The Engine Room – Part II

As I was threatening in my last post – her is the Engine Room part 2! *snickers*

Today with something more naughty, but still in a vintage, maybe today more dieselpunk looking way. Now you might scratch your head and think… usually she talks about steampunk and now she throws in a new word called “dieselpunk”, but actually it is a different genre, even if there is a lot of cross over happening in fashion. Lets take a look at the “Dieselpunk Encyclopedia“…

“Dieselpunk is a style and a budding sub-culture that combines the zeitgeist of the interbellum period through World War II and ending before or at the early 1950s with postmodern sensibilities from a counter-cultural viewpoint…”

“Dieselpunk fashion blends the styles commonly found during the diesel era with contemporary styles to create a fusion of both. The “punk” nature of the subculture comes from expressing a more complete presence in public akin to the fashion styles popular during the diesel era such as waistcoats, covered arms, hosiery, styles of shoes, and head wear to name a few. Military and paramilitary also counts, especially related to genre icons. Dieselpunk emphasizes the inclusion of such accouterments to render one’s look “complete,” in defiance of modern custom.

The now defunct blog Gearing Up was one of the first web sites dedicated to dieselpunk fashion. Despite its domain name (dieselpunk.net) it promoted mostly steampunk costumes and accessories but also helped to define the style and to point out the difference between Diesel and Steam… Generally, dieselpunk fashion is not (and never was) restricted to formal dress or military uniform. It includes a broad range of styles, from 1930s colonial to 1940s bomber jackets, from posh zoot suits to humble working-class overalls. Sometimes a light touch of style, like a vintage wristwatch, a pair of Art Deco earrings or an old-fashioned petrol lighter, is sufficient for a fashion-conscious dieselpunk.”

I tried to archive that look with some of the releases from the Engine Room certainly 🙂

When I saw that awesome bondage crane from Dictator Shop while I was wearing that super naughty, but kick ass cool and military looking “Disciplinarian” dress from CerberusXing, the dieselpunk idea was born in my mind. I do love the combination of steel and military inspired fashion with a little touch of fetish as well 😉

First I was tempted to cover up my chest with a black bra, but then I thought that would drag away the attention off the dress too much and when I found that cool nipple piercings in my inventory, which had a touch of a military decoration, the desicion was made.

The incredible detailed and interesting face art was made by Skye Nefekalum, an artist and friend which I do admire for along time for his creativity and skills. The “Shaman Series – Earth” is one of an amazing series of the 4 elements and it does come in black, color and one white/tintable version as an Omega applier. With that it is compatible with most of the mesh heads in Second Life.

What really caught my eyes are the “Mistic Glasses” from The White Crow. They do come with a tattoo for face and body, but for this post I only used the body part or it to not mix up the face art I already was wearing. The interesting part of the glasses are that they are “pierced” into your nose and do not have frame temples at the sides – those of you who know me, know that I LOVE such things 😉 They are available in 3 different colors and are resizable so you can customize them perfectly to your head.

To get an even more dominant touch for my pictures, I did add three of the “Unfortunate Destiny Mannequins” and put the new “Plague Masks” on them, which you can wear yourself a well as you can see in my last post (HERE) – so I was able to show all the colors that are available at the event 😉

The Engine Room is open until the 20th or October and again this will not be my last post – I am already working on the next look and pictures *winks*

Clothing

Dress: [CX] – “Disciplinarian – Original” (Maitreya) – NEW @ The Engine Room // Sepetmber/October 2019

Accessories

Hat: !R! – “Peaked Cap/Wearble” – NEW @ The Engine Room // Sepetmber/October 2019

Glasses: -[TWC]- – “Mistic Glasses – Reading” – NEW @ The Engine Room // Sepetmber/October 2019

Collar: +AH+ – “Pampering Collar”

Piercing 1: IMMODEST – “Downfall Septum”

Piercing 2: Blaxium – “Dangerous Bento Piercing – Simone” (LeLutka Simone, Bento)

Piercing 3: .::Supernatural::. – “Sweet angel Nipple Piercing [Gold]”

Bracelets: Gemini – “Sis Bracelets” (Maitreya)

Rings: : CULT : – “Rou Rings Set” (Maitreya, Bento)

Nailpolish: DP – Koffin Nails – “Neo-Victorian Keys” (Maitreya Applier) – NEW @ The Engine Room // Sepetmber/October 2019

Hair & Makeup

Hair: .Entwined. – “Nyx B”

Face Art: Nefekalum Tattoos – “Shaman Series – Earth (White/Tintable)” (Omega Applier) – NEW

Makeup: Zibska – “Noir Pack 06” (LeLutka Applier)

Lipstick: alaskametro<3 – “London” (LeLutka Applier)

Body & Tattoo

Head: LeLutka – “Simone 3.4”

Ears: .:E.A.Studio:. – “Ears Akasuna”

Body: Maitreya – “Lara 4.1”

Right Arm: Wicca’s Originals – “Eagleden Arms” (Maitreya, Bento) – NEW @ The Engine Room // Sepetmber/October 2019

Tattoo: -[TWC]- – “Mistic” (Omega Applier, part of the glasses) – NEW @ The Engine Room // Sepetmber/October 2019

Poses, Props & Tools

Poses: Foxcity

Set:

[Ds] – “Vindustria Bondage Crane – Adult OMNI v1” – NEW @ The Engine Room // Sepetmber/October 2019

::Static:: – “Unfortunate Destiny Mannequin” – NEW @ The Engine Room // Sepetmber/October 2019

::Static:: – “Plague Mask – Caged {Worn Hide}”, “Plague Mask – Aperture {Worn Pale}” & “Plague Mask – Caged {Worn Coal}” – NEW @ The Engine Room // Sepetmber/October 2019

Face Animation Tool: LeLutka – “Axis HUD Face 1.1”

Model & Photographer

Wicca Merlin

Waiting for you…

BDSM or Fetish… for many that instantly leads to perverts… but it isn’t about being pervert at all and many tried some things that will fall under this topic without even knowing or realizing!

I was thinking a long time about what it was, that pushed BDSM in the dark corner for so many people when they first hear about it. Probably it was the media and/or movie industry that did the most part to it, as you only read about cruelty, pain and forced actions and the typical backyard Domina that cracks the whip on some poor, nerdy, greasy and sleazy male in an inflated way of showing her power. To be honest, that is something I do not need or want to see either – but what ever floats your boat :p

But did you ever read about it in the newspaper when someone covered her/his partners eyes with a satin cloth or pinned his/her arm to the bed with her hands while kissing his/her body? Certainly not, as that doesn’t have the publicity impact of the first scenario I named above.

Lets see what Wikipedia says about BDSM:

BDSM is a variety of often erotic practices or roleplaying involving bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given the wide range of practices, some of which may be engaged in by people who do not consider themselves as practising BDSM, inclusion in the BDSM community or subculture is usually dependent upon self-identification and shared experience.

The BDSM initialism.

The term “BDSM” is first recorded in a Usenet posting from 1991, and is interpreted as a combination of the abbreviations B/D (Bondage and Discipline), D/s (Dominance and submission), and S/M (Sadism and Masochism). BDSM is now used as a catch-all phrase covering a wide range of activities, forms of interpersonal relationships, and distinct subcultures. BDSM communities generally welcome anyone with a non-normative streak who identifies with the community; this may include cross-dressers, body modification enthusiasts, animal roleplayers, rubber fetishists, and others.

Activities and relationships within a BDSM context are often characterized by the participants taking on complementary, but unequal roles; thus, the idea of informed consent of both the partners is essential. The terms “submissive” and “dominant” are often used to distinguish these roles: the dominant partner (“dom”) takes psychological control over the submissive (“sub”). The terms “top” and “bottom” are also used: the top is the instigator of an action while the bottom is the receiver of the action. The two sets of terms are subtly different: for example, someone may choose to act as bottom to another person, for example, by being whipped, purely recreationally, without any implication of being psychologically dominated by them, or a submissive may be ordered to massage their dominant partner. Despite the bottom performing the action and the top receiving they have not necessarily switched roles.

The abbreviations “sub” and “dom” are frequently used instead of “submissive” and “dominant”. Sometimes the female-specific terms “mistress”, “domme” or “dominatrix” are used to describe a dominant woman, instead of the gender-neutral term “dom”. Individuals who can change between top/dominant and bottom/submissive roles—whether from relationship to relationship or within a given relationship—are known as switches. The precise definition of roles and self-identification is a common subject of debate within the community.

[Wikipedia, 2019]

If you read the Wikipedia excerpt, you will think that sounds like everything and nothing, but that is exactly what it is! It can be everything and it can be just a tiny little thing and it doesn’t always involve pain or any “pervert” action. BDSM has so many different shades and fields that you would have a hard time to name them all and the same it is for Fetish… if you look at Wikipedia what it has to say about fetish… you even have to decide first in what way you wanna look at it as you get the choices Anthropological, Sexual, Arts and Business. If you google for the definition of Fetish you will find something like:  If someone has a fetish, they have an unusually strong liking or need for a particular object or activity.” or “If you say that someone has a fetish for doing something, you disapprove of the fact that they do it very often or enjoy it very much.” [Collins Dictionary]

According to that, Fetish doesn’t even have to be a sexual thing only! I have a friend, that cannot leave her home with having 2 different colored socks on. She is not menatlly ill or sick – that’s her fetish if you want to see it like that. Another of my friends has to have jeans from a certain brand since he is 20, he would never ever wear different jeans – that’s his fetish.

Certainly we use the word fetish in a sexual way as well, but what is wrong about wearing a blindfold in bed here and there and get seduced by someone? What is wrong by restricting movements a little bit, to get more intense feelings as long as both agree on it?

Maybe that is the issue for many as they think, a Dominant/Top can do everything what he wants to his submissive/bottom. But exactly that is the thing… they only can do as much as the submissive allows, if you follow the code called SSC – Safe, Sane & Consensual, which means that everything is based on safe activities, that all participants be of sufficiently sound/sane mind to consent, and that all participants do consent. It is mutual consent that makes a clear legal and ethical distinction between BDSM and such crimes as sexual assault or domestic violence.

What is pervert about something, that all the involved parties do like and if they do not bother or harm anyone or anything outside the partnership or group? I do not have an answer to that and that is why I do not call BDSM or Fetish pervert at all – there is other things in the world happening that we do hear and read in the news everyday, that fit way more to that term in my opinion.

All of us do have sexual dreams and desires and only some of us will be able to live their dreams. Maybe it is jealousy, if others do call those dreams and desires pervert, as they can and or do not want to live theirs, but even that is fine as I just said before – what ever floats your boat.

I do think it is great, if you can have a nibble of “forbidden” fruit and have some dreams or desires come true. Some of them may feel better as dreams, but you will never know if you did not try.My first fetish experience was, when one of my ex-boyfriends (I was 16, he was 18) tied my hands to the top of the bed with a satin scarf and caressed me slow and gently. It wasn’t harsh, it wasn’t painful, we did not even have sex in that moment – it just was a complete new experience for me. From that moment on I wanted to know more about it – fun part of that story… my ex-partner didn’t 😉

I am a strong woman, I worked/work in a men dominated world called music business, teach at a school and still I had the desire of D/s relationship for a long time – even before I really did look more into BDSM and Fetish, I loved the idea of a gentleman that opens the door, decides the menu when we go out for dinner and basically carries his girl “on his arms” (in German that is kinda a quote for if a girl is precious for his man). D/s doesn’t mean that the Top just shouts orders and the sub runs accomplishing that… I was told that is called “Army” *snickers*

Maybe I can say, in a D/s relation ship, to me it feels like the sub is a precious gift for the Top, that he handles with care, love and all his abilities, so that it doesn’t get hurt, damaged or broken physical or psychological.

Even the belletristic and the movie world started to change the view about BDSM and Fetish. While in the 70s/80s ‘The Story of O’ and ‘Venus in Fur’ were two of the most popular examples, in the 90s/2000s we have ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’, ‘Secretary’, ‘Crossfire’ or the ’80 Days’ series, which give a complete different view about the topic, even make it more presentable to the public. Maybe that helps to drag this kind of stories, movies, dreams and desires out of the dark corners, out of the dirty backyards and shadows that the past pushed them into. Maybe the world is more ready nowadays to allow those things to happen or at least accept, that they are happening without pointing a finger and calling it bad things only.

As we can see in Second Life, the BDSM and Fetish communities are huge and many enjoy things they maybe cannot do in real life for various reasons. It seems to be something that attracts a lot of people and still many of them need to hide it from their friends and family, which is sad in my view. If they do enjoy it so much, if it is part of them, it is part of the great person that all of them know. I am sure many would love to share their experiences with people close to them, many would love to show their collar they are wearing without being judged in a bad way. But they are still damned to hide that even in Second Life, for example in modeling, as they are still being avoided if they are connected to such “pervert” things. I am not saying they should run around, shouting it over the grid or bother each and everyone with their experiences or put titles above their heads – non of the people I know ever did that in real life either – but where is the problem, if they do have a PG sounding statement in their profiles about having a Master or Mistress, what is wrong with a picture on Flickr wearing a collar or cuffs? With all the non BDSM or Fetish looking porn and non artistic nude pictures on Flickr – seriously a artistic and classic looking lingerie picture being bound or blindfolded would matter??? I do dislike all the pictures where girls hold their pixel boobies into my face bluntly, for no other reason that clicks and likes, on Flickr way more than a tasteful Fetish picture…

I would love to hear your opinion about it – if you can or want to share yours, I will be happy if you put it in the comments 😉

Clothing

Outfit: [Sexy Princess] – “Tease” (Maitreya) – NEW @ Fetish Fair, February 2019

Boots: -KC- – “Aletheia Boots” (Maitreya)

Gloves: .:Avanti:. – “Tessa Gloves” (Maitreya Applier)

Stockings: Avi Candy – “Lace Black Seam [Licorice]” (Maitreya Applier)

Accessories

Collar: .:E.A.Studio:. – “Choker Piper 69” – NEW @ Fetish Fair, February 2019

Armlets: .:E.A.Studio:. – “Pyper 69”

Garters: NANIKA – “Alisa Garter” (Maitreya)  – NEW @ Fetish Fair, February 2019

Hair & Makeup

Hair: no.match – “No.Cake”

Makeup: Zibska – “Noir Pack 06” (Maitreya Applier)

Body & Tattoo

Head: LeLutka – “Simone 3.3”

Body: Maitreya – “Lara 4.1”

Tattoo: [White~Widow] – “Inferno” (Maitreya Applier)

Poses & Props

Poses: Foxcity

Set:

[Ds] – “Peep-O-Rama Bondage Stage OMNI v.1.0 a” – NEW @ Fetish Fair, February 2019

22769 – “The Messy Book Shop” (Gacha, Rare)

22769 – “Big Bookshelf” (Gacha, Common)

22769 – “Small Bookshelf” (Gacha, Common)

22769 – “Worn Rug” (Gacha, Common)

22769 – “Side Table” (Gacha, Common)

22769 – “Bookstore Table Lamp” (Gacha, Common)

22769 – “Nestchair” (Gacha, Common)

22769 – “Pipes Shelf” (Gacha, VIP Reward)

22769 – “Row Of Books” (Gacha, Common)

22769 – “Tall Stack Of Books” (Gacha, Common)

22769 – “Cluster Of Books” (Gacha, Common)

22769 – “Repaired Chair” (Gacha, Common)

22769 – “Chair with Books” (Gacha, Common)

22769 – “Table With Books” (Gacha, Common)

Model & Photographer

Wicca Merlin

Cheeky Bunny

I do not know what it is, but something changed in the past month for me when it comes to taking pictures. I worry about a lot of things, I never thought about before, I do like playing with lights, projectors and “no light” or “low light” windlight settings. The less light you have around you, the more control you get about the lights around you. In the past I first chose my windlight and then added one or two lights or projectors – lately I do it the other way round. I first set up my lights and then look for a windlight, that supports my idea. In the beginning it felt weird to set up out of the darkness, but it becomes better with each try. As well I discovered different desires, which I would like to have for my pictures and so I started a few new “learning projects”. I watched a lot of tutorials, practiced a lot and learned many new things.

One project that started – I tried to start that, since my vacation had begun – was to paint hair. I do have a graphic tablet forever but besides using it for textures I never touched it for pictures, as my mouse felt so much better with that. But try to paint hair with your mouse.. even if you really think you can control your mouse perfectly, but things like the pen pressure, I only get with the tablet. I forced myself to play with it and watched many tutorials. Slowly it starts working, but it really needs a lot of practice and I am not yet ready to show it off  more than a few strands of hair 😉

To not loose my motivation, I started to play with some ready made hair strands and wisps as well as hair brushes for Photoshop, as those as well helped me a lot to understand the basic hair drawing. When I found the strands from Rayne Morgan, I was completely speechless. I rarely saw such a well drawn hair in all it’s details and if you are willing to credit her work, she even offers a few free downloads on her Deviantart site (https://www.deviantart.com/raynemorgan).

There I found some interesting ready made hair as well for instant use. I always had wondered, how some photographers were able to paint or photograph hair and have such amazing results on Flickr. When I saw the website of Rayne Morgan… I immediately did know how a few did that 😉

It is really breathtaking how that hair can change a Second Life picture like it did for the closeup above. You get the hair as a PSD file. You are able to color and as well warp it, until it matches your Second Life snapshot. I could not resist, to even work on that one by adding some more wisps and paint some little strands myself. It is not the end of my hair-paint experiences, as I really want to archive painting my own hair completely one day, but I wanted to share the progress and as well the way of keeping up my motivation to do so 🙂

Outfit & Accessories

Outfit: //Ascend// – “Diora” (Maitreya) – NEW @ The Fetish Fair 2018 – 2nd Edition

Panty: .:Avanti:. – “Adara Panty” (Maitreya)

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

Hand & Rings: [Since1975] – “No Mercy Rings” (Maitreya, Bento)

Mask: FnH – “Bunny Mask”

Earrings: Elle Boutique – “Jaclyn Earring”

Hair & Makeup

Hair: Besom – “Piggy Bank”

Makeup: Zibska – “Radi Eyemakeup” (LeLutka Applier)

Lipstick: Izzie’s – “Metallic Lipsticks” (LeLutka Applier)

Hair for Closeup: Rayne Morgan

Head & Body

Head: LeLutka – “Simone 3.0”

Body: Maitreya – “Lara 4.1”

Face: Izzie’s – “Pore & Blemishes” (LeLutka Applier)

Legs: Zibska – “Wild Thang” (Maitreya Applier) – NEW @ TheSecret Affair

Poses & Props

Poses: Foxcity

Set:

Couch: [Ds] – “Contempo Ladies Chaise” – NEW @ The Fetish Fair 2018 – 2nd Edition

Lamp: Trompe Loeil – “Wiggle Modern Light”

Statue: NOMAD – “Bright Headed Mannequin C”

Mirror: [Figure 8] – “Narcissus Mirror Silver”

Model & Photographer

Wicca Merlin