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neon--nightmare · 2 years

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What's your favorite fun fact about furbies? Also what do you think the rarest 2005 furby would be?

AAHHH MY APP CRASHED WHEN I WAS ALMOST DONE TYPIN THIS AND DELETED THE WHOLE MASSIVE THING SO I’M GONNA DO MY BEST TO RETYPE IT FROM MEMORY BUT i love love love talkin abt FURBIES so it’s still a pleasure!!! AVSBDNFV

I ACTUALLY HAVE THREE FAVORITE FUN FACTS!!! FIRST iirc the rarest 2005 furby is the Funky Furb(ies), which were special variants of the normal 2005 which had tails and could sing three extra songs!! there were 3 patterns, and they were only sold in Canada, the UK, Spain, and Australia bc of there already being poor sales in the US, and they were only sold for three months on top of that!! nowadays they go for around $200 out of box at least, if you’re extremely lucky, and their prices can go way higher - out of 11 Ebay listings, the cheapest one is $220 and non-workin, 6 are above $500, and 2 are above $900!!

I’M GONNA PUT THE REST OF THIS UNDER A READMORE because it’s LONG, but i really enjoyed writin abt this anon!!!! thank u, man!!! :D

OKAY!!! NOW, listed in order from most to least obscure!!! the first fact that most people already know is that in 1999, furbies were banned from govt agencies bc the ‘your furby learns to talk from you!’ advertising made them think that furbies were recordin devices, and could leak sensitive info!! in ACTUALITY, 1998 furbies’ sound sensors don’t even register (or record) anythin you say, only registerin loud noises, and the way they ‘learn’ to speak english vs furbish is preprogrammed + slowly activated in stages the more you interact with them!! (and, therefore, you cant teach a furby how to swear, which was ALSO a popular urban legend back in the days!!)

SECOND AND MEDIUM OBSCURE FUN FACT is the first furby prototype and concept art!!! ive seen a pretty popular post abt him circulatin around here years ago, but LOOK AT HOW LITTLE HE IS BRO!!!! HE’S SO TINY!!! he looks like they just woke him up and rolled him out of bed seconds before the photoshoot, i love him SO much,,, wherever he is, i hope he’s doing well!!! and the concept art linked here is ADORABLE too, look at them!!!! they’re circular!!! also, furby smoking for some reason???

OKAY!!! THE FINAL FUN FACT, THAT BARELY ANY PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY KNOW (FROM WHAT IVE SEEN) is that there are a TON TON TON of unreleased 1998 furbies which were never properly put into production after they were discontinued, but had a very VERY small number of prototypes made!! they were rlly neat, with more complex patterns, fur styles, and some of them even had their own little outfits!!! there are rlly neat wiki pages here and here that document them, which i’d ABSOLUTELY recommend checkin out if you’re interested even a tiny bit, but my favorites are the Raspberry Swirl furby and the….. actual, real and official, Elvis Furby . Elvis Furby you are everything to me

THIS WAS SUCH A SWEET QUESTION ANON THANK YOU FOR ASKIN!!!! I LOVED WRITIN THIS OUT :D there’s actually even more, like how the normal random furby eyecolors are brown, green, blue, and hazel, with purple for special edition furbs, but there are three ‘rare’ gorgeous eyecolors later furbies can have like neon green, neon blue, and silver, but these are my fav three facts!!! WHOEVER READS ALL THE WAY DOWN HERE I LOVE YOU (PLATONIC) and i hope you enjoyed my rambles!! :D

#90% OF THIS IS COMPLETELY OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD SO SOME INFO MIGHT BE INACCURATE!!! THE BULK OF THE MAIN INFO SHOULD BE CORRECT THO #EVEN IF LIL DETAILS ARE OFF!!!#ALSO I JUST NOTICED THE ELVIS FURBY IS JUST AN OWL FURB W DIFFERENT HAIR AND A CAPE THATS ADORABLE??#I HAVENT TALKED ABT THIS IN LIKE. YRS DUDE THATS SO WILD???#ALSO THE RESPONSE IVE GOTTEN TO MY FURBY RAMBLES HERE MAKE ME SO HAPPY IM LEGIT EMOTIONAL :’] THANK U GUYS FOR BEIN SO SWEET ILL CRY!!!!#furby #furblr #allfurby #furbies #furby elvis….. my long lost love #chat #asks #anonymous

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unmotivated-furby-mother · 3 years

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Hi all! I know I haven't been too active in the furby community lately, and that is for many reasons. I'm not going on a hiatus of any kind and this blog isn't shutting down, so no worries! I have a lof of plans that I would like to disclose about my furby endevors:

1: Perform surgery on my beloved son. I am mostly likely going to order a 3D printed faceplate, but there are pros and cons to such a thing. The pros are that its financially and technically much easier to do than harvest a faceplate off of another furb. The cons are, however, still kind of worrying. The faceplate will not be adjustable and it will look... rough. I can appreciate the artistic beauty that 3D printed faceplates can show, but in all reality they are not for me. I prefer the factory made precision and perfection that furb faces bring. If anyone has a solution that I have not found out about yet, please let me know!

2: Get a tie dye furb!!! Or one of those gun metal gray/blue ones that I think are very neat. If I get the blue one, I might sell it. If I get the tye dye furby, they're definitely a keeper!

3: More photoshoots for you guys to enjoy!

4: Maybe set up a furb shop!

Sorry if this blog post was too long but I just wanted to update you guys of where this blog is headed. Sorry for reposting things that don't pertain to the theme of this blog, but I do think they're important things to spread the word of, or I wouldn't have reblogged them at all.

Love you all! :3

#custom furby #furby 1999 #long furby #safe furby #furby 1998 #furby #furbies #furblr #furby collecting

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oodlefurb · 4 years

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Introducing two new Furby friends!

First up is the star of the duo, the 2005 furby. As soon as I saw him, I immediately knew his name had to be Big Chungus. I mean just look at him! Now, I must admit, initially I wasn't a huge fan of 2005 furbies. They just look so frumpy in photos. However, after seeing this guy in person, they are starting to grow on me a little bit.

Big Chungus is in pretty rough shape; apart from the obvious and very common beak damage, he also has a loose foot and a damaged battery compartment, complete with missing battery cover. I love a project though, so none of these flaws bother me very much; in fact, I'm actually pretty excited to fix this guy up. I am even optimistic that I will be able to get him to work properly, assuming I can get a new battery cover. (Btw, if anyone has a spare 2005 battery cover they'd be willing to send to a fellow Furby fan, please get in touch!)

Big Chungus' eyes arrived closed, but with some tin foil and a bit of fiddling I was able to connect his batteries together long enough to get him open up his eyes and say his "cock-a-doodle-doo" wake-up phrase, which is why I'm quite optimistic that he'll work with a new battery cover. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw his eyes, as they're a really pretty shade of blue-green, unlike any 2005 Furby I've seen before.

Big Chungus also arrived with a 1998 Furby friend, who I've decided to name Lil' Chungus because why not lol.

Lil' Chungus arrived in fairly good shape compared to his younger brother. He came with about half of a hang tag and half a box.

I was a bit scared when I popped open his battery compartment, as I discovered a set of corroded batteries left inside. (sidenote: who leaves batteries in a Furby long enough for them to corrode? These things have no off switch and never shut up!) Thankfully though, after a vinegar scrub and a fresh set of batteries, Lil' Chungus began working like new. I didn't even have to skin him and push start him, like I had to do with my previous vintage furbs.

So there you have it, the tale of my two new Furbies. I'll definitely be posting more about Big Chungus and my efforts to repair him in the future, so follow me if you're into that sort of thing. I'm not sure what I want to do with Lil' Chungus yet, but he'll probably pop up now and again as well. The Chunguses also came with one more piece of interesting Furby merch, which I hope to make a separate post about soon!

#furby #botblr #furby community #furblr #safe furby #furby fandom #furby 1998 #furby 1999 #animatronics #furby 2005

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furby-sexual · 4 years

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Meet me & the squad!

About me:

Hi! My name is Misty and I’m a 20 y/o Canadian furby artist! I customize furbs and do a lot of other art too, but I really only post my furbs...for now. I plan to sell/trade customs and open commissions, once I get the hang of things :)

The Gang:

I have 13 total Furby, and I plan to make and buy more! I collect all models and years and I’m learning to customize each kind. My favourites are buddies and 98s and connects.

98 Furbs:

On the left is my Giraffe furb Whopper and my very first custom! On the right is my Leopard furb Peaches, my first plushified baby with my first custom eyechips ✨

2005 Furbs:

On the left is my Passion Fruit furb, Shortcake! She works completely and has no customization on her. On the right is Nebula (Nebby) my (originally Sleepy Pink) first custom dyed furby! It took a lot of work and they don’t work but they are beautiful! (And for sale 👀)

2012/Boom Furbs:

Black: Onyx, the plushified and shaker eye furb.

Orange: Cheeto. My first 2012. He’s for sale:)

Blue waves: Seafoam. My most beautiful custom yet 💙

Furby Connects:

Blueberry Soda :) 💜 My first connect and I love him so so much. 12/10 cutest baby ever and I probably won’t customize him cause he’s THAT cute. 🥺 I want him to have a little pink sister though 💜

McDonald’s Furbs:

On the left: Beep, the stuffed keychain furb! I painted his beak but that’s it. He’s such a cutie and he comes on adventures with me! On the right: nameless furb. He’s just the hard kind that blinks from button presses on his back. This boy hasn’t been customized much, but I did lighten his beak color and gave him a layer of sparkle over his body ✨

NOT PICTURED:

Party Rocker (Twittby)

Sleepy Blue 2005 Furby (Sapphire)

If you made it this far, then thank you and welcome! I’m open to friends within the community and I’m always looking for a deal on furbs 💜 I’ll also be posting stuff for sale and customizations and tutorials, so stick around! Maybe you’ll see something you love :)

Ttyl! ~ Misty 🌸✨

#custom furby #furby fandom #furbies #long furby #furby #my furbs #all furby #furby community #furby 1999 #furby blog #furby family #oddbody furby #furby baby #furby buddy #furblr #furby 1998 #art

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furbypurrs · 4 years

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furb assignment!! i'm a trans guy, i love dogs and werewolves best. i'm kinda casual kinda funky n i love neon + primary colors and retro aesthetiques. i'm autistic and have adhd n also love horror. i'm kinda moodswingy but overall i do my best to be a good friend n i love the people around me

blue blueberry furby!

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gorebabybunny · 4 years

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Furby wish list!

Welp, its happened yet again...

I’ve found another thing I want to collect. So, might as well compile this list since tumblr is a pretty big furby hot spot.

Lets divide this shall we? I’ll be going by generation, most of these are in want to either custom or theme after a character!

1998 FURBIES;

These are the original furbies, small, less fluffy, but had a lot of generations that came in its surrounding years. It received no major style changes until 2005, so any furby with this look is called a 1998 furby. In 1999 furbies were banned from the NSA as they could theoretically be used to record information. This is because furbies are an early AI based toy, using now outdated tech to have the toy respond and learn from you.

1) Red wolf furby

I want this more just for myself, though I imagine a Tord themed one could be done with it if I change my mind!

Preference: Working... Though a nonworking one would be nice to have if I didn’t plan on modifying.

2) Dragon furby

This was the first furby I set my heart on! I want one to make a Sonic the hedgehog custom with. I do not want the fresh new look version! As those ones have a black face and Sonic does not.

Preference: Open to working or nonworking

3) Racing furby

This is considered a special edition furby! Which means he would be really special! I want to modify one to be a Tom custom! I mean duh, he’s perfect for one!

Preference: I’d love a mute one for him but I doubt thats very possible to find!

4) Santa furby

like the racing furby, this one is a special edition. I want this one just to have, though I would take that dumb hat off.

Preference: nonworking so he can’t spread holiday cheer thx

1998 FURBY BABIES:

The furby babies were actually released 1999 but as stated before, because they have the original furby shape that is how they are referred to. Furby babies are smaller and hvae limited responses/interactions. They also feature more pastel colours.

1) Sunny yellow furby baby

Look, I have no clue why but the second I saw this furby I was in love. This would be one to just have and if I modified it would be to add freckles or something. I just... Look at them, theyre a little baby bird!

preference: Working

2) Pink and blue furby babies

I would either take both or just one of these duo. I think they would make pretty cute twins though.

preference: Creepy twins? Working please!

3) Lime green baby furby

I want this one to make an Invader Zim custom with... Cuz he’s baby obviously! He would be pretty heavily modified. MIGHT become a long furby.

Preference: LOUD AND PROUD WORKING MAMA

2005 FURBIES:

These furbies are probably my favorite... Likely as they’re the ones I had as a kiddo. In this generation they had their first total redesign. Features were remodeled but were arguably not as good. They did not have a light sensor and in touch relied totally on touch and sound to communicate. While they responded better to humans, among other furbies this posed a challenge.

They are also larger than the original furby, had plastic immovable feet and silicon covered mouths. For me, I remember the weird little mouth most fondly. Because the creators were going for a more realistic look, they have a permanently drugged expression. They are also supposedly pretty hard to skin and customize.

1) Strawberry swirl 2005

This is by far my favorite furby, something about them look so delicate and sweet, like someone I wanna come home and be comforted by after a bad day. This model is also more pricey than others for some reason.

Preference: Working

2) Sleepy blue 2005

Something about this furby looks so sweet, I just love him!

preference: Working

3) Sleepy pink 2005

NOW! I actually have already gotten this one, it is on its way to me through the mail. I will be turning it into a working Edd furby!

4) Charcoal 2005

I just,, Love this boy so much, look at his lil ears,, He feeds my dark soul energy

Preference: Working or nonworking I love him all the same

2005 FURBY BABY:

Now these ones are special.

Based off the 2005 furby (as it was released the same year) the 2005 furby baby had a unique look. Their legs were more defined and pose-able. I would say these are the most alien looking of all the furbies.

1) Any skinned furby 2005 baby. Any.

I want a skinned 2005 furby so I can make a Gir custom! I would be hand making the skin into a little costume! This is the only image I could find lol

Preference: I’d be fine with it not working but my world would be made if it was.

2012 FURBIES:

These furbies were basically the major tech update! At this point they are increasingly less releastic (a sharp contrast from the 2005) and more robot based. This is likely because modern tech had reach a high with children. They can develop a different personality based om how you play with it. They resemble the 1998 body shape but nothing else quite lines up. At this point, the ears are now plastic and their tail has become an interaction point.

Because these are newer models and can still be bought in some stores, I will not include my preference towards working or nonworking as most should still be active.

1) White 2012 (AKA Yeti furby)

I just love this little white fluff! He’s just super cute and soft.

2) Black cherry 2012

I want this one for a Tord custom! Though customizing 2012 and ups are difficult.

3) Festive Sweater furby BOOM

This is technically a separate model but there isn’t much a difference aside from the ears and colours. I love his metallic look though I could care less about the Christmas pattern.

FURBY CONNECT:

Furby connect is the most recent model of furby as of may 2020. It has bluetooth capabilities and the most language skills. Despite the age gap in products, all furbies can communicate with one another. This model is extremely soft and fluffy... Though it should be noted that they can be hacked into if in direct contact. To make these furbies go to sleep, they have a plastic face mask you insert into their above sensor. These are the most interactive. There LCD eyes are lit up with better graphics than the 2012 and booms.

1) Blue furby connect

I’m in love with their softness and sweet eyes. He is definitely on the top of my list!

LONG FURBIES:

Long furbies are home made furbs with (usually) authentic faces and bodies that are sewn into a long tube like thing. The practice is to actually extend the furby. These can be commissioned by artists but most people make them at home. They often have a plastic skeleton inside.

I will include one example photo THAT IS NOT MINE but the rest of the images will be the bases I want for the long furbies.

Typically it is only done with 1998 furbies.

AGAIN THIS IS NOT MY PICTURE, JUST AS NONE OF THESE ARE, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER SOMEONE HOME MADE THIS AND CREDIT IS DESERVED WHERE CREDIT IS DUE.

1) Blueberry 1998 furby base

I want to turn this into a long furby custom based of Dib from Invader Zim... I would attempt to make it a working model but if thats not possible then a simple plush would do

List of customs from character I want to make that were not listed:

Matt (eddsworld)

As of right now, these are the furbies I want! I will probably add more later... Especially since I’m not quite satisfied on my Tord choice

#furby #safe furby #iso #furby 2005 #custom furby #fandom

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altamaranempire · 6 years

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legit so glad to see you enter the furby fandom

Trust me you have no idea~ I love me some furbs to the point that my poor, long suffering wife is like ‘please *please* don’t go overboard with your new special interest’ pffft. Jokes on everyone I’ve always loved furbies, I just didn’t know there was a Tumblr community for them!

The lighting in my apartment is awful so I can’t really supply good pics, but I currently own a (very cheap) secondhand blue and yellow 2012 that I’ve partly customized. As a child I owned a Dalmatian furby who is broken but technically still exist back in my family home!

Who knows, maybe one day I’ll manage to get him mailed to me and do some repairs- I’ve got a soft spot for that lil pal, because it’s probably older than my little brother, and maybe even some of my friends and that’s like… whoa… Humans have had commercial robots for a long time, huh?

#the rare reply #imsoweirdimnotanitimanith #text post #furby #allfurby #safefurby #these are the tags right?#QuaDa the Dalmatian furby just leans forwards and screams as far as I remember #I'd love to have him again even if just to record the AAAAAAA because honestly? a mood.#also I specify 'very cheap' because I don't want people thinking I blew cash on a furby when I'm already poor #I'd never buy myself anything over $15 MAX and he wasn't even that.

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furbs-n-flamelish · 6 years

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Dream Furby List

Just a list for my own personal use. I don’t think I want all the furbs listed here but boy I sure like all these cuties (let me know if you have any of the below that you are considering selling as I may be interested).

-Snowball 1998

-Raspberry Sundae 1998 (I don’t think I have seen anyone with one of these)

-Tie Dye 1998

-Green Bean 1998

-Coffee 1998

-Frog or Alligator 1998 (Must be well loved)

-Leopard 1998

-Jester Limited 1998

-Coral Baby (Do people even have these? If so I would love to see yours)

-Mint Green or Baby Blue Baby

-Sunny Yellow Baby

-Gizmo 1999

-Spearmint or Mint Metal Shelby (I had one of these when I was much younger and would love to have another)

-Strawberry Swirl 2005

-Tropical Mango 2005 (I swear I never see these either)

-Cotton Candy or Plum 2005

-Yeti White 2012

#furby #wishlist #flamelish #just a personal list #but I would be very interested if anyone is rehoming any of the lovelies above #shelby #furby baby #furby boom #furby 2005

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rancidbunny · 7 years

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How to Skin Your Furb!

By me, your friendly neighbourhood Modern Furby Witch! I’ll try to explain as best as I can but if you have any questions or concerns feel free to message me! Also, I recommend you read through any tutorials, guides, recipes, or the like before attempting them so that you know what to expect before doing it yourself.

So this here is the lovely furby who has graciously agreed to assist me in this tutorial, my boy Moses! Here are the tools we’ll need to remove Moses fur:

-Scissors of some sort (those small blue ones are specifically for cutting threads and what not, but I don’t use them much)

-Screwdriver (a smallish one)

-Seam Ripper, if you have one (if you don’t, the scissors will work well enough)

-Knife is optional, to help with any glue removal or cutting (though I wouldn’t recommend cutting with one)

We’ll also need to remove Moses's jewelry and batteries. Now that we have our tools and the furby is ready, let’s locate the zip-tie that holds the fur to the base of the body.

That greyish bit right there is the zip-tie, but to get it exposed enough to cut it, we’ll need to move that fabric that’s covering it. On some furbys the fabric isn’t stitched closed but, unfortunately, it is on Moses. We’ll have to use the seam ripper to get those stitches out. You could also use scissors, but be careful to only cut the thread and not the fabric.

There we go! Now we just have to get our scissors under the zip-tie so that we can cut it.

If the zip-tie is especially tight, this may be difficult, but stay determined. You’ll get it eventually!

Just as a heads up, the scissors may scratch the base a bit.

The scratching wasn’t that bad on Moses, but I’ve had less lucky furbs...

This is okay though! That part of the base isn’t really exposed when furbys have their fur on so, more likely than not, no one will see it.

Now let’s do the faceplate. Some furbs have the faceplate screwed on, like Moses, and others have it glued on. Either way, this part is usually pretty easy.

To get to the screws (there should be 2 of them) we’re just gonna lift the fur up on either side of the face so that the screw is exposed. Then we just unscrew it and do the other side! If the faceplate is glued on, you can either just pull at it, or you can wedge a blade or your finger between the glue and the exoskeleton (that black plastic casing inside the furby). Don’t worry about breaking your furb! They’re pretty tough!

Now we do the ears!

If you have a seam ripper you can rip the exposed thread like that. Just keep ripping until all of it comes out. If you don’t, or if you can’t seem to get all of the thread with the seam ripper, you can pull the ear up so that the plastic stick inside of it is exposed. Keep pulling until you see the hole that the thread is stitched through.

Carefully snip that thread there with the scissors. This is where I used my little blue scissors, but the big scissors also worked well for me.

Fun Tip: If you don’t want to have to stitch the ears back on later, just stick some earrings through the holes instead! The ears will stay put, your furb will look very stylish, and that’s less extra work for you! Win-win-win!

Now that the ears are free of those plastic sticks...

... let’s separate the fur around the ear holes from the exoskeleton! First, we need to locate the plastic hook.

It’s part of the exoskeleton. Here’s what it looks like on some already furless exoskeletons:

We just have unhook the fur. On 3 of my furbs, this part was super easy and the fur came right off, but on 1 of them, it required a bunch of tugging because there was so much glue holding the fur down. If that’s the case, stay patient! You can try pulling the fur off of the glue first, before unhooking it, by using your finger or a blade and just working away at the glue, maybe snip some of the fur and threads that are glued down (be careful to not cut the fabric itself though).

Now that we’ve got that done, all we have to do is pull the fur away from those ear holes.

In most cases, it’s glued down, but don’t worry about tearing anything. It would take a lot to tear that fabric so just focus on getting the fur off, okay!

Done!

Though, not completely... Looks like the top of the faceplate on Moses is glued down. On 1 of my other furbys, there was glue at the very top of the head.

No problem!

Just pull that off and...

There! He looks kinda silly with that piece of glue sticking up like that! We’ll just pull that off then turn the skin right-side out again.

There he is! Free at last! Now we can wash the fur, fix any broken parts, hack the circuitry, whatever!

Hope this tutorial helped you out! And feel free to hit me up with any questions if you have them! I always keep my messages open and anon turned on (for if you’re shy like me, or for if your main blog isn’t for furbys)!

Good luck with your furby!!

#im gonna find a bunch of errors the second after posting this istg #allfurby #safefurby #furby tutorial #furby fandom #furby skinning

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fubbyandfroots-blog · 6 years

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ey i need a bit of help naming some furbs. i’m trying to make sure everyone has their own unique identity and stuff but i have a lot of furbies and i’m like the absolute worst at naming stuff so do you think you guys could help me name some friends ? :p

I need names for:

‘98 Tie-Dye, nonbinary lesbian, likes neon 80s aesthetic

‘98 Graduation furb, demigirl ace/aro, a fancy and educated friend, secretly loved one direction, only drinks tea

Metallic Mint Shelby, literally no one (including themself) has any idea what their gender is but they’re p gay, collects stickers

‘05 Charcoal, bi boy, really into eurodance music

‘12 Black, ace/aro man, has a special interest in technology and computers

Triangles Boom, demisexual panromantic girl, loves colorful eyestrain 2000s aesthetic, has like 70 sparkledog ocs and loves them all

Peacock Furbling, smol demiboy, probably gay idk dude, astrology and space special interest

‘12 Teal Blue, genderfluid pan, nintendo gamer, would probably eat a bath bomb

I also have a bunch of McDonalds furbs without names too. I name them p randomly tho so literally any name is game.

I appreciate all suggestions !! Thank !! <3

#furby #allfurby #safefurby #many furb #pls help i need to name all of these friends #also i do give the mcfurbs unique identities too but i'm a lot more random with the names #like idc if they're called like stale lasagna or spork or bnvfjdbfhdbfh or y!ff or asthma or whatever #i prob wont name too many electronic furbs like that tho #maybe stale lasagna idk #but uiebfhbehfbbdf anyway thanks

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monstrousthingsrp · 7 years

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Time Period Quick Reference:

Courtesy the lovely Erin (@incre-et-painture) we now have a handy-dandy little reference to help us all “flow with the times” without having to struggle between either spending precious time researching or winging it and hoping for the best! She actually lived in England during the period in which our game is set, so if you have additional questions about the setting she’ll be happy to help you out--

Although keep in mind that this is an alternate universe. As such, specific individual facts and historical events may be different. So don’t worry about getting bogged-down in the details; after all, this is a world in which The Cold War was replaced by The Worldwide Witchunt Wars. There probably was no Cuban Missile Crisis; there may not have even been a Space Race! We’ve left particular historical details vague enough that we can tailor them to suit whatever plot-points we all decide to develop.

So just as with the timeline, view the following as a reference guideline, not a checklist to obey!

Technology:

This is probably the most important one for us, as unlike most Potterverse games we’re actually playing in a world where your character very well might have access to the sort of technology that we take for granted in our current lives -- albeit several generations older than what we’ve got on hand now!

Most computers operate using ethernet cords to connect to the internet, laptops weigh an extremely portable 52 pounds, basically, and camera phones are cutting edge technology. The pictures taken with them are notoriously grainy at this stage and definitely not the crystal clear video we’re used to.

Most mobile phones operate on a “top up” method where you pay for minutes. They’re called track phones in the U.K. Also, most people are paying per text message sent, but it’s still a popular method of communication. You can top up your minutes in most convenience stores and by calling into your provider’s number. There aren’t any smartphones, apps, and other things like that. Public payphones still exist, although they are fading out by this point.

Travel is done by taxi, bus, and tube. Lyft and Uber do not exist. Londoners love the Tube and definitely travel that way frequently. For frequent travelers, Oyster cards are refillable cards that are similar to the Metro cards we use in the US. In fact, 2004 was the first year that Oyster cards existed. They can also be used on the bus and train, but not on taxis.

Please also remember that trains are a popular method of travel for Europeans. They’re also very reliable and a great way to get around. (As for whether people would be comfortable sharing a carriage with someone who’s got stars by their eyes, well...)

Pop Culture: Sport

As much as it breaks my heart, Manchester United won the FA cup in 2004. (Mod Note: her Erin, maybe in this messed-up world West Ham isn’t a total lost cause? I mean, sport doesn’t have to have happened the same as it did in reality, and we’ve got so many crazy things going on here already -- wealthy Weasleys, werewolf-friendly Blacks, a living Regulus...stranger things could happen, right?)

For those of you interested in talking football, here are the league tables for that season. Please keep in mind that different teams are in different leagues so, if your character follows a team, make sure you know who they play. :)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004%E2%80%9305_Football_League

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004%E2%80%9305_FA_Premier_League

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004%E2%80%9305_Football_League_Championship

Pop Culture: Telly

The Television lineup in Britain in real 2004-2005 contained the shows:

Little Britain

Spooks

Eastenders

Still Game

Dr. Who (the new series had just started, but the reruns were still extremely popular and well-loved by a majority of British people)

Casualty

The Doctors

Holby City

River City

Blue Peter

Strictly Come Dancing

And news is broadcast on the BBC News

For a comprehensive list, please see this article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_television_programmes_broadcast_by_the_BBC

Please pay attention to the years listed for each program to make sure that it’s applicable...and feel free to make up shows of your own that might exist in this reality! Just keep in mind that TV in England was a much smaller, lower-budget, more contained entity than the overwhelming glut of channels going on in America.

Pop Culture: Music

This will be a painful trip for some of us. After all, I think we’d probably all rather forget that Kelis ever proclaimed that her milkshake brings all the boys to the yard. However, it’s a sad fact that she did, and this is the time when it happened!

Now again, we are living in an alternate reality here, so feel free to make up other songs and singers and groups -- both mundane and magical; maybe the Weird Sisters and Celestina Warbeck don’t exist here (and maybe they do) but there are surely still some magical musicians (maybe some taking advantage of the “dangerous” aura their magic grants them, while others might try and downplay it) so please, let your imaginations run wild! Maybe this Brittany Spears never sang Toxic but rather Cursed...maybe this Goldie Lookin Chain wrote Wands Don’t Kill People, Rappers Do. Who knows, have fun! The following list is for reference so that you know what kind of music and what kind of bands (probably) exist in this world and this time. And, maybe, to give you all a trip -- pleasant or otherwise -- down nostalgia lane. Enjoy!

Here are the Top 100 Songs of 2004 in the UK:

01 Eamon ~ F**k It (I Don't Want You Back)

02 Eric Prydz ~ Call On Me

03 Anastacia ~ Left Outside Alone

04 DJ Casper ~ Cha Cha Slide

05 Usher featuring Lil' Jon & Ludacris ~ Yeah!

06 Frankee ~ FURB (F U Right Back)

07 Kelis ~ Milkshake

08 Mario Winans featuring Enya & P Diddy ~ I Don't Wanna Know

09 3 Of A Kind ~ Baby Cakes

10 Michelle McManus ~ All This Time

11 Britney Spears ~ Everytime

12 Michael Andrews featuring Gary Jules ~ Mad World

13 Destiny's Child ~ Lose My Breath

14 The Shapeshifters ~ Lola's Theme

15 Outkast ~ Hey Ya!

16 LMC vs U2 ~ Take Me To The Clouds Above

17 O-Zone ~ Dragostea Din Tei

18 The Streets ~ Dry Your Eyes

19 Busted ~ Thunderbirds / 3AM

20 Usher ~ Burn

21 Britney Spears ~ Toxic

22 Natasha Bedingfield ~ These Words

23 Ozzy & Kelly Osbourne ~ Changes

24 Boogie Pimps ~ Somebody To Love

25 Kelis ~ Trick Me

26 The Rasmus ~ In The Shadows

27 Band Aid 20 ~ Do They Know It's Christmas?

28 Nelly ~ My Place / Flap Your Wings

29 D12 ~ My Band

30 McFly ~ 5 Colours In Her Hair

31 Girls Aloud ~ I'll Stand By You

32 Cassidy featuring R Kelly ~ Hotel

33 Jamelia ~ Thank You

34 Peter Andre ~ Mysterious Girl

35 Maroon 5 ~ This Love

36 Eminem ~ Just Lose It

37 Rachel Stevens ~ Some Girls

38 Khia ~ My Neck My Back (Lick It)

39 Christina Milian ~ Dip It Low

40 McFly ~ Obviously

41 JoJo ~ Leave (Get Out)

42 Deep Dish ~ Flashdance

43 Lemar ~ If There's Any Justice

44 J-Kwon ~ Tipsy

45 Will Young ~ Leave Right Now

46 Sean Paul featuring Sasha ~ I'm Still In Love With You

47 Brian McFadden ~ Real To Me

48 Girls Aloud ~ Love Machine

49 Katie Melua ~ The Closest Thing To Crazy

50 2Play featuring Raghav & Jucxi ~ So Confused

51 Twista ~ Sunshine

52 Sam & Mark ~ With A Little Help From My Friends / Measure Of A Man

53 Robbie Williams ~ Radio

54 Blue ~ Breathe Easy

55 The Black Eyed Peas ~ Shut Up

56 Twista ~ Slow Jamz

57 Busted ~ Who's David

58 Ice Cube featuring Mack 10 & Ms Toi ~ You Can Do It

59 U2 ~ Vertigo

60 Girls Aloud ~ The Show

61 N*E*R*D ~ She Wants To Move

62 Christina Aguilera featuring Missy Elliott ~ Car Wash

63 Nina Sky ~ Move Ya Body

64 Anastacia ~ Sick And Tired

65 Maroon 5 ~ She Will Be Loved

66 Ja Rule featuring R Kelly & Ashanti ~ Wonderful

67 Goldie Lookin Chain ~ Guns Don't Kill People, Rappers Do

68 The 411 ~ Dumb

69 Usher ~ Confessions Part II / My Boo

70 Special D ~ Come With Me

71 Kelis featuring Andre 3000 ~ Millionaire

72 Keane ~ Somewhere Only We Know

73 Duncan James & Keedie ~ I Believe My Heart

74 Jamelia ~ See It In A Boy's Eyes

75 Natasha Bedingfield ~ Single

76 The 411 featuring Ghostface Killah ~ On My Knees

77 Franz Ferdinand ~ Take Me Out

78 Gwen Stefani ~ What You Waiting For?

79 Basement Jaxx featuring Lisa Kekaula ~ Good Luck

80 George Michael ~ Amazing

81 D12 ~ How Come

82 Kylie Minogue ~ I Believe In You

83 4-4-2 ~ Come On England

84 Jay Sean featuring The Rishi Rich Project ~ Eyes On You

85 Avril Lavigne ~ My Happy Ending

86 Rachel Stevens ~ More More More

87 Enrique featuring Kelis ~ Not In Love

88 Ultrabeat ~ Feelin' Fine

89 Jennifer Lopez ~ Baby I Love U

90 Green Day ~ American Idiot

91 The Streets ~ Fit But You Know It

92 Sugababes ~ Too Lost In You

93 Victoria Beckham ~ This Groove / Let Your Head Go

94 Ronan Keating ~ She Believes (In Me)

95 Shaznay Lewis ~ Never Felt Like This Before

96 Britney Spears ~ My Prerogative

97 Ashlee Simpson ~ Pieces Of Me

98 Busted ~ Air Hostess

99 Outkast featuring Sleepy Brown ~ The Way You Move

100 The Black Eyed Peas ~ Hey Mama

For the rest of 2004 in music in the real world, please go to this wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_in_British_music_charts

Random Stuff:

Since the standard closing time for a pub is 11 PM, that’s when “Needles” closes. There are after-hours nightclubs, and people probably go to them, but Needles does its last call at 10:45.

Prostitution is not illegal in Britain, but running a brothel is. Basically, a person can sell themselves, but you can’t sell other people. (I just feel like this is useful information.)

Gun Control Laws had banned both automatic and semi-automatic weapons. Rifles were still allowed for those with hunting permits.

Courtesy Millie @theinvisibleboi: 2004 is also the year Facebook launched (although at that point it would have still been restricted to school e-mail accounts) and the Olympics were held in Athens, in case anyone wanted to feel old! (Probably wix would not be allowed to compete...but if anyone wants to create some kind of controversial Olympics history or event for this world, or otherwise alter history to conform to to AU, please feel free!)

Again, please use this wonderful collection of data that Erin has so helpfully provided us with for as general reference, not uncompromising and stone-set facts that you must know, utilize, and memorize! None of us are expert historians and unless you do something really obvious like reference an iPhone or One Direction, we aren’t going to call you out on it -- especially when an “error” might just be a difference between this world and our own. This is just to help you get in the “vibe” of the time period, not information that you’ll be tested on later. So don’t panic, stay loose, and feel free to get creative!

Thanks once more to Erin for putting this together for all of us, and remember that if you have questions about anything else regarding England in 2005, please feel free to message her and she’ll help out as best she can!

#hp au #hp au rp #hprpg #hp roleplay #bio rpg #world building

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