We are Who We are Because They Were Who They Were
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About the Images
One of the things I love most about Second Life is the freedom to become whoever—or whatever—we imagine. In this post, we’re stepping back in time to meet Serena’s great-great-grandmother, Margaret Delaney. The story unfolds below.
The inspiration for these images came from this beautiful new Edwardian-style dress by Belle Epoque. The moment I saw it, I knew I had to feature it. The dress includes a crisp white blouse with a large, elegant bow at the neckline, paired with your choice of fourteen skirt colors ranging from soft pastels to rich, moody tones. You can find it now at the current round of We Love Roleplay (WLRP).
I wanted Margaret’s face to resemble Serena’s, while still maintaining her own unique appearance. To do that, I chose a different skin—the lovely Ninel skin by Glam Affair, which was available at the most recent round of The Fifty. Although that event has ended, I expect the skin will be available at Glam Affair’s mainstore very soon.
Full credits are below the story. Store and event SLurls are available on the Store & Event Links page.
The Story
The sun was slanting in through the kitchen windows, turning the dust in the air to gold, when Serena arrived at her mother’s house with a basket of fresh scones and a jar of raspberry jam.
Claire greeted her with a tight hug and a smile. “I’ve been cleaning out the upstairs closet,” she said, brushing dust from her hands. You won’t believe what I’ve found.
After tea and scones at the kitchen table, Claire led Serena to the living room, where a battered photo album rested on the ottoman. The cover was cracked leather, soft with age, and the pages inside were thick and yellowed, the corners curling.
“I haven’t looked through this in years,” Claire said, flipping the album open carefully. “These are all from my grandmother’s side. Most were taken well before I was born.”
Serena crossed her legs beneath her as they began to turn the pages. Black and white portraits, faded handwriting, sepia landscapes. Young couples with solemn eyes. Children posed stiffly beside lace-curtained windows. Men in uniforms, women in high collars.
Then Claire stopped. “Wait,” she whispered, tapping a photograph lightly with her finger. “Look at this one.”
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Serena leaned in for a closer look. The photo was small and oval-shaped, mounted in a paper frame that had yellowed around the edges. A young woman stared out. Her hair was pinned back in a tight bun under a straw hat, and she wore a light-colored dress with a large bow tied at her neck. Her eyes were pale, her expression calm but serious.
Serena stared.
It wasn’t just a family resemblance. It was uncanny. The woman in the photo looked just like her. The same heart-shaped face, the same cheekbones, and gray eyes. Even the arch of her brows was the same.
“Who is she?” Serena asked, voice quiet. “I mean, who was she?”
Claire adjusted her glasses. “That was Margaret Delaney—my grandmother’s mother. She died young, only in her thirties. I don’t know much about her except that she was said to be… unusual. Kept to herself. People whispered she had a sixth sense, though no one would ever say what that meant.”
Serena reached out and brushed her fingers across the edge of the photo. “It’s like looking in a mirror.”
Claire nodded. “I always thought you looked more like my side of the family, but never this much. I mean… she could be you, in costume.”
“Was she a witch?” Serena said it lightly, half-joking, but something in her chest fluttered.
Claire chuckled, then hesitated. “Funny you say that. There are stories, though I never paid much attention to them. One of the older cousins said Margaret could predict storms days before they came. And that she’d stand at the edge of the woods and talk to birds. You know how crazy family legends are.”
Serena didn’t reply right away. She continued to stare at the photograph. The woman’s expression held something—an awareness, a quiet certainty—the kind of look Serena had seen in the mirror.
“She has your look when you’re thinking,” Claire said softly. “That faraway look, as if you’re listening to something no one else can hear.”
Serena flipped to the back of the photo. In faded ink, someone had written, Margaret E. Delaney, 1901. Age 27.
“I want to learn more about her,” she said. “I wonder if any of her letters or journals survived.”
“I might have something,” Claire said. “I haven’t gone through all the boxes yet. Some of them belonged to my mother, and I just stacked them in the attic. We can look.”
Serena smiled faintly, still holding the album open. “You know, I’ve always felt like some parts of me didn’t quite fit the modern world. As if I were carrying something old around with me…”
Claire tilted her head. “Maybe you are. Some say we carry our ancestors with us.”
They sat in silence for a while, the old photo album between them. Outside, the wind stirred the branches of the trees, and somewhere, a bird called, sharp and high, like a bell echoing from the past.
CREDITS
Serena
Silvery K Straw Hat Daisy
Angel Eyes Messy 20 Hairbase
TRUTH Puppet (bangs only)
IKON Reign Eyes
Glam Affair Ninel NEW
Yummy Pearl Earrings
Belle Epoque Mary (NEW @ WLRP)
Ariskea Cherry Blossom Bouquet
Pose
Secret Poses Nina (slightly modded by holdable)
Scene
Photographed at Luane’s World – Le Monde Perdu
For other items worn, please see About the Characters.
For store SLurls, please visit the Store & Event Links page.
The quote, “A garden of purple is always in bloom,” is attributed to an unknown author.
