drink up, sweet decadence, I can't say no to you

First off: Not yet, you fools! A very precise analysis of why voice is BAD on the grid--any grid--any virtual world.

Now, onward.

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It was my first Rez Day party yesterday. I decided I'd make something a little less than standard on the invitation--I mocked up the image you see, painted it onto a whitewashed board, nailed two support boards top and bottom to the main signboard post with three copper square nails, and stuck the entire thing into a moss-overgrown round of cemented river rocks. Fun.

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But before the party, I still had set-up to do. Over the past two days, I have:

* bought three more slow dances from Bits and Bobs, for the dance alcove at Taiyou
* bought three 'cuddle' sets from Bits and Bobs, to set out in various places (two are in place on the upper balcony, one has yet to be placed, I ran out of time)
* bought two hot tubs (one a la Nipponaise, pale wood slats, I still have to work on tweaking the position of it, and one Egyptianesque, quite ornate, with its own fireplace and flowing orange silks around the pillars)
* built the above-mentioned invitation, tossed a give script into it, along with the notecard of impromptu party notice
* commissioned a cake, had it made, had it scripted (fell in love all over again, hee--it's a LOVELY, lovely cake)
* hired two DJs (Hunter lost his connection last night, but we survived, and he says he owes me a night now)
* bought a dress for the party (sachi's lovely handkerchief-dagged gown, in dark purple)
* set out a bed, an intimate rug, a hot tub, a hummingbird lantern, and a set of shelves for the lantern to sit upon in the Asian skybox
* set out a bed, an intimate rug, a large stone bath, and two hanging lanterns in the Arabian skybox
* realized I'd given the wrong landmark for the party, so went to Kokopelli (where everyone was beaming in, who didn't come in on their own landmarks for Steelhead), made up a second signboard apologizing and telling people to follow the arrows, then dropped several gleaming, bright red arrows hovering in midair at set positions, guiding folks from the dance square to Taiyou

The decoration of the two skyboxen was most difficult in all of it. Why? Well, due to family obligations, Lunar--who'd built Taiyou, who'd built the skyboxen--couldn't quite script up the teleport system before he had to go. So I had to fly up--this is me hovering next to the Asian skybox, you see, with scripter and anime chibi Winter Ventura (and drat, wish I had better pictures of her, she was CUTE) hovering behind me--and sneak in to decorate both skyboxen.

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Here's a shot of me hovering over the Arabian skybox, Winter behind me. Hee.

But finally, finally, everything was done. And I started setting out tables, and nibbles, and the cake, and goblets of blood for any vampires, and chocolate for everyone else--realized just as things started happening that I really wanted something of a 'visual progression' on the walls. So I dragged a quick frame out, set about eight of them along the back of the tea area, and started with a pic that very very few people have seen--the first day I was in world, little cyberbot me, pale skin, dead black confused eyes, close-cropped red-tipped black hair. The next shot is of cyberfae me--cyberbot skin, purple corset, purple-tipped black hair caught up in two huge ponytails, and glimmering blue wings.

And on we went--one shot of me in the original dance skin, at the original Club Enigma, with tousled blonde hair; one shot of me in the then-new X2 skin, with platinum hair; the shot taken the first day I ever wore my Arctic fox, in the little goth Lolita minidress I'd found for her, which is still predominantly what my fox wears, when my fox doesn't wear native buckskins; a shot of the pale kitten, in black, with the mourning band, sitting in the crypt of the vampire princeling; the first modeling shot with new Kin hair (Sora, in vibrant gleaming red) and black leather head to foot; and finally, a shot of me in the Boneflower skin I received (along with net-sleeved Asian silk top and Asian silk skirt, and retro cat-eye glasses, all compensation for modeling for a series of promotional ads for Boneflower), all arch look, pleased expression, in sachi's Emilly hair (in volcano, how apropos, being as how it's black-tipped red).

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I didn't get many shots of the actual party, or much leading up to and leading from. I was very much too busy. But this is a fun shot, so from left to right, the usual suspects (click for larger image):

Fawkes Allen, designer of the cake; Hank Rucker, haloed land baron and friend; his lady wife Alexandra Rucker; DJ Sir Edward Pearse, in gleaming uniform (which he made, by the way, available for sale at any branch of Pearse'd & Cut near you); Lumina Elvejhem in lovely salmon-gold sari silks; Lady Christine McAllister-Pearse, in her glorious green silk wedding gown; a very saucily dressed Duchess Gabrielle Riel; the tall Lauren, girlfriend and possession of Miss Roku; Winter Ventura, the small chibi wonder in purple hair; Miss Roku2 Hallard, new Taiyou Companion; Mr. americanpsyco98 Book, spinning next to Lady Amber Palowakski (sadly out of frame); and Miss Qlippothic Projects, spinning in monochrome kimono.

We had grand fun.

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Another shot of the dancing crowd. You can clearly see the end picture of the 'how far I've come' wall, just above the cake. Hee.

Finally, this is something I've meant to post for a bit--how the Bumblebee avatar, puir wee creature of cogs and design--can be somewhat perverted by someone with wicked intent.

I present to you--Bumblebee, poledancing.



::giggles insanely and scampers off::

Comments

Seraph Nephilim said…
Thanks for the link. Awfully familiar content in both the article and the comments. Funny how things haven't really changed in the four years since it was written.
Emilly Orr said…
They really, really haven't.

Leave aside the questions of gender or accent that are doubtless to arise, the instant judging that tends to happen when a smart, articulate person in text is revealed to be not all that articulate by voice.

The base point is the one he stated--it is a virtual world. This brings the real into the virtual, and it will jar. It will always jar.
Seraph Nephilim said…
What many people don't seem to be taking into account is that the comparison is with multiplayer FPS and combat RPGs -- where coordination of tactics in real time is important if you want to beat the big bad monsters. With the level of lag in SL, it will never rival such systems. That is part of the problem I have with combat in many RP sims -- it's based on the ability of the controller, not the ability of the character -- making it a video game, not an RP.
I greatly enjoyed your Rezz Day Party, Miss Emily, and again I apologize for not reallizing you were having a party, and 98 and I being late.
Emilly Orr said…
Considering the lack of advance notice, I'm still tickled anyone showed up at all. I think fun was had by all, I made an odd new friend from that night, and the cake was a delight, and a horror, and that was everything I wished it to be. :)

You're more than forgiven, you and your beloved. Believe me.

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