Movie Trivia Night at Cafe LaPe'rouse at Austin

I normally do not go inworld during night times, but I had the opportunity to do so on a limited basis last night and managed to drop in at the half point of Cafe O's Movie Trivia Night, which was hosted by Sage (SageWisdom resident) and Mili Adored.

The first thing that struck me was the nicely-decorated settings, which the hosts proudly announced was done by Naughty Glimmer. The second thing I noticed was the comfy red plushy chairs.

I sank into one and sighed, then looked around.

The room was filled with about 14-16 people, and I recognized most of them, including Reni (Serenity Streusel) and Dakota (Dakota0therbee Resident), our partners in Afro hair crime; Melinda Nyn, she of the gorgeous gluteus maximus;  Serena Mist (xurtheone), my mesh builder extraordinaire; as well as Taylor Smitty (TaylorSmitty Resident), BillyEagle Avedon, RB Quan, Aisha Sohl, Hunter Teodosio, Jen Umaga, Lia (Naharlia Resident),Darla Lacombe, and Johnny Avon, and probably some others I missed (sorry).

The game was simple. You had to put on a HUD that had four buttons labeled A to D, and when the hosts called out a multiple choice question, you simply pressed one of the buttons on your HUD. Each correct reply got you a point, and the points were totaled at the end to get an overall winner.

I have to say I had loads of fun doing this. The joking around and repartee between the competitors was non-stop, and even though I sucked big time at it (unfortunately, my girl Linda the Movie Trivia Diva was not on hand to uphold the family honor), I did manage to accumulate a few points.

I added a short cut of the public chat below just to show how one round went. Of course, I picked a round where moi won *grins*

But in the end after two games, the pretenders melted away and the real winners showed up...and they were...uh...Lia...both times I believe *grumbles*

[18:35] Sage (SageWisdom Resident): next question
[18:35] Melinda Nyn grins at MK
[18:35] SageWisdom Resident: 
******************************************************
QUESTION#15 In the 1951 science fiction movie, The Day The Earth Stood Still, what was the name of the robot?

[A.]Gort   [B]Klaatu  [C] Robby  [D] C3PO
******************************************************
[18:36] MK (monkeyking2011 Resident): GOT THIS!!!
[18:36] Lia (Naharlia Resident): same name as the new one...
[18:36] MK (monkeyking2011 Resident): cuz i'm just a shy sci fi geek
[18:36] 4Kittens Trivia Controller v1.5: Serenity Streusel (B), Melinda Nyn (C), TaylorSmitty Resident (C), Naharlia Resident (B), Dakota0therbee Resident (B), RB Quan (C), Johnny Avon (B) got the answer wrong!
[18:36] 4Kittens Trivia Controller v1.5: monkeyking2011 Resident got the answer right!
[18:36] 4Kittens Trivia Controller v1.5: The Correct Answer Was: A
[18:36] 4Kittens Trivia Controller v1.5: And the winner is: monkeyking2011 Resident!!!
[18:36] RB (RB Quan): we are up to movie 48 already
[18:36] Taylor Smitty (TaylorSmitty Resident) shouts "Tom Hanks"
[18:36] Dakota (Dakota0therbee Resident) laughs
[18:36] Sage (SageWisdom Resident) claps for Sir MK
[18:36] MK (monkeyking2011 Resident): woooohooooo! 
[18:36] Melinda Nyn: haha well done MK Sir!
[18:36] Dakota (Dakota0therbee Resident): congratulations shy Sir
[18:37] MK (monkeyking2011 Resident): Where's lewisy? Gotta bring her up too
[18:37] Melinda Nyn: shy?
[18:37] Melinda Nyn chokes
[18:37] Dakota (Dakota0therbee Resident): lol
[18:37] Sage (SageWisdom Resident): lol
[18:37] Dakota (Dakota0therbee Resident): his words
[18:37] Reni (Serenity Streusel): Are you sure you are shy
[18:37] Sage (SageWisdom Resident): next question Masters and ladies

The Beatles 1960s Dance at The Olive Branch

My Linda Lou and I attended an absolutely fabulous dance party held on December 9 at The Olive Branch, with Melinda Nyn and Sage (Sagewisdom) hosting, and Stormy Dench as the DJ. The theme was The Beatles music and 1960s music pop culture in general, and the entire fantastic set was created from scratch by Melinda and her crew for the event!

I was dressed in my cool psychedelic hippie digs, including my towering Afro (which incidentally had saved my life the evening before!), while flower child Linda Lou was a mouth-watering morsel in her India Fringe Top and flowered jeans.

MK and Linda grooving to the music!

About 40 people crowded into the venue, surrounded on all four sides by towering walls built by Melinda depicting 1960s London, with the centerpiece being  the outside of the theater showing the Beatles' Hard Days Night movie premier.

Start of the dance as people trickle in looking stage right

Scattered around the venue were a slew of items from the 1960s, including a couple of big red London buses built by WW (worldwide Pedalo) specifically for the event, and an RLV-enabled phone booth which was inevitably dubbed as Dr. Who's Tardis. Lilian Howley provided the nice dance floor, while Mili Adored provided some technical assistance.

Start of the dance looking stage left

The place soon got really crowded, with people grooving to the music provided by DJ Stormy Dench, mostly Beatles interspersed with the sounds of 60s London and the Merseybeat.

DJ Stormy Dench

It was a hoot to see all the 1960s outfits on display, from variations on the hippie-theme (a hey ho to my brotha from another motha, AustinMartin1, who looked like my less tropical twin), to mini-skirts, go-go boots, and pillbox hats, to retro airline stewardess uniforms.

Hosts Melinda and Sage (background)

The event lasted for 2 hours, with people dancing until the very end. Melinda showed off her own Hippiemobile to shouts of "Herbie!" and the more controversial "R**E mobile!", and ended up toot tooting the little bug around the dance venue to cheers and whistles.

All in all, it was great fun, and very successful, with almost 40 people crowded into the arena. A great big thanks to all the hard work done by the hosts of the event, and here's hoping to more fun times in the future!

The uses of the leash

There is something very atavistic about using and seeing a leash being wielded on another person. It calls up feelings deep within us that are raw and slightly out of bounds of normal societal standards.

More than the collar, the sight of the leash by those not in the D/s world brings up feelings that might range from revulsion to confusion, and its overt use is not at all a common sight even in the relatively more liberal confines of SL.

From my perspective as a Dom, the leash has several functions, some of which are utilitarian, some of which are symbolic, and some of which fulfill emotional wants and needs.

1. The leash symbolizes the close relationship between the owner and the leashed. It is a physical manifestation of this relationship, much like the more inconspicuous collar.

2. The leash denotes ownership and protection, a symbolic sign to others around of the special bond between dom and sub, warning them that the leashed person is off limits to others, and that the sub is under the protection of the leash holder.

3. The leash functions as a guide. For example, it ensures that your sub will follow you and not get lost, especially in situations where there are crowds. Or it allows you to guide the sub to areas that you wish them to go.

4. The leash can be used in scene play as a simple prop.

5. The use of the leash engenders positive emotional feelings ranging from pride, to satisfaction, to lust. The sheer pleasure derived from the simple act of holding one's most treasured possession by the hand via the physical existence of the leash cannot be overemphasized.

In second life, most leashes are just one of the many features of the collars in use, and can be rezzed and derezzed at the whim of an owner.

The chat commands to manipulate the leash are one of the most important for any beginning leash owner. It is cumbersome to try to open menu commands via touch, and in truth there are not many commands to commit to one's memory anyway. The leash commands are listed here.

It is also incumbent upon the owner to be aware of various rules and protocols that may need to be observed when using leashes. For example, some sims frown strongly on the use of leashes, and it is not your place to thumb your nose at the preferences of the sim owners or the people who inhabit the sim and may feel that your kinks are being forced on them. You should also unleash your pet before any derezz, and the use of a leash holder prevents the leash from attaching to your center point.

The leash owner may also elect to train their sub on various hand commands to facilitate interactions while leashed. For example, a quick downward pull on the leash signifies that the sub should kneel or assume any of the lowered postures agreed upon with her Dom, while a quick tug upwards indicates that the sub should get up.

In the end though, the leash is an instrument that hinges on the personal one on one relationship between the Dom and his sub, and its role and significance could vary from couple to couple. It is up to you and your partner to attach meaning to this tool, one that will enrich the D/s experience for both of you.

TV Trivia Night at Cafe LaPe'rouse at Austin

A report by guest blogger Melinda Nyn on the TV Trivia Night held at Cafe LaPe'rouse @ Austin on December 1, 2014 at 6 pm SLT.

Gnashing of teeth and whirling brains could be heard and sensed at Austin on Monday when Mili Adored and  Sage (SageWisdom) ran a TV Trivia quiz.

People were slow to arrive but soon the room was filling fast, and the somewhat unusual seats in front of the stage almost ran out as more and more people flocked in to test their TV Trivia knowledge.  The quiz team themselves were sprawled on a set very reminiscent of the Johnny Carson show. The view of the  New York skyline  (I think, but as a Brit how should i know?) was breathtaking.

The questions were easy for some; very difficult for others.  At the end of each, as the answer appeared, it was announced that a random person, who had got it right, was the winner. So each of us had a chance of being up front - provided we knew the answer!

How difficult were they? Well, being a Brit it wasn't easy as some programmes had never materialised over here. Yet some were easy, some were on the tip of my tongue but ... elusive!  They ranged from 'What was the last name of Rosanne's character in the show Roseanne? to 'Which spaceman said 'nanu nanu?' All questions were multiple choice so some who hadn't a clue were still able to amass points!

After two rounds it was the visitors who were victorious - Darla Lacombe won the first game and her partner, Johnny Avon, the second.

All in all it was a fun event and we are all looking forward to the Movie Trivia Quiz which is happening  next Thursday, 11th December.

- Melinda Nyn

Master Ceremony of Lazarus Quixote at Roissy Val d'Oise

L to R: ThomasX Xue, Nara (nara1 Resident), René (geir Resident)
Vette (yvetteSapphyre Resident), Lazarus Quixote, Kurt (Kurt8 Resident)

I attended the Master Ceremony for Lazarus Quixote in Roissy Val d'Oise at the invitation of Vette (yvetteSapphyre Resident).

As always, I was entranced by the beauty of the grounds in the sim, and I followed a heavy stream of people to the Chateau Patio, where we sat down on chairs and pillows to await the beginning of the ceremony.

The event was heavily attended

My Linda Lou could not attend, but Melinda joined me and knelt at my left, and we proceeded to do the usual round robin greeting of incoming guests.

Melinda Nyn joined me at the event.

The ceremony started with an introduction by Thomas (ThomasX Xue), the Dom Supervisor, who summarized the meaning of the ceremony and the significance of the attainment by Lazarus of the title Master of the Chateau.

He was followed by René (geir Resident), the sim owner, who thanked everyone for their contribution to the success of the community

Vette talking about the final task

Samois Supervisor and O Aspirante Vette was the next to stand and speak, as she was the sister assigned for Lazarus' final task, and she had nothing but praise for the candidate, noting that "He did not just come to me and say you have been assigned to me for my final task. Instead He came to me as a respectful dom and asked to dance and spend time getting to know each other and build a scene with all the elements required in the written assigned task."

She was followed by the guest speaker, Kurt (Kurt8 resident), a master at the sim, who gave a personal account of his very positive interactions with Lazarus, concluding that "It is not common for the dominants to get to know much about each other. But Lazarus is not only the type of person who we know as intelligent, witty, caring and dedicated, he is also someone we want to be close to and someone we feel good to be around as well."

A toast to the new Master

Finally, the audience gave a toast to the new Master, who gave a heartfelt speech to thank people in the community who had helped him achieve his goal.

This ended the formal part of the ceremony, and people started to stream to the Chateau Gardens, where live music and dancing capped the eventful and exciting night!

The dance with live music after.

Joint events between BDSM Sims in Second Life

Crux Maximus and Buster Norse led a great discussion on D/s Ethics

I should take note of a discussion that was held on November 21 at Cafe LaPe'rouse @ Austin. The subject was on "D/s Ethics: Doms & Extortion", and it was hosted by Crux Maximus and Buster Norse, who was represented as an Omega Facilitator.

I had initially been intrigued by the use of the word "extortion" in the context of a D/s relationship, but I realized quickly that this event was also special in that it was a coordinated venture between two independent groups in SL: Cafe O and Omega Library.

It is of course fairly common to see the same people attending different discussions and events in multiple sims, but the holding of joint events seems to be far less common, and something which in my opinion should be held more often.

There are several advantages to this.

First, it avoids creating repetitious discussions or events.

Second, it creates synergy between the participating organizations, where the abilities of various people are put to good use cooperating in setting up the event, rather than competing against one another.

Third, it exposes members of the different groups to other sims that they may not have visited or known about before.

Fourth, such events generally will have a much larger audience, due to the notices sent to all the groups involved, with all the attendant advantages of having a larger number of participants.

Fifth, such event coordination fosters overall cooperation and communication between the various BDSM related sims.

All these advantages were in full display during the discussion at Cafe O, so much so that I wondered whether greater cooperation between sims, or even a loose overarching organization that coordinates between the sims, would be the way to go in future.

Dominant warning signs for submissives and slaves in Second Life

This a growing list that I'll add to once in awhile. My personal opinion only.

1. He shelters you from your friends or from meeting new people

2. He is moody. He has emotional mood swings.

3. He cannot be bothered to focus his attention on you during scening.

4. He does not believe in limits in SL and is color blind when it comes to safewords.

5. He loves taking you to laggy fuck sims all the time.

6. He spends an inordinate amount of time in SL. Being well-rounded means having a sane balance between your SL and RL lives. Problems in RL sooner or later manifest themselves in SL.

7. He wants to collar you approximately one hour into a conversation. This either means you are the greatest thing since they invented California rolls or he has really low standards. Take your pick.

8. He has a quick turnover of lovers, sub, slaves, or has a huge harem whose members go in and out all the time.

9. His avatar looks like a noob. If he can't be bothered to improve himself, why do you think he would even bother to try to improve and help you?

10. His definition of slexing is restricted to jumping on poseballs and uttering one liners until he gets his wank on.

11. He loves boasting about his conquests and BDSM skills.

12. He has no payment information on his avatar. This either means he has a main somewhere that he is hiding from you, or he has manna falling from heaven (in which case, you had better jump and marry this guy)

13. He likes throwing you way past your limits and later says it's because he's teaching you new things and helping you grow.

14. He thinks you giving an opinion or constructive suggestion is topping from the bottom or you being a bratty sub.

15. He loves tagging himself as a Master, or naming himself as one.

16. He puts down other Doms for no solid reason...other than to elevate himself.

17. He thinks of you more as an experimental subject or wank toy rather than someone who can learn and grow with him.

Sister Graduation of Blue Ronsein at RoissyVDO

We attended the Sister Graduation of Blue Ronsein at Roissy VDO.

The proceedings were held in the lush gardens in front of the Chateau Roissy, with two sections of chairs facing a red-carpeted platform with an elevated runway.

My Linda Lou had the chance to go inworld, so after doing some laps on a new bike track at Serpents Harbor, we TP'ed to her private sandbox, where she changed onto a resplendent shimmery gown.

MK and Linda

The ceremony began with the main participants walking along the elevated platform to the raised dais, where they sat on chairs and cushions before the ceremony began. Gillian Darkwatch (Gillian Gemini) guided Blue to a cushion before one of her teachers.

Samois Supervisor Vette (yvetteSapphyre Resident) began the proceedings, then introduced Maitre Thomas (ThomasX Xue). The next to talk was Kurt (kurt8 Resident), who started by talking about his pupil's progress, before giving his whole-hearted recommendation that she join the Roissy Val d'Oise select Sisterhood. Sister Nara (nara1 Resident) then gave her own thoughts about training Blue and also recommended that Blue be admitted to the sisterhood, before sim owner René (geir Resident) confirmed her as a Sister.

The ceremony was moving and the lush surroundings definitely added a lot to the proceedings. Although Linda could not stay long enough to finish it, I was very glad my baby girl could at least join me at the beginning.

Oring ceremony for Jen Umaga at Cafe O

I attended the Oring ceremony for Jen Umaga at Cafe O.

I believe I had stumbled on one of these at one time awhile back without knowing what it was, but this time, after confirming with the Valet Rodney McGimsie that the event was open to all, my attendance was deliberate. The place was packed, and slightly laggy, but I found the speeches heartfelt and moving, the cheers and applause genuine and full of joy, and I enjoyed the feeling of camaraderie that permeated the air.

Congratulations to Jen on her new status as an o-girl!

Ratzu, Ivy1, Jen, and Meme (Sozome)

Alice in BDSM Land

Linda is a tireless explorer of various sims, and recently she has been seeking out all the nooks and crannies hidden at Cafe O.

I tasked her yesterday with collecting all the sites at Cafe O that she finds into a box of landmarks, and being the obedient girl that she is, she reported back to me only a few hours later with more than twenty LMs!

Later that night I took the time to try out the various LMs, and found an eclectic collection of rooms and places scattered throughout the sim, including a gargantuan tree house, a naughty cowgirl barn and farm, various caves decorated with D/s furniture and weird abandoned statuary, and bedrooms located high up in medieval towers and forest glens.

My favorite room however, was accessible only via a tiny doorway beneath the grinning visage of a cheshire cat. I crawled through the door and suddenly found myself in a room dedicated to the adventures of Alice in Wonderland - but with an erotic twist!

I have to admit that I had a slight crush on the fictional Alice when I was a kid, so I rather enjoyed the various paintings that graced the walls of that hidden room.

Alice in BDSM Land

Alice in BDSM Land

Abandoned statues

Melinda's Tree House

BDSM Events Calendars in Second Life

Discussion at the D/s Academy

I attended discussions about D/s over the last week in several second life sims. My reasoning for doing so are pretty obvious. I think learning more about something that forms a significant part of you, and which could have strong effects on your life and the lives of others who interact with you, is a never ending process, and one that involves an open and honest exchange of ideas with others.

The first event I attended was a discussion about the role of love in D/s on November 3, and it was hosted by Ratzu Darkstone and held at Cafe LaPe'rouse @ Austin Island. All talks were held in text chat.

The second was also a text chat discussion, and also at Cafe LaPe'rouse @ Austin Island. It was hosted by Lilian Howley on November 4, and people discussed the significance and importance of kneeling in the context of a D/s relationship.

The third was a freestyle discussion on November 7 about BDSM and D/s topics in general at !Omega D/s Library. It was hosted by Musetta Fieschi in voice and text chat, and the topics moved from the downtrend in attendance in RP BDSM sims, to the avoidance of predators in the D/s community at large.

Finally, I attended a discussion at the D/s Academy on November 8 that focused on the phenomenon of "brats" in the D/s community. This was hosted by Zano Irata and was held using both voice and text chat.

I will note at this time some of the advantages of doing discussions in voice or text chat.

Discussions using voice tend to be more natural and fast paced. You have a better sense of the people who are interacting with you. Because of the intimate feel and fast pace of the discussions, there is also less chance of some people getting bored with the discussion.

On the other hand, discussions in text chat tend to be more structured and the ideas more well-thought out and presented. The other advantage of text chat discussion of course is that you automatically have precise notes on the topic discussed for latter study if you so desired.

One thing I found out is that there are quite a number of very good discussions held by various respectable BDSM sims in Second Life, and I decided in the interest of helping others out that it would be a good idea to list the calendar of events for some of the sims that aren't simply what I would call fuck and run sims. These are the top end sims in SL with regards to D/s, and as a result the discussions and opportunities for learning are top notch as well.

Thanks to Kittie (Marionette Melody) for several of the URLs. Please feel free to suggest other calendars by IMing my main avatar.

The Art of Submission

BDSM Lifestyle Learning Center at House of V

Cafe LaPe'rouse @ Austin Island

D/s Academy

Femdom Dominion

The Gateway

Omega D/s Library

Roissy En France

Roissy Val d'Oise (VDO)

A quick tour of Roissy Val d'Oise, a Story of O sim.

I took some time to do a quick tour of another Story of O sim in Second Life called Roissy Val d'Oise. The slurl is here. and their website is here.

My courteous tour guide was the debutante Sweet (sweetbabyblues resident), who was kind enough to take the time to escort me throughout the beautiful grounds of the sim. She answered my questions about the rules of the group, as well as some of the procedures and protocols involved in gaining admittance.

A new visitor lands in a large rectangular courtyard, with shops lining the sides and a row of signs that can give out information about the group and sim, as well as application forms for those wishing to participate in it. From this central area, winding paths twist and turn alongside clear blue streams and lead to the major buildings and other structures, including the Samois and the Chateau itself. The sim also offers large cottages for rent.

I have to admit the well maintained grounds and the loving attention to detail bestowed upon the buildings and other structures make this one of the most beautiful sims I have ever visited, and the varied Fall colors of the leaves made the walk through the stone paths almost magical.

At the end of the tour, I wished Sweet good luck on her upcoming Initiation, when she will pass from becoming a Debutante to a Demoiselle, then quickly retraced the route and took pics.

Some pics of a few of the major buildings are posted below:

The Chapel

The Chateau

The path leading to the Chateau

The ballroom

Cottages for rent

Samois

A path with a winding stream.

Watching the start of the Story of O in the sim movie house.

Auction at Cafe LaPe'rouse @Austin

Auction boards were on display for one month

I attended the the final auction at Cafe LaPe'rouse @Austin on the afternoons of October 11 and 12, 2014, which was part of their 6th anniversary celebrations. For one month preceding the final auction, boards showing the people for auction had been on display on a wall behind the Cafe. People could bid on the boards, which gave out note cards detailing information about the person being auctioned.

The Cafe is a well done sim with one of the friendlier rez points for new visitors. When someone first rezzes in, they are greeted by a map of the entire place, along with lines showing the route of the metro rail, There is also comprehensive information in note cards about the group, and a stand that holds the group's newsletter.

Rez point for new visitors

I was also impressed by the metro train that runs from one end of the sim to the other.

Metro that runs across sim

During the final auction, which was held over two consecutive days, Cafe LaPe'rouse's Ratzu Darkstone displayed each board in turn with the help of o-girl Ivy, and everyone in attendance placed their final bids.

The presentation was done in voice, but everyone was free to communicate in voice or general chat. I came about 30 minutes late on the first day, and Linda (lb burnstein) joined in the festivities about 15 minutes later.

MK and Linda at the Final Auction Day 1

I enjoyed it. I had been visiting the Cafe LaPe'rous @Austin for a few weeks now, and so I knew some of the people in the crowd. I have found the group to be very well organized and quite active, and friendly towards visitors. They put out regular newsletters, have a yearbook, and just put out a cookbook as well! You can view a list of activities at the sim here.

The bidding was fast and furious during that first day, and laughter and hilarity were staples for the day. The top bids were on one event with Ratzu Darkstone, with the bids topping out at more than 10,000 L, but some of the o-girls attracted very handsome bounties as well. I won Linda, who captivated the crowd with her dark red gown and southern belle accent, by bidding 8000 L for a 2 hour session with her, and I'm sure I will thoroughly enjoy that date as well!

Thanks to Ivy1 and Melinda Nyn especially for information on the festivities. The seats were quite comfy and a good time was had by all.

Ratzu Darkstone presides over the bidding.

The bidding for the lovely Melinda Nyn begins!

Omega D/s Library

As I noted in a previous post about the Ugajin Library in Xaara, I have always enjoyed settling down with a good read and expanding my knowledge about D/s and BDSM in general. Thus, I am always on the lookout for new places that can cater to this predilection of mine, and I was fortunate enough this week to be introduced to the Omega D/s Library, which has been around since 2006 (an amazing run given the brief lifespan of most sims in Second Life) and touts itself as the largest repository of BDSM material in SL.

The library is housed in an enormous structure with high ceilings, comfortable seating, and wall to wall wooden bookcases. The ambiance is elegant and refined, with a vaguely European decor and chairs that automatically shove a book up your nose when you sit ;-)

Most of the bookcases are  non-functional and serve mainly as decoration, and the visitor needs to mosey on over to the cases near the fireplace, which do serve up note cards with the chosen literature when you click on them. I particularly like the fact that the scripts show how many times a particular topic has been requested by patrons.

In addition to the library itself, the sim houses a garden, a dungeon, and various other areas for relaxation and play. It also hosts discussions about BDSM topics during the week.

I am indebted to DixieDoolittle for being kind enough to invite me and show me around the place, and for Careena1 for throwing a dominant tag my way (perhaps after inhaling all the leather smells wafting around as I jigged and jagged at the House of V dance floor).

Oh, and thanks to Ema1983 for warning me about that damn Truth Ball...nosey little thing that asked such perverted questions that I almost fainted in shock!