Billy Beaverhausen
What's this? What's happening? What's going on?
A Look at Akeruka Advanced – Episode 5
As the last post I published with the Akeruka Advanced male mesh head already dates from more than a month ago, I wanted to check what the price is for this rather splendid mesh head and I was pleasantly surprised that it’s still just L$2000 (25 October 2020). That’s a bargain! Add to this affordable price the fact that with this head you can easily get away with using some BOM skins that were made for other heads and I got myself a perfect excuse to create another look with it.
This time I rummaged around in my considerable stash of Birth skins and settled on Evan for Catwa mesh heads. I am using the BOM version of course, because I could be clicking on that Catwa applier button till the cows come home (to my one-bedroom flat on the outskirts of Stockholm? Cows? Whatdaföck?) that skin isn’t going to apply to that head. I’m using the Akeruka Advanced head with the Legacy Meshbody and of course the head fits on it beautifully. Naturally you’ll find a skin for this body at Birth as well. It’s also worth noting that last time I did something with this head, I was using a full beard and someone suggested I’d do just a moustache next time. So there you see, sometimes I actually listen and take things aboard. All aboard the crazy train! Choo-choo!. *Shouts at shrink*: HOW DO YOU MEAN I’M “HYPER”?!
Even if you’re not really all that fond of costumes but like to join in on the Halloween fun on some level, you can look for some items with a holiday theme, like something with skulls or pumpkins, or both. Orange is always a good colour, probably because of the pumpkins and also the changing leaves. Mind you, there are some years in my area that we don’t really get that splendid autumn colour pallet at all. You’ll be like “oh look there are some yellow leaves, next there will be orange…” Nope. BROWN! The best word to describe the month of November is brown or possibly fifty shades of gray without the sex. Still, they’ll be putting up some more fairy lights in trees soon. We like fairy lights, don’t we. Yes we do.
Credits
- Akeruka Advanced mesh head, including an HD beard with some options (don’t worry you can have a clean shave if you want).
- Legacy body by “Meshbody” (they appropriated the generic term “mesh body” as their brand, I don’t like it either, but I really like the body).
- Birth Evan for Catwa (using the BOM layer) + Birth applier or BOM for Legacy
- Billy Beaverhausen Akeruka Advanced and Belleza Tim Shape
- Wings TZ1008 Hair, at the Man Cave event till November 11th
- Mr Razzor Moustache
- Avi Glam Solstice eye, applied to the rigged eyes that come with the head (you will need the Omega System Kit for Akeruka, which you can get at the Akeruka store.
- Noche Angel Open Shirt and Hayden Jeans, both rigged for Belleza Jake and Legacy. The shirt is also rigged for Signature Gianni and the jeans include a size for the female Legacy body, in case any ladies have stumbled onto this blog. The Anthony boots are from Noche as well and rigged for Jake, Legacy and Signature.
- Halloween necklace from RealEvil Industries (group gift)
- Leather cuff by Z O O M (couldn’t find it at their store, maybe it was a one-off gift or hunt item)
Atypical Twink David
Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t really consider the NX-Nardcotix David mesh body as likely candidate for a twink look. However, this is Halloween season and if there’s ever going to be a time when I can pull off this particular tank top with this body, it’s going to be now. I’m wearing it both “ironically” and as lazy Halloween costume.
To be honest, I have seen this tank ages ago and was just waiting for an excuse to use it. There aren’t that many tank tops available for David, so you have to grab what you can get. There’s no use in trying to make David look twink-skinny though. This body was built with a powerful physique in mind. I mitigated this slightly by going with a youngish skin for the head and of course keeping him baby smooth. I guess he’s more of a twunk when it comes down it. Ah, how we like to put labels on people! Let’s not start the whole debate on while the LGTBQ+ community is crying out for inclusion, there is some serious segregation going on within in it, especially where gay men are concerned. NO! We’re going to keep things light and airy here. Look at that cute twinky tank top, isn’t it neat? Wouldn’t you say his collection is complete? Wouldn’t you say he’s the boy who’s got everything… Oh plagiarising Little Mermaid now are we? Nope, it’s allowed when used in a sarcastic way or some sort of rule like that. Speak to my lawyers! And who came up with the spelling for the word “lawyer”? Surely there’s a special place in hell for them? Anyhoo, this ramble is turning into a whole improv set. Yes and? Credits!
- NX-Nardcotix David mesh body.
- Lelutka Guy mesh head
- Birth Ripley for Lelutka and their omega applier used on the body
- Avi Glam Solstice eyes (applied to the eyes that come with the head)
- Stealthic Narcotic hair
- H.O.T. Stringer Tank Hottest Twinkie
- Legal Insanity Chester pink tartan baggy pants, wearing the Aesthetic / Enzo size with some shape adjustments
- The choker is by Supernatural, it’s called “Willow”, but I couldn’t find it at the store. I must have gotten that as a gift at an event.
- Lelutka Guy & NX Nardcotix David Shape Travis. The look in Marketplace is totally different, but it is the shape I used for this blog post and I adjusted the legs to fit the baggy pants.
Clearing Out the Wardrobe – Episode 7
It was time for another one of those moments in Second Life™ where I took a look at an old outfit and thought of ways I could improve upon it. This time it’s an ensemble I have used on a Halloween hunt a couple of years ago and I’m sure it got some funny looks. A thong singlet is never going to be up everybody’s creek, so to speak. Personally I like how it has just enough fabric to make it interesting and to of course avoid full frontal jaw-dropping nudity at non-adult sims, while it also doesn’t leave much to the imagination. With plenty of skin on display, it’s also a great opportunity to use a tattoo.
I was wearing the Noche Hope Singlet back then and I am now wearing the Noche Latex Thong Singlet, to add a bit of shine to these dark days. The quality of the Vale Koer Retro Dunks sneakers I’m wearing this time is also of another level than their freebies I was wearing back then, although I haven’t thrown those out yet and they’re definitely a group gift worth making the trip to Vale Koer for now, if you haven’t got much SL cash to burn.
I have no need for the crossbow this year, because I’m not getting really into a very engaging hunt right now, though I’m sure they are out there (check out MadPea). The Nomad Pumpkin Hat is making a comeback from that old outfit and you can see that it’s more amusing than the slightly scary pumpkin head I was wearing the other day. I’m not sure where I’ll be going with this outfit. This is considered acceptable club wear in places I myself have only ever heard people talk about in real life. Consider that Second Life™ is real life on steroids, and the possibilities of where I can shake my booty to some groovy tunes in this getup are endless. So I shall sashay away and let you admire the view as I leave the room for now.
Credits
- Catwa Victor mesh head
- Belleza Jake mesh body
- Catwa Victor & Belleza Jake Shape Billy
- Stray Dog Erwin skin + body skin for Legacy (using BOM)
- Modulus Simon hat & hair and Body Hair set 1
- IDTTY Hustler eyebrows
- Dappa Future tattoo
- Avi-Glam Solstice eyes (applied to rigged Catwa eyes that come with head)
- Noche Mesh Nipples
- Noche Latex Thong Singlet
- Vale Koer Retro Dunks sneakers
- Nomad Pumpkin Hat (part of a set or Halloween hat pack group gift)
- Rezz Room European Cat (companion)
Mysterious times
Halloween must be the high days for role playing. Even those that don’t usually go for that kind of thing in Second Life™ may find themselves being part of a dark and bloody storyline around all hallows eve. For those of you into a bit of “playing doctor”, there’s a great new hospital gown by Noche.
If you’ve got a spot as a patient somewhere on a role-playing sim, you can easily wear this gown in it’s clean state. If however you’re getting into the Halloween spirit, you can get it covered with blood, mud or slime. I’m sure you can come up with your own storyline to explain it all. Personally I have been wandering around in derelict abandoned asylums, finding them strangely relaxing. I guess it takes all sorts to make SL go round (the twist).
Credits
- Noche Patient Gown Essentials, currently at Equal10 till November 5th 2020, rigged for Belleza Jake and Legacy Meshbody, can be worn with Noche’s Carter and Max underwear
- Belleza Jake mesh body
- Catwa Victor mesh head
- Catwa Victor & Belleza Jake Shape Billy
- Stray Dog body skin for Legacy (using BOM)
- Modulus Adrian hair
- L’etrê Basic Mesh Ears
Halloween is in full swing
It’s mid October and Halloween is EVERYWHERE in Second Life™. I plonked on a pumpkin head (currently a group gift at Birth) and went over to the Halloween Shop & Hop event to check out the many bargains. I came away from that with a new pair of leather trousers. From their I went on to All Hallows 2020 at Moochies to hang out with some fellow pumpkin heads.
This is just one of the many Halloween themed sims and I’m sure I don’t visit half as many of those than I should. Spooky mansions, deserted asylums, ghost towns, Second Life™ has got the lot and much more. One way to kill off this fun is to go look for a Halloween outfit that is too specific. Just go with the flow and have fun with it. If something about your outfit isn’t quite ride, just invent a narrative around it. Speaking of outfits, let’s wrap things up here with the usual list of credits so you can go “shop the look”, as they say in real life online stores.
Credits
- Birth Pumpkin Head group gift
- Belleza Jake mesh body
- Birth body applier (BOM skin) for Belleza
- L&B Swear Havoc Leather Pants fatpack, discounted at Halloween Shop & Drop and comes with detachable keychain. I’m also wearing their Salvage Engineer Boots, which you can get at the L&B main store.
- IDTTY “Hidden Inside” tattoo
Productive lazy days
As Second Life™ is mostly amusement for me, spending half a day tinkering with a space to make it look cozy, will look like a lazy day to anybody looking in from the outside (real) world. Meh, whatevs. Who asked you?! You do you boo. Que sera sera. Know what I mean. Like, seriously though, I can’t even… *looks at his cup of coffee with great suspicion* OMG, this ISN’T decaf!
Anyway, after all that faffing with virtual furniture, nick-nacks, tchotchkes and thingamabobs (I’ve got twenty, but who cares, no big deal… oh no, now I’m going to burst into song!) I set up a little sexy romantic scene which got slightly disturbed by that exhibitionistic dude across the street… Not that I’m complaining. Kitty cat just sleeps through all of it, as usual. Gawd, how I’d like to be a cat, providing I end up with loving parents… eeehm… owners. RIGHT! This is going nowhere, so off to the credits we go. I’ll give you a tour of the place some other day.
Credits
- Catwa Victor mesh head
- Belleza Jake mesh body
- Catwa Victor & Belleza Jake Shape Billy
- Stray Dog Erwin skin + body skin for Legacy (using BOM)
- Modulus Adrian hair and Body Hair set 1
- IDTTY Hustler eyebrows (at Man Cave till Oct. 11th) and “Hidden Inside” tattoo
- L’etrê Basic Mesh Ears
- Noche mesh nipples
- Rebellion Savant specs
- Noche Juan sweatpants, rigged for Belleza Jake and Legacy Meshbody, includes a fun built-in strip menu. These are at TMD until October 31st and at the main store after that.
- Noche Max underwear, worn on Belleza with Clef De Peau body skin.
- Jian Kitten Collection
- Apple Fall: Paris Loft (gacha, can only be found on Marketplace now), Pallet bed, bed warmers
Seeing patterns
There was a time my dress sense in real life was much bolder than it is these days. I’ll probably die in a pair of jeans and a comfy hoodie and I’m okay with that. I mean, eventually. I’m not quite ready for a house to land on me just yet. At some point my usual attire will be deemed unsuitable for a man of my age. Actually, at 44 it probably already is, but I don’t hold with such absurd notions. You do you boo, and I’ll bloody very well do me. I might go back to wearing patterned shirts more often again. I’ve started dropping some weight since January and I’m still some way off from where I want to be with that, but I can start thinking about wearing cute patterns again. You know, stand out instead blend in? This is about the right time for a midlife crisis, right?
I particularly like small patterns in Autumn. Maybe it has something to do with how the leaves falling on the ground create their own random pattern. Sometimes it’s bold and chaotic, when the leaves are big and cover the full spectrum of autumn colours and sometimes the pattern is very subtle, with small leaves that are kinda just brown. In my mind, when a big old tree is losing a bunch of leaves all at once with a strong gust of wind, it is whispering to itself “it will all grow back, it will all grow back, don’t panic.” You thought that sound was the wind blowing through the leaves? No, it most definitely is the trees whispering to themselves. Occasionally you might even here an “ooh”, when they themselves appreciate the pattern their leaves have made on the ground. Right! I’ll just “leave” you with that thought.
Credits
- Catwa Victor mesh head
- Belleza Jake mesh body
- Catwa Victor & Belleza Jake Shape Billy
- Stray Dog Erwin skin + body skin for Legacy (using BOM)
- Modulus Simon hat & hair and Body Hair set 1
- IDTTY Hustler eyebrows (at Man Cave till Oct. 11th)
- Avi-Glam Solstice eyes (applied to rigged Catwa eyes that come with head)
- L’etrê Basic Mesh Ears
- Rebellion Savant specs
- Midna Chuck bracelets
- Marked Hunter pendant necklace (at Man Cave till Oct. 11th)
- Noche Angel open shirt pattern pack
- Noche Hayden jeans
- Versov Kurtov Low sneakers
- Nostalgia Whimsy Pumpkin
- Minimal Berlin Corners backdrop (with alteration to wall texture on the right)
- Jian Kitten Collection
- Apple Fall Pumpkin Harvest wreath
Halloween prep with David
If there’s one thing Second Life™ does really well, it’s Halloween. This virtual world really rezzes to the occasion (see what I did there?) when it comes to this particular yearly season of dark yet colourful but also macabre festivity. You can definitely let your freak flag fly any time of the year in SL, but from late September to early November that flag flies with a fierceness to behold. One could go as far as to call it Halloween Pride. I’m personally kicking things of with a Halloween styling session for the NX-Nardcotix David mesh body.
I knew I had a skin by 7 Deadly S[k]ins hanging around somewhere in the rather well organised folders of my inventory that was due for an airing. It is a pale skin with a cracked marble effect and it gave me an idea to create a kind of mysterious angel-like / fairy creature. He could be good, he could be bad. Maybe he’s just something in between? Two dimensional characters are boring anyway.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that a rather old but interesting pair of trousers with a wrap by Gabriel, actually works quite well for David in the TMP size. Boots are built-in with these trousers, which saves you the hassle of trying to find a pair of boots that will work without clashing. We want complex characters but simplicity and ease when it comes to getting dressed, right? Of course I could have dolled up even more, with a necklace, some leather cuffs perhaps? Maybe some studs and rings and bling in the ears? I kept this look clean and simple on purpose. This angel doesn’t go for all that fancy shit, okay. And on that quasi testy note, I’ll leave you to it and I’m flying outa here.
Credits
- NX-Nardcotix David mesh body
- Catwa Stanley mesh head
- 7 Deadly S[k]ins Brent Halloween skin
- Blueberry Icon Angel Wings
- Stealthic Hysteria hair and hairbase
- Mandala Steking mesh ears Season 5
- Gabriel Skart with pants and boots
What’s Eating TMP 22
Here’s another one of those introductions in which I try to explain the title of this particular series of posts. The brand we’re supposed to be calling Meshbody, used to be known as TMP (short for the The Mesh Project). Some people refer to them as Legacy, but that is the name of the new body they came out with after stringing people along for years with a “beta” version of their original mesh body, which now still is available under the name “Classic”. It’s safe to say there’s a certain level of frustration among the Second Life™ residents with this brand. But damn it, I love their products. More recently Meshbody expanded their range with the Athletic body and we’re taking another look at that today.
A special point of attention on the agenda today is the mesh head I am using with the Athletic mesh body. It’s a Lelutka mesh head from their new Evolution line-up, named Luka. You’ll get a nice neck seam with the combination of this head and body, meaning that you need to be looking quite closely at the neck to notice a seam at all. One could say it’s seemingly seamless or so it seems.
When it comes to finding clothes for the Athletic Meshbody, not much has been made specifically for it yet, but I have a hunch that quite a lot of what has been rigged for the Legacy Meshbody will work. The moto here and indeed for most things in SL is: demo everything.
For the first very casual outfit on the left we are using the Armani Mesh Croptank and Miguel Joggers both by Noche, perfect for a lazy Sunday or indeed any lazy day at home or a quick jog in the park.
In the middle
On the right our guy is looking very dapper look in the Deadwool Hart jacket and trousers and Oxford shoes. All of these are worn in the Belleza size and of course the alpha hud is being used to hide all parts of the body that were poking through the suit.
And with this lovely juxtaposition of casual and smart I’ll leave you for now. I’m sure if you have a look around at the various monthly menswear events and try things in the Legacy size, you’ll find something to wear.
Credits
- Ahtletic Meshbody
- Lelutka Luka mesh head
- Billy Beaverhausen Kedar shape for Athletic Meshbody & Lelutka Luka mesh head (coming to Marketplace soon)
- Birth Ozias skin for Lelutka mesh heads and body skin for Legacy Meshbody, both used as BOM
- Stray Dog Renato hair base
- Avi-Glam Solstice eyes (includes an applier for Lelutka wich works on the mesh eyes that come with this head, no Omega relay needed)
- Noche: Armani Croptank, Armani Mesh Croptank, Miguel Joggers and Max Underwear on the peeping tom on the balcony (worn on the Belleza body)
- Deadwool: Hart Jacket, Hart Trousers, Oxford Shoes
- The at home shots were taken using an Apple Fall Paris Loft from a retired gacha. If you search for in Marketplace, you may find a couple of them. I won’t go into much detail about the interior, as most of it is just blurry in the background. The bed is by Soy and you can find the sofa at Apple Fall.
Second visit to the Signature Event
The previous post was all about making the most of the Signature Gianni mesh head. For this post, I went back to the Signature Event and bought the brand new Lelutka Connor mesh head. The Lelutka mesh heads continue to be priced at L$3990 until further notice. They used to be L$5000, but were discounted as a good will gesture when we first all started locking ourselves in and throwing away the key in attempt to say NO to our little friend Covid19. So here I am, up in my tower and I’ve let my hair grow long, but never (EVER!) has any prince charming attempted to climb up it. Old hags on the other hand… Anyhoo, let’s take a look at this Connor head.
As with all the Lelutka mesh heads in their newest Evolution range, Connor is meant to be used with BOM skins. In theory you can use an applier for the skin, but then you won’t be able to apply any extras. So that means no hair base, no eye brows, no freckles, no nothin’. It all has to be part of the skin you are using if you do take the applier route. That might be the choice you make when you like an old skin that hasn’t been updated to BOM yet and it happens to have all of the aforementioned extras baked in. If it’s an omega applier, you will also need to have the Omega relay for Lelutka heads. Seriously though, get on the BOM wagon already!
I’ve used the same skin as in the previous post, the Signature Davis skin to be more precise. The eyebrows, freckles and beard all come with the head. You can actually use the Connor head on the Signature body straight out of the box. The skins that come with the head have been made to blend into the neck and the seam isn’t too awful, considering you don’t have to cough up any extra dough for a skin. Seriously though, you need to stop eating dough, it’s bad for you.
If you need more help with the Lelutka Evolution heads than the somewhat anemic tidbit I’m offering here, you can sashay away to Lelutka’s website, because there’s plenty of information to pig out on there.
While I was at the Signature Event (ends on September 21st) I grabbed myself a new top by Noir. What’s better than a nice form-fitting sleeveless top? One with a hilarious print that makes people laugh out loud and a sexy harness-like detail. Once the event has ended, the Hikaru Harness Shirt should appear at the Noir main store, but why wait, right? We’ve got to spread the joy NOW people!
And with that it’s time for me to “head” out of here… See what I did there? I said head out of here and the main topic of this blog post was a head… How do you mean it doesn’t become funnier when I explain it?
Credits
- Lelutka Conner mesh head (at the Signature Event until September 21st)
- Signature Gianni mesh body (discounted to L$2750 at the Signature Event until September 17th)
- Signature Davin BOM skin
- Modulus Body Hair set 1
- Avenge Signature freckles body tattoo applier (you can use this on top of the BOM skin)
- Billy Beaverhausen Lelutka Conner & Signature Gianni Shape Keith
- Avi-Glam Solstice Mesh Eyes
- Stealthic Hysteria hair and Stealthic hair base (using the thick version)
