Wednesday, October 29, 2008

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.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

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

Friday, October 3, 2008

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.