Tracing the Threads of History and Fantasy

The Swan and the Raven

June 30, 2025

Some things are just drawn to each other. Last time I featured a DICTATORSHOP piece, I wore the Raven hair from Magika and a lingerie set from the Muses. This time, I also landed on the Raven hair (largely because I wanted this post title!) and another set of lingerie from the Muses, this one a gift at the SL22B Shop & Hop. It also lent itself well to the silver and black theme that became my overarching idea for this setup.

The gorgeous bath is from the luxurious and ornate Swan Lake range from DICTATORSHOP. These are the pieces you need to make an opulent statement in your home—you could just imagine Marie Antoinette dropping by to try out this bath! It is available in a PG and an Adult Vanilla version, with solo and couple animation menus for both versions. The logo gives access to the texture change menu (5 colours, gold or silver accents) as well as water and bubble options.  I really like how the swan wings came out with this lighting, there’s beautiful detail to the texture and to the mesh. And the animations definitely add to the decadence of this bath, having you lounge about as if you were a queen.

Join Me?

June 01, 2025

A sumptuous bed of solid wood, with a solid canopy and opulent velvet drapes. Classic style, comfort and privacy is what the Heritage Canopy Bed by DICTATORSHOP offers, naturally with all the features you have come to expect from the brand. In terms of customisation, you have the choice of 10 wood textures and 16 fabric options. This release features a new and improved animation engine, which also includes some exclusive custom animations. The bed is available in Adult PG (134 animations), Adult Vanilla (313 animations) and Adult Kink (435 animations). It supports 1 or 2 avatars, with two menus of solo animations and the rest being dedicated to various couple animations I used mainly the solo menues for the photos, though the one featuring the chains is part of the Adult Kink selection of animations.

The romantic-yet-sexy outfit, sort of a lingerie with integrated jewellery pieces, is from the Muses. Philomena is available in two different fabrics (this is the velvet) and includes a HUD for colour changes of fabric and gems. The boots are also from the Muses and in the same romantic, ornate style.  My hair is from Magika, I picked it up at her 40% off sale, and I am wearing an eyeshadow from alaskametro’s Hair Fair gift. And yes, there will be more from Hair Fair in the next few days.

On Libraries

April 12, 2025

Libraries are very much on my mind right now, as I just finished The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence, in which a vast, world-spanning library place a central role.

Nothing so grand here, but a small academic library featuring a key component: a very comfortable reading chair, here from DICTATORSHOP’s Heritage series. Now, it isn’t exacly reading poses that it is full of, since this is the Adult Kink version, but it does have some very cosy single animations that have you curling up in the comfort of the worn old leather. Of course, it also comes with a vast array of texture options, in case pristine leather or elegant fabrics are more to your taste.

The scrolls that I am carrying are a little teaser for the Fantasy Faire 2025, one of many, many new releases that will be waiting for you there form Petrichor. These scrolls come in either open or closed versions and there are several different holdable combinations for each. I am showing two here, a stack of scrolls under one arm and a single scroll held up in the other hand. I have also used the hud to customise the textures.

Finally we have the curious lamp that provides illumination in the form of two beams from its eyes. The CatLamp is a new release from Rustica (yes, it has been a while since the last one!) and its terribly cute. The lamp comes in a wall-mounted version, a tabletop version and a holdable version, and don’t miss out on clicking its nose.

Metallic Mirage

April 10, 2025

Lore has a fantastic set out at We Love Role-Play that makes gorgeous use of PBR. An evening scene and some lighting seemed like a good choice for highlighting the textures. Just look at the table in the light from the oil lamp and of course the couch looks like it has metallic threads woven into the design. This is the PG version of the couch, which includes a nice selection of single animations as well as a couples menu.

I am also really fond of the combination of the Edera tattoo from Juna, which wraps you in leaves and vines, and the Moonlace lingerie from Project, as it is sheer and shows the tattoo design through it. The vines come in four shades and are also tintable for maxium versatility.. The Moonlace lingerie includes a HUD with a large selection of colour options.

I am also wearing a beautifully ornate necklace from Pendulum, which is also out at WLRP. However, I completely forgot to do a good close-up of it, so I will just have to show it again in a later post.