A little something that I hope will help

Given the current situation around the world, many of us are needing to stay home, stay indoors, isolate and find other ways of keeping ourselves engaged and active. Over the past couple of weeks I've watched as people have used their own talents and interests to amuse themselves, distract themselves, and in doing so have shared this to help others.

I'm sure some of us in SL's RLV/kink communities will be leaning on SL more as a distraction, as a way to escape from time to time. So, with this in mind, I'm offering a little package of Z&A products that might help fill your time in SL.

It's not much, but it's offered in the hope that these things will bring a smile, allow virtual connection, let people form and reinforce bonds in the sort of way only SL allows.

You'll find the giver box next to the "Need Help?" doll near the landing point of the main store.

Stay home. Stay safe. Stay informed.

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.

Playground gets a POD prison

As mentioned yesterday, there's a good chance I'll tinker with and change things in the new RLV playground over the next few weeks. Today I decided that it would be nice to drag the MD POD Prison out of my inventory. So, I did:

There's room for 10 inmates, all of them put on display next to the road that runs past the playground and shop.

If the MD POD prison system is your thing, and if you're looking for a new location to build up your time, you'll find it in the room above the entrance tunnel to the playground.

The Z&A RLV Playground

Much like earlier this year, when another plot or two became available next to the main store, it was hard for me to resist. Again, I wasn't too keen on the idea of extending the store -- at least not at the moment -- but I did fancy the idea of building something along the lines of the detention centre; something I could share with people, something that would provide a play space for those who might appreciate it.

Yes, I know, Second Life probably doesn't really need yet another RLV playground. That's fine. I had fun throwing it together and doubtless I'll have fun adding things to it and tweaking it over time. At the moment it's based around a simple raised grassy area that has an assortment of toys on it.

Just off the grass there's also a set of devices that can be used to keep misbehaving subs and slaves out of the way:

Of course, I can't build a play space without throwing in a nod or two to my personal fetish. So there's a couple of outdoor cages to throw people in to:

And because a couple of outdoor cages aren't enough to satisfy my fetish, there's also a cell house that contains 8 cells for everyone to make use of:

As mentioned, all are welcome to make use of this space. Please feel free to pop over and use all the equipment. All I ask is that you stay out of this area:

That's my own private space through that door, my home. Trespassers will not be welcome.

Second Life Marketplace commission changes

As I'm sure most people will be aware of, even those who aren't retailers in Second Life, Linden Lab have recently changed the commission they charge merchants who sell via the Marketplace. For as long as I can remember, probably back when it was XStreetSL and the Lab didn't yet own it, the cost for selling there has been %5 of the sale price. As of yesterday this has doubled to 10%.

I just wanted to take a moment to reassure Z&A customers that this won't change anything in my store. I have no plans at all to adjust prices to take this increase into account. Personally I think it's a fair change on the part of the Lab. While the MP has had its issues in the past, and likely still has some, it's a big and complex website that has the benefit if linking in-world in useful ways.

Over the years I've seen significant improvements to how it works (I really don't miss magic boxes!), stability improvements and speed improvements. All of those things take work. All of those things require people to do the work. Those people deserve an income. Etc. As someone who makes a RL living from software development, including web development, I'm pretty sensitive to the value that the MP delivers me, as a Second Life merchant.

Meanwhile, I've seen alternatives come and go, and have even been caught out by one of them.

Simply put: in almost 10 years of trading in Second Life, this is the first time the Lab have asked me to chip a bit more in to maintain a tool I don't have to maintain myself and which has helped Z&A exist. For me it's still fantastic value compared to, for example, maintaining an in-world store -- that takes more work and takes a far bigger chunk of my (in-world) sales. The MP still looks like really good value to me.

So... prices will stay the same. I just want people to have affordable kinky RLV fun. :-)

Happy rez day to me!

Ten years ago today, Antony was born. While not my first avatar in Second Life, Antony was the one I created to go out and look at the more adult side of the grid. What started as a single-purpose alt ended up becoming me, my main avatar, who I was in-world.

And, of course, from Antony came Z&A Productions.

So, as a bit of mini-celebration, I thought I'd heavily discount a product for the next 24 hours.

One of my big kinks is cells. I just love them. The idea of being in one... let's say it works for me. So there's little wonder I've built a few over the years.

My absolute favourites are part of a fatpack that I sell. So, with that in mind, I want to share my favourite kink with everyone else, at what I think is a good price.

Normally the copy/no-trans Custody/Prison fatpack sells for L$3449. So, 10 years on the grid as Antony/Toni... How's about we divide by 10?

Sound fair?

If cells are your thing and you fancy a collection of copy/no-trans cells that have a heavy custody/prison theme about them, now's your chance to go nuts.

You'll find the vendor at the back of the second floor in the main store. Note that this offer is only for 24 hours or so, and is only available in-world.

Enjoy! :)

Z&A Gym Wear

After a little bit of time away from SL (RL has been a bit busy) it's time to come back with another product. This, I feel, is more or less the logical conclusion of the "clothing that auto-changes how much it reveals as you change region" design I've being having fun with this year. While likely not the last of such a design, I do feel it's the one that's really in the spirit of the idea.

This is a set of latex gym wear, designed so you can lock up your sub/slave and send them out to get some exercise, probably wandering or running around the adult mainland, finding themselves in random states of undress as they go.

The Gym Wear is, in effect, two products in one. It comes with a strippable set of latex gym top and pants, and also with a pair of latex gym shoes. The shoes are designed to control how your victim can interact with the world around them:

Using this you can make sure they can't TP around, and have to get close to things to touch them or sit on them. You can, of course, also stop them from flying.

The top/pants are all about the control of how revealing the outfit is:

As with other products in this range, the key holder gets to set the state of reveal, or can set it to auto-change in various ways as the victim changes region.

The top/pants and shoes come in a range of 10 latex colours that matches the other products in this range.

The colours aren't all-or-nothing. You can mix and match them to make all sorts of colour combinations:

This product is rigged mesh and is designed only for the Maitreya Lara body. I strongly advise trying the demo first before purchase -- it's a copy/no-trans product so I'm afraid there are no refunds.

You can find the Gym Wear on the Second Life Marketplace.