The Greening

Posted on June 17, 2019 by Three Knots | Leave a comment

The Guest House

So it may come as a surprise to you that I slept part of the winter away in the Guest House. This is a beautiful floating island house created by the architects at The Looking Glass, and it’s so cosy. I love the castle, but it’s so big! Now, of course, it isn’t drafty, because when Riven re-engineered it, she insulated it properly, right down to the cellar level, but sometimes I just like to be in a place where I can get up from bed and walk right over to the kitchen to do my toast, you know? Probably it’s a throwback to my former life in student digs.

Anyway, the winter just zoomed past, didn’t it? And then we were all at the Great Faire, where this year I did a lot of shopping and let other people tell their stories as much as I could. It was hard to let that happen sometimes, so I suppose you will hear a little of me in those stories if you look at them hard enough.

But the truth is, I have not been much in Faerie over these past few months.

So when I was awakened by a thump (hint: it was me being rolled out of my cosy little bed!) yesterday, I was not best pleased.

I am not best pleased, I said.

I walked out onto the porch, squinting into the sunlight. “I am not best pleased,” I said.

You are not best pleased? How nice for you.

Uh, oh. I know that voice. “My Lady!” There are few people who would cause me to stop in my tracks and just wonder what I had done wrong, especially since my relationships with my parents (both sets) are somewhat distant at the moment. But of course, this was no person. “How may I attend you?”

Get your blasted Realm in order, for starters.

I took a breath. But She was not finished.

Oh, don’t come at me with your apologies, and your I’m so tireds. I have just spent most of the night and half the morning retconning your little … wait a minute: do you even know what month it is?

“Um, June?” I said. There. I answered it right.

So it is. And do you know what I have removed from this little realm just this morning?

I swallowed. Then, there was that dizzying sense that you get when a Goddess is picking you up and dragging you several hundred feet to make a point.

What did you do?

“What did you do?” I exclaimed, as I thumped down into the garden island, and none too gently.

Well, first, I got rid of the goddamned ice skating pond. Then, I got rid of the snow and made the grass regrow. Did you know you have animals on that farm across the water who are still hibernating?

Oh, right. “Well, I have been really busy, and I guess I thought the Land would just….”

You thought. Really? When has a season ever happened here without your influence? This is a created Realm, Missy, but that’s no excuse to make winter eight months long!

Eek. She called me “Missy.” She’s going to go full-on Welsh Granny if I’m not careful.

“I’m sorry.”

Sorry does not set the table, Gwyneth. Really. This is your realm; you must be more responsible with it. So. Last night and this morning, after I received complaints finally from some of the demifae in your Realm, I have been greening the place up: you get to do the farm, though. And that godawful city park. And I’m not touching the creepy carousel in the centre of town—what were you thinking with that one?

Again, there was that sense of dizziness.

I looked over my shoulder.

I looked over my shoulder and saw the still-frozen farm island next to all the middle-of-summer things. “I really am sorry, Lady,” I replied. “It won’t happen again.”

See that it doesn’t. And don’t even think of trying to change yourself this summer. You’re stuck with standard sun kissed Seelie. No fancy hair colours, no special alabaster skin: none of that for you. This year, you get to feel what it’s like to have something imposed on you, like a season, that you cannot control. Perhaps then you’ll be more inclined to treat the smaller creatures in your Realm with something akin to compassion.

I hadn’t even noticed. “I have freckles!” Oh, please, no.

Oh, you poor thing. I guess you’re stuck with those until you decide to make a timely change to Autumn this year.

It does look really nice.

“It does look really nice,” I said, only somewhat sullen. “I’m so glad you put in the Shrine of Elistrae. I loved the one in Twilight Spring so much.”

Complimenting me isn’t going to get you out of this, Missy.

“No, My Lady; I didn’t think it would,” I said. “Trees look a little sparse on the garden island; shall I add more?”

It’s your Realm. I only micromanage you when I have to and when the well-being of other beings hangs in the balance.

“I really am….”

Stop apologising! I’ll not accept it, not until I see full-blown Summer here within the day and Autumn make a timely debut no later than twenty-first September; do you hear me? And on that day, there’ll be no silver elf hair for you either, Missy. You can wait ’til Winter again, and I haven’t decided if I’m going to turn you red or brown in September. That can be my little surprise.

“And the freckles?”

Don’t you like them?

I was afraid to answer.

Then, there was only laughter, at first harsh and then fading to wind as She eased Her Presence out of the Realm. Well, great. So much for summer sleep-ins. Guess I’d better go work on that farm.

Style Card:
Dress: Senzafine, Melody Dress (featured at the Vintage Fair, but coming home to the Senzafine Main Store this week!)
Body: Maitreya
Head: LAQ, Noelle Bento Mesh Head
Skin: Lumae, Elvi (in Tone 6). (All current skin lines are just L$100 at the Lumae Main Store!)
Ears: Lumae, Leevi Long Ears
Hair: Exile, Swept Away
Necklace: Rozoregalia, Alugim Necklace (Miss You)
Shoes: Cult, Moon Ribbon Tip Toes

Environment:
Location: Awenia Faerie
Guest House: The Looking Glass, Victorian Dream II
Shrine: Roawenwood, Shrine of Elistraee (special auction item from the 2019 Fantasy Faire)
Gazebo: The Looking Glass, Shrine Tree Conservatory (special auction item from the 2019 Fantasy Faire)
Coffee Wagon: Atomic, Witches’ Brew Gacha
Clock and Benches, RH Design House, Cafe in the Park dacha

Fae Paris

Posted on January 27, 2019 by Three Knots | Leave a comment

From the Author: I’ve been away for a bit. In fact, I’m technically taking off through the first half of February from blogging, but that’s subject to change, as you can see here! Last week, I had a lovely holiday in Penzance, and if you’re curious, you can see some photos from my trip here. It was a great chance to relax and rewind all by myself, and frankly I love the sea in the dead of winter.

On to our story….

Some of you know I’ve recently been very interested (some might say “obsessed”) with the Belle Époque, particularly with the lives of prominent women in Paris. Now, by “prominent women”, I do not mean the wives of important men. No; I mean women who did just fine on their own, thank you, sometimes with the help of an influential man (or several), but always under their own names. I’ve investigated several of these women, and probably my favourite resource is this one. It’s full of images of postcards of the era. Through this, I became fascinated with the life of Cleo de Merode, one of the most famous of these women.

Cleo never showed her ears in photographs or in public. There were wild speculations. Some gossips suggested she didn’t actually have ears at all!

The mysterious Cleo de Merode

Ah, the mysterious Cleo de Merode: known to many, known by few. Of course, as a Fae Queen, I have a different set of resources than those available to just anyone, so when I became interested in these women and their fashions and the way they comported themselves around Paris (or even America’s Gilded Age), it was only natural for me to delve a little deeper.

And once I’d done that, the secret of Cleo de Merode’s ears was only to simple to divine:

She was, of course, Fae

She was, of course, Fae. This is a memory picture from one of our own, transcribed from the mind of a Fae Parisian contemporary of hers. The gentlefae was quite enamoured of her, but of course Mme de Merode never took a public partner, though she was romantically linked (e.g. “gossiped about”) with many gentlemen of the day.

Famously obsessed over by Belgian King Leopold II and much beloved of Austrian painter Gustav Klimt, Cleo’s profile was particularly famous.

Of course, Klimt never had the opportunity to paint her like this.

Of course, Klimt never had the opportunity to paint her like this, with her hair brushed out of the Marcel Wave recently made popular, and her ears uncovered. One assumes that perhaps her glamouring skills were low, or maybe she just had difficulty concentrating on several things at once, as most of us learn how to glamour our ears to look human at a fairly young age.

Mists of Paris

Pictured here on the balcony of her Paris flat, she must have felt comfortable that no human eye would catch her in the mists (possibly natural; possibly fae) as she spent time with close Fae friends and allowed herself a few moments of natural reflection.

As it’s my latest obsession, I’ll certainly be talking more about the Faeries of the Belle Époque and Fae Paris. And besides, the clothes were to die for!

Style Card:
Body: Maitreya
Head: Catwa, Steffi Bento Mesh Head
Skin: Lumae, Catwa Neoma in T1 (All current Lumae Skin Lines are on sale at the Lumae Main Store for just L$100 apiece)
Hair: Exile, Hana (New at the Soiree Event)
Ears: Swallow, Shiny Elf Ears
Clothes: Belle Epoque, Undimmed Eyes (gloves, trousers, shoes, and shirt) (These are available at The Epiphany until 12 February—Belle Epoque is the first place I look whenever I need something vintage-y and classy)

Environment:
Paris Flat: Minimal, Paris Views Scene (At Uber)
Poses: All from An Lar

My first video tutorial

Posted on December 29, 2018 by Three Knots | Leave a comment

Believe it or not, my silence over the last few days hasn’t been the usual hermiting. I’ve been putting together a shaping tutorial for Bento mesh heads. It all started when I got obsessed with the Belle Époque and started creating avatars to represent famous women from that time period in history.

Here’s what I came up with. It’s long, and there’s no sound. But you might find some interesting tips and tricks here.

Style Card:
Bento Head: Catwa, Blueberry Bento Mesh Head
Skin: Lumae, Catwa Cinnamon applier in Tone 1 (All Lumae skins are on sale for 100L right now at the Lumae Main Store)
Ears: Swallow, Shiny Elf Ears
Eyes: Euphoric, Enigma Eyes
Hair (last photo) Exile, Haven

Awenia’s Peculiar Magic

Posted on October 5, 2018 by Three Knots | Leave a comment

It’s hard to believe I live in a castle now. Well, I live in a castle for the moment, at least until this internship is over and I have to go on to … to whatever’s next.

Waking up in a fairytale

Right now, it still feels as if I’m waking up in a fairytale every morning. I’m sure that will change—even if, right now, I can’t imagine ever getting used to waking up in a freaking castle.

Anyway, that’s not even the point of this. I’ve been trying to perfect my image, my persona, for when Awenia opens to the public. The Queen is off on some recruiting mission; she’s trying to get more Fae to be part of Awenia’s staff. She wants to get them all moved in and settled into their roles before the whole place is teeming with tourists, as she says. I have a feeling it will take a while before we are at the “teeming with tourists” stage, but what do I know?

And again, that’s not even the point of this. Because I’ve been trying to perfect my image, I’ve been spending a lot of time wandering around Awenia. And I can tell you right now, it’s weird up in here. Stuff changes every day. And I don’t mean like, someone comes along and plants flowers.

I mean, like, a whole building disappears overnight. Or sometimes just for a few hours. Small forests come and go here.

Beyond the Queen’s roses

And today, beyond the Queen’s roses, a circle of stones appeared. Now, I am one hundred percent, bona fide pureblood Lios Alfar, but I’ve never seen a place where stuff changes like this. It’s like the whole place is made of some kind of magical liquid or something, and sometimes stuff just oozes into other …. no, that sounds pretty foul; forget I said it like that. I’ll work on a new metaphor.

Now, my home Realm of Cymrien has a lot of stone, but it’s mostly used for farm fences, shoring up shorelines (yeah, I know. We can’t always have perfect word usage), and the occasional large building. But wood is sacred to the gods, and Cymrien temples are made of wood. While I’m sure visitors from elsewhere would be amazed by some of our live wood temples, I’ve always been fascinated by monuments made of dead stone. Our templebuilders, despite some dissent in the ranks, won’t even use petrified wood for temples, because this wood has died. Many of us do wear jewellery made of petrified wood, however. But I’m getting off topic. Again.

The point is, a freaking circle of stones appeared just outside the Queen’s castle. And I’d never seen one before, not up close anyway. I mean, there are some big stones up in the Fae Forest outside of town, but they’re mostly just single stones, or like three stones piled up together to make some kind of giant, peculiar table.

I might have run toward the stones

I might have run toward the stones. OK, I did run. But who knows how long stuff will stay, and it was important to me to get close enough to at least take a selfie for Ma and Da back home.

Stone Circle Selfie!

I used my drone to take this stone circle selfie. I love that you can see the Book Forest and the Awenia Treehouse in the background. I’ve not been in the treehouse myself yet, but the Queen tells me it will be a centre of diplomatic activity in Faerie, and also a place for her and her husband, Nathaniel, to get away from it all. She also says the views are great. I am looking forward to seeing it one of these days.

So, the stones. Well, they are beautiful. And the roses growing here are life-blood red, different from the roses so nearby in the Queen’s garden. Now, I’m not the most observant girl, me; but I am sure I felt some kind of presence inside the circle. It had a calming and peaceful effect, which is the same feeling I get inside of a live wood temple, which if you don’t know is a circle of trees planted just so. Their roots grow together, they are carefully tended so that their branches intertwine, and eventually they grow into a roof so well woven that it keeps rain out. Some of them are thousands of years old.

I will have to ask Her Majesty how such spirit can go into a material I always considered devoid of spirit.

Meanwhile, I think I’ll just spend a few hours lying on my back in this circle, smelling the grass, watching the changing shadows.

Style Card:
Body: Maitreya
Head: LAQ, Gaia Bento Mesh Head
Ears: Swallow, Pixie Ears
Skin: The Plastik, Elvenne Skin, Sunshula
Hair: Exile, Break The Rules
Dress: Silvan Moon Designs, Lizette Argent Wench Dress Set (Available NOW at We Love Roleplay!)
Rings: Yummy, Unicorn Rings
Shoes: Ingenue, Winifred Booties (Available NOW at Salem!)

Environment:
Location: Awenia, Faerie
Castle: Rivendale, Dreamy Castle
Roses: {anc} Sugar Rose Field
Stone Circle: Rivendale, Stone Circle (Available NOW as Rivendale’s hunt gift at the Fallen Gods 11th Anniversary Celebration!)
Treehouse in the distance: LAQ, Serene Tree & Windmill House
Poses: all from An Lar

Rain and Rain and Rain

Posted on September 29, 2018 by Three Knots | Leave a comment

Autumn comes early here. Engeland is known for its early autumns and late, short summers. I tell people, if you like rain, you should come here. And please make a space for me in your nice, warm country with all the sunshine.

This? Is a bus shelter.

This? Is a bus shelter. You’d hardly know it from the lack of signage or anything resembling a bus map on the walls. No; our village is far too olde for that sort of practicality.

In fact, I’ve been standing here for what feels like an hour so is probably about twenty minutes now. Rumour has it that the bus comes every 45 minutes, but there’s no timetable that I can find, not even on t’Internet, as Mum calls it. Be kind: she’s from Yorkshire.

Is this a mythical bus?

I look into the distance. Is this a mythical bus? It would be about right. Why did I come to visit Mum on the train and not bring a car? Why did she get rid of hers? Where are all my school friends? OK, I know the answer to that last one: they all moved the hell away from this place. Me, I’m just trying to get into town to do more shopping than you can do at Georgie’s Cash & Carry.

Bus-summoning spell?

Great; it’s getting dark. Maybe there’s a bus-summoning spell in my grimoire.

So. Do I wait for the bus to come, or do I walk home in the rain (why did I wear these shoes?) and endure yet another roast chicken dinner?

I did my hair and everything!

I did my hair and everything! Sometimes it seems like there’s just no point. And that is why I’m going to leave two days early and go home. In the mean time….

Hooray. Another roast chicken dinner.

I’m giving up and going back to Mum’s. She’ll be so pleased; she never did like my cooking.

Hooray. Another roast chicken dinner.

Style Card:
Body: Maitreya
Skin: Skin: Lumae, Catwa Neoma, T1 (All current skin lines are available at the Lumae Main Store!)
Ears: Lumae, Leevi Long Ears
Eyes: Song, Frost Eyes
Hair: Exile, First Dance
Necklace: Bliensen & MaiTai, Autumn Necklace
Dress: The Annex, Autumn Dress, Oranges (This is a new release at The Annex Main Store!)
Stockings: Big Beautiful Doll, Ombre Stockings, Green
Shoes: Rhude, Jani Heels

Environment:
Location: Awenia, The Box
Photo Background: 8f8, No Place of Ours
Tree: Heart, Illuminated Oak
Rain: {anc} Drizzle
Leaves: Hayabusa Design, Field of Autumn Leaves
Poses: Belle Poses, Gwen Series

You Know How I Feel

Posted on September 28, 2018 by Three Knots | Leave a comment

Birds flying high you know how I feel
Sun in the sky you know how I feel
Breeze driftin’ on by you know how I feel

It’s a new dawn

It’s a new dawn
It’s a new day
It’s a new life
For me
And I’m feeling good

Fish in the sea you know how I feel
River running free you know how I feel
Blossom on the tree you know how I feel

Dragonfly out in the sun

Dragonfly out in the sun you know what I mean, don’t you know
Butterflies all havin’ fun you know what I mean
Sleep in peace when day is done
That’s what I mean

And this old world is a new world
And a bold world
For me

Stars when you shine

Stars when you shine you know how I feel
Scent of the pine you know how I feel
Oh freedom is mine
And I know how I feel

—Nina Simone, ‘Feeling Good’

(Video Link below credits)

Style Card:
Body: Maitreya
Head: Lelutka, Cate Bento Mesh Head
Skin: Lumae, Lelutka Deia, T1 (All current skin lines are available at the Lumae Main Store!)
Ears: Lumae, Leevi Long Ears
Makeup: Cazimi, Bengali Bride
Hair: Exile, Strange and Unusual
Necklace: Empyrean Forge, Heritage Necklace
Gown: Azul, Nanceee, in Amythest (Available for two more days at theThe Spoonful of Sugar Festival!)

Environment:
Location: Awenia, The Box
Backdrop: FoxCity, God Is A Woman
Pose: PosESioN, Throne Series

The gown in this post is featured at The Spoonful of Sugar Festival,a charity event benefiting Doctors Without Borders. Doctors Without Borders provides medical aid to vulnerable people and in crisis situations. There’s a lot to see over the six regions of the Festival, but you have until the 30th of September to see everything. So pace yourself, and don’t forget to bring enough L$, because there are many places along the way to give your support to Doctors Without Borders, including five shopping regions.

Spoonful Of Sugar AD 2018

Smoke Break

Posted on August 14, 2018 by Three Knots | Leave a comment

Yeah, I know I should stick to the vapes. But sometimes, particularly when it’s cooler than it has been in weeks and there’s even a little breeze up here, I just can’t help myself.

Not super busy

It’s not like I’m super busy, anyway. I mean, it’s pretty sweet, getting to use the outdoor breezeway in the housing estate to set up shop, but on a night like this? Nobody is going to come see me unless they’re desperate. No; they’ll be walking along the river, or taking advantage of some air conditioned club, not going to see the freaky elf girl with the tarot cards. My business will pick up in the autumn; it always does. People respond to the Samhain vibe, even if they don’t follow the seasonal religion. Blows my fucking mind, because Lughnasadh is a much more auspicious time for getting your fortune told, but who am I? I’m just the freaky elf girl.

I’m not too bothered about the lack of business.

I’m not too bothered about the lack of business: it’s not like I have a big overhead here, and with the government’s Supernatural Rehoming Initiative, any one of us who’s willing to live in a high rise gets it practically rent free. We spice up the neighbourhood, see. We’re trendy. That is a hell of a thing. I was always taught to fear gentrification, but now that global supernatural protections are in place, I am the gentrification. Makes me want to laugh, but I feel like my image would suffer if I were too merry.

It doesn’t matter on a night like this. And I can take or leave the clients most of the time, anyway. Even though they learn about this shit in school now, most of them are only going to come around if they are with a group of friends and have some ridiculous question about their love lives, or they’ll go to the other extreme and ask me for stuff I simply cannot deliver. Hello: I’m a fortuneteller, not a djinni.

One long smoke break

Yeah. I light one fag from the embers of the last. This whole night is going to be one long smoke break. Good thing there’s wifi here: if I’m lucky I can stream half a series of Lucifer and nobody will even notice.

Style Card:
Body: Maitreya
Head: Lelutka, Simone Bento Mesh Head
Skin: Lumae, Lelutka Deia Applier, Tone Elmyra (Available NOW at The Mesh Body Addicts Fair!)
Nails: Dark Passions Koffin Nails, Dark Orchid (Available NOW at the Gothic Garage Sale!)
Ears: Lumae, Leevi Long Ears
Eyes: Arte, Galaxy Eyes
Dress: Lenezlight, Sarin Dress, Midnight (Available NOW at The Floating Market! This event has been extended!)
Shoes: SlackGirl, Kisa
Hair: Exile, Muse (Available NOW at Collabor88!)
Necklace: SpotCat, Tender Wings
Tattoo: Izzie’s, Lunar Tattoo

Environment
Cool Fortunetelling Sign: The Nerdy Birdy, Fortune Seller Sign
Table: Ison, Fortune teller table
Chair: Sway’s, Fortune Teller Chair
Stools: Sway’s, Fortune Teller Stool
Table décor:
Ison, Fortune Set; and
Sway’s, Fortune Card
Backdrop: Merch, CG Slum Backdrop

Three Twisted Knots

Not all those who wander are lost.

Tag Archives: Exile