Hmmmm... I probably should have used this title for the one I wrote about the DVDs last week too. (Although I guess that one had a tiny bit of non-Xenite content at the bottom, which this one won't.)

Of course, it is quite possible that if people follow the instructions in the title, nobody who reads this web page will read this rambling. Oh well. (Side tangent: If Bitscape writes a rambling in the forests of New Zealand, and nobody reads it, does the rambling not exist?) I don't plan to ramble at length tonight anyway. This one is a quickie.

First, an addendum to my DVD comments. I was pleasantly surprised to find a directory filled with a nice batch of mp3's on the bonus disc. They contain various pieces of music from the score, including a version of the main title theme without the voice over or sound effects. Nice.

(If this was all a marketing ploy to whet my appetite for more of those official soundtrack cds by reminding me again of how great Joseph Lo Duca's score was, it might almost be working.)

Item 2. Guess what everybody! I just found out that Xena not end with season 6!

Apparently not content to let the dead stay dead, a dedicated team of fans have put together a complete set of scripts for "virtual" episodes, which pick up the story and take it from where the filmed episodes left off. Virtual Season 7 and Virtual Season 8 are complete.

This is what we call taking fanfic to a whole new level of insanity. Each episode is written in screenplay format, with a teaser and 4 acts, just like what we're used to. They also include artwork and composited screenshots to illustrate some of the scenes. To further enhance the experience of feeling like tv, the episodes are "premiered" by releasing them on the web at a regular prime time schedule each week.

Not scared yet? The episodes are available not only in html, but also pdf, rtf, and various formats designed for use in PDA's. They've also been translated into 4 languages other than English. (How many non-English-speaking Xenites are out there? I guess there must be some in order to warrant these translations.)

Never underestimate the dedication of devoted net Xenites.

I read the teaser and the first scene of Act 1 from the first episode of season 7. Then, I stopped. Is this really something I want to get into right now? Do I need yet another addiction to waste my copious spare time on? This stuff looks good. Too good, perhaps.

To hell with restraint. I'm already spending several hours per day on the DVD's (yay for that). What's another hour or two, here and there?

I'll read the rest of A Friend Indeed tonight before bed. Then I'll sleep. Let the future worry about itself.

Peace.