Born of the Sea, Staring into the Sun

They are born of the sea, the Guardian Drakes of the Sunny Shores. Born of the sea, staring into the sun. As their eyes ignite from the brilliance of day, their flames burst forth, patterning their blue scales with gold.

Magic weaves itself into wing shapes on their backs, into bits and pieces of decor around their forms, into a halo of a crown declaring their status. It covers them in its embrace: energizing, glamouring, clarifying.

In the end the Guardian Drake is draped in magic — channeling, breathing, radiating the glow — and is ready to leave the depths of the sea to embark on their journey to the Sunny Shores. To guard, defend, protect. To illuminate.

 

Skin: Fallen Gods Inc. – Draco Water* at Skin Fair
Mesh Parts: Maitreya Lara Body, Slink hands & feet
Tattoo: Fallen Gods Inc. – Fallen Gold Royale* at Treasure Chest
Extra Face Tattoo: Fallen Gods Inc. – Elegance* at We Love Roleplay
Eyes: Fallen Gods Inc. – Glowing Eyes*
Hair: Magika – First Light
Wings & Bracers: lassitude & ennui – Seraphim*
Outfit: !dm deviousMind – Wicca straps & Garona skirt*
Headdress: .Enfant Terrible. Emma’s Halo Gold
Particle Magic: Cole’s Corner – Eternal Flame Set & Fireflies Beam Aura*
Poses: Kirin – Burlesque Poses/Cane Pose 1 | (marukin) [nadja] 1910 | Astalianda – Fallen 5

The Waking Sun

The Sun sleeps through the winter, slumbering in the darkness, the cold keeping her brilliance at bay. The sparks dance around her in slow, near-frozen movements, carrying her through the long months of hibernation.

As the year changes to another, as the season shifts, the sparks come alive. They draw her forward, remind her of the cycle, of the returning spring. Each won moment of daylight gives her strength to shine bolder.

As the fires drive away the slowness of the cold, her focus returns. Every day she triumphs further in the skies, drawn in by her desire to warm up all the creatures she swore to nourish and protect.

The veils are breaking, daylight increasing, warmth wrapping the world in its embrace. Spark by spark, won hour by hour, summer approaches.

The Sun is returning.

The Sun of course begins her return long before our human-decided year-change, but the New Year is still a good moment to take a deep breath and appreciate the approaching spring and summer. Daylight wins more ground every day.

All the best for the New Year 2016, may the Sun light sparks in you!

Skin: Pink Fuel – Doll V2 <Crystal> Pure (blkbrow)
Hair: Lamb. Love – Variety/Ombre/Eccentric
Eyes: Fallen Gods Inc. – Sun Year glowing eyes
Makeup: Beautiful Freak – Nierika Eye Makeup gold & Pin Me Down – Tiken 3, Lip Markings 4, Liner 1
Nails: Beautiful Freak – Lucrezia
Body: Maitreya Lara & Slink Hands & Feet
Body Tattoo: Fallen Gods Inc. – The Name of Light
Accessories: .Enfant Terrible. Emma’s Halo & Veil Gold at We Love Roleplay
Necklaces: .Enfant Terrible. Decor Armor Necklace gold
Particles: Cole’s Corner – Night of the Fireflies*
Poses: N/A | Musa – Fantasy Pose 057 | PoseMonster – Vamp 4 | Kirin – Hera Pose 1

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

Super Maya

Even superheroes have to live with the perceptions of others, with their opinions, with their words and views. All of these are always based on very little knowledge, on snippets of information, ideas, quick glances: often completely wrong.

The opinions of others might feel like a box around you, telling you what you are, defining you. Your own ideas and wishes might begin to appear strange and a bit scary, a dream taking a shape of a nightmare. 

Once you find the courage to ride the dream you will realize that the suffocating box of others views of you is just ignorant guesses telling more about them than you and that you can shrug it all off and ride out to gaze into your own horizon.

It takes bravery to remember that no one knows you better than yourself and that everyone is their own life’s superhero, fighting the unseen battles. It helps to know everyone else has their own villains harassing them and that there are always others willing to join forces with you and to have your back. 

This is a post for and about Super Maya, who is a little six year old girl bullied in school. She dressed up as a superhero just to feel stronger and more able to handle the issue. Axi of Beautiful Freak made these fancy superhero nails just to send Maya a message of courage, and has asked everyone to take pictures of them and to add them in the Beautiful Freak’s flickr pool to send the same message to Maya. The nails are available in Silly 7. The boots by lassitude & ennui are also new and available in Geeks’N’Nerds.

Scene: Garden of Dreams – Showcase Snake* | Culprit – Eku~ine Unicorn Midnight

Body: Skin: Pink Fuel – Sora Alabaster Natural | Eyes: ~*By Snow*~ Citadel Eyes* | Lashes: Redgrave – 39 – Luscious | Hair: Spellbound – Velvet Natural Ombres & Dips | Liner: Beautiful Freak – Odetta Vicious Violet| Hands: Slink | Nails: Beautiful Freak – Super Maya* 

Outfit: Dress: r2 – A/D/E uruwa red | Pants: GALLACTIC – Split Circuit Black* | Boots: lassitude & ennui – Cyberpunk boots red* | Mask: *~*Illusions*~* – Bad Kitty Mask | Bracers: .Enfant Terrible. – Chloes Bracers Black* | Bunny Ears: Remarkable Oblivion – Super Bass Rab8 Headphones Black

Sidekick Bunnies: D-LAB – Flying Bunnies

Poses: Kirin – Florence Pose 2 | Del May – Twisted Arcane 6 Virgo | Kirin – Hera Pose 7

Awaken

The statues line the sides of the bath house, sculpted into aesthetically pleasing poses and forms, the nudity both a declaration and invitation to the visitors to do the same, to drop their garments, their covers and relax.

The black marble seems almost warm under the sun, tinted by the golden rays, the embrace of the heat of day. Maybe some of the statues were sculpted with this in mind, to look up at the source of life, to bask, to admire, to be grateful.

Everyone drops their armor here, even the soldiers. The delicate chains wrapped around the statue’s neck must be there for decoration or offering. Perhaps the statues are seen as the spirits of the bath, watching the people relaxing.

Or perhaps the said statues happen to awaken when the prey is relaxed enough. Awaken and keep trophies after.

The skin by Fallen Gods Inc., necklace by .Enfant Terrible. and the hair by *Milk* are all available and discounted in the new round of We Love Roleplay that just opened. There’s also brand new appliers for the whole Materica line of skins in the Fallen Gods Inc. main store, huzzah!

Scene: Garden of Dreams – Roman Bath* | ~Libertine~ Legends, Table* (the decor in the middle picture)

Statue: Skin: Fallen Gods Inc. – Materica Black Marble* | Eyes: +Nuuna+ – Nuuna’s Creepy black eyes | Hair: *Milk* Hair ~ Queen of the Court* | Necklace: .Enfant Terrible. – Decor Armor necklace silver* 

Poses: {Imeka~} – Katie-Pose 4 | flowey. it’s a time machine | {Imeka~} – Katie-Pose 3

Stay Away

All the stories got it wrong. They paint the forest full of terrors and threats, scare the humans away from our home, turn tales into metaphors of fearing the unknown and not talking to strangers.

There was no human child for a wolf to hunt, wolves know better than draw in angry hunters. It doesn’t mean the forest would be safe or welcoming for their clueless, noisy kind.

Perhaps grandmother really has sharp teeth — you don’t want to get on her bad side, especially during the full moon — but I’d like to see anyone try to take her down. Age brings experience and cunning to the pack, not frailty.

In truth, there really might be a woman wearing red in the woods, but if a huntsman ever raises an axe against a wolf, that tale won’t end well for the human. All the stories got it wrong. Just as we wanted, just as we planned. These are our forests. Stay away.

The new round of Enchantment has just started and its theme is Little Red Riding Hood. The dress by The Muses, necklace by House of Rain, hair flowers by .Enfant Terrible., skin by .Birdy., eyes by !Chop Shop!, wolf by Alchemy, nails by .Infiniti. and the poses by an lar are all from the event. The event items are exclusive, so go shop while you still can!

Scene: Enchantment

Body: Skin: .Birdy. – Red Skin Milk Black | Eyes: !Chop Shop! – The Wolf | Lashes: Redgrave – 39 – Luscious | Hair: Alice Project – Rose (Bloodstained HUD)* | Hands: Slink – Elegant1 | Slink Nails: .Infiniti. Better To See You With

Outfit: Dress: The Muses – Into the Woods Red* | Necklace: House of Rain – Big Bad Wolf necklace mens blood/gold* | Hair Band: .Enfant Terrible. Forest Flowers Red 

Wolf: Alchemy – Fenris the Great Wolf Grey

Poses: an lar [poses] Being Miss Red: Three-A (m) |  One (m) | Two

Step on the Path

New Year is upon us with its fresh resolutions, new beginnings, old hopes transformed and redressed. In the end we all wish for the same: to be happy. The ways we see this happening simply vary.

We might be wrong in our views, in our decisions. They might very well lead us astray, to paths of trouble and stress instead of happiness and serenity, but the only way to know this is to start walking. You cannot decide which path is the best for you by standing in the crossroads.

And so we wish, we hope, we make resolutions every year: this is the year I will take that first step, that right step. This is the year, this is the moment. Everything is new like fresh fallen snow, waiting for footsteps to mark the route to the future.

May you all have the best of years and may your paths lead to happiness.

Gothmas by Gaslight is still running until January 5th. You can find the dress by The Muses, the roses headband by Zibska (I mixed two headbands for the look) and the lantern and pose by Flash Friendly Poses from Sium and the choker by House of Rain from Cursed. The necklace and eyecatcher by .Enfant Terrible. are from the current round of Genre.

Body: Skin: Essences – Clover 01 Pale Dust Brunette | Eyes: IKON – Horizon Eyes v2 Pale Glass XL | Lashes: Redgrave – 39 – Luscious | Liner: Pin Me Down – Liner 1 | Hair: Exile – Turn the Page Frost | Hands: Slink

Outfit: Dress: The Muses – Victoria Ivory* | Choker: House of Rain – Winter Choker Moonstone/Silver* | Necklace & Eyecatcher: .Enfant Terrible. – Lotties Darling Grey | Roses Headband: Zibska – La Vie En Deux Headpiece* 

Pose & Lantern: Flash Friendly Poses – Light the Way 2

Not Quite Twins

Does it really matter if one prefers pastel glow and the other dragon scales? If one’s hair bounces in curly pigtails and the other goes for crimson red with black streaks?

Does the colour of the dress really matter? Black or white, red or purple. To a point it does: the covers reflect inner choices, decisions, preferences. Personality shows in palettes, poses, fabrics, styles. 

Once you go past the clothes, past the colours, past the surface, you’ll realize that there are more similarities than there are differences. Spices, flavors, nuances do not change the fact that in the larger scale of things we are all the same.

Sisters in different personality wrappings.

Almost everything here is from Gothmas by Gaslight. The skins by Fallen Gods Inc. (now complete with Slink appliers, huzzah!), the surroundings from *~by Nacht and the liner by Pin Me Down can be found in Cursed. The jewelry by Bliensen + MaiTai, shoes by .Enfant Terrible., gothbrellas by Pale Empress (gacha) and the dresses by [ SAKIDE ] are available in Sium.

Scene: *~by Nacht – Chalet d’If, Arch Swing (Winter), GxG Gacha Ultrarare Skelly Chair*

Body: Skin: Fallen Gods Inc. – Anemia Opal & Draco* | Hair: Alice Project – Mika & Bethany* | Eyes: IKON – Lucid Eyes Optimism & Utopia Eyes Dark Red | Lashes: Redgrave – 39 – Luscious | Liner on Draco: Pin Me Down – Julie eyeliner 8* | Hands & Feet: Slink 

Outfit: Dress: [ SAKIDE ] – Silent Dress White & Black* | Shoes: .Enfant Terrible. – Wrapped Heels Skull Vio & Red Black* | Brooch & Earrings: Bliensen + MaiTai – Drusilla Bow Tie/Brooch & Pearl Earrings* | Parasols: Pale Empress – Lacey Gothbrella Purple & Black/Red RARE*

Poses: N/A | {Imeka~} – Katie Pose 1 & Reika Pose 8

Gothmas by Gaslight

Soon. In fact: tomorrow. There are two sims covered in snow, hosting a plethora of dark houses and glowing lights in the midst of the permanent night. Gothmas helpers are sneaking about as well as one can in boots that could kill, booths are getting filled with gifts worthy of Gothmas spirit and the gaslight lamp posts are lit to welcome visitors.

Gothmas celebrates the wonderfully monochromatic nature of blacks and whites, of pervasive darkness lit with lights like stars, the natural palette of all things goth.

Let us not forget the red so strongly associated with this time of year: it belongs to Gothmas as well, simply translated slightly differently. Perhaps translated in an older fashion of warm blood on the snow in the lasting dark, the hope of bringing back the sun. It makes as much sense as a jolly man in a red suit, after all.

If you are tired of the forcefully obligatory cheerfulness and all the bright expectations of the season, come walk our paths in the dark, come enjoy the darker twist to the holidays. Come enjoy Gothmas.

Gothmas by Gaslight opens at noon SLT, December 15th. 

The Huld outfit by Zibska and Winter Queen makeup by Beautiful Freak will be available at Gothmas by Gaslight, SLURLs added tomorrow when the event opens. The collier and bracers by .Enfant Terrible. are available in the current round of We Love Role-play. The Sol hair and Prince Edward nails by Adoness are still on discount in the Main Event (last day December 14th). The eyes by IKON can be purchased in the current round of FaMESHed. I would also like to take a moment to point at the skin and squee at the fact that +Nuuna+ has Slink appliers now!

Scene: Gothmas by Gaslight (SLURL to be added on 15th)

Body: Skin: +Nuuna+ Kati Skin Goth | Hair: Adoness – Sol Scarlet* | Eyes: IKON – Spectral Eyes Black | Lashes: Redgrave – 39 – Luscious | Makeup: Beautiful Freak – Winter Queen Dark Wine SE* | Hands: Slink – Elegant1 | Nails: Adoness – Slink Fingernails Prince Edward*

Outfit: Dress, Collar & Tights: Zibska – Huld Sangue* | Boots: lassitude & ennui – Flutter Boots Cardinal* | Collier & Bracers: .Enfant Terrible. – Chloes Silver* 

Poses: c( Two Cats ) – Miqo’te 1 | aDORKable Poses – 11 of 25 2012 | Exposeur – Back to Black 2