Genre: Bride of Hades

The story of Persephone is a troubling one for modern people. A girl, daughter of a god, is desired by her Uncle Hades, who claims her without pausing to ask for her consent. Her mother grieves, drying out the world and making it so that nothing can grow until her daughter is returned. Her plan eventually works, but not until Persephone has eaten some of the food for the dead - in many cases it's implied Hades forced the food on her - and thus is doomed to the depths forever. A compromise is struck, though; for several months Persephone is with Hades based on the number of pomegranate seeds she's eaten, and the rest of the time she comes back to the surface once more - her mother celebrating through an explosion of bounty.

Modern readers often argue that Persephone must have consented in some manner, and the story has even been retold as the secret plot of a girl wanting to escape her overbearing mother. As a story of desire, incest, and the helplessness of women in a world full of people with more power and influence, however, it is a compelling story of loss and compromise for Persephone herself. Robbed of any reasonable choice to determine her destiny, she leverages what power she can to make a life for herself torn between the power of mother, and uncle. Who knows what secrets she holds in order to keep some part of herself for herself in a world dominated by her own family. In the past there were vast cults of people dedicated to each god, and I wonder what the ones who embraced the hard choices of Persephone would whisper to each other in the dark.

Fallen Gods' approach to the Underworld for this Genre is to embrace the pomegranates of Persephone, transforming them into a gorgeous tattoo which begins on the face and curves down ones torso. There is a matching Hades tattoo for men, this time representing the jagged break in the ground he used to abduct her. Both have a lot of versions included; Persephone comes colored and not, and with outlines in a variety of shades appropriate for any skin tone, and Hades comes in five different colors, all of them intense. Covering most of me with modesty befitting Persephone is this hair and veil combination from Anachron. The hair comes either rigged or not - I chose the not-rigged version so that I could fit the hair to match my rounded skull. The hair and veil are both tintable via a HUD, and the latter can be matched to the Greek-style dress Anachron made to match.

I added in a gorgeous mermaid dress from Fission, though, in order to make my personification of Persephone a bit more modern. It comes in four colors, the fabric behind the black mesh shifting into each shade while the black remains consistent. I tinted the gray a rich gold in order to make it match up more effectively with the rest of my accessories, and the effect is striking! Fission also lines the inside of their skirts and rounds the edges of the gown nicely, and it's well rigged despite the mermaid style being tricky around the knees. Finishing out my goldy dark look is a fantastic flowered halo from Souzou Eien. It's well placed, with a large ring and lovely gems tucked into the hearts of each flower. The final detail from Genre is a ring and necklace pair from Bliensen + MaiTai which are actual blinking eyes. It's startling the first few times you're not paying attention and something moves at your neck - definitely a creepy final effect.

Two final points that add a lot to this look - my Glamistry heels are one of their older releases, but they are an amazing combination of straps and chains which are placed with exacting detail and tie in to a band down the arch of the foot. I love them for how brief they are, and for the double layered platform which jogs in under the sole of the shoe. Like all Glamistry shoes they are recolorable via a HUD, and after the initial color is purchase the others can be added via the HUD for a lower price. All of the colors are available for mixing and matching as well, which makes these some of the most versatile shoes on the grid.

I also couldn't do anything I do without the fantastic poses I buy from pose makers who are often under-appreciated. Grafica is one of my favorite stores, having a wide variety of styles and moods including a bunch of poses from both modern and historic dances. There are floating and leaping poses as well, which make picking what I'll be doing in a given image really a treat! Make sure to check out Grafica when you're looking for a way to move yourself into the best images and I'm sure you'll be happy.

Genre (Anime): Cherry Blossom Decadence

There are many themes which Anime has brought out of Japan, and one of the most evocative and enduring is cherry blossoms. They represent ephemeral beauty, not simply of the "Nothing gold can stay" variety, but of the swift death of the warrior in pursuit of her ideals. In Japan, early spring is the time of Hanami where friends and families gather together under the cherry blossom trees to eat, drink, and celebrate - a tradition that goes back for centuries. Gifts of cherry trees were given to the United States after World War II and planted around the Tidal Basin there among the monuments to presidents Thomas Jefferson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, as well as the memorial for Martin Luther King, Jr. There is nothing quite like that double row of trees - one above the rim of the basin in an endless curve, and the other reflected back as the water gently laps against the wall.

My introduction of the cherry blossom as something brief, beautiful, and redolent of death was through CLAMP, a famous quartet whose many stories made the leap from drawn material to anime. It's difficult for me to say which of their many creations is my favorite, but my love hops nimbly between Card Captor Sakura (one of their gentler Magical Girl series), Tokyo Babylon (side story to X/1999 whose focus is the love between a pure boy and a cruel man), CLAMP School Detectives (another X/1999 side story, completely unrealistic and enormously fun), Angelic Layer (a Magical Girl story once removed), and xxxHolic (a mind-bender of a series, and companion to Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles). Cherry blossoms take a central roll in Tokyo Babylon; the two main characters, Subaru and Seishirō, meet under a cherry in full bloom and death and beauty haunt their entire, destructive interaction. I find the melding of sweetness and murder enticing, and all of that is contained within a cherry blossom.

It seemed appropriate for me, therefore, to settle on cherry blossoms for my second look from this month's Genre. Vengeful Threads' kimono-inspired mini dress is covered in pink cherry blossoms on a black field. The wrap dress has a wide belt, reminiscent of an obi without having the same straight shape; the color-blocking harkens back to other traditions without hewing too closely to them. I love the long leg-warmer boots, and the distance between the hem of the skirt and the top of the sock is just wide enough to be evocative. I couldn't resist the lure of impractical clothing with weaponry, though, so I added a bamboo shinai from Souzou Eien - also available at Genre. This is a wonderful, basic training sword and comes with three included poses that can be switched between by tapping the sword. You can also do what I did, and have it go along for the ride as you pose!

I went simple for the hair, choosing a solid, unrigged mesh style from Chimeric Fashions, who typically does some rather wonderful masks. It's a twist updo with large buns in the back, and since it's a single object it's easy to resize to fit a variety of head shapes. I particularly appreciated the big buns as they gave me a place to tuck hair sticks from Distorted Dreams; the lavender was a touch less pink than the rest of my look, but it made for a softer counter-point to an otherwise bright ensemble. There are two versions - one with beaded dangles and the other without - and my only complaint is that I don't have them in every color of the rainbow! I'm a total sucker for hair sticks. They default to facing forward, but I found it easy to shift and reposition them to the back of my head instead, and they can easily be adjusted to work with any hairstyle. Adding a third lavender accent is a tiny, floofy and cute doll from Muse that I fit against the front of my head. The little flower and ribbon bedecked ornament might not quite fit with my ...ruthless presentation as a cherry blossom assassin, but my love of sparkles and adorability won out over all other considerations.

Genre: Modern Femme

We're a little over halfway through Genre's Androgyny event, and the offerings remain glorious. What I particularly appreciated is that there were unisex offerings from the femme side of things as well as the butch; there is a tendency for androgyny to be boiled down to streamlined and on the butch end of things for everyone, and so I was thrilled to see some offerings on the more femme edge, while keeping simple, straightforward styles; even boys deserve bows. Apricot Paws offered up a dress with a wide range of boob options: from flat to enormous, which can work for all sorts of avatars: human or not, and all sorts of genders: male, female, and other. The dress is color change, both the main body of it and separately the narrow band of color around the waist with a sweet bow in back; I love the subtle nods to an obi-style belt on an otherwise contemporary dress. The front and back colors are different, with a seam line along the sides, offering up some variety coming and going. It's also a simple, slightly asymmetrical shape which is rigged well to the thighs, moving naturally without cutting at the midline between the legs. Now and then a curve might cut into the thigh a little, but outside of static poses it isn't too noticeable, and in those - for photography purposes - a little angle goes a long way. I paired it with a bolero from Peqe that I picked up at the last Genre event; I love the combination of the high color, loose curve from the neck down, and belle puffed sleeves. It fit nicely over Apricot Paws's dress, a valuable ability in a bit of outer-wear.

My dual colored hair from Alli & Ali offers up another perspective on androgyny - closer to the Gemini effect than the place where male melds into female and the line between becomes obscured. The style is short and sassy, with fluffy curls and a nice curve around the ears large enough to fit even my oversized ones! I especially like the sideburns, long enough to be boyish while short enough a woman could rock the style as well. Also on the masculine edge, I'm wearing boots from C L A Vv again, this time in a warmer shade of brown to complement the soft blacks of the rest of my look. I love their heavy, platform weight - especially in contrast to the brighter colors and pastels of the rest of my look. It knocks this back from "Deo is her usual feminine self" closer to the spectrum which encompasses androgyny. And finally, hanging around my neck and layering perfectly between my dress and bolero is this adorable crystal necklace from Souzou Eien. I love the style of the necklace itself, a narrow leather band that hangs high around the throat with a long, descending length above the chain - it sets it apart from other, wider-shaped necklaces, and makes it work better within the narrow teardrop of skin I'm flashing. It comes with a color-changing HUD as well, through a variety of pale shades perfect for the crystal-lover on the go.

Genre: Time with the Elephants

Genre's back again and covering Southeast Asia, which not only encompasses a lot of India, but touches lightly on Indonesia and Thailand with some charming mashups around the edges - all set to the sound of screaming peacocks showing their feathers. My Luminary dress, a lovely calf-length fall of skirt with an empire waistline, is reminiscent of a long Kameez without the accompanying pants and scarf that would make it a Shalwar Kameez, which is found across Southeast Asia as a comfortable and beautiful type of outfit meant for both men and women. This is a more girly cut, though, low in the bodice with an empire waistline, and with a modern, calf length. I love the fullness of the skirt, with big loops of fold which move in an interesting way with various poses. The mesh edges are finished well with the texture going well up under the skirt, high enough even for the most finicky photographer.  One touch I really loved is how seams are included into the texture, giving it a real verisimilitude, and the additional gems set into the front and back make it really unique and fun. For shoes, I really couldn't do better than the toe loop sandal from Bliensen + MaiTai in a variety of bright colors and patterns. I simply adore the textures here - layers of bright, contrasting shades which offer up some real variety in what they can be worn with, and a velvety-seeming base in a variety of shades as well. I also really like the style; many sandals of this style have bare to no coverage on the front of the foot, but in this case there is a wonderful triangle of brightness in the middle of my foot which is quite cheerful. It comes for the SLink mid foot, and also for CMFF and The Mesh Project.

My accessories are numerous and gorgeous, and all pretty much come from Genre this month. Across my brow and set carefully into my hair is a gorgeous, color-change, low-set diadem which can be worn high along the hairline, or lower as I am so that the large jewel in the middle sits right between the brows. It's a new release from Souzou Eien, and combines simple chain with a profusion of beads and the large, central medallion. The color change part is the chain and the gems; the black beads hanging down appear inexorably jet. It matches the additional jewelry from A:S:S nearly seamlessly; both combine circles and dangle in the same charming manner. I'm not normally a nose-ring sort of girl, but with ones this lovely I might well change the habit! I'm also wearing A:S:S nails, though they're part of an older pile of gorgeousness and not a new release. My eyeshadow is dark with bands of bright color across the lids, a release from #adored which adds real drama to any look; I love the smokey edges and solid liner. Added into my hair is a lovely flower from NSP Florals - one of a whole slew of colorful hibiscus flowers set upon delicate gold leaves. My necklace is from yet another choice store, Storybook, and it is a fantastic collar style with large openings and uneven edges which give it a natural, crafted air. The circle of pure metal below the chin is a fantastic touch as well, and echoes the overall "circles in jewelry" theme I have going. Completing the jewelry, on my wrists are the thickly soldered rings of stones from Sad Harlekin, which echo the same colors but offer in more irregular yet still rounded shapes. They are all of a piece with varying sizes up the wrist so that they sit well on my forearms.

The main European touch is this fun hair from Asset, shown in blond in complwte defiance of all of Southeast Asia. The large, loose braids over the skull are really fun and work seamlessly into the long braids over the chest and held with metal bands. It doesn't quite fit around my ears, but that's a minor note for such cool hair.

Mermaid Princess

There was a lovely set of poses among the many princess things at Fit for a Princess, from Uncertain Smile. It's an enormous oyster shell, quite large, with a wide variety of poses set around it and it's enormous pearl creation. It also comes with a few lovely accessories for different poses - like the gorgeous mirror so I can admire my pretty face, and a lovely shell with pearls spilling forth from it. Each of the poses is interesting and unique, and the shell itself would make a lovely addition to an underwater tableau. I could have wished for a few more poses taking advantage of the outside, as well as the inside, of the shell - something leaning over the top, for example, or lying back and taking in the sights above, but the variety of poses otherwise is wonderful, including one swimming through the shell, and others in various states of repose from sitting to lying. Like all Uncertain Smile posts I've used, the poses themselves are smooth, realistic, and don't distort the standard avatar mesh, which is really fantastic - especially for over the head poses, where the shoulders can often become disjointed.

I knew I wanted to do a whole mermaid look for it, but all of my mermaid accessories are pre-mesh, and didn't seem quite as fluid and seamless as I'd like. Luckily, however, Genre did a mermaid special and I was able to get a good assortment if mermaiding awesomeness to put together a new mermaid form. The hair first, from Souzou Eien, and is all but made for me - rainbows and shininess, with a fun fin and little tendrils off the sides of my head. This set the bar for a rather spare, colorful mermaid princess, so I added in Sax Shepherd Designs' new forehead jewel set, which has an incredible amount of individuality in terms of tinting them - four different sets of gems that can be tinted individually via a HUD and that look amazing. I love the curves over the brows and the enormous gem in the middle. With my head set up, I headed over to Genre to check out what was in the offering, and found awesome lipstick from Senzafine in a variety of watery colors. I also saw, and thus remembered, this amazing octopus necklace from Eclectica, with it's little tentacles curling around a pretty black rock. I really like the naturalistic style of this necklace,  how it looks like it has the weight and heft it should when it hands around my neck. In order to keep my modesty on top, I layered an old set of scales from Evie's Closet under a new set of rainbow gradient scales from Even Tide. The latter come in a whole set, many colors in addition to the rainbow I'm wearing. And finally, my gorgeous tail is from deviousMind and at the Genre event. I chose it because of the vivid layering of colors, and I fell in particular in love with the edges of the fins - how they curl and lace out at the edges.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Souzou Eien, Dawn Child of Proteus (Genre)
Headdress: Sax Shepherd Designs, Devi Jewels
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Mock, Glitter Pop Eshadow
Lipstick: Senzafine, Sirene (Genre)
Necklace: Eclectica, Octopus (Genre)
 Hands: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands
Scales 1: Evie's Closet, Lumina Nymph
Scales 2: Even Tide, Gradient Mer Scales (Genre)
Nails: A:S:S, Royal
Mermaid Tail: deviousMind, Undine (Genre)

Pose: Uncertain Smile, Mermaid Princess (Fit for a Princess)

Location: Skyrah
Light Settings: Phototools, B/W Light 02
Water Settings: TOR, Ice-like

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Cutie Moon Faire: For Love of Magical Girls

I have a deep and abiding love of Magical Girls.

Magical Girls are a genre of Japanese fantasy, for people who don't know, and their stories center around girls - ages about nine to fifteen - who are given special abilities and use them to transform and, usually, to battle for justice. The simplest stories have two dimensional forces of evil which want to remove something from the world - love, or mercy, or energy. There is often a lot of maniacal laughter, long speeches about how horrible light or kindness are, transformation sequences which save budgets, and a mysterious love interest who can be either pursuer or rescuer. On the more complicated end, the stories interrogate ideas of power and freedom in the lives of some of girls who are simultaneously powerful and powerless. They explore issues of identity, romance, and individuation during the complicated promise of a Magical Girl becoming an adult woman, who has different stories. The closes US analog is Jem, where Jerika has to face issues of honesty, integrity, and identity as she tries to co-exist with her more famous form, Jem, but Jerika is an adult woman as seen by a pre-teen (most of the plot holes vanish if you're twelve) instead of a peer who has been inexplicably given both the power and the responsibility of an adult. Sailor Moon is the Magical Girl associated with the Cutie Moon event, and she is a fine example of the genre; a girl with many faults, who doesn't seem at all special, but who under it all is a Princess who will end up saving the world.

I was never a huge Sailor Moon fan, though I've seen enough of the anime to have a working knowledge of it. My gateway Magical Girl was Kaitou Saint Tail, a largely mundane Magical Girl who steals in order to bring about justice. I was shortly thereafter introduced to Wedding Peach, which is an extremely fluffy Sailor Moon analog complete with these amazing speeches on the part of the main character about the weather and how the villain she is about to fight has offended the universe. It's complete fluff, but so enjoyable. After that I did a quick run through a lot of manga, including Card Captor Sakura, which is aimed at younger girls, until I hit the twisted and adult end of the genre with a hard slap into one of my favorites, Princess Tutu. The one which really gave me insight into the recursive nature of the genre, and the profound aspects of character growth possible, was Puella Magi Madoka Magica, which offers up a main girl like no other, and a Möbius strip of story which is so delightful I finished it and wanted to watch it all over again. I love Magical Girl stories and the powerful girls whose stories are told in so many wonderful ways.

The Cutie Moon Faire offers a lot of different things inspired by Sailor Moon, and I had a ball putting together a look with a few pieces, including one lovely gift. The hair is a really fun release at the Faire from from Wasabi Pills with adorable upswept pigtails and a bang line that I really enjoyed. Usually her bangs are heavier, but this has the little peep hole I could show off a forehead jewel from Souzou Eien in, and it also works beautifully with diadem style crowns. I paired it with cosmetics from Adore & Abhor with stars across the cheeks and a soft, bright red lip to match the red accents to my look. The look itself is an amazing recolor of Fateplay's Sailor Fuku release at the Faire, and I am as in love with it now as I was the last time I wore it - perhaps even more with the pink, yellow, and red color styling. It comes with the wand I'm wearing, and that wand comes with the most amazing HUD which lets me spin around and blow hearts at everybody! I love it so~! I'm also wearing the included boots, which I think would look a touch better if my legs were longer, but which I quite like nonetheless; they have a simple, streamlined style which look like they poofed out of ribbons. The stockings above them come from Kyoto Couture and include the cute bows at the sides of the thighs; if I could get this ribbon style in a SLink adapted form, I would be one happy Faerie. The final touch which sealed the deal is this adorable purse - a gift from someone who made it into the Faire before I did - from Atomic. When I finally got into the faire I was able to try my hand at landing a few others, and ended up with five of the six - which isn't bad at all. I like the stuffed head dangling from the front, and I love how the shoulder band was made, as it let me adjust the purse for different shots so that it always looked natural. Very well done indeed!

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Chibi (Cutie Moon)
Jewel: Souzou Eien, Precious Bindi
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Blush: Adore & Abhor, Princess Star Blush
Lipstick: Adore & Abhor, Fluff Lips
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Hands: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands
Nails: Pin Me Down, Neon
Outfit: FATEplay, Rena (Cutie Moon)
Purse: Atomic, Scout Bag (Gacha - Cutie Moon)
Stockings: Kyoto Couture, Socks No.2

Poses: !bang

Location: Skyrah: ReiKai
Light Settings: TOR, FOGGY Pink Chapterhouse
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

An Interesting Question

For a while now I've been considering slipping in some simpler posts - just a single picture and the credits - as part of having both a more regular blog presence and getting through my inventory faster - as I often stall at an outfit until I feel up to typing up a more elaborate copy and sending out notecards to people. I've gotten a lot of feedback that creators love my copy, and I definitely wouldn't stop writing - dear gods no way could I - but there are times I want to pull together a look, take some pictures which might or might not be good, post them up, and call it a day. I'd love to hear other opinions, though - one interesting thing about blogging so much with intermittent feedback is that it's hard to know what really works, so I'd love to hear what anyone reading this thinks.

This is a fun look that I mostly pulled together to show off some amazing stuff people sent my way, and to serve as a contrast to all the pastel I've been mainlining recently. I think I ended up looking like a hooker - Charlie assures me I look like an expensive hooker, but I'm not so sure. Speaking of Charlie, he's just recently opened a sim for gathering Roleplaying Shops and Information in one place - the sim Imagine. I have a small spot dedicated to rainbows which has a few links to my website and a bunch of items I really like; the bulk of it is a little mysterious, so make sure to look around for nooks and crannies. There are a bunch of spots for affiliate stores, and events which will come later on, and hopefully it will be an excellent resource for roleplayers of all ilks. I particularly like how Charlie combined multiple genres smoothly throughout the sim. I stuck mostly to what I call his "Roman" section, because the shadows were a lot of fun, but believe me when I say the sim has a little of everything.

Anyway, back to my new attempt to support my Gacha habit. The shirt is a new release from a rename old favorite of mine. What was once Rue is Devae, and while the name has changed, the awesome textures have not. It's a delicate, wispy sort of thing, which reveals a lot depending on the angle. Pairing single pieces of clothing is always a challenge for me, and in this case I was helped by an old Rue miniskirt which has come to my rescue before, and which pairs beautifully with her new release. I added panties from Adam n Eve simply because the alternative was flashing everyone, and I ended up with a pretty little lace line along the top of my skirt that I rather enjoyed. Around my neck is a new I <3 RP release from Eclectica so that my allegiance to Death that Rises from the Deep can be demonstrated. To top it all off, I added an old crystal-style hair from Wasabi Pills which I really love. The crystal hair colors are ones she sometimes releases of Fifty Linden Fridays, and they are a wonderful addition to the spectrum of colors she uses. I also really enjoy the delicate hair strands of this style and how well they're rigged to move when my head turns.

I added in a bunch of new releases from Sax Shepherd Designs to my basic building blocks, some of which are meat to go together and others which are clearly not. The petals waist cincher and mules (available at The Theme Park) match beautifully and added a bit of pastel to my look - what can I say, it's a weakness. I was amazed at how well the cincher in particular fit; it's rigged mesh but it fits like a second skin and tucked easily under my shirt. The earrings - huge and fun - are in high contrast but really fit my anything-for-Linden aesthetic. They (along with a series of monocles) come with a HUD to change the colors of just about everything, which is a Sax Shepherd hallmark. The wings are also a new release, and I am so thrilled I can show these off. I got a lucky chance to see them a little early and simply fell in love; they manage to be at once metallic and delicate, and now that I have color changing you will likely see them flutter in and out of my life at regular intervals. The final touches were my cosmetics. My bright and rich eyeshadow from Souzou Eien was just released and comes in a variety of soft fades and heavy eyeliner that I think really make my De La Soul eyes stand out. I added an orange tinted shade from Pink Fuel - one of several shades of metallic lipstick which I simply fell in love with. I echoed it in a fun polish from Flair which has the same saturated shade of orange to contrast with the soft pinks in the rest of my look. I had a ball putting this together, and I hope you enjoy looking.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Ivette
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Earrings: Sax Shepherd Designs, 80's Glam
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Souzou Eien, Fairy Eyes
Lipstick: Pink Fuel, Metallic Lipsticks
Wings: Sax Shepherd Designs, Filigree Wings
Necklace: Eclectica, Octopus Neckpiece (We <3 RP)
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Nails: Flair, Applier 178
Shirt: Devae, Threads / Poet Cami
Corset: Sax Shepherd Designs, Petals Waist Cincer
Panties: Adam n Eve, Ana Lace
Miniskirt: Devae (Rue), Threads / Artist Miniskirts
Shoes: Sax Shepherd Designs, Petals Mules

Poses: HelaMiyo

Location: Imagine
Light Settings: TOR, DUSK Siennarel
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Twisted Color Challenge: Week 51: Festive Eve

Festive Eve is a combination of a creamy white with a dark, dull green which seems to perfectly reflect the winter season. I accessorized my outfit, holly-like, with bits of bright red here and there. It was an irresistible addition - starting with the lips and hair baubles and ending with these amazing shoes, until I became a sort of Holly Nutcracked Doll. The outfit, which started it all, first; it's a full set from Violent Seduction - complete with the cap, the stockings, and a shirt which can also be removed. The inside skirt is beautifully layered, but the framing around the bodice is not, which means the shoulder straps can disappear from oblique angles; the collar is likewise flat but well textured enough that it isn't obvious from most angles. The stars are wonderfully three dimensional and hook in beautifully with the gold braid up the front, which is similarly three dimensional, and I love the ruffles of the skirt and how natural and curved they are. I especially like the texturing of the skirt - the green is actually diamonds of lighter and darker fabric, and the gold leaf patterns embroidered on it are simple stunning. My hair is also from Violent Seduction, though a completely different genre, and I adore how well the pig tails curl down the front and how soft they look. The size and roundness are simply perfect, and they move extremely well with the head - though of course turned-head poses don't work as well as straight ahead. The red baubles are included, and it's available in a ton of colors, though I went with my signature blond here.

My masks is a new release from katat0nik for Collobor88, and I simply adore it. This is actually the white-and-blue mask, but I discovered she had faced it very well, and I could tint the jewels separately - which means shiny green gems. katat0nik usually makes her creations no-modify, but I am so glad she didn't this time, because the effect of the green is simply stunning with the rest of my outfit, and I love this mask and how versatile it is dearly. I was also able to very carefully fit the mask to my face so that it looked natural and if it was made for me, instead of the cheeks hanging over the sides excessively, and I love how it was tucked under my hair when I was done. I darkened my eyes with one of Souzou Eien's lucky board prizes so that they would all but vanish, and took my lips from red to candy apple red with a combination of an Essences base with a Mock layer of shiny, gleaming gloss on top. The final bit of bright red comes from these amazing shoes from Lassitude & Ennui - one in a long list of gorgeous shoes they've released lately. These are simply gorgeous - shiny and gleaming leather with a low heel in a classic style. The double row of gold echo the gold stars on my Violent Seduction dress perfectly, and I love the gear detailing which gives it a steampunk edge that I love so much I can hardly express it. I look a perfect Nutcracker, laughing and dancing my way across the grid.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Violent Seduction, Usagi
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyeshadow: Souzou Eien, Fairy Eyes
Mask: katat0nik, Missing You
Lipstick 1: Essences, Red 01
Lipstick 2: Mock, Lucir Cabaret
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Nails: Orc Inc, Rich Darks
Dress, Hat, Stockings: Violent Seduction, Royal Star
Shoes: Lassitude & Ennui, Emily steampunk shoes

Poses: Olive Juice

Location: Goatswood
Light Settings: AvatarOpt2 whiter
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Twisted Color Challenge: Week 32: Evening Preserves

This adorable dress from Pink Outfitters was sold at the food faire (since ended), and I fell in love with it on sight. The pattern is cute and highlights one of my favorite fruits, the shape of the neck and shoulders is good, and I love the ruffle - which is short enough to be flirty, but not short enough to show too much off. It;s not often I get to encompass a Twisted Color pairing in one outfit, but I think this one captures Evening Preserves even if it's not the usual kind of fruit and there's a lot of gold along for the ride with the orange). I paired it with these thigh-high sock boots from Souzou Eien, though I don't think the color is quiiiite right, edging from a tealish green more toward a perfect green. I love the sockish-effect of the boots, though, and am strongly reminded of some of my favorite accessories from G Field, which were socks to put on over shoes released before mesh was even a dream. My hair is probably th emost perfect bit of Evening Preserves, though - this is a single hair from Analog Dog, but she released a set of colors with fades and this teal-to-orange was simply perfection. I love how it's an imaginative updo, with big and bold curves that really take full advantage of doing hair color fades.

My wings are an amazing new release from Illusions - right now the rainbow version are out for the Taste the Rainbow Hunt, but soon the whole set, with on-touch color changing capabilities, will be up for sale - and you all should buy them like tons of times. I love the curves and curls, and the texture just makes me incredibly happy, like little scales each catching the light at different angles. It's also modifiable, and the veins and membrane can be tinted separately so that you can match anything. Finally, my jewelry is a totally tintable set from Virtual Impressions with pearls and curving gems. I love how many options there are with Virtual Impressions, since it means it can be remade to work with so many different outfits.

One of the funny things about Second Life photography is that like offline photography there is the moments one is caught up in taking the shots, where each shot is it's own world, and then there's the wakeup the next morning when one looks at them all together uploaded, and things which didn't stand out suddenly are totally obvious. In this case, the dimness of these pictures wasn't obvious to me until I was looking at them today post-upload, and I realized one was brightly lit by the on-sim lighting and the rest were decidedly dim and somber. While I don't consider this high art, I do think it is by nature artistic and that often what our mood is reflects itself in what we create simply because it's what seems the most natural at the time. One effect of the lack of post-processing that I do is that I can't post-hoc correct for things I notice later. One bonus is that my level of photographic skill is always reflected back to me in the shadows of my avatar's eyes.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De La Soul, Candace Creamer
Hair: Analog Dog, Tunnel Cake
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Mesh Eye Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Mock, Cleo's Sooty Olivine
Lipstick: Pididdle, LipCreme Peaches
Jewelry: Virtual Impressions, Dionne
Wings: Illusions, Apsara Wings
Hands: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands
Nails: Flair, Set 98
Dress: Pink Outfitters, Foodie Tahnk Dress
Stockings: deviousMind, Sweet Rose Valentine (Taste the Rainbow Hunt)
Shoes: Souzou Eien, Leg Warmer Heels

Poses: !bang

Location: Sea Salts
Light Settings: Phototools - Quiddich
Water Settings: NB, Sparkling Depths

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Americana in Flux

Flux returned after a very long haitus this month, just in time for a very country-specific holiday that is also oddly universal. July Forth as Independence day is very United States-centric, but many different countries have their own days of Independence - or even independence days layered over each other as their longstanding cultures remade themselves again and again. One thing often not spoken about Independence Day - the US one in particular though this is probably a valid shadow on other independence days - are those for whom it is the opposite, for whom it is the celebration of their murderers and destroyers, for whom "independence" is better recognized as "oppression."

I am an odd sort of US Patriot - overall I like the Constitution, though I recognize it as a flawed document made by flawed people who trumpeted liberty while owning slaves and living on land bought by the murder of those who had lived there before. I believe that to be a true Patriot one must not succor oneself with thoughts of US exceptionalism or perfection, but rather realize that some ideals were laid high for us in the early days and we are still far from recognizing many of them, but that is motivation to try harder and not to give up. I think we can do better, and I think honoring where we came from by trying to rectify the mistakes of the past and alter our actions in the present is a better way to live than pretending it didn't happen and we're all post-racial buddies.

Flux is an awesome time to rock the red, white, and blue though, and I think even the French might be willing to swing by for some Tricolor action. The only overtly US Flagish thing I'm wearing are these awesome boots from Momento Mori which I simply couldn't resist; I'm not normally a distressed style of person, but in this case it seemed very appropriate. They are gorgeously textured and really a lot of fun. The three-color stockings from Orc Inc underneath them are also available at Flux, and in addition to being a fantastic fit for anyone they have the added bonus of a SLink Enhanced System compatible food HUD, so you can show off your tinted toes in stocking feet if you want to. The dress, sadly, is not a Flux release, but it was an awesome release from Souzou Eien, and I really loved the drippy detail on the bodice. I also had lots of fun playing with the shadows between the layers - so~ awesome~. I sadly neglected a single frontal shot of this, though a mixture of distraction and enjoyment of these very fun balloons from Weather or Not which were also released at Flux - three options in one, and bobbing fun for the whole family.

My awesome headband with it's little hearts in bright colors is also a Flux release from Lark - and if I remember correctly was either free or extremely inexpensive. Well worth picking up, and I was able to match it up to the headband built into the new release from Wasabi Pills - having a headband already in place made matching it up a breeze, which is a tip I will definitely remember for the future. My awesome nails are one of a whole slew of them also from Orc Inc, and it was really hard to pick the one I liked best; there are even some blue and white and red and white in there for the Danes and Guatemalans among us. My jewelry again drives us into not-Fluxlandia but harkens to an event still in the building stages, the Love Donna Flora event. Casja released a report stating the money is already coming in, and also noting a change in venue for the Donna Flora main store. Hopefully this will ease Squinternet's days and demonstrate how dear she is to so many in Second Life.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De La Soul, Candace Creamer
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Tanya
Hairband: Lark, Heart of America Headband (Flux)
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Mesh Eye Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Mock, Faerie Punque in Navy
Eyedecoration: White Widow, Asia
Lipstick: Adore & Abhor, 13 Lips Blood
Lipgloss: Mock, Mizu Venetian Red
Wings: Deviance, Titania Mesh Fairy Wings
Jewelry: Donna Flora, Monia set
Hands: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands
Nails: Orc Inc, USA (Flux)
Dress: Souzou Eien, Kureji Loli Blue
Stockings: Orc Inc, Red Blue White (Flux)
Shoes: Momento Mori, Easy Rider Boots (Flux)

Poses: Weather or Not

Location: Flux
Light Settings: Places, Las Legunas
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Monochromatic

Monochromatic - literally one color - is when the shades of black and white are used in conjunction with a single color to create a rich field of view. These images aren't actually monochromatic, though - the Salamander eyes I chose from Rue's group gifts are of many colors, and that's perhaps why I'm not as happy with these as I might be (I'm already considering alternatives). One funny thing about how I do photoshoots, several pictures in a single location over space and time in a single outfit, is that while I have some artistic pretensions, I don't think about what I'm trying to convey as much as I might. It's more about the look and me, and how we both interact with the landscape; it's less about trying to capture a mood, or share a deeply held emotion, and I think sometimes that's a weakness to what I do. I am terrifically fond of this look, though; I think it's striking, almost overpowering, with subtle implications on oil and wildlife in the combination of Fallen Gods' dripping Coalborn with a much older Feathers skin of his, which I seem to return to now and then when I'm looking for white. My only wish is that he had adapters for the SLink hand system, as I would have loved to have superior hands, but in the end it's a minor point in an amazing look. I did augment the skin with a little cosmetics - lips from Rue and eyes from White Widow - but it was the blotchy dripping of the skin with the silkiness of the feathers which really dictated this black-on-white look.

The hair I all but backed into; a new, spiky, single sided hairstyle from Wasabi Pills. I didn't use the included texture for the skull - it doesn't work around my ears at all - and I think I like it better for being cleanly shaven. One of my favorite mandalas from my college years has a woman curving over the top, the long hair from one side of her head flowing around the circle of the mandala while the shaved other side mutely protests that extravagance. I was aiming for slightly unnerving, and I think the hair helps; it was pure luck there was a streaks addition to it, which enabled me to continue miking black and white as I went. From there, the outfit was obvious; I had picked up this new Moon Priestess silks from Deviance months ago, but never hit on a look which really called for it's opulent spareness. Since I had picked up the fatpack, I had a pick of the litter, and I settled on white, dark silver, and an opal gem texture available only in the fatpack. Something was missing on the ear, though, so I ended up copying and ripping apart one of the necklaces to make this dual-earring - I'm somewhat, but not entirely, pleased with it, but I wasn't in the temper to try to get the curving bands over the ear to work; perhaps another time. I really love the fit around the hips of the silks, though, and since the whole set is color-change on touch, I only had to fit it once. For the final touch of "priestess will cut u", I added this bindi from Souzou Eien after trying a few different options on. I think it well continued the trend of aggressive jewelry, for all that it is very simple.

All of these pictures were taken in world, in a sim with very muted textures which I further muted with the greying windlight I chose - you can see hints of green on the ground here and there, and a bit of other colors, but in general I aimed and cropped carefully. What I didn't do is apply any filters after taking the pictures - these are all possible in Second Life without anything more than cropping. Winter Moon is a fantastic place to try your hand at unedited black-and-white photography, as all of the buildings and such cooperate with a very monochromatic pallet with some nicely patterned trees. The only hitch is the waterfalls, which are plentiful and full bright, so when picking your windlight aim yourself at the waterfalls and make sure they work (or vanish). One thing I'm increasingly annoyed with, though, is the static nature of my expression in all of my pictures - that sort of calm, slightly smiley look which anyone who sees my photostream is well aware of. The actual facial animations available to us often distort and disfigure the face, being very extreme, but subtler effects can be gained by editing the shape, and now that I've adjusted my facial profile, I may start playing around with subtler emotions in the eyes, brow, and mouth to see how I can more subtly convey emotion. Yes, sometimes the snarling face above is fun - and even appropriate - but more often than not our anger and our sadness are concealed and quiet, not loud and distorted.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: Fallen Gods, Feathers (promotional item)
Tattoo: Fallen Gods, Coalborn (promotional item)
Eyes: Rue, Pluto - Salamander (group gift)
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: White Widow, Pisces
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick: Rue, Lip Service - Gothier Than Thou
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Morgan (promotional item)
Bindi: Souzou Eien, Precious Bindi
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Outfit: Deviance, Drown Moon Priestess
Shoes: Schadenfreude, Ivody Cygnette Shoes

Pose: !bang

Location: Winter Moon
Light Settings: Phototools - Mia Light
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

SL DisneyBound – Week Seven: Kuzco

Week seven of my quick, quick, catch up Disneybound challenge is Kuzco, the "Incan" emperor from The Emperors New Groove. He spends a lot of time as a llama, but I decided for something a lot less hairy for this look, drawing inspiration from French and Japanese cultural fashions for something imperial, and ended up with less a casual look and more a really striking, High Fashion look that would get me stared at on the street. I ended up really loving it, though - it's so impressive and over the top. I found this amazing sim named Luminarios Divide to take pictures in, which had a dreamy, haunted Japanese-style garden. One thing I think about with strongly culturally significant items, like the head-dress which is appropriate for a Japanese Oiran, is cultural appropriation - the taking, redefining, and in some cases gross lack of understanding about aspects of other cultures.

Oiran are rooted in the Edo period (1600–1868), the word becoming a general term for courtesan in the mid-1700s. They were restricted to walled districts by the Tokugawa Shogunate and only allowed out to visit dying relatives and for cherry blossom viewing. Japanese women also ended up being kidnapped or bought by Portuguese traders and their crews; the impression that Japan is more sexual, and the racists stereotypes of Japanese (and Asian) women as submissive and obedient likely has it's roots here. How much do I, a non-Japanese woman, play into these stereotypes when I wear artifacts of a foreign culture? It's difficult to say, and so while I am drawn to these symbols of complicated cultures and rarefied society, I also try to keep in mind the historical and modern implications inherent in them.

This gorgeous hair, complete with the enormous combs which indicate a wealthy Oiran, is from Tukinowaguma - an amazing hair store with a wide variety of well made, unique hairstyles. Whenever I want something that blows me away. When I saw Kuzco's hair, I knew right away I would have to go to Tukinowaguma in order to hope to match the glory of his sunburst-style crown. I added a chain bindi, a new release from Souzou Eien and a perfect fit for my brow; I love how simple and spare it is against the opulence of the rest of my look. My eyeshadow is a slightly naturalistic shadow from Elymode, in shades of red and gold to match the overall color theme, and I paired dark red lips from Heartsick wish a single stripe from La Petite Morte to loosely echo the distinctive red lower lip of the Oiran. Heartsick is currently having a sale to try to raise money for the creator to get a new computer - hers died a horrific death. Finally, the distinctive bright turquoise earrings he wears are more demurely represented by a pair of ring earrings from Earthstones.

My collar is from Rosal, and is my favorite of her many different corset styles - the Unmei - which is loosely based on the Obi, brocade fabric, and silky ties. She recently released gloves and ballet style boots to match, each with the distinctive band of brocade and stylish bow. I paired it with this simply amazing gown from Violent Seduction, based on the styles of 17th Century court gowns in France, with it's low-cute, square-necked top and the heavy, velvet overskirt and corset. My only wish from this outfit is that I could wear the corset part separately; I would love to pair it with a variety of tops and bottoms to enjoy it across the grid. The skirt is rigged to the legs, which means sometimes it's movement is a little odd, but overall it means that it remains puffed out no matter where one goes or how one moves. Finally, my boots are from G Field and come in two parts, so I was able to get the gold and black style of Kuzco's sandals. The top part are actually originally white, but since all of her shoes are modify-ok I was able to tint them to match the gold of the rest of my look.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De La Soul, Candace (promotional item)
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow (promotional item)
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Elymode, Autumn red/gold
Lipstick: Heartsick, Morticia
Lipline: La Petite Morte, Red Stripe Lip
Hair: Tukinowaguma, Tokie
Bindi: Souzou Eien, Precious Bindi Gold/Red
Earrings: EarthStones, Bali Hoop Earrings
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Collar: Rosal, Unmei
Corset/Skirt: Violent Seduction, Versailles Dress (promotional item)
Hands: SLink, Mesh Hands
Nails: Orc Inc, Glitterslash
Shoes: G Field, Open Boots "Vilda"

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Luminarios Divide
Light Settings: CB's Rouge 4
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

ICHP (Dilly Dolls): Faerie in a Story

The world is full of wonderful and terrible things. I'm a Pisces, a symbol of the divergent fish - one always seeking the surface, the other always seeking the depths, tied together with an indelible and unbreakable cord. More and more, I have grown to think that it is by facing these wonderful and terrible things - by embracing the rising joy and the fall of despair - that so many of us truly embrace and live our lives. Just as important as the facing, though, is the knowledge that we are not alone, that someone cares about us, that someone knows us and recognizes us. There are so many people out there living lives of quiet desperation, hiding from their fears while they hide their fears from all the world. I am literally paid to be with the suffering of these groups, to have enough integrity and compassion to rightfully earn their trust, to have enough discernment and disinterest to see them truly through and through, and to still love them. I keep expecting it to get harder, to hit the moment where I realize I'm breaking on some fundamental level, but more and more I feel like I am feeling things more deeply and truly, seeing things more clearly and accurately, riding the highs and lows of more than two hands of lives while somehow maintaining my own, flawed as I am.

On a more prosaic note... I really need to pay my rent and check the mail.

My gorgeous, classic shoes (close up here) are a new release from Dilly Dolls, and I paired them with one of her older releases - this cute, scanty dress. Dilly Dolls' standard is to release color sets instead of individual colors, so any version you pick up will give you a ton of options. She tends to pair things in light and dark, which is painful for someone like me who likes them all, but the prices are low enough I'll usually just pick up all the sets and be done with it! I added these new mask releases from Souzou Eien, which are SO AWESOME. There are a couple which seem more skin-covering, but I imply fell in love with this lace mask which shows the skin through - and since it's mesh, it's easy to refit it to fit my fat head (no, really, my head is rounder than the standard). I had just picked up this recent release from Majika, too, in the triple color version - which is an innovation I wish more hair stores would copy; fades are the best (see, also, amazing dress). To continue my theme of "lets wear things actually released recently", I actually picke dup this jewelry brand new at some sort of Ostara or Easter Faire from LanTN (I think you have to say the end REALLY LOUDLY). I'm neither Wiccan nor Christian, but I love five petaled flowers and amethyst is one of my favorite stones.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De La Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Ears: Illusions, Seelie
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Mask: Souzou Eien, Lace Masque Purple
Lipstick: Mock, Lucir Dandy Lion
Hair: Magika, Rewind
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Jewelry: LanTN, Ostara Pentacle
Dress: Dilly Dolls, Nykki Yellow
Hands: SLink, Mesh Hands
Stockings: G Field, Basic Color Tights - Lilac
Heels: Dilly Dolls, Saula Dark Heels - brown (Promotional Item)

Poses: !bang

Location: The Noble Storybook
Light Settings: Phototools - Jessica Light
Water Settings: Mirror Glass

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only