tonight, I'm gonna have myself a real good time

I love that the new login screen is so universally despised it's become its own meta-issue.

And I spoke with a friend who plays WoW most of her time, and she says the support for Ron Paul march on WoW? Couldn't possibly have happened as described, and is quite likely a hoax.

Okay, then.

And oooh...for, uh, anyone with significant finances. Still. Very cool to look at.



(The Queen of the Unseelie, Seraph Nephilim, dances with the owner of Bohemian Exotique, Midnight Bohemia, while I, steampunk artist Pandora Wrigglesworth, and Mr. Nightfire of the bat wings dance or look on; Miss Zilvara Short in bright purple waits for more people to enthusiastically greet, while M. Allen plays the Girl in the Glass Tube.)

Some people wondered, why we were throwing a Grand Opening party for our business in Penzance, when we'd been open for a while. We told them, as often as asked--because we never *really* opened. We got thrown into active parcel-picking in Penzance (say that three times fast!), and originally, because Miss Neome and I couldn't get in touch with Mm. Allen, we'd elected not to have a shop. (Then we did get in touch, and the first thing said was, 'Are we opening a shop?' So back we went to Des to see if he had a shop parcel free, and he still did. Within walking distance of the house, even!)

Thus, our first Grand Opening occurred several weeks past when we'd decided that okay, six items could mean we're open. :)



(Mr. Smashcan arrives; Miss Qlippothic Projects in gold (thank you, Lady Diamanda); and Miss Wrigglesworth demonstrates CiCi in the tube, while Miss Zilvara types welcome.)

I have to send out a special thanks to Miss Zilvara Short--she came with a party from the EGL event at Clockwork Cafe, because Miss Vavoom (the Cafe's owner) thought Miss Serenity Semple (occasionally a plush toy herself), Miss Dreampaint Loon (maker of doll skins and robo-fetishist extraordinaire), and Miss Zilvara (half-bot, half-child, all precious), really needed to see CiCi Deux.

Miss Zilvara looked about, nodded, and then set about telling EVERYONE who came in what she knew and urged them towards buying. She was so enthusiastic--so completely taken--that even with the all-lower case and the occasional information errors, I just stood back and let her go. It always amazes me, humbles me completely, that someone can just walk into a business, decide right, this is it, people need to know what they do--and to have that business be ours?

She was amazing. Charming, precocious, earnest, completely committed--she willingly jaunted over to anything under discussion and pointed it out so people would be sure to see--we were thrilled, and grateful, amused, and very much taken with her adoption of our product line. :)



(Miss Zilvara points out Clockwerk to any concerned, CiCi in the tube again, Lady Diamanda Gustafson arrives to say hi, while I and the dancers in black spin on.)

We ran a contest with great results--pick up the so-called 'Iron plushie', Clockwerk Klicker-Klack (also our store's mascot), get entered for a custom-colored version of CiCi (Miss Searra Weatherwax won). It'll be interesting to see what she comes up with.



(The night ends with a demonstration of basic sculpt shapes, and a sculpted rose by Miss Wrigglesworth, while I drift around the perimeter, picking up dance balls.)

Alas, I'd saved a run of pictures in an odd format, and when I transferred them over, I lost a lot of them (VERY annoying). So this is all I have from the opening.

(Just because some of it rates a mention, now I'm correcting this post to identify Qli--I should say it was wonderful seeing Lord Bardhaven, who came with Miss Hypatia Callisto, who needs to get out of buildspace more often, they were delightful to talk with; and we were all overjoyed when Qli retrofit to the new CiCi Deux in an anteroom, and came out and demonstrated to all of us that not only were CiCi's joints up to severe dance stress, but also, how fluidly she could move, when needed, by performing a series of handstands and back bends. CiCi Deux is more than just a refinement of the original, we're learning; it's very nearly a complete *evolution* of the concept.)

It was a small party but I think a well-attended one, and more to the point, we had an amazing amount of fun. We're contemplating going monthly, if we can keep up with the pace of new releases, and we're currently contemplating where that should be--in the main store; on the home parcel (which will mean, yes, taking down and putting back up the house frequently), or at some off-site venue entirely (I have some ideas in this area, but it's all up for discussion). I admit, taking back the main house into inventory every time we do something store-related? Would get draining.

Still, it's an option, and as I said at the event, why shouldn't the shelter of a house of shapeshifters and mad science change as often as their residents do?

....well. Maybe not as often. Hee.

Thanks to everyone who attended; we're now trying to fit all the new inventory vendors into the shop space, before taking down Octavia. And then the old same place returns, but it's going to be significantly redone, retextured, and fitted better, overall.

That's the hope, anyway...

Also--normally I don't get involved in forum drama, but this was too intriguing not to ponder on, a bit.

Now, some of those 'reinstated names', I know why they're there. Stupid Yifu, I believe, is on or was on at least one of my parcel ban lists as a griefer.

But Winter. Winter Ventura. I don't get that at all.

Last time I talked with her, she brought up the fact that she seems almost universally despised, and I blinked and asked why. She shrugged and said, "I speak my mind, I don't back down, and people don't like it."

Okay, fair enough. But to be sent out to all purchasers of the Quantum Core "personal defense" system as a kill-on-sight order?

Now, Darling Brody--maker of the QC--has followed up with a pull-and-update of the QC, because apparently her 'personal kill list' went out with the last update 'by accident'.

I guess, but...maybe it's me, I still wonder why Winter was on the list in the first place.