My developing Skin Condition

When I first embarked on this journey as a female avatar last week, I had great help on my first day from my RL sister Zoe. She took me to RaC/Laqroki where I picked-up several female skins. Some of them were duplicates of her skin, but I don't want to be a clone of her. I'm finding my own look in female form.

Hence the lighter geek/goth skin I usually use as pictured below:



But of course, there they are in my inventory. Hawt tan skins. Tempting me. Must...not...use...okay I caved for 30 minutes while I was at Frank's Place - a Jazz Club.

The results?

Instant magnet!

Within 2 minutes I'm approached by this fellow who did the ol' "stand-next-to-the-avatar-you're-about-to-IM" thing. Then he did the "Reading-what's-on-my-screen" animation and promptly left after realizing who I really was.



5 minutes later I'm approached by this guy. I promptly told him about my RL, then he asked if we could just sit down and chat about shapeshifting. Nice guy actually.



Lesson Learned: Like any weapon, certain skins on certain shapes are to be used very carefully.

Form and Function

In a virtual world you can be or do just about anything. Recently that means spending at least part of my time in Second Life as a female avatar.

For reasons I've stated earlier, having a female avatar is eye-candy. Sometimes I stare at my avatar for several minutes. It's very hypnotic when you're so very attracted to the female form.

Breaking away from my avatar for a moment, I ponder the question of shapes and forms.

Being a real life male, I comfortably slipped into my male avatar in May 2007 and wandered about SL. When I first adopted a female avatar a week ago, something was different. My thoughts during the first few days were to think of my female avatar as another person (was this me turning women into objects?), and not really me the way I think about my male avatar. I did not quite feel myself the way I did when I was a male or even as a tiny. That feeling has quickly changed in the last few days. I feel more "at home" as a female, just as much as I do as a male. I can now change shape/gender as easily as changing clothes.

After a few days, I have a strong sense of "me" again. Being female in a virtual world is not only eye-candy, it's an eye-opening experience.

Power Tools

Now I must say, I can hold my own in the intimate emote department, but I'll admit to using xcite tools from time to time. As a male, I love sex and gadgets. What better combination than to have both in Second Life?



Hey! A Female Starter Pack! That's just what I need.



That's a boatload of nipples there!



Pondering the whole nipple question.

While amusing myself by watching the store patrons I was approached by 3 males at various times who did the ol' "stand-next-to-the-avatar-you're-about-to-IM" thing. Then they did the "Reading-what's-on-my-screen" animation and promptly left.

Hah! My profile has RL Male Shapeshifter all over it.

Chatting with my lovely Elle

Eladrienne and I chat about shapeshifting, Caledon, etc..



...with me back in male form

Shoes!

My male avatar has 8 pairs of shoes and boots which is more than I have in RL (6). I've been collecting for more than a year since first rezzing upon the Grid in May of 2007.



In one day as a female avatar I've surpassed this number with 9!



I wanted to go with sensible shoes I'd wear in RL like tennis shoes or something. But then I think, "that doesn't look quite right with my new dress"

One thing leads to another and next thing I know thousands of linden dollars vanish from my account.



Then I think - Well basic black is nice, but *this* color would really match my new outfit better.

Pronoun Trouble

Being new to the female avatar world, I'm adjusting to pronoun usage like "he" and "she"

The subject amuses me, bringing to mind an old Bugs Bunny cartoon with a short Bugs and Daffy "Pronoun Trouble" skit:

Rabbit Seasoning is most noted for an extended dialogue sequence in which Bugs' plays-on-words cause Daffy "pronoun trouble":

Bugs: It's true, Doc; I'm a rabbit alright. Would you like to shoot me now or wait 'til you get home?
Daffy: Shoot him now! Shoot him now!
Bugs: You keep outta this! He doesn't have to shoot you now!
Daffy: He does so have to shoot me now! [to Elmer] I demand that you shoot me now!
[Elmer looks at the camera, unsure if Daffy knows what he's talking about. As Daffy sticks his tongue out at Bugs, he is shot. Daffy walks back over to Bugs, gunsmoke pouring out of his nostrils]
Daffy: [to Bugs] Let's run through that again.
Bugs: Okay.
Bugs: [deadpan] Would you like to shoot me now or wait till you get home.
Daffy: [similarly] Shoot him now; shoot him now.
Bugs: [as before] You keep outta this, he doesn't have to shoot you now.
Daffy: [re-animated] Hah! That’s it! Hold it right there! [to audience] Pronoun trouble. [to Bugs] It's not "he doesn't have to shoot you now", it's "he doesn't have to shoot me now"
[Pause]
Daffy: [angrily] Well, I say he does have to shoot me now!! [to Elmer] So shoot me now!
[Elmer obliges and lets him have it]

I'll refer to myself in the female gender when I'm a female avatar, and speak of myself as male when I'm a male avatar. For those who have known me since I first rezzed upon the Grid, I won't go postal if you refer to femPhin as a "he" .. no worries here.

Freedom of Choice

One of the most striking things I've noticed about being a female avatar is the limitless possibilities. I have so many choices for skins, clothing, hair, and footwear it's all very intimidating at first glance.

Fortunately I have two very lovely ladies on my friendslist for advice and counsel and I've taken their advice to heart.



Here's their advice: Have a vision of your avatar. Buy the basics and build from that to create your look.



My look is quickly evolving. A tall, slender, pale, goth/geek girl with tomboyish tendancies. At times femPhin (fP) reminds me of a female Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation. At other times fP looks like an ice princess (ice princess in the generic, not the 2005 Disney movie), with pale complexion and a large number of blue in her wardrobe. I think of blue-ice. I hope this doesn't make me a cold heart.



At any rate, I've chosen blue as a color-code to denote that a RL male resides within the avatar, and in the interests of full-disclosure, I've given other clues in my profile.

Where else I go with my femPhin personae I'm not quite clear. Am I a robot? A human? Or something else?

I'll find out in due time. And so will you ;-)

The emergence of femPhin

After more than a year of what I would call part-time experience in Second Life, I thought it was time to shake things up and explore more of the grid. Part of that exploration takes me into shapeshifter territory and even challenges what I think about myself and how I relate to others in SL.

I decided to be a shapeshifter and I'm having a blast. Now even when my friends are offgrid or otherwise busy on projects. I'm having fun again.



In addition to being a normal looking male where my avatar matches my Real Life as a straight-male, I have a variety of tiny avatars as well as canine avs (Collie and Border Collie).

But I'd say the most interesting development lately is my plunge into the female form....



Why would a straight male want to look at himself as an attractive female avatar at every login? Read the question again. The answer is right there. And I would agree with this article that having eye-candy while ingame is a major plus.

In addition to that I'm finding an interesting side to all this. I'm working hard already on my particular look and while it was difficult to find quality clothing as a male, it's downright overwhelming to see the plethera of opportunities one has as a female. There's more of everything!

When I started on this road a few days ago, I had initial help from my RL sister (Zoe Connolly in SL). I was amazed at the ammount of linden dollars she has spent in evolving her present appearance. I thought: "I don't need all that"

Boy, was I wrong! I've already spent in 2 days, more than I planned to for the entire month! How do you ladies do it?

Flickr: phineasmessmer's Photostream

New Avatar Shopping With Zoe

New Avatar Shopping With Zoe
Originally uploaded by phineasmessmer

You know my RL sister as Zoe Connolly. She helped me with a new female avatar and other assorted female necessaries to get me started on a new blog series.

At the time of this photograph all I had to wear that worked on a female avatar was combat boots. Zoe stressed the female need for shoes. Okay, I guess I need to work on that.