I didn't know them, but the passing of a longtime furry figure who was only five years older than me, has me taking stock.

I find myself asking how the hell I would even inform everyone of my passing, because I've worked so hard to keep the barrier up between Offline Me and Online Me. For good reason - me and my family would endure genuine difficulty if word got out that I pretend to be a skunk lady on the internet, and that's just general background radiation. A targeted harassment campaign would destroy lives.

But this, feels like the cost of that; never letting the two mix, means I can never fully let someone into my life, and in turn, when I leave this life, I run the risk of being an empty spot that people always wonder about but never can confirm.

I suppose I could charge a few people with the task of informing everyone of my passing, but... what a grim request.

Or I could find somebody to love, but what are the odds of that?