Firefly

London Convention Story, Starring Nathen, and Alan. For those that couldn’t make it, and them that did!

"What are you doing here?".... "You invited me!" Hey all my fellow coat’s, I’m here to tell you a tale of such joy, and ok a little bit of woe, (but we’ll, get to that bit later, and i’ll warn you first.) This weekend (1-2/07/07) in case any of you don’t know was the London comic and movie convention, and in attendance two, (yes two!) of our big Damn Hero’s!!!! MR NATHEN, and MR ALAN. (Mal and Wash) As with all convention’s i am sure not everyone that would of like to go (pretty much everyone here) could go. And I know i get so insanely jelouse when people mention convention’s and meeting’s they went to too, and i want to know every detail, so i am going to tell you all i can remember about both day’s, cause yes like the good ’coat i am, i attended both!

I’ll try to not sully the events with my own experience’s too much. This is just what i saw happen.

Day one: Nathen and Alan i have been told were both in there seats, when the door’s opened at 9, and a couple of hundred firefly fan’s ran full speed towards there queuing tables. According to one of the usher’s it was quite scary. During the morning, before Alan had to attend his photo shoot, our BDH misbehaved like just like you would expect. i don’t know what started it, but Alan dragged his chair away from his signing table, and used it to climb up to the poster of Nathen above them. Using his pen he drew a rather large and very camp looking mustache on out captains pic. Nanthen, returned in kind, and climbing on his own chair, put large crosses over the eyes of wash, and wrote R.I.P underneath. Both actions were much to the horror of the organisers, who had no replacement picture’s and had to leave them up both day’s yay!! and to the security guards protecting Nathen and Alan, who turned white at the site of them climbing on the chair’s! - Lol.

The Talk that had been advertised as Nathen’s was attended by both, and as ever more misbehaving ensued. Walking on to stage they fought over first the microphone, and then the chairs, which included Alan throwing his chair in Nathen’s direction. Once settled Nathen complained that the organised were full of b*lls*it when they told him it was sold out because he could see spaces in the first two row’s! Theses spaces were set aside for gold pass members, and we were not allowed to take the free space’s. A policy that strangely changed on the second day, and im in doubt it was something to do with Nathen. The talk was far too short, and just as they and we were starting to get into it they had to end. Highlights were, Alan telling us the second move was all set up,(Joke) and they had cast crew etc ready, they were just trying to cast a new captain! Nathen giving out script sheets to everyone that asked a question. And when someone commented on how nice of him, he said, “it was wasn’t it you know the more i think about it, the more awesome i am!” (couldn’t agree more) Nathen said firefly was the best job he had ever had, working with the best people and the best character. he would love for it to continue. Oh and he also said he want the trillogy, and if there is to be no more mal should die at the end so no one else can ever play his character cause Mal is his!

After the talk both guys returned to there signing booth’s and was supposed to sign until approx 4.30. Alan’s line petered out some what and he was pretty much free to go when ever, and i think he finally disappeared around 5’ish having sat alone for a while. Awwwww! Nathen’s line however was still growing out of control, at around 5 he got up on to his chair, and counted how many people were left in line, and promised everyone he would sign for them. but that he had to go really fast because his car was arriving in ten minuets. So he couldn’t pose for any pictures. They had been signs up all day saying no pictures, but everyone including Nathen and Alan had ignored hem, and posed for pretty much every picture asked for. The organisers even at this late time didn’t stop people joining Nathen’s line, and it just kept growing. Ten minuets later Nathen was back up on his chair shouting one again he couldn’t stop for pictures. By six he was still going but did seemed to be having real trouble just witting, and was leaning heavily on the desk. But finally the line had slowed and he got to the end of it. As he put his pen down myself and a few of the staff who were all that were left in the hall, cheered. Personaly i wouldn’t of had the heart to ask anything off him from about 5 onward’s but Just as he was about to get up and leave, the staff approached with picture’s for signing, so he sat down and began again, he was still signing at around 20 -30 past six when i the last browncoat left was asked very firmly this time, to leave as they were shutting the door’s.

Everyone including myself was so amazed at Nathen’s performance, especially as i was told he only took one half hour break in a about a ten hour day.

People our Capatin Rock’s!!!!!

 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x  "Why did you leave?".... "Why didn’t you ask me not too?"

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Monday, July 03, 2006 - 14:05

Day two- I was absolutely shattered myself getting up Sunday morning, so i have no idea, what our BDH’s must of felt. But they faithfully arrived about ten minuets after the doors opened at ten. And once again spent all morning signing autograph’s. Nathen went to his Photo session at around 12, and while he was absent, Alan took the opportunity to add a beard to his mustache on the photo of Nathen. He also told me the reason he was so happy even though he had been working so long was because Nathen had finally gone! -lol. We asked if the RIP on his picture had ruined anyone’s day because they hadn’t seen the movie and he looked worried for a second, but then said that he thought it looked more like PIP anyway, cause Nathen’s hand writing was terrible.

Nathen over in his photo session kept asking the line to scream for him, and he asked if we were all excited, everyone of course said yeah!!- very loudly, and he called us all lier’s! It was very good natured and he tried to stop people from being nervous. When he got about half way through the line, he stuck his head around the wall and complained we weren’t making enough noise, and began shouting stuff himself. Along the lines off. “oh my god this is the best photo session ever! You have to join this line. Were having so much fun!” etc, trying to get more people in his line! On a personal note, this was the highlight of my day, when Nathen wore my set of Mal dog tags for my photo with him! And after giving them back apologised for making them all sweaty!!

The talk: ok so this time it was advertised as Alan’s turn but as we all suspected they both trooped in. there were no empty seats this time as the organisers allowed us to fill them! Alan and Nathen posed in a variety of silly poses so we could all get pictures at first before settling down. Nathen said that he loved all us guys that do the browncoat stuff on the web, and “not just the physical love either the real thing!” they spoke about how hard it was to learn the words. Alan even confessed (and he said he couldn’t believe that he told us.) that by the end of the day shooting the nine min long beginning of serenity he had to have his lines tapped to the desk, cause he just couldn’t remember them. Nathen gave out goodies to people that asked questions again. Alan still remembers one Chinese line and thats from our Mrs reynolds, when his on the bridge with saffron, and he says says if i was anyone else in the world right now. A little girl asked if firefly started again now wash is dead would Zoe marry Mal. Alan looked horrified at the thought, and said no she would be still grieving for him too much, and that he thought she might be carrying his unborn child!- then said that wasn’t from joss, so don’t get to excited people! There were a few joked from Nathen about Mal and Inara’s wedding night, and how the bed would be rather crowded, with him her and her cliant’s, and that he thought Mal’s duties would run to keeping Zoe warm on those cold nights when she was missing wash, again Alan looked not amused! Nathen once again said he would love for firefly to continue, its what they all want! (Edited) Oh i forgot one of the most intriguing parts of the talk was that Alan keept slipping into an english accent, seemingly without noticing, he also did this while signing autographs!

After the talk both guys returned to sign more autograph’s and Nathen’s line was out of control again and almost doubled on its self once or twice. Where as Alan was, well left to sit alone again really. Awwww! Alan had enough and left at around four/four thirty only to keep coming back to see how Nathen was doing and such. Nathen finally finished all autographs at around 5, including more starff!

Ok here’s for the woe people...

well two woe’s really first, thats is it! that was the end of the convention, no more Nathen and Alan for me. and second woe. Nathen left with his arm around the waist of some unknown blond woman who was very dressed up, wearing a press pass, and carrying a bag of goodies she had brought during the day. Anyone any idea’s who this is? A very lucky journalist maybe? Or someone more depressing?

Anyway: This time i managed to be the last browncoat to see Alan and Nathen actually leaving the building together.

I had an absolutely exhausting weekend, but the best time ever!!! i spoke to some really nice people, none of which i though to get the names off. A couple of gold pass holders girl’s who live near the sea, a couple of girls in line to collect pictures, one of whom i walked to the talk with, and a couple of girls in the line for the Nathen picture session, oh yes during which time i lost my earing. Just in case you are reading Nathen or some one that can tell him, if he did find a gold heart/black onyx earing in your shirt when you undressed Sunday night, it was probably mine! - lol.

I’d love to hear other people’s stories of the convention, or if you thought you might have met me, or what either of the BDH’s wrote on your pictures or what ever you had signed.

It was an amazing time, and i cant wait for the next one.