The Fight - Why I Relay at the Fantasy Faire 2024

 

The fight. 

It came out of the darkness, out of the blue. It came in whispers, in moments of sensation only slightly out of the ordinary. It came in the hesitation, the unexpectedly repeated review, the 'let me just run this past...' on an otherwise idyllic hot summer morning.

 

The fight built from there. From the words. Words known, and heard for others. Cursed and kept at a distance for the irrational fear of contamination. Words now so, so close. Now spoken to you. The fight may have begun from the worry. A preparation, a defence from the depths of soul and spirit, while the conscious mind danced in a syncopated frenzy of distraction, keeping to the rhythm, a beat of desperate hope, 'it might not be... it might not be...' The hope so often severed by the blade of confirmation. Of fear realised.

Other blades follow. The dull and bruising edge of doubt, of remorse for imaginary opportunities missed - for things which could have been done differently. Of course things could always have been done differently, while they also couldn't have been any other way at all. Terror's sharp stabs, slicing to the bone, to the heart, burying the marrow in an avalanche of fear. The rough serration of anxiety, catching and pulling, tearing mind and body from any focus but this one. "What will happen now?" 

The fight becomes a living thing. With a temperature and temperament all it's own, waxing and waning with every encounter, it falters and fails, regroups and rises. It gathers strength when weak, gives strength when even the idea of it feels impossible. It stands alone with you in your isolation, the solitary confinement of the early hours, in the thrum of the crowd at work, in the arms of your loved ones at home. The fight is for you, and in you. Your fight is the fight of all those who came before, of everything learned which has brought you to this point. When you feel you cannot go further, it is the fight that will carry you on, because you do not fight alone. Your fight is with you, and it has teeth. 

The blogger challenge of all blogger challenges. Why I Relay. The most personal, the most difficult for bloggers like me. Those of us who you may get to know by reading our stories, the themes and references we draw on, but nothing clear, nothing obviously us. I'm generally happiest to hide behind my characters - all aspects of me, while keeping who I am, what I think and feel hidden in their shadows. This is the yearly challenge to shine a light on all of that, and it is not a comfortable sensation! In the past I've spoken of those I've loved and lost to cancer. They remain at the heart of why I Relay. In trying not to look at my own past, I can't even be sure if I've shared my own fears, my own experience, my own time hearing that pause, that unexpected extension of an examination, that "let me just run this past..." The terror, the doubt, the anxiety. The appointments, the waiting, the planning for the what ifs for me and those who mattered the most. Life is far from what I expected, from what was promised. The appointments I'd attended, my hand and heart held safe, to having to find the strength to attend these on my own. My plans and the promises made daily to me in tatters, shredded and bloodied, and yet I remain. The fight continued whether I wanted it or not. When I didn't, when I don't, others carried and carry me forward, believing as I did not, that some day it would matter again. I hope to hope they are right. This fight continues, for them, for me. I hope it continues for you. And THAT my loves, is why I Relay. 

Vyl

xxx

RFL Items are 100% Donation to Relay for Life

Halo : :[P]:- Arien Gemhalo RFL Purple

Samsara

Horns : :[P]:- Arien Horns [Swirl-Stars] RFL Purple

Samsara

Hair : Raven Bell - Magnolia Hair F ~Shimmer~

Thunnus Bay

Earrings : :[P]:- Lunin Earring 

Samsara

Eyes : CHIMAERA - 'Lilith' Eyes in Purple

Flamenca

Tattoo: .AngelicUs. -We are coming-  

Ondheim

Wings : :[P]:- Dene Wings Raised RFL

Samsara

Floating companion :   -AxisMundi-Quetzlcoatl-Medium

Hopes Wish

Sword : (Artemisia) )O( Stained Glass Rose Glaive 

Lolliocalypse

Top : [The Forge] Zeta Bra, Gold Lace

Thunnus Bay

Top : [The Forge] Zeta Harness, Gold, Maitreya

Thunnus Bay

Nails : [QE] Leviathan Claws

Last Stop

Belt : Tentacio - Taeyeon belt maitreya turquesa

The Duskfall Court

Pants : :::c*C*c:::JSummer_Pants_Legacy(m) Purple01

Thunnus Bay

Twisting with fate at the Fantasy Faire 2024

Well, this was different…

Cyra had felt out of time for some considerable time. Dipping in and out, doing what was possible when it seemed possible, even when it didn't. It was hard to tell once you were behind the clock face, once the hands fell off and the numbers melted into their gently glowing puddles. When the world ceased. Forward or backward, up, down or sideways. Where each window would open, where each door would lead wasn't always by chance, not always a spin of the wheel. Sometimes she felt Lachesis behind a choice, a thread twisting, pulling to a destination with intention.

Perhaps there was something there, something that needed attention, or had… Cyra slowly looked around the hilltop, the utterly unexpected and unlooked for hilltop. “Nope … no Druids.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “Unless..!?” Spinning around, eyes narrowing, scanning the horizon, taking in each trilithon, lintel and upright, every solitary menhir, missing not one blade of grass as it shifted in the breeze. No sound, not a whisper save from her own sequins. “No invisible Druids either…”

A twist, a pull, a shove.

The watermelon warmth of the light spiraled away into an infinite sky of damson and purple. The bone deep chill of the stones from the hill swirled around into the nothingness. Stars glinting in the distance the only measument, the only focus in the void. Riding it out the only option as fate made another move.

"OK then..." Warmth returned along with light, a different light, another place, the air sweet and threatening. Either the Druids or time itself thought this was the place to be, and the hour to visit. Cyra stretched and leaned in to the newness with an amused aside to the statue of Mayor Craven Candyclaw "One hell of a way to get to work!" At least the giant cupcake with teeth wasn't singing...

Back, back, back, back, back again! The Fantasy Faire is back, and so am I - raising money for The American Cancer Society and Relay for Life.  You know the deal - sims of beauty beyond compare. Creators with hearts, souls and minds working toward one aim. All items below are 100% Relay For Life donation items. Go shop, go stare, go help end cancer by getting some of the legit sparkliest stuff I've ever seen! Why I Relay post to follow :) 

Hat :  Lolly Hat Special FF (Spicy) by Madame Noir
Lolliocalypse

Hair :  Raven Bell Wisteria Hair ~Shimmer
Thunnus Bay

Earrings :  SIGMA Flower hoop
Samsara

Eyes : [Azai] - Arcana Eyes 15 ( Blackout )
Last Stop

Nose bandaid : [TNK] ESSENTIAL BANDAID - STRIPED
Wistlyn Shallows

Jumpsuit : Lolly Sequin Pantsuit (Spicy) LARA X by Madame Noir
Lolliocalypse

Nails : [QE] Leviathan Claws Maitreya
Last Stop

Pose image 1 :  Paniq - Midsummer Delights
The Duskfall Court

Pose image 3: Uzme Sorcerer
Ondheim

Fantasy Faire - Why I Relay 2023

The soaring towers of the citadel in their sombre granite sheens did not speak of welcome. Their sturdiness and sky piercing grandeur gave the correct air of dependability and beneficent authority, but welcome? No. Thats's where I come in. Follow me, we'll head inside.

 


Come on in, follow me, no need to stand on ceremony here! I know it looks grand, but soon enough these soaring vaults of stone will feel as familiar as your own home. That's the way, follow the path.

You feel like you have been searching for something all this time? Worry not, my dear new friend, that's why you have found yourself here. There's long been the call within to do something, something which struggled to find a place, a name, a focus. Here you can find it, here it's been waiting.

There's a fellowship that's been calling, in voices unmatched. Singing together through wires and bursts of light, across oceans and through the quiet mists, always searching, always reaching, always welcoming. You felt the call, you've suffered, lost, taken action, hoped. You've read and you've listened, and now you are here, whether your path was labyrinthine or direct. Here you have found a family, a home. Voices and hearts, souls caring for one another deeply, though they may never have met, other than here; in this magical, ephemeral place. A society, a people with one goal, of which you are now part. A beautiful goal, one of hope for the world, to rid it of a life changing, life stealing disease. 

Here you are, in fellowship, in hope, in love. You never leave, this place and its people will always be with you, and you with them, all of us doing our part, all of us fighting this fight together.

Each year the Faireland blogger challenge of "Why I Relay" is just that, a challenge. For me, its always like nothing seems enough, no words can encapsulate, no image could convey the depth of feeling, the power of meaning that this event brings. For those we have lost to cancer, for those living with it, and fighting against it. For those who fear it, and what it may mean for themselves or those they love. For those in quiet rooms, in busy labs, in clinics and wards, in homes in workplaces. To fight against this disease is a standard, not moral but intrinsic nontheless. To fight and stand against it with such beauty and fellowship as is demonstrated year on year by the Fantasy Faire, by creators, world builders and shoppers, by dancers, actors, scripters... the list goes on and on. You are all amazing.

If you can, join us at the Fantasy Faire in SecondLife. Meet the people, feel the love. Fight this fight with us. 

Images taken in Faireland SIM Szystrum Synod

Items featured are available at the Fantasy Faire, and are donation items, raising money for Relay for Life.

 
Hovering Whisps : 3rd Eye Perceptions - Shine Whisps ( Light Fantasy )
The Shimmering Fen

Halo : [Cubic Cherry] {Innocence} halo Aether touch
Szystrum Synod

Hair :  KMH - Hair F227 Rigged
Spirits Crossing

Eyes :  [n.a.p] [not a peep] Starburst Eyes - 13
Khumbala

Horns :  Schelm :) FF005 - fantasy sheep horn [FAT]
Giggenwhirl

Tattoo :   *Find the Fish* - The Moon Tattoo Full
Opera

Outfit :  :[P&E]:- [Petrichor] - Saina Short [Lara]
Fungalmire

Sandals : Tentacio - Celestial sandal wings
Opera

Fallen Star - Fantasy Faire 2023

 Something... something was missing.

People had noticed of course, though not too many just yet. There were always those more observant, those whose eyes turned most often to the firmament; seeking guidance, tracing patterns, wishing... Now there were whispers among the wishes, murmurs from the mapmakers and something not quite grumbling from those who used the stars as their guide. Something was definitely missing, a patch of darkness above where a speck of brilliance had long gleamed.

Something was missing from the darkness of the night sky, because something had become someone. Someone had looked down for as long as eyes had looked up, someone had seen, and wanted a closer look. Taking form as something so comparatively small had been a challenge, she was taking very careful steps with her new feet, lest she sink through the surface of this enticing world.

Her choice of form was inspired entirely by the new sights which dazzled her eyes, as she in her turn had inspired others for aeons gone by. Travelling through the lands opening up before her, tones, light and shade never experienced threatened to overwhelm her senses. Everywhere flowers burst into bloom, their petals unfathomably smooth and cool against the nascent touch of her fingertips. Music and voices lilted and rose, a wave of welcome to ears accustomed to the fury of fire and storm.



She could barely wait to explore the beautiful world, able to linger only so long in each place, desperate to take it all in. Voices and fellowship called her forward, drawing her into a strange dance of warmth she'd thought left far behind. Before too long, she would return to the her place, a light in the darkness; for now, she would revel in the lights she found right here.

Aaaaannnd we're back! The Fantasy Faire is here once again! Thousands of souls coming together in rememberance and hope, making the world more beautiful while doing the most beautiful thing - helping others. Raising money to contribute to the fight against all cancers. Items blogged are donation items, with proceeds going to Relay for Life - The American Cancer Society. So come and explore, shop and enjoy some time in the beautiful worlds created for you, to make our world better.

Hair: Raven Bell - Magnolia Hair F ~Shimmer~
Szystrum Synod
Skin: Moth&Moon - Maitreya - HAZE - Cleavage 2
Frostweald
Earrings: *KD* Soul earrings
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Khumbala/104/187/68
Eyes: _-FAS-_ AURORA EYES : NORTHERN
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Spirits%20Crossing/31/36/68
Necklace: [DB] Drunken Brokkr - Fithril Chest Jewelry - FF special
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Nysaris/177/30/70
Gown: Belle Epoque - Athena Dress RFL (Maitreya)
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Nysaris/125/65/85
Hand tattoos: GERMINAL - IMOGEN FINGERS
Nysaris
Staff: Simply Shelby - Moon Staff - Purple/Pink
Nysaris

These pictures taken in the Fantasy Faire Sim : Glimmering Meadows

The Chrysalis Gardener - Fantasy Faire 2022

It was peaceful in the chrysalis gardens in the quiet of the night...

It could be mistaken, by a casual observer, to be too quiet. Especially should that casual observer have read far too many mystery novels lately, and there had been such, lurking around the gateways, tapping lightly, in varying rhythms on the wooden walkways. More people than ever seemed to be out in the night, looking for something. The regular soundtrack of the gloaming continued, the soft footfall and swish of silk adding familiarity and depth to each novel tap, rattle and voice.

Each step sent familiar vibrations through the trees, the soft scent of flowers spreading, carried on each drift of the warming air. In these gardens, flowers were not the focus, being neither planted nor tended. High on walkways strung between ancient boughs, such scents came only from the gardeners themselves. An odd garden, where nights were often warmer than the day.

This was a place where nature's magic was distilled. Existing almost everywhere, often beaten back by the regulation of concrete and brick, nature flowed like a river. Rivers ran to places such as this. Here, in the world of instars and metamorphoses, change was possible like nowhere else. Light dripped, caught in strands hanging on the air like thread. The most delicate silk turned to armour stronger than steel. Life shifted, changing form so completely that none who hadn't seen it would ever truly believe it was possible, believing instead it to be some clever trick, an act of misdirection.

Wings fluttered, drying in the ever swirling currents of air warmed by their fellows still dancing and fighting free of their protective homes. The chrysalis gardens shimmered, reflected in millions of compound eyes. 

 

The Chrysalis Gardens is just one of the beautiful SIMs making up The Fantasy Faire 2022. It's as dreamy and magical as it looks here, and of course, there are shops aplenty where you can buy amazing items, including those available at each store where 100% of the purchase price is donated directly to Relay for Life, benefitting the American Cancer Society.

 

All items listed below are 100% donation to Relay for Life.

Hair: KMH - Hair F163 Rigged(M)
Bassett Town

Skin : Mindgardens Creations! Star Mesh - Blue
Living Echoes

Tattoo:  [AERTH] Moon Tears Body Tattoo MAGENTA
Atheneum

Butterfly Mask: DREAMCATCHER // Mystic Butterfly 01
Necturn Moon

Necklace:  Poet's Heart - Lunar Necklace
Mythspire Ridge

Ear Cuffs:  Schelm :) FF004 - Wire elf ear cuffs- Fantasy -F
The Chrysalis Gardens

Eyes:  [not.a.peep] Anomalous Eyes - 07
Bassett Town

Dress:  Thimblewytch ~SWD~ Colors of Cancer Gown
The Hunros Mine

Heels:  [Mil*Mil] Lace_up Heels-Peach
Tenpyo

Staff: Bloom Staff - Polearm
Living Echoes

Spring Awakening - Fantasy Faire 2022

There was something in the air...
Something in the earth. Something shifting, from the swirl of magma far below to the patterns traced by skylarks chasing through the twilight sky.

In the caves beneath the pristine surface of Tenpyo the vibrations of the change could be seen in the flickering of the candles, now swaying almost imperceptibly in the ancient lanterns. The ripples of the waters told the tale of the shift, not only the turn of the season, but something deeper, as meaningful as winter melting to spring, fresh signs of life anew.

Selene had held the light of the moon in the palm of her hand, in these days and nights of spring it now warmed, glowed with more than its usual reflected light. This warmth came from the source of the vibration felt throughout nature, the addition to the blossoming of spring which had come and gone for so many years before. Now was the time to emerge into the daylight, to a world rendered anew through the power behind this new feeling. A world summoned, crafted and created by hope.

This was a world much changed of late. A world in which new terrors had overtaken those of old, though the old fears remained, lurking and gnawing at those they could reach. These fears, old and new, were brought to a new light each season, each day, each chime of the clock. Hope remained. Hope grew. Hope filled the worlds and wrought them, changing old patterns, forging new pathways, uncovering the way. The shift came from the people of the world, from those facing the fears. From those who had loved, and lost, and refused to let that be the end. For those fighting, caring, healing, challenging the ways things had always been. Those gnawing teeth would be made to loosen. The bite so dreaded be soothed and heal. Those who were lost will always be remembered, hope carrying their names into the light.

It's here! The Fantasy Faire has returned to bring hope and light to the world once again. We've been through so much since last we met, Covid continues. War rages. We are losing so much while fighting so hard. In these times of uncertainty, fear and dispair, this is a beacon of hope. The Fantasy Faire does what it has always done, it brings light. Something to look forward to, something to enjoy, which actually does you good, in addition to it a c t u a l l y d o i n g g o o d !!! Seriously folks, raising money for Relay for Life, the American Cancer Society, does real tangible good in the world. It brings relief to those suffering, it supports those toiling to find new treatments, it funds the searches for cures. This is a highlight, the heart and soul of my calendar, where not only can I make my life more interesting and fun through the beautiful creations of talented artists, I, and you can make a real difference to those facing, and fighting cancer. So please, take some time and take a break from the negatives of reality if you can. Dip into the light, life and beauty of the Fantasy Faire. Help people you will never meet. You may never know how much you mean to them, but believe it from me, they thank you.

The Fantasy Faire is live and kicking, so many beautiful SIMs, so many amazing creators, so many beautiful things to buy!

All items shown are 100% donation to Relay for Life - American Cancer Society

Halo : Air_Amaho halo_Purple_CM
The Chrysalis Gardens

Hair :  KMH - Hair F195 Rigged(L)
Bassett Town

Skin :   .:S:. [G3] Dantela [F20] Lianna: Standard: Brows
Atheneum

Eyes :  Oiche // Elemental Dragon Eyes [Water]
Living Echoes

Top :  !dM Ines - LARA Collar, Feathers, Harness **FF2022**
Opet

Belt & Skirt : Mishmash Fusion - Grave Dancer Sparkle  - Red -
Aarkenfen

Orb : Jinx : Necturn Moon Hand Orb - Honey -
Necturn Moon

The Rift - Fantasy Faire 2021

This shot had been a year in the making. A year since the last midnight black wing had cut through the skies over the Rift. It's aim was not to kill, far from it. The arrow had to fly high enough, with enough force that the glinting obsidian tip could pierce the clouds which massed above.



The gloaming never quite chased away, even on the days when the pale light from above the clouds managed to filter through. The world had adapted, in some cases thrived. The ever swelling canopies of gigantic fungi were proof positive of that. A quirk of nature, or of the power swelling once again from the Rift, these uncategorisable creatures had begun to glow, providing a shifting light of their own.



The shot hit true, from the heights a shaft of light penetrated the gloom, catching in the waiting crystal. Cascading down through each crystal, the beam of light illuminated the Rift once again.



Once again - apologies for the short story - but think of the reading time you have saved so you can go and shop at the Faire! All items listed are available at the Fantasy Faire, 100% Donation to Relay for Life - The American Cancer Society.

Horns: :: ANTAYA :: Glowing horns "Asura"
:: ANTAYA :: (Faire Store in Tempest Bay)

Skin: Lumae - LeLutka Amesha - Maitreya MYSTIC - Mid Cleavage
LUMAE (Faire Store in The Amethyst Rift)

Pauldrons : [-e-] Womans Leather Pauldrons
Elven Forest (Faire Store in Khol Dracys)

Tattoo:  Endless-Pain – morrigan tattoo –
Endless Pain Tattoos (Faire Store in Somniatoris Arx)

Skirt: [NC] - Bloody/Black Skirt - Maitreya
[NC] – Noble Creations (Faire Store in Tempest Bay)

 Boots: [QE] Bellona Boots Maitreya (Part of an outfit!)
[QE] Designs (Faire Store in Tempest Bay)

Bow: CKF RavenSoul_Wings1 Bow
CKit Falconry (Faire Store in Khol Dracys)

 

Images taken in Fantasy Faire Sim The Amethyst Rift