Morning After

Gwyneth:

So, yeah. I was talking about Clutie in my last post, and about how she just annoys me to pieces these days.

As it happens, the morning after my little excursion into the Wylds, I was just sitting on the couch, playing with one of those winged cats I like so much—I don’t know why; they just fascinate me. I was thinking about what I’d do in the Bower for the Winter Solstice, and whether or not I would need to get some demifae in to do a bit of heavy lifting (it always amuses me that I get creatures no longer than the length of my hand to do my heavy lifting), when I felt a familiar buzzing in my head.

See? I really was just minding my own business.

And the next thing I knew, I was arguing with Clutie.

‘No’, I said. ‘I have no interest in trying on winter gowns today. As you can see, I’m very comfortable on this large sofa with this fascinating cat, and I intend to keep on doing this until noon at the very earliest.’

‘But Your Majesty’, Clutie reminded me, ‘I am still your handmaiden, no matter’ (and here she sniffed, perhaps judgmentally) ‘what kind of journey your soul is taking in to night at this moment. And being your handmaiden means that I must prepare you for events to come. And whether you like it or not, it is December, and that means Year Turn parties and Winter Solstice gatherings, and halls filled with light and music’. She sniffed again. ‘I will not have my Queen in a hall full of light and music wearing…’ she wrinkled her nose. ‘What exactly are you wearing, Your Majesty?’

‘Pink footie pyjamas’, I answered, with as much grace and dignity as a grown woman could have, saying the words “pink footie pyjamas”, while actually wearing pink footie pyjamas. Granted, that’s not a lot of grace and dignity.

Danae coughed to hide her laughter; it didn’t work completely, because Clutie turned and gave her the most potent eat shit look I think I’ve seen since that time I suggested to Maric that he dress up as Santa Claus for all the children of the village. Serious lead balloon, that was.

Not three minutes later, I was fuming as Clutie, Danae, and their cohort (whose name I didn’t catch) fitted me in to what was, granted, a gorgeous dress.

Clutie, who was ignoring my crankiness completely, flitted back and sighed with dramatic happiness. ‘Oh! I knew you would look marvellous in this one: I had it sent in specially for you. It’s made by Junbug.’

I was still bored when they posed me in front of a rose curtain and started messing with my hair again.

Honestly, I felt like a mannequin with the gift of speech when Clutie finally told me to smile and had her cohort (Sorcha! That’s her name!) snap a photo of me with that Polaroid camera I bought her in Nu Jyorck.

Honestly, I felt like a mannequin with the gift of speech when Clutie finally told me to smile and had her cohort (Sorcha! That’s her name!) snap a photo of me with that polaroid camera I bought her in Nu Jyorck.

‘You look like a goddess, Your Majesty’, she said.

I made a noncommittal noise, although in fact, I did like the dress. The shoes had little butterflies for heels, and I liked those too.

‘Don’t you think this one’s too formal?’ I asked Clutie after they’d all stopped pinning me in to it.

‘Can you ever really be too formal?’ was Clutie’s response. ‘Besides, you love this designer. It’s Silvan Moon Designs. You have this dress already in a sort of ice white colour, but I thought you might appreciate wearing blue and gold again, you know’.

I sighed. ‘Maybe in the summer’, I said, ‘we’ll go back to the Summer Court colours then.’

Clutie pouted. ‘You’d never wear this gown in summer’, she asserted.

‘This is true’, I replied. ‘Fine; I’ll think about it’.

Then she had Sorcha photograph me again, and we went on to the next dress.

At least this one was red, though it seems she has a thing for trains this year.

‘This one’s also from Junbug‘, Clutie informed me as she did something with the crown she insisted on fitting on me “just to see how it looks”. Never mind that I’ve worn this crown dozens of times before and it always looks good: it’s one of Evangeline Miles’ designs, so it’s practically perfect in every way.

‘I do rather like the fit of this one’, I finally admitted.

Danae and Sorcha made my nails and lips the same colour as the dress, and of course they glamoured the shoes to match as well. Proper little artists, they are.

‘How many more?’ I murmured wearily to Clutie.

‘Just one more’, she promised. ‘And I saved the best one for last, of course’.

‘Why do we play this game, if you always know the one I’m going to pick as my favourite before I do?’

‘Because it amuses me to know you well, Your Majesty’, she replied. I just about swatted her, but, you know. My nails were still wet.

‘Better colour those black’, she instructed to Danae and Sorcha. Sorcha blinked once, twice, and I’d swear steam came out of her ears.

‘Oh!’ I twirled! I giggled. ‘This is gorgeous, and you don’t even have to tell me who designed it.’

‘Oh!’ I twirled! I giggled! ‘This is gorgeous, and you don’t even have to tell me who designed it. I can tell by the colour alone. Why didn’t you tell me there was an Evangeline Miles design to try on? I never would have snapped at you, not even a little bit.’

Clutie sniffed again.

I rolled my eyes. ‘Are you coming down with a cold, Clutie dear, or are you just so fucking superior you can’t hold it in?’

Clutie huffed. ‘Your Majesty! I never! Your attitude is unbecoming of a Queen sometimes.’

At that, I laughed out loud.

At that, I laughed out loud. ‘Well, at least some things never change,’ I said. I spread my arms out. ‘Now, this dress makes me want to dance. Is there a Solstice Ball this year?’

Clutie clapped her hands. ‘Of course! Nothing could keep us from celebrating the Return of Light, My Queen.’

‘Good’, I replied. ‘This is for that, then. And wherever did you find this gorgeous jewellery?’

‘Oh, now, this is from Vae at The Plastik. She sent it over on approval, with compliments. Shall I send her some faerie gold?’ Clutie’s little helpers tittered at this.

‘No; I shall send her some real gold’, I replied. ‘No reason to make her grumpy. Besides, I think she may be a demon, and I’d rather not piss her off. Hard to tell, really, with some people. And I’ll visit Evie myself to tell her how gorgeous this dress is. And the crown of candles! You’ve outdone yourself, Clutie.’

Clutie puffed with pride. ‘Actually, Danae found this while we were touring round that faire you like to go to, the one about Roleplay. It’s from Paper Moon.’

‘Well, it’s perfect’, I declared. ‘Makes me feel creative. You know, I think we should put a carpet of grass in this atrium, give the tree something to feel under her feet, and us as well. What do you think of that?’

‘A marvellous idea, Your Majesty’, Clutie replied.

‘A marvellous idea, Your Majesty’, Clutie replied. ‘Sorcha, do take another photo, would you?’

Sorcha grumbled that she never got to be in any of the photographs. ‘Oh, do stop moaning’, Danae said, and she levitated the camera to photograph us all together as I struck another dancing pose. ‘There, now’.

‘I could have thought of that’, Sorcha said, sullen.

‘But you didn’t’, Danae said.

Just then there was a crash from somewhere behind me, and musical cursing.

‘What the fuck?’ I turned, but Clutie obscured the arched doorway with a wall of mist.

‘Sorry, Your Majesty; they’re not ready for you yet’, she said.

‘Who is this “they”?’ I peered into the room, squinting, then raised my hand to clear the mist.

‘Oh, please don’t, My Queen’, Clutie said. ‘Kern’s so excited about this, and I don’t want to ruin his fun. Let’s just say there’s a surprise waiting for you when we’re done here’.

I raised a brow. ‘Oh, fine’, I said, ‘but it had better be good’.

Style Cards:

Pyjama Pictures
Body: Maitreya
Head: Catwa, Destiny
Ears: Mandala, Steking Ears, Season 5
Eyes: Mesange, Kelpie Eyes (Omega appliers)
Skin: DeeTaleZ, Madelyn (Catwa Head Appliers, Maitreya Body Appliers, in Celtic)
Hair: Pink Hustler 8160
Pyjamas: Cracked Mirror, Footie Pajamas, Pink

The Cat: Half-Deer, Winged Cats
The Couch: Fallen Gods, Justine
The Fairies:
Clutie: Ohmai, Gerbera Fairy Companion
Danae: Ohmai, Dandelion Fairy Companion
Sorcha: Ohmai, Tulip Fairy Companion
The Skybox: Spellbound, Atrium Skybox

Poses: !bang

White Dress Pictures
Body: Maitreya
Head: Catwa, Destiny
Ears: Mandala, Steking Ears, Season 5
Eyes: Mesange, Kelpie Eyes (Omega appliers)
Skin: DeeTaleZ, Madelyn (Catwa Head Appliers, Maitreya Body Appliers, in Celtic)
Makeup: Izzies, Catwa Silver Glitter Makeup (Available at the United and Kind event!)
Hair: Sinkitlia, Giselle
Gown: Junbug, Elia in Mist (Available at Uber!)
Crown & Bracers: G-Spot, Dyonysus’ Bride
Necklace: The Forge, Ember in Bronze (Available at the United and Kind event!)
Shoes: Violetility, Fairy Shoes

The Fairies:
Clutie: Ohmai, Gerbera Fairy Companion
Danae: Ohmai, Dandelion Fairy Companion
Sorcha: Ohmai, Tulip Fairy Companion
The Wardrobes: Scarlet Creative, Nerites Wardrobe, Venice Wardrobe (both from past Arcades)
The Rose Curtain: Half Deer, Fairy Curtain
The Skybox: Spellbound, Atrium Skybox

Poses: POSEsion

Blue Dress Pictures
Body: Maitreya
Head: Lelutka, Stella
Hair: Truth, Xia
Ears: Mandala, Steking Ears, Season 5
Eyes: Mesange, Kelpie Eyes (Omega appliers)
Skin: Lumae, Yulia (Lelutka Head Applier, Maitreya Body Appliers, in Tone 1) (Available NOW at the Lumae Main Store!)
Hair: Truth: Xia
Gown: Silvan Moon Designs, Victoria Faun Gown (COMING SOON to Winter Solstice in the Mystic Realms, opening December 9!)
Shoes: Illi, Maitreya Roslyn Rose Heels

The Fairies:
Clutie: Ohmai, Gerbera Fairy Companion
The Rose Curtain: Half Deer, Fairy Curtain
The Skybox: Spellbound, Atrium Skybox

Poses: POSEsion

Red Dress Pictures
Body: Maitreya
Head: Lelutka, Stella
Hair and Hair Jewellery: Mina & Empyrean Forge, Harmony (Available NOW at FaMESHed!)
Ears: Mandala, Steking Ears, Season 5
Eyes: Mesange, Kelpie Eyes (Omega appliers)
Skin: Lumae, Yulia (Lelutka Head Applier, Maitreya Body Appliers, in Tone 1) (Available NOW at the Lumae Main Store!)
Gown: Junbug, Odette (Available NOW at FaMESHed!)!)
Shoes: Illi, Maitreya Roslyn Rose Heels
Crown and Collar: Evie’s Closet, Alateriel

The Fairies:
Clutie: Ohmai, Gerbera Fairy Companion
Danae: Ohmai, Dandelion Fairy Companion
Sorcha: Ohmai, Tulip Fairy Companion
The Rose Curtain: Half Deer, Fairy Curtain
The Skybox: Spellbound, Atrium Skybox

Poses: POSEsion

Ombre Grey Dress Pictures
Body: Maitreya
Head: Lelutka, Stella
Hair: Spellbound, Lionhearted
Eyes: Mesange, Kelpie Eyes (Omega appliers)
Skin: Lumae, Yulia (Lelutka Head Applier, Maitreya Body Appliers, in Tone 1) (Available NOW at the Lumae Main Store!)
Gown: Evie’s Closet, Amalthea (Available NOW at We ❤ RP!)
Shoes: Illi, Maitreya Roslyn Rose Heels
Necklace and Earrings: The Plastik, Serra Chain and Earrings (Available NOW at We ❤ RP!)
Crown: Paper Moon, St. Lucia Wreath, Fir, Midnight (Available NOW at We ❤ RP!)