We woke up at a decent time on Saturday, and I asked Val if he would prefer breakfast in bed or to head down to the hotel restaurant. He had liked tea well enough the day before, so we got dressed in our regular clothes and went down. I used to get a huge breakfast to try to last me through the day until dinner, but these days I content myself with a bagel, some fruit, and maybe a few strips of bacon (whcih is still bigger than I eat at home.) Val got the Healthy Choice breakfast, which consisted of half a grapefruit, two poached eggs, and some cottage cheese, and he was...not impressed. Frankly I've never really enjoyed grapefruit any of the times I've had it, and I don't like eggs, and this may have been his first time having cottage cheese? So I while I was sorry for him, I wasn't really surprised, and told him I hoped whatever he got the next day would be better. Breakfast over, we went back to our room to start getting ready.

I, of course, took a lot longer. To begin with, I had to straighten my hair, and I don't think I did a very good job of it. I was less disappointed than I would normally have been, as the version of Mars I was cosplaying was a bit more "bog witch" in my mind than normal. Then, my dress was too big, which I knew about, but still meant I had to pin it to my bra straps to keep it in place. Val had to help me both with the pins, and with wresting my winged collar/shawl into place. After I pinned my crown feather into my hair, settled my tiara, and put in my earrings, I looked at myself...and felt that something was missing. My decolletage was too bare. I needed a necklace. Where could we possibly find a necklace? Well the Dealer's Room was our best bet.

And so, Val and I met up with Aki Reinii, Steive, and Lauren in the Dealer's Room, and we started to power walk as best we could encumbered by our costumes. And somehow I had never noticed just how much jewelry was available in the Dealer's Room, and all of it was gorgeous (I'm always tempted by the offerings of Sailor Meow, where I got my hair accessories for my Sailor Moon yukata), but none of it was *quite* right. I was envisioning Mars as a druid, which meant I wasn't looking for anything highly polished or bedazzled. I was looking for something that would envoke nature, wood or stone. Metal wasn't out of the question, but it would have be woven, dangly...something. I didn't know what it was, but I could tell what it wasn't. So we kept looking.

While we were looking we spotted a beautiful blonde bombshell...it was Baltimore Lauren! I was sad I had missed her the night before but grateful to get a chance to catch up. She took a few photos of us (especially Reinii's San costume, which is AMAZING) but mainly we just gabbed about how we were doing--we keep in touch on Facebook, of course, but it's not the same. Her boyfriend Richie was with her and not going to lie, it was a mini little lovefest right in the middle of the Dealer's Room. I'm more than a little mad that the United States is SO BIG and I only get to see Lauren once a year. Teleporters need to be invented stat.

I really wanted to pick and purchase a necklace before the photoshoot, however, so I said goodbye and we continued our power walk. We did the entire Dealer's Room with no luck, and then crossed over to the Artist's Alley--interestingly, there was no divider between the two rooms this year; I hadn't realized the wall that had previously been between them was removable. It may have made the acoustics work, but personally I'm a fan of not having to go up the escalator to walk a few feet to go down another escalator. That's more time that can be spent shopping.

We had gotten a few rows into the Artists Alley when we found a rather large setup called The Merchant of Many Things. That sounded appropriate, and right away I could see they had a vast array of all different kinds of jewelry. The girls were pulling out different things to see if any of them suited, when we spotted a large red pendant surrounded by black filigree. I picked it up and inspected it more closely.

It had a black crow in the center.

THE SOUND I MADE. I couldn't BELIEVE it. If I had COMMISSIONED a pendant, I don't think it could have been more perfect than this. One of the people working the booth came over to ask if I wanted to check out, and when she saw what I was wearing her glee almost matched mine. She said how much it raised their spirits when a customer found something that was so obviously meant for them, and she was so obviously genuine. I paid for my pendant and since my hands were shaking, Val helped me put it on, and my costume was complete. I don't know how I managed to get so lucky but I am so grateful that I did.

With my shopping excursion successful, Reinii, Stevie, and Lauren went back to their hotel to get into their afternoon Sailor Moon costumes for our photoshoot, and I texted Doc to see where we could meet up. Now, Doc might not have been "with" Otakon since the very beginning (although if I remember correctly, he did attend) but he had started working for it not long after, and he has been instrumental in its development at various key points. He's not as involved as he used to be, but with it being the 30th Anniversary, there was no way in hell he wasn't going to be there. And while he had met my friends before, and done some smaller shoots for and with us, this was his first time wrangling us in the double digits. Caffeine was a necessity. Luckily, the Marriott lobby has a Starbucks built right into it, and as it was also right around lunchtime, I treated my two boys to coffee beverages of their choice and a few snacks for us to share.

Lani texted us that she had just gotten to the Marriott, so we had her join us and then started looking around for a location. It was approximately 134.1° Farenheit outside, so inside seemed like a better option. The Marriott lobby was flooded with natural light, and for a wonder, while other photographers were naturally shooting on the higher level as well, the longest stretch seemed to be fairly clear. Doc decided to shoot us one by one as we arrived, rather than wait for everyone to get started, so we staked out our space and he started adjusting his lens.

While we were setting up, I heard a "Hey Crissy", and I turned around and it was Allison! She was there for the same reason we were--photoshoots--so while I knew I couldn't spend very much time with her, I was actually okay with it only because I knew our annual Senshicon weekend would be here before I knew it, and I'd get a whole weekend with her. We grabbed a quick selfie and wished each other luck and she headed on to her shoot and I turned my attention back to mine. Hime-chan arrived around this time, carrying the final piece of my costume: the absolutely amazing staff Her Mister had made for me. I had seen progress pictures of course, but nothing had prepared me for the impact it would have in person. He painted it, he carved it, he burned the bottom of it (because Mars is a pyromancer), he attached one of the crows I had bought, and Hime-chan added all sorts of dangly witchy bits to it. It's an absolutely stunning "walking stick" and now resides at the bottom of my staircase so Phobos and Deimos can greet all of my visitors as they arrive.

So, spoiler alert, my friends are gorgeous, and Doc is amazing. I don't want to gush too much, but considering this is something we each put together more or less individually, as a group we looked amazing. Some highlights: Alyce's seashells on her headpiece were made out of shells she picked up herself on a beach in Chincoteague while on vacation, Lady Somairot's gown was made brand new from scratch and puts almost anything I've seen at an actual Ren Faire to shame, Beth combined a perfect balance of death and rebirth in her accessories, Christine's iridescent bubble hairpins were the highlight of her outfit, the accessories Seiya and Yaten were able to make for Lani at virtually the last minute were gorgeous and screen accurate and really made the costume, Lauren's flower staff evoked Jupiter's attacks perfectly, Lauren's wand was so sparkly and reminiscent of the Silver Crystal and suited her so well, Reinii managed to incorporate her Art Nouveau Venus costume into this one seamlessly, Hime-chan's bling not only really accentuated both her costume and her features but also included a Pegasus so that was amazing, and Vil brought back the light up sphere from last year's Witch Senshi in a way that was just perfect for Pluto. And, naturally, Doc put everyone at ease so not only did we look incredible, but was had JUST the best time, laughing and goofing and playing.

A few of the more energetic of us (younglings) wanted to continue checking out the Artists Alley, since we had quit pretty much as soon as I found my necklace, but the rest of us (geriatric adolescents) decided to spent some quality time in our seats and off our feets. This is virtually the only time Hime-chan and I get to hang out these days, and I wanted to hear everything about how her children are doing, and what she and Her Mister are up to. I can remember, twenty years ago when my friends first started getting married and having children, worrying that I wouldn't know how to fit in their lives anymore, as I was unsure about getting married and knew I wouldn't be procreating. And I'm not going to lie, it's not exactly the same anymore...but I wouldn't say it is worse. When people love you, really love you, they make rooms in their hearts for you, and that's where you live, and that aspect of it never changes. I am so blessed to have my soul-sister in my life, in any form, and I love that this is something we do together, regardless of what else is going on in our lives.

We had planned on doing Potbelly for dinner at 4 (as it closes promptly at 5), so the shoppers and the old fogies met up outside of the convention center and started walking. Trying to travel on foot with a big group always causes delays, so as luck would have it, we got there almost RIGHT before they closed their doors to new customers, and quickly got in line. There were other cosplaying attendees on line with us, and Lani talks to everybody, so we ended up making friends, and the other attendees had glittery star stickers they were handing out. (Incidentally, I LOVE this new hobbit-like tendancy to bring things to con to give out--Reinii had been doing it all day too, with fake teeth when she was dressed as The Swede, and hearts when she was dressed as Venus, and, oh, I don't remember what all else.) So since my photoshoot was over, I walked around the rest of the day with a glittery star sticker on my cheek like Rainbow Brite. Cons really bring out my authentic self.

As I mentioned, Potbelly was closing so we couldn't eat inside, but we preferred the Embassy Suites anyway, as there are long tables which fit a lot more of us and there's slightly less background noise. And funnily enough we had that whole hospitality section to ourselves, although we easily took up two tables. It's amazing to have such a great group gathering but it does make it difficult to make sure you get one-on-one time with everybody! Nevertheless I had Doc on one side of me and Val on the other and Hime-chan across from me and we had a marvelous time eating and joking and taking even more silly pictures.

Now our friend Lyn had been running around all weekend so I hadn't gotten to see her yet, and the girls KNEW I would want to see her because she is my especial Final Fantasy VII friend and quite possibly my favorite Cloud cosplayer of all time, and she had just finished a costume that she knew would be relevant to my interests. Can I just tell you, every single one of the Chocobos on her shirt is individually cut out and ironed on AND their placement is screen accurate to the game and just GAH. I LOVE HER CLOUD. We didn't get to talk for very long because she had other committments, but at least I got to fangirl over her costume, and promise her that SOMEDAY SOON I will finish Rebirth and then she and I can gripe and discuss spoilers and speculations.

And as a bonus, the Embassy Suites has something called a "Manager's Reception" every night, where every guest gets a voucher for two free drinks, and there are snacks set out in the lounge as well. Now, we had more people in our group than were guests of the hotel, but not all of us drink, and almost none of us were looking to have more than one drink, so vouchers were traded back and forth and everyone who wanted to imbibe was able to. I, despite being a professional drinker and bad influence, almost never drink at cons. Metabolizing alcohol interferes with sleep, and I wake up with even darker circles under my eyes than usual. I will gladly pass up a good time to look better at a con! Nevertheless, it's a nice bonus, and if the Embassy Suites included private rooms I would almost be tempted to book with them--but I'd rather have my solitude at night and in the morning than a complimentary breakfast and alcohol.

Now if you've been reading my con reports for a long time, you'll know that Hime-chan used to attend to sell in the Artists Alley for years, and consequently made a bunch of friends who also return year after year. She was curious to see who might still be attending that she knew and hadn't seen in a while, soAki Reinii kindly loaned her their badge so that she could get into the convention. And so, we made our way back to the Artists Alley again, this time not only looking at all of the beautiful art for sale, but also the people. And, as always, I slipped back into cosplayer photohunt mode, so that you all can enjoy yet another con report, and I can have a record of what I did years from now when I'm feeling sentimental. For the record, I really didn't notice an "It" cosplay of this con (although Final Fantasy VII had a lions share, because of all the con guests that had worked on it), but I did notice there were a LOT of older anime represented. It made my aged little nerd heart so happy.

In fact, we hadn't gone too far when Lady Terentia said, "Hey, isn't that guy dressed as the guy you like, Terry?" And I turned around and there was a FANTASTIC Terry Bogard walking with an equally fantastic Chun Li, so I ran up to him like the dork I am and asked if I could take a picture. He was way more enthused than most of the Terry Bogards I've met over the years, and we got to talking--it turned out he and his girl were also both "Con Goers Of A Certain Age" and were taking a more laid-back approach to conventions: so laid back, in fact, that they were organizing a Cosplayer Cruise! I'm not sure I will ever have enough PTO to go on an entire cruise, but a few days at sea wearing costumes and relaxing with other nerds does sound like a dream come true. What a great idea.

Sadly, Hime-chan's time with us is limited (although for completely understandable and good reasons), so after completing one circuit of Artists Alley she had to head home. We are trying to get her to come out for more of the non-con things we do, like the Ren Faires and birthday gatherings, but it might have to be postponed until her munchkins are a bit bigger. No matter; all good things come to those who wait. We said our goodbyes, and then those of us interested in the Stamp Rally decided the Otakon museum should be our next stop. Even if there hadn't been a stamp, I would have wanted to visit. I'd seen it before, but figured it would be extra special due to it being Otakon's 30th year.

And it WAS! Not only did they have the placards for every single year, listing the convention chair, the guest list, and trivia, they had a TAPED OUTLINE of how much square footage the original Otakon, held in a Days Inn in State College, Pennsylvania in 1994. The entire convention was smaller than the room allocated to the museum exhibit! Only 350 people attended, can you imagine? In between narrating what little I knew (picked up over the years from con staffers I am friends with), we decided to also tie in our own OPIB history, since Otakon is Outer Power, Inner Beauty's home con. From the year we were founded, to the years each of us joined, to the year I adopted Crabby, there have been so many memories made along the way. OPIB will have a significant anniversary of its own in two years, and I may have gotten some inspiration...

The museum was about to close, so we took a look at the stamps we were missing to figure out where we would go next. We had gotten the game room stamp, but I hadn't seen Nick yet, so we decided to head in that direction. Seeing Nick is always fun, although once again it is criminal that I only see him once a year in Washington D.C. when we both live in New York City. Apparently he hadn't gotten the invitation to my most recent barbecue, so I promised him that next time I would send him an actual physical invitation through the mail like a Neanderthal to make sure that, even if he can't make it, he at least knows he's wanted. (And I really do need to start throwing more parties. There's just never enough time.) We also got our stamps, and then walked around a bit more, examining the games more clostly. And this time, a familiar screen caught my eye...

Have I mentioned that I am a beast at Puzzle Fighter? There was a slightly older man (at least, he had to be at least my age, as most of his hair was gray, although I suppose people do go gray early) playing, and I watched him for a little while to see if he was a serious gamer or just killing time. He wasn't dominating the game by any means, but he clearly knew his opponent's drop pattern and was building his gems accordingly, so I asked him if he would mind if I played next. Once his match was over I dropped down next to him and the game began. It wasn't the 20 minute long epic battle that saw me lose back at AnimeNEXT 2004, but neither was it a cakewalk; I may have started to sweat a little bit, but the gems fell in my favor and I unleashed a super that knocked him out cold. "Good game," I said, offering my hand, as I had been taught to over many years of playing both online and in person games.

He shook it. "I don't really know how to play," he said, and dropped my hand and walked away.

I was gobsmacked. I'm not a huge stickler for etiquette or anything, but come on; that was sour grapes. You say "good game" back and leave it at that. Plus, I had watched him play, and unless he's the luckiest son of a gun alive, he knew what he was doing. He may not be a competition level player or anything, but neither am I! I walked over to Val and the girls--who had been watching our battle--and told them, in a quiet, stunned voice, what he had said to me--because of course the indignation lasted only a second before self-doubt reared its ugly head and started whispering to me that I was a bullying jerk. "No," Terentia said, "he wasn't being honest." Why? WHY? It's just a game! Are some men's egos really so fragile that they can't handle losing to a girl at Puzzle Fighter???

Anyway. The last thing we wanted to do in the game room was take a few pictures in front of one of the gorgeous photo backdrops, so we got on a very short line to wait our turn. Lady Terentia very graciously took about 20,000 pictures of the people ahead of us, and then we asked the people after us to take about three, but it was nice to see how many people are willing to "pay it forward" at cons. Afterwards we texted Doc--who had broken off from us right after dinner to go hang with some other friends--to see if he wanted to finish the night off with us at Maker Space, both because that was the location of yet another stamp for the stamp rally, and also because, as we had discovered in previous years, it makes for a really nice wind down at the end Saturday night. He was willing, so we all met up at Maker Space.

Maker Space's stamp was different from all the others in that there was a challeng: in order to get a stamp, you had to complete three crafts out of I forget how many options. Some of them were clearly more difficult than others, so I picked the three easiest that I also was most interested: a birthday card for Otakon's 30th Anniversary, a fan (there were instructions for two types available), and an ema, a traditionally five-sided wooden plaque that have wishes or prayers written on them and are hung up at (usually) Shinto or (less usually) Buddhist shrines.

I had instant inspiration for the birthday card; I've been folding construction paper in half and scribbling on the outside and inside ever since I made my very first handmade Valentine's Day cards in fourth grade. Designing the cover wasn't much harder, drawing Crabby is easy with all of the reference material around, and although my kerning could use some work, I've seen worse professional jobs. Writing the inside took a bit longer, as I am RIDICULOUSLY sentimental and, even though I didn't know who, if anybody, would read this thing, I wanted to write something from the heart about what Otakon means to me. And then I took some photos for posterity because see above about being ridiculously sentimental.

The fan was a bit harder, and it didn't help that Reinii was sitting next to me, painstakingly making the perfect Crabby stamp and then using it to decorate a folded fan (she also made Val a "V" stamp, because she loves to give people souveniers and hadn't seen anything in either the Dealers' Room or Artists Alley that she thought he would like), but keeping with the theme of "What Otakon Means To Me", I decided to make my fan OPIB themed, and got the members who were currently sitting with us to sign with their name, their cosplay handle, the senshi they usually cosplay, and a little doodle. I will bring this fan with me to future Otakons and other events until I have had all of the recurring members of OPIB's signatures.

And even though I had never made an ema before, it was by far the easiest. They already had the pentagon shapes cut out, all you had to do was decorate one side, and write a wish on the other. I had already drawn Crabby on the card, so I tried to copy Otakon's fan logo this time, and I'm happy with the way it came out. (Given how minimalistic it is, it would be hard to screw up.) And the wish was even easier. It's the same wish I hold in my heart every year.

Crafts over, we were Do Bee good girls and boy, and we returned our crafting supplies to the table and threw out our trash. I placed my birthday card next to the giant cardboard birthday cake where all of the other cards, were and then hung my ema on the display outside of the entrance to Maker Space, and took a moment to view other people's contributions; it is both inspiring and intimidating to see just how creative so many people are, and heartwarming to see how much Otakon means to other people.

We said our goodnights--especially to Aki Reinii, as she would be leaving as she had another committment that needed her the next day--and walked off to our respective hotels. I was once again glad that the Henley Park is so close to the Marriott's entrance, while my shoes were comfortable enough, the laces had been falling down all day, and I was 100% ready to be over and done with them. It took me a while to get out of costume, between all of the pins and the plethora of trinkets Reinii had been passing me had been stored in what my grandfather sly calls my "high pockets" turned my bra into Mary Poppins' carpetbag with how many things fell out of there.

All told, I think Val and I got to bed around 11:30, which is well past my bedtime on a normal day (even, sadly, most normal weekends) but is I think perfectly respectable for a convention weekend. I admit I spent a few minutes scrolling Facebook before turning off the light, and seeing everyone's photos--because these days so many people upload their images in real time--and for a moment, I was overwhelmed: I really do have the most beautiful, creative, talented, loving, and kind friends in the entire world.