can show you tricks and tips I’ve picked up A-chan) and she stayed up with me. After I got one pic done, at about 3.30, we both just turned in. I had to move the things our room mates had left all over the floor, and hence the only spot I could sleep, and Ashleen had switched with Rachel earlier to also be on the floor. We set our alarm clocks early since I’ve found out that Artist Alley opened at 9 AM on Sunday, and we went to sleep.
I’ll skip the adventure with luggage and Mae not coming back to the room that night simply for time’s sake. Needless to say, Ashleen and I headed to Artist Alley at 9, she coming with me for no other reason than she said she would. Now, I wasn’t the only person to notice how nice Ashleen had been so Saturday night, Digi drew a lovely Catboy (I dubbed him “Sex on Paper”) and she gave him to Ashleen in thanks, for both of us. She and Laura also told me that I could put them both down as neighbors for next Otakon (I don’t think I was given a choice for returning or not – customers and other artists said I should come back next year and they’d be looking for me. o.o ) and they’d not mind one whit. And if we all notify Otakon staffers, they’ll do it.
A quick training of Ashleen and I took all my money – the money I’d saved up just for Con and then all the profits not derived from commissions-to-be-completed – and headed to the Dealer’s Room. Somewhat sadly, I didn’t buy any doujinshi at Otakon – I missed the huge yaoi dealer’s advertisement and never found them on Sunday. Instead, I bought artbooks, some paper, and manga. Since this Con Report is much longer than I originally intended, I won’t list what all I got unless someone actually wants to know. Same with listing what I sold at Con.
Skipping the adventures with the drive back and the Rain from Hell™, we arrived at Mae’s house, Ashleen and I waited for my dad to come and pick us up, and Keith said he was going to call me. As I said, if he does, I’m ignoring it. My arrival back at home happened after we got Ashleen back to campus, where I got my luggage inside the house, showed off my purchases, and then was urged to take a “nap”. I woke up from my “nap” a little after noon on Monday, starting in on that great sleep deficit I worked up over the past few days.
o0 My dear...okay, a lot happened. And honestly, that's not all of it.
My Otakon adventures began on Wednesday when I went to the airport to pick up Ashleen and nab her for the adventurous weekend. Leaving a bit later than I wanted, 12.30 for a 1.05 flight, I am -so- glad I left later because, after circling around 7 times I was ready to be pulled over by the airport security. I'm not sure how well "Honest officer, my friend is just delayed! She's got...no, I don't...um...I know this is the wrong side for pickups but it's much easier this way..." would fly with them.
Getting lots of errands done, as well as Last Minute™ packing, we headed out for Mae's house at about 7.15 or so. Arrival went well but she said one person who was going to join us was a guy named Keith from one city over to where I live and...more on Keith later. DDR'ed and sucked, with ants crawling all over the house and meeting Karen and the other people (or at least about half of them...) that we spent all weekend with. Kinda.
Heading out for Baltimore the next day with Rachel (I'd met her two weeks earlier at a movie with Mae so I knew I liked her), Ashleen, Karen, and Michelle, we got there at about 1.30 in the afternoon. Parking in the hotel lot, we gave Mae a call to find out when her half of the group was going to arrive, since they'd have left a few minutes after we did and...
Me: Where are you guys?
Mae: ...My house.
Car: o0
Some of the boys, minus Keith (who'd sworn that it was only 30 minutes to Otakon from his house when I know that's a lie based on where he lives) got fed up with waiting and headed up about 30 minutes after we did. Mae and her lot, on the other hand, were waiting for Keith since suddenly his Jeep was not allowed to make the Con trip. (Which screwed us over later.)
Well, after feeding ourselves at BK (cosplayers were already taking over the Inner Harbor at that point so it was funny...Cloud ordering a #5 with fries...cracked me up) we immediately set our arses down in the line to pick up our badges. Even though the Pre-Reg line wouldn't open until 5PM, by the time we'd arrived at 2.45 it had wrapped around two sides of the incredibly large Convention Center of MD. If you've ever been there before, we were about two city blocks away from the front doors- just to give you an idea. As we sat in line, I saw the first problem with our group... Michelle started to complain about the heat. Now, mind you, it's about 95 Fahrenheit and we're baking under the sun but there's always a solution. Mainly giving Rachel money, holding her place, and beginning the many water runs we did while waiting.
Talking with the two girls and one guy right in front of us proved a good idea as well, because she dug out an umbrella and we began to rotate it for sun shade. :3 And he got a commission from me...but that comes later. ^^ I'll skip the LONG wait in line and summarize it like this: It was HOT OMG SO FREAKIN' HOT. If my slipping into netspeak there doesn't tell you how hot it was, Ashleen and I ducked out for 30 minutes to wait under some shade while Rachel and Michelle sweated for our sakes (we'd also done it for them...)
Finally getting inside the Convention Center, Ashleen and I showed our FMA, crack-riddled brains by getting the FMA badge. Rachel also got it while Michelle complained about not knowing all but two of the animes of the 12 badges and getting Gravitation.
Another call to Mae, after we got our badges, and we discovered they still weren't here - she had made a detour to pick up her boyfriend from the airport for reasons still unknown. We headed off to a semi-mall called Harbor Place (they had good Chinese...gooooooood food there, though the lines were horrible >< ) and got food before, near 8PM, we found out that they were all here and got their badges. So then we had to leave our seats (footsore at this point, and I was ready to find our hotel and collapse) and head to the Convention Center to get them since they wouldn't come to us. -Irked at that still-
The group, as of the night before, had vanished. I was right that I knew Keith and after he hugged me, my comfort zone went down to the point that ....urgh...if he does call me, I'm not going to answer him. Either that or Lesbian Love (TM) needs to be done to get him off my back. Instead of the group of about ten people, we were up to about 15 with the promise of another three by the end of the night. I could only imagine shoving all those people into small hotel rooms.
After they eat, since - as we reminded them - we've been here since 1.30 and have obviously fed ourselves, we broke off to find cars and head out. Stuffing five people into a car meant for four made the ride interesting but at least Mae gave us directions (after a point) to the Hotel. Getting to the rooms we plopped our stuff down, people divided up beds, and I ended up on the floor. Six girls in one hotel room made it tight and after another person arrived, we were up to seven. None of us got to sleep early though since Mae stayed down in the lobby cuddling with her boyfriend until after 1AM, and we were all getting up at 7 to leave for the Inner Harbor, since the hotel we stayed in that one night was 30 minutes from Con.
The same group that had piled into Rachel's car once more headed out with Kristen, the girl who arrived at the hotel late the past night, adding to our mix. I was heading in early to get into Artist Alley and set up, since I needed to do that at about 10AM, Rachel had given up her Pre-Reg for Mae's boyfriend and had to stand in the really long line to buy an At Con badge, and Ashleen and Michelle were with me for moral support, Kristen helping as well. After parking and dropping our luggage off at the hotel we'd be staying at for the rest of Con, we went to stand in line.
We got in line at about 9 or so and only made it into the Convention center at about 9.45. Getting utterly lost as I tried to lead my impromptu crew to Artist Alley to set up, we found that the Otakon staffers were all snarky bastards. With major attitudes. Let's see...if I could tell, by the map, where I was, would I be pulling you aside to ask for directions? I think not...so don't tell me to get out my freaking map and then walk away!
Well, set-up was a blast since it took me only about ten minutes – not including the time it took to get my markers out though. ^^ Ashleen, who was cosplaying as Hawkeye from FMA (Full Metal Alchemist, my favorite anime crack) got assaulted (in a good way) by a Hughes. :3 He’d saluted her in line while we waited and then when he came over, he basically attacked us both, especially her.
It was priceless. He was the soul of Hughes, complete with going “HAVE YOU SEEN MY DAUGHTER HER NAME IS ELYSIA-CHAN AND SHE IS THREE!!!!” at the top of his voice. And when he said ‘three’, he shoved his hand in my face and it was PERFECT! He was doing the right movements and his uniform was spectacular and accurate – Hughes after his promotion but before his death. *sobs for Hughes-sama* He also mistook Ashleen for Roy Mustang originally which made me laugh, since I told her that would happen. >3 If Hawkeye is blonde, Roy has black hair, and she refused to ye her hair from dark brown to blonde…it would happen.
I had some questions so, after hearing one of the girls while setting up say this was her third Otakon, I gulped down my nerves (yes, Jate got nervous) and went over and introduced myself and asked her for some help. When she – Novablade – answered all of my questions, I think I got a bit starry-eyed. It turns out I already paid taxes to the state of MD with my license fee ($22.00) and because of that, I didn’t have to charge taxes! That took a load off me since that was going to be a pain…and I was going to chicken out and eat the taxes if I had to since it’d be more trouble than it would be worth, but I didn’t have to!
Well, when Con opened, I was a nervous little twitching gal. Both of the artists who were supposed to be next to me didn’t show up by noon, when we opened, and I was panicking. Here I am, a newbie to Cons, and I’m all alone. And Keith kept on coming by and hugging me. –stabs-
I’d started out with 60 cards to give out because, as everyone right before Otakon heard, I was not going to do well. By 12.30 I already had one commission on my plate (Eternal Sailor Uranus) and had to put a call in to Mum for an emergency supply of paper, sine after I unpacked, I discovered mine was still on my bed – at home. Three hours away. I got the commission done thanks to Novablade, who spotted me three sheets of cardstock, which I repaid once I got my papers, with three sheets of my own cardstock from home.
By three o’clock, the booths next to me were filled with two awesome artists – DigiNeko and Laura. DigiNeko was an awesome artist who I’d spotted around DevaintArt and being next to her all weekend… It was spectacularly awesome. Laura made buttons (I am now the proud owner of a Xelloss button which rocks my socks to my hotel room and back) and also an original picture she did for me of Xelloss as a Jell-o box. Xell-o. Mazoku dessert. Scans will come. I get paper brought to me by one of Mum’s friends who was coming up to supervise her daughter for the weekend and shared with them, thus causing all three of them to declare undying love for me. So, while I was happily ensconced with artists (when Digi went off to go shop and get food with her buddy on the other table, they brought me back soda for watching their booth!) I got visited by Ashleen (who sat with me and covered so I could make a quick trip to the dealer’s room on Friday) and Michelle and Karen and Keith.
Now…if I’m stationary at Artist Alley, let me clarify one thing for all people, future and past: I am NOT YOUR DUMPING GROUND. Because I can’t move and don’t want to, this does not mean I will watch your bags and every last purchase and if you LOSE SOMETHING no, I did not see what happened to it because I am focusing on customers, not your fucking stuff. If you’re so worried about your things, take them back to the HOTEL and then come back to con. Don’t bitch that it’s sweltering outside luvvies – at least you can leave the fucking Con and go outside. No one except Ashleen realized that my only shot at getting food was one of you bringing it to me. When I did more than a 100 in sales the first day, did you think I wasn’t busy? I drew three pics IN CONVENTION – does that sound like I had time to take a break and get food?
For those who clamor with “Continental Breakfast” and why I didn’t eat there, it’s quite easy. There was none, at either of our hotels. So on Friday, I had part of a Frappacino and then, at about 12.30, some garlic bread and less than half of some fries. I spent the night finishing two pics for people to be able to sell them the next day and hence got little sleep. It prolly didn’t help that I spent the night on the floor – I’d been sleeping on the floor since Wednesday, when I spent the night on Mae’s couch, and I slept on the floor all weekend long.
Saturday morning was a rush with Ashleen and I and others getting up early; by that time I was already sniffling beyond what cold medicine was helping and my temper with my suitemates was down the tubes. Especially as when the HUGE CONCERT came around, the first time I saw Mae outside of the room was her asking for my badge (since I’d gotten mine stickered for the concert) so that her boyfriend could go with her. And Karen and Michelle came by to drop their purchases from the Dealer’s Room with me. Because, obviously, I would watch them. So when Karen lost her gloves to her Kaitou Kid costume, she asked *ME* where they were.
What part of “I drew three pics in Con, and spent the time selling my artwork as well as prostituting myself for future business” didn’t get through to everyone? What part of “I sold more than $100 in commissions to begin working on” didn’t make sense and translate to “I cannot pay attention to your stuff” in your mind? Ashleen I was fine with – she barely had bought anything and also, she was lending me two bags to carry my art stuff in. I have known her for a lot longer than you but I’m supposed to watch your things too?
No.
The first food I got on Saturday was five pretzels from Laura at about 10 AM, right before the Alley opened to the public. The second food I got was three spring rolls at 10 PM from Rachel, and Ashleen gave me a much needed potty break at 10.30 PM. I drank less than an inch of my Frap and got maybe an eight of the soda Digi bought me down. The soda she’d bought me the day before was untouched except for Mae drinking some of it. Ashleen was in the same boat, basically, having drank about half of her mocha and eaten a tad of some food that morning. We decide to order take out, like I’d done the night before and Karen pipes in saying she hasn’t eaten anything since the pizza at about 3PM (and the soda she’d gotten as well as things in the morning) so she’ll come with us to order food.
I’m ready to murder her. I think the only thing keeping me from doing so was it would make our hotel costs go up and Mae and the other girls would be pissed. That and she got a commission from me. Otherwise, I’d have strangled her. Or hit her with the bokken Mae lent me for the weekend. Ashleen and I order a pasta dish and some garlic bread, and she gets cheesecake. Sooooo…you’ve just complained that you’re hungry and starving and you order dessert?
Sadly enough, Ashleen and I split the pasta dish and neither of us can finish it, or our bread. By this point, both of us are suffering from what I deem the “Con Diet” – eating so little and at such odd intervals you lose the ability to be hungry. I also ended up going cold-turkey on caffeine because of the “Con Diet” which, after a few days, was okay. I’ve had a frap every now-and-then but you know…I long-ago passed off the shakes, the quakes, the jitters, and the horrible headaches.
Of course, as soon as I finish eating, I had to move things around because there were two commissions I needed to finish for pick-up the next day. So, while the rest of the room goes to sleep, Ashleen stayed up with me as I worked on my first-ever commissioned slash pic. Ashleen got free usage of my markers and I worked with her on technique (we’ll have to set down and have a formal lesson outside of Con so I can show you tricks and tips I’ve picked up A-chan) and she stayed up with me. After I got one pic done, at about 3.30, we both just turned in. I had to move the things our room mates had left all over the floor, and hence the only spot I could sleep, and Ashleen had switched with Rachel earlier to also be on the floor. We set our alarm clocks early since I’ve found out that Artist Alley opened at 9 AM on Sunday, and we went to sleep.
I’ll skip the adventure with luggage and Mae not coming back to the room that night simply for time’s sake. Needless to say, Ashleen and I headed to Artist Alley at 9, she coming with me for no other reason than she said she would. Now, I wasn’t the only person to notice how nice Ashleen had been so Saturday night, Digi drew a lovely Catboy (I dubbed him “Sex on Paper”) and she gave him to Ashleen in thanks, for both of us. She and Laura also told me that I could put them both down as neighbors for next Otakon (I don’t think I was given a choice for returning or not – customers and other artists said I should come back next year and they’d be looking for me. o.o ) and they’d not mind one whit. And if we all notify Otakon staffers, they’ll do it.
A quick training of Ashleen and I took all my money – the money I’d saved up just for Con and then all the profits not derived from commissions-to-be-completed – and headed to the Dealer’s Room. Somewhat sadly, I didn’t buy any doujinshi at Otakon – I missed the huge yaoi dealer’s advertisement and never found them on Sunday. Instead, I bought artbooks, some paper, and manga. Since this Con Report is much longer than I originally intended, I won’t list what all I got unless someone actually wants to know. Same with listing what I sold at Con.
Skipping the adventures with the drive back and the Rain from Hell™, we arrived at Mae’s house, Ashleen and I waited for my dad to come and pick us up, and Keith said he was going to call me. As I said, if he does, I’m ignoring it. My arrival back at home happened after we got Ashleen back to campus, where I got my luggage inside the house, showed off my purchases, and then was urged to take a “nap”. I woke up from my “nap” a little after noon on Monday, starting in on that great sleep deficit I worked up over the past few days.
o0 My dear...okay, a lot happened. And honestly, that's not all of it.
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no subject
Date: 2004-08-03 05:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-03 05:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-03 05:07 am (UTC)*pause* and you know what... you know who your friends are, because, had I been there, I would have volunteered to be your girlfriend for the weekend...
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Date: 2004-08-03 05:10 am (UTC)>> Funny you shoudl say that...Ashleen did.
*bang bang bang bang bang*
Date: 2004-08-03 05:48 am (UTC)You poor babies, it sounds like you almost starved up in Maryland *cries* If I were home right now I would have fed you both ;__:...next time we're so bringing a supply of food with us, ne?
Glad you both had fun!
Re: *bang bang bang bang bang*
Date: 2004-08-03 08:05 pm (UTC)I'm going to be going to Otakon 2005 - I had SO MUCH damn fun and I'm already working on artwork to sell there - but 'm not sure about A-chan.
Re: *bang bang bang bang bang*
Date: 2004-08-04 04:19 am (UTC)Re: *bang bang bang bang bang*
Date: 2004-08-06 09:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-04 06:41 am (UTC)Dude, Otakon was so friggin' fun! Can't wait til next year!
no subject
Date: 2004-08-05 04:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-05 06:43 am (UTC)Ninja burger-esqu...we can do that, or all FMA. I'm fine with all FMA A-chan. Up to you. :3