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)

Midnight Order: Curse of the Endless Library

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STORYLINE: Once upon a time, two teenage twins, a boy and a girl, escaped their difficult life by reading books. One day their luck changed when they discovered a handmade book about the Fairykind hidden under a pile leaves deep in the forest. It was full of beautiful art and amazing tales. The twins fortunes grew as the book became famous. Many people paid to see the mysterious book. 

Then one day, a real fairy came and demanded the book be returned immediately. At first the twins refused, then the girl, who knew the rules that bound the Faeries, had an idea. She offered to exchange the book in return for three wishes. She wished to live in the world's largest library, full of knowledge and great works of fiction, a library so vast it would be impossible to read in one lifetime. 

As their wish became true, they found themselves transported to a dark place that was completely silent. When the boy stumbled, they discovered they were standing on a stack of books. It was the library they wished for, but it was in total darkness. Angrily, the twins were forced to use their second wish giving them the ability to create light. 

They were determined to save the third wish. The twins attempted to escape by creating a massive stack of books to climb out of the endless library. But it was impossible. Their situation became desperate.  They were so hungry and thirsty they had to use their third wish. The girl angrily wished to never need food or drink again. 

Unfortunately for them, these three wishes combined and transformed them into fairies of light, and were cursed to dwell in the library for all time.

ChatGTP Response and Sequel: The twins realized too late that their wish for a never-ending supply of knowledge had turned into a curse. They were trapped in the library, unable to leave, and unable to enjoy the knowledge they had wished for. They spent their days reading, but the books no longer brought them joy. They were just a reminder of what they had lost.     .....     Years went by, and the twins became known as the Guardians of the Library. People would come from far and wide to see the library and hear their story. But the twins never spoke, they just silently read their books. The visitors would leave messages in books, hoping the twins would hear them. But the twins never responded.     .....     The moral of the story is that sometimes, what we wish for is not what we really want. The twins' wish for a never-ending supply of knowledge had turned into a curse of never-ending existence in the library. They were trapped in a world of darkness and isolation, unable to enjoy the very thing they had wished for.     .....     The story of the twins became a cautionary tale, reminding us to always be careful what we wish for. The consequences of our actions can be far-reaching and unforeseen, and sometimes what we wish for is not what we really want. It is important to think carefully about what we want, and to make sure that our wishes align with our values and desires. Only then can we be sure that our wishes will bring us true happiness and fulfillment.

Midnight Order is back with wonderful Spooky things for your SL Life!  Aarya and I teamed up once more. The post was inspired by the Dirty Rat Library Skybox and the Light Sorceress outfit, arms, and legs by FenDuDu and the floating Etheric Lantern by Quills & Curiosities. I'm wearing the stunning Alger outfit by Kiru. Its so nicely made fantasy outfit, something very rare for the men. Be sure to check it out! The fatpack has many color combinations to really mixing up the look. The #112 hair by Ginko also adds to the romantic fantasy style for guys. Aarya is wearing the magically sparkling Eclipse Hair by Aii & Ego. Head over to her blog Dark Phantom to see more Midnight Order awesomeness! 

FYI, I updated my Blog guidelines in regard to AI Art, its not going to be shown here. In a nutshell, this is a SecondLife blog, therefore it will only be showing only SecondLife in its imagery.  ....ChatGTP however, I think can be a useful tool. I asked it what it thought of my story, and it gave a response immediately! It understood my message perfectly and even wrote a sequel!  Amazing.  2023 is going to be the Year of AI....

On Him:

Outfit: Kiru Alger Pants, Alger Top (Fatpack) Legacy [mesh](Midnight Order)(1250L)

Hair: Ginko Hair #112 Hair - Rigged(Male/M) [mesh](Midnight Order)(465L)

Lantern: Quills & Curiosities etheric Lantern (Hexagon) [mesh](Midnight Order)(350L)

Earrings: PENDULUM - Avarus Silver [mesh]
Eyes: Poetic Colors orchid nightfall large bright [mesh](150L)

Skin: Fallen Gods LACRIMOSA male, weeping [BOM]

Head: LeLUTKA Kane Evolution [mesh](3990L)

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

On Her:
Guest Appearance: Aarya Phantomhive. For complete stylecard, go to Dark Phantom blog.

Outfit, legs, arms: FenDuDu_Light Sorceress fatpack [mesh](Midnight Order)(3666L)

Hair:  Aii & Ego Eclipse Hair [F] [S style 1] + {HAIR HELL} [mesh](Midnight Order)(500L)

Skin: Fallen Gods LACRIMOSA female, weeping [BOM]

Head, eyes: LeLUTKA lel EvoX LILLY 3.1 [mesh](3990L)

Body: Maitreya Mesh Body Lara [mesh](2750L)

Setting:

Skybox: Dirty Rat Library [mesh](Midnight Order)(649L)

Book: Petrichor :[P]:- October Spellbook [mesh](gift) 

Book stack 1: 8f8 Storyteller's Burrow - Stairway to Knowledge, gacha [mesh]

Book stack 2: 8f8 Storyteller's Burrow - Study Desk, gacha [mesh]

Engine Room: the Automaton Blood Doll

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STORYLINE: Miss Anna was stuck in a nightmare. The dream began as she was piloting her small airship above New Deco. She was about to dock at the SkyCrypt, when there was a horrible explosion. Flames, and fire. Then pain, screams, and the roaring wind in her ears. She was falling, falling, falling forever but never hitting the ground. She didn't know how long she was stuck in the dream. Suddenly, gravity hit her like a wall of bricks. Her eyes snapped open to strange sounds like whirls and clicks. “Thank the Gods of Invention and Blood!” That voice.... yes, she knew that voice, it was her master, the vampire Monsieur Bleu. “There was a horrible accident, my love." He lifted her stiff heavy hand. "This was all I could do to save you," he whispered as he kissed it. Strange, she felt nothing. She wanted to scream, but had no voice. She began to thrash wildly. "I will find who did this," his outrage barely contained. Knowing what she wanted to see, he held her hand firmly, as if to say "be calm," and slowly guided her off the platform towards the scene of the blast. Light leaked from the crumbling wall and gleamed on her beautiful metallic doll face. “It is a new day. Whatever challenges come, we will face it together.”

Engine Room! Necrotize! And Halloween! Three of the coolest events in SecondLife! This post was inspired by awesome gothic items at Engine Room and Necrotize that work wonderfully for a classic vampire style. How sweet is that? From the Engine Room: Mr Bleu is wearing an excellent hairstyle all dapper gents need, Ginko Hair #97. And just as elegant is the VC Lab outfit, top and pants, Favorite II. The jeweled brooch is awesome. The skeleton Necro-mask is by Dreamcatcher and on sale at Necrotize. Between Bleu and Anna is the Hot Air Balloon Chandelier by Architect. Anna is wearing the Gracious Dress by toksik. And for when you need to be really over the top, try the Beatrice Collar by DREAMCATCHER! Anna's face is the Bespoke Marionette Doll Head. It takes EvoX textures. For extra machine touches, are the Realm Eyes by TWC, and layers of the Fallen Gods Metropolis tattoo, and Materica skin. Have you tried Aii's new BOM hairstyles? The Sonata Hair comes with a normal hud, but you can also switch it to the fancy next generation of hairstyles by going to BOM mode. And one more fun item from Engine Room is the metal Fan by Arts&Gears. It's interactive with animations to flick your wrist to open and close the fan.

On Him, Monsieur Bleu:
Hair: Ginko Hair #97 Hair - Rigged, Male [mesh](Engine Room)(465L)
Outfit: V.C.LAB Favorite II - Legacy M, red [mesh](Engine Room)(289L)
Mask: DREAMCATCHER Necro-mask [mesh](Necrotize)(199L)
Earring: RAWR! Ankh Queen ELF MALE EvoX Earrings [mesh] 
Claws: RAWR! Merciless Claws Legacy MALE [mesh] 

Eyes: S0NG Charmmy - Lust Eye [mesh] (50L)
Cape: egosumaii Catacomb Prince Cape, gacha [mesh] 

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

Pose: FOXCITY Forever After (200L)

On Her, Anna the Automaton Blood Doll:

Guest Appearance: Aarya Phantomhive. For complete stylecard, go to Dark Phantom blog.
Dress: toksik Gracious Dress (Lara) [mesh](Engine Room)(500L)

Collar: DREAMCATCHER Beatrice Collar [mesh](Engine Room)(199L)

Head: BeSpoke Doll Marionette - Head, female [mesh](Engine Room)(600L)

Hair: Aii Sonata Hair [F] [L style3] + {HAIR HELL} [mesh](Engine Room)(500L)

Eyes: [TWC] Realm Eyes (Gld-Blue)(Engine Room)(400L)

Fan: Arts&Gear *AG* Iron fan R[A] (Engine Room)(220L)

Tattoo: Fallen Gods METROPOLIS Rust Prototype, complete[mesh](Engine Room)(480L)

Skin: Fallen Gods Materica female +FGInc.+ RUST Elegance [mesh](1200L)

Setting:
Lamp: Architect Hot Air Balloon Chandelier [mesh](Engine Room)(275L)
Decor: Pitaya The Last Vampire - Long Banner, Curtains, Candelabra, Coffin, Chains 01 [mesh]

Setting: Remarkable Oblivion Danse Macabre - Ruins Stage RARE [mesh]

Thanks for your help, Aarya!

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!

Fantasy Faire : The Hidden City of Tenpyo

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STORYLINE: Hidden beyond a snowy pass deep in the Nippon mountains, was the twelve hundred year old city of Tenpyo, the capital of the Oni Lands. Beautiful. Regal. A place untouched by modern times. It had been safely defended all these years. Until one day, the Benimurasaki Onmyōdō detected the evil miasma of the Unweaver had infiltrated their paradise.

The Fantasy Faire is back! This post was inspired by the hat and veil by Hopscotch and the fun skin and tattoo by Soul and AERTH. Not to mention, this stunning sim created by Gabriel. Its a Must see! the Faire is open until May 8th. DO NOT MISS IT!   (Below the style card, is an FAQ for FF I made for those new to SL and the the Faire.)

On Him, the Benimurasaki Onmyōdō:

Veil: HopScotch Veiled Hat, posable [mesh](Fantasy Faire: Tenpyo)(225L)

Pet: ridi-ludi-fool obake medama-3 patapata [animesh](Fantasy Faire: Bassett Town)(80L)

Tattoo: AERTH Moon Tears Body Tattoo MAGENTA [BOM](Fantasy Faire: Atheneum)(200L)

Skin: SOUL .:S:. [G3] Dantela [F20] EVO, LEGACY M [BOM](Fantasy Faire: Atheneum)(1499L)

Necklace: who what magatama pendant- male [mesh](Fantasy Faire: Tenpyo)(210L)

Typing Effect: who what GOBOUSEI- [benimurasaki] male [mesh](Fantasy Faire: Tenpyo)(180L)

Pants: Gabriel ::GB:: Wa sarouel (Legacy) (C) Kurosame [mesh](Fantasy Faire: Tenpyo)(99L sale)

Hat: Maru Kado Suge Gasa White [mesh](100L)

Hair: Ginko Hair #22 Hair - Rigged Male, colorful [mesh](279L)

Arm wraps: CerberusXing Wraps (350L)

Belt: sakka Studio Ss.Kosode Nagoya-Obi [mesh](200L)

Collar: Bare Rose ::: B@R ::: Karakuriko C2 Kesa [mesh](190L)

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

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

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

Setting:
Fantasy Faire - Tenpyo Sponsored by Gabriel

Here is a quick FAQ on Fantasy Faire off the top of my head.

**Q: What is the Fantasy Faire?**
A: Its an annual event hosted by the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. Its like SL's World Cup or Super Bowl. It's HUGE! The theme is Fantasy (fiction, fashion, role play, decor, sim design, tabletop games, video games, anime/manga/comics, radio station, parties, art galleries, quest games, etc)

**Q: They raising funds?**
A: yes! All designers participating have an item for sale that is either a 100% donation or 50%. There is also a silent auction. Donations. And a Hud you purchase to play a quest game with stories, videos, and prizes. (note: A higher level hud includes an outfit for men and women). Last year in 2021 the Fantasy Faire in SL raised a new record, $95,178 in US Dollar (that's L$23,794,648 in Linden Dollars). So far this year after 8 days, the Fantasy Faire has raised $42,503 USD (that's 10,625,800L). Yes, I was not kidding when I said its huge! Relay for Life says of all their fund raising operations, SecondLife's Fantasy faire is by far the biggest fund raiser per money invested in an event. )

**Q: Ok! I want to see it, do I need to dress up in a costume?**
A: Come however you want, Fantasy allows for barely clothed styles, furries, city smashing giants, fairies, animal avatars, tiny kittens, robots, whatever you want as long as it's PG. But a word of  WARNING, the sims are very full of people and objects. To avoid lag, and enjoy the best experience, wear a low lag avatar, and work for graphic settings to keep frame rates up. At the main landing is a free Low Lag gift avatar/outfit you can wear. This year its a paperdoll style. To read more about being low lag, go here: https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/How_to_reduce_lag

**Q: What is there to do?**
A: Explore the 20 sims! Its very big deal to land a sim to decorate for the Fantasy Faire. Its SL's finest creating amazing fantasy settings. This my favorite part of the fair. I also enjoy people watching and making new friends. I have made many long lasting friends at the fair, good people too. You can also visit during live DJ shows and Live dance Performances. The Lit Sim has gatherings to talk about certain books and authors. Tabletop game tournament. Several sims have their own Hunts and Games. And the big game will start soon, you purchase a hud to play it. The first part usually requires hunting for objects hidden across the sims. The 2nd part takes place on the game sim, with puzzles. You can also shop like crazy. Lots of amazing stuff.

You can read more the Fantasy Faire here:
https://fantasyfairesl.wordpress.com/
The website has links to event calendar, the shopping catalog, details with the sims designers, role plays, game information, images taken, and daily blog posts.Go have fun! But don't wait too long to go, it ends May 8th. First week is full of events. 2nd week does not have events, but sims and games are still open.

BONUS QUESTION:
**Q: What is the "Unweaver" I see mentioned in the game?**
A: Its the Faire's personification/embodiment of Cancer. He is the villain we quest to defeat.