now I'm all messed up, and it feels like the first time

I was at the Wandering Star, and the DJ was having a bit of trouble, getting the stream going. This one is unanonymized, simply because we refer to him so often.

[12:22] Verdant Homewood: things settling down now...
[12:22] Verdant Homewood: just need to think of what to play....

[12:22] Safar Fiertze: you alright now Verd? Need me to refill your glass, light your pipe, fix a bowl of crips?
[12:23] Verdant Homewood: all of the above Saf :))
[12:24] Safar Fiertze: ^-^
[12:24] Safar Fiertze: I guess I'll brb
[12:24] Jewell (fallenaurora.jewell): hehe
[12:24] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Also, how do you DO that with your spine

I'm not kidding. He was doing this:



How...why...HOW...

[12:24] Eio Tuqiri: back
[12:24] Jewell (fallenaurora.jewell): rofl
[12:24] Jewell (fallenaurora.jewell): wb
[12:25] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): That looks SO uncomfortable
[12:25] Jewell (fallenaurora.jewell): rrofl
[12:25] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): WHY
[12:26] Jewell (fallenaurora.jewell): you are freaking out folks hehe

Just a tad.



Keep in mind, his torso was rotating around, his legs were pretty much just stuck in place.

[12:26] Jewell (fallenaurora.jewell): hi Lou
[12:26] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): I think I'm losing oxygen to my brainmeats, I'm laughing so hard
[12:26] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Hi Lou!
[12:26] Lou Cypher (888lucifer888): greetings Everyone
[12:26] Jewell (fallenaurora.jewell): giggles
[12:26] Eio Tuqiri: brainmeats lol
[12:27] Eio Tuqiri: Hi Lou
[12:27] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): I mean...in a way...it IS impressive

In a very dire way.

[12:27] Vivix3n (ainanna): Hi Luci
[12:27] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): And of course he's playing a song that says "I open myself to extreme possibilities"
[12:27] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): TAKING THAT TO HEART, I SEE

[12:28] Verdant Homewood: Hey Lou and Anka!
[12:28] Rory Torrance (rory.torrance): is verdant having a stroke?
[12:28] SilenceKnight: back
[12:28] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): I don't know!

Well, if it was a stroke, it was just a digital one.

[12:28] Rory Torrance (rory.torrance): ya look away for a minute...
[12:28] Lou Cypher (888lucifer888): Hello Safar, Robin, Verdant, Jewell, Silent, Eio, Lia, Rat, Emilly and Vivi
[12:28] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): I KNOW
[12:28] SilenceKnight: greetings Lo
[12:28] SilenceKnight: u
[12:28] robin helsinki (r0bin.helsinki): hi lou [12:28] Rat Xue: verd lookin gud from my pov
[12:29] Rory Torrance (rory.torrance): he's okay now
[12:29] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): plz Verd. plz stop opening yourself to extreme possibilities.
[12:29] Safar Fiertze: dancing's a bit borked again for me. He had a moment of normalcy
[12:29] Verdant Homewood: I
[12:29] Eio Tuqiri: Verd is looking a little uh sideways
[12:29] Verdant Homewood: Can't
[12:29] Verdant Homewood: help
[12:29] Verdant Homewood: myself
[12:29] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr) whispers: Well, then it's just me, and I am KEEPING THESE PICTURES

[12:29] Safar Fiertze: which was almost scary
[12:29] robin helsinki (r0bin.helsinki): looks ok to me
[12:30] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Okay, this is official better than a ritual I went to a couple months back, where the priestess invoked Dionysus and none of the poseball sets would work after :D

[12:30] Safar Fiertze: haha
[12:30] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): And that was high comedy
[12:30] Safar Fiertze: I'll bet
[12:31] SilenceKnight: Dionysus doesn't like poseballs...interesting
[12:32] Eio Tuqiri: heh heh
[12:32] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Yeah, who knew?
[12:32] SilenceKnight: this is the 21st century

The man is amazing, though--despite the spine breaking and the technological glitching, he still played on, and played wonderful tunes for us to share. So it wasn't all bad.

Even if I died laughing.

will you dance with me? like we used to dance? (part III)

(Continued from part II.)



Now at the evening ball. I'm pretty much center shot, trying to get out of my own way to snap the dance floor in front of me. I was in green for the evening ball.



The other side of the ballroom floor, and Indy getting down.



The Viking has arrived! (Seen dancing with Indy.)



Back across the dance floor to the other side.



An overhead view of (nearly) the entire ballroom floor.



And the last shot, with me trying to get out of the way again!

And that was the ball this year! I think it came off rather well, both dances were well attended, and it was quite a marvelous day start to finish.

will you dance with me? like we used to dance? (part II)

(Continued from part I.)



We begin with a slightly different shot from the last. You can just make out--behind the lass in the white velvet--our own Komnene being nigh swallowed up by the stained-glass gown on the butterfly.



Another view.



Spinning the cam around the floor again. Indy is in the center, in the red velvet.



Another camera spin to the far side of the ballroom floor.



And a slightly different angle from the last.

And that's all for the afternoon ball! Next up: the evening version!

will you dance with me? like we used to dance? (part I)

All right! I'm just digging up all the old pictures, huh? Well, I did mean to post this before now, but I put it in a folder labeled "deal with this" and...I kept not. Dealing with it.

Pattern of a life, really.

Anyway...Pictures from the holiday fête.



At this point, I'm not going to have a lot of commentary on these, save to say that this first set are mostly shots from the afternoon dance.



Most of the big events at Sakura are now split into a noon-to-two (ish) pm, SLT slot, followed by a seven-to-nine (ish) pm, SLT slot.

Komnene's in the center of this shot, being subsumed by a butterfly's stained-glass skirt.



This year, Duchess India Canning couldn't find a tree she liked enough for the ballroom, so she was darned well going to make it herself. It looked amazing.



Closer shot of another side of the ballroom. I'm in the gold dress.



Another angle on the ballroom.

More to come next entry!

guess again, you made friends, and some still ask about you now and then (part III)

Part the third and last!



This is Lord Erik Wall, I believe.



And of course Mr. Soup Jonson. I am endlessly amused that the picture he sent in to be used for the ball had his name on it.

Though, considering my inability to remember...may have been a good thing after all!



Another shot of Miss Mizogoi, being invited to dance by Miss Willow Nova, I believe...



...who ended the night quite magically by levitating them both!

All in all, it was a lovely introduction to Caledon for new friends, and a lovely dance for Caledonians in general. I was pleased with how well it turned out. Kudos to the organizers.

guess again, you made friends, and some still ask about you now and then (part II)

Back for part two!



Such a lovely dress. She looked like a sunset. No idea now who she was. (Anyone who wants to help, feel free, and I will make corrections!) [[Now informed this is Miss Kay Cooper!]]>



Not a newcomer, I just adore this portrait of the Lyonesse, Kamilah Hauptmann. Really well done.



This is...Miss Mizogoi? Was Mizi ever blonde? If anyone knows... [[Late entry from the Editrix: Someone does! This is Miss Ithela!]]



And this is Miss Violet Scrivener. If anyone needs a DJ for electroswing or transglobal tunes? Plus any of the handful of other genres she favors...she's happy to take on gigs to entertain.



And Miss Justinejohndory Amethyst, Attache to the House of Gearhaven, Companion in training, and more than willing to find trouble at any time, any place.



Which brings us to...um...this lovely lass, who is...??? [[Late entry from the Editrix: This is also Miss Kay Cooper!]]

One more coming!

guess again, you made friends, and some still ask about you now and then (part I)

Let's talk about the Newcomers' Ball!

So, this happened several weeks ago, if not months, and I'm only posting it now because I forgot where I put the folder of photos.



Every formal dance needs a wraith, right? [Insert from the Editrix: Miss Justine has pointed out, repeatedly, that this is Grimoire Hexem. Yes, I know. EVERYONE knows. But sure, posting for the uninitiated--that's Mr. Hexem, one of Caledon's resident demons.]



I had notes on all this, too, I'll try to find them. I know the fellow is Soup Jonson, I don't remember the lass he's dancing with. Mr. Jonson was new to Caledon this year, or the year before. One of those. [[Late entry from the Editrix: This might be Miss Ithela?]]



Mr. Wordsmith Jarvinen, of course, can't miss that circlet anywhere. And...again, my memory fails me.



Miss Mizogoi (on the left) and Miss Justinejohndory Amethyst, on the right in the purple. Justine was new to Caledon this year.



Miss Tashi Kai, also new, I believe, and I did have better pictures that showed her face, but...there was just something about this pose, the wildness of her hair, the total abandon to the dance...I had to put this one up.



And finally, Miss Stereo Nacht (the little penguin). Miss Nacht is in NO wise new, but a happy figure of much regard in Caledon, lo these many years. She was actually dancing around the tiny donkey, but this particular image looks like she's sitting on it!

More to come!

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.

I found something interesting and we should discover it together

So, today was the grand reopening of the SLEA sim (or sims), after a long hiatus. I wasn't there for all of it, which I'm sure my processor is grateful for, because towards the end, the particles came out by the bushelful. Artists.



Now, amusingly, I didn't take any pictures until SaveMe Oh arrived, and the reason she's named is that she brought most of the particle effects. Also, she arrived and promptly died on the dance floor, a huge Pfizer-branded syringe through her chest and "HAPPY 2021" spelled out in bright green coronavirus orbs.

That was an entrance.



Someone said, "Oh, are we doing shots now?" And...this was next.



And then the effects really kicked up.



It got crazy for a bit, there. Somewhere in all that glow is a gigantic ribcage that would make Godzilla's chest seem small.



And then the 60's arrived.



And it kept going...



With a brief detour through strawberries and a yellow submarine:



...and finally, ending in a field of sunflowers:



While the DJ played The Golden Sun Rises Upon The World Again, by Fovea Hex. Appropriate:



Not badly celebrated, all in all.

It will be fascinating to see what they do from here.