Quinn Morani

Mithycayt, I recommend that you start by searching for groups inworld. There are absolutely groups based on some of the interests you mentioned. You might want to check out the Bookstacks group since you like reading, and SL Classical Arts Centre or Da Vinci Isle since you mention enjoying art and music. All of these groups will keep you informed of periodic events where you can meet like-minded people.

I cannot believe what I am seeing. I'm trying to introduce Lillie and the interrogator to each other so we can wrap this up and turn our attention back to the TOS agents on the ground in Forgotten City as quickly as possible, but neither one is listening. They can't take their eyes off each other. The security of all of SL is at stake and these two are . . . flirting? When did I ever sign up to work as a chaperone? I thank Miss Caxton, ever the consummate professional, for bringing Lillie so quickly, then let loose an exasperated sigh and exchange glances with Dillon, who is also eager for the interrogation to be complete so she can put Lillie and her rifle to work. But I have to bark a question at the interrogator to get his attention. What IS going on here? Just as the interrogator and Lillie prepare to enter the room for Lillie's questioning, the nosy reporter discovers our location. I'm suspicious that she always seems to know exactly what is going on as it is happening. I expel another sigh of frustration. Nothing is going exactly according to the plan today.

Charolotte, will you be giving rides to passengers when you embark on your new sailing career?

There is no doubt now. TOS is here. We've seen them, and they've most definitely seen us. Just as we were leaving M's quarters, Miss Caxton, the ever vigilant eyes of Forgotten City, noticed movement in the window across the way. She froze and motioned the Rangemistress and me back inside. When she rejoined us not 30 seconds later, she was certain it was TOS in what should have been an abandoned building. She had seen a group of at least three, one known to be the agent Guido. She was unsure whether one was the missing Kelinda, but thought it likely. We confer quickly on the best course of action, and decide to exit quietly through a rear door. The Rangemistress will lead us through an unmapped secret tunnel toward the armory so that we can begin to arm ourselves—and the other agents present in Forgotten City—for an impending battle. However, no sooner are we 100 yards from the building, too far to easily turn back, than we hear, almost imperceptibly, the muffled sound of a gun clip being locked in place. Like startled deer, we swiftly sprint in a zig zag formation toward the concealed tunnel entrance. Once inside the tunnel, we bolt the door and race through the length of the passageway and across the connecting bridge, able to hear TOS pelting the bolted tunnel entrance with a barrage of bullets. Before Miss Caxton and I land in the opposite tunnel, the Rangemistress is already feeling the stones on the wall until she finds one that looks and feels exactly like all the others. She pushes it and twists it and pushes it some more in some memorized combination of manipulation. When she is done, the rickety connecting bridge begins to creak upward just as Miss Caxton and I step off it, effectively halting TOS's pursuit. For now. The three of us stop to catch our breath in the other side of the tunnel that is now disconnected from TOS. The Rangemistress will get us to the armory from here, but we also have to warn Dillon and the others. A deadly clash with TOS now seems inevitable.

Arkady Arkright wrote: If you have space on your desktop, don't throw your old monitor away - most modern video cards and operating systems will support two monitors, and the benefit of having your virtual world on one while you're doing all other other stuff (web, email, texture creation etc..) on the other can't be overstated. They don't even need to be the same resolution - I have a 1280x1024 and a 1920x1080 side by side, and they work perfectly well together. I seriously have to echo this advice for a second monitor. As of a couple of weeks ago I now have two monitors at work, and I can't even begin to tell you just how many times since I got that new setup that I've wished for a 2nd monitor at home. I would LOVE to be able to have SL open on one monitor and my browser or email open in another instead of switching back and forth.

The fact that Kelinda has been released, and not by any Measly, is an alarming turn of events. It's unclear whether she is actually a TOS agent, or merely a mercenary with allegiance only to the highest bidder. Between her mysterious arrival in the Forgotten City in scuba gear, her suspicious behavior in Berlin, her secret messages to someone known as the "Godmother," her confrontation with M at gunpoint, and her kidnapping of me, Kelinda has had multiple opportunities to eliminate key Measlies. Yet we all remain. Whatever Kelinda's agenda, it's known only to her. Fortunately Kelinda's unknown status kept her out of the loop regarding classified MISL information during our trek to Berlin. If it's TOS that released her, they'll be sorely disappointed to discover that she won't have much useful information to turn over. Maybe they'll hold that against her; maybe they won't. Regardless, we have to prepare for the possibility that TOS agents are, in fact, present in the Forgotten City. M decides Dillon has had enough sleep (I wonder if M ever sleeps), and asks me to send for her. But I know better than to risk the wrath of interrupting anyone's slumber, so I send a newer recruit to do the job. The recruit is thrilled with the assignment. Apparently Agent Levenque has a fan club. I write M's instructions to Dillon and send the recruit to deliver the message. Just in case anyone spies the recruit with message in hand, I use code names on the outside of the envelope. Dillon will know whom it is from.

Every time I think I'm finally going to get a chance for sleep, M summons me. These briefings are tiring, but necessary. I expect that this meeting will be to discuss in more detail plans to pair my technology craft with the pyrotechnician in order to isolate the mole and 'gently' remind him that M means business. But that conversation doesn't happen; at least not now. When I arrive, I see that it is Dillon there, not the pyrotechnician. And to my shock, Kelinda is also present with her guns aimed straight at M. I stop myself before I can react. If the presence of deadly firearms didn't render the situation so unpredictable and dangerous, I'd almost be amused at the scene in front of me, for M seems entirely unbothered by the possibility that her brain could soon be shredded into a million shrapnel-infected pieces. She gives greater attention to the gum stuck to the bottom of her shoe than she does to the guns in Kelinda's hands. In spite of the seriousness of the situation, I indulge a silent chuckle as I imagine M responding: "Oh, a GUN? I thought you said GUM." The chuckle doesn't last long. It's still not clear exactly what Kelinda wants, but she quickly grows enraged at not being taken seriously. Before any of us realize what is happening, she turns her attention away from M and toward me, ushering me at gunpoint toward a waiting zeppelin, where she shoves me in. She may be small, but the girl has muscle. I think I've just been kidnapped. Fortunately, I don't have to wait long before M and Dillon collect their wits and come after us. As they approach the zeppelin in M's private plane, they are able to forcibly guide Kelinda back toward the ground. As we make our way to a safe landing, I try to probe more, hoping to learn something of Kelinda's motives. But when I query her about her plan, her only cryptic reply is "What if my plan is just to keep it from ending?" To keep what from ending, I do not know. She will not say more. Finally, safely back on terra firma, M herself seizes an opportunity to take Kelinda down and wrestles her to the ground. Once she is subdued, Dillon steps in to take possession of her guns and M orders that Kelinda be confined until she can be interrogated. It looks like Lillie will have some company while waiting for her turn in the interrogation chamber.

Dillon, Lillie, and I finally arrive back in the Forgotten City after a manic haul from Berlin—without Kelinda, who is surely close behind. I think we've managed to set a speed record in getting here. All I can think of is sleep, but Dillon insists that we must report to M at once.  We are greeted upon our arrival by both Miss Caxton and the Rangemistress, Keli, but Dillon has no patience for gatekeepers just now. She demands an immediate audience with M so we can deliver the sketch.

After a day of letting the sketch sink in, I still can't believe what I have seen. Can it really be possible that one of the most trusted people within M's inner circle is the mole? I know M suspected someone high level, but I don't think even she suspected this. What could have ever motivated one of the most loyal Measlies to turn on us so traitorously? Dillon was right. This needed to be communicated to M at once. We're en route back to the Forgotten City to deliver the sketch to M. There's about to be a serious shake-up within MISL.

squashy Beeswing wrote: Well, if i had my choice, fashion would be (re?)absorbed into 'My Avatar' and music & entertainment would be filed under 'Events', along with sports. Squashy, I agree completely with these suggestions as a starting point. These are exactly the ones I would have singled out for consolidation, too.

Kelinda has been acting odd since we have arrived in Berlin, nervously watchful and stealing away whenever she thinks she won't be missed. Maybe it's just her lack of MISL training but I'm starting to grow a little suspicious of her behavior. I think it wise to investigate, so I follow her the next time she sneaks away. I was more than shocked to see her typing at a computer I had never seen! I only got the briefest of looks before Kelinda spotted me from afar and hurriedly collapsed and stowed the computer in her bag. But even with that short glimpse, one thing is for sure. That's not MISL issued equipment; at least not like any I've ever seen. I don't know how she could have carried that with us unnoticed from Forgotten City to Berlin. I can't rule it out, of course, but neither can I rule out the possibility that she made contact with an associate (friend or foe?) to take possession of it here after we arrived. Who is Kelinda communicating with and why? The fact that she is secretive about it doesn't bode well. We need to know what's on that computer. If she's in contact with the enemy, we have to move NOW. I don't want to harm Kelinda unprovoked, so I resort to the next best method of incapacitating her long enough to get my hands on her computer. I hate to do it, but I spike her drink with a sedative. The effect will be temporary and unharmful, but it will buy me a little time to figure out what is going on. When I'm certain she is out cold, I rummage through her bag and locate the computer. Then I seek out Dillon. I want to be sure someone else trusted sees whatever, if anything, I find. It's a simple enough matter for me to get past the rather routine security on this computer, and what I find stuns me. Kelinda has been making secure communications to someone she calls the Godmother. Who is the Godmother? Just who is Kelinda working for and what is her objective here? I turn to Dillon for her expert field opinion. It's clear we must be cautious about trusting Kelinda. I'm relieved, at least, that she hasn't been privy to any of our discussion about a MISL mole. But I'm not certain what to do next. Soon we'll need to make our way back to M in Forgotten City. Do we keep the gunslinger close and bring her along? Do we confront her? We cannot simply leave her behind. I do not return Kelinda's computer, but neither am I prepared to destroy it yet. I jam the transmission frequencies, disable the satellite modem, remove the battery (which I hand over to Dillon for safekeeping), and stow the computer in a secure location. It may become useful later.

I shop both inworld and on the marketplace. If I'm looking for something fairly specific with no idea where to start, I'll always try the marketplace first. It's much faster and more convenient. But when I'm just browsing or I want to see what my favorite creators have new or I'm checking out a store that's been recommended, I shop inworld. I get the best of both worlds that way.

Finally, we arrive at our destination via the most conventional means of transportation we can find. Before leaving the train, Kelinda and I make a quick change of clothes, following M's instruction to blend in with the locals. Berlin, of all the locations M could have chosen for our rendezvous with Dillon, would be the worst possible place to stand out and arouse suspicion. There are too many secrets here, and too many prying eyes. Kelinda and I meander through the city streets rather than taking a direct route to our ultimate destination, in the event we need to throw anyone off our trail. When we finally reach the appointed meeting spot, we don't have to wait long for Dillon, who looks shocked to see me. But she should have known M would have a surprise up her sleeve. Miss Caxton was right; M operates on her own terms and no one else's. Meanwhile I am overjoyed to finally lay eyes on Dillon again and know that she has made it here safely. I'm so relieved to see her that I almost think I might forgive her for keeping her Measly history a secret even after she learned that I was a part of the same organization. While professional decorum and the severity of the mission at hand prevent me from throwing my arms around Dillon in a welcoming hug, I can't help letting a small smile escape when I see her attire. Looks like she got the same message from M about blending in.

I've learned that Kelinda makes a fine traveling companion, but boy does she get grouchy if I don't feed her. I've had us on the move constantly since leaving La Citta' Perduta, stopping only when Kelinda reminds me that it's mealtime. I know it must be time for food again when Kelinda pleads, "maybe we could stop to get something to eat somewhere." As soon as she says it, I realize that I am, in fact, starving. I make Kelinda stand watch outside while I poke my head into the nearest pub to make sure all looks safe. And also to make sure they serve something other than beer, like actual food that will satisfy both of our growling stomachs. The coast seems clear and there is a decent menu, so I signal to Kelinda to join me inside. We take a seat in the corner on a comfy looking couch and immediately go about the important task of quenching our thirst with a pint of Guinness. But we stop at a pint and order dinner because I don't want to hole up here for the night, inebriated. We have to keep moving. While we're waiting for our fish and chips, Kelinda points out the poster on the wall behind us—an ancient advertisement for a concert in Berlin. A chill runs through me. I can't decide if the unexpected reminder of our destination is auspicious or ominous.

(offkey) ♪♫ Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday dear Hippie Happy birthday to you ♫♪

We have survived the night. Although it's clear TOS tracked Dillon and the sniper at least this far, there was no hint of their presence as Kelinda and I took turns at watch. It seems they have moved on. I can only hope that it's not closer to Dillon. With any luck, they lost the trail at the same time we did, when Dillon disabled her communication kit. After a mostly restless night, I leave Kelinda to a last chance at sleep while I step out to see what I can discover in daylight. Almost immediately I spot the rusty remnants of a plane wreck. What IS this place where Dillon stopped, I wonder? Why would this wreckage just be left here to decay like this? In any case, we must have passed right by this site last night in our search for accommodations, but either because of the dark or my exhaustion, I didn't notice it. I must be more observant if I am to have any chance at staying alive. Closer to the dock, I locate the secured Station phone, hidden in plain sight in hope that the enemy would never suspect anything so obvious. For a brief moment I wonder if it's safe to jam unsecured signals and place an untraceable call to MISL HQ. I'm desperate to know if there has been any news from Dillon or from Zeke. But I decide it's too risky. There is no knowing what information TOS might have gained from the Station Chief, whom I have been unable to locate. It's possible the security of this phone has been compromised. Discovering nothing more of use, there is nothing left to do but return to our luxurious shack and collect Kelinda. It's time we got moving. We have a long day of travel ahead.

Sylvia's attempts to train me as a sharpshooter failed miserably. I warned M that I wasn't cut out for this, that handling weapons was not my forte. But M refused to allow my lack of skill to excuse me from the mission. Instead, she sent me with reinforcements. Turns out that mysterious scuba diver knows a thing or two about gunslinging and has her own personal vendetta against TOS. I don't know if I can trust Kelinda, but I have no choice. And I'm oddly comforted to not be alone. We spend an entire day traveling to our first stop, La Citta' Perduta. It's night when we arrive, and our first order of business is to locate the barge that Dillon and Lillie set out on, to see if we can uncover any information that may have been left behind. The freighter is empty; we find nothing. Just as we prepare to move on, a solitary figure approaches. Kelinda acts instinctively, training her pistols at him. He gets belligerent, shouting about how he's already been shot once this week and once is more than enough. When he calms down enough to make sense, we understand that we are not the first to arrive here. It seems TOS is ahead of us. Kelinda and I exchange a fearful look. We know we must be cautious. Armed with the knowledge that TOS has beat us here, we start digging for intelligence and clues. It's a dirty job, but we're the only ones here to do it. We find not-very-carefully discarded documents suggesting the local Station Chief may have been leaking intelligence to TOS. It looks like a frame-up because of the careless way the information was disposed of (ALL discarded MISL documents are shredded and incinerated, never tossed in the garbage), but we can't be sure. We pocket the information and move on. Exhausted from our day's journey, Kelinda and I decide to find a bite to eat and plan our next movements before going in search of sleeping accommodations. We find a rather rough looking bar, but at least it's a place to sit, which is really the only thing we care about. Finally, the day catches up with us and we seek out a place to lay low for the night. We find the perfect unassuming spot. It will be tight quarters, but if TOS is still lingering, they won't think to look for us in this nondescript little shack. Kelinda and I agree to sleep in shifts. A good strategy, since there is only one... well, it's not even a bed. One hammock. But we decide that sleeping in shifts would have been a good idea anyway so that someone can keep watch throughout the night. Before I take the first sleeping shift, I hook up our portable MISL mini-computer to a monitor and keyboard we "borrowed" from a local electronics store. After testing for a secure satellite link, I jam all unknown signals and turn the computer over to Kelinda to see what she can discover about TOS agents who may be hiding in this city or nearby. Meanwhile I pray for sweet dreams, but I know they won't come. We have another long journey ahead tomorrow fraught with uncertainly. My mind is reeling.

As night falls on the city once more, the guardians make their rounds to illuminate the street lamps and patrol the waterways. I feel safe knowing they are here. Out there, where I am headed, it could be a different story. If Zeke arrived at the Jaguar safely, then Dillon will have received her message by now. Tomorrow, I begin my journey toward the place where we are to meet. I still don't know what will happen once I arrive, but based on all I have learned in the last 24 hours, I know I can trust Dillon. Whatever lies ahead, we're in it together.

I am roused from my reverie by M's arrival. It's time. Still, I seize an opportunity for one last try at dissuading M from her decision. I create and build; I am not a field agent. I'm not properly trained for this assignment! This is most definitely NOT what I signed up for when I was recruited to MISL. But M will not relent. Dillon requested that someone trusted meet her at the station M has selected. Because of our friendship independent of MISL, M feels I'm the most trusted resource that can be sent. The most trusted by Dillon, but also the most trusted by M. The news relayed by M of a mole within the organization is not entirely unexpected after my experience with the reporter, but it is a surprise to learn how elusive the mole's identity has been. My life may be in jeopardy, but at least I can take comfort in knowing that I've earned M's unconditional trust. To ensure that I'm prepared, M brings in Sylvia, one of our top agents just returning from a field mission. Before I set out for my rendezvous with Dillon, Sylvia will give me a crash course in what I need to know to survive. Sylvia takes one long, skeptical look at me, and I think she knows I'm toast. Just as M is giving her last instructions, a strange woman in scuba gear washes up on shore claiming to be an archeologist, with a fantastical story that The Other Side tried to blow her up. I leave the others to deal with the scuba diver while I try to get comfortable with some of the arsenal of weapons that will be my traveling companions on my imminent journey. I'm used to building them, not wielding them.

It has been decided. Zeke is to courier M's message to Dillon at the Jaguar. My Zeke. I am not happy at this turn of events. Danger lurks everywhere on this mission, and I don't want to see him harmed, or worse. But the decision is out of my hands. As a relatively unknown agent, it is thought that Zeke is the least likely to arouse TOS suspicion or be followed. It is left to Miss Caxton and me to summon him. At the MISL HQ, Miss Caxton relays the assignment to Zeke, and entrusts him with M's message to Dillon. I look on, angry and helpless. Zeke knows how to take care of himself; he's done this before. He thrives on danger. He would say it's what he lives for. But TOS is a lethal breed of enemy unlike any MISL has ever faced. If they discover him, it could spell a violent end. As Zeke prepares to leave under the cover of night, we exchange parting words at the dock. There is peril ahead for both of us, but we don't say goodbye. We are determined to see each other again after this is all over. It WILL be over soon, if M's plan succeeds. I hope she's made the right choices. And above all, I hope Dillon knows what she is doing. After Zeke departs, I steal a few moments alone, which inexplicably turns into hours as a foggy morning dawns once again, to contemplate what lies ahead for Zeke, for me, for Dillon, for all of us. I'm afraid.

That Dillon is a brilliant agent with a rebellious streak a mile wide. Destroying her only reliable method of communicating with MISL HQ and dictating to M—to M!—what the next steps would be. She's extremely fortunate she is so well trusted. And now I know just how well trusted she really is. During last night's marathon meeting, M revealed to me details of Dillon's former stint as a MISL agent and her subsequent assignment to infiltrate TOS. I was worried that Dillon had fled based on a mistaken understanding of events, but it's clear now that I too had an incomplete understanding. To say I was shocked to learn Dillon's full MISL history would be an understatement. I thought I was the epitome of secrecy and discretion, but Dillon has me trumped. I don't know whether to congratulate her for her job very well done, or strangle her for letting me, her friend, believe a lie. Of course, she'll say I did the same to her. Until she stumbled into my workshop that fateful day, I had never revealed the existence of MISL or my connection to such an organization. But the circumstances were different. I believed Dillon to be an innocent citizen with some ninja training. I had no idea she was one of us! But I do know the importance of secrets around here. It can mean the difference between life and death. I'll forgive Dillon—she is on the right side, after all—but she can be sure I'll also give her some heat about it at my first opportunity. Meanwhile, M is preparing her response for Dillon. We discussed the plan in detail, and a courier has been selected to deliver the message. Barring unforeseen circumstances, the courier sets out tonight.

Perrie Juran wrote: What I finally realized one day in that situation what a friend ctrl/a was if I was dumping the whole line. I have noticed lately on several occasions then when I Ctrl+A to highlight what I'm typing so I can delete it, it spams some weird text straight to local chat. It looks like help text for something, but I haven't read it in detail to figure it out. Usually I'm left apologizing "Sorry, I didn't mean to do that, I have no clue what just happened." I must have accidentally triggered some Crtl+A override (I use Phoenix), and I don't know how to fix it.

I tried the helicopter when I was there and let's just say that I won't be qualifying for my pilot's license anytime soon. I did, however, jump off a cliff and lived to tell about it. :matte-motes-wink:

Wow, wow, wow! I can't wait to visit some of the gorgeous locations featured in this thread. And Venus, in all the times I've been to The Far Away, I never noticed the "Let Go" ball. I'm definitely heading over there to float the next time I'm inworld!

So true, Dee. I'd much rather think the best in others than the worst. There is nothing appealing to me about living in a constant state of suspicion about people or their motives. Sure, some might call that naive, but if I lived by any other philosophy, I'd have missed out on the opportunity to get to know some very cool friends.