Dolly Destiny. . . or Christmas Fate?

Yesterday, my first unicorn, the doll that made me decide to get into this hobby in the first place, finally wound up in my possession:

 

 

Fate T. Harlaown, who I've pined for since her release in May 2009. And yes, I fully realize this means that the title is probably the most godawful pun you're going to see today, outside of maybe Vader's one-liner if you go to see Rogue One today.

 

(Also, I apologize for the somewhat wonky photos and photo edits--I've been fighting a cold for a few days, so I wasn't exactly as cognizant of my photography as usual.)

 

 

Gah, just LOOK at that FAAACE. It's a little hard to believe that she and Nanoha have the same head mold, because the faceup and the eye color make such a difference.

 

 

I did try her in a few other wigs I have on hand. Agatha's short wig.

 

 

Agatha's old wig. I find it kind of funny that Fate looks so good in this wig, while it makes Nanoha look so freakin' derpy.

 

 

(Nanoha, noooo, where did your brain go?)

 

 

The alt wig Nanoha uses looks. . .okay on Fate, but the orange-y red doesn't really go that well with the more cranberry color in the eyes I made her.

 

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And lastly, in Miku's sassy Dollheart wig. The bob shape is actually pretty flattering, but the black is too strong for her.

 

 

The whole gang! Left to right: Homura, Miku, Agatha, Abby, Tachyon, Nanoha, and Fate. With a cameo from the apparently-underwear-stealing Christmas Glitter Dinosaurs.

 

 

It's so awesome to have these two united after all this time. Thank you so much, Kushina, for helping me make it happen. And thanks, Baldylox, for enabling me against my better judgement.

 

 

Happy Pagan Ritual Appropriation Day, everyone!

Congratulations on getting your long-desired Fate!! She is stunning. I think the default wigs look best on her (and on Nanoha too, actually). The big hair really suits her!!

 

Linda S.

galatia9

Thank you! After all this time--trying to find her for years, then three months on layaway, and then a MONTH in the mail--it's almost surreal to have her here. I actually almost checked her tracking this morning, that's how hard it's been to get my head around it.

 

Yeah, she's definitely staying blond, and I'm glad I opted for the 044 in Cauldy's Lullaby Poem GO--those floofy bangs are going to look good on her, at times when I don't feel like fussing with her default pigtails.

Yay!!!! :D She arrived! Nice photos! At long last she's apart of your family!!!! :D

Haha, wig swap outs, I should have guessed it would happen. :P She's look'n great!

Congrats!

Congrats!!

 

well, looks like you win Xmas loot posts for the year

Yay!!!! She arrived! Nice photos! At long last she's apart of your family!!!!

Haha, wig swap outs, I should have guessed it would happen. She's look'n great!

Congrats!

 

Thanks! Yeah, the photos are pretty okay for me taking them as an overtired phlegm beast with only artificial light.

 

Yeah, Nanoha got eye swaps, Fate gets wig swaps. It took too long to get her new eyes aligned for me to want to swap them out again, even for science.

 

Congrats!!

 

well, looks like you win Xmas loot posts for the year

 

Thanks! Haha! You know, she was actually going to be *Thanksgiving* loot, but stupid USPS thought it'd be a fabulous idea to send her to the New Jersey customs center. . . which, in case you didn't know, is pretty much tied with New York for being the slowest in the country. Fun times. But hey! Christmas doll, guess it all worked out in the end.

Congrats!

 

 

This must've been like your DD grail, eh?

Congrats!

 

 

This must've been like your DD grail, eh?

 

Thank you! Yes, she's basically been my grail, but I prefer to call her my unicorn--because I kept trying to catch her while she slipped through my fingers.

 

 

Have more cute.

Hooray! Pretty Fate photos!

 

I'm so glad she finally arrived and that you're gushing over her. She's definitely a cutie ( I loved having her visit here with her twin ) and I have to say she looks great with your family.

 

I also have to say that while she does look cute in a few of those wigs you showed her in, I much prefer her in the default twintail wig. It's just "her" in my opinion. Those wigs are about impossible to find by themselves ( trust me, I looked for one for my Fate ) so since you've got it, let her flaunt it.

 

And what kind of friend would I be unless I tried to help/push/cajole/enable my good friends when they really want something they've been after for years?

 

She looks really good with the new eyes you made for her, much more pronounced and bright than her dark defaults. Nice job!

 

Congrats again on getting her, she's definitely in for some fun living with your group!

 

 

 

Billy

Thanks, man! Yeah, the big-and-blond works great on her; she'd have fit right in during the 80's. Glad I went with the huge banged-LP-044 in Cauldy's GO for her, she's gonna rock it.

 

And also thanks on the eyes. If you look at the photos of Fate and Nanoha together, you can see I actually updated her eyes too--same style I did for Fate, but in purple going to blue instead of cranberry going to gold. So now they both have matching, more colorful eyes, and Nanoha's are no longer globs of paint and glue. XD I need to sand down the sides and whites of both pairs though. They knock into each other inside the girls' heads, and it makes them a huge pain to align. (I've still got the art files for those eyes, btw. . . )

 

And what kind of friend would I be unless I tried to help/push/cajole/enable my good friends when they really want something they've been after for years?

 

A fiscally responsible one!

Awww! Congrats on finally getting her! She's too cute!

Awww! Congrats on finally getting her! She's too cute!

 

Thanks! She's got this certain quiet composure that my other girls lack.

Ahh, congratulations! I remember seeing your posts that you were looking for Fate, so I'm very happy that you were finally able to find her!

 

Man, a month in customs, though? And I thought LA holding Akuro's glasses for a week was bad >__< At least Fate was home safely in time for Christmas.

Arch this is so cool ;A; I love Nanoha series so much, that at one point I was even considering getting custom made outfits of the three best girls of the series (I obviously mean Nanoha Fate and Hayate!). Maybe I'll still do it someday, but I'm so happy you were able to get the official releases of them both

Ahh, congratulations! I remember seeing your posts that you were looking for Fate, so I'm very happy that you were finally able to find her!

 

Man, a month in customs, though? And I thought LA holding Akuro's glasses for a week was bad >__< At least Fate was home safely in time for Christmas.

 

Thanks! Yeah, I finally got a steady enough job situation that I had the money to spare for her when Kushina had trouble bonding with her. It's kind of funny; Nanoha and Fate both commemorate major life events for me. Nanoha commemorates my college graduation, and Fate commemorates my first home purchase.

 

Yes, just about a MONTH. I've since heard from other people that the New Jersey customs center is one of the slowest in the entire country, and that's apparently where she got sent. But yeah, I'm glad she turned up when she did--it really perked me up emotionally to open her up, even though I had a nasty cold that wound up lasting nearly a week.

 

Arch this is so cool ;A; I love Nanoha series so much, that at one point I was even considering getting custom made outfits of the three best girls of the series (I obviously mean Nanoha Fate and Hayate!). Maybe I'll still do it someday, but I'm so happy you were able to get the official releases of them both

 

Oh, man, a custom Hayate outfit in particular would be awesome to see! That girl doesn't get enough love, man. Which version of their barrier jackets would you be doing? (A's? StrikerS? Etc)

 

I'd love to eventually make Nanoha's Exceed mode barrier jacket, because that one's my favorite, and I've long wanted to put together a custom Vita--either a modded 01, or a DD10 would work for her, and I'd put her on an Obi45 I think. But uuuugh just thinking about getting her wig right gives me a headache.

 

But still, thank you! Turns out I absolutely adore the Nanoha/Fate head, and Volks did a lovely job on their outfit, so I'm pretty jazzed to have them both!

Aw! Congrats!! Fate is really lovely.

Nanoha series in general doesn't get enough love (at least on the West?) as far as I can tell ;;_;; I would love to have their Strikers outfits, but I'd also love Fate's Sonic form!

I also thought of a custom Vita (best tsun haha), but getting 3 custom outfits already would be expensive ...I actually did ask a seamstress for cost and she told me something around 150 - 200 per outfit... T_T

Congrats!

 

The differences are subtle, but make such a difference! Is it just my imagination, or do Fate's lips have more colour to them compared to Nanoha's?

Aw! Congrats!! Fate is really lovely.

 

Thanks muchly! She's such a lady compared to the rest of my girls, lol.

 

Nanoha series in general doesn't get enough love (at least on the West?) as far as I can tell ;;_;; I would love to have their Strikers outfits, but I'd also love Fate's Sonic form!

I also thought of a custom Vita (best tsun haha), but getting 3 custom outfits already would be expensive ...I actually did ask a seamstress for cost and she told me something around 150 - 200 per outfit... T_T

 

Oh, I agree! I mostly run into people who have never even heard of it. >.< $200 per outfit, at that rate you may as well hunt down the Volks Nanoha and Fate defaults and only commission Hayate. :/ And yes, Vita is right up there with Yurio from Yuri on Ice and Donna Noble from Doctor Who for Best Tsundere Evah! But yeah, between getting Fate equipped with clothes/weapons, and sorting out furnishings and organizational crap for my new condo, poor Vita isn't going to be in the budget for a loooong time.

 

Congrats!

 

The differences are subtle, but make such a difference! Is it just my imagination, or do Fate's lips have more colour to them compared to Nanoha's?

 

They really do! Yeah, the line in her mouth is especially more colorful--on Nanoha it's kind of a warm grey and *very* fine, in a smile, while on Fate it's thicker, distinctly red-hued, and in a pout. Fate also has more blush on her cheeks, and her eyelashes are different.

Congratulations Having Fate and Nanoha is amazing, they just look so good together!

ah, congrats! That's so exciting! I'm so happy for you!