Midnight Order: The Last Day

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STORYLINE: It was hard to believe. 12 hours ago he was partying with his buds at the pub after a hard day climbing the tallest mountain in the French Alps. He was the leader of the group, the one who rescued those who faltered. He was a fearless hero to them. But look at him now… panting for breath, clinging to his Spiderbot 450 because he too weak to even stand.

Some people had dogs, he had his trusty Spiderbot, -- there was nothing it couldn't climb! They had been on many adventures together. In fact, Spiderbot was his best friend. And it knew he was dying. It knew what he wanted to do, one last time....

Higher and higher the bot raced, leaped, and climbed. The air was getting thin. It was hard to keep his eyes open now. His breath became ragged. His thoughts a jumble.

There was a monster lurking in pub parking lot. It wanted him. He fought it off, but not without first taking serious damage. He never really thought Nosferatu were real, just Dark Ages folklore, superstition, and fiction. He wanted to believe he infected by was some kind genetically engineered virus or something, but he couldn't deny the changes he felt. The sunlight was beginning to burn. He pulled the hoodie lower over his face. 

He wasn't sure how long he had been passed out when Spiderbot suddenly squeaked. He slowly opened his eyes and smiled weakly. "Good Spider," he whispered. Then he used what strength he had left and stood up. The cold wind whistled in his ear. It was so peaceful up here at the top of the world. So beautiful above the clouds.

"I could throw myself over the edge," he thought. "The Mighty Claude Frederic, Mountaineer Extraordinaire, is a slave to no one." He looked down past the cliff's edge into the darkness peeking below the clouds. Perhaps he could stay here with Spider and let the sun purify him.

"You wouldn't try to save me if I start to burn, would you, Spider?" he laughed bitterly. Of course Spider could easily hop to the shaded side of the mountain. Would the AI refuse to let him die even if he wished for it? How many times had they cheated death together against all odds on a mountain just like this? 

Damn that fiend, it chose its victim well. What was he going to do? Was this really his last day?

This image is inspired by one of my all time favorite paintings, "Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog" by Caspar David Friedrich, (who is also one of my all time favorite painters) and the Shard Wild Arliss Spider. Its a wearable animesh vehicle you can attach. It comes with a hud to alternate poses for men and women, change the spider's textures, and trigger a few spider leg animations. Also from Midnight Order, is the open Dark Find Hoodie by Gild with texture hud too change colors. The pants from Ash come with a nice texture hud with many color options including latex and gold trim. The Boots from Quills & Curiosities come in fits for men and women and a texture hud to change up the textures. Midnight Order is ending soon. I hope you were able to the live DJs show, picks up the gifts, and of course, get lots of dark-minded things of awesomeness. Can't wait for next round? Bookmark this page: Midnight Order. It will update with information on the next round, not to mention it has galleries of all past rounds. (I love that!)

On Him, Claude Frederic:

Vehicle: SHARD Wild Arliss Spider, steel [Animesh](Midnight Order)(600L)

Hoodie: Gild Dark find hoodie red, legacy(m) [mesh](Midnight Order)(420L)

Pants: Ash Eden Suit, legacy(m) [mesh](Midnight Order)(369L)

Boots: Quills & Curiosities Lazarus Boots, black, Legacy M [mesh](Midnight Order)(350L)

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

Setting:

Rocks: Jian Floating Islands [mesh]

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]

Midnight Order: Merlin's Secrets

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STORYLINE:  As part of our Camelot Exposed series, we here at Midnight Magazine want to shift focus to a well hidden power behind the scenes. No one really thinks much about Merlin. He’s the advisor to the King, and mentor of the White Knight. He’s always busy with the dull tasks of keeping the Kingdom running. And he’s just so cheerful, its annoying! Well, that should have been our first clue he is not as he appears. Our investigative journalists did an incredible job unmasking Merlin as none other than the Golden Knight from the Age of Ruins. Merlin is the true architect of Camelot of the Night in concept as well as stone. Midnight Magazine would love to know more of Goldie’s juicy secrets! Just what kind of game is this ancient being playing??

This round of Midnight Order is ending soon. Head over and check out the new additions at Mid point, such as Contraptions new cyberpunk textures for their Bete Noire outfit. Shown above is my Dark Camelot twist to Kaien Cross. From Midnight Order is the wonderfully gothic and holy Shattering Sun Halo by Oblivis Solem. Its animated and has texture options, or you can edit tint it how you like. From Quills & Curiosities, is the Jacquard Blouse which comes with a texture hud. Te Azrael Pants by AsteroidBox has fits for men and women and texture options. For more magical effects, are the RSS DarkAuraStaff with comes with wearable animated magical dust and sprites as well as the staff which comes with a hud to trigger an animation. In the setting, is the Lestat Sconce by Candle & Cauldron. To change the texture, click the lamp and hold a few seconds then release for the popup menu. Lights can be turned on and off. The skybox is by Spires Society and is wonderful gothic scene to drool over. Don't miss it! I hope you all enjoyed my Midnight Magazine idea. Maybe it will it will back in the future. It was fun to write with a different point of view.

On him, the Golden Knight:
Halo: Oblivis Solem Shattering Sun Halo, Brass [mesh](Midnight Order)(350L)
Top: Quills & Curiosities Jacquard Blouse, Legacy [mesh](Midnight Order)(300L)
Staff: RSS DarkAuraStaff [mesh](Midnight Order)(220L)
Pants: AsteroidBox Azrael Pants - Legacy, green [mesh](Midnight Order)(279L)
Glasses: Air Morris gold. Left charm, CM [mesh](500L)
Cape: toksik Sombre Cape Male, Black [mesh](200L)
Hair: monso Jessica2 Hair [mesh](349L)
Gloves: Contraption Dapper Dandy's Gloves [mesh](350L)
Collar: Frozen Night FN*dress suit cravat, black collar [mesh](300L)(gift)
Head, Lips, piercings: LeLUTKA Kane Evolution .2.5 [mesh](3990L)
Pose:  [3M]***_w7_1  (40L)

Setting:
Lamps: Candle & Cauldron Lestat Sconces [mesh](Midnight Order)(150L)
Skybox: Spires Society Lordhunter Crypt_Dark Catholic Mesh [mesh](Midnight Order)(1500L)

Fantasy Faire: The Hunt in Basset Town

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STORYLINE: Outside the dusty town of Basset was a sign that read, "Quarantine. Do Not enter." A Bounty Hunter known simply as D stopped and looked at it. A sickly person stumbled towards him. “You the Bounty Hunter? Half human, half monster killer?” D nodded and said nothing. “A suspicious looking fella came through last week, everyone he touched soon died. The rest of everyone is plum near dead or dying." He offered a burlap bag to D. “It's not much, but that’s everything we got. The whole town pitched in. So you can kill this thing, right?” D looked at his sad sunken face, then towards the town with many ghostly faces peeking out at him from their windows. “There's not much time left,” he said and without another word, rode off. A week had past before the Hunter returned. But everyone in Basset Town already knew he was successful. He was greeted with laughter and people running up to him, their cheeks now a more healthy color. "Don't celebrate too soon," he threw down the burlap bag and the head of the monster rolled out. “This fight is just beginning. The Unweaver is an evil seed that can take root and sprout again at anytime, anywhere. Be more careful and savor your lives.” And with that, he tipped his hat and rode out of town to the stunned silence of the townfolks.

Last call for the Fantasy Faire 2022! On May 11 at some point the Fairelands will disappear into the mists. Be sure to see and do everything you planned before the close!  This photo series is for my Mom, who had been undergoing surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation for cancer for the past 6 months. Her treatment ends this week. I feel grateful to her doctors, medical science, American Cancer Society, and all the kind hearts who donate to make a difference. If we care, and love each other, great things are possible.

P.S. I love Vampire Hunter D. There was no way I would not try to do a homage to it thanks to the awesome outfit by Quills & Curiosities at Fantasy Faire. Vampire Hunter D was my introduction to anime back in the 90s.

On him, Bounty Hunter D:
Outfit: Quills & Curiosities - Hunter's Garb [mesh](Fantasy Faire: Basset Town)(500L)

Necklace: Quills & Curiosities - Hunter's Pendant [mesh](Fantasy Faire: Basset Town)(150L)

Hat: Quills & Curiosities - Hunter's Pendant [mesh](Fantasy Faire: Basset Town)(250L)
Wings, Tattoo: Forest Fantasy Store [FFS] Demon Bat [Bento][mesh](Fantasy Faire: Sylvuselah)(690L)
Monocle: ERG Bat Wing Monocle [mesh](Fantasy Faire: Basset Town)(100L)

Weapon: Val'More Ghostspear [mesh](Fantasy Faire: Atheneum)
Hair: barberyumyum L19(02) style1 [mesh](Collabor88)(288L)
Cape: DREAMCATCHER Vampire's cloak - unisex [mesh](199L)

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)

On horse, Shadow:
Collar lamp: Static Bounty Hunter's Lantern [mesh](Fantasy Faire: Basset Town)(250L)
Tack: Blackthorn Stables Tack [BTS-TH] Blk/Slvr Baroque Tack (550L)
Horse: Teegle Teegle Horse avatar [mesh](3500L)

Thanks for your help, Fulli!

Midnight Order : As the World Falls Down

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STORYLINE: Such a sad love. Laughter had fled the decaying Goblin City. The distressed goblins voted to send the Wisest among them to fix the problem. There in a crumbling throne room, surrounded by a mountain of books, was the fierce presence of their troubled leader. The Wiseman tried to sound sympathetic, "It's clear to this old one, a broken heart is the source of your Highnesses’ diminished power." The Goblin King shot him a burning glare. "It's not your fault, your Majesty. You had not been properly socialized with humans. They often say what they don't mean. Take this baby? Or make this baby stop crying? Who knows. You'll do better next time. Forget the raven haired beauty." The King rose to his full height and towered over the small trembling being. "Is my magic not absolute?" The Wiseman immediately bowed deeply and averted his eyes, "Yes, yes of course." The King roared and threw a book at him, "You understand nothing! She WISHED I do anything for her love! It's binding! Unbreakable, you nitwit! I was compelled to grant every ill-conceived notion that crossed her addled mind. Did it make her happy? Did she not see I showed her the error of her ways? NO!" he bellowed, "It made me a villain!" He sank back down on the throne and moaned in pain. "Even if I wanted to leave, I no longer have the power." His gaze turned to a broken stone arch, and looked somewhere far away. His voice trailed in despair, "banished from her life...." 

Suddenly, ray of light penetrated the gloom. A small snow goblin scampered into the room, climbed up on the throne, and offered an intriguing gift from the Academy of the Dark Arts. The King took the book and read its title out loud, "Chicken Soup for the Goblin Afflicted Soul." Intrigued, he glanced at the index and quickly turned to page 98. The sudden click of a heel made his head jerk up just in time to see a crystal ball materialize in front of him. Where did it come from? It wasn't his. His power had long since fled. The ball flew across the room and was caught by a blond spiky haired teen emerging from the shadows wearing the robes of the Academy, "You can thank me later, Mr Tricky" the lad narrowed his eyes. "By the way, that was my book. The Academy helped me overcome your surprise parting gift. You should be more careful who you mess with, I'm not a defenseless baby anymore. But let's not fight, there's someone who wished to see you." With the comic flair of a goblin showman, he stepped aside revealing his blushing older sister who had grown into a beautiful woman. He felt his heart skip a beat. She was terribly busy pretending the floor was interesting. "Just because life's not fair, doesn't mean the King can't impose fairness upon it. If you accept the terms of the deal, you can stay with my sister  half the year, and I will rule in your place with the full power of the King. When time is up, we will automatically switch places and this blasted curse will be lifted from me so I can live a normal life. We repeat the cycle every year. Do you accept the terms?" Speechless, the King had nothing snarky to say. His mouth hung open as he looked from his clever heir to the woman he loved. It wasn't like her to be shy, perhaps she was embarrassed, or felt shame? Maybe she was worried he would say no. When she finally had the courage to look into his eyes, all her doubts melted away. The happiest man in the Goblin Kingdom smiled at her and teased, "Come come, you didn't wish upon your poor brother to rescue me, now did you?"

That was fun. A little super condensed mini sequel to the movie classic Labyrinth. The whole idea for the post and story started with the Cryptdweller boots and pants by Quills and Curiosities, (which  reminded me so much of David Bowie), and the Chicken Soup books by Ivy that included Goblin. Both items are for sale at the new round of Midnight Order. Since its a new year, I thought it would be good try new things. The image is done in what I call the "illustrative style" my blogger bat buddy Aarya excels at. Thanks for the helps, Aarya! Also shown from Midnight Order are the super long horns by Static, tattoo layer Guhu skin by Ederigon to give his hands a more bird-like feel, as a nod to Jareth's shapeshifting to bird form. I hope you all enjoyed this. 

On him, the Goblin King:
Pants, boots: Quills & Curiosities Cryptdweller Bottoms, Silver, Jake [mesh](Midnight Order)(350L)

Horns: Static Lilith Horns [mesh](Midnight Order)(320L)
Body tattoo: Ederigon Guhu Skin - Soot, Plain 2 (Midnight Order)(250L)

Headdress: PENDULUM The Emissary . Headpiece, Mask - Silver [mesh](450L)

Finger jewelry: PENDULUM Hydrus, Black Chromatic, Jake [mesh](group gift)

Finger jewelry: PENDULUM JUVIUS, BC, Jake [mesh](group gift)

Arm armor: TURB Havok Armor Dark Arms, gacha [mesh]
Chest armor: LostHaven [LH] Vampiric Aristocrat Cuirass Male [mesh](750L)

Hair: RavenBell Ethiel Hair M1 [mesh](350L)

Corest: Artificial Hallucination AH+ Summer Sun Corset, Jake [mesh](399L)

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

Makeup: Bubble Goblin Royalty (135L)

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

Body: Belleza Jake 3.0 Bento/BOM Mesh Body  [mesh](2999L)

Pose: 3M MMMA_1807 (50L)

Setting:

Open book: Ivy Helping Books - Goblin [mesh](Midnight Order)(200L)

Throne: E-mesh Iron Queen Throne [mesh](240L)

Pet: HEXtraordinary Goblin Babes, Snow Wanderer, gacha [mesh]

Book staircase: 8f8 Storyteller's Burrow 35 Stairway to Knowledge, gacha [mesh]

Book stack: Quills & Curiosities Den of Inquiry [mesh](750L)

Stones: Evhah EVH Vampire Ruins [mesh]

Bokeh overlays: @starline

Thanks for your help, Aarya!