Ten years of Z&A

I've told the story of the birth of Z&A a few times, even here on this blog, so forgive me if you've read parts of this before. But, as I start to write this (back on the 15th of February), 10 years previously I was well into build mode, starting to make things based around some scripting I'd being playing with by way of learning the RLV API.

The earliest script I have in my inventory, where I was doing something with the RLV API, is dated January 7th 2010. The oldest script I have in my inventory that is me testing out talking to an RLV relay from a prim you sit on dates from February 8th 2010. The prims for the first actual device I made show February 8th 2010 as the creation date too.

This consisted of 13 prims, a single texture roughly thrown on, and nothing lined up terribly well, now I look back at it. But it was a start. From this, along with some prim-flinging on the part of Zardia, the start of the original product lineup grew.

The idea of actually opening a shop and selling the result of all of this building was Zardia's. I wasn't initially too keen on the idea. But, she pushed and prodded and persuaded and found a likely shop and... well, I ended up being convinced.

You can read more about those early days, and how things grew from a small rented unit to the shop being on the region that would become Shackles, in this blog post from back at the end of 2010.

Since then it's been a hell of a journey. Z&A has seen quite a view changes to Second Life (the introduction of mesh probably being the biggest), and has changed quite a bit itself over the years too. In those 10 years I've re-made all of the original hold-and-display furniture. I've made and then re-made a full range of cells. I've made and then re-made a full range of RLV vehicles. I've made, re-made and expanded a range of gags and hoods and other restraints. And that's not everything.

Z&A wasn't just about creating RLV products either. We were also responsible for creating what became Raven Park: a femdom-themed BDSM-friendly RLV hangout which hosted many a fun themed party. And, of course, we created and managed The Femdom Hunt, a very popular grid-wide hunt that took place seven times between 2011 and 2017 and which enjoyed the support of a very enthusiastic community of creators, hangout-owners and hunters.

There's so much I could write about and document; there are so many photos I could post; there are so many highs, and a good few lows, that made for lasting memories. Mostly though, what matters is that Z&A happened, gave me a lot of enjoyment, had my life intertwine with some very important people, and also helped me make it though some pretty tough times out in RL. Being a content-creator in Second Life was easily the most important form of stability I've had in the past decade.

I have to admit that the time and need to create has tailed off a little. I'm not done. I'm not finished. But I don't spend anywhere near as much time building in SL as I used to. This is more down to RL having lots of (very nice) distractions. That being said, given that we're coming up to Z&A's official 10th anniversary, I couldn't let that go without tinkering and making a gift or four, could I?

So, starting today (Saturday 22nd February), running through the anniversary of the opening of the first shop (Monday 24th February), and most likely until the following Saturday, I've got 4 gifts out for everyone in the Z&A shop, the detention centre, and the playground. Feel free to TP over to Z&A and explore a little and, as you do, grab yourself a gift. They're not hard to find.

In case you're wondering what the gifts are... I won't spoil all the surprises, but two of them are a third re-working of two my my first proper RLV builds (so you got a good hint from the start of this post), complete with more materials work (the last re-working was done before everyone was comfortable with ALM!) and texture options. They're a full and complete experiment in how I might refresh my main line of products over the next year or so, if time allows.

All four gifts are filled with RLV goodness, all are copy-permission so you can fill your homes and playgrounds with them, and all are built with the same love and enthusiasm as my first ever builds. And they're all made available with huge gratitude to everyone who has ever visited a Z&A location, shopped with Z&A, taken part in a Z&A event, offered support and encouragement to Z&A or has been part of my journey.

Thank you. Thank you all. It's been a wonderful and enriching decade of kinky building, kinky laughs, kinky community-building and kinky friendship-making. I hope these little gifts add to your kinky contribution to the grid.