Josie's goodbye

JB Barnstormer left us. A day of sadness for those who knew this wonderful, soft and caring lady and thought her presence an enrichment for the Pearl. Things change, however and after having convinced lady Hagar that chains were out of the question, a party was held in her honour to wave her goodbye. She presented this letter to everyone

Thank you for coming here today to wish me well. I had considered this move for several months. Second Life, like Real Life, generates priorities, relationships, duties and desires for change. Recent events in my second life have only sharpened my desire to explore in other directions in SL.
Shortly after arriving in second Life, I applied to Club Pearl, and in particular to Chel Crimson and Vlad Opus for a job as an Escort.
At the time, there here two jobs, Hostess and Escort in Pearl. Recently, I looked at the picture of me as a newbie in SL. And as I appeared to Chel.
Frightening. But I got a new skin, a shape, some hair, some clothing.
And of course, at the time, being an Escort at Pearl meant you received a cute red, black, blue or green dress – mini length, with petticoats. I miss that outfit – I know that we are more authentic now. The clothing each of us buys is truly beautiful, but there was a certain freedom of spirit that the original Pearl outfits gave us.
While I served in Pearl, I began to make friends, and that is what I treasure most about Pearl Club. When I returned to SL after a year’s absence, I met Agile Innis, a funny, sexy woman who had been a fine friend in the original Pearl. There are many other women who have given intelligence and energy to Pearl, but I want only to mention a few who have made Pearl what it is: the club owners and the madames, past and present.
Bella is a warm and funny woman who always is ready to offer help, support and a great laugh – a wicked an playful sense of humour.
SuzeeQ Cazelet has been my BFF since I rejoined Pearl in February. Not only quick-witted and entertaining, she has been a pillar of support for me in my various romantic escapades – and then points out to me what a silly goose I have been. I love her like a sister.
Anske Beattie, who is famous for her high spirited romp through the garden, has become the heart and soul of Pearl. Always friendly, Anske is one of those persons who spreads happiness, laughter and good cheer wherever she goes. Where most people greet you with a “Hi” or “Hello”, Anske always shouts “Hiiieeeeee!!!!! Josie!!!!! Schatje – how are youuuu!!!!!!” Were it not for the exclamation mark key on the computer, Anske might be rendered almost entirely speechless.
Lady Hagar Qinan, with Bella, an owner of Pearl, is a scientist who also possesses a quality that I deem essential to in all worthy humans – she laughs at my jokes. Her dedication to the success of Pearl is without equal. Hagar manipulates and controls SL and its many odd features with ease.
One of the most beautiful women in SL, Hagar’s business-like demeanour may occasionally conceal the warm, passionate woman who is able to leave me laughing so hard I can barely type. Hagar is also one to whom you can turn in time of need. One night quite late, I found Hagar online at about 3:30 am Holland time. Most of the Euro crew had long before departed for the night, but there was Hagar, hanging in to be present at an important event for one of her friends. Hagar has won my personal gratitude and friendship for the kindness to me and understanding whe has shown me.
Other men and women of have also become good and true friends. These persons have been unfailing in their kindness, sense of humour, cultural interests and dedication to the principle of a gloriously sensual life within a decorous shell of culture, manners and formal appreciation of the human condition.
JP, who set a record bidding in a mock slave auction, is also a reliable movie critic and nice guy. AP not only appreciates the women of Pearl, he possesses a keen love of poetry and the arts. SB, so kind and courteous, so often entertained me with stories of life in the world of networking and information technology infrastructure. An animal lover, his heart has recently been captured by a Labrador Retriever. If only he would scratch me behind the ears with the same dedication. FB long helped provide stability to Pearl Club. He is the last person in the world to grab the spotlight, yet he provides kindness and thoughtful appreciation to the club and its activities. CS I never grew to know very well – except that he always seemed to win the sailing race with Lady Hagar. You may have heard my muttering about a Low Countries cabal, but the truth is the he always supports the club and its activities – so of course he becomes an expert sailor. Finally, Chiron Winkler – he never joined Pearl, but he has offered his consulting services on several occasions and also became a really good friend.
My point int this ramble? Pearl has given me friendships I wold otherwise have missed out on completely. I will miss Pearl greatly, but it is time to move on.
Thank you to all of you for your goodness, kindness and affection – each one of you holds a special place in my heart.

The Great Land Crunch

Many of you must have heard by now : Linden labs increased its purchase and maintenance fees (tier) on OpenSpace (OS) sims by a hefty 60%. If buying land was far from your mind thus far : OS sims offered the space of a full sim and 3750 building units (prims) instead of the full 15.000 for a very interesting price; tier fees were 75 US$ a month which made it an interesting product for several purposes : themed simgroups, like Antiquity or the famous sailing sims of Nantucket used them to create a large estate for a bearable cost. Land barons used them to rent out private islands. With the Pearl having been through 2 unanounced estate sales and Bella and I becoming nervous as the sims of the new estate remained eerily empty, unrented and thus unprofitable for the new owners, the propect of having an OS sim became very attractive indeed.
Praise the Lord we didn't succumb to the temptation.
while the old OS fees would have meant an increase in monthly tier, it would have been feasable; the new fees are simply impossible to cough up. Unfortunately, this is not only the case for us, a lot of estate owners are now taking a daily asprin dose against the headaches of trying to cope with the enormous maintenance cost. Selling surplus sims is tempting, but not exactly easy, as just about everybody is trying to do the same thing. It is possible to convert 4 OS sims to a single standard one, if one has enough OS sims. If all else fails, abandoning the sim is the only option. In short : the grid is becoming smaller. Very fast.
As we are based on a standard sim, we are not directly endangered by such actions. As the renting malaise in standard sims is largely caused by OS sims seemingly being a better deal, we might even hope that the land crunch will bring renters back to standard rentals.
Antiquity seems to be hit severely. After the initial shock ebbed away, a plan was devised to save the estate from finantial ruin. If the plan is executed as portrayed, the present 30+ sims will slink to around 20, maybe less. I am not well informed about what is going on elsewhere, but this article in the Herald makes an estimate (and I pledge a tear on the loss of the Paris 1900 sims, which are featured in my picks and holds some special memories) .
Many have questioned the motives, or even the good sense of the Lindens in making this decision. While questioning some other person's brain capacity is a favourite passtime of mine, I must grudgingly admit that this article , also in the Herald is one of the few that gave me the impression that I understood some of the rationales.
In the mean time we all hope that our sim will not be "rationalized" and we kicked out unceremoniously as I am not sure how the rents will evolve over the folowing months.

Hide and Seek

The Australians amongst us were complaining since time memorial that, with most events being aimed at Europe and the US, they had to be put on a coffee diet in order to attend one. The remark is justified of course, but I then returned the sally by explaining that Lady Bella and I weren't going to be caffeinated either , in order to organize an event in another timeslot. For a long time this ended in an unproductive stalemate and nothing happened.
But finally, with the arrival of more ladies akin to the Aussie timezone, boldness increased and a suggestion was made for an event. I was pleased to see that it was an original idea and not a "second session" of an event that already took place in the Atlantic timeslot. Not that that would have been a bad thing, but it is always best not to worry whether things are done "the right way".
And so the ladies Shashasha and Tania, with the staunch support and guidance of our maid Kington, embarked on a terra incognita, and found two gentlemen more than eager to join them.
The rules were simple : the ladies would hide on the premises of the Pearl and the gentlemen would strain themselves to find them. Once found, the lady had to shed a piece of her dress.
After that : rinse and repeat.
Because of its repetitive nature, I was a bit concerned that the partaking gentlemen would get bored, especially with Victorian dress code in the way of nature's glories. This did not turn out to be so, as evidenced by the substratum of cloth I discovered when I came in later that day. Learning that the entire exfoliation took place in less than an hour, until there was nothing more to shed, I had to conclude that both gentlemen -one hampered by a rubber duck , it seems- were enthusiasts indeed. In a moment of vicious glee I wanted to jumble up the wardrobe items and watch the ladies milling about, but it appeared that such a thing was unnecessary; the company had set up a nice illustration of the Erlang distribution (maybe Chi Square, didn't check too thoroughly). I don't know how the ladies managed, but the clothes were effectively reclaimed soon afterwards.
Judging from the empy bottles and broken glassware, the event was also sufficiently lubricated. it was a miracle, but none of the shards had the distinct red coloration that would suggest an unfortunate mishap, so i guess it is true that there is a special (and very sober) angel for the inebriated. I understood that Lady Pearl had the ladies lined up for questioning, as could be expected after a possible breach of the behaviour code, but a wisper in her ear set things soon to right.

Holland's Leager

The previous entry, though written from the top of my mind gave me a taste of history, so I decided to try my hand at it again, and at a similar subject. We are a brothel (yes, ok, a Gentlemen's Club AND brothel) , so why not write something about great Houses from the past ?
No such dissertation would be complete without "Holland's Leager". The House was acquired around 1600 by a woman calling herself "Donna Britannica Hollandia" (but also Dame Elizabeth Holland) , presumably because she wanted to advertise the fact that she was a Flemish Madame, i.e skilled at running a brothel. The lady was said to have been a beauty herself, and in possession of a "strong and imperious character". She was very protective of her girls and would not tolerate unruly behaviour.
The House, situated at the southern banks of London, was more than a mansion; it was nothing less than a fortified island, with ditches, a moat, a drawbridge , a portcullis and who knows what else. The woodcut shown supposedly is very near to the real thing. The house also seems to have boasted nice gardens, on the other hand, so once in, it must have been nice. Any visitors had to pass "Cerberus", the drawbridge guard, and pay an entry fee. If they misbehaved after entering the premises, they were summarily thrown into the ditch. Aside from that, visitors seem to have been treated with respect for their person and wishes.
Around 1631 the lease on the house seems to have been acquired by other persons, who subsequently tried to drive her out by manipulating a yearly event, basically a riot by the apprentices, hoping that the druken, unruly lot would destroy the house. Some damage was suffered, but the house still stood afterwards. After that they blackened the name of the establishment , resulting in the authorities sending in armed troops to arrest Dame Holland. It didn't end well for them. They were halfway the drawbridge, when Holland ordered its collapse, landing the hapless soldiers into the stinking moat, after which the girls pelted them with everything that came to hand, including chamberpots. The soldiers, watched from a distance by the gleeful southwark mob, subsequently tried several times to enter the house, but to no avail.
Eventually, the formidable lady had to submit to better organized assaults. Holland's fame was immortalized in song, as can be found at this spot (very nice music, by the way), where a soldier spends his possesions in his dallying with the girls. Another song's lyrics can be found here (where I also found the woodcut).

most of the information presented here is from
J.L. Simon's "A place for Pleasure",
J .A Browner's article in Essays in History vol 36, "Wrong Side of the River: London's disreputable South Bank in the sixteenth and seventeenth century" , see http://etext.virginia.edu/journals/EH/EH36/browner1.html
"The borough of Southwark manors " , see http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=43043

Cybering

I have been cajoled for several weeks now by an unnamed gentleman, who seems bent on proving that women, heaven forbid, have feelings beyond the generally accepted romantic ones. His main concern seems to be that Lady Hagar's decision to take a vacation from escorting will be a lasting one. His argument being that the lady loves the work too much and wil return to normal soon enough.
It is not up to me to go into Lady Hagar's private life and her reasons for such a decision. Likewise, I wil not endeavor to sojourn into the dangerous waters of the lady's apetites and make predictions. It does make sense to ponder on the hart of the matter though. Do women in the Young Queen's days like the procreative act ?
Often, the opinion that they don't is illustrated with a quote, ostensibly from a lady that gave this as advice to her freshly married and frightened daughter : "lay back and think of England". Unfortunately, there is no diary, letter, book or article that can be named as source for this quote and the earliest evidence suggests general use -in mockery or earnest- after Victoria's reign. In addition, as can be evidenced from Hagar's republication of the original 1879 Pearl Magazine, it seems that at least some men accepted and expected women to favour the carnal activities.
Also, sexual morals were different from person to person and also throughout the century. The outspoken freedom of the regency period probably triggered a period of reticence afterwards, but the 19th century also had its roaring 60'ies, and the 90'ies were a period with conflicting ideas. The great discussions seemed to have revolved on masturbation (as eagerly described in all details as it was denounced, as it was supposed to cause a wide range of ills) and prostitution, which changed from acceptance as a fact of life to open persecution from the 1840's onwards. By the 1870'ies, the Social Purity movement succeeded in banning indecent theatrical displays, which says more about what went on before as the largest tract on the subject. In all this disease was the central argument, as intercourse itself seems to have been regarded as natural, as evidenced from diaries of the period.
Recently, some data was published (in Dutch, I'm afraid) on behaviour of women inside virtual worlds. 1093 women that frequented virtual worlds were questioned. 54% had flirted at least once, even though they had a steady RL relationship and most of them (64%) consider a virtual escapade as infidelity. Women often (50%) prefer to keep their affairs secret for their partner and apparently most men do not bother to check, as it is the women that delve into the histories of their partner's cell phones and browsers.

The Halloween Ball

It seems that I am cursed. I already get the more awkward visitors to entertain, a consequence of being one of the owners I guess. All the while the sane ones engage in other pursuits, obviously thinking I have too odd tastes. The punishement for my sins is also extended to inappropriate internet problems , however, leaving me high and dry at moments I least want it. This made me miss the start of our Halloween ball and, as I wasn't there to nag, this resulted in the Grand March being broomed quietly onder the grass carpet. By the time I finally made my entrance, visitors were too drunk by far to get them into a queue, so I made no further attempt to promote some Victorian culture. Alas, but not to worry. I will terrorize the participants of another ball.

Our lady Anske had prepared well, sprinkling otherwordly oddities all over the garden (and in the ballroom of the house as well) to promote the right ambience. I was glad the two conical house spirits were duly banned shortly after being let loose though, as they pestered me to no end in the days that preceded the event. Fortunately they put each visitor on a par, including the owner of the wretches, who subsequently sent them back to purgatory.

The gents I noticed came as vampire, inappropriate diver and mad scientist. The girls picked some variation of the Gothic girl , except for Anske , who opted for the demonic, fire wings and all. Myself, I picked the evil witch look, with scary wolf eyes, but later querying amongst the male portion of merrymakers revealed that this detail passed their notice , their eyes dwelling more in the depths of my neckline.
One of these gentlemen was thus engrossed in the subject, that he mumbled something about the beauty of my blue eyes when prompted to shift his weight of my foot, so I decided to reward his fish-eyeing with a more appropriate shape shift.

Lord H gracefully braved my dangerous mood afterwards and passed considerable time dancing with me (It was I who stepped on his foot). Lord S , as ever, showered his graces by dancing with as much girls as he could lay his hands on, hereby hampered by the costumes he had chosen. I assume that the brain we found afterwards was his (well, not his, but his property, I mean).

Lady Anske, in the mean time, had a meeting with Death, who turned out to like her too, fueling the jealousy of the other women present, who already think her charms are way too effective as they are, without her getting gifts from Death as well. It was suspected that the untimely disappearance of Lady Bella had been the original pursuit of Death, but the lady appeared later in full health and the subsequent deshabillement of the merrymakers proved that Death had too much live flesh to be the real thing.

The Grand March

Do not forget, ladies and gentlemen, tomorrow we have a pre-Halloween Ball at the premises of the Pearl. It will be a costumed ball, and the ladies will do their utmost best to look scary and sexy (yes , I know gentlemen, you prefer the last). I decided to go for the scary accent this year, so be aware of my entree. The faint of heart are best advised to grab a Lady and let her hold your hands. We expect nothing less from our admirors, by the way. Do not flout tradition and show up in "Peeled Banana" costume, or worse "Newbie in Freebie". Make an effort, scare the other gents so the ladies can offer appropriate solace.

As Victorian Balls go, SL is not well endowed, because the majority of the dances that are most commonly practiced at similar occasions, are in fact post Victorian and way to lewd for the tastes of the time. Even the majestic Walz was originally received as the 'Dirty Dancing' of the age, and only gradually accepted. Of course, we at the Pearl do not particularly mind being subjected to the horrors of a lascivious dance, even a futuristic one like the Tango, but it wouldn't hurt either to re-enact the decorum of our more restrained brethren. And , yes, I am extremely tempted to explain some of the grueling facts of the Walz to our esteemed, but demure sisters of Antiquity, hereby proving, as some have maintained, that I am quite a vicious person.

But I digress. Re-enacting the Victorian dances is difficult as SL does not have equivallents. With some tools, however we CAN enact the opening dance of a Victorian ball : the Grand March. Basically, it was all the couples at the ball walking up and down the ballroom. On the internet , one can find several schemes for the dance, proving that there was quite some diversity. Wich allows us the interpret this with some leeway and adapt it to our needs.

I took the liberty to make a brief choreografy for the Grand March, which is to be held in our Garden. The picture shows a top view of the garden and two landmarks, marked with A and B. These landmarks you will find on the dance schedules that follow after.
Three colours are used : orange represents the ladies, blue the gentlemen and Green is for couples
to form couples, you will use the couple ball rezzers that will be available at the appropriate places

the first figure starts at point A. We form couples and walk calmly (to allow other couples to mount their poseballs) to point B. There the couples split up and ladies and gents separate , walking in diffrenet directions around the garden. Both lines cross roughly at the dancing floor and end up and the lower corners, from where they march back to point A

The second figure also starts at A. Couples walk again towards point B, where every couple goes either left or right (1st left, 2nd right, etc..) . Roughly near the dancing floor, the couples split. The ladies cross the dance floor , the gents kep on walking the same direction

both meet at the lower corners , meaning that different couples must be formed here. These couples walk back to point A

The final figure, once more starting at A, has the couples walk a bit in the direction of point B, and then turn right, for a stroll over the docks. There is a hole in the fence that will allow to re-enter the garden grounds, from where you walk toward point B
Here ladies and gents separate and form two lines, facing each other.
Ladies and gents wait until the line has settled and then they greet each other formally
This is the end of the dance.
I am aware that this is quite simple, as the real Grand March had a whole list of figures, but I gathered that 3 will be enough for a start, and that we will probably end up in giggling confusion anyway.

Truth and Dare

I love games, especially games with a twist, and that twist is a problem. The average fun loving crowd at the Pearl is quite used to naughty merriment, but privacy is nevertheless an important prerequisite. Group fun, while discussed with blushing cheeks and twinkling eyes, is something that has been rarely embarked upon. Yes, we do have events and there is always a saucy element, but never more than that.So, after having tried an impromptu "Truth or Dare" a few weeks ago, I was wondering if we could concoct a naughtier version of the game, not only with spiced up missions delt to the participants, but with an element of punishment for missions refused or botched.
Realizing that events are notoriously difficult to organize -people liking the freedom of movement in time and space SL offers, and thus resenting such barbaric constrictions such as a set date and time- I prepared myself for a quiet evening with a friend or two. I neverteless prepared a list of truths and dares that could pass muster for a first tryout, as even with friends one needs some passtime, preferably on topic.
Those who were present know what happened.
I was busy setting up the inimate Seduction skybox for the occasion, when Kington whistled through the speaking tube. I couldn't quite understand what was said with all the background noise, but I could discern a frantic note in her voice that seemed to suggest some urgency. A quick look out the window told me that a relocation was in order; at least 15 people were waiting, all looking upwards attentively. While Lady Bella coordinated the swift delivery of more sitting couches, I wrestled with the notion of hosting the first event at the Pearl that attracted more than 15 people (with exception maybe of the first edition of the Pearl Regatta).
Not having anticipated this, the unwinding of the event left a bit to be desired, but if any lessons were to be drawn from the experience, first and foremost among them was that naughtyness was in demand. I also suspect that part of the crowd showed up in the hope to hear juicy confessions kindred to the Dare I pulled at the precious T&D edition, and which involved feverish adventures with a mister J.
Three complaints were filed: a) Hagar didn't pull the right dares and Truths b) it took ages before everyone had its turn, and some participants fussed and dithered c) contemporary female fashion urgently needs to evolve to less components and a greater proneness to accidental breaking of buttons and hooks.
To those that were present : feel free to react to this article and give your opninion on how we could improve the next edition of this event. Thanks in advance for your positive criticism

We were slacking in updates on these pages, I know. The inevitable summer recess, many ladies and gents on vacation, the drop in traffic .. It should have been an invitation to spend the free time in the composition of new and provoking pieces of literature, but it was not meant to be. That doesn't mean nothing happened.

For those who did not keep visiting us loyally during those days , we may be persuaded to forgive you, on condition that you have returned into the bosom of our Sorority. If you did not, I can only repeat the words of one of our Ladies , whose name I shall not mention, "I will pelt them with my shoes. Don't wear the things anyway"'. To any of you who care to read these pages I will summarize some of the news of the past two months.

The Sorority itself was not at a standstill; ladies left and ladies came and one has the impression at times that staff has been completely replenished. We have not kept up at publishing the profiles of the newer ladies, the omission of which is entirely my responsability. I beg for forgiveness for this lapse, and I can only offer the weak defense that publishing seemed to be jinxed : many who appeared on these pages promptly disappeared within a few weeks. I will offer recompense for the oversight by now and then picking a new lady (preferably one who has shown the stabiloity to stay a few weeks) an interview. I know that Lady Luna used to "interview", but rest assured, you will not have to use this as a pretext to pick up your skirts and run when I produce pen and paper in your vicinity

The Ladies Hagar and Bella suffered mild bouts of hysteria, each time the reigning sim owner sold the sim in which the Grand House resides. Yes, our sim was sold two times in just a few weeks, and each time the sale was unanounced. As a result the sim is now called Invernaver, instead of Pamlico Sound, and the cosy collection of sailing sims of which it was a part is completely desintegrated. Today you can only sail in our sim, and we can no longer organize a Regatta. That is, not in our sim. We will have a Regatta again, be it in another location. Lady bella was quoted to have said "I want to dethrone the vixen and wipe that condescending smile of her demeanor" by which she might have been referring to the fact that Lady Hagar and Lord S won the two editions of the Pearl Regatta.

Lady Hagar's bout of restlessness (she was rumoured to have been running around in american native outfit for some reason) had its positive side efects : several games were added on the grounds : a chess board in the garden, a sheet shooting piste at the docks and a pool table in the upper parlour. All these games are playable and especially the skeet is very popular. We added a 7seas fishing spot at the docks too, but that's ..uh... for the people amongst us with a collecting disposition.

Lady Bella will now give regular fencing lessons on monday. Not only does she want to groom ladies and interested gents to form a fencing team and inspire fear in the harts of our opponents, but both she and Lady Hagar have given in to their overheated fantasy to organize n ... adapted... version of the En garde fencing match. More details will folow later.

I will leave it at that, for the time being, although not all has been related. But I need material for later publication, untiul Lady hagar can be persuaded to come down from the roof and start writing again. Do take a look at the Pearl Agenda, though. It's back from the dead and we already planned several events.

A midsummer night

It is the end of a busy day and I am making my almost daily stop at the club. It is always a pleasure to spend the last hour before I go to sleep with the ladies of the Pearl. Be it for conversation, dancing or more. But more often than not to just enjoy the company of the wonderful people I am privileged to call my friends.

Today however all is quiet. I walk through the parlor, the corridor and into the ballroom. The paintings tell their stories as they have done so many times and the piano breathes silence with nobody around to enjoy it moody melodies.

After a few minutes contemplating pleasant memories I return to the garden. I close the door, sweep the fallen leaves from the porch and greet the gentleman that appears out off nowhere on the lawn only for him to vanish into thin air again so quickly it makes me question whether he was actually ever there.

It is a lovely quiet night indeed. I smile and resign to the fact that tonight Club Pearl is an oasis of silence and solitude, knowing that another day will bring another night.

Herald article

The pearl has appeared in the "Second Life Herald" ! Be sure to take a peek at the interview and Kris Diboux's rather naughty intermixture with a hilarious discussion at Antiquity. I am not sure people other than Antiquarians (or Pearl veterans) understand the joke, but we are here to explain it, if need be
http://foo.secondlifeherald.com/slh/2008/07/the-pearlvictor.html

Moulin Rouge !

Lady Hagar was too busy working on the elevators, giving new meaning to the concept of cursing, as bits of her flew back and forth when yet another transporter box slammed into the ground after a journey up to 4000m. Apparenly she mastered the "punk", but not yet the "steam".
So it was up to me again to write a report on the Pearl's lastest event : a Moulin Rouge evocation.

As usual, I did some interviews and came to the conclusion, that all participants were extatic about the show. Organized by Ladies Luna and Amalthea, who also viewed it as their goodbye present to their friends at the Pearl, everything showed their meticulous preparation. There are also numerous pictures of the event. It's hard to choose from them, but as the saying goes, they hold a lot more than words.

The event started with a performance on a specially constructed dais by four ladies (from left to right Hagar, Luna, Amalthea and Bella) all in "adapted" dress. That got some feverish applause from the audience and yes, you are right, Amalthea WAS babbling and giggling all the time .


Lady Luna left her otherwise impeccable decorum in the rack, commenting on Bella's inclination to kick her legs in the air at inappropriate moments "Surely, if we can, can't you stay in line too?" which for some reason got a loud giggle from Lady Amalthea.


Well, there was opportunity enough to kick legs and scream whilst showing bloomers. In this picture , Lady hagar was not really kicking at Luna's head (although she does seem to have something naughty in mind, don't you agree ? )


It was after the thunderous applause (that woke up the cleaning staff in the rafters, making them whine and complain to me afterwards, but does anybody care that I am the one that has to soothe and bribe ) that Lady Hagar anounced, to everybody's dismay, that she was going to sing. Lady Luna, temporarily nonplussed, eventually offered the unencumbered use of her slaves if the Lady would see fit to postpone her intent. But alas, not even the whimpers of Bella or the general stampede for the doors could deter the Lady. She retreated behind the dais for a few minutes, too short for the impromptu crisis meeting to come up with practical answers to the situation.

When lady Hagar reappeared, however, those that were forced to stay felt their jaws dropping and their voices utter oohs and aaahhs. Her dress was a wonder to behold and although it inspired the nickname "turkey outfit", surely it was glamerous enough tho lure back the gents that peeked cautiously from the clocks, vases and umbrella stands in which they had hidden themselves.
Fact remained that the lady was going to sing; I hastily summoned the servants to go and chase away the birds from the island, as I was not looking forward to have to deal again with offcial investigations into mysterious bird mortality at the Pearl.
But a natural catastrophy was avoided : the lady sang but withheld from her usual operatic ambitions. Together with the choice of the songs (befitting the theme), her briny voice was even oddly appropriate.
As it is, i will not quote from her songs, as that pleasure is reserved to those present. They are far too carnal to quote from anyway. The lady got a deserved applause from the audience, although lady Bella shot increasingly vitrolic looks,as the songs progressed in lewdness.
After that it was Bella's moment to steal the show, and steal it she did, with a nice performance on top of the piano. the only minus was that the gents constantly shifted position to have a better view.

After that staff and visitors mingled for a dance and lots of musings were exchanged on the meanings of Hagar's songs and the textures on Bella's bloomers. The event was protracted after that, as the gents demanded encores. I will therefore add some more pictures, in which you will recognize Lady Josie, as she joined in.

The visitors showed their appreciation by showering the present staff with tips. And that was the end of a very succesful event. All present enjoyed themselves.

Many thanks go to the two Organisers, Lady Luna and Lady Amalthea who sadly have to leave the Pearl as RL has its merciless hold on them. Both might eventually haveto leave SL for a while, but at present you can still reach them.

And, as always, you can leave your comments below.

a new arrival : Dunny Exonar

And we have been blessed with another addition, ladies and gentlemen. Please welcome lady Dunny.

Esteemed Sir or Madam,
please receive my kindest thanks for reading my introductory note. The thought alone of having my portrait and personal history exposed at this place makes my cheeks flush with excitement. I do hope it will be a worthwhile read and assure you that your attention is most warmly received.
But lest I digress too far, allow me to lose some words on my humble self. I was born the daughter of a wealthy financier in the lovely city of Zurich. Remembering my childhood brings fond memories of carelessness and playfulness under the guidance of my Mother and Nanny who took wonderful care of me. However as I approached womanhood, my father thought it proper to send me to a catholic boarding school governed by nuns with a strict regime of prayer and corporal discipline.
Being spirited and not of a religious persuasion, I was a frequent subject to the latter, making my schooling a less pleasant experience each day. I found comfort only in the sweet feelings I have developed for a young priest who began holding Sunday mass while I was in my senior year. I still hope I looked devout and attentive in mass, while my thoughts were of a nature far removed from any innocence.
Alas, these feelings should shape my destiny ... a mere week before turning 19 and being set free from the ghastly discipline imposed on me, I shyly approached him after mass and talked him into meeting me behind the school house. Unfortunately one of the nuns must have overheard our talking and surprised us the instant we touched each other. Having shamed my school and family I found myself shunned and expelled by both, aimlessly wandering the streets in search for a way to make a living.At the height of my despair I arrived at a place called 'The Pearl'. Taking together all my courage I entered and was surprised by a warm welcome and an offer of being able to take care of myself and to experience everything I have dreamed about in mass all the time.
You will find me curious, spirited and eager to please you in many ways. I am excited about new experiences and acquaintances of both Ladies and Gentlemen, however I hold children in very high regard and will not discuss or act out ageplay in any way.

welcome to loveliness : Lady Clags

Newly arrived to this house, but no stranger to the House, please welcome lady Clags Willis. The great lady was Madame in earlier days, when Contessa Susan still held the House upright (yes, gentlemen, and not only the house, you are right).
With the arrival of this Grande Dame, the crown of longest standing.. (ehrm, well, yes.... I wish Lady Hagar had been writing this) service might have to be passed on. She refused to engage in "bean counting", though.
Normally not lost in words, the lady has so far not put her personal history on paper, wich I will promise to publish as soon as she penned it down. The Pearl's cognorati assure me how ever, that she is a Lady of many skills and can tell funny anecdotes that reach even farther back than lady Hagar's.

Hagar's Rezz Day

It has been a while since I posted, as administration is a demanding occupation, but Lady Hagar joined me this morning and said "Somebody ought to make a report on my rez day party". Having had experience in such matters, esteemed audience, I knew that 'somebody' always refers to a randomly selected and hapless member of the people within earshot of such a sentence. As we were alone, and Lady Hagar was whispering, and she didn't look like taking up the pen herself, I knew I was doomed.
"But I wasn't there !" I declared by way of Last Heroic Stand.
"Nonsense! I'll dictate what you will write." I refrained from pointing out that this would result in a report of doubtful credibility; our beloved Lady had that "make my day" look in her eyes I have come to love so much, especially when used on annoying gate crashers. So I took pains not to sigh and accepted the package of papers she had prepared. I soon noted that it would not do. Not only was it too long, but it was full of tearful reminiscences of days gone by and some of the details related in it were totally unfit for publication (especially the incident in a furniture shop involving three ladies, two gents and a cheap dress budget). So I took what seemed relevant to the subject at hand, i.e the party itself, and discreetly checked some of the stated facts. As you know from Hagar's notices, she is a changeling, whose exact elf descent was recently revealed in what I can only describe as a will. In this document she was named sole heir of the family estate. Having been invited for an offical reception in the property, our Madame decided to extend this invitation to members and friends and use the opportunity to have a rez day ball.
I have seen pictures and , to be honest, words like 'opulence', 'decadence' and 'exotic' sprang to mind. Hardly the 'country estate' that was referred to. Such blatant richesse is not my cup of tea, but the guests were all lyrical in their descriptions, so I will refrain from further comment.
The garden, on the other hand, was truly magnificent, and lent itself perfectly for the ball. The company also indulged itself wandering around the large , open aired halls, with its dance halls, pools, parlours and throne room. There were also rumours about a hidden basement, but Lady hagar didn't allow the company to investigate. Which brings us to the weirdest aspect of the event : Lady Hagar's determination to view the place as a fairy tale palace. The open shower in the garden was a 'rain shelter ', the hottub a 'tropical aquarium', the glass floor of the dance hall that left nothing to the imagination as to what could be discerned from below, a 'lifelike picture of the garden'. The woman even invented a new and quite large species of bird to fit in the slave cages in the throne room. We can only guess at the explanation she would have conjured up to explain the horrid bed in the tower room. But it never came to that, fortunately. I guess we all secretly dream of being revealed as the kidnapped daughter (or son) of a mighty prince, and when this dream unexpectedly materialized for the otherwise levelheaded Madame, she went to extreme lengths to protect this fantasy. As to me, it seems that Hagar's family seems to have enjoyed their wealth.

All in all, it added to the general amusement. People danced , they rested on the many seats and chatted about the past year. Lady hagar had hidden three special copies of the replublished first issue of the original "Pearl Magazine" and these were duly hunted down and found. All participants acknowledged that it was a fantastic event.
Which is sufficient in its own right. I will therefore conclude with a word from the lady herself :
" I heartily thank everyone that turned up at my rez day. Special thanks go to Lady Suzee, Mister BH, Mister SM, Lord S, sir P, Lady Olivea, Lady Keyah, Baylee, TW and Bunny who showered this undeserving changling with gifts, and to Lady Anske who lent us het dance poseballs. I also dedicate my party to anyone that had let his or her rez day pass unnoticed before mine. A great and heartfelt (and OOC) thank you goes to Rikki Falworth, who graciously allowed us to use her property to stage the event. I am very glad she returned to enjoy SL once more."

Text by Lady Hagar, vigorously adapted by Lady Pearl. Pictures by Lady Olivea.

An evening on the beach

Dear friends of the Pearl,

Lady Anske had the excellent idea of organizing a beach party last Wednesday. I took the liberty of taking some pictures and posting a small summary of the evening. But as it was an OOC event it didn't seem right to publish it here.

So read about it here

a call to Fun

Drama seems to be part of Second Life. As much as we hope to keep it from our doors, sooner or later it will come and pay its respects and refuse to take polite hints that it overstayed its welcome.

The matured lady or gentleman will recognize the oaf for what it is and accept with stoicism that little can be done except endure. There is always the hope that it suffocates in a cookie, so that it can be rushed off to hospital before it has the chance to recover.
The worst part is the aftermath. Either the cookie did it's patriotic duty, or a frustrated member of the household did something unspeakable and creative, or the unwanted guest got bored and left, but for a while one tends to crawl under the table when footsteps approach the door.

This , of course, will not do.
The guest is gone now, the blood cleaned away and the dog has stopped chasing its own tail and regained its old habit of chewing your leg. It is past.

All Drama is man made. All fun too.

Let's not forget that, besides the worries whether or not your curtsy isn't too shallow for an earl, we are supposed to have fun at it. So, after diligently discussing the finer points of etiquette, or roleplaying a courtesan's hapless suitor, it is good to have a moment and step away from it all. We wouldn't want you to start throwing the cutlery (in the correct order, granted) or chasing shops to find that eery suicide animation.

Ladies, gentlemen, we need to lighten up a bit, so the Pearl has decided to formally organize "Out Of Character" (OOC) events, where the roleplay is suspended for a while and you can mingle with the rest of the community without having to wonder whether the lengthy exhortations on the speeches of Ulysses Grant are roleplay or the clear sign of a deranged mind. You will know .

The first official OOC event wil be the beachparty, next wednesday. the ladies will flock to the group beach of the water sims we inhabit and for a few hours cease to be Victorian ladies. We will be waiting at the Pearl to sail you at its location (but you can always take the ortnithopter, of course ; course to Nags Head Surf Beach, Nags Head (210, 115, 25))
Take note that on Friday, I will hold a party to celebrate my rezzing day. That will be a roleplaying event and its location is a surprise. More on that will follow later

Love and the Pearl

While courtesans have similarities to the working girl when it comes to negotiable affections, there are differences as well. As I am the philosophical one amongst the Ladies of Club Pearl dear Reader, I will take the time to list some of them for you.

A courtesan that has accepted your money will do everything in her power to suit your needs. Where you want and in whatever way you want. While she may set a higher price for some activities and may require you to purchase some of the necessary "tools", basically it is “no holds barred”. Your pleasure comes first. The courtesan sets pride in her ability to please, and will be upset with her apparent failure to do so.

On the other hand, the rules of conduct in the case you wish to try to SEDUCE a courtesan are a veritable minefield. The basic rule here is that the courtesan is the Merciless Goddess of Love. She determines what you can and cannot do, and it is up to the aspiring suitor to discover what the do's and don'ts are with his capricious Lady of choice. Generally, however, it will be considered correct and polite to obey the following guidelines:
- Most ladies are eager to chat. On the other hand, keeping a Lady locked in conversation and thereby effectively blocking her chances to get a paid encounter is a surefire way to displease her.
- Any tactic to waive a requested payment, either by haggling, luring the Lady away from the reception lounge of Club Pearl, referring to an earlier geste or largesse of the lady as if it were a precedent, or any other way for that matter, will call down the wrath of the goddess. It is terribly bad form to lead a Lady up to the point where she sets aside her modesty to propose her price, and then to treat her like a cheap whore.
- If the Lady accepts you, directly or indirectly, as a suitor, she is merely granting you the chance to woo her. She did not give you a reservation or a guarantee for her affections. If she mentions money after a while, you either misunderstood her intentions, or you have yet to succeed as a suitor. Either way, accept your fate gracefully and redouble your efforts. Do not, under any circumstance, start to argue.
- Keep in mind that the Lady will expect her suitors to please her. You are trying to make her give away some of her free time to you, time she associates with fun. Make sure your time with her is Fun. If she sees you as an impediment to that fun ...
- Remember that many paying customers at Club Pearl act like suitors. The Lady is used to being treated well and with respect. She is also used to getting gifts or other tokens of their esteem. If you are basically a penniless suitor, keep in mind what the competition does and be creative in offering her interesting and alluring alternatives.
- Wooing one Lady into an unpaid encounter and then hiring another at full price will be considered extremely rude. Suitors do not cheat on their Ladies. If you are appealing to her feelings, you should respect those feelings.
- If you are trying to woo your Lady into a long term relationship, formally or not, you are truly in dangerous waters. No guidelines can be set, no advice given. You are on your own. In the worst case scenario, your attempts will be perceived as harassment.

All this can be summarized thusly: a courtesan is a capricious and jealous creature. She toys with her paying customers, and will most certainly do it with you. If you safely navigate her through the stormy seas of Seduction into the harbour of Gratification, you will not regret the efforts you made. If you are not prone to this game, however, a courtesan is not for you.

.... and a new Lady

give a hearty welcome to our newest, Lady Mirjam Bekkers. May her beauty, cloths and her... assets wash away the somewhat doubtful odour (of tabacco)

Ohh, I can feel my cheeks are blushing at the thought of you reading this letter of introduction*
Let me introduce myself. I am Mirjam (mirjamm Bekkers), a young widow of a unfortunate Lord who passed away after a business misfortune. Until recently I enjoyed luxurious circumstances, living with my husband in a large house with wealth and possessions, and lacking nothing that my heart might desire. After his funeral i had to sell everything to pay his debts and had to find a job. I'm happy to find a place like the Pearl where the high standards still exists
I hope to meet nice gentleman and ladies here to forget my sadness and bring happiness in our lives. I thank you for your time in reading my letter of introduction and look forward to seeing you soon. For now Godspeed and farewell, please go with my warmest and heartfelt wish for your safe return.

another...maid .. hm.

Well, Kington did turn out alright. I admit I was sceptical, but I was wrong. But my thumbs are pricking violently on this one. Disa Korobase. Several pieces of prercious porcelain went missing, the whisky and sherry bottles seemed remarkedly more vacant this morning and the cook went into hiding. No, don't tell me that is a coincidence.


Dear Sir and or Lady,
my name is Disa and I'm a maid here at the club. Now I didn't want to be no maid when I come 'ere, but Miss Hagar don't think I'm near posh enough to be a "lady" or what she calls a "courtesan" so I's got to be a maid for a bit. No matter, I've been a maid before so I suppose I can do it again.
Now, I'm supposed to tell a bit about me and how I come here so here goes. I guess I ain't nearly so fancy as some of the ladies here. Ain't been brought up as hoitty toitty as some what's here but then I ain't come down like some have neither. Me mum was dead by the time I was 3 and I never knew my pa. I was raised by my "auntie", damn her soul, and enough ink wasted on her. I was placed in service when I was 7 year old, peeling spuds and general kitchen work for Mrs O'Casey, the only woman what done me a good turn. She was a kindly woman, cepting when she was drunk, and she made sure I learned to read, write and cipher some. At 13 I became a House Maid with Lord and Lady Ipswich and had hope of continuing in service and becoming a ladies maid or head housekeeper. Faint hope that! Christmas last, Boxing day to be exacte, young Lord Ipswich cornered me in the library, randy bugger! Well I can't say I was too unwilling and it was fun, but after a few months of the two of us dipping the wick as it were, ole Lady Ipswich caught wind of what her darling boy was about and that put paid to that. He was sent off packing to the colonies and I was sent packing.
Well, finding myself out on the street, and rather having enjoyed playing patty-cake with the young Lord, I thought the sportin life might provide a bit of fun and a way to make a living in this world, which is how I ended up here. Now, I may be a maid here for now but that don't mean I don't like a bit of fun now and then. Just remember Ladies and Gents;

When this girl kisses

She kisses so sweet,

She makes things stand

That have no feet.

Now don't be forgettin, even a maid needs to eat, so, making things stand will cost the standard fee and I won't be imitating no children so get that out of your horrid dirty mind.

Midsummer Eve at the Pearl

Hello Everyone,

This is my first post to this publication, wish me luck. I wonder what my good friend H. G. Wells would say about this modern marvel? Undoubtely he would claim he invented it.

On Friday June 20th, Pearl will celebrate the Summer Solstice. As befits that day we will open the gates to Faerie, and invite all the magical creatures from that realm to visit us. Elves, Fairies, Pixies, Nymphs and Satyrs will all be welcome. Especially the Satyrs. :-)

In order to make them feel at home, we are suspending our normal dress regulations. I encourage everyone to put one their most magical costumes for this special day.

While the entire day will be Faerie Friendly, we will be having a Solstice Ball from 2:00 pm SLT until 4:00 pm SLT. Please come and dance with your favorite Nymph, Devil or Pixie. Perhaps even let her lure you away to some special realm. But remember, Mortal who visit the Realm of Faerie often come back quite changed and unrecognizable to their friends.

Reviews Of The Restless Lady (2)

Chapter #2 : Pearl Activities

Most of our visitors have completely wrong Ideas about "The Pearl". Somehow they think that our lovely Club is just about one thing, THAT and nothing else.

Dear Reader, can you imagine what it means to us that from early in the morning until late in the night, many Gents come to see us, with only one obsession? You know what I mean?
Yes, Tea! White Tea, Green Tea, Oolong Tea, Black and Herbal teas and Tea Spas. All day long.
It is Exhausting!

But now, time has come to clarify things. Here in Pearl, you will find much more than just some Tea and lovely Ladies to enjoy it with. The Pearl has a lot to offer. We have indeed a large spectrum of terrific activities; let me introduce you to the most popular ones.

1. "Pearl's Poetic People Squad"

Comedy, History, Tragedy, Poetry. Everything goes, as long as it can be used against the author.


Requirements:
Eloquence, Sense of Sarcasm, Basics "Double entendre"
Meeting Point: Garden
Contact: Lord P

2. "Adepts of Apple Assault"
(Sub-organization of Newton's Knights)

They brave the laws of gravity, Dryads of the Future reunited!

Requirements:
Climbing Skills, Accuracy: Apples provided
Meeting Point: Oaktree
Contact: Lord S


3. "Kings of Canes"

A male Ballet preparing to prepare their new Musical "Canatopia".
The Premiere is announced for ... well, before WW-I we hope. After the Repetition they offer also an anonymous Support Group for any kind of Cane issues, whether technical or esthetical.

Requirements:
Own a Cane of "Gaslights Emporium", some Attitude, have the Rhythm in your Blood and the Devil in your hips.
Meeting Point: Gent's Room
Contact: Sir P (he knows best which cane NOT to buy)

4. "Notorious Nautics"

It might snow, it may rain, nothing can withhold them to jump in and get the feet off the ground (...)

Requirements:
Bring a Towel, Boats are provided
Meeting Point: On the Docks
Contact: Lady A






5. "Veni Vedi Visa"
(aka Pearl's "Fashion-police" or "Inventory Invaders")

You have a question, you need advice or even a complete makeover? Consult us!

Requirements:
Constructive Criticism, Provide a prove that you own at least 65 pairs of shoes, 38 wigs, 327 Gowns/Tuxedos & 15 Hats. Also you will have to be able to name the Mainstore-Location for 5 random Brands.
Meeting Point:
Lady's Room
Contact: Lady B



6. "Passive Progressives"

The brightest under the most gifted in Pearl, but they will never tell you. Brave the laws of nature and technic, there are no problems, only solutions!

Requirements:
High-Speed Connections, Provide EEG
Meeting Point: Parlour (upst.)
Contact: Lady H



7. "Fellows of the Filthy Fountain"
Anonymous fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover. FFF is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy, neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Their primary purpose is to help themselves and help others to achieve healing.

Requirements: Be obsessed
Meeting Point: *Top Secret* - See Contact: Sir *coughs*

8. "Frenetic Framers"
Everyone knows them, those people who spend hours with their frames, always complaining & permanently updating the content but as soon as they "reload", they consider it already outdated.

Requirements:
Own a Frame, Be Nimble, Advanced Drag'n Drop Level
Meeting Point: Hallway
Contact: Lord A

9. "Pandora's FanClub"

Flapping Feathers, hidden smiles, whispered secrets ... nothing remains unspoken behind this exquisite asseccory

Requirements: Own a Fan made out of digestable material, no speed limitation (less than 70bpm will not be accepted)
Meeting Point: Bench
Contact: Ladly L


Dear Reader, now THIS is the true spirit of Pearl ... people that enjoy themselves, each in his very own way. Your Group is missing? Please contact me asap to be registered and added to the Listing.

And of course, if none of these activities seems of any interest to you, you are always welcome to get some Tea for two or three or even four. Milk and Sugar provided.


Be shiny, be bright, be PEARL!

To be continued ... says Lady Luna and curtsies awkwardly