Engine Room March 2024 – Part III

TUNES

Skepticism might keep you sane,
but it won’t necessarily keep you alive.

[- Mima Sawsaan, Carnival Row -]

When I was at the Engine Room event today to find my next look for a blog post, I came across that amazing outfit from CHANDRA. When I saw that, I immediately remembered that cool head, which BeSpoke released at the Warehouse Sale this round.
I have no clue why, but I instantly had a “Carnival Row Feeling” – you remember that show on Amazon Prime with Cara Delevingne and Orlando Bloom? When I found a sim called “Tirna-Nog” in Second Life, I just had to go that path for my picture today!

Lately you hear more and more about AI (Artificial Intelligence) used for artwork. I have to admit, I am not yet fully sold about that, if people create pictures only with AI and kinda just put words to get a full picture. Maybe I am too old to be convinced completely, or I do have a weird mind. Iam 46 years old – I guess it was 46 *laughs* – I learned to draw with pencils and colored pencils as a kid and it took me years to learn how to draw myself on a graphic tablet/monitor (… and I am still learning that). Maybe that is the reason why I can not yet allow myself andl my brain to think about art, if everything is just generated by words and no one ever touched it with any kind of pen, pencil, graphic pens or what ever you can hold in your hand to create something. Ok to be fair, a photographer is slightly different, but in the end he caught a situation with his own eye and camera in his hands as well *snickers* I hope you get what I mean 😉

What I found interesting after I forced myself to look more into AI, is that you do not have to create a complete ready made art piece with it, but you can enhance your work with it. That caught my interest. I am always looking for new tips, tricks and twists I can learn and use for my Second Life pictures.
Lately I was kinda depressed with taking pictures in SL. It felt all the same even if I tried to learn new techniques for Photoshop to enhance my pictures as even Second Life has it’s limits – especially with lights and shadows, movement or even sometimes with posing ot what you can get to set up a scenery.
You can add things you miss, you can correct minor issues, you even can enlarge a scenery if you took the wrong size to make the perfect picture… really interesting and as well exciting. If you miss a backdrop or a background you can kinda create parts of that. I tried to make a whole backdrop first as well but the way it does look like, I decided to not do that yet, as it was too far always from the look of a real Second Life environment and I do enjoy that still a lot. So I tried just to fool around with 2 birds – to be precise 2 crows – I wanted to add to my picture. It did take me quite a while, since I just started to play with it. I had to generate one crow like 50 times until I figured out what I had to put in to have it sit, no spread wings and facing the right direction. After a while I realized, that it does even pick up the lights I had put inworld already and since I wanted to change that a little too, I had to start over again after I worked all my lightning and shadows. I did not yet know how to safe the generated birds yet, so I started over new on those again. Then I wanted to darken the background a little bit and… DANG… the generated birds again looked wrong as they pick up parts of the background as well to fit in properly. Ok… deleting the birds again and get everything else right first *chuckles*.

It was the start of a learning process I really want to look into more, even if I do not want to fully work with AI and my avatar only – Second Life is way to pretty for that and so many amazing creators, designers and sim builders did (and do) put a hell lot of work into creating amazing places for us to be there and to create pictures.

Clothing

Outfit: +CHANDRA+ – “Lucca Outfit” (Reborn) – NEW @ Engine Room // March 2024

Accessories

Nails: V/. VoluptasVirtualis – “[Esbaa]” (Maitreya, Bento) – NEW @ Engine Room // March 2024

Head, Body & Tattoo

Head: BeSpoke – “Nature Spirit” – NEW @ The Warehouse Sale // March 2024
Eyes: REPULSE – “Post Mortem Eyes (Blind)” (BoM)
Body: eBODY – “REBORN v1.69.6”

Poses, Props & Tools

Pose (incl. Lantern & Keys): [piXit] – “Clementine Posepack + Props” – NEW @ Engine Room // March 2024

Location

Tirna-Nog

Model, Stylist & Photographer

Wicca Merlin

“But I got Cat Class and I got Cat Style”

TUNES

Black and orange stray cat sittin’ on a fence
I ain’t got enough dough to pay the rent
I’m flat broke but I don’t care
I strut right by with my tail in the air
Stray cat strut, I’m a ladies cat
I’m a feline Casanova, hey man that’s that
Get a shoe thrown at me from a mean old man
Get my dinner from a garbage can

[- Stray Cats -]
Clothing
Top: AsteroidBox – “Anya Top” (Maitreya Petite) – NEW @ The Warehouse Sale // November 2021
Pants: AsteroidBox – “Iris Shorts” (Maitreya)
Stockings: .:Avanti:. – “Ripped Nylons – v1” (BoM)
Socks: *katat0nik* – “(dark) Boot Socks” (unrigged)
Shoes: L’Emporio&PL – “::*Skull Rider*:: Stompers” (Maitreya) – NEW @ Men Only // November 2021
Accessories
Bindi: Wicca’s Originals – “Carvis Bindi” (unrigged)
Ear Accessories: Wicca’s Originals – “Sharira” – NEW @ Kinky // November 2021
Collar: .:E.A.Studio:. – “Choker Erald Bolt” (unrigged)
Gloves: [CX] – “Ruffian Arm Guards” (Maitreya) – NEW @ The Warehouse Sale // November 2021
Nails: [CX] – “Essential Dirty Claws (Original)” (Maitreya, Bento)
Knee Pads: {PSYCHO:Byts} – “Fury Burn – Knee Pads” – NEW @ Salvage Station // November 2021
Hair & Makeup
Hair: no.match – “No_Hawk”
Eyeshadow: Rubedo – “Zenia Eyes 06” (Lel. EvoX BoM)
Head, Body & Tattoo
Head: LeLUTKA – “EvoX Inez 3.1” – NEW @ Mainstore
Teeth: [CX] – “Strigoi’s Fangs – Silver Type.1 ( Size E / Wider )”
Body: Maitreya – “Lara V5.3” + “Add-On Petite V1.1”
Tattoo: .:Vegas:. – “Tattoo Creed ( Dark )” (BoM) – NEW @ Uber // November 2021
Poses, Props & Tools
Backdrop: Paparazzi – “BACKDROP – Loading Bay 2”
Cats: [Rezz Room] – “Box Bengal Cat Pack”
Model, Stylist & Photographer

“Don’t try to talk, she ain’t in the mood…”

TUNES

The one that you fear is so close
The woman tattooed with the rose
Claws that are sharp, she’ll tear you apart
Make you into food for the crows

Revenge is her aim, she’ll make you pay
She talks a mean game and she’ll blow you away

Get out of town as soon as you can
You don’t want to face the Queen of the Damned

[- Motörhead -]

Clothing

Dress: [LeiMotiv] – “Brynn Short Dress” (Maitreya)

Gloves: Skellybones – “Rae Gloves” (Maitreya, Bento)

Shoes: UTOPIA@Design – “Kora” (Maitreya)

Accessories

Headpiece & Horns: L’Emporio&PL – “::*Hella::*” -Maskface” (LeLUTKA EvoX, Bento) – NEW @ Pandora Fair // May 2021

Forehead Horns: .:E.A.Studio:. – “Magnus Horns”

Septum: -[TWC]- – “Thirst Septum -Silver-“

Face Chain: [CX] – “Tyrant’s Chain (Silver) R”

Collar: [CX] – “Hell’s Harbinger (Black Out+Silver)” (Maitreya)

Nails: FORMANAILS – “Eve” (Maitreya, Bento)

Hair & Makeup

Hair: DOUX – “Valentina Hairstyle [S]”

Face Art:  Nefekalum Tattoos – “Hunger” (EvoX BoM, Materials enabled)

Wound: Nefekalum Tattoos – “Promethean Tone 01 70% Mirror” (Lel. EvoX BoM, Materials) – NEW @ Mainstore

Face Tattoo & Feathers: – Tivoli Inc – “Raven Feathers Tattoo” (Lel. EvoX BoM)

Head, Body & Tattoo

Head: LeLUTKA – “EvoX Avalon 3.0”

Body: Maitreya – “Lara V5.3”

Tattoo 1: .:Vegas:. – “Tattoo ( Dark ) Rising” (BoM) – NEW @ UBER // May 2021

Tattoo 2: .:Vegas:. – “Tattoo ( Dark ) Secrets” (BoM)

Poses, Props & Tools

Backdrop: [..::CuCa Designs::..] – “The Cult Backdrop”

Throne & Columns: [CX] – “Cerberus’ Throne Fatpack” – NEW @ Fantasy Faire // April 2021

Poses: Selfmade

Model, Stylist & Photographer

Wicca Merlin

Wicca’s Originals @ The Final Winter

Wicca’s Originals @ The Final Winter // May 30th – June 16th

For this themed event we have created the Jaenya Dress inspired by Daenerys Targaryen, Mother of Dragons. This corset-style mini dress is rigged to fit Lara, Hourglass and Freya and is available in light and dark options, with a fatpack option as well if you want ALL the colors. Jaenya will be discounted for the event and regular priced when it comes home to the mainstore, so be sure to swing by the event and get it at a reduced price.

We also have a gift for the Final Winter event’s mini hunt. We have a blue dragon egg hidden in our booth. We can’t tell you what’s inside, but we can tell you that a special one of a kind item can be found inside!

Taxi: The Final Winter

Wicca’s Originals @ World of Magic

Wicca’s Originals @ World of Magic // February 15th – March 3rd

The World of Magic event is a brand new, sim-wide, one-time sales event celebrating fantasy and magic inspired by the world of Harry Potter. For this special event we have created an outfit inspired by the game of Quiddich – Cedric for the fellas and Isobel for the ladies.

It comes complete with Bento gloves, goggles, and cape that can be removed. The outfit is one piece (including the boots) and all of it can be color changed. You can even add your team’s texture! There are two versions, dark and colors. Isobel is designed to fit Maitreya only and Cedric is designed to fit Signature Gianni. Other bodies for both may work since the bodies are largely alphaed out, but be sure to try the demo!

Just for fun we made a little bento picture pose set to use with your favorite broom and our Isobel & Cedric outfits (broom NOT included!)

TAXI: World of Magic

Weird Fishes – Or is it me?

 

TUNES

Weird Fishes

In the deepest ocean
The bottom of the sea
Your eyes
They turn me

Why should I stay here?
Why should I stay?

I’d be crazy not to follow
Follow where you lead
Your eyes
They turn me
Turn me into phantoms
I follow to the edge
Of the earth
And fall off

 

Yeah, everybody leaves
If they get the chance
And this…
is my chance

I get eaten by the worms
And weird fishes
Picked over by the worms
And weird fishes

Weird fishes
Weird fishes

Yeah I, I’ll hit the bottom
Hit the bottom and escape
Escape

I, I hit the bottom
Hit the bottom and escape
Escape

[Radiohead]

Details

Dress: [sYs] – “Klio” (Maitreya)

Shoes: Blueberry – “Cupcake Boots” (Maitreya)

Hair: [sYs] – “Hanabusa”

Rings: MEVA – “Bento Boho Rings” (Maitreya)

Basics

Head: LeLutka – “Simone 3.0”

Body: Maitreya – “Lara 4.1”

Shape: Selfmade

Set & Props

Fish: [Black Bantam] – “The Friendly Fish Roped 04” (Gacha)

Clock: darkendStare. – “Cat Wall Clocks [Black/Orange Painted]”

Rain & Grass: E.V.E Studio – “Poison Rain {Gold}” & “Poison Rain Spikes Grass M01{Gold}”

Silent Hill… inspired by a movie!

Asteria 3

Yes, I have an addiction to mystic, dark things, especially for abandoned asylums at night. The imagination has no boundaries with those 😉

This time I got the idea, when I saw the “Spook Show Mannequins” from Remarkable Oblivion. It was a gacha at an event, and when I saw them… I did instantly know.. I need those :p

I am not a huge gacha player but those I really wanted and since they were commons, I thought I could give it a try. Guess what… certainly if I do not play for the rares once.. I get some*facepalms*

But since they were nice as well it did not bother me too much *grins*. I am sure I can use them for another post as well.

Asteria 1

As soon as I was at home, I unpacked them and put them down in a random way and just looked at them. After some time, they spoke to me and I got a basic idea about what I would love to do.

Most of you know I love antithetical scenarios and pictures. And when I looked at those Mannequins, I got the idea to combine them with some sexy and colorful lingerie 😉

I decided to go with one of the newer releases from Asteria, the “Nika” lingerie. With the choice of different colors the deep red combined with some black accepts like the straps on the legs it was kinda a mix of different color sets 😉

More and more the basic idea did grow in my head… Maybe you saw the Silent Hill movie… the idea I had when I unpacked them kinda was inspired by a scene of that movie. The one with the blind creepy nurses, which are attracted by the light and react on noises – they have no eyes, no face and kinda being anonymous. When I built my set with the new Mannequins I had this in mind the whole time :p .

Asteria 2

The necklace I pulled out from another outfit of Asteria called “Capretto”. With the sharp edges and the funky shape it just was a perfect addition for jewelry in a dark and grungy way 😉

The shoes I got from Empire. I wanted something boots like but not as solid as boots and the “Bottlebrush” heels from Empire were just what I was looking for. With a pump style for the foot part and amazing lines up till over the knee. Boots but no boots! *snickers*

The cool horns I found on Marketplace. Made by CerberusXing ([CX]) – originally for a gacha – those horns are awesome detailed and somewhat special and unique in the way they come down in the front.

Now to come back to my originally idea of the blind nurses, I needed something for my head/face to get the idea of a blind kinda anonymous look. First I remembered a hood from !!XX!!. It is quite old, and I only used the lower part, but for the idea it worked perfectly 😉 For the upper part I just put a simple blindfold.

Asteria 6

Now just a coll set was missing. I stared at the Mannequins, which I just rezzed into my white studio. I remembered the movie scene and the abandoned asylum surgery room. To make sure, I just poked you tube about the nurse scenes of both movies :p

While I watched them, I thought of a gacha set from 22769, that just should be perfect. Now the difficult part… Since I did not recall the name of that set and an inventory of nearly 200K of items… go figure…

I tried several keywords and when I typed ‘Asylum’ something from 22769 showed up – BINGO!

The whole gacha set is called “Abandoned Asylum” [*facepalms*… I should have known that much…). It contains many different items, furniture and deco parts and even a full Asylum house is part of it as the mystical prize! I rezzed out a few things and played with them until everything fell together for the whole set 🙂

I had a lot of fun doing those pictures and the whole process of finding all parts I needed for my idea, just reminded me about  why I love blogging and making pictures so much… the fun and joy of being creative and use all kind of things even if they do not belong together on the first view 😉

Asteria 8

Details

Lingerie: Asteria – “Nika”

Shoes: Empire – “Bottlebrush”

Necklace: Asteria – “Capretto”

Blindfold: Yasum – “Blindfold”

Headpiece 1: [CX] – “Decaying Horn Dark”

Headpiece 2: !!XX!! – “Hunters Headdress” (store not existing anymore)

Tattoo: [White~Widow] – “Nerve”

Hair:: EMO-tions – “Artemisa”

Wings: 22769 – “Pygar Wings”

Mannequins: RO – “Spook Show” (Gacha, commons)

Furniture: 22769 – “Abandoned Asylum”

Model & Photographer: Wicca Merlin

Asteria 5

Fantasy Dreams with Wicca’s Wardrobe

Miniel 1

Today I would like to showcase one of our latest releases. The “Miniel” outfit is available at the actual round of The Fantasy Collective (TFC).

Miniel 9

For today I chose the blue/brass version of the outfit, as it looked the best in the wooden environment I chose for my pictures. At the event you will find 5 different colors for the outfit.

The body is decorated with some armor looking parts as well as with some very filigree chains. The cool arm and leg armor is part of the whole “Miniel” outfit too.

Miniel 7

When I saw the “Eva” wings from NeverWish, I totally fell in love with them. They matched so perfect in style and color to the “Miniel” outfit.

Miniel 5

The “Eva” wings are incredible detailed and wonderful textured, little wings, that fit to many different looks. With the delicate roses and the wonderful filigree metal shapes they are a must have for every fantasy wardrobe. The wings do have a HUD to recolor the wings and metals separately.

Miniel 3

The cool “Nanina” hair was made by EMO-tions. The hair is made of many little braided parts, that are non symmetrical and have an awesome high top part.

The boots are as well from Wicca’s Wardrobe. The “Inara” boots with the little golden spikes and chains totally rocked the style and the blue version of the ‘Chic Edition’, even matched the color of the “Miniel” body suit.

Miniel 4

Details

Outfit (incl Armor): Wicca’s Wardrobe – “Miniel” – NEW @ The Fantasy Collective

Boots: Wicca’s Wardrobe – “Inara Boots /Chic Edition”

Wings: NeverWish – “Eva Wings” – NEW @ The Fantasy Collective

Hair: EMO-tions – “Nanina”

Eyeshadow: Zibska – “Alida Solo”

Lashes: Zibska – “Via No. 01 Lower”

Poses: Del May

Location: Happy Mood

Model & Photographer: Wicca Merlin

Miniel 10