Cirque Du Nefarious

Welcome to my project thread*!

*Aka, 'Nefarious Procrastinates in Slow Motion'.

 

"My name is Nefarious, and I'm a vinyl addict..."

...A vinyl addict who keeps telling myself, "I need to make art of each doll before posting this thread." But that's never going to get done. Who are we kidding?

 

A quick bit of background: I became aware of the BJD / Dollfie hobby in 2009, and purchased my first full doll in 2012, starting a collective that is still going. After owning some Dollfie heads for a span, I finally bought two Angelphilia girls in 2019, sold them, then properly re-entered vinyl in 2021- 22 with a Smart Doll. Vinyl is my side-hobby, and one I curate carefully, but am passionate about nonetheless. I enjoy high fantasy, sci-fi, steam and cyberpunk, oldschool suspense / light horror, gothic fashion and the gothic story genre, street fashion, Alice in Wonderland, all fun things 80s and 90s, Victorian and Roccoco motifs, 90s and Y2K cartoons, and MMORPGs, and these interests will be reflected in my dolls.

 

Rather than 'my collection', the group is generally referred to as 'The Elves' or 'The Hoard'.

Consider this a kind of journal. Each initial post should contain a brief explanation of a doll- who they are, what their parts entail, and what needs to be done for them yet.  Hopefully it shall one day contain some updates as well. Cross your fingers?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lore Overview:

There are two main physical plains of existence in our universe: The world of Reality, where we exist, and the world of Fiction, which is separated from us by an invisible barrier. Because concepts we embody in fiction don't exist before us in real time, we perceive them as imaginary... but that doesn't mean they don't exist somewhere. (Un?)Fortunately for us, the beings we call Fairies can cross the barrier, and exist in Reality or Fiction as they please. They are the wishcrafters, and the sewers of dreams and nightmares, the Courts of Seelie (Light Magic) and Unseelie (Dark Magic) who currently serve beneath the will of the Erlking, despite their many underlying feuds. All of Fiction is subject to them, and humanity has immortalized them in mythology, legend, and song. When an idea or wish is made in Reality and embodied in Fiction, it is often their call whether or not it should become Real.

 

There are endless locations in Fiction, from whole worlds in book series, films, or comics, to unspecified zones like a single house or page of paper. But one to which many recycled or displaced ideas flock is the city of Prosperios: a bustling steampunk-meets-cyberpunk metropolis filled with machinery, magic, and a nasty regime of nobles and business men entirely occupied with their own agendas rather than the will of the people. Prosperios is a monument to progress; they have chosen science over wizardry, but still bend in service to the fae. Many eager inventors and prospective wish-makers flock there every year, hoping for their chance to be discovered, and made into the next great novel series, manga, or epic podcast.

 

Sometimes, the avatar of a Fiction resident in our world isn't a living being. One doesn't see a party of dark elves, tieflings, and orcs simply wander into a downtown bar, after all. Depending on the creator's desire, a successfully-transferred character may become plush, plastic, cast iron...

...I've heard vinyl's nice.

....Now that the nonsense portion is out of the way, let's talk about DOLLS. Starting from the beginning:

 

Machinist Bex

 

• Doll: Smart Doll Chitose Multiverse (Interstellar Blue)
• Body: V2
• Wig: From Switch Parvula Cut in Sweet Peach
• Eyes: (Might be Real Noon by HollowMoonAtelier)
• Style: Grunge, lightly cyberpunk while working. Off-duty is casual-modern.

 

Bex is the everydayman of the group. Serious and studious, she makes a rough living maintaining Prosperios' extensive power grids, engine and sewer networks, and has hopes for a bright future despite the social disadvantages of being a dark elf. Bex's dream is to one day get her full machinist degree and license, and possibly even be brought in as one of the city's maintenance directors... but in the meantime, she finds herself a host to all manner of peculiar characters. Odd people seem to find her. She doesn't go looking for trouble.

 

To do:

• Fix ears (The seller accidentally sent two for the same side, and I need to swap with them)
• Buy eyes
• Find wig
• Commission faceup
• Buy goggles
• Buy tools

Bex's role as an engineer requires her to have a uniform, consisting of the Smart Doll flightsuit (Obtained), glove hands (Obtained; would like more), goggles (Sourcing), and a nice pair of boots (Sourcing).

 

Nemicus Ortaina

• Doll: Dollfie Dream DDH10 mod (Semi-white, unknown artist)
• Body: (Will be an Angel Philia)
• Wig: Gemini Checkmate (DollMoonDesign)
• Eyes: Cheshire (DollMoonDesign)
• Style: Gothic-Lolita hybrid. Some pastels / bright colours. Lots of corsets and ruffles

 

Every team needs the snarky guy, and Nemicus is that guy. Or, girl. Guy? It's kind of unclear. Nemicus is an undead, ancient vampire who may or may not have been someone important in a previous life. But all that doesn't matter now, because she's here, and what she craves is chaos. Entertainment, to be precise. This mainly consists of tormenting the rest of the bunch, particularly the rogue inventor, Paladin.

 

To do:

• Sell current body / rebody on Obitsu
• Flesh out wardrobe
• Buy ears

Nemicus was my first full Dollfie, but I built her blind off of parts on Mandarake. While I adore her head, I had no idea how small the DDH10 would be compared to a default DD. This sculpt is clearly intended for DDP or MDD, and looks small and silly on the DDS neck. In addition, her faceup came with some pre-disclosed damage, and while it doesn't bother me much, as a responsible landlord, I should budget to change it in the future.

 

Rum Punch, Elixir Witch

• Doll: Dollfie Dream DDH14 (Tan)
• Body: DDdy
• Wig: 8-9 fiber by Frappzilla
• Eyes: Dollpoint Gatcha
• Style: Casual vintage-modern, mori, magical girl

 

The chill ideas girl, Rum Punch is everybody's friend, almost. She's the one people turn to when they need an ear to listen, and Bex isn't available. A witch on 'extended sabbatical', she lives that good, hermit life on the plains surrounding Prosperios, peddling her potions, charms, and services, and trying to fly under the nobility's radar. Oh, and she collects 80s/90s merchandise. Hand over that Sailor Moon goodness!

 

To do:

• Finish paying off body  Done!
• Flesh out wardrobe
• Commission faceup
• Source eyes  Done!
• Buy wig

I wanted a Dollfie Anthy. Passionately. And I was miffed to realize that I missed her order period by a mere week before finding out about her. While I still hope to obtain her someday, I decided to go ahead and source a face to fill the void. While DDH14 isn't identical, it's not a bad substitute, and I was amazed to find one secondhand only a week later. She'll need some key accessories to be complete, but I hope she'll feed my Anthy craving until I can finally bring both home.

 

Edited December 15 by PolitelyNefarious

High Mechanist Paladin

• Doll: Smart Doll Lelouche (Milk)

• Body: DDS Male

• Wig: From Switch Parfait in brown

• Eyes: Smart Doll semi-real yellow

• Style: Steampunk

Paladin is a well-respected inventor, directing the management of Prosperios' overtaxed power grid, but his true passion is his latest project: a lifelike automaton designed to simulate all the human senses. His hope is to one day provide them to those with terminal illnesses, difficult physical disabilities, etc. And he will. If she can sustain a living soul. Unwilling to risk the death of someone established, he has resolved to complete her before the next wishing period granted to the citizens of Fiction, and vie for the value of granting her life.

To do:

• Commission Faceup

• Source glasses

• Source goggles

• Source gauntlets

• Build wardrobe  <- In progress

• Build workshop diorama

Story threads tend to converge at some point, and in this one, that point is Paladin. The character Smart Dolls were off my radar, and I had no plans of trying for one when the Lelouche preorders sold out in minutes. But lo and behold, someone on Instagram posted a wiped Lelouche head for a mere $100. I initially passed on him, assuming he would go immediately, but two weeks and one paycheck later he was still there... and now he's here.

 

Ventyri

• Doll: Smart Doll Anime North (Tea)

• Body: V2

• Faceup: Smart Doll default

• Wig: Navy blue SophyMolly

• Eyes: Doll Moon Design semi-real Demonkin in green

• Style: Modern adventure, some Victorian, some cyberpunk

Known to the east as the Iron Scorpion, the bounty hunter Ventyri was tasked by her benefactor with disrupting Paladin and his project by any means necessary. And she did! A terror in the flesh, this powerful succubus uses strength and cunning rather than manipulation to conquer her opponents, stalking them as prey. It's a good thing the friends won her over in the end, because she's come dangerously close to that goal.

To do:

• Buy eyes

• Buy horns (And tail?)

• Build wardrobe  <- In progress

• Acquire medium vitiligo bust + arm or full vitiligo body + medium bust.

• Add to faceup?

Anime North was a doll I wanted from the first time I saw her prototype. The fact that she did get added to the lineup still blows me since Danny has teased many things in the garage and said 'Meh' to three-fourths of them. Considering that she is a fast seller, I was amazed when Fabric and Friends got one in tea, the colour I wanted, at a time when I could afford her. Almost like she was made for me. My hope is to eventually get this girl the vitiligo parts with a bigger bust for a more mature look.
 

Vesper Sonnambulin

• Doll: Kizuna AI (Flesh)

• Body: DDS

• Faceup: Volks Default

• Wig: Doll Moon Design Serpentis Love Bite (Serpentis in pink/burgundy)

• Eyes: (Default- planning on mismatched eyes for her in the future)

• Style: Steampunk, Victorian

Among dinner establishments, the Gilded Cup is considered the highest tier of teahouses in Prosperios. Everything about it is immaculate and grand, if a little aged, and its patronage boasts influential people from across the realms of Fiction. But no long-term staple survives without its share of controversy, and the current gossip is its blatant use of homonculi, beings created through magic and alchemy. People or property, that is the question. Can a homonculus be considered sentient if they lack a traditional soul? Yet they seem to have feelings, interests, tastes, etc., and a tangible sense of pain. Others would argue it's artificial, along with their ability to form attachments. Are they slaves or objects?

Vesper doesn't have time to worry about that. As one of the teahouse's star attractions, she was commissioned and crafted to be an entertainer, and she fulfills her purpose with enthusiasm. Really she wants for little- at the Gilded Cup she has family, regulars and friends, room and board and a steady allowance to spend on her own interests. But this small group of ragtag rabblerousers has caught her interest. Especially the overbearing mercenary who is hot on their trail.

To do:

• Finish paying off

• Commission Faceup on blank head

• Source wig

• Source eyes? Not for now.

• Buy ears

• Build wardrobe  <- In progress

Having a DD was a long-term goal of mine. However, lacking the money and time and understanding of the Volks ordering system, it was something I put off for over a decade. So when there was finally enough budget for vinyl, I sat down and looked at every single character Dollfie to date, trying to find the 'optimal' one.

Technically that would have been Anthy. But Kizuna AI's face spoke loudly to me, and she came on the DDS to boot. Win-win. To this day, I can spot a Kizuna immediately. She's precious.

 

Llewyr

• Doll: Smart Doll Crimson (Tea Eiji)

• Body: V2 (XS bust, sharing with Ventyri)

• Faceup: ItsoyumeBJD (I do not recommend doing business with this person, but credit is due)

• Wig: Unknown Taobao artist 8-9 in lime green

• Eyes: Doll Moon Design semi real Demonkin in pink

• Style: Cyberpunk, modern adventure, some high fantasy, some Victorian

Ventyri's successor, the elven bounty hunter Llewyr lacks her cunning or subtlety, choosing to tackle his opponents with brute force and combat magic. A one-minded blade soul-bent on completing his mission, he doesn't have time for pleasantries, politics, or people. His every move reeks of desperation.

It's a good thing a certain entertainer has taken a liking to him. Whether he wants it or not, his path is headed for an intervention.

To do:

• Buy wig

• Buy eyes

• Flesh out wardrobe

• Male Smart Doll body (If possible)

• New faceup?

Holy grail o' grails. There weren't any vinyl Dollfie-size guys at the time Smart Doll released Eiji, with Obitsu discontinuing their tall men, so with the body proportions, relatively decent posability, the tan options, and that face, getting him as my first Smart Doll was a no-brainer. Unfortunately Smart Doll discontinued him right as I was saving up. Fortunately, though I have yet to have the right money / be there at the right time for a full Smart Doll guy, I was able to acquire Llewyr's head from the Facebook sales group, and aside from a small crack in his neckhole, he's pretty much perfect.

 

Azuki (Little Bean)

• Doll: DDH19 (Tan)

• Body: MDD

• Faceup: Dream Choice default

• Wig: Lavender Leekeworld? Penguin? 8/9 (Will replace)

• Eyes: Mariko Sensei default

• Style: Bright and colourful, Lolita, Modern

Azuki is Azuki. She was here before the others. She willed herself into the Real World. And she has lead them on a madcap chase to be here, wherever 'here' is. If Bex is the glue holding them together and Paladin the drive pushing them forward, Azuki is the impetus on which it all rests.

They just don't know it yet.

To do:

• NEW WIG

• Source new eyes

Azuki is somewhat my 'first' Dollfie. Chronologically she comes after Rum, Nemicus, and Vesper, but in terms of 'who came together and home first', she beat them all. I had been planning to save up for a tan Mochi Ashi from Dream Choice right before MDD's discontinuation notice was given. But because of Mandarake and Facebook, Azuki was able to come home. I fell in love with 19 thanks to Frollywog, and it is clear to all that she was the right choice for me.

 

Salidane Vontresseur

• Doll: DDH16 (Flesh)

• Body: DD Male

• Faceup: Dream Choice default

• Wig:  (Varies)

• Eyes: Melonpan Market 18mm (Temp)

• Style: Gothic, romantic Victorian, high fantasy

Dreams made manifest. A kind of illusion, such is the work of the Unseelie, along with time, and several of the other magic schools classified as 'dark'. Among them, Salidane is a prolific dream-crafter, taking great pride in highlighting the desires of others and replicating them in their best form: the kind that exists perfectly in the mind. He is a prideful, self-serving fairy,and a frequent breaker of hearts.

However, even with his skill, there is one thing he can't do, and that is make a heart's desire real. To his horror, some low-life nobody in Prosperios is intent on doing it first. How dare he?!

To do:

• Source wigs

• Commission faceup

• Commission eyes

• Flesh out wardrobe

• Alternate head?

I wanted a tan male DDH16, and might still get one in the future. But I couldn't resist a good price on this flesh-tone head. He could still become a different character, but for now he's Salidane.

Edited December 15 by PolitelyNefarious

Floating Heads and Other Projects

Here lies a section for less concrete / definite plans.

Colonel Garox

• Doll: Smart Doll... someone (Debating between Kanata or G02) DD Icon Clover OE
• Body: DD-F3
• Wig: Leekeworld Atlas 8-9
• Eyes: Metalic crafting beads
• Style: Uniformed, sci-fi

Kulg'aro'xentirion is a chiss of average stock, currently in the employ of the Galactic Empire. While not as influential as some of her better-known contemporaries, she has made a comfortable niche as a strategist and director, managing a smaller but specialized fleet.

To do:

• Commission Faceup
• Source wig
• Commission eyes
• Purchase or commission uniform

Garox wasn't planned. One night, a friend proposed that he wanted to visit the Star Wars experience in Disneyland for his birthday, and stay at the hotel for the full adventure. It's a three-day-long LARP, so he assigned each of the proposed party members a role. I got 'Imperial Officer', and thus, Garox was born.

 

The Wishmaker

• Doll: Smart Doll Prophecy
• Body:
• Wig:
• Eyes:
• Style: High fantasy, Sci-fi, some modern casual

The Wishmaker (Name pending) is a powerful Unseelie with the limited ability to grant desires of the heart. Like most fae, they walk the line between Reality and Fiction, and spend much of their time observing the human world, occasionally meddling in its affairs. Once every year, denizens of Fiction vie for the chance to have a wish granted by fae like Wishmaker, who offer fewer opportunities on the grounds that Fiction already runs on magic and advanced technology Reality doesn't have.

To do:

• Commission faceup
• Source eyes
• Source wig
• Source elf ears
• Build wardrobe

Grail head. 'Nuff said.

 

Rhelm the Reckoner

• Doll: Volks Len Kagamine (Flesh)

• Body: DDS Male (Sharing with Paladin)

• Wig: Unknown artist

• Eyes: Default (May change in the future)

• Style: High fantasy, some steampunk

To do:

• Source eyes

• New faceup?

• Buy elf ears

• Build wardrobe

Rhelm was the primary name I used to give to my Links on the old Legend of Zelda game, Link's Awakening. I bought him for his body, but Len has grown on me since he arrived, and I don't forsee his head being easy to sell, so... I guess he's Rhelm now. I always did want to make a Link-themed Dollfie.

Edited December 15 by PolitelyNefarious