a scary conversation, shut my eyes, can't find the brake (part II)

(When last seen, our plucky skirt-based craft was edging towards Morgaine. Let's pick up their progress there, shall we?)



(And then, we crossed the bridge to Morgaine.)

The bridge--all bridges of this style--proved surprisingly tricky. For one thing, they were all too narrow for our float! The audacity. So it took some tricky steering to accomplish. (Our Duchess was ably positioned to brave all things.)



(Up we go! Wait, that's not the right direction...)

Our Duchess had no fear! She brought the float up to speed, and hit the railing, and up we went into the serene evening air...and...started to tilt...

Uh-oh.



(Don't breathe, Otenth!)

Well, it was bound to happen. We were near another source of water. Apparently, the float design? Moves like a fish, dances like a sword...steers like a cow.

(This picture graciously provided by Miss Neome Graves.)



(Moments after colliding with an ambulatory Marine.)

I believe we were leaving Morgaine, when we met a steampunk arachnid of some military bearing. He did not hear us coming, and we...somewhat...ran him over utterly. He is now pacing us and shouti--ermm.

Wishing us well on our journeying. Yes.

Up ahead in this shot, note we've caught up to Mr. Hassanov's elephant again.



(Tragedy--sort of--strikes again.)

Just after our encounter with the Marine, we ran into a bit of vehicular mayhem with Mr. Thadicus Caligari's steam airship. All were most kind and polite about it, and it was a gorgeous float, and very nearly completely silent! Disentanglement ensued, and soon they were negotiating the path ahead, and we were able to continue on.



(We cross the border of Penzance!)

Moving through the wide main square of Penzance, close to the mechanima studios, we took a pause to breathe and orient. (And did our best to stop before covering Mr. Hassanov in lime skirt flutters!)



(Mayfair ho! Mr. Roberto Viking was happy to board some few sims back, and helped guide our skirt along.)

Negotiating the wide, paved streets of Penzance proved to be one of the easiest legs of the entire route. We all cheered when we passed the new headquarters building (seen behind us, in this shot). Also seen behind us: Mr. Caligari's airship.

How did that happen?



(Moving towards Caledon Carntaigh! Huzzah!)

Moving through Mayfair was a relative dream; here we are approaching Caledon Carntaigh.



(Rejoice! For we have...Wait. Where *are* we?)

I can't recall whether we were still in Carntaigh at this point. I do know we had a bit of trouble crossing into Victoria City, as the edges of our skirt kept getting caught in the trolley rails!

Oh, the perils of fashion.



(Her Grace demonstrates an important safety tip in Victoria City: Always look both ways when driving a float into approaching traffic.)

It's important to remember. Otherwise one could get seriously injured!

(Thankfully, for most of the journey, we had Miss Laval on the float, so no Duchesses were harmed along the way.)



(Arrival in the Moors.)

Sadly, few of the images from the Moors fully developed.

I'm beginning to think the Moors, themselves, resist the photographing agents, for some reason or reasons unknown. At any rate, here we move through the telehub, bound for Tamrannoch, and the end of the route!



(Approaching the last sim crossing, from the Moors into Tamrannoch, disaster strikes again.)

Terribly sorry, sir or madam--are you quite all right?

Truly, we did not intend to knock them over--we simply took a corner and there they were, barely rezzed in! We had no time to stop!

(And actually? I did not realize flotational skirts could knock other people over! Goodness, the things one learns!)



(Moving at a sweet clip through Tamrannoch.)

We managed to gain a considerable amount of speed for the last leg, and began to cheer loudly as we pulled to a halt at Mr. Hassanov's estate! We had made it! We'd finished the parade!

Now all we had to do was--AAACK! 'Ware the library float!



(Thankfully, the Library equipped their float with a much improved braking system.)

Here we see the library float, come to a somewhat gentle stop, a truly lovely copper-detailed construction redolent with the airs of parchment and leather bindings. A crowd had at this point begun to gather, and we simply awaited the arrival of the rest of the processional.

Sadly, I was somewhat overcome by this experience, and as so very many thronged to cheer the survivors of the inaugural effort, I realized two things simultaneously: first, that I was oddly tired, after three hours dancing on the float, and second, I could barely move for lag.

I therefore engaged transport home and collaps--took some time to rest.

Huzzah to all participants! (I'll be updating this as I can with links to other photographs from the parade--at the least I wish to see the floats I haven't been able to see before now!)