You Are the Moon (Nowell)

The prompt for this one involved the song "You Are the Moon" by the Hush Sound

Shadows all around you as you surface from the dark
Emerging from the gentle grip of night's unfolding arms
Darkness, darkness everywhere, do you feel all alone?
The subtle grace of gravity, the heavy weight of stone

You don't see what you possess, a beauty calm and clear
It floods the sky and blurs the darkness like a chandelier
All the light that you possess is skewed by lakes and seas
The shattered surface, so imperfect, is all that you believe

I will bring a mirror, so silver, so exact
So precise and so pristine, a perfect pane of glass
I will set the mirror up to face the blackened sky
You will see your beauty every moment that you rise

Title: You Are the Moon
Characters: Nowell (Volks MSD F-17)
Word Count: 486
Notes: Nowell is very close to his Aunt Azkadellia, who has no children of her own. This takes place when he was around eight years old.

You Are the Moon

“Aunt Az?”

“Yes Nowell?” Nowell looked up at his aunt from his seat on her lap. She smiled down at him, her soft brown eyes twinkling in the twilight.. He was suddenly shy, and buried his reddened face into her encircling arms. “Silly little boy,” she said affectionately kissing the top of his head. Nowell giggled and urged her to start the swing, forgetting for a moment his previous embarrassment.

They moved back and forth, catching brief glimpses of the calm Finaquan lake over the railing. Nowell loved the soft breeze that curled around his face, bringing him scents of the garden's flowers. The rush of swinging returned his bravery and he tried again.

“Aunt Az? Why was that man so mean today?” His aunt sighed and fell silent, giving Nowell time to revisit the event in question.

A man, big and scary to Nowell's eyes had stopped them in the market. There had been lots of yelling, and Cain had stepped in to diffuse the situation. Nowell had remained tucked behind his aunt's skirt, clutching at the soft fabric throughout the whole ordeal. He didn't understand why the man was so angry at his aunt.

“Nowell,” she began finally, “do you remember the stories about the wicked witch?” He nodded with a shudder and she continued. “I know your mom has told you a some of what happened to us when we were little girls, but I was...attacked by the witch. She made me do a lot of bad things to many people. Your mom came and freed me, but there are still a lot of people who are upset.”

“But you're not evil,” Nowell said insistently. Azkadellia smiled at him, her eyes touched with something Nowell couldn't quite identify.

“Not everyone thinks so...” They swung in silence for a few minutes, focusing instead on the OZian stars.

Nowell recognized a handful of constellations; the Great Light among them. Made up of several bright unusually stars,this constellation shone like one of the two sons. Legend said that it was the resting place of the First Light, one of the siblings present at the creation of the Outer Zone. The Great Light was a symbol of good for all.

“Aunt Az,” Nowell began, his eyes glowing with the light of the brightest constellation.

“Mmm?”

“I'll make sure they know.”

“Know what my little prince?” Azkadellia asked.

“That you're not evil. I'll keep you safe, no one will be mean to you anymore.” Nowell looked up at his aunt to find her eyes glistening. He nodded stoutly, certain in his promise.

“I love you Nowell,” was all she could say.

“I love you too aunt.” Azkadellia pushed off the gazebo floor with more gusto, sending them swinging up towards the Great Light. Nowell smiled and snuggled deeper into his aunt's lap.

Professor Nowell

Nowell comes pretty much everywhere with me, school being no exception. I've finally gotten to the point where I really don't care what people think of a grown woman carrying a doll around, so he hangs out fairly visibly in my purse. My Tuesday/Thursday class is one of my favorite psychology classes (with my favorite professor), and the students have gotten used to seeing Nowell around in various wigs/outfits. I used him as a bit of an experiment on inattentional blindness* at one point, and since then he's sort of been adopted as the class mascot. Everyone asks after him. :)

Today a friend was giving a presentation on imagination, creativity, and consciousness, and I jokingly offered Nowell up for an "assistant." She then asked if she could use him, if I mind if he sat on the desk while she presented! So I sat him down and put his hand up in a waving pose. The students filed in and looked at him, and the professor loved him. I offered to put him away until it was presentation time, but he said no, he wanted Nowell to sit right there. He kept saying Nowell looked so happy and inviting.

So Nowell got to play professor for a day, which makes me giggle. He looked so adorable, had his biggest smile on. :)

*Inattentional blindness- This describes people's blindness to things they aren't looking for. So essentially if you're not paying attention to some particular aspect, you won't see it. Since people don't generally look for/expect to see dolls like mine, they literally don't see them, despite them being obvious and in their face.

Little, crappy picture spam!

Just a little picture to prove that this blog isn't all writing...really. :P I've got a bunch to post I swear, I've just been lazy about uploading them.

30-Day Writing Meme

10. What are some really weird situations your characters have been in? Everything from serious canon scenes to meme questions counts!

I guess you'd have to define weird as my characters aren't exactly the norm to begin with. Let's see... Uriel argues with the archangel Michael in an alley outside of a tenant slum while a petrified homeless man looks on. I always find it odd in memes when I'm asked to discuss sexuality, particularly with Nowell who is young and pretty naive.

It's hard to pinpoint something that would be really weird for them. Having a group of vampires, werewolves, a magical prince, and any number of other fantasy characters doesn't really leave room for much more weirdness!

Of Men and Monsters (Nowell)

I stumbled upon some writing prompts for bjd-related stories on Resinality, and couldn't resist writing about Nowell. Prompt 1 was using a song from the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack called "At Wits End." This is the story I came up with.

Title: Of Men and Monsters
Characters: Nowell (Volks MSD F-17)
Word Count: 877
Notes: This story takes place after 10-year old Nowell goes out on a call with his “uncle” Cain and his officers of the Royal Protection Force (RPF). They believe it to be a simple crop dispute, but stumble upon a serious case of domestic abuse. Young Nowell can't understand how a normal person could do such a thing, and runs to find his friends (the children Merry and Lina) to prove his point.

*Disclaimer*: Nowell is based upon the Sci-Fi miniseries "Tin Man." The characters of the movie do not belong to me in any way, however Nowell does.

Of Men and Monsters

Nowell stepped into the dimly lit shack and his eyes widened in shock.

Merry and Lina both lay in one corner, their bodies shivering and shaking in the shifting dust. One of them, Merry perhaps, cried softly. Nowell didn't have to look closer to identify the dark splotches on the dirt floor as blood.

A soft moan drew his attention away from the children and to a pile across the room that he had initially thought was just rags. The pile shifted, and a pale hand slid out into the lone ray of light. Its ring finger bore a simple gold band, carved with a small but detailed flower.

Nowell tried to speak, to move, but his body was held fast by the horrors. He felt himself falling, and knew by the cool dirt on his palms that he had crumpled to the ground. Tears slid freely down his cheeks, blurring his vision and stinging his eyes.

As he looked at the scene before him, a litany of voices raged inside. He heard the familiar words of the legends, the children's tales that had been his lifeblood for so long. The ancient battles, the triumphs of good over evil. Stories of men and monsters; but one was never the other. Yet here in this place he saw fear and pain and darkness, all with a source too human for his gentle heart to bear.

Suddenly the door of the shack burst open and light flooded across the floor. Nowell turned to find Etan collapsed against the doorway, his breath coming in sharp gasps.

“Wh-what are you doing here? This is my property!” He stepped forward, staggering from exhaustion. “Out of my way little prince.” The last phrase was filled with so much hatred that it struck Nowell like a blow.

Etan lurched again, jerking his tall frame further into the shack. Someone whimpered, and Nowell could hear Merry and Lina shifting closer to the back wall.

“I said, get out of my way!” Etan stumbled forward, fists raised to strike as they descended. Nowell watched them with a sort of horrified fascination as they drew closer. Was this what it had been like for Merry and Lina? For Ada?

A white hot anger suddenly burst alive within Nowell, and he rose to meet the blows. He could feel the power engulfing his core and spilling out, the telltale white light beginning to envelop his body. Etan's face quickly shifted from anger to surprise as his attack was stunted. He found no purchase on the shield that quickly surrounded Nowell,

“No,” Nowell shouted, “no more!” His control slipped, and the light exploded.

*

When the shack finally went dark, Cain and his men approached it carefully. They had arrived just in time to see the light show, and watch the roof explode. Cain had rushed forward in a panic, but Jeb held him back roughly, shouting that it wasn't safe. Now things seemed quieter at least, and the ventured closer.

“By the queen's lavender eyes!” one of the men swore. Cain looked up to see what had startled him, and saw the reason for the roof's explosion.

A tall silvery tree rose from somewhere inside the shack, its branches growing strong and sturdy as if it had been there for decades. Most shocking was the fruit that hung heavy in its branches: Etan. The man's body was encased within the twisted limbs as if it were a cage. There was no fear on his frozen face, but Cain couldn't imagine his end had been peaceful.

Nowell lay at the base of the tree, unresponsive but breathing normally. The children, Merry and Lina were cowered in one corner, their eyes wide with shock. Their mother Ada sat across from then, silent tears streaming down her face. A quick examination showed plenty of blood on all three, but surprisingly no open wounds. Cain and the other RPF officers carefully transported them all back to the town's center for treatment.

No one spoke as they walked, but more than one officer stole sideways glances at the young boy asleep in Cain's arms.

*

Nowell awoke with a start, shaking himself from the grasping claws of a nightmare. The dream had mostly faded, but dimly he could remember seeing the witch's twisted face frighteningly close to his own. Strangely it had morphed slowly into Etan's, and then his.

“Finally awake?” Nowell turned to find Cain leaning against a nearby wall, watching him intently. He blinked, trying to clear the last image and nodded to his uncle.

“You scared me there kid, what were doing?” The older man came to sit on the edge of the cot, and Nowell shrugged.

“I...” He remembered the bruised and bloodied faces of his friends and shuddered. “I needed to help.” he replied finally.

“Well next time wait for back up 'kay?” Cain sighed and tousled Nowell's hair playfully. Nowell tried to smile but failed.

“Uncle?”

“Hmm?”

“It's not like the stories, is it?” Nowell watched his uncle carefully, brow heavy with the truth he was beginning to see.

“No,” Cain replied, placing a gentle hand on Nowell's shoulder. “It's not.”

30-Day Writing Meme

9. How do you get ideas for your characters? Describe the process of creating them.

To make things easier I will pick one character to discuss the development of, Nowell since he is my most recent.

Sometimes the character is created before the doll, while other times it works in reverse. I've found that if there is a definite, fully formed character, it will come before the doll. If the character ideas are tentative, most often they will change (maybe even drastically) once the doll arrives. On the other hand you can wait for the doll to arrive and see what kind of person he/she is.

Nowell was a mix of both these, although the latter won out in the end. His F-17 shell was initially meant to house my character Paks, and so much of the character preparation was done with him in mind. However once he arrived, I knew with a quick peek that he wasn't Paks. On the way home to open him I listened to Tori Amos' Yule/Christmas album and was particularly struck by the first track "Noel/What Child."

From there I began to work on character development using many of the surveys/memes found on this site. Very helpful for creating fully fleshed out characters. I think that's one of the most important elements of my character development. The questions help me figure out what kind of person they are and where they came from.

With all that information written out, I began to fill in the blanks of the story lines. Why for example does he have lavender eyes, or why does he want to grow up to be a Tin Man? Basic likes/dislikes form the springboard for much more in depth discussion of character attributes. Given that I have him in doll form, I also concern myself not only with what he might wear, but what he actual does.

After many "character conversations" (the memes), I find myself with a holistic character. Not bits and pieces, but a real (fictional) person. Not to say I know everything there, but generic writing prompts can help fill in any gaps that might still be left.

30-Day Writing Meme

8.What's your favorite genre to write? To read?

Fantasy, science fiction, and horror are probably my favorites to write. Often a mix of fantasy and science fiction. I really delved into horror when I started exploring Paks' world. As for reading...pretty much anything with words! Fiction, fantasy, science fiction, horror, realistic/historical fiction, comics/graphic novels... A little bit of everything.

30-Day Writing Meme

Days 4-7

4. Tell us about one of your first stories/characters!

The first real, involved story I wrote was Daemon's. Oddly enough it actually started with his great grand niece, and then expanded to include him.

The story centered on a young teenage girl who was part of a familial werewolf pack. She was a direct descendant of one of the first wolves (Daemon's sister Adriana), and inherited special powers and the blessing of Artemis. I hadn't come to a real solid decision about the particular events of the story before Daemon poked his head in.

Initially he was supposed to be a supporting character, come to help train the young girl as she was so similar to his sister. Then as I began to write the scenes and give more details about Daemon, his character outgrew hers! So now we have Daemon as the focus and his great grand niece as a supporting character in some future story.

5. By age, who is your youngest character? Oldest? How about "youngest" and "oldest" in terms of when you created them?
Age-wise Uriel is by far the oldest of my characters. I haven't even really pinned an exact age on him, but essentially he goes back to early creation. Youngest would probably be either Azkadellia or Maggie. As with Uriel I haven't decided on an age for Az, but I know she's young. Maggie is thirteen, making her the youngest with a definite age. In terms of creation, Daemon is the oldest and Nowell the youngest.

6. Where are you most comfortable writing? At what time of day? Computer or good ol' pen and paper?

I write almost constantly, both with pen and computer. My preference is to be somewhere quite I can concentrate with my laptop, as I can type as fast as I can think and edit easier. However when it comes to writing on the fly, pen and paper is the best.

Time-wise I like to write a lot at night, perhaps because I've always been a bit of a night owl. Otherwise I like to scribble a few words during class breaks or when it's slow at work.

7. Do you listen to music while you write? What kind? Are there any songs you like to relate/apply to your characters?

Of course! Music is very pervasive in my writing, be it for background noise or active inspiration. I tend to listen to instrumental music most of the time as it's lack of words doesn't distract me. However once I get to know a character better and can figure them out a bit, I will often play “their” music. This might be songs they like or would listen to, or just music that defines their own intentions/life.

Specifically I like to listen to music like Night Wish, Within Temptation, Immediate Music, and so on. As for specific character-related songs there are things like Daemon's love of Within Temptation, Uri's connection to Love the Way You Lie (PII), and Nowell's naming song What Child/Noel.

Dolly Talk: The Roles We Play

I have come to notice that once my dolls go through their initial adjustment phase of arriving and bonding, they quickly settle into their own particular roles. I spent this weekend setting up the dollies in their own space, and as I sorted through everything I got a clearer picture of these roles. Since they are currently sorted by shelves, I will use that as the order for this discussion.

Top floor: The hobbit Dals! These boys (Frodo and Sam) came in earlier this week, and as such are the newest members of the Pack. They are primarily show dolls, which is unusual for me. However they are a little fragile and were specially customized, so they will remain in their soon-to-be hobbit home most of the time.

Second floor: The Pullips! Here we have Kaleb, Arte, Maggie, Jouet, and Katerina for good measure (Bleeding Edge Goth). Eventually Wolf (Namu Wolf) and Ciel (Dal from Kuroshitsuji) will join them as well, making things a little cramped I'm sure. These guys are mostly shelf dolls/occasional play dolls now. I will probably be taking some of the Dals out more than the others as they are smaller, but I worry about the strength of the bodies and all the tiny accessories. Plus I've found that I prefer to carry bjd's rather than Pullips.

First floor: The BJD Den. Here we have Uriel, Drusilla, Azkadellia, Faolan, and Michael the floating head. Faolan and Michael are separated from the rest as they are more in process/not in play right now.

Uriel is my snuggle-bug, mostly for "home use" now. His size and now unusual appearance make him a little too much for public outings. However he has a lovely, protective presence in person. Definitely the boy I watch horror movies with or take out when I'm particularly stressed. My lovely fallen angel. :)

Drusilla is currently sitting on Uri's lap, looking ever so cute. She's kind of an odd doll match for me. She is beautiful, and we click some times, but then others I'm not sure what to do with her. Not that she's going anywhere, but at times it seems she's here less for me and more for herself if that makes sense.

Azkadellia- My newest bjd baby and definitely one of the cutest. This girl has such a lovely personality now despite how she arrived and all the stress that trade caused. I augmented her face up a bit and added her chest tattoos, and now she's just perfect. I do need more clothes for her, and also kind of wish her body was different, but we can see about that some other time. She's just too cute not to love.

And finally we have Nowell. I intentionally didn't include him in the above organization because although he belongs on the first floor, he hasn't really been there at all. Nowell is apparently that doll who will be with me more often than not. He comes to school, to work, snuggles up in bed with me, and is usually in the room if not in my lap. His role seems to be staying by my side. Where Uriel seems happy to have my company when I'm free and inclined, Nowell appears to always want it. I have my suspicions for this, some of which involve him being a Volks doll, but that is a discussion for another post!

30-Day Writing Meme

Day 3

3. How do you come up with names, for characters (and for places if you're writing about fictional places)?

In most cases names are the product of searches based on the character's traits, nationality, language, and so on. I'm pretty anal when it comes to story details...going as far as to make sure a name existed/was in use at the time the character got it. Sometimes I begin with a particular meaning I'd like and work out from there, or a nationality or language and work that way. I love symbolism, so you can bet most (if not all) names are for a particular reason. In some cases the names just come to me, but those are generally special situations.

30-Day Writing Meme

Day 2

2. How many characters do you have? Do you prefer males or females?

I have quite a lot of characters in many states of creation. Some are just back story for others, but at times they can grown into their own. Currently I have four main characters I'm writing about in their own stories, but that's not counting their supporting characters.

As for males versus females, I think I it definitely prefer creating male characters though it's often easier to write female characters. Out of my four main characters right now, three are male and one is female (Uri, Paks, Nowell, and Dru). I have always preferred creating male characters, even when I was a child. All my stuffed animals were always male unless they absolutely had to be female. I do generally throw in some female characters, but they often play supporting roles rather than main ones. Dru is one of the exceptions to that rule, but she is crazy so it's different than writing a normal female character. And of course Uri is relatively androgynous, so he sort of qualifies as both.

Character Questions

In my last entry I mentioned one of the odd facets of writing, which is not always knowing everything. I know it might sound odd, but the more I write the more I realize I just don't know. Why a particular character is the way he is, or even what he's doing in the story! We discussed it often in a writing class I took last semester, and while its not exactly bad it can be frustrating.

Right now I'm working on Nowell's story and I can't figure out why he isn't close to his father Renato. I know that he is stuck like glue to Cain, and wants desperately to be a Tin Man. But why isn't Renato his role model? It might just be that I'm in a funny mood, but I feel like I need to know. Is he dead? Missing in action? Just away too much on business? Ever time I begin to write a scene with him in it, I just get stumped.

Death would explain his absence, but I'm not sure if I'm willing to kill off a character so lightly as that. Granted if we go with the "I don't know" theory, maybe he's already dead and I'll just find out later. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Stress and 30-Day Writing Meme

Stressful, stressful day. :( All sorts of craziness and doll issues..ugh! But it's the end of the day and time to relax now. I think I'm going to do some more writing about Nowell as it seems to sooth me, though writing does seem to do that. I swear he is my little stress baby, helps me ease all my worries. Well, at least most of them!

In other news, I love this website. It's a great place to go for writing and character development, of the dolly and non-dolly variety. I used it a lot when I got Nowell and it really helped me flesh things out quite a bit. They also have a section for activities about writing, and I found this 30 day project that looked interesting. So, here's day 1.

1. Tell us about your favorite writing project/universe that you've worked with and why.

If we're talking my own original universes, I'd say it's a tie between two. Daemon's world was the first one I really explored beyond just the character's little personal bubble. It was also the first universe to teach me that it was okay to not know everything, as well as the fact that my characters need more development.

A tie with Daemon's universe is Paks' which plays well to my love of horror. I am fascinated by zombies, though not really for the gore. Being a psychology major makes me think of all the repercussions that the movies don't usually deal with, and that lead me to create his world. His is also one of the first universes in which I explored the world itself and not just the character's interactions. I have stories about the outbreak and the infection spreading that have nothing to do with Paks, they just help me set the scene.

If you want to discuss fan fictions, my two biggest loves are Sailor Moon and the Buffy/ Angel universe. Sailor Moon really started me on my path to art all those years ago, pushing me to begin drawing and writing my own characters and scenarios. Through Buffy/Angel I was able to work on perfecting a particular style of writing, in that case the specific characters and humor that characterize the Buffyverse.

And we're done!

It only took a few hours, but both Nowell and the Hanael are sueded and re-strung. What a difference cleaning and new s-hooks makes! Hanael poses like a dream, although her legs tend to spin in funny directions for some reason. I've also decided who she is going to be...a chibi Azkadelia! She has stolen Nowell's old wig (and he hers), and will be getting her trademark tattoos and some costumes. She's not really meant to be evil Az, but I just love those tattoos. :)

Nowell as I mentioned has stolen the brown wig Az came with, and it looks perfect. Just warm enough, and it is very durable. Even after fifteen to twenty minutes of finagling, turning it inside out and so on, I was still able to smooth it right out. Perfect!

Something else struck me today, and I wanted to post here to clear up any confusion. I mentioned that Nowell was an original character I created from the Tin Man universe, but I never really mentioned what that was! In short it was a miniseries that presented an updated version of the Wizard of Oz. It's funny, because although I really don't like the original movie, I do tend to love the remakes that I've seen. If you're curious you can check out the Wikipedia page for a general overview of the characters, but I definitely suggest watching it if you have the chance.

Hanael arrives and the work begins!

Just received the Custom House Hanael in the mail today and she is really beautiful, but she's going to need a lot of work. She's very dirty, her face up is a bit manged (eyelashes are trashed), has no s-hooks anywhere, and terribly needs to be sueded. I had planned to suede Nowell today as well so that's not a problem, and it does give me a project to work on. Plus I am rather sick (sinus infection and a chest cold!), so I could use the time inside to relax.

Nowell's Family Tree

Nowell is a writer's dream. :) He is so easy to write about, it's as if the information just flows out of me from some unknown source. Case in point, I did a little work up of his family tree to help with some writing I was doing. It's embellished from what the movie suggests, and helps to flesh out the family and explain why they have the powers they do. (Note: Black lines are blood relations while blue indicated marriage).

I posited that the Gale family has gotten their magic directly from Glinda the Good's line. Her son Cadel married Dorothy, beginning a line of magically-inclined rulers. From there the heirs were all female, and married within the OZ's society. Glinda II (known only as "lavender eyes" in the show) married Ahamo and had DG and Azkadellia. DG married Renato, the son of the Mystic Man (the "Wizard") and had Nowell and Nur. So that makes Nowell the first son of the Gale line as well as a mix of the Mystic Man's genes and Glinda's.

Confused yet? :P

Photostory: Welcome to the Other Side

Nowell: Hello everyone!

Prince Nowell of the Outer Zone,

At your service!

I come from a place you probably know as OZ,
but to me it's just home.

I came to visit the Other Side (that's you guys)
for a while, and I'm already loving it.

Everyone here is really nice and helpful,

and it's beautiful here.

Unfortunately it's too windy today to go outside,

but I can't wait to go exploring!

Well, thank you for stopping by!

My pretty boy! :)

I can never get his eyes to come out the real color they are, it's so frustrating. In pictures they look maroon or brown, but they're really a lovely dark lavender.

Nowell (Volks F17)

Name: Nowell B. Gale (pronounced "Noel")
Age: 14
Gender: male
Birthday: November 15
Family: Parents, grandparents, and sister Nur.
Personality: Nowell is very lighthearted and joyful. He is almost always smiling, and likes to cheer up those around him as well. He has a very strong sense of right and wrong, and feels committed to doing good.
Likes: The O.Z., nature, becoming a Tin Man, the ocean, punk/rock music
Dislikes: The dark, evil, certain green vegetables, people who speak badly about his family.
Mini bio: Nowell is the seventh generation of the Gale family, ruling monarchs of the Outer Zone (O.Z.). He is the first son to be born to the family, and is a direct descendant of both Glenda and the Mystic Man. Since the throne is inherited through the mother, his elder sister will rule after his mother. This leaves him free to pursue his dream of becoming a Tin Man (police officer essentially). After hearing about the Other Side for many years and receiving a lot of radio transmissions, he has decided to come visit for a while.

*Note: Nowell's history and world are based on the interpretation of the Wizard of Oz in the Tin Man miniseries. I've done some embellishing of my own to flesh out his family line and connect the dots, but that is the main basis.*

Dolly Talk: The Color Question

When I first saw Nowell in the DoA market place, I knew instantly he was special and would be part of my dolly family someday. The only question in my mind was about his color. My first doll (RS Ju) was white skin, and despite my initial love of her coloring, it became something I truly disliked quickly. So when I received Nowell I was a little apprehensive. Would he be too white? How would he fit in with the rest of my NS dolls?

Needless to say I love him, and his coloring is surprisingly a part of it. I think they key is correct blushing/highlighting of certain areas. Or maybe it's just the magic of Volks. :P Either way his pale color gives him this ethereal look at times, but isn't so obvious all the time to bother me.

This brings up something that I think every potential doll owner should consider before they buy any doll, but especially their first. The skin color! I know it seems obvious, but it can be more complicated than one might think. Normal skin, white skin, tan skin, purple/blue/grey etc. resin? How does it yellow (will it turn yellow or even green)?

As I mentioned my first doll was WS, and while I loved her paleness originally it didn't last. I will say that I should have done more research about everything before buying, but definitely about her coloring. I found that that particular white skin was just too unnatural for me and not versatile enough. Eventually I ended up dying her tan, which still didn't quite work for me. So it's important to consider the color in the long run.

Also, every doll will yellow over time, so keep that in mind. Depending on the company and original color, this can mean many different things. Normal skins (pink, yellow, and normal) will usually go a bit yellow though to differing degrees. Uri for example is a Delf El Type 1 and he is definitely an almost buttery yellow. Very noticeable, but I like it so it doesn't bother me. White skin will either yellow or even go green. Nowell has yellowed, but he turned a more creamy yellow, almost like off-white paper. I know of some CP dolls in white skin that go green. Tan also yellows in different ways, most notably a lot of it can go green as well.

Which brings me to another important point: colored resin. Some resin is colored through and through, while others are just colored through the first few layers. That's why sanding colored or tanned dolls isn't always advisable. Once you sand off the top layer you will end up with a lighter or different-colored resin beneath, making for a blotchy doll. So keep that in mind too! :)

Nowell (Volks F17)

Super Dolfie box *cue stunned silence* I pinched my finger
pretty good in this one!

Booklet, birth certificate, and kips disks. Wish I read Japanese.

Better picture of the booklets.

Lift the covers and...! There he is with some clothes (not for him).

Eek, he's so cute!

All dressed with a temporary (or maybe permanent?)
wig, clothes, and eyes. He's so cute!

I happened to be listening to Tori Amos' Christmas CD as I was driving home with him, and the first song (What Child/Noel) happened to strike me for some reason. So, here we have Nowell! He needed a re-stringing and probably will have one more in the future before he's just right, but otherwise he's fantastic. A lovely happy boy, he makes me smile just looking at him!

But oh, how I need more MSD clothes. This is so not his style at all. I have at least a sweater picked out for him on Etsy, and I'll have to find or make him some pants soon. And shoes! Thank goodness I get paid this weekend. :P

So apparently I'm a psychic... :)

F17 is here! Er well at my PO, but he's home safe! Of course it's when I'm at school and can't get out to get him until this afternoon, but this is awesome! :)

I had a dream...

I woke up this morning after dreaming of my F17 boy only to realize that it was in fact just a dream. :( I was hanging out with another doll owner I know more as an acquaintance, and was assisting her in purchasing some sort of limited Volks doll. For some reason in my dream, if you asked nice enough Volks would re-release a limited just for you. And the SD only cost $329, definitely a dream!

In any event we stopped to get pizza of all things and ended up in my PO instead, where my package magically appeared. I ripped it open and had my boy (who looked funny in dream world), and was so very happy. And then I woke up. :(

Definitely not a good way to waked up, but maybe it was a prophetic dream and he'll just appear at my PO? I really wanted him here before all the holiday craziness started too, and figured that shipping last week would guarantee that. Oh well...

Bloodlines: The Fallen

Omake: Uri's henna!

Oh where oh where has my little doll gone...?

No F17 yet, and it seems that there may be a shipping problem as well. His tracking hasn't updated past the "we've received notification that someone's shipping something" phase, and when I called the PO they said there's no record of him entering the mail stream at all! *cue terror* I've never had to deal with something quite like this before, so I'm at a loss of what to do. I contacted my trade partner and let her know, and she'll be checking with her PO on Monday. There's of course a chance that he'll just show up randomly, which would be wonderful. Here's hoping he's safe and just not tracked, and appears magically in my PO box on Monday!

This is the third or fourth time I've started to write a post, so hopefully I can actually complete it this time!

Waiting for a doll is always a bit nerve wracking, especially when the character already seems to be here. It's like the poor boy is floating about disembodied, wondering where his shell is. :P And I completely forgot that because of the holiday, he might not arrive until Saturday. Or Monday... :O

But I suppose that gives me a little more time to get my act together regarding clothes and whatnot. I really don't have a lot of MSD sized clothes, but I'm sure I'll find something. Also I may be working out a deal to get a smaller version of him as well. A CH Hanael is up for trade in the DoA market place and she would make a lovely young "he." So if all works out I might have Paks young and Paks younger.

It's official!

He'll be heading to me tomorrow and Suzuna will be off to her new home then as well. Very exciting!

Hello, goodbye?

I have been trying to work my MNF Seorin to be Paks, but alas it's just not clicking. :( So...I revisited another idea I had about getting a different doll to be him. If all goes well I will most likely be trading for a Volks MSD FCS boy, which I am head over heels for! I love the Volks immature MSD bodies, and this boy is just darling. I love their chubby innocent faces that say so much. I think it would give Paks the young look he needs, but I'm not ruling out the doll becoming another character instead. Either way he would be lovely. I will be trading out my Volks Suzuna because although she's fantastic, I do *nothing* with her.

So for the Seorin...I don't know yet, we'll see.

Ghoulia Yelps

I haven't posted any of my Monster High girls here mostly because they are still in storage after the "great move," but I couldn't resist posting my newest and most favorite here. From the moment I saw her in the webisodes, I fell deeply and irrevocably in love with this little zombie girl. Not only was her character design innovative, but come on...she's a zombie!* So without further ado here is my lovely zombie girl:

*Seriously obsessed with zombies here.

Thanks for looking!