Twisted Color Challenge: Week 4 - Payne's Star

I am really having a ball with the Twisted Color Challenge. Payne's Star was totally a challenge to pull together, and yet I'm really, really pleased with the final result. I ended up finding the perfect gray, tight dress from SL Couture. I was astonished - it fit like a glove out of the box, curving right along the right places and draping gorgeously. Usually tight dresses are way too wide at the hips for me to wear, or curve way too far back, but this mesh was perfectly formed for my shape, and I simply couldn't resist taking some pictures - even if it meant continuing to show off a lot of skin! I echoed the gray in my shoes - a gorgeous set of boots from G Field that I simply adore - and the wings. The sea green of the look came from stockings, also from G Field, a gorgeous Cascade jewelry set from Eclectica, and a short bob from Wasabi Pills. The final touch was a new set of eyes from De La Soul - shimmering rainbow colors in a gorgeous mesh that is lit from within. He has a bunch of new releases - including irises that are actual moving clocks!

I know mesh remains problematic in terms of shape adjustments people have made, but I have to admit that this outfit really made me appreciate it in a whole new way. The way the mesh is cut means the fabric falls so naturally, and the ability of the mesh to conform to my movements means that even leaning and sitting poses work well. It makes it really fun to set up quasi-pinup pictures in random beaches all over Second Life. I'm not quite sure I make a perfect pin up, but I had fun practicing!

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, Realism Eyes - Portal
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Eyelashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Mock, Glitter Pop Eshadow Chocolate
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick: Mock, Sahne Bitter Chocolate
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Noriko (promotional item)
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Hands: SLink, Mesh Hands
Dress: SL Couture, Sexy Cowl Halter Mini Dress (promotional item)
Jewelry: Eclectica, Cascade - bright beads
Socks: G Field, Button Socks
Shoes: G Field, Open Boots "Vilda"

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Mau Loa Romance
Light Settings: TOR, FOGGY Mint Teahouse
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

50 Shades of Sexy Challenge: Week 2 - Better Than Chocolate

I adore chocolate. Milk, Dark, Bitter, Sweet, French, Belgian, even American - chocolate is one of the eternal tastes which seduces and pleasures the senses. One of my favorite forms of chocolate are the aero-style ones, where the chocolate has been mixed with air to form an internal lattice of chocolate bubbles; I love the sensation of melting on my tongue, the odd texturing of bubbles failing against flesh, and how it adds space for really enjoying the chocolate without becoming overpowering. My favorite cocoa is of the salted caramel version, the bit of salt setting off the sweet perfectly. My last batch of chocolate chip cookies I made with large rock salt because I couldn't find the small version, and I liked the hint of it in the cookie as I ate, though I might well be the only one. The chocolate box necklace from Earthstones is the perfect counterpoint to the rich chocolate of my lingerie - a sweet and perfect tiny gift hanging around my neck. The lingerie itself is not purely lingerie, but is rather part of a dress from Wishbox, all of it except for the skirt and this gorgeous gartered corset emerges, complete with ruffled stockings and stylish heeled shoes.

It took a while to find a spot sumptuous enough for the look - I really wanted a giant chocolate box, but the grid did not reward me with what I sought and so I returned again to The Garden Game, to the area of the Temptress which is decorated with marble and flowing water, rich with little puffs of bright colors, a few vases of orchids here and there gleaming in the light. It's an area set up for events, with a stage and piano, but Second Life is sadly not the best place to host events. Even under the amount of people a sim can hold, the quality of interaction often degrades so much it seems barely worthwhile. I'm lucky in that while my computer can't manage higher end graphics, like shadows and depth of field, I can cope relatively well with large crowds, so when I actually attend events I'm often the photographer of choice. My way in Second Life is more often solitary, though; for example, while taking these photographs I was approached by half a dozen other avatars, a couple bumping into me, but not a single one replying to my local chat greeting in any way. Even when other people are on the same sim, within chat range, Second Life can be a very solitary place.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Eyelashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Mock, Glitter Pop Eshadow Chocolate
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick: Mock, Sahne Bitter Chocolate
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Joy 2 (promotional item)
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Hands: SLink, Mesh Hands
Lingerie: Wishbox, Crush - Chocolate Raspberry
Necklace: Earthstones, Chocolate Box Necklace
Shoes: Wishbox, Crush Shoes

Pose: Adorkable

Location: The Garden Game
Light Settings: Places Astryls Wild

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Versaille on the Breakaway

I have a deep love from olde fashioned England, and the Armada Breakaway definitely fits old fashioned in a few difference senses - drawing from older fashioned and fictional sources of Steampunk England, and using older styles of texturing and building which have gone out of style on Second Life. I found it a bit of a challenge to photograph for the latter issue - angling things so that everything looked good, lighting things so that they appear complete, I'm always amazed at the difference a few degrees of angle can have on how the whole world appears. Especially with the flames below - since they're flat instead of three dimensional, simply look at them on end can make them all but disappear! My wings have a similar problem; much as I adore them, I am in the market for similar mesh wings. Had I the skills, I might make them myself!It would make picture taking so much easier if they didn't vanish on certain angles! I really would have liked to have seen what the Armada Breakaway could have looked like updated and in mesh; based on my experience in another sim, not only would the prim counts have dropped, but the intricacy and detailing would have skyrocketed.

Speaking of mesh, both my dress and the shoes are rigged mesh; the former is a new color from Violent Seduction for sale for only 70$L as part of the Cupcakes opening festivities, while the latter are the cream colored Rocking Horse shoes from Wishbox, released recently. I really think they both suit each other, being whimsical and well made. In the lighter shades,  you can really get a sense of the detail that went into the Versailles Dress, and a eel for the scandalous effect of the low-cut bodice. I paired it with a casual cute pig tail style from Exile, something I bought ages ago and that also comes with mesh flower attachments. The jewelry is from my go-to standard, Eclectica, the Rose set; it's a design of stones set in intricately wrought wire, and while it predates mesh it remains gorgeous.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyelashes: SLink, Mesh Eyelashes
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick: Mock, Bella Vetro Gloss - Nightshade
Hair: Exile, Silent Wings
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Hands: SLink, Mesh Hands
Dress: Violent Seduction, Versaille Cream (promotional item)
Jewelry: Eclectica, Nouveau Rose - mocha
Stockings: Adam n Eve, Moody Monday
Shoes: Wishbox, Rocking Horse Shoes

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Armada Breakaway
Light Settings: Phototools, Dream Book Light 02
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Twisted Color Challenge: Week 3 - Artsy Fields

The third Twisted Color Challenge was a fun one - a peculiar pale green and a bright red labeled Artsy Fields; the former was a challenge to find (I tinted all versions of it in this look but the eyeshadow) but the latter was all around, aided by the fact that the tippet and cuffs of this coat were separate from the amazing coat - all from G Field. I am, in fact, dressed almost head to toe in G Field products - boots, stockings, coat - and would have tinted one of her roses to match if only it hadn't been no modify. Woe for the pain caused by cruel permissions denying me my color completion! I ended up bringing out a flower from Fuel (who doesn't seem to have a store - woe!) to match the rest, and I think it looks lovely (though G Field's roses remain my favorite). I have the fatpacks of all of the pieces, which means that I have endless opportunity for mixing and matching. G Field is leading the charge in HUD based recoloring, and I used that to texture all kinds of things - sadly, since the boots were a single figure, I couldn't tint them separately to match the coat & tippet, but I think the effect is carried regardless - and I rather surprisingly like this combination of colors, though I'm not sure why. They don't seem like they should work together, and yet the contrast is appealing.

I carried the tints and hues of my clothing over to my appearance, and found it worked pretty well. For hair I'm using the newest release from Underscore (formerly Secrets Hair and Tribal Soul Designs), a sassy short cut with a textured, modern edge. Underscore is also on the tint-via-HUD bandwagon, and may I say it is a glorious wagon? If only I could lure the rest of the grid there, I would be a very happy fashionista. For her new releases, Underscore has reworked the textures, and I really like how they are both bright and softly textured. This red was perfect, and I reflected it in my cosmetics with layering of lipsticks - L Fauna under Mock. The L Fauna gives the depth and brightness to the color, while Mock adds her characteristic shiny, glossy effect which really sells it. The eyeshadow was completely untinted, and oddly was the only Artsy Fields color not tinted by me! And I added it last. Made by Virtual Insanity, I've been waiting for a look it would work with, and this finally met that goal.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyeshadow: Virtual Insanity, Spring - Margarita
Eyelashes: SLink, Mesh Eyelashes
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick 1: L Fauna, Red 1
Lipstick 2: Mock, Mizu Venetian Red
Hair: Underscore, Herein Hair (promotional item)
Ornament: Fuel, Flowery Peacock
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Hands: SLink, Mesh Hands
Dress: G Field, Winter Coat "Natalie" (gift)
Stockings: G Field, Print Tights - Rose Red
Shoes: G Field, Fur Cuff Boots "Sasha"

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Annwn Willows
Light Settings: TOR, SCIFI Noxumic
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

2013 Twisted Color Challenge: Week 2 - Pinky and the Brain

I'm doing two pinks in a row, which is unusual for me. Usually I like to space out the colors, do something if haven't done recently, but the demands of challenges are neverending, and the second week of the Twisted Color Challenge is Pinky and the Brain - all pink and gray and creepy. I love the old cartoons, and that one always made me giggle; serious enough to be thought provoking, silly enough to be fun. I tried for a similar vibe with this cute dress from Sublime Shroud Kreations, a pink and gray confection of fluff and ruffles in a cotton candy medieval style. I especially love the ruffles around the neck; I'd love to see a similar style done in mesh. I added in one of the special hairstyles from Alice Project - blonde with rainbow highlights. I love her streak hairstyles, especially the rainbow ones. I added on this sweet jewelry set from Eclectica, gold with pink enamel that I always try to sneak into outfits just because it's so sweet and simple. Rounding out the look is an eyeshadow and lipstick combination from Mock which I really like - I took off my eyelashes for it! I adore the zebra texturing up into the eyebrows in particular.

I had planned another place for a photoshoot, but I settled on Lost World after hearing it's about to be removed from the grid - only about ten days left to enjoy it before it closes at the end of the month. Some of the texturing is a bit odd - it might be the effect of shiny, I'm not sure - but it's a lovely, outdoor spot with little hidden areas and gorgeous vistas, so seek it out while it's around to be sought. A lot of sims are going this way - fading out into the ether for whatever reason, usually a lack of cash. I know a number of bloggers consider this fading a deathknell of sorts, a statement on how Second Lie is doing. I'm never sure, and if there's one thing I've learned as I grow older, it's to be careful of my predictions. So often they are wrong; remaining closer to what I'm experiencing instead of what I think will happen is simply more comfortable for me. One thing I do like, though, is the heads up to check new places out. I wish there was a more reliable way of passing the word before there a countdown to closing; I suck at deadlines.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyeshadow: Mock, Aos Sl Zebra Masque
Eyelashes: SLink, Mesh Eyelashes
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick: Mock, May Lipcolor - iCandee
Hair: Alice Project, Tessa Blonde/Rainbow
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Hands: SLink, Mesh Hands
Dress: Sublime Shroud Kreations, Lady Drianna (promotional item)
Jewelry: Eclectica, Herbals Rose Set
Shoes: G Field, Bow Strap Shoes "Kate"

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Lost World
Light Settings: Phototools, rara Fall Home Light

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

50 Shades of Sexy Challenge: Week 1 - Cotton Candy

There are a few different challenges I'm trying to do this year - and this is the second one, the 50 Shades of Sexy Challenge, an excuse to pull out my lingerie inventory and show it off in public. Well, I should say, my lingerie and silk inventory (which is extensive) because I fully intend to make the most of every scantily clad bit. I'm not normally a skin showing kind of girl, which is at least in part why I'm grabbing onto this challenge with both hands and hanging on. Most of this never sees the light of day, so count yourselves lucky I suppose! I'm not entirely opposed to showing skin and being sexy, but in Second Life it's so pervasive and normal that I feel the need to dress a bit more formally most of the time - wandering around in lingerie, silks, or a dress that might as well be lingerie isn't quite my style, besides being horrifyingly common all over Second Life, even in General and Mature areas.

I ended up pulling out a silk set from Angelwing - which is having a massive clearance sale in preparation for opening space for new, mesh releases. A ton of her inventory is only 50$L, and what remains is free to group members. I picked up a bunch of things I wouldn't otherwise, filling up my inventory even more to my eternal shame. I'd recommend going over and making a similar sacrifice - seek out the pretties and enjoy! This set of silks comes with almost everything you see - the outfit and most of the jewelry save for the necklace (a late addition from Bliensen + MaiTai that mimicked the pink and gold cage of the silks) and it took me a while to ind a hair which it, finally settling on this adorable ponytail from Wasabi Pills. The cosmetics are all from Mock and contain the only cotton candy I'm wearing - the eyeshadow - with a lightly tinted pink lip to match. I kept the rest of the look simple, just using SLink's mesh hands and feet to add polish to my limbs after tinting the nails candy pink. I find the final effect to be warm and sweetly tinted - I hope you agree!

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyeshadow: Mock, Carnivale Cotton Candy
Eyelashes 1: Flugeln Brise, 04-A
Eyelashes 2: SLink, Mesh Eyelashes
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick: Mock, Bella Vetro Gloss Blush
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Sylvie (promotional item)
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Hands: SLink, Mesh Hands
Silks: Angelwing, Precious Pink Silks
Necklace: Bliensen + MaiTai, Sakura
Feet: SLink, Mesh Feet

Poses: Long Awkward Pose

Location: Annwn Willows
Light Settings: CB's Rouge 6
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

2013 Twisted Color Challenge: Week One - Tuxedo

I'm getting a late start to a new color challenge - the Twisted Color Challenge - which offers a twist by requiring you to match not just one but two colors at once. This takes something already challenging and kicks it up a notch - which I adore, personally, though it makes it all the more difficult. The first lob across the net was a fairly easy one, though even so I ended up fulfilling it more in the breach than the recognition. I went for a ballgown partner to the Tuxedo, creamy white with black accents to match my invisible partner at the ball.The gown is a gorgeous mesh concoction from Apple May Design, complete with a plunging neckline curved with delicate lace detailing, and a full lace ruffle along the bottom. The black of the tuxedo is almost entirely in my hair, a new release from the rebranded store Underscore - once Secrets Hair - with new, realistically textured hair. Underscore has also jumped on my favorite bandwagon of the end of 2012: HUD driven recoloring of things. I really adore how it saves my inventory a lot of room! Hookah is an enormous, richly curved hair with full waves and a fun braid across the forehead (which can be tinted separately and removed via the HUD). When I saw there was a black to gray fade on my sample set, I simply had to take advantage of it. I topped it with a pearl crown from Violent Seduction, wanting that final bit of white to complete the tuxedo effect.The final touch was this necklace from a now closed store, Kyccie's. I remain sad she left Second Life never to return, and I think you can tell why when you see the delicate and unique jewelry she made.

I ended up seeking out a ballroom for photographic purposes, wanting someplace where this dress would seem to fit, and I ended up at the Grand Ballroom, a stylish and beautiful sim with little clusters of furniture ont he sides o the dance floor, and a piano with microphone (the latter sadly too tall for me to pose behind - I did try!). Music was playing endlessly, automatically, with automatic texts going into local chat now and then extorting us to dance, welcoming us to the ballroom, and asking for tips for the invisible hosts. It was rather like coming to a grand ballroom but not being able to see anyone but yourself - some sort of nightmare culled from fairytales from long ago. One of my favorite stories is the one about the twelve dancing princesses, who woke up every morning with their dancing slippers worn into tatters from dancing all night with demonic hosts as part of an obscure and dangerous curse. In this case, it was one dancing Princess and no prince, nor anyone at all except for a couple other wistful princesses who walked through the empty, echoing ballroom and disappeared again into the grid.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyeshadow: Adam n Eve, Hepsut
Eyelashes 1: Flugeln Brise, 04-A
Eyelashes 2: SLink, Mesh Eyelashes
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick: Mock, Glasside - Carissma
Hair: Underscore, Hookah - Realistic (promotional item)
Crown: Violent Seduction, Valkyrie Pearl Crown
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Hands: SLink, Mesh Hands
Dress: Apple May Designs, Lavish II - Pearl
Necklace: Kyccie's, Haides & Persephone
Shoes: G Field, Bow Strap Shoes "Kate"

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Grand Ballroom ~ Premier
Light Settings: TOR, NIGHT Moony
Water Settings: Valdez

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Candi the Shinigami

Candi the Shinigami keeps a close eye on the Isles of Amras, monitoring the souls which come to Enma and making sure none come too early, nor too late, nor disappear entirely. Yami no Matsuei tells the story of some of the Japanese shinigami, but I'm an Amras girl with the same sort of irreverent anachronism endemic in those roleplaying sims. Don't worry if you don't see me around much, but know I'm here to investigate your inappropriate death (or life) so the bureaucracy of the afterlife can continue unabated.

I was really thinking today about the cycle of habit, and the mechanism which undermines and reinforces what we become. A lot of my thinking is centering around cleaning because that's one of the main area I'm trying to change in my life. I am, to put it baldly, a total slob, but I'm tired of living that way. I spent some time cleaning over the weekend, but when I came home I realized my last act of the night had been to fill up my counter again, covering it with not dirty things but just things - not allowing the empty space, but having to fill it up.

Humans have a significant level of sub-conscious analysis of the world and what is safe. We have divided drives of novelty and changelessness; change is alluring, but frightening, and so needs to be handled carefully. One of the theories for why people who grow up in abusive situations and then replicate them as adults is learned helplessness - also found in other mammals, learned helplessness is when someone is rendered helpless and after a few tries to escape simply stops; in animal studies the animals often then display symptoms that seem similar to what we call depression in humans, a sort of lack of interest and motivation which is different from mammalian behavior in the young. One possible aspect of learned helplessness in a more complex situation might be the comfort of the familiar; we seek out what feels familiar - what is not different - especially when we're very anxious.

This is part of why it's suggested to make changes in times when one can be relaxed about it, and to limit the amount of stress one feels over making a change; when we're anxious we become rigid while safety encourages relaxation. However, the changes themselves can cause anxiety, like my fear of an empty counter because I'm so used to things being crammed full of stuff, covered and cluttered and cramped. I need to take time, I need to reassure myself as I make these changes, repeatedly reinforce that this new normal is good through repetition and relaxing into the change, and then hopefully my new will be reset to something where clean and clear is comforting and reassuring instead of stressful, and then maybe the stress of empty spaces will be eased.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyeshadow: Elymode, Coal & Purple
Eyelashes 1: Flugeln Brise, 04-A
Eyelashes 2: SLink, Mesh Eyelashes
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick: Adore & Abhor, Baroque Grape
Hair: Magika, Somewhere
HeadWings: Aux, Fly Free
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Hands: SLink, Mesh Hands
Dress: Sn@tch, Lydia Corset
Necklace: Pididdle, My Special Treasure
Weapon: Falln Angel Creations, Meiou Scythe Purple
Bracelets: Digital Eyes, Plastic Bracelets
Stockings: G Field, Button Socks
Shoes: SLink, Vanity Boots Black

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Amras West
Light Settings: Phototools - Lo Light 03
Water Settings: Valdez

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

MadPea Legend of the Month: Room 326 Hunt

The July-August version of this hunt is now blogged here.

 The Story:

The Silent Peacock Hotel has been recently closed for an investigation after 15 people have disappeared from their premises. What the people have in common is that they all have spent a night in Room 326.

It's a mystery of how this has happened since the door has been locked and there are no signs of struggle or forced entry. All of the personal belongings of the guests have been untouched.  The local police has been left clueless.

The players will take the role as private investigators to examine the evidence and search for the truth behind the disappearances.

Do you dare to enter Room 326 and discover the evil secrets it holds? [Teleport]

You're hunting for an envelope that is often tucked against items of similar color, or half under things. You have to buy the HUD from newspaper stands, and then activate it in Room 326 in the Hotel you find the newspaper stands in - the doors aren't marked, but there are arrows pointing you to the right hallway. Look for your pointer to become a finger over the door to find the right door, and then look around for some clues as to the hunt - maybe something with a bunch of different parts (think fifteen!). You can check out the blogpost about it for a step by step guide. There are a few really difficult spots, so remember you can ask for help in the MadPea group. The endgame is also several steps, but take your time because the images involved are amazing and complex and awesome and creepy! 

1. Never Totally Dead - There are vases, but it blends in well.
.: According to her neighbours, Rose Barley isn´t a very well liked woman. Just like her name, she loved flowers - much more than people. She had worked at the Silent Peacock Hotel for the last ten years, before she retired 11 months ago. She had managed to do her job well, even if she didn't communicate much with the customers. None of her co-workers said they were missing her though, which says a lot. Her next door neighbour Mrs. Cluskey said: "Rose was such a loner, never got a smile from her. She would walk up and down the corridors, carrying flowers in her vases. She would actually talk to the flowers! I remember about a month ago she received a letter and I bumped into her on my way out then. She asked me if I had seen who had dropped the letter, but I hadn't. That was the last time I saw her. We were not friends, but I do hope that she will be found soon!" Look for the letter @ Ketama (64,178,1204)

Room326 1: You mean old witch, you didn't look twice. You just turned your back and closed your eyes...

2. Lilith's Den - Find the books, then up and over.
.: Sunday School teacher, Betty Atchison is loved by her parish. She has devoted her life to Christ and teaching children about Christianity. She doesn't have any close family members, she is a lover of cats and children. However, as we were interviewing at her workplace one of the children whispered, that Miss Betty has a secret she wasn't supposed to tell anyone. A child´s wild imagination suggested that the teacher would be reading from the Dark Book at times and tell the children stories about sewing a dress out of her dead cats' skin. A strange letter had arrived at her work and Miss Betty had been in shock after reading that. She had shouted 'From three to six!' and left the school immediately. She hasn't been seen since. Look for the letter @ Oubliette (99,243,31)

Room326 2: You believed in a lie and didn't question why. Now you should pray, cos I will make you pay...

3. Patron - Forget the desk, forget the picnic. Think Stars, Rocks, and not on the starry rocks.
.: Defense attorney Evelyn Knight's boyfriend has been very vocal in the local media ever since Evelyn's disappearance two months ago. He is offering a million dollar reward for the person who finds his loved one. Miss Knight's boyfriend, underwear model Andrew McMillan stated to us: "Ever since the big case one year ago, Evelyn has been very famous and wanted. I'm just expecting to get a ransom letter and I will pay whatever they ask for so I can get Evelyn back. I am her rock and she must be missing me hard! Two months ago we were having a quiet picnic by the pond, a rare luxury as she's so busy and hardly ever at home. A delivery boy brought a letter to her that she wouldn't show me. I don't know what she did with the letter, all she told me was that she needed to check on some details and she went inside. I finished up the champagne on my own then. I went in later on to see a file from THAT case a year ago open on her desk and I haven´t seen her since." Look for the letter @ Patron (59,140,27)

4. Mad' - The last sentence gives you the main clue.
.: Chemist Leonard Pointer´s 18-year old twin daughters aren't too worried about their father missing. According to the sisters it's been very common for the father to go missing for weeks at a time at random intervals. "Dad gets on these crazy moods at times, he thinks he´s going to win a Nobel prize or something and locks himself away in some weird lab, forgetting to eat, sleep and call us. He always comes back." Missy said. It has been exactly a week since Mr. Pointer went missing. "Yeah, like that one time he was gone for two weeks and we found him sitting next to a pig waiting for it to die so that he can experiment with it. Old man's weird like that. He´ll be fine, he´s always been fine." said Chrissy. The sisters do remember their father getting a strange letter though. "He reacted surprisingly strong to something, he drove off wanting to go and talk to someone, I guess he took the letter with him." stated Missy. Look for the letter @ Oro (23,215,2000)

5. Image Essentials - Door to Darkness.
.: "He opened the door to the darkness all by himself and welcomed the Devil into his heart!" shouted the mother of the famous Country singer, Chase Cooke, on the phone to us before hanging up. According to Mr. Cooke's assistants, he was raised by a single mother who had wished for him to be a priest. Ever since he chose this path of music, his family disowned him. Mr Cooke is very well-known and has a large fanbase. His assistants informed us that he has several boyfriends and girlfriends, but nothing serious going on with anyone. No one has any idea where he could be. It's not typical for him to go missing like this, as he has already missed three big gigs. Chase receives lots of mail from his fans, but his hair stylist remembers this letter that came from the Silent Peacock Hotel. He said Chase had mumbled some numbers and wanted to leave even though his hair wasn't styled yet. "That was not like him!" The stylist said. Look for the letter @ Parameshvara (142,32,43)

6. CoLLisions - Surprisingly necklaces.
.: Ophthalmologist Catalina Cordero is being missed by her four children and husband, Julio. Julio Cordero gave us a statement: "We were shopping for a new necklace for Catalina when she told me something and made me promise I wouldn't tell anyone. She had received a letter that morning from someone she didn't recognize and it prompted her to go to the Silent Peacock Hotel. I told her not to go, but she kept insisting that this was important. I swear the letter was cursed, because she was acting so weird, almost in a trancelike state she kept telling me that she has to go to find out the truth. 'What truth?' I asked her and she just smiled, saying she would tell me everything when she's back. My wife is a tough one, you just can't turn her head when she's set on something. Three weeks ago she went in that damn hotel and never came back. I'm begging you, please find my wife soon, the kids need their mother!" Look for the letter @ Dark Tranquility (136,211,23)

7. Death Row Designs - It really is in the movies
.: Michael Donovan is a taxi driver and lives alone in a studio downtown. We found his computer full of adult entertainment, and various emails back and forth with escort services. We have a reason to suspect that he's gone to the Silent Peacock Hotel to meet up with a prostitute for the night. His last client (who wishes to stay anonymous) confirms this as she said: "I was in his taxi getting a ride to see the new Snow White movie when he started acting like a maniac! He ran a red light and was mumbling about how he has to drop me off fast so that he can get to the hotel. I asked him why it was so important and he just looked at me in disgust saying 'It´s all about the girl!' I was just holding on tight to my seat and was so happy to get to the theater alive. He didn't even take a payment from me, just left fast!" Look for the letter @ Harfax (121,37,25)

8. The Cube Art Gallery - Way up, but you can find what's in the hint.
.: Steven Jepson is an artist specialized in glassblowing. He owns a gallery together with his life partner, Joshua Michaels, who is a painter. According to Joshua, Steven had been withdrawn for weeks before he vanished. "Steven has always been the life and soul at the parties, he's full of positive energy. I`m not sure what happened to him, he just suddenly became cold and distant. He developed a bizarre technique creating bloody butterflies lately. They looked both gruesome and beautiful at the same time. One time I found him standing with a gun in his hand and asked him what he was doing. He just glazed into the distance saying how precious life is and how we all make mistakes. He came out of that when I held him tight. I hope he's ok and hasn't done anything stupid! I saw he had signed into that hotel, which I find weird, he´s never been there before." Look for the letter @ Kincora (180,82,2553)

9. Just BECAUSE - Nothing to do with phones, nurses, hospitals, etc... but it's in the jeans.
.: "We are so worried about Daniel, hope you will find him soon!" was the response from Mr. Sharp's parents when we interviewed them. He is a nurse, who lives with his parents, trying to save up for his own place. "Daniel had some issues with computers before", Mrs Sharp sighed and her husband carried on "He was addicted to some stupid computer game, where you pretend you are someone else and build a house together with someone. He would sit there 20 hours a day doing god knows what. He thought he was in love with a woman from across the world, who in reality turned out to be another guy! That was the kick Daniel needed to start doing something useful with his life and he went on to study nursing. Now he´s had the job in the local hospital for 2 months and then he just vanished." Mrs Sharp told us it´s been 5 weeks since Daniel had received a strange letter and shouted "I´m late, I´m late!" "He rushed out of the door, and Victor and I thought it was very rude of him. His phone was shut off few hours later and we haven´t heard from him." Look for the letter @ Taupo (179,181,48)

10. Carries Dream - Nothing in the hint - at all! - but it is romantic, and near the entrance.
.: Victoria Sacket is a banker and has all the riches anyone could dream of. Living in a mansion with her boyfriend, who is over 20 years junior to her, she has a lifestyle many envy. "I know what you´re all thinking, but it´s not like that!" exclaimed the boyfriend, Adrian. "We love each other very much and I can make her happy unlike anyone else could before. We were getting married next year and I had already made perfect plans for our wedding nite. I went to see her to her work about the reservations and I could tell she was extremely upset about something. I got her some peppermint mocha and massaged her shoulders, but she wouldn't relax. She said she needed to sort out something very urgent and would be home later. I had arranged a beautiful romantic meal waiting for her, but she never came home." Look for the letter @ Carries Dreams (87,140,22)

11. Redrum - It is near the autopsy table; derender is your friend.
.: "It was Kimmie´s 27th birthday and we got a total surprise for her! We went to get her from work in the middle of the day and took her to the +Redrum+ to get a new tattoo for her." explained the best friends of Kimberly Nesbit, who´s a local DJ on radio and several popular clubs. "She's planning on getting her whole body covered bit by bit, and this one was going to be a 'bloody wound'. As you can see we're all into tattoos and we always laughed at the idea of what the coroner would think of us laying on the autopsy table.. they wouldn´t know where to even start!" said Mandy. Lee told us that nothing unusual had happened in Kimmie's life lately either "She's such a party girl, loves her job and gets a kick out of meeting new people. The only unusual thing was probably her jury duty a year ago, we are still giggling at that, cos it was so out of character for her to be sitting there with all those posh people. She hated it bad." "We left Kimmie at the tattoo store and were meant to meet for drinks later at the local bar, but she didn´t show up. We have called all our friends, but no one has any clue where she could be."
.: Look for the letter @ The Slums (21,43,28)

12. Distorted Dreams - Pretty easy to find, all things considered.
.: Alexandra Holcombe, a young waitress of the local greasy spoon is being missed by her family greatly. "It´s been 6 weeks now. I've been taking care of her baby and her dog and we just want her to come home soon", said Savannah, Alexandra's younger sister. "She moved further away, cos she had always dreamt to be an actress. Apart from getting a tv commercial advertising a hand cream, she hasn't had much luck yet. It's only a matter of time when someone discovers her though. I remember how we used to sneak into empty theaters after the closing times and I would sit there in the audience while she got up on the stage and performed to me. We used to pretend she was the big star and the audience was full of people cheering. She told me that she was approached a few times at work, but I think it was just some random guys trying to get laid. She's so beautiful. I do remember her telling me about a strange letter she received where she was asked to go into a hotel. I told her not to go, but she said she had to check it out." Look for the letter @ Epic Sanctuary (86,208,53)

13. Boudoir - Not even a rug can hide a beautiful death.
.: "She's a rising star! I´ll Die for You - play has been a huge hit and we're losing sales if she doesn't return soon." exclaimed the manager of ballet dancer, Julia Whitman. "It was Julia's idea to bring a new touch into this show by using a real skeleton as her dance partner. She does things no one else dares to even think of. Julia's make up artist told us that there had been a letter waiting for her after the second show and she hadn't shown it to anyone. Apparently she had been very shocked while reading it and wanted to go home straight after, instead of celebrating with everyone. "We're missing our star, please find her soon." they all pleaded. Look for the letter @ Boudoir (125,155,21)

14. Mesh Depot - The hint is useless, but it's a very small store.
.: "It's only been a few days, we're sure Flynn's at some secret techie convention" laughed the workmates of an IT technician, Flynn O'Toole. "That man loves dressing up and going to all kinds of weird places, his imagination is out of this world! You know we all surf the net here and look at some weird stuff, but Flynn.. oh, man.. he´s got a privacy screen set up on his computers that comes up with a push of one button to hide whatever he's looking at. If he even started being interested in real women, maybe he would get one!" One of them remembers seeing a letter from the Silent Peacock Hotel on Flynn's desk. "Oh yeah, I remember that one. It made me google the place, cos I got curious on knowing what´s going on. Flynn was extremely secretive about that. Must be some masquerade orgy of superheroes or something. Now, wouldn't that be cool!" Look for the letter @ Clarington Park (140,44,23)

15. Madpea - It's on the track; I recommend prayer. I lagged like crazy.
 .: Art Teacher, Mark Langley's wife was in tears when we talked to her. "Why can't people just leave us alone. Ever since that girl, Madison went missing, our life has been such a rollercoaster ride. Constant ups and downs. Just when you think it´s all getting back to normal, something happens again! Mark is a wonderful husband and father and a great teacher! He never would have done something to a student of his. How dare people still accuse him of that! He was put on trial and they all saw how genuine he is and how he possibly couldn't have hurt that girl. It took a long time till he was able to work again after that incident and now this! He´s been missing for three days and it´s all because someone wrote something to him. I didn't see what the letter said, but I saw it was stamped at the Silent Peacock Hotel. That damn hotel again, why can't the people just stop haunting him. When he's back, we´re going to move into another town, I've had enough of it here!" Look for the letter @ MadPea Base (246,179,23)

Room326 15: You fooled them all, played well your part, now you must become the last piece of my art...

Endgame: I think I might know what these people have in common. I should go back to Room 326 to check if I missed something there previously. Something must have happened to Madison there!

I already took some pictures in the endgame of this hunt and did a post on it (link), but it is several steps which requires thinking about the information you've gotten and following the clues through a few different places (one of which you stumble on - literally). The final Room 326 is different from the initial one - reached through a landmark given to you by your HUD instead of found at the beginning hotel - which makes it a little harder than it might otherwise have been to wrap it up. I also think it's a shame that you couldn't have those two groups overlapping - the beginners and the finishers - but it would probably have been too difficult and script-heavy to link the necessary teleports to a finished HUD in order to keep beginners from confusing themselves with the final few places our victim takes us to show us her revenge (and her body). 

Hope you enjoyed this look at your final prizes, and good hunting!