Looking sideways to ACEN

[dorchadas]

This weekend is ACEN. A few years ago, by this point I'd be frothing at the mouth excited, but I'm actually mostly just apprehensive and kind of second-guessing my decision to go at all. I think stephen_poon put it best recently when he said that he used to get a feeling of "These are my people!" when he'd go to a con, but he doesn't get that anymore and it reduces the draw. It's not just age--though part of it is definitely age--but also that I don't really feel like I'm part of the "community" as such. I spend much more time playing games now than watching much of anything, much less anime, and I really have no idea what's going on other that what I learn from listening to Mouthful of Toast.

I think some of it is just sadness that we aren't cosplaying this year. schoolpsychnerd and I had originally planned to do Creeper-tan and Ender-kun from Minecraft, but my skittishness about money--three years of grad school and not really being able to save anything ran my nerves ragged--meant that we put it off for this year. I was looking forward to dressing up as something I would have actually enjoyed, and now I won't get to. Even though it's my decision, it's still disappointing.

On the other hand, I get to see ping816, klenkers, redpikachu, and some other people I haven't seen in a long time. I remember years ago that I wondered about the people who sent to cons and seemed to spend a lot of it sitting in the hotel bar talking to people and wondering why they came, and then last ACEN I spent a big chunk of it in the hotel bar talking to people. Gaze long into the abyss...

Comments

[sabinae-saga.livejournal.com]

Y'know, if you enjoy doing it, go ahead and do it. You guys could probably scrounge up something Goth/Steampunk/Fantasy creative to wear. While you won't get stopped as much or recognized as any particular character, it's still fun to go and dress up/be different without feeling different. You can say it's your original character if someone asks who you are/what you are from.

Or you both could dress in black suits, black ties (not hard to make on the fly either), white shirts, & shades, call yourselves yakuza, and no one would bat an eye. Actually, it would be a fun little nod to the ACEN mascots the Aoi Sisters (mainly based on the Blues Brothers) and any number of the anime/movies out in the ether.

It sucks not being able to do what you originally planned, but that doesn't mean you still can't participate in some fashion if you really want to do it and enjoy it. Have a good time regardless!

[dorchadas]

Or you both could dress in black suits, black ties (not hard to make on the fly either), white shirts, & shades, call yourselves yakuza

I've actually done something similar at the very first con I ever went to--ashiri_chan was going as Mireille from Noir, and I put on a black suit, white shirt, and dark glasses and went as a generic thug.

It's really not dressing up in general I was looking forward to, though. I don't actually like it that much normally, which is why I was excited about finding something I was interested in!

My current plan is to try to make it for Hallowe'en this year. That way it'll definitely be ready for next ACEN!

Have a good time regardless!

Thank you!

I'm sure I will once we get there and actually get to see people.

[ashiri-chan.livejournal.com]

I'll be there with the kids Saturday afternoon/evening. Shawn will be there all weekend <3

[dorchadas]

The only reason I didn't mention you is because I wasn't sure if you were coming or not.

[khandreia.livejournal.com]

Even though I'm going to be here all weekend and am staying and cosplaying with friends, I definitely know the feeling. The older I get and with my preference for the older titles no one remembers (even my cosplays this weekend are all of characters from before about 1995), the more out of touch I feel. But I like the atmosphere of conventions, so that's why I still keep coming back year after year.

[dorchadas]

But I like the atmosphere of conventions, so that's why I still keep coming back year after year.

That's a good point, and it's part of why I still want to head to a general nerd convention (something like GenCon or DragonCon) one of these days. There's a kind of ernest enthusiasm there that's hard to find elsewhere.