Styling your Second Life with Firehorse

This weeks styling your second life has been the most difficult for me to put together, this week I’ve approached the furry side of Second Life. I’ve always admired the many and various furry avs and, generally, I have got on very well with the furries I’ve met, but there is a noticeable separation of human/furry ways. As human you may be tolerated in furry places, but chances are you won’t feel like you quite fit, and as I found out, the same goes when you are wearing fur in places aimed mostly at human avs.
Furry is a lifestyle choice I am not sure I totally understand, but then I don’t quite get the impulse that makes people be dragons, tinies or robots – it’s not a judgement thing, I just don’t get it. I admire the avs, (and now the nerve) that these choices involve but it just isn’t me.
Having said that it is lots of fun and with a bit of searching you can pick up quite a lot of furry stuff for free – it isn’t always as easy to find as the other freebies we’ve looked at but it is there and if you are polite I’ve found the furry community are happy to help. Once people knew I was looking I had several offers of free avs from individuals but if you are shy then there are places to pick them up.
There are free avs at Sarah Nerds NineInchFreebies (see sarah nerds profile picks for the landmark). Here you will find Grendels Childrens Ja Ja Binks “furry” av, amongst other bits and pieces. Also there is a huge box of over seventy free furry avatars at the Northstar Mall (warning this is not a PG mall) as well as a good selection of very cute avatars at Waggytails II.
Once you are snug in your fur vist Luskwood – not only are the people there very friendly and welcoming but the sim is absolutely beautiful – one of the most entrancing places I’ve visited.
I asked what groups are good for people who are new to the furry lifestyle to join and got a few suggestions, the luskwood group, rocket city group and the NorthStar group (again be warned this group is not always PG).
As you can see my kitty was rather lovely ( the first time in my SL I haven’t been a red head) and drew lots of admiring comments.

Going furry feels like a big step if you are usually human on SL but take the chance, it is a wonderful experience – a whole different community to explore and as I say, a very welcoming one. Yes, FurNation can be a bit intimidating for people new to the life style – yes it isn’t PG, but if you can cope with the banter and the leg pulling then you will be quickly made welcome and as I said I can not praise highly enough the good folk at Luskwood, the welcome is warm and before long you will forget your misgivings and be enjoying one of the wonderful alternative lifestyles that Second Life allows us to experience.

Finding a Furred Avatar (Do You Love the Skin You’re In Part 2)

Some friends and I were recently talking about articles in the SLN, and I mentioned Dashwood Dayafter’s article, “Do You Love the Skin You’re In,” of which the topic had also recently been discussed on Second Life TV. Discussing it, it was suggested I do an article about finding a “furry” avatar.
If you’re looking for a furred avatar, especially if it is going to be the one you'll be using all the time in Second Life, selecting one can depend on a number of factors. Cash is one consideration, as some avatars sell for over a thousand lindens. If you’re short on cash, there are some halfway decent free ones out there. I saw one newcomer at Luskwood ask about them and got a good purple catgirl avie from someone for free, as well as a squirrely one.
Then there’s what kind of appearance do you want? Felines and Canids are the most popular, but vendor machines have all kinds (skunk, mouse, bat, panda, etc.) and usually in a variety of colors.
And exactly how do you want your appearance? Some vendors go for cute and cartoony. Others go for a more balanced look. And if by chance you can’t find something you’re looking for, some builders will take the job of making a custom one for you.

One other question, especially for the guys, is how clothes will fit on you. A guy who plans on going to formal parties may want to stick with something that has legs very close in shape to normal human avatars as tuxedo pants will not fit a digitgrade.
That tail of yours will also be sticking out of whatever you wear, as will any hairs on places on your body. The adjustable option for your clothes will be very convenient, if not a must. For a fashion designer, the furry male can be something of a challenge.

Do you have or are planning on getting a job? Obviously, if you’re looking for a position as a bouncer in a club, a big wolf looks better than a small mouseboy.

Some furred avatars can also do things normal human skins can’t. Some have ears that can fold back or automatically wiggle. Tails in some can wag. Some as they walk around can temporarily leave footprints on the ground. Skunks can spray. Bats have flapable wings and can fly around in a more natural looking manner. There are also furred avies with a “feral” option, able to run around on all fours like an animal avatar, as well as on two like a human.

There are numerous places where one can get a furred avatar. Regrettably, a few of these places also cater to customers with risque tastes (at least one puts that stuff in it’s own room). Two with strict policies on clean items are Luskwood and Rocket City. Luskwood, the home of Luskwood Creatures and Luskwood Bunkies, only offer their own avatars for sale, but the place is also a social hangout, and one can get advice about avatars from the people there, as well as get a look at numerous avatars being worn. Rocket City has vendor machines from a number of avatar makers, furred and a few nekos. They also have some attachments such as flex-tails, and a little clothing. This is among the best places to shop for a furred avie, if not the best.

For myself, I went with the Luskwood Red Fox, substituting the tail that came with it with a “Flex-Tail” from Rocket City. It doesn’t have a lot of frills, but I like it as it seems to suit me, being part “redneck,” as well as a sci-fi fan. Most clothes I come across fit it okay, though the pant bottoms can be a problem sometimes.
Since getting it, it has been "me" in Second Life.
Some people I know have also stuck with their first avatar as their main one. Others have changed it as they acquired more cash, going either for another brand of the same kind that they thought looked a little better to them, or something else entirely.
A friend of mine whom I met as a skunkboy later changed to a fox, then got another brand with a slightly different look.
One can also buy additional avatars to wear on occasion much like one would wear a set of clothes, such as for a costume party, RPing, etc. Or they may change to keep from being bored with a particular look. Most still have one they see as their identity in SL. But some never do settle on a single appearance, buying a number over time and changing their forms when the mood strikes them. One lady I know who calls herself a “shapeshifter” says she has over 50 avatars, furred, free, and otherwise.

So whether you plan to have a furred avatar as your only one, or just something to wear once in a while, put a little thought in what you want.

Bixyl Shuftan