Virtual Neko in Second Life

Well I finally did it… gave notice at the record store, packed up my tiny apartment, and moved away from that gawdawful rainy city. The only thing I was going to miss? Living upstairs from the gelato store.

Before me the open road stretched out like an old dog waiting for a belly scratch. No schedule, no responsibilities, nothing but good old Route 66, the wind in my hair, and the philosophical musings that always seem to come forth while riding a motorcycle.

J Peace Island by RiddleRay

Yet even a free spirit like me starts craving a soft bed and regular showers after a while. When I spotted a tiny sign saying J Peace Island, something about the quiet look of the place caused me to slow down.

Maybe it was the airstream diner pumping out 50’s tunes, maybe it was the plethora of parked motorcycles… either way, I knew I’d be in good company for as long as I cared to visit. And with Route 66 slicing through the center of town, perhaps I’d even stay for a while… what with my mechanic skills and the frequency of Harleys breaking down passing through…

I was offered a job that very next morning. And so began my stint as a motorcycle mechanic — the solid feel of a wrench in my hand as oil pans, spark plugs, broken kickstands and hearts all lined up for repair.

As the days stretched into weeks, simple pleasures became important… the cool shade of a gas station awning, sunburned smiles telling stories of the open road, the clink of a friendly beer bottle. When I washed the grease off my hands at night, there was always someone waiting to buy me dinner at the diner so I could hear the rest of their story. Sleep came easily, and life slowed down.

Old truck on J Peace Island by La Baroque

It didn’t take me long however to discover that the town was lacking in one key service: a masseuse.

By the end of the first month, my back began telling its own stories about the hours spent hunched over cracked gaskets and leaky valves (and the morals of these stories weren’t particularly uplifting). Plus there was that ever-darkening oil stain in my lovely tail that was getting harder and harder to wash out…..

One morning, I knew it was time to go. With quiet farewells and a few special hugs, I pointed my front forks toward the smell of summer asphalt. Route 66 smiled.

“Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in one pretty and well preserved piece, but to skid across the line broadside, thoroughly used up, worn out, leaking oil, shouting GERONIMO!” – Bill McKenna, professional motorcycle racer, from the former Cycle Magazine Feb. 1982

Sunset on J Peace Island by Nexuno Thespian

What A Neko Motorcycle Mechanic Wears to Work:

| Hair | Curious Kitties: Nyanotech 09-A Hair: Faleyu V2 (old group gift with an adorably shaggy “bed head” look)
| Eyes | EYES 2C: Cat Half Realistic Light Brown / Cat8 Eyes2C
| Brow Piercings | Faux Posh: Captive Bead Eyebrow Ring (duplicated and attached the second one to an alternate face point)
| Ears | Bizarre Hair: Neko Unisex in black (I love the fur on these ears; they come with an excellent matching tail, but I needed a tail with a wrench, yaknow…)
| Necklace | 19MC / 19 Motorcycle: Wrench necklace – FREE (worn on chest)
| Skin Grime | Defiant Designs: Grease Monkey (worn on bra and underwear layer; store no longer in SL)
| (Over) Shirt | League: Garage Shirt “Skull” in Berry Red (worn on jacket layer; collar worn on spine; shirt tie waist attached to Left Pec and edited into place)
| (Under) Shirt | Artilleri: Billie Biker Top in colors, long
| Black Fingernails etc. | Sinistyle: Taped Fingers with Black Nails
| Bracelet, right wrist | Seller Xenno’s Motorcycle Chain bracelet
| Wrist Cuff | Form: Treadz Cuff (I modified to attach to left wrist, to leave room for the no-modify Motorcycle Chain bracelet)
| Arm Strap | PS/Panda-Spike: Where Truth Lies Armstrap with Wrench (from xstreet)

| Hand Wrench | MDHU / Medhue Animations: Wrench – Be a Mechanic (this is a hand-held tool that comes with all sorts of wonderful menu-driven animated mechanic movements, including a “sore back!”)
| Pants | SRU / Skanks R Us: Ripped Jeans V1 Pack, 3/4 length (yet another store that is not currently in SL… wassup with that?)
| Belt | NC / RekidStyle (Hiro7 Amat): Belt06.1 Toolbelt Black (belts and boots are located on the second floor of this furniture store)
| Tail | LolLiPopZ “n” StUfF: Spanner (wrench) Neko Tail, special fluffy version (Note: these tails are sold in a unique vendor system that allows you to rez the item in 3D for inspection, pre-purchase. Be sure to click through to find the FREE items in the vendors too. And if you get a vendor error, when it asks for $60L but then refunds your money saying ‘sorry that’s not enough,’ just type in $65L and the tail will be yours. If you prefer a fluffy tail rather than the shorthair tails you see in the vendors, send the owner Draven Langset a notecard in-world.)
| Leg Strap | Virus: Mini Influence (FREE! — on a wall with quite a few other cool Neko freebies, all located in the Discount room of this store)
| Legwarmers | Primitive Design: Wired Legwarmers in black red
| Boots | LightStar: Biker Boots in black

See More Photos from the Mother Road / Route 66 on the lovely J Peace Island:
http://www.koinup.com/sim/J+Peace+island/

Visit the Mother Road / Route 66 on J Peace Island:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/JPeaceIsland

Visit the amazing “19 Motorcycle” Store:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/19Motorcycle

Check out the new Second Life Motorcycle Blog:
http://secondlifemotorcycle.wordpress.com/

| Motorcycle | Blackhearts Bikes: BH Roadhouse Rider, sweet gift from Duranu Razorfen

Motorcycle Photos by Bobby Yoshikawa (vroom vroom) <3***

© Stacia Villota / Virtual Neko in Second Life – 2010
http://virtualneko.com

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