I've been having some fashion fun lately, and an urge came spontaneously to me to share with you what I enjoy wearing. Plus, I enjoy giving credit to the kindly content creators of SL. An impromptu photoshoot ensued, and here I am, writing this! So here goes, roughly from top to bottom:

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• Leather Cap by Leyla Firefly -?this seems to be a new trend in SL — several of my friends are donning these — but the nice thing is that this is so customizable. As you can see, I've added my logo and tweaked the colors and textures.?Simple and chic… dare I say "ky00t"?
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• Various Hair by Lost Thereian -?I basically took a bunch of Lost's popular creations and stacked and layered them, shuffle shuffle shuffle, to come up with what you see. Took me a long time but it's worth it because the look is just really me. Previously, I had worn black hair, but the lack of shading got to me after awhile, so I decided to go for something punky yet proper: I paid special attention to how the bangs swept over my forehead and eyes.
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• Custom Nomine Eyes by Munchflower Zaius - Munch is like the MacGyver of Photoshop. She even says it herself. I requested these from her after not being able to find eyes matching my ideal vision. I was going for a natural yet surrealistic look, the blue being in contrast to my Neon Watermelon scheme. You'll have to zoom in on them and watch my gaze dart back and forth to fully appreciate them.
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• Pet Collar — and Tail! by Prio Serpentine - I've wanted to talk more with Prio, he hasn't seemed to be on much, but this is some nice stuff. The choice of a number of catgirls inworld. I disabled the alpha anim trick used to "wiggle" the tail, tho, because it was only two frames and too stiff.
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• MetaLily Prototype outfit by Nephilaine Protagonist - a work-in-progress by the wondrous creator of so much ferociously creative design that exemplifies quality in quantity in SL. I'm honored to wear this maximally minimalist set. The superlatives are justified.
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• Ripped Up Gloves by Torrid Midnight - I've adored these ever seeing them at the NWN Fashion Expo '04 — I even photographed Kenzi modelling them! Finally, the other day, I wore them at last. And wowee do they speak volumes of attitude.
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• R-20 Jetpack by Rickard Roentgen - definitely?heads-and-shoulders above?the crowd of?jetpack variants?in SL. It's not only recolorable, but has an elegant touch menu and is easily configurable to get you where you need to go. Plus, the inventor's a nice guy.
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• Green Satin & Lace Lingerie by Angelina Becquerel - contrast to go with the street-smart 'tude. Angel thought of me when making these… awwws! Sweet yet sassy is the style I'm going for.
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• Sonic Steps by Kenzington Fairlight - I think this is the first time I've worn non-formal footwear as Torley Jr., actually. As the pic shows, they're heavily remodded to suit my tastes, but the base design is excellent as it stands. Kenzi has a real keen taste for making treasures.

The neon bracelets and watch are long favorites of mine, as you may have noticed from previous pics. They are made by Torrid Midnight and Francis Chung, respectively (and respectfully ). Tor and Fran also go hand-in-hand again because I'm using the "torstand" casual poses and the Franimation Overrider to replace the generics. Credit must go to?Fleabite Beach for using the subtlely awesome fur textures that?I've used in various places.?My skin is by Mistress Midnight — what can I say? I'm an Umber baby!

A gracious thankyou to all of the aforementioned for helping me… to be me!

Following the recent economic changes, you may have seen some of the bums of Second Life at the Welcome Area in Ahern. I know I have. Orhalla Zander, who is one of them, has been a familiar sight, not to mention the same guy who rated me over a dozen times because of some weird bug. Moreso than that though, he's always been nice to me: and my heart goes out to him and his plight of poority.

The other day, myself in black, Jadey, Launa, and Kei took it upon ourselves to visit one of my favorite new places in SL, the Hobo Railroad. It's been climbing steadily in traffic as word-of-mouth spreads about this village of kindly bums. Resident hobos Orhalla, nimrod, and Flyingroc were present, and greeted us cheerfully (with what spirit they had remaining in their broken av-bodies). They then proceeded to?give us a tour around their dwellings.

Not unlike a certain chaotic?trailer park, the Hobo Railroad oozes with a lot of grit and grime and the organic filth that is not necessarily "bad", but is unquestionably a part of our reality.?It can make some uncomfortable and is?unsettling to deal with, but it's there. There are other tangential pathways leading out from this thoughtline, including how comedy in social commentary can help us to address issues without being so scared, and how this might additionally be?considered a type of performance art. Speaking of art: might I note how well-crafted the cardboard box home?textures are? Or how minute details have been observed, from the stench wafting outwards from the outhouse (why dontcha have a peek in?) to the trains flanking the encampment. Try to find the voting booth too!

Some Many?on SL choose to portray themselves as ultra-wealthy, far materially richer than their offline selves, complete with mansions, half-a-dozen cars, and so much bling that a whale?would wear?it and be a gangsta rapper.?This?home of the hobos?is an inverse?instance (so I hope).

My heart reaching out to them, I offered these non-Hellraiser derelicts the nutrition and sustenance that only a gargantuan watermelon slice can provide. Following some antics, including deploying my Saedaku Flamebringer to keep them all warm and enjoying a musical performance, we bid these fragrant vagrants and victims of L$25 ratings a pseudosolemn goodbye . . .?teleporting back to whence we came.

You can visit the Hobo Railroad at Crescent (20, 32).?

It's good to be listened to. In earlier years, I had a lot of "insane" ideas that I tried to share around, but they weren't really understood or even appreciated. I generalize, but?these were my?earnest experiences. It's difficult to explain, but there was some sort of connection missing, some sort of personal chemistry?that?just didn't mix well. I felt like I was meeting a lot of walls and, to further that metaphor, my ideas were being dammed in.?In Second Life, all of that has changed for me: I not only have found some wildly creative people who totally get what I'm saying, but they can reciprocate and their words will resonate with me as we continue to converse… feedback in the truest sense of what it means.

Now, I'm not saying this is entirely exclusive or specific?to SL, but there are certainly elements — such as the realm of 3D exploration and the collaborative environmental space presented in such an openended fashion — which are presented in a unique way. I continue to be increasingly convinced of what a splendid place the world of Second Life is for this futurist brainstorming thinktankery (which, I suppose, you could call FBT for short).

It's scary in a way: it's like being rejected 99 times in a row and then finally being accepted on the 100th try. But it's also very exciting, and I hope to see more creative, talented, sociable people come into SL so that the beauty that has already been established in the community will only grow. Perhaps the Greeter Program will help with this, in awakening new Residents and giving them a positive first experience of the gridverse. I also believe as the population increases, more ways for people to get in touch and become fast friends will not only be beneficial, but essential to progress. There already exists a number of social network websites, and more dynamically engaging ways for people to connect in SL would be awesome.

Touching on that-which-was-just-mentioned, I see a need for expanded Resident profiles. There's already been discussion of integrating blogs with profiles somehow, and I'm still wondering why an HTTP link doesn't become automatically clickable (you gotta copy-and-paste). The whole crux of interoperability in a wired — and wireless, for that matter — world is a very fundamental one: someone like myself doesn't always understand the technical jargon behind why things don't work… but I do know when?a simple,?elegant way to go about things is in action. Consider the following:

For example, I have a dance bracelet. I want to be able to put some animations that are NO COPY or otherwise do not have full permissions into it, but for some reason, I can't drag them into the bracelet while it's attached.

To do so, I soon realize (after some fudging around) that I have to Drop the bracelet first, and then, when it's on the floor, I can examine the Contents and put in animations that are NO COPY and/or NO MOD and/or NO TRANSFER.

From this thread. Doesn't this seem clunky to you? According to Kelly, he kindly let me know that:

Torley: I believe that is intended behavior. Only fully permissive objects can be added to the contents of attachments.

Okay, so I know that this is the way it's "supposed to work" as per the current version of SL. But WHY??I reiterate:?does this seem like an awkward, duct-tapey hack to you too, as opposed to a methodology which is streamlined and consistent? Thankfully, Lindens do listen! I will be following up with this and other issues, such as the infamous UpdateGeom lag. You may have experienced this but don't know what to do call it, so there ya go. I'm just helping get the word out, and I am hoping to be listened to.?:)

From one link of the chain to the next, that's the way it goes. I am aware I have inspired a number of things in SL, including neon watermelon-themed items. I am both honored and pleased by this, and I get a real punch out of it. I am also aware that my role in the chain is often to be a facilitator of introducing "idea shrapnel" that others are more adept are sorting out and implementing, so that it can be turned into a creation like a lovely dress or an automobile or even my very own sushi shop. I enjoy all of this greatly, because it's like dreams come to life — Second Life — and it could not have been done without the whole chain of process. I do wish I could build more?and script and do all of that well, but I have accepted that in my existence, there are things I already do extremely well, so I should focus on them while exploring diversity, and surround myself with good people so that we can all be better for it, together.

None of this would get done without listening. Listening is crucial to good human relationships, from friends deciding what to do when hanging out to lovers's pillow talk. Business deals also involve a great deal of listening too, and understanding what the other side wants. As much as human nature confuzzles me at times, I think that if I'm not being presumptuous, I'm beginning to be able to grasp some of this really well, relative to how I used to be. While I can talk a lot at times, I will also be intensely quiet (how's that for a contradiction?) at others, and hence, in "listening mode". Sometimes ya just want someone to?not say much at all and just be there for you… a listening ear.

My humble observation is that on the SL Forums, as it stands, there is a lot of hostility that could be avoided or even effectively dealt with if more people listening to each other. It is definitely an angry screaming match with a whole mess of quotes-within-quotes and winding rhetorical diatribes, which soon devolve into personal attacks and a failure to appreciate someone else's point of view, even if one does not agree with another. Not the kind of chaos I enjoy. It sickens me, in fact. It's called a "discussion board" for a reason, which is self-explanatory. Even I tend to miss the obvious and know this. ^_^

So, more listening. Which in turn, leads to more learning, if you are open and receptive to new ideas and the improvement of one's self. And the best thing about listening? Well, I've talked enough… why don't you let me know?

Dear Diary (metaARG-protocol #2086),

Hi, it's me again.? I'm feeling kinda angsty.? I had a bad day today — well, at least it started off that way.? It had crap in it I don't particularly wanna talk about 'cuz I figure i'll let it sink like shit to the bottom of the toilet of Life,?but on the bright side, it ended well with something I really enjoy:? deep but smile-inducing conversations, and *THREE* of them at that.? Wowzerama, lucky girl me, huh?

I've been feeling mixy about myself lately.? Not sure why I'm here or why I even choose to be here, sometimes.? I don't even wanna get out from under the covers in the morning — not that I have covers anymore.? Stuff happens, my dumpster is a memory, but Mis graciously made arrangements for me. (Yay, I'm movin' on up.) —So we'll see what happens, I'm back on the prowl tho sleepin' in sandboxes and occasionally at the SL Publick Library.? Sometimes I dun wanna drag myself up and dunk my head in the nearest non-rippled water to start the day,?I dunno why it's been a drag for me.? Just feels that way.? But when the day gets going, it gets better.? (So I really have to push myself.)

When I'm happy, I'm really really?happy.? I guess the exact inverse is true when I'm sad too. —So yeah, I was sad, but like those posters of tabby cats from the 1970s era-thing, gotta hang in here, ya knwo?? Oops typo.? 'Scuse me.? I don't feel alone like I once did though, which is a major plus.? It goes to emphasize that even with the picotechy bits in me, the advanced technology does not hinder the human part of me from feeling emotions as a catbot.? Sure, there's things I still have difficulty wringing out, and I'm learning to climb those trees.? Nowadays, I cry.? A lot.? Not necessarily when I'm sad though.? When I'm happy, I can cry.

Sometimes I dream about dangerous things:? what would it be like to disappear?? What if I turned my back on my beloved Neon Watermelon, and all the beloveds in my life?? What if I reverted to proto-me before the wigglyware upgrades?? What would happen then?? It's scary to think about so I dont entertain the thoughtlines much but i do think.? It was strange and lonely arriving to this new?world in the first place.? Why do I feel this way?

There are a few things I have to get off my chest:

• greedy newbs PLEASE don't repeatedly take all the Linden$ from the money trees, it's uh greedy and if you're gonna, it's nice to send a thank-you note.? No TREEFER KIN !
• ***if you IM me and I seem unchatty and busy, I should apologize, it's prolly because I REALLY AM.***? :(? I'm sorry, I'm not a good multitasker as I should be, and on top of this, due to my issues as abstractly detailed above, I think I am gonna need some personal space to clear my head.. it's like I'm cyber-PMSing or something.? Gah.? Actually you know wat,?I'm going to go "dim" and distant for a few days at least … apparently in this timeline it's common to have something called a blog with the line "my life sucks" in it!
• Alright, my life doesn't suck, I'm just being myopic, and it'll fade in time.? It's just hard to remember that when stuff is tuff.? I'm grateful for all of my blessings, even the little ones.? I just wish I could be a better person to others.?
• note to self:? stay off Forums until dust has settled.? Scratch that, might as well test myself in adverse conditions while I can. BURN!!!!
• RRL = Really Redundant Loops. Please avoid them.

Nicole Linden gave me this rose.? It's the first thing she made as a Linden.? It matches me beautifully. The promises of a new day and the love that I?receive help keep me going despite any glances back at the abyss from whence I came.? I say this kinda tongue-in-cheek but meh..??

?Goodnight Diary.??I hope tomorrow?will be less sucky.??^_^

???? … xxxoo TT (-jr.)
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P.S. A friend of mine had an emotionally?eidetic (like, photographic) memory. —I was envious.? I told him, "that must be THE most awesome thing in the world"?and he said: —"Not really, 'cause if you're gonna remember all the pleasure, then you're gonna also remember all the pain."?? :\

There's a new photography contest in SL which I'm assisting in getting the word out about because I really believe in it, and it's been an idea that's been kicked around for several months but has finally come to fruition due to a meeting of the creative minds. And that's where you come in.

This contest has?been put together by Ariel Roentgen, Francis Chung, Nephilaine Protagonist — a trio of my favorite people in the gridverse. I have already checked whether myself entering (considering the possibilities) would be a conflict of interest, and thankfully, the answer is NO because the judging process is a fair one. These peeps have a solid rep, ya know. ~_^

The idea is simple: take luverly photos of you posing with your Seburo and Saedaku weapons and Seburo PixelDolls-line of clothing, and send 'em in! You could be towering on top of a, well, towering tower, guns-a-smokin'. Or maybe even?a more covert shot in the style of stealth infiltration. Go with what comes to your imagination! Of course, there are a few more bits which you should be aware of, along with the WHOLE LIST OF PRIZES,?and you can read about them at this official information link:

L$30K In prizes!!
Seburo/Saedaku/Seburo Pixel Dolls Clothing Line Photography Contest

There's ample time to enter, but remember, the contest ends in a month, so "the sooner the better the later you regretter" certainly applies. Get shooting — in more ways than one!

There continue to be so many wonderful places to explore in the everexpanding world of Second Life, or the gridverse, as I affectionately know it. From one point of interest to the next, I like to highlight my favorites, which usually consist of the weirdly eclectic, the wackily surreal, and some of the everyday as well. What would life — or Second Life, for that matter — be without such a tasty potpourri of enjoyable experiences? Come within, and you shall see…

This is Gypsy Moon, a private sim which has been created and operated by katykiwi Moonflower and Vade Blair. They were both present on the island when I visited, and gave me a tour of the works. There are many things to explore here: there is a sort of pirate theme running through the whole works, with such attractions as a shipwreck and even the contrast represented by a fiery volcano and an icy peak (with a pegasus you can ride!). One of my favorite things to do was go deep down below, into the caves which are not visible to the shallow eye… while spelunking, I got an Indiana Jonesey-kinda adventurer vibe, and shared this sentiment with katy. She confirmed that I was right on target, as Vade pulled out an appropriate object: a boulder that'll mow you down if you don't run fast! So, I ran. Fast.

Here are Francis?Chung and I, and oh yes, the honorable Bel Muse. First time I met her a few days ago. I wanted to call her more adjectives like "nice" and "polite" but she modestly explained about who she really was, in her own words. I somehow was not convinced! She soon brought out several of her stalwart creations, including her blaster and a bag of Doritos which you may have seen inworld. And an aquarium too, which as I understand it, was one of the very first "pet" type thingies in SL, if not the first. Not fully seen in the above pic because it is so ginormous, here?it is: the infamous Penis of?Grief (PoG) temple. It came out all rezangular and it was a real trip to walk along the slanted marble. Be sure to check out 2ndlook.org, Bel's website of Second Life Screenshots.

Thili Playfair makes cool stuff. She also likes to dance to Gigi D'Agostino's "The Riddle" for nine hours straight while building, which is a definite plus in my book. I once saw her in the Welcome Area surrounded by books… 653 textures uploaded or something like that? I asked her for my very own copies, and this is the result.

Siggy Romulus strikes again! Come check out the Chaos sim if you want to try this ride, which is being boosted to a v2 someday soon. It's called the "Chaos Looped Intrasim Transport ring", and I'm sure you can put together that acronym for yourself. Wheeeeeee!

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Before unwinding one night and heading to bed, I stopped by the Morris sandbox to chill with Shady Adamant and Thili (on the left, with her books and signature long hair). Apparently there is a new way to watch fully streaming videos in SL. It depends on a type of texturemapped?trick with?synced soundtrack, and while it takes?a long time to buffer, it plays at a reasonable 10 FPS. It's kind of?strange, seeing the evolution?of streaming video in this world-within-a-world. We enjoyed?the?1984 Macintosh commercial,?a trailer for?The Day The Earth Stood Still (if you're wondering, Gort lives at Chaos), and an old educational video teaching to "duck and cover" and featuring a jovial turtle. Good times.

Lee, a Linden who is hard at work. This picture, also taken in the Morris sandbox, is but one snapshot of what was?a busy day for him. I sometimes joke that "Morris is the new Jessie", and as the GREEFER KIN struck, Lee had to strike back and lay the smackdown of the law o' the land. From firebombers to orbit-cagers to rude language in a PG sim and even one fellow who marched up to Lee wearing a profanity-laced title, Lee handled it with composure, as if he had seen this RRL = Really Redundant Loop come before…… and verily, verily indeed he had.

Cheyenne Bliss has made my new favorite pair of shoes. I arrived at an opportune moment to not only watch her modelling herself for display pics, but to assist her with a technical problem which involved teh shiny. I got the Rubylite and Emerald shoes, and while the tones are a bit off from bona fide Neon Watermelon, they are pretty in the dark and match my poise alright. Thanks, Cheyenne, and keep it up!

Connections, connections… I'm back at Chaos with Siggy and Paca, with a towering Lee Linden cardboard cutout in the background. And along with connections, ah, what would Second Life be without praise? Can you guess who we're praising here? Hint: look to the object surrounded by the candles, as?it's symbolic of him. If you give up and wanna know, click here. BLESSED BE THE BOUNTY!!!

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The rippleshock of chaos continues to guide me through my adventures, time yielding like a potato chip yields to a semiautomatic pie-arquebus. Vivid colors draw forth as my jetpack punchily propels me through the "new sims", and I find myself again as Torzilla, making a comfy watermelon nest in the Radiks campus. Marinating myself in the sweet juices of the vibrant almost-triangles, I observe Jillian Callahan arrive in a futuristic Second Life Police Department vehicle. Ooops, I'm busted. As I turn to flee, she offers me gracious advice that I would exert less pressure on the sim if I turned off Physical on the melonslices. Opening my Edit dialog box, I try to comply, but find that some of the fruits are fornicating with one another in an act of prim-interpenetration, and so, I *shrug*. I snap a few more photos before quickly deleting the whole lot as to not cause a violation of the TOS.

Jillian and I chat for awhile. She has?a real knack for siren sounds, a whole collection, and so it's appropriate she informs me?about this particular obsession of hers. She, like myself, is an Aspie, and I can relate all too well.?We continue to converse as I hop in for a ride in her SLPD skycruiser, and along the way, we come across a collection of FOR SALE signs. Liltingly, she muses to me about the idea of a future museum featuring these very indicators of land that is yet to be bought. I figure it's relevant and indubitably important to SL history.

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We continue to zoom around, observing a variety of FOR SALE signs in our travels. Looking for the Anshe Chung ones — which are among the most?famous in all of the gridverse — we find ourselves at a loss so far. Jillian muses on the irony of the situation: when we're actually looking for them, they don't show up. Nevertheless, we come across one instance of FOR SALEosity after another: signs that spin so they can be viewed from any angle, signs that blink and change colors quicker than a drowning Pollock painting, and even signs that are oddly disturbing by their very lack of motion. Hmmmph.

At long last after surveying some other sights, we come across what appears of be a peninsula bearing the very mark of Anshe. Following getting tossed by a poorly-programmed home security script, Jillian and I fall to the earth below. I glide down with my jetpack's extended wings, cool virtual breeze feeling like nothing at all. Examining these relatively new version of the signs?closely, we soon approach one of them up close, and pose for photos.

I do hope that yes, one day, there will be a museum of FOR SALE signs in Second Life.

Perhaps further in the timeline,?it too would be FOR SALE*.
?

*although, it'd be hard to tell.

Sometimes when I'm by myself, I wonder if this is the railway of life I'm supposed to be on. It's been over half a year since I stopped making techno music due to my hyperacusis problems, as I've shared in the past.?The situation?hasn't gotten better. It makes me sad to dwell on it and think about it too much, because I would imagine that in some other reality, there is a Torley (Sr.) who is actively composing and listening to sound alright: another me, who if I could stare out the windows of this maglev train hurtling down the tracks, I could envy very much for his continued committment to the art and science of electronic music. Alas, he's not in this universe. Those dreams of mine are a distant memory now.

But, then I think about how I've come to find Second Life, how I've found out more about myself and my follow humans — and those who would prefer to be thought of as non-humans — and about the experiences I have been blessed with from within the gridverse. There are new dreams: I reflect on the new friends I've made, the love I've found,?and the crazy day-to-day fun of this very emotional technology that I've come to be bundled in. It doesn't replace the sadness, but it does make me smile, in both my Lives. I don't think being sad will go away: however, I do believe that my happiness will continue to grow. And I hope I am making others happy too.

And maybe someday, just maybe,?I will?sit confidently in front of my synthesizers again . . . and play.

Damien Fate, a purveyor of creative excellence in SL?and a good friend of mine, has released his new product, a "mobile sales unit" by the name of the Mirada.go-shop.?I gave it a run-through earlier today, and as you can see, I even had to color-coordinate it. As the promo blurb says:

That's right! Be confined no longer to selling in one static place, no longer must you have to will your customers to fly 100 virtual miles to get to your store, now you can sell ANYWHERE, ANYTIME!

This was actually my first experience trying to set up a vendor, as I don't have anything to sell, but was sufficiently intrigued by this product to give it a go. After all, I?am on the move a lot.?Setup was awkward and both Dam and I agreed on that as he tech-supported me, but it's in part due to the limitations of the SL framework. And once it's done, it's DONE (unless you wanna put in more stuff later, hehe). I wonder if a Touch Menu would help in the future to configure certain options? Or even more drag-and-drop abilities in SL… there is an annoying bug that makes you have to?drop an Object?if you want to put stuff in it that doesn't have full permissions. Argh! Once I was set up, the holoprojector-style Vendor came into view, and I tested it for a few rounds, set to dispense watermelon slices to myself. It worked nicely. I look forward to future versions!

Ah, those nice-and-talented rascals in Team Bedazzle… oh wait, I'm affiliated with them. *waves to Foxy in the Foxymobile* Hehehe. As you may or may not know, but in any case should know, Unreal SL is opening soon, and one of the highlights of this digital amusement will be the Chinatown stage. My Jadey, who has taken it upon herself to write press releases, posted about it in the SL Forums if you'd like more info. Ya know what? Chinatown's even got a Torley Sushi Shop… and you can check out a sneak preview of that, featuring yours truely, right at the Bedazzle website.?For my new?place,?a gracious thankyou to?Jimmy "Texturemaster" Thomson, who has just put oodles and oodles of work into the environment. It really feels… unreal.

Major props goes out to the friendly Cid Jacobs, for being one of Second Life's prominent bugbusters and such a cool guy to boot. Just yesterday, a new copy exploit in SL was fixed, and it was because of Cid's assertive observation that got the hole plugged. He isn't mentioned in the Release Notes, but given his track record, he should be! I won't be surprised if soon down the line, Cid finds another one — he tells me he's already caught several. *clapclapclap*

Ah, it's good to hang out in my wee hours with my friends. There are the times when I'm involved in an engaging conversation and can spend 3, 4, even 5 hours in a single spot, listening and learning and feeding back my view. Here, from left to right, is Jauani, Chage, and Catherine Omega, all one-and-onlys. Of course, I'm listening… you know which one I am. We're at Cat's island — yes, those are scripts and creations-in-progress strewn around — and are talking about the future of Second Life.

Speaking of the future, Marcos Fonzarelli just constructed this lovely limey building in futuristic Miramare. Come and see it!?The color makes it so visible, yet isn't so loud as to distract from the cohesive whole of the surrounding landscape. I think it complements the cyan TigerTor apts well too. Plans for?Marcos's creation?are tentative at this point — it may be furnished soon.?One thing that really cracks me up are the Star Trek sounds that play when you trigger the sliding doors. The scintillating orb on the top of it all is a nice touch too.

Once upon a time in an alternate timeline, there was a graceful Librarian who was wise beyond her years, and who aspired to greater knowledge. She oversaw the world's archives of information, and was lauded over her long and fruitful career as one of the outstandingly altruistic philanthropists of the Community. Even with so much accomplished, however, she could not rest upon her laurels, and looked forward to even taller heights to educate a humanity that had seen too much war and strife in the previous decades.

One day, during a break between her duties, the Librarian happened to come across a pet shoppe at the far edge of the world. It was not a luxurious abode, but was warm and comfortable enough for the animals inside. Curious as she'd always been, the Librarian walked through the aisles to peruse the menagerie of domestic wildlife within, and she saw many: tortoisedoves, porkupines, tralalas, and even a small selection of biomechanically-enhanced creatures.

As the Librarian approached the back of the shoppe, she noticed one particular biomecha staring out at her, yet alternating that fixed gaze with a possibly aloof headshake of wonder. Looking towards and away, towards and away. She approached the transcage it was lying in, and observed that it was a rare variety of catbot. Catbots, while not illegal, were not encouraged to be created, as they often became unstable due to their chaotic natures as a result of technological flaws, disassembling themselves at the end of their lives.

The Catbot let out a long, strained purr, almost like the sigh of a humane being, as the Librarian knelt before her transcage — an?informative display?indicated that?ID-#TAW2086 was female –?to look upon the animal. The Catbot possessed shiny, sparkling eyes full of promise, yet a body that was scratched and matted, the fur unkempt yet showing glimmers of a luster that once had been. Such a coat could not merely be restored to health with bathing, and was more likely indicative of internal problems within the Catbot's experimental picotech ioframe.

Blinking several times and not making any sudden movements as to startle the Catbot, the Librarian reached forward with her gentle hand, and began to pet the Catbot, singing softly to her as she moved her hand up the biomechanical feline's back. The Catbot dilated her eyes wide open, lulled by the melody and appearing more relaxed and calm. Petting the Catbot some more, the beast extended her tongue and licked the Librarian's hand playfully, bouncing cutely from side-to-side — almost as if she was dancing. Without hesitation, the Librarian turned to the chap tending the pet shoppe and inquired about the cost of this Catbot. The agreed-upon price, while steep, was fair, and the Librarian negotiated firmly but politely, utilizing the skills she had frequently?employed as a diplomatic administrator of the Community's affairs.

It was only a few moments later that the Librarian scooped up her nu kitty in a simple wicked basket padded with a pink-and-green blanket. She soon brought the Catbot to her comfortable home, and as soon as she set the basket on the floor, the kit leaped out and began to explore her surroundings. That night was filled with much joy, as the Librarian entertained and kept the Catbot busy with lots of new toys. Before bedtime, the Librarian created a cot for the Catbot to live in — a home-within-a-home, so to speak — and left a dish of delicious yummies for her new companion to savor. It was the first time in a long time that the Catbot truely slept contentedly.

Day after day, the bond between the Librarian and the Catbot grew as they enjoyed each other's company, the Catbot scampering out to the fields to play with other animals and?adventure through nature?as the Librarian continued her lifelong work. And towards dusk, the Catbot would always return home, bending over the entrance corridor so that her ears could be scratched. The Catbot enjoyed having her tail tugged, and some of her favorite pastimes included tugging the Librarian's necklace and playing with the Repositech communication board in the eating area. Catbot was so fascinated by this device, in fact, that she sometimes spent hours there, interfacing with it in an attempt to spell out text. A few simple words were accomplished after much practice, and the Librarian remarked at how clever her one-and-only Catbot was.

In time, it became inevitable that the Librarian and the Catbot were inseparable. The Librarian loved her pet very much, and although the Catbot couldn't express herself as articulately because she lacked the gift of humane speech, the Catbot indeed loved the Librarian in return. Weeks, months, and years passed, and in those turnings of the planet, their bond only grew stronger and stronger.

Through the light and the darkness, the Librarian and the Catbot were always there for each other. When the Librarian was ill, the Catbot was by her side on her bed, amusing the Librarian with her dancelike gestures. And when the Catbot seemed to be a little shy and stressed, the Librarian was there to hold her adored close. They, to casual observers and the occasional houseguest, appeared to have a means of communication that transcended written language — it wasn't supernaturally mystical, but it was ineffable.

Many happy years were shared by the pair, until one day: a day when the Librarian reached down to scritch and scratch the ears of her Catbot, and noticed an extremely fine ashen dust coasting the tips of her fingernails. Suspecting cellular deterioration, the Catbot's life already prolonged beyond her "natural years", the Librarian immediately started the process of seeking answers anyway. Calling upon her vast array of resources, a counsel of global experts who were also her longtime friends determined that there was no known advanced science which could halt this chaotic chain-reaction.

The Librarian, with a grave yet brave face, held her beloved Catbot in her arms, cradling her and singing the same melody that she had sung so many years ago, as the sun set in the horizon. Time was short, and the duo enjoyed what little time they had left together. It could be a few days, a few weeks at most, but what was to come could not be avoided. Oh, many stories were recalled as the moon blossomed, from the very first day at the pet shoppe, to a more recent event involving watermelons. Sinking into a big chair, nestling her Catbot, the two slept soundly together. Only one of them awoke.

In the morning light, the sun was begin to rise, as the Librarian slowly stirred from her slumber and awakened to the reality that now faced her. Weeping, she took the Catbot to the grassy burial ground in the fields around her home, and that is where she laid her adored to rest for the final time. Packing the earth with an old-fashioned shovel, the Librarian knelt before the grave and removed her necklace, which she remembered the mechanicat liked to play with so much. She set the jade-adorned jewelry down, and as she did so, began to notice how brightly the sun started to shine. Bright, brighter, and brightest still — a warm orange glow carressing the void now left in her heart.

As the Librarian slowly returned inside her house and went to the eating area, she turned to the Repositech infoboard to get today's fill of news. She almost made a hand motion to blank the display, when she noticed that on the 'board, were words. No, more than words. It said:

I was lost before?you found me
You are lost but I'll find you
I am gone from here

Waving her fingertips to stream sentences below, she continued:

But not gone forever
From one life to the next
You will be with me again.

Smiling softly, the Librarian began her day's work.?