Night Market: Shadow Serpent (Escape from Club Apophis, 54)

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STORYLINE:  ...This is how the world entered the Age of Apophis.

Forbidden Zone, 5 minutes to midnight. April 13, 2055

We are the Shadow of Apophis.

Our last Chosen One created wonders. She was kind. She kept us well fed. When she disappeared, we waited. We returned to choose another, as we have for millennia. A room full of beautiful devotees. Orderly, Hungry. Exactly as designed. Boring. We were about to leave. 

A boy stumbled in. Not invited. No idea where he was. No agenda. Chaos recognizes chaos. We chose him immediately. 

He ran. Running. Running. Running away into the storm.
The sun was still in the mouth of Apophis. So we followed.

A noisy man-bat swooped down, its shrieks blaring loud enough to give us a headache. Its claws were about to hook into the boy. Very annoying. We flicked our tail, cracking it through the air like lightning. Precision strike. Severed wings fluttered down.

Ahead, Void Nuns had amassed. Strange things. No pulse, no warmth, no eyes. Unacceptable. We dealt with them too.

“Come back to us, Lathandro..." We had whispered to him. "We love you... We miss your warmth..."

The boy ran harder. “My name is Yoon Jihoon. I’m a student. I study. I keep out of trouble. I had a normal life.”

Rejection. Again and again. We were patient. Time does not move in straight lines for us. It coils. We would wait.

Present Day

Now, the boy had nowhere left to run…

We adjusted our heavy coils, settling comfortably across the plush furniture. The cushions were decent, but they weren’t warm like proper temple stone. Still, we stayed put, guarding the comatose boy in the lavish quarters of his captor. Tomorrow, the loud creature in high heels would disturb the peace and try to unravel him.

We flicked our tail, annoyed. This whole situation was not how things were meant to be.

Our tongue flickered, tasting a sudden metallic disturbance in the air.

Thump.

We reared up, our eyes snapping to the balcony's glass door. Heat. Electrical vibration. And the unmistakable scent of Jihoon.

The unconscious body of the large red-haired guard slowly slid down the glass and collapsed into a sad little pile on the cold cement.

Something had changed.

We tasted the air, tracing a dark, delicious tendril of entropic energy straight back to Jihoon.

Our eyes shone, and the corners of our mouth upturned in a heavy, reptilian grin. The boy was finally reaching outward, using the only means he had. Power.

We sank into the boy’s dream den, slipping through thought, smooth and heavy as ink pooling into groundwater.

Dreamscape, The Robotics Classroom

This construct was new, created by Jihoon.

Deliberate. Intentional.

The boy’s other half was slouched in the darkest corner. Lathandro the Beautiful. Vanquished, bored, and quietly playing PONG with our ancient, sacred Apophian glyphs. The LED lighting of the desk screen made his forlorn face ghostly.

Lathandro noticed us. He offered his hand with serpentine grace. Lovely.

We accepted a quick, delightful head-scratch, then turned our gaze to the other one. Jihoon the Desperate. He was a miserable snakelet, stubbornly refusing to shed old skin. He was hunched over a desk, beside the fake metallic dog, frantically tapping a glowing surface. Light strobed across his face.

“Come on, come on… Get a signal out.”

We slithered down from the upper shelves, our dark form gliding lazily across the desks to get closer to the warm pulse of Jihoon’s voice.

Suddenly, the air ripped open overhead.

The red-haired boy materialized and fell into the room in an ungraceful mess, hitting the linoleum floor with a loud, disruptive crash.

"What the..." the guard scrambled up, staring wildly at the glowing classroom monitors before his eyes landed on Jihoon.

"Kyle!" Jihoon beamed, leaping up from his seat to embrace his friend. "I don’t know how long I can hold this connection. Quickly. Tell me everything that’s happening out there."

“Stop hugging me!” Kyle shrugged Jihoon off. “Damn, I just had the craziest dream. Thanks for letting me fall asleep in class, Nerd.” He smacked Jihoon on the head.

We reared up instantly, our hood flaring wide, casting the Vile One in the blackest shadow.

Kyle squeaked and fell over backward. “Oh, shit. Not that thing again.”

Lathandro struck before we could, grinding his foot hard into Kyle's chest on the floor. “You just hit me for the last time, Kyle. When I wake up,” he sneered, “I’m gonna break every bone in your…”

“Who the hell are you?” Kyle spat back. “Jihoon’s ugly albino twin sister?”

“Wait, wait,” Jihoon laughed nervously, arms flailing between them. “Everyone… please. Calm down. We don’t have time for this.” He turned to Kyle. “You’ve seen the snake before? I thought I was the only one who could see it.”

"Yeah, I’ve seen it.” Kyle panted, slowly climbing back to his feet and backing away. "When Hwan smashed the Black Snakeskin Box, this massive bastard burst loose and screeched. Almost shit myself. Hwan told us it was returning to its master. Said if we followed it, it would lead us right to you.”

The Delivery Box? Yes, the Dokkaebi smashed our beautiful nest. Very rude. It was a failure anyway. No gift we materialized made Jihoon love us.

Lathandro stood down, removing his foot. We wrapped ourselves around him like a massive, oversized boa constrictor, though we kept glaring at Kyle just on principle.

"Kyle, please. Sit down," Jihoon said softly, righting a chair.

Kyle hesitated, looking at our massive coils suspiciously.

Lathandro slid into the chair beside Jihoon, looking down his nose at the redhead. “Relax, Asshole. It’s more scavenger than predator. Besides, it won’t hurt you without permission. If it wanted, you’d already be dust in the wind.”

“Can someone please tell me why Twisted Sister is shooting sass at me?”

Lathandro rolled his eyes. “I am Jihoon, idiot, the better version of him. The one that won’t hesitate to hit you back.” He began to stroke our dark scales, right under the chin where we love it. “He’s not as scary as he seems. He’s lazy. He likes warmth, easy meals... you know, snake things.” He looked over at Jihoon. “You would know that too, if you stopped running away from it.”

Lathandro turned back to us and cooed in a ridiculous high voice, “Who’s the goodest Snakepoo? It’s you! It’s you!”

We melted. It was embarrassing, really, but his pets were too good. We moved our tail to gently tap the top of Lathandro’s pretty head, mimicking his petting movements. Then, feeling generous, we extended our tip to pet Jihoon too.

See? We are nice. Love us.

A forked tongue flicked out of Lathandro’s exquisite mouth at the exact same time as ours.

Jihoon shrieked.

He jumped out of the chair so fast it overturned with a loud crash.

We tasted Fear. Thick and pungent.

Jihoon stared at Lathandro. Then at us. His hand slowly rose to his mouth. “Oh, God.”

“Okay...” Kyle shook his head, thoroughly bewildered. “So this is not the strangest shit I’ve seen since stepping into the Zone, but it’s definitely in the ranking.” He shivered as if a cold breeze went up his back. “I get that this is a dream or something. Yin and Yang, perhaps. But what I don’t get is why one of you would know something the other doesn’t if you are the same person?”

Jihoon slumped and looked away. “Here’s the deal, as best as I understand it. Everything changed the moment I entered Club Apophis.” His voice faltered, hands wringing in his lap. “I saw it, a shape darker than black. It was looking right at me. The Serpent. A lot of shit happened after that. Don’t ask me how or what it means, because I don’t know. My memory is fractured. I just know whatever was happening to me stopped when I ran.”

“Alright,” Kyle clenched his jaw. “Since I'm the one who shoved you into the Zone, this is all my fault. What do you want from me?”

Jihoon’s voice turned serious. “Be my bodyguard. Protect me. Be my legs because I can’t move.”

“Already on it, Boss. Next.”

“There is something else I want. A favor. But before I tell you, please tell me everything that’s happening out there. So I might know if I made the right decision.”

Kyle nodded.

We only half listened. We wanted to know what the decision was. We wondered if Lathandro was also curious.

"You want the quick version?” Kyle folded his arms, his eyes darting between Jihoon and our shadowy coils. “The Zone is a slaughterhouse run by Monstrum. We found trapped people being auctioned off to monsters like live bait. And MasterGin? Slavery disguised as plastic surgery. We even found a dead nun who tried to go back in time to stop all this. Named Sophia.”

Jihoon went very still.

Emotions clouded the air. Fear. Rage. Heartbreak.

He touched his throat. “Did she wear a gold rope necklace with a snake head and tail?”

“Hmm. Most of the nuns wear little snake brooches, pins, that kind of thing. But now that you mention it... yeah, hers wasn't a brooch. It was the whole necklace. Like a real snake, coiled all the way around her neck. Kind of hard to miss.”

The dreamscape flickered.

We bowed our head. Our Dearest Sophia. The boy had discovered the truth we hid for so long. A small mercy.

Jihoon looked away. He turned colder.

Moments passed as no one spoke.

“You doing ok there, buddy?”

“Continue,” he replied softly.

Kyle hesitated. “Uh... okay.” In a hushed voice, he described the many horrors in the Zone and what had happened to Jihoon’s classmates.

We yawned. Our long, sharp fangs fully deployed. The darkness of our throat leaked out in tendrils of black smoke.

The conversation died.

We opened our eyes, surprised.

The three boys were staring at us.

Fear, once more.

If we could blush, we would have. We tried to look cute and friendly. Having no success, we pouted. We slithered away and curled around the desk where Jihoon had sat, our coils swallowing the robotic dog beneath them.

Kyle inched his chair away and looked back at Jihoon. “So now you know everything. What’s the plan?”

A plan?

We leaned in, excitement accidentally rattling our tail.

“Wake up. Pick up my body and run. Go to the Safe Zone. With any luck, the others are there. We’re getting everyone the hell out of here.”

Kyle suddenly disappeared, cut off before he could react. 

Lathandro bolted out of his chair. “But I’ll never wake up! The Ceremony is tomorrow!”

“Fuck it.” Jihoon stood, fists clenched. “You don’t get it. I’m a lost cause. You’re always reminding me. I caught on fire in fucking daylight! I’m a monster now. One person has already died trying to save me. Mom.” His voice faltered, tears running down his cheeks. “No one. I mean NO ONE is going to die for me. Understand? This shit-show ends now.”

We tasted the air. Fear. Rage. Grief. And something else. Resolve. The boy was no longer running.

Jihoon looked over at us. The fierce expression on his tear-stained face made our hearts flutter. “Don’t try to stop me.”

We approached timidly.

Jihoon did not recoil.

We lowered our head.

Time seemed to stop.

We wait. Patiently wait. Still waiting.

We had been waiting for this since before he was born.

There.

At last. A trembling hand lightly touched our scales.

We listen. We obey.

Lathandro paced the room frantically. Then finally he stopped and looked at his other self. “You’re not leaving me behind. You are me. You need me. When you hesitate, I act. When you’re weak, I’m strong.”

Jihoon held out his hand to Lathandro. “Then let’s stop fighting. From now on, we are one.”

Lathandro took his hand without doubt. “We are one.”

We put our tail tip on top of their joined hands. “We… Are… One…”

Time to shed old skin.

We wrapped our coils around the two boys. In our embrace, their bodies dissolved into tendrils of black smoke. When our coils fell away, there stood only one boy.

It was complete.

“Good boy.” The Chosen One reached over and petted us the way we liked. “Ready?”

He had eyes like us. Teal.

We nodded. Eager.

His pupils narrowed into black slits. His hand pointed forward dramatically. It was exactly like the stunning posters of Prince Lathandro plastered all over the Forbidden Zone.

“Clear the path. Go now!”

On him, Lathandro:

Eyes: Goetia - Thorned Umbral Eyes- Light Green [BOM](Night Market)[150L]

Eyeshadow: A.D.D.Andel  - Gloss Shadows-Teal [BOM](Night Market)[130L]

Crown: ARCHIVEFACTION - Requiem Crown [mesh]

Gloves: ARCHIVEFACTION - Sacremorne Knight Gauntlets_Silver_Legacy M [mesh]

Shoulders, collar: BUFFY'S - Gwendolyn Neck Piece - LegacyA [mesh]

Gown: Soapberry - .SB. Rune Gown - LegacyA [mesh]

Veil: Grasshopper - ST GHS Wedding Veil [mesh](300L) 

Shine: ARANA - Dragon Body Shine 3D HQ (2K) [Applier]

Strings: YUEBIN - Bound in Bloom - [Legacy Ath] [mesh]

Stocking: YUEBIN - Spider Charm - LegacyA, 5 [mesh]

Hair: Aii - Necromantic Hair, HAIR HELL [mesh]
Tongue: Clover - Lizard set, tongue [mesh]

Pet: MoonRabbit - MR SNEK SPIRIT [mesh]

Skin: outernaked - #evox - juhoon skin [NF: natural] - nb [BOM]

Head, bloody tattoos: LeLUTKA - Kane Evolution [mesh](3990L)

Body: TheShops - [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh](5000L)

Pose: momomuller / 3M - [3M]**_w5_0

On him, Yoon Jihoon:

Outfit: PENDULUM - EMILIEN.Suit - LEGACY M [mesh]

Dagger: ARCHIVEFACTION - Requiem Dagger [mesh]

Hair: TRASH - Pumpkins Hair - v1 - Fatpack [mesh]

Crown: UNA - Ruise crown Silver [mesh]

Necklace: Oblivis - Secret Bastion Key Necklace M SILVER [mesh]

Shoes: Deadwool - Dandy shoes - non rigged - black/silver wingtip [mesh](360L)

Rings: RAWR - Battie Rings Legacy Male [mesh]

Earrings: BADa - Cross B Earrings [mesh]

Claws: Subject Thirteen - Solstice Set - LegacyA [mesh]

Skin: outernaked - #evox - juhoon skin [NF: natural] - wb [BOM]

Head, bloody tattoos: LeLUTKA - Kane Evolution [mesh](3990L)

Body: TheShops - [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh](5000L)

Pose: Tableau Vivant - TheCageM5

BONUS IMAGES: inworld raw shots, hi-res, midday sky:

Engine Room: Mirror Mirror on the Wall (Escape from Club Apophis, 41)

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STORYLINE:   In the mad dash to evade the Enforcers, the team scattered. Lost and half-blind, Minjo ducked into the nearest available door.

The corridor was a jarring contrast to the plastic surgery clinic's sterile white above. Here, everything glowed warm and decadent. She couldn't read the details clearly. Her world had been a smear of shapes and color since the sewers took her glasses. But she could feel the difference. Thick carpet underfoot instead of tile. The air tasted faintly of mahogany and expensive old perfume. Warmth instead of clinical cold.

At the end of the hall, a brass door radiated importance. She didn't need sharp eyes to recognize that shape of authority.

She ran for it, heart hammering against her ribs. She pressed the gold serpent brooch to the kiosk by feel.

"Welcome home, Mistress Paine," the automated assistant chirped. The heavy door hissed open.

Footsteps echoed behind her.

Minjo slipped inside and dropped to the cold floor. She dove beneath what felt like a bed. Her hands found a brass frame, heavy embroidered fabric, the scent of dust and trapped air. She pressed herself flat and waited.

MasterGin's voice cut through the corridor like a razor drawn across velvet. "Trying to break what belongs to me? How ambitious of you."

"You can't do this to me." Paine's voice was tight. Desperate.

"Oh, I already have."

"I built this clinic. I run it."

"And yet here we are. Think of it as a sabbatical. A very long one. Your only duty now is to ensure no one else harms another glorious hair on his head. Now go. Before I'm forced to correct what jealousy has done to your face."

Heels receded. Precise. Unhurried.

The door swung open.

"Welcome home, Mistress Paine," the automated assistant repeated, just as brightly.

Minjo shifted backward into the shadows.

Something heavy smashed against the wall. She flinched at the sound. Glass, by the pitch of it, shattering across the floor. Something small skittered under the bed skirt and came to rest near her knee. She felt the edge of it with careful fingers. A shard. Mirror glass. She moved her hand away.

From under the folds of fabric, she listened more than she watched.

The clinic administrator's breathing was ragged. The rustle of fabric, a zipper, something heavy dropping to the floor. A change of clothes. Minjo filed this away. Paine shedding the white coat in private meant the white coat was a performance. What came after was the real thing. The unmistakeable shape and colors of a nun habit.

Then the soft thud of a body sliding down a wall. Knees pulling in. A choked sob that the room swallowed slowly.

Minjo had expected many things from Nurse Paine. Crying was not among them.

She inched forward carefully, staying low, until she had a partial sightline through the gap in the bed skirt. Shapes and light. The glow of a halophone activating. Paine's blurred silhouette on the floor, something small held up in the amber light, a lock of something pale, silver-bright even to her damaged eyes. Hair. Long and silver.

Jihoon's hair.

Paine gripped it like a lifeline.

"April 13, 2055," Paine said, her voice hoarse. "Club Apophis. Five minutes to midnight."

The phone projected a hologram into the dark room. Minjo couldn't make out faces clearly, blurred shapes and moving light, but she didn't need to. She heard sounds. Clinking glasses, upbeat music, layered chatter. A birthday party. Someone singing Happy Birthday with theatrical confidence. She recognized the timbre of that voice even muffled through projection speakers.

MasterGin.

She heard the wink in his voice, "It's going to be you."

The crowd began to chant.

Ten. Nine. Eight.

Minjo held herself perfectly still. She was beginning to understand what she was witnessing.

Three. Two. One.

A sound she could interpret without seeing: heavy doors opening. Streetlight bleeding in. She could tell by the way the room's light shifted even through her limited sight. The music stopped mid-note. Absolute silence.

Then a voice she knew.

Uncertain. Slightly embarrassed. Completely ordinary.

"Hi."

Minjo's hand flew to her mouth.

No one on screen moved.

Paine killed the projection. The room plunged back into suffocating silence.

The sound that followed was harder to listen to than anything in the recording. Not sobbing exactly. The specific, ugly sound of a person coming apart when they believe no one can hear them. Ragged breaths scraping against the quiet. The wet sound of grief that has nowhere to go.

Minjo shifted her weight slightly to ease the ache in her knees. Her knee grazed something, the glass shard barely touching it, and the tiny sound it made against the floorboards detonated in the silence.

Paine's breath stopped.

Then the bed was gone. Hauled back with a jarring metallic scrape. Cold air rushed in. A shape loomed over her. Minjo couldn't see the expression clearly but she could read the body language in the set of the shoulders, the raised arm. Something sharp and metallic glinted the ambient light. Shears.

Minjo froze. She calculated what she could: the distance to the door by memory, the approximate angle of the blade by the glint, and her absolute zero percent chance of survival.

She waited.

Above her, something changed. The raised arm didn't fall. Minjo could feel the recalculation happening in the pause, threat assessment shifting, the quality of the silence changing from predatory to something else.

Slowly, the shears lowered.

"I didn't mean to pry," Minjo said. She kept her voice perfectly even. "I just needed a place to hide." She nodded toward the silver strands she could make out in Paine's hand. "You disguised your betrayal with a smaller one. Brilliant."

Paine looked down at the hair. "Twenty years," she whispered. Her voice was entirely hollow. "I gave him twenty years of devotion. I bled for him. He forgot I existed the second that boy walked through the door."

Minjo considered this. "He told you it was going to be you."

"I was the strongest of his disciples," Paine said. "MasterGin had been preparing for centuries. I thought I was the culmination of it all. The pinnacle of his achievement. But I wasn't. None of us were."

The shame left Paine's voice. What replaced it was worse.

"I followed the false god," Paine said, her voice dropping to a fierce whisper. "And I was envious of the real one."

Paine sank to her knees. She bowed her head deeply, almost pressing her forehead against the dusty floorboards.

"I didn't understand, but I do now. Someone appeared by chance. Seemingly unworthy. And..."

"Chaos," Minjo interrupted flatly. "Just the kind of surprise a god of chaos would find funny."

"No." She shook her head. "Jihoon is one of us. A Child of Apophis. He has to be. He's the Lost One. Please accept my apology," Paine whispered to the floor. "My envy blinded me. I will serve the true Chosen One. As the advocate of Yoon Jihoon, how may I assist you?"

Minjo looked at the blurred shape of the woman kneeling before her. She didn't offer comfort. She didn't offer a speech about forgiveness. The variables of their survival had just changed. She needed to exploit them.

Minjo dusted off her knees and rose.

"Can you get us into the ceremony?"

"Yes."

"Good. I need to know exactly what happened to Jihoon when he entered Club Apophis. I need the logistics of the Opening of the Mouth ceremony, Monstrum, the Old Ways." Minjo reached out and found the silver strands by feel, lifting them from Paine's hand. "And I'll be taking this mutant DNA sample. Thank you for your assistance."

For those still following along for the continuing storyline, this chapter just revealed who the Magic Mirror is in my cyberpunk horror retelling of Snow White. Paine is the mirror to MasterGin's evil queen. lol The Prince and the Huntsman will be revealed, as well as wrapping up the character arcs for Lisa, Ghost, Echo and Jihoon. I estimate there are roughly 4 more chapters left and an epilogue. What a journey!

This post was inspired by the series and wonderful items on this round of Engine Room which ends tomorrow. The setting has so many lovely things, and both outfits are gorgeous.   ...On MasterGin is the Nixon outfit by OneDays. It's one-piece outfit you buy in a single color or fatback.   ...On the long suffering Paine is the Rebis Scholar Garments. It comes in fits for men and women. It has textures in PBR that give the metallic edges sparkle, and a tattered hem.   ...From Milkbath is the Censer. Just wear it and it will trigger a 1 of 4 poses which you can alter in the texture hud. It comes in left and righted version, swing, and non swing.   .... From Cult is the Cornelia boots (shown below) for female avatars. The boots include gear details, and a spooky spinal vertebra heel. They are elegant gothic style with metallic details. But I really love the suede texture options, along with the leather.   ...The Bedroom set is by Eclectica. It includes the bed, dressers, mirrors, and lamps. The mirrors are PBR and will reflect the environment. It comes with a texture hud to change the metal color, and fabrics.   ...From Lore is the Captain's Lounge Chair, tables, and lamp. They are PBR with a hud to change the chair textures.   ...Also from Lore is matching skybox, Nemo's study. Its fantastic with elegant PBR textures.   ...From Duplexity is an art deco Radio.   ...From Ishiku is another stunning crystal glass set, Vintage Floral Decanter. It's mod, so I tinted it green to match my theme.   ...From Puddles is the Royal Scribe's Collection with lectern, feather pen, and book stack.   ...From Apika is the spooky Madame Palmelope, a hand holding a teacup, that when touched, will give you your fortune.   ..In the back, is the Architect Volta fireplace. I tinted the flames green for a spooky effect.

The Apophis series will be taking a break for the first time in almost a year, as I shift to blogging the Fantasy Faire. Be looking forward to it.  Apophis will return after that. 

On Her, Nurse Paine:

Outfit: REBIS - Scholar Garments . LaraX . OMNIPACK [mesh](Engine Room)(2000L)

Censer, pose: MILKBATH - Samael Censer [mesh](Engine Room)(799L)

Boots: CULT - Cornelia [mesh](Engine Room)(369L)

Headdress: ONEDAYs - UNHOLY HEADRESS [UNRIGED]

Hair: Limerence - Tamesis hair [mesh](990L)

Gloves: ContraptioN - Dapper Dandy's Glove, Maitreya [mesh]

Tears: SAXO - Bleeding Eyes lel EVOX Unisex [BOM]

Eyes: VelvetVue - Hibrida blue eyes :: sclera #1 [BOM]

Skin: VOGLIA - ELEKTRA Skin, EvoX, Icy With Brows [BOM]

Head, eyes: LeLUTKA - RAVEN 4.0 [mesh](3990L)

Body: TheShops - Legacy (f) Special Edition (Basic) 1.2 [mesh]

On Him, MasterGin:

Outfit: ONEDAYs - NIXON OUTFIT, Black, LEGACY [mesh](Engine Room)(350L)

Shoes: Deadwool - Dandy shoes - non rigged - black/silver wingtip [mesh](360L)

Claws: L'Emporio&PL - Oblio Vampire Claws male [mesh](350L)

Hair: bonbon - tame hair, naturals [mesh](439L)

Body: TheShops - [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh](5000L)

Setting:

Bedroom set: Eclectica - Steampunk Bed [mesh](Engine Room)(850L)

Chairs. tables, lamp: LORE - Captain's Lounge Chair [mesh](Engine Room)(1700L)

Radio: Duplexity - Aetherys Lux Radio - Wood/Gold [mesh](Engine Room)(299L)

Glass set: ISHIKU - Vintage Floral Crown Decanter Dispenser [mesh](Engine Room)(490L)

Books, scroll, feather pen: Puddles - Royal Scribe's Collection [mesh](Engine Room)(300L)

Hand, teacup: Apika - Madame Palmelope [mesh](Engine Room)(499L)

Fireplace: Architect - Volta Fireplace [mesh]

Skybox: LORE - Nemo's Study [PBR] [mesh]

BONUS IMAGES: inworld raw shot, hi-res, midday sky.

Engine Room: Murder at the Cabaret, 2

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STORYLINE: Giselle hovered above her own body, limbs sprawled across the dressing room floor like a broken marionette. A single black feather from her headpiece drifted down, catching in a pool of spilled perfume, while downstairs, Le Rouge Noir pulsed on with its gilded glamor and champagne lies, unmoved by her absence. Now a ghost, translucent and shimmering in the haze of cigarette smoke, Giselle watched *her.*

Lady Dupree. 

That woman.... No, that *man* in disguise, her nemesis in satin gloves and fake eyelashes. They had fought for everything: applause, attention, the gold-ringed fingers of rich fools in velvet booths. The very name curled on Giselle’s ghostly tongue like bitter wine. That man, that fraud, had been her competition for nearly a decade. Always twirling in finer silks, always stealing glances from sugar daddies too drunk to care that “The Lady" was no lady at all. Every flirt, every wink, every applause had felt like a dagger between Giselle’s ribs.

So it made sense, didn’t it? That *he* would be the one to slip something in her drink. That *he* would finally outdo her... permanently.

But now… 

Now Lady Dupree was slumped over her cooling body, weeping into a handkerchief soaked in stage powder and tears, black eyeliner dripping like ink down her porcelain-painted cheeks. Her impeccable glamor crumbled. Her cries were raw, gasping. Not for attention. Not for performance. Dupree was clutching a tiny secret treasure, a locket with Giselle’s picture inside. 

Suddenly, her ghostly heart was snagged by something unexpected, -- guilt. 

She’s faking it, Giselle thought. She has to be. 

And yet, no one else wept. Not the dancers in their feathers and fake diamonds. Not the barkeep polishing glasses like souls weren’t slipping through the cracks. Not even René, the club owner with a heart made of debts and cigars. He’d only looked at the body once, grunted, and barked orders. 

“Put Lady onstage,” he said with all the empathy of a cash register. “She’s on in five.”

Even as The Lady clutched the hem of her sequined corset, begging for mercy, the stagehands dragged her into the wings. The spotlight did not wait for grief. 

Giselle shivered though no cold could touch her now, the club roared with drunken laughter, the clink of glasses, the soft growl of a jazz saxophone. The Master of Ceremony’s sinister voice echoed in her head: 

"Three days, darling, to find who ended your curtain call."

She glanced down where her body had fallen and back at Dupree, now center stage beneath the cruel glare of gold. Her sobs had quieted. Her eyes were empty, her makeup smeared.

The band began to play the music of what had been Giselle's act as if her death wasn’t a tragedy, just a messy inconvenience. 

Wow this was a complex challenge, I hope you all liked it. Lady Dupress was inspired by the Red Wine Burlesque set that includes fits for men. The bustle comes in rigged or unrigged, and the textures include many cool PBR textures including sequins.   ...The Lady's stage persona includes elements of both the bride and groom with the Stovepipe Hat and Wedding Veil by Grasshopper ST. Both come with texture huds. The Wedding Veil also comes with linked rigged or individual veils and individual unrigged options. Lace can be blend or mask ... The loose pulled back hairstyle into a braid is by Ginko Hair for girls and guys. (I love the white to black texture!)  ...And another win for fashionable gents and gals are the Pendle Boots by Seydr. There a several texture hud styles stuffed with color and lace options.  ...I combined the choker of Red Wine with the Random Matter's teardrop Xavia choker. It's unrigged and has texture options. ...The soulful eyes are Kairos Eyes by Mana with cat pupil and nice little glints.   ...The stage makeup Georgiana is by Eyecing. It includes several separate or combined makeup layers for white face paint, rouge, and moles in several key places.  Matching the damask pattern of the Red Wine corset are the BOM gloves by Miamai and stocking by Violent Seduction.  ...This stunning club setting is The Night Car Backdrop by FNY Designs, and Moon swing and poses by Fox City.

On her, Lady Dupree:

Outfit: MILKBATH Red Wine Burlesque, full set [mesh](Engine Room)(1200L)

Hair: Ginko Hair #189 Hair, Rigged, male [mesh](Engine Room)(465L)
Shoes: Seydr Pendle Boots, Legacy M [mesh](Engine Room)(750L) 
Hat: Grasshopper ST GHS Stovepipe Hat [mesh](Engine Room)(263L) 
Veil: Grasshopper ST GHS Wedding Veil [mesh](Engine Room)(300L) 

Necklace: Random Matter Xavia Choker [mesh](Engine Room)(200L)  

Eyes: Mana Kairos Eyes, Clear, 15 [BOM](Engine Room)(399L) 
Makeup: Eyecing Georgiana, fatpack  [BOM](Engine Room)(75L) 

Cane: Deadwool Goat cane - v1 [mesh](group gift)
Underwear: NOCHE. Latex Ayo Jockstrap, Legacy [mesh](249L)

Gloves: Miamai Latex Gloves_Black  [BOM] (220L)
Stockings: Violent Seduction Psyche Stockings, Black [BOM] 
Makeup: K R E E P Roaring 20s, EvoX [BOM](1L)

Makeup: SAXO Bleeding Eyes lel EVOX Unisex, tintable gift [BOM](1L)

Head: LeLUTKA Kane Evolution [mesh](3990L)
Body: TheShops [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh](5000L)

Setting:

Moonswing, pose: FOXCITY Crescent Moon, with poses, Gold [mesh](370L)
Set FNY Designs The Night Car Backdrop [mesh](999L)

BONUS IMAGE: inworld raw shot, midday sky. 

BONUS CLOSEUP: edit only for hat shadow & background.

Engine Room: After-Hours Gossip

(click to enlarge)

STORYLINE: “No no,” the Newspaper Delivery Guy said, “I heard it was a secret society behind the Earthquakes.” His incredulous friend, the Barista of Steam Beans, laughed and slapped him on the arm. “For a newsman, you sure do love your fancy conspiracy stories!” He huffed, “It’s not a conspiracy story if its a real conspiracy!” She shook her head and poured gain alcohol on a napkin and dabbed his face with it. “Ouch,” he jumped. “So tell me, you big baby," she smiled, "how you really got those nasty gashes on your face?” He blushed with her so close to him, tending his wounds. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” She gave him The Look. “Fine, fine. I saw a comet hit the ground, buildings fell, and people running out of that Secret Society building I told you about. One of them was screaming back to others still inside, “Lord, he’s coming! Reset it! Reset it!” She was leaning in on his every word, “and then?” He shifted nervous, “I saw a giant emerge from the crater. He was twice, no four times as tall as me. He looked really pissed. And he held a great sword. But get this, it was on fire!” She had that skeptical look on her face once more, "And then what?” "Nothing," he shrugged sheepishly. "Nothing?" ...“Ok fine, I ran! You would have run too if you were there!" She laughed, "Don't tell me, you tripped on a stack of newspapers, and hit the railing with your face." He looked away and blushed. "Oh shit, you did! Poor baby," she pet his arm. He yanked it back, "Nuh uh! I fought that big Angel barehanded and kicked his huge big ass!" She chuckled and shook her head. 

Head over to the Engine Room for steam coolness and gifts, today is the last day! A gallery of products can be seen here: https://secondlifesyndicate.com/events/syndicate-events/engine-room/

On Him, the Newspaper Boy:
Shirt: oni vintage man grey Jake/Legacy [mesh](Engine Room)(300L)
Hat: Deadwool Newsboy hat "1920" herring light [mesh](Engine Room)(120L)

Tattoo face: Broadwing B.W. Mechaneer Wound, Scar [mesh](Engine Room)(200L)

Shoes: Deadwool Dandy shoes - non rigged - black/silver wingtip [mesh](360L)

Tattoo: Clemmm Wretched Arms Black [BOM]

Pants: TheShops PANTS Legacy m Chinos Black(bundled with mesh body)

Head: LeLUTKA lel EvoX KANE 3.1 [mesh](3990L)

Body: TheShops [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.0) [mesh](5000L)

On Her, the Barista:
To see Aarya Phantomhive's complete stylecard and continuing story, go to: Dark Phantom Blog
Dress: Insomnia Angel Francesca dress Blouse Mpetite [mesh](Engine Room)(350L)
Boots: Eudora3D Ylva Boots (Legacy) [mesh](Engine Room)(399L)
Earring: Arts & Gear *AG* Steam earrings [mesh](Engine Room)(180L)
Hat: Wicca's Originals  Engine Room Gift Wickham Hat [mesh](Engine Room)(gift)

Setting: 

Cafe set: Kumagami KMGM Steam Beans Cafe [mesh](Engine Room)(398L)

Hanging Plant: Architect Airship Plant [mesh](Engine Room)(275L)

Hanging Light: Air Light_Anniversary gift for CCB_Light [mesh]
Bottles: Apple Fall Argentinian Malbec [mesh](gift)
Newspaper: Apple Fall Crumpled Newspaper [mesh](100L)
Glasses: Apple Fall Wine Glasses [mesh](gift)
Desk Lamp: 22769 [bauwerk] Petroleum Lamp [mesh]
Posters: Noctis barber shop posters
Skybox: TROPIX Vintage Room 01 [mesh](275L)
Poses: ExclusiveShop Bar [mesh](1950L)

Thanks for your help, Aarya!

Engine Room: The Golden Express Bandit

(click to enlarge)

STORYLINE: Kurt Jameson, (formerly known as the Golden Express Bandit), lurched forward falling out of his chair. He had been fast asleep on his post outside the Dark Inventor’s door when the Clocktower Hotel violently shook. Danger! Danger! Danger! All around him were little mechanical sparrows sounding the alarm. He cursed under his breath and searched the wooden floor with his hands until at last he found what he needed. He quickly snapped the strange visor into place over the ruin of his face once more. As it hummed to life, he was able to see again. Without wasting more time, he grabbed his weapons and darted to the window to look outside. A dark ominous crack had formed across the sky, and from inside it, something impossibly bright fell to the ground with such a force the hotel shook again. He took a few steps back. Had the device malfunctioned? When his gaze returned outside, everything was normal. He shrugged and was about to leave when the crack reformed and the bright flaming object fell, but this time when it struck the ground it was so violent two brick buildings nearby fell. He gasped, “What the hell?”

On him, Golden Express Bandit, Kurt Jameson:
Top: Deadwool Malone working vest Legacy taupe[mesh](Engine Room)(390L)

Weapon: AiiZawa Songbird Claw Revolver w/ Grappling hook [mesh](Engine Room)(499L)

Weapon: Val'More Prototype Chainsaw V.2 Steampunk Sling [mesh](Engine Room)(400L)

Mask: Omise OctaScopes FaceArmor [mesh](Engine Room)(200L)

Hat: toksik Varmint Hat [mesh](Engine Room)(300L)

Holster: toksik Varmint Holster [mesh](Engine Room)(400L)

Pet: Rivendale Aether Birb Copper [Animesh](Engine Room)(250L)

Bracers: L'Emporio&PL Bullet Bracers LEGACY/Athletic [mesh](350L)

Pants: TheShops PANTS Legacy m Chinos (Sand)(bundled with mesh body)

Head: LeLUTKA lel EvoX KANE 3.1 [mesh](3990L)

Body: TheShops [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.0) [mesh](5000L)

Pose: sakupose+ yzk mens pose 4 hero2 (70L)

Setting:

Birdcage: Air Septem birdcage silver open [mesh](Engine Room)(300L)

Chair: Architect D'Arcy Steampunk Armchair black[mesh](Engine Room)(295L)

Table: Architect Porthole Coffee Table dark [mesh](Engine Room)(245L)

Hanging Plant: Architect Airship Plant [mesh](Engine Room)(275L)

Decanter: HEXtraordinary Kraken Decanter[mesh](Engine Room)(275L)

Skybox: TROPIX Vintage Room 01 [mesh](275L)

Thanks for your help, Aarya! 

Engine Room: The Society for the Prevention of Aging

(click to enlarge)

STORYLINE: Like most bad ideas, “The Society for the Prevention of Aging” sounded like a noble cause at first. It began as a rich and powerful secret society's pet project. They threw an extravagant fund raiser. And not long after, a gifted inventor and powerful witch were commissioned. With the combined forces of science and magic, a time portal was created. However it could not stop aging, it could merely freeze time for anyone who dared to enter. Obviously, it was dangerous. A few limbs were lost before they realized they needed to bring their own oxygen supply, (frozen time has no chemical reactions). However with practice, they grew more bold. At first, it was innocent pranks like removing the chair from under a frozen person who was about to sit down. The prank played out flawlessly. The culprit never discovered. Since there was no law governing each and every moment in time, abuse of the society's newfound power escalated quickly to all manner of ghastly atrocities.  Is it any wonder, the sky itself cracked?

Aarya and I, (Team Blogger Bat!), joined forces once more for this image. We have been collaborating with Discord for awhile now; coming up with ideas, storylines, feedback on outfits, camera angles, lighting and EEPs. Its been wonderful. This image started as an idea for her dress, and quickly grew into Time Villains!   Many interactive scripted items on this one from the current round of The Engine Room. Ex Machina's Prof Baltazar's Astounding Portal is a site to site teleporter. It uses a cool special effect you can see in Advanced lighting. From Celeste is the Nixie clock that keeps SL time for you. From Whats Lost Spirits is a Steampunk greeter and Enforcer Orb. The lvl.9 Masks come with a hud that lets you retexture its many parts. (I loved the animated flames on the lenses.) I'm wearing the Tempus Shirt by AsteroidBox. It comes in male and female fits, and its mod. I opted to hide the corset part. On the shoulder is a fun SpiderBulb prop by White Crow. In set, you can see the fun Pipework Lamps by Dictatorshop. Touch them to turn on and off, and in distance is the underside of the D-Lab Capsule Sky Island. For more details on Aarya's Time Witch, head over to Dark Phantom Blog.

On him, Dark Inventor:
Top: AsteroidBox Tempus Shirt, Legacy [mesh](Engine Room)(289L)

Pants: Somnium Mage Trouser & Boot, Legacy [mesh](Engine Room)(450L)

Mask: lvl.9 Ninth Life Mask [mesh](Engine Room)(500L)

Pet: The White Crow Spiderbulb [mesh](Engine Room)(220L)

Arms: Contraption SP1NDL Prosthetic arm *AETH* [mesh](500L)

Cane: Deadwool Goat cane - v1 [mesh](group gift)
Hair: Wasabi Pills Hawk Male - Night shadow [mesh](250L)

Pose: pose maniacs {pm} Male & Female 27

On Her, Time Witch:

To see Aarya Phantomhive's complete stylecard and story, go to: Dark Phantom Blog

Collar: Silvery K Steam Libera [mesh](Engine Room)(280L)

Dress jewelry: Kosmii Bedelia Chatelaine, gold [mesh](Engine Room)(399L)

Hair: KMH F175 hair [mesh](Engine Room)(325L)

Setting:
Set: Ex Machina Prof Baltazar's Astounding Portal [mesh](Engine Room)(587L)

Clock: Celeste Steampunk Nixie [mesh](Engine Room)(187L)

Robot, orb: Whats Lost Spirits Steampunk Greeter [mesh](Engine Room)(888L)

Fans: D-Lab Capsule Sky Island [mesh](Engine Room)(150L)

Light: Dictatorshop Pipework Lamps Brass [mesh](Engine Room)(395L)

Thanks for your help, Aarya! 

Wizarding Faire 2020: First Day of School

(click to enlarge)

STORYLINE: Fennimore's parents told him he had to take his little cousin Willow with him to Hogwarts. She was shy and worried about getting lost in the train station. When he didn't offer his hand for her to hold, she held onto his shirt tail instead. "I'm going to be in Ravenclaw too, Fenny!" she shouted over the busy noise. "We can have lunch and dinner together everyday!" But he could hardly stay mad at her. When he disappeared into the wall at platform 9 3/4, she gasped. Her eyes shone brightly. It reminded him of his first time going to Hogwarts. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to help her out.

Wizarding Faire is so full of good stuff to inspire, it can be hard to pick a theme! The First Day of School was inspired by the Luggage carts from Sari-Sari and the animesh Howler letter from Guhit x Salemi. Willow's outfit from the Ersch Harriet Gacha, and necklace by Oxide. Fennimore is wearing the Wand Armband and potions book by Hopscotch, and his unhappy owl friend from gacha by Yokai.

On Her, Willow:

Dress: ERSCH Lara Dress RARE, Harriet gacha [mesh](Wizarding Faire)(75L)
Earring: ERSCH earrings broom, Harriet gacha [mesh](Wizarding Faire)(75L)
Eyepatch: ERSCH eyepatch RARE, Harriet gacha [mesh](Wizarding Faire)(75L)
Hat: ERSCH hat RARE, Harriet gacha [mesh](Wizarding Faire)(75L)
Necklace: ERSCH necklace, Harriet gacha [mesh](Wizarding Faire)(75L)
Letter: Guhit x Salem Magical Howler & Envelope [Animesh](Wizarding Faire)(300L)
Necklace: OXIDE Enchant Amulet [mesh](Wizarding Faire)(149L)
Hair: KURURU [KRR] Aria Hair, monochromes [mesh](299L)
Boots: Cute or Die! [CoD!] Vampire Academy Boots Maitreya) [mesh](299L)
Eyes: IKON Hope Eyes - Denim [mesh](150L)
Head: SOMEMORE SaeBom Mesh Head - 09, gacha [mesh]
Body: Maitreya Mesh Body Lara  [BOM] [mesh](2750L)

On Him, Fennimore:

Book: HopScotch Potions to go - Book [mesh](Wizarding Faire)(150L)
Armband: HopScotch Wand Holster Mesh [mesh](Wizarding Faire)(200L)
Top: Mossu Sean Cardigan - Blue - Legacy [mesh](349L)
Shoes: Deadwool  Dandy shoes - fitted - black/silver wingtip [mesh](360L)
Socks: Deadwool Dandy socks plain (for shoes) [mesh](150L)
Pants: S O R G O ButlerPants (forShirt+Belt) / DARK [mesh]
Hair: Dura 2018 Group gift Hair [mesh](gift)
Eyes: IKON Hope Eyes - Denim [mesh](150L)
Skin: Tableau Vivant Femboy Hunt 2012 exclusive [BOM]
Mesh head: Raven Bell James, Bento [mesh] (2000L)
Body, skin: TheShops [BODY] Legacy (m) (1.2) [mesh](5500L)

Setting:

Cart, Pose: Sari-Sari Porter's Trolley, Luggage Cart [mesh](Wizarding Faire)(499L)
Owl: YOKAI 1 Owl Magic School Magic Owl Cage RARE, gacha [mesh](Wizarding Faire)(50L)

Location:

Mischief Managed

Fantasy Faire 2020: The Severed Garden

(click to enlarge)

STORYLINE: "They are waiting to take us into the severed garden. Do you know how pale and wanton thrillful comes death on a strange hour? Unannounced, unplanned for like a scaring over-friendly guest you’ve brought to bed. Death makes angels of us all and gives us wings where we had shoulders smooth as raven’s claws. No more money, no more fancy dress, this other kingdom seems by far the best. Until it’s other jaw reveals incest and loose obedience to a vegetable law. I will not go."  - The Severed Garden, Jim Morrison

The Fantasy Faire was a huge success this year, lots of fun was had by all and $73,572 USD was raised for Relay for Life. Congrats to 700+ Faire staff and designers who helped make this happen, and to all the Faireland visitors who enjoyed and donated. Well done!

Several elements from both the Engine Room and Fantasy Faire inspired this post. From the Engine Room is the Lux Hair from Raven Bell. It comes in multiple fits for men and women. The from and the back are separate, so you can combine hairs or color then separately. Included is a unrigged bow with its own texture hud. Matching up nicely with the hair is the Auxentios Pass version of the Atreus coat by Contraption, which was a Relay for Life item at the Fantasy Faire. The textures for it a wonderful, you can pick out what colors you want for different fabrics from the texture hud. From the Fantasy Faire is this wonderful garden by The Looking Glass. Below I have moving clip of one section of the garden and a view of the braid in the Lux Hair.

On Him, the son of the Marquis d'Auvergne:
Hair: Raven Bell Luxe Luxe Hair [mesh](Engine Room)(350L)
Jacket: Contraption Atreus Frock *AUX* [mesh](400L)(Fantasy Faire: Auxentios Pass)
Gloves: Contraption Dapper Dandy's Gloves [mesh](350L)(Fantasy Faire: Auxentios Pass)
Pants, Boots: Contraption Airship Deck Crew [mesh](400L)(Fantasy Faire: Auxentios Pass)
Cane: Deadwool Goat cane [mesh](group gift)
Skin: Tableau Vivant Nathan - tone 1 - blond [BOM]
Mesh head: Raven Bell James, Bento [mesh] (2000L)
Body: Belleza Jake 2.0 Bento Mesh Body  [mesh](2999L)
Pose: Hot Dive pose repose02

Setting:

Glass Coffin: {anc} forget. glass coffin [Salome]19Li RARE gacha[mesh]
Skeleton: Cureless Skeletal System / NOIR [mesh](249L)
Paths: The Looking Glass Lunafae Garden Path Edges [mesh](350L)(Lunafae: Fantasy Faire)
Fountain: The Looking Glass Lunafae Fountain [mesh](250L)(Lunafae: Fantasy Faire)
Hedges: The Looking Glass Lunafae Hedge Pack [mesh](350L)(Lunafae: Fantasy Faire)
Plants: The Looking Glass Daisies and Ladybirds [mesh] (99L)(Lunafae: Fantasy Faire)

Bridge: The Looking Glass TLG FF2017 - DP Bridge Flat [mesh] (99L)

Waterlillies: Cerridwen's Cauldron [CC] Twinkling Duckweed Large Patch [mesh] (450L)
Rocks: Harshlands Realistic Rocks [mesh](150L)

Location:

Lunafae by The Looking Glass: Fantasy Faire 2020

American Gothic

(click to enlarge)

STORYLINE: The tide was rising rapidly in the Crescent City. A long black limousine slowly came to a stop in front of a quaint white shotgun cottage. Despite its caution, the car's wake splashed into the house. An angry outburst roared from inside, cursing the many Voodoo gods. La Croix smiled secretly to himself as he picked his way carefully through the floating debris. He knocked politely at the front door of the savior of the city, Maman Brigette. She was dressed for battle in black leather and armor and she shot him a hell of a dirty look that would surely have killed him if he wasn't already dead. Then she pretended he wasn't there as she frantically tried to recreate her Veve ceremony on the waterlogged floorboards. "No ritual gonna save us dis time, Maman. We gots to go." So many people were counting on her to save them, but there was no fixing a sinking city and a rising ocean. They really were going to loose everything this time. There was no spell strong enough to divert all this water. She covered her face with her hands, and began to sob. "Nah nah, cheri." He sat down in the water beside her and hugged her shoulders. She was such a powerful woman, it broke his heart to see her cry. "I gots news," he handed her a parchment scroll with a wax seal. She frowned, confused by such an odd thing at a time like this. He pointed to the ankh symbol in the wax seal. "The Ancient One has summoned us. He offers us a place of honor in his new nation." She snatched the letter, read it quickly, then read it again just to be certain. She looked up at the Baron and blinked. "What does the king of the vampires want from us?"

On her, Maman Brigitte:
Top: Zenith Berserker Breastplate (Black) Maitreya RARE, gacha [mesh](85L)
Gloves: Zenith Berserker Gloves(Black) Maitreya, gacha [mesh](85L)
Boots: Zenith Berserker Long Boots(Black) Maitreya, gacha [mesh](85L)
Shorts: Zenith Berserker Short with Belt (Black) Maitreya, gacha [mesh](85L)
Hair: booN POI481 hair platinum [mesh](280L)
Hat: Tableau Vivant Maman Brigitte Hat [mesh](300L)
Head: Genesis Lab Head_Angie_2.0 RARE, gacha [mesh](99L)
Glasses: Moon Elixir Coven - 18 - Glasses, gacha [mesh](75L)
Staff: Death Row Designs witchdoctor staff [mesh](120L)
Skin, appliers: Genesis Lab Chocolate_Skin (free)
Latex applier: Female Poison Outfit Latex Reine in Black (198L)
Hands: Slink Avatar Enhancement Hands [mesh](450L)
Body: Slink Physique Mesh Body V2.9[mesh](1,250L)

On him, Baron La Croix:
Eyepatch: Shi: Patch Mechanics 2.Black unisex RARE, gacha [mesh](150L)
Scarf: SEY VH-stole (for Halloween) male/reg [mesh](280L)
Hat: Harm's Way Top Hat texture change [mesh] (99L)
Necklace: ISON safari tribe necklace silver [mesh](245L)
Coat: Deadwool Peak suit (tux) - jacket - black [mesh](460L)
Hair: NO.MATCH NO.SMOKE. (male avatar )[mesh](200L)
Pants: Lapointe & Bastchild Leather - Mens Multi Texture Zip Pants [mesh](499L)
Boots: Lapointe & Bastchild Swear "Drift Mesh" Boot Mens v2 [mesh](499L)
Eyes: Poetic Colors nightfall - night mood [mesh] (100L)
Skin applier: Tableau Vivant tone 8 slink (400L)
Hands, Body Applier: Tableau Vivant Slink tone 8 (400L)
Hands: Slink Avatar Enhancement Hands - Male [mesh](450L)
Head applier: Tableau Vivant Kat Skin - Tone 08 for TMP (990L)
Skin applier Body: Tableau Vivant tone 8 TMP (400L)
Head: TheMeshProject (BETA) Head(m) - Anime (Deluxe) [mesh](5000L)
Body: TheMeshProject (BETA) Deluxe Body [mesh](5000L)

Setting:
Houses: Death Row 18.DRD LN Lovers nest cottage RARE, gacha [mesh](The Arcade)(75L)
Tree: 3D Trees Ancient Virginia Live Oak M/T (175L)