Midnight Order: The Hunt (Escape from Club Apophis, 13)

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STORYLINE: The humid air in Lisa Liemawr's apartment smelled of desperation and two-day-old noodles. She didn't have the energy to fight the funk, only to shove the carton toward Happy, the DinoDog chomping with a gusto that made the sad leftovers sound like gourmet. Loyal bio-constructs like DinoDog don’t complain. Her own complaints were scattered across the room, a silent collection of failures.

By the window, the light snagged on a frame: a hospital snapshot. A girl bandaged in gauze, bruises blooming under tape. A brand-new cyborg arm, not a replacement but a monument, wired to a drip. A baby DinoDog curled in her lap. That girl's fearless grin wasn't just a smile, it was the triumphant sneer of someone who'd just been reforged in wreckage. That girl smiled like she’d beaten the world. Lisa now… wore a different smile. The kind you put on so no one sees the cracks.

She spun her chair toward the corner, the worn casters groaning on the floorboards. Seven avatars stood in neat rows, a catacomb of her former fame. Their chrome limbs, once polished to a dazzling, poreless sheen, were now dulled. Their led lights, meant to glow like life-affirming halos, blinked like faint heart monitors. Each avatar was a flawless, dazzling version of herself, -- the face the world knew. But the real Lisa sat here, a woman with a plain face and a body that was more wire than flesh, commanding her bot army from the safety of her apartment.

Across the room, her halophone pulsed a fever-hot red. It wasn't just collection notices; it was a digital scream. Court summons, lawyers circling like vultures, all threatening the one thing she needed to survive: the power to run her army of avatars and drones. Her once-celebrated swarm was now an expensive liability, a tomb she couldn't afford to maintain.

And looking very much like a prop torn from a crime drama, was an evidence board sagging with glossy faces and glossy lies. At the center: Dr. Ginevra. White lab coat, immaculate. The miracle sculptor, promising to turn scars into perfection, disasters into pageant winners. Surrounding him, a constellation of his work: presidents with camera-ready jaws, idols with skin too flawless for pores, athletes carved like marble.

And then ...Yoon Jihoon.

On the left: a smudged “before,” a boy who looked like the air had given up noticing him. On the right: an “after” so dazzling the lens adored him. Taller, sharper, radiant with effortless charm. Kyra the cheerleader clung to him in the photo, lips pressed against his cheek while cameras gasped with delight.

And below that: Jihoon engulfed mid-combustion. A human torch, running like a stuntman through flames.

Across it all, Lisa’s hand had scrawled one word in fat red marker: SUS.

The phone buzzed. Caller ID: GIN AESTHETICA™

Lisa let it ring twice, then scooped it up. “Liemawr here. If this is about my extended warranty, you’re already too late. I expired years ago.”

“Neither of us desires this call,” came a silken, disdainful purr. The voice dripped condescension, velvet lined with razors. “So let us keep it mercifully brief. Your reach is… adequate. Let’s put it to proper use. Yoon Jihoon. Ruin him.”

Lisa’s tracer program flickered awake on instinct. A halo of code shimmered across her smart lens. She leaned back, grin tugging at her lips, a bloodhound catching scent.

“Ohhh, really? The poor guy spontaneously combusts in the middle of his debut glory, and you want me to kick him while he’s, ...what? Medium rare?”

“Not kick, my dear.” MasterGin’s tone slipped lower, decadent, theatrical. “Discredit.”

A hologram bloomed across Lisa’s vision, chasing the call.

“Expose him as a fraud. A slow, delicious public execution. You know the menu. The standard ingredients: DNA hacking, black-market augments… a perfect recipe for expulsion and ostracism. Your cheerleader accomplice can assist as an eyewitness to his shameful pursuit for fame at any cost.”

The tracer pulsed. Once. Twice. Code flared like heat-lightning across her digital vision, and for a moment, her grin faltered. The signal wasn't bouncing off some anonymous offshore server farm. The signal drove straight down, punching through the city's foundations like a nail into bone, to a place no one was supposed to be. One hundred fifty meters beneath the earth, into the festering heart of the Forbidden Zone. A place of rumor and rot, where the air itself was a whisper of plague. This wasn't arrogance; it was a declaration. Gin wasn't a surgeon, he was a god ruling an underworld. Lisa's finger flew to her console, saving the trace with a single, furious tap.

“Odd obsession, Doctor," she licked her lips, eyes narrowing. "You’re the world’s most fabulous scalpel-slinger, and you pick a broke kid as your pet project? Trademarked his body like a sneaker brand: ‘Lathandro™,’ mole on the ass and all. And then, poof, up he goes in flames the moment the cameras adored him. Suspicious doesn’t even cover it.”

A pause. Then a low, rolling laugh oozed through the line, theatrical and venomous. “Truth is fragile, Miss Lisa Lies More." he chuckled, satisfied with his little joke. "Outrageous lies, however, they’re what gets you eyeballs. Now, be a darling and do as instructed, if you want the lawsuit to disappear.”

Click.

The silence was absolute. She exhaled slowly and swiveled toward the board. Jihoon’s face stared back at her through the flames.

For years, this apartment had been her command center, her sanctuary, her cocoon. The world knew the flawless Lisa, the avatar she broadcast, never the one who sat in a creaking chair. But this wasn't a game she could win from a distance. She grabbed her old visor, scarred and scratched, buckled on the belt with her forgotten blade.

Happy’s tail thumped against the wall, sensing her rising pulse.

The Forbidden Zone shimmered on the horizon, its neon bleeding red like a wound that refused to close. For the first time in years, she was going out into the field, putting the real Lisa at risk. And she was not afraid.

She patted Happy’s head, her grin wide and defiant. “Let’s go get him.”

I hope you guys are loving the ongoing story and coolness from the overwhelmingly awesome Midnight Order round, ending soon. The big feature here is the brilliant Desert Nomad avatar by Logo. They are known for thier mesh heads, but this a complete avatar and I am loving it! The head is basic, but if you own any of the Logo hud and addons you can upload those into this avatar. The shape is editable, and clothing textures have a hud or colors to pick from in a desert style palette. I hope there are more awesome compelete avatars in the future by Logo!   Adding unsettling look, is the black Mortuvia Eyes by Hellbourne.   ...How about that DinoDog! He is an adorable animesh with multiple animation built into him. You get a fatpack to change his textures, or buy a single color.   ...Lisa's weapon another gorgeous Sword by FOE. This set comes with long sword and dagger. Includes texture hud to customize its look, and has all the good stuff programed into it, not just drawing and sheathing, but many poses for the sword too.   ...The Vintage Billboard by Dirty Rat is so much fun. It has a retro vibe that works well for Fallout like wastelands as well as retro 50s Americana. It includes lighting projectors and built in reflection probe for PBR textures, but also includes a non PBR version.

On her, Lisa Liemawr:

Complete Avatar: LOGO Desert Nomad [mesh](Midnight Order)(1999L)

Weapons: FOE x Decree Dagger, Dominion Longsword & Sheath [mesh](Midnight Order)(699L)

Eyes: Hellbourne Mortuvia Eyes, White (NoPupil)[BOM](Midnight Order)(299L)

Pose: yzk mens pose 4 hero1

Setting:

Billboard: Dirty Rat Vintage Billboard w/probe [PBR][mesh](Midnight Order)(375L)

Pet: Aardvark Wyrmlings Animesh - Earth Claw [animesh](Midnight Order)(399L)

Location:

MOTHERLAND // Social Hangout + Sandbox

BONUS IMAGES: inworld raw shots, hi-res, midday sky : Nomad avatar shown without helmet.

 

Engine Room: Murder at the Cabaret, 4

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STORYLINE: The velvet shadows of Le Rouge Noir clung to him like a lover’s perfume: thick, intoxicating, and sweet with secrets. Darius Laurent slipped through the staff entrance like he owned the place, his polished shoes making no sound against the timeworn boards. A single ghost light flickered center stage, casting long shadows that danced like phantoms through the corridor. 

He looked every inch the well-traveled shipping magnate: his suit, jet-black and tailored to a predatory elegance; his silk shirt glimmered with a subtle damask pattern, black on black. Gold glinted from his cufflinks, his buttons, the chain at his waist. Refined. Respected. Feared by those who knew better. 

His cane tapped rhythmically with each step, the weight of its hidden blade familiar in his grasp. The golden mechanical arms affixed to his shoulders gleamed faintly under the gas lamps. They were beautiful, sculpted, baroque, but merciless. Artifacts of precision and pain. They made him strong again, after she had taken everything. 

He passed by the dressing rooms, inhaling the scent of powder, sweat, and something sweeter still. 

Gardenia. 

His pulse quickened. A smile curled his lips. 

Gardenia, lush and overpowering, was the perfect scent for masking other smells. Cyanide, for instance. 

Lady Dupree was the new star now. Her name shone on the marquee in blaring letters. The one everyone whispered about, not that other girl. He hadn’t meant to kill Giselle, -- she was merely in the wrong spotlight at the wrong time. Dupree was the prize. Dupree reminded him of *her.* 

Lady DuBois. 

The one who fought back. He’d taken her vision first before she could see his face. Even blinded, she had clawed and screamed and bled him nearly to death. He bore her legacy still: a single eye beneath a gold-rimmed patch, and two ruined arms, now replaced with gilded horrors. 

He slipped deeper into the backstage halls. 

Then voices. 

“Have you found your killer?” asked a voice. 

Darius froze, just beyond the heavy curtain separating backstage from the dressing rooms. 

A woman’s voice answered, low and sure. “Yes. Darius Laurent.” 

His breath caught. What? 

Was this a rehearsal? A new play? 

“I followed a detective from out town investigating the Cabaret Killer,” the voice continued. “My perfume, it was poisoned.” 

His jaw tensed. He leaned closer, peering through the seam in the curtain. The Master of Ceremonies stood alone, painted face impassive, speaking to thin air. 

Madness? Or theater? 

“… and other girls from clubs like this. Always in strange, untraceable ways…” 

Darius’s stomach twisted. Was this some joke? Some twisted reckoning? 

No. No, not tonight. 

He turned away. He needed focus. He needed her. 

Lady Dupree’s dressing room waited at the end of the corridor with the door cracked like a temptation. 

He pushed it open. 

She was waiting for him. Her eyes widened, not in surprise, but in recognition. 

“You,” she said. 

She pulled the trigger. 

The gunshot punched into his arm. His mechanical limb flared with sparks, gears shrieking. He roared, half in pain, half in triumph. He was not mistaken! He didn’t know how it was possible, and he didn’t care. His Lady of the past and this male counterfeit “Lady” were the same. One never forgets their first kill, even if they look different now.

He lunged. 

The blade hissed from his cane. Steel met air. A gunshot missed. They crashed into shattered mirrors, through silk costumes and broken powder compacts. Their reflections fractured and warped in glass and memory. 

“You should have stayed dead,” he growled. 

“Should’ve killed you the first time,” Dupree spat. 

“Stop this!” another voice cried. “I accept the deal!” 

He turned.

And saw the Master of Ceremonies at the threshold, arms folded behind his back like some wicked butler. 

And behind him… 

Darius’s blood turned to ice. 

It was not a man. Not a ghost. A thing. Cloaked in decay, made of shadow and gore. Its face was not a face at all, and it’s tendrils of darkness wrapped around the MC’s limbs like the strings of a marionette. 

He stumbled, suddenly winded. Cold. Something was wrong. 

“What?” he gasped, looking down. 

His mechanical hand trembled. His legs buckled. His chest constricted like hands closing around his ribs. 

Something was inside him. 

A presence. 

A voice. Inside his skull. A breath that wasn’t his. 

“With my second life, I shall use it to have my revenge,” said Giselle. 

He howled, but no one heard. 

He tried to run, but couldn’t move. 

Then Dupree’s scream tore through the air. A scream drenched in a decade of suffering. 

She drove the his own blade into his heart. 

Agony bloomed white-hot. He felt the mechanics seize. The world froze. 

And then… 

Nothing. 

Not even darkness....

BOOM! How was that? Spooky! hahaha. There's an epilogue too with what happens to the girls, the MC, and even the pirates but maybe it's ok to stop there? I got a little carried away. lol. 

 ... Engine Room is ending this weekend. Don't miss all the cool items and gifts too! I included a few in this post. ...This image and story was inspired by a crazy banger of a song I found while brainstorming this series, This Way to the Egress by Saint (see link below). ...Darius's outfit is an amazing detailed outfit by JEYS with metal details for tie, fob, brooches, tie, straps, and spider-like metal arms. The textures are fantastic. ...The doll is an Animesh wearable pet TikTok Man by Whats Lost Spirits. (You can also rez it.) Touch the TikTok man to bring up a menu with many animations you can trigger, including dances.   ... The staff is a gift by Dirty Rat, part of the display for the Plague Doctor display case. It includes several hold poses.  ....The eyepatch by GRAAL is another brilliant gift at the event. It unrigged so you can adjust it to fit.    .... Darius's skin is the Maverick by Skin Arcana. I found it works great on more current Lelukta mesh heads like Camden. It comes with and without brows, and tones to match Velour  picasso body colors.   ...Have I used the Hellbourne Thaumaturgy eyes enough? I love them. That's why! I couldn't show it, but they include an animated lens that fits ontop of the eye  ...The #200 hair is another great style by Ginko that works great on both men and women. ...In the background, setting the tone of secret society is The Last Throne by Ionic. Its theme is well suited for Game of Thrones role-plays with House Banners and a stone throne you can buy separately.

On him, Darius Laurent:

Skin: Skin Arcana Maverick, Peach, Evox [BOM](Engine Room)(450L)
Suit: JEYS Ventus, MSuit A, Legacy M[mesh](Engine Room)(299L)

Shirt: JEYS Ventus, shirt, Legacy M [mesh](Engine Room)(299L)
Pant: JEYS Ventus, pants Legacy M [mesh](Engine Room)(299L)  
Hands: JEYS Ventus, Ironhand, Legacy M [mesh](Engine Room)(299L)
Staff, pose: Dirty Rat Plaque Staff [mesh](Engine Room)(gift)

Eyepatch: GRAAL STORE Revolver Eyepatch, unrigged [mesh](Engine Room)(gift)

Eyes: Hellbourne :H: Thaumaturgy Eyes, White [mesh](Engine Room)(275L)

Hair: Ginko Hair #200 Hair - Unrigged [mesh](520L)

Head, beard: LeLUTKA CAMDEN Evolution [mesh](3990L)

Pose: Del May DM Yo-yo

Setting:

Doll: Whats Lost Spirits WLS TICTOK MAN 4.0 [Animesh](Engine Room)(700L)

Set: ionic : The Last Throne, 95li [mesh](Engine Room)(1250L)

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

Engine Room: Murder at the Cabaret

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STORYLINE: The velvet curtains of Le Rouge Noir rippled in a wind that did not belong. Giselle blinked, her vision sharpening against the haze of cigar smoke and dim crimson lights. The club still pulsed with jazz, but the laughter, the music, the warmth of bodies.... None of it touched her.

Then she saw, *him.*

The Master of Ceremony stood before her, his grin too wide, his haunted eyes gleamed like a cat’s in the dark. She saw now, for the first time, he was merely a puppet to a terrifying creature hovering behind him. Beneath the sheen of his silk suit, his skin cracked like old leather, shifting as if something monstrous animated him.

“Darling,” he purred, voice like velvet and decay, “I’m afraid you’re quite dead.”

Giselle staggered back. Her mind screamed that it couldn’t be true, she had just been dancing, drinking, alive.

“But,” the Master continued, stepping closer, the scent of brimstone curling from his lips, “I do love a good game. Solve your murder in three nights, and you may yet waltz out of here breathing.”

His grin widened, revealing teeth too sharp, too many.

“Fail…” He chuckled, low and terrible. “And you’ll dance for me forever.” 

It's time to go back to the past that never was, Engine Room has returned! This post was inspired by a story I wrote while on hiatus, and the awesome cabaret and burlesque themed items this round.   ...The spooky monster head Arges is by Lightwood. The eye is animated, and comes in several colors. It's meant to replace your normal head. However for my image idea, I combined it with the bento animated Ride of Delusion by Contraption, so its looks like a shadow spirit possession.  ...Talk about spooky, I felt like a ventriloquist doll in this amazing Caberet style makeup for men by Somnium. It has an old feel with parts of the makeup cracked. Comes with brow and mustache and without. This rare gem of a retro male makeup is a free gift at the Engine Room too! The beautiful and versatile tuxedo set by Somnium is great for many occasions. It includes bowtie, shirt, vest, tailcoat, pants and the hud includes 7 textures options for each area of the suit so you can mix and match colors, (including dusty and bloodsplatter).   ... The Hunter's Handbook by Static is very fun. It's wearable as a necklace, and then you can trigger a pose for it to be worn in your hand as if reading it. Its has fits for men and women, and an unrigged version. It comes in 3 colors.   The prosthetic hand is by Cabalpier. In PBR and nonPBR versions, with both style and texture options. It's unrigged so you can display it too!  ...I used the handy Contraption Dapper gloves which include an alpha to hide one hand's glove. ...The spooky haunted eyes are by Hallbourne. I love black sclera eyes for that extra spooky look.   ...The Burlesque club setting is by Paparazzi. (Thanks for your help on the set, Akira!)

On Him:
Monster head: Lightwood Arges Head Inferno Black Chains [mesh](Engine Room)(399L)

Makeup: SOMNIUM Maestro Makeup - Brows/Mustache, ears  [mesh](Engine Room)(gift)
Outfit: SOMNIUM Maestro's Aria set, Legacy (PBR)[mesh](Engine Room)(850L)

Eyes: Hellbourne :H: Thaumaturgy Eyes, White [mesh](Engine Room)(275L)
Book: Static Hunter's Handbook [Bento][mesh](Engine Room)(325L)
Hand: CABALPIER Dead Hand M6, Male (PBR)[mesh](Engine Room)(425L)

Pet: Contraption Ride of Delusion *rdeath [Bento](500L)
Gloves: Contraption Dapper Dandy's Gloves Legacy M [mesh](350L)

Shoes: Muho Zas Shoes, black, LegacyM [mesh](90L)
Hair: Volkstone Ryot ll Hairbase / Black [BOM](199L)
Head: LeLUTKA Kane Evolution [mesh](3990L)
Pose: Puppets World trust me m k f (35L)

Setting:
Set: Paparazzi BACKDROP - Burlesque [mesh](350L)

BONUS IMAGE: inworld raw shot, midday sky

Midnight Order: Dragon Boy Centerfold

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STORYLINE: Greetings dear readers and creatures of the night, this nocturnal journalist is happy to announce, after a year long hiatus, Midnight Magazine is back! We're excited to give a sneak peek at February's centerfold, the mysterious Dracotaur Sylus from the popular Deepspace video game. Yes, yes, he was difficult to coax into modeling for us, but with proper care, attention, and a lot of money were able to eventually win him over.

It's good to be back! I have been having fun with PBR, as you can see in the image above. lol. 

Midnight Order is MASSIVE, it's grown so huge since I was last in SL.  I'm just blow away by the quality and quantity of the items there. It's not to be missed! And grab the many goodies too, including a full outfit for the men!

This image was inspired by the JEYS's Imperial Dragon and Armor. I used a combination of red and black textures for the Dragon parts, and my favorite armor was the red with a cool flame texture. The Dragon Wings by JEYS are free gift at the event in 2 colors. For this picture I used the Moon Rabbit Phoenix Wings with flame colors.These wings come in Blended or Mask versions. I used the Masked version. The wings are animated textures that look like fire. They are bento with many animations, including hugs, and static poses. For the tail I used the bento Spinal Tail by Cubic Cherry. Its has many texture huds with PBR and includes an AO. On the face, I used the BOM tattoo AERTH's Daughter of Sun Facedecals Onyx for a cool look. And the most perfect eyes are Hellbourne's Phosphor Eyes's Vitae with the mix of grey, white and red.

On him, Dragon Boy:

Outfit: JEYS Imperial Armor I, Legacy [mesh](Midnight Order)(299L)

Dragon: JEYS Imperial Dragon A Black, Legacy [mesh](Midnight Order)(299L)

Wings dragon: JEYS Imperial Gift Wing A [mesh](Midnight Order) (gift)

Wings fire: Moon Rabbit ~MR~ Phoenix Wings [Bento](Midnight Order)(fatpack 1,499L)

Eyes: Hellbourne :H: Phosphor Eyes - Vitae [BOM](Midnight Order)(275L)

Tail: Cubic Cherry Spinal tail Neons [Bento][PBR](Midnight Order)(275L)

Tattoo: AERTH Daughter of Sun Facedecals Onyx [BOM](Midnight Order)(350L)

Tattoo: Nefekalum Tattoos, Python, Red [BOM](199L)

Tattoo: Vae Victis Pillar of Inun EvoX - Vo, Black [BOM](450L)

Tattoo arms: CURELESS [+] Dragon Halfbreeds / HalfbreedScales Coal, Fatpack [BOM](1499L)

Claws: RAWR! Merciless Claws Legacy, Male [mesh](349L)

Hair: WINGS ES1118-HAIR [mesh](320L)

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

Pose tail: Murder of Ravens [M.O.R] bento demon tail [Bento](150L)

Pose: Insomnia Angel konpeitou lay2

 

Setting:

Cave: CABALPIER Cave Hall [PBR](985L)

BONUS IMAGE: inworld raw shot, midday sky

Engine Room : The Celestial Mafia, part 1

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STORYLINE: Hovering high above the soot choked city was the Celestial Mafia’s headquarters. 

Nothing happened in New London without Mob Boss K’s permission. K was ruthless, so it came as no surprise when his power was threatened, he immediately summoned his best Crew head.... "Thank you for coming quickly J, I have an urgent mission for you."

The ENGINE ROOM is back, and this round is truly amazing! For my posts this round I'm going to try to show as many things I as can, and challenge myself to do it in a comic book/manga-like style. It's been difficult, so I had to scale back my ambition some to not take too long. lol  I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know if you like it. Many thanks to Aarya Phantomhive for her help with pictures and feedback.

The first image was inspired the elegant Toksik Bibliotheca outfit, and sweet gothic steampunk background by The Eschaton. Also from the Engine Room is the fun animating Gyro that you can wear, and the eerie gold eyes by Hellbourne.

On him, Celestial Mafia Boss K:
Outfit: toksik Bibliotheca Noctis Robe, Hood Up, M black [mesh](Engine Room)(350L)
Orb: RSStore RS-Dwayne Gyro RS-Dwayne Gyro EF [mesh](Engine Room)(220L)
Eyes: HELLBOURNE :H: Gilded Eyes - Gold [mesh](Engine Room)(275L)
Epaulet: CURELESS REDLABEL / Donatien Manteau / Black Epaulet [mesh](399L)
Gloves: Contraption Dapper Dandy's Gloves Legacy M [mesh](350L)

Hair: Ginko Hair #97 Hair - Rigged, Male [mesh](520L)
Head: LeLUTKA Kane Evolution 3.1 [mesh](3990L)
Pose: ZZANG Strength 003

Setting:
Backdrop: The Eschaton *TE* Clockwork Apse PhotoBooth [mesh](Engine Room)(375L)

Twinkles: Dysfunctional Designs [DDD] Twinkle Patches - Giant Patch [mesh](95L)