In all honesty, I’ve already let the idea go. I told myself that I just won’t be going to Conquest this year. It was too expensive and I’d have to travel from the province all the way to Manila on a weekend. Besides, I had a big expense coming up the week after. I couldn’t really afford to spend any more.
Did it matter that my favorite streamer, the person who got me through the early days of the pandemic, was coming to the Philippines for the first time? No, it shouldn’t… because I had to convince myself that it didn’t.
However, when it was my youngest sister who brought it up and asked if we can sponsor her tickets, I immediately said yes – 1) because we wanted her to have a memorable experience, even as a college student, and 2) because when she asked us, a sudden blessing came into our lives that allowed us to afford to do so.
Moreover, as she began showing excitement about the event, I suddenly felt really excited about it too. I kept teasing her that I might want to come also and then she’d poke me, asking me to just go with her. It was all meant to be just jokes but then she told me that she wanted me to be her “person” at the event because she was unfamiliar with Manila. I mean, how was I supposed to say no to that?
In the end, I ended up buying tickets (and learning about the event map and itinerary for us). My other sister was super supportive about it (and surprise! She ended up spontaneously joining the trip too.) That’s the origin story of how my sisters and I (plus my youngest sister’s friend) ended up going to Conquest.
How I became of Sprout for Sykkuno
Towards the end of 2020, I got really into Among Us streams, specifically, the streams of DisguisedToast. I appreciated his big brain strategies and then eventually, I loved the dynamics he had with his friends.
One of his friends in particular caught my attention because he spoke and looked like an anime character. I came to learn that his streaming name was Sykkuno. In time, I also began watching his streams and I found that I really liked this streamer and I was entertained by him.
To the general public, Sykkuno was known as a guy with a really good speaking voice. But other than his anime-like voice, he was also known to be a shy and wholesome troll when playing with his friends. These of course, are understatements and generalizations (because his personality goes beyond these) but these are parts of the reasons why I supported him. I guess if I were to try and pin it down exactly, I’d say that I loved watching him because he seemed like a good person, and because despite his insecurities, he keeps having fun with friends, the main reason why he started streaming in the first place.
It was actually Sykkuno that started my fangirling journey. Because of him, I was inspired to join communities on Twitter and make fan songs. It might seem off-brand for me but Sykkuno inspired me to compose original songs, rap songs in specific. He used to play GTA RP as Yuno Sykk and Yuno’s antics inspired me to make music. I wrote songs about his early days, the time he became a Cleanboi and even the “season ender” for when he left the city. Because of him, I’ve also had a lot of pleasant interactions online with other fans like me. I’ve joined Selfie days where we’d dress up like our favorite streamer and post our picture with a specific hashtag. I’ve also joined servers where me and other fans prepared a birthday surprise for him, a song the we sang from different parts of the world!
Honestly, getting to know Sykkuno has been a transformative experience for me, you could say. In a time when the world was shutting down, he made me laugh and opened a whole new world for me to explore. I didn’t think I would ever be able to but meeting him was going to be an honor.
How the Conquest experience was… honestly
I won’t sugarcoat it. The morning was disappointing.
Despite learning the map and the itinerary, a lot of the places where you claim stuff and lined up were changed. We were supposed to get our wristbands in one location but it ended up in another. Schedules for some activities were also moved. However, what really bothered me was the Meet-and-Greet process.
The main reason why I paid PHP 800 for the entrance fee was honestly just to see Sykkuno and the other streamers that I knew from his friend group. I knew that it wasn’t guaranteed since I didn’t avail of the premium pass but I knew that my day pass would afford me a chance if I lined up somewhere. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. The organizers announced that only 50 slots will be open for the claiming of the free M&G stub, starting at 10AM. I later found out that it was already handed out at 7, when I was still on a bus from my province. (Take note, these 50 slots were not just for the Sykkuno M&G but were also for the M&G with Rae and Leslie, two other big streamers!)
With that, I didn’t have anything to look forward to, and even if I wanted to casually browse inside the SMX Convention Center, I couldn’t. The line was way too long and it would take about 4-5 hours before I could enter (as confirmed by my youngest sister who actually lined up).
My other sister who spontaneously joined us didn’t have a ticket, so I just went around Mall of Asia with her, looking for a place to eat. Overstimulated in a hot and crowded place without a sense of purpose, we ate at the food court feeling somewhat defeated.
How I ended up seeing Sykkuno, Poki and the Roomies (Rae, Yvonne, Leslie)
On the brink of giving up and looking for other activities to do instead, I heard an announcement from the first floor of the mall. In an hour, the Roomies were going to have a panel on a stage that was set up there. The panel was a free event (essentially since you could just hang out at the mall to watch, except for the pit part where people with wristbands entered when there was space available). I couldn’t believe my luck!
With that, my sister and I burned time by shopping at Watsons and having a foot massage (weird choices, I know HAHAHA). Once the schedule for the panel neared, we came back and squeezed through the crowd to see them.
Initially, Sykkuno and Poki weren’t supposed to be a part of the panel, but I hoped, with all my heart, that for some reason, they would join in too as guests. I really really wanted to see Sykkuno! Imagine my joy when I saw him onstage. It was as if all the fatigue and disappointment of the morning melted away.
During the panel, the streamers played Pinoy Henyo and it was so fun to watch. They were all really pretty, our Leafman King included, and they exuded natural charisma in front of the crowd. There were a lot of Jollibee jokes and inside jokes during the panel and it was just so nice to see them being their usual playful selves like they are on-stream (but this time, with legs!)
- Leslie was so pretty. Like she’s unbelievably pretty. She jokes about not showering a lot (and to some extent, this has become her branding) but she’s so sparkly clean and pretty IRL. She also has that pre-school kindergarten teacher vibe that draws people in.
- Yvonne was also really beautiful but in a gen z princess kind of way and with a cute feminine vibe. She looks like she’s just having fun and taking in the moment.
- Rae was a queen! She was so regal and she knew how to carry herself well. She has this ability to command the attention of people and to match the energy of the crowd. (We were howling for her! Of course, we love our Filipina a little extra.)
- Poki was gorgeous and you could tell by the way she moves and answers questions that she’s been in the business for a while. Our seasoned queen handles the event really well and supports her friends onstage.
- And of course, my man, Sykkuno. He was glowing; it’s unreal. He looked like a the KPop prince of the gaming world on that stage with nothing but a black shirt, jeans and a gold necklace. Although he’s still not super comfortable with the attention, he adorably tried his best with the game. Hearing his voice and his laugh live was a blessing (even with the scuffed microphone).
After the panel, a crowd began forming a line for when they would pass through and exit the mall. Barricades were quickly set up and guards formed a line too to prevent the crowd from coming too close. The streamers soon left the stage and they walked on the path that was cleared for them. This afforded my sister and I to get closer and show them the signs I wrote.
It was a small interaction but it blessed me either way. MS. VALKYRAE SAW MY SIGN. Sykkuno was also with her as she passed by and I swear, I almost dissociated because of how happy I was to see them that close. I was just two armlengths away from them.
How it all ended
The Roomie’s panel was the highlight of my day. Nothing else mattered after that.
My sister and I did go around for a bit before meeting up with my youngest sister and her friend, but we didn’t do anything interesting. Then, when we had all gathered, we were all very tired so we just decided to head home immediately.
In terms of the overall experience of the event, I’ve heard worse stories from other Conquest goers and my disappointing morning was just a scratch compare to those. However, if you think about it, the PHP 800 didn’t do me any good at all. In the case of my tag along sister, she got to experience everything I did without paying a cent! The event was also overpopulated too, in a sense that more tickets were sold than what could actually be accommodated. Idea-wise, it could’ve been great but the execution was not without its faults.
All in all, I’m just thankful that there was a silver lining to this story. I made a dream come true and for a little bit, I was in fangirl Cloud nine. I also got a sort of practice for when I would attend fan meets and concerts in the future so I’m also grateful for that.
In conclusion: AHHHHH! I MET SYKKUNO.
Thank you for reading! Have you guys attended Conquest too? Would you want to? Comment down below. P.S. All photos are mine unless otherwise stated.
Pauline is a digital marketer and occasional speaker for Creative Writing. Outside work, she pursues passion projects such as writing essays, poems, and short stories, composing songs and filming videos.
As a storyteller on multiple platforms, Pauline has also attempted to create multimedia content through her YouTube channel (pollenpiggy) and a podcast she hosts (“When Pigs Fly”). You can find her at @pollenpiggycreates or at pollenpiggy@gmail.com.