International Malfoycest Day Fest

Oh dear. Turns out I don’t have a room at Balticon after all. Anyone out there have crash space for a non-smoking, non-snoring night owl? (Most of my programming is late at night so I’ll be coming and going after midnight every night.)

Related but separate question: anyone have a room to lend for a Circlet Press party on Friday evening?

My schedule as it currently stands:

10 pm Saturday The History of Circlet Press Multimedia Extravaganza Lecture and Bingo Game
–A reprise of the talk I gave at Worldcon, which recaps 21 years of Circlet Press, the evolution of small press and erotic science fiction over that time period, and so on. Since history is boring, it is also an option Bingo Game, and those who get a complete bingo will win a free book on the spot! (Or the ebook of their choice if no longer collecting paper books.)

11 pm Saturday The Patented Cecilia Tan Erotic Sf/Fantasy Reading
–As I do at Arisia and other cons, my goal will be to read enticing examples of my erotic sf/fantasy short stories with the goal of getting everyone in the audience hot and bothered, and hopefully even laid. (I consider the reading a failure if at least one person doesn’t come up to me later to thank me for what mind-blowing sex they had afterward.)

I may yet be added to an editing panel and another adult topics panel, but we shall see.

Mirrored from blog.ceciliatan.com.

I find I’m too tired tonight to write a long screed. MISTI-Con was fantastic and I decided to boil it down to my favorite moments, in no particular order:

That moment when Voldemort and a procession of Death Eaters entered the Masquerade Ball… and 50 or 60 people all drew their wands spontaneously from their dress robes, ball gowns, costumes, etc. (I’ll be looking for my wand for a few days post-con, the way you look for your glasses while wearing contacts…)

The fact that Voldemort was there to have the equivalent of a “first dance” with… Harry Potter. (Grin. Welcome to the new age of magical cooperation!)

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Have not posted here for ages as I;m not writing much fanfic at the moment. But I still have a dog, and this is his latest adventure.

After last year's experiences in getting Draco into 'real' agility competition (two rained off, one interrupted by Bren the (then) Puppy), I was cautious about making entries this year. But (unlike cat shows) agility entry fees aren't so expensive that one feels one *has* to attend, so I booked classes on both Saturday and Sunday in the hope that one day at least would not be wet. As it happened the forecast for Saturday was 'heavy showers, possible thunder and hail' – so on Saturday we stayed home. Sunday, however, dawned bright with rain not forecast until after 3pm so I decided to risk it. Lil was not going to miss the F1 Grand Prix (note to self, do not book anything on a F1 Sunday) so she set up Hermione the sat-nav for me and Draco and I set off.

( Sat-Nav Woes )

( Draco's Day )

( Draco's Brilliant Idea )

Exhausted but happy I packed the car and set off (without Hermione, but having checked the map) along the A23, A25 and M25 with no diversions, and drove into our drive just as the first drops of the predicted afternoon rain started to fall.

We have another competition booked next month. I wonder what he'll come up with then?

Wow. What an amazing con this has been. I’m crying as I write this because I’m back in my room after the masquerade ball and I’m suddenly struck with the fear that this will be the last “real” Harry Potter con. I’m probably being silly, because this one was by all accounts so fantastic, so successful, so creative… why wouldn’t there be more? I don’t want all there to be left is massive celebrity cons like Leaky.

MISTI-Con was a bit like Burning Man–everyone here was a participant, really, there was no major division between “audience” and speakers/teachers/performers. Everyone was here to be here with each other.

Before I get into details, here are links to two photosets of Ball Costumes:

Set #1 and Set #2.

I started the day with a good breakfast at the Union Diner, which is right across the highway from the resort and which gives a “Wizard Discount” of 10% off. No, really, it said right on the receipt “Wizard Discount.” Yes, I went in full robes.

Oh God. That sad moment when you pack your wand away at the end of a con. It’s coming too fast. I don’t want it to end.

Sorry. Where was I? Right. Breakfast,

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I’ve never had so many costume changes in one day at a con before.

I started the day dressed as Draco. I haven’t done the full on student Draco cosplay, wig and all, since the night of the release party of Book 7, when I appeared as a witness in the Trial of Severus Snape. My face is older-looking than it was then, and I’ve put on weight, so I can’t quite pass as a 16-year-old boy anymore. (I did still manage to get a few doubletakes from friends who took a while to recognize me.)

Oh, Tumblr Photoset of just a smattering from today is here: http://tmblr.co/ZkkBQxknRfA4. My favorite is Fawkes the Phoenix photobombing a portrait (Josee LeBlanc and Meka).

I decided to do Draco so I could present Leanna Renee Hieber with a gift. She arranged all the literary guest programming and I wanted to thank her, so I did a piece of calligraphy art that is meant to look like something Draco would have given to his mother after practicing his quill work. I doubt the Malfoy’s have a refrigerator to magnet it to, but you get the idea.

I forgot to take a photo of the piece, but it says “Sanguis Supra Omnia”, which means “Blood above all.” In my Malfoy family imagination, Lucius taught this motto to Draco meaning “blood purity equals superiority,” but I have little doubt that Narcissa would teach a different interpretation: “Family first.”

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Second day of MISTI-Con almost over! Last thing on the agenda today is “hang out” which I’ll go to do as soon as I finish posting.

Just got back from the Crafte Faire/Author’s Alley, which worked out very nicely. I caught up with lots of people who passed by my table! This is the big advantage of being tied to one spot for three hours: anyone who needed to find me, could. Saw Nic ramblingnic, Lynn, and many others. However it meant I didn’t get around to see all the other crafts! (I did sneak out to at least chat with Logospilgrim logospilgrim, Rachel, Fox, and a few others.)

I put up a photoset on Tumblr of more decorations from today, including the Ministry bulletin board. http://tmblr.co/ZkkBQxkiFdDC

I wanted very much to catch the gender cosplay workshop being put on by Droxy droxy but I thought it started at three… and it ended at three. Whoops.

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The decorations and art at MISTI-Con are completely AMAZING! The Fountain of Magical Cooperation has been created in the lobby, the hallway by the restaurant has been made into a museum of magical history, tons of details like Ministry office signs on the doors, etc etc etc… We haven’t even seen a fraction of it yet since the function rooms weren’t open tonight!

I posted a photo set to Tumblr, but the Wifi here is pretty slow so I’m having trouble uploading to my blogs/LJ/DW at the moment. You an see the photos so far here: http://ceciliatan.tumblr.com/post/50073850925/the-decorations-and-art-at-misti-con-are

Have been running into lots and lots of folks, of course, too many to name in full, but Rose lampblack bought me a drink at the opening gala, caught up a bit with Melissa Aaron moonyprof, introduced Fox Estacado and her friend Chris to the art of Remedios Varo (Google “Remedios Varo” to see some incredible images by a woman surrealist), chit chatted with Rachel (in what I can only describe as a “green trash” outfit… uh, hard to explain… think Slytherin baseball cap and beer was an important prop…), saw Alyse and Dave, watched Debi B. nail a tricky song at karaoke, hugged Krista bunney, and of course Carole chthonya who went with me to the New Hampshire State Liquor Store on the drive up… !

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I’m going to be a busy busy bee at Misti-Con, between what I’m speaking on and what I want to go see and do! Plus there needs to be time for hanging out in the Common Room, too!

A reminder to all: I do tarot readings for both real and imaginary people. So whether it’s for yourself, an RP character, or a character in your novel, the cards work just the same. I barter, there’s no set “rate,” it’s really whatever you want to trade me or give me, and that includes smiles, hugs, Amazon reviews, cookies, etc… I don’t have a set time to do it, but usually just set up with my cards in the Common Room at random times. I will even use YOUR deck if you like. (I’m a daredevil that way.)

Also, I will have books with me to sell in Author’s Alley (the Craft Faire), but only a few copies of each. If there’s something you know you might want, ping me so I’ll know to pack an extra copy. Deets and schedule below the cut!

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