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Nooodle's chibi drawings: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9768652/
the bear/folf/wolfox piece Vulp/Procy fought over: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9490117/
My pictures: http://imgur.com/a/TF7U6#0

This is a bit late holy butts everything wanted my attention after FC then I sort of forgot to post this sorry ;_;

So this probably marks my last FC for a long while, given I'm moving to Michigan in about a month. Knowing that, I was ready to PARTY HARD - and party i DID. Read all about it >:3 As usual my brain's not a model specimen and thus prone to errors - shout out if something looks feeshy!



THURSDAY

Woke up at 3AM, doodled around san francisco for a few hours including a sciency meeting at 8AM, then took BART/Caltrain/DASH to the con in the 'ftrnoon.


Pre-reg line was long, and per my sneakiness I removed my hat so that my buddies wouldn't be able to find me as easily. Vulpecula from  TheFoxtailTavern walks right on by (citing he requires my hat to find me), but  Procyon spotted me and a good catching up was had :3. They went to get  net-cat (who I roomed with last yurr) and  Noodletown (who I met for the first time this con) from the airport while I got my badge, dropped off stuff in room, then went back to wait in line with them (hereafter referred to as The Quartet). Vulp decided to stay with us lower furries despite having Sponsor line-cutting privliges because he's cool like that.


We head up to the room triumphantly, and by that I mean everyone stays in line for elevators while I walk up 24 stories of stairs with my backpack on. I start out taking stairs two at a time, but by floor 8 I realize that ain't sustainable. By floor 10 I'm triggering every motion-sensitive light because no one's passed for hours, by 17 I convince myself I need to stop to "tie my shoe", and by 20 I'm using the handrail quite extensively. Still, I manage to beat my roomies to the room by about five minutes. I unpack my food stash including my prize: a box of Nutty Bars that net-cat immediately eyes. I share around, and happiness spreads until the fire nation attacked.


We commence chilling for a long while (talking about Noodle's handmade tutu, ponies, and ourselves). net-cat and Noodle in particular drink a fair amount - and apparantly both have been drinking for hours beforehand. I see net-cat's fabulous custom tail for the first time, based on a fox because, while felid, he really likes foxtails. Vulp gives Noodle Yippar, a little fennec plush that spends a fair amout of time riding in Noodle's hoodie (and one time attacks Noodle via net-cat in a fennec/cuddle attack). We also discuss the fact that between the con registration system and the hotel system, we got a single king bed instead of two queens promised on Vulp's confurmation e-mail - and decide I'll be rooming with  Astroq to relieve the space constraints. I pack my stuff, and toss net-cat a pair of Nutty Bars and make him a happy kitty :3 We get word Astro's at the bar so we head down where  Durj is also waiting - first time meeting this wacky raccoon, who'll turn out to be awesome :3


Vulp: What are you guys bribing the DMV with that you get such short waits?
Tai: If I had that kind of money I'd have a fursuit by now.
Vulp: I never said anything about money, given you're a furry a few alternate methods of payment come to mind.
Tai: >:(


Noodle and net-cat of course drink more, saying something along the lines of "I think I've had too much to drink but it's ok because I'm going to drink more".


After a bit o chat and me moving into DurjAstro's room (hereafter referred to as The Duo), the quartet and I decide to go to Gordon Bierch for food, with Noodle and net-cat very much more...energetic than the rest of us. A few blocks from the con, we pass a guy in a partial hazmat suit cleaning up copious amounts of blood on the ground O_O After discussing the merits of ESPN hosting EXTREME MENSTRATION as a sport alongside the XFL and skateboarders, we arrive. I order a plate of potato chips and Procy tries to buy me more food till he sees the chips are topped with probably 1000 calories worth of stuff. Vulp at one point says something along the lines of "I'll spread SO MUCH BUTTER ON YOUR FACE," and gets into a very spirited debate with Procy about science, mostly about the merits of continuing an overbudget spaaaaace telescope vs funding smaller projects. Next to us is a table of what I think were spies because they had nametags with weird titles like "Signal".

We head back, I go to The Duo's room and Procy comes over with lots of beer O___O Procy shares a sip of coconut beer, which may well be the first beer I might find tolerable. We talk, I ask for pillows to make my floorbed a bit more comfy and get one from Durj and two from Procy stealing pillows from Astro's bed, and am quite contented with my very comfy pillowbed >:3


Somehow I end up in The Quartet's room alone with Procy, who's busy trying to use the Hubble Space Telescope (yes, that Hubble Space Telescope). Procy is generous (and patient) enough to give me a crash course in using the program used to orient the 24,000 pound telescope (which was very cool), as well as let me watch him finish up his work. Unfortunately the program decides to crash a few times in my presence, but eventually science is successful :D


Eventually the dance floor opened. Procy suited up as Cami, Vulp put on his tail, Noodle got on her best Pinkie outfit (and gave us all beads, including one string around net-cat's tail), and I brought my...backpack? I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to make sure I didn't smash anything, never mind trying to be wild with a giant thing of inertia on your back making you look goofy and throwing off your balance - lesson learned, don't bring (large) backpacks to dances. Also the suiter cooldown room had an interesting PVC pipe tree to cool down suiter heads.


Went back to The Quartet's room for a bit, then to The Duo's room. I forget what we did till 2AM but we sure did it. I discover I don't have my phone charger - shit. Curled up by the window, wrapped myself up in my blanket, and went to sleeeep.


At some point today Astro said "That harness makes it look more like a coyote". I forget why.





FRIDAY -





Woke up semi-early to attend a panel on Trends in Veterenary Medicine. I try to figure out the coffee machine, but it takes both Astro and I awhile to figure out how to turn it on. They should name this the hotel coffee-machine paradox - you need the machine to make coffee, but you need coffee to know how to work the machine. Astro's still sleepy so I entice him with Nutty Bars - his lips literally say "No, don't give me that. Stop >:(" but his hands say "Oh yeah. Gimmie those sweet sweet Nutty Bars." Astro also has something to deliver to dingbat, so I guide him to the appropriate spot.


Coffee is acquired, I go downstairs and run into  TsukiKitsuneTanuki
and  LadyDucky! We talk about Duck's impressions of her furst furcon, Hoshi's fursuits-in-progress (buck with fawn spots, not quite stripes but still gives me the murrs), and how Vulp also couldn't recognize Hoshi for a bit because she dyed her hair. Vulp has quite a memory, remembering my very Asian name from a passing mention a year ago - I thought maybe Vulp's more exact than generalist when remembering faces (perhaps a big change over one detail throws him off, I have that problem to a slight degree), but he's been told that he has an extremely sharp auditory memory - still, I like to think Vulp identifies everyone entirely by their hair.

Anyway the vet panel was really cool and interesting to a science geek like me. All about how vet specialists are starting to become more popular, vaccines are getting overhauled, and the ethics of taking stray pets to the vet. Volleybalcon is starting to set up, of whom I have fond memories of from last year (one group asked me how to "register to be a furry").


I swing by The Quartet's room to check if I left my charger there, and come away with a suggestion to check front desk for spare chargers (which they didn't have - but they did have a few spare popular chargers. my next phone is def. having a more generic charger, special-snowflake chargers aren't worth it, even for otterphones that work underwater). I'll go ahead and spoil it - not having lines of communication at a furcon makes hanging out a crapshoot at best, I spent way too much time wandering alone :|


Also apparantly Vulp and Procy are in a bidwar for http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9490117/ . Vulp offers a gentle[fur]'s agreement - they'd reveal their max bids for the piece and the other person would bow out voluntarily. Procy, being Procy, bid $1,000,000. The debate turned to whether the piece featured a bear or a folf, then to if folf or wolfox was a better word. Things went to shit when we noticed the "Inappropriate channels may be blocked by request" sign by the TV, which escalated to "Furries make their own porn and don't need to pay for it because others would probably let them watch free", culminating in Vulp's priceless "I'll give him a 7 for creative use of the orifice".


I also run into Noooodle on her hunt for ears/tail (at her first furcon :V) and we go on a grocery run. She reveals the pains of cosplaying pinkie pie - all the male bronies are utterly drooling at there being a REAL GIRL dressed as a pony, and a substantial amount of children think she's Katy Perry xD


Most of today ends up being a chill day - lots of hanging out in rooms, bars, and whatnot. Eventually I end up in The Quartet's room with Astro and Procy, and manage to get drunk. And by drunk I mean disoriented and sick after maybe two shots each of vodka/bourbon. The rest of The Quartet returns and we go to Smile Sushi - I eat vicariously through them, since I'm still feeling ill. On the walk back either Procy's worried or I'm visibly drunk and he makes sure that I'm ok :3


We head back and I wander a bit. I find out Vulp's having a room party, so I head up and run into Hoshi on the way. I ask if she's going to Vulp's room party and she says she didn't know anything about it - oops.


I scurry back to the room party and find a room full of nobody except Vulpecula. Apparantly everyone left a little while before I got there - but this story arc isn't over yet, stay tuned. We talk about Tetris, and I curl up at the foot of the bed - either the alcohol or the con has really burned me out at this point and I want to keep up when Cami comes back to dance.


And come back he does! I literally jump out of bed and we go to dance (and I discover Astro dances when he's drunk enough) and it's much more awesome when you're not wearing a backpack V: I escort Cami back up, fetch my pack and forget my jacket, and head to the Duo's room.


I find  Kresblain in The Duo's room - apparantly he's our room
neighbor! We talk a bit about old cartoons, he gives me a business card and I derp out, thinking the names of his webcomic characters are his name, and otherwise hang out until 2-3AM and then I pass out.


Oh and just before we sleep I use Procy's phone to text Astro to get his attention despite Astro being in arm's reach. Astro seems...adamant that Procy texted him, but Procy insists correctly it wasn't him that texted despite "Procyon" being the sender. Not sure if we ever told Astro.





SATURDAY -





Woke up a bit sore, but alright. Much coffee was imbibed, and Durj reveals he ate all my food and soda (but really didn't). I make fun of Durj because I'm a mean otter like that.


Volleyballcon's present in force, with dividers up between furcon and volleyballcon (which makes shortcutting through somewhat awkward) and teenage girls wandering around in groups of 2-10ish. They don't serve much of a racket, but there's certainly much love in the air as they interact with fursuiters. I'll show myself out for those puns.


Anyway, wandered around and found Kresblain in Dealer's den.
Wandered a bit with noodle, then went to play with the nekomimi brainwave ears. I worked with brainwave readers before and wanted to try to consciously make them move, but I tried experimenting during the initial calibration phase and ruined everything ): They work by reading the difference between alpha waves (which peak during rest/closed eyes) and beta waves (which peak during mental activity like mental math and open eyes - and to some degree large muscle group stimulation), so in theory doing complicated mental math/tensing muscles should make them do something, and closing your eyes/relaxing might do something else.


Also ran into Hoshi and Ducks in the den - turns out Hoshi's heading out soon and if I hadn't run into her I'd've missed her entirely -_- Later today I discover that Vulp wasn't talking about a room party, or even to me last night - he was telling somone else about who was at the con. I also discover that because of my ill-informed encounter with Hoshi, Hoshi texted Vulp about the party-that-never-existed and they met up and got a chance to have a long talk that would've been missed since Vulp didn't know Hoshi was heading out. I'm not sure if I caused more trouble or help, but both of them tell me it worked out ok. Either they're telling the truth or love me enough to lie to me, either way it works out :V


I find a spot for the furparade and do a bit of calligraphy to pass the time. Astro and Durj find me and we watch Cami pass us by entirely ;_; We find out that he had been stuck behind a slow suiter, and unfortunately the line sped up just as he got to us, so he whizzed past.


Around 4PM I go up to take a nap - I want to be refreshed for my poker tourney at 5, so I set my alarm for 4:35 and of course get up at 5:10. shiiiiiiit. A bit of rushing later, I'm saved by the fact that Astro leaves his table and notices someone's crossed themselves out from the list, thanks Astro :3 Unfortunately they decide our table was to be broken up because we all played awesomely, and I get placed in another table where everyone has big chip counts (thankfully I wasn't placed in the table where three people got knocked out at once) and a different set of strategies. Regardless, we play valiently and both survive past 50% of the knockouts before deciding we need to drink more.

I follow the duck to the bar and durry Durj is there too. And then I realize they're pantsing LEAVING tomorrow - leaving me out of a room for Sunday night :| Something to work out later, but the company's good and my margarita's tasty. I act mean to Durj again by smacking him with my backpack. He's just so abusable and I'm so abusive, don't judge me :|


Vulp finds me via Astro and we go to Johnny Rocket's for dinner with Noooodle and net-cat. net-cat's an awesome buddy and misses an elevator to go back for my jacket, such a buddy :3 I voice my concerns about the room and they unanimously vote to 1: let me stay for a night, and 2: overrule Procy's vote because non-dinnergoer votes don't count. To be fair I have faith that Procy likes me enough to have let me stay, but it was fun to out-sneak the sneaky raccoon (but he'd get revenge on me for an unrelated matter, stay tuned). While waiting for a table, a former Fairmont hotel worker confurms that people would fight over who got to work during the furcon, and we enlighten her about furries. At our table we talk about food and jobs (including how Nooodle was working for a military contractor (and would later threaten a drone strike against Vulp)).


We go back to Tanq where Procy and Astro and Durj are still. Durj gets a passerby's compliment on his Guild of Calamitous Intent hoodie :q I briefly meet  sunshyne as well :D We talk about how popufur cat_on_the_couch is and how awesome he is and how much Durry loves him :3

The quartet and I go up to our room, Astro becomes Cami for awhile, Procy takes this opportunity to go the Communist and Klingon parties, and says he requires an otter to attend otter party later. In the meanwhile I join a game of Munchkin with net-cat Noodle (who's drawing chibis of lots of people) and Vulp until Procy returns and demands my presence |: Astro's tagging along and obviously had a really good drink so I bow out from Munchkin to see what's the score on the party floor.

I tag along for another party hosted by Procy's friend (which required a bit of room-hunting and resulted in many hugs in the presence of a guy doing push-ups with people on his back), then go to the party floor in all it's plastic-covered floor glory. The entire floor was wall-to-wall lined with plastic. The always-talented  Scrimno is hosting otterparty again, serving sushi and his wondmurrful new invention: otter-pop jello shots (which are DELICIOUS but too big to fit in my mouth in one piece ;_; in hindsight I should've nibbled at the frozen jello instead of being in the GO BIG OR GO HOME mindset). I also find  Romanpower there from my Berkelellyly furmeet days and we catch up a bit. Procy hands me a "hastily made margarita", I contribute to the Otterparty fund, and make my way back to The Quartet's room.


The same game of Munchkin's still going on, which I delay for a turn by being an asshole and sabotaging everyone once. Apparantly net-cat's been a bigger gargantubutt and ruining everyone's game because both Noodle and Vulp seem less-than-pleased with him V: Noodle slays me with kindness by helping me out despite my backstabbing, so I relent and do nothing to stop her from winning next turn. We break out SPAAAAAAAACE MUNCHKIN (which involves Vulp changing genders a lot) but decide to call it quits after a few turns because it's late-o'-clock.

By now Procy is undrunk enough to dance safely as Cami and Astro is still drunk enough to be convinced dancing is a good idea. We dance into the night with the stroke-simulating strobe lights until they kick us out, a roughly five-year-old girl in a Renamon kiga takes interest in Cami and they play for a bit, I snag my stuff and go back to the Hilton side without my jacket AGAIN.

Astro and Durj were watching Archer when I got back - I watched for the first time with them, found it to be one of those "I like this but only with friends," type deals. We chilled until 4AM and then promptly passed out.





SUNDAY -





Waking up was hard. I manage and pack and then unpack in The Quartet's room and forget what happens for about the next four hours. I do the 24-story climb again and find that if I pace myself it's really not bad. At some point I give net-cat my last nutty bars.


We play Seven Wonders and Powergrid in games room (which takes a lot of hours). Lutris comes by and carries be a bit, despite me trying to make another pass at his knees xD [Last year there was an...incident involving Lutris coming to our room and me tackling him but hitting him in the knees because of our size difference, which led to the fateful "until I took an otter to the knee" quote.]

I arrive just after FC:U starts - which was pretty ok. Second ep of My Drunk Furry Kitchen was alright, though I preferred the spinoff "My Drunk fursuit making" - however I *really* liked the smash-poet reminiscing on what cartoons teach you versus what you have to do to be "professional" and referencing some awesome cartoon in almost every line (including a gnodab from one of my favorite movies - Kung Pow: Enter the fist). Sprout and Humble announce their retirement from organizing, and tears were shed when they got a well-deserved standing ovation. At the end the crowd was given a choice to pick next year's FC theme from four choices but the crowd wouldn't have it and chanted "VOLLEYBALL!". Sadly the board didn't cater to the crowd and stuck to the four choices; I voted for "Fur Con vs. the world" thinking it was the Jojo's Bizarre Adventure thing at first but Scott Pilgrim is just as awesome - good thing considering that choice won :V


Head to the Quartet's room to await Procy for dancing. Vulp and net-cat are there and we partake in a time-honored tradition of talking on IRC instead of irl despite literally being in poking distance of each other. Vulp throws me a pillow and I sit the butts down on it. Vulp heads down to karaoke with noodle and Ducky and others, but puts the internet in his pocket and leaves us internetless ):


Given this was our last day of dancing I let out all the stops and flail double-time at the dance \m/ Procy sees a sign saying "Volleyball tournament in progress NO ENTRY" with someone's scribbles underneath reading "California anti-furvert code s.131.4".


Back in the room Procy insists I at least use an inflatable pad to sleep on the floor. I wanted to sleep under the table again but there was another table underneath - making it inches too small for me :|

PS: this morning I woke up entirely unable to stand, and after partying super-hard I wasn't looking forward to tomorrow :V

MONDAY -

Wake up amazingly refreshed - whaddya know. I think Procy's air-pad thing is infused with magic. Today we say goodbye to nooooodle, who's leaving but can't do much because net-cat's in the little furry's room.

Noodle: net-cat's really throwing off my groove, hogging the bathroom like that.
Vulp: You should have a good talk with him.
*net-cat exits*
Tai: Noodle, KILLLLLL!


To the sadness of my entertainment gland, Noodle leaves net-cat alone in favor of not missing her flight. Boo. A round of hugs goes around before she departs and the rest of us pack. Vulp mentions the tubes DA uses to ship art with are great for travelling with his tail, but I am unimpress and let him know that they'd only work for lesser, non-ottery tails. We head down, check out (and finally get a refund for the rollaway bed), let Vulp take care of "car luggage Tetris" and head to Subway. Vulp seemingly randomly wanted a pen, but declined to use mine - I guess calligraphy dip pens with sparkly ink are too fancy for calculating how to split the bill.


Earlier I had snuck a glance at the bill and calculated my share for a night and give it to Vulp at Subway to give him a minimum of time to give it back to me. I out-asian them and refuse to take it back, despite him and Procy trying :V But they eventually settle and finish their food. I'm a slow eater, and sort of feel bad boring everyone to the point of checking their phones. We head to Psycho Donuts and find interesting signage regarding where the bathrooms are, then back to the car so I can fetch my stuff and head out.


Just after I fetch my luggage a wild Vulp appears - trying to stuff money folded in paper into my backpack's mesh pocket! I spin away as I'm pursued throughout the parking-lot by Vulp - I manage to juke away, Procy moves to block and I twist his arm back (probably a bit painfully) before I realize what I'm doing :( Vulp eventually manages to re-insert money since my luggage was well guarded, but I get the last laugh and throw the money into the open car door - and after agreeing to a truce so I can say goodbye, I hug the lot of them :3

I walk out as they pack into the car, find my corner of internet so I can check my mail, and turn on my phone so I can coordinate my ride home.

...and discover Vulp's text saying their distraction worked and the money is with me. Apparantly after Procy's seemingly empty threat at Subway, he started coordinating a plan via text that consisted of Vulp distracting me with a slip of paper (with no actual money inside if I had bothered to look) while Procy snuck the money into my suitcase. They didn't count on me believing the paper was *actually* money past sneaking it into my backpack - but I was dumb and didn't actually check XD In hindsight I think they got lucky that I didn't bring my large backpack and that I didn't notice (I was looking pretty intently at my suitcase for a chance run off), but they played their part exceptionally well, even when I muddied their plan and thought the paper was actually money :V


All-in-all it was amazing being conned, and easily worth the ~honor~ I lost. Good game, you win guys xD


There you have it fuzzies, tune in next time when I possibly regale the time I accidentally melted a paper towel with my hands!