bought stuff

most of my money honestly went to incub8r, a lovely little store in melbourne central thats basically a permanent local artist popup. my favourite part of cons is usually artist alley because i love seeing and buying things from creators that are about things i love, so the fact there is just that but all the time is dangerous to me to be honest.

here's some of that, for brevity ive included the artists instagram handles in the alt text (which you should be able to see by hovering on desktop or tapping and holding on mobile):

fashion

one of my goals this trip was to actually branch out fashion wise and update my wardrobe. i like the idea of thrifting and vintage but tragically my options are kind of limited where im normally based, so i took this opportunity and underpacked a little with the intent to buy stuff, specifically more summery or feminine things as its a part of myself im trying to reconnect with more.

personally a big fan of the leather jacket, which my partner picked out for me in an op shop for $20(!!!), in general it feels like theres just a lot more options of good taste over there, with better pricing to boot.

actually going to pax

believe it or not i actually went to pax on my pax trip. im not usually a panel kind of person so most of time there was just looking at booths, trying indie games and being really happy about seeing cosplays of my fave characters. some stand out games i got to try were key fairy , a pacifist bullet hell with a beautiful monochrome aesthetic and a satisfying grappling movement mechanic, and bashful adoration , a 3d platformer with a gorgeous bright art style and a lovely brochure to boot.

another stand out was the 3ds community streetpass meetup! it was fun seeing everyone out in the park with their 3ds' hanging out. there will truly never be a console like the 3ds

other stuff i did

not gonna post a pic of all the friends i saw sorry but i got a pic of me taped to a beyblade stadium and bladed on, unrelatedly i also participated in a beyblade tournament while up there and got my ass kicked lol, but at least i got a new beyblade out of it (sol eclipse)

i saw some of the numerous galleries and exhibitions happening in melbourne, including acmi game worlds! an exhibition showing the behind the scenes and interviews of some prolific modern games

and finally i just ate a lot of good food with good company 😋

as usual, i had a great time down there! i only wish i had more time to see the friends i leave down there, and mayhaps to see more of outside the CBD.

uag