February 2015 by Jami Mills

rez Magazine the virtual arts and culture magazine February 2015 Miss Virtual World by Stargazer Daylight Eleseren Brianna Mayfair by Jami Mills 2115: The Perfect 10 by Art Blue Zoology taught by Hitomi Tamatzui The Silence After by Emily Hamelin

Table of Contents rez Magazine Feburary 2015 http://rezmagazine.com Miss Virtual World 2015 by Stargazer Daylight photography Jami Table of Contents rez Magazine Feburary Mills 2015 http://rezmagazine.com Miss Virtual World 2015 by Stargazer Daylight Mills Anne Rice production. Mayfair Idle photography Rogue is up toJami it again. Mayfair Idle Rogue is up to it again. Anne Rice production. 2115: The Perfect 10 in Elysion by Art Blue The Silence After by Emily Hamelin female assassin

Wanna run away and join the Circus? Idle Rogue Productions Le Cirque de Nuit Auditions February 27th

Bryn Oh Immersive Art 2015 Calendar february 2015 Annaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Many Murders Photography by Ziki Questi Art Direction by Jami Mills Production by Art Blue

Miss Virtual World 2015 an interview with Stargazer Daylight Photography by Jami Mills

ome days are better than others. Some days are just perfect. To be granted the opportunity to meet and interview a humble celebrity in the fashion world is just that: perfect. Eleseren Brianna (aka Eles) is just that person, a star in the fashion world. And yet only recently arriving in it. Being crowned Miss Virtual World 2015 is a major achievement, and that puts her in a very unique class. I want to be clear. There are several (innumerable, really) contests in SL, especially involving fashion. Each one is more fantastic than the last. But one is far and away the golden chalice. That is MVW in shorthand.

know, statistic-wise. I have a few friends in RL who have tried SL, but I think I am the only one who has really gotten into the game. I do meet British people here, though not in vast numbers. It feels like most users are American, and we Brits are part of a fairly big â&#x20AC;&#x153;Europeanâ&#x20AC;? contingent, but only a part. Stargazer Daylight: Understood. You have been a member for almost six years. What got you into SL in its early days?

Eleseren Brianna: A friend got me started by telling me about the role playing communities in here, which sounded fun. I had been vaguely aware of SL - Run by Best of Second Life, established I seem to remember a CSI episode by Frolic Mills, and featuring some of about it, which made it look fascinatthe biggest and brightest names in the ing, if dark. I came in to check out the SL fashion world, MVW is without role playing and SL just blew my mind. compare. To win is no easy thing. It was, and is, for me like a fairyland. Rather, it is something sought after by So much magic here, in a way. the best of the best, and attained by only a tiny handful of the most amaz- Stargazer Daylight: Interesting. I was not ing models in this virtual platform. aware of the CSI connection. What got I think you will find my interview with Eles fascinating and very informative. Please read and enjoy. I certainly did. For background, I wondered how strong the SL community is in England. Eleseren Brianna: To be honest, I don't

you into the fashion and modeling aspects ofSL?

Eleseren Brianna: Fashion is something I have always been interested in for RL reasons and I began designing back in 2009, though I wince remembering those early efforts. Modeling came in 2013, after I decided I really needed better vendor boards and thought get-

ting some modeling training and a makeover would help. I fell in love with modeling, which I hadn't expected. They are both SO creative, which is the real attraction for me.

and coming fashion models to consider in such a contest. Or, in other words, how does one beat out so many other highly talented people?

Stargazer Daylight: If I may, that is the main focus of the article, as I am the fashion writer for rez Magazine. That, of course, is your amazing achievement being chosen as Miss Virtual World 2015. Congratulations! What an accomplishment! I wonder if you could share some of the motivations to enter and win this. What thoughts might you have for up

more to be gained by making friends with my fellow competitors than seeing them as people to beat. I think that really is something better to focus on. We are all “in the same boat,” growing together as we work through the challenges, and we make friendships and share experiences and knowledge, which is another way of winning.

Eleseren Brianna: Ooh! I was very Stargazer Daylight: I would have lucky in that I was offered the chance thought, I see wrongly now, that you had to compete in Miss Virtual World bebeen in modeling for much longer. That cause I was first runner up in Miss Colis fascinating. our of Couture, and the winner Vera Fenutzini had already done MVW (you Eleseren Brianna: No. I have been a can only enter it once). I had been model for a little over 18 months. It just wanting to try out, anyway. Basically, I amazes me that someone comes fresh love, love, love to style, and Miss Virtuon the scene, especially after a bit of a al World is the ULTIMATE contest in journey in SL, and streaks to the upper that regard. I never had a thought of echelons of the SL fashion world. I winning if I am honest, and I was wonder if it does for you? I also note stunned when I did. As for “beating that it proves how much opportunity people,” that isn't my motivation. I exists in SL, more than perhaps in RL, compete against myself and hope I do to totally change your life! well with the judges. I think there is

Stargazer Daylight: Sure. I probably should have worded that better. I meant it in a friendly competitive way, but your point is well taken. I would have thought it quite intimidating to be in a contest with so many other high level models

Eleseren Brianna: I really do compete against myself. I push myself. I am my own hardest critic. Stargazer Daylight: In that vein, has this amazing achievement given you more confidence, joy, acceptance of your talents?

Eleseren Brianna: OMG yes, and I had a serious confidence “wobble” early in the competition. It is daunting, but as I got to know them as people, it helped and I was able to focus on my own development. Stargazer Daylight: So you are truly human, in the SL sense ofthe word!

Eleseren Brianna: That is an interesting question. To some degree I am confident. I know I am a good stylist, and I know I have had some great training for modeling by some wonderful teachers. I still know I have to grow, and it is still amazing thinking I have won this competition. That probably will never fully sink in. OMG - - all too human. Lol. I can't emphasize enough, for my bene-

fit as well as yours, how personable, human, and truly modest this remarkable woman really is. It made for such an easy interview and, I hope you will agree, an informative one too. Stargazer Daylight: What specific thoughts then did you keep in your head to guide you from entry to achievement in this highest rank contest?

Eleseren Brianna: Obviously, I didn't know I would end up winning MVW. I wanted to be a better and better model and stylist, as my love for modeling grew. I wanted to get into agencies and magazines and get noticed, of course. I wanted, though, to get noticed as a good model, so I pushed myself very hard to become better and better. For me, if I am a model, I want to be the best model I can be, and that will never stop for me, so I will keep trying to improve. Stargazer Daylight: Great. May I ask you who were your most important mentors or advisors for your wonderful work in the Miss Virtual World competition?

Eleseren Brianna: I have had a lot of help from various people, in various ways. I think in terms of real “mentors” for MVW, probably Vera Fenutzini, who offered me her support and advice based on her own experience in MVW. She was super when I had my confid-

ence crisis. Hezabel Blackheart, too, who has been so helpful. She helped me over my fear of runway, which I needed to conquer during Miss COC, and she has been great at times. I have also been very lucky that Spirit Llewellyn is a friend and a supporter. Anjelica Carling was my muse. I didn't really know her very much during MVW, but I was so inspired watching videos of her.

is at least as much because I am a good model as it is that I am MVW.

Eleseren Brianna: Yes, I would be crazy to say it isn't giving me more opportunities, and I am profoundly grateful

Stargazer Daylight: Great. May I ask what prizes or opportunities specifically were granted to you, or at least a few of

for that. It is giving me more challenges, too. I was given this title and with it the responsibility not only to meet my duties as MVW, but also to accept that other people will now be looking to me and I must be the best I can be for that reason. Sorry - wandered off subject there. There are some doors opening, yes, but I hope it

the top ones?

Stargazer Daylight: Again, a stunning achievement! And some very great names you had the good fortune to work with.

Eleseren Brianna: Thank you :) I was not expecting it. I had hoped I might be good enough for the Top 10, so I was in true shock when I won, and it Stargazer Daylight: What doors has it took literally days for it to begin to sink opened or do you see it opening? in.

Eleseren Brianna: This isnt a competition with a great list of prizes. The prizes are in gaining the Miss title, both the individual country titles, and of course Miss Virtual World. The sense of achievement I guess is the real prize, and I genuinely mean that. I get to do

my big charity event too, which I am soooo happy about and I will be teaching, another ambition. Stargazer Daylight: Sure. Have you been able to exhale yet? What charity event are you planning?

Eleseren Brianna: I am organizing a big two-week Fashion and Shopping Event in April, called Fashion For Change. It will raise funds for a little known but amazing charity called Womankind Worldwide, which works to improve women's rights in Africa, Asia and South America. I am passionate about that charity so it is incredible I can do this. Stargazer Daylight: That is wonderful. I would love to cover some of it if you would be interested in that. Or perhaps help a little bit ifI have time.

Eleseren Brianna: Oh, wow! Thank you so much :) I can give you the link to the video I made about it. I am using the video to promote the charity event. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpYu3Yq0910 Once again, another successful person/model in SL looking to give back. That always impresses me. I hope you will take the time to look at the video and to participate in this upcoming charitable event!

Stargazer Daylight: Where do you intend to teach ifyou have that set up?

Eleseren Brianna: I will be teaching at MVWMA, doing Module 4 and 5 of their modeling course. Styling, and Raising the Bar. I am so excited.

Stargazer Daylight: Do you have any final thoughts you wish to share about MVW for our readers?

Eleseren Brianna: I had hoped to find somewhere this year to teach, and being offered the chance to teach at the MVW Academy is beyond great :)

Stargazer Daylight: Yes.

Eleseren Brianna: Yes, a friend told me it was like doing â&#x20AC;&#x153;Model Boot Camp.â&#x20AC;? Hard, tough, gruelling, but the best possible training a model can have. I was surprised when she told me that, but it is so true. It pushed me beyond what I thought were my limits, in terms

of styling, posing, and keeping going through a very, very intense period of challenges. You are meant to grow through MVW and I did, hugely. Don't be fooled. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more than a pretty title and the chance to look beautiful. It is work, a lot of work, but it is SO worth it. If I had won nothing, it would still be worth it. I am a much better model for doing it.

I know we could have talked for hours but then it would be the world's longest article. At least this will give you some taste of it all. Stargazer Daylight: Great information you shared. Thanks. There is so much to cover, which is good. Let me move to another area of questioning. You have so many distinctive looks, especially on your Flickr page.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/105540839@N03/ Stargazer Daylight: I have to ask if you have any favorites. I really do love the Daliesque picture Grace in Flight. I also just love the picture for Miss Virtual World 2015 with the green angelic wings behind you - - so pretty. I also really think the COC 2014 pictures in the red Spanish dresses are so distinctive.

Eleseren Brianna: Ah, yes. I LOVE my flickr. It is another dimension of creativity with my modelling. I tend to love the last few things I did and then move on, but there are a few favorites, yes - - some pretty old. I still love the Kattaca styling I did, which is very old and I still consider it one of my best stylings. https://www.flickr.com/photos/105540839@N03/10303724326/ Stargazer Daylight: Very unique and otherworldly.

Eleseren Brianna: I have to thank my friend Trinity Aironaut for the Grace in Flight photo, which she took of me for Fierce Magazine. I had been asked to style, inspired by Thierry Mugler, and she set it in that wonderful landscape. She is a fantastic model and photographer and a great friend. Stargazer Daylight: I think it is a very high quality picture, too.

Eleseren Brianna: I competed in Miss COC in honour of my RL Spanish grandmother, who sadly is no longer with us. Stargazer Daylight: That is wonderful - a great tribute to an amazing woman, I am sure.

Eleseren Brianna: I have taken my RL

grandmother's coloring as the inspiration for my look. She had the most amazing yellow gold eyes, and skin that was quite pale for a Spaniard. It is wonderful to feel that connection with my Nana. She was an amazing lady, truly. Stargazer Daylight: Yellow gold eyes, an Incan Queen no doubt.

Eleseren Brianna: Well, her parents were from Spain, but perhaps :) That is a nice thought. Stargazer Daylight: Sure. Just poetic license.

The interview is only half-way done. If you need to, may I suggest taking the time to stretch, get some java, or walk around vigorously for a spell. Whatever works for you!! Stargazer Daylight: With so many hats and distinctive headdresses this year in fashion, I wonder if you have preferences. I will note that the pictures with crowns and tiaras are always my favorites.

Eleseren Brianna: Oh, I love hats and headdresses. They add impact and stand out style. My general taste is probably haute couture with a bit of a twist. I fall in love with so many different ones, and I buy hats and headdresses the way some people buy shoes. I have a few favorites, though. They add instant “impact” to an outfit. Stargazer Daylight: Lol. That could fill up quite a virtual closet.

Eleseren Brianna: Yikes, you haven’t seen mine. Lol. Models drag around vast inventories.

Stargazer Daylight: Hahaha. I’m sure. OK, I am going to dare to ask. How large is your inventory at the moment?

Eleseren Brianna: Lol. Well, it is growing again and I need to take the whip and chair to it again. Currently it is 105K. I have a lot of things boxed, so heaven knows how much I really have. Between being a designer and a model, it is vast.

Stargazer Daylight: OK. Certifiably a model!

Eleseren Brianna: Hehe. I try to keep it down, though, as it can add to lag, the model's No. 1 enemy. Lol. Stargazer Daylight: Yes. Do give some away to charity!

Eleseren Brianna: Actually, funny enough, I did! I had a huge gacha clearout and gave to Falbala's charity gacha yardsale in December. Stargazer Daylight: So lovely of you to do that.

That is so sweet isn't it?! Stargazer Daylight: You have also had so many achievements, such as:

MV Peru 2015 INOVARE MAGAZINE FACE 2014

EB: Miss Colour of Couture I remember. I was really an unknown model when I entered that, still pretty new, with a very small resume. Colour of Couture deepened my love of styling, which had started to grow, and I was very surprised and happy to finish second, given that I was less than a year old as a certified model. I was incredibly happy that I was offered the chance to do MVW. Face of Inovare was a complete surprise. I went for a magazine casting for the magazine, which I admire for its style, and they announced me as Face as I had top score. I never knew they were looking for one, so it was a wonderful surprise. Sorry, I know I seem constantly surprised, but that actually is true. I noted this comment separately because it shows me again just how real and lovable the 2015 MVW is. Not to suggest that any prior winners weren't, of course, but rather that this year's Queen surely is.

1st Runner up Miss Colour of Couture 2014

Eleseren Brianna: I only graduated with my first certificate in June 2013. This has been a stunning 18 months I understand you won your first styling since then, and I am still pinching mycontest at Modelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Workshop, which gave self. you a lot ofconfidence to pursue a modeling career. Were there any other awards that distinguished themselves in any way, things or titles that were most especially dear to you, and ifso, why?

Stargazer Daylight: Of the modeling schools and training you attended, what made them so valuable in your opinion? I am referring to MBMA, MVWA, also L'Amour Cert. Advanced Styling, Cat-

skillz Model Academy and Body in Motion Runway Cert - Nexus.

Eleseren Brianna: They were all valuable and, no, that isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a trite answer. They were all valuable to me at the time I did them because I learned something from each one. Stargazer Daylight: OK. Do you have even some preferred instructors? Not to slight any ofthe others, ofcourse.

Eleseren Brianna: Each of the teachers I had contributed something different. Mimmi Boa was my first teacher, and OMG what a teacher to start with! She was very kind to the bug-eyed wannabe model, and helped me to begin to find my model shape. I learned basic runway technique in MBMA, which developed through Catskillz. MVWMA was brilliant for posing (Boniefacio) and the initial switch into styling (World Undercroft). I owe the greatest amount to Hezabel Blackheart at Nexus though. She canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand it, but I almost had a phobia of runway, which was making me freak a little and make mistakes. She taught me old school skills and I got my confidence. So I love runway now. Stargazer Daylight: Wow! All big names. What a thrill for you!

Eleseren Brianna: Incredibly so :) I am thankful for all the instructors I have

had, but Mimmi, Bonie - - who taught me posing is choreography to showcase the clothes - - World Undercroft, who is just inspirational as a stylist, and Hezabel are my standouts. Oh, and Ava Jhamin gave me some great old-school advice and techniques. I have been extremely lucky. Stargazer Daylight: Yes, indeed. As an official model for so many places:

Style Kingdom Rumors Magazine Fashion Teller Inovare Fierce Magazine Nexus May I ask your favorites, ifany? And, by the way, how do you make time for so much work?

Eleseren Brianna: I am a workaholic, Lol, that is true. I push myself hard. I am not going to say any of the above is a favorite - - I am happy, happy, *happy* to work for all of them. They were all goals and achievements I had. They are all amazing. Nexus isn't a magazine, but the others are. The magazines are all noted for their fierce stylists and style, so it is an honor to be part of them. Fashion Teller produces books rather than magazines, but they are print. Stargazer Daylight: Thank you for that

information.

if you want, lol.

Eleseren Brianna: Nexus is the Modeling University where I did my runway training with Hezabel. I am one of their official models, and they only choose very good technicians.

Stargazer Daylight: Now, I note you also are SL Designer Dressmaker. Are you still active in that area and do you have a company or store that people may look at? Do you do any retail work or do you plan on ever doing any?

Stargazer Daylight: Besides your Flickr page, would it be advisable for fans and interested readers to also look at your other sites?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUIcLLrQRCA https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005776755725 Eleseren Brianna: Sure :) I must thank Adam01time for that video gift he did for me :) I felt like a supermodel when he did it :) Stargazer Daylight: Lol. But you are, in fact, a supermodel now!

Eleseren Brianna: I guess I am, though I still feel like Eles. I can’t even bring myself to put “top model” in my profile, because I feel daft. I am still who I was, and feeling very lucky for what I have achieved. Stargazer Daylight: Well, then just call yourselfTop Eles until it sinks in.

Please suggest your own titles for Eles,

Eleseren Brianna: Actually, I don’t want to call myself a supermodel, because I am a working model, and supermodel seems so “finished” somehow, and I have a lot of growing to do. Stargazer Daylight: True. Well said, Eles.

Eleseren Brianna: I was active in that area until I won MVW, and I will be again after my year ends. My store is Romance Couture. I am not a big “business” as frankly that side of things is not my thing. I like to create and Romance Couture is a window for my creativity. When I won MVW, I realised though I had to honour what I have been given. This year, Romance Couture will sleep, and I will spend the year honouring and celebrating and championing all the wonderful designers SL is full of. Stargazer Daylight: Wonderful. So, do you have any plans for possible RL crossover?

Eleseren Brianna: Well, funny you should say that. Actually, I crossed over

from RL to SL in a way, though there are years between. I trained many moons ago as a Designer Dressmaker in RL and I did run my own small business from home for a few years, making couture wedding dresses and some formals. I have a real interest in haute

couture and design, and I am lucky I have that training and experience to underpin it. It helps me as a model and a stylist too. Stargazer Daylight: Wow. My question, though, was if you had any interest or

plans in crossing from SL back to RL in any manner - - fashion, modeling, design, etc.

Eleseren Brianna: Nooo! I am not a gorgeous young thing in RL, so I doubt the modeling world will miss me. I find

now that designing in the virtual world is just as satisfying. Believe me, it is hard work hauling metres of silk through a sewing machine, and stressful making the most important dress of a customer's life, never mind the risk of sticking pins in them in fittings. I love being able to virtually design. I am a creative person, and the virtual world has a lot of the benefits of RL without some of its limitations. Stargazer Daylight: I am sure you are beautiful in RL. I always note beauty is never just skin deep. Just my thoughts.

Eleseren Brianna: Awww. Thank you. Modeling for me is pure creativity too, far more important in fact than simply looking beautiful in clothes, though I have to as a model and for the designer. Stargazer Daylight: Yes. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re welcome. May I ask what are some ofyour favorite groups and why?

Eleseren Brianna: Oh, well. I can't keep many groups just for myself now. Please SL, give us more. I have a lot of groups I need to be a part of for professional reasons, and they are obviously very useful. I keep two groups for myself though, and always will. I LOVE Madpeas, and I do their adventures as much as I am able, and I keep New Babbage. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really roleplay now as I am too busy, but such a witty, clever, sophisticated bunch, and they RP in

group chat too, I love it. I hope to go back to New Babbage and actually roleplay when I am able in the future. Stargazer Daylight: Good to have that avenue for escape now and then.

Eleseren Brianna: Yes :) Stargazer Daylight: Returning a moment to RL, have you found SL fashion, in other words, to have added anything to your personal RL life?

Eleseren Brianna: Yes :) For a number of years I had kind of dropped out of following fashion - - high fashion - - in RL. I didn’t even really follow it that much when I was just a designer in SL. Modeling has switched me back on to RL haute couture and I am really enjoying it. Stargazer Daylight: Good. Anything it added personally or therapeutically to your RL?

Eleseren Brianna: As I said, it is another avenue for my creativity. I am fundamentally a creative person. I think that is my real foundation. SL fashion has enabled me to be a designer again, and it has enabled me to be a model, something I would never have been in SL. And being a model in SL is also being a performer in a way, and an artist, as SL fashion is a bit different in that respect from a lot of RL fashion. So I

am happier the more creative I am :) Stargazer Daylight: I am glad to hear that, Eles.

Eleseren Brianna: I have new avenues of creative expression, and new life experiences. Stargazer Daylight: Great.

Eleseren Brianna: Yes. Virtual experiences are life experiences. We have memories and fulfillment from it. Stargazer Daylight: Indeed.

Eleseren Brianna: :) Stargazer Daylight: On a side note, I see you mention on your Facebook page Star Wars VII and Captain Jack Sparrow! What made them gain your tagging if I may ask? Lol.

Eleseren Brianna: Hehe. I am very much a fan of “popcorn” movies. I love escapist fantasy, adventure movies with a lot of flashy special effects and creativity. I would love to say I am into art movies but they usually send me to sleep (my bad). Both Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean are fantastic examples of their genre. Stargazer Daylight: You are not alone, of course! The culture is huge.

Eleseren Brianna: I went to Art College as a young woman, so that is pretty much a no-no, at least when I was young - - not cool. Lol. Stargazer Daylight: Hahaha.

Eleseren Brianna: I am old enough to admit it now, though. I like popcorn movies! Again I just note, human!! Stargazer Daylight: That is just fine. For our readers, what stores or designers do you most prefer for clothes, shoes, hair, makeup, skins, in no particular order?

ent designers for different things. As MVW, I want to champion them all, because they all rock. Stargazer Daylight: Great answer and politically correct. My job as a reporter is just to inquire not to force, just to give more information to our readers. They will be fascinated by you, so it is okay to share what you choose to share. No worries. What goals if any do you have for the future in SL? What would you like to see in the near future or beyond for the fashion community?

Eleseren Brianna: I thought about this question. I am going to be annoying and sit on the fence a bit. I shop very widely, I am always looking for new de-

Eleseren Brianna: Goals. I have some short term ones: my charity event, doing the best I can this year as MVW. Teaching I hope will continue and grow. I want to learn rigged mesh for myself at some point. It is a really strange time for me, in a way. I find

signers, and there is a huge amount of talent out there. I don't like saying I have some favorites. I have a LOT of favorites, too many to list here. I do like quality and originality, even a touch of the eccentric, sometimes. I go to differ-

myself Miss Virtual World 18 months or so into a modeling career, and I think I need to concentrate on the â&#x20AC;&#x153;nowâ&#x20AC;? for a while, and kind of mentally catch up. I am sure there will be things beckoning me towards the end of my

reign, but I am not really looking at that now. I want to live in the moment and make the most of this year, for myself and for BOSL. I do know something, though. I want to find a way to encourage younger models. Yes, I am teaching, but after my reign I will find more ways I hope, somehow. Stargazer Daylight: Any thoughts or words of inspiration for up and coming models you wish to share with us?

Eleseren Brianna: Yes. Keep trying. Keep working at it. Don’t give up. Yes, those can be seen to be very trite, but believe me. I know where you are at. It wasn’t so long ago that I was in your shoes, staring from the outside in. It can feel like you’re facing a brick wall at times and you’ll never get a foot on that ladder, going up. It IS possible, but you have to be prepared to work hard and harder, keep going despite any doubts, be prepared for feedback, some of which isn’t comfortable, learn from it all, and just find some doggedness. I did it and so can you. Believe in yourself. Stargazer Daylight: Lovely. Any final thoughts?

Eleseren Brianna: I would say also, though, keep your feet on the ground, have confidence but don't start to believe your own hype. Staying grounded makes you a better model, and I think

probably makes you more successful in the long run. Final thoughts. SL might be slowly shrinking, but it is still the most amazing, amazing experience I have had, and I will stay in SL until they kick me out as they are turning off the lights :) Thank you so much for the experience today. It has been great fun. :) Stargazer Daylight: Lol. I don't think they would dare turn out the lights on you. I know it has been a long and winding interview. I hope you enjoyed it.

Any doubts about this great lady? I think not. Well, I hope not! And though it may be a challenge to her humble nature, that is why I call her the Queen for this article. But more importantly, she is who she is, Eleseren.Brianna or just Eles ... Miss Virtual World 2015. I hope you found this interview as interesting as I did. Please feel free to contact me with comments, thoughts, and suggestions, directly or through rez Magazine and its leaders. Until next time, Stargazer Daylight

Newly opened in Port Lydius i4 Galleries of Art showcase Second Life & Real Life Artists New Exhibits in February Interested in exhibiting,

Mayfair - The Stories of the Mayfair Witches An Idle Rogue production Produced and directed by Chryblnd Scribe Production Consultants: Arrehn Oberlander, Martin Yeats, Shadow Tarber, Zahra Ethaniel

or those of you who were fortunate enough to see Idle Rogueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s production of Le Cirque de Nuit, you know what this tireless troupe of dedicated artists is capable of (see rez August 2014).

Well, you had another chance to see this fabulous collection of dancers, artists, choreographers, set designers and musicians again at the end of January in another tour de force production, Mayfair. An Anne Rice-inspired pa-

geant spanning centuries of witchcraft, Mayfair tells the story of the Mayfair witches, much to the delight of the lucky few who could score a reserved seat.

The seating for the show was outside under a beautiful roofed patio, adjacent to one of Rice's famous ante-bellum Louisiana homes, repleat with dripping moss. The guests who gathered early before the show had a delightful opportunity to socialize, with the mint julips being the only thing missing (although my table mate produced an oversized bottle of Jack Daniels on the spur of the moment for the occasion). I should point out that there were several people who were very visible: chryblnd Scribe, who produced and directed the show, Franney, who herded cats like nobody’s business, seating the fortunate, and Aubreya Joszpe, without whom I wouldn’t have even gotten a glimpse. But dozens were behind the scenes, too. I want to salute those artisans who contributed their time and expertise to this production. They’re the real story, and all of them

together are to be congratulated on another spectacular production from Idle Rogue. By now you know: when you catch a whiff of any Idle Rogue production,

they are short-lived (so idleness and sloth are punished), so get a ticket quickly. Beg, borrow or steal, but get a ticket. Mayfair is a pop-up production. Now you see it, now you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. And let me tell you - - you want to see it!

Right out of the gate, in the first scene we’re treated to a sumptuous period set, featuring the first in a series of witches. But soon, we begin to see the real brilliance of this show: the choreography

and dance animations. This is where chryblnd really pulls off something quite extraordinary. How it’s done, I can’t imagine, but dancers hit their marks and seamlessly dazzle the audience.

We know how hard it is to pull off the numerous scene changes, too. In Mayfair, antique story boards with the graphics of the age (think silent movies) give the exposition necessary to tie the story together. While the audience is reading, the performers are

gathering themselves and changing the sets. The accompanying music, which is so important in building the mood of the production, is haunting and evocative. You were procrastinating again? Didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get around to it? Well, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not too late

because I was so enthralled with this you see an Idle Rogue production comproduction that I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help but cap- ing, order tickets, secure your seat, ture as much of it as I could. Maybe it then ask what itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about. will be back (Le Cirque de Nuit is returning in April), but for now, all we have is a remembrance of things past. Please enjoy this pictorial of Mayfair and let it be a cautionary tale: when

Photography by Jami Mills

2115: The Perfect 2115: The 10 inPerfect Elysion10 in Elysion By Art BlueBy Art Blue “I am in the“Isituation, am in thethesituation, situationtheofsituation offering you of offering the last you contract the last in your contract life. inWeyour wantlife.to We scanwant to scan you, all of you, all of your yourbody, body,your yourface, face,your youremotions, emotions,your yourlaughter, laughter,your yourtears. tears.We Wewant wanttotosample sampleyou, you, preserve you. We preserve you.want Wetowant owntothis own thing thiscalled thing …” called [The …”Congress] [The Congress] Artwork by Coccynelle

et me start again with a quote that inspired me to tell you about The Perfect 10: “In 100 years, I see … a time that man and woman will meet and marry in a virtual environment and never meet face to face.” [by Ylva (SoulfulLife Resident), 2014-11-20] What Happened Before …

Elysion, the well-known home of the elderly, ranked on position two in rez Afterlife, had to face an attack that had never been experienced before. A resident lost skin, became, as you may say, “invisible,” just the shadows on the floor gave a trace. The Perfect 10 is her name. She was until the loss of her skin the prettiest inhabitant in Elysion in the year 2115. And she was about to marry … then The Skin Eater took her. The Skin Eater? Yes, this I transmitted to Harry Hacker to gain his attention, and he made his way to Elysion. You may have heard of Harry Hacker, so I don’t need to introduce him to the regularly readers of rez inside SL. For the other ones coming from open grids, from the Hypergrid Safari and reading rez there inworld: yes, the Harry Hacker who prevented the explosion of the world Futurelab. He managed to tame the Annoying Light that was kept safe from explosion inside a capsule for ages. First, what Harry did was to measure

the shadows of The Perfect 10. She had to pose for him. Then he cut her out like a silhouette artist. It reminded me of a video I once saw at the 17. ARPA Film Festival in Los Angeles, and I reloaded the movie from YouTube for the audience. It was the time when the first retrospective of an artist existing only as a 3-D entity occurred. It was the year 2014. The name of the character: Bryn Oh.

I got it as I saw her posing in all the positions a pose stand offers - - no, I shall not write it down. You’ll see it for yourself if you have any feelings for hidden beauty. Finally, Harry Hacker said, “Shape reassembled” and gave her the wireframe. “A wireframe I don’t want to be!” The Perfect 10, at least what was left of her, shouted, “No way a wireframe!” So Harry gave her a freebie

skin. I saw her wearing it and got - this time I can write - - a shock. Could I have chosen so wrongly? This was in no way The Perfect 10. She asked for a mirror and I cried, “Noooo!” Luckily, Neruval the owl was back, exhausted from the fast trip on the emergency call I sent, now sitting on my shoulder, checking what Harry Hacker was working on. So, no mirror worked for The Perfect 10; she stayed for herself invisible. Everyone looked at her. Luckily, no one made a comment on first thought. Friday Blaisdale got the right timing and said, “Not bad as an intermediate skin. Better than mine for sure. And why not be a vampire for short?” Everyone laughed at this comment as she was not displayed in a mirror. This saved my butt and I made the secret thumbs up to my AI, knowing this would cost me a fortune of sesame seeds for my owl.

To Travel or Not to Travel

Harry Hacker had arrived seconds after my call, and a few milliseconds later, Neruval was arriving in Elysion. This is nothing special. It is the usual way in my time. And also for you in the year 2015 understandable. To travel by moving heavy weights does not make any sense in the future. You pack a suitcase for a travel - - let´s say from New York to London - - to stay there for two weeks to meet someone. Then you are in London. This person is not looking bad, but of course not as great as in the

simulator. You say it is all about the inner values. Also, you say age doesn’t count, as aging in bones and brain can be different - - even happen antidromically. So you slip into your suits in London and “up you go.” Two weeks later, you pack your suitcase again and you fly back to New York and then you hurry to unpack your luggage and to slip back into your suit to celebrate “the happy landing.” It’s called wearing a mesh human body suit, or in short, “slipping into my mesh human.” Old news, you say, as it was already published in rez. But now you understand

why The Perfect 10 was about to marry and I didn’t get it as I was sneaking around as Banksy. You don’t understand fully? Just think of a permanent or a hidden change of display names. You don’t need to create an Alt in my times - - you can just switch into native mode. You can say “memory loss,” “memory dust,” “memory bright.” You can specify whom to remember and whom not to, and so on. And The Perfect 10 just met me, not displaying herself as The Perfect 10, even though she was it in all her doings! I was not Art Blue, I was Banksy. I played the rich guy, not the poor artist I am. OMG - her comment about me that you got to read in Part One was so right. The Ping

Harry Hacker detected that a constant ping sequence hit Elysion. A constant attack on houses where rich and famous inhabitants live is nothing special. The firewall of the local housekeeping does a proper filter so no avatar that was not invited can slip in. It’s not as easy as it sounds, but quite good to understand I think. So the ping noticed and the sender got it that a cat in a box might have a chance as food for animals is daily delivered to this home. And indeed when a box comes with a lost kitten inside most ladies get shining eyes and let it in. And out of the box the admirer comes with a white rose in hand. You know even in your days how

to do a “replace full outfit” on one mouse click. So what to do with him? You dump him on the spot? Maybe you take as he shows good manners the rose? Exactly this happened. Just it was not a rose; it was a picture framed with a poem, a word from Christopher Poindexter in it. The Perfect 10 accepted it as it was signed “from the invisible artist.” It was not from me. Harry Hacker saw that there was code in the picture camouflaged as a resizer script. In fact, it was a very nasty chat-spy script, collecting data and waiting until the daily region reboot started - - you may say as the house cleaning happened. Just in this second, it sends all the chat in a package out to the so-called admirer. The usual out-of-house traffic control was already suspended as the region restart was ahead. “Good timing,” was all that Harry said on this, as he packed a fake note from The Perfect 10 into the now modified spy code becoming a counterspy: “Dear unknown artist. I like this poem much, but it broke once my heart. If you really want to send me a present I like, then send me a word by Dylan Thomas about the endless life. You may decipher what the word is I like to hang on my wall. Yours P10.” So the parcel, the picture, was returned via house management, just with the changes mentioned inside. You say, “How is this possible? Give me proof,

so I understand it in my world.” By using CRTL-ALT-G, Harry Hacker enabled God mode in the parcel The Perfect 10 has rented in Elysion. He modified the chat-spy script inside by getting owner permissions so it became a honeypot, a tracer on its way back. The return of a box you may know: a right click on prim and you choose Return. The prim goes to the lost and found folder of the admirer. But not via a direct jump. No way. The prim goes on its way over the Globe as before. That’s why it is called a honeybee in hacking. The admirer will rez it and the prim with the counter-spy will tell the route. The trap worked. We all have been in THE LUXE theatre at Elysion as Harry proudly presented the successful restored skin of The Perfect 10.

I might mess up some words of Harry as I could not understand fully what he said. I promised to write the truth to the editor of rez Magazine, Jami Mills, but sometimes I can’t follow any longer all the telling of software engineers. I am retired, and without my AI, the owl, I struggle to understand some parts of

the future. Now Neruval has a blown belly of all the sesame seeds he got from Santorini Biennale as a leftover from the Grand Opening of “Alice´s Adventures in Wonderland.” He just snorts “time machine” as I asked him for some advice. Now, I notice I accidentally moved the time switch to 1st September 2016. I´ll hurry to turn it back to January 2015 and let Neruval recover. He deserves a rest. I hope it is still fun to read my stories even though some details might not be correct now. I asked Harry if I may reprint a few of the slides he used to demonstrate how he made it and if he would be so kind as to adapt it to the time of the readers so they may understand. Instead of an answer, he said, “I have more,” and showed me the In-

jeria tools that are used in 2115. No magazine wants to print his article where he uncovers the way they work. I said, “You need to cover the truth in art, then the text may pass the controls. You have to play an artist, a crazy builder, a weird texture master. Maybe I can do it for you and place it in a time

capsule coded in some fractals by Gem Preiz or Aurora MyCano?” As he hesitated, I said, “I publish it in rez Magazine in 2015, and in 100 years your Injeria defence tools might get extracted out of the fractals and will be known as an artefact coming from the past. Your name will be engraved in the Hacker Walk of Fame.” You see, I know my business. Of course, Harry Hacker agreed! But now I struggle to bring his message to print.

Hollywood. The pyramid sending a ping to outer space every 100 years to let aliens land in the arctic belt for an epic battle. It went out that these structures are not naturally made and that they are older than mankind. It is all just fiction, as it is a movie you think. Maybe it could have become a great one - - a cult - - as Arnold Schwarzenegger accepted to play a role. But then he got re-elected as Governor and the movie lost some of its glory.

When you look at Wikipedia, you see Keep in mind, it’s not my knowledge I this island as being uninhabited; the copy. I just work as a relay. Don’t ask climate is rough and gives no reason to me if this is true or not. Let´s say it is visit. On the other hand, a perfect place the truth of art. In Art We Trust! Of on earth to watch and to penetrate syscourse, I have to make it flowery, to tems around the globe unnoticed. place it in a framework so no one except some smart readers of rez sees the Thanks to Harry Hacker, we know now obvious code inside. Luckily, I recently that the Nordic Predator command published The Dream Machine, so I can might be located there. Not exactly the say this time: In Dream We Trust! position, not the active entrance door. Not the amount of equipment nor if it The Predator is on self-operation or remote control. But dear reader of rez, don’t plan to It is reported that a heat or a flash sig- find it on your own. It has become nal coming from a tiny spot in the risky. South Atlantic Ocean was recorded by a satellite, archived as the vela incident In an operation giving full media covin 1979. Details are classified. This at- erage, a time capsule was placed on top tracted a filmmaker to plot the story, of Mount Olavtoppen at a height of 774 Alien vs. Predator, on the island Bouvet meters - - sending now ping signals as or Bouvetoya, as it is called in the Nor- in the movie? Expedition pour le Futur wegian language. Caves and structures the mission name. And the team said, in frozen ice covering a huge pyramid they come back in 2062. They? I think under the surface. A story suited for some stayed there as in command of

“pour le Futur” was Army Combat Officer Aaron Halstead. Maybe a repair team was set in operation, as the film crew left in 2004 and some stuff might have lost function after eight years of service. On the other hand, some parts from alien technology are for sure still in good shape and why not in use. You have seen the end of the movie giving salute to the brave fighter Alexa Woods aka Sanaa Lathan? Now the time capsule left on Mount Olavtoppen gives a picture. In one word: I “believe” in Harry´s research. At least one person is there at

Bouvet Island territory. The admirer, the Skin Eater. For this there is proof. We have seen him on screen in THE LUXE theatre in Elysion. I know well some of you are sceptical, even sceptical in art. When I say, “In Art We Trust,” not all will follow. So, I will work out why this island is not what it looks when you Google it. My proof will be merciless. My proof is money. I am sure that if you don’t be-

lieve in aliens you believe in money or nothing will be good enough. So alien or money, what type of person are you? I am an INTP. So many have their Myers-Briggs indicator now in their tabs. There are even better pre-Bainbridge systems to show the personal brain dominance profile like the Ned Herrmann HBDI. Such information helps chatbots a lot to find the right words, to address you the way you like. In other words: to generate more sales. I don’t have this advantage when I write. I don’t know you, dear reader, so forgive me if you already believe and now you have to face the money argument.

In Money We Trust

In case you are familiar with the Internet business, then my lines will be a direct hit. You will no longer ask for proof. Let me continue for the ones who are not familiar with top level domains. Allow me also to make my story a little more readable as the plain facts are.

You know country domains like “.us” for United States of America, “.ca” for Canada, or “.it” for Italy. Have you heard of “.tv”? I am sure you have. It is not a generic one like “.com”, “.net”, “.gov” or “.org.” It does not stand for “television.” It stands for Tuvalu, an island in the Pacific Ocean with the highest elevation of just a few meters above sea level in 2013. The main income the tiny island generates is from selling domain names via The .tv Corporation, a subsidiary of Versign. The state wants to finance the move of its population to New Zealand, when the sea level rises in the next 100 years and the old Tuvalu will only exist virtually. There shall be no global warming in the servers in Reston, Virginia where Verisign operates the .tv domain. So the 10,000 islanders may face a bright future in the simulator. The Kingdom of Tonga, another island, has also made a wise move. The registry of the domain is located inside the embassy of Tonga in San Francisco and everyone can register such a nice domain to point to some great web content. Two lucky world travellers met in the late 90s the crown prince and set up the deal. They thought it would be nice to have both an American passport and a Tongan one, and never-ending pocket money. So let´s skip a “who-is” system in the “.to” registry and our clients can stay anonymous.

You don’t believe, but you also don’t want to Google for hours? Then just enter nic.to in your browser and get a brief catch. There are more stories worth reading. The inhabitants of Tokelau, in total 1,400, thought as well to catch a cash cow by selling their virtual life as “.tk.” They made the deal with two sailors stranding on the island. The lucky guys came from Amsterdam and now they have a company located in Isle of Man to do breathtaking business by handling more than two million customers. Here comes the shortlink http://is.gd/abouttk Now, I will not influence your thoughts in working out the value of a country domain for Bouvet. You say there can't be a country domain for an island that is uninhabited. You are right, but Bouvet has one – “.bv!” Thanks to Harry Hacker, he got the guy there. I am sure you have already made up your mind about the Skin Eater. A supposed male of mid-40, overweight, pale faced, sitting in front of a screen in pyjamas, still living at his mom’s place, playing some PC games and now stealing the skin of The Perfect 10 for use on the doll next to him. But now as you see the information on the charts, other thoughts - - more important ones - come to the surface. Especially as it is now about money. The Bouvet domain is a cash cow. “Buy Value: BV.” Sounds good for a million dollar deal, but as a fact, the domain “.bv” is not in use.

Who has the force, the power, the guts to leave questions of money aside? Indeed, the military option is back. For Harry Hacker, it was of little importance who was the thief. He just had to get the stolen skin for The Perfect 10 back, and he made it.

The Injeria Intercept

In the prim he sent back, he put some code from a hacker package called Injeria defence avatar tool kit and placed it in a viewer. This is called in your times a MIB attack - - Man in Browser.

We call it in our day MIV: Man in Viewer or MID: Man in Draft. We could watch the guy opening the honeybee and we burst out in a laugh. He looked like what I have been told many look like in the days when the first dating systems in virtual world came up. But this time, I let it be in your imagination. I could copy for you the picture of the webcam Harry activated on his side, but it would be not nice in case he looks familiar to someone of your time. We had him also on phone, as Harry Hacker likes to show his skills. 3Y5X was the code he sent via the Injeria kit and the guy took his headset. Maybe he was expecting a pizza delivery? Let’s assume it just for the moment as I am sure there is no McDonalds in this area.

one will believe it! You may know it from Fletcher´s visions also known as Conspiracy Theory: “A man obsessed with conspiracy theories becomes a target after one of his theories turns out to be true. Unfortunately, in order to save himself, he has to figure out which theory it is.” But now in Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp times, there is another option: make a top secret public. Don’t hide it! SPAM it! Then you are safe. Take it to your special quote folder! For this, for the easy SPAM, I have a 10 second catch where you see the IP address is on display at https://vid.me/n5Ir. Nothing faked. You know: In Art We Trust. The Real skin

What I can tell on the skin is the copy You might have sneaked in the chart went to a transfer as the skin was noand ask now, “Why is it Bouvet Island copy, of course. The Perfect 10 exists where the pizza goes and not a naval only one time! But (and now I have to base?” I might have to correct. The whisper), The Perfect 10 gave me acping comes from Bouvet territory using cess to her inventory. You know it, the IP address 192.99.244.192. His there is a button: “Friend can edit, dehoneybee got a ping from Harry Hack- lete or take objects. Do you want to er, a stay alive sign, an intruder detect grant modify rights to ...”. And The Perat - - look at Google map - - Bouvet Is- fect 10 did it to the “Still Not Known land. There is no other island around One,” as she thought this is me, but it in this area of the Pacific Ocean. The was just a reader of rez, knowing that server carries the description as the name “The Still Not Known One” Mil/Gov. This slide you see first and will trigger her to do things she would exclusive in rez printed. Yes, like in not do for anyone else. So, the copy Fletcher’s visions, but this time free of went to a transfer of the skin. Luckily, life, risk and easy to double check at Harry Hacker made forced a re-transHarry Hackers memory site injer- fer. ia.wordpress.com. Tell the truth and no

One last point is missing for the readers with the eye of an eagle. The connection of the IP 192.99.244.192 to The Perfect 10. It’s why the Skin Eater went to Elysion and got his eyes on her. You know well that beauty is relative. The Dream Machine showed it clearly in the December 2014 issue of rez. I shall give word to a journalist you can easily get in contact with. Ernesto, editor-in-chief of TorrentFreak: “OVH, a French hosting company with data centers all around the world, has been sued for copyright infringement in a Federal court in California. The complaint filed by adult magazine publisher Perfect 10 accuses the hosting provider of servicing several "pirate" websites as well as allowing infringing traffic to pass through its Internet backbone.” Harry Hacker copied files of the Federal court in California and handed them over to me - - so you, dear reader, get it via this shortlink http://is.gd/lawsuit10 as PDF. My beloved one got pale, losing nearly her great skin a second time as Harry Hacker pointed out some lines from the lawsuit: “Perfect 10 invested significant resources into producing a high quality magazine with tasteful images of top natural models, such as Victoria’s Secret supermodel Marisa Miller.” Later, she told me that once she applied for a free set card as she was at high school. She recreated head, upper body and lower body textures out of

this set card for her future life, so it was indeed her real skin that got stolen. Maybe this database wasn’t encrypted as it should have been. Who knows what happened 100 years ago in 2015 with all the lovely photos that have been shot. You might have noticed also in my story that some parts of reality with flaws and glitches may look outstanding in the future, where everything is tuned by algorithms of cybernetic aesthetics to perfection. Some say that mesh avatars look synthetic and only the old prim based ones carry an identity you can fall in love with. So keep your head, upper and lower body safe for the future! 2015 is a good year for a reality backup to keep some data of value in your store for an upload in 2115. Blue Eternity

Why she wanted to marry me and no one else and I her - - but we both did not know that each other´s dream was the same - - shall stay a secret. My editor says, “C’mon Art. It happens in 100 years; that’s not fair for the readers to let them wait so long.” So I will tell. We both dated each other as Alts and she was smarter than I. She smelled it and I did not. I just saw her skin and the words she used: " His eyes were like clocks that stopped

spinning the moment she looked into them.

The universe halted. All things began to breathe each other’s stillness. To her: it was a simple, blue, eternity"

This is the quote that drew my attention on her. I sent her a link. My owl, Neruval, said he saved it for the future to reformat reality to a dream. I said it has to be the other way, but the AI sitting on my shoulder said not when the dream comes in a Golden nugget. Then frozen reality happens, a dream turns to reality, but you think it is a dream. I smiled as my future might manifest words written in rez [12-2014] The Dream Machine. This is the link I sent her, the link that makes a dream reality. Meet the Moon AI at LEA14 or at Opensim to form these words, spoken by George Clooney into a picture.

http://is.gd/nodominion

I added a word from Jim Morrison on a notecard: "We're trying for something that's already found us ...” so she may know the end is different as I came back earlier. The Last Contract

Jami, my publisher, does not give up. She says, “There is more.” I look at Neruval. How does she know the future? Is she scanning my heartbeats, my pupils, my irises getting wider? She knows something and she does not tell. Then I look at the slides Harry Hacker has uploaded in my open Google cloud, just for documentation he said. Not all of them he presented, as some of the ladies got tired and the stuff got too technical, so he skipped the slide I see now in Jami´s hand. Luckily, Neruval injects me with a small amount of the Stendhal pill to prevent me from fainting. She says: “At least Art you should have the guts to tell what you said once to me as you report is by the year 2115. According to this slide, you will say it in some years ahead. You wanted to hide it from the readers. This is not our deal.” There are words on the slide, words that stand in the middle of The Artefact, my first short story in rez Magazine, where I state that I bring brains to the depth. Forever. “I am in the situation, the situation of

offering you the last contract in your life. We want to scan you, all of your body, your face, your emotions, your laughter, your tears. We want to sample you, preserve you. We want to own this thing called Robin Wright.” And I faint. Has my publisher just now admitted that she is real?

[“I am in the situation, …” is a quote from the movie The Congress, 2013. It’s worth watching. Look at the teaser on YouTube you get via this shortlink http://is.gd/wescanyou ]

After Dark Lounge at Mai Tai Contact: Meegan Dantz or Corialote Dougall meegandantz@gmail.com facebook.com/rhispoem Rent at Rhiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Poem

The Silen

By Emily

nce After Part One

y Hamelin

he icy landscape invigorated. Dawn cast a golden hue across the snow. Noon turned it blindly brilliant. Both touched Clarice in differing ways - - dawn came with the anticipation of newness arriving; noon brought either absolute clarity of purpose or abject horror at faults laid bare for all to see. Though each held its own appeal, she much preferred the quiet moments dusk brought, time for introspection, for anticipation, for reassessments. She stood at the cabin’s picture window, glass of Merlot in hand, looking at the subdued blue coloring glistening in the fading sun. Pine trees with clumps of snow dotting the branches existed as the backdrop for perfect picture postcards. “Experience the delight of winter skiing.” Or Christmas cards: “Wishing You and Yours a Joyous Yule.” She relished the feel of day ending even if nothing had occurred but idleness. The city seemed far away at the moment, an alien memory distant in time and space. She did not understand the Clarice who lived and worked in the city, the Clarice who accepted and carried out tasks without thought, the Clarice who filled vacant moments with vacant dalliances. It was only in isolation that she felt the Clarice she should have been, a vague shadow around the periphery of her thoughts. Never enough time given to reach it; merely time to mourn its loss.

“Must we return?” her voice carried softly low. “You know we must.” His voice came baritone-deep, stating a simple truth neither could deny. Clarice turned from the window and looked at Richard kneeling by the fireplace, adding another log to keep the warmth flowing. She liked the stretch of his long fingers tightly gripping the wood. Strength he neither hid nor flaunted. Yet, that morning, as slivers of dawn woke them, his fingers on her had been as gentle as the falling snow. The flames cast wavering shadows across his lean form as he stood. His loose plaid shirt belied the tautness of muscles beneath, not brawny arrogant, merely toned definitively. Loose jeans hid the firmness of his thighs and calves and flesh she would soon enjoy for the third time this day. Richard was all hardness; Clarice was all softness. Soft brunette hair tumbling to her shoulders framed an oval face of delicate curves and planes. A snug white sweater enhanced elegant but not quite abundant breasts. Chocolate brown slacks encased robust hips, ripe not from childbirth but from the random mixings of genetic ancestry.

Clarice was all seduction; Richard was all punishment. Central office preferred such pairings. It made it easier to carry out assignments - - softness to lull the target; hardness to execute the target. Relaxation after to restore souls that were nothing more than remnants of the past.

She finished her Merlot, crossed to Richard, and curled her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him and finding his lips as greedy as hers. She relaxed as his arms went around her, protection against the cruelty of the world to which they must return. “I wish we could love,” she said after the kiss ended. “That was taken from us long ago.” His lips brushed hers. “Taken? Perhaps the ability to love has never been in us.” “Doesn’t matter which,” he said as his hands slipped beneath her sweater to

the softness of her back. “We are merely instruments now, wielded for purposes we never truly understand.” She slipped her arms from around his neck and brought her fingers to his waist. “Perhaps the assignments will end one day,” she said as her fingers unbuckled his belt.

“We will never reach that point.” His fingers curled through her hair as she knelt. “They will never allow us that. We are expendable.” “Pity,” she said as she unzipped his jeans. ***** Jonathan Frey had never been in the field. Recruited out of college at age 22, he had been assigned to a desk in the intelligence division. From there, he had slowly risen in pay grade until he became Chief of the Operations Section within the Central Office. No one ever used the agency’s official name,

the Office of Situational Continuity. It was too much of a misnomer. Agents merely referred to it as the Morgue. Frey’s office was in an old-school Washington building, neoclassical façade, drab halls leading to drab offices with drab officials. Frey fit right in. His mousy grey hair was thinning. He wore thick oval glasses that doubled the size of his eyes. His thin frame gave him the skeletal look of a survivor just released from an internment camp. Yet, his drive was singular - - get his teams into the field with minimum fuss and return them after an assignment had been completed. Occasionally, that required the use of sealed, steel cold coffins.

He leaned forward after Clarice and Richard had settled in the chairs placed before his spartan-clean desk. Only a file folder in front of him interrupted the glossy polish of the mahogany top. “Right,” he said, opening the file folder and looking at Clarice. “You haven’t killed yet, have you? Well, there’s a first time for everything.”

Clarice felt her insides turn hollow. The air became oppressive. She looked toward Richard. He sat stoic in his chair, revealing no emotion. “The target is Kyrenia Chandler nee Doukakis,” Frey continued, “Father Greek, mother Cypriot. She was born on Cyprus in the area now under the control of the Turks. She and her family were among the 180,000 Greek Cypriots evicted from their homes by the Turks after they invaded the island in 1974. Her father was one of more than 1,500 Greeks who remained missing afterward. Kyrenia was four at the time. Mother and daughter made their way to Paphos on the western shore and settled. At age 18, Kyrenia went to work

at the Alexander the Great Beach Hotel, where it is reputed she did more than fluff guests’ pillows. Four years later, she met Parker Chandler, vice president of governmental affairs for a West Coast munitions company, who was there for a weeklong conference on international efforts to minimize governmental red tape on the sales of munitions overseas. When he left, she

went with him. “She settled into his house in Falls Church, Virginia. They never married, but she did bear him three children. In 1998, she abruptly left him and the children, and settled into an expensive apartment in Washington, D.C. She speaks fluent English, Greek, and Turkish. She has had a succession of secretarial jobs, most currently in the Washington offices of Simsek Imports and Exports, corporate offices located in Ankara, Turkey. It is a front for a shadowy Turkish-Cypriot nationalist group calling itself Free Cyprus. Its goal is to wrest control of the whole of Cyprus. They are not above using terrorist tactics to achieve their aims. “In reality, Kyrenia is an agent for the National Intelligence Service of Greece. Has been since she was 18. Her current assignment is to gather intelligence on the Free Cyprus group and its activities. For the past three years, she has had a liaison with Ismet Simsek, son of the firm’s founder, manager of the

Washington office, and the Free Cyprus group’s director of terror activities. Basing themselves in our capital removes them from international scrutiny, or so they believe. “Over the past few months, Kyrenia’s information has become thin or been misleading. The Greek NIS fears she has attached herself too closely to the son, or that the emotions of being forcibly removed from her place of birth have made her susceptible to the nationalist group’s propaganda. In either case, the Greek NIS feels she is no longer useful. They have asked us to take care of the matter for them in exchange for them taking care of a little unpleasantness we have encountered in Athens.” Frey closed the file folder. “While her liaison with Ismet Simsek has been exceedingly consuming, it has been somewhat sporadic. Wives can be such messy impediments. Weeks often go by between assignations. This gives her ample opportunity to indulge in pleas-

ures of the flesh elsewhere. Aside from that, she has no known vices. Unfortunately, Kyrenia has absolutely no interest in women. Thus, the need for Richard to seduce and you to execute.” “Wouldn’t it make more sense to let Richard handle both ends on this occasion?” Clarice spoke in a calm tone that belied the unnerving thoughts roiling inside that she was being ordered to end a life. Frey sat back in his chair, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. “No. We do not change operational procedures. Questions?”

Neither Richard nor Clarice spoke. “Good.” Frey rubbed a bony finger along his nose. “When not entertaining Simsek at her apartment, Kyrenia frequents The Capitol Dome, an upscale bar that caters to low-level government officials and rising young corporate executives. She never has more than four Margaritas. She never takes the initiative; she prefers to be approached. I

think a weekend should be enough time for you to put her at ease, Richard. Operational fulfillment will occur on a Sunday evening. Nothing too messy, Clarice. Full particulars in the morning, 0800 hours.” Frey slid the folder into the top drawer of his desk. “That is all.” Outside in the hall, Clarice shouldered her purse and tucked an errant curl over her ear. “I need a drink.” ***** Clarice sat on the sofa, her legs curled beneath her. “They want me to kill.”

“Of course they do.” The words came soft against her ear. “And you will.” “I suppose it necessary.” Her breath caught as lips nibbled an earlobe. “I’ve just never given it a thought before.” “Necessity always takes precedence." Clarice turned her head and brushed lips softly pliant with hers. “Have you?”

“We are asked to do many things in the service of our country, some sublime, others blatant. It’s not what we have done that’s important, but how we arrange the feelings inside us after.” Clarice searched eyes that had turned dusky in the night. Her voice dropped to a low whisper. “But have you?” “It has been required on occasion.” The words came as the barest hint of a kiss. “How will it feel?” The lips and the touch and the closeness disappeared. “The first time will be awkward.” The words came from across the room. “You will hesitate, unsure of yourself. That can prove dangerous. Hesitate too long and the target will gain the upper hand.” Clarice heard the clink of glasses and liquid poured. “I won’t hesitate.”

“You will.” The hand holding the glass was a dim shadow. “Especially after the realization hits you. The messiness of death can be unnerving.” Clarice took the glass and sipped the heady taste of Amaretto. “I’m not squeamish. I have watched on occasion.” “It is different when it’s your finger on the trigger.” The words dropped to a whisper again. “But it is not killing that worries you at the moment.” “No.” Clarice focused her gaze on a darkened corner of the room. “What about us? I mean after.” The touch and the closeness and the lips returned. “There will always only be us.”

Zoo Story Story and Photos by Hitomi Tamatzui

have always had a love-hate relationship with zoos. I love to see real life animals up close, marvel at their size, their colors and shapes, where they came from, knowing that I probably wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get to visit them in their natural habitat and country of origin. It is a great place for a visit, to bring children, to go on a date, and hear the news of new births - - a chance to see baby animals that are SOOOOOOOO cute. I can understand the fascination. As biologists, or Philosophers as they were called in the 1600s, later expanded their travels around the world to view new species and test their scientific theories, they often brought many of the oddities of the day home with them. Classifying them based on physical appearance became an industry of science, and the wealthiest could collect and store the specimens in their homes. But as an adventure and money making opportunity, exhibiting the strange creatures to the public became an industry also. Traveling circuses

carried their share of elephants, tigers, lions, etc. Zoos were built for housing large stores of animals, plants, reptiles, insects, and birds that private holders could no longer, afford allowing the local public a glimpse of the strange creatures of this Earth.

natural way of living and surviving. Most looked like they were bored. Their lives ran from one feeding to another. Their care declined over the last century and only now have zoos re-

As a professional biologist, I hate seeing animals enclosed in small areas where they cannot roam, interact with other species or mates, or tend to their

defined themselves as saviors of the near extinct and endangered. Zoos are being rebuilt to give the animals a sense of their natural habitat. They care for the eggs and young of those on the endangered list so that they can survive back in the wild once sufficient numbers are raised. And yet we are losing the biodiversity of the planet as humans spread across its face, change forests into farmland and cities, and

kill off species for which we have no understanding of their role in evolution. Biodiversity in SL is growing. Not only do artists create lovely environments with grass and trees and beaches and mountains, but we are adding more life forms to the environment. And not just domestic and house pets, like cats and dogs, but deer, elk, tigers, lions, bears, seagulls, eagles, etc. SL has had its share of fantasy animals: dragons, flying birds you can ride, and all sorts of winged creatures, both human and non-human. Horses have been around for quite some time something you wear after turning off your AO, and ride away. SL also has

furry beings in case human is no longer your personal choice. With the introduction of MESH and creative animations, these creatures are more realistic than ever before. While most are still decorative, they do add a sense of total worldliness, one that is missing with people alone. It adds in the same way the sea waves sounds and the roaring fire completes a scene.

But most SL animals are static. Some roam about without many commands. Certain animals like horses can be bred, and care is required. But they are tame (at least most are unless you are wearing a health meter). There is little to no interaction. They are decorative. So why build a zoo in SL with cages and enclosure, bars, and swings? After all, YouTube videos of real life animals

in the wild are as common as cute cat videos in Facebook. Websites dedicated to watching eagles lay and hatch their eggs and feed their young are also very common. Instead of visiting a zoo, you can buy your own animal and feed or breed it at your SL home. Colorful birds and butterflies were probably the first SL species for sale to add to a SL home. If an avatar were interested in being an animal, I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t imagine wanting to sit all day in a zoo.

Boyd Doghouse, owner of Parktown Zoo said, “In real life, zoos and historic architecture are my hobbies. When I began the zoo, it was the only one in Second life. The Parktown Zoo isn't meant to represent a modern zoo. During the Great Depression, the New Deal funded construction of zoos and parks all over the country. Parktown is an Art Deco, Dieselpunk build, so the zoo represents one of these 1930 - 40 era zoological parks. In those days, most zoos featured cages rather than the type of open air exhibits you see in zoos today. ZooKeeer Missy (Missmissyd1992) was a zookeeper in RL until she was injured on the job. After her knee surgery, she has to sit behind a desk now. Within SL, she built Oasis Zoo, the zoo she said she always wanted. So, maybe the issue isn’t animal care and welfare, but an architectural fantasy of alternatives to city buildings and streets. Creating a dream, building a virtual representation, and stocking it with the more realistic animals in SL. “Second Life has limitations in terms of appearance and animation, so I try to work within those confines.” Pictures of the animals fill the faces and coat designs on most animals. They are not flexi furs. “I do try to keep the animals upgraded as Second Life technology permits,” Boyd said. Some of the best animal creators in Second Life have

given animals for the zoo. Boyd says that it's meant to represent the kind of family-type day trips of a bygone era. So, while I ponder the loss of biodiversity, and teach my students about the methods and theories of reclaiming the Earth and its various species, I can revisit my childhood days by strolling in the zoos in SL and being amazed at the variety of animals of this planet. And get a balloon. Oasis Zoo is located at: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/CascadeCoast/91/21/21 Parktown Zoo is located at: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Jeju/95/26/97

Stormy by Crap Mariner Microfiction

They give names to hurricanes. And cyclones, typhoons, and tropical storms. The sun has a name. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a sunny day. That never changes, although my weird Aunt Ruth insists on calling it Gertrude after her dead sister. When she says itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a Gertrudey day, we know to take away her car keys. Now, they give names to winter storms. I suppose it is a matter of time before they give names to everything else, like tornadoes. I call tornadoes JESUS! or MOTHERFUCKER! Gertrude called Ruth that when she poisoned her for stealing her boyfriend. He vanished in an unnamed blizzard.

Publisher Jami Mills Senior Editor Friday Blaisdale Art Director Jami Mills Distribution Stacey Rome

Writers Hitomi Tamatzui, Art Blue, Emily Hamelin, Jami Mills, Starga Copy Editors Friday Blaisdale and Jami Mills Graphics Editor Jami Mills

azer Daylight, Crap Mariner