I don't know if this technically goes here but I've kind of been writing. I've been playing Second Life again and found a great community a virtual Londn (welll parts of London) and they run a blog. I volunteered to help new players that wander in and then volunteered to write for the blog. I don't want to link to it directly because I don't want to skew their hit count.

But I do want to share what I wrote. So, in Second Life you can be anything , look any way. And right now alpaca avatars are really popular. It's a thing.

I did a little piece about alpacas and then I had to write something else and a sensational tabliod style idea came to me. It's really random because I was writing this while doing a million other things. There are pictures included so I'm going to include the flickr links.

If this isn't okay to post let me know:

Are Alpacas Taking over London?? A continuing story!

(cover photo [link]

This intrepid reporter has been following the Alpaca Trend that started in Hyde Park and has spread into Mayfair and Knightsbridge. Are these alpacas dangerous? Do they pose a threat to our precious London? Or are they simply a harmless? Why do more and more avatars seem to be falling Alpaca form? Looking for the truth this reporter went undercover and these were my findings. All information was recorded covertly and some situations have been reconstructed for the purpose of this narrative and time constraints.

Trying to find my way in I decided to disguise myself as a Freelance Alpaca Documentary Film maker, new to London and both looking to make a documentary and needing a tour guide for the sims. " A look inside the life of the average alpaca in London (and how they integrate with non alpacas". I promised this project would be funded by Kickstarter and even "let slip" that there may be a deal in the works with Netflix for direct streaming release! This seemed to work as the first alpaca I approached was quite keen on letting me follow him around taking film (still captures were used for this article). The first place he took me too was the Arcade/Bingo Hall/Bowling Alley in Knightsbridge. The alpaca I befriended, Alpaca One (names changed to protect the innocent) seemed friendly enough and showed me a favorite game - Whack a Mole. Why! I thought, alpacas aren't so different from me! I like Whack a Mole! He played a few rounds as we talked and trying to gauge his trust level I didn't bring up my interest in meeting other alpacas at first. Alpaca One is very familiar with the Arcade and gave me a tour of the games - there are a variety of vintage games including a racing game and the Bingo is on the same level (seen in the background of the picture). Not only does he play the games but he also works as a Bingo Caller!

(Alpaca One playing Whack a Mole - [link]

I wanted to see how an alpaca could possibly be a good bingo caller, but there wasn't a game that night. However I was able to create a photo reconstruction of what a possible Bingo Night would look like -

(re-enactment of Bingo Calling - [link]

Instead Alpaca One offered to take me to an underwater park. This worried me at first - alpacas can hold their breath or breathe under water? What could a lowly human like myself do? Then I remembered this is Second Life and luckily breathing is not necessary. Relieved I could get a better look we went off to this underwater park.

(photo of under the sea alpaca -https://www.flickr.com/photos/130949069@N04/16640127078/in/photostream/)

Turns out alpacas are expert and artistic swimmers. Unfortunately this reporter was unable to capture alpaca One at his most graceful (they are fast to0-- something to watch out for perhaps). This amazing underwater mermaid experience features dances and even a hangout with places to sit ... a good place to enjoy London with a small group of (continued...)

( continues...) friends just outside the hustle and bustle of the Hyde Park Hub. While we swam around the park and chatted I began to feel more at ease. Perhaps I had become needlessly. Alpaca One seemed to be accepting me as one of his own and soon after a long day of gaming and swimming he invited me back to his house for tea. Very British this Alpaca (or at least trying to be). This is when I discovered he was living in Knightsbridge itself! Renting a lovely townhouse and of course I had to see how he was getting along. And see enjoy tea.

(photo of Alpaca One in his lounge about to serve tea - [link]

I was able to catch the last of the light and get a very artistic shot (if I say so myself) of Alpaca in Repose. The tea was lovely and we chatted about this and that. A few times I was worried Alpaca One had sniffed out my true purpose as I tended to be a bit vague with some of my answers (advice for those going undercover, make sure your back story is easy to remember).

Then the break I was hoping for! Alpaca One told me about a gathering the alpacas and "friends" he said were having in a few days time and would I like to come and meet others? Well of course I would like to go! Realizing my answer was a bit over eager I hurriedly explained I'd been lonely and without other alpacas to hang out with and hoping to for an introduction to the alpaca London social scene. Alpaca One claimed not to know the exact day or time "these things tend to be spontaneous" he claimed but he promised to contact me with full details. Then invited me for another round of Whack a Mole and perhaps a few games of bowling. Again I accepted these offers of friendship trying to cement my character as that of a new alpaca in town looking for friends.

Dear readers, I realize I have not yet discovered what the influx of alpacas means to London but I know I'm getting close. This "spontaneous" gathering is the key, I just know it and once it happens I will have a full report and photographic evidence! Stay tuned for updates on this breaking story.

Note this story is for entertainment purposes only. No alpacas were hurt during the course of this project. Alpacas are our friends.

I was supposed to stay around 300 words but kind of blew that away and I'm working on the second and third parts which will be shorter.

The idea was also to show areas of the sim that don't get used as much. All the pictures I edited with picmonkey (because I don't have photoshop and GIMP confuses me) except the Alpaca on the couch that was taken in Second Life using the in world lighting settings to manipulate the color.

Good on you for flexing your writing muscles, askye! Sounds fun!

This was fun, askye!

Alpacas. Wow. I dind't realize you could look like ANYTHING in Second Life.

I have to stay far away from that game. Else I will never come out again.

IKR? But it was a fun read, askye.

yeah you can look like anything! One regular in the London sims is usually a spacecraft of some kind. He's been the Enterprise lately. Another is usually a black cat (four legged kind) or a gecko. He says he gets a lot of attention as a cat.

In the Bingo re enactment picture that's the back of my avatar's head with the mohawk.

grits teeth

I will not sign up for Second Life as a cat. No.

To get a decent cat avatar you haev to spend RL money.

Is that enough to keep you away from Second Life?

Is it bad that I first read that as cadaver?

Is that enough to keep you away from Second Life?

Yep. I don't even want to spend money in THIS life.