here comes the part of you and me arguing about nothing

I was following the last few stops of the Twisted hunt, so I could go home and finally unpack everything, when this happened:

[11:36] Gxxxxx Txxxxxx: hello sexy!
[11:36] Emilly Orr: Hello?

This, and variations of this, are my standard response to anyone who writes me that a) I don't know and b) opens only with a 'hello', 'hi' or 'hey'.

[11:37] Gxxxxx Txxxxxx: hello you look awesome!
[11:37] Emilly Orr: Thank you!
[11:37] Gxxxxx Txxxxxx: your very sexy

"You're".

[11:38] Emilly Orr smiles.
[11:38] Emilly Orr: I try.

I ported off to the next hunt stop at that point, and as expected:

[11:38] Gxxxxx Txxxxxx: owwwwwww
[11:38] Gxxxxx Txxxxxx: gone?
[11:39] Emilly Orr: Following Twisted hunt stops
[11:40] Gxxxxx Txxxxxx: would love to meet you
[11:41] Emilly Orr: In what capacity? As a model, or in my work capacity?

I mean, look. I don't port to a new place and toss every avatar in sight range my rate card. I don't advertise, beyond occasionally forgetting to change my tag when I'm out shopping. There are probably ways to get my name out there more, but I don't tend to follow those, as many of them involve renting ad boards at free sex stops, and frankly...if someone's there for free sex, why are they going to pay anyone? Doesn't make sense.

[11:43] Gxxxxx Txxxxxx: model ofc
[11:44] Gxxxxx Txxxxxx smiles
[11:44] Gxxxxx Txxxxxx: your so sexy model
[11:44] Emilly Orr: Oh, thank you

Also "you're", again.

[11:45] Gxxxxx Txxxxxx: would you pose glamour, kinky or nude?
[11:46] Emilly Orr: Well, I can do all three. I took posing fees off my rate card, as the photographer attached to Sakura moved on, so what would you think fair?

Now, this isn't exactly true. Of the three photographers attached to Sakura--that I know of, anyway--one moved on from taking Blossom portraits, but is still friendly to the house, one still takes photographs for us (she's responsible for the current ladies-in-white theme our portraits have going), and one is no longer working as our photographer, using our services, and is not welcome on the sim.

But in the large, I was making a point. I don't have rates for posing on my Blossom card. I don't have voice rates on my card either, because it's not something I'm comfortable doing with strangers. But I used to have fees for both.

[11:47] Gxxxxx Txxxxxx: i don't pay and you don't pay
[11:47] Gxxxxx Txxxxxx: that's how i work
[11:47] Gxxxxx Txxxxxx: you get the pics
[11:47] Emilly Orr: Then not interested, but thank you for the compliment.

Because basically, I pose nude for this fellow, he gets to upload them anywhere, sell them to anyone, use them for advertising, and no. I'd like some compensation for that. I doubt I'd demand insane amounts, just a token for the fact that I'm posing for someone.

[11:47] Emilly Orr: You also get the pics, and can at that point, with no contract involved, sell them at whim.
[11:48] Gxxxxx Txxxxxx: omg your [f**king] serious

Yes. I usually am.

[11:48] Gxxxxx Txxxxxx: forget me
[11:48] Gxxxxx Txxxxxx: please

Happy to, but...

[11:48] Emilly Orr: You said hello first.
[11:48] Gxxxxx Txxxxxx: i don't sell pics

What? Ever?

[11:48] Emilly Orr: Really? So, you just have a gallery for show?
[11:48] Gxxxxx Txxxxxx: yes ofc
[11:48] Gxxxxx Txxxxxx: it's sl
[11:48] Gxxxxx Txxxxxx: and i have flickr

Well, I have a Flickr, doesn't mean I'm a professional. I have an Instagram account, too, and a deviantArt account, but I'm strictly am amateur artist in all mediums.

[11:48] Gerard Gxxxxx Txxxxxx: sl is fun no business

Maybe for him, but some of us work here.

[11:49] Emilly Orr: Huh. Okay, you're the first professional photographer I've met here who doesn't sell their work.
[11:49] Gerard Gxxxxx Txxxxxx: why pay for a sl pic
[11:49] Gerard Gxxxxx Txxxxxx: weird

Not that weird, it's called making a living from your art.

[11:49] Emilly Orr: If the photographer is talented, and you want something from that particular person? It's happened.

I mean, I have no objections to nudity or fetish photography. Somewhere out there, there are RL fetish photographs taken by a dear friend. I have no idea if he ever uploaded them. So I'm not body-conscious in SL or RL, but I do have standards, and one of them is, if I don't know the photographer in question, I'm going to charge a modeling fee.

This has happened more than once. Maybe it's time to revise my rate card again.

But either way, that was the end of that, as he stopped responding. I wasn't interested in encouraging him further, anyway. After all, according to him, "sl is fun no business", so, y'know, everyone should just take what they want and give nothing back and treat it all like a Solitaire game. And no thank you. I don't share that attitude, I never have. SL is a game, yes, but it's a game played with hearts and minds, real feelings, real thoughts, real consequences. Anyone who doesn't comprehend that, I just can't communicate with--because it tends to be their RL feeling as well. "Just kidding, dude, don't take everything so seriously". "It's just a prank, bro." "We didn't mean to, we didn't think anyone would die." "Yeah, I drove drunk, but that guy turned in front of me, it's his fault for getting hit."

Yeah, no thank you. Actions have consequences, even here. No amount of denial reverses that.