Buffymania in Europe
London: June 10-17, 2001

I just returned from my vacation in Cyprus, so excuse the delay in publishing my personal experience of my week in London, including the Nocturnal 3K weekend.  I will try to keep it short.  I'll try ...

Sunday, June 10
Arrival in London.  The weather was rather unsummerly.  "Nothing falls like London rain." (Heather Nova)  Anyway, I made it to my bed&breakfast place and went to bed at 6 p.m., for I knew I'd have to get up early next morning in order to meet up with some fellow Amber Benson fans in time for Amber's signing at Forbidden Planet.  6 p.m. – my mommie would have been proud of me! *lol*

Monday, June 11
Getting up at 5:30 a.m. ... *yawn*
Since I usually need about 50 minutes in the bathroom each morning, and since I had to walk quite a distance to the train station, then switch to the tube (Victoria line, Central line), I didn't arrive at FP before 7:15 a.m.  Four girls were already there, all "Amberholics" who had arrived there in the wee hours and whom I knew from the Essence of Amber message board. *waves at Tasha, Shortie, Kali and Emily*  After a short introduction, we spent the rest of the morning chatting, shivering (for it was freezing cold in the shadow of the buildings), drinking coffee and hot chocolate and generally goofing around, soon joined by Rebecca (Mad Crazy Buffy Fan ... or was it Giant?), Chris (AngelusUK), Jamraza and Sarah (Strapping Lass).  Latter offered me to sleep at her place during the upcoming Nocturnal 3K weekend, because my B&B room was much farther away from Heathrow then her house.  I was extremely surprised at the offer and gladly accepted.  *smoochies for the fabulous Strapping Lass!!*
Bec (MCBF) had brought a self-made "Ambermart" tabbard, an idea deriving from a dream she had had (about her and Little Willow opening Ambermarts all over England and its employees wearing these "cool" fashion items ... check the site), and we all got to sign it (MCBF was in awe over my silver pen ... yes, I was prepared for all occasions).  I even agreed on putting the tabbard on, urgs! (Photo courtesy of Mad Crazy Buffy Fan)
Anyhoo, everyone was excited about meeting Amber, though no one dared to admit it, up to the point where they handed out a short notice of information and the tickets for the signing.  Suddenly, no one wanted to be the first and everybody started pushing behind me in line.  I didn't mind. *g*  And so – after Emily and her father – I got to be number 3.
The rumor of several other cast members of BtVS roaming London spread amongst us, and so we were excited, but not surprised when Joss Whedon himself walked by and straight into FP.  My first thought was, "Dang, I don't have a present for him!" *rofl*  I decided to split my presents and give my Buffy CD to Joss.  I could still give a copy to Amber at N3K.

Finally, we were let inside ...

Here is how I recall the conversation:

Like I said, Emily and her dad were first, and being right behind them, I witnessed how nervous she grew facing Amber and Joss.

I was next, MCBF right behind me.

Theo:  <to Amber> Hi. <to Joss> You could have told us you were going to show up as well. <grins>  I haven't brought anything for you to sign!
Joss:  Hey, I didn't know I was going to come! <laughs>
Amber:  <fumbling around with her many pens>
Theo:  <handing Amber her Diddl mouse, a stuffed animal, quite popular in Germany and Austria, dressed in a trendy raincoat to remind Amber of the weather>  I brought this little fellow with me from Austria. He was simply dying to meet you, 'cause he's madly in love with you. <smirks>
Amber:  Awww, that's so sweet of you!  Thank you so much. <hugs me>
Theo:  <not thoroughly hugging her back, coz being caught by surprise>  Uh, you're welcome! <recalling Amber's preference of hairy chests>  I assume he's your type, too – he's got a furry chest. <grins>
Amber:  Ohhh... <kinky smile>
Joss:  <laughing>
Theo:  <handing over stuff for signing: a portray pic of Amber and the Tara poster from Buffy mag #12>
Amber:  What's your name?
Theo:  Theodora.  Or Theo.
Amber:  <signing> That's a beautiful name.
Theo:  Thanks. <smiles>  Doesn't your hand hurt by now?  I mean, you've been doing this for over a week!
Amber:  Oh no, not at all!  I like it.
Theo:  Well, your arm's probably used to it.
Joss:  She never gets tired.
Theo:  <giving Joss her CD> And this is for you.
Joss:  Oh, thank you.
Theo:  The first song is sort of a birthday gift for you, so don't listen to it until then. <very big grin>
Joss:  Okay.
Theo:  Oh, and could you please sign here, too? <pointing at Tara poster>
Joss:  <to Amber, amused>  I'm gonna sign your picture.
Theo:  Right below the Buffy logo, that would be fitting. (...since he's the creator of the show...)
Joss:  <signing>

[ click here for a larger image of the autographs ]

Theo:  <to both> Thank you very much.

MCBF was next, showing off her tabbard.  In the meantime, waiting for her, I continued to chat with Mr. Whedon.

Theo:  <to Joss> I am truly looking forward to the upcoming season of Buffy and Angel.  I'm curious to see how you gonna bring Buffy back.
Joss:  They're actually starting with the writing today ... <pouts>  without me!
Theo:  <laughing> Obviously.  <shaking Joss' hand>  Thank you so much for producing such a wonderful show!  You're the best.
Joss:  Thank you!

Then I moved on in order to make room for the other people waiting in line, and got myself a real nice Xander poster – yay!

The next few hours were spent with a phone call to the U.S. (chatting to AngelRachel), having a late lunch and taking photos (which I might gonna publish here, as soon as I get the permission ... as I didn't bring a camera that day ... but then again, taking photos at FP was not allowed anyway).
Later that afternoon, we said goodbye and split up, Angelus and I returning to FP (Amber was still signing!), because I had forgotten to buy a copy of Joss Whedon's comic "Fray".  At the entrance, Joss was just leaving the site – Angelus managed to take a quick shot of him.
Unfortunately, "Fray" was sold out.

Well, well – so this had been the "appetizer" for Nocturnal 3K.

Tuesday, June 12
First day of my sight seeing tour:  Piccadilly Circus, Carnaby Street, Trafalgar Square, St. James' Park, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, McDonald's (kidding!), the Aquarium.

Wednesday, June 13
Meeting up with Tasha and Katie (Kali) for a visit of the British Museum (Kali being quite the expert on Egyptology), getting myself a copy of "Fray" at a comic store right across the street, short stop at St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower/Tower Bridge with Tasha, then going to Tasha's and watching a movie on DVD ("Bring It On", starring Eliza Dushku and Kirsten Dunst – it's hilarious, I highly recommend it!).

Thursday, June 14
More of the great city of London:  Madame Tussaud's Planetarium and Rock Circus, nice long walk along the Thames ... interrupted by a sudden rain that forced me to take a bus.  The ride took me forever, thanks to being stuck in the middle of rush hour.  Back at my place, I packed my stuff and – once more – went to bed at an unbelievably early hour.

Nocturnal 3K

Friday, June 15
After moving into Strapping Lass' house (many, many thanks for the comfy couch and lots of love to you and your house mates!) and a nerve-wrecking rush to the Radisson Edwardian Hotel at Heathrow (where the convention was going to take place), I was finally there!
It was early afternoon, and Tasha and consortium were already waiting for me.  As I went inside to pick up my registration badge, I ran into Robert.  He recognized me from the photos on my websites.

So, there we were, the five of us:

	From left to right:  Katie, Shortie, Tasha, Rob.  [ click thumbnails for larger image ]
	...and me.  Tsk tsk tsk, "someone" has got shaky hands. *grins*

Queuing at the registration desk, I overheard some Germans discussing their journey etc.  Ah, so I wasn't the only foreigner.  We got into a conversation, and I talked to them for about ten minutes until I had received my Nocturnal program and my badge.  The N3K staffers were extremely nice (except for one person, who shall remain unnamed) regarding the stress they must have had with organizing such an event, and I finished quickly, then headed back to my friends.  There was plenty of time left until the opening ceremony, so we decided to get something to eat at a little pub nearby the hotel.
On our way back to Tasha's hotel room, as we stood by the elevators, one of the German girls appeared.  She walked straight to me and explained in a casual tone that she had a ticket for the exclusive Cocktail Party left, and asked if I was interested in it.  Only the first 100 registered for this convention had the privilege to attend that party which was a two hour event at which the star guests were expected to show up.

If I wanted the ticket???

The girl must have been kidding ... of course I wanted the damn thing!  She smiled and added that she didn't know if I'd make it inside, since I was #789, but at least I could give it a try.  She left me speechless.  As we had entered Tasha, Katie and Shortie's hotel room, I couldn't hold back anymore and let out a scream of joy. (Again, sorry, Tasha. *chuckles*)
Due to some organizational problems which should occur throughout the whole weekend, the Opening Ceremony and therefore the Cocktail Party too were postponed.
My sudden nervousness gradually faded, as I had plenty of time to get used to the thought that soon I was going to chat with Amber Benson. *vbg*

8:30 p.m. – at last!  I went downstairs to the Newbury hall and had no problem to get inside.
Talking to the Germans and buying a soft drink, time passed quickly until the first celebs showed up.  And finally, Amber arrived.
She recognized me from the signing on Monday and even remembered that I was Austrian.  We chatted a while, and being there partly in duty *g*, I mentioned the other Amberholics (for bad, bad Amber had only officially mentioned the Kitten board, so I had to remind her that her "dedicated followers" were there as well, proved by Flip's "Amberholics On Tour" badge we were wearing *lol* ... we fans ARE scary), and explained the whole tabbard thingie to her, because she had looked rather clueless on Monday – later that evening she would refer to MCBF and the tabbard experience with the words: "Confused maybe – never scared!"  Glad to hear that, Amber. *wink*
That was when author Christopher Golden walked over to us in order to ask Amber for a little favor.  It was the first time I had met him, and he would prove to be cool company to hang out with over the weekend.  He is a good dancer and a sweet person, and he knew all the song lyrics by heart.  He is funny and quite cuddly, too.

Chris et moi.  ( Hey, Chris – if you're reading this: You looked fine that evening, don't worry. )

Back to Amber:  We chatted a bit about traveling, about acting (Amber and I agreed on Michelle Trachtenberg being an amazingly talented actress ... plus, she would soon outgrow all of them in height, heh heh), and when I mentioned "Tough Love" and how much I liked the quarrel between Tara and Willow, Amber explained to me that the scene had been rewritten over and over again, seemingly by Joss Whedon himself, and that they ended up being all confused over the dialogue and were having trouble memorizing their final lines (Amber quoting Alyson Hannigan: "What's my line? What's my line?").
Then we talked about fan gifts, and as I had already assumed, poor Amber was drowning in them.  Nevertheless, she swore that the Diddl mouse was behaving and that he was doing fine among the other gifts.  I was relieved. *smiles*  The bag she was carrying contained her life aid, and since it looked pretty empty, I thought it wouldn't kill her if I gave her another copy of my CD, which she stuffed into that bag after hugging me once more.  She said she was carrying that bag with her all the time (I never got to see what the "life aid" actually consisted of, hee), as well as her favorite coat which she has been wearing ever since she had arrived in England (ewww! *L*).  When I came up with the topic of witchcraft, she gave me a look saying that we wouldn't want to discuss her magic abilities, which made me laugh.  She also said that she loved the fact that BtVS wasn't preaching on people, and that the whole witchcraft thingie was a symbol for the developement of Tara and Willow's relationship and for – duh! – sex. (You don't say, Amber! *nudge*)  She loved Glory and her minions, too.
I also got to meet Simon (Theo: "And you are...?" – Simon: "Simon. Who are you?"), and before any of you asks:  No, I don't have any photos of him, and even if I had I wouldn't put them up here, coz I truly think that would be a little rude.  But trust me, he's cute. *vbg*  He was also nice enough to take the group shot of us with Amber later that evening, when I had to bluntly ask Amber over to the rest of our little group, because everyone else was too nervous to go over to Amber during the late night party (and I am still convinced that Amber was just tired, not tipsy).

Tasha, Robert, Shortie, Amber, me and Katie.

I also mentioned in a jokingly manner that Little Willow had ordered us to watch over Amber during the weekend, which got me a megawatt smile in return.
As more people started to gather around Amber (who truly is a kind soul, especially towards younger folk it seems), I decided to better leave her some space and strolled over to the huge group that had gathered around Joss.

I didn't envy him, for the group was not only big, but also moving in closer and closer as he was talking.  Joss Whedon is the born entertainer, though he might not look like it.  But that man can talk forever, once enthusiasm has gotten the better of him, and you will never ever grow tired of listening to him.  He is quite the cynic too (adorable), and he defintely knows how to party (which he gave us a perfect sample of at the disco that night, when he went crazy over Britney Spears and S Club 7 ... gods, he cracked me up .... Joss dancing and head-banging to Britney!).  Back to the Cocktail party:  I had to stretch my neck to even see Joss when he was answering all the questions.  What I remember asking him that evening (and of course those questions where asked again at the panel the next day ... so much for my originality, hah hah):
*  Amy is going to be de-ratted (for Marti Noxon had been complaining to him that up to now Amy being a rat has been funny ... but now it was starting to get cruel).
*  Amy "the singing rat" would be too expensive for the upcoming musical ep.
*  Everything from "Restless" has been resolved in season five.  (I dare to disagree on that...)
*  He hated what they did to his ideas in "X-Men" (sorry, first I made the mistake to name "Alien 4" as the one he referred to, but honestly, he wasn't too pleased about the latter, either); still he managed to recognize some of his original lines in it (although they were mostly taken out of context).
*  Loves Marc Blucas, but said one couldn't leave him alone for a minute ("We did that, and look what happened!? He immediately got other engagements." – There goes the idea of bringing Riley back *sniff*).
*  Xander is special and the real hero of the show.  (On which I totally agree, for he is the only one not having any special powers, yet he's willing to constantly risk his life for his loved ones – he is brave and loyal.)
*  He was not going to do the Dance of Joy or the Dance of Honor for us.  (What a pity!)
*  Amber actually wasn't his first choice for the role of Tara.  Are we glad things turned out he way they did!!

When the air around Joss started to get rather thick (apparently, some people have never heard of personal space), I walked over to George Hertzberg (Adam).  His height was impressive and his charm overwhelming.  What a handsome dude!  I must have left an impression (ahem, I think I said something about him being good-looking ... which is true, by the way) – he promised me a photo (which I got for free!).  Oh, and guess what: His parents are Germans and he's a first-generation American.  This was his first trip to Europe.

Some more chatting and hobnobbing, then the party was over ... only to merge into another one soon after.

The disco was fun, too.  Amber showed up (see photo above), as well as J. August Richards (Gunn) whom I had already noticed earlier (Theo: <walking by> "What happened to your head? *g*" – J: " I grew some hair." // Theo: "You know, you're a great addition to the show." – J. looked like he was about to blush, heh heh.  Joss was the Dancing King, James Marsters mingled among his female fans (and obviously enjoyed the attention and the heat), and Andy Hallet, the cutie, was as shy and lovely as one can imagine (Andy, when I told him how cool and what a great singer he was: "You're so sweet! Thank you!" – I was only being honest), and he was in equally nice company (I never got to ask her for her name...).

Sometime around 1:45 a.m. I decided that it was time to get some sleep.  I ordered a mini cab to Sarah's and soon crashed on the couch and snuggled into the cozy blanket.......

Click here for Part 2 of my N3K report  ( including lots of photographs !!! )