h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Note: Have a good look at this, http://www.asterlil.com/h2g2/aplanbig.htm -- it's a key part of understanding this place you have wandered into.

You come up the stairs and find yourself standing near the kitchen, looking into the salon, where a group of people sit on red velvet sofas. There is a lot of movement, as some wander up to the butlers hatch for tea or coffee or a good . Others disappear through exits on the other side of the large room, or reappear carrying books or pieces of computer equipment, or paintbrushes, or potted plants, or samples of new recipes.

A row of fishtanks occupy the far wall, inhabited chiefly by a very large school of neon tetras, and two sloths are lolling on the hearthrug in front of the fire.

The decor is Art Nouveau, and the conversation sounds interesting, if muddled, what with five or subjects evidently being discussed all together.

Next to you, you notice one of those odd little decorative tables, on which sits a silver platter half-buried in calling cards. Even as you're taking stock, someone comes up the stairs looking distracted, glances quickly round the salon, drops another card in the platter, and heads back down the stairs.

It's perhaps a little daunting, but be patient. The hostess will notice you shortly. And if she's not in, be sure that one of the salonistas will be over to welcome you.

*subscribing as requested*

"on which sits a silver platter half-buried in calling cards"

That platter must be something - must be involved in keeping it only half buried...

*looks around*

Very friendly looking foyer, Lil - nice

*Enters the Foyer without noticing any of the surroundings, her eyes scrolling down heaps of blog...stands still to contemplate some of the advice for Kat...moves slowly forward...bumps into Santra...*

Hi, missed you at the Copenhagen Zoo .

*Walks towards the salon, again reading blog...mumbling: This will take some time......*

*passes through the Foyer as requested*

*Carefully tidies heap of calling-cards before adding her own*

[Ag]

*passes through on her way to the greenhouse

[Ben] leaves a calling card

*adds a calling card. Quite how he's able to do this while also hiding under some cushions in a corner of the salon is unclear, but nonetheless, David does add a calling card to the silver platter*

[GDZ]

Lovely, Lil.

Hi there, newcomers. Welcome to the Atelier.

Hyp

::leaves an elegantly embossed and watermarked calling card on top of the pile Ag neatly tidied::

[fg]

Wanders in wondering

Leaving a calling card and a quick explanation of calling cards for any new people who wander through.

A calling card is a quick post to say that you are still around. It lets you keep up with the backlog of the threads (which move very fast) and makes sure that people don't start to wonder where you are if you don't say anything for a while.

Calling cards include your screen name and anything else you wish.

So for example, B's calling card is merely [B], whilst mine is []. They allow us to show that we are subscribed and around if anything happens. You'll find a lot of them in the main threads, sometimes entire pages of them.

Hope that made sense

Kat
[]

Carefully slips through the door, and diffidently places a plain but elegant calling card on the pile ... which promptly obeys it's gravitic challenge and hits the floor with a loud plop!

Um, Hi everybody! Didn't mean to startle anyone...

SC

Wahoo! I'm around when you arrived! Welcome back again, I'm glad you've decided to venture back here (and I'm not just saying that because we're all trying to be nice or anything ).

Casting back in my mind to reading the thread we all got fluffy over, I can definitely say that the backlog in these threads is something of a hiking expedition sometimes. It's because there's SO many people with so many things to say and sometimes topics accidently get whooshed aside...and then people come back to them a couple of LEDs later. So don't fret if people don't seem to say anything to you and then suddenly do so all together

Kat

*waves*

Nice to meet you!

The thread does move very fast at times, and it's perfectly ok to say 'I'm sorry i didn't have time to read all of the backlog - you can just read a few pages worth'.

(hurriedly finishes restacking the calling cards...)

Hi, again, Kat. Actually, the first time I made it in here, I had worked myself up to it after at least 6 months of lurking. I'd been on site for 2-3 years at that point and had only posted on Ask. Always afraid I'd be butting in. And then there was my unfortunate tendancy (I thought) to kill anything I posted to...

It's a very attractive place, simply because it seems the closest to a fun party, where all the guests are interesting and well read, and you don't want to leave the room because you might miss something.


SC

Simulpost! I was so busy typing, I missed your entrance, Z.

Nice to meet you. I have seen most all of you in various conversations around the site, and realize that you may not have seen me, as much. I tend to only follow/post a couple or three convos at a time. Probably due to a flaw in my character...

SC

Hi SpaceCadette. It is a pleasure to meet you. I hope you enjoy the Atelier.