Otherworldly

Maxwell Graf, the creator behind Rustica, has been on a longer hiatus from creating in Second Life. But yesterday he dipped his toes back in with the release of a versatile mesh fire, intended as a high-quality replacement fire for fire places, torches etc. Of course, since it is fully modifiable, I decided to do something rather different with it and created a demonic landscape with black crystals and fire. The fire can be turned on and off with a click and you can also edit the way the three different meshes that make it up fit together by editing linked parts.

The pose is Dark Matter by Be My Mannequin? and it is perfect for showing off the striking Draugr skin by Fallen Gods, here with the addition of the Orthae tattoo in silver. The hair is by Mythril and it allows you to set various specular maps; here I went for one with a fiery effect to match the surroundings.

The Butter slip from Faida may look modest enough from the front, but the back definitely makes it worthy of being at the current round of Kinky, as it reveals more than it hides. But this time around, you’ll have to check that out for yourselves! I also recommend looking at the special lace versions of Butter, the lace work is fantastic on those.

The Art Deco set from Dutchie is one of my favourite living room sets and here I have added the latest Dutchie release, a beautiful antique chandelier that is available at FaMESHed. You have the choice of six different metals and two sizes that vary in regards to the length of the chain. This is the perfect centerpiece for any room that needs that extra bit of opulence.

Both poses come from the A Lady Like That set from Sassy Sweet Poses, available shortly at La vie en pose which opens today.

With new and old items from the Dreaming Thicket, a tattoo from Fallen Gods and a pose from Be My Mannequin? I created this scene of a guardian of an enchanted wood. The gown as well as the tattoo are from the Age of Avalon event, which inspired me to think of a secret haven which not everyone could reach. The amulet—available in sun and moon versions—went well with the priestess/enchantress image and the forbidding stance of the pose makes her seem like she’s not going to let just anyone pass. The landscaping consists of items from Fanatik and Studio Skye.

When I spotted the Violette shirt from Rosier, I knew I had to send Ran shopping. One quick jaunt over to the Warehouse Sale later and a bit of inventory hunting and he was ready, having paired the shirt with the very handy BOM leather leggings from Toksik and a pair of boots from Hotdog.

I then setup the Renaissance Canopy Bed from Fantavatar & Moonstruck in the Cosimo Townhouse from Del-ka Aedilis and told him to hop on. The animations are all intended for couples, but quite a few of them work just fine with a single avatar as well.

The sumptuous bed comes with a HUD that offers texture options for the wood and all the various fabrics.

Eos, the sister of Helios, was cursed by Aphrodite to fall in love with mortals, something she did several times. As always, immortal and mortal made for a poor match, ending in tragedy one way or another.

The “Worlds Apart” couple pose from Be My Mannequin? was conceived of as an underwater pose (it comes in a human and a merpeople version) but I wanted to reinterpret it. When trying the poses out, the idea of Eos descending on a mortal that had caught her eye was the one that stood out.

Journeying alone, she keeps to the less known roads, always with her bow and arrows within easy reach on her horse. The slight, elegant mare is a little too fine to pass as a common traveller’s horse and her own garb might also arouse too much interest. On this evening, she passes near the eastern shore of the peninsula. Some distance out into the water, a pair of houses on tall stilts are visible, their lights beckoning in an inviting fashion.

A litte Thursday quickie using a couple of things from the Fifty Linden Friday’s birthday event and this week’s Dark Wednesday release from Be My Mannequin? I used the Dutchie mid century mirror closet for the photo, which is made so that you can turn your camera around to look out through the glass and get a kind of mirror effect. This pose is one of a set of four close-up poses, meant to be shot from the waist up. The turn of the torso and the look over the shoulder really helps sell the mirror idea.

The style from Wasabi offers two different options for the bangs and a left side or right side braid. The dress from Blueberry comes in four patterns and tons of colour options for the lace and the ties. It also includes fits for a large range of bodies, including Slink Physique Original.

Inspired by the Roman Strategy Table from Del-ka Aedilis, I created this scene of a Roman noblewoman seeing the plans laid out by her husband and then praying to their ancestors, perhaps on the eve before he goes into battle. All the decor pieces as well as the house itself are from Del-ka Aedilis Civitas series, which does a wonderful job of capturing various aspects of Roman life. Note that I did size down the house as well as the decor for this photo since my avatar is small by SL standards.

My hairstyle from F&M Oblivion is not Roman, but I thought it could pass well enough for a the style of a Roman matron, at least during some periods. And the robe from the Dreaming Thicket is more Greek than Roman, but one makes do with what one has!

If you ask me, the best female mesh body in Second Life is still Slink Physique Original. I do have an use Maitreya Lara and Legacy as well, it is virtually impossible to blog without at least one of those, but for a natural, realistic look Physique Original can’t be beat. The hip and thigh area, in particular, drives me crazy on the other bodies.

But like I said, I have had to cave in and start using them for blogging. Still, I am always thrilled when a new release that supports Slink Physique Original shows up! The Iris dress from Faida is one such release and this time Titania Halasy gave herself quite a task, modelling the dress for 12 bodies/body variants. And since it is for the Itty Bitty Titty Committée, there’s a version for Slink Physique Original with the Petite Chest Augment and that is precisely what I am wearing here.

Given the upcoming ban on gachas, I decided to revisit another deviousMind gacha for this post; Chandra Meehan’s gachas will definitely be sorely missed as they have always been designed so that ever item is perfectly useable on its own. For this post, however, I am showing off the full Sylvari set, complete with the rares such as the headdress and the petal skirt.

The pose, which comes with the glowing orb, is another Be My Mannequin? creation. It has a very mystical feel, which is why I went full on fantasy with the look and the surroundings.

The writer of Gothic fiction is here seen in her natural habitat, at a writing desk in an old mansion on a remote, windy moor, her nearest neighbour a crumbling castle from ages past. She wears a blood-red gown and a streak of white runs through her raven-dark hair.

When I received the latest release from Dutchie, a writing desk with a typewriter and other accessories, I couldn’t resist pairing it with this gown from the latest (and final?) gacha from deviousMind and setting it up in the Carriageway House from Rustica. The Dallas hair from Wasabi, with its option for a splash of a second colour at the front, provided the final touch.

Still on vacation and on a laptop, so keeping things a little simple. But it suddenly struck me that this pose from Be My Mannequin? would work nicely together with the latest Experience Portal from Fanatik. I wanted something eerie for the EEP setting and green is always a good choice is the colour of sorcery. To match this, I edited the crystal heart prop included with the pose to be glowing green rather than red. I also raised the poseball off the ground, making it seem as if the magic is levitating my avatar.

I picked up both my hair and the outfit from the Wanderlust Weekend sale last weekend; that’s what I call great finds! The hair is by No.Match and the robe from 1313 Mockingbird Lane. I love the fact that No.Match has so many unisex hairs and longer styles for men, I definitely have to get Ran to shop there soon.

A final portrait for now, and probably a bit of a blog hiatus for a week or so. The mistress that followed after Missy Blackwood was Barba Bracken’s younger sister, Bethany, groomed for the position by her father and sister. Alas, poor Bethany soon ended up a head shorter for sleeping with one of the Kingsguard rather than the King, who by then was “fat and foul-tempered”.

For Bethany I wanted a look that was less haughty and a bit sweeter and prettier than Barba. I used the same skin as for her sister (Bella from Logo), but I switched to another Logo head, Chelsea. The hair is from Truth and the dress from Senzafine. I couldn’t think of anything symbolic to give her for a necklace, so I opted for a design from the Plastik that felt fairly medieval in style.

Fanatik has one recent and one brand new set out to help you build cool medieval/fantasy structures. The first is the Breakable Gates set, a collaboration with LR Weapons that provides physics-enabled gates that can take weapon damage and break down. The second is the massive Castle Builder set, with walls, towers, columns and other massive stone structures (as well as some wooden elements that integrate with the stone).

You can preview both sets and what can be done with them on the Fanatik sim, linked above. I have also done a brief video, just showing some of the contents of these packages as I haven’t had time to build anything of my own as of yet. Read on to take a look at it.

Another day, another portrait between (re)packing our bags for Monday. Chronologically, this one fits in before the previous portrait, as Barba Bracken preceded Melissa Blackwood as a mistress. The Brackens are described as a bit stocky and I imagine Barba as pretty but less fineboned than Missy. I thought the Logo Bella head (with its matching skin) might suit that. I also opted for a more casual hairstyle for her vivacious personality. As Barba was particularly known for being buxom, I picked a gown from Faida and Velvet Whip that highlights this very well. The dragon egg necklace would obviously be a present from King Aegon, perhaps as he learned she was pregnant.