Galactic Gardens

“This is Wigglenaut Pandanski to Wigglenaut Bunaire, do you copy?”

“Copy what? I think I have paper and a pen somewhere… ohlook, birdies with handy headlights!”

“…do you hear me?”

“Of course I do, that’s why I answered, see. But look at them, so convenient! ‘n I think I see blue light at the roots of these flowers.”

“We have a Close Encounter of the Third Kind, Wigglenaut Base, I repeat, we have-“

“Where’s the first and second? Ohoh, there’s another down there! But I don’t see the third…”

“The alien seems non-hostile and appears to be trying to communicate.”

“He’s waving! Let’s wave back! ‘n wiggle our ears, he has excellently big ears for wiggling, I bet they talk through that.”

“Wigglenaut Base, I request fast-forwarding my retirement request.”

“Maybe if I’ll put a candle on my head, the birdies will talk to me, what do you think? I wonder why the blue-friendlies don’t float, do they have glue in their paws…”

“The faster the better. PLEASE.”

The brave wigglenauts are adventuring in a Galactic Garden created with plantlife from Cerridwen’s Cauldron, the best source for fantasy, scifi and plain exotic flora on the grid. If you have ever wished to build your own space settlements, now is an excellent time to shop there, for the creator of Cerridwen’s Cauldron, Elicio Ember and his family need help. There’s Filling the Cauldron fundraiser going on if you want to join in as a merchant, entertainer, blogger or an artist, as well as several other ways to help. There’s also a Design a Garden Contest if you wish to build a Galactic Garden of your own and show it to others, too!

Galactic Garden:
Cerridwen’s Cauldron: Kadra Vine Tree v2 Set | Winter Underbrush | Floating Tuberplant v2 | Chalice Flower Set*
Titans: Tookies Sapphire
-Pixicat- Space.Companion Albino & Panda
{anc} cocktailbirds

Spring Secrets

“But how do the eggs get into the hooman world?” Cheepy the Third inquired. “We work hard all year with the eggs and flowers and butterflies and the exact right tone of yellow, and then one morning they’re just gone!”

“It’s the Guardians of Spring Secrets,” chirped Squee the Fifth. “Once we’re aaalmost ready, they send out someone to check our work and when they approve they’ll magic the eggs away, just like that! One wiggle of whiskers and swoosh!”

“Not just a swoosh,” Goldiedots the Guardian spoke up, startling the chick workers. “It takes careful calibration of each bush and hiding spot and extremely patient channeling of spring energies. But that-” He paused for a moment, the official tone changing into an excited squee as he hopped next to the tiny bird and egg tree. “Whoooo did this one? This is brilliant!”

Cheepy the Third plopped down next to the Guardian, shamelessly proud. This year spring would be better than ever! The sun would be brighter, days warmer, birds more melodious and bunnies hoppier. It wasn’t easy to make the perfect spring, but by the Royal Tailfeathers of the Jazz Chicken, it was satisfying!

The spring in Second Life would not be a proper spring without the Easter Hunt in Magic of Oz. Go pick up your egg basket and collect your prizes in Magic of Oz! You can read about how the hunt works and preview the prizes here.

Scene:
Ozimals: Bunny Elite: Spring Dot 2016 – Gift at Magic of Oz Easter 2016 Hunt
~Libertine~ The Magic of Oz – Gift at Magic of Oz Easter 2016 Hunt
~Libertine~ Spring Eggs Gacha 2016 available at Magic of Oz
{anc} happyendpark. color little chick (natural) 5Li at The Arcade (March 2016)
Cerridwen’s Cauldron – Eggplant-Rainbow – Gift at Magic of Oz Easter 2016 Hunt
~silentsparrow~ Sweetums – Gift at Magic of Oz Easter 2016 Hunt
Schadenfreude – Sensio Meowlbit – Gift at Magic of Oz Easter 2016 Hunt
+Half-Deer+ Egg of Jewels – Gift at Magic of Oz Easter 2016 Hunt
Cole’s Corner – Moonbeam Aura, Glamour Glitter, Sakura Body Ambience*
The Looking Glass – Dream Fields

Flutterpaws, the Dreamlings of Whimsy

Flutterpaws are dreamlings of whimsy. They flutter and pad and nose their ways through dreams with either endless curiosity or excessive feline indifference. When they find a dreamscape they like, they gather as indeed a flutter of paws, one after another.

Fish or other flickering moving things are often favored, but any dreamscape of shiny surreal things is sure to draw their attention. They don’t make friends often, the flutterpaws, but they do love chasing after zig-zag patterns and making a point to ignore anything they don’t comprehend. 

The yoga frogs inhabiting this particular dreamscape have fortunately endless zen patience toward their quirkier dream-kin. Perhaps the next time this dream will feature less butterflies and flying fish for less feline interruptions and therefore more meditation opportunities.

Sometimes when the flutterpaws feel especially whimsical, they invite a dreamer to join them: transform and transport, all for the sake of momentary amusement and an extremely puzzled dreamer with a story to tell when they wake up.

Scene: 
lassitude & ennui – Flutterpaws at the Gacha Garden*
meadowWorks – Lotus Wishing Lanterns at Home & Garden Expo*
meadowWorks – Yoga Frogs Gacha at Home & Garden Expo*
{anc} picnic / swallow tailed butterflies at The Chapter Four
{anc} I’m planet / wrapped melt moon, fish puddle & school, my bijou ring
Cole’s Corner – Oracle & Bokeh Particle Sets*

Avatar:
Skin: Pink Fuel – Doll V2 <Vamp>
Mesh: Slink Hour Glass Body, Logo Alex Head
Hair: Magika – First Light
Nightie: Fallen Gods Inc. & [FAIDA] – Chaleur Court White, Camisole Hourglass*
Feline Bits: c(Two Cats) Fantasy Neko Ears & Somali Neko Tail

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

Born of Starlight

Frost spirits are born in small globes of ice, slowly formed of snowflakes and a touch of bright stars. When they open their eyes, the stars are the first thing they see, so their light will spread through the little spirit, filling it with the only glow that can pierce the wintry darkness.

New snowflakes begin to form around the spirit, created out of the cold starlight, dancing in joy and celebration. Some of these flurries spread out and fall until they condense into a new globe of snow-glow, a new frost spirit.

When the frost spirit is strong enough to break free, they will simply move through the ice globe for there is no capturing light. In mere moments the sphere is but a bauble in their hands, a small trinket that they send out into the skies to create new spirits.

Once free, the frost spirit will embrace the cold air, dancing between the stars and the wintry earth, spreading the starlight on the black ground and dark trees, covering them all in sparkling white snow.

Scene: {anc} Glass Ornament Pods at Tannenbaum

Frost Spirit:
Skin: Fallen Gods Inc. – Frost + Ice PG* at We Love Roleplay
Hair: .Olive. the Flutterby Hair RARE
Eyes: IKON – Spectral Eyes Wight
Snow Particles: Cole’s Corner – Snowglobe Aura, Snowstorm Body Glitter, Snowflakes Dancers*
Body: Maitreya Lara & Slink Hands & Feet

Poses: {anc} Glass Ornament Pods (1, 2) | Astalianda – Snowstar | *ED* Adina 03

 

Waltz with Lost Spirits

It is the night of celebration, the night of festivities, the night of freedom. The doors are open, the portals calling, movement from one realm to another as easy as breathing: even for those who do not draw breath anymore.

The music twists within like a golden spiral of dance steps older than time. Left, right, across the border of reality into another, hop to next one, shapeshift, disguise, mold, become: dance.

It is the night when everything is normal and accepted and one can ride skeletal steeds through ballrooms, the night when one can waltz with lost spirits and indulge in the sensation of flesh once more.

It is the night when we all dance, we creatures of grey realms, celebrating the return of flesh and spirit once more. This is Halloween.

Scene:
Garden of Dreams – The Ballroom at the Eternal Hunt
Anc Ltd. – mist cloud [sun gold]
Anc Ltd. – forest lanterns
The Looking Glass – Infinite Love Music Box at the Eternal Hunt
~*Sweet Revolutions*~ Lazy Boo at the Eternal Hunt
deviousMind – Sugarskull Horse RARE

Avatar:
Skin: Pink Fuel – Doll V2 Vamp Pure (blkbrow)
Eyes: IKON – Deadshine Eyes Crimson
Hair: Lamb. – Love
Tattoo: Fallen Gods Inc. – Ammonite
Mesh Body Parts: Maitreya Lara & Slink Hands
Outfit & Parasol: deviousMind – LaCatrina White Wedding RARE
Bra: Dead Dollz – Emmanuelle White at The Epiphany
Bracelets: Mandala – Polly Bracelets White
Red Halo: Cole’s Corner – Infinite Halo (blood) at the Eternal Market
Poses: N/A (AO or included in the horse)

True Colours

There’s always something new in the world. Always something surprising, something enchanting, something that makes you smile. A flicker of a fin, a composition of colours, a splash that turns to a current.

Bubbles become small stars, every fish is a mermaid in disguise, water is really just air you forgot how to breathe. World is made of magic, wrapped in mystery.

It is challenging to see everything clearly, to see the true colours. We have become used to seeing what we expect to see, often in palettes of greys. It takes strength to close your eyes, take a deep breath of air or water and open your eyes to see the magic.

It takes great courage to leave the grey behind and to embrace the colours, great courage to splash along in the currents of magic that is life and be happy.

Scene:
{anc} I’m planet fish school white & pastel at Fantasy Gacha Carnival
{anc} mist cloud Heavenlyblue at Collabor88
{anc} nebra beads Heavenlyblue at Collabor88
Spyralle – Medusa Purple*
Fantasy Flora – Fantasy Sea Grass light blue

Body:
Skin: Fallen Gods Inc. – Oceanica Still Ivory* at Enchantment
Hair: Olive – the Sweetpea Hair RARE (old Arcade prize)
Tail: [D]oki – Jelly Mer White/Purple at Enchantment
Head: LOGO Alex Omega
Body: Maitreya
Hands: Slink

Accessories:
Necklace: lassitude & ennui – Chenoeh neckpiece silver* at We Love Roleplay
Headdress: Aisling – Calypso at Enchantment
Breast Covers: Fallen Gods Inc. – Oceanica Breast Shells with pearls Ivory 

Poses: [Black Tulip] – The dance of the mermaid at Enchantment

Dream Bubbles

Dreams are bubbles over water, glittering in the sun, dancing to the quiet melodies within. We create as easy as we breathe — ideas, thoughts, concepts, dreams — they all float and flutter and escape from our mindscapes with every exhale.

Most of our ideas pop like sparkling soap bubbles, perfect for that one brief moment, then gone, forgotten. Some linger long enough to take form, to grow wings, gain life. It is still a fragile life, in constant need of light and warm winds to carry them, to care and support. 

It takes an immense amount of focus, care and perseverence for the brilliant little bubbles to turn into a full-fledged dream in all her complexities and details, for the creation, the project, the thought to become reality.

But when it happens, when you watch your creation complete and fall up into the sky exactly as you imagined, or even better, exactly as she grew out to be — it is worth all the faded soap bubbles bursting in the sun. Worth keeping breathing, keeping dreaming, one deep inhale at a time.

The delightful bubble dress by chocolate Atelier is from the current round of Gacha Garden and pretty much inspired the whole thing. It is one of the so called Seeds of Inspiration, which means you get it automatically from their machine after you’ve played it 20 times.

Scene: {anc} Bubbles & Ephmera Clear | +Half-Deer+ Bubble Brigade Crab Orange

Body: Skin: Pink Fuel – Doll V2 Vamp Pure (blkbrow) | Hair: MINA Hair – Roosje | Eyes: IKON – Odyssey Eyes Clarity | Hands & Feet: Slink | Body: Maitreya | Tattoo: Fallen Gods Inc. – Ammonite (past hunt prize during Fantasy Faire 2015) | Nails: Beautiful Freak – Romantic*

Bubble Outfit: chocolate Atelier – Tiffany Bubble Dress

Poses: Exposeur – Underwater 7 | Picture This! – Submerge 2 Mirror & Submerge 5

Nifflers at Work: Bunny Season

“Are you sure she said bunnies? It seems like there’s already plenty around here.” The chief niffler had doubts.

“That’s the point, isn’t it?” Bob, the second assistant niffler, nodded. “People always want more whatever it is that’s their treasure. Hers is bunnies!”

“Well, if it’s bunnies she wants, then bunnies she will get. Right, lads?” The chief niffler wiggled his snout determinedly. 

“Yesboss!” The small pack got to work of sniffing out bunnies. It was surprisingly easy, the surroundings were simply full of bunny-nests, hiding places and rollable grass.

“Bunnies, Bongo. Bunnies, not butterflies!” Chief sighed. “Fluffy hoppy things, not frail fluttery things!”

“But look, boss! The hoppy things are attracted to the fluttery things: find one, the others will follow!”

“Not bad, Bongo, not bad at all. …Bob, where did you… how did you… it’s a hoard-horde!”

“They were all in the couch, Boss! All in it. Just rolling and hiding under the pillows!”

“Well, lads, one thing is certain. She’s going to be the bunrichest lady in the world and we, WE are getting a bonus!”

The nifflers by Ohmai Emporium, the hat by LODE and the flutterby bush by HEXtraordinary are all available in the Wizarding Faire. The cotton bunnies by Anc Ltd. can be acquired from the Wayward Carnival that opens later today.

Scene: Home (Private)

Bunnies: Anc Ltd. – Cotton Bunnies

Nifflers: Ohmai Emporium – Nifflers

Select Props: *HEXtraordinary* Flutterfly Bush – Lavender | *LODE* Hat – Albus [green]

Mielikki, Mistress of the Woods

Mistress of the woods, Mielikki, Forest-mother, formed in beauty,
Let thy gold flow out abundant, Let thy silver onward wander,
For the hero that is seeking For the wild-moose of thy kingdom;
Bring me here thy keys of silver, From the golden girdle round thee.

Fair Mielikki, forest hostess, Spake these words in meditation:
‘Claws I should be pleased to give him, And with teeth endow the wonder,
Would he not abuse the favor.’

“Swore the bear a promise sacred, On his knees before Mielikki,
Hostess of the glen and forest, And before omniscient Ukko,
First and last of all creators,
That he would not harm the worthy, Never do a deed of evil.
Then Mielikki, woodland hostess, Wisest maid of Tapiola,
Sought for teeth and claws to give him.

O Mielikki, forest-hostess, Tapio’s wife, thou fair Tellervo,
Call thy dogs and well enchain them, Set in readiness thy hunters,
Let them wait within their kennels.

Filled with kindness was the forest, Glen and woodland full of greetings,
Tapio showing greatest favor.
Fair Mielikki, forest hostess, Metsola’s bewitching daughter,
Beauteous woodland maid, Tellervo,
Gladly led me on my journey, Smoothed my pathway through the glen-wood.
Marked the trees upon the mountains, Pointing me to Otso’s caverns,
To the Great Bear’s golden island.

All of the above are separate quotes from the Finnish National Epic, Kalevala. I found its translation here, so couldn’t resist just locating the Mielikki quotes for this. To all the Forgotten Realms fans feeling confused right now: yes, Mielikki is an actual pagan Finnish goddess of the forest, her name (and several others) were just happily yoinked and applied into Forgotten Realms.

The gown that inspired me to envision her is another collaboration by Faida and Fallen Gods Inc. and it is available in The Conquest event right now. The hair by Wasabi Pills can be found in the same event. The fennec foxes by +Half-Deer+ are a gacha in Kustom9. Mielikki’s foxes should really be red and northern, but the fennecs didn’t take a no for an answer.

Scene: Home in Ambar (Private)

Critters: Foxies: +Half-Deer+ Fennec Foxes | Birdies: Happy Mood | Bear: Birdy/Alchemy – Forest Babies Bear Cub Sun 

Body: Skin: [KOOQLA] Bisquit . Nude 02 (db) | Hair: Wasabi Pills – Keira Cinnamon | Eyes: IKON – Charm Eyes Forest | Lashes: Redgrave – 39 – Luscious | Eyeshadow: Beautiful Freak – Starcrossed Gruesome Gold* | Hands: Slink Casual | Nail Polish: Beautiful Freak – Romantic*

Outfit: Gown: [FAIDA] & Fallen Gods Inc. – Secrets Green* | Headdress & Earrings: Aisling – Dangara | Necklace: .Enfant Terrible. Magic Ride Necklace Gold | Bracelets: The Muses – Vanha Bracelets Bronze* | Honey: Anc Ltd. – Magician’s Honey Drink | Aura: Cole’s Corner – “We Are Groot” Aura*

Poses: Kirin – Florence Pose 3 | Exposeur – Back to Black 2 M | Kirin – December Pose 2