I’d love to take more time to write today but I’ve come to the realization that this pressing need to write something thoughtful and intriguing with every post is really counter-productive! So. There will still be editorial-length posts here on Mask and Mien but there are going to be a number of shorter ones too because sometimes we just want to look at pretty pictures, right? And get FULL credits. I have not, nor will I ever, guard my style like it’s classified information – if you see something here that I haven’t credited fully please just ask and I’ll find the thing!
~ Credits ~
Skin Appliers: Lara Hurley-Diana Rose Pale *Catwa Appliers* ~ Lara Hurley
Head: CATWA HEAD Catya ~ Catwa Clip
Ears: [MANDALA]STEKING_EARS_Season5 ~ Kikonosuke Eel
Eyes: IKON Hope Eyes – Quicksilver / Aqua ~ Ikon Innovia
Mesh Body/Hands/Feet: Maitreya Mesh Body – Lara ~ Onyx LeShelle
Nail Appliers alme. Golden Lines Light ~ Chloe Electra
Hair: Stealthic – Persephone (Bento Fitted) ~ Hunter ~ NEW @ Hair Fair 2017 (until July 16th)
Gown: SMD ~ Le Carnivale Baroque Gown & Overskirt – Maitreya ~ Bee Dumpling ~ NEW @ We ❤ RP (July 5th – 31st, 2017)
Jewellery Set: Cae :: Chelsea :: ~ Caelan Hancroft ~ NEW @ FaMESHed (until July 27th)
It might sound a little strange to someone unfamiliar with the concept of role play or someone who hasn’t spent any amount of time in Second Life. The idea that who we are as people, as human beings, isn’t set in stone – that we can execute a mental pivot and in one moment shift from a person sitting on one side of a computer screen (am I the only one that thinks of my monitor as a window sometimes?) to become a strong, though damaged, hero. A stunning fashion model. A meerkat. Anything.
I think about this a great deal, partly because my own life has become very routine in the last month or so. My family has consolidated itself under one roof – a large and amazing roof that holds quite a lot of love, laughter, and noise beneath itself more often than not – but it’s where I spend most of my time now. Being agoraphobic as I am, it’s not a huge deal; I watch my little nephews during the day (and night because they still come to their Auntie, not really understanding the meaning of ‘nights off’ and ‘closed doors’) and, truly, I wouldn’t change this time with them, with my mother and sister and brothers-in law, for anything. Still, it’s a smaller world than it used to be and I have less free time than I used to have, but I am adjusting to that.
This is where the theme of this post comes into play, however, because my world is only as small as I allow it to become. I have learned to treasure my time with friends, both old and new, because they challenge me to engage mentally and socially when, sometimes, all I would be doing otherwise is curling up with a book and going to bed early. And playing a great deal of Bubble Shooter on my phone. >.>
Saturday has become my favourite day, though, because on Saturdays I game.
I know I’ve mentioned it before and I will likely mention it again. On Saturdays I meet with three of my greatest and oldest friends over Skype and we role play; tabletop-style minus the table. We have been pirates and warriors; intra-dimensional travellers and the avatars of ancient deities. We have been so many things and experienced so much though our characters. We have battled together, laughed together; grieved, celebrated, and generally laughed our faces off at least a few times a night, every week, for a very long time.
Rather than considering this an escape as some people might, however, I like to look at it in another light. It IS a sort of escape but it’s a way to explore things within ourselves, too. The way my friends and I tackle the “problems” of the world, each and every time, is eye opening. It shows me how different we all are and also how much we’ve grown in all the years we’ve known one another; where we might have charged into combat a dozen years ago, now we think of new methods. We talk more. We negotiate and innovate. When someone falls in combat, as they did last night, it is a BIG DEAL.
And when an NPC (Non Player Character) gives their own life to restore the dead hero in a moving display of selflessness and nobility no one expected to witness, it’s a poignant moment for everone. I’m still a little off-balance because of it.
Role-playing, when it’s good, is like the best movie you have ever seen or the best book you have ever read – only better – because you are a vibrant and living part of those stories. Even when we say we’re In Character that isn’t entirely true; the thoughts behind the actions are our own. The dialogue comes from us. The choices we make matter, sometimes they matter a great deal, because sure, we’re deciding one thing or another in an intangible “game world” but we also reaffirm our values and ideals, we harness creativity, friendship, teamwork, and self-determination and it is that sense of empowerment that stays with me, week after week.
I have said it before and I will say it again. If you aren’t any kind of role player, I hope you try it sometime. There are worlds to explore inside yourself and so very much to be gained from it. ❤
~ Credits ~
~ Style 1 ~
Skin Appliers: amara beauty – Miriela 03 CATWA applier ~ Shantia Soulstar ~ NEW @ We ❤ RP (until June 30th 2017)
Head: Head: CATWA HEAD Annie ~ Catwa Clip
Ears: [MANDALA]STEKING_EARS_Season5 ~ Kikonosuke Eel
Mesh Body/Hands/Feet: Maitreya Mesh Body – Lara ~ Onyx LeShelle
Makeup: .::Nanika::.Gold eyeshadow CATWA Applier ~ Sdevas
Nail Appliers: alme. Grecian ~ Chloe Electra ~ NEW @ Tres Chic (until July 5th)
Hair: Tableau Vivant \\ Seelie and Unseelie hair ~ Gacha Item ~ M4ri1yn Magic
Dress: OSMIA – Olimpia.Dress – White – Maitreya ~ gabby111996 ~ NEW @ Tres Chic ( until July 5th)
Hand Jewellery: Zaara : Siya hand-harness & stacked rings ~ Zaara Kohime ~ NEW @ Collabor88 (until July 6th)
Mega-huge thanks to Strawberry Singh for posting the 2017 installment of her ubiquitous Yearbook challenge! Love the blog, love the Berry! To celebrate her “10 years of Second Life” (WOW!), Ms. Berry is offering L$ 5000 to one of her readers for answering a few simple questions in her comments section. Seriously. Go check it out!
Most Likely to: Leave Early to Play Dungeons & Dragons
Yep, I’m still talking about D&D! We are just FIVE DAYS OUT from the Mhirdrun sim’s grand opening and even though I will not be there this Saturday (I’m moving this weekend! :O) I cannot wait to hear ALL about those first glorious days of sim RP! As I’ve said before, writing and storytelling are a big part of my life and a major source of insipiration for me – I started playing D&D at age fourteen and taught my little sister to play when she was six. It’s been a huge part of our lives and I cannot state enough that there is something for everyone in games like this. Whether you’re trying Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, a game like 7th Sea, Shadowrun, or Cypher, the experience of adventure and In Character accomplishment can be intensely liberating.
This applies, of course, to Second Life role play as well – with the added bonus of being able to style your character and take a million, zillion pictures! 😀
SEE?! ^
So why not forget about what you think you know about role playing and think about how much fun it could be to have an adventure? To be someone other than yourself? Why not step outside your comfort zone (if it doesn’t already include SL RP) and try something new?
Mhirdrunopens this weekend: May 13th at NOON SLT! Write it down. Read the website. Join the in-world group and come have a look at one of the most beautiful sims I have ever seen!
For those unfamiliar with RP sim etiquette, a quick note:
Remember to wear sim-appropriate clothing. Anything fantasy-related will do – no jeans, stiletto heels, electric guitars, or hoverboards, please!
Respect that other people on-sim might be role playing – don’t worry, no one minds if you watch, but please don’t say anything in local chat if you are strictly there as an observer. Find a good spot out of the way but within chat range (local range is 20 meters) and you’re all set.
Don’t lag up the joint! Maximum script memory per avatar is 0.150ms and maximum Avatar Rendering Cost (ARC) is a very generous 325k but PLEASE, and this goes double for observers, keep those numbers as low as possible. ❤
Find some way to indicate that you are OOC (Out of Character) and observing the action. This can be a group tag if you have access to one or, alternatively, some role players use titlers (just remember to keep your script count low!).
Enjoy. ❤
~ Credits ~
Skin Appliers: Lara Hurley-Diana Rose Pale *Catwa Appliers* ~ Lara Hurley
Head: CATWA HEAD Catya ~ Catwa Clip
Ears: [MANDALA]STEKING_EARS_Season5 ~ Kikonosuke Eel
Eyes: IKON Hope Eyes – Quicksilver / Aqua ~ Ikon Innovia
Mesh Body/Hands/Feet: Maitreya Mesh Body – Lara ~ Onyx LeShelle
Makeup Applier: !Musa! Eyeshadow Leda Cool Tones ~ Filomena Quinnell ~ NEW @ We RP (until May 31st, 2017)
Nail Appliers 1: :[P]:– Maitreya Nailpolish:// Dulcet / Rinka ~ Aikea Rieko
~ Style 1 ~
Hair: TRUTH / Kare ~ Truth Hawks ~ NEW GROUP GIFT!
Romper: TETRA – Formation Playsuit (Breeze) – Maitreya ~ NataPorolo ~ NEW @ Collabor88 (until June 6th)
Pose: Le Poppycock-Now is everything (*Convolutions* A) ~ Olivia Lalonde ~ NEW @ The Chapter Four (until May 21st)
~ Style 2 ~
Hair: Exile:: Way That I Feel ~ Kavar Cleanslate ~ NEW @ Collabor88 (until June 6th)
Silks: *Sweet Kajira * Tanit WHITE Top & Skirt Maitreya ~ Gacha Item ~ Bronte Denja ~ NEW @ The Fantasy Gacha Carnival (until May 20th)
Wings: #2 Blueberry – Angelberry – RARE – Wings – Pure ~ Gacha Item ~ Blueberryxx
It sounds like the easiest thing in the world, doesn’t it? Just being happy?
It’s another one of those things that I think about from time to time, though, mostly because it isn’t so easy for me. It’s something I have to work to achieve and sometimes I have to fight hard to maintain. Over the last few days I have struggled with it and even now I don’t know if it’s due to quitting smoking, the cold I can’t seem to shake, the rainy weather, or the fact that my home life is changing drastically this week (for the better, I should add, but it’s still a big change). Nonetheless, it has been difficult and I have been wondering.
Are we happy because good things happen? Because bad things aren’t happening currently? Is it because people do nice things and we feel what we feel in response to those things or because others have simply ceased being negative in our presence? When someone says “you make me happy,” I have to wonder if they require another person to make them happy, much the same as when my nephew says “I’m bored” (which I can’t stand) because he wants me to find something for him to do. Is happiness something that begins inside or is it the result of external factors? In the instance of “you make me happy,” is it possible to be happy (or unhappy) in spite of another person’s best efforts? Surely, it’s possible. We see evidence of this every day.
As I said, it’s something I think about pretty often because I do work so hard at it. For me, it’s something inside that I have to nurture and protect with a lot of mindfulness (“does it really matter what this person thinks about me?”) and self-talking (“I can do this. It’s just rush hour traffic – people commute every day.”) and even then, it isn’t a sure thing.
One thing I do know, however, is that I prefer to be happy. No matter how hard it is or how much effort it takes, I have to believe that it’s better to aim high and miss occasionally than accept the alternative and do nothing to change it.
What do you think?
~ Credits ~
Skin Appliers: Lara Hurley-Diana Rose Pale *Catwa Appliers* ~ Lara Hurley
Head: CATWA HEAD Catya ~ Catwa Clip
Ears: [MANDALA]STEKING_EARS_Season5 ~ Kikonosuke Eel
Eyes: IKON Hope Eyes – Quicksilver ~ Ikon Innovia
Mesh Body: Maitreya Mesh Body – Lara ~ Onyx LeShelle
Nail Appliers: Hello Dave – Nail Appliers – Tumultuous 8 ~ Maia Gasparini
There’s something undeniably special about Spring, isn’t there?
Living where I do, it is always such a relief to feel the return of warmer weather as it’s often cold and/or snowy for half the year! After all the slush and sleet, the winter sicknesses, thick socks, and bulky coats, it’s lovely to be able to step outside and see leaves on the trees again and flowers beginning to bloom.
This picture didn’t turn out exactly the way I’d intended at first – it was supposed to be all moody, atmospheric, and vaguely sinister (I’m working on a witch avatar for the Mhirdrun sim opening May 13th! :O) but … the flowers were just too pretty to leave out and then the lighting was all wrong so I made it daytime and then, well, you see where I ended up. 😉 Not that I’m complaining.
It’s hard to believe that We ❤ Role Play will celebrate it’s FIFTH ANNIVERSARY this month; harder to believe that it’s been five years since so many of us crowded into those first two or three wooden huts, gaping in wonder at what A Certain Elf was able to put together for the RP community such a long time ago. Some things have changed since then (miss you, Elfy <3) but the feeling is still there for me. Every round is special. Every round has something that warms my heart and fires my imagination. Maybe I don’t post as much as I’d like these days but, man, I am just as thrilled to get down to We
We Role Play Opens May 4th at 1pm SLT and Closes May 31st, 2017. ~ Be sure to look for birthday gifts on-sim and thank the fantastic staff and designers that work so hard to ensure that We y is one of the best events SL has to offer! ~
~ Credits ~
Skin Appliers: Lara Hurley-Diana Rose Pale *Catwa Appliers* ~ Lara Hurley
Head: CATWA HEAD Catya ~ Catwa Clip
Ears: [MANDALA]STEKING_EARS_Season5 ~ Kikonosuke Eel
Eyes: \//. Koko Eyes {Moon} ~ Druunah Esharham ~ NEW @ We RP (until April 30th, 2017)
Mesh Body: Maitreya Mesh Body – Lara ~ Onyx LeShelle
What does it really mean to be the “Fighter” in a band of intrepid heroes?
“It’s a thankless job—living day to day by your armor and the skill of your arm, diving heedlessly into danger. They won’t be playing golden horns for the time you took that knife to the ribs for them in the bar in Bucksberg. No flock of angels will sing of the time you dragged them, still screaming, from the edge of the Pits of Madness, no.
Forget them. You do this for the guts and the glory, for the scream of battle and the hot, hot blood of it. You are a beast of iron. Your friends may carry blades of forged steel but, fighter, you are steel. While your traveling companions might moan about their wounds around a campfire in the wilderness, you bear your scars with pride.
You are the wall — let every danger smash itself to dust on you.
Class: Fighter Role: Primary Damage, Primary Defense Style: Physical Other Terms from Personal Experience: Tank, DPS, Meat Shield, Combat Gore Machine
First one in; last one out. More than anything, your typical D&D Fighter is going to be dealing and receiving the bulk of the party’s combat damage much of the time. This is their purpose in an adventuring party, their role if you will, and it’s where a well-played Fighter can really shine.
A Fighter will do physical damage more often than not, usually with one or many weapons. Or chairs. Or very large rocks. In my very first D&D 3.0 game, I threw a torch so hard it killed a fleeing orc – it was good times. 😀 (I’ve also remembered to invest in ranged weapons since then; torches are hard to throw.)
Generally, a party’s Fighter will have the highest hit point total and a number of ways to avoid catastrophic injury in combat. They wear armour, occasionally carry shields, and are able to continue fighting against extreme odds and in almost every situation where the party finds itself in combat. I say “almost” because there are no finalities in Dungeons and Dragons; there’s a bit of one-upmanship between Dungeon Masters (DMs) and players and both delight in stumping the other side. With this being said, however, I will stress that there is no more reliable class in a fight .. than a Fighter. Other classes may be more useful in certain kinds of combat or with time to prepare for a specific encounter but when push comes to shove, the Fighter is always ready to kick some ass.
This May Be the Class For You IF:
You enjoy combat.
Numerous weapons and fighting styles are of interest to you.
You love to plan battle strategies and lead from the front.
All you really want sometimes is to hit something. No muss, no fuss: POW!
~ Picture Credits ~
Skin Appliers: Genesis_Lab_Skin_LENA_MILK ~ GenesisLab
Mesh Head: Genesis_Head_Lena ~ GenesisLab
Eyes: \//. Koko Eyes {Grey} ~ Druunah Esharham ~ NEW @ We RP (until April 30th, 2017)
Mesh Body: Maitreya Mesh Body – Lara ~ Onyx LeShelle
Mesh Hands: Slink Avatar Enhancement Hands ~ Siddean Munro
Facial Scar: Le Forme Battle Scars 02(Mirror) ~ Louise Marsault
Body Scars: [flit ink] BATTLE SCARS Torso Tattoo ~ Flit Ulrik
Gloves Appliers: AE – SLINK Applier HUD (Gloves Leather) ~ Sachi Vixen
It’s something I’ve been thinking about a good deal in the last few months. With the dwindling of my free time and the increase in personal responsibilities I’ve really needed to prioritize what matters most in my life at this time. It’s hard. Harder than I thought it would be. As much as I wanted to continue model and photography courses in SL, as much as I wanted to keep role playing in-world, it’s come to a point where I can either RP or sleep. Where I can make time for a weekend class online or, you know, eat food with my family and start prepping dinner for ten at a reasonable hour on Sunday.
I hope it won’t always be this way.
One thing I have started to do, however, hearkens back to most of my teenage and adult life. I have started role playing with my friends again and, gosh, it has been amazing! And I don’t mean in Second Life, which another kettle completely (and one I loveloveLOVE), but over Skype and once in a while. The sort of Role Playing Game (RPG) that has character sheets and dice; pencils and erasers and more books than I can conveniently fit on my desk at one time. I was a Dungeon Master at age 16 and I still wear that distinction with pride.
For the uninitiated, tabletop role play might sound daunting, nerdy, and dauntingly nerdy but let me share a little secret with you: it really doesn’t have to be either one. In its simplest form, role play is storytelling with a problem solving component; you take on the persona of a character (a dashing rogue, a burly warrior, or a crafty wizard for example) and, with the help of your Dungeon Master (or Game Master for other non-D&D games), you solve puzzles, battle enemies, and use your wits to make the best use of your character’s abilities throughout the story. It can be SO MUCH FUN.
I see now that I’ve already written more than intended in this post and for the wall of text, I apologize. RP is a subject very close to my heart and if you -are- interested in learning more about it I’ve snuck a great little video into the bottom of this post. Trust me, it’s awesome.
We Role Play Opens April 4th and Closes April 30th, 2017.
~ Credits ~
Skin Appliers: Lara Hurley-Diana Rose Pale *Catwa Appliers* ~ Lara Hurley
Head: CATWA HEAD Catya ~ Catwa Clip
Ears: [MANDALA]STEKING_EARS_Season5 ~ Kikonosuke Eel
Eyes: \//. Koko Eyes {Rose} ~ Druunah Esharham ~ NEW @ We RP (until April 30th, 2017)
Mesh Body: Maitreya Mesh Body – Lara ~ Onyx LeShelle
Hair: Exile::Feels Like Tonight ~ Kavar Cleanslate ~ NEW @ Collabor88 (until May 6th)
Top: .:SF:. “Myrina” Leather Top – Oxblood ~ Synjari Myriam ~ NEW @ We RP (until April 30th)
Sleeves: Wicca’s Wardrobe – Drusilla Arms [Brown] ~ Wicca Merlin ~ NEW @ We RP (until April 30th)
Skirt: .:SF:. “Drea” Leather Skirt – Oxblood ~ Synjari Myriam ~ NEW @ We RP (until April 30th)
Leggings Applier: [V/W] Black Low Leggings – Reeva Hax
Wow, so. I was actually OFF today! :O While I spent a good chunk of this rare gem of a weekday tidying and catching up on my sleep, I was SO pleased to be able to work on another picture; just having a few hours to sit down and fiddle with outfits and windlinght, angles and poses and expressions, has been a joy. Truly, we don’t appreciate what free time really means to us until it’s a thing of the past.
Like many other role players, I have a special place in my heart for the pirate genre and few things make me happier than the idea of swinging through the rigging, rapier in hand, to defend a ship from ruthless buccaneers. You knew I was a big ol’ nerd, right? Right! Lately, I’ve even been able to indulge a little in swashbuckling fantasy with my favourite gaming group (yep, tabletop <3) and the new 7th Sea Second Edition gaming system. Go figure, my character (a Vodacce/Montaignoise bastard hailing from the island nation of La Bucca) looks a bit (or a lot) like Portia. 😉
We Role Play Opens April 4th and Closes April 30th, 2017.
~ Credits ~
Skin Appliers: Lara Hurley-Diana Rose Pale *Catwa Appliers* ~ Lara Hurley
Head: CATWA HEAD Catya ~ Catwa Clip
Ears: [MANDALA]STEKING_EARS_Season5 ~ Kikonosuke Eel
Eyes: \//. Koko Eyes {Black} ~ Druunah Esharham ~ NEW @ We RP (until April 30th, 2017)
Mesh Body: Maitreya Mesh Body – Lara ~ Onyx LeShelle
Mesh Hands: Slink Avatar Enhancement Hands ~ Siddean Munro
Nail Appliers: [LB French Soft] *Slink & Omega* Manicure ~ Santana Lumiere
Life is still ridiculous and promising to become even moreso for another month or two but, gosh, I have missed taking pictures! I will write more as soon as possible. MWAH!
We Role Play Opens at 1pm, April 4th and Closes April 30th, 2017.
~ Credits ~
Skin Appliers: Lara Hurley-Diana Rose Pale *Catwa Appliers* ~ Lara Hurley
Head: CATWA HEAD Catya ~ Catwa Clip
Eyes: IKON Sovereign Eyes – Quicksilver ~ Ikon Innovia
Mesh Body: Maitreya Mesh Body – Lara ~ Onyx LeShelle
Hair: little bones. Twyla ~ Nova Faerye ~ NEW @ Uber (until April 23rd, 2017)
Circlet: {LORE} Moon Goddess Crown (steel) ~ LalitaLamour ~ NEW @ We ❤ RP (until April 30th, 2017)
Pose: an lar [poses] The Garnet Series – Five (m) ~ Katya Valeska
RP
Mask and Mien 