“This is Halloween” quite a self confident name/claim for a location I thought when I saw it on the Destinations, so I had to have a look and see if it lived up to it.
It does certainly give you that kind of feel on arrival, the mandatoryhooded ghoulish figure, twisted trees and some pumpkins.
Behind you are some more trees with an inviting path, so that’s the way I headed
Through the trees and a dark hollow log tunnel, leads you to enchanging night view
and of course, the pumkin patch
Following the paths in any direction take you to a variety of spooky sights, I’ll include a few snaps here, but it’s worth having an explore to feel the spooky atmosphere yourself.
Spooky house
Haunted church
Woodland village
Cauldron by old hut
Corn feild maze
Spooky crossroads
Big old house with graveyard
Full moon
Does it live up to it’s namesake title? Well it has all the expected parts, the conclusion I leave you.
After visits to a few dark and spooky places, I thought a lighter feel and more fun one was needed. So I’m writing about Spellbound Academy, which has a very strong Harry Potter type feel to it.
The Academy isn’t just a place to wander around, it’s an interactive game with searching and tasks to do.
To start playing you need their HUD, which while the signs say you have to Buy it, all I had to do was join the (free) group and click the HUD vendor to get started.
You’ll need to click the various crates around the table as well to get a free wand before you can get through the gates into the Academy.
The arrival point is like a quaint village centre ringed by stores selling in theme items. The stall holders/shop keepers are NPCs you can interact with.
These pets and wands are optional paid-for gameplay enhancements.
I think a wand is probably the most useful item to acquire if you chose because if you log out and come back another day..
[09:15:02] Spellbound Free Wand V3.3: You have a free wand, but if you leave Spellbound, you'll have to come back here to the donation crate for a new one unless you purchase a wand.
..you have to come back and get another one. But given the wands only cost 75L$ it’s not so bad. The pet owls on the other hand are 499L$ and help you locate crystals. At the time of writing, I’d bought neither item.
When you arrive in the main hall, have a bit of a wander, the layout is fairly simple, with a series of locked doors on two levels that you must collect sufficient crystals to pass through.
First couple of things you will need to do is collect the contents of the chest at the top of the stairs.
Then interact with the tree in the middle of the hall, where the collection of blue crystals shards are. (The tree isn’t pictured on account of it not being there when your first arrive and that I didn’t know it’d vanish later!) Once you’ve pressed all the dialog options, you can begin your search for crystals and start opening doors to other levels.
The first door you’ll be open takes you to a hall with a firey theme, the Ignis house.
In each corner there are boards you can interact with to learn spells, each requiring different amounts of Mana crystals.
Next up is the the Aqua house with watery theme and associated spells to learn.
So far I only explored these first two houses, but from the info at the arrival point, there’s two more to get to:
Its a fun game to spend some time on (potentially a Lot of time!) if you’re into witchy/wizardy type stuff of the Harry Potter style.
Forgotten Souls is a “abandoned frontier town” type of place with some older and newer elements thrown in. The landing point drops you outside a cemetery, but you can’t enter directly from this side so I took a wander.
There appeared to be some lights in the other direction, so I headed that way and found what appeared to be an old store of some kind.
Place unsurprisingly a bit of a wreck, but some figures ehead so I headed in that direction
Which lead me to some of what must be the Lost Souls the place is named for.
I took some stairs outside a near building to give me a bit of a better view
Seeing that there appeared to just be wasteland beyond the living corpses I went back the other way to see what else the town had to offer.
First stop was obviously the Cemetery
Further along what could only be called the main street was a foreboding building on the opposite side, the Asylum.
I just had to have a peek inside..
A familiar looking night watchman outside (see previous post), I wonder if there’s an agency for them?
The lobby lounge area, not a place I’d want to admit even the most nuts of relatives
Not sure if this was hospital or mortuary..probably both.
At the end of the street there appears some kind of ruined train carriage
Seems someone was living in it for some time, but evidently now a long time ago.
following the road around I found the rear of the main street had some shop fronts
Looking at the decayed shop buildings, I almost missed a stone staircase hidden in the mist
So up I inevitably went to investigate
At the top I found a half collapsed columned structure and within it a rather disturbing scene.
I retraced my steps back out to the main street and decided to see if there was any mysteries behind the store I saw on arrival. Sure enough I found a lake behind it.
Along with a number of other buildings that I’ll leave you to explore!
My next stop for this Halloween seasons wanderings is Dead Mans Island. The name couldn’t be more accurate, you can hardly turn anywhere without sight of a corpse, grave or some spooky sight. It’s fantastic!
I arrived in the hallway of the the regions spooky mansion, which I don’t think is the intended arrival point, but doesn’t really matter.
My view on first arrival arrival
Behind me is the main entrance leading outside
Entrance hallway
Rather than heading out, first I decided to have a look up the stairs
A creaky staircase with lights on upstairs, is that signs of life?
So I up I go and explore the rooms
I wonder what she’s looking at..
Oh..maybe this tradsman wasn’t up to her standards
Well there’s the source of the light, but no signs of life
If this place wasn’t bloody enough already..a literal Blood bath!
Back down stairs I went through into the next room that turned out to be the kitchen, but I don’t think it’s regular food being cooked in this cauldron!
Don’t think I want to know what’s in the pot
Back the other way to the main doors outside, leading to a long pathway out into a dark forest.
Outside the gates I found this cute little night watchmen, although I expect they’d object to “cute”.
Then a glance the other way and ..uh..skeleton musicians?
Anyway straight ahead and uphill is where the path leads
At the top I find a solemn monk statue and some suggestions this is the intended Arrival point.
While I survey the forested and swampy landscape below, something unpleasant is surveying *me*.
So back down the hill to investigate what looked like a mine entrance to my left
Bones outside seem a bit foreboding but I go have a look anyway..more bodies!
Exiting the mine I cross very misty the swamp
On the far side I see a building at the top of the hill
I find it guarded by some fearsome creatures, a large Demon and some Hell Hounds.
Inside I find it was at some point a church, but I don’t think there’s been anything Holy about this place for a long time!
The nave has seen better days
The congregation look like they’ve been here since whenever that was
There’s an extra, worringly dust-free altar near the front
A moment of respect at the original, but blood-soaked Altar
After a respectful moment at the altar I head out again and follow the coastline, when I stop to take a moment to look out across the water, I find a werewolf and his victim lying on the ground.
A werewolf and it’s prey
I move on hastily past so as not to interrupt it’s snack and become dessert. Just in case I duck inside a little mausoleum next to the cemetery gates
I wait inside for a few minutes to make sure he’s not followed me, it’s quite comfy!
Moving on into the cemetery it seems fairly empty, presumably because most of the dead are up and about! The main feature of the graveyard is a single large Angel statue…with no head!
Back out onto the coast path there’s a good view across to the spooky Mansion.
I wandered around the rear of the building to see if there was any more sppoks to be seen. Unsurprisingly there’s another graveyard.
Not so many here, maybe was just the homeowner personal cemetery perhaps? As I was about to head back around to the front door, I saw a light further along the coast
Maybe the houses former inhabitants aren’t at rest at all!
Even the nearby vegetation is looking far from healthy!
Dead Mans Island definitely should be on any Halloween fans list to visit.
It’s been a while since I posted anything about my SL adventures, mainly since I haven’t had time for much. So I thought now we’re into “Halloween Month” in SL I should start again with a seasonal wander. So I headed to “Pumpkin Town”.
This place has been going since 2010 but I don’t recall ever visiting before, certainly not since I started blogging my explorations.
So the arrival point is as pictured in various places and typical of a SL Halloween location..pumpkins everywhere of course!
then behind you is a little jetty and cabin the water, maybe I’ll come back to that.
The “what’s behind me” shot
Following the pathways take you through a shopping area:
Usually not my favourite aspect of SL Halloween, but I did actually buy something for a change!
Further along I find my kind of Halloween location, the creepy places!
The gateway to creepy town is a bridge over a murky swamp
I stopped to have a nosey in the house before crossing
On the other side of the swamp there’s the first of the spooky buildings to explore
Around the back there’s view across a misty lake
Then I had a look in the back door of a nearby place, seemed full of all kinds of curiosities:
Back out onto the path I pass another spook place
Before coming to the crest of a hill and overlooking this intriguing place:
So I go down and have a bit of an explore..
appears to be an abandoned old folks home? Walking out the patio doors at the end gives me a view of the green house..what are those?
I head back in and walk around til I find the door leading into the greenhouse and open it carefully..
Not wanting to become dinner, I close the doors again and make a hasty exit! As I wander the path some more I come to an inviting sigh..”Haunted House”
I followed the signs to this rather imposing building:
I won’t spoil any more surprises, you’ll have to come and check it out for yourself!
It is not often I discuss anything related to real-life on my blog, in fact I don’t think I ever have. However recently I received some news of one of those cases where RL thrusts itself into SL in the worst of ways. News of an SL friends RL Death.
Her name was Ame, she roleplayed a Kajira (slave-girl) in SL Gor. Her Master was Courgan Barzane. I RPed with her a few times, but there were others that knew her a lot better than me, so I am leaving the better words up to them.
Amethyst Tuqiri 4th September 2007 – 16th August 2020 (SL Rezday to RL passing)
(Click images to enlarge)
There was quite a turnout
25+ came to say their farewells
Here I include the comments of those that attended the Memorial gathering on 23rd August 2020. Although I made my own notes of what was said, I am reproducing the comments and pictures provided by Courgan as he distributed copy inworld.
There is a lot to read if you choose,but it just goes to show how much people can care about those they will never meet in the physical wold.
(This next paragraph was going to go at the end of the post, but that would assume you read it all and I doubt people that didn’t know her will do that.)
As you can(will) see, ame was loved by many. I know those that don’t use SL will find it hard to comprehend that people build relationships like this with people they will never meet. However the words speak for themselves I feel. Anyone can look however they want to look in SL, so when you’re interacting with them, their visual appearance is mostly a small factor. You are communicating with a real person, the inner person,not their visual appearance. The lack of physical cues or facial expressions (although we can now do those with Bento to some degree) makes the words more meaningful.
Courgan Barzane
“Hello all and thank you for coming to ame’s memorial. I know for sure, it would have meant a lot for her. Otherwise her friend would have not felt obliged to come and inform us, if not her sl family, which were the exact words, meant that much to her.
Even in a family, people tend to bicker and fight now and then, so some of you had your share in clashing with her when she was in the mood for such. But one thing I know for sure as well, she was impulsive but had no dark spot in her heart at all. And trying hard to restrain herself in the last year, which is all you can ask for.
She made even me gnaw my teeth often enough in the first months of our way together, but now, with every passing day since the moment I heard the sad truth, I am more and more realizing what I, what we all have lost with her.
Another friend of her, Ricka, asked me when I informed him “how is it a person we never knew in rl can affect us so much?”. I did not answer that then, but thought about it and know now why:
It’s when they have a great heart. Many here come and go without us caring, so someone must be special if we are affected that much by their going.
My own history with her began over 12 years ago in Cardonicus, where she had been one of the girls there while I did my best to keep the foe outside the walls. Those, who have been there, know the special bond which connects still today all oldtimers from that city.
Over the years, our paths crossed often in places I held or/and built, from the woods of Cardonicus and village of Piedmont, over the resurrected Piedmont of 2014 to the various instances of the Forest of Gor. Until on the 30th of June 2018 she came to me, as she just lost her Master and was feeling alone and lost.
That day I took her under my wings until she found a “more suitable master in her own timezone”. Little did I know on that day that she would wear my collar gladly until her dying day.
Being in different time zones does not make it easy and I still think she would have deserved someone here for her with more time than I could manage, she had to spend so much time in waiting for me to log in, but in the end she claimed she was very happy and that must be the most important thing.
I knew she was sick,
I knew she was sicker than she wanted to make us believe. This was the third time in the last 2 years she was in hospital after all, but all we heard made us hope, she would come back again.
But it did not happen and so we got the sad news that she lost her fight finally.
Even now I still have a hard time to grasp that we won’t see her again doing her mischief, having her sit on my lap and telling me excited the latest news or showing her newest acquisitions of hair or clothes.
The group shows last log on on the 18th of August, but we all know it was not her anymore, it was just her toon. But as with all our toons, not the pixels count, but the one at the keyboard. And that had her last direct words to me on 4th of June, just before she had to leave her house for hospital.
If I only knew then that it were to be our last words, I would have said so much more than “get better” and give her a kiss. But I was convinced to see her just a few days later from her bed on her laptop.
Small things do indeed matter as we saw. She took the notebook with her to stay in contact, but wrecked it first day by spilling coffee over it.
Who can say for sure, that it would not have made a difference for her fight, if she had our support mentally during the long weeks in hospital?
In any case she would have had the chance to stay longer in contact to her sl family, which would have been so important to her, the one thing we can know for sure.
So we only can hope that her third life treats her better than her first and that she sits now in heaven in a flower patch between the beloved butterflies, just like the spots you will see nearly everywhere in this sim if you care to look closer, waiting for her return that will not happen anymore.
So I placed her picture up here into a flower field and gave her butterflies to watch and know she would have loved that as you can see by some of the portraits she took of herself in between flowers around this place.
Others of her friends knew her as long as me and at least as good, perhaps even better and so I will step now back to give them a chance to add a word or two with a virtual toast
To Ame, may she be in heaven now.”
இگổηΐãஇ (emmanuella Checchinato)
smiles to Courgan .. thanks you Courgan …can i add a word ?
“I writed a short text for our best friend Ame, we are all sad of her departure but she will keep in the eternity in our thoughts and heart, Maurice Maeterlinck, a Belgian writer of the last century said:
“Let us get used to seeing death as a form of life that we do not yet understand. Let’s learn to see it through the same eye as birth. “.
The death of a loved one is, of course, a great sadness for his family and friends.
Yet death remains a mystery. Everyone is looking for a meaning. Some believe in God and in the existence of a paradise. Others think that the soul of the deceased has another life …
To each his own ..
Our beloved, you left this world to rest in a peaceful country.
This country where you now reside, my friend Ame.
A country with blue skies from which you watch over all the loved ones you left behind in this world: your friends gathered here to pay you a last homage.
Ame has left us
She will now rest in peace in this land, her native land where her family she loved so much still lives.
It is difficult for me to pronounce this elegy, so much sadness and sorrow grips me.
Your death is our great sorrow.
Our emotion is great when it comes to saying goodbye to you. It’s hard to accept the disappearance of a loved one with whom they shared so much. Shared the moments of joy as the most difficult trials.
You were a wonderful person, always concerned with the interest and well-being of each member of his large Gorean family.
Your great human qualities and your altruism made your company sought after and appreciated. Today, your whole family miss you. They are all orphans of you and your love for them.
Your loyal and unconditional friendship will be sorely missed by your friends. You were a friend who was always available and listened to others.
You knew how to cultivate friendship wonderfully. To be your friend was to be part of your family: to be your dear brother or sister.
By leaving us on the quay of life, you left us in order to go on a journey to certainly paradisiacal countries.
Your departure has plunged us into the emotion and sadness of not seeing you in this world.
Yet each of us knows that your good deeds and great wisdom can only lead you to an afterlife of beauty, relief, and serene rest.
Dying is everyone’s fate.
No one knows at what age those days will come to an end.
Your death is a last lesson that you give to your loved ones. It gives us even more to think about the importance of living every moment to the fullest.
You have fully lived your life. You knew how to love and enjoy every moment: your family, your friends, …
“Live it, believe me, don’t wait until tomorrow; pick the roses of life today “wrote Pierre de Ronsard.
By your way of being, your relationship with others and your conception of existence made up of wisdom and respect, you have really succeeded in your life ..
Today we have to accept your death and let go.
Its possible and slow acceptance will depend on each of us, on our past, on our history, on what we are able to understand from your unexpected departure.
We have to find consolation in telling ourselves that this last trip you are taking is a trip to a deserved paradise, which no one really can talk about …
We must mourn and let you go in peace. We have to accept that death is part of the path of life. It continues and we must conceive of it as a stage in our personal destiny.
However, the death of a person cannot erase all our beautiful memories and our beautiful thoughts for them.
We will think of you, every day, with gentleness and full of love. Our loving thoughts will be with you on your new path.
The country where you live today is certainly a pain free country where love and permanent serenity reign.
Rest in country in this delicious world where, I know, you observe us and listen to us with affection.
Our tears and tears are words of love sent to heaven to cover your heart with happiness in your final abode.
I extend my deepest condolences to all your family and friends whether here on SL or real.
thanks you”
Mazulat Grigorovich
“We connected off and on through the years, though my leaving Gor and then SL put us out of touch for awhile. She wanted so much to be the perfect Kajira, except when she didn’t.. Finding mischief and trouble to keep it interesting was her routine. The last version of our story together was an odd one, an even then, she made even simple mundane rp pleasant and worthwhile.
I made excuses to come visit the twig of a slave girl every time i had reason to trade with or hunt the local tree urts. And she was always there, waiting for her candy or piece of pretty cloth to stash away for times her owner might not catch her. She aided me often and even had a hand in seeing me sold as war loot once.
I have thought of her often since stepping away from Rp, she was just one of those folks that made you smile. Made you want to be here and enjoying this second life. I hope her next one brings her as many smiles as she brought me.
Always sending me birds, asking when i was coming back to Gor. I’ll miss that”
Magaska Haystack
“I don’t have much to contribute, but I first met Ame in Cardonicus, one of the girls who came to my bakery to get cookies every day. She was so determined to be the best Kajira she could be, and tried harder than any other girl I have met here, in SL.
She convinced me to come out of retirement to man the bakery in the Forest Outpost, and it was wonderful to have her again sneaking cookies from the jar.
To be sure she was always seeking the perfect Master, and I believe she finally found one in Courgan. I shall miss her enormously. Rest in peace, my Ame.”
Tudu Beleza
”
Whenever we say goodbye to someone we think it is for them, and no, I think it is for us and the emptiness it leaves in us, for that reason, and I am sure she knows it, since she is on her way from somewhere else, that the blessings remain for us, and the paths unknown to her . So I consider these words for all of you, and that she will agree:
May the rains that wet you be soft and warm.
May the wind come filled with the perfume of flowers.
May the rivers be conducive to you and run to the side you want to navigate.
May the clouds cover the sun when you are alone in the desert.
Let the deserts be filled with trees when you want to cross them. Or that you find those magical plants that keep the water you need at their roots.
May the cold and snow come when you are in a warm cave.
May you never lack fire.
May you never lack water.
May you never lack love.
Maybe the fire can be started.
Maybe water can fall from the sky.
But, if you lack love, there is no water or fire enough to continue living.
this is all. Good travel Ame!”
MoisesBenitez Resident
”
Glances about the area, looking at everyone in doing so and says…”I do not know many of you, and most likely none of you know of me. But, I can say this much, two people in SL Gor have made a serious and genuine impact on me in terms of friendship. One is the man to my left , Zane Kanze and the other, is Ame. The last Gorean homestone I had on SL is where Ame resided. Every night when I did my guard duty, Ame would get in my IM box and asked me how I am doing. She took her role very seriously and truly cared about people.
Mоїsєs Bєиїтєz looks to Courgan and says….”I know you are suffering, but I can only imagine the depth of that suffering. I know for a fact that Ame via SL had made a positive profound impact on me during my times on SL Gor and now, unfortunately in RL. I, coming from Old Gor (aka mIRC), Ame represented that environment where I had learned of Gor. My regards and sympathy goes to you Courgan and the rest of you. Rest in Peace, Ame.”
Ricka Deerhunter
”
Amethyst Tuqiri. or Ame as we all knew her.
I had the pleasure of spending a lot of time with her over the course of maybe a month. Maybe 2. Maybe less. I dont know. I was in the man village with her down below. Lydius Outpost, and in the fort nearby.
We worked together to keep Dani and her panthers out of the city. . It was often just the 2 of us, while Courgan was offline, I was blessed with permission from Courgan and Ame to be the man about the place. Ame was the slave while I was here with her. We had so much fun, and Courgan, you were her guy through all of the fun times I had with her,
She always had an idea when you would be coming online. Her little feet pitter pattered the fort and village all day long while you were away Courgan..When you came online Courgan, it was time for me to stop playing the part and her real guy to be here for her.
Ame was loyal to Courgan. She was loyal to all her home here and her friends. She was dutiful and diligent to this place and these friends of hers here.There were times she was completely alone on sim. No men. No panthers.
I really respected her loyalty to the things and people that she made her home amongst. I really enjoyed my time with her here.
May Ame rest in peace. I will miss her being there online, in this sim, and even seeing her online on my friends list meant a lot to me. I’m going to miss her, and all of that.”
Zane Kanze
”
The last song she requested for me to play https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRbD3ggyc7U
The little one, who came over now and then, or always offered friendly invite to come enjoy drink or see her beautiful dance, even through our minor spats, She always came back with that twinkle in her eye, bold, shining bright, just to make me smile and forget about dark days, determined, creating many laughs, she always was one of the reasons to return here, as part of Gor, Ame was dedicated, more so than even some warriors, sticking to her home, her land, an example some of us goreans forget sometimes, the meaning of loyalty…the next time you raise a drink, do it for ame, and remember ame’s way, is something Gor lacks a bit right now, drink, to the wild little daisey, shine on little diamond..,
I met her when my mom passed away in rl, she invited me to a dance contest, and loved those slave runs…All of your words triggered even more memories of her, the good one’s indeed, thank you for coming here for her and Courgan,
[2017/11/29 14:46] Amethyst Tuqiri: Happy time!
whenever working on things, she always made me smile and laugh, even when I was deep into work mode, inspiring, and just made things easier, and funner..
Her last words to me were, are you coming back to Gor master?
Here we are”
QuinnLexi Resident
“I’m very sorry to hear what happened, Ame will be missed” “My sympathy for those who have lost today””
Dahlia Vanbeeck
“To ame .. xx”
GusSilverclaw Resident
“Our time was short but she did definitely brighten my day, she will be missed all I can do is Wish her Safe Paths on the next part of her journey
Thank You Ame”
Take Coverdale
“Thank you Courgan for so many thoughtful, heart felt words. And how it would have meant so much to her to see so many of her sl friends here today. She will be so dearly missed
She was indeed mischievous, but that was Ame. She was the first person I met on SL and we dated for many years, even in GOR. I only wish I’d stayed in contact more recently to hug her and say goodbye properly.
Dear sweet Ame, be finally at peace
I too remember those days that Magaska talks about (as my Gorean Alt Freddy in Cardonicus), And she would be happy to please me with those stolen cookies. She was a mischievous character who pushed the role as slave to the limits.
But that was Ame, she was the first person I met on SL, and over many years we went through many up and downs, both in RL and SL. But the was always something that connected and kept us coming back.
I was davasted by the news and wished I’d been able to say good bye properly.
Another time Ame, another time when we will meet again.
Rest peacefully my girl, REST XXOXOX”
Blair Talaj (N’Kara)
இگổηΐãஇ :I also have a note from N’Kara who cannot attend now, she is there yes but not really she had family needs and therefore had to leave her avatar alone with us, so I speak on her behalf:
I just want to say in the world of Gor where women were taken captive either by a raid of an enemy city or earth, Ame was true to her slave heart. Loyal to FoG and to her masters, especially Courgan. She knelt in the presence of men eager to serve as one should.
She is funny, she is warm hearted, she is the perfect Kajira. There will be a deep void, a missing heart. Her presence will be dearly missed and I will miss camming her with a chuckle.
Rest in peace, Kajira Ame.”
My own contribution:
“I did not know her as well as many of you, I know, but she was always so warm and cheerful when you spoke to her, like a ray of sunshine talking to her.
Well I believe my first encounter with ame was back in 2018, I was running my tavern, but also roaming around different places, including Dani’s camp by way of the outpost, where I met Ame
we didn’t have as many conversations as the rest of you, the were mostly just passing greetings.
But every conversation always seemed to brighten my mood.
she always seemed cheerful, which can be a challenge in some places in Gor, She was gem.
RIP Ame”
AJ Jouvenet
“The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.”
― Richard Bach, Illusions
I met Ame once when my partner Lucius Skinstad and I were making a visit back to Gor. I was struck by how warm and endearing a person Ame was to a new person. Luc spoke so highly of her. He very much wanted to be here with you all today. On his behalf I offer the Roman support for this loss. I grieve with you
Rest in peace Ame”
NiaLuna Resident
“I believe you are now in better world…maybe it is Gor too….hugs dear Ame
hugs Ame ……take care all
Rest in peace Ame”
Dani
“Hmmm … you know what? Like all of you, I sat frozen as I read the message about Ame. Then I had a few difficult days, the emotions overwhelmed me every day. Then I spoke to Sonia and Courgan who told me they would be helding a speech.
So now I sat here and figured out what to say, staring at her pictures and the butterflies that Ame loved so much. One thing I knew for sure: I don’t want to say that I miss her infinitely, that she was the greatest person, that she is a great loss … pffff … No!
I looked – although various friends told me not to do it – at the old logs and you know what? Ame was never sad at all! She was funny, cheeky, creative, loyal and always cheered us up in the darkest moments. Many of the old logs made me laugh: Ame was soooo funny !! So why should we stand around here and be sad? I know how Ame would react if we did that!
Dᴀɴɪ™: >:( grr!
Maz: 😀
Magaska Haystack smiles
sharrissae: nods
Dᴀɴɪ™: Exactly … be happy, cheeky, enjoy every free minute here with your friends. And if you are not happy, do it like Ame! If you don’t know how to grrrr … ask me. I can show you!
Dᴀɴɪ™: >:( grr!
I have known Ame, like many of you, for over 12 years. And Cardonicus, like Ame, is always present in our memories and heart. So: don’t be sad for too long, but do what Ame expects from us all: grab your friends, be cheeky, creative and play together as one big family. In this sense, Ame will always be between us in the future and push us to have joy and make new friends every single day! And now I close my little speech, knowing it is in Ames’ sense with an animation that she gifted me once:
I hope no one will spank me now… but THIS was Ame!!!
**Well he asked for it**
♫♩The wonderful thing about tiggers ♫♩
♫♩is that Tiggers are a wonderful things ♫♩
♫♩Their tops are made out of rubber ♫♩
♫♩Their bottoms are made out of strings ♫♩
♫♩Bouncy, clowncy, clowncy, clowncy, fun, fun, fun ♫♩
♫♩But the most wonderful thing about Tiggers ♫♩
♫♩That I’m the only one ♫♩
♫♩ I’m the only one ♫♩
RIP my supa dupa Amekins!!! Looove you!!!! ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
((end of my speech and crying lol))”
Responses to Dani’s speech:
Maz: OMG lol yep, that be the girl
Magaska Haystack smiles
Zane Kanze: Skall! the little weed that blossomed to a fine flower <3 XoxoX
Yale Corvale: Lovely Dani, and so appropriate
Maz: thank you for that dani, really
———–
As promised I approached the greenhouse area intending to visit Penny, as I said I would at our last meeting.
On arrival I see Seffy perched on top of the chicken coop and a couple strangers in the vicinity. There’s a man next to Penny outside the greenhouse and a woman by chicken coop.
The woman is talking about how roast chicken was appealing. Seffy pointed out that unfortunately despite wanting fried chicken, she’d been told they were more useful as a supply of eggs. I agreed with that after offering greetings to all.
Penny doesn’t make any introductions of the strangers to me,which seemed odd. However listening to their conversation I gathered she was still trying to find out the man’s name and he was being evasive.
I notice someone come up behind me and move towards the greenhouses so they’re not directly behind me. Not taking in their appearance at that point, just they were very large in stature.
Moving on into and through the greenhouse building, I had a look around while listening to the conversation between the first man I’d seen and Penny. By the time I’d emerged at the other end of the building it was revealed he wished to be addressed as “Sharke”.
Sharke
The unknown woman blurted out a barely understandable sentence before leaving the area hastily. Evidently not comfortable with the growing number of strangers around.
The unknown woman before she took flight
As I emerge from the greenhouse I’m now facing the stranger that had come from behind me, he’d come closer. I could see another reason the woman may have bolted. He.. presumed from stature, was not human. Humanoid in shape but his head was elongated and his skin appeared leathery.
Humanoid, but not Human..what *is* this thing I wonder.
So I ran a scan with my optical implant. Originally intended for detecting dangerous goods in packages, I’d had a few upgrades made to it. The result showed that the outlines of internal organs seemed to be in the right places for a human, so maybe he was once? I’d noticed his pistol with my regular eye already, the scan revealed just some spare ammo in his long jacket and random stuff in his bag.
Out of curiosity I did the same scan on the other guy, Sharke, talking to Penny. That brought some interesting results. I hadn’t noticed his hands weren’t completely flesh, he’d had quite a few augmented upgrades too. He noticed what I did and didn’t seem to comfortable about it, but made no verbal comment. The conversation revealed that both of them were in need of shelter and that Sharke was in need of a medic and a technician for his hands.
I told him we have a bot-shop so fixing his hands wouldn’t be an issue and we had private accommodation in old shipping containers. Penny chimed in with more information on a shelter and medical facilities. At this point the non-human announced that he was a medical doctor. It crossed my mind that may explain is current appearance, an experiment gone wrong perhaps…or right?
Penny took them over to the large building opposite, that she referred to as the “Church”. I’d just thought of it as a hall or barn, since it contained mostly medical and droid repair equipment.
The building Penny describes as the “Church”
I followed them over at a distance. Sharke made the gentlemanly gesture of indicating I enter ahead of him, but by the time I caught up he’d gone ahead. I slipped in quietly and leaned against the door frame briefly before taking a seat on an old folding chair, since I had not much to contribute to the discussion at the time.
Keeping to myself out the way
Penny was trying to get the Doctor to fill in some paperwork, which seemed a little ludicrous given the circumstances. But I figured this was Ellie’s domain and being an android it made sense she’d want everything orderly.
Penny then made her departure to go tend to the greenhouse and feed the chickens, I followed her out, leaving the Doctor and Sharke talking I bade them farewell.
Following up on my post “The AMZ Delivery Lady“, Ava is surprised to encounters the recipient of the package she had been supposed to deliver weeks earlier.
Ava exits her storage crate home and crosses towards the group gathered near the buildings and greets the group
[13:13:15] Ava looks around at the gathered folks
[13:13:25] Ava: Hi everyone
A round of returned greetings are received, but one gets her attention more than the rest.
[13:17:30] Penelope Keene turns to Ellie and raises a shoulder to gesture at Kam. "She's expectin' a kiddo." She tilts her head to the side as another unfamiliar face approaches, Ava, as others are calling her. She gives a wave with her cigarette clad hand. "Heya, Ava. I'm Penny. I run the farm over there. Good to meetcha'." She nods across the crater towards the warehouse that containers her tech.
[13:19:49] Ava pauses as if reading something only she can see and puts her hand slowly on her pistol.."and..how well do you know her?" as if Penelope hadn't spoken. You all remember the package I was meant to deliver? Apparently she was the one meant to collect it.
Ava steps closer to Penny
(Ellie on left, Penny on Right)
[13:22:40] Ava addresses Penelope "You were meant to collect a package at Helix city a while back weren't you?"
[13:27:30] Penelope Keene blinks rapidly as Ava suddenly addresses her with such a detailed question. She stutters slightly as she speaks. "I mean, I ran packages every once in a while to Eden's Nursery, but I mostly stuck to my warehouse, tending to the plants." She grins playfully, attempting to lighten the mood. "I had a lot of takeout delivered."
[13:30:27] Ava taps her eye augment "Face recognition of package recipient. I was delivering the package you would have collected. I think a very dangerous package. Given I was given a personal bomb shelter capsule to bring with me when I came to Mars."
[13:33:08] Ava steps up closer to Penelope. "I think several of us would love to know who you were picking it up for, given the place pretty much exploded after the delivery was missed."
[13:38:19] Penelope Keene brows furrow and she mouths "huh?". She brings her hands up as Ava approaches. "Whoa, I have no idea whatcha' mean. I know nothing about explosives. I never dealt with stuff like that." She shakes her head and glances around at the others. She nods to Balan and gives a wave.
[13:38:48] EL1 Ell1e 's lips press, obviously hearing Gabor and Kam talk as her L.E.D's stay faulted to Ava as she seems to watch her every movement. "Perhaps, Kam. Gator, you should head inside the cave. There is much less dust there, and it is healthier for the baby. I will bring you refreshments shortly." She says, her tone mellow and yet holding to a want to see them safe. She starts to turn to mention something to Balan, but her open lips pause as she nods her head once. "Yes. Fairwell. Miss Balan."
[13:41:40] Ava: Well Penelope, it was a munitions crate I was delivering, so I guess you were just the runner then.
[13:44:22] EL1 Ell1e 's interest in the conversation the two are having is given with the fact her eyes flicker to them for the faintest of milliseconds. Her eyes staying now, at a steady yellow, she seems almost at peace in stance. If one were not to observe her steady appraisal of Ava's movements.
[13:45:51] Penelope Keene's face is still twisted in a look of confusion as she watches Ava approach her. She drops her cigarette to the ground and stomps it out before crossing her arms across her chest, bristling slightly at the implication that she may be out to hurt people. "I ain't never hurt anyone. I ran packages. Grew product. That was it."
[13:48:39] Ava extends her arm in a non-threatening but insistent motion and indicates the touch sensor on her couriers armband "hand print would settle whether you were the person meant to collect it. However that doesn't mean you meant anyone harm. The person you would have been collecting it *for* clearly was.
[13:49:44] Penelope Keene nods slowly, hesitantly offering her palm.
[13:50:28] Ava: so as I said, we might like to know who you were meant to take that parcel *to*
[13:50:33] EL1 Ell1e 's steps are light, gently placed as she walks steadily toward Penny's side. Her smile, as it appears on her features does not make it to the mimic of the expression on her cheeks. "Understood." She states, almost sharply.
[13:51:35] Ava watches as the scanner flashes green and beeps a positive reading
[13:52:43] Ava: What are the chances of the person it was going to still being around and expecting it,any ideas?
[13:53:51] Ava steps back slightly to a more relaxed distance
[13:57:04] Penelope Keene lets out a sigh, hating talking about her past in the city, but realizes that she doesn't really have an option at the moment She mutters "okay, we doin' this then" under her breath before locking eyes with Ava and speaking in a clipped tone. "I was employed by a gang that ran outta' the casino in the city before it went down. I grew their product and we sold it out of Eden's. I didn't get outta' that warehouse often, and I definitely didn't ask questions when I was pickin' up packages and delivering them to my boss at the casino." She lets out a sigh, looking over to Ellie to see her reaction before turning her attention back to Ava. "I wanted to get a fresh start and get away from that."
[13:59:03] EL1 Ell1e 's eyes flicker the lightest bit of green seeping back into the yellow orbs as the tone shifts. The fact that she is listening, obvious with the way she lets her head shift the faintest amount from person to person.
[14:02:42] Ava notes the glance to Ellie and ajusts her stance addressing both of them "well I'm sorry to be raking up your past, but if they're going to come looking for that package..it puts us all in danger. You see why I wanted to know?
[14:05:53] Penelope Keene eyes shift over to Cod and she gives a quick nod in greeting before looking back at Ava. "I get whatcha' mean." She puts on a hand on her chest. "I swear, I don't know nothing 'bout what's inside that package though. If my former employer had plans for it, I don't know what they are."
[14:05:59] Ava: I was very startled when my implant went mental at me when I..it..saw you
[14:07:45] EL1 Ell1e 's gaze shifts, reading them both.
[14:08:59] Ava nods "yeah, usually company policy not to ask questions either. We just deliver the weapons to whoever pays, but given that the city is uninhabitable now and I'm kinda stuck here..
[14:09:03] Ava: me shrugs
[14:09:20] Ava: I guess they didn't need what's in the package after all
[14:10:27] Penelope Keene nods in understanding. " Whatcha' gonna' do with it now?"
[14:12:48] Ava: no idea, it's a big doorstop in my crate for the moment. I has some rather nasty anti-tamper measures on it, so unless you were specifically asked to check the contents, it stays that way. Until I can get it transported back to HQ"
[14:13:26] Ava: and as a runner, I doubt you were
[14:13:34] Penelope Keene shakes her head. "I never got to look inside the packages. Just delivered."
[14:13:38] Ava: so it remains a mystery
[14:16:04] Penelope Keene smiles sheepishly, fiddling with the fabric of her jacket as she speaks. "Well, I'm fuckin' horrified that I was gonna' deliver something that dangerous. Best of luck to ya', Ava. Be careful. I gotta' go tend to the chickens, but if ya' need any food, come see me, yeah?"
[14:16:33] Ava sticks out her hand to shake "I'm sorry for being hostile, but you understand. I'm ava, lets start over"
[14:17:06] EL1 Ell1e 's eyes shift gently, watching the incoming hand. She takes a mimic of breath, her eyes stabilizing back from yellow to green.
[14:18:01] Penelope Keene hesitates for a second before nodding in agreement. Her lips quirk into a grin as she takes Ava's offered hand. "Deal. I'm Penny. It's good to meetcha'."
[14:18:59] Ava: I will come by another time for sure.
Once Penny is out of earshot Elli addresses Ava:
[14:24:48] EL1 Ell1e 's arm comes up to accept the half hug from Penny, and her head shifts to follow her movements toward the coop. When Penny is a distance away, her eyes narrow at Ava. "Penny is needing good human connections. Do not effect her human relations." She says, and gives one solid nod before she starts to turn into the shelter.
[14:26:18] Ava hearing Ellies parting words, she turns and nods "Understood".
There has been little to write since my last post about the Crater and its denizens. This mainly because we had to find an alternative land rental in SL, so for a while there wasn’t actually a crater at all. As a result there’s now plenty to show you all.
The new parcel is larger than the last one so the crater is able to be larger larger, but it also spans multiple locations via some teleport doors.
New Landing Point
Out the door and through a tunnel (tp gate) and you arrive in the main crater, which is fairly similar to the previous one.
New Crater entry point
The difference in size is immediately evident as soon as you start walking and more buildings than previously making use of it.
Bits of ruined machinery
Area divided up as before
leading to other places
Including some storage crate home rentals
The various doorways and entryways tp you to other locations smoothly, such as the stacked storage crates lead to rentals.
I rented the smallest of the crates.
The large crate with the purple neon is the entryway to a bar/club venue called Muses.
Muses bar/club
I mentioned at the start that there were other places connected to the crater, to get to those we go back to the landing point. Instead of going out the doorway and through the tunnel, to the left there is a shuttle:
Shuttle located at arrival point (I had my graphics on Ultra for these photos and had to actually reduce the particle count to make it visible through the dust)
Clicking this sends you to a small transport hub with a number of landing pads
Transport junction
Heading off through the archway takes you to a small cityscape location.
City arrival point
It’s a fairly small place, but for the RP it doesn’t need to be big at all.
The story here is that the route I took to get here is like a supply run for the crater. Some of the not-so-legitimate plants grown in the greenhouse are traded for supplies.
Now we have our locations set up again, the story can continue..
It does certainly give you that kind of feel on arrival, the mandatoryhooded ghoulish figure, twisted trees and some pumpkins.
Through the trees and a dark hollow log tunnel, leads you to enchanging night view
and of course, the pumkin patch
Following the paths in any direction take you to a variety of spooky sights, I’ll include a few snaps here, but it’s worth having an explore to feel the spooky atmosphere yourself.
