Hoo, boy, where to start...
While I've had several fursonas in the past, I suppose I'll focus on Linger, since he's by far my most recognized one, and right at the top of my list for my most beloved.
When Linger was first created, he actually was never meant to be more than an idea, and a philosophical sort at that.
It happened one day after a music rehearsal, that I was saying goodbye to a very dear friend of mine, and when I'd given him a hug goodbye (it was going to be a while before I'd see him again), I just felt like I didn't want to go, and I couldn't help lingering there in his arms for some time. As we'd finished out goodbyes, the very last look I gave him, when our eyes met, for some reason the image of these sweet, bright, white, silver and sky blue eyes that looked almost unearthly, yet still kind, crossed my mind.
Just the eyes. .-. It didn't look anything like mine or my friend's, but for some reason the weird little bit of inspiration stuck with me, and that night when I got home, I sought out to at least create what those lovely eyes might look like on some sort of creature, by means of expression of how I felt when I missed those I cared about, and by extension those I wished to continue to care for and love, even when I can't be there.
This said, I knew I wanted the Cub Spot eye markings and Orb eyes for a feline character, and soon the long white mane and gentle spotted markings of Linger followed. At this time, his design was almost entirely complete, though he didn't get his wings until later.
But at that time, around 6 months before anyone ever knew my face on the forum (xD), he was just meant to be some sort of philosophical, physical manifestation of that tender, sincere feeling I have toward those I love.
Later on, though, as my life continued becoming increasingly difficult, and I found myself in many cases being the solid ground for some friends and family alike that had been going through hardships, I'd begun to see myself as a guardian, or at least strived to be so, and so Linger followed in becoming a winged, guardian lion that I idealized myself to be for those who might need it.
Heavy stuff and stuff. xD
And su, that's how Linger came to be. He does in fact reflect my loving, sincere, and dutiful sides above all, though I do find him being the protector or sometimes light-hearted goofball that shows in my other sides as well. He is also very humble, and I suppose you could say when I play on Linger, it's a reminder to me to do my best to be sincere, humble, caring, and all of these qualities that I see in him, too.
Secrets... Hrrmmm... More like fun facts?
- He seldom looks down when on the ground.
- I still have yet to figure out what I want his voice to sound like, exactly.
- The silver band on his tail is removable.
- Linger is actually 318 years old, but his species can live to be over 1200-1500 years old.
- He may occasionally speak a few words in Elizabethan English-- but more likely to close friends. "Thou."
- He once had a "lady friend" named Teem, who was a non-winged lioness. That is literally all I know about her, though.
- In his birth world, he had spent his time as a messenger and guardian of a large bowl city, which was inhabited by many creatures, the most prominent being dragons, gryphons, and some earth-bound creatures as well. This position ended when the large city-state broke out into a cruel civil war, and forced many of its more civilized inhabitants out. He was around a century old, then.
- I don't know what he did, but at one time he screwed up and was made to watch a riverbed dry up for 11 years. He learned some serious patience from this.
- He has mild insomnia, but this is only because I don't like it when he closes his eyes around those who don't have his preset. (It looks weird! XD)
- Either he has a soft spot for cubs, or he's just a cub magnet. It's hard to tell sometimes.
- He has a musical side~ He's most likely to sing, but he's played various, primitive percussion instruments as well.
Uhhhhhh that's all I can think of right now.
