[Open!] Lock-con, the Locke City Science Fiction Convention

[unwakingwaters]

Who: NERRRRRDS. But basically everyone who would want to go to a science fiction convention. Also, Maya Aaronson, famous science fiction author.
What: LockCon, Locke City's science fiction convention! The name is a pun. Isn't it great???
Where: The Locke City Westin Hotel.
When: Semi-backdated; LockCon takes place July 12 - July 14 this year.

This is OPEN TO EVERYONE and intended as a fun casual way for people to get CR. Feel free to backtag and backdate stuff, even if your character hasn't formally introduced themselves to the network yet (as long as they've been accepted to the game is probably fine)

The Locke City Science Fiction Convention, affectionately called Lock-con (it's a pun!)

Lock-con was founded in 1990 as a sort of response to the dumb actions of a much older locak science fiction con, Keyvention. Keyvention had been founded as a strictly sci-fi con in 1953, but by 1985 had gotten really insular and exclusionary; for example, Star Trek, Anime, and comic books were banned from discussion at Keyvention because “we only talk about REAL science fiction here.” Eventually, they got so huffy at all these new fake fans trying to ruin their precious literature that they left the city. Keyvention still happens in the suburbs of Locke City, but very few people go.

Lock-con, meanwhile, was founded in 1990 by people disgruntled with Keyvention's draconian policies. Their philosophy? If it's sci fi or fantasy, or remotely related to sci-fi or fantasy, it's in. They cover the gamut from SF&F literature (which, admittedly, is still the main attraction) to Japanese media to Western comics to video games. Lock-con is small for a con (about 5,000 people) but pretty lively and considered one of the best local cons on the East Coast.

This is intended as a casual way to get CR with everybody. Feel free to backtag into the abyss.

Comments

REGISTRATION

[unwakingwaters]

UGH IT'S BADGE PICKUP. WHY IS THE LINE SO LONG? Better get to know the person next to you. It's going to be a long wait.

SECRET VOLUNTEER HANGOUTS!

[unwakingwaters]

Are you a LockCon volunteer staff member? Are you here to wrangle lines? Turn over panel rooms? Clean? Security? Whatever?

Well, do volunteer things! Or go hang out in the Super Secret Volunteer Base (TM). They have potluck food for volunteers only, and a nice place to hide from the con goings on. There's a separate suite for con guests to hang out in too.

PANELS & EVENTS

[unwakingwaters]

Listen to people talk about your favorite thing! Or not favorite thing! Ask awkward questions!

For inspiration, I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE you to check out Arisia's 2013 Event Schedule, which is the convention that LockCon is based on.

COSPLAY & MASQUERADE

[unwakingwaters]

Half the fun of a convention is the costumes. Parade around in your cosplay, or attend the Masquerade costume contest.

DEALER'S ROOM & ARTIST'S ALLEY & ART SHOW

[unwakingwaters]

OH GOD

SO MANY THINGS

SO LITTLE MONEY

BOOK SIGNING

[unwakingwaters]

It's the author book signings and -- oh my gosh, is that Maya Aaronson? The Maya Aaronson!? Author of The Starheart Saga? The line's long, but it looks totally worth it.

GAMING ROOM

[unwakingwaters]

Tabletop games? Check. Board games? Check. Card games? Check. A corner of competitive console and PC games, including Rock Band? Check. Classic arcade corner, including DDR and such? Yep.

And holy shit, is that a set of BattleTech pods?

EVENING PARTIES!

[unwakingwaters]

The panels are winding down, the tabletop games are ending, but the fun is hardly over. This is an old school sci fi con, which means room parties. So many room parties. Some are 21+, others are more kid-friendly, but all of them are loads of fun. The Locke City Klingon Mak'tar Society is having a totally sweet Galaxy Quest themed party, and there's a rave in one of the upstairs suites. The Orlando Worldcon Bid is having a communism themed party to raise support so they can beat out Spokane this year. Party hard! Sleep is for the, and livers for the cowardly.

STARHEART PARTY

[unwakingwaters]

Maya is hosting a much quieter party with the help of her publicist and some friends. Hers is kid-friendly, though there are a few local beers and meads (including a few she brewed herself; Nerida [lavender], Zephyr [mint], and Kun [coriander]). The room is decorated with a key and star motif, and there's juices and snacks for the under 18 crowd.

MAYA'S PANELS

[unwakingwaters]

Maya is on a few discussion panels:

> In the Shadow of Saturn: Space Opera that ISN'T Saturn's Lord

> Mead Brewing Workshop

> Strong Female Characters: Not That Hard To Write, Actually, Jeez

> Minority Representation in Urban Fantasy: Why It's Important

> Dream Literature: Working Your Subconscious into Stories

[shiromadoushi]

Getting to know other people is for people who don't have cell phone games. So unless someone bumps into him or tries to get his attention, him and his cell phone will be being amused at all the people grumping about the wait.

Re: COSPLAY & MASQUERADE

[shiromadoushi]

While not attending the bulk of the con in costume, there's no way Bakura's going to not join the masquerade. Courtesy of his grandmother's amazing skills both with sewing and barter, he has a pretty sweet costume of that one guy from that one JRPG. You know the one, the white haired guy who betrayed the entire party for the sake of his own personal revenge? No, the other one. No, not the one with the wing, god. The other one. Yeah, that one.

Totally perfect match, right? Especially the hair. Barely took any gell to get it to do that too~

[shiromadoushi]

And this is where Bakura will be camping out most of the con. Every game will be played. Every. Game.

[originaloddcouple]

The Dian couple, proud owners of the Something Old Antiques, were here for business. You could find all sorts of interesting trinkets and baubles at a convention. So it was strictly business. Nothing more, nothing less.

And they certainly weren't wearing store-bought Inspector Spacetime costumes. No, Miria made her Fifth Inspector costume and Isaac's Rory Williams costume all on her own. So there.

[Tv tropes has an Imspector Spacetime page. Yes, they claim Rory was on their show first. It's amazing.]

Re: REGISTRATION

[happybirthdaytoyou]

Eugene comes in rather later in the day for picking up his own badge, having had work to do at MAGNIFICENT BAKERY. On the other hand, no long lines!

Re: PANELS & EVENTS

[happybirthdaytoyou]

Wait, is that the weird bakery guy heading a discussion panel?

>Masks and Motorcycles: Fifty Years Of Karate Bugman

Yeah, looks like it's him.

... oh hey, it says there's going to be cookies for attendees.

[salvagedlight]

He's not actually in line, nor is he thinking about getting in it - it's obvious that someone famous is up there, signing autographs, but he doesn't recognize the woman and the name only rings a fleeting bell. Not an actress, right? Then she's... uhh... It doesn't matter, because Ben is simply wiggling around the line to the open space on the other side of the crowd, looking for his brother and starting to look cheesed off. Way to drag him to a convention and run off without him, Ciel - you know he doesn't like being around huge groups of people, and the geek in him is almost purely scientific. And what isn't purely scientific isn't this open about stuff like this.

"Come on, Ciel." He's found a place to tuck himself up against the wall, not too far from the table where Maya is, as he pulls out his phone and starts dialing. The con staff seems to be content to let him be since he's not trying to break in line or assault a guest or whatever, just looking for a quiet(er) place to make a phone call. "Pick up your phone."

[vanisland]

Miranda had come to the con not expecting to get all that much out of it. As more of an amateur writer in her own eyes despite the success of her visual novel, she'd mostly wanted to check if there was anyone a big enough fan of it to still be relevant.

This Dream Literature panel though... that sounded pretty interesting.

[peacefulwinter]

Winter is sitting in the audience for the "Strong Female Characters" panel and paying close attention, though for pretty much the exact wrong reason: to try and gain inspiration to make herself a better person.

...And maybe just in case she needs it someday, but mostly the former.

So there's a girl sitting in the middle of the room with a blue plushie in her arms that is not from any known manga, anime, or sci-fi novel. Totally doesn't stand out.

[peacefulwinter]

Winter hasn't done this whole "convention" thing before, but it's in Locke City and it's something to do, so... why not? She was not, however, expecting the badge line to be so long.

That said, she's pre-registered, so the line isn't as obnoxious and she'll have a fancy badge with her name on it. Once she gets to the front of the line, at least.

[unwakingwaters]

The Dream Literature panel has four writers on it; three women, one man. One of the women, Sonya Roberts, is known for writing a more literal dream-novel, a story that takes place literally IN dreams; the man, Jabari Jones, wrote a book about people whose powers come from dreams, while Trisha Adams wrote something about people who pilot giant robots by diving into each other's dreams.

And then there's Maya, explaining how while her books obviously don't feature dreams as plot devices, they're based heavily on a vivid dream she had as a child.

All of them go into the uses -- and limits -- of using dreams in your literature, how dreams have their own weird logic, and how best to record your dreams so you don't forget them on waking.

Then...

"We'll be opening up the floor for questions, now! Anyone?"

[espigeonage]

Julien had showed up with some friends who were now excitedly dispersed and spending what they'd brought. Normally he would have been right with them.

But he had a sort of a headache that hadn't faded much after he'd taken some advil, and he had no idea if it was eyestrain from being out in the sun a lot or had something to do with all the sootball things he'd seen yesterday. If it got any sharper he'd go to the clinic, but he thought - he hoped, fervently - it was just the product of too long out in the brightness.

So he bought some pins and other small things some absent friends might like, and smiled and chatted with anyone who seemed inclined, and at every chance he got shut his eyes tightly to ease them.

[unwakingwaters]

"... And really the point here is that you don't NEED any of that foolishness about moon cycles or motherhood because women are more than that. If you want to write good women, just write good people. It's simple."

Maya is actually standing up as she says this and giving the only man on the panel a total death glare, backed up by the other women in the room. Earlier he'd made some pretty rude and gender essentialist suggestions, only to get a verbal smackdown from just about everyone.

There's a pause.

Then Maya sits back then.

"Well! We're close to out of time, so... questions from the audience?"

[depolarized]

Riku falls into line without a moment's hesitation, bag of books slung over a shoulder and one hand tucked into his pocket and hood still up. He'd already gotten the first few books signed way back when he was small, after all, about time that he got the others done, too.

So here he is waiting in line and occasionally checking out his phone.

[peacefulwinter]

Winter's totally floored by this - Ms. Aaronson is quickly proving to be a amazing person, and even if she hadn't learned anything, she's glad she came. At the end of the day, that last comment pretty much summarized what she was going to take away, aside from all the smaller things that didn't really help her as much: it wasn't about having to be the cutest girl, or being the most charismatic, or even getting that damnable stutter out of her voice. If she could make herself into someone she liked... the rest would follow, right?

Or at least, she was telling herself that. Maybe she could get some more specific advice...?

Without a real plan in place, Winter meekly raised her hand and waited. The odds were pretty close to zero that she'd actually be called on, but... wait, why were there no other hands going up? Her eyes dart from one side of the room to the other, looking for someone else brave enough to have volunteered. Because it was rapidly looking like she was going to be on the spot.