BELIEVE that sometimes dreams can come true ♥ - PART 2
Season 4 of OUAT is coming closer and closer! I hope I don't get burnt (AGAIN) by the excitement. I've learnt my lesson the hard way with House (oh lords.... what a disappointment that show, really), so allow me to at least TRY to not feel too much. But how can this even be possible when you've lived 2 days along with that awesome cast?? Really now!
That day started with horror! I didn't hear the alarm go off and I woke up an hour later than planned. Thank God I had taken good measures for that, the alarm was supposed to go off quite early anyway, and we did arrive back to the Versailles in time, before the gates were open.
This time I was prepared. I got to sit at a better location than the day before, although that required a good run at the stairs for that early in the morning. But no matter, because Robbie and Sean got on stage! In all fairness, it's so awesome to wake up and the first well, not exactly but you do get what i'm saying person you see is Sean and his fairytale eyes and his sexy voice and his awesome self!! He and Robbie rocked that panel, they talked about their experience on their first day, how they used to pass by each other on the set without knowing they were both actors on the same show (HAHAHA, OH SEAN YOU FUNNY THING) and how welcoming the cast and crew were with them. I found it weird to listen to questions addressed to only one of them. Of course it's natural, but I had this sense of need for the questions to be equally placed for both of them. Anyway, I decided I would go up there (again) and ask this little something it's been ages I've been wondering about. Since none of them know anything about the future, I addressed it to both of them asking for their opinion: how would they feel about the possibility of a musical episode?
At that point, I got as excited to see them get all worked up with the idea as to listen to the crowd cheering me up! I am still wondering why the hell this hasn't happened yet. They could easily do a special in between the two parts of the season, and they have a cast filled with musicians, Sean being one himself! "I'll pass them your idea and if they go for it, you should get some money for that". Sean, have I told you I want to marry you and have your babies?? Haha, kidding not really, but yeah. I laughed so hard with Sean imitating Glee, though! Hello you cute little clown with the marvelous eyes and the heart picking smile, you, lol! And then of course, someone reminded him that he had promised us he'd sing and he when he said "I don't have a guitar" that girl (who I want to find and thank and bow to her) appeared on the crowd holding this petite guitar! He was shocked he didn't expect that! Now he had to sing!! hahaha, poor him, and he was still trying to wake up and be professional and ignore the wine bits that had remained in his system. But he obliged... or at least he tried!! :P
Seriously, MARRY ME!!! ♥♥♥ Damn it, Tanya is one hell of a lucky woman!
After the Q&A was over and the stage was clear, me, Jess and Rina got up there and sat on the chairs and took an Evil Regal pose for a photo! Us, little fanforumitas, Outlaw Queens, on the stage that moments earlier Sean and Robbie had been and that Lana, Rebecca, Emily and Jared would also come next! Yahoooooooo!!!! We stuck around for a bit at the theatre, waiting for the announcement for the photo op with Sean and the duo pics with him and Lana. I had not yet seen Lana that day, or anyone else for that matter. At that point, there was a flash contest taking place with a photo with Sean being the prize. Oh guess what: I WON!!!! They asked if we knew the exact origins of the guests of the convention and as it happened, I did know them, which was an extreme coincidence because I had searched Lana's a couple of days earlier, being curious as to why her name is so spanish ♥! YAY ME!!
I go to the studio and get in line. I wanted to stick towards the end, so that I wouldn't have to be rushed by those security guards all the time, but there were still a couple of girls behind me. It was the first time I'd get to do a double shot, so I wasn't really sure how that would work. So, my turn comes, I go there and of course we kiss again (like I would miss a chance!). I just LOVE how he didn't get uncomfortable at us fans wanting to give him a kiss (maybe because nobody tried to ACTUALLY kiss him, hehehe) and he obliged and even more so, he hugged us (smell of forest... oh it was so early, what he did to meeee!!!) and he talked as if we were old buddies. I asked for a hug for the pic, we did it and upon going I turn and tell him "oh, I have one more pic with you so I'll just see you in abit again!" and he laughs and keeps it going. I go back in line, waiting for the rest of the fans to finish and then it's time for my second shoot - at this point I want to comment that in the end it wasn't necessary to go in the line again, you just had to tell them you had two and they would do it the same moment, but I enjoyed it this way even more. There was this crazy pose on my mind, which I wanted to ask of him, and I was a bit worried he wouldn't be totally ok with it. But oh NO!
"So, do you know anything about tango?" I asked him.
"Oh, well, not really."
"That's alright. But, would you mind if I asked you for a tango pose that I've been thinking?"
"Oh no, not at all!! How do you want it?"
"Ok, I will put my leg here" and I raise my left leg and put it almost around his back (YES I DID YES I DID), "and you... feel free to grab it and hold it there!"
*laughs and laughs* "Oh my, that's brilliant!"
The photographer and the crew that was around got hyped!! Especially that photographer loved it, I think he had gotten a bit bored with girls asking only for hugs or for getting lifted up by Sean, that he found it very original! The result was... oh well, let's just say I'll put that one above my bed and stare at it for good night's sweet dreams forever and I will never care if my future husband gets disturbed!!!
We shared a good laugh after the shot was taken! I felt a bid bad for asking him to grab my leg and for having put it around him so I wanted to apologise, just in case.
"Thank you for that! I'm so sorry if my request embarrassed you or anything..."
"Oh no, of course not!"
We said our byes, I gave him a hug again and left at cloud 9!!!
Up next: duo photo with him and Lana! YAY YAY YAY!!! Me and Maria went together for that one, as she too hadn't gotten hers the day before. This would be my second one with both of them (how I managed to do that, well, shush, I'm not saying :P) and I still hadn't figured out if I wanted them to be kissing me, or sharing a sandwich hug or doing a Charlie's Angels pose! When my turn came, I greeted Sean with a big smile, since that would be the fourth time that day we were face to face and he said "We are all friends here in the end!" NSHFAOISFHASIUFMHAIOSFOSAIFOSAIFUAOSIUEOGIN!!!!! Then I turned to Lana, gave her a hug and a kiss, after taking permission using eye contact (thank you Spain for teaching me the proper way to greet people!) and it was obvious that the woman was tired. She was not as alive as the day before, but that didn't mean she looked and acted any less awesome. Just a bit less vocal. I went for the sandwich hug in the end, and believe me, I do not regret if for a second!! Being hugged at the same time by Lana on your front and Sean on your back, smells of forest and apples and cinnamon ALL AROUND you... yup, I almost fainted! I didn't stick around this much that time, as there were more people waiting, and I would get more opportunities to interact with them later, especially with Lana, since there was still my photo and my autograph with her.
There wasn't much time to take in each encounter and each interaction, cause the photoshoot with Lana was right up next. Of course, the line was as big as it could get. I highly doubt there would have been so many people there if it hadn't been her. If not the 100% of the fans, then at least the 99% of them were there because of her! I did what I always did, stood there in line calmly and in no rush at all. She took like a gazillion pictures! I had thought I wanted to ask her to get on my back, so that we would get a funny pic, but a girl ahead of me asked it and even though Lana did it with a big laugh, her security guard went nuts and did not allow something similar to occur (really??? we were not going to drop her or anything, she is as light as a feather - see what I did there? - that I CAN tell!). So, I go to her, greet her the usual spanish way (mueheheeee) and if it was obvious earlier that she was exhausted, then at that point it was even more. The poor woman needed some sleep, you damn jetlag!
"Is it ok if I do the same thing the girl did before and lift you on my back?"
"I don't mind, but I don't think *whispers* that guy will let you..."
At this point I want to add that in the end, instead of 1 pic with Lana, I got to take 3!!! Oh yes baby, THREE! Won't get into details, but let's just say that whatever way I felt they fooled me (and the rest of us) on the convention with that poor organization, I managed to take my revenge!!! ;)
After she politely refused to get on my back (lol), I didn't really know what pose to take with her. Plus, to have her right in front of you, looking at you with her beautiful eyes expectantly, waiting patiently yet eager to be precise to her schedule, was NOT a helping factor. So, in the end, my first shot... well, we both came out nicely, but the pose I asked... let's say it's wasted. The second one though... I went in for a hug, but we got excited both of us for some stupid impulsive moment (oh there you are moment of impulse, I missed you today!) and I ended up lifting her up in the air! She laughed! That ADORABLE laugh of hers! The security guard could have killed me, but UP YOURS you big rude dude! The third one...
"Ok, what should we do now??"
"I don't know, it's up to you... but not anything weird, right?" pointing to that dude with a funny look.
"Oh no, don't worry! Ok, let's take our "Evil Queen is here to kick your asses dudes" look"
"Hahahaaaa, ok!
We both turn and stand back to back and we get our photo... two times because the photographer was not completely satisfied with the first one! I turn to her to tell her my byes and upon looking at her... I don't know, I felt like i wanted to stick around and just chat, as if she were not working! I mean, who wouldn't want that?
"Damn, I wish I had more time with you.. I have so much I'd like to talk with you about...". She did respond with an "awww" but I doubt she was able to think about it more. I'm telling you, she just NEEDED rest, she physically needed it and I felt sad we were keeping her away from it... Oh well..
Lunch break came, with no lunch again. It was the time to meet more people and make some new friends. At that point I got to meet the girl who was doing Sean's (and Tanya's) fanbook and I got the chance to sign it too and send them my message, which was sooooo sweet! I really loved the idea of including messages for Tanya in there, she is such a lovely lady and our no1 OQ shipper! hahahaha!!
Next on the stage, Bex and Emily! Em looked SO petite on that white dress and the huuuuuuuuge heels. So what if she's a small little girl? I find it extremely cute! Why do they make her walk in those heels all the time! When she was not on stage and walked around in flats, she looked so much better!! Bex, of course, was like a goddess again! A goddamn greek goddess! Every time she laughed, we did abs from way too much laughing too, that sound is just unbelievable!!! They talked about their experience in Lost, their favourite lines ("Oops!" and "Yes"... Really!! hahahahaa!), about Rumple and the possibility of their characters being friends ("Absolutely NOT!") and lots of other things. I kept taking pictures but I was mostly enjoying the panel, doing one more effort (with no result) to realize who was sitting only some meters away from me!
And then.... OQ FAMILY PANEL PEOPLE!!! The last and best Q&A of the weekend! Times of greatness!!! Lana and Jared enter the stage first and I freak out: where the heck is Sean??? I got scared thinking they changed the schedule (AGAIN??) and that they wouldn't do it together, but gladly he sneaked in moments later. Lana said how tired she felt but happy to be with all of us and scolded Sean for being late and for interrupting her impressing us with her french! "But it's ok, I still love you" Oh you beautiful, wonderful humans!!!! *hugs and feathers and love all over* Getting to ask a question at that specific panel seemed impossible. They were as strict as they could get and almost everyone's hand was raised to ask for permission from the moderator. Mine specifically was raised almost during the entire 2/3 of the interview! I don't know how I got SO LUCKY to get picked AGAIN, but I did and I wouldn't let the opportunity pass by like that! As it happened, i would get to ask the panel's final question, because the time had really passed by SO quickly that I doubt any one of us realized it. I decided to say hello in greek and tell them that they have fans here - and I listen to this very loud cheer from someone on the crowd and I go nuts inside because I thought me and Maria were the only greeks crazy enough to attend the con - who love them a great deal (there are already greek fanpages on facebook about both the actors and the pairing) and then addressed my question to all of them, even though it was mostly about Regina. In retrospect, I think I should have articulated it better in order for them to realize WHY I wanted all of them to answer me. Regina's heart being the most vulnerable to get frozen due to its current sentimental state, needing an act of true love to thaw it. CHEERS FROM THE CROWD AND LANA'S AWESOME RESPONSE: "I think you've just been hired as one of the writers of Once Upon A Time". Yeah I WISH, I REALLY DO!!! "No, I don't have that kind of authority" she rushed to add (naturally, because I got overly excited "WOW!!!!":O). And now tell, me HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO ADD THE DETAILS OF MY QUESTION AFTER SUCH A RESPONSE?? No, really, how could I find the strength to say something more than "asiauufhabosiusiusnfihsfim"? And that's how I lost my chance to explain how the act of true love could come from either Henry or Robin or even Regina herself, thus involving all of them. "I think Sean should answer this question". And he did. And once again, he finds it an excellent idea!!! Oh stop being so awesome Sean, REALLY I MIGHT HAVE JUMPED ON THAT STAGE!!! Still, I held it together (way to go me!) and I ask Lana one more small thing about why Emma thought Regina was lying when she said she loved Henry, and I watch with the corner of my eye the moderator almost losing it that I didn't seem eager to let that microphone go!! hahaha!! Nope, I was going to enjoy those moments as long as I could and I would return in my sit feeling butterflies again!! And then, you all know what happened: Lana being Sean's fangirl, asking him about his feelings upon reading that Marian was back. "I felt sad because I was afraid I wouldn't get to play with my friend anymore". Ok, let me go cry a river out of their sweetness, their awesomeness THEIR EVERYTHING! *fangirl flail inserting dangerously*
The panel was over and the feeling of melancholy started kicking in because the end of the con was now closer. They stood together, all three of them, with big smiles, for us to take our pictures, and I got teary eyed. Later on, I made one more acquitance: the girl who cheered while I was telling them about the greek fans! It's so lucky I met her! She actually had a "Meet and Greet" with Lana in a few minutes and she was so nervous and when she came out she shared the whole experience with me and we both just hugged and cried together! Thank Lana and her AWESOME self (did I say that lots of times?? I don't care, she is AWESOME) for that. My friend asked her how she felt that even though Regina has held the hearts of so many people in her life, it's Lana herself that has touched OUR hearts and holds a special place in them, has united us into the Evil Regal family through our love for her. And Lana.. she started crying. Hold me as I fall! She started crying!!! She spend almost half of her Meet & Greet with that group to talk about what my friend told her, she could not express how touched she felt by all of that and she just cried.. I CAN'T EVEN, LET ME FLY TO THE STATES ON SOMEONE'S SUITCASE AND JUST HUG LANA FOREVER!!!!
All these emotions were a lot for two days! I could not assimilate all of them, and I still cannot. I went upstairs cause it was time for my autographs with Lana and Bex. That time I did not stay last because the line was SO BIG that I feared we would never get inside. When I finally did, I went to Bex first, as the line for her was smaller, and I was happy to see that she was taking her time with everyone, talking and laughing and everything. Lana was sitting to a table right next to her and she got up on occassions to greet the people that were outside the window calling her name (seriously, I don't think there is a sweetest famous person on the face of the planet!!), but she seemed a bit out of breath, like as if she were multitasking (which she practically did). She kept signing and signing and signing... it never ended there!
I walk up to Bex and she looks at me with those bright blue eyes of hers. What's up with this cast's eyes??? Why does everyone have such a piercing look, like an xray?? "Hello my dear, how have you been today?" oiuhansifhasihiiwmofaiwfi, that familiarity can kill you, really, it can!!!! "I'm fine, thank you! Hope you're doing great here too" - "oh yes, it's been WICKED!" She just loved using that word on every occassion she could! I gave her what I had prepped for her to sign and in the meantime I took a moment to talk to her about how her story the previous day had affected me. She looked at me in the eye while I was talking to her and she smiled to me very sweetly when she saw how touched I was by everything she had said that has happened to her and how she got to where she is now. The result? Here you go:
After saying my goodbyes to Bex and thanking her for everything, I stand to the line for Lana. The wait was ENDLESS and what came up next was even worse: Lana never rushed these things. I've seen other autograph sessions she's done in conventions and she always takes time to chat with everyone for a couple of minutes and she did the same that day, ignoring how tired she was. Her PA though, had different thoughts for her. He gets up when there were only less than 10 people before me and announces that from then on there would be no time to chat, no time to give gifts, no time to do ANYTHING more than just get a signature and get the heck out of there keep it going, because there were a gazillion people waiting and the time was extremely limited. I panicked, because the autograph was the moment I hoped I would get to talk a bit with Lana and apparently that wouldn't happen. And in the end, I didn't enjoy it as I was supposed to... Lana was not given a chance to say anything about the poster I made, and I didn't even have time to tell her what my name was in order for her to sign... luckily, Sean had written it on the same poster before her, so she saw and wrote it too. I did ask her to also include a line from the show, like Sean had, but really, I think her brain had melted at that moment. Tired, sleepy, dizzy and jetlagged and pressed by all of us to get it going... I cannot describe how incredibly amazed I am now that I look back at the whole thing by her inner strength. She said she could not remember anything and I completely understand why. When she caught my sad face (shame on me) she kept telling me she was sorry, even when I had left her table she looked at me and said it again... NO, I CANNOT HANDLE THAT!! When she realized how sad some of us had gotten because they didn't let us enjoy the moment, she got teary eyed! She bowed her head and almost touched the table while she was writing, in order for none of us to see, but I did see it from where I stood. NO NO NO, NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO MAKE THE WOMAN CRY!! She was incredibly wonderful with all of our requests those days, she gave all she had on that convention and she was not to blame for the bad organization and if anyone says otherwise they might get to feel my rage and they won't like it!!. Later on, after the mess calmed down a bit, she did increase a bit the time she spent with the fans, and as a result, in the end they had to help her get back on the stage for the closing ceremony. Poor woman... that's why I said I hope she has good memories of that weekend.
Now that the time has passed, I realize that getting upset upon the limited time on the autograph was idiotic on my part. Of course, i could have asked her to just write that "pixie dust doesn't lie" but like her, I also could not get my brain to function from all the nervousness and the rush that blond made me feel with the looks he shot at me while I was getting my ag. But now that I look at it... it's not bad at all! ;)
Following the eventful autograph session, the closing ceremony came on! Lana, Sean, Jared and Robbie came out together and said their goodbyes and I was right in front of the stage filming them, and (of course) crying my eyes out from happiness and melancholy at the same time. Before that, I had the chance to be with the girls on the stairs when we happened upon Sean and gave him his fanbook. He seemed extremely touched by it. He even returned later, after the ceremony was over, in that same spot and looked for the girls that gave it to him because he wanted to thank them properly! Do they put something in the water on OUAT? How come they are all such adorable human beings???? Lana wished us all safe travels back home, and thanked us for coming to France for them, Sean gave his huge thanks once again, as did the kids too. It's all a blur and I still haven't watched the videos I took, because then I might accept it's over... and I don't want tooooooo!!!!
I learnt later that Bex and Emily were still signing autographs. I was happily surprised with Emily when I learnt that they tried to rush her into finishing quickly and she refused and said she would stay there as long as she needed in order to do this properly. The organizers were furious, but, once again, UP YOURS YOU IDIOTS!! It was not our fault nor the guests' that you had the autographs 2 hours before the event was supposed to end! REALLY?????
Unfortunately I missed the emotional closing Bex gave. I did hear it from downstairs, but at the point I could not attend. People said that she made them all cry when she got teary eyed herself and that it was the best of her in the entire weekend. In the end, we all conclude that BEX ROCKS THE WORLD!!
The final moments of the con were spent outside. Me and my new friends stayed there and chatted and rested and waited for Lana and Bex to leave the place so that we could say our goodbyes to them. In the meantime, we did watch the Versailles return to its normal self bit to bit
I felt so sad to see that thing go down. It marked the end of a beautiful weekend. We stood there with the girls, chatting, singing, mimicking OUAT characters and having a good time! Lana's car finally came out and she said her final goodbye to us all by her window, obviously exhausted and ready to give herself into her bed that was waiting her. And then Bex's car was out too, and, as always she was her usual funny self!! She said goodbye loudly and when her car stopped on a red light further up that street she just stuck half her body out the window and waved at us and said bye bye like a small kid who had just had the time of her life! Next time I see her, I'll just give her a teddybear to play!!! SHE IS ADORABLE!! ♥
And then we took off as well. With nothing but awesome memories, extreme feelings, new friends and wonderful experiences in our hearts and minds, at least for me! I learnt a lot from that event, and I fullfilled something that was actually on my bucket list: I got to meet people I admired A LOT! Lana, Sean, Bex mainly and Robbie, Jared and Em of course! Those fantastic people who have such beautiful souls and welcomed us and treated us as equals, since that's what we are in the end: all humans! I will never EVER forget that weekend in my entire life and I will keep hoping and dreaming that maybe one day we'll meet again. Because I BELIEVE! I believe that fairytales do come true!
PS: I cannot seem to find the strength to take this thing off! And it's not even beautiful!! hahahahahahahaaa!!
That day started with horror! I didn't hear the alarm go off and I woke up an hour later than planned. Thank God I had taken good measures for that, the alarm was supposed to go off quite early anyway, and we did arrive back to the Versailles in time, before the gates were open.
This time I was prepared. I got to sit at a better location than the day before, although that required a good run at the stairs for that early in the morning. But no matter, because Robbie and Sean got on stage! In all fairness, it's so awesome to wake up and the first well, not exactly but you do get what i'm saying person you see is Sean and his fairytale eyes and his sexy voice and his awesome self!! He and Robbie rocked that panel, they talked about their experience on their first day, how they used to pass by each other on the set without knowing they were both actors on the same show (HAHAHA, OH SEAN YOU FUNNY THING) and how welcoming the cast and crew were with them. I found it weird to listen to questions addressed to only one of them. Of course it's natural, but I had this sense of need for the questions to be equally placed for both of them. Anyway, I decided I would go up there (again) and ask this little something it's been ages I've been wondering about. Since none of them know anything about the future, I addressed it to both of them asking for their opinion: how would they feel about the possibility of a musical episode?
At that point, I got as excited to see them get all worked up with the idea as to listen to the crowd cheering me up! I am still wondering why the hell this hasn't happened yet. They could easily do a special in between the two parts of the season, and they have a cast filled with musicians, Sean being one himself! "I'll pass them your idea and if they go for it, you should get some money for that". Sean, have I told you I want to marry you and have your babies?? Haha, kidding not really, but yeah. I laughed so hard with Sean imitating Glee, though! Hello you cute little clown with the marvelous eyes and the heart picking smile, you, lol! And then of course, someone reminded him that he had promised us he'd sing and he when he said "I don't have a guitar" that girl (who I want to find and thank and bow to her) appeared on the crowd holding this petite guitar! He was shocked he didn't expect that! Now he had to sing!! hahaha, poor him, and he was still trying to wake up and be professional and ignore the wine bits that had remained in his system. But he obliged... or at least he tried!! :P
Click to viewSeriously, MARRY ME!!! ♥♥♥ Damn it, Tanya is one hell of a lucky woman!
After the Q&A was over and the stage was clear, me, Jess and Rina got up there and sat on the chairs and took an Evil Regal pose for a photo! Us, little fanforumitas, Outlaw Queens, on the stage that moments earlier Sean and Robbie had been and that Lana, Rebecca, Emily and Jared would also come next! Yahoooooooo!!!! We stuck around for a bit at the theatre, waiting for the announcement for the photo op with Sean and the duo pics with him and Lana. I had not yet seen Lana that day, or anyone else for that matter. At that point, there was a flash contest taking place with a photo with Sean being the prize. Oh guess what: I WON!!!! They asked if we knew the exact origins of the guests of the convention and as it happened, I did know them, which was an extreme coincidence because I had searched Lana's a couple of days earlier, being curious as to why her name is so spanish ♥! YAY ME!!
I go to the studio and get in line. I wanted to stick towards the end, so that I wouldn't have to be rushed by those security guards all the time, but there were still a couple of girls behind me. It was the first time I'd get to do a double shot, so I wasn't really sure how that would work. So, my turn comes, I go there and of course we kiss again (like I would miss a chance!). I just LOVE how he didn't get uncomfortable at us fans wanting to give him a kiss (maybe because nobody tried to ACTUALLY kiss him, hehehe) and he obliged and even more so, he hugged us (smell of forest... oh it was so early, what he did to meeee!!!) and he talked as if we were old buddies. I asked for a hug for the pic, we did it and upon going I turn and tell him "oh, I have one more pic with you so I'll just see you in abit again!" and he laughs and keeps it going. I go back in line, waiting for the rest of the fans to finish and then it's time for my second shoot - at this point I want to comment that in the end it wasn't necessary to go in the line again, you just had to tell them you had two and they would do it the same moment, but I enjoyed it this way even more. There was this crazy pose on my mind, which I wanted to ask of him, and I was a bit worried he wouldn't be totally ok with it. But oh NO!
"So, do you know anything about tango?" I asked him.
"Oh, well, not really."
"That's alright. But, would you mind if I asked you for a tango pose that I've been thinking?"
"Oh no, not at all!! How do you want it?"
"Ok, I will put my leg here" and I raise my left leg and put it almost around his back (YES I DID YES I DID), "and you... feel free to grab it and hold it there!"
*laughs and laughs* "Oh my, that's brilliant!"
The photographer and the crew that was around got hyped!! Especially that photographer loved it, I think he had gotten a bit bored with girls asking only for hugs or for getting lifted up by Sean, that he found it very original! The result was... oh well, let's just say I'll put that one above my bed and stare at it for good night's sweet dreams forever and I will never care if my future husband gets disturbed!!!
We shared a good laugh after the shot was taken! I felt a bid bad for asking him to grab my leg and for having put it around him so I wanted to apologise, just in case.
"Thank you for that! I'm so sorry if my request embarrassed you or anything..."
"Oh no, of course not!"
We said our byes, I gave him a hug again and left at cloud 9!!!
Up next: duo photo with him and Lana! YAY YAY YAY!!! Me and Maria went together for that one, as she too hadn't gotten hers the day before. This would be my second one with both of them (how I managed to do that, well, shush, I'm not saying :P) and I still hadn't figured out if I wanted them to be kissing me, or sharing a sandwich hug or doing a Charlie's Angels pose! When my turn came, I greeted Sean with a big smile, since that would be the fourth time that day we were face to face and he said "We are all friends here in the end!" NSHFAOISFHASIUFMHAIOSFOSAIFOSAIFUAOSIUEOGIN!!!!! Then I turned to Lana, gave her a hug and a kiss, after taking permission using eye contact (thank you Spain for teaching me the proper way to greet people!) and it was obvious that the woman was tired. She was not as alive as the day before, but that didn't mean she looked and acted any less awesome. Just a bit less vocal. I went for the sandwich hug in the end, and believe me, I do not regret if for a second!! Being hugged at the same time by Lana on your front and Sean on your back, smells of forest and apples and cinnamon ALL AROUND you... yup, I almost fainted! I didn't stick around this much that time, as there were more people waiting, and I would get more opportunities to interact with them later, especially with Lana, since there was still my photo and my autograph with her.
There wasn't much time to take in each encounter and each interaction, cause the photoshoot with Lana was right up next. Of course, the line was as big as it could get. I highly doubt there would have been so many people there if it hadn't been her. If not the 100% of the fans, then at least the 99% of them were there because of her! I did what I always did, stood there in line calmly and in no rush at all. She took like a gazillion pictures! I had thought I wanted to ask her to get on my back, so that we would get a funny pic, but a girl ahead of me asked it and even though Lana did it with a big laugh, her security guard went nuts and did not allow something similar to occur (really??? we were not going to drop her or anything, she is as light as a feather - see what I did there? - that I CAN tell!). So, I go to her, greet her the usual spanish way (mueheheeee) and if it was obvious earlier that she was exhausted, then at that point it was even more. The poor woman needed some sleep, you damn jetlag!
"Is it ok if I do the same thing the girl did before and lift you on my back?"
"I don't mind, but I don't think *whispers* that guy will let you..."
At this point I want to add that in the end, instead of 1 pic with Lana, I got to take 3!!! Oh yes baby, THREE! Won't get into details, but let's just say that whatever way I felt they fooled me (and the rest of us) on the convention with that poor organization, I managed to take my revenge!!! ;)
After she politely refused to get on my back (lol), I didn't really know what pose to take with her. Plus, to have her right in front of you, looking at you with her beautiful eyes expectantly, waiting patiently yet eager to be precise to her schedule, was NOT a helping factor. So, in the end, my first shot... well, we both came out nicely, but the pose I asked... let's say it's wasted. The second one though... I went in for a hug, but we got excited both of us for some stupid impulsive moment (oh there you are moment of impulse, I missed you today!) and I ended up lifting her up in the air! She laughed! That ADORABLE laugh of hers! The security guard could have killed me, but UP YOURS you big rude dude! The third one...
"Ok, what should we do now??"
"I don't know, it's up to you... but not anything weird, right?" pointing to that dude with a funny look.
"Oh no, don't worry! Ok, let's take our "Evil Queen is here to kick your asses dudes" look"
"Hahahaaaa, ok!
We both turn and stand back to back and we get our photo... two times because the photographer was not completely satisfied with the first one! I turn to her to tell her my byes and upon looking at her... I don't know, I felt like i wanted to stick around and just chat, as if she were not working! I mean, who wouldn't want that?
"Damn, I wish I had more time with you.. I have so much I'd like to talk with you about...". She did respond with an "awww" but I doubt she was able to think about it more. I'm telling you, she just NEEDED rest, she physically needed it and I felt sad we were keeping her away from it... Oh well..
Lunch break came, with no lunch again. It was the time to meet more people and make some new friends. At that point I got to meet the girl who was doing Sean's (and Tanya's) fanbook and I got the chance to sign it too and send them my message, which was sooooo sweet! I really loved the idea of including messages for Tanya in there, she is such a lovely lady and our no1 OQ shipper! hahahaha!!
Next on the stage, Bex and Emily! Em looked SO petite on that white dress and the huuuuuuuuge heels. So what if she's a small little girl? I find it extremely cute! Why do they make her walk in those heels all the time! When she was not on stage and walked around in flats, she looked so much better!! Bex, of course, was like a goddess again! A goddamn greek goddess! Every time she laughed, we did abs from way too much laughing too, that sound is just unbelievable!!! They talked about their experience in Lost, their favourite lines ("Oops!" and "Yes"... Really!! hahahahaa!), about Rumple and the possibility of their characters being friends ("Absolutely NOT!") and lots of other things. I kept taking pictures but I was mostly enjoying the panel, doing one more effort (with no result) to realize who was sitting only some meters away from me!
And then.... OQ FAMILY PANEL PEOPLE!!! The last and best Q&A of the weekend! Times of greatness!!! Lana and Jared enter the stage first and I freak out: where the heck is Sean??? I got scared thinking they changed the schedule (AGAIN??) and that they wouldn't do it together, but gladly he sneaked in moments later. Lana said how tired she felt but happy to be with all of us and scolded Sean for being late and for interrupting her impressing us with her french! "But it's ok, I still love you" Oh you beautiful, wonderful humans!!!! *hugs and feathers and love all over* Getting to ask a question at that specific panel seemed impossible. They were as strict as they could get and almost everyone's hand was raised to ask for permission from the moderator. Mine specifically was raised almost during the entire 2/3 of the interview! I don't know how I got SO LUCKY to get picked AGAIN, but I did and I wouldn't let the opportunity pass by like that! As it happened, i would get to ask the panel's final question, because the time had really passed by SO quickly that I doubt any one of us realized it. I decided to say hello in greek and tell them that they have fans here - and I listen to this very loud cheer from someone on the crowd and I go nuts inside because I thought me and Maria were the only greeks crazy enough to attend the con - who love them a great deal (there are already greek fanpages on facebook about both the actors and the pairing) and then addressed my question to all of them, even though it was mostly about Regina. In retrospect, I think I should have articulated it better in order for them to realize WHY I wanted all of them to answer me. Regina's heart being the most vulnerable to get frozen due to its current sentimental state, needing an act of true love to thaw it. CHEERS FROM THE CROWD AND LANA'S AWESOME RESPONSE: "I think you've just been hired as one of the writers of Once Upon A Time". Yeah I WISH, I REALLY DO!!! "No, I don't have that kind of authority" she rushed to add (naturally, because I got overly excited "WOW!!!!":O). And now tell, me HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO ADD THE DETAILS OF MY QUESTION AFTER SUCH A RESPONSE?? No, really, how could I find the strength to say something more than "asiauufhabosiusiusnfihsfim"? And that's how I lost my chance to explain how the act of true love could come from either Henry or Robin or even Regina herself, thus involving all of them. "I think Sean should answer this question". And he did. And once again, he finds it an excellent idea!!! Oh stop being so awesome Sean, REALLY I MIGHT HAVE JUMPED ON THAT STAGE!!! Still, I held it together (way to go me!) and I ask Lana one more small thing about why Emma thought Regina was lying when she said she loved Henry, and I watch with the corner of my eye the moderator almost losing it that I didn't seem eager to let that microphone go!! hahaha!! Nope, I was going to enjoy those moments as long as I could and I would return in my sit feeling butterflies again!! And then, you all know what happened: Lana being Sean's fangirl, asking him about his feelings upon reading that Marian was back. "I felt sad because I was afraid I wouldn't get to play with my friend anymore". Ok, let me go cry a river out of their sweetness, their awesomeness THEIR EVERYTHING! *fangirl flail inserting dangerously*
The panel was over and the feeling of melancholy started kicking in because the end of the con was now closer. They stood together, all three of them, with big smiles, for us to take our pictures, and I got teary eyed. Later on, I made one more acquitance: the girl who cheered while I was telling them about the greek fans! It's so lucky I met her! She actually had a "Meet and Greet" with Lana in a few minutes and she was so nervous and when she came out she shared the whole experience with me and we both just hugged and cried together! Thank Lana and her AWESOME self (did I say that lots of times?? I don't care, she is AWESOME) for that. My friend asked her how she felt that even though Regina has held the hearts of so many people in her life, it's Lana herself that has touched OUR hearts and holds a special place in them, has united us into the Evil Regal family through our love for her. And Lana.. she started crying. Hold me as I fall! She started crying!!! She spend almost half of her Meet & Greet with that group to talk about what my friend told her, she could not express how touched she felt by all of that and she just cried.. I CAN'T EVEN, LET ME FLY TO THE STATES ON SOMEONE'S SUITCASE AND JUST HUG LANA FOREVER!!!!
All these emotions were a lot for two days! I could not assimilate all of them, and I still cannot. I went upstairs cause it was time for my autographs with Lana and Bex. That time I did not stay last because the line was SO BIG that I feared we would never get inside. When I finally did, I went to Bex first, as the line for her was smaller, and I was happy to see that she was taking her time with everyone, talking and laughing and everything. Lana was sitting to a table right next to her and she got up on occassions to greet the people that were outside the window calling her name (seriously, I don't think there is a sweetest famous person on the face of the planet!!), but she seemed a bit out of breath, like as if she were multitasking (which she practically did). She kept signing and signing and signing... it never ended there!
I walk up to Bex and she looks at me with those bright blue eyes of hers. What's up with this cast's eyes??? Why does everyone have such a piercing look, like an xray?? "Hello my dear, how have you been today?" oiuhansifhasihiiwmofaiwfi, that familiarity can kill you, really, it can!!!! "I'm fine, thank you! Hope you're doing great here too" - "oh yes, it's been WICKED!" She just loved using that word on every occassion she could! I gave her what I had prepped for her to sign and in the meantime I took a moment to talk to her about how her story the previous day had affected me. She looked at me in the eye while I was talking to her and she smiled to me very sweetly when she saw how touched I was by everything she had said that has happened to her and how she got to where she is now. The result? Here you go:
After saying my goodbyes to Bex and thanking her for everything, I stand to the line for Lana. The wait was ENDLESS and what came up next was even worse: Lana never rushed these things. I've seen other autograph sessions she's done in conventions and she always takes time to chat with everyone for a couple of minutes and she did the same that day, ignoring how tired she was. Her PA though, had different thoughts for her. He gets up when there were only less than 10 people before me and announces that from then on there would be no time to chat, no time to give gifts, no time to do ANYTHING more than just get a signature and get the heck out of there keep it going, because there were a gazillion people waiting and the time was extremely limited. I panicked, because the autograph was the moment I hoped I would get to talk a bit with Lana and apparently that wouldn't happen. And in the end, I didn't enjoy it as I was supposed to... Lana was not given a chance to say anything about the poster I made, and I didn't even have time to tell her what my name was in order for her to sign... luckily, Sean had written it on the same poster before her, so she saw and wrote it too. I did ask her to also include a line from the show, like Sean had, but really, I think her brain had melted at that moment. Tired, sleepy, dizzy and jetlagged and pressed by all of us to get it going... I cannot describe how incredibly amazed I am now that I look back at the whole thing by her inner strength. She said she could not remember anything and I completely understand why. When she caught my sad face (shame on me) she kept telling me she was sorry, even when I had left her table she looked at me and said it again... NO, I CANNOT HANDLE THAT!! When she realized how sad some of us had gotten because they didn't let us enjoy the moment, she got teary eyed! She bowed her head and almost touched the table while she was writing, in order for none of us to see, but I did see it from where I stood. NO NO NO, NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO MAKE THE WOMAN CRY!! She was incredibly wonderful with all of our requests those days, she gave all she had on that convention and she was not to blame for the bad organization and if anyone says otherwise they might get to feel my rage and they won't like it!!. Later on, after the mess calmed down a bit, she did increase a bit the time she spent with the fans, and as a result, in the end they had to help her get back on the stage for the closing ceremony. Poor woman... that's why I said I hope she has good memories of that weekend.
Now that the time has passed, I realize that getting upset upon the limited time on the autograph was idiotic on my part. Of course, i could have asked her to just write that "pixie dust doesn't lie" but like her, I also could not get my brain to function from all the nervousness and the rush that blond made me feel with the looks he shot at me while I was getting my ag. But now that I look at it... it's not bad at all! ;)
Following the eventful autograph session, the closing ceremony came on! Lana, Sean, Jared and Robbie came out together and said their goodbyes and I was right in front of the stage filming them, and (of course) crying my eyes out from happiness and melancholy at the same time. Before that, I had the chance to be with the girls on the stairs when we happened upon Sean and gave him his fanbook. He seemed extremely touched by it. He even returned later, after the ceremony was over, in that same spot and looked for the girls that gave it to him because he wanted to thank them properly! Do they put something in the water on OUAT? How come they are all such adorable human beings???? Lana wished us all safe travels back home, and thanked us for coming to France for them, Sean gave his huge thanks once again, as did the kids too. It's all a blur and I still haven't watched the videos I took, because then I might accept it's over... and I don't want tooooooo!!!!
I learnt later that Bex and Emily were still signing autographs. I was happily surprised with Emily when I learnt that they tried to rush her into finishing quickly and she refused and said she would stay there as long as she needed in order to do this properly. The organizers were furious, but, once again, UP YOURS YOU IDIOTS!! It was not our fault nor the guests' that you had the autographs 2 hours before the event was supposed to end! REALLY?????
Unfortunately I missed the emotional closing Bex gave. I did hear it from downstairs, but at the point I could not attend. People said that she made them all cry when she got teary eyed herself and that it was the best of her in the entire weekend. In the end, we all conclude that BEX ROCKS THE WORLD!!
The final moments of the con were spent outside. Me and my new friends stayed there and chatted and rested and waited for Lana and Bex to leave the place so that we could say our goodbyes to them. In the meantime, we did watch the Versailles return to its normal self bit to bit
I felt so sad to see that thing go down. It marked the end of a beautiful weekend. We stood there with the girls, chatting, singing, mimicking OUAT characters and having a good time! Lana's car finally came out and she said her final goodbye to us all by her window, obviously exhausted and ready to give herself into her bed that was waiting her. And then Bex's car was out too, and, as always she was her usual funny self!! She said goodbye loudly and when her car stopped on a red light further up that street she just stuck half her body out the window and waved at us and said bye bye like a small kid who had just had the time of her life! Next time I see her, I'll just give her a teddybear to play!!! SHE IS ADORABLE!! ♥
And then we took off as well. With nothing but awesome memories, extreme feelings, new friends and wonderful experiences in our hearts and minds, at least for me! I learnt a lot from that event, and I fullfilled something that was actually on my bucket list: I got to meet people I admired A LOT! Lana, Sean, Bex mainly and Robbie, Jared and Em of course! Those fantastic people who have such beautiful souls and welcomed us and treated us as equals, since that's what we are in the end: all humans! I will never EVER forget that weekend in my entire life and I will keep hoping and dreaming that maybe one day we'll meet again. Because I BELIEVE! I believe that fairytales do come true!
PS: I cannot seem to find the strength to take this thing off! And it's not even beautiful!! hahahahahahahaaa!!
