The Season of Whitecold

The few hours of warmer colours encourage frolicking in the snow, enjoying life in the downpour of glittering, fluttering stars. Just for those few moments before the approaching dark arrives. 

As the light wanes, darker creatures emerge from under the stairs, from the shadows, from the frozen spaces between the quick touches of sun.

They appear solid frozen as first, and you might have to glance at them from the corner of your eye to see them move at all, but as golden tones turn to blue, they are suddenly everywhere, skittering on the ice.

Cold cannot hurt them. They, and many other creatures of the night, indulge in the longdark, in the frost, in the starlight captured in small glints on the snow. It is their season, the season of whitecold.

Scene:
Stairs: {anc} NO LIMITS. Stairs for moonlight 46Li RARE
Chapel: {anc} EDEN. chapel / old . 35Li
Snow: {anc} snow ground (mesh uneven ground) white 1Li
Doves: {anc} NO LIMITS // various different doves
Hound: meadowWorks – Greyhound Poser*
Imps: lassitude & ennui – Mischievous Imps Gacha*

Character:
Skin: Pink Fuel – Doll V2 <Vamp>
Hair: !lamb. Bang Bang Ink
Eyes: IKON – Deadshine Eyes Paradise
Lashes: Redgrave – 39 – Luscious
Nails: Beautiful Freak – Dead of Winter*
Coat & Hat: Fallen Gods Inc. & FAIDA – Ekaterina White*
at Wayward Winter (event ends on 31st January)
Necklace: House of Rain – The Luxury of Tears*
Hands: Slink Casual

Poses:
NanTra – Eternal Beauty 6M
:Picture This!: Jewelry Model 3 Mirror
NanTra – Requiem 1 mirror

The Seasons of Persephone: Winter

Summer was always too short. The time to return took her by surprise every year despite the signs beginning to appear: her skin paled, her hair lost its vibrant colour, the summer greens changed to darker winter tones.

The butterflies transformed to small spirits, twirling around her, eager to return back to Hades. Flower decorations became chains and bones, metals and gemstones. 

The blooming lines across her body sharpened into a strong mask befitting the Queen of the Underworld, the one whose name was barely whispered aloud in fear it would call her attention. Call the attention of the one carrying into effect the curses of men upon the souls of the dead.

As the nature quiets into its winter hibernation, Persephone returns to Hades: the realm and the god. She returns and she rules by his side until the awakening spring calls her back to the warmth of summer.

The dress by Fallen Gods Inc. & [FAIDA] is one of the exclusives in The Epiphany. You can acquire the exclusives by redeeming in your gacha prizes, that way you can get rid of the commons you don’t want and get exclusive shinies in return! The halo by Cerberus Xing is a gacha prize in the same event. The tattoo by Fallen Gods Inc. is available in Create Your Own Tarot event, the skin by Fallen Gods Inc. is from Wayward Carnival, the hair by EMO-tions from Hair Fair and the necklace by !deviousMind from the current Underworld round of Genre.

Scene: Annon

Body: Skin: Fallen Gods Inc. – Pure Ivory* | Tattoo: Fallen Gods Inc. – The Emperor Complete + Gold Filigree* | Hair: EMO-tions – Stephanie | Eyes: IKON – Immortal Eyes Parchment | Lashes: Redgrave – 39 – Luscious | Hands & Feet: Slink | Body: Maitreya

Outfit: Dress: Fallen Gods Inc. & [FAIDA] – Jour Reveur Diabolique* | Crown: Aisling – Savage Winter Crown (snow) | Halo: Cerberus Xing – Tsukiyomi’s Halo (Gold + B) | Necklace: !deviousMind – Lasombra – Vampire Necklace Gold/Silver* | Bracelets – Bliensen + MaiTai – Mano Bracelets Gold* | Spirits: Cole’s Corner – Mana Comet Companion, Mushi Chain Companion, Water Faerie Companion*

Poses: Picture This! – Jewelry Model 3 | {NanTra} – Eternal Beauty 8M | {NanTra} – Eternal Beauty 1M

Sword Day, Red Day

Red had traveled under many names, most of them either forgotten by now or branded into myths and legends. Having a mythical name meant these days simply that your parents had played Dungeons and Dragons as youngsters, so she preferred Red.

Horses had changed to bikes, which in general meant they were much easier to fix than their predecessors had been. Sharp pieces of metal had turned to small blunt pieces of metal of beautiful velocity. The ring of swords had become the drums of guns.

In all this time Red had never changed. She was always beautiful, always fiery, always tempting and glamorous. She was glory and fame, power and control, the beauty of fire calling you closer until you burn.

She was all the reasons humanity had ever needed for fighting each other. She was War, and tonight she was riding to town.

New round of A Tattered Page has just started, this time focusing on Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. War is of course one of the Four Horsemen Bikers of the Apocalypse. The boots by Pale Empress and the helmet by Eclectica can be found in the ATP Library.

Scene: The Wastelands

Body: Skin: Jalwa – Gazala Salt Black Brow* | Eyes: IKON – Hope Eyes Leonine | Lashes: Redgrave – 39 – Luscious | Hair: Exile – Pick Up Lines | Lipstick: Beautiful Freak – Liquid Metal Blood Red* | Hands & Feet: Slink Casual & High | Body Blood Smears: Fallen Gods Inc. – Bloody Flesh 

Outfit: Jacket: Erratic – Tory Cropped Biker Jacket Glossy Red | Pants: Erratic – Zoey Leather Pants Red | Boots: Pale Empress – War Boots* | Helmet: Eclectica – Good Omens War Helmet for ATP Red* | Jewelry: House of Rain – Burn Choker & Rings Ruby* | Sword: Fallen Arms – For the Living Sword* | Particles: Cole’s Corner – Digital Confetti Aura Firey*

Poses: {NanTra} Requiem 3 | !bang Carefree 2 | !bang mini series Overcome 2

Eleven Days of Enchantment

The transition was smoother this year. No lands were lost and the amount of magical energy required to form the Fairelands was at such high levels that the continent grew to the size never seen before.

The Fairelands are awake now and like all living things, reaching toward the spring light, basking in it, full of life and promise. Full of magic and enchantment.
All is prepared, the feasts have been set, the portals polished, the welcoming fairy dances practiced, the dragons pre-lectured about not eating any visitors.
The Fairelands are here, the magic has arrived. You have eleven days to step through a portal and join the Faire Folk before the spells anchoring the Fairelands into reality fade once more. Eleven days to live in the fantasy world continent, eleven days to be all you want to be. Eleven days of enchantment. 

Fantasy Faire 2015 has just opened! You can begin your journey here in the Fairelands Junction, which has portals to all the other sims. This year there’s ten shopping sims and three additional ones: Fairelands Junction, Poseidon’s Abyss (Arts & Entertainment) and Ravenshold (The Lost Land Hunt). There’s Literary Festival, dance and particle shows, DJs, roleplay groups, May Day Ball, jail & bails, auctions… the eleven days are packed. Read more about it all in the Fantasy Faire website.

You can find The Muses and Analog Dog Hair in Tangleshimmer Grove, [Gauze] in YoZakura, [MUSE] and Stitched in Spires of Andolys and .:Soul:. and Cole’s Corner in Ichi-go Ichi-e. The tattoo by Fallen Gods Inc. is a hunt prize in the Fairelands Hunt: The Lost Land.

Scene: YoZakura in Fantasy Faire 2015 | The Muses – Titania’s Feast & Chaise*

Body: .:Soul:. Davina (F4) Violent Toned FB* | Eyes: IKON – Hope Eyes Leonine | Lashes: Redgrave – 39 – Luscious | Hair: Analog Dog – Sola Splash* | Tattoo: Fallen Gods Inc. – Ammonite Full 100%*

Outfit: Dress: The Muses – Coil* | Shoes: .:Soul:. Cthu Shoes* | Bracers: Stitched – Astraea Bracelets* | Collar & Crown: [MUSE] – Maiden of Tuatha Gold* | Staff: [Gauze] – Alchemist Staff Animated Mana* | Sprite: Cole’s Corner – Water Faerie Companion* |

Poses: {NanTra} Eternal Beauty 6M | Picture This! Magi 2 | (*chanimations – alchemy_look

The Truth About Fluffzoid 8

“This whole nonsense about sending defenseless tourists into Fluffzoid 8 is insanity. These are no ordinary rabbits, these lagomorphs. They have a vicious streak a standard distance unit wide.”

“They require an expert training hand and unquestioned authority to tame properly and even then they might occasionally… leap and… nibble.”

“The point is that as much as this travel arrangement brings in credits home to Gothulon, it must be organized with extreme care. Obligatory life insurance is not enough, there’s reputation at stake as well.”

“Every expedition must have a trip leader from Gothulon with sufficient authority to keep the cuddle of bunnies at bay and every tourist must be equipped with appeasement carrots. In case of an emergency, remember the distraction power of the light and sound display throwables of Antioch.”

Futurewave has its travel teleports still open until midnight March 1st. If you haven’t visited yet, zoom on over! The jacket by Senzafine, android legs and hands by Star Quality, makeup by Beautiful Freak, eyes by Pin Me Down and the eyeware and data pad by BluPrintz are all available there.

Scene: Futurewave

Body: Skin: League – Sia Fair Bloom | Hair: ~Tableau Vivant~ Snowbunny hair | Eyes: Pin Me Down: Mecha 16* | Makeup: Beautiful Freak – Circuit Makeover Black*

Outfit: Jacket: Senzafine – Eclipse Womens Jacket Carbon* | Legs: Star Quality – Android Legs Black* | Hands: Star Quality – Cyberhand Black* | Eyeware: BluPrintz – Tech Spaces Moon* | Data Pad: BluPrintz – Data Pad* | Headpiece: @->~ISD – An Alien Cure Headpiece Red*

Poses: :Picture This!: Jewelry Model 1 & Magi 2 Mirror | {NanTra} Eternal Beauty 6M*

Vanda de Galaxiae

The Blue Orchid of Ganymede, the Andromedean Nova, the radiant Vanda de Galaxiae is the indisputable governess of the kinetic arts.

Her performances hail back to the ancient movements of what was once referred to as ‘dance’, but elevates it to the current standard with the aid of precision programming of her custom-designed body.

The marvels of Vanda’s body provide it motions not usually available to humanoid life, showing that the only limit she has is her boundless imagination.

The lighting is especially constructed blue spectrum from Betelgeuse, a colour palette so loud that de Galaxiae never uses audio-additions in her shows, relying on the shivering humming sensations the blue spectrum causes within bio-organisms.

Vanda de Galaxiae performs at the Orchestration Nebula on the eleventh unit of the local day cycle. Permission codes still available, check your personal holo service.

The outfit by Zibska (actually parts of two outfits), chest implant by Chaos, Panic and Disorder, android arms by Star Quality, strange alien artifact with poses by {NanTra} and the HoloBox and the other furniture by A World Made of Light are all available in Futurewave.

Scene: A World Made of Light – HoloBox* | {NanTra} What is this Thing*

Body: Skin: De La Soul ~ Candace – Ceredil – Dark – Chameleon  

Outfit: Zibska – Amphitrite with Otthild Headpiece & Skirt* | Chaos, Panic & Disorder! :*:CPD:*: Nemesis Chest Implant* | Star Quality – Android Arms Black*

Poses: Part of the Thing – {NanTra} What is this Thing*

Within and Waiting

Did you really think we were gone? The phantasms of the night, the grim terrors from under your bed, the dancers in the dark, the seduction of the shadows?

Did you think your rules and laws and denial of your own imagination locked us out? That all your burning mountains of books and censoring of the stories old as time removed us from existence?

You cannot destroy us for there are always those flying on the wings of fantasy, delighting in visions and what-ifs, those who are mortal enemies of the Moral Climates of Realism.

You cannot destroy us for we are within you. Silly human. We are within you and waiting.

I was delighted to find Usher II in Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles. Not only because of the goth opportunities it provided, although I admit enjoying classic Poe-induced drama within a scifi mindset, but mostly because of its message. Of humankind becoming an enemy of its own imagination and banning all the flights of fancy, all stories that are not strictly based on reality. Now that is a depressing vision of the future and well worth the vengeance Mr. Stendahl so cunningly wove in the story.

The outfit by Pale Empress and the eyes by !Chop Shop! are both from A Tattered Page. There is now a central Library for your shopping convenience, although the items are also available in the main stores.

Scene: *~ by Nacht ~ The Crypt 

Body: Skin: Kooqla – The Queens Black w/o brows | Brows: +Nuuna+ Black Eyebrows | Liner: Beautiful Freak – Odetta Eye Makeup Blood Red* | Eyes: !Chop Shop! – Crystals | Lashes: Redgrave – 39 – Luscious | Hands: Slink | Nails: Beautiful Freak – Lucrezia ldg2* | Hair: Analog Dog – Tootsie Blacks

Outfit: Gown & Mask: Pale Empress – Usher II* | Jewelry: House of Rain – Horror Holiday Necklace & Earrings*

Poses: {NanTra} – Eternal Beauty 6M | {R} G1 | {NanTra} – Eternal Beauty 2M

Skadi Speaks

It is time. The time of darkness lit only by the snow and the wild foxfires across the sky. The time to raise your glass to King Winter and welcome him in.

Let the winds blow and scathe, let the frost bite until all the humans see the wisdom of staying indoors and warming each other. Let the lights blind their eyes until they learn to love the soothing darkness.

Let the frost embrace and cover the world, pulling silence after it like a cloak. Let the snowflakes dance in the air, let the sound of their falling be the only audible thing.

Deep in the frozen silence, where no sound of life dares to emerge, Skadi speaks.

Gothmas by Gaslight opened today and it is held on two sims: Cursed and Sium. The outfit by Pale Empress, pendant by House of Rain, makeup by Beautiful Freak and the two first poses by {NanTra} are all available in the event, the booth slurls in the credits. The hair by Tableau Vivant is from the current round of Collabor88.

As for Skadi that the dress is named after: she’s a Norse goddess of winter, bow-hunting, skiing and mountains, sometimes theorized to be also connected to the darkness. I felt it was just right to let her speak for this one.

Scene: Gothmas by Gaslight

Body: Skin: [KOOQLA] Bisquit . Pure 04 (db) | Eyes: IKON – Spectral Eyes Wight | Hair: ~Tableau Vivant~ Snowdrift Hair B&W | Hands: Slink | Lashes: Redgrave – 39 – Luscious | Nails: Beautiful Freak – Dead of Winter Nails* | Makeup: Beautiful Freak – Bitter Winter Makeover Black*

Outfit: Gown & Collar: Pale Empress – Skadi* | Pendant: House of Rain – Daggers Necklace*

Poses: {NanTra} Merry Deathmas 1 (with red goblet)* | {NanTra} Merry Deathmas 4* | Picture This! – Magi 1

Keep Walking

“Of course we come out at daytime as well. No, the sun does not really burn us. No, we do not turn to stone at the touch of sunlight.”

“Parasols are convenient though, even on beautifully soft and cloudy days. …no, not because of the sunlight, didn’t you listen a word I said? They’re convenient to twirl and preen with, the best accessory of them all.”

“Not to mention that if you fold it, you have a sharp poking stick weapon at hand. Just in case. Where was I? Ah yes, the stories about turning to stone at sunlight? Complete myth and fables.”

“Although if I were you surrounded by all these statues paused in play, I’d keep walking. Just… keep walking. While it’s still daytime.”

World Goth Fair continues to provide you with all the things you need for the darker flair of day or night. You can find the blouse and skirt by Senzafine, tights by ~Cannibelle~, shoes and bracelets by Bliensen + MaiTai, skin by Jalwa and the parasols and poses by {NanTra} from Cursed. The makeup by Beautiful Freak and the hair with veil by Redux! can be acquired from Sium. The eyes by Chop Shop! are available in Port Seraphine.

Scene: World Goth Fair – Port Seraphine

Body: Skin: Jalwa – Celine – Gold Smoke Eyeshadow* | Hair & Veil: Redux! – Mourning Hair & Veil Shadows* | Eyes: Chop Shop! – Morrigan Blue* | Lashes: Redgrave – 39 – Luscious | Liner: Beautiful Freak – Demonia Royal* | Nails: Beautiful Freak – Loli Nails* | Hands: Slink

Outfit: Top & Skirt: Senzafine – Belladonna Blouse & Aconite Mini Skirt Sapphire* | Tights: ~Cannibelle~ Lace Insert Tights Black* | Shoes: Bliensen + MaiTai – Morticia Black/Black* | Bracelets: Bliensen + MaiTai – Mano Bracelets* | Necklace & Earrings: House of Rain – Love Hurt Bleed Black* 

Parasols & Poses: {NanTra} Promenade* 

Phasing Out

It’s almost time. Do the last supply runs, double-check the charts, calibrate the portal. Make sure not to forget anything behind, not a single thing of value, not even a stray circuit.

The portals are opening all over, the slower ships have already flown off, the time machines rolled back — or forward — just the ones who have either the tech or the innate ability to teleport have stayed.

Futurewave has 34 standard time units left before it phases out. Enjoy its last moments and make sure you don’t kick yourself later for forgetting the repairs-upgrades you wanted all along.

If you haven’t yet visited Futurewave, we’re approaching the last day fast. The event will close on Sunday 23rd at midnight SLT, but worry not: we will return next year! As for repairs-upgrades in this post there’s the dress by Zibska, boots by GALLACTIC, necklace, collar and background orrery by Spyralle, poses by {NanTra} and eyes from ~*By Snow*~ that are all available in Futurewave.

Scene: Spyralle – Orrery Panel (Mesh) – Silver

Body: Skin: Fallen Gods Inc. – Onyrica Mimic Argent* | Eyes: ~*By Snow*~ Citadel Eyes* | Hair: LaViere – Momo BlackTip | Hands: Slink

Outfit: Dress & Cuffs: Zibska – Bellatrix | Body Suit: GALLACTIC – Sheer Circuit White* | Boots: GALLACTIC – Eclipse Boots White* | Necklace: Spyralle – Wearable Comm Hub Model rrl8b* | High Collar: Spyralle – Sensory Array Model 24p2*

Poses: {NanTra} – Requiem 1 | 3