Mostly HP fandom related; Cleansweep 2004

[changeling]

OMG Cleansweep was good beyond my expectation of goodness. It also went on way past the point where I thought it would end. If I hadn't had to take Nyssa home (and also, though to a lesser extent, jessindistress and velvetglitter), I would have gone to the Gin Palace with deadspiders and claireweasley, and it would have ended even later.

It was rather odd, being at a gathering where every single other person had a livejournal, but it was also a really, really good thing, too. Lots of people just don't understand the community I have because of LJ, and no one but other LJers understands what it is to have over 300 people on your friends list. Talk about the politics. Oy.

Argh! It was so good! I'm all tongue-tied, also this may also be due to the fact that I'm really fuckin tired. My throat's actually killing me, because I've spent eight hours straight being a social butterfly, and talking to so many people about subjects that I'm passionate about. Those of you who know me know what this means: I'm leaning forward, talking really intensely, or talking non-stop at the top of my voice, and I do those big laughs that makes people around me turn around, because I'm literally throwing my head back, laughing so hard I'm almost crying. That was tonight. It was such a brilliant night, and I'm so glad to have had the experience. Damn, but it was awesome.

Whoo! Just checked some of my old LJ comments, and I'm down for chapter 34 of Goblet of Fire in hpreadaloud!! I really wanted 35 (which is what I requested), because, dude, Veritaserum, and virtual torture. ^______^ Still, I have a chapter, so can't complain.

Heh, I suddenly realised earlier this evening: I so need more Polari in my vocab. I always loved Round the Horne when I heard it*. I remember Token Flamboyant Gay of Macbeth (who's in my "All I Am Is Thine" icon) Whose Name Temporarily Eludes Me and I bonding briefly over RTH. He couldn't believe someone as young as I was had heard any of it (thanks to Laugh Radio). I can't remember what I recognised. I think I turned around and said "Oh, Mr Horne!" at him. I can't really remember.

Heh. Part of any discussion of HP fandom always talks about the BNFs: the Big Name Fandoms. The HP fandom is filled with fandom wars. There's the interior wars, which tear us apart (often started by or about BNFs), and the exterior wars, which bring us together. Recently there's been a whole lot of crap about BNFs. wickedcherub decided that she was going to make me a BNF, which amused us all for about 5 minutes. Ah, the wacky times we had.

It was also really good to finally meet deadspiders. We had way more in common than I realised, and she repeatedly had me in stitches. I'll be sending my doctor's bills her way later. Amusingly enough, a whole lot of people remembered my username because of deadspiders infamous Orlando Bloom icon, which I animated. (And put the text to, because, you know, I'm obsessive about having the "right" fonts on an icon. You don't want to know how long I can spend on icons sometimes. Like the four I just made for notfudge.) Also, oddly enough, Libertine (luciusmalfoy), who is somewhat infamous, and her friend archevil looked really familiar, and they said that I was familiar. I have no freaking idea where we would have met, though. Though now I come to think of it, I wonder whether it was something really random like at Emma's party. That would make sense.

Hm. That was a somewhat wandering paragraph. The point of it was that deadspiders rocks and we should meet up again.

Oh! And I won something!! I didn't win in the main raffle (woe. But if I'd gotten anything other than first place I wouldn't have got the Slytherin scarf anyway, because Jess [jessindistress] got it. And I can really cope with not winning the rest, cool though it was), but afterwards there was a raffle for some HP art, and I got first pic, and I picked this awesome realistic pic of Ron, Harry and Neville by starlettegurly, mostly because I was in awe of the colouring technique. Yep, it's true, I'm a total colouring geek. *hangs head* But then, Zan can already confirm that, when I've randomly sent him newly coloured versions of his old artwork.

TAT! Your raffle numbers got read out twice in the art raffle! You could have had your pick, too! But you weren't there. Just thought I'd let you know. :)

It was also brilliant to catch up with Tat (vonlooney) and Jess, who I never get to see.

Basically? I had the best time tonight. The best. Somuchfun was had, despite the fact I never finished HP Cluedo in time (I had the room cards to finish, and then I had to get it off my computer and into physical form. So, almost done). So much was talked about that had nothing to do with fandom. I mean, deadspiders and I talked about music, about Placebo and Velvet Goldmine, and Voltaire (OMG! Someone who loves Voltaire who I didn't introduce to him!) and breaking music store clerks with our odd requests for non-mainstream bands, and... ohsomuch.

Whee! I love fandom!**


*Fantastically gay British radio series from Some Time Ago, especially the Julian and Sandy skits. Polari's the gay/circusfolk type slang from those. Go download an episode if you're curious.

**I am so not admitting the number of people who I recommended copperbadge to. Really. It was embarrassing. I'm such a fangirl, and not always in a good way.


I really need to use my Randall icon again. I miss it.