in the end, in the end, there's nothing more to life than love, is there?

(Roleplay entry. What else would it be?)



The kittens are coming. It's getting harder to move. With every step, I am aware of the lives within. And...I worry.



I'm having to layer illusion spells, and I worry about the effects. And I wander the winter land and everywhere feels too exposed now, too...bright. Too...open.

The castle calls.



It's...an oddity, I admit. In all the centuries I've spent, moving forward, backward and sideways through time, I've never been pregnant. Outside of one truly unfortunate encounter with someone who wanted more from my succubus side than I wanted to give--and that ended quite badly for everyone concerned--I didn't even think I was fertile, let alone capable. But...sometimes the right person asks.

And sometimes that request is enough to do several months of research, and command the time portal at Sphinx-Templar headquarters, and put an entire lab into service distilling various poisons admixed with strands of DNA...all to just have a chance. Just to have the possibility available.



I don't think I was aware just how fast this would go, though. I thought my genetics would play more into it, but then...my genetics...are sort of all over the place. Sídhe-sided child of a karasutengu and a kitsune, summoned into being for the Unseelie Court as a phouka, transformed via curse into a succubus, an endless shapeshifter who changed forms like I changed my mind...whose genetics would come into play, here?



But...the potion worked. And...I caught. Maybe it was something to do with the overlaid poison extracts, to batter my system into receptivity; maybe it was something to do with the current and ancient strands of Shatner DNA that I included...but now I'm here. So close to giving birth, and I just want to...find a deep, dark cave somewhere, and burrow in, and pull branches over the entrance. Is that normal?



Justine says she'll stand with me. Or be with me, at least, during the birthing. Which might be good, as...I have no clue what to do if things go wrong...or even if things go right. This is all unexplored territory. I don't even truly know how many kittens I'm carrying--I know it's at least two, because I've felt two separate, rapid heartbeats against my palms.



The only thing I'm sure of...is that it will be soon. But when? No idea. I guess...I'll know when it's time. And until then...I wait.

And wait for word from the Duke.

they got a name for the winners in the world, I want a name when I lose

Dropped into the middle of, of all things, a texture group chat:

[14:00] DSR5O: DJ Stix (stixguy.nightfire) Your young ladies order are ready sir ^^

The what now?

[14:00] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Pardon?
[14:01] sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: ?
[14:01] Sxxxxx Oxxxxxx thinks that was a miss-group
[14:02] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): I...hope so, but I admit I am intrigued!

I am. I mean, it seems pretty clear to me, but...

[14:02] pxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Laughs
[14:02] Sxxxxx Oxxxxxx: yea... no comment.. *giggles and keeps working on the Pirate Jail*
[14:03] pxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: loves wrong chat hiccups sometimes
[14:03] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Just for providing girls? Harsh, [Sxxxxx]!

Does seem a bit of overkill.

[14:04] pxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: ha ha but if selling then not good .an actually profile is 3 days old .
[14:04] dxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: cafreful, [sxxxxx] might toss em in jail lol
[14:04] pxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: so dont click
[14:04] pxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: be wary block ..
[14:05] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Wau, three days in world and already thriving in the black market. That's ambition.
[14:05] dxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: LOL

So, I was curious and pulled the profile. Yep, just three days old. His total SL bio?

"Welcome to the DSR Family and BDSM Community 5k ph IM me for times and availability."

Riiiight.

[14:05] pxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: lol .. i am trying to get enough to tip DJs after 5 years ...
[14:06] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Laudable

But then, later...

[14:13] DSR5O: Kasey Korvin You two ladies order is ready for you ^^
[14:15] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Okay, I JUST saw something like this in another group. What gives?

It's the same guy! What the...

[14:16] lxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: lol 3 days old. its alt and scam
[14:17] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Yeah, but what scam is it FOR? It's not asking for money, it's not asking for us to pay rent, WTH, dude....
[14:17] mxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Attention!

Ugh.

[14:17] Bxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Is it Kevin?

We have a running joke in this particular group about that name, because an avatar named Kevin kept showing up at the group events, and standing around and begging for Lindens.

[14:17] lxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: yup
[14:17] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Well, it's Korvin. Does that count?
[14:17] Bxxxx Rxxxxxxx: close enough

Yeah, probably. Total waste of oxygen, again.

And THEN:

[14:20] DSR5O: Kasey Korvin You two ladies order is ready for you ^^

It's the EXACT SAME GUY! Something is up.

[14:20] DSR5O: Kasey Korvin You two ladies order is ready for you ^^

WE KNOW, SHUT UP!

[14:20] dxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: ?
[14:20] Rxxx Gxxxxx: doubly you tea eff
[14:21] Bxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: bet wrong group ?
[14:21] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): IT'S THE SAME IDIOT
[14:21] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): He's hitting all the groups

So I pulled his profile again to have a closer look. He's actually in a group called "!_@ SPAMMMM @_!". I don't even want to know.

He's also in a group called "I Mute Stupid People", there's some irony for you, and as for the rest of his profile--the only picture for the front is two hands holding a black leather ball gag, no picks, and on his FL page, it says

Italian, Pansexual i like it both ways ^^
What I'm doing today I'm absolutely doing again tomorrow :D

So he's going to spam people out of existence tomorrow? Fabulous.

I reported him. So did a bunch of other people. I hope he loses the account.

there's no way to ring the alarm, so hold on until it's over

(Roleplay entry, if a basic one.)



Back again prospecting, and I think I'm finally getting decent at it. But...the snakes. They looooove following me around.



I thought it would be harder to pick them out in the camouflaged snow form, but...no, they're weirdly more obvious.

So far, barring attacks from Reavers and the occasional gang of bandits, Haven's main hazards are the toxic mushrooms, the spiders, the snakes, and the wolves. The wolves are easy--they're fairly territorial, so avoid the areas they're in and they generally won't exert themselves to attack. The spiders, while very annoying, are slow, so when I see one drifting from the web, I just run out of the way. The mushrooms have the capacity to be lethal, but it's not like they move around. So stay away from those patches, and I'm fine.

But the snakes. The snakes are irritatingly mobile.



I swear they're taunting me.

And I'm supposed to be protected. The little ankle bracelet I mentioned earlier? It's supposed to keep them away, or at least, that's what I was told. This is a strange definition of "will stay away", if so...



Another day, more ore tracking, and even more snakes. Whyyyy....



I decided I'd had it, pulled out my palm pistol, finally approved by the magistrates, and...missed with every single shot. Come on.

I need a better gun.



And if the snakes can laugh? This one is. I just know it.

welcome to the machine, where have you been?

Today is also the soft open for Gearhaven. Oh, there's definitely more to do, and we may substantially revise what's out, but...for now...we're declaring it reasonably acceptable.



This is the main seat of government (for the moment, at least), as well as the court's official residence.



I'm still thinking taking a quarter-sim for a garden was way out of line, but...no one stopped me, so...it's now a collection of several gazebos, an outdoor council circle, a dance floor, and several small places to sit and reflect. Be a bit cautious around some of the wildlife...and some of the flora. Just in case.



On the other side of Steamopolis, are the floating rocks I barely managed to chain in place before they floated off, and the sky temple.



On the other side of the sim is the castle. There's...a lot of castle. And scattered here and there are remnants lingering of why we started developing Gearhaven here to begin with...traces of lost Carcosa.



The sky city of NuTanis is still under reconstruction, but we fully expect it--and Tannhauser Station, far, far above it--to be up and functional soon.



It's good to see so many diverse business opportunities for the Sphinx-Templar Syndicate, too.



And what kind of evil enchantress would I be if there weren't places the public is forbidden to go? Your trick is not finding them. Take care!

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.

it's time for us to lose our weary minds

People get odd in quarantine. Let me tell you a story of several unsettling eggs. It started here:



This was followed by a very Seussian breakfast (I don't want to know how they got the ham steak that green):



and screaming eggs:



which were followed by very sad eggs



before someone decided to make cloud eggs in the shell.



This was followed by...an all-egg Bundt cake??



But they weren't done yet. The next day someone posted eggs so overcooked they should have been served in a funerary urn:



Following that, double-double yolks were seen:



followed by the owl of doom:



And the thread finished with "holy" eggs:



accompanied by a somewhat suitable reaction pic.



Gods help you all, you mad desecrators of breakfast. May you live through all your creations.

lost in your current like a priceless wine

This is another case of losing the photos until recently, but I was invited to the odori by the High Priestess of the Companions' Guild a few weeks back. The more formal events always throw me a little--kimono is traditional, yes, but not geisha trappings, because I'm not one. The closest I feel I can come is oiran, traditionally equally well trained, but in different ways, and with a vastly different goal. And even there, I feel as if my makeup must be alluding to, not directly indicative of.

I don't know if other people fret over these things. I do.



We were led to a small room with a low table and zaisu chairs, and were asked to please sit, offered tea or sake as we chose, and spoke a few moments with the perfomer as the servers brought in the first course.

[13:26] Toshiha とし葉 (toshiha.magic): "While you enjoy your appetizer, please allow me to perform."
[13:26] Toshiha Magic: : おおきにぃ　(Thank you)

Our geisha performer, Ms. Magic, I am leaving named, because she does formal geisha and kabuki performances professionally in SL. She's very good.

[13:26] Bxxxxxx Gxxx turns to watch the geiko
[13:26] Bxxx 1xxxx knocks at the door
[13:27] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr) smiles, picking up the chopsticks.
[13:27] Toshiha とし葉 (toshiha.magic) carefully walks to the stage and takes her place, preparing a dance fan.

She took the stage, and I still don't know if the recording we heard then was her, or was someone else? "Momiji no Hashi" means "bridge of autumn leaves", which was the song playing, so...

[13:28] Momiji no Hashi Singer: Near the bridge of maple leaves 紅葉の橋のたもとから

[13:28] Txxx Tx 统体 after pouring, passes Jx Dxxxo and Nxx Jxx their fresh tea with a bow of head

[13:28] Momiji no Hashi Singer: I rest a sleeve on the railing. 袖を垣根の言いずてに
[13:28] Momiji no Hashi Singer: For a moment, my ears hear a magpie ちょっと耳をばかささぎの
[13:29] Fxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Hello, [Axxxx]!
[13:29] Bxxx 1xxx bows respectfully "Greetings."
[13:29] Momiji no Hashi Singer: Upon the frost a sudden clarity of light, 霜もいつしか白々と

[13:29] Dr. Dxxx Vxx Axxxx enjoys Toshiha's graceful movements.

[13:29] Momiji no Hashi Singer: It accumulates deeply, piling up 積もるほどなお深くなる
[13:30] Momiji no Hashi Singer: My dancing hands surround the snow 雪をめぐらす舞の手や
[13:30] Momiji no Hashi Singer: Yoi yoi yoi yoi yoi yasa. ヨイヨイ、ヨイヨイ、ヨイヤサー

She drew the eye, her slim figure moving through patterns made traditional hundreds of years ago, and, if you count that this was loosely part of Firefly RP, thousands of years back, with her delicately spinning fans.

[13:31] Bxxxxxx Gxxx: Hello [Axxxx]!
[13:31] Vxxxxx Lxxxx leans against the pillar, listening to the familiar song
[13:31] Bxxx 1xxx: How is every one?
[13:31] Zxxx Axxxxxxxx Sxxxxxxxxx knock at the door
[13:31] Fxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Hello, [Zxxx]!
[13:31] Bxxxxxx Gxxx applauds!
[13:31] Dr. Dxxx Vxx Axxxx nods politely to Alice. "No complaints. Yourself?"
[13:31] Bxxxxxx Gxxx: Thank you!
[13:31] Zxxx Axxxxxxxx Sxxxxxxxxx: may i come in?
[13:31] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr) claps politely
[13:31] Fxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx claps for Toshiha.
[13:31] Fxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: That was lovely!

She dipped, she turned, she hid her face coyly one moment, and spun the fans out to reveal it the next.

[13:31] Dr. Dxxx Vxx Axxxx: Of course, feel free to join us, [Zxxx].
[13:32] Mxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx claps enthusiastically as she motions to [Zxxx] with a nod
[13:32] Zxxx Axxxxxxxx Sxxxxxxxxx smiles and remove his gettas at the entry taking a seat
[13:32] Toshiha とし葉 (toshiha.magic): "Oideyasu, [Nxx Jxx] niisan!"
[13:32] Toshiha とし葉 (toshiha.magic) bows politely.
[13:32] Bxxx 1xxx: up right and breathing which is a good thing in our day and age

Especially this year.

[13:32] Vxxxxx Lxxxx clears the table of the old incense plate and takes it into the kitchen for a good clean
[13:32] Toshiha とし葉 (toshiha.magic): "Ookini! I hope you were all able to enjoy the feel of the season in that song."
[13:33] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Beautfully performed, and yes, very autumnal.
[13:33] Fxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: That was beautiful
[13:33] Fxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: i was actually hearing it from behind the door, it was very lovely Toshiha.
[13:33] Toshiha とし葉 (toshiha.magic): "Hei, today is the last day I could perform it for the year, so, I am pleased to dance it one more time." She smiles to [Nxx Jxx], too.

Apparently, the fall dance is the Gion Odori; there's a spring version as well, the Miyako Odori, performed every year.

[14:39] Toshiha とし葉 (toshiha.magic): ((This song, will be played like the first one, on "Sounds", ookini!))
[14:39] Txxx Tx 统体 after grasping a cloth to pick up the urn of bathing water, staggers, pausing ever few steps, panting, in hauling it's weighty volume

[14:40] Kimi ni Ougi Singer: The heart of the fan for you, a promise; 君に扇のナ 要の契り

This one was harder to figure out. Google Translate happily tells me it means either "Mysterious fan" or "Your fan mystery"; neither I think are accurate.

[14:40] Fxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx starts nibbling away happily at her cake.

[14:40] Kimi ni Ougi Singer: The snow's white background on the edge of the fan 雪の白地は扇の縁
[14:41] Beeflin Grut smiles radiantly at the poise of the dance
[14:41] Kimi ni Ougi Singer: The flower decorated fan in Hanjo's bedroom. 班女が閨の花扇
[14:41] Kimi ni Ougi Singer: That leopard lily hairpiece in your sleeve その桧扇のかざしの袖に
[14:41] Kimi ni Ougi Singer: Lightly, lightly ひらり ひらり
[14:42] Kimi ni Ougi Singer: The rich color of trees 木々の錦や
[14:42] Kimi ni Ougi Singer: are drawn in a picture with sakura-covered mountains 絵に画く山の桜花
[14:42] Kimi ni Ougi Singer: They fall, scattering, a soothing pleasure forever and ever 散らぬ嬉しさいつまでも
[14:43] Kimi ni Ougi Singer: A swirling of fans 扇車のくるり
[14:43] Kimi ni Ougi Singer: The ritual dance of ceremonial fans inviting prosperity 品よくまわれ末広かけて

[14:43] Fxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx watches Toshiha's graceful movements while pacing herself with her cake so it doesn't disappear too quickly.

[14:43] Kimi ni Ougi Singer: With open tines, for eight-thousand years. ひらく八千代の手なれ草

At which point, she bowed deeply, the performance complete. We were all stunned for a few moments, then...

[14:44] Bxxxxxx Gxxx has temporarily completely forgotten his cake
[14:44] Bxxxxxx Gxxx applauds!
[14:44] Vxxxxx Lxxxx shouts: beautiful tones up to the bathroom!!
[14:44] Fxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx applauds!!
[14:44] Fxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: wow!
[14:44] Kxxxxx Rxxxxxxx 金葉 applauds

Of course, SL being SL, couldn't have a dinner party break up without some technical glitch, but still, all in all, it was a brilliant performance, and I was honored and touched to be invited.

and here we stand, the sweet arresting duality

(Light roleplay entry.)

The uplift is complete.



Also, there's something mystical and lovely about dancing with a group of known pagans, heathens and atheists, whose sole intent is to dance, chat a bit, and leave all the nonsense behind in a very accepting, mellow setting. I'm really starting to like the Wandering Star.

At any rate..."On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..." SNAKES, apparently.



No, it's only Christmas today, actually, and no one had to give me evil snakes, they come with the territory. In this case, the territory being the snowy moon of Haven. And I'm the idiot who decided tromping around in the snow looking for ores to sell was a great idea.



Get away get away get AWAY! I thought the "Anti-Arc" was supposed to keep them off me!



Did I also mention Haven has feral wolves? That will attack if I get close enough? Note how I'm not getting close enough.



Oh, great, now there's two snakes near me! Find someone else to harass!

Also, I am curious--did this particular wolf suffer an injury? And someone patched up the leg, and wrapped it in jolly holiday red? Why??

In other news...



I put a dance floor in Gearhaven's garden. Right now, it's not scripted to do anything but rotate, but I'm fond of it.



And NuTanis is coming along swimmingly.

To that end--the Gearhaven end, not the cyber-city end--we may have to delay the first Gearhaven prize. We'd targeted that for somewhen in January, and we may still be able to, but the holidays have proven busier than expected, plus, the Duke's planning at least a "soft" open for Gearhaven in January. We've had some time to discuss potential candidates, so there are names in the hat, it's just...time, and availability, and lack of holiday stress...it's...somewhat daunting.