A DREAM COME TRUE: THE WARRIOR NUN BILLBOARD IN MILAN

We've seen pictures and videos. With this article we want to share the words, the direct experience of those who have seen the Warrior Nun digital billboard in Milan (active from 13 to 26 March 2023). And thanks to their words we also want to share their emotions.

- Warrior Nun Italy - @WarriorNun_IT

TALES OF THE LEMONS FANDOM: THE MEETING OF MARCH 18, 2023

After working from home to organize the billboard, I was a little scared on March 13th eve: "what if they cheated us and there is no billboard at all?" Then luckily the first beautiful photos showed up. Seeing it live was exciting, I saw it from across the street and I was almost throwing myself in the traffic to go and hug it. When I arrived, there were other girls of the fandom, we all found ourselves smiling stupidly in front of the billboard. I had created some stickers on the train that I distributed to the girls and around Milan. We drank a lemon drop (or at least that was the intention) and we had our picture taken with Ava by the lady who worked at the bar next door, after a couple of misunderstandings in explaining to her that we wanted the photo to be taken in a certain interval of time with a certain graphic behind us. It was quite an adventure, from the organization to the meeting. I met new people, spread stickers, drank questionable cocktails and hugged a dusty totem pole on the busiest street in Milan. And I would do it again!

- Paola - @ocswarrior
______________________________

Warrior Nun's fandom isn't the first one I've been a part of, but it's definitely the first time I've felt so involved. When the show was cancelled, I felt an overwhelming anger towards Netflix and a deep disappointment due to the knowledge that I could not see the end of the story. When the fight for the rescue began, I enthusiastically joined, despite the awareness of being a little David facing Goliath. Well, that little David, however, has achieved many important goals, showing everyone what he's made of. When one of the people of the Warrior Nun Italy staff had the idea of buying a billboard in Italy too, I immediately agreed and offered to lend a hand when we decided to settle for Milan, after realizing that it would have been impossible to place it in Rome. Since I live in Milan, I was one of the first to see it on Monday 13, the day it was activated. It was very emotional; it was the realization of our battle. We then decided to organize a meeting on Saturday 18, right in front of the billboard, as if it were a pilgrimage destination (and for some it was a bit like that since they even came from southern Italy!). It was an opportunity to meet other girls of the fandom, take pictures with our beloved Ava and the inevitable lemons (some even arrived from other regions!). After the usual photos, we sat down at a nearby bar and tried to have lemon drops prepared for us, but unfortunately, they served us a concoction based on ethyl alcohol and a vague lemon aroma. Despite this, the atmosphere remained cheerful and relaxed. I don't know how this campaign will end, I don't know if we will be able to achieve our goal (although I obviously hope so), but I am sure that I will remain connected to some people I met in this fandom for many years to come. The sense of community we have is a precious thing and it's important to share the laughter, the madness and the moments of discouragement. I don't know if we'll get our series back, but Netflix sure won't be able to take away the friendships we built along the way.

- Annarita - @everett_88
______________________________

The 13th of December 2022 will be remembered as the day when the misfortune begun. The 13th of March will go down in history as the date when Italian sister warriors have decided to rebel against the system, raising their banner in Milan. Our group, tight already, immediately seized the occasion to show its support by buying a billboard. For two weeks Ava Bi Jesus Silva would have blessed the land we walk on. What do you do? Do you deprive yourself of it? Concreteness has become our new watchword and on the wave of enthusiasm could not be missed the pilgrimage to the holy place. So here I am, with my sister (the real one, you know, but also a warrior), walking on Corso Buenos Aires. While walking, we were looking for people carrying lemons with pride. Yes, ‘cause the italian fandom is lemons’ fandom (it’s always a good time to remember that: FUCK KIWIS!). We were excited while approaching our destination: finally, we were reaching our beloved billboard. Clearly arrived beforehand, we moved to the edge of the sidewalk and here it was, in all its beauty. It’s the same thing you feel when you reach an important goal: pride. As the others arrived (with lemons, obviously), I couldn’t stop thinking how special that situation was: nearly ten people literally from all over Italy reunited for something they believe in. Something unic, which doesn’t happen very often. It was incredible and we had fun. We worshipped (literally on our knees) the digital billboard for an indefinite amount of time, learning by heart the adverstiments’ succession in order to take photos and feeling excited everytime we saw the halo with the number three. Maybe people thought we were mad, but THAT’S OKAY ANYWAY. We gently asked a lady working in the bar beside to take a picture all together (90 minutes of applause, well deserved), then we repaid the kindness going there for an aperitif. After trying to explain the waiter, renamed Hugo, what was a lemon drop, we expected everything and, in fact, we drank this substance still unidentified. Kerosene drop aside, it was an awesome afternoon. We ate, sung our hymn ‘That’s amore’, talked about the campaign on Twitter and we got to know each other better. The mission, however, didn’t end up when we said goodbye: five seconds after we were already spreading promo-stickers everywhere. It’s great to think that all this happened because we share the same passion for Warrior Nun. I’ve never been an extrovert person and with certainty in my pocket, but it was a day of spontaneity and I’m grateful to have met this group of people.

- Valentina

______________________________

First of all, I'm new to this fandom thing and I've never done anything rash in 30 years, especially with people I’ve never met before. This is a bit of a summary of the Saturday afternoon spent in awe in front of the

billboard in Corso Buenos Aires in Milan. As soon as the news of a meeting came out, I checked the train tickets and booked the trip. There was a strange thrill in me, like when you feel you're part of something bigger than you and you want to be part of it at all costs. I almost feel like laughing because the post said to bring a lemon, and in the midst of all this whirlwind of emotions, I did, I brought a lemon from Friuli to takepictures in Milan. I took a picture of the lemon in front of the Duomo and then I began walking to the spot of the meeting until I saw the billboard, I was feeling butterflies in my stomach when I stopped to see it from afar… I smiled and thought of all the people around the world who went to see the various billboards and took a picture. A large global Family that believes in this renewal and is trying in every way to bring the nuns back to the screen. Finally, there was the meeting with the other girls. Unknown people who have come from different corners of Italy to be part of this great movement… a Family made up of people who have never seen each other but who are linked by Warrior Nun. It's a beautiful thing.

- Siojli
______________________________

It was the 13th of December 2022 when the news of WARRIOR NUN'S NON-RENEWAL came out! You know when you slam your little toe into a door edge? Or when you get an unexpected slap in the face that leaves you speechless? Or when the love of your life leaves you? Or when you have been waiting a long time for the day at the beach, then you open the window, and it pours? That's it. All these horrible feelings combined in your stomach, that's what we felt that day, a feeling also accompanied by an unrelenting rage, one not even Goku Super Sayan could match.

So, what do we do NOW? We don't believe it can really happen! And no... shit, we don't give up! Then again, who wouldn't want to see how the world's most beautiful love story continues? IT'S IMPOSSIBLE IT HAS BEEN CANCELED, THE DECISION IS TAKEN: we'll fight to get the renewal....

So it begins the saga of the ITALIAN FANDOM, let's talk on twitter, then on telegram, then GUYS, LET’S MAKE THE PAGE ... until GUYS, LET’S PUT UP THE BILLBOARD IN ITALY!!!

By now we are a family, we check on each other every day, we want to know how we are doing, we keep each other company, we share an immense love for the series and its protagonists. WE UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER. When the date of the meeting under the Billboard was decided, it wasn't easy for me to organize myself, I'm Sicilian, and the destination was Milan... But then I thought it was an opportunity I couldn't miss, to show my desire to get the series back and to do it especially with my 'travelling companions' whom I really wanted to meet. So, I got on a plane and off I went... I arrived in Milan! I waited for Paola (the one who, together with Annarita, took care of the paperwork and the Billboard organization) in a little bar 50 meters from the Billboard, I had my coffee, ate a 'cannoncino' (not the other pastry because it had a 'weird' shape), and took out my lemon to show it to Paola (wrinkled, deformed, but organic, Sicilian, and perfumed). At a certain point we set off. As we approached, we saw the first image of our AVA from behind. And that's when we started making strange noises like 'porcazxsnfsmammmaiaammiaaacchemeravigliatroppoemozionata' which sounded like a mix of Japanese and Korean. We crossed the road and met the others…I approached the Billboard and (heedless of the 3.5 meters of dust that resided on the glass) hugged it as if it were really AVA and almost kissed it too (the photos can prove it) . Then the others came, with the lemons...ah, my lemon still lies on the table in that bar where I, out of sheer forgetfulness, abandoned it. I think it will never forgive me!

It comes the moment to take a photo all together. But who's going to take it? Well, the lady from the bar next door, but she must take it within a few seconds when our BLESSED AVA passes by...making her understand was a feat, BUT LADY HUGA DID IT!!! So as a thank you we sit down for an APE (short for aperitivo that means aperitif) as they say in Milan, of course we ask HUGO (HUGA'S FRIEND) to make us some lemon drops, he obviously doesn't understand but doesn't give up and brings them to us anyway. It's a concoction they use to speed up American submarines, one sip and your liver comes to life and tells you to fuck off! After drinking the nectar of Satan, we feel like singing, and so in front of the BILLBOARD we sing what is now our HYMN for AVATRICE, our THAT'S AMORE (which I wrote thinking how nice it would have been to have had them here in Italy for the shooting of the second season. Obviously, they will choose us for the third!). So, what can I say, it was fantastic, I hope it was the beginning of something that will grow more and more, and will help to get the renewal, together with the rest of our worldwide fandom, which is our family too. WARRIOR NUN is our shared bond, this show gave us so much, and personally I FEEL REPRESENTED AND GREATFUL! My 24h in Milan were wonderful with the WORLD'S BEST FANDOM AND WITH THE WARRIOR NUNS IN OUR HEART!

And without any doubts Ladies and Gentlemen, I can tell you THAT'S AMORE!!!!!!!

- Mary
______________________________

A dream come true: the Warrior Nun billboard in Milan.

Tales of the Lemons Fandom 🍋 the meeting of March 18, 2023 🍋#SaveWarriorNun #WarriorNun #RepresentationMatters pic.twitter.com/Ogzk9ZoG1O
— Warrior Nun Italy (@WarriorNun_IT) April 14, 2023

Hi there! This is actually a "Bonus Track" of these experiences, but I wanted to add this little bit. That March 18 I wasn't able to go to the meeting and like me some other members of the Warrior Nun Italy Team couldn’t as well. Despite everything, some of the girls who have previously told all about their experiences right on this post, made us participate by sharing with us messages, audios and videos about everything they were doing. They made us feel a bit closer and sent us a photo that, despite just being a picture of us "saying hello" via chat right in front of the billboard, somehow made us feel like we could say "we have been there". I've never really actively been part of a fandom and if someone had told me that I would've fought so much to bring back a tv show, I probably wouldn't have believed it. Warrior Nun is special, you know the many reasons why by now, but after 3 months I can truly say that the connections we made with each other became the fuel that gives the strength to fight with perseverance every day. Finally, I wanted to say thank you to everyone in this fandom. Thank you for not giving up and still holding on. Thank you for sharing WN content every day (or almost), especially pictures of the various billboards, making us travel around the world. Thank you for sharing this tv show with literally everyone just because "it matters". Just simply thank you. I salute you with the hope of having our show back after winning this fight, because we deserve it and we have come this far together!

- Vi|Exy - @vi_exyocs
______________________________

http://twitter.com/WarriorNun_IT/status/1646845833327833090?s=20

From the bottom of my heart THANK YOU!

I wanted to hear your stories and share them with the rest of the fandom.

Images and words that will remain forever engraved in your and in our hearts, to remember March 18, 2023 when a small group of Halo Bearers lived the dream of seeing the first Italian Warrior Nun billboard up close.

How far we have come together since the night Warrior Nun Italy was born. We were strangers, now we are a tight-knit group. Thanks to each of you for having said yes to the proposal to create a page that could unite all the Italian fandom. Thank you for every single day together. Thanks to anyone who will read these pages.

And thanks to all the fandom around the world who fought and continues to fight to save Warrior Nun.

- Leti - @zialeti04 | WN Italy Founder