You don't know what you've got 'till it's gone. Truer words have never been spoken.

A good friend of mine on the MUCK where I spend a lot of my time very nearly vanished without a word. It was only after the fact, after they had already decided to leave, that I found out. I found out through others that they had left... to say I was sad is putting it mildly. I'm still not sure how, but word finally got back to them, and they showed up for one last goodbye... I learned many things about them then, and about why they decided to leave. Their final gift to me was a lotus blossom... something they gave to only a few people. It's bringing tears to my eyes saying this... it really is. I know, intellectually, that they're still out there, but on the MUCK, they're basically dead. No evidence left. It's... not an easy thing to take.

So for all of you who might be hoping for sequels to my stories, it'll be a little longer before I'm entirely right again. Sympathy isn't demanded... but appreciated. I need all the friends I can get.

Tail high... no matter how hard it may be.