An introvert's adventure at Confuzzled 2014 - A British Furry Convention

What's this about: This is part of a series meant to document my experiences at various furry conventions. It's meant to give others a deeper** view **** into ***what happens at a convention.*

About the convention: Confuzzled 2014 took place in Birmingham Metropole Hotel - England, 22-28 May. It is the second biggest furry convention in Europe and had over 1000 attendees.

A little about myself: This is my second furry convention and my third exposure to any furs in real life. I've been part of the online fandom for a long time and could be considered a greymuzzle in that regard. I'm a rather introverted individual, I prefer to plan for the worst, I adapt quickly but tend to be a tad awkward when placed in new surroundings.

Who is this aimed at: This 'story' is open for anyone interested or curious about what goes on at a furry convention. As a target group I'm aiming at people that:

1. Want to hear a more nuanced tale.
2. Want tips and tricks to improve their own con-experience.
3. Want to see nice pictures and read about the insanity that is the furry fandom.
4. Couldn't attend yet want some insider-info.

Disclaimer: What follows are personal opinions and experiences, not the one and absolute truth regarding all things.

Thursday Afternoon: Departure

Our story starts by my hometown's central station, I'm waiting for a bus that is going to take me to one of the international airports in Sweden. By my side is a large case which isn't packed to the brim, unlike the one from my first convention.

Storage-space comes at a premium when you're traveling, especially by air, and you will likely buy or receive various goods during the convention. Force yourself to travel lightly, it will help when you're moving around, and it will make it easier to pack that expensive piece of art you decided to buy.

Baggage that is checked in at the airport shouldn't contain any valuables, but sometimes you won't have a choice. Also keep in mind that anything sensitive, such as prints or glass needs to be packaged well. I kept my valuables in a small laptop bag, it worked well and my less than 1 kg laptop made it a breeze to travel.

The bus trip went well and within a couple of hours I'm in the air on my way to Copenhagen. Like with my first convention I made sure to make a few friends beforehand, conventions can be enjoyed by yourself, especially if they have lots of events, but they are ultimately social events.

I arrived at Copenhagen airport and proceeded to switch off Airplane Mode on my phone, within a few moments I was greeted by a welcoming message from my provider. It informed me that I was now roaming with one of their partners and the terms were surprisingly reasonable.

You need the means to communicate with others at the convention, it's a big place and you can't always do it verbally. The Confuzzled forum had an offer for 'Pay As You Go Prepaid Phone SIMs' and that's an option to keep in mind if you've got a lousy provider.

I started making my way through the airport and soon discovered that my scheduled flight was delayed. That shifted my priorities and I sought to find one of my friends that were waiting inside the airport.

My first convention took place in my own country and in a bad scenario I could just turn around, hop on a train, and be home in a few hours. The same can be done in a different country but it's a couple of magnitudes more expensive and harder.

That's why many are hesitant to be assigned random roommates and why a fair portion pick single rooms, and I can understand why, because you never know what dwells deep within the mind of another person.

I do my best to get to know my roommates over the web, you push borders, you do surprising things, because you want to see how the other part reacts. It can be risky but if done right it can provide important clues whether you'll end up with a budding psychopath or a treasure in disguise.

Sooner or later you will end up in front of your roommate and for me the real deal has always proven to be a surprise. Photos do not reflect what a person looks like in real life, the voice is different from what you expected, clothes,height, body-language, and so on.

It feels like an explosion of thought and emotion as mental models collapse and settle into something new and more accurate. At the same time you struggle not to let your exterior show what just happened inside your mind.

From the outside the meeting is quite ordinary, you exchange hugs, you say hi, and the ball starts rolling.

Thursday Evening: Arrival

My mind operates by creating what I'd call models, they act as frameworks that help determine proper forms of behavior. I had no such model for the furry fandom in real life and my first convention at (NordicFuzzCon) reflected that, it was one of the reasons why I ended up an awkward mess.

I can't say the same thing for Confuzzled, sure, I was nervous, a tad lost perhaps, but this time I was happy, excited, and my mood was a lot brighter because of it. On some level I knew what to expect, even if the convention was four times larger, in another country, and the trip was over twice as long.

Here's a small tip in case you've never traveled on a monorail: It doesn't start slow and easy, the acceleration is quick and sudden. Hold onto something or you'll end up looking like a fool.

Registration for the convention itself had closed by the time we arrived, but we could still check-in with the hotel and get access to our room. The Birmingham Metropole is a large 4-star Hilton hotel and I formed my expectations around that. In some ways they lived up to their reputation, in others... not so much.

An initial look around the room revealed the following:

• The hotel is starting to get old and rickety, most items were worn to some degree and several metal fixtures were starting to loosen from the wall and bathroom.
• The television was a usual locked down model that won't accept external input unless you decide to fiddle with it. Most hotels are like this, but it's still shitty.
• Some bathroom necessities were years past their expiry dates, I doubt they're dangerous to use but it leaves a bad impression.
• The window provided the grand view of a brick wall and a rather creepy alleyway, unavoidable, but still worthy of a comment.
• A couple of light fixtures that weren't working.
• Non-free WIFI, this is unacceptable in the year 2014! Shame on you Hilton!
• A full blown tea set, Raedwulf approves!
• A wonderful air-conditioning unit! Responsive and cool!

After a long trip by bus, plane, monorail, and a short walk, my roommate and I were a tad tired and needed to freshen up in the bathroom. The first thing to strike me was an odd smell, chlorine, fluoride, a strong if stinging scent reminiscent of the water found in a modern bathing house.

Turning on the tap water intensified the smell and actually scared me, this water smelled like concentrated chemicals, and it refused to go any cooler than lukewarm.

A quick Google session revealed that the water supply in the United Kingdom is heavily chlorinated, and while it may be distasteful for those not used to it, it isn't dangerous. This is one of the reasons why the hotel is quite eager to sell you bottled water that has been filtered.

I drank the water, didn't get sick, and after a few days I was used to the taste and smell of the water.

(Icelandic water smells of Sulfur, I haven't tried it but imagine it to be a step worse.)

Our inspection ended with the realization that the toilet promptly broke down following a single flush.

My roommate was eager to fix it while I turned my attention to other matters. A mere minute passed before the sound of a surprised yelp and an intense burst of water could be heard!

I of course rushed to assist my roommate but was soon crippled by laughter as I saw his now soaked form. Following an intense laughing session we decided to leave the plumbing to more capable hands and reported it to the front desk.

Thursday Night: Reunited

Following our visit at the front desk we entered the main lounge of the hotel. It consisted of a large space with a bar, a coffee shop, trinket shop, and passageways leading to the rest of the convention area.

It didn't take long to find one of my friends from NordicFuzzCon. As usual it was an awkward dance to be reunited, still, there was a world of difference now that I had a point of reference for what to expect.

The rest of the evening was spent on casual conversation, a strawberry-daiquiri (can't recommend it, messy, and didn't taste very good), and some potato wedges that were hot and spicy.

It struck me as odd that I have more friends from the Netherlands than I do from Sweden.

My roommate and I withdrew as the night approached, it had been a long day of travel and delays. Fortunately most of us had chosen the early arrival package which meant that the convention itself didn't start until the next day. I recommend it as it allows you to settle in and wake up refreshed.

Upon stepping into our room we soon discovered that the toilet had been tampered with but still wasn't repaired. In its current state it could do little more dilute the water a little.

A stark frown and some dark muttering helped resolve the matter as I opened it up and performed a low-level hack on the device. In the end it seems as if the flotation cup was distorted and by meddling with it one could force the tank to fill up a decent amount of water, that in turn could trigger a proper flush.

Problem solved, and I promise that there will be no more mention of toilets in this adventure.

Friday: Welcome to Confuzzled!

Waking up inside the hotel room was a pleasant surprise, the bed was soft, the pillows were fitting, the room was a cool 18 degrees that allowed you to curl up, and enjoy the blanket's warm embrace.

My sleep had been undisturbed for the most part and while my roommate murmured, whimpered, and moaned at times I found it acceptable and even a tad cute. At least compared to my first convention where the nights sounded like the inside of a sawmill.

Author's Note: At present I'm hiding in a bunker, as I expect my roommates, current and previous, to come after me with a vengeance!

The day kicked off with breakfast and that brings me to a point that everyone might not be aware of.

As a culture we absorb media through the web, television and so on. In most cases we interpret it in an area free from noise and most actors make a point of using international English devoid of local accents.

I consider myself fluent in written and spoken English, despite this I often found myself feeling like an idiot as I failed to understand what people were saying. A noisy breakfast lounge is part of the problem but the huge variances in how people speak makes it that much worse.

Exposure is the key to learning and it's okay to make silly mistakes, as long as you do your best and struggle to correct it when something goes horribly wrong.

The hotel room may have left something to be desired but the reception and service during the breakfast was diligent and pleasant. The continental breakfast consisted of juice, tea, coffee, bread, yogurt, fried sausages, baked beans in tomato sauce (surprisingly good), bacon, and scrambled eggs.

It suited my palate and there's something very pleasant about leaning back while sipping tea as you watch hundreds of furries scurry about. I wish I had taken a photo of it, but needless to say it was a sight that made my mind tingle.

At this point there were few ordinary guests and they tended to stand out like a sore thumb. The furry culture as a whole might be a tad weird but we're anything but unpleasant or unruly, so I hope we didn't scare them too much.

A less than satisfied guest

Breakfast was followed by registration for the convention, as usual there was a dividing line between the poor folk and rich bastards like me that I ended up in the sponsor line. As part of being a sponsor we received a number of goodies that are available for your viewing pleasure here...

Birmingham

The influx of people that needed to be processed by the convention left a gap where there was little to do. Our group decided therefore that a visit to Birmingham would be prudent. We turned our tails to the hotel, caught a train, and emerged within the city 30-45 minutes later.

There are many grand stories of exploration regarding cities, you have to see the sights, take in the atmosphere, submerge yourself in the unique nature of another country and its people. I'm sure that this is true in some aspects, especially if you visit an exotic country that is vastly different from your own. As a European Swede however I found myself less than enthused.

The city of Birmingham is like so many other globalized western cities, it is a huge concrete garden filled with stressed people, cars, exhaust, and never-ending repairs. The weeds are the same as ones you would find in Scandinavia, the architecture is similar. One of the few differences are oddly shaped taxis called Hackney carriages, and a larger amount of homeless people trying to sleep in darkened corners.

We set our sights on a large shopping mall and entered, to my surprise it was quite a similar sight. Subway, H&M, Starbucks, and loads of other small stores trying to peddle their goods. There was even a car on display like in every other mall.

The only noteworthy differences was a station that demoed the upcoming Oculus Rift and a store amusingly called Jack Wolfskin. Our team bought booze and promptly returned to the convention.

Moral of the story: Major western cities serve a purpose and they reflect it both in form and function. They are not tourist centers and should not be considered as such, if you visit a city have a clear goal and plan laid out.

Even Birmingham has its fair share of crazy.

Opening Ceremony

Our excursion to Birmingham was followed by a grand opening ceremony starring the mascot of Confuzzled called Brok the badger, and a few managers for the hotel. The managers looked a tad uncomfortable/stunned but I guess that's to be expected when your normal clientele consists of dentists and other upper class members of society.

Seeing everyone gathered in one room is a powerful reminder that the convention is big, four times the size of NordicFuzzCon, over 1 000 people gathered for a common interest. It's an amazing sight and the fursuiters add to the fun.

Events

The rest of the day was spent on a barbeque, some time in the lounge, followed by a sponsors-only visit to the Art Show. Cameras aren't allowed inside the Art Show and phones should not be removed from their pockets, break these rules and you will face the Convention Master's wrath!

Like the rest of the convention the Art Show was a lot bigger than the one found at NordicFuzzCon. With that being said though, there weren't all too many high-quality works available. Some were even outright lousy and had been printed on regular paper with color-banding that made me cringe.

There were a couple of works in the auction that caught my eye, or rather, made my fingers itch with the need to take them home. Unfortunately there were four reasons that kept me from buying any of them.

1. A few of the artpieces are bulky, how do you transport it? Can UPS be trusted with art? Will it survive if I try to take it home inside my bag? If I do transport it inside my bag, can the inspectors be trusted not to fuck it up? Can ConOps help with this?
2. There was a lovely original featuring a tiger in armor, but for some reason the piece had been laminated. Insanity! The lamination created an uneven surface and reflected scattered light like mad! It ruined the whole piece! Don't do that!
3. One piece called out to me on several levels, blue, red, science fiction, printed on a canvas. It was lovely if it wasn't for some fault with the colors, the red palette was washed out and it distorted the blue portions of the image. It was a small thing but it would have bugged me to no end had I acquired the piece.

The rest of the evening was spent with my roommates, old and new, until bed beckoned once more.

Saturday: Dealers' Den!

This was the day when Confuzzled truly got going, everyone were registered, the events were about to start, and those that arrived yesterday had an opportunity to settle in.

My personal favorite, and the reason I was up early, was because the Dealers Den was about to open!

As a Sponsor we got an hour to loot the Dealers Den before anyone else and I was determined to seize the opportunity. The Dealers Den had 79 tables and highlights such as Sofa Wolf Press, Korrok, TaniDaReal, Danza, Shiroi, Cherrybox, Silverfox5213, as well as the guests of honor that were there.

Letting me into the Dealers Den is equivalent to unleashing a kid inside a candyshop. I acted the part and if you saw a frantic loon packed with goods while smiling, then it was likely me.

All in all I managed to get myself a ton of prints, a tail, a few books, postcards, stickers, magnets, a CoolCollar from EZWolf, as well as a few gifts for others.

The only thing that kept me from buying more were storage limitations and a limit on how much I was willing to spend on one con.

Here are a few tips regarding the Dealers' Den:

• Get yourself a solid binder for storing the prints.

• The Dealers' Den is a busy place and someone could easily bump into you and ruin something.

• Keep your eyes open for any deals, 3 for 2, and so on. It's not good to be a cheapskate but these things will be an annoyance if you miss it.

• If you're planning on ordering any commissions/sketches, keep printed references or at the very least a list of links that you can send to the artist by email. The internet connection for the Dealers' Den glitched at times and there was an outage lasting a whole day.

• Looking through art takes time, but try not to hog the table for too long. Leave and look through the second binder on another occasion.

Author's note to the dealers #1 _:__ It's not always clear what things cost, sometimes the price sheet gets pushed to the side, sometimes it disappears beyond a print. Make it clear! Obvious! And with big red letters! Fewer people will annoy you as a result._

Here are a few tips on what not to do:Convention Behavior

Highlights...

Danza:Beautiful Landscape Pack (Warning, account also contains very adult art)

Pen Hesekiel Shiroi:Deep and meaningful art

Korrok:Cuteness Incorporated

Author's note to the dealers #2 _: I looted a business card from each one of you! I can't help it! It's like a drug and my nimble fingers snap them up like_ tasty_ prey!_

Following the Dealers' Den many of the events kicked off. To my dismay many of the events were scheduled on top of each other, even worse than what NordicFuzzCon did. That meant I was only able to attend 4 out of 24 events for the day. It might have something to do with hotel contracts, but they really should try to get a better spread, and/or host more events during the morning and evening.

The events for the day consisted of...

Fursuit Fiasco

A bunch of fursuiters gather and play games while the audience watch. The games consisted of volleyball and 'pass the torch' with a rubber ball you had to bounce on.

This brings me to an important part regarding the mentality you have to assume when visiting a convention. Furries are silly people, that's the way it is, we like anthromorphics and many are fans of each other, we like to explore strange worlds, and dress up in suits.

I've lurked the fandom for a long time and I remember my own reaction when presented with ancient pictures from Anthrocon. It involved an amused chuckle while shaking my head as I thought: 'Damn, that has to be the ultimate expression of awkwardness!'

Those ugly thoughts can reappear while you watch fursuiters bounce across the room with their tails flopping about. Not to mention the reaction as someone misses a bounce and ends up with their face planted to the floor.

But here's the thing, It's fun, it's silly, and it's OK.

Besides, just take a look at these freaks...

Grown men chasing balls on a field of grass, thousands cheering from the sidelines like maniacs, you have to be pretty pathetic to participate in something like that... Right?

Bob Drake's charity concert

A charity concert with some humor thrown in, not my kind of music but it was entertaining nonetheless.

Suit building and repair

I'm entertaining the idea of getting a fursuit one day. Rather than rushing out and ordering one I've decided to take things slowly, that means research and a lot of pondering. As part of that process I'm learning as much as possible about the craft while keeping my eyes open for a style and maker that I like.

This event proved useful and touched on the basics of repairing suits while also sharing information on how makers build their suits. Types of glue, stitching, foam, resin, carbon, moldable plastic, patterns, proper zippers, etc...

Knowledge like this is important because a suit may look nice on the outside but end up fraying at the seams within a year because of faulty construction.

PawPets VI: From Uranus With Love!

This was one of the highlights from the convention and it left me amazed at the sheer amount of effort and skill the PawPetsUK team poured into it.

The puppets they use are well made, the story swallowed you up, the backdrops were detailed and did an excellent job of setting the mood, and scene changes were handled by playing pre-recorded clips.

There was even a well made animation that served as an intro to the episode, I've tracked it down and it's available here fore all to see: Pawpets animation intro CFZ2014

If I were to criticize then it would be that much of the humor was quite British. In other words, you don't 'get' the jokes unless you're embedded in the UK's social fabric and their political landscape.

Also, here's a tip that I myself failed to adhere to, carry earplugs. Make a habit of stuffing a pair of earplugs in your pocket and keep them there! You will need them at some point!

I ended up on the front row and was sitting right in front of six huge speakers stacked on top of each other, there were times that I cringed while my hair fluttered in the vortex.

Bloopers are available here:Liviosah!

PawPets Episode 5 is available here:How to Drain your Flagon

It's unfortunate but the show kept me from attending "The Art of Erotic Writing" held byKandrel.

Another day had passed and sleep beckoned once more.

Sunday: Marching through the streets!

My earlier story regarding NordicFuzzCon mentioned people that seemed lonely and rather unhappy. At the time I pondered whether the same could be found at Confuzzled, that turned out to be correct.

The people I'm talking about are the invisible ones in the corners. They're the people that no one else sees. They are the ones that either look as if they've melded with their chairs or avoid social areas like the plague because its painful to see others enjoying themselves.

Allow me to paint a scene, it's early morning, everyone are rushing to breakfast. You've just finished your meal and other than your roommate the rest of the table is empty.

The scene can be interpreted in multiple ways, one of which uses the following keywords: Awkward, stressed, uncomfortable, lonely.

Having fun at a convention has a lot to do with how you approach it, and depending on your mental state it can range from horrible to surprisingly pleasant.

Some people need a full table and lively discussion in order to feel comfortable, others prefer a silent corner and a chance to reflect. As a society and culture we glorify extroverted qualities to the point where a moment of silence can make people sweat from unease.

It's not my point to criticize, a society without extroverted qualities cannot work, just as a society lacking introverted qualities would soon rip itself apart.

My point is the following: It's all right not to be social all the time at a convention.

Try not to fret, look around you, let go, focus on the beverage in your hand, the comfortable chair, the murmur as the world moves around you. It's easy to say and difficult to do, but you will gain little from letting your mood plunge into darkness.

For me that breakfast was the start of a wonderful day in an amazing vacation. I slept well, roomservice took care of the rest, food was served, and I found myself surrounded by people that belong to one of the strangest fandoms on the planet.

Despite the noisy environment it was a moment of inner peace, and it felt good to be there.

Do not misunderstand, if you wish to join me at my table then you are more than welcome as long as you either join my moment of zen or bring interesting conversation.

Fursuit Parade

Breakfast was followed by the Fursuit Parade where all the fursuiters marched around the hotel. Seeing all the suits is a wonder in itself but the reactions of others are just as fun.

It's the child screaming, "This is so much better than DisneyLand!". It's the lady dressed in a business-suit that starts giggling and laughing as if her inner child just woke to life. It's the moment where a fursuiter aims a raygun at you and fires a loud fart.

You can't help but break out in laughter as you see and experience these things.

For those that haven't seen it: Posing In Fursuit

Confuzzled Talent Show

The talent show took me by surprise as I had expected it to consist of performing fursuiters rather than humans. My initial disappointment was soon rectified by an amusing performance made by 'the worst tennis player ever'. Let's just say that the guy had quite a talent for juggling balls.

One of the funniest portions was a furry version of "Whose Line Is It Anyway". It was performed by having two fursuiters play a scene funny scene told by two narrators. The theme was selected by the audience.

A couple of the themes were a cow waiting for slaughter and the garden of Eden. It was quite hilarious and I applaud the narrators fast-thinking, as well as the fursuiters ability to capture our attention.

Another memorable performance from the show was a contest for 'Miss Universe' that featured Pazuzu, a gargoyle, 9k, and a quite disoriented human dressed in a bathrobe. The contestants presented their plans for Earth and the audience was allowed to vote who won.

Obligatory criticism: There are enough electric guitars and singing solos across the planet as it is, try to mix it up like the amusing rabbit did.

All in all it was an interesting show where even the technical glitches ended up as a source of laughter.

Frankensuits

Here's the idea, select 4 contestants, gather a bunch of junk, and let the audience go wild as they attach said junk to the contestants. The results were hilarious and we ended with a Mutant Shark, an Armydillo, a Robot Kitten, and a fourth one that was referred to as a... Chauffage, whatever that is.

Also, one of the audience members was absorbed by one of the suits and ended up as an entangled mess, quite amusing. All in all it was a great show that managed to involve the audience as well.

Fursuit Twister

The game is simple, fursuiters play twister. Unfortunately it doesn't work that well when over 20 fursuiters try to squish together in an area that's around 5 m2. It's difficult to see what's going on, and it takes a long time to resolve.

The game either needs to be modified or the number of contestants have to be cut down.

Auction: Live Bidding Show!

The auction is an event where art and other items are put up for bidding by attendants. Pieces are eligible to enter either by being selected by staff, guests of honor, or their bid sheets are topped out.

There are also specials, such as perks, items from the convention itself, or things added by the charity.

A percentage of money gained through the auction is given to the charity and Confuzzled enforced a minimum of 5%. Originals are often in high demand but digital art in large prints and canvases also sell for large sums of money.

Based on my experience so far the auctions are a lengthy but rather enjoyable event, especially if the crew manage to inject some humor into it. At NordicFuzzCon the auction was very simple, people shouted, numbers were written down, and Pinky who managed the event kept the audience well entertained.

At Confuzzled the crowd was larger, there were projectors showing images of the pieces, digital updates on the bidding prices, and currency conversions. As a whole it was very professional even if things glitched at times.

The auction took at least three hours and people were squirming in their seats by the end of it.

That's not a good thing and the pace either needs to increased or the number of items have to be reduced. Personally I'd vote for a quicker pace as there were 'only' 60 items to be auctioned and it would be a shame to see it reduced.

Participating in the auction is rather simple, all you need is your badge number and a solid voice. If you see something you like you raise your hand and make a bid that is at least 5 quid bigger than the last one.

If you want a better look of the piece in question you raise your hand and yell, "Runner!"

The slave runner will soon be by your side with the piece in hand, any noise or panting noises should be ignored and you are free to observe the piece until someone else has need of the runner.

Also, if you're lucky the staff will randomly take note of you and approach. You'll get a camera shoved in your face while they probe your life and squeeze your guts until the sweet sound of bidding escapes your mouth.

(Yes, yours truly was thoroughly probed and offered a trip to t he Cat Survival Trust! )

Jokes aside though, the auction is an event that everyone should experience at least once, and who knows, you might see something you really like.

Monday: The beginning of the end!

Waking up on Monday brought a strange sensation, it was the last official day of the convention and it caught me by surprise, just like it did at NordicFuzzCon.

How can this be?

I was a lot calmer and relaxed this time, despite that my mind and body were operating very differently compared to normal life. A stressed reaction is not that strange when you consider the circumstances: You're in a foreign place, odd things happen around you, you rush around, it's loud, and your emotional state feels like a twisting roller-coaster.

Conventions are a form of stress and I'd imagine that a medical screening would reveal elevated levels of cortisol and adrenaline, which are two of the primary fight or flight hormones. That's likely one of the reasons why there are so many tales of exhaustion, post-con-depression, and other illnesses following a convention.

Another problem that can arise both during and after the convention has to do with food. Pizza, pasta, quick meals, a tad of dehydration, and you have a perfect case for something that Silverfox5213 aptly illustrated:Clogged Plumbing

Take good care of yourself, or pay the consequences.

Worldbuilding

Breakfast was followed by a worldbuilding event held by Rick Griffin, Kandrel, and a few others. Listening to their perspectives was interesting but the topic never pushed beyond basics and failed to provide anything new, for me at least.

The lesson here is not criticism, but rather an understanding that events come in all forms, and that they are bound to be hit and miss regarding your personal experience. If an event doesn't fit your taste and you have better places to be, then it is alright to leave as long as you do so quietly.

Furry Fortunes

This event was an amusing adaption of the television show known as Family Fortunes and Family Feud. Many lewd jokes were made and we also got a glimpse of what furries typically do in their hotel rooms: Sleep, Adult situations, Poo, and Cry!

Feedback Session

The final event was the Feedback Session which turned out to be quite interesting, it provided a fascinating glimpse into the world of convention management and hotel relationships.

Many topics were raised, ranging from service at the bar to an incident in the dealer's den involving an irate member of the hotel staff.

It left me with a good impression as Confuzzled's management were eager to listen while the hotel had voiced a willingness to adapt and better accommodate a furry convention.

(Bar service was slow but pleasant! We nearly drained their alcohol reserves! Prices needed further adjustment! Also, potato wedges were popular!)

Here's a tip for those attending events like this: If your question/remark/complaint has already been brought to the table, do not repeat it. The crew is unlikely to divulge more information and people (including me) will give you dirty looks for wasting our time.

All conventions require security that can handle troublemakers, guide groups, handle media, and assist in various ways. At Confuzzled and NordicFuzzCon the security personnel consisted of volunteers (as far as I know).

My impression was that security did an outstanding job and were quite patient with those that were either lost or confused. At the same time you can't avoid feeling a certain curiosity and wonder as their earpieces start chattering followed by lots hurried steps.

I also learned that the security personnel visit the bar at times, and that they are quite open to share their stories in exchange for alcohol. It would have been lovely to partake, alas I learned of this secret event far too late.

Intermission: Room Party!

I'll interrupt the normal layout and inject something that requires a topic of its own. Room parties, the mysterious activity beyond closed doors, surrounded my wild rumors ranging from orgies to invocations meant to summon Pazuzu.

I attended two room parties at the convention and enjoyed each of them, I won't go into details, but will take time to describe my own thoughts and experiences.

First of all, what is a room party? So far I've witnessed invitations to 4 sorts of room parties:

• Murrsuit-party, unsure whether they were kidding or not.
• Toaster-party, you walk in, you get a toasted sandwich, and you have fun. I didn't attend this one, but it made my ears perk in wonder.
• Drunk-party, I'd suspect that these are the most common ones, you drink, socialize, and then move onto the disco or whatever tickles your fancy.
• Fetish-party, people belonging to the same subgroup gather and exchange thoughts.

I attended two drunken ones and it was started by the following, if somewhat anthropomorphic scene:

"So-" The sound of rushed steps made me stop mid-sentence.

Instinct made us move toward the wall in an attempt to open a path for whomever was in such a rush. A sudden weight to my shoulder sent a ripple through my fur, it made me jump in surprise as I snapped back and saw that a wolf had caught me and Mr. Fox.

The wolf had a uniform gray coat, white furred chest, blue dress-shirt, and a pair of square glasses perked on his nose. He carried a fresh smile with a cocky hint and there was a steady swish of air coming from the excited tail.

"So are you guys coming?" The wolf asked as his clawed hands rested on our shoulders.

"We're invited?" I asked.

The wolf's ears perked in confusion, "Yeah? Of course."

"We don't have any alcohol I'm afraid," I answered with a tinge of regret.

The wolf shrugged while his smile warmed into an amused grin, "That's okay, we have plenty."

I looked over at Mr Fox, "Wanna go?"

For a moment's Mr Fox's eyes widened, a split second later his expression relaxed with a slight nod while his hand made an open gesture.

I looked to the fellow wolf and made an affirming nod, "Sure, what room were you in?"

The wolf let go, stepped back, and made a courteous nod rather pleased nod with his head, "###, other end of the hotel."

"We'll be there," I answered.

The wolf departed while I glanced to Mr Fox, silent though pondering, the slight wag to his tail revealed excitement hiding under the surface.

Many social creatures will look upon the situation and see a clear hints of awkwardness as well as inexperience. An older version of me would have rejected the invitation and conjured forth an excuse.

It takes guts for someone that is both shy and introverted to accept an invitation leading into the unknown, silly, but true. At worst you make a fool of yourself, at best you've made new friends and discovered something new and exciting. In either case you gain valuable experience.

Like proper chaps we freshened up in our room and also gathered supplies in the form of a game calledRoomParty.

Here's a good tip, if you're invited to a private event, bring something along, be it alcohol, a game, bad dragon dildo, anything to help contribute rather than sitting there as mute statues. Especially if you end up leeching alcohol from the others.

My roommate and I traversed the hotel and spent a minute or two searching as our clumsy minds had already mixed up the room number. We knocked the door, waited, and listened as the door clicked open.

At this point I was looming to the side in an attempt to see what was going on inside, and to determine whether I should flee or join in. Thankfully the concept ofHere be dragons didn't apply, at least it didn't in our case.

In the end we found little more than a few guys mixing drinks while trying to keep a discussion flowing, and that's just wonderful. It was easy to settle down, talk, drink, and the RoomParty game turned out to be a big success.

Tuesday: Time!

Contrary to my time at NordicFuzzCon I elected to buy both the Early Arrival and Late Departure options for the convention. That meant I was staying one day extra while the others were forced to checkout. At this point the convention was officially over and no more events were to be held other than a late night Dead Dog Party.

It was clear that things were already different at breakfast, there were fewer people, few fursuiters, an influx of normal people, and a steady stream of people lugging baggage around.

Seeing it soured the mood and without any events I soon found myself trying to pass the time. Another game of RoomParty, random discussions, making notes, and packing helped pass a few more hours.

A curious fellow noticed our boredom, joined the table, and offered a game called_ Space Pirate Amazon Ninja Catgirl __ s _.

In the end though the day consisted of little more than being stuck in a packed lounge desperate for something to do. For me, this was the convention's definite low-point.

If you do choose the late departure, make sure you either have plenty of friends, a good plan, or plenty of material to amuse yourself with.

Final Notes...

Another convention, another adventure, and a load of experiences that I will carry with me through the journey known as life.

From a distance conventions can look like a joyous and drunken excuse to have fun. In reality it's a complex dance that reveals a lot about the human condition, especially if you keep your eyes and ears open.

Like a swirling melting pot it is home to huge range of emotion and fates like:

The fursuiter looping the hallways over and over in an attempt to engage with others and justify his presence.

That guy in the corner playing on an old console for hours upon hours.

The individual chasing fun and avoiding drama like an addled drug addict desperately trying to suppress whatever it is that's haunting him deep down.

The guy that hides behind a column and makes an expression that no one should see.

The individual that struggles with his roomkey as the horror of something awful descends on his mind.

The hopeful somebody that withdraws without warning as the impressions of the con crush the last of his defenses.

At the same time there's also:

The guy that breaks out in a wonderful fit of laughter as a fursuiter clambers onto him.

The individual that was swept away for a dance by an over 2 meter tall blue wolf.

The people that listen and observe with eager interest while Tioh shares his wisdom.

The guy that makes a shit eating grin of joy as his hand slips into the embrace of another.

The fursuiter with implantedspeakers that manages to entertain a whole room on his own.

The look on peoples faces as they light up and something settles within their inner self, they feel at home, relaxed, a forming kinship where there was none before.

There's the following saying: "If you don't have anything good to say, then don't say anything at all."

Like most things it has a degree of truth, but acknowledging the bad along with the good isn't something atrocious, it's realistic, and it helps us form a proper understanding of the world around us.

Understanding is the first step in making things better.

NordicFuzzCon was my first convention and it left me positive but cautious, as a result I didn't weigh the good and bad on a scale for fear of the result. After Confuzzled I feel confident to do just that.

The result? A resounding clang as the good side hit the floor while the bad side is sent flying into the air.

The furry sphere is an exciting place and conventions are a wonderful piece of it, it's addictive and at the moment I'm making preparations for Eurofurence!

There are some things I haven't mentioned in this adventure, good and bad details that though important are quite personal. Conventions are a crazy place and it makes you do crazy things, but that's another story...

My thanks to the crew, my friends, fursuiters, and everyone else that made the convention a wondrous occasion.

End of line