There are so any things you can do in SL. One thing I have found enjoyable is boating, especially with Darren. Now granted, we didn't do much except lock lips and cause some minor damage to my cloth chair... winks
We used my adult boat and drifted around for a time then decided to go check out this sim he found a while back. It was very umm... helpful.
Ok, so we might have stayed on those pose balls for a while but seriously, who wouldn't? Now if I could just figure out how to keep him shirtless and wearing that hat and those boots... melts
Monday, October 10, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Our Story: by Darren Graycloud
To let someone write in your blog may just be a blogger no-no but I don't really care. It is my blog and I shall do as I see fit with it. This is our story (Darren and myself) in his own words.
Darren here.
*takes a deep breath and talks*
I married Zuri beneath our stars on September 9th, 2011. It was an amazing night, and...
And I’m getting ahead of myself, here. Zuri has talked about what it was like to meet me from her perspective. I wanted to offer my own view of events.
I used to come to SL casually. Not as Darren. This identity is a new one. I came in my original identity and filmed movies for school, explored, looked at artwork and hung out with friends. I got too busy to do it maybe seven or eight months before this all started, and didn’t log in even once.
Then, sad things happened in my RL. They came to a head the first week of August. It’s a long story, and not one I wish to share here. The important detail is that I was sad and lonely. Rather than letting myself be so, I decided to come back to SL and make some new friends. I came in as Darren because he was a blank slate: I’d bought a skin and a shape, but nobody knew about him yet. I wanted to start clean. I grabbed some L$ off of my original character to get outfitted.
I came to Cherry Street looking for an empty adult sandbox, so I could try on clothes without anybody watching. It was pretty though, and I got caught up taking pictures. My first profile pic was set on the beach there.
While I was distracted, Emi came in not far from me. She was warm and friendly, and struck up conversation with me. We got to talking and she explained there’d be a party there in about four hours, and asked me to come. She told me the party’s theme was ‘silks.’
I said yes, but admitted I didn’t know what to wear. She said that was fine, and that people could dress normally and just watch if they wanted to. She kept in touch the rest of the time ‘til the party, on and off.
I’m still not sure if she thought I was cute or knew that I was sad. Maybe both.
I came a few minutes past time, and there were people dancing. Emi and Otto welcomed me warmly. Otto was dancing with cat. Emi, Natsuki and Zuri were on the poles. I hit the solo dance ball and did my best to keep up with conversation. I felt out of place, but not because of the company. They were all very nice. I was just awkward and nervous. It’d been a long time since I went someplace new.
I saw tip jars out, and I wanted to be considerate. I tipped Natsuki, who promptly went afk for most of the party. Tipped Emi, who thanked me. I went to tip Zuri, but she hadn’t logged into her jar, and I accidentally logged in instead. I logged back out and paid her the tip directly, then IMed her to apologize. She told me not to worry.
I decided to strike up conversation.
See... SL is a space where we can mostly be and have exactly what we want. It was my initial draw to this place: it’s a realm where who people are and what they want are very clear. We can be ourselves in ways that we can’t in RL. It lets me see what people want in a fascinating way. A lot of people dream the same dream about themselves, though. I call it the Barbie look. People are almost always tall. Girls are generically pretty, often wearing outfits as skimpy as they can get away with. Men are tend to be 80s action stars, all big muscles.
I tried for something a little off the mold with Darren: my goal was to be handsome, but in a realistic manner. I joke sometimes about aiming for the ‘douchey Eurotrash’ look with him.
Zuri had a thoughtful look. She wasn’t just pretty: she was exotic. She had the most gorgeous silks at the party, and she was covered in tattoos, and... she’d obviously put some thought into what she presented to the rest of us. She wasn’t afraid to be different.
I was drawn to her, and we talked. She apologized for being loopy on pain medicine. Told me she’d just broken her finger. I told her I was sorry to hear it, and that I sympathized: I explained about my diabetic neuropathy a little bit. She said it was all right, and explained she knew plenty about long term medical problems... and that it didn’t matter.
[2011/08/02 18:52] Zuri Darkthief: i try to keep my SL life easy
[2011/08/02 18:52] Zuri Darkthief: =)
[2011/08/02 18:52] Darren Graycloud: I can respect that. :)
[2011/08/02 18:53] Zuri Darkthief: but its nice for someone to ask and care. so thank you
[2011/08/02 18:54] Darren Graycloud: Welcome, of course.
[2011/08/02 18:54] Darren Graycloud: :)
[2011/08/02 18:55] Second Life: secondlife:///app/agent/e00ad147-cf41-4fb8-aee4-e41a9a04f5f3/about is offering friendship.
friendship is a great thing(By default, you will be able to see each other's online status.)
[2011/08/02 18:55] Second Life: Friendship offer accepted.
[2011/08/02 18:55] Second Life: Zuri Darkthief is online.
I might not have believed someone else. It’s easy to say that you’re tough, but... Zuri really was. I could tell. She didn’t want me to treat her differently because she was having a rough time. She just wanted to dance and talk. She had a spring in her step and a smile on her face, and she was nothing but fun.
I was humbled. It’s an impression that’s never left me, where she’s concerned: Zuri’s irrepressible spirit is something I stand in awe of.
She liked me too. I’ve been looking at our logs as I write this to get the facts straight in my head, and I’d forgotten how fast we started talking about dating:
[2011/08/02 20:14] Zuri Darkthief: you're really cool to hang with, would you like to meet up again sometime soon?
[2011/08/02 20:15] Darren Graycloud: Yes, yes I would.
We spent the rest of the night dancing and talking, and made plans to go out soon.
She’s blogged about our first date. My own memories of it are... well, that she showed me magic. We went to the Inspire Space Park and spent time in a fanciful sky together. We talked, we kissed, we cuddled among stars and asteroids. I loved the place so much I put it in my Picks on the spot. She showed me secret places, beautiful places. We ended our date back at her home, where she immediately put me on the land protector, and we kissed... and it was beautiful and sweet, and it was enough for the first night.
From that time on, the two of us were joined at the hip. Neither of us could help it: when we were both on, we rushed right into each others’ arms. We explored fantastic places, we danced. She took me to hear live music. I went scouting for strange places to show her, things I’d seen long ago.
I even asked her to help me dress better. She was always so beautiful, and I wanted to look like I belonged with her. I bought fancy neko wear, and snapped up a tux on sale, and... I’ve never been a clotheshorse, but I started to learn.
It was good. Times were just... good. I don’t think I’ve smiled so much in years. RL too: I was more easygoing and cheerful.
After a while, I saw that I was spending tons of time in SL, but didn’t have a place to live. I used to rent a place on my original character, but I’d let it slip months and months ago. I mentioned this to Otto in the hope of finding a good rental. Otto mentioned it to cat, and she offered to just let me put a skybox over her property, free of charge.
cat and Otto are wonderful folks.
Zuri got wind of it, and said I’d be staying with her, instead. I let cat know, but thanked her for her generosity. Then I had an idea, and I realized I’d need more prims. Zuri offered to take me places to look for a good spot. We spent an afternoon looking at four or five beautiful plots. Everything was beach themed: she was in a mood for them. We frolicked around empty rentals while my Internet connection dropped every five minutes or so, chasing each other through great big houses and skyboxes.
I finally settled on a plot one sim away from hers. She mentioned I “could just fly right over to her house,” and I thought about it for a few minutes, and then I paid for two months. I wanted to be close to her.
We talked about houses a bit. She pointed out some nice tiki ones.
Then she left, and I thought about it. People mostly have houses in SL. Otto and cat and Zuri all had them, for instance, and nothing I made or bought was going to be as good. I’m not much for building. I could learn, but I write novels - I’d rather focus on one craft at a time.
So... rather than a house, I realized the perfect thing would be something space themed. Zuri loves space. We went dancing and exploring there all the time, and I knew she was a big fan of Star Trek. She was delighted when I took her to a Trek sim and got her some uniforms from the shows.
I wanted to make a place that she’d find comforting. Something Zuri would want to come to and feel safe in. I didn’t think she’d move in with me. We’d talked about being exclusive, and we were both very cautious about it: I’d just gotten out of a bad relationship, and she didn’t really want to be tethered, I think.
But I wanted it to be someplace she could feel comfortable in. Someplace obviously intended to welcome her.
I bought a glowing space station for a Linden, then I enlisted the help of Gwynn and Avery to build a spinning starry sky. I bought a second skybox to toss above the first with a hot tub, because Zuri seemed to love the water. I bought a TV, because I wanted an easy way to control music.
She was enthralled. Just... floored by it. And then she brought over her friend Ashe. Ashe took one look at my sky and asked if I’d move it aside. Then, Ashe replaced it with a custom one, something she’d cooked up. She didn’t put her stuff on the marketplace, either: it was unique, and absolutely gorgeous. She added a comet to spin around the station, and even gave me a couch.
We spent a night watching Pirates of the Caribbean IV in the hot tub room. It was wonderful. Zuri blogged about that too. Such a great night.
Soon after, I explained that I wasn’t really happy with the hot tub room, though. I wanted a forest. All the secret places Zuri went to think were forests, and I wanted one for her there. Zuri leapt to make what I wanted happen. She bought me a forest and positioned it carefully on the property line. She bought an aurora. She even gave me an Intan ball worth a small fortune, already loaded with dances.
She wanted the place to be hers too, and it made me unbelievably happy. We never really went to her house anymore, we just stayed at mine, improving it together.
Zuri and I are a good team. I tend to think of fanciful things, and she has the know-how to make them happen better than I could.
One day, though, she came to me and said there was something she had to tell me, and she wasn’t sure how I’d take it. I asked if I’d done something wrong. She said no - seemed surprised I’d even worry about it. She explained that an old friend of hers named Broxton was pushing to marry an alt of hers, and she intended to go ahead and do it, but didn’t want to hurt my feelings. She was also hoping I’d be there to support her. Something to do with supporting the vampire clan.
I agreed. I didn’t want to stifle her, be possessive or jealous. I just wanted to make sure that whatever happened, I supported her choices. I said I’d be there, and asked Emi to come along. We’ve become good friends since that first night. I hang out with her quite a bit, and wanted support myself. She was kind. Emi always is.
The wedding was... well, I didn’t much care for it. Everything felt forced. It was officiated by a cardboard cutout of Merlin that I kept expecting to come to life and try to kill us, too.
Afterward, I snuck Zuri away as swiftly as I could, and I cuddled her in front of our TV. I sent a partner proposal to her and told her to check her profile on the TV’s web browser.
The proposal screen was too short, so I sent her this notecard to clarify it:
“Dear Zuri,
I want you to be my partner. Officially, for all the world to see. I want everyone to know how special you are, and how happy you make me. I do not want tto pretend to be anything other than what we are.
I have been waiting for the perfect moment to ask, both because I’m horribly nervous about this, and because I want the memory of it to be special. However, I realized something last night with you, beneath the stars:
The reason I want to be with you is that I have nothing to fear from you, now or ever... and because every single moment with you is perfect.
Zuri, will you be mine?”
It felt like my heart stopped while I waited for her to answer. I stammered about how there was no pressure, and that I’d love her just the same if she didn’t want to.
She just told me to look at my profile. I could’ve cried, because there she was.
After she said yes, I... well, after the wedding I’d just been to, I didn’t want to marry her. It felt wrong. So I told her this:
[2011/08/31 01:24] Darren Graycloud: Once upon a time, Prometheus stole the fire of the gods, and he gave it to Man. Legends differ as to why, but I can only speculate it was probably over a pretty girl.
[2011/08/31 01:25] Darren Graycloud: In any event, Zeus was angered, and chained him to a rock, sentenced to have his liver torn out and eaten in front of him every day, for the rest of time.
[2011/08/31 01:25] Darren Graycloud: Zeus was always pretty dramatic like that.
[2011/08/31 01:25] Zuri Darkthief: hehe
[2011/08/31 01:26] Darren Graycloud: Time passed, and Hercules came. He needed to borrow money, I think.
[2011/08/31 01:26] Darren Graycloud: Prometheus explained that his wallet was inaccessible due to the chains and the giant bird eating him alive.
[2011/08/31 01:26] Zuri Darkthief: lol
[2011/08/31 01:26] Darren Graycloud: Hercules broke him free, explained that he would not, in fact, pay back the $20 after such a feat - this being where we get the word 'herculean' from.
[2011/08/31 01:27] Zuri Darkthief: /me cracks up
[2011/08/31 01:27] Darren Graycloud: Zeus had forgotten why he'd chained Prometheus up. Again, I can only assume a pretty girl was involved. It was, after all, *Zeus*.
[2011/08/31 01:27] Darren Graycloud: However, Zeus remembered he'd been pissed, and so while he allowed Prometheus to go, he made the Titan wear a single link of the chain around his finger as a symbol of his confinement.
[2011/08/31 01:28] Zuri Darkthief: hmm
[2011/08/31 01:28] Zuri Darkthief: thats a good tale
[2011/08/31 01:28] Darren Graycloud: There's a corollary
[2011/08/31 01:29] Darren Graycloud: /me kisses his wonderful audience
[2011/08/31 01:29] Zuri Darkthief: :)
[2011/08/31 01:29] Darren Graycloud: Our bond isn't one of rules and chains. It can be, from time to time. There are chains below, and I'll put you in them when the mood strikes.
[2011/08/31 01:29] Darren Graycloud: But the thing that keeps us together is more profound
[2011/08/31 01:30] Darren Graycloud: We have fun.
[2011/08/31 01:30] Zuri Darkthief: mmm
[2011/08/31 01:30] Darren Graycloud: You already wear the locket.
[2011/08/31 01:30] Darren Graycloud: It's better than a ring.
[2011/08/31 01:30] Darren Graycloud: More apt.
[2011/08/31 01:30] Zuri Darkthief: true
[2011/08/31 01:30] Darren Graycloud: Keep wearing it. That's what I want to symbolize who and what we are.
[2011/08/31 01:30] Darren Graycloud: If we ever change, the symbol can change too.
[2011/08/31 01:31] Zuri Darkthief: i will never take it off
[2011/08/31 01:31] Darren Graycloud: /me kisses you
[2011/08/31 01:31] Zuri Darkthief: /me kisses you back
And we continued to be together and play together. Every moment was precious. Always is with her.
She took down her house, telling me that she didn’t need it anymore: my house had become our home, together. I was delighted. She replaced her residence with a gigantic, “Sorry, we’re closed” sign, and moved a few of her belongings in.
I felt sad about the story of Prometheus, though. Sad I hadn’t asked her to marry me, because that’s how I felt about her: I felt like we were meant to be together, always. I regretted not taking the opportunity to celebrate it.
Zuri made an offhand comment one day about how she’d go with me to a ‘non-creepy’ wedding any time... so I sent her this notecard:
“When we partnered, I told you the story of Prometheus. I didn't want a ring, because... well, there were two reasons:
The first was that what happened with Brox made me feel pretty skeeved about the whole topic of weddings. It was unpleasant, and I didn't want to follow up that sort of a spectacle with one of my own.
The second reason was more profound: I don't want to cage you. I'm not with you to contain you, bind you or own you. One of the big reasons that I enjoy spending time with you is that you make me feel free, and I want to offer you the same. What I do when we bump pixels is for fun, not out of a sense of... marking territory.
That said... I really would like to marry you in here, if it pleases you. Not to keep you by my side, but as a reminder that I will always choose to be by yours.
I make this offer without any pressure or expectation. You can say no. You can decide later. I'll still be here.
That's sort of the point: it's not scary because it's how I'll behave anyway.”
.
And this happened:
[2011/09/08 14:30] Zuri Darkthief: /me reads
[2011/09/08 14:30] Darren Graycloud: /me nods
[2011/09/08 14:30] Darren Graycloud: /me is nervous
[2011/09/08 14:31] Darren Graycloud: /me kisses your head
[2011/09/08 14:31] Zuri Darkthief: awww :) i would love to marry you here!!!
[2011/09/08 14:32] Darren Graycloud: /me breathes
[2011/09/08 14:32] Darren Graycloud: /me smiles
[2011/09/08 14:32] Darren Graycloud: I haven't picked out where or anything. Wanted your input.
[2011/09/08 14:32] Zuri Darkthief: here!!! up top!!!
[2011/09/08 14:32] Darren Graycloud: I kind of like upstairs, right here, but I don't know how that works.
[2011/09/08 14:32] Darren Graycloud: /me smiles
[2011/09/08 14:32] Zuri Darkthief: we'll make it work
And so we did. I suggested a surprise wedding - telling everyone that it was just our parcel warming party, then shuffling them off into pews. Zuri thought that was funny, so that became our plan.
We did our usual routine: she made the land ready. She got the wedding HUD working, and even contacted the creator to get it fixed when it broke. She moved the trees, the campfire. She was so good.
I wrote custom wedding vows and invitations. I asked her to pick the rings, and she chose beautiful ones from the marketplace, which I bought on the spot. We each did a custom inscription. She looked up something in Japanese, and I did one in Latin.
She made mine say: “Watashi wa anata o eien ni aisuru,” which was “I will forever love you.”
I went with “Aeterne una erimus, sub astris,” which is, “We shall be together eternally, beneath the stars.”
She wanted to write custom wedding vows too, but we found out that cat probably wouldn’t be able to wait if we didn’t go ahead and get married Friday night. My ‘must have’ guest list was Otto, cat and Emi, and I’d hoped for Avery, Gwynn and Ashe. Zuri felt it was better to just go for it, rather than risking missing cat.
So we did. Ashe wasn’t able to stay, but Natsuki was able to come, and that was wonderful.
And her vows were beautiful anyway.
I said:
“It's difficult to know what to say at a moment like this, with everyone watching and waiting to hear something special. Fond as I am of words, it's daunting.
I could say that I'll always be there for you, Zuri, but you know that.
I could tell you that I'll always love you, but you know that too.
I will say instead that this ceremony is not what binds me to you. I do not believe that rings or oaths can keep two people together.
This ceremony is instead a celebration of what I already know to be true: we will always remain together, because we would not choose anything less. That is a joyful truth, one that should be witnessed and sung about.
I, Darren Graycloud, take you, Zuri Darkthief, to be my wife. I will love you without condition or reservation, for as long as I live.”
She said:
“Darren, I love you. You are my best friend. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle.
I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard,
when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life.”
*breathes*
There’s more to tell. There’s always more to tell, I suppose: I could talk about how Zuri read the novel I’m working on, and was so enthralled she forgot to smoke for half a day, or how she found a few mistakes no one else caught.
I could talk about the fantastical places we’ve been. I could talk about the deep secrets we’ve shared, but those are private.
I think this is enough, though. This is, in my estimation, how Zuri and I went from two strangers on the floor of Cherry Street to best friends, lovers and finally spouses. I wanted to share it here for the same reason I wanted to get married: as a celebration of what we’ve found, for all the world to see and enjoy too.
*cedes the floor back to Zuri*
Darren here.
*takes a deep breath and talks*
And I’m getting ahead of myself, here. Zuri has talked about what it was like to meet me from her perspective. I wanted to offer my own view of events.
I used to come to SL casually. Not as Darren. This identity is a new one. I came in my original identity and filmed movies for school, explored, looked at artwork and hung out with friends. I got too busy to do it maybe seven or eight months before this all started, and didn’t log in even once.
Then, sad things happened in my RL. They came to a head the first week of August. It’s a long story, and not one I wish to share here. The important detail is that I was sad and lonely. Rather than letting myself be so, I decided to come back to SL and make some new friends. I came in as Darren because he was a blank slate: I’d bought a skin and a shape, but nobody knew about him yet. I wanted to start clean. I grabbed some L$ off of my original character to get outfitted.
I came to Cherry Street looking for an empty adult sandbox, so I could try on clothes without anybody watching. It was pretty though, and I got caught up taking pictures. My first profile pic was set on the beach there.
While I was distracted, Emi came in not far from me. She was warm and friendly, and struck up conversation with me. We got to talking and she explained there’d be a party there in about four hours, and asked me to come. She told me the party’s theme was ‘silks.’
I said yes, but admitted I didn’t know what to wear. She said that was fine, and that people could dress normally and just watch if they wanted to. She kept in touch the rest of the time ‘til the party, on and off.
I’m still not sure if she thought I was cute or knew that I was sad. Maybe both.
I came a few minutes past time, and there were people dancing. Emi and Otto welcomed me warmly. Otto was dancing with cat. Emi, Natsuki and Zuri were on the poles. I hit the solo dance ball and did my best to keep up with conversation. I felt out of place, but not because of the company. They were all very nice. I was just awkward and nervous. It’d been a long time since I went someplace new.
I saw tip jars out, and I wanted to be considerate. I tipped Natsuki, who promptly went afk for most of the party. Tipped Emi, who thanked me. I went to tip Zuri, but she hadn’t logged into her jar, and I accidentally logged in instead. I logged back out and paid her the tip directly, then IMed her to apologize. She told me not to worry.
I decided to strike up conversation.
See... SL is a space where we can mostly be and have exactly what we want. It was my initial draw to this place: it’s a realm where who people are and what they want are very clear. We can be ourselves in ways that we can’t in RL. It lets me see what people want in a fascinating way. A lot of people dream the same dream about themselves, though. I call it the Barbie look. People are almost always tall. Girls are generically pretty, often wearing outfits as skimpy as they can get away with. Men are tend to be 80s action stars, all big muscles.
I tried for something a little off the mold with Darren: my goal was to be handsome, but in a realistic manner. I joke sometimes about aiming for the ‘douchey Eurotrash’ look with him.
Zuri had a thoughtful look. She wasn’t just pretty: she was exotic. She had the most gorgeous silks at the party, and she was covered in tattoos, and... she’d obviously put some thought into what she presented to the rest of us. She wasn’t afraid to be different.
I was drawn to her, and we talked. She apologized for being loopy on pain medicine. Told me she’d just broken her finger. I told her I was sorry to hear it, and that I sympathized: I explained about my diabetic neuropathy a little bit. She said it was all right, and explained she knew plenty about long term medical problems... and that it didn’t matter.
[2011/08/02 18:52] Zuri Darkthief: i try to keep my SL life easy
[2011/08/02 18:52] Zuri Darkthief: =)
[2011/08/02 18:52] Darren Graycloud: I can respect that. :)
[2011/08/02 18:53] Zuri Darkthief: but its nice for someone to ask and care. so thank you
[2011/08/02 18:54] Darren Graycloud: Welcome, of course.
[2011/08/02 18:54] Darren Graycloud: :)
[2011/08/02 18:55] Second Life: secondlife:///app/agent/e00ad147-cf41-4fb8-aee4-e41a9a04f5f3/about is offering friendship.
friendship is a great thing(By default, you will be able to see each other's online status.)
[2011/08/02 18:55] Second Life: Friendship offer accepted.
[2011/08/02 18:55] Second Life: Zuri Darkthief is online.
I might not have believed someone else. It’s easy to say that you’re tough, but... Zuri really was. I could tell. She didn’t want me to treat her differently because she was having a rough time. She just wanted to dance and talk. She had a spring in her step and a smile on her face, and she was nothing but fun.
I was humbled. It’s an impression that’s never left me, where she’s concerned: Zuri’s irrepressible spirit is something I stand in awe of.
She liked me too. I’ve been looking at our logs as I write this to get the facts straight in my head, and I’d forgotten how fast we started talking about dating:
[2011/08/02 20:14] Zuri Darkthief: you're really cool to hang with, would you like to meet up again sometime soon?
[2011/08/02 20:15] Darren Graycloud: Yes, yes I would.
We spent the rest of the night dancing and talking, and made plans to go out soon.
She’s blogged about our first date. My own memories of it are... well, that she showed me magic. We went to the Inspire Space Park and spent time in a fanciful sky together. We talked, we kissed, we cuddled among stars and asteroids. I loved the place so much I put it in my Picks on the spot. She showed me secret places, beautiful places. We ended our date back at her home, where she immediately put me on the land protector, and we kissed... and it was beautiful and sweet, and it was enough for the first night.
I even asked her to help me dress better. She was always so beautiful, and I wanted to look like I belonged with her. I bought fancy neko wear, and snapped up a tux on sale, and... I’ve never been a clotheshorse, but I started to learn.
It was good. Times were just... good. I don’t think I’ve smiled so much in years. RL too: I was more easygoing and cheerful.
After a while, I saw that I was spending tons of time in SL, but didn’t have a place to live. I used to rent a place on my original character, but I’d let it slip months and months ago. I mentioned this to Otto in the hope of finding a good rental. Otto mentioned it to cat, and she offered to just let me put a skybox over her property, free of charge.
cat and Otto are wonderful folks.
Zuri got wind of it, and said I’d be staying with her, instead. I let cat know, but thanked her for her generosity. Then I had an idea, and I realized I’d need more prims. Zuri offered to take me places to look for a good spot. We spent an afternoon looking at four or five beautiful plots. Everything was beach themed: she was in a mood for them. We frolicked around empty rentals while my Internet connection dropped every five minutes or so, chasing each other through great big houses and skyboxes.
I finally settled on a plot one sim away from hers. She mentioned I “could just fly right over to her house,” and I thought about it for a few minutes, and then I paid for two months. I wanted to be close to her.
We talked about houses a bit. She pointed out some nice tiki ones.
Then she left, and I thought about it. People mostly have houses in SL. Otto and cat and Zuri all had them, for instance, and nothing I made or bought was going to be as good. I’m not much for building. I could learn, but I write novels - I’d rather focus on one craft at a time.
So... rather than a house, I realized the perfect thing would be something space themed. Zuri loves space. We went dancing and exploring there all the time, and I knew she was a big fan of Star Trek. She was delighted when I took her to a Trek sim and got her some uniforms from the shows.
I wanted to make a place that she’d find comforting. Something Zuri would want to come to and feel safe in. I didn’t think she’d move in with me. We’d talked about being exclusive, and we were both very cautious about it: I’d just gotten out of a bad relationship, and she didn’t really want to be tethered, I think.
But I wanted it to be someplace she could feel comfortable in. Someplace obviously intended to welcome her.
I bought a glowing space station for a Linden, then I enlisted the help of Gwynn and Avery to build a spinning starry sky. I bought a second skybox to toss above the first with a hot tub, because Zuri seemed to love the water. I bought a TV, because I wanted an easy way to control music.
She was enthralled. Just... floored by it. And then she brought over her friend Ashe. Ashe took one look at my sky and asked if I’d move it aside. Then, Ashe replaced it with a custom one, something she’d cooked up. She didn’t put her stuff on the marketplace, either: it was unique, and absolutely gorgeous. She added a comet to spin around the station, and even gave me a couch.
We spent a night watching Pirates of the Caribbean IV in the hot tub room. It was wonderful. Zuri blogged about that too. Such a great night.
Soon after, I explained that I wasn’t really happy with the hot tub room, though. I wanted a forest. All the secret places Zuri went to think were forests, and I wanted one for her there. Zuri leapt to make what I wanted happen. She bought me a forest and positioned it carefully on the property line. She bought an aurora. She even gave me an Intan ball worth a small fortune, already loaded with dances.
She wanted the place to be hers too, and it made me unbelievably happy. We never really went to her house anymore, we just stayed at mine, improving it together.
Zuri and I are a good team. I tend to think of fanciful things, and she has the know-how to make them happen better than I could.
One day, though, she came to me and said there was something she had to tell me, and she wasn’t sure how I’d take it. I asked if I’d done something wrong. She said no - seemed surprised I’d even worry about it. She explained that an old friend of hers named Broxton was pushing to marry an alt of hers, and she intended to go ahead and do it, but didn’t want to hurt my feelings. She was also hoping I’d be there to support her. Something to do with supporting the vampire clan.
I agreed. I didn’t want to stifle her, be possessive or jealous. I just wanted to make sure that whatever happened, I supported her choices. I said I’d be there, and asked Emi to come along. We’ve become good friends since that first night. I hang out with her quite a bit, and wanted support myself. She was kind. Emi always is.
The wedding was... well, I didn’t much care for it. Everything felt forced. It was officiated by a cardboard cutout of Merlin that I kept expecting to come to life and try to kill us, too.
Afterward, I snuck Zuri away as swiftly as I could, and I cuddled her in front of our TV. I sent a partner proposal to her and told her to check her profile on the TV’s web browser.
The proposal screen was too short, so I sent her this notecard to clarify it:
“Dear Zuri,
I want you to be my partner. Officially, for all the world to see. I want everyone to know how special you are, and how happy you make me. I do not want tto pretend to be anything other than what we are.
I have been waiting for the perfect moment to ask, both because I’m horribly nervous about this, and because I want the memory of it to be special. However, I realized something last night with you, beneath the stars:
The reason I want to be with you is that I have nothing to fear from you, now or ever... and because every single moment with you is perfect.
Zuri, will you be mine?”
It felt like my heart stopped while I waited for her to answer. I stammered about how there was no pressure, and that I’d love her just the same if she didn’t want to.
She just told me to look at my profile. I could’ve cried, because there she was.
After she said yes, I... well, after the wedding I’d just been to, I didn’t want to marry her. It felt wrong. So I told her this:
[2011/08/31 01:24] Darren Graycloud: Once upon a time, Prometheus stole the fire of the gods, and he gave it to Man. Legends differ as to why, but I can only speculate it was probably over a pretty girl.
[2011/08/31 01:25] Darren Graycloud: In any event, Zeus was angered, and chained him to a rock, sentenced to have his liver torn out and eaten in front of him every day, for the rest of time.
[2011/08/31 01:25] Darren Graycloud: Zeus was always pretty dramatic like that.
[2011/08/31 01:25] Zuri Darkthief: hehe
[2011/08/31 01:26] Darren Graycloud: Time passed, and Hercules came. He needed to borrow money, I think.
[2011/08/31 01:26] Darren Graycloud: Prometheus explained that his wallet was inaccessible due to the chains and the giant bird eating him alive.
[2011/08/31 01:26] Zuri Darkthief: lol
[2011/08/31 01:26] Darren Graycloud: Hercules broke him free, explained that he would not, in fact, pay back the $20 after such a feat - this being where we get the word 'herculean' from.
[2011/08/31 01:27] Zuri Darkthief: /me cracks up
[2011/08/31 01:27] Darren Graycloud: Zeus had forgotten why he'd chained Prometheus up. Again, I can only assume a pretty girl was involved. It was, after all, *Zeus*.
[2011/08/31 01:27] Darren Graycloud: However, Zeus remembered he'd been pissed, and so while he allowed Prometheus to go, he made the Titan wear a single link of the chain around his finger as a symbol of his confinement.
[2011/08/31 01:28] Zuri Darkthief: hmm
[2011/08/31 01:28] Zuri Darkthief: thats a good tale
[2011/08/31 01:28] Darren Graycloud: There's a corollary
[2011/08/31 01:29] Darren Graycloud: /me kisses his wonderful audience
[2011/08/31 01:29] Zuri Darkthief: :)
[2011/08/31 01:29] Darren Graycloud: Our bond isn't one of rules and chains. It can be, from time to time. There are chains below, and I'll put you in them when the mood strikes.
[2011/08/31 01:29] Darren Graycloud: But the thing that keeps us together is more profound
[2011/08/31 01:30] Darren Graycloud: We have fun.
[2011/08/31 01:30] Zuri Darkthief: mmm
[2011/08/31 01:30] Darren Graycloud: You already wear the locket.
[2011/08/31 01:30] Darren Graycloud: It's better than a ring.
[2011/08/31 01:30] Darren Graycloud: More apt.
[2011/08/31 01:30] Zuri Darkthief: true
[2011/08/31 01:30] Darren Graycloud: Keep wearing it. That's what I want to symbolize who and what we are.
[2011/08/31 01:30] Darren Graycloud: If we ever change, the symbol can change too.
[2011/08/31 01:31] Zuri Darkthief: i will never take it off
[2011/08/31 01:31] Darren Graycloud: /me kisses you
[2011/08/31 01:31] Zuri Darkthief: /me kisses you back
And we continued to be together and play together. Every moment was precious. Always is with her.
She took down her house, telling me that she didn’t need it anymore: my house had become our home, together. I was delighted. She replaced her residence with a gigantic, “Sorry, we’re closed” sign, and moved a few of her belongings in.
I felt sad about the story of Prometheus, though. Sad I hadn’t asked her to marry me, because that’s how I felt about her: I felt like we were meant to be together, always. I regretted not taking the opportunity to celebrate it.
Zuri made an offhand comment one day about how she’d go with me to a ‘non-creepy’ wedding any time... so I sent her this notecard:
“When we partnered, I told you the story of Prometheus. I didn't want a ring, because... well, there were two reasons:
The first was that what happened with Brox made me feel pretty skeeved about the whole topic of weddings. It was unpleasant, and I didn't want to follow up that sort of a spectacle with one of my own.
The second reason was more profound: I don't want to cage you. I'm not with you to contain you, bind you or own you. One of the big reasons that I enjoy spending time with you is that you make me feel free, and I want to offer you the same. What I do when we bump pixels is for fun, not out of a sense of... marking territory.
That said... I really would like to marry you in here, if it pleases you. Not to keep you by my side, but as a reminder that I will always choose to be by yours.
I make this offer without any pressure or expectation. You can say no. You can decide later. I'll still be here.
That's sort of the point: it's not scary because it's how I'll behave anyway.”
.
And this happened:
[2011/09/08 14:30] Zuri Darkthief: /me reads
[2011/09/08 14:30] Darren Graycloud: /me nods
[2011/09/08 14:30] Darren Graycloud: /me is nervous
[2011/09/08 14:31] Darren Graycloud: /me kisses your head
[2011/09/08 14:31] Zuri Darkthief: awww :) i would love to marry you here!!!
[2011/09/08 14:32] Darren Graycloud: /me breathes
[2011/09/08 14:32] Darren Graycloud: /me smiles
[2011/09/08 14:32] Darren Graycloud: I haven't picked out where or anything. Wanted your input.
[2011/09/08 14:32] Zuri Darkthief: here!!! up top!!!
[2011/09/08 14:32] Darren Graycloud: I kind of like upstairs, right here, but I don't know how that works.
[2011/09/08 14:32] Darren Graycloud: /me smiles
[2011/09/08 14:32] Zuri Darkthief: we'll make it work
And so we did. I suggested a surprise wedding - telling everyone that it was just our parcel warming party, then shuffling them off into pews. Zuri thought that was funny, so that became our plan.
We did our usual routine: she made the land ready. She got the wedding HUD working, and even contacted the creator to get it fixed when it broke. She moved the trees, the campfire. She was so good.
I wrote custom wedding vows and invitations. I asked her to pick the rings, and she chose beautiful ones from the marketplace, which I bought on the spot. We each did a custom inscription. She looked up something in Japanese, and I did one in Latin.
She made mine say: “Watashi wa anata o eien ni aisuru,” which was “I will forever love you.”
I went with “Aeterne una erimus, sub astris,” which is, “We shall be together eternally, beneath the stars.”
She wanted to write custom wedding vows too, but we found out that cat probably wouldn’t be able to wait if we didn’t go ahead and get married Friday night. My ‘must have’ guest list was Otto, cat and Emi, and I’d hoped for Avery, Gwynn and Ashe. Zuri felt it was better to just go for it, rather than risking missing cat.
So we did. Ashe wasn’t able to stay, but Natsuki was able to come, and that was wonderful.
And her vows were beautiful anyway.
I said:
“It's difficult to know what to say at a moment like this, with everyone watching and waiting to hear something special. Fond as I am of words, it's daunting.
I could say that I'll always be there for you, Zuri, but you know that.
I could tell you that I'll always love you, but you know that too.
I will say instead that this ceremony is not what binds me to you. I do not believe that rings or oaths can keep two people together.
This ceremony is instead a celebration of what I already know to be true: we will always remain together, because we would not choose anything less. That is a joyful truth, one that should be witnessed and sung about.
I, Darren Graycloud, take you, Zuri Darkthief, to be my wife. I will love you without condition or reservation, for as long as I live.”
She said:
“Darren, I love you. You are my best friend. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle.
I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard,
when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life.”
*breathes*
There’s more to tell. There’s always more to tell, I suppose: I could talk about how Zuri read the novel I’m working on, and was so enthralled she forgot to smoke for half a day, or how she found a few mistakes no one else caught.
I could talk about the fantastical places we’ve been. I could talk about the deep secrets we’ve shared, but those are private.
I think this is enough, though. This is, in my estimation, how Zuri and I went from two strangers on the floor of Cherry Street to best friends, lovers and finally spouses. I wanted to share it here for the same reason I wanted to get married: as a celebration of what we’ve found, for all the world to see and enjoy too.
*cedes the floor back to Zuri*
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Possibilities
There are some days that seem to last forever, and then there are some that you would give your soul to stay in that moment. I have always been one to live in the moment and let time flow by, never to ponder for too long the passing, but over the past month I have been squeezing every last moment into my day. I don't want to let anything get by me. For some reason I feel life is too short to let it pass you by. I want to live each day to the fullest and never take it for granted.
Someone once told me that " To live like normal is no way to live, you must live like everything is unexpected". I knew what meant at the time, but as I grew older and watched time slip by, I realized that we don't have all the time in the world to do what we want, we have to squeeze every last drop of the day into our lives to really live to the fullest. Now I know this seems like it would take some getting used too but if you really think about it then it really isn't that hard.
Look around you, there are people you don't even know just waiting to talk to you. They may not know that they are waiting for you but they are. You are there for a reason and you may know why you are there but there is always another path or detour you can take. You can always come back to where you and take the direction you wanted to take after. Just imagine what you will find if you take a unexpected turn. There is no end to the possibilities. Take a chance and see where it leads.
Take one day at a time and see what happens. Even if you have places to go and people to see, see what happens when you veer off to somewhere new. Enjoy the moments of life like nothing else matters. You can never go back in time so we must always move forward into the unknown. There is no time like the present to start. Meet new people and try something different.
I took a chance one night and found something amazing. I found someone to spend my time with, to enjoy SL with, to share all that I am with. He knows me almost too well some days, but then we surprise each other everyday also. We found joy in each other and I will treasure that for the rest of my life. What would have happened if I didn't go to that event that night? What if I hadn't replied back to the IM? Where would I be today if I had said " eh... no thanks" to the friendship offer? I'll tell you; I would be sitting at home, pining for someone to share my Sl with. I would be agonizing over the ones who I lost. I would be haunting my old spots just waiting for someone to say "hello" to me. But I took a chance and spoke to someone whom I didn't know, and look where I am now. I'm as happy as a clam and can hardly remember the ghost of shell that I was.
I wish everyone would try this: talk to someone who is alone and wandering. Just say "hello" or "how are you" and see where it leads. You could find the love of your life or your new best friend, or both in my case. Life it too short to let these moments pass, grab them by their wings and fly with them. Dare to dream of another life and get on the path of the unexpected. Take a sharp stick and poke at things you wouldn't think of poking. If you follow this then you may just find a whole new life waiting for you around the bend. Enjoy your Sl and your RL. It's all in what you make of it and nothing more unless you try.
Someone once told me that " To live like normal is no way to live, you must live like everything is unexpected". I knew what meant at the time, but as I grew older and watched time slip by, I realized that we don't have all the time in the world to do what we want, we have to squeeze every last drop of the day into our lives to really live to the fullest. Now I know this seems like it would take some getting used too but if you really think about it then it really isn't that hard.
Look around you, there are people you don't even know just waiting to talk to you. They may not know that they are waiting for you but they are. You are there for a reason and you may know why you are there but there is always another path or detour you can take. You can always come back to where you and take the direction you wanted to take after. Just imagine what you will find if you take a unexpected turn. There is no end to the possibilities. Take a chance and see where it leads.
Take one day at a time and see what happens. Even if you have places to go and people to see, see what happens when you veer off to somewhere new. Enjoy the moments of life like nothing else matters. You can never go back in time so we must always move forward into the unknown. There is no time like the present to start. Meet new people and try something different.
I took a chance one night and found something amazing. I found someone to spend my time with, to enjoy SL with, to share all that I am with. He knows me almost too well some days, but then we surprise each other everyday also. We found joy in each other and I will treasure that for the rest of my life. What would have happened if I didn't go to that event that night? What if I hadn't replied back to the IM? Where would I be today if I had said " eh... no thanks" to the friendship offer? I'll tell you; I would be sitting at home, pining for someone to share my Sl with. I would be agonizing over the ones who I lost. I would be haunting my old spots just waiting for someone to say "hello" to me. But I took a chance and spoke to someone whom I didn't know, and look where I am now. I'm as happy as a clam and can hardly remember the ghost of shell that I was.
I wish everyone would try this: talk to someone who is alone and wandering. Just say "hello" or "how are you" and see where it leads. You could find the love of your life or your new best friend, or both in my case. Life it too short to let these moments pass, grab them by their wings and fly with them. Dare to dream of another life and get on the path of the unexpected. Take a sharp stick and poke at things you wouldn't think of poking. If you follow this then you may just find a whole new life waiting for you around the bend. Enjoy your Sl and your RL. It's all in what you make of it and nothing more unless you try.
Darren and Zuri's Safe Haven
Aeterne una erimus, sub astris.
It seems like the place that Darren and I have built together would have taken months to complete, but in almost two week we have turned this beach front property into a dreamscape. The place has many layers and secrets as do the owners. I will not tell you all the secrets of the land, fore that would lay bare to all of our own. We wishes for the stars and we made it happen.
It started out with wanting different, something that no one else had. The space station went up first. We fiddled around with it and made it ours. By taking out the bar and moving somethings around, we created a space that truly reflected ourselves. With the help of our friend Ashe, we had furniture and a beautiful sky. Darren mentioned wanting to create a forest scene for me, something mystical for us to romp around in. I knew exactly where to find it. I went to a wonderful place and picked out a forest rezz box that included a cave and some texture trees. It suited the land perfectly.
The aurora came next. It was a gift for Darren. I knew that a beautiful light display would make this place feel like the magical space that he wanted to create. So there are two: one to see from the space station; and one to see as you are dancing in our forest. (Which we do a lot of)
It seems like the place that Darren and I have built together would have taken months to complete, but in almost two week we have turned this beach front property into a dreamscape. The place has many layers and secrets as do the owners. I will not tell you all the secrets of the land, fore that would lay bare to all of our own. We wishes for the stars and we made it happen.
It started out with wanting different, something that no one else had. The space station went up first. We fiddled around with it and made it ours. By taking out the bar and moving somethings around, we created a space that truly reflected ourselves. With the help of our friend Ashe, we had furniture and a beautiful sky. Darren mentioned wanting to create a forest scene for me, something mystical for us to romp around in. I knew exactly where to find it. I went to a wonderful place and picked out a forest rezz box that included a cave and some texture trees. It suited the land perfectly.
The aurora came next. It was a gift for Darren. I knew that a beautiful light display would make this place feel like the magical space that he wanted to create. So there are two: one to see from the space station; and one to see as you are dancing in our forest. (Which we do a lot of)
Darren also said he wanted to be able to float in the water and gaze at the stars with me, so... yeah, I got us a pond. It has many features including star gazing.
This place is our home, our safe haven, our one true place to be ourselves and relax.We spend most our time here when we are not off goofing around exploring or out with friends.
Our time spent here creating this place has brought us closer together, so close in fact that he asked me to marry him, which I accepted with profound joy. I knew right then that I wanted to marry him right under our stars; and I did.
Our wedding was yesterday, Sept. 9th 2011.
I will post all the details on my next blog.
And I hope that everyone can find a special place in SL to make truly theirs.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
The Heart is Appeased
Yesterday wound up being a little test for myself. Usually, if I spend an extremely large amount of time with some, and I do this all in one day, at sometime we usually run out of things to say. I am happy to report that this did not happen. Even at the wee hours of the mornings I still had things to say and was almost bursting with them. Even while watching a movie we talked (which I don't do often but I couldn't help myself ).
We went to a dance a couple days ago and actually won the contest. It was a lot of fun, plus Emi and Otto were there!
But I'm getting ahead of myself. The first few days of our relationship went something like this:
We took turns checking out sims. He found great joy in showing me sims I have never been to; and I took an equal amount of joy seeing them and showing him new sims.
Now this picture is actually us inside an airplane that was supposed to simulate a hurricane.
There were many devices that simulated natural occurrences, such as a glacier, a tsunami, and a real time weather map.
So we finally dug out the old TV and watched Pirate of the Caribbean: On stranger tides (number 4). And I have to tell you, if you have not seen the movie yet... by god go see it. Even though a lot of the characters are missing, like Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, it was still a great movie. Go see it, I promise you will not be disappointed. Oh, and he surprised me after the movie with a Jack Sparrow Avi! I believe I was speechless for a full five mins. Smiles
The night ended with us exploring a favorite sim of mine. It's a peaceful place and has many secret hideaways. We did wind up finally at my house to dance for a while before we both reluctantly said goodnight and slipped away.
I don't think I will ever get over the fact that we can talk about anything and never feel like we will be judged or upset the other. Reframes from being like those pesky seagulls on FINDING NEMO and always going "mine, mine, mine, mine."
We went to a dance a couple days ago and actually won the contest. It was a lot of fun, plus Emi and Otto were there!
But I'm getting ahead of myself. The first few days of our relationship went something like this:
We took turns checking out sims. He found great joy in showing me sims I have never been to; and I took an equal amount of joy seeing them and showing him new sims.
Now this picture is actually us inside an airplane that was supposed to simulate a hurricane.
There were many devices that simulated natural occurrences, such as a glacier, a tsunami, and a real time weather map.
This just about cut the cake. We are both fans of Star Trek. He even passed me some Star Trek uniforms!
Oh, and fair warning to all the ladies out there who might have it in the brains to maybe try to steal him away... BACK OFF, OR YOU'LL GET HURT
hehe
This... well who could resist?
Perfect ending to one of our perfect days
The night ended with us exploring a favorite sim of mine. It's a peaceful place and has many secret hideaways. We did wind up finally at my house to dance for a while before we both reluctantly said goodnight and slipped away.
I don't think I will ever get over the fact that we can talk about anything and never feel like we will be judged or upset the other. Reframes from being like those pesky seagulls on FINDING NEMO and always going "mine, mine, mine, mine."
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