Finally! The show is over! Time to...catch up on sleep. Heh.

We made our way over to the Dealer's Room, but we didn't have a lot of time to really spend there as I believe it was due to close in about an hour. We still managed to do a little bit of window shopping and price comparison, though I didn't really see anything that caught my eye in particular. That's all right; I had about all I could fit in my suitcase to begin with.

Patti and Steph were getting calls and texts from the other girls as they were getting up and getting dressed, so we decided to stay by the double doors of the exit of the Dealer's Room, figuring that would be the easiest meeting place for everybody to find. Mostly we just hung out, gossiped, blew off some of the stress that had accumulated during the weekend, and concentrated on really catching up with each other, now that we didn't have to worry about getting lines straight or notes hit or blocking correct.

People's departure times were starting to loom, so not long after we decided to head back to hotel, gather all of our things, pack, and clean up as much as humanly possible. Those of us in costume changed into what we'd be wearing onto the plane...

...but I had one more costume in mind. I had had the components to the outfit I call Barefoot Rei (or more formally, Hino Rei - barefoot artbook outfit here on the site) for ages, but I had never gotten around to wearing it for a photoshoot. Barefoot Rei...means just add sandals for walking around outside, which means shoes that slip off easily for the plane! Perfect!

Courtney was kind enough to run up with her camera and conduct just about the fastest photoshoot ever (although Elegant Gothic Alice with David Ng might have beat it out, I didn't time either so I'm not sure) in the hallway. The only thing I wish I had done was paint my nails the night before--the thing about "closet cosplay" costumes is that the details matter SO much more, but as I said, by the time I got back to the hotel room Saturday night I was lucky I was still capable of working my key card, much less anything more ambitious. But Courtney's pictures came out wonderfully, and I'm so grateful to be able to move that costume from In Progress to Finished on my website!

Once we were packed, we checked our luggage downstairs, and headed over to the mall for one last big meal together. I spent about one half of the time listening to Ferio!Chris, and the other half of the time (well, maybe some of the times overlapped) with my head pillowed on Patti's shoulder, just trying to etch every moment in my mind.

I feel so wonderful when I'm around these people and yet I'm around them so rarely. I know that the rarity of our time together is part of what makes it so precious to me...and that it's possible that if we saw each other EVERY day it might not be so wonderful...but somehow, I really doubt that, and I sure wouldn't mind having the chance to find out for myself.

The convention was starting to wind down, and there really wasn't much else that we were looking to do. We all compared our flight times, and realized that we'd rather all split a cab to the airport together and spend time together there, rather than all leave separately, so that's what we did. Holly, Koi, Steph, Patti and I all arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson together...and then started the worst part of every convention for all of us, as people slowly start to trickle away. Holly was the first to go, but at least we got to see her safely on the plane, you know? Koi was next, and we were able to hug her and see her off with a smile through tears. That left Patti, Steph, and I.

I love all of the girls, I really do...but it's Patti and Steph I'm the closest to, partly because I know them the longest, partly because we try to find ways to hang out outside of conventions (Louis has figured out a way to set up Skye with them so that if we both own copies of the same movie, we can watch a movie together over Skype...it sounds more complicated than it really is, but it does require some knowledge of timing).

So as wonderful a time as I had playing with Ambellina, as absolutely amazing as the show was Saturday night, I think the hour or so we spent just the three of us, having an impromptu picnic on the floor of the airport might have been the crowning moment of my weekend.

But, sooner than I would have liked, the boarding call for my flight was announced. I won't even attempt to put our goodbye into words, so let's just leave it at we said our goodbyes, and promised we'd see each other again, soon, some way, some how. They were the last people I saw before I got on the plane.

Then the plane broke. No, really. We sat on the plane for hours, before they finally announced that there was some sort of irreparable problem, and that we'd all have to get off the plane. Well. That's not nerve-wracking at ALL. Sigh. So we all got off the plane, and headed to another gate, and got on another plane...because I was in Atlanta, and it was too far too walk. But I was sorely tempted.

Nevertheless, the flight I actually took home got me back to Manhattan with no problems, just a lot later than I anticipated. I was glad to be back in my city, and I was still determined to go back to work the next morning, but...I missed my girlies. I had spent the entire weekend in the company of about a dozen gorgeous women and a handful of handsome men--what on earth did real life have to offer to compare with THAT?

Group shot!

Steph's all like, "...wait a second..."