Midnight Order: The White Knight

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STORYLINE: No sooner I had spoke into my recorder, “Reporter for Midnight Magazine here,” then I sensed a displeasurable aura coming my way. The Predator of Predators flopped down in a chair in front of me in a whirlwind of thunder and thinly veiled contempt. I cheerfully offered my hand, “It’s an honor to meet the Legend of the Hunter Society.”

He refused my hand, and scoffed at my recording equipment. “Is that really necessary? I have nothing to say to your blood soaked readers. I’m not here by choice.”

“Yes, I’ve heard the King has some kind of sway over you,” I thrust my recorder in his face. “Care to explain what it is?” He smacked my hand away with such violence, my poor little device was buried deep in the wall. “My my… aren’t you the scary one.”

He stood up as if to say, this interview is over, but he paused by the door and asked, “I have no idea why you vampires… are interested in me.”

I leaned back and smugly regarded him. Got ya. “As strange as it sounds, you do have a fan club. Let’s just say, for the undead its a fantasy to be killed, and then by someone as beautiful and powerful as yourself... Well, you’re quite the dreamboat."

His lips curled up in disgust, revealing his own sharp fangs. “Vampires…,” he hissed unironically. “I do the world a favor annihilating you perverse vermin.”

Behind me, Lillian, from the makeup department, swooned at his dangerous growl and fainted right on the spot. Despite his menacing words, the Underworld’s Lancelot was very much the knight in shiny armor. He moved so quickly, he caught her before she hit the ground.

I quickly snapped a tantalizing shot of this accidental embrace. It was perfect for the editorial section! Oh yes, this next issue is going to sell out fast. Of course, Midnight Magazine wanted the world's only Elder Slayer for our July cover model. Lucky for us, the King ordered him to appear as a bit of positive public relations for his newly formed Camelot of the Night. Surely it was some kind of punishment for the White Knight’s misdeeds.

I smiled brightly at him, “Midnight Magazine has a wonderful photoshoot setup just for you. A romanic scene of thorns and roses. I’m sure you will hate every minute of it!”

Midnight Order is back bringing you some much needed Darkness in the blistering heat of summer. This image was inspired by Gothic Window by Schadenfreude, Valentine gloves by Cubic Cherry, Skellybones Tyrant Torch, and Wicca Liuva boots, -- all awesome items at the current round of Midnight Order. I have been feeling nostalgic lately, like wanting to get back to the original idea for my avatar when I first joined SecondLife. I'm very into vampire stories. Back in 2011, I had just seen the dark fantasy anime Vampire Knight. I really identified with the long suffering Zero. I bounced between several looks for avatar, but white hair and purple eyes just felt like home, so it became my main look. The VK story itself was loosely inspired the tales of King Arthur. So I'm putting my own spin on things with the idea of vampire magazine article, Camelot Exposed! 

Ok, so first, in the unholy Lancelot makeover is the hair by Ginko. Its something I might wear forever. Its gorgeous. Comes in male and female fits. I love me some slutty boots, so when I saw Wicca's Liuva boots had male fits, I knew I needed to feature them! They come with a hud to change the colors.  The Valentine gloves work perfectly with Wicca boots and the fatpack comes with a lot of great texture options. I added the Nunna Klei tattoo for extra glam spark. Can we speak about that beautiful Axe by Skellybones? Wow. Just awesome. It comes with 4 hold poses and a texture hud. The Gothic Window by Schadenfreude makes my gothic loving heart sing. Its lovely, and has many color options. There is also a version with a stained glass texture, and a coffee table with a stained glass shadow!

On Him, The White Knight of Dark Camelot:
Hair: Ginko Hair #84 Hair - Rigged(Male/M) [mesh](Midnight Order)(465L)

Gloves: Cubic Cherry Valentine gloves FATPACK, LegacyM [mesh](Midnight Order)(249L)

Tattoo: Nuuna The KLEI tattoo [BOM] [mesh](Midnight Order)(250L)

Boots: Wicca's Originals Liuva Boot Jake  [mesh](Midnight Order)(599L)

Weapon: Skellybones Tyrant's Torch [mesh](Midnight Order)(499L)

Armbands: NOCHE Roman gold cuffs - Legacy [mesh](99L)

Pants: toksik Remnant Pants Legacy M, White [mesh](240L)

Crown: Sinful Sky Valentine Thorns Roses [mesh]

Blood: sacrilege eternal damnation [BOM](329L)

Head, Lips, piercings: LeLUTKA Kane Evolution .2.5 [mesh](3990L)
Body: TheShops [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.0) [mesh](5000L)
Pose: HCXII LettucePray 2

Setting:
Window Frame: Schadenfreude Zadkiel Window [mesh](Midnight Order)(250L)

Roses: Mesh Plants Rose Bush Pack [mesh](280L)

Petals: Luna Rosarie L+R petal storm, gacha [mesh]

Thorns: {anc} Ironorbs and Thornbush

Thanks for your help, Aarya!

The Strange Case of Dr Oliver Paynesworth

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Death Row Designs will be delivering another fun gacha and hunt for Halloween this year. The theme this time is Asylum. This is my entry to DRD's the "Join the Family" contest. I brought out one of my favorite asylum dwelling characters. Enjoy. Style Credits below the story.

The Strange Case of Dr Oliver Paynesworth 

(as told by the Admitting Nurse at the Rosewood Asylum)

It had been an ordinary day at the Rosewood Asylum when the town’s respected general practice doctor, Dr Oliver Paynesworth, strolled past me without a word, not even a Hello, and disappeared down the long of hall of Rosewood’s worst behaved residents, otherwise known as the "inmates." Of course I went to fetch him, since we don’t allow visitors to that wing of the asylum. 

I discovered him in the oddest place. He had taken the last room to the right and barricaded the door with the back of a chair so that I could not open it. I looked through the glass peephole and saw him, just sitting in the middle of the room on the floor with a vacant look in his eyes.

“Excuse me Dr Oliver, What are you doing? Is there something wrong?”

He didn’t look at me as he said in a hallow voice, “I am admitting myself. I am a danger to society. Please leave me alone.”

Alarmed, I fetched the director of the Institution. He spoke to the Doctor for some time before he came back out shaking his head. “Nurse, can you please check into this?” He had filled out a form to accept Dr Oliver and wrote that the Dr believed he could kill with a mere thought. He blamed himself for his fiancé’s death after she broke up their engagement. He wanted me to call her doctor to check if the story was true. 

Dr Oliver’s case turned out to be a sad example of the ravages of grief, most likely driven by intense regret that his last words to his fiancé were, "I hope you die." Turns out she had just discovered her diagnosis of terminal cancer and couldn’t bring herself to tell him, so she abruptly broke off their engagement without explanation. We figured after some grief counseling, and revealing the truth of why she ended their relationship, he would return to normal. But sadly, that’s not what happened.

One day we found him in a pool of blood. He had cut off his own legs with exceptional surgical skill. What he used, we have no clue, but it must have been a very large sharp blade. We searched high and low for this dangerous weapon but could never discover where he had hidden it. He was ranting on and on about offering his legs to Death in exchange for bringing his beloved back to life.

He had clearly taken a turn for the worse. 

We were able to stop the bleeding. Once he had recovered, we gave him a wheelchair and fitted him with new prosthetic legs. I think Dr Rosewood held hope he could save his old friend.

As the months passed, Dr Oliver would sit on the floor, not eating, or speaking…. Other "inmates" requested to be transferred away from his unsettling dark aura. Except one. She requested to be moved directly across from him. In truth, she was here because she was in so much pain her family couldn't care for her. She was often yelling across the hall, begging Dr Oliver to kill her. If he heard her, I don’t know. He was covered in dust by then. Cobwebs hung from his eyelashes too. I thought he was long dead and everyone was too scared to go in and check.

But he was not dead.

The morning on the 19th, I discovered front door of the Rosewood Asylum was open. No "inmates" escaped. No, instead they were all yelling, crying, and cowering their rooms. When I reached the last door on the right, it was open. Dr Oliver was gone. There was no sign of him. I checked across the hall and the lady was still locked inside her room. No one entered, but she was clearly dead. White as a sheet. And smiling.

It was creepy. We closed off that cursed wing of Rosewood. No one ever did see Dr Oliver Paynesworth again. The only clue we had as to what became of him was a note left on the floor.

Thank you for caring for me. 

It is time for me to go now. 

Please take good care of your health. 

Your time precious. Don’t waste it.

signed,

Dr Oliver Paynesworth, 

Reaper

 

On him, Dr Oliver:

Hair: A&Y CyberBunker Electric-rain hair - Male - pink [mesh](290L)
Top: Contraption Engineer's Top, male [mesh](500L)
Weapon: Val'More Prototype Project - Takizawa Sickle [mesh](380L)
Claws: Naberius Iron Eater Claws (Aether) Bento Jake, gacha [mesh](75L)
Legs: Contraption Classic Leg Prosthesis *gunmetal* [mesh](150L)
Coat: Curio Obscura Luxurious Fur Coat Black, gacha [mesh] (100L)
Glasses: ContraptioN The Tinkerer's Glasses, gacha [mesh]
Hat: Harm's Way Top Hat texture change [mesh] (99L)
Eyes: IKON Deadshine Eyes - Quicksilver [mesh](150L)
Skin, TMP Appliers: Fallen Gods Pure [xy] + Ivory(660L)
Head: TheMeshProject (BETA) Head(m) - Anime (Deluxe) [mesh](5000L)
Wheelchair, pose: Luna Rosarie L+R Bloody Rosarie wheelchair, gacha [mesh]

Setting:
Building: Madpeas Run Down Asylum, 159m x 80m footprint, 1100 li [mesh](975L)

Aenigma (Madness) : Off with their heads!

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STORYLINE: The Prince of Hearts was furious with his mother. The Queen never listened to him. He warned her there was a swarm of Jabberwocks coming to infest Wonderland. He offered simple solutions to deal with the problem, but she refused to listen to him. She cared more about her popularity with the card soldiers, or how many heart-shaped rubies she amassed. He accused her in front of the entire court of being blind. For his crime, she had his left eye plucked out. In a fit of madness, he took out his wrath on her prized roses.

I know these times are tough during the pandemic for everyone. It seems odd to return into SL and try to refocus, but here you go! The image above is inspired by Alice in Wonderland, the Shears, and Rose Blindfold at Aenigma (Madness). I used the Animesh shears by Maru Kado. They can be worn to trigger the animation, or used as a prop. It has singles poses and multiple texture options. Matching the shears, is a scraps tattoo texture by The White Crow for face and body, in light and dark, and also lips only. The Blindfold is the next of Silvery K's Cursed Rose line. You can buy it several headband colors, and each comes with a hud to change the textures of vine, rose, and metal.

On Him, the King of Hearts:
Blindfold: Silvery K Rose curse Blindfold black [mesh](Aenigma)(300L)
Shears: Maru Kado snip off the ends Animesh [mesh](Aenigma)(350L)
Tattoo: The White Crow -[TWC]- Need Therapy (Aenigma)(450L)
Hair: RavenBell Azren Hair, Solids [mesh](350L)
Earring: MINDS Playing Cards Earring heart, gacha [mesh](50L)
Collar: Junbug The London Ruff Black [mesh](295L)
Collar: Silvery K Neck Corset Mesh Black [mesh](150L)
Coat: Curio Obscura Luxurious Fur Coat Dalmatian RARE, gacha [mesh] (100L)
Pants: RIOT Syrio Men's Leggings - Belleza Jake [mesh](199L)
Gloves: APHORISM Leather Gloves Finger Black unrigged, RARE, gacha [mesh](50L)
Crown: Violent Seduction Madame Chevaliere Crown Red, gacha [mesh](75L)
Crown: SWaGGa Crown of Thorns [mesh]
Eye makeup: Izzie's Eyelid Changer Monolid LAQ [BOM] (149L)
Skin: KOOQLA The Knight of the Rose (BOM)
Ears: Mandala STEKING_EARS_Season5 [mesh](697L)
Eyes: FATE Oculi v0.9.7 [mesh](coming soon)
Mesh head: Raven Bell James, Bento [mesh] (2000L)
Body: Belleza Jake 2.0 Bento Mesh Body  [mesh](2999L)
Pose: [3M]**_chair5_1 (40L)

Setting:
Chess: Apple Fall Apple Fall Garden Chess Board [mesh](350L)
Hedge: Botanical Seasonal Boxwood Hedge [mesh](500L)
Roses: Mesh Plants Rose Bush Pack [mesh](280L)
Roses: Mesh Plants Climbing Rose Pack [mesh](180L)
Petals: Luna Rosarie L+R petal storm, gacha [mesh]
Sign: Enchant3D Which Way Sign Post, WAMH [mesh]
Sky: Wess4u Rose Garden 5 stock

Aenigma (Tainted Love) : Poltergeist

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STORYLINE: "Betrayer," a malevolent voice whispered in the dark. No, not again.... A whirlwind suddenly exploded. Books flew across the room. Rosa Rossa quickly grabbed his dagger and tried to stab the disembodied arms before they could scratch "Mine" across his body once more. He screamed and thrashed wildly. He was no longer the sleek hunter, a fiend feasting on the blood of innocents. No, it was he who was the prey. "Forever young," they said, "forever beautiful." But none of those lying Nosferatu bastards offering him the Gift bothered to mention there were other dark forces lurking in the shadows.... They gave not one word of warning that a soul who died violently could return to exact revenge.... Now there was no escape. No way to kill the monster he created. Two immortals, locked in a war of love turned to hate for all entirety.

There's a brand new event, Aenigma, full of many wonderful designers delivering creative items around a theme. The first round is "Tainted Love."  Don't miss it, it will be closing on the 15th. Hurry hurry! And keep an eye out for the next round, Madness! For more information, go to: https://www.acadiaslevents.com/aenigma.html

I'm very happy I was invited a few days ago to blog this event, so many designers I love are here.  This image was inspired by a few of the items at the event. The Ghost Hands are super cool! They are animesh by Maru Kado, and hover around you in a very creepy way before grabbing at you. I love it! Coming with it is a White Crow tattoo of scratch marks, in applier and BOM for face and body. I love this super cool Rose and Thorn hand bling by Silvery K. I had to have it! So I switched to the Maitrya body with V-tech chest to wear it. The Dagger is by Deadly Nightshade and includes several hud triggered attack animations. The heart lock collar by unstable includes a hud to change its textures. And lastly you can find this dandy hat in Insonmia Angel houndtooth gacha at Aenigma.    The RavenBell Jay hair I picked up recently at the Humpday Sale. Its awesome! Be sure to keep your eye on those sales to see if he offers any new hairs in Dystopian colors. And lastly, I want to show you a sneak peek of the new FATE Oculi eyes! They are very cool with animated irises that dilate and contract automatically. I helped beta test them. So many things on my wishlist from Fate Eyes and now these made it into the product. You guys are going to love them so much. There will be addons too, for super huge eyes, cat eyes, and a dev kit for the creation of new eye texture and appliers. It's coming soon to the marketplace near you!

On him, the Haunted Vampire Rosa Rossa:
Animesh arms: Maru Kado / The White Crow Always Mine [mesh](Aenigma)(500L)
Dagger: DeadlyNightshade .~DN~. Violent Rose [mesh](Aenigma)(500L)
Collar: unstable Everlasting Devotion [mesh](Aenigma)(200L)
Hand jewelry: Silvery K Rose curse-Bento mesh Black hands thorns [mesh](Aenigma)(300L)
Hat: Insomnia Angel stovepipe hat noir, gacha [mesh](Aenigma)(75L)
Eyes: FATE Oculi v0.9.7 [mesh](coming soon)
Hair: RavenBell Jay Hair, Dystopian [mesh](350L)
Coat: Cureless RedLabel Donatien Manteau [mesh](399L)
Corset: GRIMA Manson Corset Maitreya [mesh](300L)
Boots: GRIMA Maitreya Latex Thigh-High Military Boots Black [mesh](195L)
Pants: S.in Happy Pants Metal Black [mesh](355L)
Collar: Lovely Disarray Personal Jesus : Collar of Thorns [mesh]
Skin: Dimbula Rose :::DR::: Knyam skin Vampire [BOM]
Mesh head: Raven Bell James, Bento [mesh] (2000L)
Chest: [V-Tech] Boi Chest Mod v2.2 - Maitreya  [BOM](499L)

Body: Maitreya Mesh Body Lara  [BOM] [mesh](2750L)
Expressions: Happy Dispatch [HD] bento Facial expression HUD (600L)

Pose: yzk mens  pose8

Setting:
Skybox: VARONIS Sombre Skybox [mesh](429L)
Chair: Violetility Sanguine Throne Lestat [mesh](599L)
Petals: Luna Rosarie L+R petal storm, gacha [mesh]
Flying paper: Moon Amore Opera Romance, Burning music sheets, gacha [mesh](45L)
Curtains: Kalopsia Flying Curtain [mesh](50L)
Outside view: Venexia

Shadow of the Reaper, 2

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STORYLINE: Brilliant white light penetrated the dreary halls of the underworld. It felt warm to the Ghost Lady. She closed her eyes and sighed. It was so peaceful standing in its radiance. Souls of the dead shuffled past her towards the light, drawn by instinct like moths to a flame. She suddenly opened her eyes and turned to an elderly woman. "What do you think the light is?" The woman smiled at her, "Why its the light of heaven, my dear." "No, no," the nearby teenager cut her off, "It's a birth canal. Through the tunnel into the light we live again." A man scoffed and waved them off, "I have to say, as a scientist, its a star. Everyone who ever lived, and anything you ever saw, was born in the heart of a star. So maybe, just maybe, we return to it. Matter back into energy," he shrugged. She stood soundlessly, watching them disappear one by one into the light. Everyday she stood here at the portal waiting for her beloved Oliver to return. And everyday she wondered what lay beyond light. It was a mystery she would never solve. She was trapped between the worlds of the living and the dead. Was it really a blessing to be loved by a Reaper?

The last round of the much beloved Fantasy Gacha Carnival is going on now. This has been one of my all time favorite events in SL. Its always fun, and always had a good collection of gachas for the men. But take heart, rumor has it the Fantasy Gacha may be continuing with new leadership and new location. Stay tuned for more news. You can view the current round's shopping guide here: FGC Shopping Guide And on Flickr: FGC Flickr  Also note: The Fantasy Gacha Carnival can be found here FGC @ Yasum

On Her, The Ghost Lady:
Hat: Silvan Moon Designs Evangeline Windlace Hat RARE, gacha [mesh](Fantasy Gacha Carnival)(75L)
Jacket: Silvan Moon Designs Evangeline Windlace Jacket RARE, gacha [mesh](Fantasy Gacha Carnival)(75L)
Dress: Silvan Moon Designs Evangeline Windlace Bodice gacha [mesh](Fantasy Gacha Carnival)(75L)
Skirt: Silvan Moon Designs Evangeline Windlace Skirt, gacha [mesh](Fantasy Gacha Carnival)(75L)
Overskirt: Silvan Moon Designs Evangeline Windlace Overskirt, gacha [mesh](Fantasy Gacha Carnival)(75L)
Vest: Silvan Moon Designs Evangeline  gacha [mesh](Fantasy Gacha Carnival)(75L)
Fur Wrap: Stitched Premium Harra Fur Shawl RARE, gacha [mesh](Fantasy Gacha Carnival)(99L)
Mask: Kotolier Soiree Masque 11 Violet, gacha [mesh](90L)
Necklace, earrings: deviousMind VictorianGothic Royal Cross Jewelry Set, gacha [mesh](75L)
Skin: Glam Affair Amberly II - Polar - Red Ice G (no longer available)
Skin applier: Glam Affair Maitreya Mesh body - Polar Tone Appliers (349L)
Hair: Exile Full Of Grace, naturals [mesh](280L)
Lashes: FTL Eyelashes - C01 Natural (280L)
Eyes: IKON Charm Eyes - Brown [mesh](150L)
Body, Hands: Maitreya Mesh Body Lara [mesh](2750L)
Pose: Zzang (no longer available)

Setting:
Organ: Luna Rosarie Eleison Organ [mesh](Creators Collection Box)(1600L)
Hallway: Win Factory Halls of the Drow Noble Basic Set 1 [mesh](no longer available)

Vampire Ballet: Black Souls, Red Petals

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STORYLINE: In life, the Kuro twins were child prodigies thrilling audiences with their skillful Cello playing. But those happy times ended when a deranged fan tried to "steal" their talent one limb at a time. Their savior was a well-meaning vampire who heard their cries. He found them dying from their wounds. In one moment more, they and their talent would be lost forever. Thinking quickly, he used his vampiric powers to fuse their broken bodies to stage prop dolls. But the shock was too much for the them. Gone was their spirit. They sat mute, traumatized, as lifeless as the dolls they inhabited. The years passed, but their savior never gave up. He kept them fed with blood drips, wheeled them around, dressed them in the finest clothes. Nothing roused them. Then one day, an idea hit him. Their souls were music, and music would save them the way he never could. 

Today is the last day for The Gathering. Don't miss this cool gacha event with lots of fun fantasy items. Pictured above is the Astralia Bambola gacha. It's a doll theme with wind up keys, key wings, and a special pedestal for your doll that includes nice musicbox poses.  From NeverWish is the Rare Steam Wings Hat. It comes with a hud to switch the hat and metal textures. It's also mod, so I scaled it smaller and added a red tint. The gacha includes a 2nd top hat, and steampunk horns.  From Faida is the gothic spiderweb Leggings rare gacha that comes with a hud to change the textures and includes fun spiked toe heels.  From Death Row is the beautiful Iron Filigree bed. It comes in either light or dark, is 12 land impact, and has adult poses.  The wheelchair, petal storm, rugs, and coffin are by Luna Rosarie. Wonderful gacha. You can head to their mainstore to play the gacha.  Also, head to Zenith's mainstore to play the gacha for the nice Gothic Lolita outfits Aarya Phantonhive and I are showing,.

On Her, Doll wheelchair:

Wings: Astralia Bambola set key - red, gacha [mesh](The Gathering)(73L)
Doll key: Astralia Bambola wing - red, gacha [mesh](The Gathering)(73L)
Hat: Neverwish *NW* Steam Wings Hat - Rare, gacha [mesh](The Gathering)(50L)
Leggings: Faida Leggings V1 PH RARE, gacha [mesh](The Gathering)(50L)
Shoes: Faida Pointy Black, gacha [mesh](The Gathering)(50L)

Book bag: Zenith Lolita Magic Book Bag Cherry - Rigged, gacha[mesh](85L)
Coat: Zenith Lolita Winter Coat Black Fitted/ Maitreya, gacha[mesh](85L)
Hair: Curio Obscura Long Gothic Spirals Pigtails [mesh] (250L)
Gloves: CandyDoll CD_Bow Gloves Red [mesh](past gift)
Head: DollCoco *DC*_Head Anna, closed eyes [mesh](group gift, free)
Hands: Slink Avatar Enhancement Hands - Casual [mesh](450L)
Feet: Slink Female Feet (AvEnhance) - High [mesh](675L)

Setting:
Bed: Death Row DRD iron filigree bed light, 12li[mesh](adult (899L)
Wheelchair: Luna Rosarie L+R Bloody Rosarie wheelchair, gacha [mesh]
Rug: Luna Rosarie L+R Emotional  Black_rug, gacha [mesh]
Rug: Luna Rosarie L+R Red Rum_rug, gacha [mesh]
Coffin: Luna Rosarie L+R Crimson Abyss coffin, gacha [mesh]
Petals: Luna Rosarie L+R petal storm, gacha [mesh]
Skybox: Pandemonium Dungeon 74 prim (950L)

On Her, Doll bed:
Guest Appearance: Aarya Phantomhive of the Dark Phantom blog
Head: DollCoco *DC*_Head Adele, ClosedEyes [mesh](group gift, free)
Dress: Zenith Lolita Formal Dress Black Fitted/ Maitreya, gacha[mesh](85L)
Book bag: Zenith Lolita Magic Book Bag Black - Rigged, gacha[mesh](85L)
Hat: Zenith Lolita Rose Hat Black, gacha[mesh](85L)
Hair: Truth Ambrosia LoveJugs 1 [mesh]
Wings: Trap Black Riven Wing [mesh]
Leg wraps: fri.day Reverie.Wraps (Pewter) - Maitreya [mesh](past FLF)
Applier body: Antielle homunculus RARE, gacha (past gacha)
Body: Maitreya Mesh Body - Lara V3.5 [mesh]
Pose: Theater Chain fantasm_05 (mini RMK Gothic)(100L)