Today? SO GREAT. In all the best possible ways. *grin* Turned out way, way better than could have been expected for a day in which the first word I uttered was a curse - at the time. I was up til 4.30am the night before, and I woke up late for class. Was admittedly intermittently cranky as hell over a couple of unfortunate events (each on their own would not have stopped me from going to CF, but all three together conspired to) that had me unable to go to CF, after I'd looked forward to going (and seeing Zen! Actually, it was the not seeing Zen bit that had me so D<) for ages (and next time, I will know to book tickets way in advance), but in the end in worked out completely for the best. *beams* (Especially 'cause the relatives that are in town are here to announce an engagement! At dinner tomorrow! Which I couldn't be at if I'd gone to CF! And this is the first engagement in the family in my generation, so it is all good, and I said to my brother, "I want a niece! And a nephew! ... I'm going to be an aunt!" and my brother said, "I'm going to be an uncle!" and we were delighted.)

I must confess that I felt a lot more nervous about going this year due to costume worries, but I had a delightful time. wynter_myst was an absolute angel with helping me (I can't thank you enough, you made living with a costume in which I couldn't use my hands a bearable - and also fun! experience!).

I think the best laugh I had from this entire event came from my brother - who, when realising what weapons I was making, demanded, "Are you going as Largo?" People who've seen me know that not only does it take three of me to make one of Largo, but also that anyone who thinks I can be Largo needs both a sight check, and a reality check. It's like getting a cheegle to cosplay the Commandant. Oh, but all the love for when he finally saw me with my weapons and said, "You're twice the man he ever was!" ... Which was a pun, really, and also I wasn't going as a guy, but it was ALL GOOD.

I'd heard from several sources that a couple of good artists and cosplayers weren't going to be here because they were going up to CF, but from today's showing, man, I've gotta say, we're not missing anything. *beams* In fact, I'm kind of perversely glad that we didn't have any more artists than we had already, because the ones that were here were certainly more than good enough to break my wallet several times over if I'd been able to buy everything I wanted, and I honestly do think that this was the one event in all my years attending that I bought quite so much. *laughing!* But it was all so good!

Rapid-fire run-through of why this EOY ruled:

1. The people. Of course. *grin* First of all was my completely serendipitous encounter with rmstitanic1911 (who was a fantastic Willy Wonka today!) on sarahcoldheart's journal. *grin* She and I met years before, actually, in Italy, and to meet on LJ again was simply amazing. And we were both going to EOY! That day was already a good day with me seeing both nescienx and aingeal_isilme and sharing the Abyss love. XD Not to mention them seeing even more wrongness in Abyss than I did, and that is pretty darn amazing. And of course, talking to bravecows and lacewood lit up my entire night.

And oh, I just could not stop looking at all the DGM team costumes. I think there were a gazillion great photos I saw being taken (not being able to use my hands meant I couldn't clap while I had the full costume on, and also, I barely took any photographs - BUT I COULD STILL HUG PEOPLE ... rather dangerously). But I think my favourites are the Earl Millenium with both Allens, and also the wonderful and completely unexpected General Cross - Rabi - Tiki OT3 photo opportunity. Omi was one fabulous Earl Millenium (and wonderful to hug! ♥), and oh, Rabi was beyond amazing, and chiiyo was such an amazing Rinali that I honestly don't remember any other Rinali cosplayers, and gk_reiko was the best Allen, I do think, and oh, kreznick was a thoroughly impressive Cross, and tashigi and cleyra were wonderful as the Noahs. And not to mention so many other DGM teams that were wonderful, too!

OH. AND. The team had a Bak, who was amazing, on top of the fact that HAVING A BAK IS UTTERLY AMAZING. I WAS SO HAPPY. Bak also takes great photographs!

2. The Kingdom Hearts 2 everything. A Roxas was on my train into the event, and harajukufuuri told me before I got there that we had a Xemnas in the event, and the photographs she had of him when I met her were amazing, but when I eventually saw him for myself - you know what it's like when you see a really good cosplayer? And you work up your courage (or at least I have to) to ask if you might have a photograph, if it isn't too much trouble, and then it seems like a switch gets flipped and they become the character and it takes your breath away? The Xemnas cosplayer was just like that. I find it amazing that a simple pose can change everything, but it does - the way that he held himself, and he had a honest-to-goodness look that commanded.

We had Roxases everywhere. But what I really wanted to see was a Riku and a Sora, and it was happy chance that I met cellardoorsky through sarahcoldheart, who was a wonderful blindfolded!Riku (and who also knew just about everything about all the KH2 teams there today, and the fact that we had a Disney team - so we had all the princesses as well as three sets of Riku, Sora and Namine, and of course Organisation +++), and also told me where I could find the Sora - singing on stage. I think one of my happiest moments for this event was standing with Riku watching Sora's moves on stage.

3. We had a Luke cosplayer! (although my Abyss cosplay heart belongs to the first Luke I've ever seen) , and there was Tales of the Abyss fanart being sold at the event.

So I bought two Lukes. So I can give him twice the love.

AND. AND. Kyou Kara Maou! We had schoolboy!Yuuri and nightgown!Wolfram and Gwendal, and I was so happy.

And also this is the first year that my cousin and I have attended an event together, and also harajukufuuri showed me great Abyss screenshots and it was GREAT fun discussing bartender!Guy grabbing Jade by the collar and reaming him a new one over Luke, and also I belatedly realised that at that event, the both of us had Abyss screenshots in our cameras.

And being here tonight meant I got to have dinner with my family at this fantastic new place (I'd been thinking of bringing little_ribbon to it, but I'd never been there before, and now I am DEFINITELY bringing here there), and catch a great movie (The Holiday. Seriously I thought this was gonna be so cheesy, but it was great. All-out great) with my family and my cousins. *laughing* It's kind of amazing how not going to CF turned out totally amazing in the end.