under the sea, under the sea

The artifacting is so bad on this at this point, but something brought Caledon: the Musical to mind again, and I went to see if it was still online, and it was. It's so strange, looking back at it now. Several of those faces are no longer with us. Most (though not all) of the relationships have dissolved, though some still remain friends. Des is still pretty much just Des, though.

I've never thought that I had any particular influence in Caledon as a whole. I still don't. But I have remained, for good or ill, a presence. I guess that counts for something?

In the meantime, I was actually free for one of the Aruba Deep mer dances!

[12:51] Jxxxxxx Cxxxx: mer dance starts in 9 minutes!
[12:53] Jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Group Notice Sent by: Jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx
~~ Merdance Aruba to Start in a few Minutes ~~
Tala my Friends,

Dance with us in few minutes

Map Attached,
Jxxxx.
[12:53] Jxxxxxx Cxxxx: fine notice almost up to my standard

Now, I had given birth at this point, but I had bought an orca outfit--stylistically, a bodysuit with fins--to change into, since I felt I could make the connection in my mind between 'putting on fins' as opposed to 'shapeshifting into them'. (My mind is a strange place at times.)

[12:54] Mxxxxxx Sxxxx: hey pretty [Jxx] :)
[12:54] Mxxxxxx Sxxxx: I come after the mix there for animals:)
[12:54] Jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: my notices are simply excellent :)
[12:55] Jon (jonform.coeur): uh huh
[12:55] Jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: :))
[12:57] Jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: *quick drink before the start*
[12:58] Jxxxxx Dxxxxxxx: my notice was still dripping wet
[12:58] Jon (jonform.coeur): soggy notices are a problem
[12:59] Jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: water proof LM
[12:59] Jon (jonform.coeur): laminate it
[13:00] Jon (jonform.coeur): we started you're late!
[13:01] Mxxxxxx Sxxxx: hmmm :)
[13:01] Mxxxxxx Sxxxx: [Mxxxx] tu es là ?
[13:01] Jon (jonform.coeur): nope shes late

DJ Crim was spinning tunes again, in a DJ deck grown from shells and coral. Happiest seahorse I have ever seen.

[13:02] rxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Yes! I am here, I need to find my pieces lol
[13:02] rxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: lost my hair, my tail
[13:02] Jon (jonform.coeur): hmm
[13:03] rxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Please put slurl
[13:03] rxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: here
[13:04] Jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Aruba 1700 (91,80,7)
[13:10] Jon (jonform.coeur): taking [Rxxx] a while to find her bits
[13:10] rxxxxxxx Rdxxxxxxx: JUST NOW
[13:10] cxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: me too lol do i have to find my tail to participate lol?
[13:10] Jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: SL can be such pain ..
[13:11] cxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I feel it LOL
[13:11] Jon (jonform.coeur): well it would help but not essential
[13:11] Jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: just let me know if you want an TP :)
[13:11] cxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: will do just looking for my tail lol thank you [Jxxxx] and [Jxx]
[13:11] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Though I'm sure there's enough casters here, we could be sure you won't drown :D
[13:12] cxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: aww thank you :)

I'd never seen couples' dances for mers before. Kind of neat. Had a chance later to try one with a couple different people, and while there's far more swooping around each other than actually "dancing" together, it's still neat.

[13:12] Jon (jonform.coeur): we even have an Orca here this week we are honoured
[13:13] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr) smiles
[13:13] cxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: they dont eat erm anyone right?
[13:13] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Noooo
[13:13] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Sharks, occasionally
[13:13] Jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: no only eat wrong *grins*
[13:13] cxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: *so doesnt feel erm convinced *
[13:13] Jon (jonform.coeur): looks friendly enough
[13:13] cxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: smiling?
[13:14] cxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: showing teeth and such?
[13:14] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Well, happy?
[13:14] Jon (jonform.coeur): yup
[13:14] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): No. No teeth.
[13:14] Jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Just beauty there :)
[13:14] Jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: *gulps*
[13:14] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): She seems nervous.
[13:14] Jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: ah no i feel reassured
[13:14] Kxxxx Hxxxxxxxx: only eat late people

Yeah, I know, I know, I thought bringing in the orca mer would be nicely inconspicious. And there were mers there with very showy tails, gorgeous things, but...yeah, my monochrome self did stand out a bit.

[13:15] Jon (jonform.coeur): dolphin here too
[13:15] Kxxxx Hxxxxxxxx giggles
[13:15] Jon (jonform.coeur): lol
[13:15] Jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: oh :(
[13:15] Jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: and I guess I am late
[13:15] Jon (jonform.coeur): you have an excuse
[13:15] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): You do!
[13:16] Jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: ok my tail is flying around without me
[13:16] rxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Ay I can bring the orca but it would take all the dance floor lol
[13:16] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Well, that's not good
[13:16] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): True. I am a very very small orca in comparison.
[13:16] Jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: nope not a pretty site at all :(
[13:16] Jon (jonform.coeur): that tail has a mind of its own
[13:17] cxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: *nods at [Jxx]* I tried to tame it
[13:26] cxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: this will hace to do LOL
[13:26] Jon (jonform.coeur): it will be fine

This tail, for instance. It shimmered. Depending on which light pool it traveled through, it spun with different colors, glittered, sparkled. Amazing.

[13:26] cxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: you cant see what I see LOL
[13:27] cxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: erm can I please have a tp :)
[13:28] Jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: course!
[13:28] cxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: thank you :)
[13:29] Jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: *set meter OOC*
[13:29] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr) needs a meter?
[13:30] rxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: not here Emilly:)
[13:30] rxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: We still can breathe
[13:30] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Welp, [Sxxxx] just died, I guess she didn't get the memo
[13:30] rxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: argh

Yeah, my first mer dance in Aruba, and we had mers dying on the dance floor. Quite the dramatic experience.

[13:30] rxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: it is [Cxxxxx]
[13:30] Jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: [Cxxxxx] had the PD one on still
[13:31] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): So wait
[13:31] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): She drowned??
[13:31] rxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: yes
[13:31] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): 0.0
[13:31] rxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: she was wearing human meter

TIL that the Aruban mers have two separate RP meter systems, one for tails, one for two-legs. Huh. And if you're under the water--even if the sim owners say it's oxygen-rich enough for humans to breathe--the meters don't care. You're trying to breathe water, you die. End of discussion.

[13:31] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): And [Cxxxxx] just dropped
[13:31] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Silly me, I just grew gills
[13:31] rxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: lol
[13:32] Jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: very practical :)
[13:32] cxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I didnt know
[13:32] Jon (jonform.coeur): just detach it
[13:33] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr) grins
[13:33] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Such excitement below the waves
[13:33] cxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I cant the fonds in the water wont let me reach to detach it tho
[13:33] rxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: reset
[13:33] rxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: press the back of your head
[13:34] cxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I cant get there to press it, floating things get in the way
[13:34] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Oh dear
[13:34] Jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: yah that prolly the mesh mists
[13:35] Jon (jonform.coeur): tp home and detach it
[13:37] cxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: ok metor detached
[13:37] Jon (jonform.coeur): yay
[13:37] cxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: thank you I went home and detached it
[13:37] rxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: termimetor

All in all, it was quite the wonderful dance, even with the random deathing. I'm so happy I went.

And from another IM:

[13:09] Nxxx Fxxxxxxxx: orcas have no scales. very smooth skin : )
[13:10] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Strangely true
[13:10] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Though I did find a subtle scale pattern for makeup I thought went with
[13:11] Nxxx Fxxxxxxxx: scientists tryed to make an artificial dolpin skin for less friction for submarines. but they failed
[13:36] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr) missed that you replied! But that is interesting. Wonder if that would actually work.
[13:37] Nxxx Fxxxxxxxx: they tried decades ago and gave up. but material science has improved since then
[13:38] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): That would be a fascinating experiment. Also to figure out if sound bouncing off synthetic skin is different than sound bouncing off a metal hull.
[13:38] Nxxx Fxxxxxxxx: LOL steath submarines for the win!
[13:39] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Yes!

I mean...it's still a fascinating idea. I wonder if it's gone anywhere.

take my breath as your own, take my eyes to guide you home (part two)

(Continued from part one.)



Under Club Aruba is...a sea city.



Caustics are used to stunning effect here and there.



Oh, my gods, it is so beautiful down there...so many varieties of kelp and sea plants.



You can get to Aruba simply enough, but keep in mind, everything under the waves requires a tail or gills. Or a rebreather.

And above the waves? Dances for the legged, airship battles, and everyone's welcome--from steamlands denizens to humans to elves to furs to mers. It's a one-stop acceptance shop.

I like that. There are too few of those places these days.



A shot of the arcing red orbs from the particle machines.



Center floor's now rigged for rockets. Remind me never to dance in the center!

[14:32] Maria (rain0bow): foam
[14:32] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Oh no
[14:32] Jon (jonform.coeur): sprinklers kicked in
[14:32] Maria (rain0bow): love it
[14:32] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Welp, dry-cleaners for this, now
[14:32] Maria (rain0bow): fiesta de la espuma (foam party)
[14:32] Fleming Helfenstein (mountainhall): Good to have a lot of foam around when having fireworks :-)

Would cut down on the chance of fire!

take my breath as your own, take my eyes to guide you home (part one)

So, I've been involved with the Aruba people for a bit, now--I even turned in an entry on their marvelous ballroom a while back--but today was the grand opening of their new dance space, Club Aruba Deep.



Now, I don't know how it's going to operate from here--right now, it's a platform over the wide Aruban sea, and it's going to switch off between landlubber events (today's) and dances for the finned (so does that mean this platform drops? Who knows?)



It's a lovely build. I've never been the market for sun and sand and palm trees, but it's pretty.



The DJ today was Crim Mip--never heard him before, he's good, but the REALLY amazing thing? The suit he was wearing was ANIMATED:



It's a terrible gif, but it gives some idea of what it did in person. Awesome.



I didn't grab names for everyone, 'cos that's not usually the point these days? But Svetlana Salomon threw off her fins for the event, and I caught that because she came in with stunning silver scales.

(And that dress, I learned later? Changes COLORS. Also amazing.)



They went all out on particle effects, too. One setting spawned random words--I caught "PARTY" and "DANCE" before the effect shifted--while another tossed sprays of silver stars or red dots. And then there was this one, which spawned an entire planetary system to float overhead.

[13:09] Jon (jonform.coeur): try it on midnight setting it looks cool

And...ooh. He's not wrong. (He also owns the Aruba Deep sim, or at least, the clubs over and undersea.)

Though wau, you can really tell who still believes in facelights...



[14:04] Svetlana Salomon: Is it like in the movie with Kevin Costner? When all the world is ocean, and when he dives down you see flooded cities heehee ㋡
[14:04] Jon (jonform.coeur): hmm kind of

So I cammed down to check.

And...that deserves its own entry, frankly. Onward!