Thursday, January 8, 2015

Week 1 - Origin

Origin



Alex: Dollmore Cold Heartbroken Kara Klum 
Isis: Dollmore Biwol 
David: Migidoll Ryu (technically the Cynical head in this photo)

For some reason the photo deleted!!! It's back now.

Sorry for the double-post, but I got his finished and wanted to post so I can move on to the next one. This is going to be long, but first a few things. Alex's hair is horrible in this photo. This is why I've spent three days working on it. He's also the only one actually standing in this photo - Isis is on a stand, David is leaning on her and Alex tried to fall every time the wind blew XD

This is supposed to represent the "origin" of both my comic and the characters (they were the first three, and the main characters of the story (along with Uriel)). The writing is supposed to be the first time Alex and David meet Isis. I had to write it a bunch of times before I liked it....the first one was only half done and 7 pages D: Also I'm not a writer and I rarely share what I write (Fiction....this blog totally doesn't count.) so don't make fun, or point out all the errors or anything ok thanks bye.

“If you say anything, it could be bad. For you I mean. I don’t really care what you do.“

Daylight Officer Isis Rhodes had been sitting alone at a table in the small cafeteria, eating a salad when I found her. Well, she was poking at it with a fork. She hadn’t actually taken a bite that I saw since I walked in and sat down in the chair next to her. I’d stared at her for a full minute before she finally noticed me, and had almost fallen out of her chair. At least I didn’t laugh.

She was having a bad night. Shortly after returning from her shift, she’d pulled her gun on a total stranger - a completely innocent stranger, I might add - who just happened to be standing there doing nothing at all, or who was possibly staring at her boobs. And who also happened to be me. Now she was facing the tough choice of losing her job, or accepting a promotion that wasn’t really a promotion at all, but a creative punishment. The job change would mean working the Night Shift, and doing the most shit jobs there were. But at least she’d have a job.

Or she could tell people why she decided to try and shoot me, and get fired. And it wasn’t because I was staring at her boobs, I swear. At least, I don’t think that was it.

“What…I can’t….what? Why are you even here?” She stumbled over her words, still not over the events of the past couple of hours. Or, it was the shock of my sudden presence. One of the two. “You’re not…? Oh god you’re not going too—“

I glared at her. “No! I’m not going to bite you! Not here anyway. And you’re not my type. At all. So there.” Which was probably the biggest lie I’ve ever told in my life. She totally was my type. My type being female, and in front of me.

“I’m looking for cake, stop changing the subject.”

“Cake?! There’s no cake! And how am I not your type?! What is ….I can’t ...even!” She looked away from me and let out a frustrated breath. “Just…get away from me, you….thing. “

“Thing?” As far as insults go, that was about as pathetic as they got. I’ve said worse in my sleep. “Well now I’m hurt,” I said rolling my eyes.  “We just met! How can you be so mean?”

“Oh! Just shut up!” She made a move to leave. “I can’t sit here and listen to you threaten me and, and, stuff.”

To stop her, I did something I don’t normally do. I grabbed her wrist. Luckily I was sort of wearing gloves, and she had long sleeves on, or it could have gone bad.

“You’re going now, aren’t you?”

“Let go of me!” She hissed, unsuccessfully trying to pull away.

“To talk to your supervisor,” I continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “Tonner is in there with him right now… and he’s only your supervisor for a while longer.” I hadn’t really meant to say that, it sort of slipped out. That happened sometimes.

“How….how did you know that.” She relaxed and knowing she wasn’t going to run off, I let her go. “And how did you know I was going up there to…talk.”

“I know everything,” I shrugged and looked away. “If you tell him, it won’t go well. He won’t believe you.”

She laughed. “And you just happen to know that? Because you’re psychic? That’s why she hired you isn’t it, John?” Who the fuck is John? Oh right, me. I hate fake names.

“It’s Alex,” I told her, frowning. She didn’t seem to notice I'd even said anything.

“Captain Tonner? You’re her pet psychic, right? What bullshit! Vampires can’t be psychic!” She brandished her plastic fork at me like a weapon.

Yeah. That’s why she tried to shoot me. She thought I was a vampire. Just because she was right didn’t mean I had to be happy about it.

“Besides,” she continued, “he’ll have no choice to believe me. You look like a vampire, with your pale skin, and black clothes!” Now that’s not really fair. People can be pale. And what does everyone have against my clothes anyway?

“Once they really look at you it’ll be obvious you’re dead! You don’t have a heartbeat!”

“Something you would think would have come up during my physical.”

Her face went blank as she was suddenly derailed.  “Your what?”

“You know, that thing where you go visit the Precinct Medic and she says ‘You don’t have any infectious diseases! Go you!’ Or at least in my case ‘You’re not dead!’ and clears you for work.”

“But…how….”

“Well, I’d tell you, but you’d just think it was ‘bullshit’.”

“It’s not possible…”

“Yeah, I know. But I am the exception to all rules, Isis. You should know that upfront, if we’re going to work together.”

“Officer Rhodes,” she growled.

“Right. For about, another hour. Then it’s Detective Rhodes. Congratulations by the way. Though I hear it doesn’t come with a pay raise.”

I thought she might hyperventilate which, of all things, actually made feel a little sympathetic. Fortunately I can ignore such feelings easily.

“So there you go. You can talk all you want, tell the whole world, and see if I care. Nothing will happen. Oh, other than you getting fired, losing everything and probably ending up locked up for life. “

She looked up at me. “What? Why would they lock me up? That’s ridiculous. And someone would believe eventually. You can’t possibly be that good.”

“Maybe not.” I am. “But if you say anything,” I paused. Drama can be fun.

“I might accidentally let it slip that you’re a witch.”

The fork slid from her grip and fell to the floor with a hollow clink. Her face drained of all color and her thoughts just…stopped.

“How. How could you know that?” Her voice was barely a whisper. We were both really lucky that only the kitchen staff was there this late, and they were in the back somewhere, because none of them were present for this conversation.

“What part of ‘I know everything’ did you not get? First, psychic. Also, vampire. I could tell the same way you could. The second I saw you.”

“Oh god….”

“So,” I went on, “unlicensed, unregistered, practicing witch working for the police? That’s not going to go over well, is it? You know what they’ll do, don’t you?”

She shook her head, though to what, I don’t know. “I’m…I’m not practicing.”

“Don’t lie to me. It’s insulting,” I spat.

“They’ll put you in the Hole. That’s a thing, you know. It’s not a rumor they started to keep practitioners in line. They’ll send a Bug Catcher after you and you’ll disappear into that dark, underground room, surrounded by enchantments, so you can never escape. That is, if you’re even good enough to try.”

Trembling, she put her hand over her mouth.

“Or,” I continued considerably more cheerful than she was, “You can show up for work on Monday with your shiny new detectives badge, and watch me do fun things like stare at paperwork, pick people out of lineups and break Detective Dana’s nose. Though I doubt he’ll ever touch me again after the first time, so that that last one might not have a repeat performance, sorry.“

She sat so still and was so quiet for a while that I kind of wondered if I’d broken her. I touched her thoughts, just barely, to see if they were even there.

Ican’tbelievethishowcanIdon’tunderstandnononono

Ok. Maybe I should poke her or something. If only I had a stick.

I was still trying to decide what I should do in the off chance she suddenly started ranting or drooling when she spoke quietly.

“So that’s it. You’re just going to blackmail me…with my life,” She said, misery and defeat in every word, and her posture.

I supposed I could afford to be nice, since I’d just won the fight, if you could even call it that. I don’t really understand nice, but I thought I’d give it a try. How hard could it be?

“Don’t think of it as blackmail,” I said, in what I hoped was a helpful voice. “Think of it as ….two friends doing each other a favor.”

“We are not friends!” She yelled. I guess anger is better than... well it’s not better, but it’s something.

“Co-workers then,” I said with bored shrug. I was done with this conversation; it was past time to move on. “Why don’t they have cake here anyway? There aren’t even any donuts! I thought cops ate donuts at like, every meal? I have yet to find any. And I’ve looked.”

Isis sat back in her chair, staring blankly forward. “Oh my god. This is my life now.”

“Yes,” I snapped, “get used too it. One long, cakeless fuckup, working with vampires.”

Vampires?” She asked giving me a confused look. "As in more than one?"

“Well what the fuck did you think David was? A pixie? A werewolf? He’s not that hairy.”

“Who’s David?”

Shit. Stupid, fucking fake names. Fuck!

“I meant Joseph. That’s what I said isn’t it? Joe? Right? I don’t even know a David. Who is David?”

Before Isis could answer, David actually walked though the cafeteria door, as if I’d summoned him with my stupidity.

“Hey, did you eat?” He suddenly realized Isis was sitting there, and tried to turn on his charm.

“Oh, hi Isis. I’m sorry, I meant Officer Rhodes.” He’s so polite I often want to puke. I glowered at nothing while he spoke over my head. “I really hope there are no hard feelings over…what happened. I look forward to working with you.” He didn’t go so far as to hold out his hand or anything, but I still gagged a little inside, while Isis did a very good impression of a deer sitting in the headlights of a speeding bus.

No one spoke for a very long, very awkward pause. Finally David gave in.

“Right. So why didn’t you eat?” He asked me.

“Because this stupid fucking place has no cake!” I stood up and shoved my chair back so hard it hit the table behind us. “Can we go home now? Jesse probably made me cake.”

David looked back at Isis who was looking more and more terrified. The funny thing was, the fact that we were vampires no longer scared her as much as the realization that she would be seeing us every day, for the rest of her life. Forever. Heh heh.

“I’m sorry,” David apologized again. “He has…. low blood sugar. It makes him irritated. I glared at both of them. It happens….often.”

Isis couldn’t seem to find words and just sat there staring at nothing.

“You haven’t seen me irritated yet,” I snapped. “Lets go! I’m done here.” I started to leave, knowing David would have no choice but to follow. He gave a frustrated and long-suffering sigh that he usually reserved for me. I heard it a lot.

“It was nice meeting you, he said to her, still trying to be nice. I guess we’ll see you around.” He turned to go, but paused, looking back. “Oh, and congratulations on making Detective!”

I looked over my shoulder as we left. She had dropped her head into her hands and was sitting miserable and alone with her wilted salad. I wasn’t sure how we would ever get along, but least she was hot. She’d be a lot more fun to look at on a daily basis than Detective Bruce Dana, who was like a brick wall that had turned into a man, and then got his nose broken by….someone, so he was all bruised and disfigured. 

I could work with her.

If you read that whole thing, thank you <3

Alex, Gabriel and the state of my dolls

I've been giving Gabriel a lot of though lately. I thought I would need a 65cm girl for her, but exactly none of them have really appealed to me. Yesterday I found two I really like -- but one of them, Spiritdoll Olea, has been taken out of the running. I love her done look on Spiritdoll, but the photos of the blank head leave me wanting. I don't like it. I almost bought it anyway thinking maybe it was just a bad picture anyway, but I'm glad I didn't....I don't want to get it and be disappointed.

The other head I decided would work is stupid Elfdoll Vivien. I saw one the other day and it has a huge resemblance to her old head - DT Rian - which I still pine for. I think she'd be perfect, if I could get one. There is one on the mp right now, but it's pricey. I might contact the owner anyway....I'd rather not pay for a faceup...but I can't put a faceup on anyone right now anyway lol so it would be better than being blank! Not that she'd get a body anytime soon. I'd like the Granado Nouveau body for her -- it's only 62cm but I was thinking about it and since I changed my scale to equal 65 = 7ft ish, 65cm would be too tall for Gabriel anyway! And I love how the Granado body poses. It would be perfect. So now I just have to make the leap and see if I can get that head on the MP....

After taking the "Week 1" Doll challenge photo (which I still haven't posted :P ) I realized I hated Alex's wig. It's a wreck and needs to be shot. I had him all dressed in about a million layers, and decided to cut his hair in an attempt to fix it, because really, it was too long. I usually only decide to cut his hair when he's so dressed I don't feel like taking his clothes off....which results in green hairs everywhere sticking to everything and getting in everything and making a huge mess. I actually ruined my favorite sweater of his because those hairs just won't come out.

I hacked at his wig for a while, and then it looked like this:

ALEXIII2015 3 

 Which isn't too bad, but there are obvious issues....like that chunk I somehow missed. And the front is very straggly.


ALEXIII2015 4 

 Sadly I don't think there is much I can do about how it just won't lay closer to his face -- but then I don't think most doll wigs do, so oh well. It'll never do what I want which is why I want to try to make another one out of alpaca. 

Last night I cut it some more, and I think I went too short...which means I'm pretty screwed lol because I can't make another one!! I dragged him with me today, so I'll try and get more pictures later. I really need to wash the thing....I should do that tonight and make him wear the fur wig lol

You can't see it in these photos, but his nose has a scratch on it too, easily fixed...but along with a lot of chips in his blushing (he's an asshole like the rest of them) I'm mad at him.

David is in much worse shape though. While taking his photo I found a HUGE scrape on his faceup. This is the Cynical head, which of his three heads is the only with a faceup right now. While I was looking at it, it just flaked away...so now it's a huge patch, not a scrape. *sigh*
So I'll be wiping that faceup too soon, and David will be out of commission. 

He's not the only one. I have a few incoming, and several at home that are blank, or really need fixing, plus three heads to repair and a full doll to do for someone else, plus several of my roommates dolls. Today's temp was 7°....so exactly nothing will be happening for a while. Urg.

And autocorrect is really pissing me off. It changes EVERYTHING. 

And I think I have frost bite on my thumb. 

So yeah. That's about it right now. I'm really just wasting time until I finish my Week 1 writing....someday....

One more of Alex

ALEXIII2015 2

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

2015 Doll-a-Week Creative Challenge

So I posted this on Flickr, but I will really be doing it here, so I figure I should a quick intro post first.

I stole this from Snowgray, she posted it on her Flickr.....basically the goal is to take a photo relating somehow to the word, then write something to go with, about the character(s). Which is why I'm calling it the creative challenge, instead of just photo challenge. The photo part was intriguing enough, but the writing part made me really want to try this too, as I failed Nano again. I might be able to get something out of this, then be able to do better come November. Plus, better photos was a 2015 goal of mine anyway! Two birds, one stick. Or stone. Or whatever.

Here's my list. It's the same as the one I stole from Snow, but I changed a few words...because I knew that if I hit those and was stuck or uninspired I'd get totally derailed and quit. I did a random word generator and got a bunch of new words and replaced as I felt necessary....  

 doll-a-week 

Feel free to play along! You can use this list as is if you want, make your own, or change it up some.

I'll be posting the photos on Flickr obviously, but both the photo and the writing part I'll leave here.

I actually have the first photo ready to go, but I'm working on the writing. In typical me fashion, it got away from me a little (it's already like, four pages long). I'm hoping to post it tonight, but it may be tomorrow....

I really hope I can keep this up. Encouragement may be needed.

Doll News
I used my shiny new 100 pts from Dollmore, the money I got from sales and ordered a DMK body - which is going to end up being for Vanilla as Mini-Wyn stole his body permanently. I compared both heads with the old and brand new parts from Dollmore, and Vanilla is closer to the new, while Wyn is closer to the old, so he stayed on the old, modded body (which I find funny as big Wyn is also gender-modded), with all the old parts, and Vanilla is waiting on his brand new body :)
I also ordered some clothes, shoes and another Fine head as planned. -- they actually emailed me last night - as it goes with me and Dollmore, they have the body, head and all the parts I ordered in stock...but two dresses are out of stock XDDDD So it won't ship until sometime next week. Which is STILL a super-short wait, so who cares!

I made my MOC order - if those shirts fit Metatron I plan on doing an Alice order next! Fingers crossed!!

AND BIGGEST OF ALL Today Withdoll sent me a shipping notice! Sterek will be on his way home!! :D

And that's it! I hope everyone had a great New Year!

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

2014 to 2015 and Beyond!

This got long....sorry^^;;;;;;;

I really hope everyone had a wonderful and safe holiday, and since there is more to come, ditto for the future!

2014
I have to say that while it wasn't the best of times, for the most part, 2014 wasn't a bad year! I had a lot of goals that I didn't even come close to making, but whatever. I didn't post them here, so they obviously didn't count. Right??

A few doll highlights:
For me, it was really the Year of the Floating Head. I got WAY more heads this year than full dolls, and while a lot of them were for bodies I already owned, a lot of them were not...and my head box is full. I will need either a second one, or a larger one when the last two heads get here.

It was also Year of WTF why do I need so many eyes?! I bought, for the first time, urethane eyes, and they're so pretty and they fit so well I wanted more...and it's really prompted me to get good eyes for those that don't have them. I don't mean good-expensive, I just mean eyes that actually fit, and in colors that I chose as opposed to what I had in the box. Plus a lot of my dolls eye sizes have either gone down a number or I'm getting heads that have just tiny eyes, and I don't have those sizes laying around.

I got a lot of work done, mostly on a few of my Kara Klums, which is nice because they always need work. Now that I have a spare I wasn't expecting, I have just as much to finish (Seven and II, plus the Mod, plus none of the others are ever really finished)

Dollism, which was the greatest doll thing ever.

Doll-A-Kon, the other greatest doll thing ever.

The year of course started out oh-so-lovely with that disaster of a trade, which dragged on for a month before it was finally over and it did end up happy as I have Macchi <3
Who will stay forever if only because I couldn't bear to make him have yet another owner :(

Gambit and Jean stuck around, making them my longest running "fan dolls" ever. Finally I got it right!

Someday, after the couple dolls I have for sale sell, I will have moved almost entirely into Mature Minis and will have only two non-matures left. Pretty amazing to me....

Goals for the New Year!
• Find clothes for the dolls I have a hard time finding clothes for 
My top several are: Both Isis's, Java, Metatron (and Sherlock and Khan) and Ryuji, who will be getting his new body hopefully soon.

• Reorganize the doll area. My wigs can no longer fit in that tub...
This is a must. I am forever trying to reorganize how I store stuff, and it never seems to be the "right" way. :\

• Try not to buy a zillion dolls. 
Maybe just bodies for some of the heads that need them. Also, stick to actual wishlist and try not to get any just cause they cutes.
As usual, I really want to work on what I've got....meaning I don't want new ones. Pretty much any doll I get from here on out isn't going to be a character I have a doll for, which means I have to make a new character up for it.....and I don't want any more D:
Which of course means I have to go through my "wish list" and make sure I have things on it I really "need".

• Learn how to make Angora wigs myself so I can make the 5 or so I need. 
Ugh. The block of time I need for this doesn't exist in my future...but I really want to do it.

• Start my giant hybrid/mod project. Seriously. 
So I'll need to mod the head more, find it a body, then find it fantasy parts which will have to be modded to work, PLUS the scary paint job getting it to all match.
D:

• Maybe a photostory or two
I've come to the conclusion that photo stories with my largest group of dolls (What I call the Forgotten Children group) will just never happen. First I think I'm too close to that storyline to have fun with it, and I think omgthisissoserious photo stories are kind of.....lame. Second, the whole thing takes place in a very industrial future....and I have no sets or props or anything that I can use as a background, so I've pretty much given up hope.

However, I have at least 5 other "groups" that I can use to make up stories with now that aren't related at all to the main storyline, and, if I get enough elves, since that takes place as a "side" story and can happen in Faery, I might be able to get something out of that too. So, if I do stuff with those dolls, I won't be so hard on myself to be perfect. I'm at least excited to try.

• Better photos. Somewhere not at work. 
Yeah. This.

• Finish Boo
So, the problem here is the Reiko head I bought to be Boo was damaged when I got it. I didn't know until I removed the company faceup, and when I tried to fix it it proved to be unfixable - so all I did was totally mod the poor thing. I have to make both sides of the face match now, because it's horribly uneven....and I haven't had the heart to do it. I don't have anything in mind as a replacement, so I either have to fix this one or try to get one secondhand and hope it's not too yellowed.

• Finish Little Boo
I wiped him in anticipation of doing a faceup on the big one, so he's been blank this whole time...just waiting....

• Redo Baby Alex's faceup and blushing and redo sleeping Baby Alex's faceup and do his blushing.
Since I now have a sleeping version of BB Alex, they both need to be redone.

• Finish all my Kara Klums. All of them!!!! All of them. *dies*
Again. this.

• Sell stuff when I decide I don't need it anymore.
May not happen. XD
Selling clothes and wigs and things is such a pain on DOA...I just hate doing it.

• Organize my damn flickr and delete all the crap (maybe DA too)
Yup. Time consuming as anything ever. But needs to get done.

• Don't buy a body for #8. He does not need one. He doesn't. Omg I'm totally going to do it. NO!!!! I won't! *determined* 
Pleasegodno he's just an extra head incase I ruin the one I'm modding....no more bodies D:

• Eyes! I need to figure out who needs new eyes and where I can get them. When all my dolls suddenly had teeny eyes I have no idea...but it's a pain.
pretty much all my floating heads and any incoming dolls and heads need eyes. Plus some others like Metatron who lost his eyes when I decided to sell him....now he's wearing 16s which are at least a size too big....

• Wigs. I need a lot of wigs.
Yep.

• Anna
Anna is my Peakswoods Goldie who was one of my Dream Dolls. I've totally fallen out of love with her....and it's only because her faceup is old and I hate it and I hate her body blushing and she might need a new style or something. I want to fix her, because I still love the doll...
thing is I have Cassiel too - and even though she's not the PW I had in my head when I wanted one....I like her a lot and she's a Goldie too. So having Cass makes me kind of think I don't need Anna....and I think I'd regret it if I sold her.

• The List of Doom
I've sold so many dolls and not updated my To-Do list...so that needs to be redone.

• Organize my Profile/Doll list
I keep this pretty organized and up to date, but I think I need to rearange things somehow....stupid floating heads and body-sharing fux shit up.

On The Way
Not too much.

Withdoll Werewolf Baby Coco - still not shipped.
MODOLL - 1/3 Size Sherlock Holmes Benedict Cumberbatch BJD Head - Yes I did. I do have a plan for him....and I just hope it works.
F60 Soony - the trade for the Heath head is a go!! Hopefully we'll ship out this week, and I'll have it....who knows. I never seem to trade with anyone local....everything is way overseas and takes forever. That's ok...it'll get here eventually.
Soom Super Gem body - for Ryuji!! He was not bodiless for long! I got the trade offer right after I posted his body for sale. It seems to be taking it's sweet time getting here, but I haven't had time for it anyway. I just hope his head fits. I did no research on this body at all, the color should be a match, it's kinda buff but not too, and it's the right height (65cm - which is the largest I am going from here on out).  Hopefully it'll be easier to deal with him now.

Future orders
Dollmore Kid boy body - for Little Wyn. With some sales and the trade I have the money to get a body for a head and he won by a landslide (I didn't really consider any others XD). With this order I'll be getting a few items of clothing, some parts and a second Dollmore Fine head (don't even ask. This is a whole new entry waiting in the wings). EDIT: OMG!!! I won the photo contest on Dollmore....so that's more $$ I get to spend! :D Holy carp. Must shop.

Small order from MOC - A couple shirts I want they happen to have in stock.

AliceCollections - I need three wardrobes for Metatron now that he's staying. His, Sherlocks and Khans. Oddly, I have a few things that are very Khan (from the new movies. Sorry if you're fan of the originals - I am too...but Khan was way hotter in the newer ones....for that matter everyone is....) already so that's how he's dressed...even though the head isn't here yet XD Pretty much everything I want for that BC head they sell at AC. Only in sizes that may not fit the DM Glamor Model body and it's uber-broad shoulders of doom. Pants are another worry since, like all DM dolls, the legs on him are a mile long....So I'll get a couple things and if they fit, I'll do another order later. Hopefully I'll get stuff someone else (Gambit, Marcus, Israfel or Ryuji) can wear if they don't fit....

I don't have too much want for dolls or parts atm. I'm still trying to clear out what I have that I don't do anything with!
I can't start buying things for the Mod, as I don't know what body I have to work with yet.....so that's out for the moment. I need to go though my heads and determine who should get what body and in what order before anything - which will probably either be another 65cm boy so I don't have 3 heads sharing one body, or the F60 Soony who actually has a character I want a body for soonish. There aren't too many bodies out there that will fit the character I have in mind however...so I'll either have to pay through the nose or settle for something that will be too tall. Then I guess Sage will need a taller body. It never ends. Which, I guess, is part of the fun? XD

On to 2015!
Happy New Year!