Oh, LJ. How I hate you sometimes.

Entry got eaten up and I spent hours on that. Damnit. Let's do this again.

UP AME 2008:

My orientation got moved to next week so I hitched a ride with Kuya Harvs to the event. We picked someone up from SM Bicutan, went to the Mangaholix Studio and picked some stuff up, then picked Shobe Jenny up from Cubao before going to the event. It was a bit dizzying but Kuya had bought brownies at SM, I got to hook up my mp3 to the sound system and spazzed with Jen over Saiyuki Musical and Saiyuki Gaiden so it was ok. We arrived at UP a few minutes or so before 1 and it was raining quite a bit.

People were lining up in front of the venue with umbrellas. Saw Nyxie at the side-entrance for sponsors and went in through there, then went with Shobe Jenny to get changed while Mangaholix set up their booth. Saw meicdon13(so sexy~) and met austere_flarefor the first time--and that would be the last I saw of them.T_T Things go a bit blurry after this. I had Nyxie help me with my wig, then saw Em and helped her tie the ribbons to her wrists for her Ranka Lee costume. People started asking us if they could take our picture and we got asked to leave the booth.^^;; Went out of the hall with Nyxie to smoke, and got told I should join the Harajuku catwalk.

In front of the information/registration booth, I saw a member of NKK and instantly got nervous/intimidated. But then arsenicgraffiticut into my line of sight and wheeeee, niisan~. We went to one of the side exits where they were selling foods and she had a bento made. We used up the 20-minute wait signing me up for the competition and looking through doujinshis. She also introduced me to a couple of her high sch**l friends before we want back for her bento. We went outside so she could eat at the stairs and Xiao gave me the refund to my contact lenses that didn't came. I had to keep the money in the front of my dress.O//O Arsenic and I parted then I went back inside when I thought Em was already up for the Karaoke Singing Contest. I had to go through the front this time and cough up the entrance fee, but it was okay since there was no line anymore.

Went back to the booth and checked my cellphone. I had four messages, some of which were from Sele and Renz of PinoyWrimos. Met them and another wrimo, Ari, outside the hall about half an hour later and kept spazzing over how cute they look together. Two of my novel's characters are based on them.xD We parted when they went off to get some food. Sometime later, I saw arsenic again with some of the members/mods of the Butler and Maid cafe and ate ice cream with them. One of the mods is considering moving me from the butler cafe to the maid cafe after seeing my outfit.^^;; Then Sele messaged me and I went to join them again. We were going to take our pictures taken but were told the photo booth was closed. Cosplayers were being called to assemble so I went off to see if the Harajuku 'cosplayers' were too.

Apparently not. The wait for the Harajuku competition to start was excruuuuuuuuciatingly long! I spent most of it at the booth, alternating between watching the individual and group cosplay and whining over the long wait was and how tired I was. SO tired. At one point arsenic joined me again and that was the last time I saw her. Looooooong wait. I thought the Harajukuwould come before the invidual and group cosplays since there was only about 28 of us but we went after both. It was a blessing in disguise though!^^ dia_aren_mariewas off duty by the time we were assembled for our catwalk and I saw her backstage, and then Gojyo and Hak--

--ok, I'm getting ahead of myself (no wonder why, there.xD). I chatted up a couple of the other people in line, some of them first time cosplayers. Though I'd hardly call what we did as 'cosplay'...No wonder they saved the Harajuku category for last. It was...different. When they said it would be quick like a fashion show, they meant a fashion show. I remember standing to the side of the stage and telling my new friends how the other cosplayers were like real models. The way they posed, walked, held their hands, etc.

The music was ramp-catchy, the catwalk was blinding with white lights. Though I was determined to go at my own pace, I don't think I did. Center, pose, forward, pose, walk back. Easy and quick, maybe even too quick for my tastes. But I've been told I didn't do too badly, and it was fun. Watched the rest of the catwalk from the side of the stage then went back to the now empty Mangaholix booth, where Kuya Harvs was waiting for me. He was the only one left there.@_@ Quickly grabbed my stuff from his car to get changed and get going but--

But--

--SAIYUKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII! Yep, Hakkai and Gojyo were right by the venue entrance when I entered again to go to the bathroom. Grabbing my digicam from my bag, I took a few shots and then--*sigh*-- had to go and get changed. When I went outside again, I met Kuya Harvs, and Hakkai and Gojyo were there again!!<333 I had Kuya take a pic of me with them and then a pic of the two of them (both came out terribly 'cause it was really dark outside), then we had to go to the parking lot--with me fangirling all the way of course.xD Kuya Harvs caved in and asked me if I wanted him to take his camera and take better shots of them and <333 I LOVE YOU, KUYA!

Then we really had to go. *siiiigh* The last thing I saw as we drove away from the venue were Hakkai and Gojyo sitting on the curb in front with Hakkai holding a light.<333 If they'd done that while we were still there--

Anyway, that about sums up my UP AME 2008 experience. Now, for pics~



My gorgeous 'niisan arsenicgraffiti, who now looks more like Tenpou than Homura~.



Kuya Arjay as Hiei. The cosplayer before him during the catwalk cosplayed Bui, Hiei's opponent in the last stage of the Dark Tournament, and the crowd was going "Tapusin! Tapusin!" (Finish it! Finish it!). Then he called his Black Dragon on to the stage.xD Too bad I couldn't get a picture of either--especially of Bui.<333



Marky as Dark Magician Girl. I walked around the event with him for a little while and found malaikahon the second floor.



Erin as Fuji. Since she's supposed to be cosplaying Goku in our group for this event, I can't help but see Goku instead of Fuji.x_X The color of her hair doesn't help any...lulz.



Erin's friend as Rin.



Em as Ranka Lee. I stood next to her Alto during her performance at the Karaoke Singing Contest and she was so cute!



Sousuke/Alex as Heero Yuy and...



...his Relena (with me in my throw-together Lolita outfit and Carrot). I want so much to cosplay Trowa now.*_* Though I'll probably end up acting as my AU!Trowa ( l3puffy_pants) from econtra_rpg, lulz. Anyway, they did a tag-team catwalk with Zechs and it was <333. I love Gundam Wing!!

And finally, of course, SAIYUKI~!!!=D Gojyo and Hakkai~.<333



And, yes, I've edited the time/date for this (not my fault LJ ate my entry and I had to refresh just to see if it managed to save a draft (it didn't).T_T):

HAPPY  BIRTHDAY, GOJYO!!<333 =D