I am using this beautiful skin by SimplySilent whilst I am coding a skin for the group. And, this skin really is beautiful.
We had some wonderful entries from our Masquerade Contest recently and, after much deliberation, the winner and runner up have been chosen. Before announced, take a look at all of the entries:
Life's MasqueradeMother said to play the part
Destiny had predetermined all for me;
She smoothed my gown
With the back of a weathered hand
And softly spoke as though
I might better understand.
“Now, my child,” she began to sing,
“Of countenance and character fair,
Never before you has a better yet
Lived. Look to the world, and see
The pain all the others must share;
You are blessed, my darling daughter,
For you live without a care.
Pride yourself in the pain you do not know
And pray that your beauty will continue to grow;
Tact is your talent, and grace your goodness as well,
Too marvelous to be measured or ever compared.
Enjoy tonight and dance as if all the world
Is watching, for I know they all wish to be just like you.
I will leave and let you dress, my blessed girl.”
My eyes follow her as she departs
And wait until she disappears
To shed the saddest and most helpless tears;
Mother thinks all the world my name desires,
Though I would give anything to not be me;
Mother thinks
A Man's MasqueradeHe takes my hand and guides me
To the center of the ballroom floor;
My flushed face darkens with blush
As I steel myself and prepare to soar
To the heights of this new wonder,
To the zenith of attraction’s first touch;
Dreaminess clouds my outlined eyes
As I am awakened by initial lust.
Foolish thing am I to think myself worthy
Of his gaze; yet, I find myself underneath his stare
As he twirls me without hesitation or care
For the rest of the word, the onlookers envious
Of the infatuation I revere with the greatest elation
As all admire their first looks at love.
He studies my thoughtful eyes through a mask of lace,
Offering particular attention to no other part of my face
As he guesses what I hide, what I conceal with pride
For my own furiously racing heart’s sake;
He finds in me a kind of innocent fancy,
Though this is the least he might expect;
He knows how to woo, to charm, and to please-
He had known the easy prey I could become
The very moment we had incidentally met.
Masquerade in FreefallTired of all the lies
Fooled by your wandering eyes
For too long;
It’s time to reinvent this masquerade
Ashamed of what I’ve done
Confused with that I’ve become
Do I care anymore?
I’ll own this charade
My masks are now my own
Each one I will condone
You think I’m lying?
I know I am
But I’m not hiding
I’m through with fighting
I’ll lay the facts down
According to my own plan
The mask among my friends
Will lead me to new ends
I‘m fearless, dauntless
With whispers I’m through
The guise with my elders
Is me fluffing my feathers
Take a look at my achievements,
For they all surpass you
The façade around strangers
Is rarely in danger
I’m wild and free
Who is that girl?
Around my family, I'm angelic
My former self is a relic
I'll craft my own masks
And sell them to the world
I’m masked by the truth
Through murmurs of my youth
I’m unashamed, really
This is my dance
You think I’m crazy
My mind is far from ha
Masquerade MusingsSee her dance,<da:thumb id="483761507"/><da:thumb id="482483701"/>
And hear her laugh;
See her spin
On a shapely calf;
The mask she holds
Within her hand
Hides the past
Of a broken woman
Though all the world
Is allowed only to see
Her smile and step and twirl;
They revere her grace
And praise her appearance,
And all the gentleman
Line up for the next dance;
Yet, secretly she thinks
She would rather be alone
Where she could shield
Herself from the chandelier’s light
And slip into the darkness,
A bitter creation all her own;
Though, this masquerade allows
No such place or pause,
And so she is forced to dance
And accept the shallow applause.
See her dance,
But hear not her sigh;
Look to the embellished mask,
But see not the crystal tear
Behind the satin she cries.
We DanceWe dance to the left,
We dance to the right,
We dance though out the night.
The lies clap along,
With the imaginary beat,
While our miseries stamp their feet.
All the guests hide,
behind masks of pride,
Walking with misleading strides.
This ball will last till lights out,
Then start from dawn once again,
This masquerade will be the end to us all.
My Mask and the Universe's MasqueradeSitting in my room, on my bed surrounded by memories, I cried.
I cried selfishly.
'Crying for yourself, how disgusting!' Voices rang in my head, I had to agree with them.
I could of been crying for all the other people worse off than me.
For the little boy, smiling when all he really wanted to do was bust into tears.
For that teen girl, slathering on make up, trying to be what she's not.
For that one man, who seems to have it all, when all he actually has is that single picture frame.
Yet here I am, crying for me, myself and I.
So I stop, hiccuping, I straighten up, rubbing away my tears.
Getting up, my resolve hardens.
'I will do this!' I know that it will hurt me, to my very core, though I don't particularly care.
Walking to my door, I open it revealing the world out side. It's bright, unlike my room and my mind.
I smile, when all I want to do is frown.
I laugh, when all I want to do is cry.
I put up this mask, and join the universe's masquerade.
The only evidence of the events that
Winner
<da:thumb id="483761507"/>
- 100
from pixiepot - A feature from pixiepot
- A free portrait commission from pixiepot (See examples here)
- 1
(See here)
runner-up
<da:thumb id="482483701"/>
(See Thank you to all of the other entries.
You all did wonderful jobs and choosing our winners was incredibly difficult. You will all be rewarded with 1 
(see here).Skin by SimplySilent
