FanPort 2019 | OPEN

[heliophilic]

WHO: All imPort Con-goers and Guests
WHERE: Heropa Convention Center
WHEN: June 14-16, 9 AM - 2 AM
WHAT: Fifth Annual FanPort, the nation's largest, wildly popular imPort convention
WARNINGS: None anticipated; PM me if this needs to be updated

Heropa has always been a pretty imPort-friendly city, but the energy in the air surrounding the Heropa Convention Center seems to be taking it to the next level, with lines of enthusiastic people snaking around multiple blocks surrounding the gigantic building. One glance at the enormous banner draped over the side of said building makes it clear what all the fuss is about:

WELCOME TO THE ONE AND ONLY
FANPORT
Darin Altway's Masterworks, Medieval Festival, The Maurtia Falls Wrestling League, SELF, & Project Walkway -- Official Sponsors
ImPorts don't have to worry about dealing with that line though. As an imPortantVIP, volunteers will quickly usher them to the building while the crowds they're cutting cheer (after all, these are the very same people they're here to celebrate). Anyone who wishes to wait a while and mingle with their waiting fans are certainly welcome to do so, and for the imPorts who would rather not deal with all the attention, there's a secret side entrance they'll be shown to instead.

Once inside, they'll be given their imPortantVIP badge on a special golden lanyard, a schedule, and given free reign of the convention center. That is, if throngs of fans ever let them leave the lobby.

ARTISTS ALLEY

The crown jewel of FanPort is back and bigger than ever, located in the second-largest part of the convention center. What would normally be a large, open space is positively packed to the gills with creative fans new and old looking to show off their latest imPort-themed creations. The talents of these artists run the gamut from traditional and digital artists to screen printers to jewelry makers to prop makers to sculptors and beyond.

Almost anything imaginable can be found among these tables. A minuscule sampling of which include: Erotic fan-art of Rupert von Hentzau and Lucifer Morningstar, multi-book comics featuring the adventures of Futaba and Fuu, coffee mugs with Walter Strickler's face on them, Jonathan Walsh-themed t-shirts, multiple fanworks featuring Darin and Allura, keychains of Sora's Keyblade, Anthy Himemiya dress up paper dolls, Apollo frisbees, body pillows of Poe Dameron, sculptures of Pidge's Green Lion, replica Wolverine claws, Fern Chia pets, papier-mâché opera masks based on reclusive nighttime hero The Phantom, inflatable Luke Skywalker lightsabers, Detective Pikachu plushies, Cecelia phone charms, Woden voodoo dolls, and balloons of Kylo Ren with the inflatable part located in an... unfortunate part of its anatomy.

In general imPort merchandise, there are pokeballs, Guess Who-style games featuring multiple prominent imPorts, and a line of imPort-themed "thirst shirts" with logos like "ImpILF" and "imPure" emblazoned proudly on them. Also for some reason, yaoi paddles have decided to make a comeback, only instead of wood they are made out of NERF-like foam material (so only marginally better, yay?).

Even some of the imPorts seem to be getting in on the action, as Catra has secured herself a table selling her personally created creations to interested customers.

Artists will happily give their subjects a discount on their merchandise... if they ever stop squeeing or dying from embarrassment that senpai noticed them.

IMPORT HALL

For the imPorts looking to get away from the sheer myriad of fan-based imPort merchandise can head to imPort hall, where "official" is the name of the game. The hall is divided into three distinct areas:

Area 1

Home to a variety of vendors looking to sell more "official" imPort merchandise. Dozens of vendors are selling wigs, costumes, and other accessories allowing for quick and easy cosplay options. A charity for survivors of imPort incidents are looking to spread awareness of their cause, and collecting donations for survivor's medical bills, both through straight-up donations and by the sale of sixteen month calendars (August 2019 - December 2020) featuring photos of Aegis Force. Book vendors and publishers are selling imPort-written books, authorized and unauthorized biographies, and miscellaneous other fiction works with just enough facts changed to avoid being sued. The publishers in particular are always looking for new imPort talent to sign under them, no writing talent required... and a few of them are very pushy on this point.

Area 2

Looking to bank on the extreme popularity and success of FanPort, large corporations have set up shop in imPort hall. Most of these places are smart, and know that the con goers don't give a damn about them or their business, so instead they offer "fun experiences" in the hopes of increasing brand recognition. Things like mini Escape Rooms, imPort-themed photo ops, VR demonstrations, and swag (so, so much swag) can all be found here.

Area 3

The largest area of them all--the imPortant area (their bad pun very much intended). Here, imPort-run businesses and organizations (as well as enterprising individuals) are given prime real estate to show off whatever it is they care about. Import-run booths have been divided into four categories, and are promoted both on the the FanPort app and in their con guide as follows:

BUSINESSES

► Darin Altway's Masterworks (Official FanPort Sponsor) (Booth #742) Your one-stop shop for expertly crafted, personalized gear, equipment, and tools! Do you want to give your props an extra, authentic oomph? Darin Altway's Masterworks has a wide variety of non-lethal replicas and props of existing imPort weapons. Do you want your gear crafted by a true expert? Forgemaster Altway and Allura will be showcasing gear crafted by a true expert.	► Medieval Festival (Official FanPort Sponsor) (Booth #1317) For anyone looking to take a break from the trials and tribulations of modern life and slow things down, medieval-style, the Medieval Festival welcomes you. The festival's resident imPort Mollymauk Tealeaf is on hand to give FanPort attendees just the tiniest taste of what a trip to the 'Fest is like. Molly will also be available for tarot card readings for the FanPort exclusive price of $2 per reading.
► De Chima Citizen (Booth #1273) The De Chima Citizen is proud to welcome imPort Iris West as its newest Editor-in-Chief. For 90 years, The De Chima Citizen has striven for journalistic excellence and for a better balance of imPort and local perspective on the crises and stories going on in this world, and there was no one better to guide the paper in an even bolder direction. Additionally, Ms. West will be signing copies of her book Florida Man Strikes Again throughout the weekend. Use special convention code 'FANPORT2K19' for 25% off a year's subscription.	► After the End Times (Booth #1340) Come learn about After the End Times, a blog filled with of news, action, and more that remains proudly independent from governmental or organizational interference. Anyone looking for a site that promotes and believes in true, independent reporting need to make sure they see ImPorts Georgia and Shaun Mason, for more information, or to purchase a membership to the site. For any interested FanPort attendees--they are hiring. Exclusive FanPort t-shirts featuring the blog's logo and Shaun Mason's face will be available for sale.
► Project Walkway (Official FanPort Sponsor) (Booth #1203) Looking to be a part of the glamorous life? Official FanPort Sponsor Project Walkway will be holding auditions throughout the weekend to locate the next great talent since imPort Allison Hargreeves (surprise last-minute feature for their Summer Limited Edition Magazine). Anyone interested is encouraged to bring bring a portfolio with resume, headshots, and examples previous work. For anyone not sure if modelling is for them, Project Walkway will also be selling back issues of their publications, and well as subscriptions at a discounted convention special price!	► Ar-éadbair (Booth #1109) A one-stop shop for any FanPort attendee with truly sophisticated tastes looking to snag a special, one-of-a-kind creation. Created from imPorts Ronan Lynch's dreams and nightmares, these objects of supernatural origin are frightening and beautiful to behold. DISCLAIMER: None of the creations sold by Ar-éadbair at FanPort contain any properties or abilities. These creations are purely for display purposes only.

ORGANIZATIONS

► The Maurtia Falls Wrestling League (Official FanPort Sponsor) (Booth #934) Are you ready to rumble? Because the merry wrestlers of Maurtia Falls sure are. Come on down to booth 934 to see larger than life fights, dazzling lights, and, of course, very tight tights! In addition to promoting their regular televised show featuring the sweeping stories you've come to expect of them, the Maurtia Falls Wrestling League is here to let you get a little more hands-on with the art of wrestling, with wrestling training and demonstrations open to tykes and adults alike, as guided by our very own imPort Magnus Burnsides as I'Morko the Bear. And if none of that appeals to you, then surely the open wardrobe will; this is your chance to truly awaken to your wrestlesonas.

► SELF (Official FanPort Sponsor) (Booth #1286) The Sentient Life Fund (SELF), the Heropa-based non-profit, has returned to continue bringing awareness to FanPort attendees that not all imPorts can automatically adapt to our incredible world. For those that can't, SELF assists with things like food, health care, housing, education, and training for their spectacular abilities. ImPort Kang and a variety of volunteers will be manning the booth and handing out free pens, coasters, cards, and other kinds of swag. You can also spin the wheel for a chance to win a t-shirt, hat, water bottle, or shot glass, all emblazoned with their new logo. And while you're here, consider donating to their cause. ImPorts bring us so much joy - it's time to return the favor.

SELF-PROMOTION

► Proinsias Cassidy (Booth #1145) Meet imPort Proinisas Cassidy, available at select times over the weekend (visit booth #1145 or the FanPort app for times). Prices for Cassidy are as follows: $20 for a photo or autograph, or $30 for both. 25% of the proceeds will go to helping fund blood donation drives.

► Klaus Hargreeves (Booth #1055) Meet imPort Klaus Hargreeves, available at select times over the weekend (visit booth #1055 or the FanPort app for times). Prices for Klaus are as follows: $10 for a kiss, $15 for an autograph, $20 for a photo, and $25 for a photo involving a kiss.

► Abigail Hobbs (Booth #922) Meet imPort and Musician Abigail Hobbs at select times over the weekend (visit booth #922 or the FanPort app for times). CDs and digital codes of her music, as well as t-shirts, posters, and more will be available for purchase. Abigail will autograph any purchase.

► Kylo Ren (Booth #1011) Meet imPort and Poet Kylo Ren at select times over the weekend. Copies of a FanPop-exclusive version of his collected works will be available in a "darker than vantablack" cover. These exclusive books are an Ar-éadbair creation. Kylo will autograph and otherwise personalize purchases on request. Limited photo opportunities will be available (visit booth #1011 or the FanPort app for times).

FOOD

► Tina's Burgers (Booth #765) Our very own beloved imPort youth, Tina Belcher, will be bringing her love of burgers straight to our hall! She'll be offering up a variety of delicious burgers to the hungry FanPort community - including vegetarian and vegan patty options for those who need them. Tina is known for her inventive cuisine, but if that's not enough to sway you, her way with words will! It's worth a gander if only to see what punny names she'll come up with next.

For anyone not in the mood for hamburgers, ImPort Hall is also home to your standard, overpriced con food (that does it's best to be imPort-themed, though some might say that it's being a little generous), with little booths scattered throughout each area.

SPEED DATING

New to FanPort this year is Speed Dating. Inspired by that creepy house that took some people hostage a few months back (but with none of the trauma and all of the fun, organizers hope!), one of the largest panel rooms has been set up with two rows long tables for people to make their love connection. 5 minutes are all they get to try to get to know the lucky person and make that spark. Succeed, and they're free to hand out their number. Fail and... well, there's always the next person.

Unlike the aforementioned creepy house, daters are free to leave at any time. Additionally, con staff are on hand to ensure that everyone is comfortable, and won't hesitate to kick out any creeps or troublemakers.

Who will be the first FanPort couple?

COSPLAY

Though not necessarily a specific event, cosplay is a staple at any convention and FanPort is no different. Enterprising fans from all over have shown up to show off their stuff, ranging from the "closet cosplay", to the "cardboard box armor", to the "so-detailed-you'd-swear-they-stole-it-from-the-imPorts-closet" pro, to the "AU", to the increasingly popular "random noun + imPort". Cosplayers will excitedly take pictures with the imPorts and/or their friends, and might even go out of their way to seek them out.

ImPorts are also encouraged to get in on the action and dress up as their friends, worst enemies, or even total strangers. They can even sign up for the costume contest--barring that they don't enter as themselves, and don't use magic to change their appearance.

PANELS

Littered throughout the extremities of the convention center, rooms of various sizes have been set aside for a variety of guest speakers to show off their imPort knowledge to eager guests. Detailed information about each panel can be found on large boards beside each room, or download the official FanPort app.

► Heroing and You A must-see panel for anyone looking to make a difference in their community, regardless of whether or not you have a costume in your closet. The panel will explain how the average person can help around the community, and that not all heroes wear capes. Audience participation is encouraged. Starring imPort guest: Nightfall.	► Public Safety in the Porter Cities with Aegis Force Learn tips on how to stay safe and help others during a crisis from members of Aegis Force! Hear thrilling stories of their adventures and find out more about how the team works to serve people during the Q&A. Starring imPort guests: Jacob Taylor, Lester Papadopoulos, and Darin Altway.
► Fun with Field Safety: Know Your Exits and Don't Get Dead Advice about field situations, recognizing danger signs, knowing the terrain, paying attention, keeping your head, and learning to recognize calculated risks and just plain bad choices. An interactive experience. Starring imPort guests: Shaun Mason and Georgia Mason.	► How to Stay Alive While Hunting The Unknown and Finding Things Come learn more about imPort Harry Dresden's work as a private investigator and wizard hunting that which hunts others... Both humans hunting monsters and monsters hunting humans. Attendees will receive valuable advice about dealing with alien cultures, and what to do when sometimes you just get outclassed. Starring imPort guest: Harry Dresden.
► Journalistic Integrity: How to Report Responsibility A lecture on the importance of truthful an independent reporting, even in world's that haven't been effected by a zombie apocalypse. Topics will include: protecting your sources and ethical dilemmas about whether or not it's appropriate to take to print, and finding the line between maintaining privacy and withholding the truth. It will also feature a special press-themed history lesson into Georgia and Shaun's world and how the mainstream news' hiding of incidents related to "the Rising" led to massive casualties, and how indie blogs spreading the truth kept their world from complete annihilation. Starring imPort guests: Georgia Mason and Shaun Mason.	► Monster or Man? What's the real difference between heroes and villains, and who gets to decide? Using imPort Adam, son of Frankenstein (those who refer to him as a monster will be removed from the panel room) as an example, the current officers of Adam's fan club invite the audience to join them as they discuss what matters more, an imPort's deeds in their own world or the future they make for themselves here; the role of a parent in shaping one's destiny; and the ethics of creating artificial life. The roundtable will be followed by a PowersPoint presentation of the best Adam fanart and a step-by-step guide to drawing attractively placed stitch marks. Starring imPort guest: Adam, the Modern Prometheus.
► Personal Space 101: How Not To Get Scratched or Otherwise Injured by Simply Minding Your Own Business A lecture on the importance of respecting personal boundaries, why suddenly walking up to someone and petting them is inappropriate (regardless of how cute they may appear), and other helpful life lessons that should have already been learned. Visual aids will be provided. Starring imPort guest: Catra.	► Kids Today: A Gathering for imPort Teens & Tweens Growing up is hard. Growing up in a different world as a celebrity with superpowers is harder. ImPort Youths are invited to join this low-key talk and group Q&A session about concerns many of them have at this age, whether it involves going on a first date with someone who could be ported out without warning, the rights and expectations they have back home from that differ from those of kids and teens on Earth, and, you know. Puberty questions. Sponsored by the Heropa Community Center.
► Abigail Hobbs Live! Abigail Hobbs will be performing selections from her albums on harpsichord, to take listeners on an emotional musical journey. Starring imPort guest: Abigail Hobbs.	► Poetry/Emotion - The Verse Hearse Presents: Kylo Ren imPort poet Kylo Ren will be reading a selection of works previously featured in the Verse Hearse, offering unique insight into his personal experience of the creative process, inspiration and intention through a Q&A session. Kylo Ren will not be signing autographs at this time. Starring imPort guest: Kylo Ren.
► Welcome to Earth — Tales and Trials of Intergalactic Culture Shock "Why would a fish need an education?" SpacePorts are invited to share their experiences adjusting to life on Earth, whether it's their funniest misunderstandings, their rants about how much the weather cycles bother them, or confessions of what they love most about this weird little planet. Starring imPort guest: Allura.	► Cybertronian Q&A Ask everything you've always wanted to know about Cybertronian life and culture. Note: The panel will be held outside (due to KO's size). Starring imPort guest: Knock Out.
► More Than Laser Swords - A Lightsaber Demonstration A discussion of Jedi Lightsaber philosophy, techniques, and maneuvers. Includes live demonstrations from several lightsaber combat experts! Learn about these beautiful and dangerous weapons and the history behind them. Sign ups for classes at the Rattlin’ Sabers Fencing Academy will also be available. Starring imPort guests: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker, Kanan Jarrus.

MEMORIAL

Inspired by the Ted Kord Memorial Centre run by Jaime Reyes, organizers have set aside a large room situated in the far end of the convention center, with a large sign above it reading "In Remembrance" above its entrance. Before being allowed to enter the space, con goers are given a speech explaining the purpose of the space is for anyone to remember the port outs, and are told to respect the space accordingly.

Inside, the space is set up with walls upon walls of photographs and miscellaneous articles left behind by various imPorts. Notable events featuring ported heroes also adorn these walls, with benches evenly spaced throughout for quiet reflection. ImPorts are encouraged to learn about the imPorts that came before them, or remember a friend gone back home. Between the exhibits, blank canvases have been spread so visitors can leave memories or messages to those ported out.

The speech given to everyone before they are allowed to enter is not one to be taken lightly--con staff are around to ensure the solemnity of the space is kept, and will be throwing out anyone who causes a scene or otherwise disrespects the space.

RAVE

As is the case with any good convention, FanPort hosts several different raves on both Friday and Sunday nights (there is no rave on Saturday) in several of the larger panel rooms. Enjoy packed crowds, loud music, and (if you're over 21) alcoholic beverages from the bar.

Oh, and glow sticks. So many glow sticks. Anyone who didn't arrive with a glow stick will soon find themselves with one before they know it, whether they want it or not. It just happens.

VOLLEYBALL

Apollo (the taller one) and Poe Dameron (you know who he is) have decided that the imPorts should come together in the name of a volleyball tournament, Top Gun style. Or maybe not Top Gun style. They haven't really decided. Anyway, run into them at any point during the weekend, or sign up at the booth located in the imPort Hall that may or may not be manned. Sunday will be Volleyball time. Don't miss it.

BALLPIT

In honor(?) of the 5th anniversary, the organizers of FanPort have inexplicably brought back a staple(?) from the first two FanPorts: the ballpit. Seemingly dumped in a random back corner of the imPort hall, no one running the convention seems to know why its there. Like in previous cons, the budget seems to have run out before anything involving the ballpit was concerned. Most con goers seem to be actively avoiding it. The whole thing just kind of gives off a sad, pathetic aura, and standing too close to the ballpit may make anyone feel worse about themselves or their life choices.

But hey, at least it's a quiet spot in a sea of craziness?

[OOC: If you have any questions, or if I somehow missed anything, please let me know here! Happy FanPort everyone!]

Comments

[plentystrong]

1. Artist Alley

[ When she arrives in the hall with a bag full of hastily made original artworks and spots everything else that's going on in the artist alley, Catra quickly regrets all of her life choices. Plushies? Mugs? Body pillows? And some little booklets that, from the looks of them, Catra doesn't even want to touch.

What depravity! A shudder rolls down Catra's spine and she scrunches up her nose. However, she quickly remembers herself and squares her shoulders. She's a soldier! A commander! And hopefully about to make a few bucks. After all, surely art made by an imPort must have some value to these freaks?

Her artworks themselves are about as amateurish as always, often depticting fellow imPorts in unflattering poses. Those she is on relatively good terms with get away better than most.

Never mind that the other so-called "artists" are already pointing at her and whispering among themselves. She gives them her best withering glares. ]

What's so interesting, huh?

2. Cosplay Encounter

[ When she isn't trying to sell her artwork, Catra walks around con. Of course, she is quickly drawn to the food stalls, but she explores everything else, too.

Or at least, that's what she's trying to do, because soon after stepping foot outside the artist alley, she sees something that just about makes her eyes fall out: a person who must be one of the annoying natives, clearly dressed as none other than Catra herself, ears and tail made from some kind of cheap faux fur material and awkwardly attached to the costume included.

She looks the cosplayer up and down, one eyebrow shot up so high it nearly touches the edge of her mask. ]

You're missing my badge.

[ To demonstrate, she points one clawed finger to her Force Captain badge. The poor cosplayer, now realizing she has met her idol, is about beside herself with embarrassment and adoration. ]

3. Panel

[ Honestly, Catra isn't sure she expects to achieve much with her little presentation. Still, when she'd heard that FanPort gave imPorts the chance to speak in front of non-imPorts, she'd jumped at the chance to maybe finally get it through the natives' thick heads that she is not some pet to be touched and squeed over!

Of course, her experience on FanPort up to then only solidified the necessity of this. Almost constantly, gaggles of fans walked up to her, demanding autographs, wanting to touch her ears, even being dressed as her.

So she holds her panel, involving a lot of shouting and huffing, aided by more of her own art; mostly stick figure drawings detailing do's and don'ts and various diagrams, such as a pie chart titled "when it is okay to pet me", filled solidly in red, with the legend informing the viewer that red stands for "never".

Once she is done, a single hand is raised in the public. It's a fan, asking can I pet you?

Catra just calmly, silently flips to the next page of her presentation, which features the word NO. in bold allcaps. ]

4. Ballpit

[ The ballpit may be sad and lonely, but... it is still a ballpit. Which is something Catra has never seen in her life, but feels oddly drawn to. She must try it out. She must.

So she wades in there, taking in the weird sensation of her body floating among the plastic balls, and ultimately buries herself in them for a while.

Ahhh. What a nice reprieve from the commotion. ]

4

[justlittle]

[ Guess who else has never seen a ball pit in his entire life. ]

What are you doing?

Allison Hargreeves ☂ Catch-All

[numberthree]

[ Feel free to contact me for your own prompt, too.
DW DM's, plurk at wanderlustlover, Discord ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ#6353. ]

June 14-16 ☂ Import(ant) Hall #4

[numberthree]

Even though Allison doesn't think she'd be here outside of being paid for it, she can recognize that FanPort is getting a vast amount of foot traffic through the Import Hall every single day from sun up to sun down, with no real pauses, and crowds full of ImPorts, citizens, and fans alike. There more merchandising and costume dress-up going on than Allison's had to see yet since getting here, but luckily she's usually with Project Walkway's several booths worth of space.

Allison spends all three days in a succession of gowns, rather than in the teeming sea of people except, for her breaks and after hour. As the current claim to fame of her newest employers she, also, appears at the FanPort's Swear-In for them, though with a carefully wary eye for what might go wrong this time. Feel free to come ask questions of Project Walkway and see if you might just be the next big find.

Lightsaber Panel

[hadthehighground]

In one of the larger rooms things are set up a bit differently. Instead of a stage with rows of seats in front of it, there is instead a cleared area of floor in the middle of the room holding a large platform. Surrounding the platform are chairs, set up so that everyone can have a clear view of the demonstrations that will be performed.

Some con volunteers are also stationed around the platform, a sort of security, to keep people from getting too close. After all lightsabers are dangerous and no one wanted an overly eager fan to accidentally get hurt. When demonstrations are not going on, the speakers will stand on the platform with microphones as they discuss their topics.

This panel is a popular one and people can be seen lined up for it hours in advance! The room is bound to be packed and overflowing.

((OOC: Obi-Wan, Luke, Anakin and Kanan are all part of this and each will have their own top levels connected to this one.))

Obi-Wan

[hadthehighground]

The panel opens with Obi-Wan Kenobi greeting the crowd that has filled up their room. He also introduces each of his fellow Jedi. Following that, he starts things off by going into a bit of history about lightsabers and the Jedi Order. The Order having rather humble beginnings and at first used metal swords like what most people would recognize. He discussed the transition to the first lightsabers and how they evolved to the weapons they have now. This also included the different styles and the process for making them. Though he would let Anakin actually go into how they worked in more detail later.

He would then talk about the different forms, or styles, of lightsaber combat. Touching briefly on Form I, and some about Ataru, but mostly he spoke about his own style, Soresu. The Jedi would let the others talk about the styles they used as well.

During all this he would pause to take some questions before moving on.

It wasn’t until later that they would actually do the demonstrations. Obi-Wan pairing up with one of the other panelists in whatever way they had arranged it.

Finn | Catch-All

[hatejakku]

( ooc: Feel free to ping me here with a prompt or contact me and I'll start one for us! #jb9174 on discord and linatrinch )

Artist Alley - OTA

[hatejakku]

[ Since it only seemed like a few 'fans' knew who he was (probably thanks to Aegis), Finn was more or less free to roam around. He thought the Artist Alley would be interesting, maybe give him new ideas for crafts or see what people had made for his friends.

Somehow, for some reason, he hadn't expected body pillows of Poe. Once he spotted them, he had to do a double take and slow to a stop. They were... very revealing. And what made it worse was that they were flying off the shelves. He couldn't scurry away fast enough.

But then he turned a corner and saw the Kylo Ren thing and he tried to go in a different direction- ]

OOF!

[ Only to run right into someone. ]

Ronan Lynch | OTA

[nightmarist]

artifacts on auction at Ar-éadbair

The booth itself is a simple one, enclosed by black velvet drapery, with a violet neon sign announcing the shop's name: Ar-éadbair. The sales table contains only a leather board displaying a series of polaroids and an electronic tablet secured beside it. The tablet displays the same images as the board, but selecting one leads to a form:

　 　 Name: 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　
　 　 Contact #: 　 　 　　 　 　
　 　 Offer in $: 　 　 　 　　

The current highest bids are shown on the main menu and a text message is sent to competing bidders whenever a higher offer is made on any particular object they're vying for. The system spares the creator of these magical artifacts from the danger and drudgery of hawking the items himself, though Ronan Lynch can occasionally be found at the booth to answer a question or two. While the booth is unmanned, the actual items are nowhere to be found, but when Ronan is present, he's willing to produce one for close inspection to anyone interested in making a serious offer.

COSPLAYing kylo ren

Ronan has never been particularly fond of his fans. In fact, he's always gone to great lengths to avoid them. This is the first FanPort he's attended that hasn't contractually obligated him to interact with his fanbase in order to promote EdgelordTV's fuckups & tryhards, the reality series in which he previously co-starred with his since-vanished facetwin, John Murphy.

To keep his own famous face concealed, Ronan instead wanders the floor in a strikingly accurate Kylo Ren costume. Of course, as Kylo Ren himself rarely struts around in battle armor, most of the con-goers take Ronan to be merely another fan with a great talent for replicating gear, who happens to be just the right height to be almost believable. (The real Kylo Ren, fans know, has quite a bit more bulk to him than this narrow cosplayer.)

Ronan keeps the mask on for most of his journey around the convention center, posing for the occasional photo with what appears to be a completely functional lightsaber. Whenever he takes a breather to reveal his own face and sweaty mohawk, it's in the areas restricted to imPorts.

wildcard

When he isn't at his booth or wandering in costume, Ronan can be caught on his way to a panel or visiting the actual Kylo Ren.

auction

[leatherboots]

Rupert has been tapping indecisively between the items on the tablet for a minute or two before realising that as much as he likes all the individual items for their varying levels of horror, there isn't any particular one he can settle on. He sets the tablet back and turns to the booth and its owner, even going so far as to perch a thigh on the table as he leans in to say:

"A question."

He gives Ronan a look of solemn expectancy.

"Do you take commissions?"

Anders | Dragon Age

[rebelhealer]

Walking around
Anders doesn't really know what to think of this place. It's so loud, and crowded, and it's a whole festival dedicated to all the imPorts, including himself. It's kind of flattering in a way, to be admired instead of feared and hated.

He wanders over to a booth with cosplay gear. There's replicas of Apollo's jumpsuit, Blue Beetle's mask, something he thinks is Knock Out's helmet, and then his eyebrows go up when he sees a replica of his Gray Warden uniform. He only wore that thing once after it got ported in to him in the wake of the charity event, but they got all the little details on it.

"I have to say, that takes dedication."

Cosplay encounter
Anders is looking at a panel schedule when someone comes up to him. It's a girl wearing a replica of the outfit he was ported in with, and she's even wearing a wig that looks like his hair.

She shyly asks him, "Hey, can I get a picture with you?"

Anders smiles at her, "Of course." She gets here camera out as they both squeeze in, smiling big as she takes a selfie. The girl looks like she went to the Maker's side as she thanks him and goes on her way.

"That felt... kind of nice."

Wildcard!
[Feel free to write up a prompt or ask me for one. arwingyoshi]

cosplay encounter

[mildmanneredwriter]

Clark just happens to be passing by, but he can't help but stop and chuckle at the sight of Anders and the little girl—and of course, he has to get his own quick snap of the two of them.

"Now that was adorable," he says and she scoots away. "Looks like you have a knack for kids."

Finn Onaru | OTA

[fireandhoney]

Artist Alley
Just like last year, Finn has a booth set up for anyone interested in buying prints of his artwork. A lot of it is drawings of monsters from Tamriel, but there's also some more recent stuff, like pictures of movie monsters, some landscapes, and a few abstract stuff he's been working on.

He's also perfectly happy to sign anything, free of charge.

After selling a print of a frostbite spider, he says to himself. "I am definitely making a book now."

Buying Things
Finn takes a break from his booth to peruse the other booths in Artist Alley as well as the general convention floor. He has a shopping bag containing a few dolls of friends and pokemon, and some prints of fanart he liked. Attached to his belt loop is a keychain of the Decepticon symbol, and there's a couple of enamel pins attached to his jean jacket. One of them is Sharpeedo, and the other is a heart with himself and Jonathan Walsh inside.

He pauses when he sees a t-shirt that catches his eye. Hard to miss a t-shirt themed after his boyfriend.

"Okay, I have to buy that."

Ballpit
This is probably the most pathetic looking ballpit he's ever seen, and he hasn't seen many ball pits. But he needs a moment of quiet, and so he takes a dip in it. He lays down in it, his legs dangling over the side and his head resting on the wall.

Finn sucks on a honey stick idly, looking up at the ceiling.

Wildcard!
[Feel free to request a prompt. arwingyoshi]

artist alley!

[h2no]

Having no idea Finn had a booth, Archie is quite delighted to see his friend doing so well on the art scene. He looks over some of the stuff on display, pausing at a very blue abstract one.

"You're so good at this, Finn... I don't have enough imagination to do stuff like this, I don't think..."

Ben Hargreeves ☂ The Umbrella Academy

[the_horror]

{Arrival, Artist Alley and Comics:}
Ben isn't sure where to start. He's never been to a convention like this before. Sure, Klaus might have gone to some strange con or whatever, but Ben doesn't remember it well enough to even consider it. This is strange though. He's dressed simple, unlike his attire for the Swear In. He's comfortable in a button up and a black vest. No hoddie or jacket, as it was too warm for that. What a nice sensation, being too warm for things.

You can find him milling around at the artist alley and the dealers hall, buying things here and there. He is definitely buying things that fellow ImPorts have created, just because he wants to support them, but he's also looking over the talent of fans too.

Not to mention in the dealer halls, he found COMICS. Though he stumbled across some Doujinshi of... himself. Not knowing what Doujinshi was, he opened it to look and nearly dropped it. Catch him trying to buy 9 comics in order to hide them forever! No one needs to see tentacle porn like that.

{Cosplay Encounters:}
"Oh shiiiiit." He said with a hand over his mouth as he saw three kids in domino masks and school uniforms. The comics that made their way into port a month or so back had been an influence on the natives it seemed. One girl was dressed as Rumor, one as Spaceboy and one as Séance. "Hey, can I take you picture? My brothers going to love this." He said to the trio, who all posed for him like they were standing on the steps of a bank so many years ago. And then the Allison Cosplayer suddenly pointed. 'Oh my god, it's The Horror!' To which they all got pictures taken with Ben. He took Selfies as well. It was surreal but adorable.

{Speed Dating: For SELINA KYLE & WANDA MAXIMOFF or anyone else that feels up to it.}
This was going to go badly, he was sure of it. This was a mistake. He really shouldn't have put his name in, but he figured it would be a good excuse to get to meet people. Date or not, it was fine. He was interested in meeting new faces. Male or female.

And boy did he get some good people. When he was pointed to his tables he moved over to take a seat, getting there first. He settled in and waited. As soon as someone approached, he moved to stand, offering a hand to the other.

"Hi. I'm Ben." He might look young but he was twenty nine years old and well groomed. He at least would be a polite speed date.

artists alley

[khajidont]

Jaime's seen for himself the sort of... art that people here tend to create. He's been here long enough for it to become normal, if not still somewhat distasteful, and he has nothing but sympathy for those discovering such things for the first time. He offers Ben a sympathetic look as he starts sweeping up the comics into his arms.

"Listen, I don't wanna discourage you from, um, doing what you do or whatever, but you know it's a lost cause if all you wanna do is hide them, right? They just sell these things online when they're not at conventions." His mouth twitches. "One of the great tragedies of the printing press."

Kurt | People of Earth

[youarespecial]

Wandering around
One time, Don told Kurt about a convention he went to that was all about aliens. He said there were booths, some fun and some horrible, people dressing up, selling merch and so on. Jeff didn't think it was very funny, but Kurt got a little kick out of the story.

He imagines that was a lot like this.

Kurt forgoes the skin suit today, since he doesn't see much point in it at the moment. He passes by a pair of humans painted green, with scales crudely drawn on, causing him to raise an eye-ridge as he watches them leave.

"Is that supposed to be me and Walsh?" He doesn't sound offended, just a little confused.

Artist Alley
The fan dedication some of these humans put into this stuff both amazing and weird. Don and Jonathan have mentioned that humans are completely obsessed with aliens, and he's gotten the idea that imPorts are a huge deal in this dimension, but he's starting to really get that now.

He glances at some artwork of various imPorts, some he's met and others he's only seen on the Network on on TV.

Kurt flips through an artist's binder just to see what they've done and his eyes go wide when he gets to a piece depicting himself. Sans clothing.

"I... don't know how to feel right now."

Rave
Kurt's not a very good dancer, but then again, half the people here aren't. He sits at the bar for now, sipping on something cold and colorful. He's already wearing a glowing necklace ring and matching bracelets, and has a glow stick attached to his belt loop.

Wildcard!
[Feel free to request a prompt. arwingyoshi]

Wandering

[patchricide]

After hearing that comment on the costumes, Allura can't help but smile to herself. It's a very familiar sensation, as she can still remember last year when she was puzzling over the lines people drew on their faces with pastel-colored body paint.

"It might be!" she decides to answer. "Or it may be their own original creation, based on the species. They love an excuse to not be human for a day."

CYBERTRONIAN PANEL | KNOCK OUT | OTA

[redcosmedic]

DURING THE PANEL;

[ As impressive as the FanPort venue is, Knock Out's still too big to move through most of it, so his panel is held outside on a grassy area, but the sun is warm and no one seems to mind too much. In a rare concession to his polished finish, he's actually sitting in the grass so as to look somewhat less aloof than usual. With the size difference and setting, his panel resembles something more like kindergarten story time.

He's taking general questions about Cybertron, to which he retells anecdotes with a surprisingly captivating performance. For those who'd notice, this definitely isn't his first time in front of a crowd taking questions, and he's soaking it up. Knock Out is also taking questions about the Cybertronians themselves, though he deftly turns aside any that will require more than a cursory level of detail; obviously he's not keen to share anything that could be potentially revealing about their physiology. ]

...and that is why there's no flier-class of native Velocitronian. Next question?

[ He'll scan the assembled watchers to see if anyone has more for him to answer. ]

PARKING LOT;

[ After the panel and for the rest of the afternoon, Knock Out will have switched back to vehicle mode and set himself up for pictures, of which there seem to be a decent amount of fans wanting them. In fact if he's charging money for them, he'd be making a pretty penny right now.

Instead he seems more concerned with making sure that the people getting pictures with him don't accidentally scuff him. ]

Mmm no, that's close enough. Perfect. Now smile!

WILDCARD;

[ Due to his size, Knock Out won't be inside the venue much, but I'm up for running into him anywhere on the grounds! Hit me at sojourney with any idea! ]

Panel

[rebelhealer]

[Anders is admittedly curious to know more about Knock Out and Cybertronians in general, hence why he decided to watch the panel. He's wearing a baseball hat to keep the sun out of his eyes while he listens to Knock Out.

When the opportunity arrives, he stands up.]

I had a question. Is there anything in particular that determines a Cybertronian's vehicle mode? I mean, are you just made with it, do you get to choose, or is it class-based?

Armitage Hux | ota

[therewillbeorder]

Artist's Alley

One of the days he finds himself with nothing to do so decided to check out artist's alley. It's become a tradition that he bought whatever Han/Luke Skywalker fanart he may be able to find to distribute them to fans, urging them to go find Luke to get their copies signed. Even if involves tentacles. Especially if it involves tentacles. It was his good deed for the day, making the world a better place one bit of fanart at a time. No need to thank him, just take your free copy.

He's not in uniform but fans still recognize him once in a while. He's used to being disliked, it doesn't bother him and if he's in a good enough mood, he'll even sign things for an adoring fan while wandering around.]


Closed to Bodhi Rook

Would I sign what?

[The fan stuttered as they held out the fanart book to be signed. He took it carefully, not sure what to expect. Any fan who gave him anything concerning Kylo Ren had been sent running, he wasn't going to encourage any of that. He took the fanart book and froze.

This was so, so much worse.

He felt the bile rise up at the back of his throat as he held out the book as if it was contaminated. The fan was trying to explain the pairing before stopping when she saw Bodhi. Hux looked at the pilot, frowning as he dropped the fanart book as it it burned him.]

I don't know what you've been encouraging, pilot, but it stops now.

Wildcard

[choose your own adventure or hit me up at illuminations for something!]

[onlydoubts]

[ as per the usual, whenever Bodhi finds himself anywhere near Hux - there's the anxiety tightening up his chest, and he feels the need to make a quick exit, even now. But then he's addressing him - and accusing him of... what now? Rather than making that quick exit, he steps forward. Annoyed. They're in a public venue, it's fine. ]

What? What are you even talking about, I haven't --

[ He bends over to pick up the art and hand it back to the fan and gets a good look at it and drops it again. ]

Shit, really?

VOLLEYBALL

[flightforfreedom]

[ HELLO VOLLEYBALLERS. That's totally a word. Anyway, the teams have been assigned, so here are the rules:

2 vs 2, Top Gun Style. The games are played outside in a sand pit under the hot Heropa sun, and shirts are optional but highly frowned upon. Each game you are assigned a new partner, and play against a different opposing team. Please see the spreadsheet below for team ups!

Trash talk before the game is highly encouraged. You don't actually have to thread out the games, but we recommend contacting the other players to at least decide who won the match so that you can also trash talk them after the game. Thirst is also highly encouraged.

Please feel free to put threads under this header, or make your own threads elsewhere and just link them under here so people can stalk you. ]

TK-622

[loyal_soldier]

[Game 1: Teamed up with Archie against Cassidy and Magnus
Game 2: Teamed up with Apollo against Archie and Finn
Game 3: Teamed up with Andy against M and Riptide]

1. Good, Clean Fun

Normally, 622 covers up. He spent his whole life in armor, so that's what feels most natural to him. But on Earth, things are a little different: namely, none of the clothes are actually protective at all.

So really, there's no difference to him whether he's covered head to toe, or wearing a small pair of shorts and nothing else.

No difference except the sunlight. He's got enough color to him that even his sun-starved skin can make it through a good few hours of Heropa weather without trouble, but he's been here long enough to have had at least one rude encounter with the concept of sunburn.

So he's brought a bottle of sunscreen, big enough to share.

"Do you need any?" He holds out the bottle.

Also, he's going to need someone to help him with his back...

2. Team-up!

He's probably got this. He's read all seventy-two pages of Official Beach Volleyball Rules 2017-2020, approved by the 35th congress of the Féderation Internationale de Volleyball, so that's got to count for something.

Of course it seems like most of the rules are being tossed out the airlock as per usual, so the only thing he's certain of is "don't let the ball touch the sand", and "don't touch the net while you're trying to mash the ball into someone's face."

Or into the ground, but given some of the people there--including him--the face thing is a distinct possibility.

So. Here he is. This is the first public event he's attended since he had brain surgery. Time to meet up with his teammate.

3. Meeting the other team

622 comes from a rigidly hierarchical system, where improper comportment can ruin you. He's frequently guarded his commander at public and formal events, where just about everyone outranks him.

He can be respectful.

If that's how they're playing it. He might generally be polite and proper, but he's military. There will always be trash-talk between the branches.

So come at him and he'll fire back like you're Army.

"Good luck." He doesn't believe in luck, but if you do, well. Good luck.

4. The Game

This is his first time handling a volleyball. The relatively small pitch and the sand beneath his feet aren't familiar either.

But the Porter saw fit to give him a power that preternaturally enhances his aim. While he might not know whether someone will make it to intercept his shots, they will always go precisely where he wants them to. He can give you the perfect lay-up, pop the ball up and over into a far corner, or augur it hard towards the sand if he gets a good angle.

And he will shake hands with the other side at the end, no matter the outcome.

Roxas | Kingdom Hearts | OTA

[pullsheavendown]

just walking around/choose your own adventure;

[Roxas is quite frankly baffled by FanPort. It's the opposite of most of what he's experienced, considering he's tried to stay away from attention both when he was in the Organization and here. And this even goes way beyond the imPort celebrity he's experience so far. Still, he can't help but be curious, and before he knows it, he's spent the entire weekend here.]

artists alley;

What the heck is that?

[He's startled to see artistic renditions of so many people he knows, or at least recognizes. It's weird, but some of it's pretty good, and he finds himself using some munny to buy a small plush Catra and keychains of his Keyblades. (Maybe he can attach them to the real thing and they'll change somehow?) And then he finds the doujinshi.]

Is that who I think it is? [And then a short time later] Is that me?

[Eventually, he hurries away from the 18+ section with a bright red face.]

calling all teens;

[He sits in the back for this panel, not sure that he wants to advertise that he's not sure how to do the normal teenager thing but kind of wanting to know if others feel as out of place as he does. Eventually, he leans over to whoever's sitting nearest.]

Um, what's 'puberty'?

teens;

[ambasciatore]

[ Being in a separate city from anyone he knows makes him restless. So travelling to Heropa to go to Fan Port was probably not the best idea to do when he's bored. However, the panel Q&A provided by the Heropa community centre is going to be his best bet to ask questions on what to do to help homeless youth.

It's when the kid next to him leans over and asks the million dollar question that has Nico nearly choking on air chuckling a bit and whispering back. ]

Please tell me you're joking. [ He must be, right? This was sarcasm? Please let this be sarcasm. ]

Fuu Hououji: OTA

[monster_san]

Fanport

[You are liable to find Fuu in a few places this FanPort!

One is the Artist's Alley; although Fuu doesn't like fanfiction, she can better appreciate the skill that goes into creating paintings and other merch items... she may be browsing for keychains of her friends.

She's also growing to enjoy this new 21st-century entertainment of escape rooms and the VR headsets in the Import Hall. She's also keen to see what her fellow imPorts are accomplishing, so if you're running a Stall, business, organization, or otherwise, she may just be stopping by to say hello.

Or, you may find her at the Memorial, reflecting on the faces of people who aren't here anymore, and the strange nature of loss in this place.]

Cosplaying

[So the idea of people dressing up as imPorts... well it's as slightly disturbing as everything else about Fanport to Fuu. She just can't feel comfortable with the idea of being idolized and discussed and speculated on like this.

But that doesn't mean she can't have fun.

On the 15th, Fuu is wandering about the convention. She's wearing a yellow t-shirt and skirt, a pair of square-framed glasses, her hair is curled up to the opposite way as usual, and she's holding a copy of the comic book featuring her.

If anyone asks who she is, she'll quickly demur, shy and hesitant, and whisper that she's Fuu. Her imPort ID is tucked away in a cheap, generic lanyard, and obscured by the dog-eared artist cards she's collected.]

Other???

[hmu by PM or at compassinks!]

cosplaying (let me know if this is okay??)

[prayercycles]

[ Fortunato isn't exactly enjoying FanPort. He's so used to being undercover that he feels a bit too visible here, too close to fame, and he's generally not one for a rowdy occasion anyway.

So he's hovering around, trying to find a quiet space, when he overhears Fuu tell someone who she's cosplaying as. He looks up- he can see fairly well right now- in order to see someone dressed like his peer (friend?), only to realize...he knows that voice. And that face.

That's...odd. He approaches once she's on her own again. ] Fuu?

Tina Belcher | OTA

[continuousgroaning]

[If you'd rather do brackets/actionspam I will match!]

Tina spends most of her time at this particular FanPort at her burger stand. She's much happier now that she's moved back in with Magnus, but still... at the last convention, she'd been with her boyfriend and her mom had been around, and she can't help but feel a little bitter about that. She remains cheerful, though, and has a selection of themed burgers on hand:

All burgers available with beef patties or Inconcievable! vegan meat substitute
FanPortabello Burger (patty topped with a portobello mushroom; also available with just the mushroom)
Fan Daikonvention (served with roasted daikon radishes)
The Wind Cries Cherry (topped with cherry tomato relish)

She also takes the time to stop by the Kids Today panel, contributing some of the coping mechanisms she learned and advice she received to help after her mom departed.

At the end of the day, when Tina's exhausted, she hangs around the Ballpit, using her water manipulation to encase the plastic balls in water and make them float everywhere for her own amusement.

[Or is there elsewhere you'd like to run into her? Ping me on Plurk at shurimon or Discord at Yedong#9491]

[patchricide]

You know, there's something very inspiring about the persistent sight of Tina's burger stand, of always seeing the young imPort working hard and pouring her heart and creativity into keeping people happily fed.

So yes, Allura's going to risk getting condiments on her nice dress and stop by the burger stand.

Unfortunately, she's looking at the menu, puzzled. It's a familiar expression for her, the kind of look she gets when she finds herself as an outsider to Earth culture. For once, it's not confusion over the burgers themselves — in fact, she gets the puns in their names! Two of them, at least! — but at something written at the top.

"What's inconceivable about being vegan?"

Alphonse Elric | OTA

[sonofgold]

Al still doesn't quite get celebrity culture, but this convention sounds like a good chance to unwind and relax a little after the last few harrowing months, so here he is. He makes it past the throngs of adoring fans at the entrance by virtue of putting on a costume- hiding his distinctive golden hair under a baseball cap and wearing his leftover Struggle equipment.

Once inside, he makes sure to stop by the Artists Alley, shedding his thin disguise and allowing fans to take pictures with him, though he does have to politely refuse several requests to wear cat ears.

He also attends a rave on Friday night, though he's not quite sure what a rave is, and isn't sure if he likes it. He does cause a minor stir, however, when he utilizes alchemy to turn the glowsticks into fun shapes and hand them out to others.

[Or is there elsewhere you'd like to run into him? Ping me on Plurk at shurimon or Discord at Yedong#9491]

artist's alley

[consulinchief]

[Roland had been standing nearby, looking at the wares on one of the tables when he overheard Alphonse refuse to wear cat ears. Once the requesters were well out of earshot, he can't help but turn and smirk a bit as he asks.]

What's wrong with cat ears?

jaime reyes | ota

[khajidont]

[ a ; artists alley ]

[ Jaime may be uncomfortable with Fanport as a whole sometimes, but one thing he always loves is Artists Alley. There are... certain corners that he avoids for the sake of propriety alone, but the rest of it? He's all about. If you count him as a friend, you'll see him checking out some of your merch, eyeing the keychains and plushies and stylish posters as though he hasn't hoarded enough stuff in his place by now. ]

I really don't need more stuff... [ You may hear him say as he turns a coffee mug over, with the clear intention of buying it because impulse control is for other people.

Or maybe you hear him speaking personally to someone selling keychains and jewelry: ] Hey, weird question, but would you be willing to teach someone else how to make this? [ If you know how, it may be a good time to step in; the seller looks too starstruck to answer.

Or, of course, you may see him in that all forboding corner, picking up an innocuous looking book and immediately dropping it. ] Oh god! I don't actually do that with the suit, you know!

[ b ; the memorial ]

[ Eventually he makes his way to the Memorial and stands in front of it, hands shoved in his pockets. He hadn't wanted to be a sponsor or to sign up for this himself - the Memorial Centre is strictly for imPort use, without the public mourning that any public figure receives - but that doesn't mean he's not touched by their efforts. ] Man, [ you may hear him mutter, reaching up to touch at one of the boards with his fingertips. ] I wonder how many people aren't on here.

[ It's nice though. Nicer still to find himself less affected by this than he once would have been; working in the Memorial regularly has helped a lot as one hell of an example of exposure therapy. He'll nod at the workers though, and smile at them, tell them they did a good job. At the end of the day, that's all they want to hear. ]

[ c ; panels ]

[ Jaime makes a point of attending the panels, and this is no exception. You can find him checking out Heroing And You, How To Stay Alive, Kids Today, and...

Monster Or Man. At every one of these panels save for the last one, he'll be quietly sitting in the audience, as innocuous looking as any other con-goer; he's come in the same comfy jeans, shirt and sneakers as he wears everywhere. But at the very last, he's frowning, looking around him for anyone one else who's noticed something off. ]

That's weird. I don't think I've ever seen that guy before.

[ d ; cosplay ]

[ Remember that tidbit about how Jaime usually just wears a t-shirt with an open button-up shirt over it, old jeans and sneakers? Well, that's what the closet cosplays for one Jaime Reyes looks like, and once a few people walk away from him wearing shaggy black wigs and distinctly unkempt clothes after getting the autograph they've sought out, Jaime's standing there, looking pained. ]

Geez. Maybe I really do need to rethink my whole look.

[ It's not a flattering picture, all these cosplayers of him instead of him as the Blue Beetle. Not a flattering picture at all. ]

[ e ; wildcard! ]

[ got something else in mind? hit me with it! ]

a ;

[dragony]

Don't be rude.

[ Ruka approaches without fanfare, and, considering the circumstances, is probably not the person Jaime wants to see right now. Not when seeing her right now means she's the one picking up the discarded innocuous book and dusting off the cover.

The lack of fanfare is likely because — like every year — Ruka is a staple of the convention cosplay scene. There's at least fifty other versions of Ruka roaming Artist Alley alone, and by that saturation she often is simply overlooked as being the real deal. (She's even dressed a little nicer, to fit in with her own crowd.)

She begins flipping through the book. ]

Besides, you shouldn't blame your own lack of imagination on other people.

[ Did she come over just to be a shit? yes. yes she did. ]

magnus burnsides | ota

[burlyboy]

[ a ; wrestling stall! ]

[ Welcome, one and all, to the Maurtia Falls Wrestling League's Stall, headed by no other than yours truly! Magnus is living up to his reputation of being an absolute bear of a man by running it in full costume; he's got an ornate wrestling uniform on (with, yes, six nipples. They're subtle! For kids!), a beautifully carved bear mask and a long, furry cape that touches the ground. Beside him is a full wardrobe of costumes in all shapes and sizes so that others can don their wrestlesonas (though the vast majority of them are animal-themed) and an entire ring.

Magnus will be doing demonstrations throughout the day when he's not bringing other eager onlookers into the ring and showing them a thing or two. Why don't you drop by and try it for yourself? Who knows - the Wrestling League is always looking for new blood to enter the ring. There's a television behind Magnus, playing reruns of his matches on mute, a rowdy, extravagant affair to show you exactly what you'd be in for.

And if you're not the sort to come all on your own, well, there's Magnus' booming voice ringing into the crowd: ] Cccccooooooome on up, and enter the ring! Spin the wheel for a chance for free tickets! And come get your picture taken with none other than IIiiii'mmmmmorkoooooo!

[ I'morko, for those in the know, simply means 'bear' in elvish. So he had a elfaboo stage. Sue him. ]

[ b ; artists alley ]

[ Magnus is quite cheerfully making his way through Artists Alley, taking a look at all the wares available to him while picking up every replica Railsplitter he can find. With his pack filled with many, many replica axes and at least one ukelele, he ambles around, picking up everything that catches his fancy. ] Gotta say, some of the craftmanship here is pretty damn impressive! If they had the resources, they could come up with some good stuff.

[ ...or, less charitably, holding a dirty doujinshi aloft in front of him: ] Yeah, think bigger.

[ He's probably just giving them a hard time. Probably. ]

[ c ; ballpit ]

[ Magnus is, generally speaking, approximately 6'5" and even broader than that height would typically suggest, with the bearing of the fighter that he is. Which is why it looks entirely comical that he rolled a 1 on Common Sense and is now sitting in the middle of the ballpit, knees tucked right up to his chest.

...he looks like he's got a few regrets. ]

[ d ; wildcard ]

[ As ever, if you have another idea, hit me with it! ]

a.

[justlittle]

[ That is a tall man. Well. Man in a bear costume. Bean briefly thinks about what sort of animal costume someone might try to put someone his size in. A mouse, probably. Or a bug. Though, coming from a world that was ravaged by insectoid aliens, he probably wouldn't appreciate being made to dress like a bug.

In any event, he comes up to the stall, watching the fight on the TV screen attentively. ]

Can you teach people to fight?

Roland Crane | OTA

[consulinchief]

1. Out and about.
[Roland remembers coming to this con last year (wasn't it later?), and decides to do his best not to stick out--he's dressed down in jeans and a zip-up hoodie, and his hair is tied up neatly in what is apparently referred to as a "manbun", a style which apparently sparks a lot of opinions on the internet, but one he himself doesn't usually sport. He hopes that this means he can wander around the convention mostly unnoticed by the crowds, and on the whole, it seems to do the trick.

He wanders through the convention without a real purpose, taking a few pictures of interesting cosplayers (including one of himself, which really throws him for a loop), and eventually bumps into someone.]

Sorry! So much to look at... I should have paid attention to where I was going.

2. ImPort Hall
[Roland finds himself drawn to imPort Hall, where he just can't help but stop at most of the imPort-run booths to chat with the people who run them, and find out more about their business or organization.

Later in the day, he winds up getting caught listening to one of the book vendors, and can't quite seem to make a polite escape away from the man's hard sell.]

I really don't need a series made after me, and I have no intention of starting a literary career right now, but best of luck to you...

[He takes a step back, but he vendor just closes the gap right back up and keeps talking. Locking eyes on a random imPort, his expression just screams "help."]

03. Memorial
[Roland finds himself being drawn to the memorial, interested in learning more about the imPorts that came before. He's stunned a bit by the beauty of it, in how much people cared about them. He finds a seat near one of the canvases and is attempting to read all of the words left when he feels more than sees someone sit next to him.]

Did you know someone over here? [He asks softly.]

04.The ballpit
[Roland stumbles upon the ballpit by chance--he'd noticed that there was this weirdly empty space in the corner of imPort hall, and when he went over to investigate, found the sad, semi-inflated thing just dumped there. Standing over the thing, trying to figure out it's purpose, he can't help but mutter:]

Why would anyone want this?

memorial

[onlydoubts]

[ Having been here a good two years, there are a lot of names on the memorial that Bodhi is familiar with. There are some ... some of his friends here, too. He lingers around a cluster of names. Mostly from his universe, but there are others.

Doesn't look up at the individual he'd sat down next to, but nods. ]

Several. I think we all know at least one person on that memorial.

Carl Grimes | The Walking Dead

[112ounces]

Carl's never used to such positive attention from strangers. Any attention from someone strange usually meant they want his supplies or just want to kill him either for fun or to get rid of competition for potential resources. So he opted the second entrance, away from prying eyes of the public line. After given his badge and schedule, he's given freedom to explore.

ARTIST ALLEY

It's weird to see artwork and dolls of people he seen and known about, even having them as neighbors. It's stranger still to see works of himself, even if they were like anime-inspired portraits of himself with his hat over exaggerated. Despite getting the willies of getting anything related to him, he decided to buy a key chain that had a tiny plastic replica of his sheriff's deputy hat. The person selling them didn't seem to recognize him, so Carl wondered if the guy was just there for the money and not for imPort enthusiasm. Which would explain the seven dollars for a cheap keychain.

Carl meander his way around the stalls, looking at some works. Some were kinda gross and Carl was embarrassed enough to look away. But he managed to get a frisbee of a man who taught him how to skip rocks last month. He even bought some comic books and a sculpture of a green lion.

...Maybe he bought too much. He had cash, but it's getting low now. Gotta save it for food.

COSPLAY

It's like Halloween, but in June. Everyone dressed up as someone else. Carl spotted someone dressed up as a familiar someone with cat ears and a tail, while he seen someone dressed up like a giant red robot with wheels on it back, but all in cheap cardboard.

The weirdest costume of all was someone dressed up as him. Fake holster, fake gun, normal plaid shirts and the hat Carl has always worn. The girl - yes, a girl - dressed up as him recognized him almost immediately. Apparently she was at a lost for words, and just points at him, mouth open.

Unbeknown to either of them, someone grabbed a quick picture of them with their phone and before the day was out, a new meme will be trending, of a shocked Carl Grimes cosplayer pointing at an unnerved but real Carl Grimes.

MEMORIAL

It was the last part of the FanPort he visited, which might as well: it was enough for Carl to leave and never return for the rest of the day. He entered, listen to the typical spiel of respect and entered it. He seen all sorts of images of imPorts that have left. Most look human, but there are others that are not. There's even one or two that were actual dragons, which made him pause. Time passed by as he went observed all sorts of names and faces that he never heard or seen before: Kaneki, Joel, Ellie, and Jessie Pinkman. Many names that never stood out to him seem to float by, though he did paused to see Negan's portrait, with an additional portrait of his beloved baseball bat Lucille. Carl couldn't bring himself to really like the man, or trust him, but Carl still missed him. He was from home, and understood home.

On and on it went. It honestly felt like there were more current Port Outs than current imPorts. Carl was getting ready to leave for the hustle and bustle of the Import Hall to get something to eat when he noticed a familiar face.

His heart stopped.

Rick Grimes the small words said underneath the portrait. He looked no different than the last time Carl saw his father. Blue eyed, dark haired with curls, with a brow beaten by the sun. There were no objects next to the portrait, no telltale iconic thing that made Rick Grimes identifiable. Good thing, because Carl would have taken it, the hell with respect of the other Port Outs.

He walked past a face he didn't recognize, a girl named Enid with cool eyes and a sad smile, with a collection of keys as a noted item from her. Not far from her he seen another familiar face: Andrea. Dead, yet she was here too, before Carl arrived. Further down, there was Daryl. His hair was longer, but he still had that old vest . . . and a crossbow. It's fancier looking than the one Carl remembers, but it didn't matter. It's Daryl's. Carl wanted it more than anything.

"Hey. HEY!" Someone hushed Carl, but he ignored them. He grabbed someone - an assistant, a passerby, anybody - and pointed at Daryl and the crossbow. "How do I get that?"

memorial

[prayercycles]

Considering his discomfort and lack of belonging toward most of FanPort, the memorial is almost a comfort to Fortunato; it's quieter, for one, and seems to have a seriousness to it that he's far more used to.

At the same time- it leads him to realize how few people he's lost here, despite being present for nearly a year (an idea that feels impossible). There's some to see, yes, but...none he feels like he has a right to mourn for.

So he's leaving when Carl grabs him, asking about the crossbow. He's startled, particularly by the question, not immediately knowing Carl is a fellow imPort.

"I- uh. I am not sure you can?"

Kang | OTA

[governorkang]

By now, Kang's mostly gotten used to the utter insanity that is FanPort. He's definitely learned how to avoid certain tables in Artists' Alley, and when he spots an imPort that seems new or from a world that has nothing like conventions approaching one, he gives them a warning. There are some things that just can't be unseen or unread.

He encourages the tables that have decent, respectable art (even if he still finds the subject material being imPorts strange), and picks up a few items for coworkers that couldn't make it that weekend. When guests approach him for photos, he readily agrees as long as he doesn't have to do any ridiculous poses, and he even gives some tips to someone looking to cosplay him in the future.

The Escape Rooms look interesting, and he tries one out with a group of Natives. They impressively fail, but none of them are upset about it.

Kang pops into the Medieval Festival for a bit to get a taste of home, and into Darin Altway's Masterworks to admire the craftsmanship.

As for panels, he's very interested in Monster or Man?, Welcome to Earth, and Cybertronian Q&A.

And, he spends several hours at his own booth for SELF, chatting with his volunteers and answering the questions of anyone who stops by. He knows the booth's only seeing more activity because of the free swag, but he also knows that the name recognition can only help in the long run.

mollymauk tealeaf | ota

[viciousmaukery]

[one: the brightest colors fill my head || medieval festival booth]

[The organizers of the Medieval Festival went all-out for this booth—visitors walking through the archway that reads The Kneeling King Inn are treated to a cozy, homey tavern with wooden, authentically stained tables and a few actors already in place, with a band in full Renaissance-era attire playing songs like The Irishman's Wife, Greensleeves, and Lord Randal. The bartender, dressed like an innkeep right out of a medieval-era movie, hands out ginger ale and, for those over 18 who can prove it, watered-down mead, and the food is hearty and greasy.

Seated at one of the tables is a very familiar and very colorful tiefling, shuffling a tarot deck and waiting for customers. Molly's casually lounging in his chair like he's the ruler of his own little kingdom, consisting of his cards, a stack of brochures on the side of his table, his mug of ginger ale, and the person in front of him, sliding two dollars across the table and saying thank you so much!]

You're welcome—hey, before you go, do me a favor and take one of these? [He pulls a brochure off the stack and hands it to the young woman.] Tell your friends to come by next Saturday! We'll be glad to see them.

[The girl leaves, babbling a promise to tell her friends. Molly's eyes flick towards another person—and he smiles. He raps on the table to get their (or your) attention, and calls:] Feel like having your fortune told? Just two dollars for a reading—it's a steal, wouldn't you say?

[two: my fingers hurt molly why are you like this || artists' alley]

[Molly can't always be there at the booth, of course. Occasionally he wanders out of the "inn" and into the convention, and finds himself walking over to the Artists' Alley, just to check out what's already there. He buys some charms with faces he knows on them, and he absolutely can't resist buying the Poe Dameron body pillow or the Magnus Burnsides t-shirt. He even gleefully buys a few posters of himself.

In fact, he's found the artist selling some, ah, more explicit work, and is engaged in a very lively conversation with them. If you could call it a conversation, when he's the one doing the talking and they're just madly scribbling in their notebook and asking him pertinent questions.]

—and it's a bit darker in color and slightly longer than you drew it, but other than that it was a very good guess!

[If one decides to creep closer, they'll find that the artist is drawing a very tasteful pin-up of Molly, and the next question they pose is, Okay, what about the tattoo on your shoulder? Could you describe it to me?]

I can do better than describe it. Hold on a second. [And he tugs his coat off and pulls one sleeve down to expose the bouquet of flowers tattooed on his shoulder. Then he glances away from the artist for a moment and catches sight of another imPort, then gives them a friendly wave like this is a completely normal thing to do.]

Enjoying the con so far? [he calls.]

[three: what the FUCK is your COAT || cosplay]

[If there's one thing cosplayers have learned to dread, it's Mollymauk Tealeaf's most famous and most iconic coat. It's so needlessly complicated, all the patterns and colors clashing against each other with no apparent reason other than Because He Liked It, symbols and patterns and shapes embroidered onto the back in a wild variety of differently-colored threads, and sequins! Why are there sequins! There's already glitter in there somewhere.

So when a small group of them spot Molly himself moving through the convention, well, of course they're going to pull him into their group and ask him to take pictures with them, and then ask him for advice. Molly is—actually pretty flattered by this, especially when told how much time they spent on making their own slightly inaccurate copies of the coat he's wearing right now, and even twirls in place so they can get a better look.]

Honestly, [he's saying, if you get closer, as one cosplayer imitates his twirl so he can check out their coat,] I don't mind if you miss a symbol or make up your own. This is already incredible—oh, wow, is that a dragon? Can we trade?

[There's a small spatter of laughter, and Molly grins.]

I didn't have enough silver-colored thread to put a dragon on my coat, can you at least tell me where you got all this? I might do a little more embellishment.

[four: wildcard]

[use this option if any of the above doesn't strike your fancy, or hmu at robbstark for plotting!]

One

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

[Jacob frowns at the offer, and the sight of that brochure. His voice is probably more curt than Molly deserves.]

No thanks. Last time I got my fortune told, I'm pretty sure I ended up possessed by the Web Mistress.

[Swear-Ins in Jeopardy: always questionable.]

Andrew Carter | OTA

[stlg13bomber]

Show Hall
Carter is...going a little nuts. He's not exactly cosplaying so much as magpie-ing, grabbing little bits of statuary and clever shirts or jackets every time something new catches his eye. He hadn't expected to spend so much money here and when his credit card bill shows up he's going to do a lot of sweating, but right now he's just having a Moment, okay? A moment with a Pikachu plushie under one arm and a fake anime sword under the other, wearing a hoodie patterned like Clone Trooper armor.


Speed Dating (Abigail Hobbs, Rupert von Hentzau, any others)
Carter looked at the tiny slip of paper they'd handed him and fidgetd in his chair. He'd put down 'anyone' on his form, figuring that he couldn't exactly afford to be particular, and hadn't quite understood what that meant. Rupert was a weird name for a girl, but lots of people had weird names around here. Maybe she was an alien. Ooh, that'd be interesting. He'd never dated an alien before.

He'd never dated...most anyone before, to be fair. There was Mary Jane, and the handful of women who'd briefly come on to him before and after he joined the army, but Carter had never gotten the hang of dating women. The other guys in his group seemed to need women like they needed water, but Carter was content to sit with them and have a pleasant conversation. He mimicked the other guys' hooting excitement just to fit in but deep down he really didn't get it. Maybe you understood it when you'd had more experience.

The tiny piece of paper wrinkled between his fingers as he twisted it.

Speed Dating

[am_i_a_monster]

Abigail's record label had encouraged her to socialize more, especially with her fellow imports.   Speed dating had been one of their suggestions.   She had nearly rejected the idea;  she'd never been on any date before.  They reassured her that speed dating wasn't a real date and given her all kinds of advice.  She ran through the easiest tips in her mind - Relax. Make eye contact. Smile.  Listen.  Act interested. Don't take out your phone.   She could do that much.

Abigail played with her hair and touched her scarf, checking to make sure that her scars were covered.  She then brought her hands down. No fidgeting had been another tip.   She took a deep breath and walked over to the table with her assigned date.   He looked as apprehensive as she felt.   Was he fidgeting too?  Good.  At least she hadn't been paired with a speed dating expert.   She gave him a friendly smile when she reached the table and extended her hand for him to shake.  "Hi. I'm Abigail."

PIKACHU | OTA

[fursleuth]

𝐀. 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐑

[Well, this is sure a thing. Granted, his last big celebration was a huge nightmare of city-scale apocalyptic proportions, so he's a little wary of all of this, especially given how many people seem to already know who he is and recognize him and BOY ARE THEY TOUCHY. He's been stopped quite a few times for pictures and hugs and kisses and all other unmentionables. Yikes. Maybe he should be like those dudes who are charging for this.

He did, however, get a ride from a girl dressed in a skimpy costume that he's pretty sure is supposed to be him if a yellow mini dress and ears and a little hat counts as a costume. Her sheer delight at getting to cart around the real Detective Pikachu got him to the coffee kiosk, where he orders something black and full of espresso. He's gotta be alert for this adventure, and he's flagging.

He gets his cup, takes a sip, and promptly spits it out.] Well, you've officially taught me what is not coffee today. [Cough. Sputter. He shoves the cup forward.] Be a doll and get me the real stuff. [He turns to the person beside him.] You see what she did there? It's cute that she thinks that's coffee.

[And then in a panicked stage whisper:] Is that all they have here??


𝐁. 𝐏𝐋𝐔𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐄-𝐏𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐙𝐀

[The cosplayers were one thing, but the mountain of stuffed toys bearing his likeness are another and they're selling really well, which is kind of heart-warming and a bit unsettling. The stock has run dry, however, and the barrel said Plushies are being sold out of is now full of the rejected plushies that were currently total rush-jobs.

Pikachu picks up one of them- they're life-sized!- and stares into its awkward, uneven eyes and checks out its stumpy tail.] Ohhh boy. The factory was not kind to you, pal.

𝐂. 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐏𝐈𝐓

[The last time Pikachu went to a celebration, he had to get his powers to work. He had to Volt Tackle the shit out of Mewtwo. He's fairly certain he won't have to do that again, but a good detective is always prepared and he has to be sure he can access his powers.

Balloons are good to get a little bit of static going, but there's not a whole lot of balloons he can rub on himself. Exploring other options yields no results either, but then he sees it....

The ball pit.

And now there's a Pikachu basically doggy paddling around the fucking ballpit, muttering to himself as he tries to build up some static. As soon as someone approaches, he sits up, however.] Whoa there. You might not wanna come in here for awhile unless you want the static shock of your life. I'm working up to something.

𝐃. 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐃

[WHATEVER ELSE YOU MIGHT WANT.]

[stlg13bomber]

[Uh. What. Carter had been told there was a ball pit and had come to inspect what the actual heck a ball pit was. The 'pit' itself was underwhelming and the balls looked cheaply made, but nobody had mentioned the...the, uh...

Oh god, it was talking.]

Oh! Are you? That's fine. Wouldn't want to disturb. [Carter stands still with his elbows tense at his sides, one arm holding a bag of merch and the other a slushy. He watches with wide eyes as the little yellow monster does a lap or two around the bucket of plastic orbs, and finally finds himself forced to speak.]

So, uh, so what are you up, to then?

Abigail Hobbs | Open to all!

[am_i_a_monster]

A: Concert.

There are small packages of tissues handed out at the door as people arrive to see the concert and a disclaimer before Abigail walks onto the stage, warning attendees that her music may cause an emotional response.  Backstage, Abigail could almost laugh at the 'may cause'.  She has every intention of using her harpsichord powers to evoke a reaction from the audience.  On some level, she wants them to feel what she feels, the many losses she's had as well as the hope of a second chance at life. 

Abigail walks onto the stage, directly to the harpsichord.   Unlike her other concerts, there's no opening act and no conversation with the crowd.  She simply sits and plays.  The first songs have a melancholy mixture of longing and sadness.  Audience members become reflective on past losses and regrets.  A few cry, one walks out.  As she continues to play, the music becomes lighter, and a sense of relief and hopefulness enters the audience.    They feel as if they've let go of their pain and guilt, and have a bright future.   By the end of the concert, the music is lively and upbeat.  The audience is joyful, smiling, laughing and hopefully on their way to buy some CDs.

After the concert, Abigail shakes hands with a few lingering audience members.   "Hi.  Did you enjoy the show?"

B.   Booth #922

Abigail stands at her booth, signing item after item.  She's glad her CDs are doing well, and  a little surprised at how well the rest of the merchandise is selling.  There's even a t-shirt that has the phrase 'keep calm and play harpsichord' printed on it.  The next fan in line buys one of the shirts and insists that she signs it while he's wearing it.   Abigail remembers the instructions of her record label, and does as he requests.  It starts a trend; almost all her customers, male and female, ask for the same treatment.  

When a import arrives at her booth, Abigail gives them a hint of a teasing smile.  "Are you going to want me to write on your chest too?"

C. Memorial

Abigail sketches pictures on the blank canvas, of D33, Kaneki and even Hannibal.  He had only been in this world a short time before he was portered out, but she misses him too.   She takes her time, trying to get every detail right.   She draws them in a house, each with their own room - D33 in a bedroom.   Kaneki's in a room that looks like a cafe and  Hannibal in a gourmet kitchen.

When she finishes, she realizes how long she's been there and that someone is nearby.   "Sorry."  She says, stepping to the side.  "I didn't mean to be in your way."

D.  Speed Dating - Kirk Langstrom

With all the fans and other strangers she's been interacting with at Fanport, Abigail is relieved to see a familiar face.  She supposes it makes sense; imports are bound to run into each other, especially here.  She chuckles and extends her hand for him to shake.   "Hi.  Are you my next date or just after more fashion tips?"

E.  Speed Dating - open

Abigail sits at the table, waiting for next speed dating round.   She's there at the request of her record label.  They want her to interact with others more often, especially her fellow imports.  She's following their advice and greeting each date with a bright smile and an extended hand for them to shake.  "Hello."

F. Import Hall - Mini escape room

Abigail's been curious about real escape rooms, but too apprehensive about feeling trapped to visit one. A mini escape room seems like the perfect way to try it out.  She steps inside the room with other imports and is locked inside.  As she looks around the room, she spots a small jigsaw puzzle.  "Maybe we have to solve the puzzle to get out first clue?"   She suggests.

e

[knaval]

Why is Riptide in speed dating? He doesn't even know what it is! He's made an awful error in judgment and took a few too many wrong turns. Thinking he's in a food hall, somehow, he takes the seat opposite Abigail.

"Hey! It's been a while, Abby! What's up?"