The last time a great costuming convention called Desucon was held, I was unfortunately too busy to join the Nordic Garrison there, but did at least get to drive by the building to see all the awesome looking cosplayers as they stood in line to enter the convention. This year I really wanted to go there, only I was not sure if I was well enough for it after having been sick for some while, therefore I decided to meet up with the Nordic Garrison troopers the day before the event at the convention center to inspect the surroundings to see if I could handle it all or not when the huge crowd of huggy cosplayers would pour into the building. I actually had a good time with the troopers that day even though the convention started the day after, so that in itself including the fact that one of them would dress up as Obi-Wan Kenobi made me want even more to join them as Anakin Skywalker, so I just went for it. We came to the convention hours before it started, but already the place was packed with cospla
yers everywhere as far as the eye could see, and after meeting up with some of the Nordic Garrison troopers and buying some refreshments, it was our turn to get into our costumes and patrol the area as Stormtroopers, Scout Troopers, and just about everything else. I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to photograph my Anakin Skywalker costume for my website since one of the Nordic Garrison members was dressed up as Anakin's Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi and could join me in a photoshoot later on, but I didn't even know that another member was in fact conveniently dressing up as Anakin's wife Padmé and didn't even know herself that I would be there as Anakin, so this was even better for the photoshoot when all three main characters from the same movie were there. Naturally the three of us walked around the convention center together, much to everyone's liking as they wanted many photos of us together. We came across a whole bunch of different cosplayers, everything from Japanese cartoon characters to Hogwarts students and Super Marios here and there, Pokémons, cardboard box heads, a whole group of girls wearing nothing but pink, and of course the annual cosplayers with "FREE HUGS" signs everywhere who gave me more hugs right then and there than I've ever received before. I also kept stumbling into this one girl who wanted to touch our lightsabers all the time just because she loved Star Wars. Patrolling outside was basically the same with crazy costumes and "FREE HUGS" signs everywhere, only it was even hotter, especially for Obi-Wan who was wearing a full cashmere robe. There was not much activity at our stand to begin with, so we pretty much just shot at eachother with nerf guns and had lightsaber battles. People could actually pay to shoot at the troopers with the nerf guns, but after one of the troopers started shooting at me as I tried to deflect the nerf darts in Jedi style, a few people actually wanted to pay to do that instead, so I'm glad I brought in some extra charity money through that. Many of the troopers followed Obi-Wan into a room where the Nordic Garrison would have a "Questions and answers" session about the Nordic Garrison, presented by Obi-Wan himself who told the audience all about the organisation called The 501st Legion and what we do as members of it. He also talked about the sister organization called The Rebel Legion where those with costumes of the good characters can join as opposed to The 501st Legion that is based around the bad characters of the Star Wars saga. He also explained how a few of the characters including Anakin Skywalker could join both organizations as they were both good and evil characters along the storylines. As a way to get more information out to the public, one of the members joined the audience and asked questions to which he already knew the answers to, just to inform about where you should and should not buy costumes and all the other general information you should know before getting a costume and becoming a member of either organization or in any other case both. He also told about the different types of weapons you could get for the costumes, ranging from stunt weapons made of rubber, to resin cast weapons, and scratch built weapons of metal that I got to say a few words about after having built a full metal blaster rifle myself. Another interesting note was that some of the costumes while being quick to create would take really long to put on because of required facial and body painting while other costumes that take really long to create can be quick to put on since they are pieces of armor that simply snap together. With the session over, Obi-Wan changed into his Jango Fett costume and walked over to our stand where people paid to shoot nerf darts at him and a few other troopers, so in the meanwhile I just walked around the building to see all the interesting costumes and get even more free hugs. Many people wanted to take photos 
of me too, and of course I stumbled into that girl who wanted to touch my lightsaber again. Eventually a costume contest took place where three or four cosplayers would enter the stage at a time to show and tell about their costumes to four judges who would announce the winner later on, and there were many fun and interesting costumes to see up there as well. I don't know who won though, because the Nordic Garrison members were preparing for an auction where people could bid to win a dance with either Darth Vader for the girls and Padmé for the guys. Both walked up to the stage followed by Stormtroopers and great applause, then people started yelling out their bids. Another member dressed as Mara Jade was standing in the middle of the pathway up to the stage with her lightsaber glowing brightly in the darkness, so I thought it would be cool if I stood there too with my glowing blue lightsaber, but while the bidding for a dance with Darth Vader and Padmé was still taking place, people started yelling "What about them?!" and started bidding on a dance with myself and Mara Jade as well even though we were not part of the auction. In the end a girl wearing nothing but pink won the dance with Darth Vader, and a guy we saw earlier at the "Questions and answers" sessio
n won the dance with Padmé. The Desucon ball was then opened by a slow waltz between Darth Vader and Padmé and their winning bidders for the dance, and after that was over, the whole place got crazy with loud party music, screaming cosplayers, smoke machines, and a very impressive costume on stilts that was covered in LEDs that pulsated and changed colors to the music. Sure enough it would be fun to join the crowd, but jumping and dancing around in my costume would most likely end in disaster as parts and pouches would come flying off of my utility belt, so I thought it would be cool to put my Jedi robe hood on and stand on the stage, watching down at the dancers instead.
yers everywhere as far as the eye could see, and after meeting up with some of the Nordic Garrison troopers and buying some refreshments, it was our turn to get into our costumes and patrol the area as Stormtroopers, Scout Troopers, and just about everything else. I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to photograph my Anakin Skywalker costume for my website since one of the Nordic Garrison members was dressed up as Anakin's Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi and could join me in a photoshoot later on, but I didn't even know that another member was in fact conveniently dressing up as Anakin's wife Padmé and didn't even know herself that I would be there as Anakin, so this was even better for the photoshoot when all three main characters from the same movie were there. Naturally the three of us walked around the convention center together, much to everyone's liking as they wanted many photos of us together. We came across a whole bunch of different cosplayers, everything from Japanese cartoon characters to Hogwarts students and Super Marios here and there, Pokémons, cardboard box heads, a whole group of girls wearing nothing but pink, and of course the annual cosplayers with "FREE HUGS" signs everywhere who gave me more hugs right then and there than I've ever received before. I also kept stumbling into this one girl who wanted to touch our lightsabers all the time just because she loved Star Wars. Patrolling outside was basically the same with crazy costumes and "FREE HUGS" signs everywhere, only it was even hotter, especially for Obi-Wan who was wearing a full cashmere robe. There was not much activity at our stand to begin with, so we pretty much just shot at eachother with nerf guns and had lightsaber battles. People could actually pay to shoot at the troopers with the nerf guns, but after one of the troopers started shooting at me as I tried to deflect the nerf darts in Jedi style, a few people actually wanted to pay to do that instead, so I'm glad I brought in some extra charity money through that. Many of the troopers followed Obi-Wan into a room where the Nordic Garrison would have a "Questions and answers" session about the Nordic Garrison, presented by Obi-Wan himself who told the audience all about the organisation called The 501st Legion and what we do as members of it. He also talked about the sister organization called The Rebel Legion where those with costumes of the good characters can join as opposed to The 501st Legion that is based around the bad characters of the Star Wars saga. He also explained how a few of the characters including Anakin Skywalker could join both organizations as they were both good and evil characters along the storylines. As a way to get more information out to the public, one of the members joined the audience and asked questions to which he already knew the answers to, just to inform about where you should and should not buy costumes and all the other general information you should know before getting a costume and becoming a member of either organization or in any other case both. He also told about the different types of weapons you could get for the costumes, ranging from stunt weapons made of rubber, to resin cast weapons, and scratch built weapons of metal that I got to say a few words about after having built a full metal blaster rifle myself. Another interesting note was that some of the costumes while being quick to create would take really long to put on because of required facial and body painting while other costumes that take really long to create can be quick to put on since they are pieces of armor that simply snap together. With the session over, Obi-Wan changed into his Jango Fett costume and walked over to our stand where people paid to shoot nerf darts at him and a few other troopers, so in the meanwhile I just walked around the building to see all the interesting costumes and get even more free hugs. Many people wanted to take photos of me too, and of course I stumbled into that girl who wanted to touch my lightsaber again. Eventually a costume contest took place where three or four cosplayers would enter the stage at a time to show and tell about their costumes to four judges who would announce the winner later on, and there were many fun and interesting costumes to see up there as well. I don't know who won though, because the Nordic Garrison members were preparing for an auction where people could bid to win a dance with either Darth Vader for the girls and Padmé for the guys. Both walked up to the stage followed by Stormtroopers and great applause, then people started yelling out their bids. Another member dressed as Mara Jade was standing in the middle of the pathway up to the stage with her lightsaber glowing brightly in the darkness, so I thought it would be cool if I stood there too with my glowing blue lightsaber, but while the bidding for a dance with Darth Vader and Padmé was still taking place, people started yelling "What about them?!" and started bidding on a dance with myself and Mara Jade as well even though we were not part of the auction. In the end a girl wearing nothing but pink won the dance with Darth Vader, and a guy we saw earlier at the "Questions and answers" session won the dance with Padmé. The Desucon ball was then opened by a slow waltz between Darth Vader and Padmé and their winning bidders for the dance, and after that was over, the whole place got crazy with loud party music, screaming cosplayers, smoke machines, and a very impressive costume on stilts that was covered in LEDs that pulsated and changed colors to the music. Sure enough it would be fun to join the crowd, but jumping and dancing around in my costume would most likely end in disaster as parts and pouches would come flying off of my utility belt, so I thought it would be cool to put my Jedi robe hood on and stand on the stage, watching down at the dancers instead.
