Cthulhu's Hair Club For Avatars

For an evil demigod, it must be the ultimate indignity: Dread Cthulu, the Great Immortal One, the primordial incarnation of unspeakable horror, is now an adorable test tube baby you can raise inside your bouffant Second Life hairdo.  Worse still, it's all for a remarkably good cause: the hairdo is being sold at Hair Fair, a massive three week hair expo in which half the L$ proceeds are converted into US$ donations to Locks of Love, a non-profit that provides wigs for kids undergoing chemotherapy and other medical treatments that cause hair loss. 

While Hair Fair mostly boasts dozens of top designers creating glamorous hair attachments for SL's many fashionistas, Rikka Koi wanted to do something different at her booth.

"The inspiration for the Baby Construct was really all those fashionistas out there who walk around with great big pregnant avatars in miniskirts and high heels," Ms. Koi tells me. (Which is actally news to me, as well: virtual pregnancy has become a popular fashion statement?) 

"I kind of consider that a fashion faux pas," she continues.  "Who wants to see mommy-to-be in a mini skirt and tube top? So I decided to solve all their problems while furthering my own goals to bring back the Great Old Ones and raise unspeakable eldritch horrors from the deeps. And I wanted something really killer for Hair Fair."

Since going on sale, it's been a phenomenal hit; she estimates selling 200 a day for between L$200-400, with over a thousand sold so far.  Given the popularity of H.P. Lovecraft tropes in Second Life, the viral success is unsurprising to me.  (Indeed, minutes after I mentioned the find to metaverse developer Eureka Dejavu, she had plopped one on her head.) 

But Rikka Koi tells me she's had numerous complaints.

Ina Centaur in her gorgeous Cthulu 'do

"I honestly thought that I'd be met with a ton of negative feedback for this," she says. "Some of my friends were even concerned that I might be asked to take it down. And, to be honest, I have had a lot of negative feed back."  Some shoppers assume it's a dead baby, but Rikka adds somewhat helpfully, "I can assure anyone with any concerns that little Cthulhu is very much alive, and only slumbers within his watery cell until it is time to rise and spread his darkness throughout the grid."  So there's that.

"One shopper actually called it an 'aborted' fetus," she notes, "and told me I'd burn in hell."  I'm not sure that even makes theological sense, though I suspect the ailing kids who benefit from the donations she makes would have another opinion of Rikka Koi .

Regardless, she's still selling Cthulu test tube hair at Hair Fair, which runs until September 7-- direct SLURL teleport to her shop at this link. 

Thanks to Ina for the Cthulu tip.  Disclosure: Hair Fair is produced by Rezzable, a partner to this blog.

Comments

[Eureka Dejavu]

Love it!

[Nimil]

i saw this when i went to the hair fair preview pj party and i knew i had to have it immediately! i have no clue where i would wear it.. but i love it XD

[Faerie]

We've been visiting the Hair Fair looking for things exactly like this - things new and different and imaginative. This would be perfect for a mermaid to wear.

Thank you Rikka and thank you Hamlet.

[CronoCloud Creeggan]

Ia ia, Cthulhu ftagn!

[Connie Sec]

Lol..different..but now everyone will want to have one..so, I won't :)..call me a contrarian

[nox Pinion]

aborted fetus...? hmm. I thought it was a skillfully-manipulated collection of prims.

And I'm definitely going to go buy one!

[Harper Ganesvoort]

That thing is new and different and imaginative -- and it's one I won't be going for. I like strange hair, but this one just creeps me out! Every time I see it, I can...feel...my sanity...slowly slipping away....

Ia! Ia! Shub-Niggurath!!!