Old Friends, and a New Friend

You never know whom you’ll meet in Second Life.

Sometimes in what seemed like a well-planned meeting with friends, someone you haven’t seen in a while will drop by to say hello.

And sometimes you’ll meet someone new, who shows quite a bit of promise.

The first day of the Second Life Newspaper Anniversary celebration was a big success, with fifty people in the sim at one point. Two times the Xploder went on overdrive, delaying the moment of it’s cash award, the second time spewing half it’s 16,000L pot to one lucky winner, and the other half split into 215 L awards to the others (a friend I TPed in put in only 15 L, making 200 ).

But that was just one part of the party. It was good to see my friends at the paper, and a couple outside it, dropping by and having a good time. Then someone called out a name I hadn’t heard in a while: Baron

And there he was, standing at the edge of the party, skinless, like a gray ghost. Our old friend Baron DeSantis had apparently come back from the “grave” to say hello. He stood there for some minutes, a few words going back and forth. Then he wished us well, and bade us farewell.

Baron had been a rather unique reporter and writer when he was here at SL Newspaper. Getting “arrested” for charity, he went back later for a series of rather unique stories. He certainly added an interesting element to the paper while he was around. But for personal reasons, he “killed” his character, and left.

Whomever else you might be here, old friend, hope you’re doing well.

Baron wasn’t the only person whom I ran into after months of silence. Recently I ran into a Japanese friend from my days hanging out at the STA sim whom I had seen only once (a friends rezzday party) since the sim disappeared. With her now having a better knowledge of English, we talked for a while on how each of us had been. A happy day.

It’s great to meet old friends.

And sometimes, one will run into someone and make a new one.

Among the people attending the anniversary party was one lady very new to Second Life. Day two of the celebration, the “newbie” party in which each of us appeared in as close to our newbie look as we could, it was different for her as she had been in SL for just three days. Thanks to supportive friends, she was already getting the hang of things, as well as having some quality clothes.

She noticed me and a friend in our newbie furry avatars, me in a “ringtail” similar to the one I entered SL in, and asked me if this how was how I looked at the start. I told her it was. She asked me if I had a free furry avatar on me, and I told her I had. I gave her a package of the “Wingless” avatars once for sale, but now available for free and passable from player to player. I also had a tan Wingless fox available ready to use and passed that over too.

For those who don’t know, the “Wingless” fox avatar folder has both male and female shapes, and also parts for both digitgrade and plantigrade legs (the latter looking more human). Newcomers had always had trouble getting the legs looking right because of all the parts, but my friend figured it out right away! She was now a pretty vixen dancing about on perfectly symmetrical digitgrade legs, as if she had at least weeks of experience, not a few days.

Running into her after the party, she had figured out about placing clothes that would normally go where her tail was attached, and was wearing a billowy silky dress. It was then that my Japanese friend came online. After some IMs, we headed over, and had quite a conversation on what one can do in Second Life, and both my friends got along well.

If there’s a glue that holds Second Life together and keeps us coming back, it is friends.

*****

On another note, it’s been about a year since I officially joined up with the paper. I had been sending a few “Reader Submitted” articles, but got the title “Freelance Writer” just in time to show up for the first Anniversary celebration. Now here I am for the second. A year of “Fox News,” in the form of articles and screenshot cartoons.

It’s been quite a journey that’s taken me to many corners of Second Life. I’ve met many interesting people, and made a few new friends along the way. There have been some sad moments, but many more happy ones. I’ve run into some talented people, some who had stories to tell of overcoming impossible odds in real life and coming out a winner. And a few I can only call heroes.

James, Dana, and all the others, it’s been great being part of the team, and I'll do my best to keep on being "fair and balanced." ;-)

Here’s to Year Three, and beyond.

Bixyl Shuftan