This is a photo of...well...me! Aren't I just the cutest thing? :D

But seriously, what you see here is my very first foray into the wild, wacky world of fursuiting. This picture was taken in the atrium of the Fairmont hotel during the last night of Further Confusion 2011. I believe the Dead Dog Dance was going on behind me, while the atrium itself was still bustling with random furries. What better time to take my first (and definitely not last) steps into bringing Arc Nova to life. :)

The crown jewel of this ensemble is the mask. For this all credit goes to Deezlberries ( http://www.furaffinity.net/user/deezlberries ) for creating such a jaw-dropingly realistic dragon head. What's even more amazing is that this mask looks a LOT like Arc, even though it wasn't custom made. The only change I requested when it was being sold was the addition of mesh eyes. These, too, also look fantastic, and completely natural with the rest of the mask. Naturally, you don't even see them from the inside, and there's enough room that I can wear the mask over my glasses quite comfortably. I simply cannot express just how happy I am to have gotten this. Deez, you truly outdid yourself. ^__^

Funny thing is this picture almost never happened. I first saw the mask in person earlier during the con when it was delivered to my room. Naturally I was blown away, but I was also reluctant to wear it around outside. I mean, sure, I had the mask, but I had basically nothing else to make a semi-decent partial out of. I really didn't want to make my first suiting debut in just the mask alone. It just....wouldn't look right, IMO. Fortunately, on the last night my friend Samotter was able to loan me this fantastic red and black garb, as well as a pair of black gloves to help hide the fleshy pink digits. Combined with my own pair of dark pants, I think it all came together beautifully! :D

I had a fantastic time wandering around the atrium and dance floor, and now I'm more sure than ever that I want to invest in a full fursuit. Complete with armor and weapons. I suppose what you see here could be considered Arc Nova version .1. A prototype, if you will, for learning the basics of fursuiting. As of this writing I've found some possibilities for builders, but nothing's 100% decided yet. If you are an experienced fursuit maker who's open for commissions, and you're interested in taking on the challenge of making an Arc suit, send me a Note and let's talk! :)

Even after I get such a suit, however, I'm not getting rid of this mask. It's perfect for more casual outings, and it just looks so incredible! I know there are more pictures from FC out there (and I'm sorry for not knowing who took this particular one. :-/ ) so there may be more uploads appearing in the future. We shall see. :3

Thank you so much, Loran, for tracking down this photo! ^_^