Otafest debriefings REDUX [5161814]: overtime

File: 12 days 2014 http://superslinger2007.jimdo.com/12days

Web links underlined on July 26, 2015 to mitigate red-text confusion.

UPDATED May 19, 2015
-Annotated a few areas in chapters OT-2 and OT-6
-More consistently italicized titles of movies and shows
-I say where I got the poster from in chapter OT-3

February 12, 2015
-Final note added to chapter OT-7

ADVISORIES:
ALL DEBRIEFINGS PUBLISHED BEFORE JUNE 2014 ARE NOW OUT OF DATE.
Spoilers to Madoka Magica and Madoka Magica: Rebellion are mentioned in this blog.
There is a zero-tolerance policy in effect for this blog.
There are quite a few pictures on this blog, for those worried about bandwidth. I am very sorry for the things I reveal here.

This post assumes you've read through the original June 2014 debriefings as well as its August 31 pin update. Click "read more" to begin, or select a chapter.

Contents:

OT-1. Introduction
OT-2. Overtime Otafest pins
OT-3. Autographs, Nov. 2014: The voice actors... and the mascots
OT-4. Overtime tasks and cosplay encounters
OT-5. One of the lights in the darkness becomes bright again
OT-6. What's going on in Opposition/Resurrection?
OT-7. In another end...

OT-1. Introduction

A Keep-Calm poster that was
specifically made for this debriefing.

To nobody's surprise, this lonely wandering fugitive was pulled back into the fray by two voice actors and a singer. The final announcement arrived during the pin-trading party on October 4, 2014, the same day I was to deal with my own withdrawal from having "left forever" back in May 2014.... It was the same day I asked certain people to wave at the camera again... Well, the same week. Said singer, Kieran Strange, had her most recent concert just two days prior to the pin-trading party.

Anyway, for me, mood swings, including feelings of being left out, concerns about slipping into one of the emotional extremes, or being apprehensive about things going horribly wrong, lasted for the next 55 days until the pre-registration pickup day, that Black Friday event they mentioned, happened.

Then Otafest Aurora 2014 arrived on November 29, 2014; my final mission, [5161814], was going into overtime.

...Such an influential event was also going to affect the plot developments of that mashup crossover webseries....

First, let's give you an update on the Otafest pins.

OT-2. Overtime Otafest pins

"We’re all just a ship of fools chasing phantoms, heedless of what really underwrites natural law."

-Rintarou Okabe/"Hououin Kyouma", Steins;Gate

The theme of Otafest Aurora 2014 was of the coronation of the mascot, Aurora. They did have a story that's right up there in "fictionalized dramatization" just like Opposition/Resurrection is (I was assured the tie-in story was just a play of sorts), but of course the pins were themed around the mascot's appearances that day.

Crown-Wing

The pre-registration pin this time was of a purple variant of the Otafest logo with a crown inside it. Purple was used as the overall background theme colour for the coronation. Apparently, it's designated a "royal purple".

Queen Aurora

Here's the winter spinoff mascot herself, Aurora. I'd say that's a pretty elaborate outfit she has on there. She also has a staff styled after the new Otafest logo, albeit with the Aurora spinoff logo's snowflake within it. Aurora appears to be sulking here... If I didn't know better, I'd say she was worried about my "fatal decision" two years ago, you know, the day I was probably supposed to end my own life while she made her debut. But I'm still safe, so it's probably the whole thing about this next partner right here.

Chaperone Seph

Here's Sephonie, the mascot of the main Otafest convention. Of course, over the 56 days between the pin-trading party and my overtime mission at Aurora 2014, my allegiance (yes, the real-life me's allegiance) with Seph was horribly shaken up. I almost began to deem Seph a runaway at one point. Thankfully, things worked out, and I guess I'll elaborate on my encounter later.

Advisor June

Here's June, the new mascot I met back in May during the original final mission. Now, when this pin design was announced on the website, one of the pins I temporarily had was deemed irrelevant to my own conclusion finality. That other pin was a brass-gold pin of June as an archer. Seriously, I decided a brass-gold pin was irrelevant to my own satisfaction, people.
Anyway, that pin that went irrelevant I got on October 4 after trading off a spare Kieran Strange pin I bought just two days earlier... something about having secret plans with Kieran and... her breaking promises so much because she's busy.

Prince Mio

Finally, here's the mascot Mio, who I had only just met on October 4... Ok, that sentence means the real-life me met someone going as mascot Mio that day. According to the storyline though, she was dressed up as a prince in order to get close to Aurora, due to some sort of destructive plan that Seph had. (Come on, I wanted to end my final mission... and then that cosplay play took a dark turn and all.)
Anyway, with the genderbent versions of the four mascot role pins also out in existence, I had a tough time deciding which mascot Mio pin to get.... But under the advisory of the friend in the staff, I went for the canonical "prince" pin.

Royal Flush

The brass-gold pin I did get, though, was what I called a "card pin" because I didn't know any better. I traded away a spare pre-registration pin for it, because this pin was deemed relevant to finality and all that. Later events made me wish I didn't trade that off, but that's another story. Taking a look at it, though, the card pin design features the Seph and Aurora designs of the Halloween pins, which I obviously didn't go for.

The Mysterious Maestro (Lorelei)

I will not pretend to want to know more about this Lorelei, nor do I want to know about this Vari mascot. (...yet?)
Technically, my final mission just ended again. But I swear, if Mami Tomoe gets more screentime because of how close this Lorelei looks to her...

As stated previously, if I were to get a mascot's pins, I would, of course, have to get the mascots in question to wave at my camera and all that. Unfortunately, as the allocated timeframe for the first autograph lineup conflicted with the opening ceremonies, this brooding fugitive had to wait until the afternoon. Thankfully, that did work out by then. More on that later.

Now, here's a new photo of the fronts and backs of the brass-gold pins and the one rose-gold pin. The brass-gold card pin was in fact part of the one "gold rush" pin-trading session that happened in the night after everything slowed down tremendously.

I'll try to argue again that the gold pins represent each of the missions/events that took place after my "fatal decision", based on when each pin design was revealed.

• Cheerleader Seph (left), released in May 2013
• Starlight (top), revealed in Dec. 2013 and released Jan. 18, 2014
• June (bottom), depicts a then-upcoming character design but released as early as Jan. 18, 2014
• White Swan Aurora (right), character design for Nov. 30, 2013 but released May 2014
• Royal Flush (center), Seph and Aurora pin released in Nov. 2014

Here are the pins I have as of November 29, 2014. Again, the brass-gold pins on the far left and far right represent the book-ends that represent character designs from 2010 and 2014 respectively.
Also, a given Seph pin is usually next to an Aurora pin. They were mostly ordered where a Seph pin was to the left of an Aurora pin, except for the coronation-themed ones. As a result, however, the two June pins I have (that are relevant to my situations) are beside each other.
Similarly, the Kieran Strange pin is next to the Mio mascot pin. I could say that represents the acquaintance and reacquaintance that both happened in early October 2014.

Ok, so if I do choose to go back... which I probably will be too dejected to do, it will be known as "code51515", and I may demand to meet up with this Lorelei or whoever just to give myself a sense of justified satisfaction.... But that's obviously not gonna happen. I mean, that's why I did not include that pin in those group shots just there. I feel like trading that away.

And yet... I feel like lying to myself that I was supposed to sacrifice one of my pins to... someone... that fateful weekend.

UPDATE: My friend advised me to hang on to the Lorelei pin, so I did.

OT-3. Autographs, Nov. 2014

The voice actors... and the mascots

"Sorry. I can imagine how frightened you are."

- Asuna, Sword Art Online

First of all, my concerns during [5161814]: overtime included meeting up with the two voice actors who pulled me back into the fray: Cherami Leigh and J. Michael Tatum. I knew that Cherami voiced Asuna from Sword Art Online, but it took a bit of research for me to know who J. Michael voiced. I had to struggle with a tie between France from Hetalia and Rintarou Okabe from Steins;Gate. (Wait. We'll get to that part later.)

Over the next 55 days until the pre-registration day, I cross-referenced the shows where both Cherami and J. Michael were in. I found that both were in Hetalia and Fairy Tail. However, Cherami's role as Liechtenstein in Hetalia was minor compared to J. Michael's as France, and then his role as Simon in Fairy Tail was minor compared to her role as Lucy Heartfilia. But there was one more series I knew that had both actors in big enough roles for something that had a comparatively short run compared to the other two:

This is the DVD and Blu-ray combo pack.

Steins;Gate was the big relevant rotating interest here. First of all, I had Cherami sign the cover lining, noting her character Suzuha, who is the girl with braids all the way back there in the group shot. Next, I had J. Michael sign it too, although I ran into a bit of trouble on whether I should have him write "Hououin Kyouma" or "Okabe"... But then I said, "Let's go with Hououin Kyouma", and provided him with the spelling of that nickname.

A closer look at the autographs near the Steins;Gate logo.

Of course, there were other things that the two actors got to sign. Both Cherami Leigh and J. Michael Tatum signed an Otafest Aurora 2014 poster that I got off one of the University's walls just days prior. I'll show that to you very soon.

Due to the way the autograph sessions were organized, "Hououin Kyouma does not have time for the Fugitive's bullcrud", but "Asuna may be willing to help a Fugitive in distress". Despite this, I got the actors to wave at the camera and say goodbye. It was my final farewell there, you know.

Cherami Leigh also signed a Sword Art Online-themed character poster featuring a publicity photo of her and a picture of her character, Asuna. Then I eventually gave in and had her sign a physical version I printed out of Asuna's "MISSING: Lambent Light" poster from Opposition/Resurrection. Maybe you'll see it as an Easter Egg or something.

Oh, right! In return, I gave both voice actors a Christmas card and a candy cane each.


Besides seeking out the two voice actors, of course I had to track down and get the four people who were going as the Otafest mascots to wave at the camera and sign stuff, too. This is where the Otafest Aurora 2014 poster comes in.

Autographed Otafest Aurora 2014 poster.

So here's the poster with the four mascots' and the two voice actors' signatures. Insert something about the wear and tear being attributed to the struggles during the mission that seemed like it came out of a war of emotion or something.

Anyway, I don't remember ever showing the mascots' signatures inside my May 2014 guidebook. But I figured this was it for me anyway. I was pretty much satisfied with their assistance and their waving and saying goodbye before obviously they had to return to their publicity photo sessions. I did get someone in the staff to give the four each a candy cane, though. So, yes, I was bringing stuff to hand out to certain cosplayers again....

OT-4. Overtime tasks and cosplay encounters

"However, your hormone and neurotransmitter levels indicate that you are experiencing mood swings."

-Baymax, Big Hero 6

Once again, I brought along candy canes and holiday cards. I was not prepared to hand out something as crazy as candy-stuffed papercraft boxes like in November 2013 (fear/survival mission overtime), as I had lost faith in myself, and was worried that certain people just plain won't show up. Also, there were no special theatre-screenings of something like Doctor Who or Madoka Magica in November or December that year, so I only had my personal trackdowns and rotating interests to center this overtime mission on.

I also carried around four small Pocky boxes like in May 2014 [5161814]; two were strawberry and two were chocolate. Once again, I decided that the first Kyoko Sakura cosplayer would receive some Pocky. But that would have to wait, as six months after I expected it, I found two people going as the final spoilery incarnations of Madoka and Homura according to Madoka Magica episode 12 and Madoka Magica: Rebellion, respectively. After having them wave and do certain poses, I eventually caught up with them and gave them each a candy cane. I think sometime later, I was blabbing to this Madoka and Homura about helping me defeating the Opposition and all that. I think I must have slipped into character as Op/Res's Fugitive.

Back to the Kyoko cosplayer and her group of four including her, I had them wave at the camera and stuff. However, for some reason I ended up sending their Mami Tomoe cosplayer into embarrassment just by having her wave. It's not a huge matter, as the four got some Pocky. I shuffled the four boxes onto the floor and passed them toward the four cosplayers as I said, "Decide amongst yourselves."

This is kinda related to the blog posts that Op/Res's Fugitive made about wanting to see someone from the Holy Quintet (at least one of the Madoka Magica girls) and Codename Fortress (at least one Team Fortress 2 character). I did end up having a prop-wielding BLU Spy wave at the camera.

I was somewhat surprised to see two people going as Big Hero 6 characters this soon. The ones I met up with were going as Hiro and Baymax, although I admit the Baymax cosplayer's outfit was kinda rough. Still, I had them wave at the camera and stuff. Both of them were girls but it didn't seem to matter to me.

Sometime later, as I was going around having people going as the Frozen characters wave at the camera, there were two people going as Anna and Kristoff. Surprise, surprise: they were cosplay guests Twinfools and Nova, and I wasn't going around looking for them. Of course, I didn't know any better. I wasn't enforcing a trackdown on the two, I don't have a SAIT account, and I had my damn facial recognition issues.

Even so, I finally found a Wyldstyle cosplayer, again six months after my expectations. I had her hold my Lego minifig of Wyldstyle up to the camera and wave, too.

Speaking of facial recognition issues, yes, they did kick in on two occasions: as I looked around the room during Cherami Leigh's autograph session while I broke down crying, and as J. Michael Tatum was escorted past the lineup just before his session. Wait, was that... That was him?

Thankfully, I had some measures in place with the singer Kieran Strange on Twitter... We decided on a codeword in case my frigging facial recognition issues kicked in... even though Kieran had been teasing her Elsa costume for the past month and I knew what Elsa looked like. But yes, she did get to do the usual thing again just before the four mascots were on break. I figured Kieran already signed the May 2014 book as well as write something on my emotional stability papers, so I kinda left it at that. And it's a good thing I left it at that, too. I didn't exactly plan for anyone else to write on the poster.

All I can say at this point was that, yes, I did meet up with two people I met before so they could wave and stuff. I'll say that they went as Mami and Homura back in May 2014, when they wrote on my emotional stability papers. I'd want to say what the exact Op/Res equivalent of the situation that led to this would be, but that would mean I'd go brutally honest, and no one wants that.

OT-5. One of the lights in the darkness becomes bright again

"Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny."

-Yoda, Return of the Jedi

In the earlier debriefings, I mentioned that there were five lights in a metaphorical darkness, two of which were out. I'll give you an update on the situation as of November 29, 2014.

You know, I was going on and on about facial recognition issues just now. And then Person A was in the crowd in front of me. I was uncertain until I heard a single phrase from her: "No prob." And then it clicked. So of course, after greeting her, telling her about the recent October Twitter incident, and having her say the one goodbye I swear I forgot to have her say six months earlier, I wrote Person A a Christmas card on the spot. I think I may have given her a candy cane, but I don't know anymore. I probably really should have sacrificed one of my pins to Person A, though, in case it turns out I didn't. I was profusely apologizing to her and telling her all about the Op/Res story and all. Yes, I may have broken a major spoiler to Person A. However, I'm good with the fact that we had some more "final" hugs that day. I needed that sense of closure.

Person A was later instrumental in pointing out where one of her friends was. She realized it was Person E I was talking about, and told me she was in the Artist's Alley, near the Vendor Room area. My facial recognition issues were so messed up that I ended asking Person E herself if she knew where Person E was in the vendor's room, and so she said, "it's me!". So, after profusely apologizing to her as well, yes, I wrote her a Christmas card and gave her a candy cane, too. And, of course, I had her wave and say goodbye, and finally had her write on my emotional stability papers; the last time we met was before I set off my "fatal decision" propaganda in 2012 and tried to end my own life.

Moving on, I was finally carrying around that Squid Girl papercraft after forgetting it at home in late July and October 4. I finally met up with Person D at the gala room doors, and finally gave that papercraft to her, much like I gave certain papercrafts to certain people over this past year's timespan. Of course I had Person D hold it to the camera and wave as she usually did.

So, the lights for Persons A, D, and E are bright once more in this metaphor. It's too bad the lights for Persons B and C are still all dim...

What does it mean to have a love/hate acquaintanceship with someone like Person B?

OT-6. What's going on in Opposition/Resurrection?

"When you two are done releasing sexual tensions, we have got a meeting we need to finish!"

-France, Hetalia: Axis Powers

"My bad. See, I... heard you going on about it. I just... get so bored down here, and voices carry, you know."

-Suzuha Amane, Steins;Gate

Episodes 4 and 5 are set on May 14-20, 2014. Episode 6 will be set in early December 2014. There will be a whole lot of reenactments inspired by this convention. What we know right now is that at least one of the Resurrection Movement members will still suffer headshots and be thrown into comas, and that one of them will return from a coma. On a similar note, the Combine Metropolice from Half-Life 2 will serve as time police, and will make a surprise arrest.

The part that's a surprise is which characters are getting arrested....

May 19, 2015 UPDATE: Between [5161814]: overtime and what eventually became code51515, I was dead set on making more characters suffer headshot-induced comas, so I figured I wasn't going to have any characters wake up from their comas. But you never can tell with these things.

However, due to positive events during [5161814]: overtime, I can say that the swimmer-dude wrong-Nagisa will not go ludicrously out of character and start uppercutting someone. Maybe he won't be branded as a runaway that badly?
I will also say that there will be new character influx entourages. They're like the one led by Yuki Nagato and Tsukasa Hiiragi (see the connection here?) back in CODE RED, only some members may have agendas that are ultimately detrimental to the Resurrection Movement. I mean, Hououin Kyouma doesn't have time for the Fugitive's bullcrud, so he's gonna take matters into his own hands and confront Medic for his beloved Kurisu or something.
Also, I think Kurisu may get a bit more screentime in terms of her being a so-called anomaly who's not supposed to be in Op/Res land to begin with.... although that's unavoidable since some Kurisu cosplayers waved at the camera this last May, too.

I wish I could say more, but an Op/Res short was supposed to go up tonight, but I'm way overdue on a lot of things for Christmas.

UPDATE: It went up on January 2, 2015, and is the latest video episode of Opposition/Resurrection at the time of posting.

OT-7. In another end...

Otafest Aurora 2014, or [5161814]: overtime, was declared with a final VICTORY, with satisfactory to excellent results. I got the autographs I planned for and gave candy canes, cards, and an overdue papercraft to certain people. I saw characters I wanted to and had them do the usual thing. Ultimately, I got over my withdrawal from this past May.

Even still, there are things that may go horribly wrong, and with my constant distress posts on Twitter, and that one strike out of ten was reached toward the commencement of "code51515", well, I hate to admit it, but my emotional war may not be over yet.

I mean, I was doing so well until I had my angry mood swings on December 4. Then I slipped into my 2012 panic and ranted about probably getting my (the real-life me's) head blown off by a sniper (character) or something and then I got angry that someone else may have gotten away again. I guess that's why the Combine police want to make an arrest.

I think some of us are dealing with that blue candy cane sword as we speak, and now I gotta take in other festivities before they fade. This is Jack, signing off. Thank you again, and good luck in the future.

UPDATE: On a final note, my wristband finally fell off 75 days after [5161814]: overtime, on February 12, 2015. This beats the previous record, so to speak, of keeping my wristband on for 48 days.

End of debriefing.
Proceed to the code51515 debriefings by clicking here.
 
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