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Susurrus
by Azure Arther
“Names were a thing that made no sense to Abernathy. He was a nightmare and nightmares were all the same, until they weren’t.”
The nightmare slurped the last drop of fear just as the man died. The essence was bitter, full of regret and sadness and the terror of not reaching the heights one had planned. It wasn’t his best meal, but the nightmare was eating just to eat at this point. He placed one hoof on the man’s head and pressed, tentatively at first, then with all the weight of a full grown pegasus. Heavy.
There was a satisfying crunch and the nightmare moved on. No necromancy would bring his enemies back to life. No god would return a favorite warrior to battle. The nightmare left nothing. He was the stallion of dread, the harbinger of fright. He was—
“Bernie!” a voice called from farther away, drawing the nightmare’s attention. He looked around the cluttered battlefield, where he and the girl had killed her enemies. His enemies now. Dead men lay in the grass, across each other, some caught in mid-run, others with sword in their hand. All of them wore the emblazoned livery of the king, but they were not soldiers. The wagon that had carried the mercenaries was on its side, its horses having run from—
“Bernie? Abernathy.” The girl’s voice was impatient as usual, laced with urgency, entitlement, no fear. The nightmare sighed and turned towards her. He tossed his mane, and flowed across the shadows on the ground, silken, pitch, a soft rustle that strikes fear in the middle of the night, when sleep has just barely claimed its due.
“Bernie!” Kyra was in front of him now. Her black leather pants glistened in places, someone else’s blood, but she was unharmed. There was no need for her to call him so urgently. She craned her neck to look up at him and stomped one foot.
“I know you heard me,” Kyra said. Abernathy chuffed her braids and spread his wings. Kyra rolled her eyes.
“Bernie…tone it down. Look.” She held up her hands. Nestled between her long, brown fingers was a kitten. The tiny beast hissed and recoiled in fear, spitting and scratching at Kyra until she let it go. It raced off.
“I just spent five minutes coaxing it from under the barn, Bern!” Kyra groaned.
Abernathy tapped one hoof on the ground and looked meaningfully at the bodies.
“Yes, I already took everything of value.”
He lay one ear back and clicked his teeth at her.
“Fine.” Kyra stomped over to the bodies, doing one last check. She was tiny in comparison to the corpses, and even though she was still a child, Abernathy knew she would not be much larger when she was fully grown. She found a few rings and a missed change purse, a belt buckle that could be sold, two good pairs of leather boots to be traded. Abernathy pressed his nose to a particularly warm cloak and coughed. Kyra frowned when he stared at her.
“Ugh. Then I have to wash it.”
Abernathy nodded his large head in agreement.
“You know all this stuff has to go on your back, right?”
Abernathy lowered his front legs, carefully bowing so that Kyra could load the bags on. She looked around the farm before anxiously looking back at him. “Do you think I should let the farm family know it’s okay to come out?’
Abernathy bared his teeth and Kyra nodded. “Okay.”
The nightmare whinnied softly, and Kyra nodded again. She climbed on his back and with a running leap, Abernathy shot into the sky, his wings unfurling. He felt the air, cold here, colder there, and finally, a warm updraft allowed him to glide. The magic that hid him from the humans would hide Kyra too. She bundled into the woolen cloak that smelled of man, lay across his neck, and went to sleep.
* * *
It was Kyra who named him. She was a small human at the time but had been with him for several of her human years at that point. For much of their first years together, she had called him “horse,” “Blackie,” “Wings,” and other things, but finally, she had decided he needed an actual and permanent name. Abernathy disagreed.
“You need a name,” she had indicated, her words careful and clipped, in the way speakers of foreign languages tend to overenunciate. Abernathy had given her speech in a dream, several dreams, many nights of patient fostering of human language that he had stolen from others. She spoke many of their dialects now, knew how to cook, how to maid to another human who felt they were superior to other humans, which wasn’t possible, and how to do a myriad of other things. Sometimes they were fanciful ideas, and others were necessary requirements, like how to bind a wound, and what herbs would keep it from festering.
But names. Names were a thing that made no sense to Abernathy. He was a nightmare and nightmares were all the same, until they weren’t.
Abernathy shook his head when she stated he needed one. She had already been named Kyra when they met. He assumed her parents provided her with the name. She did not need to name him, as well.
“Yes, you do. I am Kyra and this is my noble steed, the nightmare, does have a fancy ring to it. I agree with that.” Kyra was braiding her hair, sitting in the warm stable-like cave they called home. Half of the fluffy cloud of black, shiny strands stood up and out, coiled in places, straight in others, but the rest was deftly folding into neat cornrows. She changed her and, unfortunately, Abernathy’s hair often. “But you need a name I can call you, one that isn’t anyone’s but mine.”
Abernathy had shaken his head again, adding a firm stomp, an agitated tail swish, and a heavy snort, but Kyra had stood firm. “I’m going to call you Abernathy, like the great sage. Bernie for short.”
Thus, he acquired the name, and accepted it, as he accepted everything else that Kyra chose.
* * *
Abernathy paced when they landed outside Unan, and the marketplace Kyra was only allowed to go to thrice a year. They lived too close for people to see them too often. He tossed his head twice. The midafternoon sun provided excellent shadows for them to hide in, yet she insisted on entering the sunlight, to cross the field of bright green, into the town.
“I’ll be careful.” Kyra said, sliding from his back, her voice soothing, with a slight note of impatience, as usual. “I’m always careful.”
Abernathy shimmered to shadow, translucent, unseen by the regular human eye. Kyra glared at him.
“No. I don’t need you kicking down stalls and trampling people just because a vendor haggles too hard.”
Abernathy snorted and stomped a foot.
“You did too.”
He turned his head. It had only happened once.
“Just… stay here, Bernie, okay? I’ll be alright.” Kyra patted down the pockets of her pants, checked the weapons holster at her side, and hefted the bag. She called back as she walked away, “In and out. I’m going to grab some sugar and apples for you, some wool to make socks, and some brine for our salted meat. Winter is coming. Oh! And no overhead either! I’m fine.”
Abernathy watched from the trees as she crossed the meadow, a small hunter with her goods, as noble a carriage as any royal. He whinnied softly as she walked away and tossed his head. Kyra was nothing more than a foal in many ways, a child in comparison to the youngest of nightmares. And humans were cruel.
The nightmare pawed the ground and paced for what felt like hours, but Kyra didn’t return. Finally, he shimmered completely, spread his wings, and launched into the air above the marketplace. She wouldn’t know if he had been overhead. He wouldn’t dive into the middle of the market this time. He wouldn’t upset Kyra. He wouldn’t act like an irrational horse. He was a nightmare. Nightmares were not irrational.
But he couldn’t see through the tents and stalls and poking his head through the fabrics was exhausting and felt silly. He landed and crept through Unan. It could have been one of any of the larger towns that Abernathy and Kyra had been through. Low cottages with neat paint and yards sprawled across the grounds before the town wall with smaller and more squalid lodging just along the interior, in the shadows of the bricks that protected the city. Farther in were small houses, minor shops, leading to gardens and larger houses, a tavern, an inn. Past that was the town square, the marketplace.
People shivered as he passed; babies cried; small children watched him with wide eyes. One woman clutched her chest, her breath coming in gasps. “I need to get him to make sure the baby is alright.” A man stared at his partner with suspicion in his eyes. “You’re cheating me, aren’t you?” The marketplace dissolved into bickering and fear at his presence. He moved quickly, drawing in his influence as best he could, the power that made him a nightmare allowing him to walk through people if he chose, but Kyra told him not to do that. It made humans feel like someone had walked over their grave, or as if Death himself had touched them.
He whinnied low and waited. Only Kyra would hear him. He flicked his ears forward, listening. To the sides, listening. Back, when he didn’t hear her. He breathed in deep, checking for her scent. Kyra smelled like shadows and spice, human and horse. Kyra smelled like—
“Abernathy?” she hissed and the nightmare froze. Kyra was behind him, but she didn’t smell very much like Kyra. “I told you to wait.”
He turned to look at her. Her braids were coiled on top of her head, and she wore a gown. She had bathed.
He nickered at her softly and placed his head on her shoulder. She reached up to pat his nose and sighed. “Now you’re gonna have me looking like I’m talking to myself.”
Around them, the marketplace had reached a fever pitch of fear and one group of men had begun to argue loudly.
“Fly, Bernie. I’ll be there in a second.”
Abernathy huffed, pressed his hooves into the cobblestones, and leaped into the sky. Kyra looked up at him, her brown eyes solemn. She looked presentable, Abernathy noticed. The cream dress she wore complemented her brown skin, and she had a basket on her arm.
* * *
He found Kyra on a dark and stormy night, the best kind of night, when shadows feed well, and children huddle in their beds, when burly human men sneak glances over their shoulders. The herd Abernathy traveled with was feeding at a castle. Nightmares were known for their work with sleep and dreams, but they fed on fear, and fear could be found in many places. There were always nightmares at the healers, the apothecary, and definitely hanging around during conflict and hostilities.
The castle was in chaos, a civil dispute turned battle turned war. There had been a coup. People were dying, and the herd was eating well. Battles were waged in all corners of the palace, but victory was very clearly going to be with those who were taking over. One king or another. Someone’s cousin, someone else’s third stepbrother five times removed. Abernathy hadn’t cared. He flit through the walls, spreading a miasma of fear and defeat, feeding on the run for the joy of running. He tore through stone, his shape flashing in and out of solidity. A meld here, a solid there. Through a bed here, destroy a tapestry there. He was having fun.
Until he burst into a grain storage, and almost trampled a very small, elaborately dressed, obvious princess, crying over a dead maid. She had looked right at Abernathy, no fear coming from her, just solemn, red-rimmed brown eyes. Her hands clenched and unclenched into tiny fists. He had been startled by her. She wasn’t the first human to see him; Some could, a touch of the sight, a bit of fae blood generations removed, a magic object, but she was definitely one of the few to not lose her mind at the sight, to not be so overcome with terror that she tore her eyes out or her hair or banged her head on the floor, the wall, a sharp object. She walked over to him, tilting her head back, small fists on her hips as she bent her spine to look up, up, up at him.
Her face was heart-shaped, with a tiny, pointed chin, round cheeks and bowed lips. She touched his leg and leaned to the side to look at his back half. He followed her gaze and huffed. He was halfway in and halfway out the wall. With a snort, the nightmare walked completely into the room.
“I need to get away before they find me. Can you help me?”
He could have ignored her. He should have ignored her, but it was at that moment soldiers burst into the room, and the before-he-was-named Abernathy bared his teeth in rage. He raised up on his back legs and trampled the three men before they had a chance to recognize what was happening. When he finished, he turned to look at the tiny child. Her elaborate clothing was splattered with blood.
“Thank you.” Even the girl’s voice was even small. What did he know of small humans? But more voices sounded in the corridors.
“Find the princess.”
“First General says he stabbed her maid before she went through a secret passageway. They can’t be out of the palace.”
“She’s the only heir left.”
“Please?” the girl whispered, and the nightmare sighed. He leaned over, folding his front legs, and tilted a wing down for her to climb up. When she was on his back, he focused, shimmered, and enveloped them both in his magic.
* * *
“I told you to stay.” Kyra was angry, pacing. She huffed and stomped a foot.
Abernathy stared at her with placid eyes.
“You made things so much worse. I was trying to get some gossip. I needed to— Ugh.”
Abernathy nudged his nose into one of the bags Kyra had tossed. He gently closed his teeth on the gown and tugged it out of the bag.
“Stop, Bernie!” Kyra rushed to his side, wresting the gown away from him. Her voice was defensive. “I just wanted a bath. You make better barter when you’re not dressed like a ragamuffin scavenger.”
Abernathy tilted his head and chuffed. Kyra glared at him. He stomped a foot.
“Fine. I just wanted to be clean.”
Abernathy turned his head.
“Don’t act like that, Bern.”
He flattened his ears and lifted a hind leg off the ground.
“Oh, don’t be mad.” Kyra was silent before she finally spoke, her voice quiet and contemplative. “I just wanted to see what it felt like, okay? I’ve been with you since I was four. I’m seventeen, Abernathy, and we rarely ever talk to humans, and I saw that shop, and the lady was so nice…”
Abernathy whinnied, a bit shrill, and lowered his hind leg. He kept his ears flat and leaned over to snap his teeth near her face.
“Yes, she could have been an enemy, and I know that, but I don’t think so, Bernie.”
Abernathy blew out all the air in his lungs and unfurled his wings, raising them high and lowering them in a sharp snap.
“True. Surprises happen.” Kyra shrugged. “I would’ve been okay, Bern.”
Abernathy neighed, shrill and high-pitched.
“I said I’d be careful! I was careful!” Kyra stuffed the gown back into the bag and tossed them on Abernathy’s back. He bucked and knocked them off. “Oh, it’s like that, huh?”
Abernathy bared his teeth at her.
“Fine. I’ll walk home.” She picked the bags up, slung them over her shoulder and took off walking. Abernathy followed, seething. They hadn’t gotten far before he looked back, studying the trail Kyra left through the woods. He would need to remind her of nature walking when she slept. He caught up to her and bumped her shoulder with his and almost knocked her down. Kyra laughed.
“I win.” She affectionately rubbed the side of his face. “No more silent treatment.”
Abernathy blew his breath, a quick flap of his lips and Kyra giggled. She tossed the bags up and climbed on his back. He immediately vaulted into the sky, but his gaze remained down, watching the woods and the way they moved, as if someone were following a careful path through the trees. As if someone was following Kyra.
* * *
It wasn’t like Abernathy didn’t understand Kyra’s need for human company. Sometimes he left her to run with the herd. He couldn’t stay with them anymore, not with Kyra in tow. She wouldn’t have fared well in the shadow barn the nightmares lived in, fed, and served by a myriad of creatures who would consider Kyra a tasty morsel. But Abernathy could fend for himself, unlike the small human he fostered.
She frustrated him, but the annoying feeling in his chest, the thing called worry that he had never had before, that frustrated him even more. Which was why, while Kyra slept the day sleep, Abernathy paced the gloom outside their cave.
No humans had ever reached their hiding place. It was bathed in shadows, reinforced by Abernathy’s urine, the entrance hidden from sight. Yet, a human came. Abernathy could smell him, hear him, long before he broke the clearing. He was strong, younger than the usual mercenary. He smelled of spice, somewhat like Kyra, and had the same rich brown color of her skin. His hair was thick black ropes the size of Kyra’s thumb, neatly tied back with a leather thong. He smelled faintly of apprehension, nothing like the usual human who neared his presence.
Abernathy pushed the scent of fear out and tilted his head, waiting for the man, boy really, not as young as Kyra, but not much older, to quake with trepidation. He didn’t.
“A—” The boy cleared his throat and looked around the clearing. He didn’t appear to see the entrance, but he obviously knew they were there. “Abernathy, sir?”
Abernathy paused. He looked back into the cave, at Kyra’s sleeping spot. She was sitting up, her brown eyes wide in the darkness. She hunched her shoulders and tossed her head at him. Abernathy stomped, shimmered, and stepped from the shadow of the door.
He silently walked towards the stranger and flared his wings before allowing the shimmer to fall. The boy gasped but didn’t run. Fear wafted from him in waves, but it wasn’t fear at the sight of Abernathy. The stranger bowed and Abernathy lowered his wings, curious.
“Hello, Abernathy, sir.” The boy cleared his throat and held up a fist of hemlock flowers. Only Kyra knew what a delight they were to him. “Hello, sir. I, sir. I—”
Abernathy stared at the boy.
“He wants to know if he can come with us.” Kyra said from behind and above them. The boy made a soft noise of protest. Both males looked up at her, standing on the ledge above the clearing. “Or, and Bernie, just hear me out, maybe I can stay in Unan.”
Abernathy bared his teeth at the boy and raised a hind leg. Kyra scrambled down to throw herself in front of the stranger.
“This is Jonah. We’ve been friends for years.”
Abernathy stomped his back foot down and walked away into the cave. He nuzzled his head into one of the bags and pulled out the dress, careful not to drag it when he returned. Kyra’s face flushed when she saw what he had brought.
“Fine. Yes. The dress was for Jonah.” She threw her hands up. She snatched the gown and shoved it into Jonah’s arms. Jonah watched their exchange with wonder on his face, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly open. Abernathy snapped his teeth at the boy, causing him to flinch and stumble back.
“Stop, Bernie. It’s not his fault.” Kyra rubbed Abernathy’s chest and wrapped her arms as far around him as she could. “I’m sorry I lied.”
Abernathy chuffed her braids, split in two, down to the middle of her back now, and glared at Jonah over her shoulder.
“I would take care of her, sir.”
Abernathy snorted and Kyra shoved him. “Be nice.”
She lay her head back on his chest and stayed there for a moment before whispering, “I need to be with humans, Bern.”
Abernathy raised his hind leg, slowly, his wings rising at the same time.
“I know you think it isn’t safe, but those mercenaries didn’t even recognize me, Bern.”
Abernathy tossed his head at Jonah.
“He doesn’t even know, Bernie. It’s been thirteen years. We hunt them more than they hunt us. You hunt them, anyway.”
Abernathy considered her words. Kyra had never hunted the king’s men in the way Abernathy had. Once he had decided she was his, he hunted down her enemies with a vengeance, sometimes with a group of nightmares, but often alone. Sometimes with Kyra with him, but often alone. Alone.
Abernathy backed away from Kyra, nodding his head, tucking his wings and ears.
“I’m not leaving you.” Kyra’s eyes glistened with tears. “You can stay here, and I’ll come visit, or you could pretend to be a real horse, or…”
“He can’t stay, Kyra,” Jonah said softly. “I saw what he did at the market. I’ve never heard of a nightmare attaching to a human, but… I’m not surprised.”
The boy smiled at Kyra, and Abernathy saw it, the fierceness that rested in Abernathy’s chest, the need to protect, the worry. Human love.
“I just… I won’t stay if you don’t want me to, Bernie. I’ll stay with you ” Kyra said, the tears beginning to fall. “I’ll stay with you.”
* * *
The nightmare hid in the shadows, watching the burnished light that came from the window of a cottage. He had killed two king’s men on the road, far from here. They could have been coming or going, or not even planning to stop, but he still hunted them, wherever they were, whenever he caught them. They were the only thing in the world that he feared. After they died, he came to check, to see.
Kyra opened the back door and looked out. Her hair was longer now, the braids tumbling into the small of her back, adorned with shells and beads and at least six strands of Abernathy’s hair. Jonah walked up behind her, his arm snaking around her waist and pregnant stomach. The boy had filled out, man now, strong and muscled. At night, Abernathy fed him dreams of battle training, fighting styles, weapons knowledge, and other things he felt he needed to watch the nightmare’s little girl. To watch Kyra.
And the other two.
A child, a little girl of around four, wriggled past her parents to run into the darkness, giggling. She made a beeline for Abernathy. From the doorway, Kyra shook her head.
“Don’t keep her out too late, Bernie.”
“Up, Bern. Up?” The little girl reached, dancing at his side on bare feet, waiting for Abernathy to lower a wing. He did and the child climbed up, grasping tight fists of his mane until she was settled between his wings. She giggled again and Jonah smiled.
Abernathy stepped out of the shadows, a slight rustling, a chill on the wind, a nightmare with a little girl on his back. They were dangerous. He tossed his head and whickered softly at the girl’s parents; then he shimmered and took a running leap for the sky, his gallop into the air punctuated by a child’s high-pitched squeals of glee.
* * *
About the Author
A Flint, MI native and Dallas transplant, Azure Arther has been obsessed with literature since she was a child. She has found that her passion is evenly distributed between writing, teaching and reading books with her son. Her short stories and poems have appeared (or are forthcoming) in nearly two dozen publications, including Midnight & Indigo, Aurealis, Andromeda Spaceways, and a winning story in Writers of the Future, vol. 38. She is a college professor, a playwright who dabbles in surrealism and fantasy, and a children’s author. Her website is azurearther.com.
Episode 542 - Bear Season
Duck season! Rabbit season! Bear.. season? Yes!
Baldurs Gate 3, Jesus gone woke, and DenFur makes the cosplaytriots mad.
LINKS
He was a church official who criticized Trump. He says Christianity is in crisis : NPR
DenFur - Military Cosplay
Telegram chat - https://t.me/+Ma4PTE0IsWVmMDQ5
Southpaws | creating and promoting The Queer Agenda | Patreon
Episode 542 - Bear SeasonWhat Is Furry Transformation?
- What Is A Furry?
- What Is Furry Art?
- What’s A Fursona?
- Then What’s A Furry Transformation?
- Is It Similar To Shapeshifting?
- Where Can I Find Furry Transformation Art?
- How Do I Commission Furry Transformation Art?
What Is A Furry?
A furry, in its simplest form, is someone who is interested in anthropomorphic animal characters. There are thousands of different sub-categories and sub-fandoms within the furry fandom but the one thing that they all have in common is their shared interest in anthropomorphic (typically cartoon) animal characters.
We understand that there are a lot of negative connotations surrounding the furry fandom and a lot of the time it comes down to complete misconceptions about what it means to be a furry. Whether or not this is a case of weaponized ignorance or just an innocent misunderstanding is beside the point, the point is that people have the completely wrong idea about the furry fandom and will likely be even more confused when discovering what furry transformation is.
Being a furry does not mean you want to have a sexual relationship with an animal. It does not mean you want to be an animal despite what fake news reports about litter boxes being implemented in schools may lead you to believe. It does not mean your pronouns are fur/furself. These are all just gross misrepresentations of what the furry fandom is.
So in this article, we’ll not only help you understand what a furry transformation is but also clear up the air on any rumors about the furry fandom.
What Is Furry Art?Furry art describes art that depicts any sort of anthropomorphic animal. This would technically make movies like Zootopia full-length, Pixar-made furry movies which to an extent they are as they tick all the boxes but there is more of a culture to it. When something is referred to as furry art, it was likely made with the intention of being labeled furry art. By this I mean, the majority of the stuff that will come up when you search “furry art” are pictures of people’s fursonas.
Example of Furry Transformation Art
Image via DeviantArt
What’s A Fursona?A fursona is a furry characterization of a person. A person’s fursona doesn’t necessarily have to resemble them (but if it does this is known as a truesona), it can be a complete binary opposite of who they are. Fursonas are just fictional animal characters, some people like to liken themselves to their fursona whether that be in the way they dress, their behavior, or their hobbies, however, this is not for everyone.
The point stands however that there is a difference between actual furry art made by furries for furries and art that happens to tick all the boxes of being classified as furry art and that difference is the target audience. This is not to imply that the furry fandom rejects all mainstream furry content, quite the opposite is true, there is actually always love for it as it gives the fandom some exposure, but there is just a difference between mainstream furry content and furry content made by furries.
From fursuit commissions to art commissions, Fursonafy has your back
"They where extremely understanding and patient. They provided fast response times and amazing communication"
Edward
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Build my fursuit
OR
Draw My Fursona
Then, What’s A Furry Transformation?
You might be wondering what any of this has to do with what a furry transformation is but not to worry there is a tie-in. Furry transformation is a type of furry art. It refers to furry art that depicts a human person progressively turning into an animal. This is usually shown through stages. At the first stage, they will be a perfectly normal human person then in the next stage they might have a tail and cat-like ears and by the final stage, they will have completely transformed into the animal sometimes keeping their human clothes. This isn’t an exact science so of course it changes from artist to artist but that is the general idea. Sometimes people will illustrate themselves transforming into their fursona other times it is just a random person turning into a fursona.
Is It Similar To Shapeshifting?A lot of people would compare this to shapeshifting which is a trait that a lot of people give their fursonas meaning they can switch forms from animal to person to other animals. Characters like these are known as polymorphs within fantasy fandoms and can be seen a lot throughout furry fan fiction and furry culture in general. So, in short, shapeshifting is actually just a form of furry transformation. However, when the word “shapeshifting” or “transformation” is used in the context of the furry fandom it usually refers to a person turning into an animal or an animal turning into a person, as opposed to an animal turning into another animal like Druids from fantasy fandoms.
More Furry Transformation Art
Image via Furry Amino
Where Can I Find Furry Transformation Art?We’ll admit furry transformation art is pretty niche so you might have a fairly difficult time finding some but there are definitely a few places you should look whether you are just browsing for fun or you need some inspiration.
Furaffinity
If you are looking for any sort of furry art regardless of how niche it may be Furaffinity should pretty much be your go-to every time. It is and has been the hub of all furry art for several years now and it doesn’t look like this is set to change. So, if you’re interested in finding furry transformation art, or any furry art for that matter you should definitely check out Furaffinity.
SoFurry
This is another super popular site for furries looking to publish their artwork. Albeit it is nowhere near as popular as Furaffinity but it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re struggling to find the art you’re looking for.
If you’ve checked out some furry transformation art and are interested in getting your very own piece commissioned then it’s worth mentioning a few things. For one, you’re going to struggle to find artists advertising “furry transformation commissioning” as it’s such a specific type of art that it’s not even worth advertising. So, when looking to commission art like this, it’s more than likely you’d have to double-check with the artist first if they are even able to pull something like that off. Lucky for you, the furry community, for the most part, is really friendly and with the right artist, they’d be more than happy to help you bring your artistic vision to life. In fact, if you put in a request for a reference sheet with us and specify that you’d like furry transformation art, our artists would be more than happy to help.
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Organizing a Meetup
I've been in the fandom for a long time privately but only active in the last 2 years when my kid showed interest. We have never been to a furcon, just anime and popcons close by. My question is about furmeets. I would like to host one and having never been to one wouldn't know where to start. What advice do you have on a successful furmeet that would be inclusive to young furs and grey furs ?
Thank you for your consideration,
Dartumus (43, West Virginia)
* * *
Dear Dartumus,
What a lovely question, thanks for asking. I always love to hear about furry parents and their furry children having fun in the fandom together.
There are two types of furmeets: the ones you have at your own home and the ones that are set up at other venues.
The easiest thing to do is to invite a bunch of friends you already know who are furries and just have a party at your house. This way, you aren't dealing with any unknown factors such as a stranger coming to your house who might not be entirely trustworthy. Furry home activities can include playing board and video games and watching furry movies and, of course, lots of noms and fursuiting. Tip: if you DO have a home meet with strangers attending, make sure your valuables and prescription drugs (if any) are stowed away safely. Also, have a room where people can change into their fursuits and keep all their furry stuff and keep an eye on that room. Usually, everyone is cool, but there have been times when I have heard of people stealing stuff from furmeet houses. Finally, keep the party booze- and drug-free.
If you wish to broaden the attendance some to include allowing furries you don't personally know to attend, then I suggest organizing something away from the house. There are all kinds of options for this. You can organize a trip to the theater to see a new movie, you can go to a park and have a picnic, go bowling, or go to a state fair or other event (the best types of these events include Halloween parties and Renaissance Faires--there's a Ren Faire every June in Lewisburg, WV, if that is close to you). All of these activities are appropriate for younger and older furries alike.
If you wish to set up a regular furmeet, I suggest you create a Meetup.com account, then announce it on various social media websites that your local furries would use..
Good Luck!
Papabear
Bearly Furcasting S4E16 - Surprises At Every Turn
MOOBARKFLUFF! Click here to send us a comment or message about the show!
Moobarkfluff! Bearly, Taebyn, and Rayne chat about lots of things, we play some trivia, highlight upcoming events and are joined by a surprise guest. Taebyn interjects jokes at every opportunity and tries to get the catabolism phrase unbeeped. Bearly teaches us a new word. This week is very random and fundane, so come spend some time with us, you will be glad you did. Moobarkfluff all you furs!
This podcast contains adult language and adult topics. It is rated M for Mature. Listener discretion is advised.
Thanks to all our listeners and to our staff: Bearly Normal, Rayne Raccoon, Taebyn, Cheetaro, TickTock, and Ziggy the Meme Weasel.
You can send us a message on Telegram at BFFT Chat, or via email at: bearlyfurcasting@gmail.com
The Mouse That Whirrrrred
Multiple Ursa Major Award winner Rick Griffin recently self-published the novel Ani-Droids, a radical re-imagining of his popular science fiction novel Argo from 2011. “In violation of the will of the Collective, Mira McAllister set out to create a new breed of ani-droids that can think for themselves. But when she discovers a mouse-droid with unusual quirks to her programming — and darker secrets besides — she may have set in motion an accidental rebellion… The Collective must not find out. But the Collective is every other ani-droid on Earth.” Ani-Droids is available now in e-book, paperback, and Kindle editions.
image c. 2023 by Rick Griffin
Furry Is Having a Hard Time Socializing at Meets and Cons
I have been following the fandom since my early teens. I WANT so badly to belong, but the few times I've reached out to locals or joined any group, I've found it to be a nightmare. The people I meet are either not great people, or I just don't fit in. The one con I went to was a terribly lonely experience.
I regretfully say that the fandom has left a bitter taste in mouth. I however, also find it hard to just "walk away." I am now a sad, lonely, semi-furry. My mental illness also makes it hard to fit in as few seem to understand. I am wondering what your advice is for fitting into the fandom or going it alone.
Thanks,
Anonymous (age 33, Texas)
* * *
Dear Furiend,
Yours is not an uncommon problem. The difficulty with joining local meetup groups is often that they are already an established group of friends with a hierarchy, etc., embedded into their system. The best way to enter such a group is if you are already friends with one of the members and they invite you to join. If you don't know anyfur in the group, then yes, it is hard to introduce yourself and gain acceptance. Imagine if there were a house party somewhere and you lived in the neighborhood but didn't know anyone at the party, but you decided to invite yourself in and go anyway. As you likely know, this is called being a "party crasher" or "gate crasher," so it's kind of the same thing. Of course, with a furry meetup, you need to tell the host you're coming, so it's not exactly the same as crashing the party, but I think you know what I mean. Still, people seem to think that just because we are all furries that it is okay to just show up at a meet and everyone will welcome you as a friend. Nope. The same dynamics are in play at a furmeet as they are in a normie party. This problem is compounded by the fact that many furries are quite shy, so it can be tough to break the ice.
Similarly, if you show up at a furcon all by yourself, not knowing anyone, you're going to have a lonely time. Many furries will already be grouped with friends there, and they also converge into cliques, such as gamers and fursuiters. The best con experiences I have had is when I go with (or meet up with) friends who are also attending. Have you seen the movie Coco? In it, the boy Miguel thinks his grandfather is the famous Ernesto de la Cruz, and he goes to meet him in the afterlife. Ernesto throws huuuuuge parties, and when Miguel manages to enter the giant villa party, no one pays him any attention, even though everyone there shares a love of music (just like furries share a love of anthros). But then, Ernesto introduces Miguel as his grandson; suddenly, everyone is welcoming (also, there is the fact he is a skilled guitarist LOL). In comparison, one might say that if you are friends with a popufur, you're going to get some attention pretty quickly. Same holds true, though, if you are connected with a respectable furry who might not necessarily be furry famous, or with a furry who is in an established subgroup.
Now, once you have a few friends already with you, it can be a bit easier to make new friends by just participating in various activities and sharing some experiences. For example, I met a couple of furries while going to an escape room at IndyCon. This is a particularly good activity as you have to work together to find the puzzle solutions. Another good way can be if you like gaming and can perhaps find a group that needs an extra player. Some cons also have a video game room set up, and you might be able to find someone who wants an opponent to play with.
(Side note: my furiend Michael Crisci [Dineegla Moose] is trying to organize a kind of "Welcome Wagon" at the next Midwest FurFest. The idea is to have a kind of welcoming committee at the con to provide those who are new to the experience or who are having trouble connecting with information and friendship to make their con experience more enjoyable. I think it's a great idea, and I hope the MFF organizers allow him to do it, and then maybe other cons will follow suit.)
Anyway, the best way is to meet someone beforehand and then go to the meet or con with them. You can find friends or acquaintances in a lot of social media groups ranging from Facebook to Discord. I see you are 33, for example, and could join the Greymuzzle group I run on Facebook. It's easy to meet people there and then try to see who might be going to a con you attend and see if you can meet them there.
An alternative to joining an established meetup is to create one for yourself and invite people you have met online locally. Since you are running the meetup, you can have it focus on things that interest you--whether that is board or video games or going to a movie or bowling outing or whatever.
As for your "mental illness" (autism spectrum disorder, perhaps?), many furries have such issues, so that shouldn't stop you from furry activities. Most furries I know are sympathetic or may have the same issues you do.
Finally, an excellent way to overcome feeling alone is to go to meets or cons as your fursona. One of the cool things about the fandom is that we can fantasize we are someone else, and these fursonas, you will find, can provide a way to gain entrance into the social world of furry, whether that is online or in real life (online RPGs are an excellent way to meet furries). So, when you go to a meet, try going as your fursona. I find that this really loosens me up, and I bet it will for you, too.
Hope this helps!
Bear Hugs,
Papabear
Why is JC a yellow cat? w/JC #shorts #snippets
Infurnity con chair JC talks about why he is a yellow cat. Come on, weren’t you curious too? Catch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/v3h7jKoMwLs ---- Social Media: Official FABP Twitter: https://twitter.com/foxandburger Michael: https://twitter.com/foxnakh https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK9xoFQrxFTNPMjmXfUg2cg Burger: https://twitter.com/L1ghtningRunner ---- #foxandburger #shorts #snippet #furry
TigerTails Radio Season 14 Episode 50
TigerTails Radio Season 14 Episode 50. Join the Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/SQ5QuRf For a full preview of events and for previous episodes, please visit http://www.tigertailsradio.co.uk. See website for full breakdown of song credits, which is usually updated shortly after the show. If you like what we do and wish to throw some pennies our way to support us, please consider sending a little tip our way. https://streamlabs.com/tigertailsradio/tip * Please note, tips are made to support TigerTails Radio and are assumed as made with good faith, so are therefore non-refundable. Thank you for your support and understanding.
FWG Monthly Newsletter August 2023
Sorry for the slightly late blog – I got distracted with the Women’s World Cup matches every evening.
Why yes, I do also have some important writing projects I’ve been procrastinating from, why do you ask?
We do have some new to share, though! Furry Book Month and Oxfurred Comma are rapidly approaching, so it’s about time to start sharing some of what we have planned.
Oxfurred Comma
Everyone’s favourite online furry writing convention will be back for another year! We will be running the convention on Twitch on October 21/22 – save the dates! Exact times TBC but expect it to run through the day on a USA schedule. Those interested in running panels are encouraged to let us know as soon as possible – with details on what your panel will be and who will be taking part. Panels can be pre-recorded or run live.
Send us an email or message one of the guild staff directly for more information on running panels.
Flash Fiction Contest
As always, we will also run a flash fiction contest with the winner announced at the conclusion of Oxfurred Comma. Exact details are still be finalised in terms of theme and how to submit. Keep an eye on our socials for more details to come.
Novel Bundle
The story bundle we ran last year was a great success, so we’re keen to do it all over again! But this time we’re intending on doing something a little different – we’re planning on two bundles! One will be a general rating like last year, and a second bundle will be for more adult-rated content.
As it was last year, we will be opening this bundle up to all self-published works by FWG members. At this stage, we have not had the necessary discussions with publishers to include any works published by them. Send us a message if you’re not sure.
Novels included in last year’s bundle will not be considered at all for this year’s bundles. Authors included last year may submit separate novels, however we will be prioritising new authors who were not included in the 2022 bundle.
Submission details will be shared soon. Like last year, this bundle will be available for a limited time during Furry Book Month.
Social Media Update
While not related to Oxfurred Comma or Furry Book Month, it is still an important situation to address. Twitter has been going through an… interesting time recently, and users are starting to leave in larger numbers. So that the FWG can maintain a strong social media presence, we are currently in the process of shifting to other platforms. It is unlikely we will fully leave Twitter at this stage, but we are in the process of setting up a Mastodon account, and should soon be getting onto Bluesky as well.
Once these two sites have been set up, we will approach guild members to get details on their accounts on these platforms – we want to keep track of all members if and when they depart Twitter!
That’s about all for the news updates this month, but there are still plenty of anthology calls open, including a few new ones from FurPlanet!
Feisty Felines and Other Fantastical Familiars – Deadline October 15th 2023
Altered States: Draconic Desire – Deadline November 30th 2023
Get Wild – Deadline December 1st 2023
Indulge – Deadline January 31st 2024
Indecent Exposure – Deadline When Full
This Is Halloween – Deadline When Full
Furry Femdom Erotica – Deadline When Full
F/F No Erotic Anthology – Deadline When Full
Isekai Me! – Deadline When Full
Children Of The Night – Deadline When Full
Furry/Lovecraftian/Erotic/University Themed Anthology – Deadline When Full
Beyond Their Pale – Deadline When Full
#ohmurr! – Deadline: Ongoing
We also invite you to check out the new and upcoming releases from guild members:
Gnoll Tales, by NightEyes DaySpring. Released June 30th 2023.
Fang Volume 11, edited by Sparf. Released July 1st 2023.
In The Light Of The Dawn, by the Furry Historical Fiction Society (featuring multiple FWG members). Released July 1st 2023.
The Red Vixen After Dark, by Royce Day. Released July 1st 2023.
The Dry Spell, by Ryan Loup-Glissant (Slip Wolf). Released July 1st 2023.
Clade, A Post-Self Anthology, edited by Madison Scott-Clary. Released August 2nd.
The Prince of Thorns, by Tim Susman. Available for pre-order. Released November 14th 2023.
Commander Annie and Other Adventures, by Mary E. Lowd. Available for pre-order. Released November 14th 2023.
We’re all looking forward to seeing your ideas for panels at Oxfurred Comma, and we hope to soon see your submissions for the novel bundle and flash fiction competition.
Until next time.
Safe writing.
J.F.R. Coates
Bearly Furcasting S4E15-No Bearly, More Taebyn, More Rayne
MOOBARKFLUFF! Click here to send us a comment or message about the show!
Bearly is away at a concert and Rayne and Taebyn have the controls. This week we talk about The Past Today, Furries in the News, Media, play some This or That, finish the second part of Taebyn's story "Do Not Wish for a Pet Ostrich", and tell some really bad jokes...I mean good jokes, yeah good jokes. Join us for a fun filled episode!
This podcast contains adult language and adult topics. It is rated M for Mature. Listener discretion is advised.
Thanks to all our listeners and to our staff: Bearly Normal, Rayne Raccoon, Taebyn, Cheetaro, TickTock, and Ziggy the Meme Weasel.
You can send us a message on Telegram at BFFT Chat, or via email at: bearlyfurcasting@gmail.com
Vote now! NorCal Furries shortlisted for Best Contingent award in San Francisco Pride Parade.
UPDATE: DEADLINE EXTENDED TO AUGUST 15!
Each June, millions of people see the San Francisco Pride parade. Hundreds of thousands of attendees cheer for over 200 contingents. For 2023, five contingents are shortlisted to win the Best Overall Contingent award. Northern California Furries have the huge honor of being one of the five.
You can help win big positive recognition for furries everywhere. Spread the message and get everyone you know to vote!
Voting Poll is here: https://forms.gle/QvVoPoBd82ajMcUV9 – Don’t wait, the poll is open until August 15.
Their history in the parade goes back to 2002, and this isn’t their first recognition. They have received multiple “fabulous” and “outrageous” awards. But being shortlisted for Best Contingent is the most recognition yet.
Organizer Zoren called the 2023 event “another wonderful time. We had around 150 (or more) show up and march and had fun showing our pride. It’s also becoming fairly clear, that SF pride loves seeing us. We don’t do it for the awards and acclaim, but nonetheless, we have won awards prior years for being our fabulously outrageous selves. Thus with much excitement, I’m happy to announce that Northern California Furries has again been nominated for an award for how much Pride we show. We along with four other contingents are in the running for Best Overall Contingent in the 2023 SF Pride Parade. Yeah that’s right THE BEST. How do we win that though? Well it is a community award so it takes all of you and even more from the community voting for us.”
Zoren emphasizes that it’s about raising pride, not just awards: “we will indeed return to party again in the future. Because, that’s really what matters.”
Northern California Furries brought 150+ members to the 2023 @SFPride parade, and now they are nominated for an award for Best Overall Contingent.
Vote for NorCal Furries to help them win: https://t.co/3kXIED5ozH pic.twitter.com/6txRp7865Z
— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) July 14, 2023
Post-Pride Review
Organizers said the crowds “loved to cheer and howl back… it was deafening.” There was a migration by public transit in fursuit to reach the parade; it was “super good for morale and for people around us.” A popular afterparty was hosted by group member Relay, and access to his place was valuable in case anyone checked out during the parade.
Organizer Spottacus compared the Norcal Furries to previous furry parades apart from Pride. Spottacus said: “We stand on the shoulders of those that came before us, but whoah are we different.”
Spottacus felt that other groups “worried about what OTHER people thought more than they worried about how WE felt. It was important to act Normie, and not scare the family. It was important to blend in. It was important that very outwardly LGBT people NOT be allowed to talk to the media. It was very important to please the OGs. There were fears of what “people” thought, and rules on how furries should behave, rigorously applied by a team of leaders. After all, there were Children there (sound familiar? Think DeSantis). It was very serious business, even if that made it less fun. We were representing and no one should smear the team image. All for one. In essence: we know better, you should behave within these boundaries.
We started with strong discouragement and angry pushback from the old guard. We said: HEY! We do not care what people in Iowa think of us. Just come as you are. And we came: old and young, latex and in fur, as fembois and gender queer. And sometimes naked. We didn’t say “what will the families think?” (though we did discuss it internally). We just said: “HEY! Just Be you.”
Our parade could not have happened without other groups and for this we are thankful. Our parade couldn’t have happened without the Stonewall Protest (it was NOT a riot). We stand on these excellent shoulders. But what we have achieved is so different and so empowering. Forget gender appropriate (again, Fuck you DeSantis), we aren’t even species appropriate. And… and… they LOVE us. The kids too. I can dress as a femboi dragon, ON TV!, and they love us. We are strong, and beautiful. LOOK AT US. Be jealous. Be Proud. And if you are hateful then BE SCARED. We are numerous. We are Proud. We are furries!”
Like the article? These take hard work. For more free furry news, follow on Twitter or support not-for-profit Dogpatch Press on Patreon.Want to get involved? Try these subreddits: r/furrydiscuss for news or r/waginheaven for the best of the community. Or send guest writing here. (Content Policy.)
VR to the Next Level
We just learned about Shangri-La Frontier, a black & white manga written by Katarina and illustrated by Ryosuke Fuji. “Second-year high school student Rakuro Hizutome loves nothing more than finding so-called ‘trash games’ and beating the crap out of them. When he decides to change things up by playing a new, ‘god-tier’ VR game known as Shangri-La Frontier (a.k.a. SLF), he does what he does best: Min-maxes, skips the prologue, and jumps straight into action! Clad in nothing but shorts and a bird mask, Rakuro (player name: Sunraku) launches into the world of SLF. Things are going well at first as he takes down a goblin, a bunny, and even a python. But then Sunraku comes up against a huge, hard-hitting wolf known as Lycagon the Nightslayer. Will Sunraku’s years of ‘trash game’ experience be enough, or is he about to suffer a rude awakening just a few hours into his SLF adventure?” The series is available now from Kodansha International. What’s more, there’s already an anime adaptation series available on Crunchyroll — and YouTube has a preview.
image c. 2023 Kodansha International
The Japanese furry fandom 15 years ago w/Luca #shorts #snippets
Listen to what Luca has to say about the early Japanese furry fandom! Catch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/cfg-U4hF8k8 ---- Social Media: Official FABP Twitter: https://twitter.com/foxandburger Michael: https://twitter.com/foxnakh https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK9xoFQrxFTNPMjmXfUg2cg Burger: https://twitter.com/L1ghtningRunner ---- #foxandburger #shorts #snippet #furry
2023 FurMIT「毛斯維加斯」：沉浸式主題帶來全新獸聚體驗
文／藍風，編輯／傑克
2023 FurMIT「毛斯維加斯」 7 月 8 日至 9 日在苗栗尚順育樂世界舉辦。本次活動結合賭場、競標等元素，帶來許多在台灣獸迷聚會上未曾出現的活動，吸引全球各地的獸迷們前來參與。
活動開幕由季雪和黑犬擔任主持人。圖／藍風攝
「毛斯維加斯」在開放報名時因首次引入價格高昂的特殊報名身分而引發討論。價格高達新台幣 8,888 元的「黑鑽級」身分因提供多項優惠、紀念品等而要價不斐，曾於開放報名時在參加者間帶來不小的旋風。
除了報名身分成為焦點外，本次活動也與臺灣虛擬獸人實況主團體「TWPawsOfficial」合作宣傳，用相關活動吸引眾人目光。據官方統計，本次聚會報名人數共有 1,279 人。
活動現場。圖／藍風攝
聚會以美國知名賭城拉斯維加斯為基礎，在活動設計上添加了許多賭場的元素，提供參加者沉浸感十足的體驗。會場中除設置輪盤、拉霸機、 21 點牌桌等傳統賭場中經常出現的遊戲項目外，更設置搖獎機等機台，供參加者賺取活動積分。
活動也引入了積分機制。在本次聚會中，玩家可透過遊玩遊戲、參加 Panel 、在表演中投票等多種方式取得積分，活動結束時積分累積數量最高者除了可以獲得官方製作的紀念麻將套組外，更可讓自己的設定出現在明年活動的主視覺設計上。
主題會場活動——21點。圖／藍風攝
除了賭場遊戲、 Panel 等活動外，本次的毛斯維加斯也新增了「舞台大對決」與「競標大會」兩大活動。在舞台大對決中，參加者們將會被分成「璀璨黑桃」、「炙熱紅心」兩大隊伍輪流在台上進行才藝競賽，並在每回合結束後由台下的觀眾票選出優勝者。活動最後由璀璨黑桃勝出。而在競標大會中，參加者們可於事先提供拍賣品，由現場的參加者們競標，出價最高者即可拍得該物品。
舞台大對決第一場因系統問題改現場計票，由表演者出場拉票。圖／藍風攝
本次競標品中的毛裝。圖／藍風攝
毛斯維加斯也延續舉辦了上屆備受好評的「紙箱樂園」、「氣球派對」與旋轉木馬等活動，讓參加者們自由前往體驗。每次聚會皆會舉辦的「DJ Party」則邀請到了 Teru Fox、ICE 與日本獸圈知名 DJ SORAMI 擔任 DJ ，用節奏強勁的音樂「嗨」翻所有人。
DJ趴現場活動。圖／藍風攝
販售會現場。圖／藍風攝
今年的 Panel 活動一樣由自願者申請報名。本次聚會的 Panel 數目高達 28 個，主題從馬內、攝影到旅遊團等應有盡有，吸引了眾多參加者前往參加自己有興趣的 Panel 。
荷蘭天使龍官方見面會Panel。圖／藍風攝
主講者澍星以茶為主題的Panel。圖／藍風攝
台灣眾多實況主舉辦的互動性Panel。圖／藍風攝
今年公益抽獎同樣捐助給台灣石虎保育協會。本次的公益抽獎共募集到新臺幣 258,850 元，同時也是國內獸迷聚會首次有多顆毛裝頭套做為獎品。活動尾聲也公開明年的活動主題與主視覺——台灣金毛影展，歡迎獸迷們明年再來參與。
閉幕式活動一樣由季雪擔任主持人。圖／藍風攝
閉幕式抽獎環節。圖／藍風攝
TigerTails Radio Season 14 Episode 49
TigerTails Radio Season 14 Episode 49. Join the Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/SQ5QuRf For a full preview of events and for previous episodes, please visit http://www.tigertailsradio.co.uk. See website for full breakdown of song credits, which is usually updated shortly after the show. If you like what we do and wish to throw some pennies our way to support us, please consider sending a little tip our way. https://streamlabs.com/tigertailsradio/tip * Please note, tips are made to support TigerTails Radio and are assumed as made with good faith, so are therefore non-refundable. Thank you for your support and understanding.
Bearly Furcasting S4E14 - Hot Summer Furs
MOOBARKFLUFF! Click here to send us a comment or message about the show!
Moobarkfluff! Wow, what a lot of stuff this week. We have lots of upcoming events, we visit the Transfurmation lab, talk about some creature oddness, visit with Taebyn's honey; Tatsu, A movie review from Cheetaro, and well, that's just some of the hilarity you you expect from BFFT! Moobarkfluff all you furs!
This podcast contains adult language and adult topics. It is rated M for Mature. Listener discretion is advised.
Thanks to all our listeners and to our staff: Bearly Normal, Rayne Raccoon, Taebyn, Cheetaro, TickTock, and Ziggy the Meme Weasel.
You can send us a message on Telegram at BFFT Chat, or via email at: bearlyfurcasting@gmail.com
Outer Space from the Ground, Up
Underground Oracle Publishing got in touch with us about Wyld Space, a new tabletop RPG they are producing. According to them, “Wyld Space is a high-adventure sci-fi setting where you take on the role of wylds fighting back against a corrupt government and the megacorps controlling them in the distant reaches of space.” We’ll let Jess Pendley of UOP explain where they’re at now: “The way our publishing model works, is we release a developing early-access pdf that we update each month with additional materials for our supporters over a six-month cycle, then we crowdfund production of the shelf-ready version of the book to sell on storefronts. During the production cycle, we provide our patrons with exclusive playtest and feedback surveys, so they have a real impact on the setting before it hits the shelves. Each of our early access pdfs contains all of the rules that you need to play (using the Cypher System), so they don’t require owning any additional books.” Got that? Currently they have not one but two special Patreon drives for Wyld Space in progress.
image c. 2023 Underground Oracle Publishing
Tips for a New Fursuiter
I am a person who's been in the fandom for at least four years and I'm now getting my very own fursuit! But- unfortunately, I do not know the proper things needed whilst having a suit and proper fursuiting etiquette. The most I know about it, is not deheading in public and needing a lanyard with a badge on it. I'd love ta know more so I can participate in an upcoming convention the right way!
Much love and bear hugs,
Benny Raspberry
* * *
Dear Benny,
Congratulations on your upcoming fursuit! And thanks for your question.
Fursuiting has changed a lot since I first started doing it over a dozen years ago. Back then, the rules (or, really, traditions, which basically arose from the fact that a lot of early fursuiters had worked at places like Disneyland) were much more rigorous. For example, most fursuiters believed you should never talk while in fursuit or reveal the fursuiter underneath the fur for any reason other than you're about to overheat if you don't dehead right away.
This is not so much the case today. I regularly see fursuiters take their heads off in public instead of in the fursuit room at cons, and there is a thing now called "poodling" that we would never have done back in the day. Poodling is when you just wear a head and paws and you allow your arms and even your legs or belly to be seen. The reason these things were frowned upon in the past is that fursuiters felt it spoiled the illusion that you were your fursona. If you ask a young fursuiter today if that is true, they will deny that it affects this illusion. Now, I understand why some people poodle because a full fursuit can be very hot. However, the problem is easily solved simply by wearing pants and long-sleeved shirts. I do feel that deheading in public and poodling are not really in the spirit of fursuiting, but since this old bear is not in charge of how fursuiters behave, I'm not going to police them. Me, I stay in full suit because I want to be 100% in character. But what you do in this regard is up to you.
There are no rules other than make sure you do not overheat and that you have access to water. All cons have a "headless room" or "fursuit room" where you should go if you need to dehead, get some water, and sit by a fan. Fursuiters and their handlers are allowed in these rooms, but not other people (this goes back to the tradition that we don't want to spoil the illusion, but also because fursuiters need a lot of room to relax and you don't want a lot of people wandering about getting in the way).
The next thing you want to do is to have a handler, especially if you are new to fursuiting. Because visibility is a problem in most fursuits, it is easy to trip on stuff. A handler helps guide you through the hotel or wherever you might be to avoid this. Handlers can also warn off overenthusiastic people who try to hug you or pull on your suit without permission. It also helps if you familiarize yourself with your fursuit location before you suit up. Do a walk-through and get to know where tables, chairs, pony walls, and other obstacles may be. Oh, and be very careful on any stairs and escalators. When it comes to hotel elevators, remember that fursuiters are allowed to get on first (after any people with disabilities and the elderly or ill).
Next: Performance! Get into character when fursuiting! Don't just amble about like a guy in oversized SCUBA gear. Get into it. Remember to exaggerate your gestures so that they are expressive and easy to see. If you choose to talk in fursuit, maybe do so in your character's voice. If you don't talk, then it's even more important to do a physical performance. Remember, people will want to take pictures and give hugs. It's up to you whether you want to allow this, and you can politely say or gesture to them that you don't care for that if that is the case, but for me, the hugs and posing for pics are the best parts of fursuiting.
Oh, and yes, do remember to wear a con badge. That's true whether you are in suit or just a regular attendee. When you are putting on your suit, it can be easy to forget! So, don't! Put on your body first, then the lanyard, and then your head in that order.
Those are the highlights. If you have more questions, feel free to ask. Have a great con!
Hugs,
Papabear
Episode 541 - Everyone in McKinney is Dead
Local weather station said it hit 101105 in McKinney. Good thing the air didn't combust in our neck of the woods. This week we're all back, Savrin talks about their disappointment in FF16, hopes for Baldurs Gate 3, then Shiva talks about her trip to Anthrocon and assorted family travails. Very exciting~
LINKS
(3) "Bring Me To Life" by Evanescence [OTAMATONE COVER] - YouTube
Everyone in McKinney is dead : texas (reddit.com)
Telegram Fan Chat - https://t.me/+Ma4PTE0IsWVmMDQ5