Proximity

Am I the only avi who has been startled by the physical needs of my avi? No, I'm not talking about pr0n (that's a whole different post and one I am hardly qualified to attend to). I'm talking about how much I want my avi to be able to reach out and spontaneously touch another ... and in the absence of that ability, how she will stand as close as possible to a favoured avi, almost of her own volition. It makes me smile when she does that.

I used to play chess with Y, in the early days. I am very bad at chess, I am a for-the-now-kinda gal and lack the ability to strategise. So when we played, I would keep my cam centered over the board, watching the chat and the game and not one bit that cute boi I was crushing so badly on. Is it not fascinating that my adoration for the boy came from his words, which I watched for breathlessly ... but that watching his SL projection of himself was too distracting? At the end of the game, I would look up to find him standing right beside me, within breathing range, and the "rush" would invariably startle me.

Friends we knew who were falling for each other were doing the same thing, every time I saw them they were right up next to each other. I find it interesting that even in a cartoon environment, we all maintain an appropriate personal space. In a normal group setting, you will notice that avis often keep a similar distance apart, and when you see two avis up close and personal (unless one of them is a noob) you can be sure there's "something going on".

After Y and I let down our guards a little, and the World Cheeseball Tour was completed, there was, of course, dancing. I had avoided dancing for the same reason. To me, the proximity of those lovely Bits & Bobs dances offered up something I responded to... so dancing with anyone but Y seemed to be offering more than I intended. Number three and number seven were "our" dances, and I have still never danced them with anyone else.

Since those first heady days, of course, my work at Ellie's has loosened my reserve about dancing with avis other than my significant other. Not that dancing with patrons is a requirement of the job, but I am often so hyped when I come offstage that I need something for my avi to do, and couples dances do help with that. Again, it startles me how many physical yearnings chry has. Sometimes she just wants to turn cartwheels, or jump on the couch. Or reach out and stroke the cheek of someone she has come to care for ....